Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

Plans have been approved for a new rooftop bar terrace at a Coventry nightclub.

Image source, Kasbah

Kasbah on Primrose Hill Street will have a new terrace for up to 150 people in place for spring or summer 2022.

Ama Kullar, who has run the club with brother Varinder for 26 years, said he hoped it would provide an attractive new place for visitors.

No music would be played outside and there would be no increase in overall capacity.

Robert Wieczorkowski has links to Aberdeen, police say, after a body was found in Shropshire.

Josie Fox's wedding was almost derailed by a missing certificate proving she was divorced.

Birmingham Live

Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today include:

• Jack Grealish edging closer to £100million Aston Villa exit, external
• Teenage girl arrested after fatal Tipton house fire, external
• 40-person underground shisha party posed 'significant risk', external

Facebook

People on the BBC Midlands Facebook page have rallied around boxer Ben Whittaker after he said he was disappointed at winning silver and not gold at the Olympics.

Image source, Getty Images

The 24-year-old Black Country boxer lost his light-heavyweight gold-medal bout and said afterwards "I feel like a failure".

But on the Facebook page, Jean Bishton said: "He should never feel a failure. He did GB proud, never ever put yourself down. Be proud of what you have achieved Ben."

Lisa Bishop added: "Silver is still an amazing achievement! You should feel very proud of yourself."

Janette Rochelle added she thought he could use the outcome for the next Olympics in Paris: "You did yourself and your family proud, use this experience and make it gold in three year's time."

While Wayne Hinsley typed: "No-one can criticise any of our Olympians least of all themselves. The time and dedication they put in is remarkable and to come away with a medal of any colour is amazing."

An 18-year-old woman is held on suspicion of arson after the deadly blaze in Tipton, West Midlands.

"A substantial wall and blocks of wood" are uncovered in the dig near Soulton Hall, Shropshire.

New gates will recognise Rachael Heyhoe Flint as a "pioneer of women's cricket", the MCC said.

The stately home on the edge of Snowdonia is "consistently under-utilised", a county council says.

The 18-year-old is in a stable condition after suffering stab wounds to the arm, shoulder and back.

Alan Butler was charged after relationships he had with two women whose cases he was involved in.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Christian Barnett

Waiting lists for hospital care in Worcestershire grew by 4% at the end of May, meaning 51,000 people in the county are waiting for hospital treatment, latest NHS figures show.

The figures also reveal that just over half of the patients in Worcestershire were seen within 18 weeks – the target waiting time for non-urgent or routine referrals – which is way below the 92% target set by the NHS itself.

The average for all hospitals in England treating patients within 18 weeks currently stands at just over 67% as the number of people waiting for treatment surged to just over 5.3 million by the end of May.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC Radio WM

Parents have gathered outside Birmingham City Council accusing the local authority of "failing" children with special educational needs.

In a report last month, Ofsted said the council had not made enough progress in improving its SEND provision which has been described as "weak" for a number of years.

The council has admitted it "must do better" and said it was "determined to get it right".

Mandy Healey, from Erdington, was among the protestors and branded the council's SEND programme "a shocking state of affairs".

Her 13 and 14-year-old sons have autism and ADHD and have not been able to get places at a specialist school for September.

"They have a right to an education and a fit for purpose system that fully supports them," she said. "It's not good enough. These are our adults of tomorrow that they [the council] are failing daily."

Coventry Live

Some of the Coventry Live headlines today include:

• Police arrest man who turned knife on PCSOs in Coventry, external
• Exhall firm fined after worker scalped and forced to have ear amputated, external
• Brother of Callum Baker-Osborne pays heartfelt tribute and says ‘you saved my kids’, external

Parts of Staffordshire and Shropshire could see heavy showers today which could cause travel disruption, the Met Office warned., external

Image source, Met Office

A yellow weather alert has been issued from midday on Wednesday until 21:00 the same day.

The Met Office said there could be spray and flooding on roads and some homes and businesses could see flooding too.

Parts of the West Midlands have also been warned about thunderstorms on Friday with another yellow alert issues for the day., external

Firefighters remain at the site of a large fire involving about 300 bales of hay in the West Midlands.

Crews were initially called at 16:15 on Tuesday to Weedford Park Farm in Canwell, Sutton Coldfield.

One lane of the nearby A38 remains closed with motorists being advised to drive slowly between Weeford and Bassetts Pole.

Damping down at the site continues, said the Staffordshire fire service.

Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker will be unofficial mayor of Wolverhampton for a day, the current holder of the office has pledged.

Image source, Getty Images

City mayor Greg Brackenridge said they would give the 24-year-old a "hero's welcome" when he returned from Tokyo.

Whittaker had joked after his quarter-final fight about his ambition to "become the mayor of Wolverhampton" if he won gold.

He ended up with silver after losing a split decision to Cuba's Arlen Lopez in the men's light-heavyweight category.

But Mr Brackenridge said: "My phone has not stopped ringing since Ben made his comment a few days ago."

He added Whittaker had earned a day with the chains of office as "he's really put us on the map".

Wolverhampton's Firewalker boxing club said in a statement that everyone there was proud of what Whittaker had achieved in Tokyo.

The statement, posted on the club's Facebook page, said: "He has shown the world that a young boy from Darlaston can not only compete on the world stage but also come home with an Olympic silver medal.

"Huge respect to everyone who has been a part of his journey."

A man has died after being rescued from a house fire in the Black Country.

Image source, Google

A woman was also rescued from the blaze on Tame Road, Tipton, on Tuesday night.

Paramedics said, external they found the man in a critical condition and they gave him treatment but he died at the scene.

They managed to stabilise the woman's condition and took her to Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, for more emergency care.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Davis

New art celebrating Coventry's past and present is to be installed at the city's Grade-II listed railway station.

Image source, Coventry City Council

Vinyl artwork from artist Christopher Tipping will feature on the main concourse windows incorporating symbols such as Lady Godiva, the Elephant, and the city’s three spires.

Image source, Coventry City Council

The temporary addition will be installed late in the next month and will be allowed up until the end of 2022, approval from the council's planning department in July said.

The artwork is one of a string of changes being made to spruce-up the existing station alongside the wider £82m site redevelopment.

The West Midlands Combined Authority has announced a training programme that will see 100 entry-level roles created each year for the next three years in the healthcare sector.

The opportunities will be targeted at unemployed and young people from economically disadvantaged areas across the conurbation.

Image source, West Midlands Combined Authority

The WMCA has partnered with 12 regional universities and local hospitals to provide training for roles including porters, support workers, pharmacy assistants, warehouse, receptionists, and catering assistants.