Andrew Hewkin
Newsreader, BBC Shropshire

This morning's headlines:

- An equality group has praised the organisers of Shrewsbury's Folk Festival for deciding not to book black-faced morris dancers in future 

- Thousands of teenagers across Shropshire are going to be getting their GCSE results this morning

- Firefighters say a robot was the cause of a fire at GKN Sankey in Telford

BBC Travel

The roads are generally looking clear this morning, just the usual roadworks causing delays.

For a full round up on the county's roads, take a look at BBC Travel.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A damp start to the day but this morning should be mainly dry and cloudy before some further heavy and possibly thundery showers arrivethis afternoon. 

Highs of 22C (72F).

Welcome to live updates from BBC Shropshire 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 @bbcshropshire, external or message via Facebook, external.

Adnan Januzaj hits a late winner as Sunderland beat Shrewsbury for David Moyes' first win in charge.

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.

James Bond
Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

Shrewsbury Town have travelled to the north east today, to play Sunderland in the EFL Cup.

We've arrived early, to enjoy an ice cream by the seaside.

The 150th anniversary of Shrewsbury's Abbey railway station will be celebrated with an open day, organised by the Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust.

The station opened on 13 August 1866 and was part of the Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales line.

The trust’s celebratory event will be held on 10 September and will feature model railway displays, photographs and a visit from a direct descendant of Robert Stephenson.

BBC Midlands Today

We've filmed Britain's longest river, the Severn, from the air - showing its sheer scale and impact on the landscape. 

Starting in Wales and crossing Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire the 220-mile-long River Severn supplies water to six million people.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

The cloud which has been with us all day is set to continue through the night and we could have some rain tomorrow.

Where do you stand on the decision of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival to stop booking Morris dancers who wear black face paint?

There's been a lot of debate on the BBC Shropshire Facebook, external page.

Zoe Marple is unhappy with the decision: "They are black from mining, not to symbolise another race. Sooooo wrong to take offence and ban it". 

Norrie Porter also sypmathised with organisers but wrote: "I think the Festival should support the tradition. The absence of any link to racism could be explained in the programme".

Andy Giddings
BBC Shropshire

Our top stories this evening include:

- Equalities group praises 'brave' folk festival over Morris dancer decision

- Attacks on paramedics prompts calls for body cameras

- GKN reassures customers after Telford factory fire

BBC Sport

The Shrewsbury Town keeper Jayson Leutwiler believes his side can pull of an EFL Cup upset against Sunderland tonight.

He said the team like to play in the cup competitions and he believed "everything is possible".

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland have lost their first two Premier League matches, but Leutwiler warned that they are still a very good side.

James Bond
Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

The Shrewsbury Town manager Micky Mellon sees tonight's cup match against Premier League Sunderland as a "great opportunity".

The club have pulled off a number of giant-killings in recent years and while he respects the ability of their opponents, he has faith in his own players too.

Image source, Getty Images

Mellon said he knew what it meant to the club to pull off these shocks and also knew that the new Sunderland manager, David Moyes, is desperate for a win.

The equality and anti-discrimination group, Fresh Shropshire, external, has praised organisers of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival for its decision to stop booking Morris dancers who wear black face paint from next year.

It explained it contacted the festival after receiving a complaint from a member of the public last year.

That complaint had been about dancers in Shrewsbury town centre, but it felt the festival should reconsider its decision to book similar acts, saying that while it acknowledged the tradition, the black face paint could be offensive to some.

The group said that it had held a meeting with the festival organisers to discuss the issue and had suggested the dancers use another colour of face paint or tried using patterned make-up instead.

Matthew Bone
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

Body cameras could be issued to ambulance staff across the West Midlands because of a rise in the number of attacks on paramedics. 

There were 298 attacks on ambulance staff last year - that's nearly a third more than in 2012.

CCTV cameras are already being fitted to vehicles to offer them extra protection from patients who are angry, drunk or on drugs.

The decision to put a stop to Morris dancers wearing black face-paint at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival has got you talking on the BBC Shropshire Facebook, external site.

Michael Watkins writes: "Good old do gooders and politically correct. Why does everything have to be spoiled by those who find offence with thing done. The blacked up faces are from the 16th century. Good old English tradition."

Image source, Getty Images

And Mikey Day added: "It's nothing to do with race. People need to grow up and stop assuming everything is offensive. Very frustrating!"

Richard Day wrote: "Just because we have done something for a long time does not necessarily mean we should continue it unless you want to bring back the burning of witches maybe?"

Feel free to have your say, external.

Firefighters are dealing with a fire involving around 100 bales of straw at farm near Prees Heath.

They were called out at 13:32 and one fire engine from Whitchurch is still there.

GKN Sankey says the fire at its factory in Hadley last night will not affect its ability to supply customers.

The fire in a maintenance store took dozens of firefighters an hour to bring under control.

The company has also said health and safety is its number one priority.

Andy Giddings
BBC Shropshire

Here's a recap of our top stories this afternoon:

- Investigation into Dalian Atkinson death to take nine months

- Ambulance staff could get body cameras

- Shrewsbury Folk Festival to stop booking morris dancers wearing black face paint