Sarah Partridge is "absolutely gutted" Covid restrictions have forced her to find a third date.

Some of the most striking images taken by news photographers covering the coronavirus pandemic in the UK are featured on our website today.

They include this photo of students at Bristnall Hall Academy, near Birmingham, celebrating their GCSE results on 20 August:

Image source, Jacob King/Reuters

Also, the moment 90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person to receive the Pfizer Covid vaccine in December in Coventry is included.

Image source, Jacob King/AFP

BBC Sport

Shrewsbury Town have had their New Year's Day League One derby with Crewe Alexandra called off following an outbreak of coronavirus.

Image source, PA Media

The Shropshire club say two of their players - both unnamed - have tested positive for Covid-19.

The entire playing and backroom staff will now self-isolate in accordance with EFL and government guidelines.

It is a second successive postponement for Crewe, who are not scheduled to play again now until 16 January.

Birmingham Live

The Birmingham Live website has these headlines today:

• Scores of Brummies back Tier 4 lockdown, external
• New Year Honours for music legend Apache Indian, city LGBT activist and disability champions, external
• Edgbaston Barclays to close as bank axes over 60 branches in first three months of 2021, external

An ice rink in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral has closed due to tighter Covid restrictions.

Image source, Coventry City of Culture Trust

The city, along with the rest of Warwickshire, moved into tier four today with residents told they should stay at home as much as they can.

The Coventry Glides rink was opened by the Coventry City of Culture Trust at the start of December and they said 15,000 people had used it.

But tier four restrictions have forced them to close, external and all future bookings will be fully refunded.

Former sprinter Donna Fraser has been appointed an OBE in the New Year's Honours for services to equality, inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

Image source, PA Media

The 48-year-old finished fourth at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and won bronze medals at the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

She became Birmingham-based UK Athletics' equality, diversity and engagement lead in 2017.

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had more snow and it's been a frosty start as you can see from these photos from our BBC Weather Watchers.

These are from users Zan in Leek, Staffordshire, Paxtonman in Tedstone Delamere, Herefordshire and Skye in Clee Hill, Shropshire:

Image source, Zan

Image source, Paxtonman

Image source, Skye

Parts of Shropshire and Staffordshire could see travel disruption lasting into the afternoon due to ice and snow.

The Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place until 14:00., external

Image source, Met Office

Express and Star

The Express and Star is covering these stories:

• Black Country and Staffordshire plunged into Tier 4 and tougher restrictions, external
• Unsung heroes in the Black Country and Staffordshire named in New Year's Honours, external
• Frosty mornings and cold nights expected as West Midlands heads into the New Year, external

Former Wolves midfielder and England World Cup winner Ron Flowers has been appointed MBE.

Flowers made it onto the Queen's New Years Honours list for his services to football.

Image source, PA Media

Jimmy Greaves joins fellow England teammate Flowers in becoming MBEs.

They're the last surviving members of the 1966 squad to be honoured and Wolves writer David Harrison said never has there been a more worthy recipient., external

BBC Midlands Today

Worcester Warriors game in rugby union's Premiership on Friday has been called off because of Covid-19.

Image source, Getty Images

Harlequins were due to visit Worcester but one of their squad was found to have the virus and a further six players have been ruled out after a "forensic contact tracing process".

Worcester have said they "support" the cancellation of the match and that "the safety of players, officials and staff in these worrying times is the sole consideration when making these decisions".

A league panel will now decide on the allocation of points.

The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson, has been knighted.

Mr Thompson's honour is in recognition of his services to policing over a 30 year career spent at Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police.

Image source, West Midlands Police

The 51-year-old father-of-two joined the West Midlands force in 2010 and took up the top role six years later.

He said he was "genuinely humbled" to receive the knighthood., external

"This has been possible because of the support of my family, specifically my parents, my wife and our children," he said.

"Everyday officers and staff in this force put themselves at great peril for the public and I am humbled I get to work with you all. Thank you."

BBC Midlands Today

Thousands of people are now living under the toughest coronavirus restrictions as the majority of the West Midlands has been moved into tier four.

Image source, PA Media

Birmingham and the Black Country, Coventry, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Warwickshire are now tier four zones.

This means people are urged to stay at home following a rapid increase in Covid-19 infections.

While accepting the need for tougher restrictions, Paul Faulkner from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said more support was needed from the government.

"It is really quite staggering that while the new tiers are introduced and businesses are forced to obey these restrictions there is no additional support for them to help them through this period."

BBC Weather

Another cold day, mainly dry but with some lingering patches of fog or freezing fog. Sunny where the fog clears with a high of 3C/37F.

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Videoman

A largely clear night for most but some places will have some patchy cloud and more fog will develop. Frosty with a low of -1C/30F.

You can keep up-to-date on your local weather forecast via the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Welcome to the start of our live service for Thursday.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates for the West Midlands.

You can let us know about stories in your area via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

Without a move to tier three, Worcestershire's health bosses said the county would have likely seen the number of cases double within two weeks.

Dr Kathryn Cobain, Director for Public Health for Worcestershire, said the emergence of the new variant of Covid-19 in England made the decision to move tiers necessary.

"It won’t be easy for the residents of Worcestershire, but we can pull together to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases," she said.

Image source, Getty Images

Dr Cobain urged people to "follow the new rules" and to do the basics like following social distancing measures and limit both travel and contacts.

Bromsgrove has the highest infection rate in the county.

Figures for the seven days to Christmas Day show there were 272.3 new infections per 100,000 people - up from 193.2.

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

The leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council said she was "hugely disappointed" to go in to tier four "particularly as residents and businesses have worked really hard to drive down infection rates in the city over recent weeks."

But Abi Brown also said "we understand the government’s precautionary approach in moving the majority of the region into tier four."

Ms Brown said it was now important that everyone follows the rules and “If we all pull together and remember to follow the guidance we will get through this.”

There's concern that with the majority of the West Midlands under tier four restrictions from tomorrow, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire might become attractive for people looking to dodge the restrictions on shops and other attractions.

Before Christmas, when Herefordshire was allowed to go in to tier one restrictions briefly, West Mercia Police asked people from higher risk areas to stay away.

And the police in Wales have had to act over the Christmas period to turn people away from the Brecon Beacons.

The leader of Telford and Wrekin Council tweeted this message earlier, to say he wants to see the police take a firm line again.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

It was the news nobody wanted but everybody expected.

Britain’s second city and most of the rest of the Midlands will wake up tomorrow morning facing the strictest restrictions in tier four.

Infection rates are not as high as they are in London and the South East, but they have continued their inexorable rise.

Image source, PA Media

Lisa McNally, the director of public health for neighbouring Sandwell tweeted that positive cases had gone up 21% in seven days in Birmingham and the Black Country.

The University Hospitals Birmingham Trust has more than 500 Covid patients in its four hospitals, nearly 100 more than a week ago.

At the peak of the first wave it was treating more than 700, but Andy Street, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands told me that now was the time to act, because tier three was “no longer working”.

The city centre was busier today than it has been for some time as people took their last chance for some retail therapy in non-essential shops.

There was an air of resignation as everything began to close. One teenager told me she was sad because she had “just turned 18" and hadn't "been able to do any of things you’re supposed to be able to do at 18”.