Latest updates: Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Police urge public to surrender firearms

Police forces are urging the public to give up any guns under a two-week surrender starting today.

Police urge public to surrender unwanted firearms

Anyone handing over a firearm at their local police station during the fortnight will not face prosecution for illegal possession.

Speaking at the launch in Birmingham, Assistant Chief Constable Helen McMillan, National Police Chiefs' Council lead for criminal use of firearms, said gun crime had risen in the past year and they wanted weapons out of harm's way.

Video: Your 50-second weather forecast

Rich Davis

BBC Weather presenter

After a bright and frosty start to the day, cloud will build but staying dry with highs of 7C (45F).

Latest weather for the West Midlands

Postcard auction aims to raise thousands for hospice

BBC Hereford and Worcester

More than 300 postcards created by artists from across Herefordshire are being auctioned off to raise funds for St Michael's Hospice.

St Michael's Hospice

The hospice says they've all been donated for free and are on display at the Bishop's Palace for three days from today, with people getting the chance to bid for them online.

Organisers say they hope to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the charity.

New signings prepare for cup starts

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Will Butler will again captain Worcester Warriors when they head to Harlequins on Sunday for their Anglo-Welsh Cup clash.

Getty Images

Warriors have made seven changes to their starting line up with Kurt Haupt and Simon Kerrod due to make their first starts for the club.

While Ben Howard and academy winger Alex Hearle are among those set for their first appearances of the season.

Police officer 'asked to help pick Christmas jumper'

What do you do if you can't work out what Christmas jumper to buy for a relative? Well, if you are in Worcestershire, it looks like you ask a police officer:

Video: Your 50-second weather forecast

Rebecca Wood

BBC Midlands Today

The cloud will increase this evening with outbreaks of rain developing.

There will be some heavy bursts in places before the rain begins to ease by morning with lows of 6C (43F).

Latest weather for the West Midlands

In the papers: Party plans after drug den closure

Worcester News

These are among the top stories on the Worcester News website today:

• Neighbours plan party after drugs den closed by police
• Thief stole toy drones from Debenhams in Worcester to give to his son as birthday presents
• Buildings could be demolished for more hospital staff parking

Who was mystery stabbed cathedral skeleton?

Anna Russell

Newsreader, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Skeletons found in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral could be more than 1300 years old and date back to the very beginnings of the city.

Archaeologists were brought in during renovations to buildings and facilities in the College Cloisters beside the cathedral.

Headland Archaeology

Headland Archaeology says they found three skeletons, dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries, of a man, a woman and a youngster.

The organisation says the male skeleton had died from stab wounds and radiocarbon dating showed he lived between 680-780AD.

Care pressures push council into £2m overspend

Claudia Berry

BBC News

The cost of looking after the most vulnerable children and adults in Herefordshire is being blamed as the council is set to go more than £2m over budget this year.

The mid-year accounts have been released for the authority and show that the Adult and Wellbeing sector will overspend by £641,000, despite getting £2.5m from the government’s Better Care Fund.

Google

On top of that, Children's Wellbeing is also expected to overspend by £2.33m because, the report says, the team is caring for an "unexpectedly high number of looked after children, including complex disability cases".

However, the accounts show other budgets and reserves are set to produce an underspend at the moment of £800,000, meaning a total overspend of £2.172m for the council.

In the papers: Town set for new shopping destination

Evesham Journal

Here are some of the stories on the Evesham Journal's website this morning:

• Christmas shopping experience to open
• Man charged on suspicion of burgling elderly resident's home
• Police chief describes inspectorate report as 'pleasing reflection' of state of constabulary

Equal pay day: What is the gender pay gap like where you are?

Campaigners highlight 10 November as the point in 2017 when a woman on an average wage stops being paid relative to their male counterparts.

BBC

But in some parts of the UK, the gender pay gap is so wide, it is as though women work unpaid from September.

Use our interactive map on this page to work out what the gender pay gap is in your area.

Hundreds of rare eels found in drained reservoir

Allen Cook

BBC News

Hundreds of "critically endangered" eels have been found in a Worcestershire reservoir.

The Canal and River Trust says staff made the find while draining Upper Bittell Reservoir ahead of repair work.

Canal and River Trust

They say they found 500 European eels as the last few inches of water were draining out.

According to the trust, the eel population had fallen by more than 90% since the 1970s and these ones have been rehomed in a nearby canal.

In 20 years working with fish I’ve never seen or heard of this many eels in one place before. In most fish rescues like this we might come across one or two, a couple of dozen maximum, but this was unreal."

Carl NichollsCanal & River Trust fisheries manager