The tests are expected to produce results within 20 minutes and help identify "silent spreaders".

A woman who did not self-isolate for 14 days after returning from a trip to Turkey has been fined £1,000, police said.

Officers from Staffordshire Police attended her home in Werrington, near Stoke-on-Trent, to carry out checks and found she wasn't home, the force said, adding it was believed she had gone to work.

Police said the check-up was carried out as part of regular observation on those self-isolating across Staffordshire, following correspondence with Border Force officials.

“We will continue with our approach to engage, explain and encourage but enforcement action will be taken where people are knowingly breaching the regulations," Ch Insp Mark Thorley said.

Stoke City defender Nathan Collins has the red card he was given in the 2-2 draw with Barnsley rescinded.

Ex-Premier League player Paul Williams says he found it difficult to challenge racism he experienced during a 16-year career.

BBC Radio Shropshire

More positive cases of Covid-19 are expected at a university in Shropshire after they shot up in the past few days, according to its vice-chancellor.

Image source, Google

Sixty-six students have tested positive since Saturday at Harper Adams University, near Newport, along with three members of staff.

The figures, from the university, , externalshow 19 cases among students the week before and none a fortnight ago.

Vice-chancellor David Llewellyn said cases had been increasing across Telford and Wrekin.

"The last thing we want to do is for anybody in the local community to feel as though students are the only cause of this issue of Covid because clearly they are not. There is a community-wide issue going on here."

The infection rate for the wider Telford and Wrekin area has increased from 79.0 per 100,000 in the seven days to 10 October to 142.9 a week later.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said coronavirus "cases are doubling around every fortnight".

BBC Weather Watchers

Our local BBC Weather Watchers have been sending back photos today from some of the many waterways across the West Midlands.

These three are from users Jon in Barlaston, Staffordshire, Beks Walker Runner X in Sutton Coldfield and DaveA in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Image source, Jon

Image source, Beks Walker Runner X

Image source, DaveA

BBC Radio Stoke

Plans to rebuild a retirement complex that was destroyed in a huge fire are due to be examined next week.

Image source, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

About 150 people lost everything when homes at Beechmere residential site, in Crewe, were ravaged by the blaze in August 2019.

Advantage, which ran the old site, wants to replace it with a new building made of 132 apartments.

It say in the application it will have block and brick walls for better fire protection, external.

Councillors are due to make a decision on Wednesday.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's headlines today include:

• Ninety-four Covid patients being treated at Royal Stoke as infection rate soars, external
• Oil spill wreaks traffic havoc as main road into Hanley could be closed for days, external
• Police patrols as 'disrespectful idiots' wake up families with booming fireworks, external

BBC Radio Stoke

The UK's last working Victorian pottery factory is facing "an uncertain winter" unless it manages to raise £12,000 to cover the impact of Covid-19.

Bosses a Middleport Pottery in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, said, external coronavirus restrictions had forced them to cancel events like factory tours, school visits and their Christmas lights switch-on.

While they have received £26,000 from the government's Culture Recovery Fund, they said it hasn't covered the income lost from the cancelled events.

Middleport owners Re-Form Heritage said the £12,000 is for essential maintenance on the Grade II listed buildings which have hosted the TV show The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Director Clare Wood said "we still have a wonderful site, but our wonderful site costs us an awful lot to keep running and maintaining".

Trams lines hidden for decades have been unearthed during resurfacing work.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

The rails were discovered on High Street, Tunstall, this week as the route was repaired, Stoke-on-Trent City Council said. , external

The local authority said the last tram to use the lines ran in 1928 as part of the Potteries Electric Traction Company.

BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent is heading towards being moved to a higher Covid-19 tier as infection rates soar, the council's leader said.

The city is currently in tier one, but the infection rate has risen from 113.5 per 100,000 in the seven days to 10 October up to 185.7.

Image source, Reuters

There are also 94 people with Covid-19 being treated in the hospitals run by the University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust compared with just seven in the previous fortnight.

City council leader Abi Brown said: "In the last five to six days we’ve seen a big increase in our number in Stoke-on-Trent which is extremely concerning.

"I think potentially we are [heading for a higher tier]. We need residents to continue to follow the guidance especially over half-term."

The NHS trust's chief nurse, Michelle Rhodes, said their beds were filling up with Covid-19 patients. She said both staff and patients had tested positive.

"At the minute, we are able to continue to do as much planned elective surgery that we possibly can but if the numbers continue [to rise] that will be at risk going forward," she added.

Ten-man Stoke City come from behind twice to deny Barnsley a first league win of the season.

BBC Midlands Today

A man has completed a 350-mile walk from the south coast to Stoke-on-Trent in memory of his baby son who died from heart complications last year.

Chris Gibbs, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, set off from Eastbourne four weeks ago.

The walk raised £20,000 for the Royal Stoke University Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital, which both cared for his son, Thiago.

Mr Gibbs said his walk connected important places in his life.

"That meant my birthplace, Eastbourne. So I set off from there, went via Birmingham where we lost our little man in November last year and ending in Stoke-on-Trent at the hospital where my wife works and my son was born."

Two hospitals in Staffordshire have seen a "significant increase" in new patients with Covid-19 in the past 10 days, health bosses said.

Image source, UHNM

Staff at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and the County Hospital Stafford are currently caring for 94 people with the virus.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust said , externalit had to go back to May to find similar figures.

It added on Twitter: "it is clear that we have our work cut out for us this winter."

A man has been arrested over a suspected arson attack on a car and a van.

The vehicles were set on fire on Monday night on Newbury Road, Norton Canes, near Cannock, Staffordshire Police said. , external

The 36-year-old, from the West Midlands, was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson with intent to endanger life and released on bail., external

A new Covid-19 test centre has opened in Leamington today.

Image source, Reuters

The site on Court Street will be available to residents who have booked a test in advance, Warwick District Council said, external.

Infection rates in the area have increased to 141.2 per 100,000 people in the seven days to 16 October, compared with 109.2 for the week before.

While in Staffordshire, plans have been approved for a drive-through test centre at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council approved the proposals for a longer-term site to swab patients awaiting surgery and members of staff.

The rate in the city has increased from 99.9 per 100,000 up to 9 October to 171.6.

A gang of masked men have attacked and robbed a man of a gold bracelet.

The victim was in the Stratford Grove area of Penkridge, Staffordshire, when it happened on Sunday night, police said. , external

The group of about five men, described as being in their early 20s, were seen making off in a small, dark-coloured car after the robbery.

Express and Star

The Express and Star is covering these stories today:

• Hundreds of fines for breaching coronavirus restriction rules, external
• Warning of stricter rules if cases continue to rise in Stafford, external
• Dudley Council spends £100,000 in a year removing graffiti, external

School pupils are being given the chance to "bring colour" to a Covid-19 test site and make it less daunting for children.

Image source, Cheshire East Council

The new centre for walk-through appointments opened recently on Chester Street car park, Crewe.

Cheshire East Council said it wanted it to look "less clinical" and schools could get involved with creating pictures to fill the walls.

The authority added there would be no end date for the submission of pictures and it would need to refresh the displays frequently.