Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson turned anger over her treatment by the government into energy to help others, a friend has said.

She died aged 64 on Thursday morning, her daughter Natalie Barnes confirmed.

Ms Wilson arrived in Telford from Jamaica in 1968 aged 10 - but in August 2015 her benefits were stopped and was later sent to a detention centre.

Bishop Desmond Jadoo said "many people would have been ever so bitter... but she still had a smile on her face and she just kept going.

"I'll remember Paulette with her smile, her grace, and her humility, but most of all her zeal to fight for justice."

NHS, social care and other front-line workers have been granted the freedom of Dudley for their efforts during the coronavirus crisis, the borough council has announced.

Image source, Google

The honour has been granted to NHS staff, public health, adult social care, children’s services, bereavement services and voluntary sector workers.

The decision was made at a full council meeting on Thursday.

The leader of the council Patrick Harley, said: "Whilst the fight against the pandemic is not yet over, we believe it’s important to recognise the continuing efforts of all those people who are helping us all."

BBC Radio Stoke

A scheme to widen the only part of the A500 which is a single carriageway has been given £53m by the government.

Image source, Cheshire East Council

Cheshire East Council's scheme, external would see the adding of another lane on each side of the road between the M6 at J16 and the Meremoor Moss roundabout.

With the money allocated and the plan just waiting final approval, the authority said it would be "working flat out" to get construction started as soon as possible.

BBC Shropshire

A struggling hospital trust at the centre of the largest ever review of maternity care in the NHS needs to get back to the "fundamentals of care", its medical director has said.

Earlier this week, an investigation into maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH) revealed it was now examining nearly 1,900 cases.

While a few days before, the chief inspector of hospitals said the organisation was "normalising poor care" across departments.

SATH said it was working with NHS partners over improvements and medical director Arne Rose told BBC Shropshire it needed the extra support.

"We do need help and we are welcoming to the help that arrives for us, organised by NHS England and by other people."

He added mangers needed to recognise issues before external inspections did, and one example was getting matrons back on the ward so "we can recognise and tackle any issues with basic care as we find them".

Mark Lerigo, 49, from Coventry had an iPad containing the most serious abuse pictures of children.

Food, furniture and bedding has been handed out by a school in Warwickshire to struggling families in the area.

Siobhan Evans, Principal at Ashlawn School in Hillmorton, Rugby, said it had been "overwhelmed by the generosity of our staff, parents and neighbours".

Image source, Google

She said the school had "a really caring community" and had "received so many donations we have started to work in partnership with other schools in our trust".

Labour councillor Jim Ellis told a full council meeting redundancies and bereavement in the wake of coronavirus had hit parts of the community not normally associated with hardship - places like Hillmorton - the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Allen Cook
BBC News

A man's been arrested in connection with a planned illegal rave this weekend.

Image source, Other

Staffordshire Police, external has been working to prevent illegal gatherings over the past few weeks.

The 18-year-old, from Rugeley, was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance and given bail.

Last month, the force made 13 arrests over a planned rave near Chasewater, near Cannock, and five over one planned for near Rugeley.

Also in June, more than 1,000 revellers attended an illegal rave near Lichfield which officers closed down.

A man and woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the Telford attack.

The fire service in the West Midlands said it would support the continued use of the Black Country flag after asking staff not to fly it at stations.

Image source, Dudley Borough Council

Staff were asked to find alternative ways of marking Black Country Day last week, when the flag was widely flown in the area.

The flag's chain imagery had "raised questions in the context of slavery," the fire service said.

In a statement it said: "We have now given detailed consideration to the issues raised, gathering views and information from within the service and a range of external sources."

The fire service said it would "support the continued use of the flag throughout celebrations of the Black Country’s rich heritage, in which many staff and our communities have a clear and unquestionable pride".

A decison to move this year's Conservative Party conference to a virtual event may be reviewed, a business chief has said.

The gathering of the party's members was due to take place at Birmingham's International Convention Centre in October.

Paul Thandi, chief executive of the NEC group told the region's weekly coronavirus meeting the decision was taken before the government announced conference venues would be able to open from 1 October.

"If things carry on as they are and the R number is under control, we have spoken to them about reviewing this decision and some elements of [the conference] take place," he said.

"This is for our country to say to the rest of the world we are open and ready to take on challenges."

Earlier in the week the party announced it would hold three more party conferences in the city.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's main headlines today include:

• Tributes paid after Shropshire-raised Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson dies, external
• Sleepless armed robber targeted Shrewsbury Co-op to pay off drug debt, external
• 'Much-loved' and 'hugely impressive' Shropshire Navy captain dies, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

The current Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the government must continue to "right the wrongs" of the Windrush scandal after the death of a campaigner.

Paulette Wilson, who lived in Wolverhampton, came to Telford from Jamaica as a child and was one of thousands of people affected by the scandal which made headlines in 2018.

It emerged many children of Commonwealth citizens had been threatened with deportation despite living and working in the UK for decades.

Her daughter confirmed Ms Wilson's death on Thursday morning aged 64.

The government apologised for the scandal and, following Ms Wilson's passing, Ms Patel tweeted, external she had highlighted "the terrible injustices faced by the #Windrush generation".

Former Home Secretary and Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid also tweeted, external and said "we must keep working to make sure this never happens again".

Port Vale striker Tom Pope is handed a six-match ban by the Football Association for an alleged anti-semitic Twitter post.

BBC Weather Watchers

Plenty of sunshine around today and our local BBC Weather Watchers have been making the most of it.

Here are three of their photos from users OgySnaps in Warwick, Caraman On Tour in Dudley and Snow Crystals in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire:

Image source, OgySnaps

Image source, Caraman On Tour

Image source, Snow Crystals

A reminder that face coverings are compulsory in shops in England from today.

And it's not just shops, as new guidance published just yesterday afternoon made clear.

Coverings are mandatory in enclosed public spaces such as supermarkets, indoor shopping centres, transport hubs, banks and takeaways.

So if you're picking up fish and chips later you'd better go prepared. However, if you're planning to eat-in, you're in the clear.

In a move described by critics as confusing, restaurants, cafes and pubs are exempt.

The rules are enforceable by a £100 fine.

There are also lots of exemptions, including children under 11, those with disabilities or certain health conditions, such as respiratory or cognitive impairments that make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

According to the government, , externalface coverings should cover the mouth and nose and can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that securely fits around the side of the face without having to be held in place.

Express and Star

Some of the Express and Star headlines today include:

• Tributes paid after Wolverhampton Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson dies, external
• West Brom promotion 'a major boost for the Black Country', external
• Alarm at 'terrifying' surge in violent crime across the Black Country, external

Panashe Bako was stabbed to death at a Birmingham city centre hotel on Tuesday.

BBC Shropshire

Residents of a caravan site in Shropshire are being tested and told to self-isolate after three positive Covid-19 cases which are being linked to an outbreak in Wales.

Image source, Google

Testing started when two positive cases were found at the site near Craven Arms, Shropshire Council and Public Health England said.

The figure rose to three and officials said all were being linked to an outbreak in Welshpool , externaland a recent local event.

A new testing site will be running in Craven Arms from tomorrow and food and other supplies are being taken to the carvavan site for residents while they self-isolate.

Some French school groups are not returning for two years, a business owner says.

BBC Sport

An investigation into racist abuse on social media targeted at teenage footballer Jude Bellingham is now being handled by West Mercia Police, external.

Image source, PA Media

The 17-year-old played his final game for Birmingham City on Wednesday as he is moving to German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham described the post on Twitter as "disgusting" and added: "Times have to change. More has to be done."

The comments were first reported to West Midlands Police but passed to West Mercia Police as it said the teenager was from north Worcestershire.