Smethwick

The sunshine is set to lead to a dry night with long, clear spells - here's the full forecast for the next 24 hours:

You can stay up-to-date on the weather for your area by going to the BBC Weather website.

Nearly 100 drivers have been caught speeding near a pedestrian crossing with one motorist recorded at nearly three times the speed limit, police said.

Google

Officers caught 97 people speeding near the site on James Watt Queensway, Birmingham, yesterday, with the highest speed clocked in the 20mph zone being 51mph.

They're targeting the crossings as 26 pedestrians died last year either on or near one.

The force said drivers who broke the limit near the crossings could now be charged with driving without due care and attention and face getting seven points on their licence.

Praise has poured in on the BBC Midlands Facebook page for identical twins Laura and Anna Callwood after they shared their story of overcoming challenges to land their dream jobs in dairy farming.

Diagnosed with autism at 10 years old, they were told by a teacher "there's more to life than farming" but went on to work at farms across the Midlands.

BBC

On the BBC Midlands Facebook page, Alistair McMinn posted: "I've known these girls for a few years now through young farmers. They just show how much you can achieve if you are determined. A true inspiration to the future of farming."

Mel Butler added: "My son can absolutely relate to this. He often can’t and sometimes simply wont engage with people but will happily sit making noises to animals."

Brenda Dolphin wrote: "You go girls. Andy and Sarah will be very proud of you. And stuff the teachers who put you down. You've shown them the exact opposite."

A West Midlands police officer's been charged with grooming offences involving a child.

He's been charged with attempting to cause/incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The officer's been remanded into custody to appear before magistrates today.

Officers from across the West Midlands region will be joining forces around the country in observing a minute's silence today in memory of PC Andrew Harper.

Family handout

PC Harper, 28, was killed last week while responding to reports of a burglary in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

Jed Foster, 20, of Pingewood, Burghfield, has been charged with his murder and was remanded into custody after appearing in court this week.

The silence is being held at 11:00.

A daily pill containing four medicines can cut the number of heart attacks and strokes by a third, a study shows.

Getty Images

The polypill contains blood-thinning aspirin, a cholesterol-lowering statin and two drugs to lower blood pressure.

Researchers - in Birmingham, Iran and the USA - said the pill had a huge impact but cost just pennies a day.

They suggest giving it to everyone over a certain age in poorer countries, where doctors have fewer options and are less able to assess individuals.

We've provided evidence in a developing or middle-income country - and that's a lot of countries - that this is a strategy worth considering."

Dry and cloudy this morning, here's the full forecast:

You can stay up-to-date with the latest forecast for your area by heading to the BBC Weather website.

We're in for a mainly dry night with more clear spells, here's the full forecast for the West Midlands for the next 24 hours:

You can stay up-to-date with your local weather by heading to the BBC Weather website.

Seven of Birmingham's MPs have written to the vice chancellor of the University of Birmingham calling on the university to pay a "real living wage" amid strike action from its employees.

This is not to be confused with the compulsory National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage, which is currently £8.21 an hour for anyone over the age of 25.

Unison trade union members at the university have been taking industrial action, including strikes on campus during graduation days, over complaints about fair pay.

The group of Labour MPs have now written to David Eastwood echoing the union's calls and said they "cannot see the justification" to not pay staff a real living wage "given the University's strong financial position".

The real living wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, is currently set at £9 an hour for workers outside London.

The university has previously said it has matched the voluntary living wage.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has been praised for bringing in new treatments and its training of staff as it was rated "outstanding" by the Care Quality Commission watchdog for the second year running.

It is the only ambulance service in the country to get the highest rating, following the inspections in April and June.

West Midlands Ambulance Service

The trust looks after 5.6 million people in the region and the CQC praised it for its innovations, patient transport services and its work with universities to train paramedics.

It also commended the ambulance service for training staff to deal with childbirth emergencies

The trust was however told to make improvements in 15 areas including the temperature at which medicines are stored at and making sure vehicles are consistently kept clean.

We could be in for a spot of rain this morning with a cloudy start, here's the full forecast:

You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by going to the BBC Weather website.

"HS2 must go ahead in full - scrapping it or de-scoping it would be a disaster for the Midlands," according to Midlands Connect, which researches transport projects in the region.

Alstom

Its director, Maria Machancoses, said that while she welcomed a review to scrutinise the costs and benefits of the project, "we must not lose sight of the fact that HS2 will transform our transport network for the next century".

She said Midlands Connect will be submitting evidence to the review, announced today by the government, in favour of HS2 "for the whole Midlands".

"It's vital that the East Midlands isn't ignored in this process either," she said.

"The Midlands needs HS2 to be built in full to rebalance the economy and unite the country."

Designs have been revealed of how the new University Station could look in Birmingham.

It is expected to accommodate 7.2 milliion passengers a year, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) said.

Plans include a new station building, wider platforms, a direct link over the canal to Birmingham University's campus and improved public space linking the station with existing bus stops and hospitals.

Transport for West Midlands

Transport for West Midlands

The existing station opened in 1978 and was designed to cope with 500,000 passengers a year. Today, 3.4 million passengers a year use the station, and that's set to rise, TfWM said.

A public consultation on the proposals is set to run until 6 September and a number of drop-in events are planned.

Transport for West Midlands

There will be plenty of sunshine around this morning but variable amounts of cloud building up over the course of the day, with the odd scattered shower as well.

We'll be keeping you updated with the latest news, sport, travel and weather until 19:00.

If you want to reach us, we're on Facebook and Twitter.

Court rooms in Birmingham are sitting empty while criminal cases are being delayed, a lawyer's claimed on Twitter.

PA Media

Jonathan Dunne, a barrister in the East Midlands, asked other lawyers across the country on the social media site to provide updates.

He claimed thousands of cases were being held up while, yesterday morning, 127 rooms out of 260 in 34 courts "sat idle".

His list included seven out of the 17 in Birmingham.

A Courts and Tribunals spokeswoman said there was a 12% reduction in crown court trial cases last year and waiting times for cases are the shortest since 2014.

A dry night ahead for the West Midlands with some clear spells, here's the full forecast including for the start of Wednesday:

You can keep up-to-date on the weather in your area at any other time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

Well wishes have flooded in on the BBC Midlands Facebook page after a police officer, seriously hurt when he was run over with his own car, had a hospital visit from his pet dog.

Diesel visited PC Gareth Phillips after he suffered a head injury and broken pelvis when stopping a suspected stolen car in Birmingham on 10 August.

West Midlands Police

On the Facebook page, Lima Alpha wrote: "What a lovely thing to do. Hope you are recovering although I imagine it’s not easy. Your beautiful dog is part of your family so only right that you get to see him."

Robert Hetherington added: "Get well soon Gareth. The bond between you and your dog is so special and the police family are all with you."

Paul and Melissa Ralph posted: "So lovely they let your fur baby visit you. Praying for a speedy recovery."

Barbara Fox typed: "Wonderful they have let Diesel in to see you, nothing quite like a dog's love and affection. Thank you for keeping our streets safe."

From November, the non-emergency 111 medical helpline is going to be run across the West Midlands by the region's ambulance service, with the exception of Staffordshire.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it plans to integrate the service with its 999 call-handling and that this would mean "patients can be better directed to the most appropriate care".

WMAS

WMAS also said that when it takes over from Care UK, there would be fewer 111 patients being sent an ambulance and fewer being sent to accident and emergency departments.

It added it would look to transfer across staff already working for Care UK.

Ford vehicles have the topped the list of cars most likely to be stolen in West Midlands.

BBC

The region's police and crime commissioner, David Jamieson, says more than 1,500 of them have been stolen already this year, and since the start of July, 30 keyless Ford Fiestas have been taken in Walsall and Wolverhampton alone.

The PCC said even when you take that into account that Fords are the most popular car in the region, the level of thefts is disproportionately high.

Ford says they continuously invest in technology to deter the theft of their vehicles.

Adding vitamin D to wheat flour could prevent 10 million new cases of deficiency over the next 90 years, researchers at the University of Birmingham have said.

Getty Images

The researchers also suggest that by reducing vitamin D deficiency in this way, the NHS would save £65m as demand for healthcare and treatment would decrease.

Adding the supplement would cost 12p per person per year, the study suggested, and would help prevent conditions such as rickets, soft bones, bone pain and muscle weakness.

Dr Magda Aguiar, who carried out the research, said she hoped the government would consider policy changes such as flour fortification, "to address this serious health issue".

Addressing vitamin D deficiency in the UK requires a multi-disciplinary approach, and preventing conditions that are the consequence of deficiency would save the NHS money to the extent that it would more than compensate for the money needed to implement flour fortification at a national level.

We're set for a mainly fine, dry day with sunny spells, here's the full forecast.

You can get the latest forecast for your area at any other time from the BBC Weather website.

The showers we've seen today in the West Midlands should fade as we head into tonight which is expected to be mainly dry and clear:

You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

PC Gareth Phillips, who is recovering in hospital after being run over by his own police vehicle when he stopped a suspected stolen car in Birmingham, has had a hospital visit from his pet dog Diesel.

West Midlands Police

After regaining consciousness, one of the first things that PC Phillips asked about was how Diesel was, West Midlands Police said.

His 13-year-old chocolate labrador was allowed to visit the hospital to say hello and lift his spirits.

“He’s got a shattered pelvis and is in pain, but is taking each day as it comes and is making small steps in his recovery," colleague Supt Dave Twyford said.

Mubashar Hussain, 29, formerly of Sherwood Road, Hall Green, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court last week charged with Mr Phillips's attempted murder.

A mix of sunny spells with some heavy showers - here's the full weather forecast.

Stay up to date with the latest weather for you area by heading to the BBC Weather website at any other time.

After all the rain we should be in for a largely dry night - here's the full forecast, including for the start of your weekend:

Keep up-to-date with the weather where you are at any other time by heading to the BBC Weather website.

It's going to be a wet one today with rain due to spread across the West Midlands throughout the day - here's the full forecast:

You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by going to the BBC Weather website.

Dry and clear to start tonight but it's then going to soon turn cloudy - here's the full forecast for the West Midlands.

You can get a latest forecast at any other time for your area from the BBC Weather website.

Maths proved the most popular subject at A-levels this year.

Across the country, 41.4% of 18-year-olds got A or A* grades, but there was a big variation across the country and across exam boards.

Documents first reported by the Daily Telegraph revealed that students taking papers set by both Pearson/Edexcel and OCR needed just 55% and 54% respectively to get an A grade.

BBC

The results cover ceremonial counties, so Stoke-on-Trent figures are included with Staffordshire and Telford ones as part of Shropshire.

The number of students taking the subject in each county also differs significantly with just 255 in Herefordshire and 3,410 in the West Midlands.

A crowdfunding appeal launched to support a police officer who was run over with his own car has already raised nearly £6,000.

Family Handout

PC Gareth Phillips, 42, suffered potentially life-changing injuries after he stopped a suspected stolen car on Moorcroft Road, Moseley, Birmingham, on Saturday.

West Midlands Police said the page has been set up by his colleagues and the money will help support the officer's family through his recovery.

Mubashar Hussain, 29, formerly of Sherwood Road, Hall Green, appeared in court charged with offences including attempted murder and will next appear at Birmingham Crown Court next month.

Some scattered showers around this morning in the West Midlands, here's the full forecast for the region:

You can get a latest forecast at any other time for your area by heading to the BBC Weather website.

Rifles, shotguns, revolvers and handguns were among 145 firearms surrendered to West Midlands Police during a two-week gun amnesty.

West Midlands Police

The force said it had also received self-loading pistols, a rifle silencer, military smoke grenade, incapacitant sprays and stun guns.

“A number of deactivated and imitation weapons were also surrendered. These could have been easily converted and should they have fallen into the wrong hands, the consequences could have been devastating," Ch Supt Mark Payne said.

“As a force, this is our third firearms surrender in less than two years and in total nearly 400 items have been handed in to us. That is a significant number of potentially very dangerous items off the street, and we have no doubt this will have saved lives.

Jay Singh-Sohal has been selected as the Conservative party candidate for the next West Midlands Police and Crime commissioner.

Mr Singh-Sohal, born in Handsworth, has a background in journalism and is a captain in the Army Reserves.

Labour is expected to announce their candidate for the role, currently occupied by the party's David Jamieson, next month.

Elections are due to take place in 2020.

Dame Julie Walters has joined the campaign to raise £2m to save Walsall's Acorns Children's Hospice from closure.

Getty Images

The hospice is aiming to raise £2m to keep its Walsall centre open after funding issues put it at risk of closure earlier this year.

The Smethwick-born actress said she was "delighted to back the campaign to help safeguard the hospice’s future and hopes everyone in Birmingham and the Black Country will do their bit".

The charity's chief executive, Toby Porter, said staff were "so grateful" to Walters and so far just under £220,000 has been raised.

Children's hospices are incredible places that help families going through the toughest times. It's clear just how much Acorns in the Black Country means to all the families who depend on its services and to the amazing staff and volunteers for whom it's not just a place of work but more like an extended family

A 22-year-old man has been charged with two counts of attempted wounding after he allegedly reversed his car into two police officers during a routine stop.

Lawrence Parchment-Walker, of St. Pauls Road, Smethwick, is accused of attempting to hurt the officers during the incident in Smethwick on Monday afternoon.

West Midlands Police said he also faces charges of dangerous driving and driving without insurance and has been remanded in custody ahead of an appearance at Walsall Magistrates Court today.

Well it's going to be a very wet day today so make sure you pack an umbrella.

There's also a weather warning in place for possible heavy thundery showers across the region.

There's just the chance of the odd shower this evening but it should then be mainly dry overnight.

Here's the full weather forecast, including for tomorrow:

You can get a latest forecast at any other time from the BBC Weather website.