A Labour councillor who defected to the Conservatives a month after being re-elected had been turned down for a cabinet position, it has been claimed.

Foundries group Castings has reported a fall in profit and revenue as the coronavirus pandemic caused disruptions.

Independent car retailer Motorpoint has revealed plans to double turnover to £2 billion after taking a financial hit from the pandemic and government imposed lockdowns.

A taste of Nepal has arrived in Cannock, creating 10 jobs.

Rail bosses in the Midlands have today unveiled plans to create 30 million extra seats on the region's trains by launching hundreds of new services.

Prison bosses have launched an investigation into claims friends of a man who was murdered in the Black Country were contacted by one of his killers from jail.

A man who frenziedly struck his partner's ex with a hammer in front of children in a shop's toy aisle and left him with a fractured skull has been jailed.

A specially-commissioned piece of artwork has gone on display at the Duncan Edwards Museum in Castle Street, Dudley, thanks to the generosity of a Manchester United fan.

What started as an interest in street dancing has led to a Walsall teenager being offered places at two prestigious performing arts colleges.

A dedicated hospital volunteer has returned to help out after a a 13-month absence due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A landmark trade deal between the UK and Australia will boost export opportunities for businesses in the West Midlands, according to MPs.

There has been a baby boom down on an alpaca farm in Albrighton and the owners say that visitors are welcome by appointment.

A mysterious "fourth man" was responsible for shooting dead two friends inside a Range Rover, the prime suspect told police.

A West Midlands woman has spoken of her pride at being a diverse candidate in a beauty pageant.

Questions are being asked about a council's decision to award schoolchildren's transport contracts to companies run by a former employee who was implicated in an explosive report about land deals at the authority.

Vaccine passports must be brought in urgently to save businesses at risk due to the extension of Covid restrictions, an MP has said.

A woman from Birmingham has died after falling from a cliff at a popular coastal spot.

Officers who were filmed restraining a teenage boy at a Black Country shopping centre acted appropriately, according to an initial police investigation.

Unemployment has fallen in the West Midlands to 169,000 in the three months to April.

Four teenage boys have been charged with murder following the death of a man in Telford.

Soldiers’ letters sent during the American Civil War and a huge collection of model trains are among the treasures steaming to auction in Lichfield next week.

A jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of a West Mercia Police officer accused of the murder and manslaughter of ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson.

A post mortem is due to take place as police continue to question a woman on suspicion of murder.

Waiting times for glaucoma patients have been drastically cut after a Black Country NHS trust streamlined services.

The letter, dated August 2 1989, showcases the writer’s opinion of his own work and his determination to get children reading.

High-polluting vehicles travelling within a clean air zone will be exempt from charges while going to hospital, a council has said.

A knifewoman who fractured a fellow party-goer's head with a meat cleaver at a Black Country pub has been jailed for nine years.

David Venables, 88, is accused of killing Brenda Venables, whose remains were found in a septic tank 37 years after she disappeared.

David Venables, 88, is accused of killing Brenda Venables, whose remains were found in a septic tank 37 years after she disappeared.

A stretch of the M6 was closed and a man was taken to hospital with minor injuries after five vehicles were involved in a collision.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died at a house in the Black Country.

An e-scooter rider is still in a critical condition three days after a crash with a car in Wolverhampton.

A nightclub owner has had to throw away more than £7,000 worth of stock after the latest Government easing of restrictions was moved back.

An 18-month-old Black Country girl is able to go for a walk outside with her parents after becoming the first child in the UK to be fitted with a mobile heart driving unit.

Sir Simon Stevens said that the NHS would use the lockdown delay to try to ‘finish the job’ of the vaccination programme.

Dozens of new homes look set to be built on the disused site which used to house Coseley Swimming Baths.

A dozen new homes will be built on the disused site of a former pub which was named after Dudley’s greatest footballing icon.

Drivers in Wolverhampton are set to face traffic chaos for the rest of the week as roadworks schemes continue on two main roads within a mile of each other.

A former Black Country dancehall which saw top performers play live there in its heyday is to make way for new homes.

Wolverhampton have postponed their home meeting with King’s Lynn next Monday following the four-eek delay to lifting restrictions.

The chief executive of Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre has said the delay to lockdown restrictions easing is "extremely" disappointing.

The UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste has published new figures which show the devastating impact the pandemic has had on communities and families in Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Extra testing and vaccinations for local residents is having an impact.

Statistics officials said the figures should be interpreted with caution.

A number of aircraft due to take holidaymakers from the UK to Mallorca are departing from Berlin instead.

New data shows pubs restaurants and nightclubs in England will return to around £1 billion in rent liabilities from July for the next nine months.

Newsnight political editor Nicholas Watt was forced to seek refuge after demonstrators in central London chased him and shouted slurs.

Discussions are already underway to explore a possible rollout of the tests to the NHS.

Scouts have unearthed a treasure trove of vintage discards during a litter-pick at their campsite near Bewdley.

More than a dozen performers will take to the stage for a music festival held for the first time in almost a year.

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle based on its new Land Rover Defender, with testing scheduled to begin this year.

More than £2.5 million will be invested in a village and its surrounding areas as part of an upcoming development.

A Kidderminster business which has established itself as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of steel wheels for the off-highway and mobile crane industry has received the Royal seal of approval.

Boris Johnson is facing a Conservative backbench rebellion after he announced a delay to the final lifting of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England.

The move to delay lockdown has come as a huge setback to many businesses which had pinned their hopes on a full summer reopening to recoup some of the losses of the past year.

Trams are back up and running across the West Midlands - but with a reduced service while some of the fleet are repaired.

A councillor in Wolverhampton has defected to the Conservatives one month after being re-elected as a Labour candidate.

An online radio service which seeks to champion local creative arts, culture and music, has been launched by Black Country Radio.

The arrival of Bruno Lage at Wolves left a farm shop with a dilemma as the special sausage they sold was named after his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo.

A memorial bench in Wolverhampton dedicated to First World War soldiers has been desecrated with Nazi symbols.

Log cabins, hotel bedrooms and suites and a health club are all planned for a Grade II listed manor house which dates back to the 16th century.

A Black Country MP will be running in this year's London Marathon to raise money for a mental health charity.

A Wolverhampton singer songwriter has released his own football song to mark the Euros.

Shropshire-based Bradford Estates has partnered with wildlife charity Cuan Wildlife Rescue to allow more animals and wildlife to be released back into their natural habitats.

Experts feared going ahead with Step 4 on June 21 could lead to hospital admissions on the scale of the first wave of Covid-19.

Protection against the Delta variant is highest among those who have had both jabs.

All West Midlands Metro trams are still out of service three days after a fault was identified.

A stopwatch used in the 1974 World Cup Final by legendary Wolverhampton referee Jack Taylor has sold for more than £4,000 at auction.

What has changed following Boris Johnson’s announcement, what will stay the same and why?

After weeks of scorching sunshine the warm spell is set to come to an end with thunderstorm warnings issued.

Boris Johnson had set four tests that had to be met in order to proceed to the next stage of the road map out of lockdown.

Experts suggest even a short delay to the next step would result in a significant drop in the number of people being admitted to hospital.

A police helicopter and dogs have been used in a bid to track down a vulnerable young man in the Black Country.

Unvaccinated people have twice the risk of hospital admission with the Delta variant as the Alpha variant.

The move has been met with fury by some Tory MPs, with a vote this month expected to lead to a possible Conservative backbench rebellion.

Smoke has been billowing out from Cannock's landfill site after a lorry caught fire.

Jurors have heard six weeks of evidence about the ex-Premier League star’s death in August 2016.

One more coronavirus death has been confirmed in the Black Country.

A man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with wounding after a delivery driver was seriously injured trying to stop thieves stealing his van.

The head of a Staffordshire school has apologised after six teenage girls were criticised about the length of their skirts and other pupils left lessons in protest.

Express & Star readers have given mixed reactions to plans lockdown easing will be delayed by four weeks.

A 19-year-old has been taken to hospital with potentially life-changing injuries after a car hit a tree.

Thrill-seekers are being challenged to take on a 220 metre-long zip wire alongside the region's new super hospital – all for charity.

What a talented bunch you are! We knew that the West Midlands was full of great, creative photographers but we’ve been amazed at the quality of the images you have sent to Star Witness.

A man thrown out of a car was among three passengers injured when the Mercedes they were in overturned and smashed into a bus stop.

A woman has had to be cut from a car after a crash in Oldbury.

An e-scooter rider is still fighting for his life following surgery after a crash with a car in Wolverhampton.

A Black Country council has warned residents to be wary of cold-calling rogue traders.

More areas of the country outside the North West are recording an increase in rates.

The Prime Minister is expected to tell the nation that the road map easing earmarked for June 21 in England will be delayed for four weeks to July 19.

An event has been held in Wolverhampton to help bring the community together in memory of former MP Jo Cox.

A machine used to increase oxygen levels in a Black Country park's lakes has been moved after a goose's leg was reportedly "shredded" by the device.

A new coffee shop and bar is set to open its doors in a city centre.

A short stretch of the M6 will be shut for an entire weekend as giant bridge beams are lifted into place as part of a project to improve traffic flow through the Black Country.

The PM is expected to say the final lifting of social-distancing rules in England is being delayed to July 19.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson officially opened a £4.2 million extension to a school and said it would benefit generations of local youngsters.

Two people have been seriously injured after an e-scooter and a car crashed in Wolverhampton on Saturday afternoon.

Police, paramedics and the air ambulance have been called to Wolverhampton this afternoon following a "serious collision" near New Cross Hospital.

There are fewer hospital staff vacancies in Birmingham now than at the start of the pandemic, it has been revealed.

A 12-year-old schoolboy has been called up to an elite junior hockey squad hunting for spoils at an international three-day festival in Nottingham.