Our coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Live updates for Birmingham and the Black Country have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 Tuesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Monday 21 December 2015
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Tuesday
Our coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Video: Get the weather forecast for tonight and tomorrowpublished at 17:56
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenterYou can get the latest weather forecast on the BBC website.
Coming up on TV: High street hopes for Christmaspublished at 17:50
With just four shopping days to go, retailers say they need a last minute rush to save their Christmas.
They'll take little cheer from new figures for the West Midlands. There was a 6.5% drop in visitor numbers last week compared with the same time last year.
More on that and other stories on Midlands Today from 18:30 on BBC One.
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End of X postGiraffe dies at Dudley Zoopublished at 17:46
Chris Blakemore
BBC WMWe've just had some sad news that one of the giraffes at Dudley Zoo has died.
Eleven-year-old Mia passed away after breaking her leg yesterday afternoon.
Staff at the zoo have told us they're devastated., external
Mia leaves behind 22-month-old Kito who will continue to live with his dad Kubwa and auntie Josie.
Image source, Dudley ZooCeltic watch Walsall's Romaine Sawyerspublished at 17:38
Walsall winger Romaine Sawyers appears to be the player at the Banks's Stadium who is a target for Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic, external
Image source, Express & StarLatest: Hospital trusts earn million in car parking charges andpublished at 17:28
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineHere are some of the stories we are looking at in the newsroom this evening:
- NHS hospital trusts earn millions from car parking charges
- A 15-year-old boy stabbed to death in Smethwick was involved in a fracas
- Man suspected of a hit-and-run which left a girl, 15, critical is remanded into custody
- One man sought over 12 armed robberies on stores
Birmingham & Black Country hospitals earn millions from parking chargespublished at 17:25
Some hospital trusts in the region are making more than £3m a year from patient car parking charges, a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association has revealed.
The Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust which runs Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Solihull Hospital, Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham Chest Clinic earned £3.41m in 2014-2015.
Image source, Google mapsCampaigners from the Patients Association, have branded the charges "morally wrong".
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust say they don't make any profit from the income and the money's reinvested into maintaining the car parks and CCTV.
Watch: It will cost £250k to fix trains damaged by leavespublished at 17:16
BBC Midlands TodayNeil Bamford from London Midland tells BBC Midlands Today's David Lumb falling leaves are costing thousands of pounds of damage to trains in the region and taking rolling stock out of action.
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End of X postPupils take part in clean streets debatepublished at 17:09
Pupils from six Birmingham schools took their seats in the council chamber to discuss how to keep their local area clean.
Around 60 children from primary and secondary schools in Soho ward, quizzed officers, external from Birmingham City Council’s fleet and waste team during the debate.
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilLocal schools taking part in the debate included Holyeahd School, Brookfields School, Nishkam Primary School, Oasis Foundry, St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and St Michael’s Church of England School.
Work begins on new housing development in Erdingtonpublished at 16:57
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineA sod-cutting ceremony has taken place to mark the start of work on the new Erdington Gardens housing development in Jarvis Road, Erdington.
The Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT) scheme, external will consist of 116 homes – 58 affordable rent and 58 for sale – and will be a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses and two-bedroom bungalows.
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilTeenager stabbed to death 'in fracas'published at 16:45 GMT 21 December 2015
Sarah Portlock
BBC News OnlineA 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death had been involved in some sort of "fracas" in the street, police have said, external.
Jamar Walker, who had been living in Handsworth, Birmingham, was found with knife wounds in Raglan Road, Smethwick, during the early hours of Sunday.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceHe had been stabbed in his upper leg, West Midlands Police said.
A 17-year-old boy was also injured but was released from hospital after being treated for a stab wound to his back.
Leaves cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to trainspublished at 16:30
Peter Plisner
BBC Midlands TodaySee Midlands Today at 18:30 GMT for my report on the tens of thousands of pounds of damage leaves caused London Midland trains this year.
Assault charge for Walsall man after cricket club 'incident'published at 16:18
A Walsall man has been charged with assault following an incident , externalat Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club on August 22.
Hit-and-run suspect remanded into custodypublished at 16:05
Sarah Portlock
BBC News OnlineA man from Stourbridge has been remanded into custody over a hit-and-run that left a 15-year-old girl critically injured, said West Midlands Police, external.
Adnan Ajram, 24, is charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
He is also charged with failing to stop, failing to report an accident, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance.
Mr Ajram appeared at Dudley Magistrates' Court today where he was remanded into custody to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 14 March.
Baby rescued by Erdington firefighters as parents trapped on balconypublished at 15:47
Royal Sutton Coldfield Observer
Image source, Royal Sutton Coldfield ObserverChristmas: What do I need to know?published at 15:37
Christmas has changed beyond recognition over the years.
It has absorbed pagan practices, evolved as the Church has changed and even survived attempts to cancel it.
Explore the surprising history of the festival we know today.
One man wanted for 12 gun robberiespublished at 15:26
One man is believed to be responsible for 12 terrifying robberies on stores where staff were threatened with a gun, external.
Road closed as lorry overturns under bridgepublished at 15:12
Caroline Gall
BBC News OnlineOldbury Road, West Bromwich will be closed "for some time" while emergency services respond to an overturned lorry under a bridge.
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End of X postLatest: Teenager stabbed to death named and lorry overturns under bridgepublished at 15:00
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineHere are some of the stories we're looking at this afternoon:
- Teenager stabbed to death named as 15-year-old Jamar Walker.
- A lorry has overturned under a bridge in West Bromwich.
- Father of murdered teenager Connor Smith speaks for first time.
- Birmingham one of the most festive cities on Instagram
Lorry overturns under bridgepublished at 14:52
Caroline Gall
BBC News OnlineSandwell Response is at the scene of an overturned lorry under a bridge on Oldbury Road, West Bromwich.
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