BBC Radio Stoke

People in Stoke-on-Trent can stop the city being placed in the new tier four in the future if they act now, a health official said.

Image source, PA Media

At the weekend, areas including London, Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire were placed in the new tier amid rising cases and the discovery of a new variant of coronavirus.

Stoke-on-Trent's infection rate is increasing, from 298.4 per 100,000 people in the seven days to 9 December to 339.3 the week after.

But the city council's director of health, Dr Paul Edmonson-Jones, said residents could control it through social distancing, handwashing and following the other rules.

"There is a lot that we can do and because we know what has happened in London and the south east, we can now take steps up here to make sure we do not go into tier four," he said.

Hauliers trying to move loads to France are facing huge disruption as the border has been closed.

Image source, Reuters

Long queues of lorries have formed in Kent on the way to Dover after the move for 48 hours by the French government.

Concerns at the spread of a new variant of coronavirus have prompted the move.

Anton Gunter runs a freight firm in Telford with loads stuck at Dover, but said he could understand the action.

"Covid is not going away, this new strain seems just as serious so for me I can fully understand why borders have been closed," he said.

While Phil Hulton, from hauliers DWP and Sons in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, said he was trying to re-route lorries with four now stuck in Kent.

"We have diverted a number of others either away from the problem or we have moved them around into another port."

Marian McNamee
Reporter, BBC CWR

A therapy pony has been spreading Christmas cheer among children in Coventry unable to visit Santa's grotto this year.

The American miniature pony called Boo normally visits care homes, special schools and hospitals - but unable to carry out those visits she has been doing doorstep visits.

Owner Yvette Colson said "people would just light up when they saw her".

"My mum used to have Alzheimer's and was in a care home and as she deteriorated I used to take Boo in to visit her, and it was the only thing that would make her eat and drink and smile on the odd occasion."

Stoke-on-Trent Live

A few of the headlines from the Stoke-on-Trent Live website:

• 'Teen gang press knives to boy's tummy' in terrifying street mugging, external
• Asda says sorry after cancer-hit woman asked to go to store to pick up online shop, external
• Gran says 'thank you' to NHS staff after her cancelled cancer op goes ahead, external

Julia Rawson's friends remember her not as a murder victim but a talented, vibrant and humorous woman.

People are being warned not to take dangerous substances after horse tranquilisers and painkillers were stolen in a break-in.

The burglary happened in Moss Lane, Stone, Staffordshire, on Friday morning, police said., external

Along with 20 sachets of horse medications, several power tools were also taken.

Officers said the antibiotics, tranquilisers and painkillers were only suitable for very large horses.

Warwickshire's England Under-19s batsman Dan Mousley signs a new three-year deal at Edgbaston.

An entertainment venue in Hereford said it was closing until the new year due to the rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus.

That is despite Herefordshire being one of only a handful of places in England in tier one - facing the least strict measures - and has one the lowest rates of new cases in the country.

However the latest figures show a rising number of new infections.

Image source, Google

The Left Bank Village and De Koffie Pot cafe said it felt the move was "the correct course of action" with cases rising and cancelled its New Year's Eve celebrations.

It added instead, if the council approved, it would set off fireworks at midnight to celebrate new year from a secret location which people could watch from home.

In the post on Facebook, the venue said, external it would only reopen in the new year when it felt safe to do so.

A trio of refuse collectors from Wolverhampton, whose dancing videos went viral, are still hoping to make it into the Christmas charts with their charity single.

Jack Johnson, Henry Wright and Adrian Breakwell are partly fundraising for Christmas presents for children who would otherwise miss out with their single Boogie Round the Bins at Christmas Time.

The group appeared on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday and said it had been a "whirlwind year" after they became hugely popular online, with the possibility of more TV work in the new year.

"We’re just ordinary bin men, we're so surprised at how far it’s gone," Mr Wright said.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

About 60 tractors took part in a charity run in Warwickshire at the weekend, raising thousands of pounds for local charities.

The event, organised by Sheepy and District Ploughing Association, set out to raise £1,000, but more than £17,500 has so far been donated.

One of the organisers Colin Goadby said he'd been left "absolutely gobsmacked" by the response.

The decorated tractors could be seen around Atherstone and North Warwickshire on Friday night and Nuneaton and Bedworth on Saturday.

"The numbers of people who came out to see us was just incredible," he said.

"I think it was so popular because everybody has gone so long without having anything to celebrate," he added.

The money will be shared between two hospices and the local air ambulance service.

A pub has been fined £10,000 after police found two tables inside made up of people from different households.

Image source, Getty Images

West Mercia Police said , externalit issued the penalty last week in Telford and gave individual fines to the people on both tables.

The town is currently in tier two which means people are not allowed to mix indoors with anyone apart from members of their household or bubble.

The force also gave out a £10,000 fine after finding about 50 people gathered in an industrial unit in Dawley Bank on Saturday evening.

The large penalty went to the organiser while several individual fines were issued.

A man has died after being hit by a car.

The pedestrian was on Church Lane, Cookhill, near Alcester, Warwickshire, on Sunday evening when the crash happened, the ambulance service said., external

Crews found the man in a critical condition and he died at the scene.

A number of flights from Birmingham Airport have been cancelled as a growing number of countries enforce border restrictions on travellers from the UK.

Flights between Germany, Italy, Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland and Birmingham have been cancelled due to the ban, which is being enforced due to a new strain of Covid-19.

Image source, PA Media

Twelve flights from Birmingham have already been cancelled this morning, the airport said, and BBC WM political reporter Kathryn Stanczyszyn said the departure board was "a bit of a list of red".

Travellers who had already arrived at the airport were left confused, with some not having heard from their airlines that their flights had been cancelled.

Passengers Janet and Simon were due to travel to Madeira but were left "utterly disappointed" after their trip was cancelled 10 minutes before departure, despite assurances from their travel agent last night the trip would still go ahead.

The couple are "desperate" to get away though so are looking at last-minute flights to other locations.

People along rivers in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are being warned the threat of flooding will remain for the next few days.

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Step Counter

More rain is forecast for the areas over the next few days and the Environment Agency has two flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, in place., external

They cover the River Wye from Hereford to Ross-on-Wye and the River Severn near Kempsey, Worcestershire.

There are also more than a dozen flood alerts in the West Midlands including neighbouring counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Jennifer Batty, 59, died in hospital after being hit on Friday at the junction of Brettell Lane.

A decision to close France's border with the UK due to a new strain of coronavirus is causing major problems for hauliers.

Image source, PA Media

"Most of the vehicles that are travelling out predominantly to the Belgium area yesterday are still this side of the channel," said Chris Blackburn from Chambers & Cook Freight Limited in Witton, Birmingham.

"We’ve got three days to go before Christmas and then Brexit following that, it’s making things unachievable."

On Sunday, transport secretary Grant Shapps urged people not to travel to ports in Kent, saying "significant disruption" was likely.

There are some 2,500 logistics firms in the West Midlands and the region accounted for 9% of all the UK's exports in 2019, with just under half of that going across the channel.

Three lanes have been closed on the M6 northbound carriageway after a crash this morning, leading to long delays.

The crash happened just before Junction 3A for Nuneaton and the M6 toll, with traffic stretching back to Junction 3.

Express and Star

The Express and Star is covering these stories today:

• Leaders urge residents to follow new Covid rules as 'out of control' virus strain emerges, external
• Burntwood girl receives 'best Christmas present ever' after surgery to fix spine, external
• Former Goodyear workers donate £5,000 of food to Wolverhampton charities, external

The occupant of an eighth floor flat had to be taken to hospital yesterday after a fire broke out.

Image source, Google

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service sent six crews to the fire in Derwent House, on Champions Way in Kidderminster, which broke out at about 00:40.

The man had to be rescued and was taken to hospital after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.

The fire service said the blaze was accidental, caused by combustibles too close to the cooker hob.

There is currently no concern for the flooding of properties across Shropshire, the Environment Agency says.

Heavy rainfall in the last few days has meant flood alerts are in place for the rivers Severn and Teme and flood barriers are up in Frankwell.

However there is no cause for concern in Ironbridge, which was badly hit during Storm Dennis earlier this year, and flood barriers remain down.

Image source, Getty Images