West Midlands

Toddler died after being restrained in sleeping bag and left unchecked in indoor tepee at nursery

The now closed Fairytales Day Nursery, based in Bourne Street, Dudley, West Midlands, has admitted corporate manslaughter

The Independent UK 4 min read

£185m West Midlands rail project will see re-opening of five stations

Five new railway stations are set to open in the West Midlands as part of a £185m project aimed at reconnecting communities.

The Independent UK 1 min read

Mapped: All confirmed top-tier council tax rises in England for the 2026/27 financial year

List of confirmed council tax rises for 2026/27 by top-tier local authorities in England

The Independent UK 8 min read

Full list of confirmed top-tier council tax rises in England

Nearly one in five local authorities have decided not to raise tax by the maximum permitted amount of 4.99%.

Evening Standard 7 min read

The full list of proposed and confirmed top-tier council tax rises in England

125 authorities – 82% of the total – are planning a rise of at least 4.99%

The Independent UK 10 min read

Full list of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches set to close

The exact number of job losses is not known at this time

The Independent UK 5 min read

Lloyds Banking Group: Which branches are closing and when?

The banking group will shut 53 Lloyds branches, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland sites as part of the latest announcement.

Evening Standard 4 min read

Woman denies interfering with provision of abortion services

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was charged by West Midlands Police in December for ‘silently praying in a buffer zone’, it is claimed.

Evening Standard 3 min read

Commissioner says he couldn’t sack police chief ‘on the spot’ over Maccabi Tel Aviv ban

‘It’s not an episode of The Apprentice, there has to be a lawful process’, says West Midlands police commissioner Simon Foster

The Guardian - UK 5 min read

Mahmood to get power to sack chief constables after West Midlands Police Israeli fans ban row

The home secretary has moved swiftly after she was unable to sack former West Midlands chief constable Craig Guildford over his force's handling of the Aston Villa match against Maccabi Tel Aviv

The Independent UK 6 min read