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Updates from Monday 14 May to Friday 18 May
Gordon Banks believes Stoke City's Jack Butland should be England number one when the World Cup starts in Russia this summer.
Butland was named in England's 23 man squad this afternoon, but some believe Everton's Jordan Pickford will be the first choice goalie.
Image source, Getty ImagesThese are three of the main stories in today's Shropshire Star:
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
The leader of Walsall Council says he’s prepared to take a pay cut in order to keep the job.
Image source, GoogleLabour’s Sean Coughlan has made the offer to two Independent councillors who’s support he needs to stay in control of the authority, despite the Conservatives becoming the biggest party at elections earlier this month.
Speaking to BBC WM he said: "I don’t do these things for the money, it’s the right thing to do and people out there say councillors get paid too much. Here we can prove to people we can listen and do what is right for the borough."
It’s understood that other senior councillors could also be asked to accept a reduction in their allowances.
An IT consultancy firm based in Warwickshire has revealed plans to recruit more staff as it reports a profit of £2.4m in the last 12 months.
Image source, GoogleTechnology company REPL Group, external, which works out of Henley-In-Arden, says it's also opened new offices in Dallas, Texas and in Japan.
The firm says it's now looking to recruit an extra 100 workers across the UK and in USA.
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Two members of the public were instrumental in catching armed robbery suspects in Stoke-on-Trent, police say.
We reported earlier that the Mount Pleasant Booze off-licence on Whieldon Road was targeted by thieves armed with a knife last night.
Two men from Stoke-on-Trent have been arrested following an armed robbery with a knife at an off-licence., external
Image source, GooglePolice say one suspect was detained by a member of the public, while a second was arrested following a short car chase.
Officers say people in the shop were shocked but unhurt.
Coventry has appointed the person who will run it's UK City of Culture festivities in 2021.
Martin Sutherland, originally from Paisley in Scotland, is the current head of the Northamptonshire Arts Management Trust and also manages the Cube in Corby along with Northampton's Royal Derngate Theatre.
Image source, PAHe'll take up the executive director post with the Coventry City of Culture Trust in the autumn.
The Stourbridge News is covering these headlines today:
BBC Sport
Stoke City's Jack Butland isn't the only recently relegated Premier League player who could end up playing for England at the World Cup this summer.
Image source, Getty ImagesHaving named his 23-man squad, manager Gareth Southgate's said there were five players on standby for the tournament including West Brom midfielder Jake Livermore.
He'll only be called up if a player in the squad becomes unavailable or withdraws.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, after an 83-year-old man died in a suspected hit-and-run crash in Coventry.
Milton Forde (pictured below) from Holbrooks was struck by a car on Burnaby Road just before 23:00 on Saturday 12 May.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceWest Midlands Police say a 32-year-old man's been released pending further investigation and his vehicle is being examined.
An investigation is under way into what caused a fire at a popular music and events venue.
Image source, Express and StarAbout 50 firefighters were called to to fight the blaze at the two-storey Starworks Warehouse in Blakenhall, Wolverhampton.
The fire service says crews were called at 07:45 and had the fire out, on the ground and first floors, by 10:43.
They say nobody was hurt and they've had to strip back parts of the roof to make sure there are no flames in the roof space.
Allen Cook
BBC News
A statue of Queen Victoria is back on public display , externalafter being given a major clean with toothbrushes.
Statue of Queen Victoria in Birmingham gets a major clean
The monument in Victoria Square, Birmingham by Thomas Brock was unveiled on 10 January 1901, just 12 days before the monarch's death.
The original statue was marble but in 1951, to mark the Festival of Britain, a bronze cast was made.
The conservation work was done over the past few days to mark Birmingham Civic Society's centenary.
It's a different kettle of fish from our weather today as our BBC Weather Watchers are seeing a lot of overcast, cloudy skies today after yesterday's sunshine.
These three are from users Peter Bear Lowe in Dudley, Toppo in Doddenham and STFC goose in Ryton:
Image source, Peter Bear Lowe
Image source, Toppo
Image source, STFC gooseWoman highlights mental health issues among Sikh community.
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A 24-mile (38km) virtual face-to-face "drawing" has been created by a Cheltenham cyclist across Birmingham.
Anthony Hoyte spent almost three hours in the saddle, cycling the streets of Brum using the exercise and route sharing app Strava to "draw" the giant heads.
The cyclist has created several virtual doodles including an 88-mile virtual snowman in London and Fowl Play - a drawing of birds - in Bristol, which took first prize in the city's Strava art competition last year..
The next phase of resurfacing work on two of the main routes into Hereford will start in August.
Herefordshire Council says plans for the work on the A4103 and the A438 have taken the views of residents and businesses in mind, after complaints about disruption and lost trade during the first phase.
There will be some daytime and overnight closures affecting the A4103 between Aylestone Hill and the Bromyard junction, and the A438 between Oakchurch and Byford.
The Burton Mail's covering these headlines today:
Warwickshire batsman Ed Pollock sign a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the club until 2020.
Read MorePeat bogs in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire are receiving a grant of £500,828 from Defra.
The government department is distributing £10m to similar projects around the country, saying they are "a haven for wildlife but also provide us with clean water and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions".
Image source, Shropshire Wildlife TrustThe Shropshire Wildlife Trust is leading the work on the Meres and Mosses Carbon Capture Project, which is looking to restore nine peatland sites across a 98-hectare area.
It is estimated that globally, peat stores twice as much carbon as forests.
Quote MessageOne of the big issues with climate change is carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide gets released into the atmosphere and it's a greenhouse, but you can lock carbon up and everyone knows that planting a tree is a good idea, but an even better way is to have a peat bog."
John Hughes, Shropshire Wildlife Trust
Allen Cook
BBC News
Possibly the most famous dinosaur in the UK has arrived in Birmingham ahead of its public appearance in the city., external
Image source, Birmingham MuseumsDippy the diplodocus is on a UK tour until late 2020 which began in Dorset.
The 70ft-long (21m) plaster cast replica has 292 bones and they all need to be carefully unpacked.
Dippy will go on show from 26 May until 9 September at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery., external
Image source, Trustees of the NHM, London
BBC News Travel
There's better news for drivers using the M5 near Bromsgrove this afternoon as all lanes have reopened southbound at J4a.
Highways England tweeted that the earlier overturned trailer had been removed., external
