"She lived in constant fear of being attacked."

Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell councils laid out their plans in budget meetings this week.All four councils agreed to increase council tax by the maximum 4.99% and approved millions of pounds of spending and cuts, with leaders citing significant financial challenges.

Labour has promised £2bn of funding for English councils in the year from April 2025, an extra £700m on top of the £1.3bn announced in October's Budget.Conservative-run Dudley Council approved £42m of savings as part of its five-year strategy.The increase means an average band D house will pay £1.94 extra per week.

, the Crystal Gateway, to save £500,000 per year.Green waste fees will also increase from £36 to £52.

in Upper Gornal was saved from the cuts after being under threat.

"It has been a tough time for all councils in the UK, we are all overspending on adult social care and children's social care," Conservative leader Patrick Harley said.Overton said the council was working with West Mercia Police on an intelligence-led basis to identify those selling the products.

Tactics included using specially trained dogs for searches, seizing products, reviewing licences and looking at criminal proceedings and injunctions, he added.Coventry City Council's trading standards team seized 9,934 illicit or non-compliant vapes between 2022 and 2024.

Liam Mooney, principal trading standards officer for Coventry, said the trade in vapes was linked to many issues, but he had found many vape shops were run by organised crime gangs – and shops selling illegal goods were "far less scrupulous in terms of selling to those under 18".He would like to have greater powers to be able to shut down shops selling vapes altogether.