Covid rates in the West Midlands are falling more slowly than in other areas due to the late arrival of the new strain, health chiefs have said.

Police chiefs have warned anti-lockdown protesters to stay out of the West Midlands after clashes in a city centre last weekend.

A man has been fined after travelling from Bristol to Wolverhampton by train during lockdown.

See the latest figures for coronavirus cases and deaths in your area.

A Black Country man has pleaded guilty to wounding a mother and her baby with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Labour councillors in Sandwell are bracing themselves for another round of damaging suspensions as national party leaders try to take the warring council in hand.

A historic property in Wolverhampton that used to be the home of an employment agency has been granted listed building consent for a conversion into 11 new apartments.

Noisy bin lorries will continue to wake Walsall residents up for a few more years yet – after an electric truck trial failed to impress.

A clinical psychologist has offered some tips for dealing with needle phobia as the coronavirus vaccine continues to be rolled out.

This week I have been going through my medical postbag and am happy to impart some sage advice to a number of patients with problems.

A developer has won its battle to build up to 20 new affordable homes on land on the edge of Stone more than three years after the plans were rejected by Stafford Borough Council.

Plans to convert 27,750 street lights in Wolverhampton to more efficient energy-saving LED lamps are being examined by council bosses.

Plans to take down a ‘dilapidated’ Darlaston petrol station and replace it with a new facility have been given the green light.

Constant changes in government Covid guidance to schools has sparked anger from Dudley councillors after the latest revision reinstated rules issued just months ago.

Children at a Wolverhampton primary school in need of laptops to study at home during lockdown have received a helping hand from the city council.

Plans to lease a run-down former youth club in Wolverhampton to a local community church have been given the go-ahead by council bosses.

A police chief has defended cracking down on Covid rule-breakers in Walsall in the wake of social media criticism from politicians and the public.

As pubs remain closed across the country South Staffordshire councillors have been given a glass half empty forecast for the future of larger companies – and thousands of gallons of beer left unsold in the run up to Christmas.

Around 20 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze at a cannabis factory in the Black Country.

More wind and rain are set to batter the region this weekend as flood warnings remain in place.

Tributes have been paid to former Wyre Forest District Council chairman and councillor Mike Salter who died January 20,

A teenager has been charged after several people were lured by an offer to trade mobile phones but were robbed of their cars at knifepoint in Wolverhampton.

A driver was taken to hospital after the car he was in flipped onto its roof when he suffered a suspected medical emergency.

An elderly couple’s cellar is being flooded everyday by a blocked drain outside their home.

Five men have been arrested after police seized drugs and cash when a vehicle was stopped at junction 4 on the M54 in Telford.

Wolverhampton's new railway station is set to open fully to the public in the spring, as work on the exterior of the building nears competition.

The second stage of Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s extensive renovation programme will resume in June, it has been revealed.

“The message [to my family] was always constantly along the lines of ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst’ because I was that ill.”

A man has died and two people have been seriously injured after a crash in Birmingham – with one of the cars being pursued by police officers.

A mother-of-two says she is “lost for words” after a fire destroyed her business.

Witnesses have described being woken to the sound of fighting before two people were shot and killed with a crossbow during a brawl at a cannabis farm in the Black Country.

A further 66 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals across the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Brexit has helped to "save lives" by enabling the UK to develop its own vaccine programme, an MP has said.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after a teenager was killed when he was set upon by a group of young people.

A man was rescued after suffering from smoke inhalation in a fire at a flat near Stourbridge.

A five-month-old girl who collapsed and was taken to hospital was in a “critical condition” when she arrived, a trial heard.

Blue lid recycling bin collections in Sandwell have been suspended because of the amount of staff off work due to Covid-19.

A 22-year-old man has been jailed for three years after he was caught by police officers while supplying heroin and crack cocaine in Staffordshire.

A deep-rooted mistrust of the NHS is contributing to black people refusing to have the Covid jab, a former MP has said.

A town hall is set to become a 'Nightingale' court to help clear a backlog of thousands of cases caused by the pandemic.

Wolverhampton's fifth Covid-19 rapid testing centre has opened today.

An Audi car has been stolen from a home in Wyre Forest.

A murder investigation has been launched after a 15-year-old boy died after being attacked in the West Midlands.

Bosses at hobby retailer The Works have expressed concerns about the future after admitting the company could run out of money by breaching banking covenants due to uncertainties from the Covid-19 lockdowns.

I’m a survivor of domestic abuse and after leaving my own abusive relationship set up my own support group called SODA (Survivors of Domestic Abuse) which raises awareness and reduces isolation, writes Sam Billingham.

A mass vaccination centre is set to open at the Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) next week.

Ministers are set to launch a consultation with residents in parts of the Midlands over the "extremely disruptive" impact of HS2 on their communities.

This is what remains of the former General Electric site in Stafford which is being demolished to make way for houses.

Food banks encouraged anyone who needs them to come forward.

Foodbank usage is rising across the region as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic heaps more financial pressure on people.

A campaign has been launched to install three defibrillators in a Black Country town.

People being told to stay at home, sometimes with only their computer or smartphone for company. Workers on furlough, suddenly finding themselves with an unexpected amount of time on their hands. For those susceptible to problem gambling, the coronav...

A village church has been able to repair a serious roof leak after receiving grant help.

Fake water board officials have stolen cash from the homes of five pensioners in Walsall and Birmingham.

A man has been jailed for 10 years after stabbing a friend at his Black Country home last year.

Police have warned off-road bikers they face having their vehicles seized if they persist in using them around a residential area in Cannock.

A Wolverhampton furniture store which was caught flouting coronavirus restrictions twice has been fined £1,000.

More than £2,900 has been raised for a Black Country charity in memory of Doris Hobday, one of the beloved Black Country twins, who died after contracting coronavirus.

Wolverhampton residents have been urged to secure their homes after vehicles were stolen in a spate of burglaries.

Health bosses in Walsall have moved to debunk myths around the Covid-19 vaccination as the rollout across the borough moves at a pace.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.

A Stafford man has been jailed for six years after being found guilty of carrying out a tyranny of abuse against a woman.

A man has been charged on suspicion of posing as a police officer to raid a home – where a man and woman were handcuffed by robbers.

A further 56 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals across the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Elderly and frail people in Dudley should be offered taxis to Covid vaccination centres to ensure they get their jab, a leading councillor has said.

A large Victorian building in Wolverhampton city centre that was originally built as offices looks set to be transformed into 22 new one-bedroom flats.

More than 40 people in Walsall died as a result of Covid in just one week, new data has revealed.

A man has been jailed for six years after admitting carrying out child sex offences in Stafford.

A night of heavy rain, wind and snow brought travel chaos and disruption to services across the region.

The construction of five new railway stations across the region has been agreed in principle – a;though concerns remain as to how they will be funded.

A leading councillor has claimed she was sacked as deputy leader of her authority in a dispute over a post she put on Facebook about a change in allocation for a proposed traveller site on land at the former Burlish Golf Course.

An MP has urged council chiefs in Wolverhampton to stop work immediately on a controversial transit site due to Government proposals.

Parents who are struggling to print their children’s schoolwork are being given a helping hand by an estate agent.

Figures showed that 17% of adults reported borrowing money in December 2020 compared to 11% at the end of June.

Lichfield District Council’s chief executive has announced she will be leaving her role in May.

Work to extend a transport network has taken a further step forward following the demolition of an aged structure along the route.

The Ladder for the Black Country is working with other organisations to support young people with special educational needs and disabilities as well as those educated in pupil referral units.

Lilian Cox and Doris Hobday became the talk of the town after stealing the nation’s hearts shortly after their 95th birthday back in 2019.

Tenpin bowling centre operator Ten Entertainment Group saw a 56.9 per cent fall in sales last year to £36.3 million as it was hit by the coronavirus crisis.

More than 170 cannabis plants were seized by police after raiding a residential property in Wolverhampton.

A man from Dudley allegedly shook his five-month-old daughter in a “whiplash-style” motion which caused her death, a trial heard.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested following two armed robberies where people were lured to locations through a fake Facebook account.