The search for a West Midlands firefighter who has gone missing while swimming the English Channel for charity has been called off. Iain Hughes, a crew manager at Wednesbury fire station, went missing following his attempt to swim the Channel on Tuesday.

A severely malnourished and injured dog has been rescued from a home in Birmingham. Section 18 powers under the Animal Welfare Act were used to have the dog taken away. Rookie remains in the care of the RSPCA and is recovering well, West Midlands Police said.

The House of Fraser store in Solihull is set to shut its doors as a huge closing down sale gets underway. News of the closure comes months after the Birmingham city centre store was turned into an outlet store. Meanwhile, several floors at the Sutton Coldfield store have also been closed.