5 STORIES COMING UP TODAY

TRANSPORT

Rail workers are set to stage the first of a series of strikes today in the long-running dispute over guards on trains. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on West Midlands Trains will walk out for 24-hours, disrupting services.

HONOURS

Football great Alan Shearer and Scotland Women’s national team manager Shelley Kerr are to be awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Stirling.

RUGBY UNION

Leicester are boosted by the return of five of England’s World Cup finalists for their European Challenge Cup debut against Pau at Welford Road today. Coach Geordan Murphy includes Manu Tuilagi, George Ford, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole in his starting line-up.

SHOWBIZ

Last Of The Summer Wine star Jean Fergusson, known for playing the feisty Marina, has died at the age of 74.

BUSINESS

Bosses at Carpetright have formally agreed terms to sell the business to its biggest shareholder Meditor in a deal that values the floor specialist at £15.2 million.