Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than 350 people have been tested for coronavirus at a strawberry farm near Stafford.

The checks were carried out at Dearnsdale Farm after one worker tested positive for Covid-19.

Staffordshire County Council said it had acted fast after the outbreak at a farm in Herefordshire.

So far all the test results have come back negative.

Image source, Getty Images

The authority’s director for health and care, Dr Richard Harling, said: "At the moment we have got about 170 incidents which we’re managing."

But he said they did not publicise most cases because "if we tell people about all of them the risk is that people just get snowed under".

Tom Lammonby's unbeaten century gives Somerset the advantage as they set Worcestershire 245 to win at New Road.

BBC Shropshire

Some people in Shropshire have wrongly been told their nearest available coronavirus testing facility is more than 60 miles away, in Oldham.

Last night the national computer system was also suggesting they book tests in Leicester, Chester and the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.

Image source, Getty Images

A testing facility exists at the Ironbridge park-and-ride site and there have been additional mobile testing units at Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

The health service in Shropshire said it was not a local decision and NHS England was responsible for the system.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "Improvements are being made to the system of allocating regional testing slots to ensure the distance limit does not go beyond 75 miles."

Funding has been agreed for work to take place at the Library of Birmingham after a report said it risked becoming "unsafe to occupy" without maintenance.

Image source, PA Media

The building will require more than £3m over the next three years, with a total of £11m needed over the next 10 years.

The council approved the costs at a cabinet meeting earlier.

Several areas are in need of attention, the report said, including emergency lighting, security systems and networks, escalators and painting and decorating.

Birmingham has risen to third place in England's coronavirus league table.

It is now behind only Bolton and Bradford when comparing the number of cases per 100,000 in the week ending 5 September.

During that week, the number of cases rose to 69.1 per 100,000.

Solihull has also returned to the top 20.

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Stoke City's Harry Souttar won't be going out on loan again in the near future, the manager Michael O'Neill has said.

Souttar has had spells at Ross County and Fleetwood over the past couple of years, but O'Neill said: "He would be better served staying in the building and pushing to get into our team."

Image source, Getty Images

However, O'Neill said he would look again at the situation if the young defender failed to claim a place in the Stoke City side.

Police have been given another 36 hours to question a man suspected of carrying out a series of knife attacks in Birmingham city centre.

The 27-year-old was detained at a house in Selly Oak at 04:00 BST on Monday, after the attacks on Sunday which left one man dead and a number of others injured.

Image source, Getty Images

The man was arrested on suspicion of murder and seven counts of attempted murder and the warrant of further detention was granted by magistrates on Tuesday afternoon.

Three other people arrested on Monday morning from an address in Selly Oak on suspicion of assisting an offender have all been released while inquiries continue.

Police cordons that were set up in the city after the attacks have now been removed.

BBC News Travel

Three of the four lanes have been closed on the M6 heading north between junction eight, for the M5, and nine, for Wednesbury.

Highways England said it was because of a multi-vehicle collision and congestion was building up on the approach.

The group says it has seen a "huge" rise in people dumping personal protective equipment.

People in Rugby have been asked to "renew their vigilance" after a rise in coronavirus cases in the town.

The leader of the borough council Seb Lowe said the latest cases had affected "a small number of pubs and restaurants and two of our schools" and efforts were being made to test anyone who may have been affected.

Image source, Rugby Borough Council

Mr Lowe also thanked residents for doing "what's right for Rugby" up until now and said "because of that, Rugby has seen relatively few cases compared to elsewhere in the county and elsewhere in England".

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Worcester’s Victorian fayre has been cancelled this year.

The city council said because the coronavirus had not gone away, "the risks incurred in allowing this winter event to go ahead were simply too high".

The council estimates the four-day event attracts 150,000 visitors and contributes £7.3m to the local economy.

And it said last Christmas there had been 200 market stalls and 185 coach loads of people travelling to Worcester to be there.

A range of smaller-scale, socially-distanced events are being planned instead, over the four weekends leading up to Christmas.

Most homes in the Telford area will stop getting free liners for their food-waste bins.

Waste collection company Veolia said it had given out more than 10 million since introducing the caddies last summer and the free liners were no longer financially viable.

Image source, Telford and Wrekin Council

People living in flats and homes which use communal caddies will continue to get the liners.

Everybody else will get their final roll of 52 liners next week.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

Honey made on the roof of a Hereford hotel will soon be served to its guests.

The Green Dragon has teamed up with local business Hey Honey which now has two hives on the city hotel's roof.

Image source, Getty Images

The bees moved in during lockdown and are said to be thriving in their urban home.

Press Association

Additional coronavirus restrictions in Birmingham are now "looking likely", the West Midlands Mayor has said.

Andy Street said there has been a "very notable increase in Birmingham and Solihull" infection rates in the last few days, but said no decision has yet been made.

Image source, Getty Images

The infection rate in Birmingham last week was 62.4 cases per 100,000 while in neighbouring Solihull it was 46.1, according to to NHS Digital.

Mr Street also said it appears to be "very much concentrated in the younger age groups" and is likely to be "as a result of socialising and household contact."

Ian Bell has fallen just 10 runs short of what would have been a fairytale century in his final first-class innings.

He was bowled for 90 by Timm van der Gugten, but his contribution has helped Warwickshire take their lead past 200 and could have set up a win against Glamorgan.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Workers at Sandwell's nine leisure centres are to be balloted on strike action in a dispute over how their terms and conditions are negotiated.

Three town hall unions are asking members to endorse a walkout which could close swimming pools and gyms in the borough.

Image source, Google

Darren James, Sandwell branch secretary for the GMB, said workers had rejected a proposed pay freeze and the dispute was now over Sandwell Leisure Trust (SLT) wanting to withdraw from nationally-agreed terms and conditions.

The trust which manages the centres for the council called the move "both irresponsible and inappropriate" in light of the financial impact of the pandemic on the industry.

A park in Stoke-on-Trent has been closed for repairs after paint was thrown over the play equipment

The city council said Anchor Road park, in Longton, had been vandalised at the weekend and police were now investigating.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Some students at a Worcestershire secondary school are self-isolating following a confirmed case of coronavirus.

The county's director of public health, Dr Kathryn Cobain, said the outbreak at Woodrush High School in Wythall had been identified quickly and the children in the individual's bubble were continuing to study remotely.

Image source, Google

The county council hasn't said if the person was a pupil or a member of staff and so far it's the only case at Worcestershire's 243 council-maintained schools since the start of term.

The two-way route serving about 4,500 homes and six schools is expected to be finished next year.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Rugby's town centre is going to have £96,000 spent on coronavirus safety measures.

The money has come from the European Regional Development Fund.

Image source, Google

The funding will pay for a website to allow people to book slots at independent stores, hand sanitiser stations, signs and other communications.