Coventry Live

A few of the headlines featuring on today's Coventry Live:

• Trains halted and traffic congestion as HGV hits Coventry bridge, external
• Five police officers being investigated following coronavirus outbreak, external
• Schools protected with coronavirus spray as staff and students return to school, external

Yusaf Akbar
BBC News Online

For many fashion students at the end of their studies, the future is looking increasingly uncertain.

Lockdown restrictions meant universities closed early and students were unable to finish and showcase their final collections.

Normally the same students would attend Graduate Fashion Week where universities share designs from their best talent, but with the event cancelled, young people are missing out on presenting their work to key industry figures.

Shannon McGowan and Leah Moss from Birmingham City University, and Jordan Ashley Gibbons from Manchester School of Art, explain how the coronavirus pandemic has affected studies and plans for the future.

A MP said she'd been left "lost for words" after hundreds gathered in Coventry to protest in the wake of the George Floyd killing in the United States.

Coventry North West MP Taiwo Owatemi, who spoke at Sunday's demonstration in the city's Broadgate, said: "It was so emotional just to hear people's different stories and hear about their experience in Coventry, and just to hear their struggles just left me speechless.

"I couldn't have been more proud to be black yesterday."

However she condemned people who blocked the M6 motorway after the city centre demonstration saying they had "distracted from the main message."

"Unfortunately when we do have protests you're going to have people who are there for the purpose of rioting."

"I was really concerned about the chances of accidents happening," she added.

Express and Star

The Express and Star is covering these stories today:

• Wolverhampton braced for economic storm with major council savings ‘inevitable’, external
• New visor created to protect dentists reopening amid coronavirus concerns, external
• Lawyer turned DJ helps raise almost £700 for charity, external

We now know what's responsible for the bridge strike in Coventry, ruling out rail services for the moment.

A 7.5-tonne lorry, carrying a digger on the back, hit the rail bridge on Holyhead Road shortly after 09:30.

About 20 firefighters are at the scene, including a technical rescue unit.

Pep Clotet will leave his position as Birmingham City head coach at the end of the season.

BBC News Travel

A lorry has struck a bridge in Coventry, which is affecting rail services between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa.

Bus replacement services will run between the stations after the bridge was hit on Holyhead Road, said West Midlands Network.

About 100 couples entered a contest open to NHS staff whose big day was called off due to Covid-19.

Police believe the woman was attacked by a male who was part of a group who had earlier approached her.

Facebook

People who blocked the M6 in Warwickshire at the weekend, thought to be anti-racism campaigners, have been strongly criticised by people on Facebook.

After a protest in Coventry city centre on Sunday, sparked by the death of George Floyd in the USA, a group walked on to the motorway and brought traffic to a standstill.

Image source, Martina Irwin

Police said the M6 reopened after about an hour when they left at junction 2.

On the BBC Midlands Facebook group, Lisa McLellan posted, external: "Idiots. How is that a peaceful protest. They should have arrested and fined."

More than 180 people have commented on the footage including Hilda Linford who said, external: "This protest has been hijacked by yobs with agendas of their own."

The majority of comments were critical, Sam Kenyon added:, external "It is all getting out of hand now, think it should be looked at to arrest/charge people."

While Neil Hayward said, external: "They have totally lost the purpose of this demo and have just angered everyone who have spent weeks in isolation to help bring down the (Covid-19) numbers and save the NHS."

A senior police officer who spent more than three weeks in hospital with coronavirus is making a phased return back to work.

Ch Supt Phil Dolby, of West Midlands Police, was admitted to Worcester Royal Hospital on 29 March and later placed on a ventilator for 13 days.

In a post on Twitter, he returned home "barely walking" but would be starting back at work.

BBC Midlands Today

Visitors are being allowed back at the National Memorial Arboretum today but only if they pre-book and get a ticket., external

Image source, Getty Images

The site at Alrewas, Staffordshire, has been closed since the start of the pandemic but now a limited number of people are being allowed in.

Officials say bookings must be made online with tickets released each Friday and only the grounds will be open with buildings like the shop and restaurant remaining shut.

Queuing systems will be in place through the arboretum with one-way pathways directing visitors through the Remembrance Centre and Heroes' Square.

Changes proposed for Birmingham and Wolverhampton include measures to make social distancing easier.

BBC CWR

People, thought to be anti-racism demonstrators, who walked along the M6 motorway forcing its closure could have put lives in danger, a Coventry MP has said.

Image source, Mariah Westlake

The group blocked the carriageway between junctions 3 and 2 in Warwickshire on Sunday, police said, following a protest in Coventry city centre.

Labour MP for Coventry North West, Taiwo Owatemi, was at the demonstration on Broadgate, but said she didn't know about people going to the M6 until after she left Broadgate, and saw them herself on the carriageway.

"I was really concerned about the chances of accidents happening so yes, although I do support the protests that were happening yesterday, I think it could have been done safely and not to endanger any lives," she said.

Pedestrians, believed to be anti-racism demonstrators, blocked the M6 motorway for about an hour following a protest in Coventry.

Image source, Mariah Westlake

A group of people walked between junctions 3 and 2 in Warwickshire yesterday leading to the closure of the road, police said.

It came on the day of a series of demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

Also on Sunday, about 1,000 people gathered at a Black Lives Matter protest in Wolverhampton.

At the event in West Park, protesters fell silent and knelt for eight minutes, 46 seconds to represent the time prosecutors said the police officer had his knee on George Floyd's neck.

BBC Weather

A mix of cloudy and sunny spells before some longer spells of sunshine this afternoon with just the chance of an odd shower. High: 15C/59F.

Image source, Peter Steggles

Any showers should ease by sunset followed by a night of mainly cloudy skies. Feeling chilly with a low of 9C/48F.

You can get a latest forecast at any time by going to the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to the start of our live service for Monday.

We will be bringing you developing stories, analysis, weather and travel for the West Midlands.

You can let us know about stories in your area via email, Twitter, external and Facebook, external.