A fountain in Stoke-on-Trent has been repeatedly turned into a bubble bath over the past week, according to users of a local Facebook group.

Image source, Paige Bailey

Paige Bailey posted this photo to the Our Burslem group yesterday,, external adding that she loved the look of the "bubble fountain" in Burslem Park.

It followed another user, Declan Heaton,, external saying the same had happened last Monday when "some washing up liquid" was added to the feature.

Several others posted in the group that it's "a bit of fun, external" and "it's an annual tradition for bubble makers, external".

Some access routes to the railway station in Coventry have been closed as part of the area's redevelopment.

Image source, Coventry City Council

Image source, Coventry City Council

Steps between the station and Warwick Road have been closed, along with the walkway through to the station's car park three.

Pedestrian diversion signs are in place, said the city council

Hereford Times

The Hereford Times is covering these stories today:

• Police trying to identify man taken to hospital, external
• Man rescued from river in Hereford, external
• Some pews may go in Herefordshire church revamp, external

Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter

It will be a dry and clear night with lows of 11C (52F).

BBC Hereford and Worcester

An emergency meeting is being called in Herefordshire this evening after roadworks have left businesses out of pocket and residents struggling to access their properties.

Image source, Google

Highways England said record temperatures caused a delay to the roadworks on the A49 in Peterstow, between Ross-on-Wye and Hereford., external

Businesses say they were only given 10 days notice on the closures with some saying they've lost thousands of pounds of trade as a result.

In a statement, Highways England said it's now running the roadworks simultaneously in an effort to speed things up.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A hotel which was destroyed by fire didn't have sprinklers despite recommendations they were fitted, a fire service has said.

About 50 firefighters fought the blaze at its height at the Willenhall Holiday Inn, near Walsall, which was found to have started accidentally, in the hotel's sauna area.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

West Midlands Fire Service said its fire safety officers had previously recommended the hotel be retro-fitted with sprinklers but they weren't., external

Regulations in England mean that only buildings constructed since 2007 and which are taller than 30m are required to have sprinklers fitted.

IHG, which owns the Holiday Inn brand, said its hotels met UK building regulations, adding the firm requires sprinklers on buildings over 25m but this hotel, operated by a franchisee, "was significantly below 25m in height".

Telford & Wrekin Council is calling for a change to the law after a taxi driver was jailed for sexually assaulting a passenger.

The victim was picked up in Telford but the taxi driver was given their licence by another council.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

In 2015 the law changed, meaning a private-hire driver does not have to live or operate in the local authority area that grants his or her licence.

Today, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government was looking at a range of measures including new driver safety standards and would publish a response "in due course".

BBC Shropshire

A veterinary clinic was 'deliberately targeted' by thieves who stole drugs and equipment worth up to £80,000, a senior veterinary surgeon's said.

Image source, Lower House Equine Clinic

In the early hours of Saturday, drugs including ketamine and morphine were taken from a safe in Llanymynech, Shropshire.

CCTV footage - shared with police - has been released in connection with the break-in in which 20 saddles and tack were also taken from a livery yard.

Doctor Simon Woods, senior veterinary surgeon and partner at the site, said the drugs were intended for horses and were potent.

"Some of the drugs that have been taken in the safe are actually drugs we use in euthanasia of horses in legitimate circumstances.

"Those drugs in the wrong hands will potentially have fatal consequences."

New wards, intensive care units and diagnostic centres will be built, says new PM.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The developer behind a £20m planned hotel says it's planning to employ as many current construction staff as it can, after a family building firm went into administration.

Pochin construction and property, based in Middlewich, Cheshire, has called in liquidators amid problems it said were caused by past contracts.

The firm was building the Hilton Garden Inn and 151 apartments in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

It was doing the work for developer Genr8 who said it's now working on a plan to finish both projects and wants to retain most of the employees and supply firms still involved.

A hospital has said it's "delighted" to have got a slice of an extra £850m of hospital funding, but a local MP's urged the government to do more for the NHS.

Image source, Google

The money's been revealed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to upgrade outdated facilities and new equipment at 20 hospitals.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is getting £17.6m for three new modern wards to improve capacity, delivering approximately 84 beds for this winter.

The trust's tweeted that it'll help it meet demand this winter , externaland give "a better patient experience".

But Stoke-on-Trent Central Labour MP Gareth Snell, while welcoming the new wards, tweeted that social care in the city was still struggling, external and NHS staff needed better pay.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

A plant that can turn waste into energy could still be built after developers lodged an appeal to an independent planning inspector.

Image source, Versus oak Energy

Verus Energy Oak is trying to overturn a decision by Sandwell Council to reject a proposal to build a 10,000 sq m facility at the Giffords Recycling site in West Bromwich.

Despite being recommended by planning officers, the development next to the M5 was rejected by councillors last June over noise and traffic fears.

The company has previously said the £200m plant would create 40 jobs and put £1m in wages into the local economy.

Shropshire Star

A few of the headlines from the Shropshire Star:

• Three teenagers arrested after attack leaves man needing hospital treatment, external
• More resources needed to fight rural crime in Shropshire, says farmer, external
• Colin Firth spotted at Shifnal hotel, external

Reece Vella was released after being granted amnesty by Thailand's new king at his coronation.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A four-year-old boy who had pioneering treatment for a rare strain of leukaemia is still cancer free several months later, his mother said.

Image source, Hannah Oliver-Willets

Zac Oliver, from Broseley, Shropshire, was diagnosed with a rare strain of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May 2018 and was treated in the United States in November after £500,000 was raised.

Doctors at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia used their CAR T-cell therapy which involves using patients' own immune cells to treat their cancer.

Zac was declared cancer free in March, but flew back to the city last week to check he was still in remission.

His mother, Hannah Oliver-Willets tweeted that no cancerous immune cells had been found in his blood or spinal fluid., external

She added they were now waiting for the results of tests this week to find out how many leukaemic cells, external were in his body after treatment.

Under plans, passengers could return to Darlaston and Willenhall for the first time since the 1960s.

Funding to provide a new purpose-built hospital facility in Birmingham, replacing an outdated outpatient, treatment and diagnostic accommodation is "fantastic news," said an NHS chief.

Image source, University Hospital Birmingham

Funding worth £97.1m to University Hospitals Birmingham was among a raft of initiatives announced by the prime minister today.

Jonathan Brotherton, chief operating officer at the NHS trust, said the scheme had been put together for the last three years.

"It's just been the case of establishing where that funding will exactly be coming from," he said.

"To get the positive confirmation today in the announcement today is just fantastic, so we're delighted."

BBC Business News

Sales of new cars fell for the the fifth month in a row in July as confusion over the government's policy on fuel types and political uncertainty hit car dealers, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Just 157,198 cars were registered last month, down 4.1%.

Sales of both Jaguars and Land Rovers however rose slightly, up on the month and the year.

Image source, PA

Overall, across the sector, orders from business customers were down 22.5%, while purchases from individuals were down 2%.

Sales of diesel cars fell for the 28th month in a row in July. They were down 22.1%.

However, demand for battery cars was up by 158.1% but they still only account for 1.4% of cars on the road.

Wolves could face a Europa League trip to Torino in the final qualifying round before this season's group stage.

The Premier League side are in Europe for the first time in 39 years and face Armenian side Pyunik on Thursday.

If they come through that two-legged tie they will play Italian side Torino or Shakhtyor Soligors of Belarus in the play-off round on 22 and 29 August.

Wolves have been given an allocation of 1,000 tickets for just £1 - but it is a 3,000-mile trip to get there.

Coventry Live

Some of the Coventry Live headlines today are:

• Wife of former Coventry City star in terrifying street attack, external
• Mum's call for changes after fifth crash outside city home, external
• Shameless shoplifter escapes with £90 bounty of chocolate and biscuits, external