Local Democracy Reporting Service
Gurdip Thandi

A derelict Walsall house used as a dumping ground by fly-tippers has finally been cleared up after the council purchased the property.

Image source, Pete Smith

The eyesore property in Oakland Road, Blakenall, had become a dumping ground for fly-tippers after word got around that it was unoccupied.

Image source, Pete Smith

Tonnes of junk – including mattresses, furniture, tyres, piping, children’s toys, household and industrial waste – had been dumped in the front garden over the last four years.

But it’s now been fixed after Walsall Council bought the home along with nine others, with the aim of providing much-needed homes for the borough.

BBC Business News

Intu, which owns two shopping centres in the West Midlands, has appointed administrators as a "contingency" in case financial rescue talks fail.

Image source, Google

The company, which owns Merry Hill near Dudley and the Potteries centre in Stoke-on-Trent, had been struggling before coronavirus to fill outlets within some centres sites, and had heavy debts.

On Tuesday, Intu said "notwithstanding the progress made" it had appointed KPMG to plan for administration.

Since the coronavirus lockdown Intu's centres have been partially shut, with only essential stores remaining open.

Public health bosses in Sandwell say they're supporting a meat processing factory following an outbreak of coronavirus among staff.

Image source, Getty Images

About 600 people work at Tulip Ltd, but the number of actual cases hasn't been confirmed by Sandwell Council, which released a statement last night.

A spokesperson for the company said it had been working within government guidelines.

Swab tests are now being arranged for workers in one area of production, while those directly affected are self-isolating.

It comes as hundreds of workers have tested positive for coronavirus at meat processing plants and abattoirs across the country.

You can find out more about the story here.

The West Midlands is asking the government for more than £3bn to kickstart the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, West Midlands Combined Authority

The region's mayor, Andy Street, and the leader of Wolverhampton's council, Ian Brookfield, are seeking £3.2bn of investment in total over the next three years.

They say "immediate actions" are needed to stimulate the economy in the short term.

"The West Midlands economy was in good shape before the coronavirus pandemic first struck, and we need to do everything we can to get back on our feet quickly, learning the lessons of our rebound from the financial crash of 2008/09," Mr Street said.

"We want to keep as many people in work as possible, and, for those who fall out, we want to create new jobs and offer digital retraining opportunities in sectors such as construction, automotive and the creative industries."

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Mark Cardwell

A Birmingham doctor says the battle against Covid-19 is a chance to address historic health inequalities.

Image source, Dr Lloyd Edwards

Dr Lloyd Edwards leads a team of junior doctors on an acute medical unit in a Birmingham hospital, and a member of the British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee.

A report by Public Health England concluded this month that some minority groups were twice as likely to die from the disease.

The Birmingham medic said he and his colleagues had seen first-hand the added risk of coronavirus to black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.

“There needs to be comprehensive data collected about its impact on BAME people, he said, “there needs to be research on why BAME people present later to hospital."

BBC Weather

It will be dry, fine and very warm today, with temperatures rising to 27°C (81°F).

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/Earl Grey

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

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

We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

Sena Mathobela Nleya says she wants to encourage more girls to become engineers.

The driver of the van is seriously injured in the crash, but no-one on the train is hurt.

Wicker Man could run with 24 people at 1m social distancing or just six at the current 2m.

Allen Cook
BBC News

We'll return tomorrow with the latest for the West Midlands from 08:00.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Radical plans to control traffic in Hereford and Herefordshire's market towns could be introduced in weeks.

Image source, PA Media

Timed closures of high streets to cars, 20mph zones and pop-up cycle lanes are all being proposed by Herefordshire Council, external to help boost cycling and maintain social distancing.

The changes could be introduced as early as next month using emergency traffic orders created by the government to allow for social distancing.

Councillor for transport, John Harrington, said staff were consulting on the changes until 23 June and would come to compromises.

"We are wanting to change the way that we do things, partly for financial reasons, to make people spend more money in Hereford but also to have a better environment to live in."

Image source, Google

But concerns have been raised by some business owners including Jo Geerlings, from the Flying Dutchman cafe, Leominster, who said it could kill off businesses.

"I think there might be a time to pedestrianise the square but in this time, with this pandemic, I think for the businesses it's going to be awful and I'm really worried about it."

A number of people at Swinfen Hall prison in Lichfield were hurt in the 2018 disorder.

BBC Shropshire

Community spirit and sacrifices by health workers are being praised by a GP for keeping coronavirus-related deaths in Ludlow well below what was expected.

Image source, Shropshire Lass

Dr Catherine Beanland, from Portcullis Surgery, said local medical staff had been forecast 200 deaths due to the town having a large elderly population and a high level of people with long-term illnesses.

But, since the pandemic began, there have been two Covid-19-related deaths and, out of 8,000 people tested, 13 who were positive.

Dr Beanland said she believed it was down to a combination of volunteers allowing elderly people to stay isolated, care homes completely shutting down and the town's community hospital not allowing people home until they tested negative.

"I don't want to say this is a victory because obviously there's an ongoing battle that we've got with the virus but I just wanted to highlight what an enormous sacrifice our carers have done in this area," she added.

Jesse Richards was attacked over a drugs debt, but his body has never been found.

Hereford Times

The Hereford Times is covering these stories today:

• Police investigate children's racial name-calling in skate park, external
• Police officers assaulted in Hereford fracas, external
• Herefordshire marks Armed Forces Week, external

BBC Radio Stoke

The survival of the arts could be under threat if theatres and other venues aren't allowed to reopen soon, according to a Stoke-on-Trent playwright and actor.

Former Coronation Street star Deb McAndrew, who has become an award-winning playwright, told BBC Radio Stoke the country was in danger of regarding the arts as non-essential.

"It fundamentally isn't a luxury on so many levels and it's a very complex industry, there are lots of different layers to it, there are lots of different sectors within it that are funded in different ways."

Last week, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden admitted it would be "exceptionally difficult" for venues to reopen from 4 July and he would work to develop a "road map" for performing safely.

His words came as several theatre notables including Phoebe Waller-Bridge and James McAvoy called on the government to take action to prevent the sector from collapse.

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had some lovely photos in throughout today from our local BBC Weather Watchers, it must be all this sunshine.

Here are three more, from users Ryan Lewis in Redditch, Worcestershire, Reginald in Ashley, Staffordshire and Alonso in Whitnash, Warwickshire:

Image source, Ryan Lewis

Image source, Reginald

Image source, Alonso

A Coventry teenager, affected by gang violence in the city, says the coronavirus lockdown has had a positive affect on anti-social behaviour.

Tamsir Gaye from Hillfields has lost two friends to gang-related violence in the last year - and his rapper brother was shot in the head but survived.

He says having to stay inside and off the streets has helped reduce violence "in a big way".

"If it wasn't for the lockdown though, there'll be more killing, there'll be more attacks," he said.

"They're not reacting out of anger straight away and stuff like that."

A wooden post smashes through the windscreen of the expensive sports model.