BBC Shropshire

A jury has been hearing a schoolgirl felt pressured into sharing graphic pictures and sexual videos on SnapChat with a former Telford sports coach.

Joe Hall, 26, from Randlay, faces charges relating to sharing explicit material on social media and inciting sexual activity with teenagers aged 15 and under while in a position of responsibility.

Mr Hall denies all eight charges against him.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told he had worked at schools in the Telford area as a sports coach and that was how he had met and befriended several of his alleged victims.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wept from behind a screen when giving video evidence.

Mr Hall's defence suggested the witness and her friends had fabricated the story.

The trial continues.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

After today's glorious sunshine, it should be a dry evening with lows of 9C (48F).

The police watchdog says it is investigating a police pursuit before a fatal crash on the A50 in Stoke-on-Trent on Sunday.

Driver Joshua Sanna, 19, from London, died, and an 18-year-old female passenger is in a critical condition, after a Toyota Aygo was in collision with two other vehicles near the Longton interchange after turning on to the A50.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, external said the car they were travelling in had been pursued shortly before the collision, after it failed to stop for officers in the Etruria area just before 06:00.

On Monday the force , externalsaid: "We have voluntarily referred ourselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as officers had earlier attempted to stop the vehicle."

A man who filmed a shooting at a rival's home has been jailed.

BBC Radio Stoke

People living in Fenton have told BBC Radio Stoke motorcyclists racing around the town's park and surrounding streets are making their lives a misery.

Image source, Google

The dirt bike riders have been spotted doing wheelies on Vivian Road and Warrington Street and riding recklessly around the park.

Staffordshire Police says it want residents to continue to provide descriptions of the riders and the bikes as the information is critical to its ongoing investigation.

The brothers' victim was left with head and stomach wounds after being attacked while visiting customers.

Dan Roan
BBC Sports editor

The England and Wales Cricket Board wants to introduce a new 100 balls format into its new eight-team, city-based tournament.

The concept could see innings consist of 15 traditional six-ball overs, and a final 10-ball over. That would be 20 balls shorter than traditional T20 matches.

Image source, Getty Images

Those devising the competition believe a 100-ball "countdown" would attract new audiences and be popular with broadcasters.

Southampton, Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester, Cardiff and Nottingham have been selected as venues for the five-week competition, which starts in 2020.

Notts Outlaws won the 2017 T20 Blast (pictured above).

Fifa has dismissed a complaint by England of racial abuse during last year's Under-17 World Cup final due to a "lack of sufficient evidence".

Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster, 18, told The Guardian, external in December that Wolves' Morgan Gibbs-White was racially abused during the 5-2 win over Spain.

Fifa said any sanction could be imposed only "on the basis of clear evidence".

Last month, Uefa found "no evidence to corroborate" claims Brewster suffered racial abuse in the Uefa Youth League.

Three quarters of NHS hospital trusts are employing more managers than they did five years ago.

BBC Radio Stoke

A motorbiker in his 20s has been taken to hospital, after hitting the central reservation on the A50 near Blythe Bridge roundabout.

The air ambulance was sent to the scene, but paramedics say he has not suffered significant injuries.

Worcester prop Biyi Alo is to leave the Premiership club in the summer and join French second-tier side Soyaux Angouleme.

BBC Sport

Ticket sales figures for the World Cup in Russia this summer show the appetite among England fans is not what it was four years ago.

And CJ Joiner, a Coventry City fan and member of the FA travel club for the past five years, says that playing "boring football doesn't help" encourage fans to travel.

Image source, Getty Images

He has spent just over £1,000 to buy tickets for each potential England game - seven in total - but can return them and receive a refund should England fail to progress past a certain stage.

"England fans will have to spend a lot of money to follow the side in Russia, but under Gareth Southgate the side lack creativity," he told BBC Sport.

A replacement for a warehouse in Worcester that was destroyed in a devastating fire, is expected to be given the go-ahead today.

Image source, West Mercia Police

About 70 firefighters tackled the huge blaze on the Blackpole East Trading Estate last year at the delivery company Arrow XL.

Worcester City Council's planning committee, meeting today, are expected to give the green light for a replacement building for the logistics firm.

The four men, described as "schoolboys", treated “teenage girls like trophies”, a court is told.

Shropshire Star

Some of the main stories on the Shropshire Star website today include:

• Telford man named as Birmingham shooting victim, external
• Midlands tributes paid to 'larger than life' TV presenter Dale Winton, external
• Lamborghini supercar is stopped in police blitz on driving, external

Rosie Eaton
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

The first licence has been issued for an electric taxi in Coventry, which was also designed and built in the city.

The vehicles will soon be taking fares.

London EV Company has been manufacturing the vehicles at its Ansty Park factory since January.

Thiruchelvam Selvaratnam was Coventry’s first cab driver to place an order for the new vehicle, and his vehicle has been licensed in the city today.

The government says more trains will stop at Lichfield after the new HS2 high-speed rail line is complete.

In the Commons, Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant (pictured) called on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to reassure Staffordshire's "several hundred commuters" that fast Pendolino services to London would continue after HS2 is built.

Mr Grayling told his Conservative colleague: "The Pendolinos have many years to go and I've no doubt they'll be replaced by a high-quality fast train in the future," he said.

"But of course he will know that if you stand on the platform at Lichfield station, you will see trains to Liverpool, trains to Manchester, trains to Scotland zooming past at high speed.

"This will provide an opportunity for more trains to stop at Lichfield."

Five women were found in houses during raids in Derby, police say.

Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland has asked fans to not "condemn the team to relegation just yet".

Image source, Getty Images

The club is in the Premier League bottom three having failed to win any of their last 10 games.

But with four games remaining and the hope of fans disappearing, Butland says the team is "still fighting".

Four people have been jailed after admitting conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely crack cocaine and heroin.

Image source, West Mercia Police

The four were arrested after police carried out a drugs warrant on an address in Cranham Drive, Worcester in October last year.

All four were sentenced at Worcester Crown Court earlier in the week.

• Daniel Delayaye, 29 of Witton Road Birmingham, seven years in prison.
• Donna Derrick, 37, of Beaumont Drive, Leicester, a total of six years, after also admitting an earlier drugs offence.
• Sharon Wild, 54, of Cranham Drive, Worcester, four years in prison.
• Ebony Wild, 26, of Cranham Drive, Worcester, three years in prison.

Police were not able to supply a custody image of Sharon Wild.