The increase was the biggest since records began in 2014.

The death of a newborn baby found in a Black Country canal is now being treated as murder - with a £5,000 offered in an attempt to find his killer.

Drivers have been warned to expect traffic chaos at a major roundabout in the Black Country as a junction of the M6 closes for the entire weekend.

The number out of work and those claiming unemployment benefits have fallen again in the West Midlands.

Table service is recommended to continue in bars, while pubs, restaurants and nightclubs are encouraged to check vaccine and testing status.

The Sutton Coldfield Community Games proved a massive hit as they made a welcome return after missing 2020 due to the pandemic.

Almost 300 Year 9 students from the Arthur Terry School took part in a Dragon’s Den style business pitch challenge.

The online fashion giant said it expects volatility and has seen increased costs in supply chains.

"Mission critical" plans are being submitted for an electric car battery plant that could create up to 6,000 new jobs in the West Midlands.

A woman has been charged with killing a seven-year-old boy in the West Midlands.

The chief executive of water company Severn Trent is delighted that it has achieved the UK's top environmental grade for the second year running.

A hospital trust has been told it must increase staffing and address "low morale and negative culture" on its maternity wards following an inspection prompted by whistleblowers.

An online groomer who tried to contact a 14-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister told police: “I am depraved. I am a pervert.”

Proud history, popular attractions and ambitious plans for the future make Dudley a key contender for city status, the borough's bosses have said.

A Walsall boxing club is making a desperate appeal for help in finding new premises after learning it must find £18,000 to meet the annual lease on its existing headquarters.

An initial failure to run HS2 trains through the centre of Birmingham has been branded a "huge missed opportunity" by the West Midlands Mayor.

More than 170 unsuspecting drivers were caught out by police hiding in unmarked lorry cabs on the M6 in the West Midlands as part of a road safety operation.

A number of services operated by Diamond Bus for Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will terminate from next month.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's patient experience team have been awarded funding for a 12-month volunteering programme aimed at providing opportunities for young people.

A mobile coronavirus vaccine van will be offering jabs to people outside a busy train station.

Eight new hospitals are set to be built in England, it has been revealed.

The Ladder for the Black Country has congratulated a sixth form college on the achievement of getting three of its students into the University of Cambridge's extremely competitive summer school programme.

Respite care services for adults with a learning disability could be revamped in Staffordshire in the wake of the pandemic, chiefs have said.

A care home company has been busy handing out coronavirus tests and advice on its service at a Black Country market.

People with "chronic diseases" who could not get treatment during the pandemic are now piling pressure onto hospitals struggling to cope with the Covid backlog, an NHS chief has said.

Residents of the Royal Town are being urged to back a petition aimed at winning recognition for a Sutton Coldfield motorsport legend.

People young and old came together to celebrate Black Country Day.

Dudley marked Black Country Day by announcing a bid for city status.

Wales will move to alert level 1 on July 17, and then level 0 on August 7 if infection rates remain stable and even more people are vaccinated.

Earlier in July the Queen awarded the George Cross to the NHS on the institution’s 73rd anniversary.

The Transport Secretary has said he hopes the electrification of the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton rail line will be delivered soon.

Hundreds of people in the Black Country have been waiting more than a year for hospital treatment amid the backlog caused by Covid, while cancer delays are causing particular concern for bosses.

A low uptake of the Covid jab is causing a "crisis" at hospitals in the region, a health boss has said.

It is the latest restructuring by the John Lewis Partnership.

Sports fans will be able to take home their very own slice of history when hundreds of souvenirs go under the hammer.

Food writer and cook Nigel Slater has described being made an OBE in recognition of his culinary career as “the icing on my little cake”.

Relatives of victims of the Birmingham pub bombings have described Government plans to introduce legislation to end all prosecutions related to the Troubles before 1998 as “obscene”.

The Mayor of the West Midlands has urged people travelling on public transport after July 19 to continue wearing their face masks.

More than 87% of adults have also received their first dose.

A record number of 999 calls were made to the West Midlands Ambulance Service twice in the last two weeks as the region's paramedics face their busiest ever period.

Boris Johnson announced the move as he condemned the ‘racist outpourings’ aimed at England players following the Euro 2020 final.

Buckingham Palace was kept closed to the public in 2020-2021.

One new coronavirus death has been confirmed in the region's hospitals - in the latest figures released by NHS England.

A Wolverhampton man who filmed himself placing a dog into a microwave while making comments about the Holocaust has been given a community order.

A vintage cinema poster for one of Roger Moore’s 007 films is set to leave bidders at a Midlands auction shaken and stirred.

A leading trade unionist today called on the West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street to step up in the fight to avert the GKN jobs crisis which could see the company exit Erdington and the UK, with 520 skilled jobs lost to the region.

A driver arrested after a cyclist died in a crash with a car has been released on police bail.

An Ipsos Mori poll found that 76% of people intend to continue wearing a face mask in shops once restrictions have lifted.

A Black Country mother died from “extensive burns to her body” in a house fire that ripped through her home.

The new Peaky Blinders-themed bar and restaurant in Dudley town centre is to open on August 9.

A woman who started her school career as a volunteer at a Walsall primary school and then joined the staff has decided to retire after 33 years in the classrooms.

A large paddock which stretches a third of an acre has been opened at an animal sanctuary in Sedgley as a safe space for dogs.

The Black Country Chamber of Commerce chose Black Country Day – July 14 – to launch its annual awards.

Water companies need to improve their environmental performance as there are still too many serious pollution incidents, the Environment Agency has warned.

More than 110,000 children of key workers in the West Midlands live in poverty, according to research for the Trades Union Congress.

People living in the West Midlands can apply for tickets for the Commonwealth Games ahead of them being released to the general public.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is welcoming audiences back from next week and is already looking forward to its annual panto.

A major nightclub chain in the West Midlands has confirmed it will not be asking for vaccine passports at its doors when it reopens venues, despite the Government advising to do so following the lifting of restrictions on July 19.

A caring Sutton Coldfield secondary school is giving year six pupils a helping hand with their move to ‘big school’ this September, in the form of a gift-wrapped book.

A primary school in Cannock has won national recognition for its work in promoting greener travel and combatting air pollution outside school.

A charity helping heart and lung patients on their road to recovery has been given a boost with a donation of exercise equipment.

The bostin' Black Country is being celebrated across the region just days ahead of Freedom Day.

There has never been a more important time to celebrate what makes the region great.

Eileen Wells is Dudley born and bred and could not be prouder of a home steeped in history.

Medical practices across the Black Country and Staffordshire will continue to ask patients to wear face masks after July 19.

Nightclubs in Wolverhampton say they won't be asking customers for vaccine passports once coronavirus restrictions end this month.

A long-awaited plan to transform Wolverhampton's crumbling eye infirmary has suffered a major setback after the developer pulled out of the project.

Spending on filling potholes and other road repairs in a Black Country borough has dropped by more than £2 million since 2018, figures have shown.

A volunteer with a blood biking group, called Midland Freewheelers, is taking on a challenge to raise vital funds to help members stay on the road.

Andy Street says he has been "most encouraged" by the Government's response to a plea for devolved powers to tackle climate change.

A man caught with cannabis in Shropshire two years ago has admitted the offence.

Rail passengers have been warned of changes to trains in and out of London Euston so urgent repairs can take place after severe flash-flooding.

A security guard was punched in the head during a violent shoplifting incident at a a Co-op store in West Bromwich.

A Staffordshire MP has called for an investigation into how many of the racist tweets aimed at England players originated in the UK.

A council has issued itself 82 fines after failing to pay Clean Air Zone charges incurred by some of its vehicles, opposition councillors said.

A woman has been charged after a pub doorman was racially abused and spat at outside a Wetherspoon bar.

A missing Staffordshire woman has been found.

Improved performance and confidence in West Midlands Police are at the top of the agenda of the man tasked with scrutinising the force.

A Wolverhampton primary school rated "outstanding" will be able to extend to meet a growing demand for places.

A cyclist has died after a crash with a car in Walsall.

The trial of a young mother and her boyfriend accused of murdering a three-year-old girl has been paused for a week after a juror tested positive for Covid.

Four new coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the region's hospitals in the latest figures released by NHS England.

Regeneration projects in Stafford will help unlock the town's potential and encourage people to live in the area, councillors have said.

A suspect was held by members of the public after a cyclist was killed in a crash at a pedestrian crossing in Walsall.

Idsall School in Shifnal has closed for the remainder of term following a number of confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Business groups say that members in the West Midlands need meaningful guidance on the lifting of the remaining Covid-19 restrictions on July 19.

A plan to convert part of a shop into a bedsit has been approved despite concerns around lack of amenity space.

The New Chief Constable of West Mercia Police has been confirmed at the Police and Crime Panel.

Some bus operators in the region will still ask customers to wear face coverings when they are no longer legally compulsory after July 19.

Council bosses in Wolverhampton have once again turned to ministers in the hope of securing funding for a new city centre Learning Quarter.

An order banning dogs from entering children's play areas in part of Staffordshire is being extended after a surge in fouling complaints during the pandemic.

Council meetings in a district could be moved back to the evening to make them more accessible.

Ministers have been urged to ‘unleash’ the power of the West Midlands to help the country hit net zero carbon emissions targets.

Disused land which has become a magnet for fly-tipping is to be transformed into new council houses.

A new community hub which aims to be a place for sporting and mental wellbeing has been officially open by John Fury – the father of Tyson Fury.

A driver who deliberately mowed down two women in the Black Country is still on the run more than 48 hours later.

Former Wolves star Geoff Thomas and his team have completed the full 2021 Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals.

More walk-in vaccination clinics have opened in Wolverhampton to help people get jabbed up amid rising Covid-19 cases across the country.

A new television ad campaign is celebrating 100 years of one of the West Midlands' most successful businesses.

Civil proceedings against a man who was cleared of murdering an amateur footballer in a Black Country nightclub have officially begun after representatives for the victim's family appeared at a county court.