Eighty per cent of new Covid cases in Sandwell are from the more recent and "deadlier" strain of the virus, the borough's director of public health says.

Two people have been treated for potentially serious injuries after escaping from a Birmingham house fire.

Discount retailer Poundland saw a rise in festive sales as people rushed to the stores for bargain essential goods.

A jealous man savagely beat his pregnant ex-partner with a hammer after invading her home, a court heard.

An investigation has been launched after a teenager was stabbed in Tipton High Street in broad daylight.

Health chiefs have urged people to be “more stringent” as the region became the UK’s epicentre of the Covid pandemic with the national death toll now topping the 100,000 mark.

Virus levels are falling, but latest figures show the West Midlands is now England’s coronavirus epicentre.

About one in four people who have been in contact with someone with coronavirus in the Black Country and Staffordshire are not being reached by the test and trace system.

Parts of the West Midlands have received more than £2 million to help communities most at risk from Covid-19.

The jury in a murder trial over the death of a baby girl has been told of the five-month old’s final moments.

Staff from West Midlands Fire Service have joined the fight against coronavirus by volunteering with St John Ambulance to help deliver the vaccination programme.

“Serious concerns” have been raised about criminal activity around a former police station amid claims of trespass and criminal damage.

Schoolboy Jack Birt has taken on a marathon challenge to raise vital funds to help homeless people.

The outreach work of a city wrestling club is set to benefit from a funding boost.

The British auto industry needs to get its act together fast.

Homes and businesses left counting the cost for second year running.

A Birmingham hospital saw the region's second highest percentage of patients waiting an hour or more to be transferred from an ambulance, a report says.

A 21-year-old man from Birmingham has been charged on suspicion of terrorism offences.

Three men have been arrested for suspicion of possessing a firearm after a disorder in Birmingham.

A huge cannabis farm was discovered after police carried out a warrant in Brierley Hill.

Councils across the region will be holding events to commemorate a day to remember victims of genocide and persecution.

A pub which was seriously damaged by flooding for the second time in 18 months will take four weeks to dry out.

A further 155 people have died in hospitals and care homes in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire after contracting coronavirus.

A further 77 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Plans for a new new Midlands Air Ambulance base at Cosford represent "a vital development for the whole of the region", according to the charity's bosses.

Who needs Val d'Isere when you've got East Park?

A man has been killed in a flat fire believed to have been started by a cigarette.

More than 400 Staffordshire firefighters now have access to lateral flow tests for Covid-19.

Two of the region's best loved comedians have taken part in a special video message about the coronavirus vaccine.

Britain’s jobless rate has soared to its highest level for more than four years as official figures show nearly 830,000 workers have been dropped from UK payrolls since the start of the pandemic.

Health bosses in Staffordshire have warned it is more important than ever to follow the rules and get tested regularly – as the new contagious strain tightens its grip on the county.

One of the largest regeneration projects in the West Midlands has taken a step forward as a planning application has been submitted.

West Midlands Ambulance Service will provide extra information for expectant mothers to ensure they know the procedure and likely travel time to hospital if home births become complicated, an action plan says.

Drivers were this morning warned to take extra care as plummeting temperatures overnight left some routes resembling 'ice rinks'.

A man had to be led to safety after a fire inside a 17-storey block of flats in West Bromwich today.

A mass vaccination hub at the Black Country Living Museum will aim to vaccinate 1,000 people each day.

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

An education boss has said teachers and parents are "unsettled" as they do not know when pupils will be back in schools.

More than 1,000 fixed penalty notices have been handed out in Staffordshire to people flouting Covid-19 rules, police chiefs have said.

More than 100 reports of businesses flouting coronavirus rules in Wolverhampton have been reported to council chiefs in a week.

A former world cycling champion and broadcasting legend is crossing his fingers an annual bike ride will be able to take place this year.

A regeneration programme that is expected to see £1 billion of investment in Dudley will be discussed at a scrutiny meeting next week.

A resident is calling for a council to make immediate repairs to dozens of potholes in a street – which he alerted the authority to last October.

A father described the moment his five-month-old daughter collapsed as “like a nightmare” when interviewed, a trial heard.

A man found with "nasty looking" weapons has been arrested in Staffordshire on suspicion of raping a woman in Telford.

The chief constable of West Midlands Police is back at work after contracting Covid-19.

An independent car parts supplier has grown its revenues by 50 per cent despite Covid-19 disruption, with support from Lloyds Bank.

A leading pharmacist in the Black Country has sought to reassure people that Covid vaccines are safe.

A fundraising page has been launched for a wildlife centre after it was hit by flooding.

Strict coronavirus testing is becoming the new norm for workers at some of the region’s biggest companies as the battle to curb infections continues.

A woman who illegally rented out her council flat has been ordered to pay almost £1,500 by a court.

A community has come together to help raise funds to replace a stolen wheelchair.

A colourful ‘feel-good’ wall to remember those lost in the pandemic and to pay tribute to lockdown heroes is being built at a school.

An animal charity fears the virus crisis could have lasting effect on its fundraising efforts.

A charity is raising funds to support vulnerable and isolated people during the third lockdown.

A paedophile from the West Midlands who sexually abused baby girls and toddlers has been locked up for more than 17 years.

A police federation boss has joined calls for tougher sentences for offenders who attack emergency services workers.

The mother of murdered schoolboy Keon Lincoln who was stabbed and shot in a Birmingham street has issued an emotional plea to help catch her son's killers.

Detectives have released an image of a man they want to speak to after people were lured by an offer to trade mobile phones and were instead robbed of their cars at knifepoint.

A further 35 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

A number of schools across the region have remained closed today due to snow and ice.

The Black Country Living Museum is among 32 new vaccination sites opening today.

A police chief has revealed the West Midlands force has been targeting Sikh terrorists operating in the region.

A new selection of famous names have been added to the line-up for a popular literature festival.

A driver who died in a crash with a lorry on the M6 in the early hours of Saturday has been named.

"Flood tourists" have been warned they will be fined for travelling to view the overflowing River Severn while England is under lockdown.

MPs say the national lockdown should last until March if Covid infection rates remain high.

Food banks encouraged anyone who needs them to come forward.

Many schools schools will remain closed in Wolverhampton on Monday due to concerns over rising Covid rates.

Plans for a new multi-million pound air ambulance headquarters at Cosford have been given the green light.