A new walk-through coronavirus testing facility has been launched in the the Black Country in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

A former bank clerk has been sacked from his job after intervening in a racist attack on a bus in the Black Country.

“It’s probably the most sacred vaccination centre in the land and just a huge privilege to be able to do this work.”

See the latest figures for coronavirus cases and deaths in your area.

Five people in the Black Country have celebrated after they won a combined £180,000 through a lottery.

Exclusions for drug and alcohol issues at schools in the Black Country and Staffordshire have risen, figures reveal.

A man who cares for rescued owls has found himself in a financial flap because of national lockdowns.

Open earth, heavy vehicles and portable buildings - that is the current scene at Junction 10 of the M6, as a £78 million project progresses on improving the route for motorists.

A cafe is offering £1 breakfasts after the sight of what is being offered as part of free school meals.

Read the latest column from Mark Andrews.

Confusing messages from the Government on exercising outdoors has made enforcing lockdown rules difficult, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has said.

People have been urged to help the Covid fight by getting tested for the virus as the vaccine rollout gathers pace.

The West Midlands remains a leading location for start-up companies, defying challenges to business confidence posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

A new secondary school for students with complex learning difficulties is taking shape in the Black Country.

A hair stylist from Wolverhampton has proved she is a cut above the rest after gaining national recognition.

A mass vaccination centre has opened up its doors in the West Midlands to help protect the most vulnerable people from Covid-19.

A West Midlands Police officer has been dismissed – after a disciplinary hearing was told he had formed an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman he met on duty.

A further 45 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Police have urged people not to attend a protest due to take place in Birmingham tomorrow.

Police have released a CCTV image of man they want to speak to in connection with the use of stolen bank cards at an off-licence.

Incentives such as loyalty payments and career support packages are being offered to social workers to keep them in Walsall.

Vaccinations will be offered at the Black Country Living Museum later this month, a senior NHS boss has confirmed as he pleaded with people to take Covid seriously.

The redevelopment of Perry Barr railway station will cost nearly £10 million more than originally planned – raising concerns over the scheme.

An art deco former office building in Wolverhampton is to be turned into 21 luxury apartments.

Two supermarket chains have been given the go-ahead to build new stores on the same road – despite objections from two rival firms already based in the town.

The government has been urged to publish evidence that Birmingham nurseries and pre-schools are safe for children – or close them at once.

Plans to build a new home on the site of a communal garage block have been rejected by councillors after concerns were raised the development would make parking problems nearby even worse.

Customers will be able to pick up their online orders from Nike's new flagship store in Staffordshire after councillors gave the green light for a click and collect service.

A Black Country pub could have its licence reviewed after allegedly hosting a gathering during the latest coronavirus lockdown.

A Black Country council has launched an investigation after a massive heap of rubbish was dumped in a street.

Jurors in the trial of a Wolverhampton businessman accused of murdering his wife have been told his hands were clean when he attended temple prayers on the day she died.

Moves to disqualify former directors of collapsed engineering giant Carillion have been welcomed – but unions are pressing for legal action.

A drug dealer from the Black Country who earned £1,000 a day from a county lines operation has been jailed after a five-month police surveillance operation.

An elderly man has been killed in a house fire in the Black Country.

A disused industrial unit could become an education centre for people with learning difficulties if plans are approved.

Anti-suicide messages are being distributed across Sandwell aimed at school children following two ‘serious incidents’.

More than £25,000 has been spent cleaning up a Dudley lake which became polluted with diesel, as investigations continue into the cause.

Hospital trusts across the Black Country and Staffordshire raised millions of pounds through charging staff, patients and visitors to park last year, figures reveal.

Hospital chiefs in Dudley are redeploying staff to critical care wards which have three times the normal number of patients as a result of coronavirus.

A Sandwell family have been left devastated after thieves stole their car and specialist wheelchair belonging to their five-year-old son with cerebral palsy.

The Midlands is leading the way for the number of coronavirus vaccinations administered, figures show.

Police have launched an appeal to trace a man wanted for breaching bail conditions.

Police are appealing for information after a teenager had jewellery stolen on a bus travelling in the Black Country.

Council chiefs have voted “with heavy hearts” to sell off two areas of green space in the city to enable the building of affordable housing.

Calls to West Midlands Police about incidents of domestic abuse over Christmas increased by more than 60 per cent compared to the same period last year.

More than 200 body-worn cameras will be given to Staffordshire Police’s Special Constabulary to help them capture incidents as they unfold.

Police have taken enforcement action at Birmingham's indoor markets after complaints Covid regulations were not being adhered to.

This is the site of a former police station which was reduced to rubble two years ago.

Rolls of artificial turf are being laid along Black Country high streets as more than £100,000 is spent on trying to brighten up town centres and encourage social distancing.

Two new coronavirus testing sites are set to open in the Dudley borough in the next few days.

The opening of a Covid-19 test centre in a Wolverhampton village has been delayed after health officials decided the designated venue was unsuitable.

There will be fewer trains travelling through Shropshire and Wales by the end of the month when Transport for Wales re-introduces an essential travel Covid-19 timetable.

The Met Office has warned of the risk of icy surfaces and “difficult” travel conditions.

GDP at the end of the month was 8.5% below its pre-pandemic peak and is expected to fall further.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says it is a ‘precautionary’ measure to ensure the vaccine rollout is not disrupted.

Engineering contractor Babcock said the civil aviation market continued to struggle in its third quarter as the sector was hit by a resurgent Covid-19.

A woman was taken to hospital after a crash between a car and lorry, which closed a busy road in Wolverhampton this morning.

Council officials in the region are visiting supermarkets to make sure coronavirus rules are being followed.

Boris Johnson has warned there is a risk that intensive care units will be overwhelmed by Covid cases.

Panama and Cape Verde will also be included in the ban.

Signs that the virus may be being brought under control came as it was announced three million people have been vaccinated.

Senior Tory backbencher Steve Baker has called on colleagues to write to the chief whip over the issue.

Prof Lucy Chappell, specialist in women with medical problems in pregnancy, sees ‘no basis for concerns about any of the Covid-19 vaccines’.

Police in Staffordshire are reminding residents to be vigilant around keeping their vehicles safe after a spate of incidents.

Police are appealing for information following a burglary in Wolverhampton.

A Birmingham man has been jailed for nearly three years after pleading guilty to assault and criminal damage.

A Black Country pizza takeaway boss has been ordered to pay more than £2,600 for a string of food hygiene and health and safety offences - including dirty sinks, surfaces and equipment.

Women’s cricket pioneer Rachael Heyhoe Flint and West Midland businesswoman Manjit Wolstenholme are among the latest luminaries to be added to an influential book about the people who have shaped British history.

Police are appealing to trace three women who were sexually assaulted outside a McDonalds restaurant in the West Midlands.

More than 100 motorists were caught ignoring the speed limit on a busy road near Wolverhampton.

Police have appealed for the public’s help in tracing a man who stole a doctor’s car from outside a Black Country hospital.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent after an assault in a Dudley alleyway which left a man in serious condition in hospital.

A further 76 coronavirus patients have died in hospitals in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Jury deliberations on four men accused of murdering Wolverhampton teenager Keelan Wilson have started today.

Rugeley Power Station’s 183m-high chimney will be demolished using explosives next week.

Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘Every high street has a pharmacy and I want to see every possible pharmacy deployed to help.’

Priti Patel today insisted tougher lockdown restrictions will not be imposed “today or tomorrow”, as speculation grew that new rules could be imposed next week.

Scientists found that readings from a person’s fingertip and eye provide a more reliable reading to help identify those with a fever.

The fashion retailer said revenues rose 40% to £660.8 million on the back of strong Christmas and Black Friday sales.

The measure is expected to be considered at an afternoon meeting of the Government’s key ‘Covid-O’ committee which oversees restrictions.

The budget fashion chain said 305 of its 389 shops worldwide are currently shut.

The supermarket giant is the latest grocer to report positive sales momentum over the Christmas period.

Britain’s struggle against the rampaging coronavirus and Donald Trump’s impeachment dominate the front pages.

A number of facilities across the country have had to close while beds are taken up by Covid-19 patients.

Grant Shapps said the rules requiring travellers to have a negative coronavirus test would now come into effect at 4am on Monday.

London in particular is seeing a drop in the number of positive coronavirus tests, alongside some parts of the South East and the east of England.