Local Democracy Reporting Service

Here are a few of the stories today from the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

• Shropshire Council says it hasn't got enough money to repair damage to pavements and roads around Much Wenlock. Councillor David Turner, said the town has been waiting four years for repairs to "uneven" paths and a half-finished kerb.

• Shropshire Council was handed more than £100,000 to help deal with the impact of Brexit in the last financial year.

• A four-day week could be explored at the local authority in a bid to cut emissions and boost staff wellbeing.

Image source, David Turner

Image source, Sainsburys

A Sainsbury's store has changed its entrance sign to show support for the Deaf community.

Over 100 staff at "Signsbury's", in Bath, have been having British Sign Language (BSL) lessons with local signing school I Can Sign to celebrate community inclusivity and encourage colleagues and customers to sign with each other.

The lessons were supported by staff member Sam Book who is deaf, and Rachel Shenton, the Oscar winning screenwriter who famously signed her 2018 acceptance speech for short film Silent Child.

Image source, Sainsburys

Signsbury’s will be open from the 18-21 July with staff signing with customers and communicating greetings and discussing the weather.

Screens inside the store will help teach customers how to sign basic words and phrases such as trolley, sausages and milk.

The National Deaf Children's Society said it is a "fantastic initiative" and "a great step towards inclusivity for the deaf community."

Image source, Sainsburys

Coventry Live

Some of today's Coventry Live headlines are:

• Man admits stabbing woman with sword outside church, external
• Teenager denies murder of Emmanuel Lukenga, external
• Police issue update on five teens arrested over Nuneaton stabbings, external

Footage from officers' body-worn cameras shows the operation after a sawn-off shotgun changes hands.

Birmingham City and England midfielder Lucy Staniforth submits a transfer request as Brianna Visalli arrives from West Ham.

Birmingham Town Hall is getting ready for an invasion of Peaky Blinders fans, ready to watch the first episode of series five at a premiere tonight.

More than 76,000 people applied to be in the ballot for tickets to the event.

Birmingham's notorious Shelby family return to our TV screens later this year, with the show being moved from BBC Two to BBC One.

If you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket, you can follow all the news from the red carpet on our special live feed starting at 17:00.

A man convicted of sexually assaulting his mother and who has "intrusive thoughts about attacking women" is set to leave a psychiatric hospital and live in a "community setting".

Image source, PA Media

The man, who has learning difficulties and is under the welfare of Birmingham City Council, also told a psychiatrist he remained "certain that he will attack women unless closely supervised".

A judge has approved plans to move him to a residential unit after he has been deemed "fit for discharge".

In a written ruling after a hearing at the Court of Protection the judge said the man had engaged in a number of "programmes and therapeutic interventions" and deemed by his "multi-disciplinary team as being fit for discharge".

She said she accepted professionals' assessment of the man and had no doubt that it was in his best interests for him to be cared for in the planned community setting.

Two men are held in connection with the death of Malik Hussain, 35, who was stabbed in Birmingham.

BBC Radio Stoke

A number of Crewe Alexandra supporters have been banned from all football matches for three years.

The 10 men, all from Cheshire, were given the banning orders following a pitch invasion at the game against Macclesfield Town at the Moss Rose stadium in February.

The order also includes international matches.

Seventeen Conservatives rebelled against the whip, in this afternoon's vote over measures to block Parliament shutdown, including minister Margot James.

Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy and Antoinette Sanbach, MP for Eddisbury in Cheshire were also among the rebels.

Among those Conservative MPs who did not vote were Chancellor Philip Hammond, Justice Secretary David Gauke, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart.

Some 260 services will be affected due to upgrades on a junction of the West Coast Main Line.

Midfielder Luke McCormick signs a new Chelsea contract before joining Shrewsbury on a season-long loan.

Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands Today

A vigil held in Wolverhampton this morning, to remember victims of so-called honour crimes, is the second in the city this week.

The meeting was to highlight what many feel is an underreported issue in Wolverhampton.

Councillor Rupinderjit Kaur, one of the organisiers, said she had lost two family members to honour killings, and another was "lucky to survive".

"They were murdered in India due to honour," she said.

"This isn't a culture, this is a crime."

An MP has resigned as a minister after voting against the government in favour of a measure that will make it more difficult to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending Parliament.

The Commons voted by a majority of 41 to approve an amendment put forward by Labour's Hilary Benn and former minister Alistair Burt.

The Conservative MP for Stourbridge, Margot James has previously threatened to rebel if the prime minister takes Britain towards a no-deal Brexit,

BBC Newsnight's political editor posted the news on Twitter.

The singer and composer Laura Mvula is going to be awarded an honorary doctorate by Birmingham City University later this month, for her "outstanding contribution to music".

The 32-year-old, who comes from the city, has won Ivor Novello and Mobo awards and also been nominated for awards at the Brits and for the Mercury Prize.

Image source, Birmingham City University/Laura Mvula

She will receive the honour from Sir Lenny Henry at a ceremony at Birmingham's Symphony Hall on 23 July.

"I'm humbled and delighted to be receiving such an immense honour," she said.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

The Stoke City manager Nathan Jones said his team "lacked intensity" in the first half of their friendly against Wrexham last night.

They went on to win 3-1 and Jones said he thought the second half was "much much better" and that he was generally pleased with their pre-season preparations.

Image source, Getty Images

He also said it's hard to gauge progress in pre-season, and added: "all you can do is prepare your team".

Shropshire Star

Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Hero neighbour searches blazing Telford house, external
• Fashion chain taking over Shrewsbury's old McDonald's building, external
• Footage released of 100mph police chase, external

Jayden Clarke's death is not being treated as suspicious, police say.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Work to upgrade an ageing children's playground in Malvern has been delayed because the district council's chosen contractor has dropped out

The local authority planned to have the £500,000 revamp of Priory Park finished in time for the summer holidays, with new features including water fountains, a slide and a trampoline.

It's now been forced to draw up a revised plan after being unable to find another company to take on the job within the agreed budget.

The West Midlands is predicted to see the biggest increase in house prices in England over the next two years, according to analysts from PwC.

Only Wales is expected to see faster growth in the UK.

Image source, PA Media

PwC said it expected the price of the average house in the West Midlands to rise from £194,000 to £223,000 by 2022 and warns that this will make it hard for people move to find new jobs and will also have an impact on rental prices.