Work has started to dismantle signage from the Ikea store in Coventry.

Image source, Dylan Parrin

Image source, Dylan Parrin

The Swedish flat-pack furniture giant announced in February the store had made "consistent losses" since it opened in 2007, with fewer people visiting it than expected.

Image source, Dylan Parrin

All UK-based Ikea stores closed in March as part of the coronavirus lockdown.

The company confirmed in May that the Coventry store wouldn't be reopening.

Workmen can be seen at the site stripping the iconic lettering.

A free online workshop celebrating migration and promoting wellbeing is being held to mark Refugee Week.

Image source, ARTconnects

It's hoped the ARTconnects event will bring together "refugees, migrants and people in host communities to build solidarity and promote peace and tolerance," said organisers.

The workshop, held on Zoom as part of the Midsummer Festival - celebrating arts and culture in the West Midlands - will be led by artist and activist Salma Zulfiqar.

She said the workshop is about "promoting unity at a time when the corona crisis and events around the world are dividing communities".

"Refugee week is a time for us to celebrate people who bring so much light to enrich our communities," she said.

You can register for the 20 June event here. , external

Rugby Players Association chairman Mark Lambert calls for mediation to help resolve the pay dispute.

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had thunder, lightning and some heavy rain around the West Midlands and the BBC Weather Watchers have been photographing it for us.

These pictures were taken in Telford, Penkridge and Bromyard this afternoon.

Image source, Liam Ball

Image source, Hazelnut

Image source, Postman Les

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Crewe Alexandra's goalkeepers have both signed new contracts at the club.

Will Jaaskelainen and Dave Richards (pictured below) have extended their deals by a further two years.

Image source, Getty Images

Young players Travis Johnson and Regan Griffiths have agreed one year extensions with the recently-promoted to League One club.

Shropshire Star

Here are three of the stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Parking spaces removed in Market Drayton, external
• Three casualties after crash near Ludlow, external
• Charles Darwin sculpture offered to Shrewsbury, external

Fourteen men and 12 women, mainly from Walsall, are charged with historical child sex offences.

The coarse fishing season started this week and Chris Bainger from the Environment Agency said it's been the busiest he's seen in years.

He took these photos of people fishing in the Severn in Shrewsbury earlier and said the online booking system to help with social distancing appeared to be working.

Image source, Chris Bainger

Image source, Chris Bainger

Daniel Wainwright
BBC England Data Unit

More than a quarter of pupils in Birmingham are eligible to claim free school meals, the latest figures show. , external

About 1.3 million children will get free school meal vouchers during the holidays, following a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford.

West Indies legend Sir Viv Richards is voted as English county cricket's greatest overseas player by BBC Sport users.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Irwin

The dramatic moment a lightning bolt struck one of Solihull’s tallest buildings was captured by a photographer.

Image source, Shaun Myers

The electrical charge connected with the conductor on top of Clare House – a 14-storey tower block in Smith’s Wood on Saturday evening.

The strike was captured by Shaun Myers.

Solihull Community Housing (SCH), which manages the high-rise on behalf of the borough council, confirmed that the rooftop rod had safely earthed the bolt.

Fiona Hughes, SCH’s chief executive, described Mr Myers’ photo as “spectacular” but was relieved no harm was done.

"The most important thing of course was that no-one was hurt, and thanks to the lightning conductors doing their job, no damage was sustained at Clare House itself,” she said.

Civil war-style cannons and signs have been vandalised at Fort Royal Park in Worcester.

The signs tell the story of the Battle of Worcester and the city council has called it "senseless vandalism".

Image source, West Mercia Police

The council said graffiti, which uses the letters BLM, has been removed.

West Mercia Police said it was keeping an open mind over who might be responsible.

"Although the graffiti shows BLM, the acronym for Black Lives Matters, we will be looking at all possible groups and individuals that may have caused this damage," the force said.

The Battle of Worcester, 1651, was the final battle of the Englsh Civil War. Charles II's Royalist forces were defeated by Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians.

BBC Shropshire

Two sculptures have been installed in Ellesmere, to celebrate the town's links to Save the Children.

One represents the charity's founders Eglantyne Jebb and her sister Dorothy-- who were born in Ellesmere, The second represents a refugee child finding shelter.

Image source, Save the Children

The art was commissioned for the centenary of the charity.

Image source, John Shone

Image source, John Shone

BBC Weather Watchers

Thunderstorms are expected across the West Midlands for the next couple of days with lightning strikes expected.

Some of the BBC Weather Watchers were able to capture strikes across the region last night.

These were taken in Telford by Bigolives; Crewe by AlexG595; Dawley in Shropshire by Liam Ball and Nuneaton by Loony3110.

Image source, Bigolives

Image source, AlexG595

Image source, Liam Ball

Image source, Loony3110

A woman was trapped inside her car for about 90 minutes after hitting a tree.

Firefighters cut her free from the wreckage near Rugeley during the early hours.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

The woman and a passenger were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with serious injuries.

The passenger had been able to free herself before the emergency services arrived.

Thunderstorms could cause flash flooding, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds across the West Midlands the Met Office is warning. , external

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/Stokie Gaz

A yellow weather warning has been issued from 13:30 until 06:00 on Wednesday for the whole of the region.

Further storms are expected to cause disruption from 12:00 to 21:00 on Wednesday, it said.

A taxi driver was on the end of some racial abuse and a police officer spat at in Wolverhampton earlier.

A police vehicle was also damaged during the incident on Brantley Avenue at 00:30, West Midlands Police said.

A 19-year-old woman was taken into custody to "sober up," the force tweeted. , external

She remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated fear of violence, racially aggravated assault and assaulting a constable.

Coventry Live

These are some of Coventry Live's headlines today:

• Major retailer to close its its Ropewalk Shopping Centre store, external
• Site sold for £6m after student accommodation bid given green light, external
• Police still looking for woman over harassment incident, external

The Iron Age-era sheep are eating bracken which could damage the site's archaeology.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Stafford Indoor Market reopens its doors today.

It's one of several to start opening up again with Hanley, Longton and Tunstall's markets due to reopen from tomorrow.

Image source, Google

There will also be more stalls in Stoke-on-Trent's Indoor Market.

Some stall holders at Hanley's indoors market have said they are angry at having to pay full rent while there is a 40-customer limit inside the market hall.