Around the web: Mass vaccination centres to be set uppublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Some of the Express and Star headlines today are:
Summary
Updates from Monday 30 November to Sunday 6 December
Around the web: Mass vaccination centres to be set uppublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
How I found a stranger to tend my loved one's gravepublished at 11:37 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
A woman from Solihull has begun tending the grave of a man she never met after an appeal on social media by his son.
Christine Hastie is looking after the memorial plot to John Bassett at Robin Hood cemetery.
Covid restrictions prevented his son Jason from travelling down from Scotland.
In return Jason is caring for the grave of Christine's mother.
Media caption, Covid: How I found a stranger to tend my loved one's grave at Christmas.
More average speed cameras planned for citypublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceMore average speed cameras could be installed in Coventry, along Foleshill Road.
They will be set up between its junction with the A444 and Harnall Lane West, on the other side of the road to the cameras installed in June.
Image source, GoogleCity councillors will be asked to approve the cameras when they meet next Wednesday and they could go live early next year.
Councillor Pat Hetherton said: “We were having problems with speeding and felt it makes sense to extend it the whole way along the road.“
It has already been agreed that three other new average speed camera routes, on Longford Road, Bell Green Road and Old Church Road, will go live in the new year.
Plans for bypass and link road likely to be scrappedpublished at 10:53 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
BBC Radio Hereford and WorcesterPlans to build a western bypass and southern link road for Hereford look set to be scrapped by Herefordshire Council.
Instead the ruling coalition of the independents, It's Our County Group and Greens wants a cheaper road bridge to the east of the city, and more walking and cycling improvements.
Image source, GoogleIt said it wants to invest more money in walking, cycling and public transport, to try to reduce congestion in the city centre.
Councillor John Harrington, the council's cabinet member for transport, said: "This idea that loads of people are trying to bypass Hereford is just untrue."
He added that building it wouldn't "solve the problem".
Primark says autumn shut down cost it £430m in salespublished at 10:36 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
BBC Business NewsBudget clothing retailer Primark has increased its estimate of how much the recent lockdowns cost in lost sales.
It now says that autumn store closures meant it missed out on £430m of sales, up from a previous estimate of £375m.
Image source, Getty ImagesHowever, it said sales since reopening, including in England this week, had "once again been very strong".
Primark does not sell online, and on reopening on Wednesday, pent-up demand saw queues form at several stores, including the world's largest in Birmingham.
The Birmingham store was also among a handful kept open 24 hours to mark the end of lockdown.
The chain's owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), said it expected this financial year - which runs from September - to produce higher sales and profits at Primark than in the previous 12 months.
Around the web: Thug rams police car in carjackingpublished at 10:03 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Birmingham LiveSome of the Birmingham Live headlines today include:
Warriors fans returning to Sixwayspublished at 09:46 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
BBC Radio Hereford and WorcesterWorcester Warriors fans will be returning to watch live rugby tomorrow, with 2,000 fans being allowed in to their Sixways stadium.
It's the first time Warriors fans have been allowed into the ground since the start of the pandemic.
Image source, Getty ImagesA ballot among the season ticket holder determined who was lucky enough to get a ticket.
Temporary vaccination centres to be set uppublished at 09:19 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Press AssociationMass vaccination centres could be set up at the Black Country Living Museum and Birmingham's Millennium Point, the Press Association is reporting.
Image source, ReutersBoth venues will become vaccine hubs, forming part of a network of 46 such centres in the coming weeks, it understands.
Parts of Malvern's Three Counties' Showground in Worcestershire and the Villa Park site, home of Aston Villa FC, are also being mooted as possible venues, according to local government sources.
NHS England is not confirming the locations of any mass vaccination sites, though PA has approached all the venues for comment.
Yesterday, the NHS confirmed at least six hospitals in the region would be used to store and administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which needs to be kept at -70C.
Suspected unexploded device found in canalpublished at 08:55 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Explosives experts are due to arrive in Smethwick to deal with a suspected unexploded device in the canal.
Rabone Road by the park was cordoned off last night.
Police are advising drivers to avoid the area until the device has been dealt with.
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End of twitter postRestaurants launch tier three legal challengepublished at 08:42 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
BBC Radio WMRestaurants across the West Midlands are seeking a judicial review of the government's decision to close hospitality in areas in tier three coronavirus restrictions.
It's being made on behalf of 256 restaurants, most of them in Birmingham, and they're demanding the government produces more scientific data to justify the decision.
If the government can't then they want more financial support to stop businesses going under, or a relaxation of the rules, to allow them to open as usual.
What's the weather got in store?published at 08:23 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayIt's expected to be a cloudy and cold day with some rain that could turn into sleet later and highs of 5C (41F).
Media caption, Latest weather for the West Midlands
Live coverage across the West Midlandspublished at 07:58 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2020
Vanessa Pearce
BBC NewsWelcome to our live service for Friday.
We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.
We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:59 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
Andy Giddings
BBC NewsWe'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow.
Hospital porters in strike actionpublished at 18:53 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
BBC Midlands TodayPorters at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham are taking industrial action today over changes to their rotas which they say will affect their pay.
They've already staged two days of action in October over the plans.
The trust which runs the hospital wants to bring in a rotating shift pattern for the staff, who are responsible for transporting patients around the site, said the union Unison.
“Discussions are ongoing to resolve the dispute,” said University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
Car boot Harry Potter book 'could fetch £50k'published at 18:39 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
The rare first edition had been destined for a 50p box at a car boot sale in Blackpool.
Read MoreYour comments: Coronavirus vaccinationspublished at 18:31 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
FacebookThe news that coronavirus vaccinations will start soon has been provoking a lot of comment on the BBC Midlands Facebook page.
Some have got concerns about the vaccine, but Julie Wood wrote: "I think we owe it to the NHS ,Carers and other key workers who have put themselves at risk from day one of this epidemic to have the vaccine, and all try and protect each other and our loved ones."
And Hilda Linford added: "Brilliant news some light at the end of the tunnel."
Image source, Getty ImagesBut Dean Szymanski took one look at the size of the needle in the photo above and joking said it wasn't the conspiracies that bothered him - instead he wrote, "I'm not having that javelin jabbed in my arm."
'Large amount of drugs' uncovered in raidpublished at 18:12 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
A "large amount of drugs" have been found at a property in Telford, West Mercia Police has said.
Officers raided the address in Sutton Hill this morning and also arrested two men, aged 18 and 51, on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Investigation into river damage reportspublished at 17:50 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
The Environment Agency said it is treating reports of damage to the River Lugg in Herefordshire "very seriously".
It said it was investigating, along with Natural England and the Forestry Commission, and that immediate action had been taken to prevent any further work.
It also said the site is of environmental importance and is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Former social worker jailed for sex offencespublished at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
Joseph Hopkins, 78, sexually assaulted a boy while working in the 1990s, police say.
Read MorePremier League and English Football League agree rescue packagepublished at 17:28 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2020
The Premier League and English Football League (EFL) have agreed a £250m rescue package to help ease the financial challenge faced by EFL clubs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Image source, ReutersEFL chairman Rick Parry said it was a "welcome, tangible commitment to the professional game at a time when it has needed it most".
It comes as football fans in England returned to grounds last night after restrictions were eased in some parts of the country including Shrewsbury Town.