A 77-year-old Stafford man has been jailed for 15 years for a series of historic sex offences.

Basketball shoes are expensive, topping £100 for the best brands – and many of those end up going to landfill like so many other items of expensive clothing.

The body of a man discovered by police officers is believed to be that of a missing teenager.

Julie Hambleton was among those who met with Priti Patel on Wednesday.

A global microchip shortage is adding to the problems affecting the motor industry.

Extreme heat in Britain will become the ‘new normal’ even if the world meets its temperature targets, leading meteorologists say.

Much of the UK is to allow people visiting from the US and EU who are fully vaccinated to enter without the need to quarantine.

The unprecedented demand on the region's ambulance service needs to be treated as "the new normal" and dealt with appropriately, its chief executive has said.

Newly retired nurse Judith Fox was making plans for the future after finishing employment at a care home.

A public health chief has advised people to continue wearing face masks indoors and on public transport.

Council chiefs have welcomed news that the Covid-19 vaccine will be made mandatory for all care home workers in England – with staff in the region urged to get their jab as soon as possible to protect themselves and the people they care for.

Health chiefs in the Black Country are being probed by the NHS about their behaviour, according to reports.

A huge free festival is set to bring the party to Wolverhampton city centre.

Another Express & Star reader is quids in after pocketing £1,000 in our Grab a Grand competition.

The Ladder for the Black County has been delighted by an award for a lecturer from one of its member colleges.

The ex-mistress of Spain’s former king Juan Carlos, who set up home in Shropshire, is suing him for “tens of millions of euros”.

A top car salesman, born and bred in Wolverhampton, is making tracks back to his hometown to open the newest branch of a leading UK auto retailer.

It was birthday joy for a pensioner this week who has been around for a 'While'.

Visitors will be able to sleep near white rhinos and giraffes under plans unveiled for West Midland Safari Park.

A further two coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the region's hospitals, official figures from NHS England show.

A deal in place to create more than 1000 jobs as part of the industrial park at Peddimore.

Former Wolverhampton swimming club pupil Matthew Richards has joined an illustrious group of Olympic gold medal winners.

Opposition councillors have called for increased scrutiny of the work highly paid senior staff do after a planned restructure was agreed at Wolverhampton Council.

Concerns around the lack of transparency for the awarding of SEND transport contracts in Sandwell were debated at a council meeting.

Police want to speak to this man in connection with a burglary in the Black Country.

Police are searching for this man after an unprovoked attack outside a Black Country pub.

A woman will be subject to an indefinite hospital order after a jury found she stabbed her mother to death.

A judge has it is important the public is protected from a woman who killed her own mother.

The Prince of Wales expressed thanks on behalf of the nation to those who ‘laid down their lives to keep us safe’.

The open-air memorial in Staffordshire has been designed by Walter Jack.

Pub group Marston's said its performance since May has exceeded its expectations, thanks to Euro 2020, warmer weather and its outdoor seating.

The Prime Minister urged the ‘need for caution’.

A thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of the West Midlands just a day after the region was hit by flash floods.

People in the West Midlands are being urged to make use of 111 as demand for 999 calls increased by more than half across the region.

People in Wolverhampton have been able to feel the sand beneath their feet without ever leaving the city.

Police are investigating after the bomb squad was called and a supermarket was cordoned off due to fears over a package which turned out to be safe.

Police are appealing for help identifying a group of youths after rocks were thrown at shoppers and staff at a designer outlet.

The West Midlands Mayor has joined forces with two other regional mayors to call on the Government to extend a pilot scheme for tackling homelessness.

There is a new hope for homes and businesses along the River Severn after the announcement of funding for flooding protection.

The jury in the case of a woman accused of the murder of a retired nurse has retired to consider its verdict.

A derelict shop in a poor condition is set to be converted into a house in multiple occupation despite concerns raised by nearby residents.

A bid to stop the ruling Sandwell Labour group from “marking its own homework” was thwarted during a stormy council meeting.

A report by the Commons’ Transport Select Committee called for pricing to be used to change drivers’ charging habits.

The Prime Minister defended the police pay freeze and said he had ‘absolutely every confidence’ in the Home Secretary.

It's one year today until some of the greatest sporting stars on the planet will arrive in the West Midlands to mark the start of the Commonwealth Games.

A tribunal must reconsider the case of a surgeon who burned his initials on to the livers of two unconscious patients after the General Medical Council complained that a five-month suspension was "insufficient".

The director of a Wolverhampton shop where more than 10,000 illegal cigarettes were found has been ordered to pay £4,000.

The Government has set out plans for a statute of limitations, preventing further police action on Troubles-related violence before April 1998.

Nationwide Building Society said the average house price in July stood at £244,229, down from £245,432 in June.

A man from the West Midlands has died after falling more than 90ft on a narrow Snowdon ridge.

Police are investigating after a gun was fired on a residential road in the Black Country.

A £5 million Screen School is launching at the University of Wolverhampton. It is an important investment, explains Vice Chancellor Professor Geoff Layer.

Flood-plagued residents in Bewdley have welcomed news of new defences along the River Severn.

Coronavirus is not over and people across the Black Country and Staffordshire should continue to take rapid virus tests twice-weekly, health chiefs have urged.

A man accused of murdering two best friends in a Range Rover “begged for help” from an accomplice who allegedly planned the killings, a jury heard.

An "uncaring" mother who allegedly murdered her three-year-old daughter told a court she "never hurt" her child.

Heavy rain caused flash flooding and delays on roads across the West Midlands - and led to a football match being called off.

A young girl who died following allegations of child cruelty was "smacked" on numerous occasions by her mother's partner, a murder trial has heard.

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic the Tipton & Coseley Building Society has reported a strong performance for the first half of the year.

A centre has become part of a national network of venues where visitors can make friends and meet people.

Residents in the Sutton Vesey and New Oscott neighbourhoods have a new tempter for their taste buds, after an innovative Indian Deli was opened last week.

Virus rates are starting to fall in areas of the West Midlands, new figures reveal today.

"It is a brilliant surprise".

West Indies cricket legend and pundit Michael Holding will take part in an online book chat organised by Staffordshire County Council.

The team behind the Lord Bilston Big Challenge successfully took on their most gruelling challenge over the weekend and smashed their fundraising target of £25,000 for Compton Care.

Volunteers at a community centre in Albrighton recognised in this year's Queen's Awards held a celebratory presentation.

A family fun day has helped to formally reopen a church's community centre after a full refurbishment.

Housing Plus Group has awarded grants of almost £30,000 to community groups supporting the people and families most affected by the pandemic and successive lockdowns.

The UK recorded a further 24,950 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases as of 9am on Monday.

The Department for Education survey closed on July 16 for the end of the summer term.

Cases have dropped sharply, from above 50,000 on July 17 to below 24,000 on July 27.

Figures suggest 962,000 people in the UK were experiencing long Covid in the four weeks to June 6.

Leading expert Professor Neil Ferguson said vaccines were hugely reducing the risk of hospital admissions and death.

A busy Black Country road was closed as fire crews were called to deal with a gas issue at a garage.

A woman from Albrighton has been banned from keeping nearly all animals after letting horses suffer with starvation, chronic foot abscesses, poor dental care and rain scald.

Young West Midlands gymnast Alice Kinsella helped Great Britain win its first women’s team gymnastics medal since 1928.

A raid on a property in Dudley uncovered a substantial amount of cannabis.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will launch the Government’s new Beating Crime Plan on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister set out elements of the Government’s Beating Crime Plan, including the wider use of Stop and Search powers.

A further 14 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the region's hospitals, official figures from NHS England show.

"It's clear that more needs to be done, to do better for people like me and my family who are diagnosed with this devastating disease."

A new campaign has launched in the West Midlands to help people get healthy this summer.

The RSPCA’s rescue of three matted terriers who were confined to a West Bromwich kitchen will be featured on television on Tuesday night.

A memorial service has been held in Wolverhampton to remember members of the city's Caribbean community who have died in 2020 and 2021.

Plans for a new state-of-the-art special school are “moving in the right direction” after being given the green light.

An online pharmacy providing a same-day delivery service has launched in Birmingham.

Residents are being asked to have their say on plans that will transform access to Birmingham city centre.

A woman has been charged with the murder of a man in Burton-upon-Trent.

It’s every girl’s dream to be Cinderella and one lucky lady who will be fulfilling that fantasy is CBeebies’ star presenter Evie Pickerill when she goes to the ball at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Students from a Stafford school have enjoyed sporting success with call-ups to county and regional competition.

Auditions are set to take place to join the cast of Sutton Coldfield’s forthcoming pantomime.

Two men have been charged following a fight in which two other men were stabbed multiple times.

Luxury car giant Jaguar Land Rover has cut its quarterly losses after a recovery in sales but warned that a shortage of semiconductors is likely to worsen over the next three months.