Ian Morris says people will drive past his pub to get to ones across the border that are fully open.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Live updates for the West Midlands have now ended for the day.

We'll be back with you from 09:00 with all the latest news.

A crackdown on organised crime gangs, after a top-secret communications system was taken down, involved every police force in the UK.

Image source, Regional Organised Crime Agency

The National Crime Agency says the Europe-wide operation, which lasted more than three months, has had the biggest impact on organised crime gangs it has ever seen.

A cash counting house in the West Midlands was raided, with £1.6m seized, while an operation involving Police Scotland and Staffordshire Police found 40kg of cocaine.

A total of £7.2m in criminal cash was seized in the region along with drugs, a firearm and one air weapon, said West Midlands Police.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

Crucial data showing a higher number of coronavirus cases in Coventry than first thought has arrived too slowly, the city’s council leader and director of public health have said.

Image source, Coventry City Council

PHE has now published the cumulative rate of Pillar 1 and 2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 which shows Coventry at 355.8 – considerably lower than Leicester’s 875.8, but higher than Coventry’s previous 227.90 rate based on Pillar 1 data.

Coventry’s is also lower than Warwickshire’s rate of 422.6 and neighbouring Birmingham (410.2), Solihull (403.9), Sandwell (489.7), Walsall (506.7) and Wolverhampton (513.7).

Council leader George Duggins said the slow arrival of Pillar 2 data was a “major concern”.

“This was part of the problem that happened in Leicester,” he said.

Schools will reopen to all pupils from September, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed at today's government briefing.

He said attendance would be mandatory from then and was confident schools would be in the "best possible position" to recover.

Out-of-school clubs will also restart.

Classes or whole year groups will however be kept apart in separate "bubbles" as schools are being asked to make sure they minimise contacts between pupils, Mr Williamson said.

Ideas include staggering classes and ensuring limited contact in corridors.

With infection rates falling, safety bubbles can be relaxed in early-years settings, Mr Williamson added.

Marian McNamee
Reporter, BBC CWR

A nine-year-old boy has written to the prime minister asking for better funding for hospices.

Many charities have seen their incomes fall during lockdown due to shops being closed.

Tommy Young from Rugby, whose father Alan died at a hospice in Warwick, also described how his family had received support from the Myton facility.

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus across the West Midlands is falling in every council area, according to new figures.

The data from Public Health England shows the number of positive tests for every 100,000 population tested in hospitals and the wider community in the week up to 28 June.

Image source, PA Media

For the West Midlands, the figures in alphabetical order of council are:

• Birmingham 6.5
• Coventry 1.4
• Dudley 2.2
• Herefordshire 1.6
• Sandwell 5.5
• Shropshire 7.2
• Solihull 6.5
• Staffordshire 7.9
• Stoke-on-Trent 14.1
• Telford and Wrekin 5.1
• Walsall 3.2
• Warwickshire 5.6
• Wolverhampton 7.6
• Worcestershire 3.6

By comparison, the figure for Leicester in the week is 141.3 testing positive out of 100,000 people.

Express and Star

Some of the Express and Star headlines today include:

• Police seize £7 million and 200kg of drugs in UK's 'biggest' operation on criminal 'Mr Bigs', external
• Enjoy pubs sensibly, warn police amid trouble fears, external
• Man charged with carrying offensive weapon in Bilston, external

Port Vale centre-back Shaun Brisley agrees a one-year contract extension with the League Two club.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Carl, from Solihull, has been in touch with us via email, with a question regarding the return of schools in September and the opening up of air travel, expected to be announced by the government soon.

Image source, Reuters

He asks: "Children returning from international holidays at the end of August must return to school beginning of September. How will the government ensure these families self-isolate for two weeks and not simply send their children to school straight after the holiday?"

Well, from the latest government guidance that's not particularly clear at the minute.

The government has published its safety plans for England's return to school in September- built on the principle of keeping classes or whole year groups apart in separate "bubbles".

Schools will have testing kits to give to parents if children develop coronavirus symptoms in school and mobile testing units may be sent to schools which have an outbreak.

The government has yet to set out its plan for overseas travel, but government sources have indicated dozens of countries will be exempt from a travel quarantine from Monday.

It is possible up to 75 countries deemed low or very low risk will be exempt from the UK's quarantine from Monday, 6 July.

So we await the list of countries affected, and maybe then we'll find out if and when people will need to quarantine.

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Alex Palmer agrees a new three-year contract with the Championship club.

Online art courses are being held to help support refugees in the West Midlands during the coronavirus lockdown.

Image source, Artconnects

Image source, Artconnects

The ARTconnects for Refugees workshops have been delivered by artist and activist Salma Zulfiqar in partnership with the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham.

"The global pandemic and recent anti-racism protests have shown us how we need to keep up the fight for a more inclusive world, creating communities where no-one is left behind," she said.

Image source, Artconnects

At one workshop, set to coincide with World Refugee Da, externaly, a Syrian refugee said: "Lockdown has been really difficult - I can’t see friends, it’s a very hard time for me. I miss my teacher and friends. We have support when I’m in class."

The next session will be held on Monday 6 July. , external

A top-secret communications system used by criminals to trade drugs and guns has been "successfully penetrated", says the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Image source, Regional Organised Crime Unit

Major crime figures were among 746 arrests - including 43 in the West Midlands - after messages on EncroChat were intercepted and decoded.

More than 230kg of cocaine and 2kg of cannabis along with more than £7m in cash was seized in the region said the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (WMROCU).

The NCA worked with forces across Europe on the UK's "biggest and most significant" law enforcement operation.

Image source, National Crime Agency

Head of WMROCU Det Ch Supt Richard Baker said: “We specifically focused on those thought to be involved in the highest levels of organised crime across our region.

“This work has undoubtedly saved lives by taking guns and drugs off the streets and we know we have made a huge contribution to making our streets much safer from organised crime gangs."

A woman whose birth of her daughter left her with long-term health problems said news of a police inquiry into the hospital trust that treated her left her "feeling sick".

Andrea Bates, 44, was left with an open wound after the birth of her daughter Eva via forceps at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust (SaTH) in February 2015.

She also suffered incontinence problems due to a prolapsed bowel.

Image source, Andrea Bates

Mrs Bates' case is part of the independent review into maternity services at SaTH, led by expert Donna Ockenden who says she is working with police to identify relevant cases.

"I felt sick when I found out, it brought it all back," she said.

"I just hope the police uncover the truth and get answers for the families."

Coventry Live

These are some of Coventry Live's headlines:

• Man arrested after Coventry stabbing, external
• How a park planned under Coventry's Ring Road will look, external
• Coventry planning for Covid until 2022, external

An inquest is opened and adjourned into the death of Aintree Racecourse chairman Rose Paterson.

A former leader of Telford and Wrekin Council has written to Shropshire councillors, asking them to remove a statue of Clive of India.

Image source, Getty Images

Thousands of people have called for the controversial figure to go.

Kuldip Sahota says there's "nothing inspirational" about the former MP of Shrewsbury, who helped establish British rule over India and made money from looting its resources.

Labour's Mr Sahota wants the stone figure removed from the town's square.

The issue will be discussed by Shropshire councillors later this month.

BBC Radio Stoke

Horse racing returns to Uttoxeter next week and organisers say it's vital to have it back to keep the industry going.

Image source, Uttoxeter Racecourse

Racing returned to Britain last month after the pandemic stopped all events.

When it does resume at Uttoxeter on Monday, , externalonly the team, jockeys and officials will be allowed through the gates.

One-way systems are in place, a new changing room for jockeys has been built and chief executive David MacDonald says it's important to get going again.

"These horses are in stables across the country ready to run. The staff will need to be working, thousands of people are connected in that way. It's not perfect, but it helps some way to keeping us going until we can see the crowds return."

A man has suffered serious stomach injuries after being stabbed on a street in Coventry, police say.

Image source, Google

A 26-year-old man has been arrested after the attack which happened following disorder in Britannia Street just before 18:00 on Wednesday, said West Midlands Police.

The victim in his 20s was taken to hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening, the force added.

The 26-year-old suspect was arrested after presenting at hospital with minor injures and remains in custody for questioning.

The leader of Shropshire Council has said he's confident it will be given more money to cope with the impact of coronavirus.

And Conservative Peter Nutting said there was no prospect of the authority effectively declaring itself bankrupt "either now, or in the foreseeable future".

Image source, Shrewsbury Town Council

A report due to go before the council next week has warned it might not be able to produce a balanced budget without more government funding.

And it warned: "If significant additional savings cannot be identified, a section 114 notice may need to be considered by the chief financial officer.”

A section 114 notice would prevent the council from entering into any further financial commitments, with the exception of safeguarding vulnerable people and statutory services, until an emergency budget is prepared.