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MEP SLAMS ROAD TOLL PLANS West Midlands MEP Philip Bradbourn has attacked plans for road tolls, saying they would jeopardise the future of haulage firms in the region. The Tory said the Government plans particularly affected the area as it is "at the heart of the UK road network". He argued the Government is dismantling the road network "by stealth" and threatening people's livelihoods. ROCKERS TO GET UNIVERSITY AWARD Black Country rock group Slade are to be honoured with a university award in recognition of their contribution to the music industry. The band - Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Don Powell and Dave Hill - recorded 17 top 20 hits between 1971 and 1976. The group are to be presented with an honorary fellowship from the University of Wolverhampton. NEW FIGURES SHOW DROP IN CRIME Crime figures show that the Handsworth area of Birmingham is the safest area in the West Midlands, police have said. Crime in the area is down by 13% compared to August last year - from 1,147 recorded crimes to 997. In the year to date the results are even more significant with 676 less victims between April and August compared to the same period in 2001. TAYLOR WOODROW TO MOVE HQ Construction group Taylor Woodrow is this week expected to announce plans to relocate its head office to Solihull. The firm is to shift its headquarters from Staines in west London to Solihull as the company increases its focus on its housebuilding operations. The move follows Taylor Woodrow's £556m acquisition of Solihull-based Bryant Homes last year. MAN ON ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE A 27-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a Warwickshire man was severely injured in an attack with an angle grinder. Craig North, of Meadow Road, Hadleigh, Essex was also charged with grievous bodily harm and is to face Southend magistrates. The attack left the 17-year-old victim with severe back injuries. FIRM RAPPED OVER SCRATCHCARDS A Birmingham firm has been rapped over misleading scratchcards which fooled players into thinking they had won. Millionshare Promotions had to change its card after a winner who was sent discount vouchers contacted the Advertising Standards Authority. The ASA said the card "misleadingly implied winners would receive a prize of cash value". HAIRDRESSER TO APPEAL A Wednesbury hairdresser convicted of breaching security at a US airport is to appeal. Sarah Johnson, of Friar Park, had denied defiant trespass but was fined US$325 by a Philadelphia court. The court found she had breached a restricted area at the city's airport but she maintains that airport security staff had waved her through. AVIATION INDUSTRY SLAMMED Environmental campaigners have urged the public to oppose any new airport in Warwickshire, claiming the aviation industry is out of control. Friends of the Earth say a new analysis of a site has raised the possibility of an airport being built which would handle up to 64m passengers a year. The site covers the villages of Church Lawford and Kings Newnham. ABANDONED MONGREL IS TOP DOG A cross-breed mongrel which was left to die near Walsall has become the 2002 RSPCA Dog of the Year. Monty was in an appalling condition when, as a puppy, he was found on the streets of Aldridge. But eight-year-old Monty was crowned Mongrel of the Year after seeing off more than 60 other dogs at the 11th annual RSPCA contest in Kent. POLICE IN HANDSWORTH AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY Police in Handsworth are taking part in the trial of a new piece of video recording equipment that comprises a miniature camera encased into a cycle helmet which can record any evidence of crime and anti-social behaviour. The camera is being used by officers at Bridge Street West police station who patrol on high tech urban bikes that are ideal for policing high-density residential areas around the Handsworth and Lozells areas of Birmingham. Police Constable Graeme Faithorn said: "In the same way as the force Operation Safer Streets mobile CCTV vans film evidence of street crime on the streets, the bike camera means we can record crime on the spur of the moment and identify the culprits. "The video footage from the camera is good quality and could be used as evidence in court against an offender. "We hope this equipment is one way of us 'out smarting' criminals and deterring them from committing crime in this area." A company called KIT has donated the equipment for the trial and the officers will monitor how useful it is over the next few weeks.
10th. September 2002 TRAIN DRIVERS IN SECOND STRIKE Train drivers for a rail firm serving parts of the West Midlands are due to begin a second 48-hour strike. Members of the Aslef union are taking industrial action at First North Western over a pay dispute. Vernon Barker, the firm's managing director, said: "We hope Aslef agree a settlement and suspend industrial action for the sake of passengers." ASYLUM FAMILY FIGHTS DECISION Lawyers for an asylum-seeking Afghan family seized in the West Midlands and deported to Germany last month are fighting the decision to remove them. A judicial review of the case of the Ahmadi family is proceeding before the High Court in London. Farid and Feriba Ahmadi and their two children had sought sanctuary in a mosque at Lye, near Stourbridge. BRITON SHOT DEAD IN THAILAND A Stoke man has been shot dead by an unidentified gunman in a popular resort town in central Thailand, police said. Karl Whalley, 34, who has lived for more than four years in Pattaya, 65 miles south of Bangkok, was shot as he arrived home on a motorbike. The gunman, also on a motorbike, pulled up alongside Mr Whalley and shot him twice with a shotgun. AUCTION FOR STOLEN PROPERTY Thousands of items of property recovered by West Midlands police are to go under the hammer. Items on sale at the auction in Ladywood Middleway in Birmingham, include electrical and household goods, tools, gardening equipment and bikes. The majority of the money raised at the auction will be donated to charity, a police spokesman said. MEN DENY LAWRENCE UNCLE ASSAULT Four West Midlands police constables have appeared in court charged with assaulting the uncle of Stephen Lawrence, the murdered black teenager. Constables Hasson Shigdar, Jonathan Beard, Edward Hunter and Alexander Skeoch are accused of causing actual bodily harm to Clarence Lawrence, 40. All four have denied the charges at Wolverhampton Crown Court. WOMAN INDECENTLY ASSAULTED A 21-year-old Birmingham woman has been indecently assaulted by the driver of a car she had flagged down believing it to be a private hire taxi. The woman was out with friends in the Broad Street area of the city centre when they got into the car. The victim was attacked by the driver after her friends had been dropped off but she managed to escape. BIRTHDAY JOY FOR SIAMESE TWINS Siamese twin sisters from Birmingham who were successfully separated in a pioneering operation are gearing up to celebrate their first birthday. Eman and Sanchia Mowatt were the first Siamese twins conjoined at the spine to be successfully separated in the UK. The twins were born six weeks early at the Diana, Princess of Wales Children's Hospital on September 13 last year.
CITY'S LIVE LINK-UP TO NEW YORK Birmingham is marking the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks with a live satellite link-up to the firefighters of New York. Fire crews from West Midlands Fire Service will speak to their colleagues as part of an open-air ceremony in the city's Victoria Square. The ceremony will also feature a poem written by two Coventry 12-year-olds. TREE TRIBUTE TO SEPT 11 VICTIMS The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire is planting two trees to commemorate the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist atrocities. The American redwood saplings are being put to root in Alrewas at 1.46pm - the moment when the first of two hijacked jets flew into the World Trade Centre. The trees will be dedicated to those who died in the attacks one year ago. JUDGE TO RULE ON ASYLUM 'ERROR' A High Court judge is to rule on claims that Home Secretary David Blunkett "broke the rules" in deporting a West Midlands-based asylum-seeking family. The Ahmadi family had sought sanctuary in a mosque in Lye, near Stourbridge. A QC said the Home Office avoided an order preventing deportation on the "plainly erroneous" grounds the family had been granted residence in Germany. SIXTH SUSPECT HELD OVER MURDER A sixth suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Rugby pensioner who was gunned down in front of his wife, police have said. The man was held following the arrests of three men and two women in dawn raids at addresses around the town. They were held over the shooting of Terry Morgan, 69, in Ennerdale, last April. One woman was later released. LEGAL BATTLE FOR EMBRYOS A West Midlands woman is launching a High Court action in a bid to prevent a former partner from destroying her frozen fertilised embryos. Lorraine Hadley, from Sandwell, is challenging a law that says both parties must consent to the storage and use of frozen embryos. The case will be the first of its kind in the UK. DENTIST IN COURT OVER ATTACK A dentist is due to appear before magistrates in Market Drayton charged with assaulting a colleague at their Shropshire surgery. Stephen David Stuart, 55, of Woore, is accused of causing actual bodily harm to Adrian Cartwright, 47. Mr Cartwright was treated at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary after the alleged assault. MAN'S BODY FOUND AT HOME Detectives are investigating the death of a 44-year-old man whose body was discovered at his Burton-on-Trent home. The victim, Thomas Boyes, was found after a woman out walking noticed the front door to his home in Patch Close, Horninglow, was open. A police spokeswoman said further tests would be carried out to determine the cause of Mr Boyes's death. PLANT TESTS POSITIVE FOR BUG A West Midlands chemical plant has tested positive for Legionnaires' Disease after a recent fatal outbreak. Sandwell public health boss Dr John Middleton said water samples from Rhodia Consumer Specialities, Oldbury, showed traces of legionella bacterium. A Rhodia spokesman said the firm was "extremely concerned" that some of its water cooling systems were infected. GIRL'S DEATH LINKED TO WEIGHT A 13-year-old Stafford schoolgirl hanged herself with her judo belt because she was "paranoid" that she was overweight, an inquest has heard. Cannock Coroner's Court heard that notes about death were found at Michelle Stewart's home in Poplar Way. The coroner recorded an open verdict. Michelle was the second pupil from her school to hang herself in three months. BABY CRUSH DEATH ACCIDENTAL A six-month-old Walsall girl was crushed to death by the family car when her mother accidentally switched on the vehicle's ignition, an inquest heard. Katrina Lane, 20, inadvertently started the Nissan car, ramming a pushchair containing her daughter, Jodie Barton, against the front wall of their home. A verdict of accidental death was recorded at Walsall Coroner's Court. NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS DISMANTLING BOGUS CALLER NETWORKS Expert West Midlands Police officers from Operation Liberal are attending a two-day conference in Leicester to share intelligence and best practice about how to tackle bogus distraction burglaries. The dedicated team of officers, alongside 10 other midland police forces and associated professionals, are hosting a national conference to highlight the work implemented so far to fight bogus callers. The conference will focus on research commissioned by the Home Office into understanding the experiences of victims involved in distraction burglary. The Home Office Distraction Burglary Task Force funded project is headed and drawn together by clinical psychologist Dr Amanda Thornton, who specialises in psychology issues affecting older people. She said: "This research is the first psychology-based study on the specific crime of distraction burglary and will undoubtedly greatly assist investigators and other professionals attempting to prevent such crimes." Dr Thornton and her team have also assisted in the compilation of public awareness posters about distraction burglary. Twenty thousand of the posters have been produced and will be distributed across the 11 midland force areas. Detective Inspector Graham Rabone, from Force Intelligence, runs the Operation Liberal initiative across the region. He said: "This is another excellent opportunity for this force to share information with colleagues on a national scale and to discuss operational methods and tactics to dismantle bogus caller networks. "Working in partnership with other law enforcing agencies and professionals is imperative and has proved to be successful. Together we are able to target and arrest offenders who sometimes operate across geographical boundaries." Operation Liberal was launched in October 1999, with West Midlands Police joining in 1999. Since being formed Liberal has had some notable successes including the recent jailing of 29-year-old Andrew Aston, who was given 26 life sentences. He was convicted of the murders of two war heroes, 87 year old George Dale and 80 year old Francis Hobley, and more than 20 offences of robbery and violence against the elderly. If you have information relating to distraction burglary or any other crime please contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, in an emergency dial 999. FAMILY CANNOT ATTEND APPEAL An Afghan family who were deported from Britain after seeking sanctuary in a Black Country mosque have been refused permission to return for their appeal. A High Court judge ruled that Farid and Fariba Ahmadi were deported illegally but refused to order their return. Mr Ahmadi, his wife, and two children were deported to Germany after police raided a mosque near Stourbridge. CRACKDOWN CUTS STREET CRIME A £67m project to combat street crime in 10 of the country's worst areas, including West Midlands, has helped cut offences by 14%, the Home Office said. West Midlands Police was among the forces involved in the crackdown, which was launched in April. Home Office figures showed the force reported an 11.9% reduction in robberies during the target period. LEADER REBUFFS CITY CLAIM Birmingham civic leaders have rebuffed claims that Manchester is the UK's second city after a survey put it behind London. The MORI poll found 34% of respondents named Manchester as Britain's second city, with Birmingham third. Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore wished Manchester well, but said Birmingham had no fears. PENSIONER DIES IN VAN COLLISION A Stourbridge pensioner has died after she was hit by a reversing van, police have said. The 80-year-old woman was walking in Union Street when the collision happened with a Ford parcel van. A West Midlands Police spokesman said the victim, whose has not been named, died from multiple injuries. The van driver was uninjured. MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN BRAWL A man is in hospital with serious head injuries after a mass brawl in Dudley, police have said. The victim received his injuries during a fight involving around a dozen men in the High Street. A West Midlands Police spokesman said the man's condition was stable and appealed for witnesses to contact them at Brierley Hill on 0845 113 5000. MAN QUIZZED OVER DEATH RELEASED Detectives investigating the murder of a Rugby pensioner have released a 41-year-old man on police bail pending further inquiries. Warwickshire Police said the suspect was bailed after being quizzed about the death of Terry Morgan, 69. Mr Morgan died from a gunshot wound outside his home in Ennerdale, on the Brownsover estate, on April 24. ARCHBISHOP LEADS PRAYERS The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham has offered prayers for the victims of the September 11 atrocities. The Most Revd Vincent Nichols spoke at a mass for justice and peace at the city's St Chad's Cathedral. "Those who perpetrated the events have been rightly condemned," he said. "No injustice can justify such deliberate and random destruction of human life." INDUSTRY CHIEF DELIVERS STUDY The president of the Confederation of British Industry is to lecture on the future of the construction industry at the University of Wolverhampton. Sir John Egan will deliver a lecture on the recent raft of initiatives aimed at improving the performance of the construction industry. Sir John is renowned for writing the Rethinking Construction report in 1998. SCARE GROUNDS ROYAL HELICOPTER A safety scare has forced a helicopter carrying Princess Anne to set down moments after it took off in Burntwood. The aircraft hovered above the ground before making the emergency landing after a dashboard warning light alerted the pilot to a potential gearbox fault. Buckingham Palace said the princess, who was in Burntwood to open a £7m leisure centre, was not in any danger. PUBWATCH LAUNCHED IN KINGS HEATH AREA Licencees and police have come together to form a Pub Watch scheme in the Kings Heath, Billesley and Kings Norton areas of Birmingham. The crime-busting initiative was officially launched earlier this week, with many licensees already signing up to the scheme. Community partnerships officer Louise Medlicott said: "The scheme will provide support and open co-operation with local licensees and will also help to achieve a better use of resources to tackle and reduce problems of violence and alcohol-related abuse. "This initiative will also show troublemakers that anti-social behaviour will NOT be tolerated at licensed premises on Kings Heath operational command unit." It will also result in a better quality of life for residents and encourage a better community spirit between all parties involved. Further information about the Pub Watch scheme is available from Louise Medlicott on 0121 626 4188. NATIONAL FIGURES PLACES WEST MIDLANDS NEAR TOP OF FORCES FOR TACKLING ROBBERY National figures launched today by the Home Office show West Midlands Police have achieved one of the country's largest reductions in robbery. When the initiative was first announced in March, robbery in the West Midlands had increased by over 17 per cent. Since Operation Safer Streets II began in April, that increase has not only been halted but turned into a reduction of 11.9 per cent, with 615 fewer victims. More than 2,187 people have been arrested in connection with the operation and, of those, 1,320 have already been charged and a further 122 are awaiting the result of an identity parade. Of the remainder, most are currently still being processed. West Midlands Police were one of 10 police forces around the country chosen by the Home Office to take part in a national street crime initiative, involving not just the police and courts but also schools and government departments such as education and sport, as part of a wider drive to divert young people from crime. Assistant Chief Constable (Crime Reduction) Chris Sims said he was delighted with the results achieved in the West Midlands. "These have been brought about by the huge effort of officers working on robbery teams and sectors all over the West Midlands, who have been responsible for carrying out operations against some of our most prolific offenders, in particular using detailed intelligence and analysis information. "One of the most important things to come out of this initiative is a 'joined up' approach by all of the other partners involved. For example, the criminal justice agencies have played a vital role and their support has been crucial to the success of this initiative. "As well the increased 'fast tracking' of offenders through the courts there has been many examples of long deterrent sentences which have undoubtedly acted as a warning to others. For example, in Wolverhampton a man accused of 66 serious offences appeared before the crown court within weeks of being arrested and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment. "In another incident, two masked raiders who attacked an elderly newsagent and his son, stealing just 10 packets of cigarettes, were sentenced to eight years imprisonment." Some of the initiatives launched to tackle street crime include: *high profile operations on buses and the use of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) to tackle travelling criminals; *the use of special 'robbery lawyers', involving solicitors from the Crown Prosecution Services, often providing out-of-hours advice to officers; *a joint protocol for all of the agencies involved, setting out their commitment to tackling street crime; *a new computerised video system to allow identification parades to take place faster and locally. Much effort has also been directed at juveniles, after research showed they were responsible for 38 per cent of street crime but many were unaware of the seriousness of robbery and the possible consequences. As well as regular truancy patrols, local authorities arranged a series of summer holiday initiatives to keep youngsters off the streets and police issued warnings about how a conviction for robbery could affect their career choice in later life. In an attempt to help give confidence to victims and witnesses, operational officers increased their presence in courts around the West Midlands. Those giving evidence were asked to take the opportunity to patrol the precincts of the court rather than wait in police designated offices. Following research by officers in Coventry, which showed up to as many of 20 per cent of 'robberies' were in fact made up, the force issued a warning that anyone caught making false reports would be prosecuted. Officers have already issued three separate individuals with the new £80 penalty notices for such offences. "These are just a few of the examples of how, by working together with other agencies, we have had a real impact on street crime in the West Midlands," said ACC Sims. "It is now important that we all remain focused and continue our efforts to develop a long-term, sustainable approach to tackling robbery." MAN DENIES MURDERING LECTURER A Birmingham man has plead not guilty to the murder of a college lecturer whose dismembered remains were found in the garden of a terraced house. Robert Scobie McMahon, 22, of Highgate, was remanded in custody at the city's Crown Court. He is charged with killing college lecturer Mark Green, 31, between January 16 and June 8 this year. HORSE BREEDER SPEAKS OF RELIEF A Shropshire horse breeder has spoken of her relief at leaving prison after being jailed over a boundary dispute with her neighbour. Samantha Richards was released after serving a three-month sentence for ignoring repeated court orders to take down part of a fence at her home. The 27-year-old, from Hopesay, said: "I am just so relieved." CAR-JACKERS STEAL LUXURY CAR A Kidderminster motorist was wrestled to the floor by car-jackers who made off in his £65,000 Aston Martin outside Swindon, near Wombourne, Staffs. The 52-year-old driver was assaulted after being flagged down by two men in a Porsche Boxster. Police said the Aston Martin was later found at a supermarket in Great Bridge, near West Bromwich. STAR'S DAUGHTER QUITS MOVIE Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Birmingham-born rocker Ozzy, has pulled out of her big screen film debut for personal reasons. Her mother Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer last spring - and has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Kelly was set to star with Annette Bening in a remake of Disney's 1976 Freaky Friday. MP BACKS ACTION AGAINST IRAQ Staffordshire MP Michael Fabricant has supported the threat of a British and US military action against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The Tory member for Linchfield warned a failure to learn lessons from history could have disastrous consequences. Mr Fabricant insisted the Iraqi leader poses a "very real threat" to the US and Europe. WOMEN URGED TO RETURN TO WORK A new Coventry University scheme aimed at helping thousands of mothers return to jobs in science and engineering has been launched by the Government. Training will be offered under a pilot project run by the university and the Department of Trade and Industry. Around 50,000 women with science and engineering degrees are out of the workforce at any one time. BID TO TRACE DEAD MAN'S FAMILY Police in Walsall are appealing for relatives of a homeless man found dead in a street to come forward. West Midlands Police said Kevin Lee Smith's body was discovered on waste ground off Bescot Road. A force spokesman said although the 33-year-old's death was not being treated as suspicious, officers were keen to trace his next of kin. RAIL FIRM NAMED 'MOST PUNCTUAL' Chiltern Railways is the most punctual train operator in the West Midlands, according to figures published by the Strategic Rail Authority. The firm was also named as the second most punctual operator nationally. The figures are a measure of the percentage of trains arriving on time. Managing director Steve Murphy said: "We are delighted with these results." PROBE AFTER SUMMERHOUSE THEFT
'NO PLANS' TO CLOSE STATIONS West Midlands Fire Service has dismissed media reports claiming it plans to close its stations at Cradley Heath and Halesowen. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Frank Sheehan said claims the stations could be axed were unfounded speculation. "I can categorically say that there are absolutely no plans to make any changes to the service we provide," he said. POLICE SURGERY - PENN FIELDS Officers in Penn Fields will be holding a surgery on Wednesday (25 September) at 1.00pm in St Chad's community centre in Owen Road. Sergeant Bryan Pye will be at the centre between 1pm and 2pm to speak to local residents and discuss any issues they may have. Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators will also be there on the night to encourage visitors to join a local scheme. Sgt Pye, from Wolverhampton West operational command unit, said: "Local residents are invited to attend and meet with their local sector officers and Neighbourhood Watch representatives and raise any issues or matters of concern." RESIDENTS SIGN UP FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH A leaflet campaign in Kings Heath, Birmingham, urging members of the public to join Neighbourhood Watch schemes has resulted in a rise of volunteers. "We've had over 20 positive responses from people living on roads off the High Street," said Louise Medlicott community partnerships officer. "This is very encouraging and we're delighted more people are showing an interest in tackling crime head on." Anyone interested in finding out more about Neighbourhood Watch and what support is available will get their chance at an open meeting on Monday 7 October at the Travel West Midlands Sports and Social Club, Wheelers Lane, Kings Heath from 7pm. The meeting is aimed at raising the awareness of bogus officials and there'll be opportunities to discuss other issues relating to crime and community safety. Further information about NHW on the Kings Heath operational command unit is available from Louise Medlicott on 0121 6262 4188.
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