She is the Queen of Shops, soon to reign over Wolverhampton’s fortunes. ELIZABETH JOYCE looks at Mary Portas’ plan for the city

A nightclub has been banned from playing music after it was caught blaring out dance tracks without the correct licence. It was caught by a music industry inspector.

Wolverhampton today became one of 12 areas across the country to win £100,000 of investment and support from retail guru Mary Portas – but all other Black Country towns lost out.

Rival bidders today said they were bitterly disappointed at losing out in the Portas Pilot scheme, although regeneration bosses at Walsall and Dudley remained determined to plough ahead with plans.

Around 100 residents and workers were evacuated after fire broke out in a waste plant sparking a chemical alert.

Arsonists set fire to a Staffordshire business overnight – causing up to £50,000 worth of damage and forcing the company to close for today.

More than 90 per cent of first class mail in the Midlands was delivered the next working day, according to new figures. Royal Mail exceeded its first class delivery targets in most parts of the region.

Work to replace Walsall Arboretum’s historic lido will not be completed in time for the start of the summer holidays after being hit by delays.

Polling day should become a bank holiday to get more people to vote, the Speaker of the House of Commons has said.

A driver was cut free from a car today after a head-on crash in the Black Country.

Motorists using one of Wolverhampton’s busiest routes were forced to brake – to avoid hitting a ferret.

Singing star Becky Hill was battling it out for a place in the final of BBC hit show The Voice tonight and will be cheered on by fans at the pub where she works in her hometown.