More than £500,000 will be spent reducing violence against women and girls in the West Midlands after a grant from the government's Safer Streets fund.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner said the £549,000 would be spent on "challenging and changing attitudes and behaviours amongst men and boys".

Labour's Simon Foster said it would go towards a number of training programmes and educational workshops to promote healthy relationships and respect.

Some money will also be spent making it easier to report sexual harassment on the region's public transport network.

BBC Radio Shropshire

A Shropshire secondary school said it had faced major challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lacon Childe School, in Cleobury Mortimer, has recently seen a large number of pupils test positive for Covid-19.

Image source, Google

Head teacher Darren Reynolds said it had been "absolutely horrendous".

"We've had over 100 positive cases in our whole school at one point, half of our year 11 were testing positive.

"Thankfully that seems to all be readdressing itself, so things are on the up, but that's because we were able to put back in place some of the restrictions and guidance we had in place the last time we had a lockdown."

The Birmingham venue says the condition of the portacabin was "unacceptable".

BBC Midlands Today

The Women's Tour of Britain cycle race moves to Warwickshire on Wednesday.

Stage three is a time trial around Atherstone which is expected to play a key role in the overall outcome.

Yesterday the riders competed over ten laps of a ten kilometre course in Walsall and the surrounding countryside.

BBC Radio CWR

A coronavirus expert is worried there could be a return to local lockdowns this winter.

Concerns from Lawrence Young, a virologist of the University of Warwick, come after Nuneaton and Bedworth joined Rugby in the current top 10 areas of England with the highest rates of coronavirus.

Image source, Getty Images

However, Mr Young believes hospitals will be able to cope with any further rises.

"I have a terrible fear, because there has been some talk about this idea, that as we keep an eye on what is going on locally, that we could have some form of local lockdown," he said.

BBC Radio Stoke

The chair of Port Vale Supporters Club has condemned racist abuse aimed at one of Leyton Orient's players following Saturday's game.

Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux, 27, posted comments on social media and his club said they will report the matter.

Port Vale has also launched its own investigation.

Wen Stone asks the public to help give someone the "gift of a normal life".

Black Cherry Gentlemen's Club in Worcester owes almost £65,000 in tax, documents show.

Siobhan Connor expects at least one more flood at her Shrewsbury home in the next six months.

A serious case review over Lilly Hanrahan's death criticises authorities' checks on her murderer.

Super League side Warrington Wolves sign Wigan Warriors prop Joe Bullock on a three-year contract.

The Environment Agency says double the amount of hydrogen sulphide is now being captured.

They include changes to the A38 Queensway, a default 20mph speed limit and removing free parking.

There have been thousands of complaints from residents of a strong unpleasant odour at Walleys Quarry.

Coventry City striker Matt Godden is charged by the FA for allegedly diving to earn a penalty in Saturday's win over with Fulham.

Birmingham City Council says it is "on the right track" as its gender pay gap is reduced.

Latest figures from the Labour-run local authority reveal the median pay gap decreased from 4.5% in 2019 to 3.9% in 2020.

In 2012 the council was ordered to pay hundreds of millions of pounds to settle equal pay claims brought by mainly women who missed out on bonuses.

Deputy council leader Brigid Jones said: "The continued reduction in gender pay gap at the council is great news, demonstrating that we are on the right track and that our equality initiatives are having the desired impact."

Image source, Birmingham City Council

Bernie Smith, 30, and Kyle Smith, 33, are convicted 15 years after attacking Craig Robins.

BBC Radio Stoke

A Stoke-on-Trent man says life is starting to "crumble around" him after a decision to remove a Universal Credit rise.

A temporary £20-a-week increase to the benefit ends tomorrow.

Mark, who lives in Etruria and works part time while getting cancer treatment, said: "I should be mentally putting myself in a good place and putting the cancer to the back of my mind.

"But I can't now because I'm thinking 'yeah, I've got to feed myself properly but is it going to be beans on toast again tonight'?"

Image source, Getty Images

The government argues that as the economy opens up, the focus needs to shift to getting people back to work.

The government has awarded the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) a further £33m to clean up brownfield sites in the region and develop new homes.

The WMCA has now been given a total of £84m to deliver its target of 215,000 new homes by 2031, focusing on more "challenging" derelict sites.

Image source, PA Media

Plans include developing Culwell Street, in Wolverhampton, where the city council hopes to see the construction of up to 780 homes across the three-acre site.

The WMCA said the funding would support further regeneration projects including converting heritage buildings and delivering mixed-use developments around transport hubs.

A 50-year-old pedestrian suffered a head injury after being hit by a white van in Worcestershire.

West Mercia Police said the man was walking when he was struck on High Street in Bewdley, near to The Talbot pub, at 22:20 BST on Saturday.

The van driver did not stop at the scene and the police's investigation is ongoing.

The force appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

Image source, Getty Images