BBC Business News

The number of cars built in the UK over the past six months has slumped to the lowest since 1954, according to the industry's trade body.

A total of 381,357 cars were made the six months to June, down 42% on the period last year, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Image source, Jaguar Land Rover

Britain's major carmakers all suspended production earlier in the year in response to the lockdown, including Jaguar Land Rover, Honda and Nissan.

The news comes as both Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover have announced hundreds of jobs losses in the last few months.

BBC Weather Watchers

It looks like it's going to be another sunny day and the BBC Weather Watchers have been sharing their photos with us.

These ones were taken around Dawley, Rowington and Hereford.

Image source, Liam Ball

Image source, Fraser

Image source, Step Counter

Coventry Live

Some of today's Coventry Live headlines include:

• Mayor mediated Ricoh Arena discussions between SISU and Wasps, external
• Scammers try to charge residents for Covid-19 tests in Coventry, external
• Woman and baby girl injured in Coventry road smash, external

West Midlands mayor Andy Street tried to help mediate in the ongoing row between Coventry City and Ricoh Arena owners Wasps.

A deer has had to be rescued after getting itself wedged between a gatepost and gate in Warwickshire.

Image source, Warwickshire Fire Service

The animal was freed after crews removed the gate, in Tanworth-in-Arden earlier.

The force said it was also called on Tuesday to rescue a duckling from a storm drain near Stratford-upon-Avon.

After some "quack thinking" by the fire crew, the duckling was removed and reunited with its mother on the river.

Image source, Warwickshire Fire Service

Image source, Warwickshire Fire Service

BBC Weather Watchers

It;s been a mixed day weather-wise today, with some of you seeing blue skies and others thick black cloud.

Here is a collection from BBC Weather Watchers based in Stowe, Severn Stoke and Studley,

Image source, Dodger

Image source, J at Severn Ridge

Image source, Balding Baggie

Coventry Live

These are some of the Coventry Live headlines:

• Coventry getting new city centre drive-thru coronavirus testing unit, external
• Jailed rapper using police mugshot to promote drill music from behind bars, external
• Warning after ‘slight increase’ in Covid-19 cases after lockdown easing, external

This shot of a spud getting its haircut earned a photography lecturer a top award.

Ray Spence is 2020's potato photographer of the year after he entered his shot in a competition set up to raise money for the Trusell Trust, external.

Image source, Ray Spence

Titled 'The end of lockdown', Mr Spence said the idea came while he was chitting his potato crop at his allotment in Warwick.

The judging panel, which included celebrated photographers Martin Parr and Paul Hill, recognised Mr Spence's photo as "delightful, imaginative and .... a bit bonkers".

Like his subject, Mr Spence has been able to get to the barber since lockdown eased however his muse has "since been disposed of in the compost".

John Bray
BBC News

A war veteran who was sent to Malaya in 1949 has finally received his military campaign medal - in time for his 90th birthday.

The Malayan Emergency, as it became known, was a bitter conflict against communist extremists.

Norton Breen spent two years fighting with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

His brother Keith also served in Malaya, but only one of them received a medal on their return to the North East.

Norton has lived in Bedworth, Warwickshire, since the mid-1960s, and his family enlisted the help of a veterans' group on Facebook to apply for the medal, which arrived during lockdown last month.

Malaya war veteran receives campaign medal as 90th birthday surprise.

Phillip Blackwell, who admitted 31 sex offences, taped some victims' eyes shut.

One woman said she would finally get "some kind of peace" after Phillip Blackwell was jailed.

Two large public gatherings have been broken up by police in the West Midlands due to breaking Covid-19 laws.

About 200 people had gathered on Lillington Road, Coventry, and more than 100 on the park off Highfield Lane, Birmingham, on Friday night, the region's police force said. , external

Both were broken up after residents had raised concerns with officers.

Coventry Live

The Coventry Live website has these headlines today:

• Inspirational film charting Coventry's history launches new City of Culture brand, external
• Coventry City owner calls for all parties to come clean over Ricoh Arena talks, external
• Coventry University expansion plans set for the green light, external

Coventry City reject Wasps' claims they withdrew from negotiations to play home games at the Ricoh Arena next season.

Mark Lerigo, 49, from Coventry had an iPad containing the most serious abuse pictures of children.

Food, furniture and bedding has been handed out by a school in Warwickshire to struggling families in the area.

Siobhan Evans, Principal at Ashlawn School in Hillmorton, Rugby, said it had been "overwhelmed by the generosity of our staff, parents and neighbours".

Image source, Google

She said the school had "a really caring community" and had "received so many donations we have started to work in partnership with other schools in our trust".

Labour councillor Jim Ellis told a full council meeting redundancies and bereavement in the wake of coronavirus had hit parts of the community not normally associated with hardship - places like Hillmorton - the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

BBC Weather Watchers

Plenty of sunshine around today and our local BBC Weather Watchers have been making the most of it.

Here are three of their photos from users OgySnaps in Warwick, Caraman On Tour in Dudley and Snow Crystals in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire:

Image source, OgySnaps

Image source, Caraman On Tour

Image source, Snow Crystals

Some French school groups are not returning for two years, a business owner says.

PC Sunil Narr, of West Midlands Police, used "unacceptable" force as he made arrests in Coventry.