Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

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

Live updates have now ended for the West Midlands.

We'll be back with you from 08:00 tomorrow with all the latest news, sport, travel and weather.

Staff were threatened with a knife and two customers assaulted during an attempted robbery in Coventry, police say.

Image source, Google

The Costcutter store on Tile Hill Lane was targeted at about 19:45 on Saturday.

The two men demanded money from the till but left empty-handed, said West Midlands Police.

The force is asking for anyone with information to come forward.

Four children were killed in a house fire in Stafford in 2019 caused by a discarded cigarette.

A cyclist has died after being hit by a van in Herefordshire earlier.

The crash happened just after 10:30 on the B4203 High Lane, towards Tedstone Wafre, near Bromyard police said.

The man in his 70s died at the scene, said West Mercia Police.

A games company based in Warwickshire is set to be bought by games giant Electronic Arts in a deal worth an estimated $1.2bn (£1bn).

Image source, Codemasters

Codemasters based in Southam, near Leamington Spa is best known for its racing games, including the Dirt Rally series and Formula 1 licences. EA owns the global franchise to Need for Speed.

Codemasters' senior management team, including the chief executive and chief financial officer, would remain with the company during the transition to EA, with the deal expected to be completed by the end of March 2021, it said.

The company was founded in 1986 by brothers David and Richard Darling, who were making games in the 1980s when they were school boys.

PC Neil Ward repeatedly made unwanted comments to female staff, Warwickshire Police says.

Two further fines have been issued to a football club accused by West Midlands Police of flouting lockdown restrictions.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The force said 20 fines had now been issued at Walsall Wood FC since April, adding a club official had been on the premises when officers forced entry to the premises last week.

Chief Supt Andy Parsons described the actions of the club as a "reckless breach" of coronavirus restrictions.

Club chairman Justin Hodgin has previously said he was unaware of earlier breaches and denied he refused the keys to police.

A force spokesman said it was now reviewing the club's licence.

Areas in tier three in the West Midlands are among the first to start community coronavirus testing programmes, according to the Department of Health., external

More than 1.6 million of the rapid lateral flow tests will be delivered for community testing this month, the government said.

It is hoped, along with existing measures, it could help lead to an easing of restrictions in tier three areas.

The community testing is in addition to schemes run by local directors of public health. They have been able to request a set number of lateral flow tests to be used in their area, regardless of tier, since early November.

These are the areas in the West Midlands the tests will be introduced:

Birmingham; Dudley; Sandwell; Cannock Chase; East Staffordshire; Lichfield; Newcastle-under-Lyme; South Staffordshire; Stafford; Staffordshire Moorlands; Tamworth; Stoke-on-Trent; North Warwickshire; Nuneaton and Bedworth; Rugby; Stratford-on-Avon; Warwick; Wolverhampton and Solihull.

Matthew Mason, 19, told his ex-partner he killed 15-year-old Alex Rodda, a court hears.

A couple from Halesowen are among the first patients to receive the Pfizer/BionTech coronavirus vaccine at a local GP surgery.

Image source, PA Media

Gerry and Maureen Hughes, aged 81 and 84, received their jabs on Monday afternoon at the town's Feldon Lane Surgery.

Image source, PA Media

Speaking to the media after having the vaccine, Mrs Hughes, a retired telephonist, said she now hoped to be able to see family members at Christmas.

"It means an awful lot," she said.

"I can't thank the people enough that have made this vaccine possible.

"We're just really excited."

Mr Hughes, a former automotive industry manufacturing director, said: "I think people don't recognise what goes on behind the scenes - and logistically, what they have achieved in bringing these vaccines to a surgery, I think is fantastic."

Tributes have been paid to former Liverpool and Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier, who has died aged 73.

Former Aston Villa player Darren Bent said the former manager had taught him to "see things differently".

Former England full-back Ashley Young, now at Inter Milan, played under Houllier at Aston Villa.

He tweeted: "Great man not just manager."

Express and Star

Some of the Express and Star headlines today include:

• Three arrests as violence breaks out on Tipton street, external
• Woman denies murdering Wolverhampton man found beaten to death in flat, external
• Former Aston Villa and Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier dies aged 73, external

The man in his 60s was found in the vehicle in a village in the Malvern Hills.

The stately home on the edge of Snowdonia has been owned by Warwickshire County Council since 1971.

A pedestrian was taken to hospital after being hit by a car in Birmingham.

Emergency services were called to Moor Street just after 17:00 on Sunday, police said.

The woman in her 90s suffered bruising to her head, the force added.

The driver remained at the scene.

Two boys and a woman have been arrested following the pursuit of a stolen car, police say.

An axe was also found in the vehicle that was carrying cloned plates in Hawthorne Road, Kingstanding, in Birmingham just before 13:00 on Sunday.

The car made off and was pursued for several minutes before the driver abandoned it in Hamm Walk, Erdington, where all three were apprehended, said West Midlands Police.

Two boys aged 15 and 16, along with a 22-year-old woman, are being questioned on suspicion of car theft and possessing an offensive weapon.

The 16-year-old is also being questioned on suspicion of failing to stop for police.

Coventry Live

These are some of the Coventry Live headlines today:

• Covid-19 rate begins to rise in Coventry as Tier review imminent, external
• Paramedics fought to save pair killed in Solihull smash, external
• Parish council's plea to save under-threat pharmacy, external

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC Radio WM

Dr Mohit Mandiratta spoke to me before the first Covid-19 vaccinations this morning and said he was excited at what they represented.

His GP surgery in Halesowen is one of the first in the country to start using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Like many others, he's had to avoid hugging vulnerable parents and saw his own wedding postponed because of lockdown

Despite hopes for the future he said we "aren't out of the woods yet" and encouraged people to maintain social distancing and use masks where they should.

The rain may have fallen and the numerous costume changes by Cinderella's step sisters must have been chilly, but the show has gone on for one Warwickshire theatre group.

Tread the Boards began a mini tour , externalof its outdoor pantomime at the weekend, playing to a small socially distanced crowd at Wethele Manor in Leamington Spa.

The company, which is normally resident at The Attic Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, is among those pulling the stops out to keep pantomime alive this year.

And the grateful audience in Leamington enjoyed the gags and sang along with the cast.