The Ladder for the Black Country and partner Juniper Training have congratulated Malachi Wilkes, who is currently undertaking his Roofer 2 apprenticeship, for winning BMI UK & Ireland Apprentice of the Year 2022.

This will give the most financially vulnerable customers an average £750 boost per household, the supplier said.

The Tory leadership contender said not enough consideration was given to the economic and social impacts of lockdowns.

Figures, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications, cover GCSE entries from students across the UK.

GCSE students are set to find out their grades for the courses they have been working on for the past two years.

It's the day many young people across the region have been waiting for to decide the next step in their future – GCSE results day.

GCSE pupils are finding out their results today at the end of two years of disrupted study.

Grafton Group, the building materials distributor and DIY retailer, saw pre-tax profits fall despite a rise in sales in the first six months of 2022.

A play area in a Wolverhampton suburb that is badly in need of an upgrade is to be given a makeover by council bosses.

A 16-year-old boy has suffered head injuries when he was struck with a hammer after trying to break up a fight.

A family was forced to leave their home after a car was deliberately driven into the property, damaging the front wall and window.

A Sky Sports News presenter has upset Wolves fans on social media after confusing Birmingham with Wolverhampton.

A 27-year-old Wolverhampton lad is set to open up his own café - something he has wanted to achieve since being a teenager.

A crumbling Chinese restaurant building in Great Barr steeped in history could be gone forever if a proposal to tear it down is agreed.

GCSE subjects such as drama, music and media are at risk of disappearing from state schools and being available only to children whose families who can afford to have them educated privately, a headteachers’ union warned today.

The wait is nearly over for the return of the UK’s biggest South Asian music festival after two years away.

A councillor and an officer travelled to Brussels earlier this year via Eurostar’s Business Premier Class, the highest class available, paid for by Birmingham City Council. Return tickets for Councillor Fred Grindrod and an officer cost £980 in to...

Family and friends of a four-year-old girl who has cerebral palsy will take on a half marathon to raise money for vital physiotherapy after her surgery.

Artwork from a renowned Black Country actress Gill Jordan and a "fantastic" professional artist who met at a theatre will go on display next week.

A man has been jailed for seven years for sexually assaulting a teenage girl he got drunk at a friend's flat.

Two prisoners who locked themselves in a cell before attacking another inmate, leaving him with permanent vision loss in one eye, have been jailed.

A Staffordshire-based attraction has unveiled its newborn South American Tapir – and is giving people the chance to name the new member of the family.

Ecologists have helped to rescue some rare fish during work to upgrade a waterway culvert in Staffordshire.

Weston Park is launching a new house party weekend experience for two of the estate’s biggest autumn events.

A cyclist has died two days after being seriously injured after being hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing.

A personal trainer is set to push an inspirational 10-year-old boy over 100 miles to Blackpool in his wheelchair - in the hope of raising £10,000 to fund his physiotherapy.

Police are appealing to trace five people in connection with a large disorder which saw officers injured in Wolverhampton.

Budget supermarket chain Aldi plans to hire 413 new store staff in the West Midlands between now and the end of the year.

The 35-year-old has been detained for allegedly breaching his prison licence conditions.

Millions of UK households are facing untold poverty through the soaring cost of living – and the crisis will only escalate unless the Government acts now, Wolverhampton’s MPs said this week.

A dozen new apartments could be built above existing shops in Walsall town centre if plans are given the go-ahead.

The Bishop of Lichfield has paid tribute to the outgoing diocesan chancellor after his appointment to the High Court.

Members of a health watchdog were able to see the progress being made on a new urgent and emergency care centre at Walsall Manor Hospital.

Plans have been approved for a £50 million large-scale business complex in Stone, which could house 500 workers.

More than 15,000 children and young people have been in contact with mental health services in the Black Country and West Birmingham over the last year, new figures show.

Tragedies which have seen young people killed in Wolverhampton "remain rare" but more needs to be done to steer youngsters away from crime, a police chief has said.

Two people were taken to hospital after a car ended up fully inside a charity shop in Wolverhampton.

Police are appealing for help to find 12-year-old boy missing from his Sutton Coldfield home.

Residents who say they are so worried about anti-social behaviour they no longer leave their homes have welcomed a new police camera.

The rise of budget supermarket Aldi continues today as it expands its workforce and celebrates becoming the UK's fourth largest supermarket.

A devoted dad recovering from a rare disease was able to attend his daughter’s wedding - from his Wolverhampton hospital bed – thanks to help from determined staff.

The world of glass is set to be showcased through an international festival.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre's first ever self-produced film, based on the life of a Wolverhampton Windrush settler, is returning to the city's Light House Cinema.

A £20,000 reward is being offered over the murder of a Wolverhampton man who a died a month after being attacked with a machete a year ago.

Car dealerships group Lookers has seen sales grow in the six months to the end of June helped by growth in demand for used vehicles.

Police in the West Midlands pulled over a van on the M6 which hadn't been taxed for an incredible eight years.

Conservative Party members arriving for the leadership hustings at Birmingham's NEC were greeted by the sight of an ex-NHS ambulance crewed by protesters.

Rishi Sunak warned that millions of households face ‘destitution’ without further support this winter.

The number of children involved in knife crime in the West Midlands has almost tripled in the last five years, new figures show.

Amid all the headlines on the cost of living crisis, another continues to develop in large parts of the West Midlands.

A Stourbridge craft shop could soon be transformed into a craft pub in a bid that owners say would add to the town’s vibrancy.

The former West Bromwich courthouse where more than 2,000 cannabis plants were found by police had previously been the home of an award-winning ghost tour operator - who moved out because of the leaky roof.

Multiplex enjoys steady business on cloudy days in holidays, but needs more big films.

Seriously ill people who are unable to work are regularly having their claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) turned down despite meeting the criteria, says a Wolverhampton campaigner.

An assistance dogs charity has launched its Great British Dog Walk for 2022, which arrives in Weston Park next month.

Cinema-goers in Wolverhampton breathed a sigh of relief this week after entertainment giant Cineworld revealed that none of its UK venues would be affected by plans to file for bankruptcy.

Stafford MP Theo Clarke has given birth to a healthy baby girl.

A West Mercia police officer has been cleared of sending offensive messages after a judge found prosecutors failed to bring appropriate charges in time.

A new judge has been appointed to serve in Birmingham. Andrew Duncan Smith QC previously a Recorder will now become a Circuit Judge.

A forklift was used to smash into a shop in Great Wryley before burglars ransacked the convenience store.

The family of a great-grandmother who died at a Dudley hospital have accepted damages and a full apology from the NHS trust which runs it.

Railway communities across the region are preparing to get stuck into a range of new projects thanks to funding from a rail operator.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel died in Kingsheath Avenue in the Dovecot area of Liverpool.

An unexploded shell has been safely detonated in a controlled explosion in South Staffordshire.

While the Black Country and Staffordshire currently bake in another heatwave, forecasters are predicting a major change of weather next week.

A senior Conservative Party chief has said he was "delighted" to join party members in the Black Country ahead of the latest leadership hustings.

Campaigners have turned out at a railway station in the Black Country to protect a potential move from the Government to axe ticket offices nationally.

A jewellery manufacturer has objected to a cafe and late night bar opening up within its industrial units amid claims of two police raids in Birmingham.

A cyclist has been seriously injured after being hit by a car in a hit-and-run incident on Sunday night.

A children’s nursery will be turned into a licensed bar and cafe after a successful application to Birmingham city council’s licensing committee.

Liz Truss's pledge to support the West Midlands Metro extension in the Black Country is "very welcome" and "great news", the region's mayor has said.

An extra £1 million will be spent in Wolverhampton to help tackle youth violence, it has been announced.

Curry restaurants from the Black Country are among those to have been named the best in England.

Retirement flats could be built in Aldridge to help provide appropriate housing for the surging number of people who are living longer.

An official drought has been confirmed for the West Midlands, including Staffordshire, after higher than average temperatures led to river levels falling, it has been announced.

Two female super butchers from a Bridgnorth shop will be vying for a national prize and the chance to showcase their talents on a national stage.

An eight-month project to restore a Staffordshire Grade II listed road bridge reaches its next phase in September.

A popular Sandwell restaurant and pub has announced the most popular pie from its takeaway service.

Police are appealing for information about a man wanted in connection with drug supply offences.

A huge cannabis factory with more than 2,000 plants has been discovered in the former West Bromwich Magistrates Court building.

Part of a key West Midlands motorway will be closed for a weekend this autumn while two new bridges are installed across the carriageway.

A man who was arrested after a huge cannabis factory was found in a former building has been released without charge.

The chief constable of West Midlands Police has said he is "sick" of officers "being used as a culture war football," after criticism of officers who were shown on social media dancing at an LGBTQ+ Pride event.

A motorcyclist has been seriously injured after coming off his bike in a crash with a car in Walsall.

Two men who were arrested after a suspected chop shop was found in the Black Country have been released pending further investigation.