Allen Cook
BBC News

"It started as a laugh during lockdown."

Go back a few weeks and a group of cricketers decided to stop shaving and grow beards just to keep their own spirits up when we were all told to stay home.

Image source, Smashthetash

Craig Barker, David Fairbanks and David Edwards all used to play for the Staffordshire county side and still turn out for teams in the area.

Craig told the BBC they decided to raise money for the NHS with an appeal called "Smashthetash".

Image source, Smashthetash

It started off in the middle of April with a small target of £500 but three weeks later has snowballed past £11,500 with support coming in from across the country.

"We've had incredible support from the whole cricketing community and also now we've got rugby clubs, football clubs on board," Craig added.

The group who've been growing their facial hair plan to keep it for the first game after lockdown and shape it after their favourite moustachioed cricketers - before then grabbing the razor.

The one-week-old animals were discovered in a bin as it was being emptied, Tamworth Borough Council says.

Police are trying to trace a car driver who narrowly missed a child at a pedestrian crossing in Castle Bromwich yesterday.

The West Midlands force said it happened on Green Lane at around 18:30 and called it "an appalling piece of driving at a location where pedestrians are clearly vulnerable".

Nobody was hurt, but officers are examining footage that has appeared on social media.

Masked men armed with knives have attempted to rob a man in a Shrewsbury alleyway.

West Mercia Police said the victim was forced into the alley near Racecourse Avenue by three men at 22:15 last Friday.

Image source, West Mercia Police

The three men are all thought to be in their 20s and spoke with Shrewsbury accents.

Worcester News

Here are three of the stories from the Worcester News today:

• Thieves steal A&E family bikes, external
• Appeal to save theatres hit hard by coronavirus, external
• Worcester Warriors donating food and drink to good causes, external

Bullring and Grand Central owner Hammerson has told he Press Association its £400m deal to sell seven retail parks has collapsed after a private equity buyer pulled out.

Image source, Getty Images

Plans for the deal were announced in February as the shopping centre owner posted a pre-tax loss of £266.7m, compared with a profit of £413m as recently as 2017.

Hammerson said Orion European Real Estate notified it last month that it did not intend to complete the acquisition.

The buyer will forfeit a £21m deposit.

The involvement of West Midlands Police is being investigated following the man's death in Coventry.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's another good day to go outside for some exercise and the BBC Weather Watchers have been taking full advantage of their daily trip outdoors.

These photos were taken at Rushbury, Southam and Birmingham.

Image source, Peter Steggles

Image source, Little Acorns

Image source, Triggy Stardust

A man's been jailed for two years for firing blank rounds from a pistol outside a takeaway in Birmingham.

The crown court heard, although no-one was hurt, Akeel Jawed Mughal caused panic on Stratford Road, Sparkhill, on 29 March as nobody knew his gun was a replica.

The 30-year-old, of Fosbrooke Road, Small Heath, pleaded guilty to having an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

He also admitted possession of a gas-powered pistol, found at his home, when he had been banned from having one.

Attempts are going to be made to hold Telford's balloon fiesta later in the year.

It was due to have taken place this weekend, but had to be called off because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

Thousands of people attended the two-day event in the town park last year and the council said "one way or another" it hoped to send the balloons up again this year.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare

Birmingham's planned crackdown on cars entering the city centre should be introduced "as early as possible" in 2021, the councillor in charge of transport has said.

Image source, Getty Images

The city's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) was due in July, following government delays.

The council has now asked for government permission to postpone it until "at least" the end of the year due to coronavirus.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar said it needed to be introduced as soon as feasible, pointing to the drop in air pollution in recent week.

"There’s been approximately a 70% drop in transport in this city – and that’s had a massive impact in nitrous oxide levels in the city," he said.

His comments come as government advisers have warned the UK must avoid lurching from the coronavirus crisis into a deeper climate crisis.

The Committee on Climate Change has recommended ministers ensure funds earmarked for a post-Covid-19 economic recovery go to firms that will reduce carbon emissions.

Household waste and recycling centres in the Cheshire East Council area will reopen on Monday.

There will be some restrictions, including traffic management using a car number plate system to help control the number of visitors to the sites each day.

Image source, Cheshire East

Councillor Laura Crane said some rubbish usually recycled would go to landfill, which "goes against the council's environmental policy", but there was "no other option at the moment".

She said:

All eight of the council's sites will reopen, operating seven days a week from 08:30 to 17:00.

The annual literary show was cancelled due to coronavirus but will now be held online this month.

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.

A Coventry food bank was broken into last night and thieves took up to £4,000 worth of goods.

It has posted video on social media of the damage caused and said the items taken included food parcels, electronic items and high value goods.

Image source, Foleshill Community Centre

Foleshill Community Centre said on Facebook: "When so much of the community is pulling together it is sad and disgusting to report that some of our community choose to steal from a food charity."

Image source, Foleshill Community Centre

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!"

There is concern pregnant women may not be attending routine appointments due to fear of contracting coronavirus, health officials have said.

NHS chief midwifery officer, Prof Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent said the NHS had "gone to great lengths" , externalto ensure expectant mums' safety, and if an individual has been asked to come for a planned or urgent check it was "vital" women did so.

In Birmingham, Aston Villa's stadium has been used to host antenatal services to keep expectant mums away from health teams dealing with Covid-19.

Image source, Getty

Ms Dunkley-Bent also praised midwifery colleagues, who are thought to have helped deliver an estimated 158,000 babies during the pandemic since January 30.

She said video consultations and online clinics are among the "innovative ways" midwifery teams are using to provide "high quality care" during the outbreak.

"If you’re worried about your health or that of your baby, contact your midwife just as you always would," Ms Dunkley-Bent added.

"Some things have had to change temporarily for the safety of mums, babies and staff, such as fewer visitors during labour, and they will change back to normal when it is safe to do so."

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.