Four held over thefts from Historic England sitespublished at 18:32 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Artefacts, including coins, are found in raids on addresses in Greater Manchester, police say.
Read MoreSummary
Updates from Monday 29 June to Sunday 5 July
Four held over thefts from Historic England sitespublished at 18:32 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
HS2 advertises 300 Birmingham-based jobspublished at 18:23 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
The high speed rail company HS2 Ltd has announced that 300 new posts are being created in Birmingham.
The jobs will be in a range of disciplines building the high speed rail link between London and Birmingham, including engineering and project management.
They're being advertised from today as part of a three-month recruitment drive.
More than £1m to improve town centrepublished at 18:12 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
BBC ShropshireMore than £1m will be spent to smarten up Oswestry's town centre.
The government has allocated £700,000 to convert empty buildings and create flats above shop units.
The town council is putting a further £500,000 into the project.
'So much good and random acts of kindness'published at 17:56 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
BBC NewsWhen coronavirus began to sweep across England, hundreds of Facebook groups were set up where people offered help to those living nearby.
Image source, Obaida AhmedTom Moreton set up the Wolverhampton Covid-19 Mutual Aid Facebook page.
"I saw these groups popping up across the country when at the time everything felt very frantic and uncertain," he said.
City of Wolverhampton Labour councillor Obaida Ahmed arranged a call between group members and the authority's director of public health.
WV Active Aldersley leisure centre was transformed into a food distribution hub in just a few days," said Mr Moreton, a software developer and cub scout leader.
"It was a case of problem solving rather than waiting for the government to do it. So much good and random acts of kindness have come from it."
German coach company to launch new UK routespublished at 17:41 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
A German coach company is to launch in the UK including routes between London and Birmingham.
Image source, ReutersFlixbus had intended to run its four routes earlier this spring before the coronavirus lockdown.
The coach company, which is Germany's biggest, has pledged to be a "market leader" in Britain by the middle of the decade.
Flixbus does not own any coaches itself, instead it outsources the running of its services to smaller local businesses.
Police investigating Shropshire maternity carepublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
BreakingPolice are investigating whether to bring criminal proceedings against a hospital trust where hundreds of maternity care cases are being reviewed following a raft of deaths and other incidents.
The West Mercia force says it is also exploring whether there is a criminal case against staff at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and The Princess Royal in Telford.
The hospitals are run by Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust (SATH), which is subject to an independent inquiry into its maternity standards following concerns over care spanning decades.
The force says it's met with health investigators and is encouraging people with information to get in touch either with itself or the independent Ockenden Review.
'No excuses' for Stoke's slow restartpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
BBC Radio Stoke SportMichael O'Neill has said the enforced coronavirus break is no excuse for Stoke City failing to win their last two games.
Stoke are at Wigan tonight after slipping down one place to 18th and to within two points of the relegation zone.
Image source, Getty ImagesO'Neill said it was important his players didn't "over-react to that situation".
And he pointed out: "We've been in a relegation fight since the moment I walked in through the door. That hasn't changed."
'Significant drop' in positive Covid-19 cases in citypublished at 17:08 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceThe Local Democracy Reporting Service in Staffordshire has been covering these stories in the past few days:
- The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in Stoke-on-Trent has dropped significantly from its peak, health officials have heard. The city council's director of health and wellbeing said from a high of 40 or 50 confirmed cases a day, they were now seeing "an absolute maximum of two new cases a day".
- Public toilets in several towns in Staffordshire could reopen before Saturday. Stafford Borough Council, which runs the sites in Stafford, Stone, Eccleshall and Milford, said preparations were under way.
- A compound for up to 22 caravans which are used by motorway workers has been allowed to stay in its current location in Staffordshire. Temporary permission was first given for the site at at Bognop Road, Essington, in 2013 and this month was renewed for a further two years.
Man suffers ear and neck wounds in stabbingpublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
A man sustained ear and neck wounds in a stabbing in Wolverhampton on Sunday.
The 28-year-old was taken to hospital after the attack on Kendal Rose, which is being investigated by police who today have appealed for information.
The West Midlands force says the man's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Around the web: Paedophile jailedpublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
From the Worcester News:
- Paedophile jailed after arranging to meet 'girl', external
- Scheme for 10 homes in village, external
- Burglars trick great-grandmother out of life savings, external
Applefest cancelledpublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
The annual Applefest in Tenbury Wells has been cancelled amid uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic.
The event was due to take place in October, but organisers said planning was too difficult without knowing what restrictions would be in place by autumn.
Image source, Getty ImagesMeanwhile, the National Sheep Association has cancelled this year's NSA Sheep Event at the Three Counties Showground.
It was originally due to take place in July and had been put back until October, but has now been called off altogether this year.
'Amazon' fraudsters steal £70,000 in 24 hourspublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
In the last 24 hours people living in Shropshire and Worcestershire have been conned out of £70,000 by fraudsters pretending to work for Amazon.
West Mercia Police said the culprits had been phoning people to tell them they were eligible for a refund, asking for bank details which they used to clear out accounts.
Image source, Getty ImagesDet Insp Emma Wright reminded people that "no legitimate company, organisation, government body or police force will ever ask for your bank details, ask you to transfer money, or offer to transfer money into your account".
Worcester stand-off Searle extends dealpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Worcester Warriors’ former Wasps stand-off Billy Searle extends his deal with the Premiership club until 2023.
Read MoreMan arrested after spate of arson attackspublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
A man has been arrested in connection with a spate of arson attacks which saw multiple wheelie bins set alight, with one fire causing damage to a property when it spread.
A further two wheelie bins were set ablaze in the early hours.
Crews were called to Shorncliffe Road and Dovecote Close in Coventry's Coundon area where the series of fires are being investigated.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Image source, West Midlands PoliceA 40-year-old man from the area was arrested in nearby Holyhead Road, police said.
He remains in custody and is being questioned.
Around the web: Amazon fraudsters steal £40,000published at 15:23 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:
- Amazon fraudsters steal £40,000 from Shropshire residents, external
- £700,000 to 'bring Oswestry high street to life', external
- Headteacher leaves school due to 'vast pressure', external
City centre regeneration plans unveiledpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
A regeneration project for Coventry city centre is back in the works after the coronavirus lockdown stalled plans.
Image source, Coventry City Council
Image source, Coventry City CouncilThe City Centre South project will include a new cinema and medical centre alongside retail units, says the council.
"The plans will bring forward a significant number of new, quality homes for local people to rent or buy, and space for a hotel," the authority adds.
The plans will now be put out to public consultation. , external
How lockdown affected Ramadan 2020published at 14:48 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Media caption, Ramadan: Young Muslims share video diaries on fasting in lockdown
With coronavirus lockdown measures put in place weeks before, this year's Ramadan was celebrated very differently by Muslims across the UK.
BBC News spoke to three young Muslims who shared video diaries on how their lives have been affected.
Anmol Merban, Hani Ismail and Saba Saleem shared their experiences on a unique month of fasting.
Union expecting job losses at pottery firmpublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
BBC Radio StokeThe GMB union fears 162 jobs could go at the Middleport pottery company, Steelite, because of the impact of coronavirus on sales.
The union said it expected 133 of the cuts to be factory workers.
Image source, GoogleLike many businesses, Steelite scaled back production because of coronavirus and said at the time it was making a number of redundancies, while some managers had taken a pay cut.
The GMB union said the 162 would be in addition to those losses and that it was told about the plans at the end of last week.
Steelite has been contacted for comment.
'I'll remember the fear in everyone's eyes'published at 14:05 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Staff at City Hospital in Birmingham recall the 100 days since lockdown began.
Read MoreHS2 protest camp still going after 100 days of lockdownpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 30 June 2020
Andy Giddings
BBC NewsA protest-camp set up in Warwickshire to oppose the building of the HS2 train line is still there after 100 days of lockdown.
Charlotte Griffin, one of the protesters, said: "The camp is quite established and organised as its own community."
The original camp at Crackley Woods, near Kenilworth, had to be abandoned, but the protesters are now staying on nearby private land, with the landowners permission.
Last week a number of people from the camp took part in a 125-mile march from the proposed start of the HS2 line at Birmingham Curzon Street, along the route the track will take to London.
Work has continued on the line during lockdown, with construction firms following social distancing rules.
A Department for Transport statement last month said: "While the government's top priority is rightly to combat the spread of coronavirus, we should not delay work on our long-term plan to level up the country."
