BBC Radio Shropshire

A number of care homes will be forced to close due to a drop in demand because of Covid-19, according to the chief executive of a care provider.

Image source, Google

Coverage Care has 14 homes in Shropshire, looks after 800 residents and has more than 1,000 members of staff.

Chief executive David Coull said the organisation's lost up to £600,000 this year.

He added many homes won't recover despite financial help from the government and local authorities.

"There isn't the current demand. I don't know a single care home in the county that isn't dealing with significantly more vacancies than they ever would have imagined before," he said.

Shropshire Star

The Shropshire Star has these stories today:

• Bridgnorth pub manager's license revoked after coronavirus breaches, external
• Criticism as magistrates court trials are moved 25 miles away from Shropshire, external
• Scammers imitate police officers in Telford, external

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

More than £500,000 may have to be spent by Herefordshire Council to reopen the swimming pool in Hereford.

Image source, Google

The site has been shut since flooding in October 2019, which happened again in February. It caused "substantial" damage to the site.

A report to the council has said, external some of the repairs will be covered by insurance, but others, such as electrical work and concrete, will need to be pay for by the council.

The proposal is to use other budgets to cover the cost, but borrow up to £505,000 if they don't. A decision is due to be taken by the full council on Friday.

Coventry Live

A few of the headlines on Coventry Live today:

• Sharp rise in Covid-19 infection rates across Coventry and Warwickshire, external
• Driver rescued from flooded car, external
• Future of Nuneaton's iconic Dandelion Fountain confirmed, external

BBC Radio Shropshire

An independent cinema has to "battle through" to Christmas if it is going to stay open in the long term, according to its manager.

Image source, Google

Cinemas are facing a tough climate at the moment in the pandemic with several big-budget films delayed, including the premiere of James Bond film No Time To Die.

James Frizzell manages the Majestic in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and said people were still worried to come to the cinema due to Covid-19 and it had had a tough couple of months.

He said his staff of 12 were only putting on one show a day in the week and they were relying on getting to Christmas when several large films, including Wonder Woman 1984, are currently due to open.

"If we can hold out to Christmas, I think there is a way forward for us, I think we can do it. If we can just battle through and people support us," he said.

A teenage girl has been racially abused and attacked while on a bus in West Bromwich.

Image source, Google

The 16-year-old was on the 79 service in Moxley on Thursday 1 October when West Midlands Police said , externalan argument broke out.

A fellow male passenger abused her and then kicked her.

The force said her attacker was then thrown to the ground by another passenger who then stamped on his head.

The 16-year-old girl has been spoken to by officers, who are examining mobile phone footage shared on social media.

BBC Business News

New UK car registrations fell 4.4% in September from a year earlier, according to the motor industry.

That made it the worst September this century in what is normally the industry's second most important month.

Image source, PA Media

There were just 328,041 new registrations in the month, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The sector is incredibly important to the West Midlands. A report for the combined authority last year , externalsaid the automotive workforce in the West Midlands was more than double the size of that in any other region.

SMMT said the industry faced a "very challenging" short-term future unless "the pandemic is controlled and economy-wide consumer and business confidence rebuilt".

Read more.

Bus passengers in Birmingham will be using hydrogen-fuelled buses from April under a new scheme in the city.

Image source, National Express West Midlands

The council's bought 20 double deckers, external fitted with the technology which National Express West Midlands will be trialling next year.

Water is the only exhaust emission from hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.

The council said the move would help improve Birmingham's poor air quality.

Jonathan Houseman is remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

Singer and musicians will perform behind perspex screens at a rearranged jazz festival later this month due to Covid-19 guidelines.

Image source, Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival

The Birmingham, Sandwell and Westside Jazz Festival was postponed in July due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers said the rearranged festival, from 16 to 25 October, would feature 36 events including a jazz film show as well as live music.

Scaffolding on the tower at Shrewsbury flax mill is removed after major restoration work.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Care providers in Herefordshire will get the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need this winter, the county council has pledged.

Since the pandemic began, the local authority said it had spent nearly £1m on gloves, masks, aprons and visors, and it currently has stock to last between seven and nine weeks.

Paul Smith, from the council, said about 40,000 masks were collected by care staff each week and it was sure it would be able to keep supplies going over the crucial winter period.

"I am really confident that we're continuing to do a really excellent job and we will continue to provide the support that the care providers absolutely need," he said.

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had a mix of sunshine and some rain around today so probably not a great surprise some of our local BBC Weather Watchers have been snapping photos of rainbows.

Here are three from users Graham's Vista in Erdington, Birmingham, Basilbrush in Chetwynd Aston, Shropshire and Ray in Oakengates, Shropshire:

Image source, Graham's Vista

Image source, Basilbrush

Image source, Ray

Stoke-on-Trent Live

These stories are being covered by the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today:

• Man found with serious injuries in Stoke-on-Trent street dies on way to hospital, external
• Hanley traders demand action as trouble-plagued city centre goes 'mental', external
• Former footballer reveals 'living hell' of losing beloved wife to cancer, external

The manager of a pub in Bridgnorth has had their licence revoked, police said.

West Mercia Police said action was taken against the manager of the New Inn in St Mary’s Street after reports of "crime and disorder and breaches of COVID-19 regulations".

A new manager has now been appointed and the pub is trading as usual, it said.

Image source, Google

PC Matt Picken: “Despite our attempts to work with the designated premises supervisor, problems with the venue continued causing disruption and concern to the local community."

BBC Sport

Wasps secured a home semi-final in the Premiership play-offs with a bonus-point win over depleted leaders Exeter.

Image source, Getty Images

Jacob Umaga, Dan Robson, Jimmy Gopperth, Josh Bassett and Ben Vellacott scored their tries.

The result means Wasps will return to the Ricoh Arena next weekend to host either Bristol, who moved into third after a bonus-point win at London Irish, or Sale, if the Sharks earn a bonus-point win over Worcester on Wednesday in their rearranged final game.

Will the pandemic bring the final curtain down on am-dram - or could technology prove its saviour?

Birmingham Live

The Birmingham Live website is covering these stories today:

• Jaguar Land Rover worker shamed for drive-by 'mystery liquid' attacks in Solihull, external
• Police break up lock-in at Birmingham pub two hours after curfew, external
• Murders soar in lockdown Birmingham and West Midlands, external

Warwickshire sign former England white-ball international spinner Danny Briggs on a three-year contract from Sussex.

A 16-year-old remains in police custody after the incident on Lightwood Road, police say.