There’s a lot of history and coincidence behind the FA Cup fourth round tie involving Kidderminster Harriers and West Ham United, according to one of the people behind the last great cup run.

Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson has unveiled a new life-saving neighbourhood defibrillator for residents to use.

Water company Severn Trent has hailed a strong operational performance across all areas of its business.

Parents separating or divorcing, abandonment, or having a parent with a mental health condition are examples of childhood adverse experiences.

A flower club that has been in existence for 67 years is seeking to recruit new members to ensure it continues to thrive.

Church choirs from across Kidderminster joined together in Saint George's Church to mark the retirement of organist Tim Morris.

Children have committed thousands of drug crimes in West Midlands and Staffordshire in less than a decade, figures show.

Shoppers in West Bromwich say they are running out of patience with the behaviour of Prime Minister Boris Johnson despite his public apologies.

Council bosses are urging people to take a Covid-19 test before visiting their relatives in care homes.

"The feeling among Ukrainian people is one of defiance and patriotism and we are prepared to fight if needed."

A 'trust fund' is being set up to pay for veterinary care for a young kitten who is blind and who was found cowering under a barbecue.

A trio of new developments is set to deliver more than 750 homes in the West Midlands and represents an investment in the region of more than £105 million.

A drug producer who was spared jailed after being caught operating a £159,000 cannabis farm has avoided prison again.

Here comes the judge – and it's time for blacksmith Albert Davies to demonstrate his traditional skills.

Folk singer and storyteller Sal Tonge became “utterly bewildered” during the lockdown of 2020 when her work dried up and she was wondering where any kind of income would come from.

Carers group expands rapidly

The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner has given his backing to a petition to help keep people safe near waterways.

Liz Bird has run Bridgnorth Food Bank since 2013. The job brings her into contact with many people from different walks of life who need various kinds of support, not least help in putting food on the table for themselves and loved ones.

The role of food banks has become more important due to the impact of the pandemic on families across the region.

Lives of people from the LGBTQ community are being recorded for a forthcoming book that will tell their stories in their words.

A father-of-three and school office team leader is celebrating after having his first children's book published - and he has already started writing his second.

Secret Angels volunteers have handed over £3,575 to a cancer charity thanks a coffee morning held in Wolverhampton.

West Midlands Police's outgoing chief constable Sir David Thompson has received his Knighthood from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle.

More than 3,000 Dudley borough residents have signed a petition demanding better waste collections triggering a debate about the issue at full council.

Downing Street said it was for Scotland Yard to say whether fines were issued, but police do not routinely identify those hit with fixed penalties.

Downing Street acknowledged there is ‘significant public interest’ in knowing whether Boris Johnson broke the law.

Big-hearted teachers at Kidderminster’s Baxter College are gearing up for a mammoth cycle ride to raise money to help their students.

A Midlands based company has demanded the Government clarify the proposals to start prescribing vaping kits on the NHS.

Visitors to an attraction in the West Midlands are being confronted with an awe-inspiring view of planet Earth.

Two men from the Black Country have been arrested after around £4,000 of damage was caused during a break-in.

Overnight repairs to a major M6 junction in Birmingham are progressing well, highways bosses have said.

Jed Mercurio said he was "flattered and honoured" by the popularity of his hit TV shows, and declined to say if there would be more Line Of Duty as he collected an OBE at Windsor Castle.

When children go down to the Sandwell Hospital wards today, they could be in for a big fluffy surprise.

The mascot dog of the Staffordshire Regimental Association has received a hero's send off after serving for 13 years.

Only around 80 people are thought to have caught coronavirus in hospitals and medical centres in Wolverhampton in the last nine months.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he believes it is ‘no longer proportionate’ to require vaccination as a condition of deployment under law.

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris praised the Holocaust Educational Trust after marking the 77th anniversary of Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

The workforce at a Black Country factory has not been paid since the start of the year.

The Prime Minister remains an election winner and needs to be backed by his party, a Tory Staffordshire MP has said.

Reinfections currently represent around 10% of infection episodes per day.

There were 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics.

After popping out for a call of nature, Ernie returned home to find his wife sleeping with the enemy... after a fashion.

Take-up also varies among ethnic groups.

Recently having turned 80, Derek Sturch lives in Devon these days. But he has golden memories of his childhood. Or rather, gold and black memories.

Care homes have been the ‘unwitting guinea pigs’ of the initial policy, the National Care Forum said.

Tickets are still available for an intimate talk with TV presenter Jay Blades at an independent cinema.

Restoring direct air links between Birmingham and China will soon be “back on the list” after Covid-19, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has pledged.

Bus fares across the Black Country will be cut by 50 per cent during half-term, National Express West Midlands has announced.

A six-year-old boy has suffered life-threatening injuries after being hit by two cars near a primary school.

A photographer of newborns has bagged seven awards at an international photography competition, including one for sustainability.

Staffordshire Police has launched a recruitment drive for 20 contact centre officers who speak to the public in their greatest time of need.

Stafford set to showcase world credentials

A Shenstone based family-owned vegetable grower based in Staffordshire is celebrating after bolstering its supply deal with Aldi.

Vital life-saving equipment is set to be installed in the Royal Town and work is now under way to identify areas of Sutton Park to house further defibrillators.

A 17-year-old boy who was stabbed in Dudley remains in a critical condition two days after the attack.

Businesses leaders are urging residents to invest their 'belief, confidence and custom' back into the Royal town.

A government U-turn on mandatory Covid jabs for frontline NHS workers has been welcomed by the region's nursing union.

A man who repeatedly raped and tried to murder a woman he held hostage for 34 hours will spend at least 14 years in prison.

A tattoo studio has been given the green light in a county town– but one nearby resident has said it is not the type of business that should be opened in a Conservation Area.

Focus is shifting from how women and girls act to challenging the behaviour of their attackers in the fight against violence, Staffordshire’s top police officer has said.

A report has revealed that one in five Staffordshire care homes is failing to meet necessary standards.

More than 5,000 children have been exposed to domestic abuse in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent during the past year, figures reveal.

Birmingham could see 400 new green spaces over the next 25 years under plans set to be approved by the city council’s leadership.

A derelict former community-use building is still standing despite permission for its demolition and a local councillor has repeated calls for the site to be cleared.

A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being stabbed in Dudley.

Students in Dudley have benefitted from a careers talk with a major supermarket people director.

A women-only Covid-19 vaccine clinic will be held weekly to encourage more women to come forward and receive their jabs.

Children at risk of exploitation or of being taken into care are to benefit from the extension of a pioneering service which offers them support.

West Midland Safari Park will reinstate free entry for carers after plans to scrap the policy sparked a backlash.

A man was found dead after emergency services responded to reports of a fire at a retirement home on Monday evening.

Conservative councillors say Wolverhampton’s expected response to an Ofsted report identifying ‘multiple significant weaknesses’ in its special education needs services has gone ‘AWOL’.

Specialist free schools could be built in parts of the Black Country identified as education "cold spots" under the Government's levelling-up agenda.

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced details of the new national 'Way to Work' campaign, with a target to move half a million people into jobs by the end of June under ambitious UK Government plans to turbo-charge our national recovery ...

Work has begun on the expansion of a Birmingham mental health clinic which will make new wards for young patients.

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has revealed she was admitted to hospital in Manchester following a Crohn's flare-up while on the live tour.

Sandwell Council's tax reduction scheme will continue to support residents on low incomes, becoming the only West Midlands council to provide up to 100 per cent support for council tax.

A talented chef and restaurateur will be showcasing his culinary skills on BBC’s The Great British Menu tonight.

They will be among a host of high-achievers to be recognised at investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle.

Taxpayers are facing a rise in their annual bill to pay for policing across the West Midlands.

Boris Johnson apologised to the Commons over the partygate saga.

Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

World class musicians performing at Birmingham Symphony Hall will soon be entertaining audiences with the help of a new grand piano worth more than £150,000.

The latest Kantar grocery sales data shows inflation stands at 3.8% with sales falling 3.8% in the 12 weeks to January 23.

New opportunities in transport, medical and warehousing/logistics are helping one of the West Midlands’ fastest growing manufacturers record its best-ever year.

A major disruptor to the packaging sector has pressed the button on its latest purchase as it looks to maximise a boom in online shopping and a move towards greater sustainability.

A landmark residential development in Walsall has been given the green light by planners, with Harris Lamb marketing the site now that the Section 106 requirements have been formally agreed.

Dealing with mental health struggles and standing up to online bullies are among the difficulties being faced by the sister of Walsall nurse Areema Nasreen, who died from coronavirus.

"I think the hospitality industry has been treated unfairly and seen as a scapegoat, but we are looking to the future."

It’s been a common occurrence to see Norwegian supporters passing through the turnstiles at Premier League clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The area that children live in makes a big difference to the amount of exercise they do each day, according to a new survey.

Property investment and development company, Goold Estates has announced plans to sell a parade of town centre retail units in Walsall.

Work is progressing on a new museum celebrating more than 400 years of glassmaking in Stourbridge.

A toddler is set to become famous nationwide as part of a freight company's expansion plans.

Young artists have wowed visitors with their entries into a junior art competition hosted by a stately home on the border of Shropshire and Staffordshire.

An eleven-year-old boy has had his long locks cut off and head shaved to raise vital funds for the Little Princess Trust.

A specialist insurer has donated £1,000 to The Mary Stevens Hospice after it was named as one of six in the West Midlands to receive funds from a 12 Days of Giving campaign.

A community transport scheme is looking for more volunteer drivers to help more people get to medical appointments in rural areas.

“There have been points over the last two years when we’ve sat and thought what could happen.”

Council bosses have confirmed the Cornbow Hall in Halesowen is “here to stay” and will continue to operate as a community and entertainment venue.

West Bromwich Albion have condemned the behaviour of fans during their 2-0 defeat to Millwall on Saturday.