Our coverage from across the daypublished at 18:00
Local Live has finished for Wednesday. We're back from 08:00 on Thursday with more news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Wednesday 20 January 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 8:00 on Thursday
Our coverage from across the daypublished at 18:00
Coming up on TVpublished at 17:58
Hedgehogs in danger because of our unpredictable weather - join us for more on this and other stories at 18:30 on BBC One.
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End of X postNew Blues signing wants to stay until the end of the seasonpublished at 17:55
Mikey Burrows
BBC WM SportBlues' new loan signing Will Buckley has confirmed he would like to stay until the end of the season.
The wide man arrived from Sunderland on Friday on an initial one-month deal, though Buckley says he already hopes it will be extended.
Image source, Getty ImagesWolves game moved to fit in with Bolton's cup runpublished at 17:48
BBC WM SportWolves have rearranged their home game with Bolton for Tuesday 2 February.
It was due to be played the previous Saturday, but Bolton are now involved in the FA Cup fourth round.
'Prolific' Birmingham beggars banned from asking for moneypublished at 17:40
Two beggars in Birmingham City Centre dubbed "prolific" by police have been banned from asking people for money.
Criminal Behaviour Orders have been granted against 34-year-old Peter Greatrex and 36-year-old Lee Pearce.
The West Midlands force said it took action because the men were seen as a "nuisance".
Image source, West Midlands PoliceOfficers said they had been working with housing and care provider Midland Heart and Birmingham City Council to help rough sleepers and beggars found on the streets.
They said it included offers of emergency accommodation − but had now taken a tough stance against those who rejected offers of support and ignored begging warnings.
'Record year' for Warwickshirepublished at 17:25
Rob Gurney
BBC WM SportWarwickshire has described the last financial year as a record one for the club.
Year-on-year turnover at Edgbaston is up 47% to £18.3m, with earnings before interest, tax, and related issues, more than doubling to £3.7m.
Image source, Getty ImagesTravel: M6 northbound delayedpublished at 17:08
BBC TravelThere is heavy traffic on the M6 northbound at J6 for the A38(M) Aston Expressway because of an earlier crash, even though all lanes have reopened.
Latest: Beggars 'ban for asking for cash'; airport security probe; unemployment downpublished at 16:52
Alex Homer
BBC Local LiveHere is a recap of some of the stories we have been covering on Wednesday afternoon:
- Two beggars dubbed "prolific" by police have been banned from asking people for money
- Birmingham Airport is investigating how a man managed to board a flight without "correct documentation"
- Unemployment has dropped by 8,000 in the last quarter, according to figures released today
Hit-and-run driver never found after Rowley Regis dad killedpublished at 16:32
A grieving father condemned a hit-and-run driver for failing to stop to help his dying son, external after running over him on an Oldbury dual-carriageway.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceWest Midlands Police facing hefty fine after officer has top of finger sliced offpublished at 16:09
West Midlands Police could be facing a hefty fine after a firearms officer had part of his trigger finger sliced off, external by a machine used for cutting up seized weaponry.
Video: West Midlands fall in unemployment is welcomedpublished at 15:48
BBC Midlands TodayEmployment Minister Priti Patel has welcomed the news that fewer people in the West Midlands are out of work, according to the latest official figures.
The Office for National Statistics, external said the number of people out of work in the region fell by 8,000 to 157,000 between September and November.
West Midlands blood donors falling behind national averagepublished at 15:26
BBC WMThe number of blood donors here in the West Midlands is falling behind the rest of the country.
Around 26,000 people in our region regularly donate. That's just 1.6% of those who are eligible and it is below the national average.
Natasha Penney's son Seb has a rare form of Cancer and relies on blood donors to keep him alive.
Pet rabbits stolen as police issue warning over spate of Walsall garage theftspublished at 15:08
Police have issued a warning to Walsall homeowners, external after a spate of callous garage and shed thefts which have even seen louts steal two pet rabbits.
Image source, Walsall AdvertiserMotive for Wolverhampton city centre stabbing 'unknown'published at 14:45
The motive for the stabbing of a 19-year-old in Wolverhampton city centre last night is "unknown", says a police inspector.
West Midlands Police said it was called to the scene in Queen Street just after 19:10 and officers were now combing CCTV footage to see if the attack was captured.
The force is appealing for information, external.
Watch: Frankley ram-raids prompts police CCTV appealpublished at 14:30
CCTV footage has been released by police, external investigating two ram-raid robberies in Frankley, near Birmingham.
The Heritage Supermarket in Arden Road was hit by four suspects in a stolen blue flatbed Ford Transit Tipper at around 23:15 on 1 November 2015.
A "large amount" of cash and cigarettes was stolen, according to the West Midlands force.
A stolen white Ford Transit Tipper was used to reverse into shutters at Martins Newsagents on Arden Road on 9 December at 02:55 before thieves failed in a bid to pull a free standing cash machine out of the store.
The force is appealing for any information.
Black Country school bomb hoax: Links to Bristol investigatedpublished at 14:15
Bomb hoax calls to schools in Bristol are being investigated to see if there are links to similar calls made in the West Midlands.
Three schools in the Sandwell area were evacuated and lessons halted at a school in Halesowen after the hoax calls were made on Tuesday.
Calls were made to four schools in the Bristol area during the same morning, Avon and Somerset Police said.
Ex-Afghanistan soldier flys to Australia for operation to help with prostheticspublished at 13:56
Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WMA former soldier from Walsall has flown to Australia to have a life-changing operation.
Clive Smith from Pelsall lost both his legs in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2010 and has struggled to get prosthetic limbs to fit him properly.
He has now had rods attached to the bones in his stumps which means the legs can be connected directly to them.
The operation has cost around £100,000 pounds.
Image source, Getty ImagesCouncil could run out of money if it carries on spending, auditor warnspublished at 13:37
If Dudley Council carries on spending at the rate it has been - by the end of 2017 there'll be no money left, an independent auditor warned this week, external.
School defends decision to keep pupils in sports hall until all clear after bomb scarepublished at 13:18
A Black Country head teacher at a school that received a bomb scare call has defended the decision to keep pupils inside a sports hall on site until police gave the all clear, despite some parents' anger.
Leasowes High School in Halesowen was affected by what are now suspected to be hoax calls on Tuesday, as were Holly Lodge in Smethwick, Bristnall Hall Academy and Oldbury Academy, both in Oldbury.
Image source, GoogleNeil Shaw, Leasowes head teacher, said students were brought into the sports hall after it had been searched and declared safe by officers.
"Social networking resulted in a number of concerned parents arriving at the school gates and the lead police officer addressed their worries and tried to reassure them that the building was safe and that there was no risk to their children," he said.
Latest: Airport security 'breached'; bomb hoaxs investigation; unemployment downpublished at 13:02
Alex Homer
BBC Local LiveIf you are just catching up on Wednesday's news, here are our headlines:
- Birmingham Airport is investigating how a man managed to board a flight without "correct documentation"
- Bomb hoax calls to schools in Bristol are being investigated to see if there are links to similar calls made in the Black Country
- Unemployment has dropped by 8,000 in the last quarter, according to figures released today
