1. 4x4 owners given anti-social behaviour warningspublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 5 August 2020

    The owners of 4x4 vehicles seen driving along a south Shropshire river-bed last week have been issued with anti-social behaviour warnings by the police

    The Environment Agency said they were likely to crush habitats, which would have a knock-on effect for all sort of animals.

    4x4 wheelImage source, Getty Images

    West Mercia Police has warned that if they're caught again they could end up in court and have their vehicles confiscated.

  2. Village post office could be replaced by mobile servicepublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 5 August 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    People living in the south Shropshire village Of Bromfield, which is set to lose its post office, are being told they could get a mobile van to deliver some of the services.

    The Post Office said it was due to close at the end of the month because the person in charge has resigned and because the owner of the property, Plymouth Estates, is withdrawing it from Post Office use.

    Bromfield Post OfficeImage source, Google

    Plymouth Estates said it couldn't continue the post office, because it had been making "significant losses", made worse by coronavirus.

    The chairman of Bromfield Parish Council, Andy Boddington, said he'd like to see it moved to the first floor of the Ludlow Food Centre next door, where it would see more visitors.

    But the Post Office said it would not fund the move.

  3. Large cannabis haul at Indian restaurantpublished at 13:26 British Summer Time 5 August 2020

    Cannabis plants with a street value of about £1.3m have been uncovered at a former Indian restaurant near Whitchurch in Shropshire.

    West Mercia Police said a search was carried out at the Taj Mahal Spice building at Oakvale in Prees Heath yesterday.

    CannabisImage source, West Mercia Police

    Det Sgt Steve Miller, from West Merica Police said: "We know those involved will be part of a wider serious and organised crime network."

  4. Coronavirus: How many cases are there in your area?published at 11:56 British Summer Time 5 August 2020

    The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in Sandwell has fallen, according to new figures.

    A test sample is held at a COVID-19 testing centreImage source, Reuters

    The borough was named as an area of concern by Public Health England last month after a rise in cases.

    But data from Public Health England shows there were 66 new cases in the week up to 31 July. Figures for the seven days to 24 July showed 96 cases.

    That means 20.2 people tested positive for every for every 100,000 population (up to 31 July), down from 29.3 a week earlier.

    Here are the rate of infections (per 100,000 people) for all local authorities in the West Midlands - for the seven days up to 31 July, compared with the previous week.

    • Birmingham down to 12.7 from from 13.4
    • Bromsgrove down to 6.1 from 7.1
    • Cheshire East up to 6.6 from 1.3
    • Coventry up to 14.7 from 8.7
    • Dudley up to 4.7 from 3.4
    • East Staffordshire up to 9.3 from 8.4
    • Herefordshire remains at 5.7
    • Lichfield up to 6.7 from 2.9
    • Newcastle-under-Lyme up to 7.0 from 3.1
    • North Warwickshire is down to 6.2 from 9.3
    • Nuneaton and Bedworth up to 17.8 from 8.5
    • Redditch remains at 1.2
    • Rugby up to 6.5 from 1.9
    • Sandwell down to 20.2 from 29.3
    • Shropshire up to 6.2 from 5.0
    • Solihull up to 7.0 from 4.2
    • South Staffordshire down to 3.6 from 6.2
    • Staffordshire Moorlands up to 6.1 from 1.0
    • Stoke-on-Trent down to 3.1 from 4.3
    • Stratford-on-Avon up to 3.1 from 0.8
    • Tamworth up to 2.6 from 1.3
    • Telford and Wrekin remains at 3.9
    • Walsall remains at 8.1
    • Warwick remains at 4.2
    • Wolverhampton up to 16.8 from 14.5
    • Worcester down to 3.9 from 7.9
    • Wychavon down to 4.7 from 7.9
  5. Weather: A few showers aroundpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 5 August 2020

    BBC Weather

    Cloudy with a few showers around and some of the rain could be heavier at times this afternoon. High: 23C/73F.

    Church StrettonImage source, BBC Weather Watcher Peter Steggles
    Image caption,

    This morning at Church Stretton, Shropshire

    Any rain or showers should ease and clear away through the night leaving it mainly dry with clear spells. Low: 15C/59F.

    You can get a latest forecast for your area at any time by going to the BBC Weather website.

  6. Shopping centre to get £5m for redevelopmentpublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Six projects in Shropshire and Herefordshire have been awarded grants totaling £14m by the government.

    They've benefited from the same Getting Building Fund as eight projects in Birmingham and Coventry and include £5m for Shropshire Council to spend on redeveloping the Pride Hill shopping centre.

    Pride Hill

    The other five grants are:

    • £1m for a project to create new wetlands along the River Lugg
    • £3m to improve Hereford city centre
    • £1m to develop campus facilities for NMITE at Skylon Park
    • £2.38m for a project to create new healthcare and residential units in Wellington
    • £1m for a Wrekin Housing Group project retrofitting homes with zero carbon technology to tackle fuel poverty
  7. Your photos: Deer take a nappublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    The Weather Watchers are mainly sharing photos of the grey cloud which has been hanging over most of us today.

    But it looks like Liam Ball has been to Attingham Park in Shropshire today and photographed some of the deer there.

    Deer at parkImage source, Liam Ball
    HerefordImage source, A Scottish Soldier
    Lower BroadheathImage source, Mikesnapper
  8. Your photos: Grey and cloudy around the West Midlandspublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    It seems there is a lot of grey cloud about today.

    These photos from the BBC Weather Watchers were taken this morning near Bodenham, Bromsgrove and Atcham.

    BodenhamImage source, Step Counter
    BromsgroveImage source, Boardwalk
    AtchamImage source, Liam Ball
  9. Flower show preparing to take fireworks onlinepublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    The Shrewsbury Flower Show firework display is going online this year, because of the coronavirus.

    Thousands of people buy tickets to watch it in the Quarry every year, and many more watch it from their homes around the town, but instead this month, footage of the 2019 display will be shown online.

    Shrewsbury Flower Show firework displayImage source, Getty Images

    This year's flower show would have been the 133rd, but online viewers are being promised some "really interesting videos" around 14 and 15 August to replace the garden tours, cooking displays and live music.

  10. Cost of rural crime in county rises 15%published at 09:53 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    Rural crime cost Shropshire £1.4m last year, a rise of 15% on the previous year, the insurer NFU Mutual has said.

    The cost to the wider West Midlands, it added, was more than £10m, and said that rural crime in the UK was at its highest level for eight years.

    Cow

    NFU Mutual said the rise is being driven by organised criminal gangs targeting high-value tractors, quad bikes and large numbers of livestock.

  11. Beach safety review after father's deathpublished at 08:58 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    Father-of-seven Jonathan Stevens died after trying to save his children from the sea.

    Read More
  12. 'Great Bell of Tong' set to ding dong againpublished at 08:12 British Summer Time 4 August 2020

    A church bell could soon be ringing out again after being repaired.

    Bell at St Bartholomew's church

    The work on the so-called Great Bell of Tong of St Bartholomew's Church was held up by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The bell was removed and placed on the nave but the repair firm, Taylor Bells, had to wait for the lockdown to end before collecting it.

    The work involved replacing an old wooden headstock the bell sits on with a cast iron one.

    Minister-in charge, the Reverend Pippa Thorneycroft, told the BBC at the weekend Taylor Bells was expecting to return the bell on Tuesday.

  13. Father 'died a hero saving children'published at 19:49 British Summer Time 3 August 2020

    Kim Stevens said her brother Jonathan, from Telford, had been on a day trip to Barmouth.

    Read More
  14. Shrewsbury sign Pyke, High and Danielspublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 3 August 2020

    Shrewsbury Town sign striker Rekeil Pyke and central midfielder Scott High from Huddersfield Town, and winger Josh Daniels from Glenavon.

    Read More
  15. 'No new Covid-19 cases' at travellers sitepublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 3 August 2020

    BBC Shropshire

    There have been no new cases of coronavirus over the weekend at a travellers site in Shropshire, the local council has said.

    Sign for Craven ArmsImage source, Google

    On Friday, the total number of positive cases linked to the site on Long Lane, Craven Arms, stood at 27, external and Shropshire Council said on Saturday no new cases had been found., external

    It added only seven people were still being asked to self-isolate.

  16. Your photos: Wildlife under blue and cloudy skiespublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 3 August 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    We've had the odd shower today but mainly it has been a day for people to enjoy the sunshine, at least our local BBC Weather Watchers have certainly been doing that.

    Here are three from users Caraman On Tour in Lower Gornal, Dudley, Graham Russell in Atcham, Shropshire and Littleacorns in Southam, Warwickshire:

    Lower GornalImage source, Caraman On Tour
    AtchamImage source, Graham Russell
    SouthamImage source, Littleacorns
  17. Appeal over steam railway arson attackpublished at 14:03 British Summer Time 3 August 2020

    Sophie Madden
    BBC News

    An arson attack at a stop on a heritage railway has been described as "mindless vandalism".

    Police are appealing for information after the roof of the Country Park Halt at Highley, Shropshire, on the Severn Valley Railway, was badly damaged on Sunday.

    The railway, which resumed services on Saturday for the first time in more than four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, said services were not affected.

    The fire at the request-stop was started when a wooden fence panel was set alight, a spokeswoman for Severn Valley Railway said.

    Damage to the haltImage source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

    "It's just so disappointing that this happened just as we are trying to get back on our feet. It's just so selfish and mindless," Helen Smith said.

    West Mercia Police and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service have both appealed for anyone with information about the attack to come forward.

    A visitor centre at the country park was also vandalised at around the same time and police are thought to be linking the two incidents, Ms Smith said.

  18. Fire crews scaled back at woodlandpublished at 10:11 British Summer Time 3 August 2020

    The number of firefighters tackling a blaze in a woodland in Staffordshire has been scaled back.

    Firefighter fighting the blazeImage source, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

    About 8.5 acres (3.4 hectares) have been affected by the fire near Enville, between Bridgnorth and Stourbridge, which began on Friday afternoon, and was still not under control at Sunday lunchtime.

    This morning, the fire service wouldn't say if it was out but said it had reduced the number of fire engines at the site from five to one.