Disruption to schooling during the pandemic may have led to a rise in the number of children falling prey to drugs gangs, a police chief today warned.

The Black Country's council leaders are meeting with Government ministers to protest about housing targets.

Football fans and other people have visited the home of West Bromwich Albion to get vaccinated against Covid-19 thorough a pop-up clinic.

A leading UK manufacturing collective is setting its sights on a £10 million sales boost after seven of its nine members reported being back to or above pre-covid levels.

Ecstatic fans celebrated long and loud in pubs around the West Midlands as England finally made it back to the final of a major tournament.

The third wave continues to rage as we prepare to open up society on July 19’s ‘Freedom Day’.

Delivering face-to-face policing and working with communities is at the heart of the new police commander of Walsall.

Tory seats in the Black Country could be at risk unless plans to cut Universal Credit are axed, Labour has claimed.

A road in Wolverhampton which has become notorious for collisions will be kept under review to see whether road safety measures are needed.

A man accused of murdering his friend with a machete was “laughing and talking” with him just a few hours earlier, a court has heard.

Men in Wolverhampton who are without a home or in danger of becoming homeless have received a major boost with a community interest company launching a dedicated provision for them.

The West Midlands has been named in the top three places in England and Wales for animal cruelty after thousands of reports to the RSPCA.

It should have been a day to treasure. The sun was shining, and the nursery school garden reverberated to the sound of boisterous chatter as a group of three- and four-year-olds enjoyed a teddy bear's picnic to mark the end of term.

The Chancellor made a fleeting visit to the Black Country to launch the final round of a fund to help protect arts venues during the pandemic.

A trainee paramedic found a three-year-old girl lying dead next to a bed with unexplained marks on her torso, a murder trial heard.

Anyone aged 18 and over is urged to grab a jab as the Covid vaccine van returns to the Dudley borough this week.

The cocktails are ready for fans to sample as the Euro 2020 clash between England and Denmark draws nearer.

The Duchess of Cornwall told a student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama that she is looking forward to not wearing a face covering.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he did not support people removing the app.

An appeal for information has been launched to help locate a man wanted in connection with an armed robbery.

Wolves fans have been urged to get their Covid-19 vaccine at Molineux and potentially get their hands on a shirt signed by the team.

Millions of people could be required to self-isolate because rules are not being eased at the same time as restrictions are being lifted in England.

The Labour leader challenged the PM to detail how many deaths, hospital admissions and long Covid cases will emerge when restrictions end.

The first phase of a multi-million-pound transformation of a city centre is set to start this month with the building of an outdoor food and entertainment area.

Pupils and staff at a Sutton primary school took a trip back to the 1960s to celebrate a landmark birthday.

The Oxford Vaccine Group and the Jenner Institute, both based at the University of Oxford, were honoured with the award for excellence in healthcare.

A man accused of shooting dead two best friends in a Range Rover has told a jury a mysterious "fourth man" murdered them before turning the gun on him and pulling the trigger, only for the gun to fail.

The team that saved Sutton’s longest-established independent school from closure say they are planning ‘significant investment’ to enable it to carry on educating local youngsters into its second century – including everything from new vehic...

A motorcyclist has been taken to hospital with "life-threatening" injuries after a crash in the Black Country.

More than £720,000 will be spent on making the roads in the Dudley borough safer for both pedestrians and drivers.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis after hundreds of plants worth more than £500,000 were seized in Bilston.

Senior Stafford councillors have given the go-ahead for almost £20 million to be spent on transforming the town centre.

Staffordshire County Council has hit the jackpot on its second bid for National Lottery funding to create a history centre in Stafford, scoring almost £4 million.

One new coronavirus death has been confirmed in the region's hospitals – in the latest figures released by NHS England.

All adults across the West Midlands who haven't had their Covid-19 jabs are set to receive a call or a text message from the NHS.

Two Boldmere friends put football rivalries aside to raise more than £3,000 for charity.

A Stafford town centre taxi rank is being axed after proving unpopular with cabbies and passengers alike.

The Prime Minister’s comments came just days after Sir Patrick Vallance said the link had been weakened but not ‘completely broken’.

A last ditch deal has saved a Wolverhampton pub accused of a number of Covid breaches from being stripped of its licence.

The number of positive Covid cases in Walsall rocketed by more than a double in a week, latest figures have revealed.

Relieved bosses at nightclubs, pubs and live music venues are looking forward to being able to plan for the future at last.

The minister told MPs that individual operators could amend their conditions of carriage to require passengers to keep wearing coverings.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi had criticised the Prime Minister’s handling of the outbreak.

Patients and families can now benefit from a newly refurbished 'home-from-home' at Stafford's County Hospital – thanks to hospital charity funding.

A Whittington family who feared they would never see their beloved dog again after they believe she was snatched in the village by thieves, have praised the community for helping to secure her safe return home.

Tickets are now on sale for the return of the popular Peaky Blinders Nights at the Black Country Living Museum.

Almost 68,000 people across the West Midlands have taken part in coronavirus research over the past year, new figures show.

The Cabinet minister told MPs that ‘people will need to meet’ and increased transport capacity will be required by future generations.

Crown courts in the region are facing their biggest backlog of cases on record, as the wait for justice for hundreds of victims of serious crime continues.

While the rules may be relaxed from July 19, not all pubs and restaurants will be doing away with Covid measures immediately.

The restrictions in Australia’s largest city will now extend through to July 16.

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth is due to set sail with passengers later this month for the first time since cruises were halted in March 2020.

An electric motorbike rider has been jailed for dangerous driving after going through a red light on his vehicle before crashing into a people carrier at a busy junction.

The rules will be eased for the double-jabbed in England from August 16, four weeks after other restrictions are lifted.

Anticipation of England’s Euro 2020 semi-final clash with Denmark features on several of the front pages.

Their presence suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated.

Mandatory mask-wearing is set to be ditched on Freedom Day.

MPs today warned of the “huge catch-up job” ahead for pupils after rules on school bubbles were scrapped.

An Oldbury school has closed to all pupils after an outbreak of coronavirus.

A man who started working for McDonald's for 93p-an-hour as a part-time cleaner now employs more than 2,000 people across 20 restaurants.

Residents and businesses are being reminded of temporary traffic restrictions being put in place for the Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire – with less than a fortnight to go until the event.

An opposition councillor has complained that an initial review into the controversial awarding of school transport contracts at Sandwell Council was not shared with him.

An MP has called for Sandwell Council, bin workers' employers and union bosses to "get round the table" to prevent a possible strike in the borough.

A woman accused of murdering her three-year-old daughter didn't show her "very much" attention when visiting the child's grandmother, a trial heard.

Youngsters could find themselves facing conditions such as curfews and restrictions on their use of social media under the orders.

A fantasy novel written by a woman in Wolverhampton will soon be hitting the shelves of book stores across the region.

Staff from a care home in Wolverhampotn are set to "go the extra mile" to help raise money for charity as part of a national campaign.

Tenpin bowling centre operator Ten Entertainment Group said strong customer demand since reopening its sites has driven sales growth and a return to profitability.

The demolition of a much-loved former cinema in Stafford has been halted after it was discovered the contractor had no planning permission.

Car insurance premiums have risen in the Black Country this year, new research reveals.

Writing for the Express & Star, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP says the Government's new First Homes scheme, launched in Cannock last week, will help turn the dream of home ownership into a reality.

A former carpenter and joiner who took up painting seriously only a couple of years ago is now holding his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Cannock Chase.

Stafford's Gatehouse Theatre is set to reopen its doors to audiences once again later this month – with a new £350,000 upgrade.

A community wrestling club has been given funding to help promote better mental health.

The family feeling of a Black Country gym has been helping a boxer to enjoy training as she gets in shape.

A park is now blooming lovely thanks to the hard work of a group of young people who have been taking part in work experience tasks.

A dance group in the Black Country is looking forward to performing at a carnival this weekend after it was given the go-ahead by the council.

Jaguar Land Rover sales for the three month to the end of June were up 68.1 per cent from a year before.

Council bosses say an early review into the controversial awarding of school transport contracts has found "no initial evidence of financial wrongdoing, impropriety or non-compliance with the procurement and contract procedure rules".

Tributes have been paid to a kind-hearted and caring teenager from Sandwell who "wanted to make a difference" by joining the police force.

Residents living near rubbish tips say their lives are being made a misery by swarms of flies which have descended on their homes.

Black Country-born England wonderkid Jude Bellingham showed he had not forgotten his roots as he sought out a group of Birmingham City fans to give his shirt to after England's quarter-final victory in Rome.

The total has risen 35% in a week – but is still well below the peak of the second wave.

Mr Whitty warned that young people will be hit hard by the collection of syndromes after Boris Johnson announced plans to end restrictions in England.

West Bromwich Albion defender Dara O'Shea has called on fans to get vaccinated at The Hawthorns on Wednesday and Thursday.

A man accused of shooting dead two best friends in a Range Rover has told a jury he feared they would hurt him over tens of thousands of pounds he owed them.

Two new coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the region's hospitals – in the latest figures released by NHS England.

An amazing piece of steel artwork, constructed in Cradley Heath and which weighs in at about five tonnes, has been unveiled.

From August 16 children will only need to self-isolate if they have tested positive for Covid-19, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told MPs.

Boris Johnson will allow pubs to open until 11.15pm on Sunday, to coincide with the Euro 2020 final.

The OBR said the extra funding pressures for the health service alone could total around £7 billion a year.

The figures came as the Education Secretary looks to replace the requirement for entire school bubbles to isolate after contact with a Covid-19 case.

Immunosuppressed and vulnerable people have said they are more likely to stay inside when masks become optional on July 19.

The Housing Secretary acknowledged that the work-from-home guidance had been tough for England’s towns and city centres.

Boris Johnson said on Monday that the Government is planning to halt the legal requirement regarding face coverings.

A petition has been launched to relocate a mobile coronavirus testing centre from a public car park used by businesses and school parents.

The Health Secretary’s statement comes after Boris Johnson promised to ditch most of England’s coronavirus restrictions.

A man has died and two ambulance staff have been injured following a crash in the Black Country.

"Have you noticed over the last two years or so, there seem to be way more pigeons around?!"

Here is a look at what is changing and when, what advice remains, and the points of contention going forward.