Coventry Live

The Coventry Live website's headlines today include:

• Hundreds of plants seized in Coventry cannabis factory raid, external
• Council ordered to change unfair school transport policy, external
• Community raises £1,500 for Coventry sports ground after traveller incursion, external

George Byatt's family are devastated as "non-essential" care home visits are banned in Birmingham.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Pupils at a college in Warwickshire are in limbo as there is no timescale on when they will get their BTec results, according to the man in charge of them at their school.

Image source, Google

Exam board Pearson pulled its BTec results on the eve of releasing them and said it would be re-grading them to bring them in line with A-levels and GCSEs.

Simon Carey, at Etone College, Nuneaton, is in charge of ensuring the quality of BTecs at the school and said his students did not know what they could do next in life.

"Their portfolio of qualifications will be empty in some places and if they are moving on to another institution where they are looking for a certain set of grades in order to get in there, or a number of points, then they have no proof whatsoever because they will be missing those qualifications for BTecs."

Pearson has apologised and acknowledged the additional uncertainty the decision would cause.

Express and Star

The Express and Star's headlines today include:

• GCSE results: Black Country students nervous to get grades, external
• Commonwealth Games aquatics centre 'will not suffer same fate as athletes' village', external
• Councillors hoping to find new occupier for Pizza Express' 'prime site' in Stafford, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

School holiday dates have altered in Coventry this year after complaints.

The city council says it is to bring it in line with the half-term dates in Warwickshire after complaints from parents.

Some were having to pay for twice as much childcare if their children went to schools in two different authorities.

The autumn term in Coventry will start on 1 September with the first half-term holiday from 26 October.

BBC Weather

It will be mainly dry today with sunny spells and just the odd shower is possible at times. It could be breezy with a high of 23C (73F).

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Triggy Stardust

The dry conditions are expected to continue through tonight with clear spells mixed with patches of cloud. Low: 15C (59F).

You can keep up-to-date on the forecast for your area by going to the BBC Weather website.

Residents in Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, are urged to stay home as coronavirus cases rise to 57.

Birmingham City Council said rising coronavirus cases were "extremely concerning".

Telford and Wrekin Council says 13 people are self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.

A man is detained in Birmingham following the death of Reece Cox in Sedgley.

BBC Shropshire

The number of positive Covid-19 cases in Telford and Wrekin is "going in the wrong direction", the local council's said.

Image source, Reuters

The rate of infection in the borough's increased from 2.8 cases per 100,000 in the week up to 7 August to 14.5 for the next seven days.

The council's confirmed some of the increase is due to an outbreak of Covid-19 at a care home where 13 staff and residents have tested positive.

Councillor Andy Burford, cabinet member for health, said they're not at the level where a local lockdown is needed but they need the figure to come down.

"What we're trying to do is avoid getting to that level. It's not at worryingly high levels at this stage but it's going in the wrong direction."

Strong winds are being forecast for Friday with people being warned they could cause transport disruption.

Image source, Met Office

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning, external from 04:00 on Friday until 18:00 the same day, covering the West Midlands.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's headlines include:

• Covid testing station to reopen in Normacot as number of outbreak cases rises to 45, external
• Stoke-on-Trent Pizza Express to close, external
• Pregnant mum and toddler catapulted into air in horrific collision caused by racing cars, external

Worcester Warriors full-back Melani Nanai is banned for three matches for a no-arms tackle on England winger Jonny May.

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had rain across much of the West Midlands this morning as our BBC Weather Watchers have been finding out.

These three are from users BoardWalk in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, Shaun in Stafford and Steve Blackman in Napton on the Hill, Warwickshire:

Image source, BoardWalk

Image source, Shaun

Image source, Steve Blackman

BBC Radio Stoke

Police are appealing for witnesses after anti-mask graffiti appeared on buildings across Stafford.

Image source, @tommoss

Over the past few days sightings have been reported on the O.kra restaurant, The Bird in Hand pub, on an office building and on a bus stop in Rising Brook.

In each case the graffiti reads: "We carnt (sic) breath" and "say noto (sic) mask's", along with a crude drawing of a mask.

Nick Gallagher-Hughes works at Topline Dance Studio and told BBC Radio Stoke they've been targeted three times although the paint is not the most annoying aspect.

"I wasn't sure what annoyed me most, the bad grammar and spelling or the fact that they had painted red all over our board."

Staffordshire Police is appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Shropshire's finds liaison officer said both would have given their owners "divine protection".

Ben Chrisene, Exeter City's youngest-ever player, joins Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.

BBC Radio Stoke

A theatre in Cheshire's become the latest venue to postpone this year's pantomime.

Crewe Lyceum, which is owned by Cheshire East Council, said it wasn't possible to successfully put on shows while following social distancing guidelines.

In a statement on Facebook, external the theatre said the pantomime was being put back to 2021 and all performances were suspended until at least 31 January.

Earlier this month, the UK's biggest pantomime producer started cancelling its 2020 shows amid ongoing uncertainty about when theatres will be able to reopen fully.

Three people have been hurt in a two-car crash.

The collision was last night on the B4176 near Claverley, Shropshire, the ambulance service said. , external

A man driving one of the cars and a woman who was a passenger in the other both suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital.

Paramedics said the other driver, a man, wasn't thought to be as badly hurt but was still taken to hospital for further checks.