A Black Country home brewer is celebrating after his latest beer was a winner at the Great British Beer Festival.

The Ladder for the Black Country is encouraging people to attend the West Midlands Jobs and Skills Showcase

Some of the best cyclists in the world take to the Black Country's streets on Thursday as they compete for gold in the Commonwealth Games Time Trials.

The streets of the Black Country welcome the Commonwealth Games today as the region plays host to the Time Trial cycling race.

The public will be out in force to see the Commonwealth's best cyclists go by in their pursuit of time trial gold.

Walsall police are appealing for help to find a "wanted" man.

The region's green belt could be destroyed due to housing needs being "wildly exaggerated", a leading campaign group warned today.

A fourth person has been charged with the murder of schoolboy Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed to death in Wolverhampton.

Shropshire Council is facing questions over whether it has done enough to provide housing sites for Black Country councils in the county.

Council chiefs have been urged to examine ways to create more homes in town and city centres as part of the Black Country Plan.

A school at the centre of the controversial closure of a sports centre in Sandwell has broken its silence.

A cycling-mad couple will have one of the best views of the Commonwealth Games Time Trial on Thursday as the route passes their house.

Lichfield's MP has urged the city's cathedral to "do God's work" by allowing gay marriages to take place.

The fifth anniversary of Ryan Passey's death will be marked with a charity motorcycle ride across the Black Country and Shropshire.

Ryan Passey's former football team will feature his name emblazoned across their shirts this season to mark the fifth anniversary of his death.

A world famous Olivier-nominated actress is set to narrate an immersive storytelling experience that looks into Wolverhampton's textile industry.

Dementia places a huge burden on those who are left to care for sufferers.

England fans flocked to Sandwell Valley to watch the Lionesses' historic European Championships win on a big screen.

Images of five men wanted in connection with a fight in Dudley have been released by police.

A time-lapse video, exclusive to Express & Star, shows the full Black Country cycling time trial route in all its glory.

Three people have been found guilty of shooting and paralysing a 13-year-old boy.

A new treatment room designed specifically for the LGBT+ community has opened its doors.

Police have issued an appeal for information over a missing 37-year-old Dudley man.

A West Midlands rapper who was set to perform at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony has had his show cancelled due to a "failed background check".

Police are still appealing to find a man who went missing from hospital a week ago.

A beautiful setting and a challenging course greeted spectators and riders alike as the Commonwealth Games arrived in Staffordshire.

No arrests have been made nearly two months on from a huge drug bust at a disused Walsall school.

A serving Staffordshire Police officer has been handed a final warning after being found guilty of assault.

The BBC has unveiled plans to move its main Birmingham base to the "new creative quarter" in Digbeth from 2026.

A full day of activities have been organised in Wolverhampton as the Commonwealth Games finally arrive.

The first images of the proposed £20 million Green Innovation Corridor which could re-invigorate Wolverhampton's economy have been released.

Fire service chiefs have welcomed a move from another major supermarket to stop selling disposable barbecues amid wildfires linked to the hot weather.

More than 100 classic and vintage vehicles are expected to turn out for the Sandon Fete and Transport Show in Staffordshire.

Talented chocolatiers from Birmingham’s Cadbury World have paid homage to the city’s most famous icon through a bullish new hand-crafted creation.

A company of the Grenadier Guards marched 129 miles from Hampshire to Shropshire as part of a pilgrimage to the roots of their creation.

A foot fetish porn star has been jailed after police discovered he was living the life because of drug-dealing not the profits of his videos.

A nuisance council tenant has been evicted by Dudley Council after causing so much trouble in the few months he lived in Sedgley.

Bus group Rotala has bought Midland Classic, the principal bus operator in Burton upon Trent for £2 million.

A cannabis farm containing approximately 100 plants has been unearthed by Cannock police.

A community fun day raising money for charitable causes is set to take place in Walsall.

A popular grandfather who loved sailing tragically drowned off the coast of Scotland when his lifejacket did not inflate, an inquest heard.

Across three districts in the Black Country, the best cyclists in the Commonwealth will compete for the a spot on the podium.

Some of the world's top cyclists will be racing around the Black Country on Thursday during the Commonwealth Games Time Trial.

It's one of the region's most treasured landmarks. Today many of us travel to Weston Park to enjoy a concert, attend a classic car show, stroll through the stunning park or admire the grandeur of the stately house.

Police and cyclists have been out testing the 23.2-mile cycling route ahead of the Commonwealth Games time trial.

There were 4,859 deaths related to drug poisoning registered in 2021, the ONS said.

The atmosphere at the start of the mountain biking event in Cannock Chase Forest was electric when the first race got underway at 1130 this morning.

A driver was taken to hospital after a three-vehicle crash near Bridgnorth.

The A34 between Stafford and Stone will be closed in both directions overnight on Wednesday, August 10, for the construction of a new roundabout outside the giant new Pets At Home site.

Children are being invited to a free activities event West Bromwich tomorrow (Thursday).

Signalling cables have been ripped from the tracks by thieves between Birmingham Snow Hill and Tyseley affecting spectators travelling to Alexandra Stadium for the Games.

The sun is shining on Cannock Chase today as mountain bikers from across the Commonwealth battle for glory.

Motorists are still facing serious disruption after a driver was killed in a four-lorry crash on the M5.

More police will be put on duty around Wolverhampton bus station due to the area having higher rates of youth violence, leaders have said.

The charity of a leading financial firm has donated £35,000 to boost the children’s area in the Black Country's new 'super hospital'.

A man from Stafford who was "was intent on criminality" has been jailed for three years after admitting a series of drug, firearm and driving offences.

A mountain of rubbish that could be seen from Google Earth and created a "nightmare" for Willenhall people living next to it is finally being removed.

Were the Dutch crown jewels kept for safe keeping in a vault in Wolverhampton during the war?

Birmingham is now the bookies' favourite to host the Eurovision Song Contest as the race to find a host city for the competition continues.

Deaf people and those hard of hearing are being asked to rate the care they get at Black Country GPs, dentists, hospitals and care homes.

A Commonwealth Games badminton finalist wowed audiences when he ducked out of an intense doubles match mid-rally to swap out his racket - and came back to win the point.

There will be a fresh and flowery feeling for people watching the Commonwealth Games come to their city.

A plan for 20 new homes in Dudley have been criticised after police bosses said the move could increase burglaries.

The Salvation Army has warned the homelessness crisis in West Midlands will deepen after local councils slashed funding for mental health and addiction support.

Dudley's dancing star Amy Dowden has shared more images of her wedding day after it was postponed due to Covid.

A man has been jailed for more than four years after £30,000 worth of cannabis was found at the scene of a house fire in Stafford.

People who have moved onto a Black Country estate expecting their dream homes are facing a "living nightmare" after the developer collapsed, an MP has said.

Fuel prices are continuing to fall around the Black Country with supermarkets in particular slashing their costs.

Parisioners at a church in Eccleshall held a special service recently to give two community stalwarts a fond farewell.

HomeServe UK has announced the acquisition of a Herefordshire based heating firm, as the expansion of its boiler installations business continues at pace.

What is claimed to be the biggest TV screen inside any West Midlands bar has been installed at Velvet Music Rooms on Birmingham’s ‘golden mile’ of Broad Street.

Major retailers are failing to reduce petrol prices in line with falling wholesale costs, the RAC has warned.

Poundland has cut the price of 1,000 general merchandise items in its more than 800 stores.

Transport infrastructure group Hill and Smith Holdings enjoyed growth in sales and profits in the first six months of this year.

Town centre drinkers in Wednesbury are saying 'Cheers' after a popular pub reopened following a makeover.

Football ticket scams have surged, bank warns

‘Environmentally friendly’ coffin claims banned by advertising watchdog

Nightclubs across the region are struggling due to rising bills and decreases in footfall.

An inspirational schoolgirl who defied the odds after being born at 25 weeks has helped her mum write a book to raise money for the neonatal unit which saved her life.

Cannock Chase Forest will host the 2022 Commonwealth Games mountain biking event on Wednesday, and surrounding roads will be closed in preparation for the competition to take place.

West Midlands Fire Service is in mourning after announcing the "sudden death" of a trainee fire fighter based in Bilston.

A hospice is using virtual reality headsets to help patients enjoy experiences away from their beds.

The Premier League and West Bromwich Albion have been urged to build on the success of the Lionesses by spearheading a drive for more all-weather pitches.

A couple who met by chance while on their lunch break at work are now celebrating 60 years of marriage.

West Midlands Police has seen officer numbers boosted by nearly 900 since a government recruitment drive was launched.

Andy Street says he backed Liz Truss for Tory leadership after she pledged to deliver key schemes for the West Midlands.

The Rowe family are full of praise for the people of Birmingham – but not so keen on the price of the ice cream.

Sir Gavin Williamson has launched a campaign to save a "lifeline" village bank earmarked for closure.

The West Midlands can expect cooler and "fresher" days for the rest of the week, before high temperatures return at the weekend.

The young royal and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed swimming heats, a hockey match and artistic gymnastics at the event in Birmingham.

Sandwell is one of 85 areas to get a slice of £9 million of funding to improve new parks and green spaces.

If you live in Halesowen, Kingswinford or Kinver and your water is currently milky or cloudy, you'll be pleased to know the water company says it's "not harmful to health."

Dudley Canal Trust is closing for the day due to the Commonwealth Games cycle race on Thursday.

Sandwell Council could be changing the way councillors get elected.

A charity offering free debt help to people in the Black Country says the cost of living crisis is "crushing" those on low incomes, as they have seen an increase in people considering or attempting suicide.

More than 3,000 police operations involving firearms took place in the West Midlands and Staffordshire last year, new figures show.

Energy rebate payments have been handed out to households across Sandwell, cabinet documents reveal, as the cost of living crisis bites consumers pay packets and utility costs.

A mother who failed to send her daughter to school has been fined £660.

A place of natural beauty is ready for the eyes of the world as the Commonwealth Games arrives.

Residents in some parts of Dudley and across the Black Country are having issues with discoloured water.