Coventry Live
Coventry Live

Some of the headlining stories on the Coventry Live website today are:

• Elderly man dies in hit-and-run, external
• Ambitious plans for Coventry's elephant building, external
• Missed bin collections spark 'summer of vermin' fears, external

Colleen Harris
BBC News

After news of Prince Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle broke, social media users seemed to be celebrating having a mixed-race member of the Royal Family.

BBC News has been to Coventry to investigate whether the "Meghan effect" really does exist.

The bacteria responsible for Legionnaires' disease has been found again at a hotel where a guest died.

The Feathers Hotel, in Ludlow, closed in September after Elaine Brown, 69, from Liverpool, died. It came months after another guest caught the disease.

Image source, Google

The hotel has since gone on sale for £2.65m.

Shropshire Council and Public Health England said routine water sampling had again found legionella bacteria.

They said they were taking "urgent" steps following the discovery and parts of the hotel would close.

The West Midlands Mayor has "raced ahead of himself" by announcing the potential return of motor racing to Birmingham's streets, according to the leader of the city council.

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Street said he was in "advanced talks" over staging a 2019 leg of the all-electric Formula E series in the city.

Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council said there had been no discussion between the council and the organisers of Formula E.

"This is an interesting idea", he said, "but the people of Birmingham would need to be consulted and any announcement before we have heard the views of citizens is premature".

Mr Street said he would not be commenting.

A gas leak on Butts Road, Coventry is causing delays to bus services in the area.

Two lanes of the road are closed due to roadworks.

Pepper spray was used by police at Shrewsbury Town's 1-0 home win over Charlton.

West Mercia said officers were called to help stewards to prevent a "small minority of poorly behaved people" from confronting one another.

A 30-year-old man from London was arrested on suspicion of affray and CCTV is being checked to help identify any further suspects.

BBC News Travel

A fault on a train at Smethwick Rolfe Street is causing disruption to trains between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street.

Disruption is expected until 09:45.

Balloons and kites filled the skies, as crowds turned out to celebrate Telford's 50th anniversary.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

The festival is one of a number of events planned throughout 2018 to mark half a century of the new town, which was established in 1968.

A mass balloon launch was unable to go ahead last night, due to wind, but hundreds still took part in events in the town, the council said.

A Birmingham primary school remains closed after part of a ceiling collapsed injuring pupils last week.

Nechells E-ACT Primary Academy was evacuated when a portion of a classroom ceiling fell on a group of year-two pupils and "significant work" still needs to be carried out, the school said.

Year six pupils, due to sit SAT exams, will now be based at Merritts Brook Academy with other pupils being moved to Heartlands E-ACT Academy from Wednesday.

Parents have been invited to a meeting at Heartlands tomorrow.

A 16-year-old pianist from Birmingham has won the coveted title of BBC Young Musician 2018.

Lauren Zhang said it was "astonishing" to have won last night's competition, regarded as the UK's leading contest for young classical musicians.

The teenager, who was the youngest competitor, has been having piano lessons for 12 years.

She already has a number of concerts lined up, including the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in July.

The moment a peregrine falcon catches its live prey has been captured by a photographer.

Image source, Steve Melville

Steve Melville took this amazing image of a falcon, which is one of a pair nesting on Leamington Spa Town Hall.

Paul Bray, from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, which runs the peregrine watch events, said the image was a "truly stunning picture of a wildlife event".

You can watch the birds' progress on a live webcam,, external set up by the wildlife trust along with Warwick District Council.

BBC News Travel

A four-vehicle crash has closed two lanes of the M6 southbound between junctions six and five near Birmingham.

Congestion is back to junction seve, for Great Barr.

Delays are building quickly apparoaching the area, just before The Fort retail park, said Highways England.

Express and Star

Here are some of the headlines on the Express & Star website this morning:

• Revealed: M6 is UK's most deadly motorway, external
• Carillion: Devastating report expected from MPs, external
• Walsall man in online sex talk with 'girl of 14' avoids jail, external

BBC show Ambulance, which follows staff working for West Midlands Ambulance Service, has won a BAFTA for Best Factual Series.

Following the win the team tweeted the team were "humbled" to have won.

Gangster epic Peaky Blinders beat shows like Line of Duty and The Crown to the coveted prize for best drama series at last night's Bafta TV Awards.

The Birmingham drama had never won a Bafta before and had just one nomination this year.

Creator Steven Knight said the win "means a lot to all of the team" - but did express his disappointment at the fact its stars Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory and Paul Anderson weren't nominated.

"Soon maybe they will be here as well because I think they deserve to be," he said.

A primary school in Worcester will open today despite two suspected arson attacks on Saturday.

An investigation is continuing into a fire in derelict buildings at Burlish Park Primary School in Stourport-on- Severn.

Hours later emergency services were called to a blaze at the nearby former Burlish Park Golf Club.

A new 25m swimming pool opens in Birmingham today to replace baths that were built over a century ago.

Northfield Leisure Centre has taken over Tiverton Road baths three miles away, which were shut down by the city council because of repair costs.

The University of Birmingham plans to turn the Edwardian-era baths into a gym.

Shrewsbury Town have booked their place in the League One play-off final at Wembley later this month.

They beat Charlton 1-0 at home yesterday afternoon to win the semi-final 2-0 on aggregate.

They'll need to achieve a club-first to secure promotion when they face either Scunthorpe or Rotherham on the 27 May.

A two-week firearms surrender has started in the West Midlands in a bid to tackle violent crime.

During the last amnesty 250 weapons and ammunition were handed in.

The force says guns can be taken to any one of its 10 police stations.

They can be surrendered anonymously, but the history of live weapons will be checked for any evidence of criminal use.

BBC Weather

Today will be dry with sunny spells and just a few patches of fair-weather cloud and highs of 20C (68F).