An illegal rave underneath a motorway bridge was broken up by police - with a woman rescued from a nearby river and the motorway closed as crowds were dispersed.

More than 127 million people have been infected by the virus first detected in China in late 2019.

A further appeal for witnesses has gone out following the death of a teenager in a crash.

Easter is normally one of the busiest weekends of the year on UK roads.

The letter implores people to not let fear hold them back.

The ambitious plans will start within weeks of its pubs reopening fully as the lockdown eases.

The Met Office said temperatures reached 20.4C (68.7F) in central London and Writtle in Essex on Monday – the highest recorded this year.

A main road is closed this morning as emergency services attend reports of a gas explosion in a Black Country street.

Covid has "many more lives to claim" and we cannot start to relax until 70 to 80 per cent of the population has had the double vaccination, a health boss has warned.

JCB has secured one of the biggest deals of the year for its X-Series range of tracked excavators after an investment by one of the Midlands’ leading civil engineering companies.

Boris Johnson says the opening of a new Government department HQ was "just the beginning" of a raft of investment plans for the West Midlands.

CCTV and barriers are set to be erected at Dudley's famous Wren's Nest nature reserve in a bid to stop it being wrecked by fly-tipping.

The owners of a Wolverhampton shop have been going above and beyond for a couple in their 90s, delivering essentials daily and even sending flowers when the wife broke her wrist.

Mayoral candidates have unveiled a series of plans to implement should they be successful in May's election.

The selfless work of a Black Country building firm has helped give a Dudley church a new lease of life.

On paper, it was a reform that was long overdue.

Outdoor sports facilities reopened on Monday as lockdown restrictions were eased in England.

There are growing signs of a third wave spreading across continental Europe.

Boris Johnson said the UK must ‘do as much as we can to prevent the virus coming back in from abroad’.

Human cases of H5N8 infection were reported to the World Health Organisation for the first time in February this year, PHE said.

Targeted coronavirus testing on the Oldbury and Tipton border will come to an end on Wednesday – after a case of the South African variant was identified in the area.

Vaccination rates in England were lower in the over-70s who identify as black African and black Caribbean, Muslim, and disabled, the ONS said.

Dr Nighat Arif has called on people to be ‘brave’ and to be an ‘ally’.

The Health Secretary said he had a ‘lot of sympathy’ for the travel industry.

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

People across England started taking advantage of the easing of lockdown measures as outdoor gatherings and sport events resumed.

Two more Covid deaths have been confirmed in the Black Country and Birmingham.

Trade groups for the live music sector said they have started to see a ‘steady stream’ of cancellations for summer events.

Two people were injured after reports of disorder outside a Dudley school.

Drivers on the M6 were confronted with hour-long delays after two crashes in quick succession and a breakdown on Monday morning.

Armed police descended on a Black Country housing estate after reports of a shooting.

"We would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone," says Toby Porter.

People have flocked to outdoor sports venues across the West Midlands as they were able to reopen, with lockdown restrictions easing today.

Keen golfers teed off shortly after midnight to make the most of the relaxation in England’s coronavirus regulations.

Organisers said that, despite its location opposite the Houses of Parliament. the mural is not meant to be ‘political or antagonistic’.

Rates appear to be flatlining at levels higher than those recorded last summer.

Dame Anne Johnson, professor of epidemiology at University College London, said: ‘I’m for staycations’.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister said the vaccination rate in the Republic has an ‘impact’ as neighbours.

The education watchdog confirmed that graded inspections are expected from September.

A Black Country girl-guiding troop has put out an appeal for help finding a new home.

A second test blast will take place at Rugeley Power Station on Wednesday ahead of the towers being demolished in June.

Tenpin owner Ten Entertainment Group says it is in great shape to reopen its indoor bowling centres in May.

The first Covid rules in England are being lifted today, allowing people to meet outside in groups again

An appeal has been launched after a dog was found buried in a shallow grave behind a Black Country park.

All staff and residents at a Dudley care home have received both doses of their Covid vaccinations.

The warm weather coincides with an easing of restrictions including an end to the ‘stay at home’ order, and up to six people allowed to meet outdoors.

All the street lights can be lit at night, women can go out dressed in clothes that cover every inch of their body, they can be on their phone as they walk down the crowded street with their keys poised between their fingers but rape and murder will ...

A mobile Covid-19 rapid test unit has returned to Wolverhampton's Bantock Park this week.

The sobering warning was delivered in a newspaper opinion signed by 41 Paris-region doctors.

Francis led the Palm Sunday Mass for a second time without crowds of faithful at the Vatican.

The study says transmission from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario.

Prime Minister Igor Matovic said he proposed swapping posts with Finance Minister Eduard Heger from his Ordinary People party.

Angela Merkel acknowledged that mistakes were made by her government, including on plans for an Easter lockdown.

Holi marks the advent of spring.

There are currently around 5,000 new cases each day in the UK, Professor Sir Mark Walport said.

These early risers had a spring in their step.

The PM is expected to urge the public to take personal responsibility by sticking to the restrictions.

A vulnerable 28-year-old Rugeley man has gone missing after leaving a hospital.

A working mother with an OBE to her name is set to take the role as the next High Sheriff for the West Midlands.

Tributes have been paid to a teenager killed in a crash as two people hurt in the collision remain seriously injured in hospital.

Health bosses from across the region have urged people to stick to the Covid rules as lockdown is eased from today.

England and Wales lockdown rules currently in place as UK Government prepares to reintroduce the ‘rule of six’ and Wales scraps 'stay local'.

It comes after a week in which a raft of leading fund managers said they will reject the listing.

The proposal involves offering customers 50% off the cost of goods at independent retailers up to a price of £10.

A new report revealed that 38.2% of licensed premises in the UK say they have space to trade outside.

Nearly one in ten workers suspect they are being monitored while working from home without being informed.

Some smaller firms are said to have stopped selling into the EU permanently after new trading rules came into force at the start of this year.

A husband and wife duo hope to hit the right note with fans after penning a song to help lift people's spirits during lockdown.

A Wolverhampton scriptwriter has landed a job producing BBC Radio 4's long-standing radio soap opera The Archers.

Express & Star readers have backed calls for a vaccine passport to help speed up the country’s return to normality.

As war clouds gathered, Wolverhampton and the Black Country prepared.

The site of a former pub that bore the name of one of the world's greatest ever footballers is set to be turned into homes.

The pandemic has brought into focus the work of those we rely on in the NHS. It has also prompted a new-found interest in a caring career.

It was just a hobby – but after being made redundant during the lockdown, Nick Smith turned his passion for camper vans into a full-time job.

A giant factory, making batteries for thousands of electric cars, is crucial to spearhead a green revolution in the heart of the West Midlands, says Andy Street. The regional mayor says a 'gigafactory' represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to '...

Liam Byrne MP has explained the infamous note he wrote that heralded the advent of austerity.

Craig Thomas lived in Whittington, Shropshire, for many years.

A Wolverhampton couple celebrating 60 years of marriage say the secret is “a lot of patience, sense of humour, and give and take.”

A teenager has been killed and six people have been injured in a horror crash in Walsall.

Mad O'Rourke's Pie Factory has come up with a new way to keep hungry customers satisfied during lockdown – pies by post.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden acknowledged all legal restrictions may not end in June as was hoped.

Some 3.5 million people have had their second doses.

Car owners are being warned to 'insure it or lose it' by West Midlands Police.

A 15-year-old boy had £200 stolen when he was attacked by a group of teens wielding a machete.

Tory backbenchers, publicans and scientists have raised concerns over the possible use of coronavirus health certificates.

Kidderminster Library will take over as the new site for rapid Covid testing in Wyre Forest.

Six more Covid deaths have been confirmed in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham.

Poultry at a Staffordshire chicken farm are set to be culled after bird flu was confirmed at the site.

Boris Johnson said he is wary of the prospect of rising coronavirus infection rates.

More than 25 million people in England have been vaccinated with their first dose.

Widespread testing is seen as a key measure to keep Covid-19 under control as the lockdown is eased in England.

Charities say the UK is ‘one of the world’s highest per-capita buyers’ of vaccines.

Armed police were called to West Bromwich after reports of a gun being spotted.