A "horrific" 7ft pile of dumped tyres and commercial waste has started to be removed.

Residents discovered the eyesore near the old Minnie Pit in Staffordshire, saying it had put a dampener on their VE Day celebrations.

Image source, Christine Robinson

Trevor Johnson, cabinet member for environment and recycling at Newcastler-under-Lyme Borough Council, said: "A number of Streetscene operatives are currently carefully removing a large amount of industrial/commercial fly-tipping – including large tyres, rubble, insulation panels, barbed wire and roof felt.

"The council takes fly-tipping very seriously and will look for evidence in order to identify the offender and take appropriate legal action."

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

Coventry’s High Street will close to cars during the daytime to create more space for people to observe social distancing while queuing for banks and building societies, it has been announced.

Coventry City Council said High Street had been busy during lockdown, with many people having to queue across Broadgate during peak periods.

Closing the road to cars this week between 09:00 and 17:00 would allow pedestrians to safely use the road space to form lines, the council said.

“We’ll keep this under review while we continue to monitor foot traffic around the city centre and introduce more measures to keep people safe if we need to,” the authority added.

A difference in lockdown restrictions between England and Wales is "causing utter confusion", the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for North Wales has said.

Yesterday, MP Daniel Kawczynski said his "blood was boiling" because, he argued, Wales was refusing to fall in line with Westminster. The Conservative member represents Shrewsbury in Shropshire, a county with border communities.

People in England are permitted to travel again, subject to social distancing precautions, but once over the Welsh border they could be stopped and fined if their journey is deemed non-essential by Welsh authorities. That's because the Welsh Assembly hasn't lifted restrictions in the same way as neighbouring England.

Image source, North Wales PCC

Arfon Jones, North Wales' Plaid Cymru PCC, said: "In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the message is the same. The divergence is coming from Westminster."

And he said the differences were unfair and would cause problems for people in border communities.

A West Midlands resident was among the members of the public to press the prime minister for more clarity on his plan to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Pooja from Solihull sought answers over the re-opening of businesses.

Coventry Live

Some of the Coventry Live headlines today include:

• Mystery as 60 peculiar cubes with inscriptions pulled from Coventry river, external
• Coventry to be bathed in blue tonight for special commemoration, external
• Historic social club on brink of never re-opening again, external

People in Coventry are being asked to say "thank you" to nurses by putting a light in their windows at 20:00 this evening.

As well as being International Day of the Nurse today, it's also the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale. Public buildings in the city, including the Belgrade Theatre, the Herbert Art Gallery and Broadgate, will be bathed in blue light for the occasion.

Image source, Coventry 2021

People are also being asked to share their photos on social media with the hashtag #CoventryGlows.

BBC Weather

We're forecast some sunshine and light cloud, along with a gentle breeze and temperatures up to 12C (54F) in the West Midlands today.

And it's expected to get warmer towards the end of the week.

This photo was taken by a BBC Weather Watcher using the nickname Open Book in Wistanstow this morning.

Image source, Open Book

"Liberty has to come with social responsibility," the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia has said.

John Campion was responding to the easing of lockdown restrictions, which will allow people to meet non-family members in the park, at safe distance, and travel further for exercise.

Image source, West Mercia PCC

Mr Campion said the role of his officers was to fight crime and protect the vulnerable.

"For me it's got to be around the vast majority of the public making the right choices, rather than police enforcement," he said.

The relaxation of lockdown measures for parks has worried the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council.

Labour councillor Shaun Davies said it "all sounds nice, and all very well" to allow people to sunbathe or picnic in council run parks, but it "will cause huge pressure upon our own staff and other visitors".

Mr Davies also said the children's play areas can't reopen, because he "can't ensure they are clean enough for children to play on."

An Indian takeaway owner who has been giving away hundreds of meals to hospital staff in memory of his baby son, has also donated thousands of face masks to a local hospital.

Image source, Baabzi Miah

Adam Hussain was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension when he was two weeks old and died from influenza in 2017, aged 11 months.

His father, Baabzi Miah, said he had "not forgotten" the care his family received at "our most challenging time" and had been able to donate 2,000 face masks to Warwick Hospital.

He thanked everyone at the hospital "for their care and service as well as all front-line workers in the UK".

Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

An artist from Worcester says the government needs to do “much more” for creative industries during the coronavirus pandemic.

Penny Webb's studio was shut down eight weeks ago.

She said she was finally beginning to establish her artwork when the virus put it all on hold.

Image source, Penny Webb

There's an estimated 60,000 artists in the UK, but many have seen their income dry up to nothing since March.

"[The government] need to recognise this as a job," she said, "because some people make a very good living out of this.

"Thousands and thousands of artists are struggling because they're not getting any help or support."

Andy Giddings
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

We'll be bringing you all the news for the West Midlands.

If you think we should be covering a certain story you can get in touch with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

Warwick Castle's birds get daily exercise during lockdown but what is it like for them without visitors?

Lainy Miller introduced her 12-week-old son to the primate via video call.

Runners tell of the dramatic ways their training has changed during the coronavirus lockdown.

People are warned not to travel to Wales from England for leisure activities or to second homes.

Two operations had to be cancelled after Ehab Bishay's operating glasses were taken when his car was stolen.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Live updates have now finished for the day.

We'll be back with you from 08:00 on Tuesday with the latest news from across the West Midlands.

BBC Midlands Today

The World Games for blind and partially-sighted people are set to be held in Birmingham in August 2023.

It's the first time a UK city has staged the global, multi-sports event.

More than 1,000 competitors from at least 70 nations will compete over nine days after Birmingham was awarded the games by the International Blind Sport Federation, external.

The University of Birmingham will host judo, football, chess and archery, with the other seven disciplines held at venues across the city.

The tip on London Road, Coventry, will re-open on Monday 18 May, the city council says.

Anyone wanting to use the tip has to book a time slot, , externaland those who have not will be turned away.