Graffiti artist paints NHS fundraiser Captain Tom on Tamworth wall

England international Charlotte Bardsley gets her practice in with a robot at her Kinver home.

Tyrell Harris, 19, is accused of killing Karl Gallagher at Smethwick's West Cross shopping centre.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A Telford secondary school could expand to take on another 300 students, increasing its capacity by a third.

The Telford Langley School, in Dawley, has applied to build an extension with 14 classrooms and other facilities, saying its expecting to see student numbers increase in the coming years.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

Image source, LDRS

Some funerals could be streamed online in the Warwick area in order to allow more people to watch if they cannot attend.

Social distancing rules have limited the number of mourners allowed at a crematorium to six.

Image source, Google

Warwick District Council said Oakley Wood Crematorium has now installed Wifi to enable the live streaming.

BBC Weather

There'll be some sunshine around this evening but it'll turn cloudy again with showery rain overnight. Low: 6C/43F.

Image source, JJ infinity

Then tomorrow, early sunny spells will be followed by a cloudier afternoon with scattered showers around which could turn heavy at times. High: 11C/52F.

Keep up-to-date with your local weather on the BBC Weather website.

BBC Midlands Today

The Birmingham Royal Ballet have released a film to mark International Dance Day and to try and get people moving during the lockdown.

Image source, Birmingham Royal Ballet

The short video titled Alone I Together, external features many of the company's dancers in their homes.

All their ballet performances were suspended , externaldue to the pandemic but choreographer Kit Holder said they are still keeping their passion alive.

"We've had to adjust, we've been finding ways that we can continue dancing at home," he added.

There's good news for keen gardeners in Sandwell and others who've missed getting their garden waste collected.

Following on from other councils like Worcester and Stafford, Sandwell's local authority's going to restart collections from Monday., external

Image source, Sandwell Council

Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands Today

An emergency appeal's been launched by a homeless charity as the coronavirus outbreak's badly affected its funds.

Sifa Fireside, in Digbeth, Birmingham, has a shortfall of nearly a £250,000 because much of the funding has dried up during the pandemic.

Chief executive Carly Jones said: "A lot of people just don't have that same capacity to give that they did previously so we are looking at quite a significant gap in funds at the moment."

The charity's organising an event called the Big Brummie Camp Out, external on 8 May to get people building a den at home and donating to their appeal.

Two women in their 30s have been charged after a doctor had his bank cards and NHS ID stolen.

His car was broken into outside a pharmacy on Hamall Lane in Coventry.

West Midlands Police said one woman was charged with theft and the other was charged with handling stolen goods and possession of an offensive weapon.

"Alternative options" are being explored by organisers of a festival in Staffordshire after they announced it would not be held in July due to the pandemic.

The Lichfield Fuse Festival's been an annual free event in the city since 2001 with around 18,000 attending last year for live music and other activities.

Organisers said the coronavirus outbreak's forced them to cancel holding it from 10 July, external but they haven't ruled out creating an alternative event later in the year.

Clare Lissaman
BBC News

Two sisters who have been playing the violin and singing to their neighbours during 'Clap for Carers' have raised more than £1,200 for the NHS.

Freya James, aged 10 (left in video) and sister Orla, eight, from Sutton Coldfield, were inspired to raise money online for the University Hospitals Birmingham Charity after being given a donation through their door for performing “Over the Rainbow”.

Their proud aunt Sarah Kelly said neighbourhood police officers supported their second performance on Thursday with a “blue-light salute” from their vehicle.

The sisters say they are “overcoming their nerves” to learn and perform a different song each week and hope to help “spread love and positivity".

Allen Cook
BBC News

An appeal's been launched to raise £1m to help patients and staff at hospitals in Birmingham through the coronavirus outbreak.

Image source, University Hospitals Birmingham Charity

The fundraising scheme's been started by the University Hospitals Birmingham Charity.

Solihull-based National Grid Ventures has donated £100,000 to the appeal to pay for nearly 400 tablets so patients can talk to their families while in isolation.

The charity's also looking to pay for schemes including activity packs, reclining chairs for staff and bereavement boxes.

Updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news from across the North West of England on Thursday 30 April.

The coronavirus crisis has dramatically changed how hospices operate - including visitor restrictions and social distancing rules, to minimise the risk of the virus being passed on.

The BBC's Ed Thomas finds out the impact on staff, patients and families at East Cheshire Hospice, which thinks hospices like them have been forgotten about in the pandemic.

Police attended the scene after reports of a firearms incident at a West Bromwich flat.

Wolves want to take advantage of new guidance to install rail seats at Molineux this summer to help tackle persistent standing by fans.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Gurdip Thandi

Burglars have damaged windows at a museum as they broke in and took a safe.

Image source, Google

West Midlands Police said the break-in was on Monday night , externalat the Walsall Leather Museum on Littleton Street.

The safe was later found on the museum's grounds.

A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and released while investigations continue.

Walsall Council said none of the artefacts or displays were damaged but they'll have to carry out repairs and replace the windows.

Another six streets in Telford are being painted with messages of thanks to NHS staff and other key workers.

Newport High Street is the latest to get the treatment and Telford and Wrekin Council said it would be painting the others today and tomorrow.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

Worcester News

Here are three stories from the Worcester News today:

• £1m to build state-of-the-art cycling centre, external
• Parkinson's sufferer walks distance of Hadrian’s Wall, external
• Indian restaurant donates food vouchers to ‘unseen’ care home workers, external