Venues are forcing couples to pay big cancellation fees for weddings delayed by the lockdown.

More than 100 rainbows produced for residents by two sisters and their brother.

Barney Harkin has raised £1,500 after his father became seriously ill with coronavirus.

Leaders say government grants worth a combined £3.2bn are "not even close" to covering their costs.

Unlikely icon Benny from Crossroads takes pride of place in Cold War Steve's most ambitious work yet.

Updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news from across the North West of England on Friday 24 April.

A "well-respected and highly-valued" social worker has died with Covid-19, it has been announced. , external

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) said Muhammad Islam worked supporting young people leaving care at Birmingham Children's Trust.

A crowdfunding page set up by his family said he was “always the first to volunteer for a task” and “the last to leave the office”.

BASW chief executive Ruth Allen said: “Social workers form a tight-knit community and this tragic news has hugely affected us. We send our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Muhammad.”

Updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news from across the North West of England on Thursday 23 April.

The police watchdog has investigated the contact officers had with Christopher Walters before his death.

These are some of the headlining stories from news sites across the West Midlands:

• Birmingham Live is reporting: Europe's biggest Eid celebration cancelled, external
• The Express and Star has: Man and woman charged with murder of father beaten to death in Wolverhampton flat, external
• And Coventry Live has: Delivery driver raises alarm to save local pensioner, external

Bob Hockenhull
BBC Midlands Today

Paramedics in the West Midlands say they fear people are dying at home unnecessarily because they’re too scared to go to hospital.

In one of the worst cases, a 50-year-old woman with Covid-19 symptoms was found dead in her house in Birmingham at the weekend.

One of the paramedics called to the case, Corrie Martin, says the lady was self-isolating and her family couldn't get in contact with her.

She added: "If you would call 999 normally for chest pains, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, diabetic emergencies, if you’ve fallen, if you’ve got bones that don’t look like they should look, call 999."

Phoebe Hill has made a music video with her dad and brother about longing to see her pals.

A further 80 coronavirus deaths in the North West have been reported by the NHS today.

This number only reflects deaths in hospitals.

There have been 15,209 confirmed cases, of those, around 2,700 are still being treated in hospital.

A paramedic who needed hospital treatment after catching Covid-19 has been applauded by staff as he left their care.

Nurses stood and clapped as Alex Flashwood left Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, after six days of treatment.

The NHS trust said he was full of praise for his care calling it "second to none".

Police in England and Wales recorded 45,627 offences in 2019, the Office for National Statistics says.

A 17-year-old is charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The six-person limit at funerals angered mourners who abused staff, the council says.

Birmingham has seen a 42% drop in air pollution during the coronavirus lockdown, data shows.

In recent years, the city has been among the worst in Europe and is due to see a clean air zone introduced later this year.

Image source, Getty Images

Analysis by the University of York has revealed levels of key pollutant nitrogen dioxide, which mostly comes from combustion engines in vehicles, have been significantly reduced in the past few weeks.

Levels have dropped by as much as 48% in Leeds and 36% in London.

Professor James Lee, of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of York, said the falls began before the official lockdown started, then decreased quite quickly before levelling out at the lower rate.

"What we've seen since the lockdown is a reduction in nitrogen dioxide, which is mainly from vehicles, particularly diesel vehicles, quite uniformly in most places and certainly at sites near to roads," he added.

Michael Darbyshire, who is based at Worcester station, has been suspended from his role.

Pamela Ann Mellor was subjected to a "horrific degree of violence" by Matthew Bolland, police say.