³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

The election was due to take place in 2020 but postponed until this year because of the pandemic.

The election was due to take place in 2020 but postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The election was due to take place in 2020 but postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The election was due to take place in 2020 but postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest news and updates from across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

Areema Nasreen was one of the youngest NHS workers to die of Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic.

The chimes of the 118-year-old Jewellery Quarter clock are to ring out for the first time in 30 years.

Watford maintain their Championship top-two bid with a convincing win over Birmingham City.

Coventry miss the chance to ease relegation fears as they fight out a scoreless draw against bottom side Wycombe.

Operators in northern England and the Midlands get grant as they continue with low passenger numbers.

Photographer Andrew Fusek Peters says perfect weather was also needed for the dramatic shots.

Trevor Johnson, a porter at New Cross Hospital, died at the hospital he worked at in October.

Wasps come from 18-6 behind at half-time to beat Newcastle and move level on points with the Falcons.

Oliver Banfield's victim says she thought he was "fulfilling a violent cop movie fantasy".

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Monday.

A "drop and collect" Covid-19 home testing scheme is being carried out in parts of Oldbury and Tipton in a bid to find any more cases of the South African variant.

The teams will be encouraging people aged 16 and over to take a PCR Covid-19 swab test, even if they are not showing any symptoms, Sandwell Council said.

Streets within the wider DY4 7, DY4 8 and B69 2 postcode areas are being targeted.

On Wednesday, the council said surge testing would be carried out after a case of the variant was identified in Sandwell.

Image source, Getty Images

The person was said to be "well" and the local authority said it had traced people who might have met the individual and asked them to isolate.

Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell's director of public health, said people in the area were "responding brilliantly" to the call to get tested at a mobile unit.

"Now this drop and collect option means we can also help those people who can’t get out to the testing centre," she said.

Steelworks have nearly been completed at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham City Council says.

The stadium in Perry Barr, will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics events at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The steelworks will be finished by next week, the council said, with work to add fixtures and fittings underway.

Image source, Birmingham City Council

Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "This is an exciting milestone and it's testament to the hard work and efforts of all involved that we have made such progress despite the challenges of delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We can now clearly see what the new stadium will look like when complete."

The stadium is due to be finished by Spring next year.

New Birmingham boss Lee Bowyer is back at Blues - 10 years on from being part of their biggest day - and already a winner again.

Bollards are going to be installed in parts of Hanley next month to stop people driving through pedestrian zones.

The city council is installing automatic sliding bollards and fixed bollards on Piccadilly, Cheapside and Brunswick Street and said it wants to encourage shoppers to return after lockdown ends.

Image source, Google

Councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for infrastructure, regeneration and heritage, said: "These streets have been clearly marked as pedestrian zones for a number of years but unfortunately we are still getting vehicles travelling down them when they shouldn’t be."

He added the city council wants to encourage "a real café culture vibe".

Some patients at a Shropshire hospital will be allowed visitors under new rules.

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) had to restrict all visiting for patients in November in line with national guidance in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But, from Monday, limited visiting will resume for long stay patients on the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) and Sheldon Ward, the general medicine and rehabilitation ward

Image source, Google

Patients will be allowed one named visitor who must book their visits with the ward.

Visitors will need to wear face masks at all times and will be provided with a surgical face mask by the trust on arrival.

Stacey Keegan, chief nurse at RJAH, said: "We have been monitoring the situation very closely and feel that now is the right time to allow some visitors back on site.

"It's the right thing to do, especially for our most vulnerable patients who will really benefit from contact with their families."