Sandwell MBC councillor, John Edwards, has been elected as chair of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, which provides blue-light fire cover for almost three million people across the Black Country, Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull.

A former fire-fighter and previous Chair of the Fire Authority, Councillor Edwards paid tribute to the service after his appointment. 'The fire service here in the West Midlands is the most efficient and effective in the country,' he said.