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 Wednesday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Tuesday 22 December 2015
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume on Wednesday
Our coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Travel: Traffic slow on M6published at 17:57
BBC TravelTraffic's heavy on the M6 northbound near junction six for the Aston Expressway.
One lane is blocked due to a broken down vehicle.
More details on BBC Travel.
Watch: Coming up on BBC Midlands Today at 18:30 GMTpublished at 17:55
Mary Rhodes
Presenter, BBC Midlands TodayOutrage from patients groups after it's revealed three of our hospital trusts are making nearly £9m a year from parking charges.
Birmingham City ladies captain Karen Carney is off to Chelsea.
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End of X postFamily of stabbed Jamar Walker speaks of devastationpublished at 17:50
Sarah Portlock
BBC News OnlineThe family of Jamar Walker, who died after suffering stab injuries in Smethwick, have spoken of their devastation, external at losing their teenager.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceQuote MessageHe was always smiling and his loss has devastated all of us. No-one deserves to have their life taken from them, especially at such an early age.
Family of Jamar Walker
New date for Coventry v Walsall matchpublished at 17:45
Walsall FC's trip to Coventry has been rearranged for Tuesday 12 January., external
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was originally scheduled for 9 January, but due to Walsall's progress in the FA Cup, the fixture has been put back.
Garages drop diesel to less than £1 a litrepublished at 17:37
Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands TodayFour garages in the Midlands are among the first in the country to drop the price of diesel to less than £1 a litre.
The filling stations in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcestershire say they're responding to a recent dip in the wholesale market price.
Motorists have described the cheaper fuel as a welcome Christmas present.
Shake-up of hospital staff in bid to cut wage bill by £16mpublished at 17:14
Almost 200 staff have been moved to alternative roles at Sandwell's hospital trust as part of plans to slash more than £16m, external from the wage bill.
Image source, Express and StarWatch: Tonight's weather forecastpublished at 17:02
Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenterDrier and cooler overnight with a few isolated showers and plenty of clear sky. Lows of 5C (41F).
Latest: Arrests after 20 dogs rescued from 'puppy farm' and diesel drops to under £1 a litrepublished at 17:02
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineHere's a recap on some of the stories we are looking at in BBCWM newsroom tonight:
- Four garages in the Midlands drop diesel price to below £1 a litre
- Two arrested after more than 20 dogs rescued from 'puppy farm'
- The dress that divided opinion has had a 'huge impact' on the firm that made it
Birmingham-born Moeen Ali claims six wickets as England beats South Africa Apublished at 16:54
BBC SportMoeen Ali has claimed six wickets as England beat South Africa A by an innings and 91 runs on the final morning of their tour match.
The spinner claimed 6-77, external as the home side was bowled out for 187.
Image source, Getty ImagesCaptain Alastair Cook and Joe Root both scored centuries during the three-day encounter to help England to a first-innings total of 414-6 declared.
The game was England's last before the four-Test series against South Africa begins on 26 December in Durban.
The dress debate: Blue and black or white and gold?published at 16:40
Mary Rhodes
Presenter, BBC Midlands TodayA photograph of a dress made by a Birmingham company was one of the most tweeted events of 2015.
Now obviously it's blue and black - or maybe you see it differently?
In February nearly four and a half million people across the world were arguing over whether it was #BlueandBlack or #WhiteandGold.
Our reporter Kevin Reide's been back to the firm that made it to find out about the impact it's had on their business.
Stabbed Jamar Walker's family ask people not to judgepublished at 16:26
Sarah Portlock
BBC News OnlineThe family of a 15-year-old boy who died after being stabbed in a street "fracas" have asked people not to judge why he was out late at night.
Jamar Walker was found stabbed in his upper leg at about 02:20 GMT on Sunday in Smethwick, West Midlands, and died later in hospital.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceHe had recently moved from Lewisham, London, to Handsworth in Birmingham.
His family said he was a "typical teenage boy, mischievous and full of fun but very loving".
Dogs rescued from West Midlands 'puppy farm'published at 16:03
Andrew Dawkins
BBC News OnlineMore than 20 dogs have been rescued from a suspected "puppy farm", police have said.
A site was raided earlier by Solihull police and RSPCA inspectors.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceA 51-year-old man and a woman, 41, from Hampton-in-Arden, were arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, West Midlands Police said.
The woman was later released on bail. The rescued dogs were on their way to "be looked after properly", the force said.
'We need 10 wins to survive' - Gardepublished at 15:47 GMT 22 December 2015
Remi Garde believes Aston Villa need to win 10 of their remaining 21 games to stand a chance of avoiding relegation.
Villa are 10 points from safety after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Newcastle and host West Ham on Boxing Day having not won in 16 games.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe need 10 wins to survive - Garde
Remi Garde believes Aston Villa need to win 10 of their remaining 21 games to stand a chance of avoiding relegation.
Read MoreStrictly Come Dancing winner Aliona Vilani quits BBC showpublished at 15:38
BBC OneStrictly Come Dancing's Aliona Vilani has announced she is leaving the BBC One show, three days after winning the glitterball trophy with Jay McGuiness.
She announced the news on Twitter, external, saying she had gone into the most recent series having "decided [it] would... be [her] last one".
Vilani said this year's series had been her "best Strictly experience ever".
The winning couple are booked for the Strictly Come Dancing live tour, external, which starts on 22 January in Birmingham.
Latest: Train delays through Wolverhampton and two arrested after 'puppy farm' raidpublished at 15:28
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineHere's an update on some of the stories we are looking at in the BBC WM newsroom this afternoon:
- Delays to trains through Wolverhampton due to overhead problems
- Two arrested after 'puppy farm' raid
- Inmates sentenced over jail rap video
- The dress that divided the world
Travel: Delays on trains through Wolverhamptonpublished at 15:04
There are still delays on trains running through Wolverhampton due to earlier overhead line problems.
Services to Stafford, Birmingham and Shrewsbury were all affected.
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End of X postVideo: See why some farmers are abandoning the tradition of ploughingpublished at 14:50
David Gregory-Kumar
Science correspondent, BBC Midlands TodayThink of farmers and many of us will see a tractor pulling a plough.
But now some farmers are abandoning the centuries old tradition claiming it damages soil and that by using a different approach they can improve yields and reduce costs.
I've been looking at this radical new way of farming for Midlands Today which you can see tonight on BBC One from 18:30.
Inmates admit making 'selfie' rap videopublished at 14:30
Two inmates plead guilty to making a "selfie" rap video using a mobile phone smuggled into a jail.
HMP Birmingham prisoners Demehl Thomas and Moysha Shepherd admitted recording the video, in which they bragged about drug dealing and violent assaults on rival gang members.
Media caption, Jailhouse rappers sentenced for 'selfie' video at HMP Birmingham
Inmates admit making 'selfie' rap video
Two inmates admit making a "selfie" rap video using a mobile phone smuggled into a jail.
Read MoreA closer look at the 'oldest' Koranpublished at 14:13
What may be the world's oldest fragments of the Koran were revealed by the University of Birmingham.
The discovery of this ancient Koran has raised more questions about its origin.
A closer look at the 'oldest' Koran
What may be the world's oldest fragments of the Koran were revealed by the University of Birmingham.
Read More
