More than 190 people turned up on Thursday to a temporary coronavirus testing site in Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, where a coronavirus outbreak has been recorded.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, the area's director of public health, said the authority has been able to link the majority of cases to 15-16 households across 6-8 streets.

The majority of cases are the result of household transmission, he said, and identifying the hotspots has enabled the council to target the area and inform the community about how to stay safe.

"Any outbreak is serious," he said. "We don't want the numbers to rise any further, so what we want to do is contain that.

"The measures we've put in place we feel are sufficient that we will be able to contain this."

In Normacot, the number of people who had tested positive for coronavirus between 5 and 19 August was now 61, with 45 positive cases in the past seven days, Stoke-on-Trent City Council said.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Dozens more residents turn up for Covid-19 tests as local outbreak continues, external
• Five charged after man repeatedly stabbed in Staffordshire, external
• Stoke City to be limited to 25-man squad in EFL rule, external

The leaders of seven councils across the West Midlands are calling for "clear and simple" messaging from central government about Covid-19 restrictions as cases rise in the region.

Image source, Reuters

In a joint statement with six other councils in the West Midlands - Coventry, Sandwell, Solihull, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton - Birmingham City Council urged people and businesses to remain alert to the risks of coronavirus.

Of "immediate concern" to the leaders, the statement says, is the enforcement of face covering use by supermarkets and the collection of customer details by bars and restaurants.

Birmingham council leader Ian Ward said: "It is now getting to the point where many people and businesses are confused and unsure about what they can and cannot do."

A group of dads create a children's book which aims to combat racism and educate about Sikh culture.

BBC Weather Watchers

Here's a selection of photos from some of the BBC's Weather Watchers in the West Midlands today.

Image source, Les at Large/ BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, JazzyDee/ BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Jo/ BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Suttonwalker/ BBC Weather Watchers

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare

The team behind the iconic Snobs nightclub in Birmingham have been granted permission to open a new outdoor venue in the city centre.

On Monday, the council’s licensing committee approved the application by Nightscene Limited, which will see an area of Hurst Street and Ladywell Walk become a venue for things like films, live music, recorded music and performances of dance.

Alcohol will also be allowed to be served.

Image source, Google

The application faced objections from Environmental Health, which claimed another venue in a busy area would only add to the "intrusive noise" and "disturb local residents".

However, the committee said in its decision: "The members did not consider that there was any evidential or causal link to any risk of an increase in crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour."

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star's headlines include:

• Two more coronavirus cases in Telford as residential home is revealed as focus of cluster, external
• Work begins soon on new £1.7 million Telford Minster church project, external
• Whitchurch pub reopens following £126,000 investment, external

Doncaster Rovers sign Stoke City goalkeeper Josef Bursik on a season-long loan deal.

A Sandwell councillor claims her voice has been manipulated to make it appear she is racially abusive.

Crowds of onlookers gathered in Rugeley, in Staffordshire, this morning, for the latest phase in the demolition of the town's former power station.

Image source, Mark Fullwood

The boiler house was brought down in a controlled explosion at 10:00.

Other parts of the site, including the cooling towers, are due to be demolished at a later date.

The site is being cleared for new housing.

GCSE passes for England's pupils, in the most disrupted academic year in UK history, have risen dramatically.

Grades have been awarded by schools, after exams were cancelled, and data shows 78.8% of papers were rated grade 4 or above. It was 69.9% in 2019.

Students at Bristnall Hall Academy in Oldbury were among thousands of teenagers opening their results earlier on Thursday:

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

BBC Radio Stoke

People in a city borough are being urged to get tested for coronavirus as a temporary testing site is set up today in the area.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said Covid-19 cases in Normacot were concentrated in about 15 houses in a number of streets.

A total of 57 residents in the area have tested positive since 5 August and people have been asked to stay within their household bubble.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones oversees public health in the city and said it was vital more people got tested.

"We are focusing on a small number of streets and we delivered letters last week to houses in those streets urging people there to come and be tested and that was where we got our 11 positives tests from at the weekend," he said.

Four men and a teenager have been charged following a stabbing in Staffordshire.

Image source, Google

A 19-year-old man was taken to hospital suffering stab wounds following the incident in Abbey Fields, Great Haywood, just after 13:00 on Monday.

The four, aged between 18 and 35, all from Stafford, have been charged with wounding with intent and aggravated burglary.

A 16-year-old boy faces the same charges.

They are all set to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre today.

Rotherham sign defender Wes Harding from fellow Championship club Birmingham for an undisclosed fee.

A police federation boss has written to the transport secretary, external calling for changes in legislation to better protect officers from drivers "who appear content to use their vehicle as a weapon".

Tim Rogers, the deputy chair of the West Midlands Police Federation, said police officers were being injured "more and more" by people speeding off after being pulled over.

Last year, PC Gareth Phillips nearly died when he was run over by thieves in Moseley, Birmingham, and more recently an officer was injured after being dragged 15m by a moving car through Sparkhill.

Mr Rogers is calling for officers to be given authority to demand drivers turn off their engines and step out of their vehicles to "minimise" the risk to the police force.

"Not having the extra powers we are asking for will curtail our members’ ability to safely and effectively police the roads," he said.

A cafe owner in Craven Arms has said a coronavirus outbreak at a travellers' site in the town has "decimated" her business.

At its peak, 29 people tested positive at the caravan park in Long Lane in July and the town was given the all clear 10 days ago.

Image source, Google

Naomi Denton, who runs Laila's Cafe, said she is "desperate" for customers to return and is doing all she can to reassure visitors when it comes to social distancing and hygiene.

Her message - that Craven Arms is "open for business" - was echoed by independent supermarket Tuffins, which reported a drop in sales of 40% following the outbreak.

Worcester News

From the Worcester News today:

• Worcester parents unhappy with school uniform supplier, external
• Concern £100 fines for 'dangerous' cycling and feeding gulls would be 'sending out the wrong message', external
• Woman's 12-year quest to find family in antique bible, external

About 1,500 people sign a petition calling for the fire-hit Birmingham club to be saved.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The owner of a box of World War Two medals is being urged to contact a charity shop in case they were accidentally donated.

Image source, John Taylor Hospice

Several bags of donations were taken to the John Taylor Hospice shop in Castle Bromwich, Solihull, by a man on 8 August.

However, the charity said he didn't mention the medals were in the bags and didn't leave any details.

Shop manager Rachael Quinney said they will sell them if they were meant to be donated but wanted to trace the owner in case it was a mistake.

"They could be a precious heirloom which he didn’t realise were in the bag. We would hate to think that a few weeks or months in the future a family is hunting for these medals not realising they were given to us,” she said.

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had a morning of blue skies from the look of the photos sent in by our local BBC Weather Watchers.

Here are three from users Quinndrew in Oswestry, Shropshire, Mikes Lens in Hereford and Kath Snapper in Warwick:

Image source, Quinndrew

Image source, Mikes Lens

Image source, Kath Snapper