Allen Cook
BBC News

Part of a main road in Staffordshire is going to be closed all summer so work on a new junction can be finished., external

Image source, Staffordshire County Council

For several months, the county council's been working on revamping the A50 near Uttoxeter by creating three new roundabouts, new slip rounds and removing an old bridge.

From 16 July until 28 September, it is completely shutting the A522 just after Tunnicliffe Way so a new section of carriageway can be joined up with the improved A50 junction

The council says the closure's timed to coincide with the school holidays and diversions will be signposted, but admits " this will cause some inconvenience".

Ten tonnes of hay are on fire at a farm near Oswestry in Shropshire.

Firefighters were called gto Crickheath at 10:28 today and are still there.

Birmingham City and Middlesbrough settle their High Court dispute over Blues manager Garry Monk's backroom staff.

Nick Southall
Journalist, BBC Shropshire

West Mercia Police has apologised to a Shropshire pub landlord after it mistakenly sent out false information about him, that led people to think he was a convicted sex offender.

Darren Price and his partner Stuart run the Boar's Head pub in the middle of Bishop's Castle.

The police force said it supplied incorrect information to the Crown Prosecution Service about Mr Price and this information was subsequently shared with a defendant’s solicitor.

It said the information related to someone of the same name and age and was a result of human error.

Darren Price said it had destroyed his life and impacted on his business.

West Mercia said it had carried out an internal investigation into how this happened but it has not been possible to trace exactly how it happened.

Investigators from the Professional Standards Division of West Mercia Police found the force had breached data-protection and it has apologised for any distress caused.

England and Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes is making good progress in his recovery from quad and knee injuries.

Two fires in the Staffordshire Moorlands are still not out, with one, near Leek, burning six days after grassland caught fire.

The other broke out in woodland in Alton (pictured below) on Monday and two crews remain there.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Although they are under control, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue says it's monitoring high winds in the area.

Firefighters in Staffordshire were also called out to two new fires at Shoal Hill Common and Hednesford earlier today.

Coventry Live
Coventry Live

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

• Corey and Casper killer's Court of Appeal date revealed, external
• Judges overturn Nuneaton man's, external "unduly lenient" sentence
• Getting on the housing ladder in Coventry is getting harder, external

Andy Giddings
BBC News

The mystic meerkats at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire (pictured below) have predicted an England win in their World Cup quarter final tomorrow.

The psychic penguins at Sea Life in Birmingham have also backed them to beat Sweden.

Image source, Drayton Manor

But the support isn't unanimous - the meerkats at West Midland Safari Park have predicted Sweden will win.

And looking at this photo from Drayton Manor, it appears one of the meerkats is going with the Swedes too - there's always one!

Image source, Drayton Manor

Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM

The Conservatives could lose control of Dudley Council after a councillor switched from the party to Labour.

The move by Mike Attwood means that Labour hold 36 seats, the Conservatives have 35, and there's one independent councillor.

Image source, Google

Labour group leader, Pete Lowe said the party would propose a motion of no confidence in the Tory administration "at the earliest opportunity".

Conservative leader of the council Patrick Harley said: "As far as I’m concerned nothing changes.

"Councillor Attwood should do the right thing and put himself up for election and see if voters still support him. I suspect he’ll slink off into the shadows."

A man has been arrested after threatening a member of the public with an axe, on Smethwick High Street, police said.

Image source, West Midlands Police

"As armed officers challenged him, guns pointed, he ran at them with the axe raised over his head," Chief Inspector Jack Hadley tweeted, external.

"Thanks to their professionalism he was disarmed without being hurt!"

No one is believed to have been injured during the incident, which happened at 18:40, said West Midlands Police.

Reigning champions Saracens will begin the defence of their Premiership title at Newcastle Falcons on 2 September.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A former mayor has said he regrets using foul language in his online attacks on senior Tory politicians, including the Telford MP, Lucy Allan.

Labour councillor Richard Taylor from Featherstone in Yorkshire had his party membership withdrawn in April after a series of social media posts.

But while Mr Taylor admitted that the term he was used was "over the top", he stood by the spirit of his posts.

A union representing lorry drivers says some truckers have little choice other than to use roadsides as a toilet.

People living near the A34 in the Trentham area of Stoke-on-Trent have complained about human waste and rubbish being left outside their homes.

The city council has agreed to stop vehicles over seven-and-a-half tonnes from pulling up there overnight.

Image source, Getty Images

But Alexander Harris, from the United Road Transport Union, said there was a general lack of facilities for drivers to use.

"If you leave somebody without access to a toilet there's only there's one thing they're going to do," he said.

He also blamed employers for not paying for drivers to stop at official truck stops.

Worcester News

Here are three headlines from the Worcester News today:

• Ex-members of gym demand refunds, external
• Crash near recycling centre just days after residents' warning, external
• Worcester has first bitcoin machine, external

Average speed enforcement cameras are to be installed on a stretch of road in Birmingham where six people died last year.

Image source, Getty Images

Plans are being drawn up to put cameras along a 1.7 mile (2.8km) stretch of the A4540 Middleway corridor, from Five Ways roundabout to Haden Circus, said Birmingham City Council.

A driver died along with five others when he lost control of his Audi at 100mph in a 40mph limit, a court heard.

The scheme is likely to cost £90,000, and should be in place by the autumn, the council said. , external

A motorcyclist has died after his bike was involved in a crash with a car in Mancetter, Warwickshire.

The man died at the scene on Nuneaton Road, shortly after 16:30 yesterday, said the ambulance service. , external

A planned sky lantern festival in the Peak District has been called off after fears about fires.

The Peak District National Park already has fire monitors in place across the area and had campaigned against Lights Fest taking place in Buxton on 28 July.

Image source, Getty Images

More than 9,000 people signed a petition against the event and firefighters had also opposed it.

Promoter Matthew Watson said cancelling the festival came after taking advice from emergency services "alongside our own concerns".

A blue plaque honouring the creator of the Lord of the Rings - will be unveiled in Warwick later.

Image source, Getty Images

It will be erected at the Church of St Mary Immaculate on West Street - where JRR Tolkien married his wife Edith Bratt in 1916.

Press Association

The Unite union is taking fresh legal action on behalf of a group of building workers whose names were found on a blacklist, making it difficult for them to find jobs.

One of the men, a carpenter from Birmingham, was unable to find work, spending a period having to claim unemployment benefit.

His blacklist file read: "A real troublemaker and a pain in the neck. Would not like anyone else to be landed with him."

In 2016, the union Unite reached a settlement with construction firms that resulted in 256 workers sharing more than £10m in compensation.

Express and Star

Some of the headlining stories on the Express and Star website this morning are:

• Cash strewn across Co-op store after raiders steal cash machine, external
• Taxi driver high on cocaine in terrifying knife attack on woman, external
• Wolves kit sales hit by delay, external