BBC News Travel

A fault with the signalling system , external between Langley Green and Lye is causing disruption to trains between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stourbridge Junction, the National Rail website reports.

Trains may be cancelled or delayed by up to 45 minutes.

There is no firm estimate yet of how long disruption will last but it is likely to continue until at least the end of the day.

A revised timetable of two trains per hour will run between Birmingham Snow Hill and Worcester Shrub Hill.

Worcester News

Here are three stories from the Worcester News:

• Three young girls approached by men in car, external
• New craft beer and organic wine bar opens, external
• Crash between motorcycle and cyclist, external

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Five towns in the West Midlands are set to get more than £8m of government cash to help them make the most of their heritage.

The funding from Historic England will be used to encourage visitors and help local businesses to improve footfall during these tough times on the high street.

Image source, Google

Towns in line for funding:

• Brierley Hill
• Leominster
• Oswestry
• Stoke town
• Wednesbury

In Leominster (pictured above), the cash will be used to restore shop fronts and buildings, and create a heritage app.

There's also a chance to get match funding to improve the town's roads, pavements and public areas.

Inspectors also found prisoners at HMP Hewell in Redditch "could not be safe".

Michael Leydon sent texts to his victim blaming the attack on "drink, tablets and stress".

Callum Shipp spent three months in hospital after being diagnosed with an eating disorder at age 16.

A man is charged with physically assaulting children across England during circumcision procedures.

Three hospital trusts in the West Midlands are set to receive funding to expand and upgrade accident and emergency facilities.

Image source, Google

The government has pledged an extra £150m of funding, external to help reduce overcrowding and improve infection control ahead of winter.

This is on top of the £300m previously announced for upgrades.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: £6.3m for removing an existing building and replacing it, to support same-day emergency care.

University Hospital Coventry: £3m for emergency department expansion.

Worcestershire Royal Hospital: £2.5m for releasing capacity for the emergency department expansion.

Worcester Warriors forward GJ Van Velze has shoulder surgery, and centre Will Butler is to see a a specialist about his ankle injury.

Hereford Times

Here are three stories from the Hereford Times today:

• Pub temporarily closed after customer tests positive, external
• Tribute to charity walker killed by tractor, external
• Vandals spotted on roof of swimming pool, external

A new nature reserve is to be created in Herefordshire, following a fundraising appeal by the county's wildlife trust.

It has raised £200,000 to buy Oak Tree Farm, near Bodenham lake, which it will turn into a wetland area in the hope of encouraging wildlife such as wading birds, toads and dragonflies.

Image source, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

The wildlife trust said it was planning to continue fundraising until the end of the month.

Rotarian Paul Simpson died while on a sponsored walk along Offa’s Dyke, his club says.

A man is in hospital with injuries which West Mercia Police said may be life threatening, more than a fortnight after being assaulted in Hereford.

The force said it had happened in Union Street on 6 September at 01:50, after an argument, and it believes the fight may have been filmed on a mobile phone.

Image source, Google

It said the injuries to the victim, who is in his 30s, could also be life-changing.

Worcester News

Here are three of the stories from the Worcester News today:

• Surge in 'Covid assaults' on West Mercia officers, external
• 'Pet psychic' appears on This Morning, external
• Driver crashes car into front of home, external

BBC Entertainment and Arts

The line-up for this year's Great British Bake Off has been revealed.

The show will return to Channel 4 on 22 September after filming was delayed because of coronavirus.

Part of the 12-strong cohort is Rowan, 55, from Worcestershire, who is a music teacher.

Image source, Channel 4

He calls his baking style ostentatious but, he hopes, tasteful.

The fitness enthusiast enjoys decorating his bakes with flowers (preferably edible ones) using what is in bloom in his garden.

Meet the other contestants here.

A man's body has been recovered from the water in Worcestershire, police say.

Image source, Google

It was located in Trimpley reservoir near Kidderminster just before 10:45 on Sunday.

Formal identification has not yet taken place but officers are not treating his death as suspicious, said West Mercia Police.

Francois Hougaard and Ollie Lawrence both score twice as Worcester run in six tries to beat struggling London Irish.

A scheme to bring ultrafast broadband to areas across England is getting a £22m funding injection.

West Midland Safari Park, which has been going for 47 years, announces the milestone.

The dean of Hereford Cathedral has announced he is going to retire at the end of January, after almost two decades in the role.

He had intended to retire this October, at the at the end of the St Thomas Cantilupe celebrations, but is staying longer because of the repercussions of Covid-19.

Image source, Hereford Cathedral

He is 67 now and said: "It will be hard to leave Hereford after all these years, but the time now seems right."

And he said he wanted to give good notice, to allow plenty of time for his successor to be found.