Christmas events join the National Eisteddfod and Green Man Festival on the list of cancellations.

Who did BBC Sport users select as Worcestershire's greatest overseas player?

Who did BBC Sport users select as Warwickshire's greatest overseas player?

Birmingham Live

A few of the headlines from the Birmingham Live website today:

• Murder probe after man found dead in Birmingham's 'Benefits Street', external
• Birmingham petrol station owner who used alias jailed over £1m fraud, external
• Birmingham tips reopening, external

BBC News Technology

Parents and carers can find it difficult to find video games the whole family can enjoy, especially if they do not play themselves, but there are guides out there which can help them navigate the complex gaming landscape.

West Mercia Police officers have been paying tribute to a colleague who was shot dead in the line of duty 13 years ago today.

PC Ricky Gray was killed after being called to deal with a domestic argument in Shrewsbury.

The firearms-trained officer, who was born in Dundee, had previously won recognition for his part in the arrests of two armed men.

Allen Cook
BBC News

People are still saying thank you to the emergency services in the West Midlands during the lockdown and today that includes paramedic-theme biscuits.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

The ambulance service said the partner of one of its call handlers just started working as a paramedic and a young boy stopped him to give them the biscuits, external.

The call assessor, Amy, added: "He's just text me to say this has brightened his day!"

BBC News Health

Strengthening protection for people shielding, while easing restrictions for everyone else, is the only immediate way to safely lift the coronavirus lockdown, researchers say.

Image source, Getty Images

They say people could be sorted into three groups by risk - the most vulnerable, those caring for or living with them and everyone else.

It is not pain-free or perfect, they say, but could lift curbs for many yet still protect the NHS and save lives.

Their unpublished work uses modelling.

Scientists use modelling to study and compare likely outcomes of different scenarios - in this case, how to reverse the lockdown without causing a huge surge in coronavirus infections and deaths, the "second peak" experts fear if restrictions are lifted too fast or too soon.

The study does not detail which exact measures should be lifted and when, and assumes there would still be some social-distancing strategies - including the 2m (6ft) rule - in place for everyone throughout.

Their findings, which are being submitted for peer review and publication in a scientific journal, have been made available to the UK and Scottish governments, the authors say.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's covering these stories today:

• Free-loaders pleading poverty handed pram and milk by charity - only to sell them , external
• Street bingo game turns into 'drunken party with loud music, hugging and dancing', external
• Former Labour leader reported to police over 'alleged criminal offence', external

BBC Radio Stoke

A memorial could be placed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in memory of the essential workers who have died from Covid-19.

Image source, Getty Images

In the House of Commons, Health Secretary Matt Hancock was asked by former minister Heather Wheeler if he would support her campaign for a memorial at the Alrewas site.

Mr Hancock said he'd be happy to look at the idea: "It is important as a nation we remember and we commemorate the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives while serving on the front line of this war."

More than 100 NHS staff and other healthcare workers have died with coronavirus since the outbreak began.

BBC WM

The home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club is going to be used to store and distribute food to local food banks and community groups.

Image source, Warwickshire County Cricket Club

The club said their official charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, had, external made an agreement with the charity Thrive Together Birmingham.

No food can be donated at the stadium, the club warned, as they said all donations had to go to the nearby St Mary and St Ambrose Church on Raglan Road.

It's not the first use of the stadium for coronavirus-related work as the car park's already been offered to the government as a drive-through test centre.

The number of bin collections is being gradually stepped up again around the West Midlands and there is still plenty of gratitude for the work the refuse collectors do.

These messages were left around Rugby and Worcester.

BBC News Education

Teaching unions across the UK and Ireland are warning national leaders not to reopen schools too early.

The British Irish Group of Teacher Unions has written to the education ministers of all five nations in which the million staff it represents work.

Its letter warns the ministers of the "very real risk of creating a spike in the transmission of the virus by a premature opening of schools".

Test and trace measures must be fully operational before reopening, it says.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Burn

A former leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council is being investigated over an alleged criminal offence, Staffordshire Police has said.

The force said it was in the "early stages" of a probe into Mohammed Pervez, who stood down as a councillor on Monday after 14 years.

Mr Pervez was first elected for Labour in 2006 and went on to lead the local authority for five years from 2010 before becoming leader of the opposition.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it had not been disclosed when the complaint was made.

It added Mr Pervez had so far declined to comment.

When he announced he was standing down on Monday, he said in a statement "I have reflected on my work-life balance and have decided to step down as a councillor to focus more on my daytime job and family."

Updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news from across the North West of England on Wednesday 6 May.

Relive day one of the 2005 Ashes Test at Edgbaston with Test Match Special commentary.

Sophie Madden
BBC News

Some sheep farmers have said they are facing difficulties as coronavirus has left them unable to bring over shearers from Australia and New Zealand.

Image source, National Sheep Association

One shearing firm said it had given up a quarter of its work because it had been unable to bring in foreign staff.

Steve Wagstaff, who runs S&J Wagstaff in Rugby, Warwickshire, said he had three workers booked to travel from Australia but all had declined.

"They had flights booked which they have had to cancel," he said.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched a service to link farmers with shearers in their area.

Shearer Owen Davies, from Herefordshire, added: "It is certainly going to be testing times."

Express and Star

From the Express and Star's website today:

• Region's coronavirus care home deaths almost as high as hospitals, external
• Murder investigation launched as man dies two weeks after Smethwick attack, external
• Deliveries of PPE to Midlands hospitals stepped up but quality of supplies is questioned, external

A salad dressing business from Herefordshire says it's going to donate all its profits to charity this year.

Tiggs, which is based at Kings Acre, will be sharing the money between the Samaritans and NHS charities.

The business was founded by brothers Sam and Jacob James, who said they were inspired by the efforts of Colonel Tom Moore.

Sophie Madden
BBC News

A 15-year-old has created a series of videos teaching British Sign Language (BSL) during lockdown.

Image source, Sense

Tyrese Dibba, who has Charge Syndrome, and is deaf and partially sighted, released the videos with charity Sense in a bid to tackle isolation among people with disabilities.

The Birmingham student said more people learning BSL would "help the deaf community feel part of wider society".

More than 7,000 people have signed up for the free classes.