Port Vale sign Hamilton Academical defender Aaron Martin on an undisclosed-length deal to seal their fourth summer signing.

Nathan Batha was eventually brought to a halt with the help of a police stinger.

BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester

Worcestershire Rapids face Notts Outlaws later today, on the first day of the new T20 Blast season.

Between them, the two sides have won three of the last four tournaments and the Outlaws are the current champions.

Worcestershire all-rounder Daryl Mitchell said it would be a "long old slog" with 14 group games, but they were eager to get started and hopefully see familiar faces in the crowd again.

Image source, Getty Images

After a season played with no spectators, Michell said: "It'll be great to have fans back this year, albeit at a limited capacity because it was certainly weird last year."

He said it was important to competitions like the T20 Blast, which he said are "all about the razzamatazz and the atmosphere".

The game is due to start at 17:30, with Birmingham Bears playing their opening match tomorrow.

Nathan Batha sped along the M6 in Cheshire at more than 150mph and through Warrington at 100mph.

A virtual event is being held for residents living near a quarry blighted by smell.

Residents in Silverdale, Staffordshire, have been campaigning for action at Walleys Quarry.

It is currently being monitored by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency is hosting a virtual community event tonight between 18:00 to 20:00.

It says residents will be able to ask questions about its regulation of the quarry.

The taster sessions' organiser says golf courses are normally among sport's least accessible places.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's a hot one today and here are some photos from BBC Weather Watchers who have captured the sunshine.

Old Salt has sent in an image of Southam in Warwickshire, followed by a tranquil photo of Solihull taken by BC1981, and then the blue sky over Great Wyrley by Trevs Office Centre.

Image source, Old Salt

Image source, BC1981

Image source, Trevs Office Centre

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Kerry Ashdown

Neighbour disputes driven by heightened community tensions during lockdown are thought to be behind a rise in anti-social behaviour complaints in part of Staffordshire.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

Between April 2020 and March, 461 cases were made to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, up from 342 for the previous 12 months.

Most of the incidents, 175, were labelled as "general nuisance", but the figure also included 61 instances of neighbour nuisance and 21 suspected breaches of Covid-19 rules.

A report for the council's scrutiny committee said staff believed tensions rose in communities during the first national lockdown due to more people having to stay home and "no other distractions".

Stoke-on-Trent Live

Here are some of the stories on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website:

• Bailiffs shut popular Stoke-on-Trent pool after 'number' of fish found dead, external
• Anger as council killjoys axe funfair due to covid outbreak - 11 miles away, external
• South and east Cheshire 'face ramped up covid measures' as cases rise, external

The 28-year-old woman from Coventry set off on Tuesday and was rescued near Minehead the same day.

A fundraiser set up to support a charity shop that was burgled on Monday night has raised more than £11,000.

Thieves broke in to the Acorns Children's Hospice charity shop in Kings Heath, Birmingham, causing damage put at thousands of pounds, and stealing about £100 in donations.

The shop is part of the charity's fundraising to support children with life-limiting conditions and their families at their three hospices.

"What it's done is given us an outpouring of love from our community," Vicki Rowles, from the charity, said.

She said people had volunteered to help fix the doors and get the shop up and running again.

A crowdfunding appeal set up by the charity to cover the damage has so far raised £11,610.

Premiership Wasps agree to sign prop Pieter Scholtz from Guinness PRO14 side Scarlets at the end of the season.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A coach company has criticised Birmingham City Council, after failing to qualify for the heavy-duty vehicles Clean Air Zone fund.

Coaches and lorries face a daily £50 charge for driving into Birmingham city centre.

Ian Powell, director of Smethwick-based Nash's Coaches, said the company purchased two compliant coaches in 2019 and 2020 at a cost of more than £300,000.

The firm had also planned to retro-fit two non-compliant coaches and Mr Powell said he thought the company would be eligible for £60,000 of grants.

Image source, Ian Powell

"All they told me was we don’t qualify as we are outside the CAZ. It’s a load of rot. They said ‘that’s it – you are not getting nowt’. It’s just wrong," Mr Powell said.

“There are companies [inside the zone] that will be getting it and we should have it. It’s diabolical to be honest.”

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: "The £10m Clean Air Zone Heavy Duty Vehicle Fund is available to SMEs in the West Midlands with non-compliant HGVs and coaches in their fleets.

"As this is a grant scheme eligibility criteria and terms and conditions do apply, external.

"But we will do everything we can to offer advice and support to businesses on this journey towards a clean air city."

Every train ride begins with a whistle and Michael Portillo's new railway journey is no exception, blasting off from Birmingham's jewellery quarter to the sound of the Acme whistle, manufactured there since 1884.

A visit to the city's town hall reveals a magnificent organ and the location for a celebrated music festival. Travelling south to Kidderminster, Michael reports for duty at the post office, where he sorts the letters and discovers more about the great postal innovator Sir Rowland Hill, before heading out to deliver the Royal Mail.

19th-century quack doctors and their bogus remedies are exposed in Worcester, where Michael discovers the origins of the British Medical Association.

There were dog poo bags hanging on trees and bins were overflowing, Mason's family says.

Wolves appoint former Benfica boss Bruno Lage as their new manager.

The chief executive of the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has stepped down after being absent from the role for almost a year.

Image source, SWBH

The trust said Toby Lewis had been affected by ill health and was last in work in July 2020.

It has now been revealed that he will not return to work and will instead take up a role at the Kings Fund.

Richard Beeken will remain the trust's interim chief executive and a recruitment process will begin soon.

“We wish Toby well for the future and thank him for his service to our trust, our colleagues and the communities of Sandwell and West Birmingham,” a SWBH spokesperson said.

Free lateral flow tests are to be handed out in Alum Rock over the next two weeks, Birmingham City Council says.

Residents are being urged to to take one from officials when they visit homes in the area.

Neve, seven, made the emergency call while her five-year-old brother looked after their mother.

BBC Weather Watchers

Some of our early bird BBC Weather Watchers clearly decided to stroll near some of our local waterways on what looks to be another hot day ahead.

These three are from users Joanna Hughes in Ellesmere, Shropshire, Mom Nugg in Wombourne, Staffordshire and Hedgehog in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire:

Image source, Joanna Hughes

Image source, Mom Nugg

Image source, Hedgehog