The number of knife crimes in England and Wales was the highest on record last year, new figures show.

The West Midlands has one of the highest rates of knife crime in the country and saw the largest increase of all - 13%.

According to the Office for National Statistics, police recorded 45,627 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument for the year to December, a rise of 7%.

Tributes to NHS workers have been painted on roads around Bridgnorth.

This is Broseley Road and Salop Street in the town.

Image source, LoveBridgnorth

Image source, LoveBridgnorth

Daryl Jones was jailed for a string of offences in Birmingham including shouting racist abuse at children.

North West residents have played their part in recording the BBC theme song, with help from our weather presenter Owain.

He caused a storm on social media after he finished his forecast and filmed himself playing the drums last week.

From tooting a trumpet in the bath to banging on saucepans, the track has now been edited for us all to watch:

Green waste collections are to restart in Dudley later this month, the council has said.

The service was suspended due to staffing issues during the coronavirus pandemic.

Collections will be reinstated from 27 April.

Image source, Dudley Council

Dudley Council also urged people who have been self-isolating to take special care with their waste to protect refuse collectors, external.

It said items such as tissues and disposable cleaning cloths should be double-bagged and where possible put aside for 72 hours before collections.

Artura Busma was found with fatal injuries at a flat in Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

Children in the reception class at Shifnal Primary School have been cheering people up with this little video they made.

It was put together by the mother of one of the children, Sarah Benson, and has now been shared by British Transport Police.

Police in North Yorkshire say they will be stepping up high-visibility patrols as the force continues to come across groups of people making non-essential journeys.

Image source, Gett

The force says in the last few days it's found a group of nine men who'd travelled from Bradford to Malham in the Yorkshire Dales and seven men from York, found drinking in the beer garden of a closed pub following a cycle ride.

Officers also stopped three men from Merseyside on the A1 who could give no reason for travelling and three men from West Yorkshire, stopped on the A64 in North Yorkshire, after travelling through Merseyside, Staffordshire and Derbyshire.

All the men in the groups were fined.

Assistant Ch Con Mike Walker, said: “Our officers have come across a minority who believe the rules don’t apply to them.

“If you choose to meet up with friends or family or travel unnecessarily you are putting lives at risk."

“As we head into the weekend there’ll be more officers out on high-visibility patrols who will encourage members of the public to follow the guidance - we are not afraid to use legislative powers if we have to.”

Marian McNamee
BBC CWR

A woman says she's putting smiles on faces and raising morale during lockdown by wearing fancy dress on walks with her daughter.

Kitten Von Mew in the village of Bearley in Warwickshire is coming up with a new costume a day for their exercise.

Follow the latest developments on the pandemic from across the region.

Thousands of washable uniform bags have been made and donated by the public after an online appeal.

A mother and her daughter choose a different costume each day for their walks during lockdown.

Graffiti, murals, chalk drawings, statues and even grass paintings pay tribute to NHS staff.

Muslims explain how they will be observing the holy month differently while socially distancing.

Staffordshire Police said he and his partner, spotted by officers in Leek, were heading to the Peak District.

Annette Gardner is discharged after 17 days in intensive care fighting coronavirus.

Charities fear domestic abuse victims cannot get help during lockdown.

Ch Supt Phil Dolby was placed on a ventilator for 13 days after contracting coronavirus.

Westons Cider near Ledbury in Herefordshire says its online sales have shot up to Christmas levels since pubs were forced to close, with sales to supermarkets up by 25%.

The company adds that online sales in the first two weeks of April were greater than the whole of 2019 and while it has furloughed some staff, the remainder are having to work flat out.

The head of business development at Westons Cider, Darryl Hinksman, said demand shot up as soon as the government announced pub closures.

Image source, Getty Images

Some families say they are finding it hard to put food on the table due to delays in getting free school meal vouchers during lockdown.

One parent from Walsall said that with her children away from the classroom full time, they had gone from having one meal at home a day to three.

But she says the new normal costs money she can't afford, with another parent adding the situation makes her feel she's "failing" her young family.

Extra cash has been promised by government ministers.