We're being warned to expect hospital admissions to increase in two to four weeks' time, as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

Dr Helen Carter, from Public Health England, also said the numbers were rising across all parts of the West Midlands.

Clive Wright, from the Department of Health, said at the moment the capacity for testing exceeds demand and "If we follow the rules there is no need to lock down".

Dr David Rosser, University Hospitals Birmingham, said at the moment about a third of emergency care beds were out of action because of coronavirus cases and that it was "compromising our capability to look after everybody".

He said even if community rates fall, we will see hospital rates go up over the coming weeks, because there is a lag.

Four men have been arrested after stolen catalytic converters were seized from the boot of a car in Dudley.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The "boot-load" of converters, cut from vehicle exhaust pipes, were found by officers on patrol in Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston in the early hours of this morning.

A 22-year-old from Brierley Hill, a 19-year-old man from Wolverley, a 22-year-old man from Dudley and a 25-year-old man from Halesowen remain in police custody for questioning.

Further searches will take place at their home addresses and any linked premises as part of the investigation, said West Midlands Police.

Walsall bring in young strikers Jake Scrimshaw and Adan George on loan from AFC Bournemouth and Birmingham City respectively.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

Pubs, restaurants and bars in Coventry need more financial backing amid fears possible Tier 2 restrictions could lead to further job losses.

Image source, Google

The leader of Coventry City Council, George Duggins, has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of a joint call from West Midlands leaders urging for more financial support for the region’s industry.

Currently hospitality venues in the city must close at 22:00, but should Coventry be placed in Tier 2 then households will be banned from mixing inside.

Councillor Duggins said: “As a group of seven leaders we are writing to Rishi Sunak as we do believe that the hospitality sector although not facing the same restrictions as up north we do believe there should be a package for the sector because of the fact it is struggling at the moment.

People in Dudley are being asked to stop meeting in other people's homes.

Dudley Council said there was evidence "this is a common way in which the virus is being transmitted".

While this guidance is currently voluntary, it said if action wasn't taken now, the rise in cases could qualify it to be in a "high-risk" zone within the next week.

Councillor Patrick Harley, the leader of Dudley Council, said: "We recognise that this is another huge sacrifice for many people in our borough."

The council added: "People can still go to shops, restaurants, pubs or other venues in a maximum group of six from more than one household, as these places have more Covid-19 secure measures in place."

BBC Sport

Worcestershire and Warwickshire will play against each other in the new-look County Championship, when it starts next season.

The 18 counties have been broken up into three groups of six and they will be joined by Essex, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Durham.

Image source, Getty Images

They will play a further four games in another group, which will be determined by where they finish in their initial pool.

Police believe the man's bike was taken after the attack and want to trace two masked men.

Wolves fan Ashley never thought the Wolves defender would score on his England debut, but he did!

It will be illegal for people living in "high risk" or Tier 2 areas of England - like Birmingham and Wolverhampton - to visit the homes of people in lower risk areas, it has been confirmed.

Image source, Getty Images

Those in Tier 2 are allowed to meet as many as five other people outdoors or in gardens - but not if they have to go through their house to get to it.

You're not even allowed to nip in and use the loo, the Department of Health and Social Care told BBC Health Correspondent Catherine Burns.

Prior to the latest restrictions, people living in Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton weren't even allowed to meet in gardens.

You can find more details of local lockdown rules here.

Businesses in high-risk areas of the West Midlands are "being put in an impossible position", the leader of Birmingham City Council has said.

Councillor Ian Ward said they were in no position to be able to police the new restrictions and distinguish which tier their customers were from.

He said it was not clear how the new rules could be enforced and that the only answer was the cooperation of the public.

Mr Ward also said it was not possible for the hospitality industry to continue in the city "without further financial support".

Ann Tonks, the Managing Director of Opus restaurants, said: "We are a zombie economy, we are not fully dead and not fully alive."

She favours a national two-week "circuit breaker" lockdown to what she described as a "death by a thousand cuts", along with more financial support for the sector.

Italian national Salim Youssoufi, who lived in Birmingham, downloaded documents written by al-Qaida.

Birmingham City forward Odin Bailey rejoins League Two club Forest Green Rovers on loan until January.

Shropshire Star

Here are three of the stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Cannabis farm discovered in tattoo parlour, external
• 120 pupils and staff at primary school told to self-isolate, external
• Avara Foods creating over 100 jobs, external

Zobaidah Salangy, 28, went missing from her Bromsgrove home after saying she was going for a jog.

Happy Mondays, Editors and Echo & the Bunnymen are all on the line-up for a new festival launching in Wolverhampton next summer.

West Park will host the Creation Day Festival next May, external curated by the founder of Creation Records, Alan McGee.

The park is also to be the location for the start and finish of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games cycling trial.

Due to coronavirus, a limited number of tickets will be on offer initially - but it's hoped as restrictions are lifted, capacity can be increased.

Barrow sign teenage Birmingham City forward Jayden Reid on loan until January.

Officers handling a convicted terrorist who killed two people had "no specific training", a court hears.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Three teenagers have been arrested in Leominster after a car crashed into about 15 other vehicles in the early hours of this morning.

West Mercia Police said officers were called to Croft Street at around 02:00 when a vehicle was seen being driven erratically.

Image source, Google

Two of the cars it hit were police cars and the two men and one woman from Ludlow were arrested on suspicion of taking a car without the owner’s consent, criminal damage and burglary.

While in custody, one of them was also arrested for assaulting an emergency worker after attacking a police officer.

BBC Radio Shropshire

A Shropshire pub and hotel says it's losing a lot of business, because people think it's in Wales, where different coronavirus restrictions apply.

The Lord Moreton at Gledrid, north of Oswestry, has a Wrexham postcode and the Wrexham area has gone into a Welsh-government-imposed lockdown.

Image source, Google

Graeme Borthwick, the landlord, said "overnight it was like someone just closed the road".

Some ambulances have waited up to an hour before patients could get into A&Es in Birmingham.