BBC Hereford and Worcester

A Worcestershire farmer has raised concerns over getting enough people to pick the country's fruit and veg because travel restrictions have limited the numbers of pickers coming from abroad.

Some British people who've found themselves out of work or furloughed have taken on jobs at local farms. But at some point, they will go back to their usual jobs.

Ali Capper, who farms in Suckley, is worried that will come at peak harvesting time. She says the industry typically relies on people coming from other countries year after year.

Shropshire Star

Shropshire Star's headlines include:

• Stern warning to anglers flouting lockdown rules in Shrewsbury, external
• Oswestry's Cae Glas park to stay shut but under regular review, external
• Shropshire claps for carers and key workers for the fourth week, external

We told you earlier about delays on the M6 near Spaghetti Junction after a lorry overturned.

Highways England says the HGV has now been "righted" and the load is starting to be cleared.

Doctors at Royal Stoke Hospital are telling people it is safe to go to A&E after attendance dropped by about 50% since lockdown.

Dr Richard Fawcett has taken to social media to spread the message, saying: "I just want to reassure you...Don't be frightened to come in, we're here for you as always."

For a fourth week in a row, people across the UK last night showed appreciation for health professionals and other key workers by way of a round of applause.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue shared this video of all emergency services clapping and cheering outside Royal Stoke Hospital.

While in Crewe, a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone was sung.

There have been delays for the few motorists around north of Birmingham city centre at Spaghetti Junction, where a lorry overturned.

It happened at about 09:30 on a stretch of road linking the northbound M6 to the Aston Expressway.

Diversions are in place as efforts are made to remove the vehicle from the carriageway.

Image source, Highways England

A chalk artist from Coventry has dedicated her work this week to Captain Tom Moore, the war veteran who walked 100 laps of his garden to raise £17m for the NHS.

Image source, Claire Flynn

Claire Flynn's work depicts someone very much in the national spotlight this week, with the 99-year-old catching the interest of both health secretary Matt Hancock and the Duke of Cambridge.

Image source, Claire Flynn

Mr Moore originally aimed to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together, but he smashed his target after nearly 800,000 people made donations to his fundraising page.

BBC Radio Stoke

A shop owner left in tears over worries his business wouldn't survive lockdown has seen trade treble in some areas.

Rupert Evans, of Denstone Hall Farm Shop and Cafe in Staffordshire, said an order-and-collect service had made all the difference to the 13-year-old venture.

Image source, Google

As people across the country took part in Clap for Carers, a building in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, was illuminated in NHS blue.

For the next three weeks, the building in the city's canalside leisure area will be lit up and bear the message "support the NHS".

Image source, Brindleyplace

Monica Rimmer
BBC News

A nurse has raised £1,000 to buy toiletries for hospital patients left without them during strict visiting restrictions.

Michelle Carless, 44, works on the trauma and orthopaedic ward at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and asked for contributions in a Facebook post.

In addition to cash donations, people left items at her door.

Image source, Michelle Carless

She said in normal times, anyone admitted to the ward would have toiletries brought to them by relatives, but NHS resources to provide such items were "limited".

You can read more here.

We told you earlier Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward wrote to the government calling for urgent action to equip front-line social care workers with protective equipment.

Mr Ward, Labour, feared workers would run out of PPE within a fortnight, and his concerns were echoed by Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield, Andrew Mitchell.

The government this morning said it was "looking to introduce a smarter supply system" over PPE,

"We have today responded to Birmingham City Council, making clear that we recognise the vital work it, and all other councils, are doing to support their communities during the pandemic," a spokesperson said.

"We have delivered over 38m items of [PPE] to local resilience forums in England since last week, including the West Midlands. We are also looking to introduce a smarter supply system to improve further the delivery chain for this important kit."

BBC WM

A Sandwell police officer says it's been "amazing" to see her paramedic father again after their professional paths crossed during social distancing.

Ian Heatherley had just taken a patient to Sandwell hospital when he spotted his daughter PC Emma Heatherley on patrol, but there was to be no hug and chat like normal.

Instead, there was an "emotional hello" from 2m away, said the West Midlands force.

Image source, @SandwellPolice

She said: "It was amazing obviously [to see him]... It was nice to see that he's keeping himself safe and how his colleagues are keeping each other safe. So it felt good to see him."

How much do children understand about coronavirus and how much should adults tell them?

At a time when they can't mix with friends or play in the park, one child psychologist says it's important to get them talking and asking questions.

Kate Mason, from Worcester, thinks even very young children understand a lot more than we realise.

BBC Radio Stoke

NHS staff and key workers are going to be tested for Covid-19 at Stoke City's bet365 Stadium.

Those to be tested at a base in the car park will include health workers, people who work for local councils and care homes, as well as police officers and firefighters.

Image source, Getty Images

The aim is to keep as many people in work as possible.

Health bosses say the West 1 car park at Stoke is ideal, as it is large enough to allow for social distancing, but only people who are referred to the site will be tested.

Stoke City says volunteers from its security and stewarding teams will be providing help,

BBC WM

There's a warning that key workers in Birmingham could run out of personal, protective equipment in just two weeks.

The leader of the city council, Ian Ward (pictured), has written to the government calling for urgent action to help protect social care workers helping vulnerable people.

The Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield, Andrew Mitchell, told BBC WM he's also concerned.

The Department of Health said it was working "round the clock" to ensure supplies.

BBC Weather

It's going to be a mostly sunny morning and early afternoon with clouds building in from the south beyond midday.

Some outbreaks of rain will drift in by mid afternoon, but many areas will stay dry. Feeling warm. Highs of 11-14C (52-57F)

We found out yesterday that lockdown restrictions in the UK would continue for "at least" another three weeks as it tackles the coronavirus outbreak.

Giving the daily briefing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said a review had concluded relaxing the measures now would risk harming public health and the economy.

"We still don't have the infection rate down as far as we need to," he said.

It cames as the UK recorded another 861 coronavirus deaths in hospital, taking the total to 13,729.

Strict limits on daily life, external- such as requiring people to stay at home, shutting many businesses and preventing gatherings of more than two people - were first introduced on 23 March.

Andrew Dawkins
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Friday.

We'll be bringing you all the latest on the impact of the coronavirus today in the West Midlands as well as covering other news stories today.

You can get let us know how it’s affecting you via email,Twitter , externaland Facebook., external