An MP has urged residents to get a Covid test after the South African strain of coronavirus was found in part of the Black Country.

Police have donated hundreds of laptops to schools to help disadvantaged children.

One of the world's top venue operators is set to run Wolverhampton's Civic halls when they reopen next year.

A city foodbank has said it fears it will not make it past the end of the month without help with donations.

Labour's deputy leader has branded a proposed one per cent pay rise for NHS workers a "smack in the face" to staff in the Midlands.

A Black Country woman who tried to hide hundreds of pounds worth of heroin and crack cocaine in an intimate place when she was spotted drug dealing has narrowly escaped being jailed.

A hospital boss has today spoken of the bravery and courage of staff who have fought against Covid-19 on the frontline for around a year.

The closure of another high street store in the region has been described as "yet another casualty of the pandemic" – as even more businesses face uncertain futures as they await to reopen next month.

A Black Country man was in the middle of a carriageway when he was hit by a motorcycle sustaining injuries which later killed him, an inquest has heard.

Schoolgirls Annie Bourne and Layla Kulik have taken on a running challenge to help raise funds for the Motor Neurone Association after their uncle, Mark Lythgoe, from Cannock, was diagnosed with the disease.

One-off payments of £2,000 have been offered to self-employed taxi drivers in Dudley who have been affected by Covid-19.

Cameron Homes has opened a drive-through lateral flow Covid test centre, which is open to all employees, at its Chasetown headquarters.

Staff and residents at a south Staffordshire care home have been speaking of their joy after a local surgery created a pop-up vaccination centre for its patients.

A £5 million county-wide package of support programmes for small businesses and apprentices has been launched through a Staffordshire councils partnership.

Labour is not prepared to let this one go. It knows it has the Government in a tough spot on an emotive issue.

Nine people were left needing medical treatment after a suspected arson attack at a block of flats in Wolverhampton today.

A woman has been arrested in Wolverhampton following the seizure of cocaine worth around £1.6 million.

A man has been banned from driving after leading police on a drunken chase through Staffordshire roads.

One man has been arrested after a quantity of class A and B drugs were seized in Cannock.

A teenager accused of murdering another young man in Great Barr is himself in hospital after being stabbed

Two men arrested in connection with a stabbing at Walsall Railway Station have been released on bail.

Emergency services were called to put out a fire started after two men broke down in a van near Bridgnorth.

More than one million people across the region have now received their first Covid vaccine.

Under the Government’s current plans, up to 10,000 fans could be allowed in outdoor seated venues from May 17.

Sir Simon Stevens said the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab he received at the Westminster Abbey vaccination site was ‘quick, painless and effective’.

A total of 6.3 million tests were conducted in the week to March 10, up from 2.8 million in the previous week.

The duke and duchess were visiting Newham ambulance station in east London.

The prince said people were waiting to be able to support the hospitality sector when restrictions are lifted.

Work has started on the ‘shovel ready’ £17.5 million National Brownfield Institute in Wolverhampton.

A total of £200,000 has been handed to The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton to cover its running costs this financial year.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis prevents blood from draining out of the brain.

Pubs group Marston's is to open 93 of its pubs in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Worcestershire on April 12 with outdoor service only

An air hostess has gone from the beaches of Spain to Sandwell – having swapped her jet-setting lifestyle for working in the NHS.

Patricia Donnelly, the head of the vaccine programme, told MLAs the vaccination timetable was likely to be pushed back by around two weeks.

A 13-year-old boy was robbed at knifepoint by two youths.

The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep interest rates at 0.1% and maintain quantitative easing at £895 billion.

The UK’s supply of coronavirus vaccines is expected to slow down from the end of March.

Appeal judges ruled that a four-and-a-half-year jail term handed to Simon Finch was ‘unduly lenient’ and increased it to eight years.

A further six coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in Staffordshire and Birmingham – with no reported deaths in hospitals in the Black Country in the latest figures.

The Department of Health says the Government is still on track to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July.

The Department of Health says the Government is still on track to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July.

NHS England has told health leaders supplies will be impacted in April.

A Smethwick man has been jailed for life for murder of his fiancée whom he choked to death – after finally admitting to his crime the day after he was convicted and asking her family for forgiveness in a letter.

A judge has described the actions of a Smethwick man who killed his fiancée by strangling her and then staging a fake burglary as "cold and calculated".

Main construction work on Wolverhampton's "critical" new railway station will be completed this week, it has been revealed.

Plans to transform a neglected car park in Walsall into a family-friendly waterside neighbourhood have received a £787,000 boost.

Two entrepreneurs, who share a passion for ‘eating local’, are setting their sights on helping independent eateries bounce back from Covid-19 with the launch of a new online takeaway and ‘click and collect’ service.

Wolverhampton’s future lies in becoming an ‘events city’ as part of its economic recovery from the devastating effects of the pandemic, the city's council has heard.

New cafe to cater for countryside visitors.

Nearly half a million have now had their first dose.

Base trained up-and-coming journalists in the 1980s and 90s.

Once-popular bingo hall closed down last year.

A senior councillor has called for reassurance that food parcels being sent out to disadvantaged Staffordshire families during the school holidays will contain healthy ingredients, following criticism of provisions in other parts of the country.

Development had previously been given nod by planners.

A derelict Shifnal pub which has prompted safety fears from nearby residents is set to be demolished and replaced with affordable housing.

Future plans to improve the Black Country’s vast transport networks are to be coordinated by a specialist team based in Wolverhampton, city council bosses have agreed.

Measures to stop dangerous motorists using a Walsall road as a race track will finally be implemented in the coming year.

Parents who fail to send their children back to Sandwell schools due to concerns over Covid will not be fined this term.

New primetime television shows will be based in the West Midlands under major plans to transform the BBC.

The NHS has warned of a month-long ‘significant reduction’ in weekly supply of the jabs next month.

Evha Jannath, aged 11, died after she was ejected from a boat on the Splash Canyon ride in 2017.

A man who tied up two sex workers and robbed them at gunpoint in the West Midlands has been jailed for 13 years.

Hednesford is to get a new community hub, café and garden under new plans.

A keen apprentice has been taken on by an historic horse grooming company in Walsall, thanks to an initial work skills course he completed with PTP Training.

A new project will see a Staffordshire forest become a haven for mountain bikers and help more people stay active.

A host of companies in and around the West Midlands are predicted to exhibit at the Made Futures Careers Fair – encouraging people to apply for roles in manufacturing.

Two of the region’s cathedrals will be inviting their communities to mark the anniversary of the first national lockdown.

The West Midlands has been described as an innovator for the number of ways the coronavirus vaccine has been rolled out.

A mother and daughter were able to hold each other’s hands for the first time in year at a Staffordshire care home.

An independent Thorntons franchise in Shropshire is remaining open, despite dozens of shops closing throughout the country.

Wedding venues and couples in the region have hit out at being left waiting for clarification from the Government – as thousands face cancelling or postponing their big days again.

A former bar in Wolverhampton which closed down eight years ago could be turned into a restaurant and flats, if plans are backed.

Sites are on track to reopen from April 12 in England and April 26 in Scotland, with 97% of members saying they plan an immediate return.

A football club temporarily shut down by the pandemic is bidding for £25,000 worth of building materials to improve its ground for when fans can finally return.

Eighty years ago Wolverhampton workers hailed their heroes – and tried to kiss them.

Targeted testing will be carried out after a case of the South African variant of coronavirus was identified in the Black Country.

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

National Express, which runs bus services in the West Midlands conurbation, slipped to a pre-tax loss of £444.7 million last year as it was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Some of the bereaved families spoke to Home Secretary Priti Patel on a video call earlier.

The plan will be discussed next week during a summit of EU leaders.

Dr Kate O’Brien noted that blood clots already occur regularly in the population.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the Anglo-Swedish vaccine-maker.

The Chamber of Deputies, which is dominated by the governing Colorado Party, voted 42 to 36 in favour of the head of state.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has used everything from the Grand National to landing a plane to help put the process into layman’s terms.

The news of ‘constrained supply’ comes as officials celebrated reaching a milestone in the vaccine rollout.

Public Health England published new data on vaccine efficacy following the Downing Street briefing on Wednesday.

The deputy chief medical officer said ‘vaccines don’t save lives if they’re in fridges’ as he sought to reassure the public.

Some 17 men and four women were arrested at different events in Dublin across St Patrick’s Day.

The number of people in England waiting more than 52 weeks to start hospital treatment stood at 304,044 in January.

Boris Johnson should remember the work of nursing staff he praised after his hospital stay, says RCN leader.

Compassion in Dying said more must be done to ensure people and their families can be involved with end of life care decisions.

The rates decision comes amid mounting concerns about an inflation surge at the end of the year driven by the economic bounce-back.

Experts warn greenhouse gases will rise again as the economy recovers, highlighting the challenge of cutting carbon in the coming years.

The Resolution Foundation referred to vaccines and support to protect businesses and employees as successes during the crisis.

Warnings of vaccine supply issues dominate the front pages.

Large-scale assessment of reinfection rates in Denmark last year confirmed only 0.65% of people returned a positive PCR test twice.

A police chief says he fears people will start to lose faith in the criminal justice system due to mounting court delays.

Frontline staff including care workers and refuse collectors are set to receive a financial reward in recognition of their dedication and service during the course of the pandemic.

The number of vehicles stolen in the West Midlands has fallen by almost 2,000 in the past two years, new figures show.

A talented artist has used his creative skills to produce a Tube-style plan of the West Midlands – which can be coloured in.