The Poundland store at the Merry Hill shopping centre is being put into temporary hibernation.

A school’s bid to replace its “inadequate” PE facilities with a new sports hall have been given the green light by Walsall planners.

The number of people hospitalised by Covid in Sandwell and West Birmingham has jumped to 287 in just eight days.

Forty-five canal-side apartments opposite the former iconic Flapper venue have been approved despite concerns around noise should the venue ever reopen.

A temporary waste treatment plant that handles tonnes of contaminated and hazardous soil products has asked to extend the terms of its operation, sparking a raft of protests.

Disused offices in a Black Country town centre could be converted into more than 30 new bedsits if a proposal gets the green light.

Police are appealing for help in tracing a missing Sandwell teenager.

A dog that had its rescue mission abandoned when firefighters discovered the hole it had become stuck down near Bridgnorth was a protected badger sett made it out alive, the RSPCA has confirmed.

A fire broke out at a petrol station shop in Wolverhampton this morning.

Snowfall has once again blanketed much of the region in white, with weather warnings in place for all of the West Midlands, Shropshire and Mid Wales.

Pub operator Marston’s said trading continued to take a hit during the final quarter of the year due to Covid-related restrictions.

Tories in the West Midlands have vowed to bolster frontline policing using cash saved by scrapping "unnecessary" administrative roles in the force.

Nearly 14,000 care home residents in the Black Country and Staffordshire have been prioritised to receive the coronavirus vaccine before the end of January.

A defendant's fingerprints were on the taxi Keelan Wilson was in when he was killed as he used taxis regularly, his defence said.

Labour’s candidate for West Midlands Mayor has called for people to be issued with ‘Covid passports’ to prove they have been vaccinated.

See the latest figures for coronavirus cases and deaths in your area.

A couple are getting used to life as new parents after their first child arrived just in time for the new year.

People are being advised to watch out for text messages being sent out by conmen pretending to be about the Covid-19 vaccine with the vulnerable at risk of falling victim.

At the start of 1986, Margaret Thatcher was at the height of her power. Commanding a majority of more than 140 in the Commons, she had built up a reputation as somebody you messed with at your peril.

A Black Country couple are celebrating their Diamond Wedding anniversary together.

Police have bought a new laser gun to tackle speeding motorists in areas near the Black Country.

A 38-year-old man who sustained a serious head injury in an assault in Stone has been discharged from hospital.

Three drug couriers who attempted to smuggle cocaine worth around £50,000 into the UK on the same flight into Gatwick have been jailed.

Patients calling at the home of Staffordshire's yellow diggers will be among the first to receive the new Oxford AstraZeneca Covid vaccination at GP-led clinics.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has accused local politicians of "misleading the public" over vaccine shortage claims.

A gang that stole lead from churches leaving a £2 million repair bill have been jailed for a total of 22 years.

A Birmingham man is wanted by police for alleged coercive control and wounding.

People across the Black Country are being encouraged to look beyond lockdown and join Cancer Research UK's Race for Life events this year.

A further 47 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Snow and ice warnings will remain in place across the West Midlands, Shropshire and Mid Wales until at least the end of tomorrow.

Thirty-eight new recruits were sworn into their roles at Staffordshire Police at a virtual attestation ceremony.

A driver speeding at more than 100mph, two wanted men and vehicles with no insurance were all dealt with during one police unit's shift.

Home repairs and improvements company HomeServe has bought a heating firm in Hampshire.

A Black Country teenager has been jailed for more than three years after she injured four people in a deliberate act of reckless driving.

Black Country health bosses have been told patients may have to be transferred ‘out’ of local hospitals to free up beds if coronavirus infection rates continue to climb.

Two Wolverhampton men have been arrested after sheep were stolen from a farm.

Health bosses are sending a clear message – people should “act like they’ve got it” and stay at home to help protect the NHS and save lives.

A doctor has urged people to ignore "misinformation" around Covid jabs – as a new vaccination hub opened in the Black Country.

A new chapter is beginning for an independent opticians in the Black Country who are still on hand to help patients.

Residents in South Staffordshire could see a £5 increase in the tax they pay for district council services this year.

Residents opposed to the building of major industrial development in the Black Country are launching a last ditch attempt to prevent it being built.

Twenty eight poplars bordering a Black Country primary school are facing the axe after a diseased tree collapsed into its grounds – sparking significant safety fears for pupils.

According to the British Ministry of Defence, it was a "deliberate attack" on a British warship, "without regard for life". The Icelandic coastguard claimed its gunboat had been rammed by a British frigate.

More than half of bus users in the region are ‘not satisfied’ with the behaviour of their fellow travellers when it comes to social distancing, it has been revealed.

A Black Country care home has been blasted as ‘inadequate’ after health inspectors found people being physically restrained without sufficient care plans – and including a lack of awareness in safeguarding children.

Shops staying open during lockdown have been urged to beef up Covid safety measures to help combat rising infections.

Developers in the Black Country and Staffordshire have turned vacant offices into flats on hundreds of occasions in the last five years, using powers to bypass normal planning rules.

The owner of England’s oldest cliff railway in Shropshire has paid tribute to a former colleague who died of Covid-19.

The first of 200 new homes are beginning to take shape off a busy commuter route through Penkridge.

The shells of homes are starting to take shape on a council depot site in Cannock.

A charity has made a renewed appeal for donations of food as it prepares for a busy winter.

One of the region’s oldest residents has marked her 100th birthday with a tea party organised by care home staff.

The number of new cars sold in the UK has fallen by almost a third in the last year – but one famous name based in the West Midlands managed to buck the trend.

A councillor is asking schools to take up a Vodafone scheme that will help children learn during lockdown.

A couple celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary have spoken about how they met and how they’ve lasted.

A dog day care company has helped to spread some positivity in the new year with an art project

Tributes have been paid to a former journalist who spent nearly half a century working on newspapers in the West Midlands.

A new rapid coronavirus test centre is set to open at a Wolverhampton church.

A Burntwood man has been charged with drugs offences after a van was stopped by officers.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands has called for officers to have the correct powers to tackle "the most serious and dangerous" breaches of Covid regulations.

A spate of livestock thefts has been reported across Staffordshire.

A Midlands hospital boss has warned capacity could soon be “compromised” as the number of Covid-19 patients continues to increase.

A further 36 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire, along with another 27 care home residents.

A further 36 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Walk-in takeaway has been stopped at all McDonald's restaurants across the UK.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an assault in Stone.

There has been new snowfall across the region, but a change to drier weather has been forecast.

The reliability of CCTV evidence has been called into question in the trial of a husband accused of murdering his seamstress wife.

Ten new homes could be built on the site of a run-down former tennis club in Wolverhampton.

The West Midlands is set to lose two parliamentary seats under plans to shake-up the UK's electoral map.

A former deaf person’s centre and social club in Walsall could be converted into more than a dozen new apartments.

A former bathroom showroom near Stafford town centre could be converted into new apartments.

The "rolling cycle of lockdowns" has achieved very little, with the situation "getting worse, not better" a West Midlands councillor has claimed.

Education bosses have defended Walsall teachers and school staff from accusations they are enjoying extra time off during lockdown.

A Victorian former factory building in the heart of Wolverhampton is set to be converted into 48 new apartments.

The Severn Valley Railway has welcomed back the overhauled boiler of its flagship locomotive following an extensive amount of work at a specialist engineering company.

Work is starting to renew the platform 1 lift at Wolverhampton railway station.

Stages remain silent at venues across our region. But there are signs of hope as the planning continues for better days ahead.

A grammar school has created its own “Nightingale-style” coronavirus testing centre.

A Staffordshire man has been jailed for a number of drugs and driving offences.

A police investigation is underway after pandemic-denial videos taken at Kidderminster Hospital. Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Alexandra Hospital were shared on social media.