Specialist sixth form-free schools could be built in parts of the Black Country where education outcomes are weakest, under the Government's levelling up agenda.

Taxpayers are facing a rise in their annual bill to pay for policing across the West Midlands.

Boris Johnson apologised to the Commons over the partygate saga.

Recently having turned 80, Derek Sturch lives in Devon these days. But he has golden memories of his childhood. Or rather, gold and black memories.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he believes it is ‘no longer proportionate’ to require vaccination as a condition of deployment under law.

Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

World class musicians performing at Birmingham Symphony Hall will soon be entertaining audiences with the help of a new grand piano worth more than £150,000.

The latest Kantar grocery sales data shows inflation stands at 3.8% with sales falling 3.8% in the 12 weeks to January 23.

New opportunities in transport, medical and warehousing/logistics are helping one of the West Midlands’ fastest growing manufacturers record its best-ever year.

A major disruptor to the packaging sector has pressed the button on its latest purchase as it looks to maximise a boom in online shopping and a move towards greater sustainability.

A landmark residential development in Walsall has been given the green light by planners, with Harris Lamb marketing the site now that the Section 106 requirements have been formally agreed.

Dealing with mental health struggles and standing up to online bullies are among the difficulties being faced by the sister of Walsall nurse Areema Nasreen, who died from coronavirus.

"I think the hospitality industry has been treated unfairly and seen as a scapegoat, but we are looking to the future."

It’s been a common occurrence to see Norwegian supporters passing through the turnstiles at Premier League clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The area that children live in makes a big difference to the amount of exercise they do each day, according to a new survey.

Property investment and development company, Goold Estates has announced plans to sell a parade of town centre retail units in Walsall.

Work is progressing on a new museum celebrating more than 400 years of glassmaking in Stourbridge.

A toddler is set to become famous nationwide as part of a freight company's expansion plans.

Young artists have wowed visitors with their entries into a junior art competition hosted by a stately home on the border of Shropshire and Staffordshire.

An eleven-year-old boy has had his long locks cut off and head shaved to raise vital funds for the Little Princess Trust.

A specialist insurer has donated £1,000 to The Mary Stevens Hospice after it was named as one of six in the West Midlands to receive funds from a 12 Days of Giving campaign.

After popping out for a call of nature, Ernie returned home to find his wife sleeping with the enemy... after a fashion.

A community transport scheme is looking for more volunteer drivers to help more people get to medical appointments in rural areas.

“There have been points over the last two years when we’ve sat and thought what could happen.”

Council bosses have confirmed the Cornbow Hall in Halesowen is “here to stay” and will continue to operate as a community and entertainment venue.

West Bromwich Albion have condemned the behaviour of fans during their 2-0 defeat to Millwall on Saturday.

Scotland Yard said its demand for limits on her report only lasts for the duration of its investigation.

The material was given to the Metropolitan Police by the Cabinet Office on Friday.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford was also ordered to leave the Commons chamber.

New schemes to provide emergency safe havens and support services for the growing number of domestic abuse victims in Walsall are set to be agreed.

Ministers have been facing pressure to put back the requirement for staff in England to be double jabbed by April.

The full version of Sue Gray’s report may have been censored, but the published update contains stinging criticism of the culture at Downing Street.

A Conservative red wall MP has pledged he is 100 per cent behind the Prime Minister despite Sue Gray's report criticising a series of “failures of leadership and judgment” within No 10

A limited version of the report into No 10 and Whitehall parties during was published online.

Three nearby areas in the Black Country have been highlighted as coronavirus hotspots as residents across the region were urged to try and reduce transmissions.

Travel and tourism businesses affected by the Coronavirus crisis are being offered funding of up to £5,000.

Staffordshire residents are being urged to remain cautious following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.

Jaguar Land Rover lost £9 million before tax in the final three months of last year, despite revenue rising by nearly a quarter.

An old pub site and a former health centre are among the areas going under the hammer at an upcoming auction.

The police are investigating at least 12 events held in No 10 and Whitehall during England’s coronavirus lockdowns.

Boris Johnson will face hostile questioning in the Commons following the publication of Sue Gray’s limited report.

Here is the report in full.

Two teenagers have been arrested after £750-worth of gas cylinders were stolen from a business in Penkridge

Downing Street confirmed the ‘update’ into her partygate inquiry will be published on Monday afternoon ahead of Boris Johnson facing MPs.

International smash hit musical Six is set to make its return to Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

The Government struck a deal in October to keep CO2 supply going to firms, but this is due to expire on Monday.

A carefully worded statement said the senior civil servant has provided an ‘update’ to the Prime Minister.

He was doing topical satire long before Private Eye, and observational humour long before Jasper Carrot. And most of all, Jerome K Jerome was writing witty, incisive travelogues a century before anybody had heard of Bill Bryson or Jeremy Clarkson.

Rotarians have handed out donations each totalling £1,500 to three local charities and for their own ongoing support for local good causes.

The airline said it is selling more tickets for the summer season than it had before the pandemic.

The airline’s pilot training programme is being launched again for the first time since the pandemic hit.

Police officials have started the search to find the next chief constable for the West Midlands after the current holder announced he would step down.

Wolverhampton is preparing to host two half-marathons this year.

Plans have been lodged for a £3 million development which would see new industrial units built on a trading estate.

Mental health and wellbeing is set to be the focus as an authority moves to the next stage of dealing with coronavirus.

A housing report has signalled failures in communication between tenants and Dudley Council - but there is an improvement plan in the works.

The Prime Minister insisted ‘I stick absolutely to what I’ve said in the past’ when questioned about his reported denials of any wrongdoing.

A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being stabbed in Dudley.

Levelling-up funding for Wolverhampton will help build new homes while protecting green space in the city, an MP has said.

A training programme with 7,000 free places has been rolled out across the West Midlands to help tourism businesses prepare for the Commonwealth Games.

The Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve has now been declared the largest native woodland in England, as it is extended by almost 900 hectares.

Numbers of homeless people increased by 11.5 per cent last year – due to the lifting of the eviction ban and cost of living crisis.

Two zero-emission electric vans have arrived in Wolverhampton as part of major plans to replace the council's polluting fleet with greener alternatives.

A large ash tree has been blown over in Wolverhampton as back-to-back storms batter the UK.

Rock band Texas will be performing at Cannock Chase in June as part of the Forest Live gig line-up.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be ‘bitterly and bloodily resisted’.

Announcements will be seen as an attempt by Boris Johnson to steer the narrative away from allegations of rule-breaking gatherings in Downing Street.

From Monday, those living in care homes will be able to have unlimited visits from family and friends, the Government has said.

Thousands of people still have no power and schools will be shut on Monday.

Groups of schools should be measured on how inclusive they are for vulnerable pupils.

Jo Udeze was 30 weeks into her pregnancy and unvaccinated when she contracted Covid, writes Nathan Rowe.

"I want to be able to help people with their mental health through telling my own story and my own experiences."

It is two years since coronavirus arrived in the West Midlands – and here are three reasons why we should continue to take it seriously.

Former Wolverhampton mayor Milkinder Jaspal was told he was expected to die after he fell in in January last year.

A recovering alcoholic who gave up drinking during the first lockdown is urging supermarkets to keep alcohol away from queues of shoppers to minimise the chance of relapse and help reduce alcohol-related harm.

Crime victims have been left waiting for justice as crown courts in the region face a huge backlog of cases.

Two Staffordshire brothers who share a rare disease which tragically gives them a life expectancy of below ten-years-old have playing with each other in £250,000 therapy pod.

Severn Trent has now planted 10,000 trees in 72 "tiny forests" across the West Midlands to mark this summer's Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The impact of Covid-19 on the region’s key automotive and manufacturing sectors means the West Midlands is expected to be one of the slowest regional economies to recover from the pandemic.

There are many other letters in the Greek alphabet. And we must pray that we do not get to become familiar with them.

From social distancing to the rule of six. From furlough to plan B, with a variety of regional tiers in between.

Heart-throb Marti Pellow will visit Telford, Walsall and Stourbridge this autumn as part of an up-close-and-personal tour.

It was cold November evening in 1941. The Second World War was raging, blackout restrictions were in place, and Roy Plomley's fire had gone out.

Ugly scenes at The Den during West Brom's match with Millwall led to Albion fans being branded "idiots" on live national television.

West Midlands Police's eye in the sky helped officers save valuable time tracking down four men in Wolverhampton.

A nine-year-old boy was killed in Staffordshire when a tree fell on him in strong winds caused by Storm Malik.

A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was discovered with serious injuries in a residential area of Birmingham.

Liz Truss said ‘taxes are never popular’, but significant amounts of money spent dealing with the pandemic ‘does need to be paid back’.

The heartbroken family of a Midlands mother-of-four murdered in Birmingham have spoken of her "zest for life".

Flares were thrown onto the pitch and seats were reportedly ripped out by a section of West Brom fans are emotions spilled over during a 2-0 defeat at The Den.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak present united front on raising tax to boost funds for health and social care, arguing there is ‘no magic money tree’.

The UK has offered other means of support to the nation.

They were just days from beginning a dream life in America when Becky Moorhouse's family received the devastating news that her husband's skin cancer had returned.

Two men were stabbed in Walsall town centre in an early hours attack.

The occupants of these three cars had a lucky escape when they walked away unscathed, after a crash which saw one vehicle flip on to its roof in Halesowen.

A special tree planting ceremony has taken place in Walsall as part of Holocaust Memorial Day.

A dog that almost died from a burst stomach tumour is back on her paws after a police rescue.

A project which has provided additional food to foodbanks, put on holiday activities in schools and delivered food parcels has celebrated its one-year anniversary.

Covid-19 safety measure are set to continue at hospitals, GP practices and other NHS buildings across the Black Country and West Birmingham.