BBC Midlands Today

Public parks in the Midlands are at risk of decline and some of the facilities in them could close, according to a new report by the Heritage Lottery Fund. , external

Findings showed that 78% of councils across the region anticipate budget reductions of 10% or more over the next three years with nearly half their parks expected to deteriorate. 

We now have data examining the impact of the badger cull on the incidence of TB in cattle.

Bidders for the West Midlands rail franchise are being given permission to remove seats and create more standing room to fit more passengers in.

A total of 13 Ministry of Defence sites will be sold to provide land for up to 17,017 homes and raise £225m, the government says.

Peter Plisner
BBC Midlands Today

More commuters could have to stand under plans for rail services across the West Midlands.

Seats could be removed to fit more people onto services on trains currently run by London Midland.

Two groups are bidding to take on the franchise from October next year.

The services include the cross city lines, and trains out of Birmingham to Hereford, Shrewsbury, Stoke-on-Trent, Liverpool, Stratford, Leamington, and down to London.

I'll have more on the Midlands Today on BBC One at 18:30.

Shrewsbury cast aside their early-season troubles by grabbing a victory at Oldham, who end the game with 10 men.

Police forces are criticised for a "complete lack of consistency" over whether officers armed with Tasers are deployed with body cameras.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening.

Five people are arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man is found with multiple injuries in Telford.

Daniel Wainwright
Data unit - English regions

Amelia is the most popular girls name in the West Midlands while Muhammad is the most popular for boys, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

Only London had Muhammad as the most popular choice in 2014 but the new figures show the West Midlands has joined the capital in 2015 for having the most babies with that name. Oliver was most popular overall across England and Wales.

There were 649 Muhammads born in the West Midlands in 2015 compared with 622 Olivers. An alternative spelling - Mohammed - is also in the top 10.

For girls regionally, the top choice, Amelia, was the same as the overall favourite in England and Wales.

The data also shows the West Midlands to have a higher proportion of girls named Jessica than anywhere else. It ranks third for popularity in the region.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

Nick Owen
Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

On Midlands Today this evening we'll hear about developments in the case of a missing hotelier from the region and his family's search for answers.

We'll also hear about one of the last crops to be gathered in this summer's farming harvest is also one of the newest. 

Those stories and much more, include the latest sports news and weather forecast, all on BBC Midlands Today from 18:30 on BBC One.

A man accused of being involved in a street stabbing is found not guilty of attempted murder.

Three men are jailed for kidnapping a woman and three children.

League One side Shrewsbury Town sign Fulham defender Jack Grimmer and Chesterfield striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake on loan.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning. 

Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A man sexually assaulted two women on a train between Shrewsbury and Crewe, external, and left one of them "cowering in the corner", police say. 

British Transport Police say the attacks happened on the 12:51 Arriva Train Wales service on 7 August - they've released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incidents, who may have vital information.

Image source, British Transport Police

They say the first victim was sitting next to a man when he lunged at her and grabbed her twice. 

Officers say he touched the chest of the second as she passed through the carriage. 

Make-up artist Charlotte Cashmore, from Shrewsbury, demonstrates how to change your image.

A man who died after trying to swim across the English Channel warned of the dangers of open water swimming just days before his death.

A swimmer who died while trying to swim across the English Channel is described as "an inspiration" and a "kind, brave family man".