Walsall newsagent in court for selling cigarettes to youngsters The owner of a newsagent’s in Walsall town centre has been prosecuted by Trading Standards and fined £1640 for selling single cigarettes to an underage test purchaser. Aryan Adam of KNN News, Park Street Arcade pleaded guilty to the charges on 12 December at the […]

A West Bromwich Extra Care court for people over the age of 55 has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection this month. Oakley Gardens on Dial Lane, operated by Housing 21, is now in the country’s small percentage of care facilities for older people […]

People are being reminded to check when council services are running over the Christmas period. The council has produced a one-stop checklist of how the festive period affects opening times. It includes information on housing, bin collections, how to reach services in an emergency and much more. Emergency frontline services […]

Senior Trading Standards officers from Walsall Council led a raid on Sunday 2 December at the Bescot Sunday Market, where a total of 27 enforcement agents hauled in thousands of pounds worth of Counterfeit goods. Assisting the Walsall officers were Trading Standards Regional Investigators, Walsall Police officers and brand protection […]

The Mayor of Dudley is backing this year’s Operation Santa, calling for people to donate gifts and toys to families in need this Christmas. Councillor David Stanley is supporting the project which is coordinated by Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (DVCS) in conjunction with Black Country Radio. Dudley Council staff […]

With the festive season upon us, people are reminded to be aware of the key warning signs of child sexual exploitation (CSE). The see me, hear me partnership led by West Midlands Police and councils across the West Midlands, including Dudley Council, is highlighting the signs of this hidden crime in the […]

Reception children have been planting trees as part of Sandwell Council’s huge tree planting programme. Children from Jubilee Park Academy and Joseph Turner Primary School helped by Sandwell’s parks team planted trees to mark National Tree Week on Thursday 28 November. The trees planted will go towards the 5,000 trees […]

A Dudley play centre has fought off stiff competition to scoop a top national award. The Dudley Council-run Sycamore Adventure has won the play award at the national Children and Young People Now awards. The award is provided to the service that has done the most to offer children and […]

A headteacher and secretary were this week jailed for defrauding their Smethwick school of more than half a million pounds. The former head of Annie Lennard Primary School Michelle Hollingsworth, aged 55, was jailed for five and a half years and secretary Deborah Jones, aged 57, was jailed for four […]

Councillors and employees at Dudley Council are paying tribute to Alderman of the borough Rachel Harris, who passed away at the weekend after a short illness. Rachel, who served as cabinet member for procurement, transformation and commercialisation as well as health and wellbeing at Dudley Council, stepped down as an […]