Joan Cummins
Midlands Today reporter

A firm that started out making wooden sports equipment is celebrating 150 years in business in Coventry.

The wood-turning firm was started by Henry Burbidge in 1867 and, across the decades, diversified to making cricket bats, stiletto heels and even car components.

Chairman, David Burbridge, said it's important to keep reinventing the buisness: "We wouldn't be here 150 years on from the foundation if we hadn't done lots and lots of things."

The company now specialises in kitchens, with one family of staff at the firm in their fourth-generation of workers.

Coventry Telegraph

An ugly city centre bridge is being torn down, external as Coventry City Council prepares to move home.  

Image source, Coventry Telegraph

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

After a chilly start, with some sunny spells, it should be a dry day with highs of 12C (54F).

You can find a detailed forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC Local Live

Welcome to the Local Live service for Coventry and Warwickshire on Thursday morning. 

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather as it happens. 

If you'd like to get in touch you can  email  , tweet us on @BBCCovWarks, external  or message via  Facebook, external  .

Leaders Sheffield United beat bottom club Coventry City and need three more points to be promoted from League One.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

BBC Sport

The Warwickshire show jumper Nick Skelton, who's announced he'll retire in May, says his sport has "given me more than I could have ever hoped".

Image source, Getty Images

The rider, 59, will compete for the final time at May's Royal Windsor Horse Show on Big Star - the horse on which he won Olympic gold. 

Skelton was competing at his seventh Games - 16 years after a broken neck forced his initial retirement.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

Two men from Warwickshire who died in a crash on the M40 last week have been described as "beloved" and "amazing" by their families. , external

Thames Valley Police say Kyle Edmands, 22, from Coventry (pictured, right), and Steven McCormack, 31, from Bedworth, died when their van came off the carriageway and hit trees in Buckinghamshire. 

Image source, Thames Valley Police

In a statement, Mr Edmands' family described him as a "hardworking and lovable boy with many great friends and a family who was so proud of him". 

Mr McCormack's family said he was an "amazing son, father, brother and uncle".

Clive Eakin
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

Coventry City have wished striker Yakubu all the best for the future, external after terminating his contract by mutual consent. 

Image source, Empics

The former Portsmouth and Everton forward  joined the Sky Blues  on a deal until the end of the season in February, having been released by Turkish side Kayserispor last summer.

Yakubu, 34, played three games for Coventry without scoring, but suffered a hamstring injury in a 3-1 defeat by Swindon on 25 February.

He was not involved in Sunday's EFL Trophy final victory at Wembley.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

Here's a look at what's ahead on the weather front for the West Midlands for tonight and tomorrow.

You can also get latest forecasts from the BBC Weather website .

BBC Sport

Nick Skelton, the Warwickshire Olympic show jumping champion who's announced his retirement, began riding at just 18 months. 

It was the beginning of a career that yielded 10 European and six World Championship medals and a World Cup title in addition to two Olympic golds.

Skelton holds the British record for jumping the highest fence, clearing over 7ft 7ins on Lastic in 1978, and won the Hickstead Derby three times in the 1980s. 

He claimed team gold at London 2012 and in Rio provided Britain's first individual show jumping gold, and the first medal of any colour in the sport, since Ann Moore's silver 44 years earlier. 

Skelton came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2016, behind triathlete Alistair Brownlee and winner Andy Murray.

Coventry Telegraph

Tributes have been paid to two men who died in a crash on the M40 last week. , external

Thames Valley Police has named them as Kyle Edmands, 22, from Coventry and Steven McCormack, 31, from Bedworth. 

BBC Sport

The England batsman Ian Bell says Warwickshire is the "only county that I've ever wanted to play for" as he signed a new deal with the side.

Image source, Rex Features

The 34-year-old Warwickshire captain has played 118 Test matches, scoring 7,727 runs at an average of 42.69, but last represented his country in 2015.

The deal takes him through until the end of the 2020 season and Bell said he was "thrilled" to sign a new contract with the club he first joined as a 10-year-old.

BBC Business News

The general secretary of Unite's urged BMW to step back from its planned May deadline to close its final salary pension scheme.

It comes as workers at the firm's Hams Hall engine plant in Coleshill have voted to walk out later this month, on 19 April, for 24 hours as part of the dispute.

Image source, Getty Images

Unite claims that BMW's intention to close the pension scheme by 31 May could reduce employees' retirement income by £160,000.

BMW said it was "disappointed" at the prospect of industrial action. 

The union's general secretary, Len McCluskey, said the company's bosses "need to get their heads out of the sand" and step back from the deadline.

A West Midlands Ambulance paramedic is continuing his work to help people in Nepal rebuild their lives following a devastating earthquake in 2015 which killed more than 8,000 people.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Llewellyn has already raised thousands of pounds to help rebuild homes - as well as creating jobs for local people. 

He's now planning to return to the Himalayan country later this year to distribute more funds, clothes and school materials. 

West Midlands Police has announced it has appointed a new Assistant Chief Constable , external . 

Image source, West Midlands Police

Sarah Boycott will leave her current role with Cheshire Constabulary to take up the position.

She's previously worked as a Deputy Programme Director at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and spent two years working for the UN in New York.

A Coventry sportswoman has been selected to compete for Britain in the 2017 European Judo Championships.

Image source, Mike Varey, elitepix

It'll be the first time 20-year-old Chelsie Giles has competed in the competition - which takes place in Poland later this month. 

The GB judoka, who trains at the British Centre of Excellence in Walsall, is currently ranked second in the world at junior level.  

BBC Weather Watchers

It's been another bright morning across Coventry and Warwickshire and we've had some great photos shared by the BBC Weather Watchers today.

These ones were taken in Coventry and Warwick.

Image source, Warwick Ram/Kingfisher Whisperer

Three sports clubs in Bedworth could be homeless after their landlord put their rent up to five times its current rate. 

The rugby, bowls and radio-controlled car club all use Rectory Fields on Smarts Lane, owned by Glebe Estates, who say unless they pay £32,000 by May they'll have to move out. 

Image source, Google

The BBC has contacted Glebe Estates for a statement.

Coventry City striker Yakubu has his contract with the League One strugglers terminated by mutual consent.