Allen Cook
BBC News

People are trying to walk through a Peak District beauty spot despite warnings of a huge fire in the area, the fire service says., external

Image source, Peak District National Park Authority

Dozens of firefighters have been at the Roaches since yesterday afternoon, tackling the huge blaze.

Image source, Terry Eyre

They say the area is "very dangerous" but that people are still trying to walk in the area and are urging them to stay away.

The fire service also says they're collecting donations of food and drinks for their fire crews at the Roaches, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Public Health England , externalsays Monkey Dust is the street name for Methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone or MDPHP.

It is a stimulant known as a cathinone and it is similar to another drug, MDPV or Methylenedioxypyrovalerone.

The government classifies synthetic cathinones as Class B drugs.

The drugs charity Mentor , externalsaid it can make people who use it and their clothes smell of urine.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

Staffordshire Police says Stoke-on-Trent is facing a possible public health crisis,, external unless the problem of the drug known as Monkey Dust, or MDPHP, is tackled immediately.

The force is currently dealing with up to 10 calls a day about the drug and have dealt with 950 cases related to it in the past three months alone.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

The force says it needs to work with other organisations within the city to tackle the problem, which it says has been ongoing for the last two years.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has also acknowledged the problem, saying there's a risk of it becoming a city-wide epidemic.

One senior paramedic, Steve Rust, tweeted that, external their staff in Stoke-on-Trent "are now dealing with this problem on a daily basis".

BBC News

A Shropshire holidaymaker has been caught up in the floods in southern France.

About 1,600 people, including many campers, have been rescued after torrential rain caused flash flooding and transformed rivers and streams into raging torrents.

Harry Ollerton, from Shropshire, was camping in the Ardèche when he was woken at 05:00 this morning to what he describes as "the loudest thunder and brightest flashes of lightning".

He said the lightning was "terrifyingly close" and, while driving to safety, that "the village streets had turned into rivers".

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The headlines on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today include:

• Weather making Roaches fire worse as firefighters continue to tackle blaze, external
• 'Don't use zombie drugs or you'll end up dead like Darren' - family's warning, external
• Stoke City fans urged to be aware of potential terror threat at bet365 Stadium, external

BBC Sport

Warwickshire's Chris Woakes will play for England in the second Test against India at Lord's.

He's been picked over Worcestershire's Moeen Ali as the final selection for their XI.

Image source, ALLSPORT/Getty Images

This morning, England won the toss and captain Joe Root chose to bowl - updates throughout the day will be on the BBC Cricket live page.

A man who lay dead in a tent for up to a year before being found, could be from Birmingham police have revealed.

Image source, Avon and Somerset Police/Google

The body was discovered near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on 15 August last year, but efforts to trace his next-of-kin have been unsuccessful.

PC Andy Henderson said: "This is a really sad case of a man who appears to have been sleeping rough and whose death seems to have gone unreported."

"Based on the documentation found, we believe the man to be called Peter Thomas Harrison who was born in Birmingham and would either have been aged 59 or 60 when he died.

He added that extensive enquiries had been made but had not come to fruition, hence the public appeal.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has thanked firefighters dealing with the blaze, external at its Roaches nature reserve and reminded people to stay away from the area.

Image source, @dawngarrett

It's not yet clear how it started, but the fire service has faced a huge number of wildfires in recent months.

It said there were 364 fires in the open in June and 252, or 69%, were started deliberately.

BBC Business News

Sports Direct International, founded by tycoon Mike Ashley (pictured), has announced that it will buy the business and assets of House of Fraser for £90m in cash from the administrators of the department store chain who were appointed early this morning.

Image source, Getty Images

It said: "It has acquired all of the UK stores of House of Fraser, the House of Fraser brand and all of the stock in the business."

Six stores in the Midlands are set to close in January, but it's so far unclear what the latest news means for two other stores in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.

Allen Cook
BBC News

As fire crews continue to battle the huge grass and woodland blaze at The Roaches beauty spot in the Peak District, you've shared pictures showing the devastation it's already caused.

Fire crews were called early yesterday afternoon to the fire, external and Andy Frost shared this photo showing how far away the smoke could be seen:

Image source, Andy Frost

The fire's taken hold across a huge area as Dawn Garrett's photograph shows.

Image source, Dawn Garrett

While Will Holdcroft took this photos:

Image source, Will Holdcroft

Image source, Will Holdcroft

Facebook

Our story about how smallpox claimed its final victim has prompted some fascinating responses on the BBC Midlands Facebook page from people who remember the incident.

Janet Parker, 40, was admitted to the Catherine-de-Barnes Isolation Hospital in Solihull in August 1978, where she died a month later.

Image source, Other

Bev Allen posts: "I remember this scare very well. I was visiting Birmingham for the summer of 1978 with a young toddler. She had not been vaccinated and I had been but at 6 months of age, 26 years earlier. There didn't seem to be a lot of information given to the public at the time".

Brian Meacham said: "I went into the Catherine-de-Barnes hospital with a team of builders circa 1987 to demolish the inside of the wards and buildings, everything was burned on site before it was ready for transforming into living accommodation".

Adam Bignell posts: "My Nan and Grandad were the care takers of the Catherine-de-Barnes smallpox hospital. They had to clean and keep it prepared for a 1 hour notice of an outbreak. I was only 2 when Janet Parker arrived. However I remember growing up and been told strictly that I wasn't allowed to enter a certain building. Which was the ward of Janet Parker."

Shropshire Star

Here are some of the stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Star website this morning:

• Veterans’ dismay as Copthorn Barracks sold to housing developer, external
• House of Fraser falls into administration putting 17,000 jobs at risk, external
• Striking image shows how Telford tower block could look after revamp, external

About 20 firefighters are still at the scene of a severe fire, which started overnight in a Dudley factory.

At its height nine crews were needed to tackle the blaze after they were called to Navigation Drive, Brierley Hill at about 04:30.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Emily Lloyd

A water firm's apologised after residents said they were made to feel like "liars" after shortages.

Severn Trent says it has made a improvements, particularly around communications, since Much Wenlock, in Shropshire, was left high and dry twice in the past 12 months.

Image source, Getty Images

A heated meeting heard from residents who said they were patronised when they called asking for more information when a pipe burst underground, cutting off water for 15 hours.

Then a three-day shortage in June was caused by “unprecedented” demand during the heatwave and saw 2,000 homes without water.

Severn Trent promised residents it was "trying to get better" and information on future shortages would be "much faster".

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

The car maker Geely is planning to set up a new design centre for Lotus cars in Coventry.

Image source, Geely

Geely already has a 51% stake in Lotus, but wants to increase its investment.

It's thought one of its first developments will be a new SUV, due in 2020.

A £250m research and development facility was built by the Chinese company in the city for the London Electric Vehicle Company.

Smoke from a fire in the Staffordshire Moorlands is blowing across the Peak District, and is being reported as far away as South Yorkshire.

Fire controls in both South Yorkshire and Derbyshire say they are getting a lot of calls about a strong smell of smoke - but that it's coming from the fire on The Roaches in Staffordshire.

Image source, Staffordshire Fire Service

About 60 firefighters remain at the scene of the blaze at Upper Hulme, which started yesterday afternoon.

Roach Road remains closed in Upper Hulme, and is likely to stay closed for some time.

Express and Star

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

• Former manager at Carillion launches new business in Wolverhampton, external
• All traces of Goodyear almost gone forever from Wolverhampton, external
• Rugeley woman killed in crash is named, external

BBC Business News

Department store chain House of Fraser is to appoint administrators after giving up the fight to save the business.

Image source, Getty Images

In a statement, it said that talks with investors and creditors had "not concluded in a solvent solution".

Six stores in the Midlands - Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton and Worcester - were already set to close in January as part of the restructuring plan.

However two others in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield were among 28 nationwide which were expected to survive.

House of Fraser employs 17,500 people, including 11,500 concession staff.

There are plans to double the number of parking spaces at a Coventry railway station.

Image source, Google

Transport for West Midlands is proposing 250 additional spaces at Tile Hill station.

Land acquisition details will be confirmed once a design is finalised, it said.

It is intending to submit a planning application later this year.

Joe Clarke scored 76 as Worcestershire defended a total of 137-8 to beat Derbyshire by 16 runs and return to the top of the table by a point from Durham.

Clarke hit nine fours and three sixes in scoring more than half of his side's runs, but fellow opener Wayne Parnell (12) was the only other man to reach double figures.

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Bell inspired Birmingham Bears to a comfortable six-wicket win over holders Notts Outlaws at Edgbaston to move above their opponents, as well as Derbyshire, and up to fifth spot,

Bell, who this week stated his desire to get back into the England Test set-up, scored 54 from 37 balls as his side made light work of surpassing the visitors' total of 152-4.