Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans for a new sign outside a Grade II-listed pub in Stafford will be swapped for a different design following angry objections.

The Bear Grill pub on Greengate Street in the town centre closed down earlier this year when it changed hands from the Lewis Partnership to Marston's.

Ancient High House, is of "outstanding national significance", according to the council’s conservation officer, with plans described as "garish and wholly out of keeping with this setting”.

Image source, Google

The original proposal of a black aluminium fascia with the pub’s name in colour-changing LED letters and a hanging sign, saying "beer, burgers, cocktails for any occasion" – proved too much for some in the county town.

However plans for a new timber fascia sign were submitted last month and agreed upon by the planning committee last week.

Simon Gilbert
Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Coventry's Lentons Lane cemetery is to be expanded, because there's not enough space at the site to provide for a growing number of Muslim burials.

Space could run out in just over a year, according to a report.

The new work should make enough space for the next 40 years.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

A skydiving company says it can no longer use Shobdon Aerdrome in Herefordshire for jumps because of new national restrictions.

Skydive Shobdon says new rules imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority mean it is no longer viable to parachute there alongside the other activities at the site.

Image source, Getty Images

The company also says any customers who have booked a skydive will be offered alternative locations or refunds.

BBC Sport

Crewe manager David Artell says his players should expect a direct approach from Colchester United tonight, and need to be adaptable in the way they play.

They've picked up four points at home, but were beaten in their opening away fixture of the season at Newport.

Image source, Getty Images

Artell says the players need to be prepared for opponents approaching the game in different ways.

Three cars have caught fire in a Telford Town Centre car park this lunchtime.

Shropshire fire and rescue service said it happened in the Brown Elm car park at 12:32 and appeared to start with one car and then spread to the other two.

An investigation into the cause of the fires is under way, but they are not thought to be suspicious.

A five-year-old boy who died in a crash in Staffordshire last Thursday was the son of a woman who also suffered fatal injuries, police have confirmed.

Staffordshire Police have named her as Rebecca Smith, 24, from Stoke-on-Trent and said she died in hospital on Friday.

A six-year-old boy, who was in the same vehicle, remains in a stable condition.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

The crash on the Uttoxeter Road in Draycott, involved a BMW and a white Mercedes van and happened at 12:50 near to the junction with Stuart Avenue.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Hereford Times

These are among the headlines on the Hereford Times website today:

• Skydives stop at airfield, external
• Garway celebrates village croquet finals, external
• Campaigner will pick up litter on every street in her town, external

The father of a British woman who spent 10 hours in the sea after falling off a cruise liner says he is "trying to get to the bottom" of what happened.

Ron Longstaff, from Kenilworth, said he had been watching the news, hoping for answers and added "I was sitting in the sun with her a few weeks ago".

Image source, Getty Images

Kay Longstaff was pulled from the Adriatic Sea 60 miles off the coast of Croatia on Sunday morning.

She said she was sitting at the back of the deck before falling overboard and was "very lucky to be alive".

Shropshire Council says it is confident Shrewsbury Library can reopen once safety measures are put in place to protect visitors from the risk of falling debris.

It confirmed it had called in a cherry picker this morning, to allow a surveyor to inspect the damage and that one lane on Castle Street had to be closed, to allow it to operate.

Shrewsbury Town Council clerk Helen Ball said a stone sphere had fallen off the roof.

BBC Radio Stoke

The number of adults needing a mental health crisis plan, external in north Staffordshire has risen by about a third in three years.

Figures show almost 16,000 people had one in place in 2016-17, up by almost 4,000.

Image source, PA

They're designed to help NHS patients know who's responsible for their treatment - and what to do in a crisis.

A mental health crisis often means someone no longer feels able to cope, hears voices or thinks about taking their own life.

BBC Sport

Daryl Mitchell (pictured below) and Moeen Ali have taken Worcestershire's first innings score past 400.

The pair came together at Scarborough with the score at 111 and the lead is now approaching 200, with eight wickets still remaining.

Image source, Getty Images

Mitchell is out now, caught off the bowling of Adam Lyth for 178.

BBC Sport

Canadian forward Dillon Lawrence is joining Coventry Blaze on a four-week trial after a summer playing ice hockey in Australia.

The 23-year-old from Toronto has also played for Boston University and Edinburgh Capitals.

Image source, Edinburgh Capitals

Lawrence will be flying in from Edinburgh to arrive in time for this weekend's pre-season fixtures.

Shropshire Star

Here are three headlines from the Shropshire Star today:

• Dad-to-be jailed for Telford social club knife attack, external
• Potholes in Shropshire under control, says councillor, external
• Library shut over falling stonework, external

The TV and radio presenter Adrian Chiles has revealed that he drank up to 100 units a week.

The 51-year-old Brummie discovered he was drinking well over the recommend 14 units a week while tackling the issues around drinking for a BBC documentary.

For the documentary, called Drinkers Like Us, Chiles recorded how many units he was drinking.

The doctor told Chiles: "You can't carry on like this. You're at risk of disease progression to cirrhosis, liver disease and failure - and death."

Read more on BBC News and see the programme which will be broadcast on BBC Two next Monday 27 August at 21:00.

A steam locomotive that was rescued from a scrapyard by Severn Valley Railway 45 years ago is making a comeback

The 68-tonne 7819 Hinton isn't able to move under its own power and has spent the last 11 years at a shopping centre in Swindon - the town where it was made.

Image source, Severn Valley Railway

After going on display at Kidderminster Station over the Bank Holiday, it will go on permanent display at the heritage railway's Highley visitor centre.

Shrewsbury Library is closed today due to bits of masonry falling off the building.

The library service apologised and said health and safety checks were being carried out on the Grade I-listed building.

Image source, Google

Local residents described a cherry picker being used to check the stonework early on Tuesday.

An intrepid cancer patient is planning to walk the full length of the River Severn to raise money for charity.

Martyn Wells from Worcester is busy preparing for the 211 mile challenge despite having had his stomach removed just four months ago.

He begins on 1 September and will be joined on one of the days by a flotilla of kayaks.

As part of his preparations, he has been trying out his kit on shorter stretches of the walk.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

The director of nursing for West Midlands Ambulance Service says long waits at hospitals in Worcestershire are delaying crews responding to 999 calls.

Over the last weekend, paramedics in Worcester were forced to leave their ambulances to staff a hospital corridor.

Image source, Google

In a statement, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust said: "On Saturday, the number of ambulances bringing patients to our emergency departments was 17% above the forecast number for the county - extra nursing staff were brought in to help care for the increase in patients."

Three men have been arrested after a man was attacked in Birmingham on Friday afternoon.

Police were called to Hillaries Road in Erdington at about 13:30 on Friday after reports of a hit-and-run.

Officers believe the 26-year-old man had been attacked and then hit by a blue Toyota Yaris in what they're treating as a "targeted attack".

Image source, Google

Two men, aged 19 and 22, were arrested yesterday on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. They have since been released on bail.

A 28-year-old man was arrested this morning on suspicion of assault and is being questioned by officers.

Worcestershire are in command against Yorkshire at Scarborough.

Daryl Mitchell is 140 not out, while Moeen Ali is unbeaten on 107, with Worcestershire resuming this morning on 310 for 1 in reply to Yorkshire's first innings total of 216.

Follow coverage of day three on BBC Sport.