Birmingham & Black Country

BBC WM's Kevin Pashby reports: "Just spotted this flag taped to a bridge at junction 10 on the M6 southbound."

It reads "The liberty and pursuit of terrorism RIP Rigby".

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has told Christian Benteke the club comes first, after the striker was quoted in national newspapers suggesting he would seek a transfer.

"I don't 100% know what's happened but he's got three years here [left on his contract] and the club have always come first," Lambert said.

The daughter of a Birmingham pensioner killed when he was stabbed three times in the back on his way home from a mosque says she's convinced it was a racist attack.

Mohammed Saleem, 75, died last month. His daughter Shazia Khan told BBC WM the family are grieving but want closure.

Pictures of suspected criminals will be shared via a mobile app within minutes of them being caught on CCTV in the West Midlands.

Facewatch will allow smartphone and tablet owners to view CCTV images and anonymously submit any information.

Birmingham father-of-two Matt Green has completed his fundraising challenge of running seven marathons in seven weeks for the British Lung Foundation.

He did it in honour of his father who is living with the rare lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

A rock night at a Dudley club that was cancelled after a fire at a nearby shopping centre is to go ahead tonight.

Rock Zombie had only recently opened next door when it had to postpone bands Welcome Back Delta and Cynotia as water from the sprinkler system ran through into the club.

BBC WM asked whether homophobia in sport is stopping players from coming out as gay.

Karen Croft, from Aston Villa Football Club, said on BBC WM: "It's about having the comfort to be able to come out and have that known. Don't forget they have to go into the changing rooms and they've got all their mates there. You've got to be prepared for what would come with it."

It's a rather miserable picture today isn't it?

A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after an elderly couple died in a crash.

Sgt Neil Higgins, from West Midlands Police, said: "Following the incident a number of drivers and passers-by came to the aid of those involved and we are keen to hear from anyone who was there who has not yet spoken to us."

Villa striker Christian Benteke has put the club's fans on edge while away on international duty with Belgium.

The 22-year old has ambitions to play for a bigger club, but manager Paul Lambert may be warning his top scorer not to run before he can walk.

Some sunny spells developing in the afternoon with further heavy showers, and winds starting to ease.

Criminals beware: Businesses team up with the police and use their CCTV footage to report wanted suspects. And the remarkable achievements of the suffragette and trade unionist Julia Varley is recognised in a permanent memorial.

That's BBC Midlands Today at 13:30 on BBC One.

Wheelie bin roadshows are being put on by Birmingham City Council to help residents learn more about the wheelie bin pilot schemes coming to their streets.

The council will field questions to ensure people are fully prepared for the roll-out of the bins.

Strong winds and showers are expected for the next few hours. Feeling cold too, with a top temperature of 12C.

Birmingham Pride is due to take place this weekend. The festival involves a parade, music, stalls and a weekend of celebrating all things LGBT.

Organisers are still looking for volunteers to get involved to help make the event as inclusive as possible.

The number of people working for Jaguar Land Rover has risen above pre-recession levels, the company now employs 25,000 people following a series of growth lead recruitment drives.

The company's Solihull plant now employs 6,000 people and will rise by another 800 by the end of the year. Growth in emerging markets has been stronger than expected.

I'm at the unveiling of the blue plaque honouring Julia Varley, the Birmingham trade unionist and suffragette 1871-1952.

We'll have the full story on BBC Midlands Today on BBC One at 13:30.

We asked on Facebook if homophobia in sport is stopping players from coming out as gay?

David Reeves replied: "I couldn't care less if a player is gay or not only that he does his job on the pitch."

Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Washwood Heath in Birmingham, tells BBC WM that trains could run from Birmingham to Europe when HS2 is built.

There's a proposal for seven platforms at the revamped Curzon Street station and one of those could be for trains to Amsterdam Paris and Brussels - the others would go to London.

Speaking about whether homophobia in sport is stopping players from coming out as gay, Karen Croft, from Aston Villa Football Club, said on BBC WM: "You've got to be prepared for what would come with it. Opposing fans would be very unforgiving I'm sure."

Very few gay footballers have felt comfortable enough to come out, is this the reality of being gay in sport? Share your experiences: locallive@bbc.co.uk.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal crash in Oldbury.

A Stourbridge man who was charged 64 euros (£54) for his family's four ice cream cones on holiday in Italy a few weeks ago has gone back to Rome for free.

Roger Bannister and his family were offered three nights in a top hotel in the city by the Rome Tourist Board after the story came out across the UK press.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash in Oldbury yesterday which claimed the lives of a husband and wife in their 80s.

It happened at the junction of Wolverhampton Road and Brandhall Road just after 13:20.

Earlier problems on the M42 northbound between J6, A45 (Birmingham Airport) and J7 M6 have now cleared.

Do large adverts on the side of the road cause a distraction? Walsall Football Club have what is said to be the largest roadside advertising sign in Europe, near J9 of the M6. It is about the size of a Boeing 747.

They started working on it in 2007 and have been adding to it ever since, recently signing a banner deal with tech company Elonex.

Follow the footsteps of beat bobbies thanks to a Track-a-Cop scheme allowing people to monitor officers' movements, introduced by West Midlands Police.

Winds are already building with showers moving in throughout the day. Feeling cold too, with a top temperature of 12C. But it is getting better tomorrow.

Enjoying a post-programme breakfast, Pete Morgan with Gareth, Kevin and Terry from BBC WM.

Investigations are under way into a crash in Oldbury yesterday where two people died and two people were injured.

It happened on the Wolverhampton Road just after lunchtime.

Three children's nurseries in Worcestershire will remain closed today following an allegation of sexual assault.

Police have arrested five men after a child claimed they'd been assaulted at a Bright Eyes nursery. The firm has branches in Bromsgrove, Redditch and Droitwich.

I'm out for Pete Morgan on the trail of moving and big screen ads by the road, like this at Dartmouth Circus.

Would it distract you?

Birmingham's Gay Pride festival takes place this weekend.

The event, which includes a parade through the city centre tomorrow afternoon, will see performances from artists including 80s band, Bananarama.

Jaguar Land Rover's been voted "top" in a survey about the quality of cars.

The survey for What Car? magazine found drivers think the Birmingham car maker's manufacturing is among the best in the world.

A man and a woman were killed in a crash involving two cars in Oldbury yesterday.

They were both in the same car when the collision happened on the A4123 Wolverhampton Road at about 13:20.

There's a warning that massive illuminated and moving advertising hoardings close to major roads here in the West Midlands are distracting drivers.

What's your experience? Contact me 08453 009956 or text WM and your message to 81333.

BBC WM reports that road safety groups are warning big screen adverts on roads in the West Midlands may cause accidents.

Some councils - who've agreed to the signs - say the concerns are over-exaggerated and they're a good way of making money.

Feeling cold with rain or showers and strong winds through the morning.

One lane is closed and there's slow traffic on the M6 northbound between J4a M42 and J5, A452 (Castle Bromwich), because of a broken down vehicle.

Congestion goes back to J4, M42 (Coleshill). More at BBC Travel News.

Good morning, I'm with you in Birmingham for all your news, sport, weather and travel across here and the Black Country.

If you know a story we should be looking into, let us know: locallive@bbc.co.uk.