A former solicitor from Staffordshire who sexually assaulted a woman while she slept has been jailed for five years.

While Britain’s virus rate continues to fall, there has been a sharp spike in Covid-19 numbers across the globe.

Her husband Damian Lewis revealed on Friday that McCrory had died.

CCTV footage has been played to jurors showing the moments a 21-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the Black Country.

A new advice service is set to offer members of the Windrush generation from across the Black Country a helping hand.

A £5 million crematorium built on a former coal mine opens Monday with its own Spotify-style music streaming service and multi-media system to play video tributes.

Recent news bulletins emanating from Nigeria's Imo state tell of kidnappings, gun attacks on police stations, alleged corruption and political feuds - writes Peter Madeley.

Bikes to be available across the region.

A former Harper Adams University student has been cleared of rape following a trial.

Just a year after baking his first cake a talented Cannock teenager has had a book of sweet treat recipes published.

The popular Antiques and Collectors Fair is returning to Himley Hall this weekend.

A man is aiming to step forward to complete a huge trek in aid of two charities close to his heart.

Dedicated Cancer Research UK campaigner Margaret Griffin, who spearheaded fundraising in Wyre Forest for 55 years, has died at the age of 91.

Residents must isolate for 14 days if they leave their facility.

Birmingham's best-known shopping centre was evacuated after a fire broke out.

A driver who ploughed into a dog walker, flinging her into the air and killing her beloved pet, has had his sentencing delayed until the end of the month.

The drop in infection levels across the UK marks a contrast to rising case rates in other parts of the world.

Wales has given both jabs to nearly a quarter of its adult population.

The actress Helen McCrory, known for starring in Peaky Blinders, Harry Potter, and the James Bond film Skyfall, has died aged 52.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has issued new advice.

Cannock Chase Visitor Centre is to host a pop-up coronavius testing centre this weekend, as council chiefs urge people to get tested regularly.

See the full list of 2021 Sandwell Council election candidates ward-by-ward.

See the full list of Wolverhampton Council election candidates ward-by-ward.

See every candidate standing in the 2021 Staffordshire County Council election. Full list of Cannock, Stafford, South Staffordshire and Lichfield seats.

See the full list of candidates standing in the 2021 Cannock Chase Council election.

People can now move across local authority boundaries and meet outside in groups of up to six.

See the full list of 2021 Walsall Council election candidates ward-by-ward.

See the full list of 2021 Dudley Council election candidates ward-by-ward.

Police are studying CCTV footage and have stepped up patrols after a teenage girl was approached by two men in a van.

A man was punched and chased by a "gang" into a pub before they killed a young father outside, a trial heard.

The University of Wolverhampton has outlined its plans for the next 10 years, focusing efforts on people and place to help the economy emerge from the Covd-19 pandemic.

Bins in Sandwell could be collected on evenings and weekends in a bid to catch up on a backlog – after a number of Covid-related staff absences.

Representatives of the Queen and local leaders came together in Stafford today to give thanks for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh.

One further coronavirus death has been confirmed in the region in the latest figures released by NHS England.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited the example of Papua New Guinea.

Rodrigo Duterte warned of an insufficient supply and suggested wealthy nations controlled the supply of vaccines.

The site was off limits because of the virus last year although Friday’s crowds were smaller than in pre-pandemic times.

The rising number of cases renews doubts that the event, postponed from last year, will take place at all.

A rapper is looking to get interest in his new clothing line as he prepares to release his second album.

Covid vaccination invitation letters have been mistakenly sent to a number of people who are not eligible in Wolverhampton.

A man has been charged with attempted murder over a stabbing which left a woman seriously ill in hospital.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore is facing further time away from the dugout after contracting pneumonia.

Additional Covid surge testing is underway in parts of Sandwell and Birmingham – after a confirmed case of the South African variant was discovered.

Owain Wyn Evans tweeted: ‘This was so much fun!’

Covid-19 travel restrictions are likely to have caused negative net migration in the early months of the pandemic.

Kautex Textron said Brexit and the pandemic were ‘key contributors’ to its South Wales plant facing closure.

The Chancellor says the measure is necessary to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed.

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

A major milestone has been reached on the Birmingham Westside Metro extension as the last piece of track was welded into place on Hagley Road.

A mobile Covid-19 testing unit will move to Wolverhampton's West Park next week.

More than 20 homes could be built on a “fascinating” disused Walsall mining site, if plans are given the green light.

The Co-op and Black Country Living Museum are teaming up to mark 150 years of the chain by appealing for memories of shop’s across the region.

This is what new care apartments could look like if plans to demolish an old Stourbridge nightclub are approved.

Legendary Brummie comic Jasper Carrott has added a second date at Dudley Town Hall for his Stand Up & Rock show later this year.

Specialist castings and engineering group Chamberlin has issued its delayed results for the 2019-2020 financial year.

A steel sculpture towering almost 20 feet has been installed at a nature reserve, honouring a protected species that lives there.

A Black Country man has been jailed for 10 years after hitting his victim with a hammer several times - leaving him in intensive care - in one of two attacks.

Manufacturing, vehicle sales and other consumer activity have revived to above pre-pandemic levels.

The image was taken by Danish photographer Mads Nissen.

Virus variants are driving the latest spike in deaths.

Images of a grieving Prince Charles feature on many of Friday’s front pages.

Britons are set to be allowed to travel abroad for foreign holidays from May 17.

Relaxation of some coronavirus restrictions are to start in Scotland as Northern Ireland leaders agree a timetable to ease lockdown rules.

Public Health England’s Yvonne Doyle said it was ‘even more vital’ to follow coronavirus rules as lockdown is lifted.

Researchers said vaccination is needed to boost immune responses, prevent reinfection and reduce transmission.

Police are urging people not to be 'complacent' and stick to the rules during the country's first weekend of restrictions easing.

If you don't pay attention, you will probably miss it. Just past the halls of residence on a West Midland university campus, a small red-and-white sign pokes out of the grass. This is the only visual clue that the anonymous looking building behind is...

Staff at a troubled Wolverhampton school are set to go on strike next week over concerns about workload and safety.

A health chief says "surge testing" should be prioritised over lockdowns if new variants of coronavirus are found.

A survey has found the majority of rural households are unable or unwilling to pay for the green heating measures outlined in the Government’s current proposals, raising questions over whether plans to reduce emissions from homes in the West Midlan...

Radio presenter Dicky Dodd has revealed his new career as a part-time bus driver while sharing the highlights of his career in a new podcast.

A total of £1,000 has been donated to a project which aims to tackle the digital divide among schoolchildren across Wolverhampton.

Families are taking advantage of the weather during the last week of the Easter holidays by enjoying the sunshine across the region.

A mental health charity is ready to take the next step after purchasing a support truck.

A row of new hedging is being planted along the line of the Lichfield Canal project thanks to funding from South Staffs Water.

Analysis of a pilot in Liverpool found ‘poor’ adherence from care home staff and no impact on Covid-19 outbreaks.

Plans for what will become the second tallest building in Birmingham have once again been approved by the council.

New “high-quality” apartments could be built on a vandalism hotspot to help boost Smethwick town centre.

A Kidderminster woman has been fined after an undercover investigation found that she was selling puppies illegally from her home.

NHS England said a total of 4.7 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of February 2021.

CCTV footage capturing the moment Reece Cox was "set upon" by a group of men has been shown to jurors in a murder trial.

A hospice's charity shops saw 2,800 customers through its doors on the first day of opening.

A bereaved woman from Wolverhampton is among more than 112,000 patients and relatives who are demanding action from the Government to fund research into brain tumours and help find a cure.

The final words of a young and heroic father killed while defending a friend outside a Sedgley pub were recalled to jurors in a murder trial today.

A driver has been arrested following a car crash in Wolverhampton that left two children seriously hurt.

An arrest has been made after a crash in which two children were taken to a paediatric major trauma centre in Wolverhampton.

A post-mortem on a great-grandmother who was mauled to death by two dogs in the Black Country has concluded she died from a traumatic injury from a dog bite.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission raised concerns about ‘unlawful discrimination’ in a submission to the Government.

Police are continuing their investigations after a man in his 20s was stabbed in Wednesbury - but no arrests have yet been made.

A new symptom-free Covid-19 testing centre will open in Shifnal on Monday.

A teenage boy has been charged with the attempted murder of a 14-year-old in a Birmingham park.

Three new businesses have opened in a shopping centre this week as other businesses returned to work due to lockdown easing.

A pair of 67-year-old identical twins and an NHS doctor who has not seen her family were among the groups selected to take part.

Most people are following self-isolation requirements for the full 10-day period.

Customers under the age of 25 are being blocked from reserving entire homes in their local area if they have fewer than three positive reviews.

The Commons Leader also suggested MPs could ‘lead by example’ by supporting the hospitality sector across the country.

Two further coronavirus deaths have been confirmed at hospital trusts in the Black Country and Birmingham.

London’s regional director of Public Health England said cases of the South African variant had been identified in the capital.

A doctor has told an inquest of the “unprecedented” decision to enter the scene of the Fishmongers’ Hall terror attack to help casualties despite bomb fears.