West Midlands Police's chief constable is called into action as he joins a local team on patrol.

Three Chilean burglars travelled to the UK to steal items worth £106,000 from affluent Cheshire.

People are being urged not to rely on busy services such as "the last train home" when the pubs reopen this weekend.

West Midlands Railway said trains should remain for necessary journeys only, so passengers could continue social distancing.

The company is increasing the number of its services, to meet demand, but will still be running at a lower than usual capacity.

And it asked passengers to continue wearing masks and to book their travel online.

BBC Newsbeat

While coronavirus is much more likely to seriously affect older people, young people have died with the illness in the UK and thousands are mourning loved ones who have passed away unexpectedly.

And it's 16 to 29-year-olds who are least comfortable talking about death, external, according to a survey from The Co-op Funeral Care.

Image source, Zain Siddiqui

Zain Siddiqui, 29, was devastated to lose his father Haji (pictured left) in April.

"You're trying to make sense of how someone fit and healthy can be gone within seven days. It just doesn't make sense."

His father, a florist from Birmingham, was able to walk into the ambulance when he was taken to hospital with coronavirus symptoms.

Zain decided to follow social distancing rules and didn't hug him goodbye. "I thought, 'No, he's going to be OK, he's gonna come back home and I'm going to give him a hug then'.

"I think I'll regret that forever, because that was the last time I could have hugged him."

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

The Stoke City manager has said fans shouldn't "put too much expectation" on defender Ryan Shawcross.

And Michael O'Neill added: "He's basically not played all season, so he's not going to be the difference between us staying up and not staying up."

Image source, Getty Images

Shawcross missed the weekend's defeat to Middlesbrough and went off injured in the 3-0 loss to Wigan.

But O'Neill told supporters: "What you can be reassured of with Ryan is he'll give you everything he's got."

The government has been asked to "make good on its promise" to local authorities and help Telford and Wrekin Council plug an expected £19m funding gap caused by coronavirus.

The call has been made by Rae Evans, the councillor responsible for finance, who said the burden is "on top of the £123m we have saved from our budget in the last 10 years because of austerity".

Image source, Google

The council has said it expects the total cost of the pandemic to be about £29m and so far it has received £10m in government funding.

The extra costs include the purchase of PPE, the cost of finding homes for rough sleepers, the loss of income through business rates and taxes, plus the loss of income from leisure centres, catering services and the theatre.

The inquest into the death of Rose Paterson, the chairwoman of Aintree Racecourse, is set to be opened and adjourned in Shrewsbury later.

The 63-year-old's body was discovered in woodland close to her home near St Martin's, Shropshire, last week.

Image source, Jockey Club

Mrs Paterson was the wife of North Shropshire Conservative MP and former Cabinet member Owen Paterson.

Birmingham Live

Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today include:

• Commonwealth Games 2022 diversity row - with 19 of 20 leaders white, external
• Full list of big chain pubs opening in Birmingham and Solihull this weekend, external
• Majority of Southside and Chinatown businesses will remain closed, external

It's being predicted up to 8,000 people could head to Birmingham's Broad Street when pubs, restaurants and bars reopen on Saturday.

Image source, Westside Business Improvement District

The Westside Business Improvement District, which represents many of the hospitality companies, said some venues were staggering opening times and others offering booked tables only., external

It says a team of street wardens will be in place to try to encourage people to enjoy themselves safely.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

The front line of coronavirus has moved from hospitals to the wider community and the next three months are critical, a top health official has warned.

Image source, Getty Images

Dr Lisa McNally, director of public health for Sandwell Council, said infection rates and outbreaks will increase after pubs and stores reopen this weekend.

Sandwell's had four outbreaks of Covid-19 in the past month and Ms McNally admitted cases were going down "very slowly" in comparison to other areas.

But, with many people expected to go for a drink this weekend when pubs reopen, she pleaded with people to stick to social distancing rules.

"Please stay at least one metre away for other customers and don’t think that after two pints it is OK to stand at a crowded bar waiting for your next pint.”

Work by the Shropshire Union Canal Society to restore a section of the Montgomery Canal is due to re-start next month.

Volunteers are hoping to complete work on a dry section of channel to link the national canal network with the newly constructed winding hole terminus at Crickheath.

The project has been put on hold during the coronavirus pandemic.

Charley Adams
BBC News Online

The traditional school sports day has been one of the casualties of the changes schools have had to introduce to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

But, from a sack race in a pillow case to toilet roll jumping, children and teachers have been adapting sports day traditions to celebrate what would for many be the highlight of the school calendar.

Priestley Smith School, in Birmingham, a specialist school for vision impaired pupils, got children to try tea bag throwing and teachers read a sport-themed bedtime story to pupils, explained Chloe Manley.

Some pupils have not been back at school for weeks so it was an ideal opportunity to engage with the children at school and at home, added Mrs Manley.

You can read more on this story here.

BBC Weather

It will be a cloudy day with some bright spells but also some showers, with highs of 19C (66F).

BBC Weather Watcher Dammo took this snap in sunny Knowle.

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/Dammo

Good morning. We'll bring you all the latest news, sport, travel and weather from across the West Midlands. Get in touch if you've got a story to share

Lockdown has massively disrupted children's activity levels, Sport England says.

A mother pays tribute to her son after he took his own life during the coronavirus pandemic.

The chief inspector of prisons said the Grange had the worst conditions of any open jail he had seen.

West Bromwich Albion move a point behind Championship leaders Leeds United after a comfortable win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Huddersfield record their best away win of the season to beat Birmingham and climb out of the bottom three.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow.