A mother's plans to open a hair salon in her garage have made the cut for Cannock Chase councillors.

A serial rapist has been convicted of a string of attacks on five sex workers.

Residents on low incomes could get their property deposit paid by Stafford Borough Council as part of plans to make it easier to secure private rented housing.

Elections are being held across Great Britain.

A teenager, who aims to become a corporate law barrister, has been elected as one of the youngest members of Wolverhampton Youth Council.

The Crown alleges Pcs Benjamin Monk and Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith ‘discussed between themselves’ their ‘unlawful attack on an unarmed man’.

A park described by locals as 'a green oasis' in Dudley is set to celebrate its centenary later this year.

Bus group Rotala, which operates Diamond Bus in the West Midlands, remains confident about the future ahead despite anticipating that “true recovery” will not occur until 2023.

Voters across the region are heading to the polls for the biggest set of elections in half a century.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested following the discovery of a knife at Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

The average price of a litre of unleaded reached 127.19p at the end of April.

An appeal has gone out to trace a man wanted for recall to prison.

Coronavirus caused staff at hospital trusts across the Black Country and Staffordshire to miss more than 50,000 days of work last year, figures reveal.

More than 40 nurses from India will not be joining a health trust in Staffordshire this month due to the country's ongoing struggle against Covid-19.

Jury deliberations in the trial of six men accused of beating to death a young father near a Black Country pub were set to begin today,.

A haul of Harry Potter discoveries including five first edition books reached more than £150,000 at auction in Staffordshire.

A jury in the trial of four men accused of murder following the fatal stabbing of a man outside a Walsall bar have heard more about a weapon allegedly used in the killing.

A coronavirus survivor who spent more than two months in Walsall Manor Hospital is planning to take on a 26-mile fundraising walk.

As things begin to feel more normal, the huge growth in the construction industry is fuelling demand for skilled workers, creating jobs and pushing up wages.

New figures on virus rates continue to offer hope that we are over the worst of the Covid pandemic.

An historic Midlands hotel that used to house Premier League stars such as Jack Grealish and Marc Albrighton is to become sheltered housing.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said further injections to increase immunity could be ready from September.

An investigation has been launched after cars were set on fire and a man was shot on a street in Walsall on Tuesday afternoon.

A fight outside a Black Country pub left two men with head injuries.

When and where to expect the results of the elections taking place across Britain on May 6.

Ex-Aston Villa star Dalian Atkinson had no defensive injuries to his hands or forearms after he was Tasered and allegedly subjected to a fatal attack by a police constable, a court has heard.

A West Mercia police constable accused of murdering Dalian Atkinson has claimed the former footballer threatened to take him “to the gates of hell”.

Teresa Robinson, 65, of Woodbridge in Suffolk, will retire in June after 35 years in nursing.

Armed police descended on a Walsall road where two cars and a house caught fire and a man was shot on Tuesday afternoon.

Four people have been arrested - including a woman on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder - after cars were set on fire and a man was shot in a Walsall street.

The Prime Minister joined West Midlands Mayor Andy Street for a canalside bike ride as he visited the Black Country on the campaign trail.

A Black Country woman has spoken out to warn others after losing more than £100,000 to dating site romance fraud.

The full list of candidates running in this year's local election for Dudley Council. A total of 24 wards are being contested.

Over a fifth of adults in Britain experienced some form of depression between January 27 and March 7, the Office for National Statistics said.

India’s foreign minister was forced to pull out of attending in person after the cases were detected.

The full list of candidates running in this year's local election for Sandwell Council. A total of 24 wards are being contested.

An extra £200 million is being withdrawn from cash machines across the UK per week, Link said.

Organisers say they are ‘heartbroken’ by the news, which comes despite the rollout of coronavirus vaccines.

Eight new coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham.

The 2021 elections feature a number of votes postponed from last year. As a result of the Covid pandemic, there are extra measures to make everyone stays safe on polling day.

ITV Chaser Paul Sinha is the latest name to be added to the eagerly-awaited Stourbridge Comedy Festival this summer.

India’s foreign minister will meet counterparts virtually after the cases were detected.

A brave eight-year-old from Bridgnorth battling a rare form of cancer has been nominated for a luxury holiday to Greece by TV stars Ant & Dec.

A Staffordshire theme park will be bursting with festival colours and energy as Mardi Gras arrives.

Sutton Coldfield can receive a huge boost from the decision to use the town as a venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The retailer said it has discounts across all remaining stock.

The Great Midlands Fun Run will not take place this year but organiser Tracey Spare has promised to make 2022's event part of a 'rebirth of the town'.

There were 260 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending April 23, the Office for National Statistics said.

Many hospitals in the country are suffering from a shortage of supplies as coronavirus cases surge.

There will be an increased capacity for testing variant samples from 700 to 1,500 per week by January 2022.

The 2021 elections will see voters go to the polls to vote for representatives on their councils, a new West Midlands mayor and Police and Crime Commissioners for West Midlands and Staffordshire.

Officials on the Rock said holidaymakers will be ‘very welcome here without the need for a PCR test’.

Policymakers at the Bank are expected to ‘significantly’ upgrade their growth outlook as they keep interest rates on hold at 0.1%, experts say.

The full list of candidates running in this year's local election for Cannock Chase District Council. A total of 13 wards are being contested.

The candidates running in this year's local election for Staffordshire County Council where all 62 seats are being contested.

The full list of candidates running in this year's local election for Wolverhampton Council. A total of 20 wards are being contested.

The full list of candidates running in this year's local election for Walsall Council. A total of 20 wards are being contested.

The list of candidates running in this year's local election for Worcestershire County Council. All 57 divisions are being contested.

Full list of West Midlands mayoral election candidates standing in the 2021 election. The winner will serve a three-year term instead of four after the vote was postponed by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Six candidates are running to replace David Jamieson and be the next West Midlands Police and Crime Commisioner in the 2021 elections.

Plans have been lodged for a massive residential, retail and business development next to the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick.

Jurors heard bootlace imprints prove the ex-footballer was kicked at least twice.

A young woman who is partially blind and in need of urgent medical treatment has been reported missing.

A teenage girl has been missing since Saturday - prompting an appeal from police.

Tributes have been pouring in for an 'immensely loved' student whose death has shaken the community.

An arson-hit former Dudley school that is in a poor condition and has lost most of its roof is to be converted into more than two dozen apartments.

The Institute of Directors is seeking a new chairman to become the voice of directors in the Black Country and Staffordshire.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is set to showcase its many volunteering opportunities at a virtual event.

Thousands of children are set to benefit from free school uniforms thanks to the help of Rotarians and a charity.

A cat was left seriously injured when it was shot with an air gun in the Black Country.

A former cinema and variety theatre is being sold at auction later this month.

An historic former Walsall town centre pub which has been closed for five years could be converted into more than 20 apartments.

Heating and air conditioning group Andrews Sykes saw a fall in both profits and turnover in 2020.

Residents have said they are living in fear after a man was shot and a woman was seriously injured in a car crash.

Talking and interacting with others is a vital part of a young child's development.

Export levels from the West Midlands grew in the first quarter of this year despite the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic and the new requirements for trading with the European Union.

Wolverhampton is in "desperate need" of more hotels close to the city centre due to options becoming more limited, a councillor has said.

A hospital trust board has heard of how a collaborative team effort made a success of its Covid-19 vaccination programme.

One of the longest serving councillors in the country is stepping down after more than half a century of service.

A Black Country shoemaker is settling into its new home after weeks of upheaval.

A Black Country borough has been ranked the cheapest place to buy a curry anywhere in the country.

A campaigner has spoken of his relief after controversial plans to build 10 homes and reopen a walkway were rejected, following concerns about antisocial behaviour and parking.

A community is celebrating after CCTV was installed to stamp out antisocial behaviour and fly tipping.

Two cousins have teamed up to complete a charity challenge involving 100 completions of a tricky puzzle.

Firefighter Stuart Henley knows the importance of life-saving equipment and is delighted to have helped raise funds for a defibrillator and bleed kit to be installed at Merryvale Nursery in Halesowen.

People dressed as superheroes, doctors and nurses saddled up to take part in a 100-lap ride of the outdoor arena at Norton Hall Farm at Norton Canes to raise money for charity.

Staff at a Wolverhampton day centre, closed for a year because of the pandemic, have appealed for members to return and for donations to help it survive.

A Conservative candidate has criticised the Labour Party for allegedly using plastic boards to promote their election candidates.

It is the world's oldest football competition – and now people have a chance to 'win' the FA Cup at a Staffordshire auction, just days before Chelsea and Leicester City play the 2021 final.

Rail commuters heading in and out of Staffordshire have been hit with delays after an incident.

The trial of Pc Benjamin Monk is expected to last for up to eight weeks.

The cinema chain said the vast majority of sites will reopen as Covid-19 restrictions ease in England.

Four men are believed to have fled the scene of a crash that left a driver injured in the Black Country.

A popular cinema in Walsall is ready to welcome back customers after a challenging year.

See how the first day of the trial of a police officer accused of killing ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson in Telford unfolded.

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a 17-year-old who was fatally stabbed in Smethwick.

The Labour leader of Wolverhampton Council says he has been threatened following a doorstep exchange with a political opponent while out on the election campaign trail.

Saskia Jones, 23, only decided the day before the 2019 atrocity to go along, and told her mother she felt terrorist offenders needed more monitoring.

The FCDO is not advising against non-essential travel to Portugal (excluding the Azores), Spain’s Canary Islands or five popular Greek islands.

No new coronavirus deaths have been confirmed at hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire for the second day running.