Major work to install giant bridge beams across the M6 will take place next weekend.

A specialist crane will put in place 44m-long steel beams at junction 10 which will help form two new bridges.

The M6 will be closed in both directions at the junction, in Walsall, on the weekend of 6 to 9 August, to allow it to take place.

The work is part of a £78m transformation of the junction that sees the doubling of lanes from two to four and the replacement of existing 50-year-old bridges.

Image source, Highways England

A team of about 50 workers will be involved as the beams, each weighing 130 tonnes, are delivered and lifted into place on the north bridge over the weekend.

The beams for the south bridge will be lifted into place later in the year and will also require the M6 to be closed. The old bridges will be demolished later.

Highways England project manager, Annie Hyett, said: “This is a busy junction and we would urge anyone travelling along the M6 over the weekend of August 6 to 9 to look at alternative routes if possible and to allow extra time for journeys if not."

Eighteen staff at Valefresco, near Evesham, have tested positive, Worcestershire County Council said.

The whereabouts of Jesse Richards's remains are a mystery 12 years after his death.

The move comes amid plans to raise the charge for Warburton Toll Bridge in Cheshire from 12p to £1.

Rachel Elwell lost almost £113,000 after falling victim to a dating app scam.

A stretch of the M5 is closed due to a serious collision.

Highways England says traffic is being brought off the motorway at junction four for Bromsgrove.

The hidden compartment was discovered during raids on two stores in Stoke-on-Trent.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has covered these stories today:

• Police accused of inaction as woman mauled in dog attack, external
• Armed police called out to almost 3,000 incidents in 12 months, external
• Covid rainbow monument to be installed at Dudley hospital, external

Championship side Coventry City sign Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen on a season-long loan.

A project that donates second hand bikes to refugees has opened in Coventry.

Image source, The Bike Project

The Bike Project charity also runs a befriending programme, linking up volunteers with refugees, external to help build their confidence as cyclists and improve social integration.

Similar schemes have been run in London and Birmingham.

Twenty five bikes have been donated.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
David Irwin

The company behind HS2 has been warned it needs to do more in Solihull to work with residents and businesses living near the rail project.

Borough councillors examined two plans for lorry routes through Balsall Common this week, rejecting one and narrowly approving the other.

But during the planning meeting, councillors criticised how the firm dealt with local communities.

Councillor Diana Holl-Allen told the meeting she felt "they have stopped listening", while committee chair Bob Grinsell said "the applicant hasn’t appeared to be a good neighbour".

He added he felt HS2 "over promised and under delivered" and "I sincerely hope there is a much greater dialogue from hereon in".

The accused maintained at the meeting that ensuring the least disruption for local people remained at the heart of its plans.

A project is under way to hear how residents in Sandwell have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The council has launched a survey in a bid to understand how individuals and communities have been affected.

It said the results would help shape services and respond to the needs of residents across the borough.

The survey ends at 17:00 on 16 August.

Shropshire Star

From the Shropshire Star today:

• Woman suffers cuts in Telford attempted robbery, external
• Will council's £51m Shrewsbury shopping centre purchase ever prove to be a good move?, external
• Gladys celebrates 110 years – her secret, a daily cappuccino and a biscuit, external

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Jesse Richards in 2009 say they continue to urge anyone with information to come forward to help find his body.

In 2012, five men were jailed in connection with his death and were collectively sentenced to more than 50 years in prison despite his remains going undiscovered.

Mr Richards was 40 when he was killed in Cleeve Prior, Evesham, in July 2009 over a drugs debt.

Detectives believe the body was originally taken to Warwickshire where it was hidden.

A £10,000 reward is available for information leading to its discovery.

Image source, West Mercia Police

Det Insp Mark Peters said: "We still believe that someone out there has information about where Jesse is."

Mr Richard's mother, Lucy, said: "I’m not getting any younger and life is made so much harder not being able to lay him to rest."

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

The New Saints of Oswestry are through to the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League after beating Kauno Zalgris 10-1 on aggregate.

They won the away leg in Lithuania 5-0 and were on course to repeat that result at Park Hall last night until an 85th minute consolation goal for the visitors.

TNS will now play Czech Republic side Viktoria Plzen next Thursday.

Callum Baker-Osborne went missing from a group that got into difficulty off the Dorset coast.

Birmingham Live

From Birmingham Live today:

• Man fighting for life after 'assault' in Pigeon Park, external
• Overturned van cordoned off in Acocks Green street after man dies in crash, external
• 'Largest ever haul' of drugs and £100k cash seized after Birmingham stop & search arrest , external

It will see theatre productions on Coventry streets, and places of worship tied together by ribbon.

Salford City sign Birmingham City goalkeeper Zach Jeacock on a season-long loan deal.

BBC Midlands Today

A physiotherapist who has worked with Team GB athletes like Jessica Ennis-Hill and Kelly Sotherton is fundraising for a drug to battle her thyroid cancer.

Paula Clayton, from Worcester, spotted a lump in her throat on a video call in July 2020 and had surgery later in the year.

But the operation could not remove all of it and she said she needs to raise £75,000 for the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) which is used to treat thyroid cancer in America but not the UK.

Mrs Clayton said it has been "overwhelming" to get support from some of the athletes she has worked with.

"I cannot even express the overwhelming reaction from people that, obviously I was doing my job, but how much they have come out of the woodwork to just support everything," she said.