The Ladder for the Black Country campaign is stepping up its message to young people in the region to consider an apprenticeship to start their careers.

A man has died and four others have been injured after a car crashed into a wall in Rowley Regis this morning.

Royal Mail says it is losing £1m a day and must change faster in response to changing customer demands.

The funeral has been held of the Rev Roger Balkwill, who was the parish priest for Albrighton area for 29 years.

A crash involving a car and a bus is causing delays in Stourbridge, with bus routes diverted.

Police in Sutton Coldfield have arrested two people for "several burglaries" in the area.

‘Billions went to people whose incomes increased during the pandemic, and billions more was lost in fraud and error,’ the National Audit Office said.

A girl from Wolverhampton who was treated for "severe burns" has returned to the stage after being forced to stop dancing after an accident.

The National Television Awards have announced ahead of tonight's ceremony that this year's Special Recognition Award will go to Sir Lenny Henry, honouring his nearly 50 years on television.

A £30m tourism project that will take people back in time to the Black Country’s post-war heydays has been given a £711,000 investment boost by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

A man who drowned in a canal was behaving in an "odd" manner shortly before his body was discovered, the inquest heard.

Council bosses have been urged to face up to mistakes made during the eight-year revamp of Wolverhampton Civic Halls as costs have spiralled to £48 million.

Mecca Bingo owner The Rank Group saw a two per cent rise in net gaming revenue to £165.7 million in the first three months of its financial year.

There’s not much good news around on the British economy.

West Midlands Police has refuted an armed robber's claim he stole a police car after being left alone in the vehicle with the keys.

An appeal to help refurbish a beloved children’s hospice in Walsall is within touching distance of its target.

A third of parents whose children will be starting secondary school in Wolverhampton next year have yet to apply for a place.

Former Black Country MP and Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is set to be appointed to the House of Lords, according to reports.

There’s set to be some frighteningly family-friendly fun at Dudley Zoo this Halloween half-term.

Work is continuing to prepare one of the biggest bonfire and firework events in the region for its date with the public.

A coroner has called for changes in a housing charity's maintenance practices after a man died in a house fire.

The Prime Minister defended her Government’s plan to cut taxes and boost economic growth.

A former Premier League footballer born and bred in the region has vowed to contest FA charges of improper conduct following an incident at his son’s under-12’s game.

Annoyed passengers have had their say on poor bus services in Walsall while defending hard-pressed drivers who bear the brunt of frustrations.

An appeal has been launched to help find a missing Staffordshire man.

A police appeal has been launched to find a wanted man.

A Black Country couple are set to retire after working in the pub industry for 33 years.

A row erupted at a Dudley Council meeting as one councillor was described as ‘lazy’ and a ‘used car salesman’ – and another said he had been referred to as ‘scum.’

Moves to make Wolverhampton’s digital infrastructure accessible to everyone in the city with the rollout of full fibre broadband and 5G have made “significant progress”, a report has revealed.

A burglar smashed the window of a supermarket with a brick to gain entry before making off with stolen alcohol and a charity box.

The "heartbroken" family of a "loving father" found in a Walsall canal have paid tribute to him.

For the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria, Bridgnorth sent a beautiful gift, the fruit of over four months of toil by 14 women hand loom weavers, and the subject of many a royal walkover ever since.

A cryptic poem published by the creators of the Raging Bull has teased what future faces the much-loved landmark.

Fancy having the Mander Centre to yourself to have a Nerf gun war?

The company said it will also expand its Simply Food business with another 104 outlets as part of the overhaul of its estate.

Planning permission for a battery-based electrical storage scheme on scenic green belt land near Wolverhampton has been granted on appeal.

Chris Philp was mocked by Labour MPs after he insisted the Government is not planning to perform any more U-turns.

The Tokyo 2020 gold medallist was joined by fellow Paralympic swimmer Jordan Catchpole and designer Esmeralda Devlin at Buckingham Palace.

A jury has concluded that a man who died three weeks after breaking his leg at Ironbridge Power Station died from the "combined effects of an accident and natural causes".

Police were called to 'minor disorder' involving two teenagers at Wolverhampton bus station.

Police want to speak to this man in connection with a car key burglary in Dudley.

Traffic police have shamed drivers caught doing more than 100mph on the M6 in Staffordshire.

If ever there was an award for sticking to the script, Liz Truss would have won it hands down during this week's return of PMQs.

Up to 39 bus routes, including school bus services across the West Midlands, are facing a variety of cuts, leaving communities with fewer or no bus connections as both inflation and passenger levels continue to add pressure.

Two choirs hope to strike a chord in memory of a much-loved singer in a concert at Kidderminster Town Hall, compèred by Don Maclean.

A Wolverhampton-based company has won a national award for its work on the player's tunnel at Wolves' Molineux stadium.

A man who brandished an imitation firearm in front of a family after being asked for his keys has been jailed for nine months.

Youngsters penned poems to mark National Poetry Day at Wolverhampton Grammar School.

Fancy working as Santa Claus or one of his elves this Christmas period?

Jurors at the inquest of a man who died three weeks after breaking his leg at Ironbridge Power Station have been asked to decide between two versions of how it might have happened.

Work will start on plans to bring a £5 million cinema to a Staffordshire shopping centre could start later this year, if the plans are backed.

Some 22% of people said turning the heating on would only happen on rare occasions, according to Nationwide Building Society.

A group of Bridgnorth business retailers and representatives from the town's chamber of commerce are considering a scheme to bring more investment into the town.

Plans to breathe new life into a former Wolverhampton swimming baths which was set alight by arsonists earlier this year have taken a step forward.

Reported hate crimes in West Midlands increased significantly in the year to March, new figures show.

The power of soul was on show in Wolverhampton last night.

A man found at a house where more than 300 cannabis plants were seized in a sophisticated operation has been jailed.

Saplings from a Staffordshire place of piece were blessed as part of a service of remembrance to honour those who served and died during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Residents are calling on a council to urgently reassess a road closure on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border which they claim is causing 'mayhem' around diversion routes.

It’s difficult to conceive of circumstances where Liz Truss could have made a worse start to her premiership.

Police in a part of Walsall are helping those who don't want trick or treaters knocking at their door this Halloween.

Work to tear down a building in Wolverhampton city centre and build a block of over 100 flats in its place has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Concerns are rising about loan sharks preying on desperate families as the cost of living crisis intensifies.

An NHS paramedic will join the finalists in the 2022 Miss England awards following months of fundraising campaigns and a trip to Ghana.

Angling Direct saw a fall in pre-tax profits in its latest half year despite a rise in sales in its shops.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was stabbed in Dudley.

Police have seized a "large amount" of cash during a stop and search of a vehicle in the region.

A teenager has been arrested following trouble on a bus in the Black Country.

The King is to guest star in a special episode of The Repair Shop alongside presenter Jay Blades as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations.

Pupils at a Sandwell senior school are giving their headteacher a helping hand with his fundraising challenge to raise awareness of young lives lost.

Liz Truss gained media attention in the run-up to and during her leadership campaign by mimicking the Iron Lady.

A stellar cast of cultural and political figures explore what makes Britain ‘Great’ in a new documentary by a West Midlands director.

Christmas comes early for supporters of the Midlands Air Ambulance as the charity launches its festive fundraising appeal.

It is a very British response following the Queen’s death to rush out and buy a jar of marmalade.

A community garden is set to bring people together to enjoy a spooky afternoon of Halloween fun.

A museum in Kidderminster which is dedicated to carpets and carpet making will celebrate a 10 year milestone next week.

£5 million will be taken from Birmingham City Counci’s coffers to set up a ‘cost of living programme’ as inflation, the ongoing energy crisis, and the effects of the ‘mini-budget’ continue to affect the city's residents.

A mosque could undergo a major transformation in a bid to improve facilities for worshippers in Darlaston.

These are the faces of a pair of would-be drug smugglers who tried to sneak cocaine with a street value of £1.75 million into the UK.

Two men from Halesowen and a Birmingham man have appeared in court charged with murder.

Nurses across the UK are currently casting their votes on whether to take industrial action over pay and conditions.

Three men have gone on trial accused of being in the middle of a fight in a Walsall street where a man was knocked unconscious.

An inquest jury has heard from more witnesses as they try to get to the bottom of what caused an experienced worker to break his leg in an accident during demolition of Ironbridge Power Station.

A company health and safety manager says she has heard contradictory evidence at the inquest into a man who died some days after breaking his leg at Ironbridge Power Station.

A new pizza takeaway in Wolverhampton city centre that also delivers alcohol and cigarettes has been given the go-ahead – despite major concerns from police.

Members of an organised West Midlands crime gang who bought dozens of blank firing handguns to convert into live weapons have been jailed for a total of almost 14 years.

A main route north of Stafford will close in both directions on Saturday morning due to an abnormal load.

A cocktail bar in Dudley has had its licence suspended after complaints over a bouncy castle and a violent assault.

Frustrated passengers are being left stranded for “ages” while waiting for buses in Walsall due to a shortage of drivers.

A man has suffered head and chest injuries after two masked men entered his Lichfield home.

A girl from Wolverhampton who was treated for "severe burns" has returned to the stage after being forced to stop dancing after an accident.

A woman has launched a group for parents who have faced any type of baby or child loss – after struggling to find support herself.

A levy to protect a Staffordshire beauty spot branded "outrageous" by councillors in the Black Country will protect the site for future generations, a spokesman has said.

A Stourbridge charity shop is looking for volunteers who are cool for cats.

A rural pub is set to welcome its first customers for more than two months this week when it reopens with a new owner and a new look.

A car park behind a community centre in Dudley will be extended to offer more spaces to "ease congestion" during busy times.

Kidderminster Town Hall will be transformed over the next two years after refurbishment plans were approved by Wyre Forest District Council.

New health centres designed to tackle Covid backlogs will open at two sites in the Black Country by early 2025, it has been announced.

A man was freed from a van by fire crews after a multi-vehicle collision on a motorway.