Summary

  • Updates for 14-18 September

  1. Delay to school safety measurespublished at 09:34 British Summer Time 24 September 2020

    BBC Radio Shropshire

    There's been a delay to plans to introduce 20mph speed limits outside Shropshire schools and to restrict the number of cars dropping off and picking up.

    Shropshire Council voted to make the changes at 126 of its 150 schools back in July, but said coronavirus has delayed the implementation.

    20mph signImage source, Getty Images

    The authority said the associated work could cost up to £2.9m and a report advised money needed to be set aside to consult schools before this happened.

    There were 11 accidents outside Shropshire schools in the last three years, resulting in 22 casualties, four of them children, according to West Mercia Police.

  2. JLR employees isolate after positive Covid testspublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 24 September 2020

    Twenty-four employees at Jaguar Land Rover's plant in Solihull have tested positive for coronavirus.

    JLR's Lode Lane plant in Solihull

    The car manufacturer, which employs about 7,000 people at the site on Lode Lane, says all those affected are self-isolating.

    A deep clean has been carried out at the factory and people who have been in close contact with the infected workers have also been told to self-isolate, the company adds.

  3. Weather: A drier day with a few showerspublished at 08:21 British Summer Time 24 September 2020

    BBC Weather

    We're forecast a drier day today, but there could still be a few showers and a light breeze.

    The temperatures are likely to be about 13C (55F) and it looks like we'll have more of the same tomorrow.

    HednesfordImage source, Angus and me
  4. Crash closes major Birmingham routepublished at 08:05 British Summer Time 24 September 2020

    A crash has closed Holloway Circus in Birmingham this morning.

    West Midlands Police urged people travelling into the city to avoid the major route. Diversions are in place and officers are at the scene.

    Emergency services have not yet disclosed further details about the incident.

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  5. Football team 'must play' despite Covid-19 resultpublished at 00:10 British Summer Time 24 September 2020

    Bartley Reds face a £400 fine if they do not play their next match despite a player testing positive.

    Read More
  6. Thousands of canisters found after M6 crashpublished at 19:10 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Police who smelt cannabis searched a car following the collision near Corley services.

    Read More
  7. Weather: Rain fading away tomorrowpublished at 18:58 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    BBC Weather

    This brief rainy spell is coming to an end and most parts of the West Midlands should have dry weather by tomorrow afternoon.

    But it's going to remain cool, with temperatures unlikely to be much higher than 13C (55F) tomorrow.

    AlcesterImage source, BarleyBoy
  8. Archery club looking for new homepublished at 18:43 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Droitwich Archery Society is looking for a new home and there are fears it might have to close.

    The club has been running for more than 50 years, but has been told it can't use Droitwich High School any more, because of coronavirus safety concerns.

    Archery targetImage source, Getty Images

    The chair of the group, Peter Sargent, said it was an important point of social contact and that members "constantly need to keep their skills up to date".

    The new government restrictions don't prevent archery clubs from meeting, inside or outside, but a number of clubs are finding difficulty in returning to schools and other sites where they've practised in the past.

  9. Racehorse trainer Michael Oliver diespublished at 18:24 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    The former Worcestershire racehorse trainer Michael Oliver has died at the age of 70.

    He trained at Elmley Lovett near Droitwich from 1973 to 1991 with his most famous victory coming in April 1986 when his horse, West Tip, won the Grand National.

    Michael OliverImage source, Getty Images
  10. West Brom's Bilic fined £8,000 for improper conductpublished at 18:19 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    West Brom manager Slaven Bilic is fined £8,000 for "improper conduct" during Saturday's defeat against Everton.

    Read More
  11. Rugby club fears season may be overpublished at 18:07 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    BBC CWR Sport

    Coventry Rugby Club's chairman believes Championship clubs may decide to call the season off, if fans aren't allowed into games.

    Jon Sharp said with wages and maintenance costs to consider, "we simply cannot afford to play behind closed doors".

    Mr Sharp also said he thought the best that could be hoped for now is a shortened season, assuming the ban continues through the winter.

  12. Coronavirus rate in Birmingham continues to risepublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    The latest coronavirus figures show the number of cases in Birmingham has continued to rise.

    Yesterday the rate for the seven days to 19 September was 100.5 per 100,000 people.

    Today, the rate for the seven days to 20 September has climbed to 112.9.

    Testing signImage source, Getty Images

    Birmingham remains outside the top-20 worst affected local authority areas in England, but that's because parts of the north west are seing even higher infection rates.

    Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Rugby are also in the top 50.

  13. Concern over missed childhood jabspublished at 16:44 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Birmingham's director of public health has said he is very concerned by the number of MMR jabs that were missed because of the coronavirus outbreak between March and June..

    "The last thing we need in middle of the next wave is another measles outbreak," Dr Justin Varney said.

    Dr Justin Varney

    Councillor Kate Booth, the city council cabinet member for children’s wellbeing, said: “Unless we put a real focus on catching up, we might see a crisis in several years' time."

    Public Health England said GP practices in the city had continued to offer childhood immunisations during the pandemic and there was no backlog.

    However, it said the number of doses given out earlier this year was down by about a fifth.

  14. School closing for two weeks due to Covid-19 casespublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    In a letter to parents, Arden Academy said the "decision has not been taken lightly".

    Read More
  15. Blind woman's road crossing video goes viralpublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Vlogger Lucy Edwards is sharing videos on TikTok to document day-to-day tasks.

    Read More
  16. Blind TikTok star 'dispelling sight loss myths'published at 16:38 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Lucy Edwards says there has been a "crazy" reaction to her videos about sight loss on the video app.

    Read More
  17. Second bid to hold model air show is abandonedpublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    A model air show which was due to take place at Weston Park in Staffordshire next month has been cancelled because of the new coronavirus restrictions.

    The event was originally due to take place in June and was moved to 17-18 October because of the restrictions earlier this year.

    Weston Park air showImage source, Weston Park Model Air Show

    The organisers said it was not possible to safely host the event this year, but people can use their tickets to go to next June's event instead.

  18. One lane remains closed after tanker crashpublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Traffic is flowing again on all but one of the lanes of the M5 near Worcester where there was a tanker crash earlier today.

    Highways England said there had been a significant amount of damage to the barrier which would need assessing before it was repaired.

    Damaged barrierImage source, Highways England

    Earlier, the M5 was closed in both directions between junctions six and seven.

    The police said there would be some "residual delays" as a result of the lane closure this evening.

  19. Arson attempt the latest attack on play areas in townpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 23 September 2020

    Vandals have tried to set fire to a wooden climbing frame and Rugby's Millennium Green.

    The borough council said it found blanks and wood and a can of petrol there at the weekend.

    This follows vandalism to parks at Caldicott Park and Whitehall.