Hereford Times

The Hereford Times has these stories today:

• Hundreds homeless or risk losing their homes in Herefordshire, external
• Herefordshire stalker let himself in to victim's home, external
• Closed Herefordshire pub is knocked down, external

A large fire has broken out at a recycling business in Telford.

Image source, @nock_meg

Smoke has been reported by drivers on the nearby M54 and West Mercia Police has urged motorists to avoid the area., external

Six fire engines have been sent to Greenway Polymers, Rock Road, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said., external

BBC Radio Stoke

A funeral director has questioned why a snooker tournament is being played in front of fans when restrictions on funerals will remain in place until at least June.

Image source, Getty Images

The World Championships have started in Sheffield at the Crucible Theatre at 33% capacity but the final in May is set to be played in front of a capacity crowd.

For funerals, a maximum of 30 people are allowed to attend in England, external and the government's plan to further ease restrictions said the limit will be in place until at least 21 June.

Andrew Edwards, a funeral director based in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, said he doesn't see why families have to wait so long for the rules to be relaxed.

"If you can go to the Crucible and have people indoors, then funerals, to me, to families, are far more important and I do not really understand why the restriction is going to be in place until June," he said.

BBC Radio WM

Customer no-shows are frustrating and slowing the hospitality industry's recovery from the impact of Covid-19, a restaurant owner says.

Image source, Google

James Wong, who owns Chung Ying, says they regularly see people book and then not turn up, including six out of 15 bookings in one time slot on Thursday.

They now ask for a deposit to try and curb the number of no-shows.

"Hospitality is desperate for you guys to come back, we want to see happy faces and people eating and enjoying themselves," he said.

Pubs and restaurants are now allowed to serve drinks and meals outdoors in England after lockdown restrictions eased.

Birmingham Live

From the Birmingham Live's website today:

• Police uncover 600 modern slavery offences in Birmingham, external
• Man charged after 'object' thrown at ambulance on 999 call' in Sparkhill, external
• Police appeal to trace biker after Chelmsley Wood hit-and-run, external

BBC Radio Stoke

A man's been found with stab wounds on a street in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Paramedics were called to on Orme Road at 21:30 on Sunday night, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

The man had serious injuries and was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Tributes continue to a technician who died after an object struck the ambulance he was in.

Image source, Martin Fulloway

Jeremy Daw, 66, from Hereford, known to friends as Jack, died on Saturday morning near the junction of Moreton Road and the A49 in Herefordshire while on a 999 call.

The former paramedic and grandfather had come out of retirement in January to help during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Emergency operations delivery director Nathan Hudson said Mr Daw "was one of life's good guys."

Friend Martin Fulloway said he had received calls from colleagues all over the country wanting to talk about him.

"People who have worked with him ringing to see that I was OK and everybody ringing each other to see that they are OK because he was just loved by everybody," he said.

West Mercia Police said it was satisfied that what happened was not the result of a deliberate act.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website has these headlines today:

• Grieving son leads tributes after retired pottery worker dies at Royal Stoke, external
• 'Scary situation' as cancer-hit woman 'treated in bed next to Covid patient', external
• Ex-gang member living in Stoke-on-Trent turns life around after being kidnapped and shot, external

Patrick Stokes, 24, admitted failing to ensure the welfare of animals in his care.

BBC Business News

The pandemic has led to the biggest annual fall in employment for older workers since the 1980s, according to a new report.

The decline in the employment rate for the over-50s has been twice as big as for those aged between 25 and 49.

Image source, Supplied

The Resolution Foundation also found after losing work, older workers take the longest to return.

Mandy Reynolds would agree as the 51-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent has struggled to find a new job after her previous employer Outfit, part of Arcadia, collapsed into administration.

"I feel the experience and knowledge [older workers] have can be transitioned to a different role, but it's trying to convince other industries and people that that is the case on a piece of paper.

"The opportunities that are out there are plenty - it's just finding a way in and that's what's difficult."

The Resolution Foundation called on the government to tailor retraining opportunities to over-50s.

BBC Radio WM

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is shutting its two main car factories temporarily from today due to a shortage of computer chips.

Image source, PA Media

JLR said there would be a "limited period" of closure at its Halewood and Castle Bromwich sites from Monday.

The Castle Bromwich factory makes the Jaguar XE, XF and F-Type models, and employs about 1,900 people.

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven up demand for semiconductor chips for use in electronics such as computers, as people worked from home, and suppliers are struggling to adjust.

Express and Star

A few of the early headlines from the Express and Star:

• Huge scale of fraud revealed as £70m stolen from region's residents during pandemic, external
• Brother preparing for skydive in memory of relatives killed in Tunisia terror attack, external
• Historic pictures capture final days of Wolverhampton's old wholesale market, external

More than 35 firefighters were called to deal with a blaze at an allotments in Birmingham.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Specialist off-road vehicles were also called upon to deal with the fire on Oxhill Road, Handsworth on Sunday, said the fire service.

The service was first called to the site shortly before 18:00, it said.

A bird hide has been "extensively damaged" at a Staffordshire nature reserve, police say.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

The hide, at Doxey Marshes, was damaged at some point between Saturday night and Sunday morning, said Staffordshire Police.

The force is calling for anyone with information to get in touch.

Fire crews were called to deal with a car on fire that was on the back of a recovery truck.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

West Midlands Fire Service said it was called to the incident on Aston Cross in Aston at about midnight.

BBC Weather

It will be dry today and any patches of cloud should clear as the day goes on, leaving plenty of sunshine. High: 13C (55F).

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Mrs Baggins

It should be sunny this evening before a dry night which will see the skies turning cloudy with the chance of an outbreak of rain by dawn. Low: 5C (41F).

You can stay up-to-date with the latest forecast for your area by going to the BBC Weather website.

Foam was used to help tackle a large fire involving a thatched roof in Worcestershire, said the fire service.

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service

Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service

Crews were called to tackle the fire on Sunday near Fladbury, said the fire service.

Welcome to our live service for Monday.

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