Megan Baker and Tristan Holmes marry thanks to a prize open to NHS workers with virus-hit plans.

West Midlands Police says officers have discovered a sizeable cannabis grow in Dudley.

Local councillor Damian Corfield, who visited the site on Thursday, described it as a "great result"., external

Paedophile Barry Bennell has shown "no remorse" for abusing youth footballers, a victim says.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Keri Trigg

The NHS is being urged not to sell off part of a Shropshire community hospital and instead turn the whole site into a health hub for locals.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Ludlow said the planned sale of the disused infirmary building at Ludlow Hospital should be halted until all options for the site had been explored.

Councillor Tracey Huffer described the town's current medical services as "fragmented" and said the hospital site could be reorganised into a health hub for the area.

"Unless we have a local plan for health provision, we are in danger of not having the state of the art facilities we will need by 2030," she added.

Fellow Liberal Democrat, councillor Andy Boddington said major investment in Ludlow's health estate was long overdue.

NHS Property Services said the former infirmary building had been vacant for several years and deemed surplus to local health requirements.

They added the money made from selling it would be reinvested locally in the NHS.

A Birmingham GP says he has had to cancel "several hundreds" of appointments at his clinic.

Telford and Wrekin Council says it plans to bring at least 375 long-term empty properties back into use over the next five years as part of a "robust enforcement regime".

Image source, Getty

The borough has 1,009 properties classed as "long-term empty" as they have been vacant for more than six months; while 214 have been empty for more than two years, it said.

The local authority said such homes could attract anti-social behaviour and be an environmental issue for neighbours.

It plans to take action from the moment a property is reported empty in a bid to "provide homes for those in housing need, particularly the most vulnerable".

Deputy leader of the Labour-run council Richard Overton said: "We are committed to working with owners but will also use our enforcement powers where we need to.

"Tackling these properties and improving the visual amenity and street scene in our neighbourhoods will have a knock-on positive effect by increasing the value of surrounding property and the overall attractiveness of the borough for investment.”

Express and Star

Here are some of the stories on the Express & Star website:

• PCR test centres to close early despite rising Covid rates, external
• Chubby Brown hoping to return to city next year despite Bilston show controversy, external
• Motorbike rider critically injured in crash with van near Sedgley, external

Image source, Nick Potts/PA Media

The head of Wasps Group, which owns Coventry Building Society Arena, says news the venue will host this year's MOBO awards is "very special indeed".

Fans can attend the awards, which have celebrated music of black origin since 1996, with tickets for the 5 December event on sale on the arena's website from midday tomorrow.

The arena, which hosts Wasps' teams and sawthe Sky Blues returnthis season, has also hosted some of the music industry's biggest names, including the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.

Former England back-row James Haskell is forced to abandon a career in mixed martial arts - and wants to become a stand-up comic.

Inspectors find "unacceptable" techniques at two Staffordshire hospitals rated inadequate once again.

Johnty O'Donnell
Producer, BBC Shropshire

An archaeological dig is currently taking place at Attingham Park in Shropshire as experts hope to understand more about what is thought to have been a 19th Century pool.

It is about 12m long by six metres wide and 1.2m deep.

"You could visually see a dip in the landscape but we weren't sure what it was," archaeologist Viviana Caroli said.

Based on the evidence, the team said it might have been a plunge pool for bathing, but there were features that seemed to be missing.

The team are excavating the site near the walled garden over the week.

The pair's injuries are consistent with those from a shotgun being fired, detectives say.

Marathon and cycling routes for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have been unveiled.

Matt Kidson, the Games' director of sport, said: "These routes will help to profile some fantastic landmarks from across the region and showcase the West Midlands and Warwickshire to the world."

Image source, Getty Images

Runners will take the Jewellery Quarter, St Philip's Cathedral and Cadbury's chocolate factory during the marathon events in the city centre and south of the city. The finishing line for the races on 30 July will be Victoria Square.

The following week's cycling road race events will start and finish in Warwick's St Nicholas Park and take in Hampton on the Hill and Leamington Spa.

The final part of the 16km circuit - completed seven times in the women's race and 10 in the men's - will cross the River Avon, taking in views of Warwick Castle.

Organisers also announced a cycling time trial route in Wolverhampton and triathlon events in Sutton Coldfield.

BBC Radio Stoke

A Stoke City fan died on his way home from the team's defeat in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Image source, Reuters

The man suffered a cardiac arrest on a footpath off Highfield Drive, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, just before 22:00 on Wednesday, the ambulance service said.

Several fans came to help and gave him CPR before paramedics arrived.

The ambulance service said he was taken to hospital, but died shortly after arriving.

Stoke City said the thoughts of everyone at the club were with the man's family and friends.

BBC Radio Shropshire

A vote will take place next week in Parliament on whether to suspend ex-minister Owen Paterson from the Commons for 30 days.

Image source, PA Media

The Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg confirmed it would be held on Wednesday.

The vote comes after an MPs' watchdog found Mr Paterson had "repeatedly" used his position as an MP to benefit two companies who paid him as a consultant.

The North Shropshire MP has rejected the findings and said he would fight to clear his name.

Fans will be able to get tickets to attend the show, which takes place on 5 December 2021.

Sutton Coldfield fire station is to become the base for a team of specialist firefighters, enhancing West Midlands Fire Service's "technical rescue capability".

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

From May, the Lichfield Road station will operate as the service's third Technical Rescue Unit, alongside Wednesbury and Bickenhill.

A fire engine will remain based at the station, ready to respond 24/7 to urgent, life-threatening incidents within the service's five-minute response standard.

But the crews will also be specially trained and equipped to respond to a wide range of more specialist incidents, including flooding, building collapses and rope rescues.

The artworks, designed by young people, highlight biodiversity loss and climate change.

The leader of Coventry City Council says the city is "absolutely delighted" to host this year's MOBO awards on 5 December.

Organisers announced the awards will be held at Coventry Building Society Arena, with fans able to attend.

Image source, MOBO

Councillor George Duggins said: "We feel Coventry is the perfect venue to welcome the UK’s biggest celebration of black music and culture.

"As a proud and modern multi-cultural city and one that has an excellent national reputation for successfully hosting major events, I’m sure the MOBO awards will be another great success, and great that it’s the first time they’ve been held in the Midlands too."

He added the move also fitted its pride and ambition in its year as UK City of Culture.

Tickets, which start from £35, will go on sale at the arena's website, external from 12:00 on Friday. The event will also be live-streamed on YouTube and there will be coverage on BBC One and Radio 1Xtra.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alex Moore

The chair of a regional economic body has cautiously welcomed Rishi Sunak’s budget, but is “disappointed” at the lack of clarity over the future of organisations like hers.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership covers Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, distributing grants and helping businesses set up and grow.

A government-commissioned a review of England’s 38 LEPs, looking at their role, has yet to report.

Marches LEP chairman Mandy Thorn MBE said the “unreasonable” lack of clarity over their future is “putting the partnerships and the jobs of their dedicated teams at risk”.