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WOMAN DIES IN HOUSE BLAZE An elderly woman has died in a house blaze in Wall Heath, Kingswinford, fire service officials have confirmed. The victim was found dead when fire crews were called to an address in New Street. A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said appliances from Brierley Hill, Stourbridge and Dudley were deployed to the incident. TOLL MOTORWAY SET TO OPEN The 27-mile M6 Toll, formerly known as the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, is due to open to traffic later this week. Midland Expressway Ltd has developed the route, which is the country's first toll motorway. The £900m project will be phased in over a five-day period and it is hoped the M6 Toll will save motorists about 45 minutes on an average journey. TORY LEADER MEETS GUNS GROUP Conservative Party leader Michael Howard is to visit community figures involved in the battle against gun crime in the city of Birmingham. Mr Howard is expected to talk with members of the Mothers Against Guns pressure group in Aston. Two teenagers were shot dead at a New Year party in the area on January 2 this year. MAN ATTACKED ON WALK HOME A 27-year-old man suffered serious injuries, including a fractured skull, when he was attacked by two men as he walked home in Rugeley. The victim was repeatedly kicked and punched and struck with a bottle, during the savage assault near to Fernwood Drive shopping centre. A police spokesman said the man was beaten and kicked unconscious. PUBLIC GIVE VIEW ON PROPOSALS Residents are being urged to give their views on proposals to improve Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre. Newcastle Borough Council is staging an exhibition at the civic offices until Friday to canvass public opinion on plans to make the town more attractive. The council is working with urban design consultants Taylor Young, who have drawn up a number of suggestions. MAN BAILED OVER STAB ATTACK A man arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing in Alcester has been bailed pending further inquiries. Detectives are still waiting to interview two other men arrested on suspicion of murdering a 39-year-old man from Redditch. The unnamed victim died after suffering knife wounds in a brawl near a cashpoint in Bleachfield Street. MP'S PLEA TO AXE AIRPORT PLANS A West Midlands Euro-MP has called for plans for a new runway or airport in the West Midlands to be shelved. Liz Lynne issued the plea amid rumours that the Government is set to approve the building of another runway at Birmingham International Airport. "We should be managing air traffic growth, not merely adopting a policy of predict and provide," she said. 13 MEMBERS OF FAMILY BAPTISED A Walsall church minister has spoken of her delight at christening 13 members of the same family at a single service. The ceremony at St Mark's, Shelfield, involved cousins and siblings aged from nine months to 18-years-old. Minister Jenny Hill said: "Four members of the same family have been baptised recently and the children were inspired to take the plunge themselves." FLU JAB DECISION DEFENDED The West Midlands Director of Public Health has defended a decision to only offer flu jabs to the elderly and those considered most at risk from the virus. Professor Rod Griffiths was responding to calls for the vaccine to be made available to all youngsters after the death of two girls from Worcestershire. "What we have got at the moment is the right course of action," he said. REGION 'LACKS COMICS' People from the West Midlands are the least likely in the UK to raise a laugh, a new survey has found. Organisers of the British Comedy Awards have analysed past winners to find the key to success in comedy. The Midlands could muster up only 3% of the winners including chat host and comic Frank Skinner. At the top of the survey was London with 26% of winners. FIRST TOLL M-WAY TO BE OPENED Britain's first toll motorway is to be officially opened in Staffordshire by the Secretary of State for Transport. Alistair Darling is attending the ceremony for the M6 Toll as guest of honour and is due to cut the ribbon on the 27-mile route. The operator, Midland Expressway Ltd, will phase in the opening of the road over five days to ensure safety. FOUR FACE TERROR CASH CHARGES Three West Midlands men and a Luton man who were arrested under anti-terror laws are due in court charged with possessing money to fund terrorism. The seven charges relate to allegedly obtaining and possessing cash to fund terrorism or having materials related to making firearms or explosives. Two men from Dudley and one from Perry Barr are to face Halesowen magistrates. ROCK-STAR RECOVERS IN HOSPITAL Birmingham-born rocker Ozzy Osbourne is recovering in hospital after being badly injured in a quad bike accident. The 55-year-old singer broke his collarbone, six ribs and a vertebra in the accident at his estate near Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire. He was given treatment at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital for emergency surgery. POLICE PROBE WOMAN'S DEATH Two men are helping detectives with inquiries after the death of a 36-year-old woman from Burton-on-Trent. Police said the woman, who is from the Branston area of the town, was taken to the Queen's Hospital, but found to be dead on arrival. A police spokesman said: "Two men from the Burton area are currently in custody assisting with inquiries." FORCE'S CORRUPTION TEAM PRAISED Methods used to investigate corruption, criminal conduct and unethical behaviour within Warwickshire Police have been praised in a report. The force's standards procedures are highlighted in an annual report to Parliament by Sir Keith Povey, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary. It praised the Intelligence Development Unit, which was formed last year. WOMAN ARRESTED IN MURDER PROBE Police have arrested a young woman on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Birmingham. The female, in her late teens or early 20s, was detained at an address in Fentham Road, Erdington, where the body of a man was found. A West Midlands Police spokesman said the premises have been sealed off and inquiries are taking place. ZOO CHIEFS APPEAR IN COURT Chester Zoo bosses have appeared before city magistrates over the death of a Stoke-on-Trent elephant keeper. Richard Hughes, 34, suffered brain damage after being struck by a 30-year-old cow elephant at the zoo on February 8, 2001. He died nine days later. North of England Zoological Society pleads not guilty to health and safety breaches. The case was adjourned. CAR CRASHES CARRYING PRISONER A police car collided with three other vehicles during an incident involving a man being transported to Bloxwich station, a force spokesman said. The car was in Sandbank, returning to base after officers attended reports of a fracas at a local pub, when a man, arrested for assault, became unsettled. West Midlands Police said the man, 24, allegedly hit the driver. HOWARD ADVISED ON GUN CRIME Tory leader Michael Howard has been told on a visit to Birmingham that the best way to tackle rising gun crime is through long-term strategic planning. Mr Howard met representatives of local projects in Aston involved in the battle against such offences. Pastor Calvin Young, from the Aston Christian Centre, told him the locality faces "incredible problems". WOMAN IN COURT OVER MAN'S DEATH A 19-year-old woman charged with the murder of a man found dead in a house in Birmingham is set to appear at Sutton Coldfield Magistrates' Court. Edward Smith, 54, was found by police at an address in Fentham Road, Erdington, following a tip-off from a member of the public. A post-mortem examination showed the man had been strangled. TOLL CHIEF DELIGHTED AT OPENING The managing director of Britain's first toll motorway in Staffs said he was delighted to see hundreds of vehicles passing along the new road. Tom Fanning, of M6 Toll operator Midland Expressway Ltd said he was "ecstatic" and confirmed the phased opening would continue as planned. A police convoy led the first vehicles on to the 27-mile six-lane road. NO TAX RISES CALL Business leaders in Birmingham are urging the Chancellor not to make up for shortfalls in public sector spending by announcing higher taxes. The plea from Birmingham Chamber of Commerce was made ahead of Gordon Brown's Pre-Budget Report. A spokesman said the imposition of a heavier tax burden on business would send manufacturing into freefall. AUCTION FOR INJURED PLAYER A shirt signed by the World Cup winning England squad is being auctioned in Sutton Coldfield to raise money for a young player who broke his neck. Tom Somerville, 16, was involved in an accident during a match which left him paralysed from the chest down. The shirt is going on sale at a sports auction in the town hall with proceeds going towards equipment for Tom. TERROR SUSPECTS APPEAR IN COURT Three West Midlands men and a Luton man have appeared at Halesowen Magistrates' Court charged under the Terrorism Act. Arshad Farid, 26, of Luton, Usman Choudhary, 23, and Umar Ijaz, 24, of Dudley, and Madasser Al Hussan, 26, of Birmingham, were remanded in custody. They are charged with receiving training or instruction in the making of firearms and explosives. OZZY REMAINS IN INTENSIVE CARE Birmingham-born rock legend Ozzy Osbourne could be kept in intensive care for "several days" following his quad bike accident, his doctor said. The singer, 55, has been on a ventilator since the crash at his Bucks estate, but is said to be "stable". He had surgery after cracking vertebra in his neck, breaking ribs and a collarbone and damaging a blood vessel. POLICE PROBE WOMAN'S DEATH A mother-of-three from Burton-on-Trent whose death prompted a murder investigation has been named. Audra Jane Bancroft, from Shipley Close, Branston, was mother to a son aged 11 and two daughters aged nine and seven. A police spokesman said: "Two men from the Burton area are currently in custody assisting with inquiries." NO HEALTH CARE CUTS: MINISTER There will be no cuts in "front line health care" in Worcestershire, the Government said as the county was promised over £100m in extra funding. Health Minister John Hutton said the county's Primary Care Trusts were to receive a total increase of £118.9m over the next three years. He told MPs: "We are looking to expand health care services in the county." CYCLIST FOUND LYING IN ROAD A cyclist has been found lying in a road in Worfield, Shropshire, with critical head injuries, police said. The man was discovered by an off-duty policeman in a country lane near Dallicott Farm. A spokesman for Bridgnorth Police said the cyclist is being treated on a ventilator in hospital. Officers are appealing for information. TOWN PIGEON WARDEN APPOINTED Walsall Council has appointed Britain's first-ever pigeon warden as the latest step in its strategy to tackle problems caused by the birds across the borough. Backed by the Pigeon Control Advisory Service, the council has recruited self-confessed pigeon aficionado Penny Tomlinson to the voluntary post. Penny will patrol the town and dispense advice to people feeding the birds. MAN QUIZZED OVER WOMAN'S MURDER Police are continuing to question a man in connection with the death of a mother-of-three from Burton-on-Trent. Officers have been granted a further 24 hours to interview a man detained over the murder of Audra Bancroft, 36, from Shipley Close, Branston. Staffordshire Police said a second man arrested in connection with the death was released on bail on Wednesday. POLICE HAIL SENTENCING FIGURES The time taken to sentence persistent young offenders in the West Midlands is below the national average, police have said. It takes 58 days on average for such cases to be processed, compared with a 66-day national average, the Department for Constitutional Affairs revealed. West Midlands Police welcomed the news as the result of "a combined effort". AIRPORT PASSENGERS INCREASING The number of passengers flying in and out of Birmingham International Airport during November rose 7.7% on the same period last year. The airport processed 586,491 passengers during its busiest November ever, a spokesman said. The biggest growth was in the number of people using transatlantic flights, which saw a 43.7% rise. PUPILS CAUGHT IN PILE-UP Three coaches taking secondary school pupils to the NEC in Birmingham have been involved in a 30-vehicle pile-up. More than 100 children were caught up in several accidents on the A38 near Lichfield in Staffordshire. Staffordshire Police confirmed 30 people were injured in the incident, including 24 children from Littleover Community School in Derby. PREGNANT WOMAN JAILED FOR LIFE A pregnant woman has been jailed for life at Birmingham Crown Court after being found guilty of murdering her 12-week-old son by asphyxiation. Chah Oh-Niyol Kai-Whitewind, 28, a mother of three from Northfield, had denied murder. The court had been told she had become frustrated with her son Bidziil's refusal to breastfeed. INJURED OZZY ON THE MEND: KELLY Rock star Ozzy Osbourne, recovering from a quad bike crash at his Bucks home, is conscious and joking in his hospital bed, his daughter Kelly says. The 55-year-old is still in intensive care after emergency surgery and being put on a ventilator at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough. Kelly said Ozzy mouthed words and gave her the thumbs-up. CASH BOOST FOR CATHEDRAL A donation to help supply a lighting system for Worcester Cathedral has been welcomed by the Dean. The Severn Waste Environment Fund cash is being put towards installation of a low-energy lighting scheme in part of the building. The Very Rev Peter Marshall said all those associated with the Cathedral are very grateful for the support. TWO FACE MURDER CHARGES Two men have been charged with murdering a father of three who was attacked in Aldridge after a night out. The pair, aged 33 and 34, will face Walsall magistrates, accused of killing 48-year-old Paul Gilbert. Mr Gilbert, a maintenance engineer from Streetly, suffered fatal head injuries when he and his brother were set upon in an alleyway. He died in hospital. FIRECREWS CALLED TO SAVE PIGEON Firefighters were called to help a pigeon trapped underneath a stretch of raised road in Birmingham, a fire service spokesman said. Crews were called by the RSPCA to the bird stuck upside down in netting on the underside of the Aston Expressway. A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said a triple extension ladder was used to reach the pigeon and release it. TEENAGER CLEARED OF ARSON A teenage boy charged with burning down a £500,000 public artwork has walked free from court in Birmingham after the prosecution offered no evidence. The 16-year-old was found not guilty of arson by a Crown Court judge after prosecutors dropped the case. The youth was arrested in April after the Forward statue in Birmingham's Centenary Square burnt down. RAIL IMPROVEMENT WORK DELAYED Congestion relief work on the rail line between Rugby and Stafford is set to be delayed for up to two years. The setback has been caused by the Rail Regulator's decision to cut £640m from Network Rail's budget to upgrade the West Coast Main Line. Chris Green, chief executive of Virgin Trains which uses the West Coast line, said he was "disappointed". TILTING TRAIN FULLY ON LINE A high-speed train which can tilt around corners is operating at its full potential between Rugby and Lichfield for the first time. Senior industry figures and invited guests are due to travel on Virgin Trains' state-of-the-art Pendolino train from London to Staffordshire. The Pendolinos will replace the existing London to Manchester trains. MAN KILLED IN CRASH A motorist was killed and two other men seriously injured when a van was in a head-on collision with an oncoming car in Warwickshire, police have said. The fatally injured man was driving a Toyota panel van which collided with a BMW on the A46 at Red Hill as he was overtaking a lorry. A passenger in the van and the driver of the BMW are in hospital. HOSPITAL BUILDER CHOSEN Health chiefs have chosen a preferred bidder to build and operate new hospitals in North Staffordshire under a £350m Private Finance Initiative. The Equion consortium has been chosen, with work due to start late next year. Units will be built on the University Hospital Trust's City General site and for North Stoke Primary Care Trust on its Haywood and Stanfield sites. ROCK STAR 'STOPPED BREATHING' The wife of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, from Birmingham, has revealed his quad bike accident almost killed him. Sharon Osbourne, 51, said her husband stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating for nearly two minutes after the accident at their Bucks home. He was saved by a security guard who resuscitated him and is on a ventilator in Wexham Park Hospital, Slough. CAR PLANT HALTS FOR STOCKTAKE Production at the MG Rover factory in Longbridge, Birmingham is to halt early for Christmas while the car giant launches a stocktake. The company, which stopped building cars for three days last month to "realign" production with sales, said the stocktaking had been planned. Workers will leave the production line to take part in stocktaking. ARMED GANG RAIDS ANTIQUE SHOP Four armed raiders, one brandishing a gun, escaped with a haul of jewellery after threatening staff at a Warwick antiques shop. The gang of three men and a woman were all wearing balaclavas when they burst into Russell Antiques in High Street. The getaway vehicle was seen to drive the wrong way up a one-way street towards Castle Hill. ROYAL VISITOR FOR THEATRE The Prince of Wales is to chair a meeting of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. The prince is taking the lead at the annual meeting of the company's governors at the Swan Theatre during his visit to Warwickshire. Members of the RSC are due to perform for the prince, after which he will present long service awards to staff. SPECIAL UNIVERSITY ALE CREATED Staff at Birmingham University are quaffing a pre-Christmas treat - a specially commissioned ale named in honour of its landmark clock tower. Old Joe's Winter Warmer - brewed by Church End breweries, of Ridge Lane, near Atherstone - was launched in the bar of the Staff House. It was brewed with traditional methods and a "secret ingredient". TWO HONOURED FOR BRAVERY Two people who saved the life of an injured driver after a Rugby crash are receiving bravery awards in Kenilworth. The unidentified pair will join 43 Warwickshire police officers for commendations from the Chief Constable John Burbeck at an awards ceremony. The members of the public pulled a man from a burning car, saving him, before attempting to save another, who died.
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