Second City and Second Town want a first-rate slice of the pot.

Shropshire Star

From the Shropshire Star:

• Shrewsbury mum sets up online Bank Holiday festival, external
• Castle grounds reopen to the public, external
• Firefighter comes to the rescue of collapsed pensioner, external

The reopening of recycling centres in parts of Shropshire has meant long queues and has also been generating some discussion on the BBC Shropshire Facebook page, external.

David Buckley wrote: "What’s wrong with people? Is it a lemming attribute? Or just that people want an excuse to escape the lockdown?"

But Steve Davo Davies said: "What’s everyone supposed to do when the government locks everyone down for six weeks, then wonders why people come out when told to?"

Amy Yeomans suggested a "gradual reopening" of sites, with "lowered capacity" was "much smarter".

But Hazel Jump said: "Give it a couple of weeks, and it will be fine."

An "eyesore building" has been removed from Dudley's skyline, the borough council says. , external

Image source, Dudley Borough Council

Image source, Google

Cavendish House in Dudley town centre was once home to Inland Revenue offices but has been empty for many years.

The demolition will pave the way for a multi-million pound, mixed-use development in the town centre, which in turn will form part of a near £1bn regeneration programme across the borough, says the council.

Image source, Dudley Borough Council

Work is also ongoing in the town centre around the Brierley Hill to Wednesbury Metro extension, with plans also in place for a new bus and tram interchange in the town centre.

A charity that supports parents with babies and young children has spoken of its "hurt" after finding some of its donated goods for sale online.

Volunteers at The Nappy Project said they spotted a pram donated to a family posted for sale on social media.

The charity, which also donates items such as milk and nappies, says its name will be written on items it gives out in future.

Volunteers have carried out 1,200 deliveries in the last five weeks in Congleton, Crewe and Manchester.

The online listing was reported to police.

However, officers said the sale of goods given in kindness was not considered a crime.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Grass verges around Stoke-on Trent are going to be cut by council workers again.

They were stopped when lockdown measures were announced, but the city council said they would resume with social distancing precautions in place.

Image source, Getty Images

The council also said it would concentrate on street cleaning and emptying litter bins.

A 30-year-old man has died after his motorbike hit a roadside barrier in Telford.

West Mercia Police said it happened in the Brookside area yesterday afternoon at the junction of the A442 and the A4169.

Image source, West Mercia Police

The force has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, because of "the proximity of a police vehicle at the time of the collision".

The rider died at the scene.

Bus operator National Express West Midlands will introduce new timetables due to an increase in lockdown passenger numbers.

Image source, National Express West Midlands

Additional journeys will run during the VE Day bank holiday on some Coventry and Black Country , externalservices, the company says.

The new timetable, from 10 May, , externalwill see buses continue to serve the same routes "but they will arrive more often so customers can get to where they need to be more quickly," a spokesperson said.

“We’ve also put extra services on to some hospital routes to make it even easier for NHS workers to get in for their shifts."

The statement continued: "It’s still really important that people keep on following the rules around social distancing so everyone can travel safely. We’re putting more buses into the network to make sure there’s enough room for everyone to get where they need to be.

"We are carefully monitoring how many people our buses are carrying on each journey to identify busier times and places where we need to put in more buses.”

Birmingham Live

From Birmingham Live:

• Paradise developers plan octagonal tower in Birmingham - 'tallest of its kind in the world', external
• Former Aston Villa star says his wife was 'traumatised' after 'witnessing stabbing', external
• Heartbreak as hundreds line street in the rain for funeral of Birmingham grandad, external

BBC Politics

A group of Tory MPs are calling on the Church of England to ease restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak to allow small-scale funerals in churches.

Image source, Getty Images

A letter signed by 36 MPs suggests clergy be allowed to enter their churches to officiate at funerals while observing safety measures.

Churches closed in March, with funerals only permitted to take place at the graveside or the crematorium.

The Church of England said its advice came after safety concerns.

It comes as a virtual meeting of the House of Bishops is due to take place.

Brown bins are set to be picked up from 275 streets in Stoke-on-Trent today.

Crews are clearing a backlog of garden waste after collections were stopped because of lockdown.

And there are queues outside recycling centres in Shropshire, including Telford, which have re-opened this morning.

One mum makes 30 roasts on a Sunday to deliver and another cooks for people in their own kitchens.

West Brom take up a one-year option on Kyle Edwards' deal and will resume talks on a longer extension after the pandemic.

Lockdown could cost Shrewsbury Town Council £500,000, it estimates.

It's missing out on income from the facilities it owns, such as leisure centres, markets, sports pitches and community rooms.

Government funding is being given to larger authorities including Shropshire Council, which has received £18m, but is under no obligation to pass it on to other authorities within the county.

The leader of Shropshire Council, Peter Nutting, has written to the secretary of state for local government, urging them to give more money to town and parish councils, adding his authority has nothing spare to offer.

He said: "However much I would like to help [other councils], I have to look at the greater good of the county as a whole and protect statutory functions."

The clerk of Shrewsbury Town Council, Helen Ball, said it could cover the losses through reserves, but she had concerns for authorities without the money in the bank.

Staffordshire strongman Eddie Hall has accepted an invitation to box in Las Vegas next year.

He will be facing Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornsson, who beat Eddie's deadlift world record over the weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

Bjornsson played The Mountain, Gregor Clegane, in the HBO series.

Updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news from across the North West of England on Tuesday 5 May.

BBC Shropshire

The power of the ukulele is being harnessed to tackle loneliness and isolation during the coronavirus lockdown.

Image source, The Shropshire Ukulele Massive

The Shropshire Ukulele Massive has persuaded dozens of ukele players to strum along to the same song.

Organiser Dave Cowton then stitches their efforts together into a video which they share on social media.

The aim is to record one video every fortnight and Mr Cowton said their next effort would be "thrown out to the whole of the UK" to play along.

BBC Shropshire

A horse sanctuary looking after dozens of horses during lockdown is appealing for donations as its running costs continue to mount.

Image source, Hopton Rehab and Homing Centre

Normally, Hopton Rehab and Homing Centre in Clee Hill, Shropshire, would be running events in spring and summer to raise funds.

But, with the Covid-19 outbreak, all its visits to care homes and shows are cancelled and charity trustee Bob Woolnough told BBC Shropshire it still has bills to pay.

"Between the sanctuary and the rehab centre, we've got something like 12 sites. Now all these sites are rented so we have to pay the landlords every month and between us we've got around near enough 50 horses to care for," he said.

The centre's organised an appeal, asked for free grazing for the horses and urged people to keep unwanted rugs, external so they can be donated when the lockdown eases.

More people are taking to the airwaves to stay connected. What's the appeal of amateur radio?

A man was injured after a car was caught on camera apparently driving along a seafront pavement.