From the Black Country flag row to a gangster's groin gun shot: 2017's most read stories
It’s been a busy year for ExpressandStar.com. More than 130 million pages have been read and upwards of 15 million people visited the website in 2017.
As ever the content’s been varied, with stories about YouTube pranks and botched-up booze thefts proving as popular as anti-terror training, MPs and deadly dog diseases.
Brexit and the election dominated the politics pages, but it was the Black Country flag row which most captured the imagination and claimed number one slot as our most read story of the year.
Despite going viral across the world, the UK's first Muslim marriage, Drake's visit to a Walsall Co-op and the Wolverhampton prankster who 'cemented' his head inside a microwave all failed to make the top 20.
Scroll through the list below and find out which stories you were most interested in this year.
And don't forget to stay posted to find out what shocks and surprises 2018 will bring...
1. Black Country flag row
The most read story of 2017 came when MP Eleanor Smith branded the Black Country flag racist. Out of more than 40,000 people who voted in our poll, a whopping 95 per cent disagreed with the newly-elected Wolverhampton politician and said the flag was fine.
Read the original report here.
2. Crooks snatch £4k tools from DIY SOS van
There was outcry in July when £4,000 worth of tools were stolen from a DIY SOS van working in West Bromwich. Luckily local businesses stepped in to help re-tool the tradesmen helping Nick Knowles and the gang to transform a grieving family's home.
Read the original report here.
3. Let it snow!
Snow, snow and more snow dominated the headlines in the second week of December, when hundreds of schools shut after a barrage of the white stuff. Cue sledging, snowmen and chaos on the roads.
Read the original report here.
4. Asda workers lift £6,000 of booze
Crime stories are always popular with readers and interest piqued in January when two Asda workers who stole £6,000 worth of booze were given community orders. The pair lifted the liquor from the Great Bridge Supercentre.
Read the original report here.
5. From warehouse worker to £200k-a-year
Self-made businessman Lak Sira's story attracted plenty of interest - and comments. The 20-year-old used to work in a Willenhall warehouse but now claims to earn £200,000 a year and drives a gold Porsche. Ba-da-bling.
Read the original report here.
6. RIP Raj
Neighbours and customers flocked to pay tribute when shopkeeper Raj Kumar died in August. The shock and sadness at the 52-year-old's death showed just how popular Raj remained after running Ashmore Park Hardware in Wolverhampton for more than 30 years.
Read the original report here.
7. Billy broken in Molineux crash
The iconic Billy Wright statue outside Wolves' Molineux stadium was badly damaged when a car crashed into it at the start of the year. It was five months until the plinth was fully restored.
Read the original report here.
8. Armed cops 'take over' Merry Hill
When armed police took up positions outside Merry Hill Nando's, locals feared the worst. But the dramatic scenes were just a planned training session at the shopping centre, not a repeat of the awful terror attacks which shocked the nation this year.
Read the original report here.
9. Three dogs die from rare disease
Dog owners were left heartbroken when a rare disease called Alabama Rot struck on Cannock Chase, killing three pets. Our story was shared thousands and thousands of times as dog lovers sought to warn each other of the danger.
Read the original report here.
10. BMX baths stunt
Selfish, idiotic, foolhardy. Just some of the words used to describe YouTube prankster Ryan Taylor who took BMX riding to new heights when he jumped off a diving board at Walsall’s Gala Baths.
Read the original report here.
11. We didn't want our drive dug up!
What the .... Nurse Tracey Jones got a shock when she returned home to find a muddy patch of land where her drive used to be. All that was left was a £2,500 bill for work she hadn't agreed to.
Read the original report here.
12. Gangster's groin gun shot
One crime story that really caught the imagination of readers was when Scott 'Shredder' Benjamin ended up back in jail - after shooting himself in the groin. The gang leader required surgery on a very sensitive area, giving 'sawn-off' a whole new meaning.
Read the original report here.
13. Stephen's Wolverhampton takeaway
Shoppers in Wolverhampton were treated to a celebrity visit when Stephen Mulhern appeared to film for Ant and Dec's Saturday Night in March. The presenter attracted huge crowds - both in person and online.
Read the original report here.
14. Travellers in clean-up shock
Although they are often chastised by readers for making a mess, the most read story about travellers this year came when a Scandinavian group mowed the lawn and cleared up the site they illegally occupied in Dudley.
Read the original report here.
15. Fined for parking on your own property
Readers were left bemused by Bob Cartwright's situation. The 74-year-old has lived at the same Stafford home for 30 years and parked in the same spot throughout the decades. His parking earned him a £35 fine in September.
Read the original report here.
16. How football prank still haunts me
In 1987 Wolves fan Andy Charlesworth became famous when he fell 30ft through the away end roof at Scarborough. Football supporters logged on in their droves to read about the nostalgic but dangerous away trip.
Read the original report here.
17. Pupils pelt Ofsted inspectors
Willenhall E-ACT Academy was in the news throughout 2017, but it wasn't the teachers strikes in the summer that attracted the most readers. That instead was the story covering Ofsted's visit when inspectors were pelted with food.
Read the original report here.
18. Rich House Poor House
In November two Black Country families swapped their homes for TV show Rich House Poor House. People were fascinated to find out how two well-off doctors and their children fared in a three-bed semi in Willenhall, while a single mother of four struggled to spend the medics' £3k-a-week budget.
Read the original report here.
19. I see a red sun a-rising
From Storm Doris to the December snow storms, 2017 saw some freak weather hit the West Midlands, but it was the spooky skies and orange sun caused by Hurricane Ophelia in October that provoked the most interest.
Read the original report here.
20. Stay off my lawn Theresa!
Stay off my lawn Prime Minister! That was the cry that greeted Theresa May at one Black Country household during the election campaign, and stats showed readers found that confrontation far more interesting than any stale slogans about 'strong and stable' leadership.
