The mercury hit 24.5C (76.1F) in London on Tuesday – the warmest March day in 53 years.

A best-selling Midland author's books have gained even greater success after being published under a woman's name.

A three-year-long inquiry by economic and policy experts will examine the nature of economic change and what it means for people.

More than 30 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and more than three million have had both.

The Green Party's candidate for West Midlands Mayor has asked voters to show they are "tired of business as usual" at the upcoming election.

Dramatic dash-cam footage has been released showing the moment traffic cops ended a dramatic 80 mph chase.

Wolves owner Fosun has reported a fall in profits and turnover for last year as it was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Hard-hit businesses and their employees could be left on a ‘cliff edge’ when furlough ends, it has been warned.

Priti Patel has said tougher stop and search powers will help bring down knife crime in the West Midlands and end the “needless loss of life”.

More than five million people across the Midlands have now received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Couples have spoken of their heartbreak as their dream weddings have been plunged into uncertainty yet again due to Covid.

The chief executive of Smethwick-based parcel delivery giant DPD has left the business with immediate effect.

A new body is calling for health technology businesses and organisations to collaborate and create a collective voice to attract funding into the West Midlands industry.

It has been described as a "lifeline" and for some businesses it has been – allowing them to save vital jobs as the nation weathered Covid-19.

A ukulele group forced online by coronavirus has been spreading joy across Staffordshire, Worcestershire and beyond, as well as managing to raise more than a thousand pounds for charity despite the difficulties posed by the virus.

A Black Country comedienne has been working to help a local food bank after being inspired by their work.

A Staffordshire school has transformed its library into a magical wonderland to encourage pupils to get stuck into books.

A man from Wolverhampton will stand trial next year having denied possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

Staff at a village pub near Lichfield have been making sure vulnerable residents are well-fed on Sundays during the latest lockdown by delivering a roast dinner to their door.

Schoolchildren have been getting into their stride raising money for St Giles Hospice through a special walking challenge.

The Chairs and Chief Executives Ethnic Minority Network has written to NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens.

Trains between Wolverhampton and Birmingham have been cancelled due to trespassers on the line.

More than one in four pupils in the north east of England now qualify for free school meals, figures show.

A report calls for further research to find out where the virus which caused Covid-19 has come from.

Platforms are accused of holding the public in ‘contempt’.

Rates have fallen week-on-week in just over a half (54%) of areas.

Coroner Emma Whitting called for a public inquiry after concluding it was unclear how a heavily pregnant nurse contracted coronavirus.

The presence of antibodies implies someone has either had Covid-19 in the past or has been vaccinated.

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

The Met Office said temperatures reached 20.4C (68.7F) in central London and Writtle in Essex on Monday – the highest recorded this year.

Members of five organised crime groups behind a major drugs supply racket have been locked up for a total of 132 years in prison.

Two people were injured after reports of disorder outside a Dudley school.

Julie Hambleton was fined after attending a motor rally through Birmingham on the anniversary of the attacks.

A disused Stourbridge electricity substation that has suffered vandal attacks and break-ins will be converted into an industrial unit.

The region has been enjoying some spring sunshine and warm temperatures as the Easter bank holiday weekend approaches.

The First Minister said that further relaxation of rules would continue despite coronavirus cases plateauing rather than declining.

Five more Covid deaths have been confirmed at hospitals and care homes in the Black Country, Birmingham and Staffordshire.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill was among Sinn Fein figures interviewed by police.

The highest number of deaths to occur on a single day was 1,469 on January 19.

Ms Agyapong died on April 12 last year, five days after giving birth to her second child.

The London mayor said his focus will be ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ if he is re-elected on May 6.

An investigation has been launched into the use of force by a West Midlands Police officer during an arrest of a man in Wolverhampton.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged those heading out to ‘proceed with caution’ as England’s lockdown restrictions ease.

Police officers were stunned when they spotted a truck piled high with junk at a Cannock petrol station.

Two men have been taken to hospital after a gas explosion at a property in Walsall.

Animals at Dudley Zoo and Castle are on the lookout for visitors – as the attraction gears up to reopen next month.

Three prisoners have seen their jail terms extended – after they were sentenced for taking part in a mutiny at a prison near Wolverhampton.

Overall, 10,311 deaths were registered in the week to March 12.

Twenty-four world leaders, including Boris Johnson, have put their names to a call for such an agreement.

A working mother with an OBE to her name is set to take the role as the next High Sheriff for the West Midlands.

A man has been jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to rape.

A Walsall man has been disqualified from keeping dogs for five years after admitting causing suffering to his German Shepherd-type dog.

Breast cancer patient Kellie Arkell feared her three daughters would be left motherless after a scan appeared to show the disease had spread to her liver.

A young Oldbury man had to keep working for drug dealers to repay a debt he was considered to owe them – after crack cocaine was seized from him by the police.

A magic father and son duo have not let the pandemic stop them performing.

Plans show how a controversial proposed temporary transit site for travellers coming to Walsall might look.

People spending a day at a Wolverhampton city centre park have spoken of the joy at being able to get out and about and the relief at the next stage of restrictions being lifted.

A new drive-through McDonald’s restaurant could take over the former Brownhills police station, creating dozens of new jobs.

A struggling Black Country pub will be converted into new apartments.

A proposal to convert a disused Wednesbury pub into an Islamic centre look set to be rejected by planning bosses.

A Black Country-based Sikh temple’s plans to refurbish its facility with an extension and large dome look set to get the backing of planners.

Boris Johnson says the opening of a new Government department HQ was "just the beginning" of a raft of investment plans for the West Midlands.

A woman thought to have been murdered in Telford has been named as 28-year-old Mollie Taylor.

An illegal rave underneath a motorway bridge was broken up by police - with a woman rescued from a nearby river and the motorway closed as crowds were dispersed.

More than 127 million people have been infected by the virus first detected in China in late 2019.

A further appeal for witnesses has gone out following the death of a teenager in a crash.

Easter is normally one of the busiest weekends of the year on UK roads.

The letter implores people to not let fear hold them back.

The ambitious plans will start within weeks of its pubs reopening fully as the lockdown eases.

Covid has "many more lives to claim" and we cannot start to relax until 70 to 80 per cent of the population has had the double vaccination, a health boss has warned.

JCB has secured one of the biggest deals of the year for its X-Series range of tracked excavators after an investment by one of the Midlands’ leading civil engineering companies.

CCTV and barriers are set to be erected at Dudley's famous Wren's Nest nature reserve in a bid to stop it being wrecked by fly-tipping.

The owners of a Wolverhampton shop have been going above and beyond for a couple in their 90s, delivering essentials daily and even sending flowers when the wife broke her wrist.

Mayoral candidates have unveiled a series of plans to implement should they be successful in May's election.

The selfless work of a Black Country building firm has helped give a Dudley church a new lease of life.

On paper, it was a reform that was long overdue.

Outdoor sports facilities reopened on Monday as lockdown restrictions were eased in England.

There are growing signs of a third wave spreading across continental Europe.

Boris Johnson said the UK must ‘do as much as we can to prevent the virus coming back in from abroad’.

Human cases of H5N8 infection were reported to the World Health Organisation for the first time in February this year, PHE said.

Targeted coronavirus testing on the Oldbury and Tipton border will come to an end on Wednesday – after a case of the South African variant was identified in the area.

Vaccination rates in England were lower in the over-70s who identify as black African and black Caribbean, Muslim, and disabled, the ONS said.

Dr Nighat Arif has called on people to be ‘brave’ and to be an ‘ally’.

The Health Secretary said he had a ‘lot of sympathy’ for the travel industry.

People across England started taking advantage of the easing of lockdown measures as outdoor gatherings and sport events resumed.

Two more Covid deaths have been confirmed in the Black Country and Birmingham.

Trade groups for the live music sector said they have started to see a ‘steady stream’ of cancellations for summer events.

Drivers on the M6 were confronted with hour-long delays after two crashes in quick succession and a breakdown on Monday morning.

Armed police descended on a Black Country housing estate after reports of a shooting.

"We would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone," says Toby Porter.

People have flocked to outdoor sports venues across the West Midlands as they were able to reopen, with lockdown restrictions easing today.

Keen golfers teed off shortly after midnight to make the most of the relaxation in England’s coronavirus regulations.

Organisers said that, despite its location opposite the Houses of Parliament. the mural is not meant to be ‘political or antagonistic’.

Rates appear to be flatlining at levels higher than those recorded last summer.

Dame Anne Johnson, professor of epidemiology at University College London, said: ‘I’m for staycations’.

Northern Ireland’s First Minister said the vaccination rate in the Republic has an ‘impact’ as neighbours.

The education watchdog confirmed that graded inspections are expected from September.

A Black Country girl-guiding troop has put out an appeal for help finding a new home.

A second test blast will take place at Rugeley Power Station on Wednesday ahead of the towers being demolished in June.

Tenpin owner Ten Entertainment Group says it is in great shape to reopen its indoor bowling centres in May.