The ex-Brighton GP used his "professional distinction" to lure victims, who were as young as eight.

A gas leak has closed a road in Worcester.

Northwick Road in the city has been closed for engineers to excavate and repair the escape.

A small detour is in place according to the gas company Cadent.

A man has been stabbed in the leg in Walsall, West Midlands Police said.

The victim, aged 25, was hospitalised after the incident on Midland Road at about 10:00 on Monday, the force said.

Image source, Google

His injuries are not thought to be serious.

Police asked for anyone who many have information to come forward.

Neighbours of the towering rubbish mound demand action after two years of complaints.

Express and Star

Today's headlines in the Express and Star include:

• Community leader who escaped the Taliban pledges to help new refugees, external
• Ambulance staff working with care home patients will need to be fully vaccinated, external

• More than 900 stores close in region in first half of the year, external

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games organisers say they are confident of hosting capacity crowds at a "Covid-friendly games".

Travel across the West Midlands is likely to be disrupted on Thursday due to heavy showers and thunderstorms.

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning, external and said there is a chance homes and businesses could be flooded.

Lightning could cause delays with some cancellations to train and bus services.

The warning is in place from 11:00 until 20:00.

BBC Sport

Worcestershire have been beaten by an innings and 56 runs after being bowled out for 204 by Kent at Canterbury.

Ed Barnard (pictured below) held up the Kent bowlers for more than two hours for his 44 runs.

Joe Leach was Worcestershire's top-scorer with 49 not out.

Image source, Getty Images

At Edgbaston, Warwickshire have been set a target of 295 to beat Hampshire.

It had looked to be a lot easier, but the visitors put on nearly 100 runs for the ninth wicket, with Keith Barker scoring 75.

Tina Ince, Alex Britton and Tom Watson died in the four-vehicle crash near Andover.

BBC Weather Watchers

With the West Midlands set to bask in temperatures up to 29C (84F) today the BBC Weather Watchers have been out capturing some sunny scenes across the region.

This cloudless view was taken in Leek, Staffordshire, by Videoman.

Image source, Videoman

This was the scene earlier in Sutton Coldfield as captured by Suttonwalker.

Image source, Suttonwalker

Peter Steggles took this in Rushbury, Shropshire.

Image source, Peter Steggles

And this image of Dudley was taken by Laura and Glenn.

Image source, Laura and Glenn

David Venables faces trial following the discovery of wife Brenda's remains 37 years after disappearing.

The 32-year-old suspect is also treated for a stab wound to his arm, police say.

New health advice has been issued over debris from a plastics factory fire in Leamington Spa.

Homes were evacuated amid the blaze at Leeson Polyurethanes Ltd on 27 August. One employee is still missing nearly two weeks later.

Public Health England's (PHE) guidance focuses on soot and other matter emitted from the Juno Drive site.

Image source, PA Media

Although toxins or contaminates from plastics should have been eliminated as they burnt, PHE said, it warned that particles could be an irritant and precautions should be taken while dealing with debris.

It advised:

• People should remove small areas of fine debris or soot wearing rubber gloves, wiping the surface first with a dry cloth, then a damp cloth to remove remnants. The waste, including gloves, should then be bagged and binned in the normal way. Hands should be washed with soap and water.
• Care should be taken when clearing large and sharp debris. Wear rubber gloves and bag and bin the waste as above.
• Soot can be safely washed off vehicles and outdoor furniture by using a fine water spray.
• Fruits and vegetables grown in the garden should be washed and peeled before they are consumed.

PHE said it would not expect there to be a significant risk from short-term contact with soot in gardens.

Image source, FPHOTOGRAPHER05

Staff at County Hospital in Stafford remember Veronica Guy as an "advocate for patients".

Herefordshire actor John Challis' tour is cancelled due to ill health, promoters say.

Worcestershire legend Daryl Mitchell is to retire at the end of the season - after 19 years' service.

BBC CWR

A Warwickshire delivery firm says it is struggling to fulfil orders because of a lack of HGV drivers.

Adam Shuter, MD of Exact Logistics in Dunchurch, said a mix of drivers retiring, a lack of HGV tests, Brexit and the pandemic had all affected the industry.

Image source, Google

"The driver shortage is impacting us in not being able to meet delivery times, not being able to meet the requirements on site and we are beginning to get a small backlog," he said.

"These days transport is becoming almost when it is going to happen, not when you expect it to happen and that is a problem for lots of people.

"We are now having to say we'll deliver when we have got a driver or a vehicle, not on the day that you want it, and that is a big problem."

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC Radio WM

A trial of e-scooters in Birmingham is set to be extended into next year.

Image source, AFP

Senior councillors will vote on a report today that describes the pilot as a "relatively low cost and low risk method of trialling a new alternative to private cars".

The report says more than 550,000 journeys have been made on the scooters - owned and maintained by Voi - between September 2020 and July 2021.

In that time, there were 11 serious and 107 minor injuries - all but one to the rider of the scooter.

The report also revealed 58% of e-scooter users were under 34, 76% were male and 24% were students.

But charity the National Federation of the Blind of the UK says it "vehemently disagrees" with the extension of the trial.

It claims the safety of the scooters and the risk to vulnerable pedestrians is not being properly assessed.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans are being put forward for a sculpture to honour 300 years of industry in the Ironbridge Gorge.

The Coalbrookdale Foundry closed in 2017 after centuries of metal casting. The Coke Hearth Improvements Group is proposing to place an anvil, recovered from the site, on the nearby green.

Casts of a jacket, visor and boots will be added to give the impression “a foundry worker has sat on the anvil, taken off his PPE and walked away”, the group says.

Image source, Coke Hearth Improvements Group / Telford and Wrekin Council

Plans for the sculpture will go before Telford & Wrekin Council on a date to be confirmed.

Earlier this year, Shropshire Homes Ltd applied to build a 30-flat block and 48 new houses on the nine-acre Wellington Road foundry site, with a planning decision on the application still to be made.

BBC Weather

Any early mist patches will clear leaving an unseasonably warm day with plenty of sunshine and highs of 29°C (84°F).

This was the scene earlier in Oldbury as taken by BBC Weather Watcher dixtwenty.

Image source, dixtwenty