Pub chain Marston's has reaffirmed plans to open around 700 beer gardens and other outdoor spaces across England next week as restrictions ease.

A fundraiser set up to help the family of a two-week-old baby killed when his pram was struck by a car has raised more than £25,000.

A 'miracle man' who spent almost six weeks in a coma battling Covid has spoken of his joy when he returned home to his cheering family.

Ribbons have been tied along Brownhills High Street as the community "goes blue" for two-week-old crash victim Ciaran Morris.

James Paul Davis from Walsall faces four charges including causing death by dangerous driving after Ciaran Leigh Morris was struck in his pram by a car on Easter Sunday.

"I'm still grieving and still coming to terms with everything, but I'm proud of what has been achieved in Geeta's name and what we can achieve going forward."

Aggressive begging has been a “long-standing issue” in parts of a Black Country town, a ward councillor has said.

The chief executive of one of the region's most popular tourist attractions has raised concerns about the prospects of vaccine passports.

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has found himself in the frame after teacher Stuart Mayor captured his likeness on canvas.

A charity chief executive from Black Country has spoken of his sadness that aid needs to be given to his homeland of Yemen.

Youngsters can shoot hoops thanks to partnership.

Doctor recognised for making a difference.

Champion chef Stuart Deeley is devising a special menu for Bistro at B63 at Halesowen College.

A three-year-old boy is doing his bit to keep his community clean and tidy.

The majority of West Midlands businesses support the pace of easing of lockdown restrictions, according to the latest data from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking research.

A popular plant fair will return to a walled garden near the Shropshire/Staffordshire border this month.

The Prime Minister was warned the plans could lead to a ‘Checkpoint Britain’ where people are forced to show their papers.

The England footballer partnered with FareShare around the start of the first coronavirus lockdown.

Covid status certificates could potentially be used to show whether people have been vaccinated, recently tested, or have ‘natural immunity’.

A quarter of people in Wales aged 50 and over are likely to have received both doses.

Someone applying on Wednesday might not receive their passport until June 16 under a new timeline set out by HM Passport Office.

One in 10 local areas have recorded a week-on-week rise in rates.

Administrators have brokered a deal between an international consortium and former owner Philip Day which will see him leave the UK retail scene.

It is hoped the precautionary measure will help limit the risk of transmission.

Boris Johnson said he had seen no data to make him deviate from his route out of lockdown.

Police are appealing for help to find a robber who has gone on the run from prison and may be in the West Midlands.

Official estimates for vaccine supplies in England have been sharply downgraded.

Concerns have been raised that many holidaymakers will not be able to afford the cost of mandatory coronavirus tests.

A Harry Potter book which was left to children by their mother who lost her life to breast cancer could sell at auction for tens of thousands of pounds.

The Mayor is standing for re-election on May 6.

A Black Country NHS trust is to appear in court after two incidents where patients died after they were allegedly exposed to "significant risk of avoidable harm".

A West Midlands police boss has pledged to continue taking firearms off the streets in a week when three shootings took place.

One coronavirus death has been confirmed at a hospital trust in the Black Country.

A Black Country man has been charged with causing the death of a two-week-old boy in a hit-and-run crash in Brownhills.

Professor Paul Hunter said new infections could arise among those not yet vaccinated and those who have not built up enough immunity from vaccination.

Concerns have been raised that there could be a potential association between the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and a rare form of blood clot.

Temporary campsites have sprung up on farms, parkland around stately homes, rugby clubs, county showgrounds and village pubs.

Figures from retail advisory firm Springboard showed that footfall across retail destinations rose by 8.5% from the previous week.

The Labour grandee is a frequent recipient of anti-Semitic abuse and emails.

A thief stole money from an elderly Walsall couple in a bizarre con in which he pretended to be returning money "borrowed" previously and then stole even more.

A police inspector who mocked a teenage detainee for crying in a custody block and used unnecessary force to pick him up off the floor has admitted gross misconduct.

Cannock's new £160 million designer outlet will open for the first time on Monday, it has been confirmed.

The Government has published documents showing an increase in hospital admissions and deaths is ‘highly likely’ in the later stages of the road map.

New images have been released giving a glimpse into Cannock's new £160 million designer outlet which is due to open this spring.

Volunteers in Staffordshire have been praised for raising more than £13,000 so far this year for the Guide Dogs charity.

A special garden for reflection and remembrance has been created outside Walsall Manor Hospital for staff who have lost loved ones during the pandemic.

People across the West Midlands are being urged to fill their census forms in as soon as possible to avoid getting a knock on the door.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show more elderly people than ever went online during 2020.

A punter's flutter on Monday night's Wolves v West Ham match netted them a five-figure windfall.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the move at a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing.

Poundland is reopening more of its hibernating shops and plans to open more new stores over the next six months to help support the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The vaccine also induced T-cell responses, which help the body fend off a virus and play a role in long-lasting immunity.

Concerns have been raised that there could be a potential link between the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and a rare form of blood clots.

The retailers outlined what customers can expect to see when they return to bricks and mortar shopping after more than three months in lockdown.

UB40 will perform a huge outdoor live show in the Black Country this summer, it has been announced.

A veterans' champion who in a varied working life nursed both a former Prime Minister and footballing legend George Best is being given a fitting send off later this month.

EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren claimed passengers should not face ‘more complexities and cost’ for visiting low-risk destinations.

The PM has stressed that final decisions on Covid status certification have not been made but he already faces opposition.

Work has started on Dudley Zoo and Castle's new outdoor orangutan enclosure.

When Maurice Willetts stepped on the scales on January 1 2020, he knew things had to change.

Former Bake Off contestant Terry Hartill has found his previous occupations as a ceramacist and engineer useful in his latest cake creations.

A leading property investment and development company’s plans to build three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units at a prime business park have been given the green light.

A pony owner has appealed to people not to feed horses while out on their walks after her five-year-old mare died from liver failure.

Home repairs and improvements group HomeServe says it delivered a good performance in 2020-2021, with adjusted profit before tax expected to be around £191 million from £181m a year before.

Experts said that by the time restrictions are set to be lifted completely there will still be ‘quite a few people who are not immune’.

A huge £82 million scheme to bring new homes, shops and an ice rink to Dudley town centre has moved a step closer.

Work is ongoing to repair a large water pipe in the Black Country but the supply has been restored for the 2,000 people left without water on Easter Monday.

The number of children seeking free school meals has risen by almost 40 per cent within 12 months, a council said.

A woman was taken to hospital after a house fire in the Black Country.

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

Encouraging signs for industry.

A new care home which has created 50 jobs is getting set to open its doors for the first time.

Film-makers are hoping to highlight problems faced by residents who fear their homes could be flooded again if the construction of permanent barriers is delayed.

A college is launching a new Esports course later this year – with a new purpose built lab.

An artist is hoping someone will come forward to offer her space in which to display her work.

A teenage champion racing cyclist from Kidderminster has been selected to ride for the prestigious La Pomme Marseille Junior team in France.

A young woman who paid just £5 has won more than £18,500 in a raffle and hopes to buy plane tickets to see her father in America.

West Bromwich-based Accord Housing Association and GreenSquare have merged to create a new housing and care organisation called GreenSquareAccord.

Handrail and balustrade specialists SMART Balustrades has expanded its team as it works towards its ambitious 35 per cent year-on-year growth target for 2021 – following a record year in 2020.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the move to the second step of the road map was ‘fully justified by the data’.

John Spellar, the Labour MP for Warley, believes that vaccine passports could prove to be crucial in helping Britain's struggling businesses to get back on their feet after the misery of the pandemic.

Fun and games will prove the best medicine for poorly patients on the children’s ward at Walsall Manor Hospital now a charity appeal has reached its target.

A customer services assistant at Birmingham New Street station is inspiring other autistic people like him to find a route into their dream career.

Boris Johnson said ‘waves of sickness’ were still hitting other countries.

A fundraiser set up for the family of a baby killed in a crash has beaten its £2,000 target within hours of being set up.

The parents of a two-week-old baby boy killed after his pram was hit by a car have spoken of how their “hearts will always ache”.

A taskforce review into Covid status certification says a positive test in the past 180 days will qualify a person to be permitted into mass events.

A two-week-old baby boy has died after the pram he was in was hit by a car in Brownhills.

Tributes have been paid as the community rallies to support the family of a two-week-old baby killed when his pram was hit by a car.

The bomb squad was called when a suspected mortar round was found in a Wolverhampton canal.

Boris Johnson update the nation on bank holiday Monday before the lockdown is further eased next week.

Two music firms in the Black Country have welcomed new funding as part of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund.

Tests are still ongoing to confirm the breed of two dogs which mauled a great-grandmother to death in the Black Country.

More chaos after huge pipe burst on Saturday.

A van crashed into a house in the Black Country - causing significant structural damage - before driving away.

'Dedicated' hubs to be set up at hospitals.

One more coronavirus death has been recorded at hospitals in the region.

The Stafford Gatehouse Theatre is to receive £124,950 from the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Mayor vows to fight development.

Police officers are concerned for the welfare of a Walsall man who has been missing since yesterday.