Bridie Adams

West Midlands Fire Service chief Simon Tuhill has thanked firefighters, control staff, emergency services, councils, businesses, farmers and residents for their response to a series of fires during extreme heat. A major blaze in Stourbridge destroyed 19 homes and forced dozens of people to evacuate, while firefighters faced thousands of emergency calls and significant physical and emotional strain. Tuhill said the service will conduct a debrief to identify lessons, and praised community donations, public cooperation and practical help from farmers and other organizations.

The 2026 series of Celebrity MasterChef is being filmed at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham, with Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli forming a new judging partnership. The judges explain how Dent’s perspective as a food critic complements Locatelli’s focus on technique, while Birmingham’s diverse food culture has broadened their discussions. Contestants including Emily Campbell, Jason Mohammad, Joe Pasquale, Shakira Khan and Jay McGuinness will compete in three heats, with Paddy McGuinness, Zoe Ball and Morgan Burtwistle appearing as guest judges. The series returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 18 August.

Wildfires across England and Wales prompted a national government alert urging people not to undertake activities that could spark fires. In Stourbridge, West Midlands, 19 homes were destroyed and 18 damaged after a fast-moving blaze spread from grassland and woodland into residential areas; residents were evacuated, two people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and firefighters were injured. Major incidents and evacuations were also reported in Wales, Hampshire, Norfolk, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Willenhall. Authorities were investigating the causes, including suspected arson in several locations, while the government announced a temporary ban on disposable barbecue sales.

A wave of wildfires across England and Wales prompted a national government alert warning people against activities that could ignite fires. In Stourbridge, West Midlands, 19 homes were destroyed and 18 damaged after flames spread from grassland and woodland into residential areas; residents and horses were evacuated, and several people and firefighters required hospital treatment. Major incidents and evacuations were also reported in Wales, Hampshire, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Willenhall. Authorities were investigating the causes, including possible arson, while the government announced a temporary ban on disposable barbecue sales and promised additional support for emergency services.

Birmingham Green Party councillor Siobhan Harper-Nunes, 66, has been charged with assaulting a member of the public, three police officers and a police staff member following an incident on Monument Road on 6 August. West Midlands Police also arrested her on suspicion of harassment, and she remained in custody while inquiries continued. She is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 10 September. Harper-Nunes was elected in May to represent Birmingham's Ladywood ward and previously stood as the Green Party candidate for West Midlands mayor in 2024.

Pershore is holding a month-long festival celebrating three plum varieties named after the Worcestershire town, including the Pershore yellow egg plum, which will reach its 200th anniversary in 2027. Events include races, cycling, motorcycling, market stalls, entertainment, a shop-window competition, an open-air cinema and a family fun day. Organiser Angela Taylor said the festival has been running for 27 years and has become an important part of Pershore’s identity, with funding following the 2007 floods helping to expand it.

A breach on the Llangollen Canal near Swanley, Cheshire, flooded neighbouring fields and forced the closure of the canal and towpath. The Canal & River Trust has restored water levels, installed temporary dams and begun investigating a suspected culvert failure, with repairs expected to take several days. The closure is disrupting boaters, a canal-based pizza business and Swanley Bridge Marina. Boaters praised the trust's immediate response but called for greater government funding to maintain the aging canal network.

HS2 has delayed the reopening of the northbound A38 slip road at Streethay near Lichfield by six months, from October 2026 to April 2027. The closure, combined with a temporary 50mph speed limit, affects a route used by about 70,000 vehicles daily. HS2 says an independent road safety audit found no safe temporary realignment option, while Labour MP Dave Robertson criticised the prolonged disruption and accused the project of breaking assurances to the community.

Volunteers cleared approximately five tonnes of waste from the Hide & Seek Festival at Weston Park in Shropshire. The Community Food Project recovered unused tents, sleeping bags, air beds, bedding, clothing, shoes and unopened food, passing supplies to outreach workers for distribution to people experiencing homelessness across Telford. The organization criticized the scale of waste left by festival-goers and said the rescued items would support its food bank and outreach services.

The Severn Valley Railway has suspended all steam-hauled services because prolonged hot, dry weather increases the risk of lineside fires. Heritage diesel locomotives will operate in their place, allowing passenger services to continue. The decision followed a fire on an embankment near Bewdley tackled by Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, although the railway said the broader weather conditions—not that single incident—were the determining factor.

West Midlands theatres and scenic-production businesses are preparing for the region’s winter pantomime season despite a summer heatwave. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is developing Treasure Island, written and performed by Ian Adams and Tam Ryan, while Lichfield Garrick Theatre is building its Robin Hood production with sets constructed by Staffs Scenic Solutions and painted by Unit 1 Scenery. The work begins months in advance, with pantomime accounting for a substantial portion of the scenic teams’ annual workload. Treasure Island opens on 28 November, and Robin Hood opens on 20 November, with both productions running into January.

A disposable barbecue is believed to have caused a wildfire at Cannock Chase, destroying a football-pitch-sized area of protected heathland and killing animals including adders and toads. Chase Road was closed between Camp Road and Brocton Nursery while firefighters dealt with smouldering hotspots. Officials warned that the blaze threatened rare habitat and nearby veteran oak trees, and urged people to comply with the barbecue ban as drought conditions increased wildfire risk across the West Midlands.

A wildfire at Cannock Chase, believed to have been started by a disposable barbecue, destroyed a football-pitch-sized area of protected heathland and killed animals including adders and toads. Chase Road was closed between Camp Road and Brocton Nursery while firefighters damped down hotspots. Officials warned that the site’s proximity to veteran oak trees made future fires especially dangerous, and urged people to observe the barbecue ban amid drought conditions and high wildfire call volumes.

More than 1,500 athletes from about 50 countries will compete at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium in the European Athletics Championships from 10 to 16 August 2026. The guide covers venue details, car-free travel arrangements, the competition schedule, prominent British and international athletes, and BBC television, radio and digital coverage. Great Britain enters as the championships’ most successful nation, with 134 medals, including 50 golds.

Jaguar Land Rover plans to cut fewer than 300 UK jobs, with affected employees offered alternative roles or voluntary redundancy. Former Rover managing director Kevin Morley said the reduction was modest compared with larger automotive layoffs but highlighted pressures from the transition to electric vehicles, Chinese competition, US tariffs and the company’s shift of Jaguar toward an all-electric lineup. He also warned that profits had fallen sharply after a cyberattack disrupted manufacturing for several weeks, contributing to a 27% decline in overall production.

Baddesley Clinton, a 16th-Century National Trust manor house near Solihull, was temporarily closed after a break-in discovered at about 01:50 BST on 31 July 2026. Warwickshire Police are investigating, but it is not known whether anything was stolen. The gardens, parkland, café and shop remain open, and the National Trust hopes to reopen the house on Saturday.

The Home Office stated that newly built homes should never be used to house asylum seekers after plans emerged to place up to 83 migrants in a new Stoke Heath development. The proposal, first raised by MP Mark Pritchard, drew strong opposition from residents and local councils, who argued the rural site lacked essential services and had been intended for local buyers. The Home Office said the development was approved before new restrictions banning the use of new-build and potentially luxurious properties. Residents and local leaders voiced concerns over infrastructure and suitability, while Serco said it was acting under Home Office direction. Occupation of the homes is expected to proceed in phases despite continued calls to halt the plan.

Fathers in Telford are being encouraged to learn haircare skills such as ponytails, plaits and buns through Brews & Braids workshops run by Telford Family Hubs at The Anstice. The sessions include practical lessons using mannequin heads, advice on suitable tools and discussion of different hair types. Professional hairdresser Neomi Owen highlights the emotional value of dads styling their children's hair, drawing on her own childhood experience. Two sessions are scheduled for July and can be booked through Telford Family Hubs.

A national investigation found widespread racism, discrimination and unsafe practices in maternity and neonatal services at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust. Testimonies from families and staff described care that varied by ethnicity, a culture of bullying, dismissal of patient concerns and delayed responses to complications. The report identified systemic issues despite new facilities and cited staff feeling overwhelmed and unsafe. Families who experienced baby loss said their concerns were ignored and called for a national statutory inquiry. Recommendations included establishing a national maternity and neonatal commissioner, with the government preparing an action plan overseen by a new maternity taskforce.