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Bev Holder
BBC Shared Data Unit

A stark warning that he could be dead by next Christmas prompted father-of-two Mark Oldfield from Dudley to lose more than nine stone (57kg).

Figures released showed Dudley men have one of the highest rates of premature deaths, external, in the West Midlands.

Image source, Mark Oldfield

Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, Mr Oldfield topped 24 stone (152kg) at his heaviest in January 2016.

The warning that he faced a premature death came with a referral to a slimming group in Netherton on a 12-week programme - which helped him to lose weight through healthy eating and an exercise plan.

You can read more about the link between poverty and the mortality rates from avoidable causes here.

An application to extend to one of Jaguar Land Rover's largest buildings, external, at its headquarters in Whitley, has been approved by city councillors.

Image source, Jaguar Land Rover

The powertrain facility is within the current headquarters site in the south east of Coventry.

The extension would see the creation of 9,250 sq ft of space over three floors.

A separate planning application has been granted for new office space, to the south of the A45.

Birmingham Live

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

• Drugged-up teen loses control and smashes into car, external
• Crime rose in West Midlands again last year, external
• Brummie drivers warned of ‘white van tan’ dangers, external

South Africa all-rounder Wayne Parnell joins Worcestershire as an overseas player until mid-September.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is introducing free water safety lessons, to help children stay safe in the water, following the death of 13-year-old Ryan Evans in Westport Lake last month.

Children aged six to 14 will be able to sign up for the week-long series of classes, at Fenton Manor Sports Complex, starting on 13 August 13 and they are for all levels of ability, including non-swimmers.

Image source, Haywood Academy

And children aged 8-14 who can already swim 25m will be offered more advanced swimming lessons at the pool.

Edgbaston will host the opening match of next year's Ashes Test between England and Australia, it's been announced. , external

Image source, Edgbaston

The rivals will meet from Thursday 1 August 2019.

The stadium will also host the T20 Blast final on 21 September, after an agreement was made to relocate the event from Trent Bridge.

Neil Snowball, Chief Executive of Warwickshire CCC and Edgbaston Stadium said there was "nowhere better" for the team to start the series.

The former Toys 'R' Us store in Shrewsbury has been sold to an unnamed retailer.

FI Real Estate Management said it was one of six properties belonging to the chain, sold off in a £30.5m deal.

Three of them - Shrewsbury, Cardiff and Liverpool - have been bought by one firm.

Image source, Google

The asset and property management company said "the six properties sold to date reflect the healthy appetite for prime sites".

The New Saints owner Mike Harris has taken to Twitter to call for an apology from Shropshire Council after it admitted mistakes were made in relation to a £80,000 grant made to the football club.

In a tweet, which has since been deleted from his personal account, he also insisted the money was not a loan and "not repayable if its terms are met".

Shropshire Council has said a condition of the "legacy grant" being issued was that TNS was, in return, "required to deliver a grant of £16,000 each year, over a five-year period" and that "TNS’ compliance with the terms of the grant is in dispute".

And the authority went on to say: "The council believes that the grant arrangements were legal and in compliance State Aid Rules."

Mr Harris also criticised the council investigation into the grant, saying it "never gained all the facts never came to our offices for copies of the council staffs emails that have possibly been left out".

And he went on to say "The damage to Oswestry in terms of attracting investment and jobs will be uncountable will think twice before creating any more business in area".

Coventry Live
Coventry Live

Some of the main stories on the Coventry Live website this morning include:

• Jaguar Land Rover gets approval for huge Coventry expansion, external
• Man charged following five-hour armed police stand-off, external
• Suspects due in court over robbery that allegedly saw knife held to baby's throat, external

Andy Giddings
BBC News

Water is being pumped out of the River Severn into the pool at The Dingle in Shrewsbury, because low water levels are putting fish in danger.

It's being carried out by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, which says the operation could take several hours and it is working with Shrewsbury Town Council.

Over the past few weeks the Environment Agency has rescued hundreds of fish from rivers in Shropshire and Herefordshire and says it is also concerned about high water temperatures, which reduces the oxygen content.

BBC Sport

Port Vale manager Neil Aspin says he'll be careful with midfielder David Worrall over the next few friendly games, after he picked up a hip injury against Halifax this week.

He scored twice in the win, but Aspin said they would monitor his fitness.

Image source, Getty Images

Last night Idris Kanu and Louis Dodds scored as Vale drew 2-2 at Nuneaton.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Four libraries in Staffordshire are to be run by community groups from next year, after a decision by county councillors.

Campaigners from Penkridge had fought the planned changes, which affect their library, along with those in Eccleshall, Clayton and Cheadle.

Image source, Getty Images

Staffordshire County Council has also approved a reduction in opening hours at Cheslyn Hay Library and the introduction of a "self-service" trial at Stafford Library, outside of staffed hours.

The move is expected to save the council £1.3m and follows the transfer of 23 libraries to community control.

Five people were arrested, and weapons recovered, in separate incidents across the West Midlands yesterday, police said. , external

Almost 2,300 emergency calls were made to West Midlands Police yesterday, which has seen record numbers of 999 calls in recent weeks.

Image source, West Midlands Police

A sawn-off shotgun was seized after armed police responded to reports of a man threatening to shoot open his front door, in Chelmsley Wood.

Two people were arrested.

Two 16-year-olds were also arrested in Coventry, on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, after a caller suggested youths had pointed a "handgun" at staff.

Responding to reports of a man armed with a knife, a 20-year-old was detained in Brierley Hill, and a knife recovered.

The owner of a house deemed too tall by officials is accused of a "blatant disregard" for the rules.

A woman from Telford has had an image of the Ironbridge power station cooling towers tattooed on her ankle, because she was "heartbroken" over plans for the towers' demolition.

Image source, Sophie Anderson

The decommissioned power plant, in Buildwas, has been a feature of the Shropshire landscape since the 1960s, has been sold to a regeneration company, and is set to be demolished.

Sophie Anderson, from Ketley said when she heard of the plans "it broke my heart".

"When I was younger and I couldn't sleep, or if I'd been naughty I'd always ask my mum to go and see the chimneys, so it's always been a memory for me.

"It's going to be a childhood memory that's gone.

"At least when they're gone I can look at my leg and see they're still there."

A "lost" kitchen has been found at Stokesay Castle in Shropshire after the recent heatwave revealed its outline.

The long, dry spell caused grass immediately on top of the foundations to discolour more than the surrounding lawn.

Image source, English Heritage

Much of the 13th Centurty fortified manor is intact, with English Heritage describing it as "the finest and best-preserved fortified medieval manor house in England".

However, it's unclear why and when the kitchen disappeared.

Georgina Bishop, from English Heritage, said staff had always known there was a kitchen in the area thanks to a sketch by local woman Francis Stackhouse Acton in the 19th Century.

BBC Business News

Luxury carmaker Aston Martin has unveiled plans for a personal aircraft dubbed a "sports car for the skies".

Image source, Aston Martin

The Warwickshire-based company has teamed up with jet engine maker Rolls-Royce and engineering boffins at Cranfield University on the futuristic project.

A concept aircraft was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow, but the consortium hopes to have a flying version ready for the next show in two years.

The three-seat hybrid-electric vehicle will be vertical take-off and landing.

Express and Star

These are some of the headlining stories on the Express and Star website today:

• Paranoid man tried 'to rip partner's face apart' as she fed their four-week-old baby, external
• Go headbutt a tree, judge tells thug, external
• Site revealed for new 750-place girls school, external

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The issue about whether private comments made on private social media platforms should be made public, is being discussed by students at the University of Warwick.

Image source, University of Warwick

Three students were banned from the university in June after misogynist and racist messages made in a Facebook group chat emerged, with one talking about raping "100 girls".

Speaking on Radio 4's Today Programme, one student said the revelation made her feel "unsafe as a student and as a woman".

Another said: "The question is, does the university have the right to see what's in private message groups?"

It's a "massive" issue, he said, as "privacy is such an important right".