BBC Midlands Today

A temple in the West Midlands is expecting thousands of people over the next few days as part of Diwali celebrations.

People will be offering prayers, or puja, at the the Balaji Temple, in Oldbury.

Opened in 2006, it is one of Europe's largest Hindu temples.

Its chair, Dr Sinnathambi Kanadaratnam, said Diwali was the "major" festival for Hindus.

"All those who participate in the goddess Lakshmi's puja will receive a sanctified coin, it is a mark of prosperity," he said.

Deepthi Inturu, a Masters student from Manchester, is among those visiting for the festival, while only able to see her family in Hyderabad through video calls.

"I am missing them a lot on this occasion," she said.

This year, the festival has a slight difference, as NHS has urged people to gather outdoors if they can to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.

Beside the temple there is also a Covid vaccination centre, which has extended its opening hours to encourage more people from all faiths and backgrounds to get jabs and boosters - and it is hoped worshippers will join in good numbers.

Taz Harrison, welfare officer at The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, is worried about staff and customers getting a ride home at night.

The owners of 12-week-old Mitch are "devastated", say police.

BBC Midlands Today

Aston Villa head to Southampton on Friday evening hoping to end a sequence of four straight league defeats.

Villa's run has seen them slip down to 15th in the Premier League, just three points above the relegation zone.

They have had to deal with injuries to key players and some controversial refereeing decisions.

But head coach Dean Smith (pictured) said he was coping with the pressure.

Amy Taylor, 21, says she is shocked to have been targeted with a needle at a university event.

Demonstrators block gates at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.

Conservative colleagues in the resigning MP's constituency share views on his departure.

The market usually attracts about five million visitors but was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19.

The site is being developed on a former landfill next to the Wolverhampton hospital.

Police say no further action will be taken after investigations into how land was bought and sold.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The leader of Telford and Wrekin Council leader wants Shropshire politicians to come together to propose a single £1bn “super hospital” to serve both the main towns.

Under plans approved in 2019, emergency medicine will move to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, with Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital focussing on planned care and seeing its consultant-led Women’s and Children’s Unit repurposed.

But delays have meant Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski has written to Health Secretary Sajid Javid MP, asking when the first phase of funding will be released and what the likely timetable is for consideration of the business case.

Image source, SATH

But Shaun Davies, leader of Telford & Wrekin's Labour administration, said at a cabinet meeting today the plans did not make sense for Telford, "the largest town in the whole country", to not have a fully functioning A&E and "to close the Women’s and Children’s Unit which is located in this town based on clinical need and demand".

He said he had written to the county’s five MPs and Shropshire Council leader – all Conservatives – asking them “to join me in a round-table meeting to put forward a proposal”.

"He said it was not about "a battle between Telford and Shrewsbury".

"It’s actually much wider than that. It’s about Telford and Wrekin residents and fairness but also it’s about this side of the county as well."

Her urged people to be "bold" and work together across parties to put an offer to the government about securing £1bn investment for "a single-site super-hospital, a world-class hospital fairly located between Telford and Shrewsbury which will serve this county for a generation to come.”

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of forced labour and human trafficking offences.

Sohail Ali died from multiple stab wounds after he was attacked in Winson Green last December.

Warwickshire County Council has pledged to plant one tree for every person who lives in the county - upwards of half a million people.

Image source, Warwickshire County Council

The local authority has been awarded £212k from the Forestry Commission to make a start on its extensive planting programme which it said would be carried out over the next few years.

The trees will be planted to restore lost wooded areas such as the Forest of Arden which once covered much of the county as well as parts of Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

The council will also work with the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Virtual Forest Platform, which will allow anyone who plants a tree to register it online.

Paedophile Barry Bennell wore the club's colours while coaching at a Butlins camp, a court hears.

The 15-year-old died outside his home in Handsworth, Birmingham, after being shot and stabbed.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is refusing to panic despite growing pressure due to a poor run of form.

The incident has since been safely resolved and all departments re-opened, say hospital bosses.

The police watchdog says the officer should have done better when Mr Hamid became unresponsive.

Telford's accident and emergency department has reopened after concerns about a patient coming into contact with a potentially dangerous chemical.

All services are now open at the Princess Royal Hospital, according to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.