The Merrythought teddy bear factory in Ironbridge, which has made bears for a number of royals in its 88-year history, is getting a visit from Princess Alexandra today.

Most recently, it made a bear for Prince Louis, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Managing director Sarah Holmes will be taking the Queen's cousin on a tour of the site this afternoon.

Paramedics and the air ambulance are currently at the scene of an incident in Coventry.

The ambulance service said it were called at 13:10 to Gloucester Street, close to Spon End, to reports of a man being seriously injured.

A fire involving a lorry load of cardboard in Stoke-on-Trent is now out, but fire investigators now believe it was an arson attack.

Paul Shaw from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said a lorry driver had handed over footage which appeared to show a group of young people starting it and the police are now involved.

The fire is now out, but Mr Shaw said firefighters would be carefully unloading trailer, which was carrying compressed cardboard on its way to be recycled, and making sure it didn't reignite - they could remain there until 18:00.

And he confirmed the explosions reported earlier were the tyres exploding in the heat.

Poundworld's former owner Chris Edwards is today in a last-ditch attempt to try to save at least part of the business, after it was announced yesterday that 2,300 jobs are to go as the remaining 190 stores shut their doors.

In total, the collapse of the chain, which had 335 stores, will result in the loss of 5,100 jobs.

The bargain chain operated dozens of stores across the West Midlands and some had thought they had escaped the cull - but now have been told they will shut by 10 August.

Grace Bowden from Retail Week told BBC Radio 5 Live that it had all gone wrong for Poundworld because it had "stood still" and not tried to innovate, plus it has been badly affected by the value of the pound.

While rival Poundland, based in Willenhall, was able to successfully introduce a £2 and a £5 section in their stores to try to improve margins, and make sure customers understood which products were still just a pound and which were higher, Ms Bowden said that Poundworld did not.

The main road through Upton-upon-Severn has been closed to traffic from 10:00 to allow anti-terror barriers to be installed, ahead of the town's annual blues festival.

It's the first time the security measure has been used at the festival, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of people over the weekend.

The annual three-day event has been held since 2002.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Three headlines from the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today:

• Campaign to prevent gangs terrorising city, external
• Thug and his friend attacked a man with learning difficulties, external
• Primary school first in Staffordshire to join Co-op academy chain, external

About 20 firefighters are still dealing with a lorry fire in Stoke-on-Trent.

It's on Campbell Road, near the Michelin plant, although the lorry doesn't belong to the company.

Earlier there were reports of an explosion, thought to be the lorry's tyres bursting, and the fire is now thought to involve reams of paper in the back of the lorry.

The hot weather has revealed the footprint of buildings thought to have stood on the site of Dudley Zoo in the 16th Century.

A former keeper of Dudley Castle, Adrian Durkin said they probably belong to a wall, an elaborate garden feature and and an unknown building near the keep.

Image source, Dudley Zoo

The marks are revealed when grass or crops on top of wood or stone still in the ground flourish or deteriorate at different rates to surrounding material in the unusually hot weather.

A number of similar discoveries are being made around the country this summer.

CCTV footage shows the male driver of the Audi being attacked.

Another fire - this time a lorry fire that's sent a plume of black smoke up into the air over Leamington Spa.

Crews are at the scene on Harbury Lane, between Warwick and Leamington, dealing with the blaze.

Ambulance staff in parts of Cheshire are to stage a 12-hour strike tomorrow, as part of an ongoing dispute over pay.

The strike will be held by GMB union members, and affects staff who start between 06:00 and 08:00 tomorrow morning.

Image source, PA

They are planning to repeat the action every weekend until October.

North West Ambulance Service is urging people to only call 999 in a real emergency.

A fire in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent is believed to involve a lorry carrying a load of cardboard, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says.

It was called out at 11:05 and arrived to find it already well alight and firefighters are still at the scene.

Ambulances have been put on stand-by.

Police have issuing a warning about the dangers of taking an illegal drug known as Monkey Dust after the deaths of two Telford men.

A third man is in a serious condition in hospital and, while West Mercia Police says it's not clear if they had taken the drug, there are concerns there may be a connection.

Det Insp Lee Holehouse said "there may be a bad batch of Monkey Dust circulating" and urged anyone who felt ill after taking the drug to seek medical help.

Lee Blakeman
BBC Radio Stoke

Firefighters are dealing with an incident in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent.

Smoke can been seen in the air around the Campbell Road area.

We'll bring you more when we get it.

Hereford Times

Here are three headlines from the Hereford Times today:

• Government agencies yet to comment on Hereford bypass route proposals, external
• Silent soldier unveiled in Bodenham, external
• Radical new stage version of H G Wells' classic, external

BBC WM Sport

Walsall played five trialists as they beat an Ajax team 2-0 in their latest pre-season friendly last night.

Image source, Getty Images

New signing Andy Cook got both goals against the Dutch club.

Boss Dean Keates praised his players and said the team were improving steadily.

West Midlands Police said the force would leave "no stone unturned" in their search for car-jackers who stole a vehicle containing a four week-old baby.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Thieves drove off in the car of Clare O'Neill, containing daughter Eliza, after they had demanded the keys outside her house in Acocks Green.

Baby Eliza was reunited with her mother last night in hospital, after being found at a health centre.

Clare is still in hospital recovering from her injuries, the force said., external

Det Insp Jim Munro said: "We have a team of officers trawling through CCTV and speaking to residents in Marie Drive, as well as fast-tracking forensic analysis of the baby seat".

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski says he is planning to meet the managing director of Magna, owners of Stadco, to understand why the Shrewsbury factory is closing down.

Almost 200 staff work at the plant and have been told they will be able to transfer to other sites.

Mr Kawczynski said he wanted to find out "why these restructuring moves are necessary and what steps are being put in place to help people find alternative employment".

He urged workers with concerns to get in touch with his office

The Worcestershire Royal Hospital will have 23 extra beds this winter for acutely ill patients.

In June it got permission to add 46 beds to refurbished wards, but hadn't expected any to be ready before the start of January 2019.

Image source, PA

The hospital trust now says it's been able to speed up construction work, meaning the first will be ready by October and accessible from accident and emergency via a link bridge from December.

Last month, inspectors said the "routine use" of a corridor to care for patients was still a concern.

About 67,500 people are expected to fly from Birmingham Airport today, as roads, ports and airports are expected to be exceptionally busy for the summer getaway.

Motorists are being warned to expect a "frantic Friday" with an estimated 3.8 million trips taking place following the end of term at the majority of schools in England and Wales.

More than nine million people are expected to embark on getaway trips by car between Friday and Sunday, the RAC said.