BBC Radio Shropshire

An extra hospital ward has been opened in Shropshire to cope with increasing numbers of patients with Covid-19.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said it was currently treating 95 people.

The ward has been opened at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital while in Shrewsbury the intensive care department has expanded into theatre and recovery spaces.

Medical director Arne Rose said they have also made changes after patients had long waits on ambulances this week before being admitted.

"I have instructed my senior A&E doctors to work very closely with the ambulance service so that we can offload those earliest and of greatest need and we can assess anybody waiting in an ambulance for more than 30 minutes," he said.

BBC Weather Watchers

All our BBC Weather Watchers look to have been out in the snow today in the West Midlands, given the dozens of photos coming our way.

Here are three wildlife shots of the wintry weather, from JJ infinity in Penkridge, Staffordshire; Littleacorns in Southam, Warwickshire; and Peanut in Burntwood, Staffordshire:

Image source, JJ infinity

Image source, Littleacorns

Image source, Peanut

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Man suffers 'potentially serious' injuries in crash on A34, external
• Shopworker stabbed during 'unprovoked attack' at popular convenience store, external
• Burglars trap man in bathroom and assault woman during Stoke-on-Trent raid, external

A shop worker has been stabbed on the premises in what police describe as a "totally unprovoked attack".

Image source, Google

The 49-year-old woman was working at the Premier Store on Shady Grove, Alsager, on Friday morning when, Cheshire Police said, she saw a customer looking in the fridge. , external

When she went over and asked whether she could help, she was stabbed in the abdomen and the man fled.

Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

A mass vaccination centre will open in Birmingham on Monday, a regional health chief has confirmed.

Image source, Google

Patients are already being booked to receive the vaccine at Millennium Point, Sally Roberts, chief nursing officer for the Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group told a weekly regional meeting.

People are being asked not to contact the NHS over appointments but wait to be called, she said.

It was hoped another centre at the Black Country Living Museum would open the following week, she added.

The centres will be staffed through volunteers and local networks, including St John Ambulance workers, after an "amazing" response from the public.

The city council leader, Ian Ward, said vaccinations would also soon be available at 17 community pharmacy sites in the city.

Patients are being offered coronavirus vaccinations at a leisure centre in Walsall from today.

The Oak Park Leisure Centre, in Walsall Wood, has been turned into a vaccination hub for the area.

Inoculations are due to start this afternoon.

Dr Francois Bolliger, the lead clinical GP for the site, said they would be administering the vaccine to patients aged over 80.

He said the centre had been set up in conjunction with the local council and 14 GP practices covered by the site.

Coventry Live

These are some of the Coventry Live headlines today:

• Nurse among first to receive Oxford/-straZeneca coronavirus jab at a GP, external
• ‘No evidence’ for new War Memorial parking charges in Coventry, opposition blasts, external
• Eagle-eyed officers spot scammers ripping off 92-year-old woman, external

Dozens of frost and snow images have been shared via the BBC Midlands Instagram account.

An elderly couple were threatened by burglars as they stole a safe from their house.

Image source, Google

Three men forced their way into the home on Vinebank Street, Stoke-on-Trent, on Thursday evening, Staffordshire Police said., external

They began removing a small safe and, when an elderly woman challenged them, they grabbed her arm and restrained her.

One of the intruders also held a door closed to stop a man getting to them before they ran off with the item.

Andy Bridgewater says Bridgestone accuses him of trademark infringement over garden shed flooring firm.

Work is set to start on the demolition of a major fly-over in Birmingham.

The Perry Barr fly-over will make way for a dual carriageway at ground level, as part of £27.1m infrastructure works.

It is expected to cause more than a year of traffic disruption, council papers show.

Work starts later with a full closure expected to be in place by Monday, said West Midlands Network.

Six people, including the sister of one of those killed in the 1974 blasts, are given £200 fines.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Supplies of Covid vaccines are not arriving fast enough in Herefordshire to maximise roll-out, according to one GP.

Image source, PA Media

Dr Crispin Fisher, from Marches Surgery, Leominster, said the practice wanted to give about 2,000 injections a week but didn't have enough doses.

"We are expecting 400 doses for Leominster which is a good start but not nearly enough," he said.

"The current problem we are facing is actually supply issues. We are ready to vaccinate a lot more people than we have vaccine for."

The first deliveries of the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine are expected in Herefordshire today.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government is working with both Pfizer and AstraZeneca to increase supply.

Four men have been charged after drugs and cash were recovered following a raid on a property in Birmingham.

Image source, National Crime Agency

Image source, National Crime Agency

More than 130 kg of cannabis was found on Wednesday evening at the house on Chester Road, Erdington, along with about 600 ecstasy tablets and £30,000 cash.

Some of the packages were vacuum-packed in bags ready to go, others were hidden inside the walls in the loft area of the property, said the National Crime Agency.

Image source, National Crime Agency

Four Vietnamese nationals appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court earlier in connection and were remanded in custody until their next hearing at Birmingham Crown Court set for 5 February.

Maurice Robinson opened a container door to find 39 migrants had suffocated and died.

Judith Burns
Education reporter

Growing numbers of students in England, including those attending the universtities of Birmingham and Warwick, have pledged to withhold rent on university accommodation they cannot use during the Covid lockdown.

Image source, Getty Images

Organisers say they believe this is building up to be a major protest with students at dozens of universities signed up.

They want a rebate on rent when many students are being kept off campus at the start of term.

Students at universities not yet part of this campaign have said they will organise similar challenges on their own campuses, including Coventry and Keele.

Worcester News

The Worcester News has these stories today:

• 'Malicious vandals' flood car park near Worcester canal, external
• Worcestershire GPs to begin rollout of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine, external
• Anger as Worcester Tesco cancels food deliveries last minute, external

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC Radio WM

A Birmingham MP has told the BBC that "the best part of 10,000" doses of the new Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine have arrived in the city.

Conservative Andrew Mitchell, who represents Sutton Coldfield, said he had been informed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that 12 batches of 800 doses were received on Thursday afternoon.

He also said that more should be arriving on Friday.

Mr Mitchell was one of the signatories on a letter sent by Birmingham MPs and the city council leader on Thursday asking government for clarification on the vaccination supply chain for the second city and warning there was no Oxford-AstraZeneca supply and current Pfizer stocks were "scheduled to run out".

This was later described as "misleading" by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, who said he had been assured that was not the case.

Andrew Mitchell said the cross-party letter was to "help the government make sure these vaccinations are delivered in a timely and, so far as we can, seamless way".

Wasps, the 2019-20 Premiership runners-up, sign Georgia second-row forward Lasha Jaiani.

BBC Radio Stoke

Schools in Staffordshire may have to turn away children of key workers this lockdown due to a rise in the number of people applying and safety concerns.

Image source, PA Media

In an open letter to parents, the county council said it would be a last resort if capacity was reached.

Under government regulations, children of key workers are entitled to attend school during lockdown while other pupils have lessons online.

But the council said schools were getting increased requests on the issue and there were issues over how many children could safely go into classrooms.

The letter said schools would look into when pupils could attend to avoid turning down requests.