National Apprenticeship Week returns for a 15th year on Monday and runs to February 13.

The drug-dealing former boyfriend of the mother accused of murdering her three-year-old son denied even being in a relationship with her, a court heard.

Three Conservative MPs called for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister on Wednesday alone.

Controversial plans to spend £18m on a new indoor firing range for Staffordshire Police remain on the table – but the area’s new crime chief has said the facility could be shared with other forces if it goes ahead.

A major dance event will return to the region this summer.

If levelling up is to work across the Black Country and wider West Midlands it must be about people as well as buildings, an MP said.

"If it does what it's supposed to do, then it can help improve things across this city."

A levelling up pledge for the Black Country was today welcomed – but leaders say they want to see a real difference on the ground.

Walsall's Saddlers Centre will be revamped under a £36 million regeneration scheme to increase footfall in the town centre, it has been revealed.

Fewer GP appointments were carried out in the Black Country and West Birmingham in December, figures show, as healthcare workers across England focused their efforts on the coronavirus booster jab rollout.

The ‘innovation accelerators’ would be centred on Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and the Glasgow City Region.

This weekend's FA Cup tie between Kidderminster Harriers and West Ham United is one which is touching all parts of the community.

Willard Wigan plucks a hair from his eyelash to make a paintbrush. The ones in the shops just lack precision, he says.

The head of a West Midlands estate agents business believes the Government’s levelling up plan will lead to a rise in house prices and rents in Wolverhampton.

Valerien Ismael has been sacked as Albion boss.

Motorists face more traffic misery after a council announced long-running roadworks are set to continue.

Black Country Type 2 diabetes sufferers can now improve their health through the NHS soups and shakes diet programme.

An eight-year-old boy has died after suffering a cardiac arrest at an indoor play centre.

A man was attacked and racially abused by a group of youths at a Black Country bus station.

A Halesowen based school trust is celebrating 10 years of growth.

The leader of a Black Country council has praised the amount of money handed to the authority by the Government.

An injured pensioner was helped to safety after a fire broke out in his ground-floor flat.

A further 14 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the region’s hospitals, official NHS figures show.

A Wolverhampton mother of two who has helped hundreds of new mothers lose weight and get back to fitness.

There’s a lot of history and coincidence behind the FA Cup fourth round tie involving Kidderminster Harriers and West Ham United, according to one of the people behind the last great cup run.

People needing to get a Covid-19 vaccination are being reminded the clinic at Aldersley Leisure Village will be closed for two weeks while the venue hosts a major snooker tournament.

Experts found that coronavirus infection first appears in the throat and peaks on around day five.

Two Black Country theatres have been added to a register of venues 'at risk'.

The first patient to agree to take part in clinical trial to identify treatments for Covid at Walsall Manor Hospital has come forward.

Budding young singers were treated to an “aspirational” workshop with an acclaimed British tenor to help hone their vocal skills.

A Wolverhampton fly-tipper spent the night in police cells after ignoring his court date and was eventually ordered to pay £634.

Families in Staffordshire are set to pay more for policing when their tax bill goes up in April, with budget plans including recruiting more staff to handle calls and record crimes.

Concerns have been raised about the “disproportionate” number of black and mixed heritage children from Walsall who end up in court.

The boss of two of the Black Country's largest hospitals has been forced to apologise for his "inappropriate" behaviour after serious allegations were made against him by senior staff.

Birmingham is to get an annual festival – but it won’t be held on the anniversary of it receiving city status.

There were angry scenes as a vote of no confidence in Birmingham's waste services failed following alleged ‘filibustering’ – meaning there was no debate.

Chester Zoo will be giving away 30,000 free tickets to schoolchildren in a bid to inspire the next generation of young conservationists.

Birmingham City Council is to spend £1 million in an attempt to reduce youth violence in the city, as it hires youth workers for the first time since 2010.

No climate plans have been recorded in Dudley Council, says a campaign group, as it argues the authority had not committed to reaching net zero emissions.

A service aimed at stopping young people in Walsall ending up in trouble with the law is making improvements following a critical inspection.

Merlin Entertainments has confirmed a deal to buy the operations and brand licences from Mondelez International.

Wolves have announced supporters who attend matches at Molineux will no longer be required to present a Covid pass as a condition of entry, following the Government’s easing of Plan B restrictions.

A six-year-old boy who was hit by two cars near a primary school this week is no longer in critical care.

"It's never been a fashionable choice being a Harriers fan, but days like this make it all worthwhile."

The High Sheriff of the West Midlands helped launch a new organisation which will give Black Country youngsters opportunities within the army, police and various other uniformed organisations.

A lending scheme co-run by Wolverhampton Council is providing laptops to a community centre so people can develop their digital skills at home.

Staffordshire County Council has cut its carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter since declaring a climate emergency.

Almost 300 patients were left waiting in ambulances outside hospitals for more than an hour in the Black Country and Staffordshire in one week, figures show.

A drug user accused of murdering his partner's three-year-old son has convictions for common assault, burglary and possession of heroin with intent to supply, a jury has heard.

"Remember us from your GCSE's?" Catherine of Aragon asks the audience before she and her fellow Tudor queens deliver a sensational and sassy 80-minute history lesson.

"The feeling among Ukrainian people is one of defiance and patriotism and we are prepared to fight if needed."

Tributes have been paid to an experienced Walsall journalist who has died aged 82.

The premiere of a film which charts the work to unlock the length of the River Severn for migratory fish like shad, will be held later this month.

The death of a 91-year-old man in Sedgley is not being treated as suspicious.

Britannia has been ranked as the UK's worst hotel chain for the ninth year running – as its sign in Wolverhampton fails to illuminate properly.

A Midlands based company has demanded the Government clarify proposals to start prescribing vaping kits on the NHS.

More than 3,000 Dudley borough residents have signed a petition demanding better waste collections to trigger a debate about the issue at full council.

West Midlands Police's outgoing chief constable Sir David Thompson has received his Knighthood from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle.

A Willenhall based group covering the Black Country which started as a small informal affair to support other parents has gone from strength to strength.

Poor payment practices alone are threatening the viability of more than 36,000 small firms in the region, a new study by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found.

The workforce at a Black Country factory has not been paid since the start of the year.

A drug producer who was spared jailed after being caught operating a £159,000 cannabis farm has avoided prison again.

A motorcyclist was taken to hospital after a crash with a lorry in Walsall.

People in the West Midlands have been “overlooked and undervalued for years” by politicians, according to Michael Gove.

Shoppers in West Bromwich say they are running out of patience with the behaviour of Prime Minister Boris Johnson despite his public apologies.

The Government publishes long awaited White Paper as PM struggles to regain the political initiative after ‘partygate’.

Footfall in Walsall town centre sky-rocketed by around 40 per cent over the Christmas period after a campaign was launched to help businesses thrive.

Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson has unveiled a new life-saving neighbourhood defibrillator for residents to use.

Water company Severn Trent has hailed a strong operational performance across all areas of its business.

Parents separating or divorcing, abandonment, or having a parent with a mental health condition are examples of childhood adverse experiences.

A flower club that has been in existence for 67 years is seeking to recruit new members to ensure it continues to thrive.

Church choirs from across Kidderminster joined together in Saint George's Church to mark the retirement of organist Tim Morris.

Children have committed thousands of drug crimes in West Midlands and Staffordshire in less than a decade, figures show.

Council bosses are urging people to take a Covid-19 test before visiting their relatives in care homes.

A 'trust fund' is being set up to pay for veterinary care for a young kitten who is blind and who was found cowering under a barbecue.

A trio of new developments is set to deliver more than 750 homes in the West Midlands and represents an investment in the region of more than £105 million.

Here comes the judge – and it's time for blacksmith Albert Davies to demonstrate his traditional skills.

Folk singer and storyteller Sal Tonge became “utterly bewildered” during the lockdown of 2020 when her work dried up and she was wondering where any kind of income would come from.

The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner has given his backing to a petition to help keep people safe near waterways.

Liz Bird has run Bridgnorth Food Bank since 2013. The job brings her into contact with many people from different walks of life who need various kinds of support, not least help in putting food on the table for themselves and loved ones.

The role of food banks has become more important due to the impact of the pandemic on families across the region.

Lives of people from the LGBTQ community are being recorded for a forthcoming book that will tell their stories in their words.

A father-of-three and school office team leader is celebrating after having his first children's book published - and he has already started writing his second.

Secret Angels volunteers have handed over £3,575 to a cancer charity thanks a coffee morning held in Wolverhampton.

Downing Street said it was for Scotland Yard to say whether fines were issued, but police do not routinely identify those hit with fixed penalties.

Downing Street acknowledged there is ‘significant public interest’ in knowing whether Boris Johnson broke the law.

Big-hearted teachers at Kidderminster’s Baxter College are gearing up for a mammoth cycle ride to raise money to help their students.

Visitors to an attraction in the West Midlands are being confronted with an awe-inspiring view of planet Earth.

Two men from the Black Country have been arrested after around £4,000 of damage was caused during a break-in.

Overnight repairs to a major M6 junction in Birmingham are progressing well, highways bosses have said.

Jed Mercurio said he was "flattered and honoured" by the popularity of his hit TV shows, and declined to say if there would be more Line Of Duty as he collected an OBE at Windsor Castle.

When children go down to the Sandwell Hospital wards today, they could be in for a big fluffy surprise.

The mascot dog of the Staffordshire Regimental Association has received a hero's send off after serving for 13 years.

Only around 80 people are thought to have caught coronavirus in hospitals and medical centres in Wolverhampton in the last nine months.

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

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris praised the Holocaust Educational Trust after marking the 77th anniversary of Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

The Prime Minister remains an election winner and needs to be backed by his party, a Tory Staffordshire MP has said.

Reinfections currently represent around 10% of infection episodes per day.

There were 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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