BBC Radio WM Sport

Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion will meet each other in a final pre-season friendly before the start of the new Championship season.

Image source, Google

The match will be at St Andrew's on Saturday 31 July at 15:00.

Albion have also announced a trip to Woking on Friday 16 July to mark the 30th anniversary of the non-league side's infamous FA Cup win at The Hawthorns.

Blues will also play behind-closed-doors matches at their training ground, against Barrow on 20 July and Oxford on 24 July.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Burn

A Stoke-on-Trent City Councillor has joined the Conservative party, taking the group's majority to 21 seats out of 44.

Councillor Candi Chetwynd, who represents Smallthorne, quit the Labour group earlier this year.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Announcing the change, she said she "needed to be part of the team that is delivering for our city".

However the Labour group branded her move "baffling", citing recent harsh criticisms of Conservative policies from the councillor.

In response, Councillor Chetwynd said: "The only team with a positive view and plan for Stoke-on-Trent is the Conservative team."

Stoke-on-Trent Live

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

• Devastated friends launch fund-raiser after shock death, external
• Motorists and businesses warned as 26 weeks of roadworks start in Stoke-on-Trent, external
• Stoke-on-Trent man 'pivotal' in biggest human trafficking ring ever exposed in UK, external

The family of Mr Snape, from Leek, Staffordshire, said he 'always loved the outdoors'.

Repair works to tram tracks in Birmingham city centre means metro passengers will no longer be able to travel to Birmingham Library or Grand Central from 25 July.

Image source, Midland Metro Alliance

Instead, the trams will terminate at Bull Street until at least the end of October, however passengers will be able to use their metro tickets on selected bus routes.

The track along Corporation Street is due to be replaced, which is the cause of the disruption.

Work is already under way at the Bull Street stop where a new line is being constructed that will take passengers to Digbeth and the new HS2 terminus.

A man and a woman have been found dead at a house in Coventry.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said paramedics made the discovery on Tuesday afternoon.

They were called the the property on Kenilworth Road at about 14:45.

"Sadly nothing could be done to save them and they were confirmed dead at the scene," a spokesperson said.

West Midlands Police has been approached for comment.

A man has been arrested after a 69-year-old was critically injured in a suspected hit-and-run in Birmingham.

Image source, Google

The injured man was on Stratford Road in Sparkbrook on Saturday when he was struck by a Mazda MX-5, West Midlands Police said., external

He remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The driver made off on foot, the force added.

A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop or report a collision and driving while disqualified.

He remains in custody.

Fans of a well-known pub and music venue in Birmingham have been praised as a "massive factor" in it reopening next month.

Image source, The Flapper

The Flapper, on Kingston Row, near the canal, closed in January 2020 and the owner feared it would be bulldozed to make way for flats.

But, after public support and work by the city council, the venue will reopen on 21 July.

Owner Samantha Campbell-Whyte said, external the future of the Flapper was "touch and go for a while" but it has now undergone a revamp ahead of reopening.

"The voices of all those that protested to Birmingham City Council that The Flapper should not be demolished were immense and a massive factor in saving the building," she added.

Shropshire Star

From the Shropshire Star:

• Changes to school rules on Covid welcomed in Shropshire, external
• Last chance to see progress at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, external
• World champion balloon pilot fears his wings will be clipped this year, external

Police are investigating after a woman was found dead at a house in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, on Tuesday.

Image source, Getty Images

Staffordshire Police said officers were called to the address on Hartshill Road at about 04:00 by colleagues from West Midlands Ambulance Service.

A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with the woman's death but has since been released under investigation.

The force said it was still working to establish the circumstances around the woman's death and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Leona Smart
Broadcast Journalist, BBC WM

Jack Grealish's former PE teacher has spoken about how the England forward is inspiring pupils at his former school both on and off the pitch.

Image source, Reuters

Tom Seickell told BBC WM how St Peter's Catholic School in Solihull were "delighted" when Grealish enrolled in year seven, about 10 years ago.

"We got wind that he was an exciting talent," he said. "He already had a reputation among the local junior schools."

Speaking about the Aston Villa captain's iconic hair cut, Mr Seickell said: "It wasn't as long as it is now, but it's already having an influence. We've had one or two kids coming in now with these alice bands.

"Clearly he's not just a super football talent but a bit of a fashion icon as well with some of the younger students."

• Reaction as ecstatic England beat Germany, plus latest transfer news
• Relive England's 2-0 win over Germany

Grealish attended the Solihull school for four years before signing a full time contract with Aston Villa.

His former PE teacher spoke of his pride at his performance for England in Tuesday night's knockout game against Germany.

"He came on, he just lifted the fans and suddenly you just sensed something was going to happen," Mr Seickell said.

"He played a key part in both goals and has given the nation a great buzz."

Less than one percent of authors studied at GCSE English Literature are from an ethnic minority background.

BBC Radio WM

A review of brownfield land in the Black Country has been announced by the West Midlands mayor to see if it can meet the need for more houses in the area.

Image source, Google

The latest version of the Black Country Plan, setting out potential sites for future housing development, was released earlier this month.

Mayor Andy Street said the proposal could see 7,000 homes built on green belt land and he wants to see if more brownfield land could be used instead.

However BBC Radio WM's political reporter Rob Mayor said clearing brownfield land can be difficult and expensive due to their industrial uses.

Mr Street said it was "hard to accept" losing green belt land instead of brownfield and the review would be submitted as part of the Black Country Plan's consultation.

BBC Midlands Today

A deaf man said mask wearing plus other restrictions mean he struggles to communicate and he has stopped going out.

Image source, Sense

Warren Newman from Oldbury in the West Midlands also suffers from a rare genetic disorder.

The 31-year-old said before the pandemic he was independent and had a job at a social enterprise in Birmingham.

"With my deafness and disability, I find it hard to access a community space because of communication difficulties," he added.

Disability charity Sense says Mr Newman is not alone as its research shows disabled people have become fearful about going out again.

Express and Star

From the Express and Star today:

• Mayor's vow to save green belt as review launched into Black Country Plan, external
• Agencies 'failed to anticipate' risks to baby who suffered serious injuries in Wolverhampton, external
• Black Country chippy dishes up expansion plan through franchising, external

BBC Weather Watchers

Here are some early views of the West Midlands from our local BBC Weather Watchers.

These three are from users Mr Twister in Leek, Staffordshire, Moose on the Loose in Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire and Lou in Baschurch, Shropshire.

Image source, Mr Twister

Image source, Moose on the Loose

Image source, Lou

Fay Rayward began painting rocks during lockdown and is combining it with her marathon training.

Firefighters have successfully rescued a kitten from a car engine.

The feline was seen running into traffic in the Stechford area, but somehow ended up in the engine bay of the vehicle.

The kitten is now being looked after by vets.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

New plans have been drawn up to build student accommodation on the site of the former Empire building in Coventry.

A 91-bed student scheme has been put forward on the site on Far Gosford Street by Beauford Group.

The building will staggered in height up to seven storeys high and provide a mixture of studios and cluster flats, alongside 497sqm of ground-floor retail space.

It is the second bid made on the site after initial plans to demolish the building for a 100-bed student block was withdrawn in February following concerns by statutory consultees.

Image source, Beauford Group

BBC Midlands Today

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish said hearing fans singing his name was "unbelievable" as he played a key role in England beating Germany 2-0 in Euro 2020.

Image source, EPA

The midfielder came on in the second half and was involved in both goals, crossing for captain Harry Kane to get his first goal of the tournament.

"When they are cheering me like this and singing my song there is nothing more that I want to do than pay them back with goals and assists so hopefully my goal will come soon," he said.