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Live Reporting

All times stated are UK

  1. Video: Your 50-second weather forecast

    Rich Davis

    BBC Weather presenter

    It should be a dry day with sunny spells and highs of 29C (84F).

    Video content

    Video caption: Latest weather for the West Midlands
  2. Big diesel spill on M54

    BBC News Travel

    Two hundred litres of diesel has spilled on to the M54 eastbounds, between J5 and J4 near Telford.

    Highways England says one lane is closed while it's cleared up and queues are currently about three miles long.

  3. What is Monkey Dust?

    Public Health England says Monkey Dust is the street name for Methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone or MDPHP.

    It is a stimulant known as a cathinone and it is similar to another drug, MDPV or Methylenedioxypyrovalerone.

    The government classifies synthetic cathinones as Class B drugs.

    The drugs charity Mentor said it can make people who use it and their clothes smell of urine.

  4. Police say use of Monkey Dust becoming more widespread

    West Mercia Police says the use of the drug known as Monkey Dust is becoming more common in the region.

    Det Insp Lee Holehouse said it can cause numbness and intoxications at low doses, but hallucinations, violent behaviour and cardiac arrest in extreme cases.

    Monkey Dust

    Det Insp Holehouse compared it with other drugs such as MKat and described it as an "extreme high".

    Two people who are thought to have taken the drug in Telford have died and a third is seriously ill in hospital.

  5. Princess to visit teddy bear factory

    The Merrythought teddy bear factory in Ironbridge, which has made bears for a number of royals in its 88-year history, is getting a visit from Princess Alexandra today.

    Most recently, it made a bear for Prince Louis, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

    Managing director Sarah Holmes will be taking the Queen's cousin on a tour of the site this afternoon.

    Video content

    Video caption: The Merrythought factory has made bears for a number of royals in its 88-year history.
  6. BreakingWarning over Monkey Dust drug after two deaths

    Police have issuing a warning about the dangers of taking an illegal drug known as Monkey Dust after the deaths of two Telford men.

    A third man is in a serious condition in hospital and, while West Mercia Police says it's not clear if they had taken the drug, there are concerns there may be a connection.

    Det Insp Lee Holehouse said "there may be a bad batch of Monkey Dust circulating" and urged anyone who felt ill after taking the drug to seek medical help.

  7. MP seeks urgent meeting with factory owners

    Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski says he is planning to meet the managing director of Magna, owners of Stadco, to understand why the Shrewsbury factory is closing down.

    Almost 200 staff work at the plant and have been told they will be able to transfer to other sites.

    Stadco

    Mr Kawczynski said he wanted to find out "why these restructuring moves are necessary and what steps are being put in place to help people find alternative employment".

    He urged workers with concerns to get in touch with his office

  8. Plant closure will mark end of 100 years in town

    The closure of Stadco's factory in Shrewsbury, revealed yesterday evening, would bring an end to a plant that can trace its roots in the town back almost 100 years.

    About 190 workers at the site on Battlefield Way have been told their jobs could see their jobs transfer to sites in Telford, Castle Bromwich and Powys by mid-2019.

    Stadco

    Yesterday, parent company Magna, based in Canada, said the plans were in response to "challenging market conditions", and after introducing "increased operational efficiencies and decreased costs across all its operations".

    The Chatwood Safe Company moved to Shrewsbury in 1925 and built a factory and model village alongside it to house employees.

    Today the firm specialises in metal stampings, particularly for the automotive industry.

  9. Video: Your 50-second weather forecast

    Rich Davis

    BBC Weather presenter

    After a dry start today bands of showery rain will push through the region, which could be heavy at times.

    It will feel a bit cooler today with highs of 25C (77F).

    Video content

    Video caption: Latest weather for the West Midlands
  10. What's the weather got in store?

    Shefali Oza

    BBC Midlands Today

    There should be plenty of late sunshine around this evening, before a dry and largely clear night with lows of 12C (54F).

    Here's your forecast:

    Video content

    Video caption: The forecast for the West Midlands
  11. Thousands of litres of water pumped into pool

    Around 20,000 litres of water has is been pumped out of the River Severn into an ornamental pool in Shrewsbury's Quarry park, to help distressed fish.

    The fire service and Environment Agency were called in to help because water levels in the Dingle were reportedly up to three feet lower than usual.

    Mark Harris from the council said the low levels meant machines designed to aerate the water weren't working properly, but they wanted to avoid moving the fish if possible.

    Video content

    Video caption: Water from the River Severn used to top up pool.
  12. BreakingPoundworld to disappear from high street

    The administrators of Poundworld have announced the closure of its remaining stores, some of them in the West Midlands.

    Another 78 stores are to close by Sunday 29 July and another 112 stores by 10 August.

    That will result in 2,339 job losses.

    Administrators have been closing the firm's 335 stores since it went into administration in June.

  13. Town revamp attempting to 'minimise impact on trade'

    The contractor carrying out work in Shrewsbury Town centre had responded to criticism from the town's MP.

    Daniel Kawczynski has complained the work, which includes the resurfacing of the pavement on Pride Hill is taking too long.

    He said he had been informed the work would not be finished until October 2019.

    Chris Casey, managing director of Casey Group said the contract "experienced some initial delays" and the firm was "working closely with the council’s appointed team to carry out this important regeneration of Shrewsbury town centre".

    Pride Hill

    Mr Casey didn't respond to the reported delays directly, but said the team were "adhering to the strict guide lines as stipulated by the council in order to minimise the impact on local businesses".

    Shropshire Council said it was "extremely dissatisfied with their performance" and said it "has been in ongoing dialogue with Casey" since the works began.

    And it added "This should be a positive story of the council thinking ahead to avoid digging up new paving, but we are being let down".