The West Midlands runs from Stoke-on-Trent in the north to Hereford and Evesham in the south and from Shrewsbury in the west to Rugby and Burton-on-Trent in the east. As well as covering large urban areas ranging from Coventry and Birmingham to Wolverhampton, it includes remote rural areas in Herefordshire and five areas of outstanding natural beauty including parts of the Peak District National Park. The mid-2003 population estimate for the region was 5.3 million with 9.3 per cent - or 495,892 - of individuals aged...