The Brexit Party wins three seats, with one each for Labour, the Conservatives, Greens and Lib Dems.

The latest news, sport, travel and weather across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today

Any of the odd showers which have developed today should fade away this evening - here's the full weather forecast for tonight and the start of the weekend in the West Midlands:

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

An underwater drone is being used to monitor wildlife in pools fed by the Montgomery Canal.

A section of the canal between Crickheath and Queens Head near Oswestry will soon re-open for the first time since 1936 and conservationists want to monitor its effect on the creatures and plants in the pools.

The large pools have been dug to help wildlife survive when boats start using the canal again.

And the Canal and River Trust says the drone, which has a camera mounted on the front, will be used to make sure the right sort of plants are growing.

A street in Wellington is re-opening and people are returning to their homes after a gas leak.

Earlier police had placed a cordon around Church Street and gas engineers identified a fault in a pipe on Vineyard Street.

Image source, Google

It's the second time this week that a Shropshire town centre has been closed by a gas leak - on Tuesday, High Street in Bridgnorth was cordoned off.

A 15-year-old Telford girl has used a "large dollop of fantasy" in her account of two men accused of trafficking her to Birmingham for sex, a court heard.

Prosecutors in the child sexual exploitation trial said the teenager was "scared and coerced" into performing sex acts.

But barristers representing two of three defendants at Shrewsbury Crown Court said the girl was inconsistent in statements given to police and the proceedings.

Image source, HELEN TIPPER

Mark George QC, representing 22-year-old Ghamer Sulayman, who is accused of her rape and three counts of trafficking, said his client accepted taking her to Birmingham, but said she went willingly.

He said there was little evidence another visit to Birmingham - allegedly for the purpose of sex - ever happened.

Co-defendant Saleh Qasem, 19, is charged with one count of trafficking and one of sexual assault, and like Mr Sulayman denies all charges against him. Representing him, Lesley Manley raised doubts about his ability to "arrange or facilitate" trafficking her to Birmingham for sex, saying "he is no help to anyone whatsoever".

On Thursday, a third man who had "consensual" sex with the girl said he thought she was 16 - which the Crown disputes. He denies four counts of sexual activity with a child and four of child abduction.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Home have been evacuated in Shropshire this afternoon because of a suspected gas leak.

Police have put a 100-metre cordon around Church Street in Wellington.

Image source, Nathan Rous

Defence barristers question the evidence given by a teenage girl allegedly trafficked for sex.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Telford and Wrekin’s council leader told the first meeting since the local elections that voters had chosen “hope and positivity”.

Labour's Shaun Davies said voters had seen through the opposition’s campaign.

The group increased its majority after the 2 May vote, going from 28 to 36 seats. Of the 54 available, the Conservative group's total slipped from 20 to 13.

Image source, Telford & Wrekin Council

Mr Davies said: "Our communities have spoken. They have overwhelmingly placed their trust in me and my group to deliver policies to invest, protect and care for Telford and Wrekin."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Council bosses in Shropshire are working with the Welsh Assembly on plans to dual the A5 around Oswestry.

Shropshire Council’s leader said he was “absolutely confident” the measure for the road between Montford Bridge and Ruabon would go ahead.

Councillor Peter Nutting said he was working on the plans with colleagues from the Welsh side of the border, with the Assembly keen to bring economic benefits to both sides.

He said he was delighted full council signed off the government’s £54.4m funding for the Shrewsbury north west relief road last week.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's headlines today include:

• Seriously injured woman trapped between car and fence in Market Drayton crash, external
• Supermarket and flats bid for disused Telford pub, external
• £9 million repair bill to tackle Shropshire's potholed roads, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Conservative MPs in the West Midlands have praised Theresa May after she said she would quit as Conservative leader on 7 June.

Image source, Getty Images

The move paves the way for a contest to decide a new prime minister although she will continue in the role while the Tories decide who that is.

One of the potential contenders in that leadership contest, Home Secretary and Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid, tweeted , externalthat "nobody could have worked harder" as PM.

Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch, said that while she was sad to see Mrs May go, she saw it as a "good opportunity" to deliver Brexit. , external

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson's reaction to the resignation was: "Good, we can now get on with choosing a new leader.”

Andy Giddings
Zombie

Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard is opening a new zombie exhibition in his home-town of Shrewsbury.

He is one of the co-creators of the comic book series, which has been turned into a successful TV series, and a collection of his drawings will be on display at the town's museum and art gallery from 1 June.

Image source, Charlie Adlard

Mr Adlard will also be giving zombie-drawing lessons to visitors on the opening day and displaying artwork created for other comic series,

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

This week's set to end with more dry, warm, sunny weather - here's your full forecast:

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

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

It will be a dry night with clear skies and lows of 5C (41F).

A CSE trial hears he believes her to have been 16 when they had sex.

A swan has been shot seven times with a pellet gun while looking after her eggs at a lake near Shrewsbury.

The RSPCA said it was alerted after a fisherman noticed she was struggling, but she died on her way to get treatment.

Image source, RSPCA

The swan’s mate is still at the lake but the eggs on the nest have been disturbed and are unlikely to hatch.

Inspector Nayman Dunderdale said it seems that whoever did enjoyed torturing the swan.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

An extra hourly train between Shrewsbury and Birmingham will open up Shropshire to new business and tourists, a council has claimed in the wake of a major shake-up of rail services across the West Midlands.

Image source, West Midlands Railway

The addition sees West Midlands Railway services calling at Wellington, Telford, Shifnal, Cosford and Wolverhampton hourly and operating during off-peak hours Monday to Saturday

Meanwhile, a new hourly Sunday service between Birmingham and Shrewsbury has been introduced, calling at all stations between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.

And at night, trains to Shrewsbury are set to continue to depart Birmingham until about 22:30 on weekdays and 23:00 on Saturdays.

"I can’t emphasise enough what fantastic news this is for Shrewsbury and the whole of Shropshire," said Shropshire Council's director of place, Mark Barrow.

The barrister representing one of three men charged with sexually abusing a 15-year-old Telford girl said he believed she was 16.

Ayad Abdulla Hizam, 21 from Bridgecroft, Birmingham, denies four counts of child abduction and four counts of sexual activity with a child.

In her closing remarks at Shrewsbury Crown Court, Debra White, said with all eight charges, age was the issue.

Ms White said he had given his name, age and address to a hotel they'd stayed at and had gone to visit her at her grandparents house, and asked the jury if they thought he would do that if he thought she was 15.

She also said the girl could not be relied upon as a "reliable, consistent, honest witness" and said she had sex with Mr Hizam of her own, free will.

The defence for the other two men, 22-year-old Ghamer Sulayman and 19-year-old Saleh Qasem, both also from Birmingham, is due to conclude tomorrow.

A total of 38 children are set to be taught elsewhere as an intake shortfall hits funding.