Wolverhampton's dancing binmen are hoping to bring the cheer at Christmas

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

The head of the biggest NHS trust in England said it now had more patients with coronavirus than any other NHS provider in the country.

Image source, PA Media

The chief executive of University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), Dr David Rosser, told a briefing this afternoon there were currently 452 Covid positive patients across three of its hospitals.

He said November’s admissions were on course to be double that of both March and April.

Dr Rosser also said he was struggling to understand why the trust was likely to be again the hardest-hit in the country in terms of admissions during this second wave.

Currently UHB is keeping one of its four hospitals, Solihull, as a "Covid free" treatment centre, but Dr Rosser said the trust was "close" to having to use that site for emergency Covid patients as well.

He said at the moment using Solihull would be preferable to using Birmingham's NHS Nightingale hospital because of issues with staffing what would be a fifth site for them.

Three bin workers have released a new Christmas track in an attempt to bring some festive cheer.

Boogie Round The Bins At Christmas Time has been released with a video, showing the three men dancing as they make the rounds in Wolverhampton.

Jack Johnson, Henry Wright and Ade Breakwell are hoping to bag the Christmas number one spot - with some of the proceeds going to charity.

The trio went viral during the first lockdown with their dancing TikTok videos.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Emergency funding for sports in England will be "really, really wanted" according to a netball coach in Worcester.

Image source, Getty Images

The government has announced the rescue package of £300m in England for sports impacted by the absence of spectators because of coronavirus.

Netball is being given £4m from the total split between England Netball and the Superleague.

Severn Stars Netball team, based in Worcester, are part of the Superleague and head coach Melissa Bessell said the funding was very welcome.

"For us it is going to be really important to get that money back into the clubs and the real grassroots for netball," she said.

Areema Nasreen's sister says the fund will create "amazing opportunities".

A 65-year-old man arrested in Belfast over the blasts is reported to be Michael Patrick Reilly.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website is covering these stories today:

• Murder investigation underway after woman dies following incident in Staffordshire, external
• Stoke-on-Trent set to be plunged into toughest tier when second lockdown ends, external
• Six Covid marshals are set to patrol Stoke-on-Trent's shops, external

A 27-year-old man, from Tamworth, is arrested on suspicion of murder, police say.

Warwickshire is the best area in England for bus punctuality, according to new figures.

Image source, PA Media

Department for Transport (DfT) data showed only 3% of non-frequent services were at least six minutes late in the year to the end of March 2019.

Leicestershire had the worst punctuality rate with 37% of services running late.

The figures - arranged by local authority - are the latest made available by the DfT.

They define non-frequent services as those scheduled to pick up and drop off at five stops or less per hour.

A lorry driver has died after it is believed he suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel on the M5 today, the ambulance service said., external

Emergency services were called to the motorway just before 07:00 near to West Bromwich to reports an HGV had crashed into barriers.

Paramedics found bystanders already giving the driver CPR and took over but said he died at the scene.

Charlie Adlard has been working with Shropshire Council to create the Zombie-themed images.

Follow live text commentary from Manchester United v West Brom.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

A school has been told to pay £187,000 in legal costs after unsuccessfully trying to stop another school opening a rival sixth form.

Image source, Google

John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, had challenged a Department of Education decision to allow the move by Dene Magna in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire.

But a High Court judge ruled in the government's favour and left John Kyrle with the legal bill.

The school said the legal challenge was worthwhile to protect the school and jobs for the future.

But Paul Deneen, from the National Education Union, said the school had let down parents and pupils.

"I think it is unacceptable that funding which was supposed to be available for the teaching of children should have been used for legal fees. It is absolutely ridiculous," he said.

Coventry Live

Some of the Coventry Live headlines today include:

• Bedworth family left 'one hour from tragedy' after huge carbon monoxide leak, external
• Plans to redevelop Coventry travellers site, external
• Man taken to hospital after M6 lorry crash, external

A number of properties have been evacuated in Bewdley after reports of grenades being found, police say.

A cordon is in place at an address in Kidderminster Road in the town.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal operators are at the scene, it said.

A locomotive came off the tracks near Bromsgrove, in the path of an oncoming passenger train.

The un-named officer is dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

Shots have been fired at a house in Coventry.

The shooting happened on Poole Road at about 20:46, West Midlands Police said., external

Officers believe a man on a motorbike fired the shots before driving off.

No-one was hurt but the house has been damaged.

Three men have been injured in two separate shooting incidents in Birmingham on Thursday.

The first happened shortly after 17:40 in Vaughton Street when a man was taken to hospital with potentially serious injuries, said the ambulance service.

Two men were also taken to hospital after the second incident in Ventor Avenue in Lozells at 22:00.

They were also treated for potentially serious injuries.

Officers investigating a knife-point robbery in Birmingham have released CCTV images of men they would like to speak to.

Image source, West Midlands Police

An 18-year-old was threatened with the weapon during a robbery near Moor Street Station on the evening of 31 October, police said.

He was told to hand over his hoodie and belt before the thieves made off, officers added.