A community group has set up a 'warm hub' in their local bowling hub to provide warmth and company as the cost of living crisis bites.

It's that time of the year where the skies are lit up with firework displays, and events will be taking place across the Black Country and Staffordshire to celebrate Bonfire Night.

As pubs face the current cost of living crisis, the Express & Star continues its Love Your Local series celebrating our local inns.

Have you tried to get a doctor’s appointment recently? Take part in our online survey and let us know your experiences.

The West Midlands is set to get more powers over housing and funding as part of a new devolution deal.

A family butcher that has served its community in Wolverhampton for four generations is closing its doors for the final time this weekend.

A “highly trusted” courier from the Black Country who was caught on the M6 with a £235,000 cannabis cargo told police he’d received death threats and been blackmailed for half a million pounds.

A teenage boy left blind in one eye after being stabbed by another youth said he now avoids school and cries at night because of the injury inflicted on him.

A bingo caller from Wednesbury has made it to the finals of a competition to find the best caller in the country.

As Matt Hancock lies up to his neck in kangaroo poo as he is tasked with gnawing on something unmentionable except on prime time television while other contestants throw similarly unmentionable stuff in his face (just an idea, but ITV producers pleas...

"What I'm most proud of is we still have so much demand for this site. Even in this economic climate, we're doing really well."

Visitors to a popular attraction can see nature in a new light as a lantern festival returns this month.

Thousands of visitors are expected throng to the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market which is officially open.

Raincoats and umbrellas will come in handy this Bonfire Night with the region set to soak throughout the fifth of November.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union had been due to stage 24-hour walkouts on Saturday and next Monday and Wednesday.

It's Chriiiiiiistmas! Black Country legend Noddy Holder has added his voice to a star-studded collection of charity singles to help raise money and awareness.

Residents are being warned to take care when using combustibles after a house fire involving a log burner.

Residents living near a chemical plant have been advised not to set off fireworks and risk causing a "dangerous incident".

Students at the University of Wolverhampton have spoken of their anger at the imminent closure of the university's art shop.

A formal complaint has been made against Sir Gavin Williamson over claims he sent "vile and threatening messages" to former chief whip Wendy Morton.

A series of planned strikes by railway workers in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions has been suspended but services in the region will still be impacted.

A country pub-restaurant is opening its doors to our fury friends this bonfire night – promising a paws-itively good time.

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after suffering a 'medical emergency' in a city centre.

Tickets for a major fireworks show in the Black Country to mark bonfire night have fully sold out – with those missing out being urged to stay at home.

Police are investigating after a man was assaulted and left with a broken jaw.

“Sore thighs and toes – but definitely worth the pain” – so says a nurse who raised £2,000 by scaling the Three Peaks for charity.

Drivers are being reminded to ensure their keyless vehicles are kept secure following a spate of thefts.

Joshua Tilt, who took a photo of the picture on a computer screen after a railway fatality, has been told he is likely to be jailed.

Motorists were warned of delays of more than half-an-hour following a crash involving multiple vehicles on the M6 this morning.

A playgroup that has run for more than 40 years will close next month due to increasing costs and diminishing numbers since the pandemic.

An aspiring young musician is set to headline a music festival next year after winning a bursary award set up for a late radio DJ.

Organisations across the Black Country will receive £11.5million as part of levelling up plans for the arts, it has been announced today.

A colourful mum has spoken out about her addiction to getting tattooed – not being able to go four days without getting a new one.

It comes after warnings by the energy network operator that blackouts could be needed in a worst-case scenario.

An arson attack has destroyed a rugby club's bonfire less than 24 hours before their planned bonfire night.

The UK's new car market has recorded a third successive month of growth – and West Midlands-based MG is one of the star performers.

Work on a bespoke theatre for Stone is now nearing completion.

Labour has taken a seat off the Tories on Lichfield Council after winning the Chasetown by-election.

A new dad found a novel way of proposing to his partner after she had given birth – by putting their newborn baby in a vest with a special message.

Police are hunting a hit-and-run driver who left an 18-year-old woman in hospital with a back injury.

Calls have been made to council bosses for immediate action to be taken to save Wolverhampton's much-loved Light House cinema "in some shape or form".

The Express & Star has won a prestigious national award for its work in helping promote foodbanks.

A family-run fish and chip shop in Stafford has been shortlisted for a national award in the category of Best Newcomer.

A warning has been issued about scammers forging fake tickets for a popular bonfire event.

A TikTok sensation whose videos have more than 500 million views paid a visit to a Black Country school.

Laura Carter founded the Stoke-on-Trent Mothers Support Network in 2019 to support mothers with new babies.

Uber users across Walsall, Lichfield and Cannock will now be able to book with a local taxi firm through the app.

Residents in Halesowen have said a plan to downsize a former B&Q would lower the value of their houses and “affect their mental state”.

A Black Country Labour group activist who is campaigning to be a Wolverhampton parliamentary candidate has been given the backing of one of the city’s most famous sons – music megastar Kevin Rowland.

Walsall Council apprentice Emma Hannon took home the top award from the first Ladder for the Black Country Apprenticeship Awards.

A 14-year-old has been locked up for more than three years for stabbing a youth near Walsall, blinding the victim in one eye.

The outgoing chief of West Midlands Police said he has spent his career trying to "defy gravity" over funding constraints.

A man accused of murdering his father walked away with a "swagger" after attacking him, a jury heard.

Changes including increases to police numbers have been made to ensure that the Himley bonfire night goes off without a hitch.

A new book created as a gift for a granddaughter has received unexpected success after being published on a whim.

The tables were set, the meals prepared and the volunteers were ready to welcome guests to a new food project in the Black Country.

Life in the trenches during the First World War will be brought to life at a Black Country theatre when it stages the play which set Laurence Olivier on the road to stardom.

A Black Country funeral director has pledged to help families hit by the loss of their funeral plans after another provider went into administration.

Marco Longhi, Conservative MP for Dudley North, says the Government needs to demonstrate it has the political will to deal with one of the key issues for 'Red Wall' voters – illegal immigration.

A new weapon surrender bin has been installed in Sandwell.

Anne Longfield, head of the Commission on Young Lives, urged the Government to treat the exploitation of children as seriously as it does terrorism.

To people walking by, it would have seemed like an ordinary night at the cinema.

County lines affects all parts of the West Midlands, urban and rural.

For those heading to an afternoon film showing at the Light House cinema, it was a shock to find out the much-loved venue was ceasing to trade.

It has shown countless films and has provided space for various community groups to come together – acting as a "beacon of light" for those in need.

A Halesowen GP who worked as a script advisor on a popular soap has been struck off for six months after sending revenge porn.

Police have asked for help to find a missing Staffordshire teenager.

Relatives or friends of a man who died recently are being asked to come forward and contact Wolverhampton Council so that his funeral can be arranged.

A man has been jailed after bags containing drugs were seized from him in a stop-and-search in Stafford.

A report requesting Sandwell council to change its election cycle will be decided by councillors at a special council meeting next week.

A man had to be rescued from 20 feet in the air after the hydraulic platform he was on became stuck.

Thousands will descend on Wolverhampton next week to see Welsh darts ace Gerwyn Price defend his championship title when the annual Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts returns to its “spiritual home”.

Law firm Hudgell Solicitors is preparing civil claims for more than 150 survivors from the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.

The Merry Hill shopping centre at Brierley Hill has welcomed global lifestyle brand Ted Baker with its new shop creating 10 jobs.

CCTV has caught the moment a baby giraffe was born at West Midland Safari Park, surprising his six-week-old brother who was watching metres away.

Police are hunting a father and son following a number of distraction burglaries in the Black Country.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt insisted the Government was fixing the economic difficulties caused by predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget.

The Bank warned that the UK could be on course for two years of uninterrupted recession.

A defibrillator has been stolen in an incident near Bridgnorth which police have described as "completely unacceptable".

Wolverhampton's much-loved Light House Cinema will close for the final time later today after more than 30 years of trading, according to a post shared by the venue's official Twitter page.

Rail travellers were left facing delays after a major line was closed due to trespassers.

Wolverhampton Council has shared its 'sadness' as it was announced the city's Light House Cinema would cease to trade later today.

Labour has criticised Dudley Conservatives for pulling out of negotiations about the Black Country Plan.

Fire crews from across Staffordshire have been at the scene of a huge barn blaze since the early hours of the morning.

Since December last year, the average monthly tracker mortgage payment has increased by around £3,410 per year, according to UK Finance figures.

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a fight in Birmingham left a teenager with knife wounds.

A 17-year-old has been rushed to hospital with head injuries after a crash involving his motorbike and a car.

Ministers were today urged to be “honest with the public” and come up with a solution to the country’s “collapsed” asylum system.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has urged increased team work to address the growing economic challenges being faced by the Black Country.

A borough in the West Midlands has been named as having the fattest children in the country.

A ‘toxic mix’ of high prices, falling real incomes, and soaring borrowing costs is battering household finances, experts said.

Walsall council leaders were defiant last night as they voted to exit the “defunct” Black Country Plan, and forge ahead with a local plan, following Dudley’s decision to withdraw.

New permits could be issued to recycling centre users to fight against a rise in traders pretending to be private residents.

Sandwell Council has announced it will be spending £3.4 million on supporting residents throughout the cost of living crisis in the coming months.

The next stage in a programme which will see 93 prefabs knocked down and replaced is under way.

If – as expected – the Bank raises interest rates by 0.75 percentage points, it would be the biggest single increase since 1989.

A man charged with murder after a woman's body was discovered in a lay-by in South Staffordshire will enter his plea next year.

A Covid-19 vaccination pop-up clinic has returned to Bilston Market to offer first, second and booster vaccinations to anyone aged 18 and over.

A mother has been "through hell and back" after a woman allegedly tried to snatch a pram with her child still inside.

A fifth of the public (22%) believe they are now more likely to need a foodbank than they were a year ago, the survey suggests.