There have been seven cases of the Indian coronavirus variant found at a farm in Herefordshire.

They are among 14 members of the seasonal workforce to have tested positive for Covid-19 and Herefordshire Council said it was working to support the farm.

Nearly 3,000 cases of the Indian variant have now been identified in the UK.

Image source, Getty Images

Another two cases of the Indian variant have been found in neighbouring Worcestershire. but Worcestershire's director of public health Dr Kath Cobain said: "We do expect viruses to mutate and we monitor all of the variants."

The five-year-old's consultant thinks his symptoms are connected to noxious fumes in Staffordshire.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

A change in the weather is on the way - expect lots of rain with brief spells of sunshine as an area of low pressure moves up from the South West.

The temperature will range from 12 to 15C (53-59F) but with gusts of up to 40mph it will feel colder than that.

Image source, eskimoden/ BBC Weather Watchers

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather from across the West Midlands until 18:00.

GKN will continue its plans to close its plant in Erdington, Birmingham, despite union proposals.

Owen Murray and Laura Dear tied the knot in front of 30 guests at a ceremony.

An elusive golden oriole is back in the air after being nursed back to health by wildlife rescuers.

Charles Cartwright dug up a hoard of Roman and Viking jewellery taken in a burglary four years ago.

Tottenham's hopes of securing European football were dented as Aston Villa came from behind to claim a deserved Premier League victory in front of 10,000 fans.

Scott Sheppard's two tickets have been cancelled as host stadiums reduce capacity for the tournament.

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion says the system was slow to respond to the pandemic.

A police officer denies murder and manslaughter, after ex-Aston Villa star Dalian Atkinson died.

We will be back with more for the West Midlands from 08:00 on Thursday.

The "continued uncertainty" over relaxing lockdown further in England has forced the cancellation of a music festival, a council said.

Image source, Redditch Borough Council

Morton Stanley Festival was cancelled last year in Redditch and organisers had planned to bring it back this summer.

But the borough council said, external it was cancelling it due to the lack of certainty over the government's relaxing of lockdown rules combined with the time needed to prepare for the festival.

Plans to save a car parts factory from closure have been rejected by the owner.

Image source, Google

GKN Automotive said it had reviewed proposals from union Unite to stop the plant in Birmingham from being shut but the outlook for the sector "remains unchanged".

The firm said earlier this year it intended to close the site in 2022, with the loss of more than 500 jobs, and transfer work to Europe.

A company spokesman said the closure would go ahead "regretfully" and "supporting our people continues to be our priority".

Unite's convenor at the plant, Frank Duffy, said the union rejected the "false notion" the site had no long-term future.

He called on all interested parties, including the government, to work to keep the factory open.

Jack Dromey, Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, said he would be seeking urgent discussions with the chief executive of GKN and the government.

Birmingham Live

Here are some of the stories on the Birmingham Live website:

• Renault Clio destroys bus shelter in crash on 20mph city street, external
• Inside The Grand Hotel's luxury £2,000-a-night penthouse suite, external
• Hospital report finds 'questionable decisions' were made about Walsall father's care, external

Police in Birmingham are trying to trace this silver car following the death of a 16-year-old moped passenger.on 22 March.

Liam Mooney was riding pillion on Rocky Lane, in the Perry Barr area, when the moped was chased by a Volvo S60, the West Midlands force said.

He fell off the bike and died of his injuries in hospital the following day.

Image source, West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said the Volvo had the registration number AY63 PRV and detectives want to know where the car is now.

The force said two men, Paul Biggs, of Hutton Drive, Brentwood, and Dale Sharpen, of Vicarage Road, Woodford Green, Essex, had been charged with murder.

They have also been charged with wounding after another teenager on the moped was also injured in the collision.

Police have been able to return a wallet to a man that contained a "precious" lock of his late wife's hair after he was robbed on Monday.

The thief struck in Bromford Lane, Birmingham, leaving the man distraught at losing treasured photos and memories, West Midlands Police said.

But after a searching the area, officers found the wallet discarded down a drain and were able to give it back to the man on Tuesday.

Video footage from the officers' body-worn cameras captured moment he was reunited with the locket of her hair which he said he got the days she died.

Investing officer Det Con Claire Smith said: “The photos were a bit wet but they will dry out and the hair locket was in a small plastic bag.

“It was an emotional moment. The man kissed the bag, you could see how precious the items were as reminders of his late wife."

A 42-year-old man has been arrested and charged with robbery, the force added.

A handwritten letter by children's author Roald Dahl which reveals his secrets to good storytelling is set to go on sale at auction.

The letter, dated 2 August 1989, showcases the writer's opinion of his own work and his determination to get children reading.

It was sent to librarian Christine Wotton, who said she had written to Mr Dahl "speculatively" as a 20-year-old student as she was studying for a degree in literature and linguistics in the late 1980s.

Image source, Hanson's Auctioneers

The item has been given a guide price of £500-800 by Hansons Auctioneers and is set to go under the hammer on 15 June in its specialist library auction at Bishton Hall, in Staffordshire.

Jim Spencer, head of books and works on paper at Hansons, said: "Most autograph letters that come up for sale are typed, brief, almost generic responses.

"This is quite different, it gives us an insight into Dahl's creativity and craft, his passion for making reading fun, encouraging children to pick up books and take a love of literature with them throughout the rest of their lives."

Image source, Getty Images

Eleanor, 14, is taking part in the BBC's Make a Difference Happy Heads campaign.