|
   
QUICK LINKS TO THE SITE NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
MOTORS
ARCHIVE ARTICLES AND REFERENCE
WHERE TO STAY
PROPERTY TO RENT
INFORMATION
BUSINESS
FEATURES
DETAILS OF OUR ADVERTISING & DESIGN PACKAGES Jobs at Birmingham101.com We are looking for sales people to work for us selling to businesses and individuals in the West Midlands on a casual, hours to suit basis. For details click here to e-mail us.
|
2nd. June 2003
TWO QUIZZED OVER WOMAN'S MURDER Two men are being questioned by police in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was found in a Birmingham house. West Midlands Police said the men, aged 32 and 23, were detained after the woman, believed to be in her 20s, was found in Arrow Walk, Walker's Heath. A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out. BOYFRIEND CHARGED WITH MURDER The boyfriend of a Birmingham woman who was found dead at her home is due in court charged with her murder. Wayne Derek Adamson, 39, is expected to appear before magistrates in Birmingham following the death of Kathryn Dukes at an address in the city's Yardley area. The body of Miss Dukes, 43, was discovered at the home she shared with Adamson, her parents and elder brother TEENAGERS TO HELP BUILD CENTRE Teenagers from one of Birmingham's most deprived wards are to help build their own community centre as part of a £3.5m regeneration of the area. Groups backing the project, including Advantage West Midlands, say it will help teenagers enter the building trade through on-the-job training. The centre in Kitts Green Road is expected to open in 2005. EXPERTS SIFT PLANE WRECKAGE Investigators have begun sifting through the wreckage of a plane that crashed in Coventry during a display of classic aircraft, killing its pilot. Officials are trying to discover what caused the Charles Lindbergh Spirit Of St Louis replica to come down at the Coventry Classic Airshow in Baginton. Swedish pilot Pierre Hollander, 59, later died at a Birmingham hospital. BAIL FOR AIR SHOW DRIVER A Coventry man arrested at the city's Classic Airshow in Baginton after trying to drive on to the airfield has been released on police bail. Bomb squad experts blew up the Nissan Primera after he drove between two hangars and crashed into a metal fence. The incident happened just before Swedish pilot Pierre Hollander died when he crashed shortly after take-off. LEADERS CHAMPION SMALL BUSINESS Birmingham's business leaders have called on the Government to consider small traders before an employer's liability insurance premiums review. The city's Chamber of Commerce is backing proposals for a system whereby insurers "share" liability for risks. The Department of Work and Pensions and Office of Fair Trading findings are due to be published. YARD BLAZE TREATED AS ARSON A major blaze which destroyed hundreds of scrap vehicles at a Black Country yard is being treated as arson, firefighters have said. Up to 80 officers from West Midlands Fire Service were called to the site in Dudley Road East, Tividale. The yard contained up to 300 vehicles and water from the nearby Birmingham canal was used to douse the flames. POLICE SEEK MISSING TEENAGER Police are appealing for help to find a 14-year-old Birmingham boy who has been missing for 10 days. Marcus Thompson has not returned to his Newtown home since May 20, although West Midlands Police said there have been a couple of sightings of him. He is described as black, 5ft 7in and slim, with short black hair. He was last seen wearing a blue padded jacket. NEW CHIEF CONSTABLE UNVEILED Thames Valley's Deputy Chief Constable Paul West has been named as new Chief Constable of West Mercia Constabulary. DCC West has been with Thames Valley Police for more than five years and came to the force in March 1998. He started as an Assistant Chief Constable responsible for corporate development and in September 1999 became ACC for territorial policing. BABY RATTLE WITHDRAWN FROM SALE A children's clothing and toys firm has agreed to withdraw a baby rattle from sale after concerns raised by trading standards officers in Warwickshire. Adams Childrenswear has taken the fish-style toy off the shelves after the county council said the protruding eyes could be dangerous. The rattle went on sale in Adams stores in November last year.
WOMAN, 43, HURT IN ASSAULT A 43-year-old woman suffered facial injuries and bruising when she was indecently assaulted while walking her dog in Birmingham, police have said. The victim was hit in the face with an unknown object during the attack in Ley Hill Recreation Park, Ley Hill Farm Road, Northfield. The offender is described as white and aged in his 20s. RAF PRESENTATION 'VULGAR' An RAF police officer allegedly told trainees that a hypothetical rape victim had her wounds "stitched up", a Birmingham jobs tribunal has heard. Sgt John Fitzpatrick's presentation at RAF Cosford, Shropshire, was allegedly filled with vulgar sexual expressions. Former Acting Cpl Catherine Brumfitt, 32, of Albrighton, claims she was forced to quit after she complained. TODDLER MAY HAVE SLIPPED A two-year-old West Midlands boy who died after he fell into a park lake may have slipped off a stone walkway, police have said. West Mercia Constabulary said Matthew Perry is thought to have fallen into Withy Pool in Telford Town Park after he ran on to concrete lily pads. The youngster, from Bloxwich, died in hospital after the incident last week. PERFORMANCE ARTIST AT FESTIVAL A Swiss performance artist is to appear at a Birmingham festival where he will appear naked in a glass cabinet with ants crawling over his body. Yann Marussich will be there as part of Fierce!, an international performance arts festival at the Custard Factory. Hidden cameras will allow viewers to see close-ups and microphones will let them hear activity inside the ant heap. BOOKMAKERS CLOSE 'CULTURE' BOOK Bookmaker William Hill has closed its book on who will win the European Capital of Culture 2008 after late support for Birmingham. The gambling giant said it rated the city as the place for the largest potential payout with 11/2 odds. Newcastle/Gateshead are the favourites at 11/8; Liverpool 9/4; Cardiff 7/2; 8/1 Bristol and 10-1 on Oxford. MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN CRASH A 46-year-old Coventry man was killed when his motorcycle left the road and hit a tree. West Midlands Police said the victim, who has not been named, also struck a safety barrier in the accident in Broad Street, Great Heath, Coventry. Witnesses to the incident on Sunday are urged to contact the force at Stanton Road station on 0845 113 5000. WOMAN TRAUMATISED BY SEX ATTACK A Birmingham woman has been left deeply traumatised by a sex attacker who indecently assaulted her repeatedly after she alighted from a bus. The 26-year-old was assaulted on a path in Balsall Heath by the offender who tried to drag her into bushes. West Midlands Police said the victim saw the man six days later in Kings Heath and fear he may strike again. £m BOOST FOR ROAD SAFETY Leamington Spa is to benefit from more than £1m to improve road safety. Proposed measures include turning the town centre into a 20mph zone and installing new traffic signals at the Clarendon Avenue and Parade junction. The town council beat 37 other local authorities to win the Government funding and Warwickshire County Council has agreed to invest £180,000. WARNING OVER STOLEN TAXI SIGNS Police in Redditch fear that thieves who have stolen taxi signs from three cabs may use them illegally to pick up passengers in the area. The signs, worth about £100 each, were plucked from the roofs of licensed taxis parked around the town. Anyone with information about the stolen signs should call police on 08457 444 888. PUBLIC WARNED OVER CASH FRAUD West Midlands residents have been urged to be careful after people were persuaded to hand over cash for a large payout which they have never received. West Midlands Police said the victims had all been contacted by telephone by supposed representatives of a trust savings agency or a lottery company. Victims include an 87-year-old Walsall woman who handed over around £40,000.
CITY MISSES OUT ON TITLE Birmingham has lost out in the competition to become the European Capital of Culture 2008. The title, which was expected to bring jobs and tourists to the city, has been awarded to Liverpool. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell revealed Liverpool's triumph. Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford and Newcastle/Gateshead also failed to win the title. CITY 'WILL BOUNCE BACK' The director of Birmingham's bid to be European Capital of Culture has said the city will "bounce back" after losing out to Liverpool. "Clearly we're disappointed, but it doesn't change the fact that we are a leading European cultural centre," said Stephen Hetherington. Bid chairman Brian Woods-Scawen wished Liverpool every success. POLICE HUNT GIRL'S ABDUCTOR Police have appealed for help to hunt down a man who abducted a nine-year-old girl in Birmingham and drove her around in his car for almost six hours. The youngster may have been indecently assaulted during the ordeal, which began when she was persuaded to get into a car in Alum Rock Road. The victim recalls being driven on to a motorway before she was released. CRACKDOWN ON NOISE TO CONTINUE Environmental health officials in Birmingham are marking Noise Awareness Day by pledging to continue a massive blitz on nuisance neighbours. Birmingham City Council said powers introduced in January had allowed its officers to seize 52 items of stereo equipment so far this year. A "noise surgery" has also been set up in Victoria Square offering advice. WEST BROM MEMORABILIA FOR SALE Football fans are being offered the chance to snap up a rare piece of West Bromwich Albion memorabilia - a turnstile featuring authentic graffiti. The Black Country club is selling off the 21-year-old gate on an internet auction site prior to the installation of a state-of-the-art swipecard system. The bidding currently stands at £110 and the sale closes next Monday. MAN STABBED BY TEENAGER A Sutton Coldfield man is recovering in hospital after he was stabbed in the stomach by a teenage boy during a holiday on the Canary island Tenerife. Mike Weaver, 45, was admitted to hospital after the incident in the resort of Los Cristianos last Friday. The businessman was treated in intensive care but has now been moved to a regular ward, reports claim. TRIBUNAL TOLD OF HARASSMENT A former RAF police officer has told an employment tribunal in Birmingham she was sexually harassed and victimised after complaining about an officer. Catherine Brumfitt, of Wolverhampton, complained about vulgar remarks made about a hypothetical rape victim in a training exercise at RAF Cosford. The Ministry of Defence denies she was pressured into accepting an apology. JOBLESS GAMBLER SCOOPS JACKPOT A jobless gambler from Birmingham is celebrating after winning £290,000 by staking £1 on a hand of poker. The Grosvenor Casino chain said Evadne Gayle, 50, from Edgbaston, landed the £290,684.52 jackpot with a royal flush on its national Super Stud Poker game. Ms Gayle, who was recently made redundant, said: "It was like a dream. It took ages to sink in that I'd won." APPEAL AFTER BOY HURT IN CRASH Police have appealed for witnesses to a road accident in Smethwick in which a four-year-old boy was badly injured. The incident happened in James Close when the boy was in collision with a black Ford Ka, believed to be T-registered. The driver, a woman with blonde hair, stopped briefly but then drove off without leaving her details. MAN KILLED BY TRAIN AT STATION A man in his 40s was killed when he was struck by a train in the Black Country, British Transport Police have said. Officers said the unnamed victim, who had been standing on the platform, was hit by a train approaching Cradley Heath station in Sandwell. A BTP spokesman said the death is not being treated as suspicious but they are appealing for witnesses. 5th. June 2003 EXAM MISSED IN TIMETABLE CHAOS More than 70 Shropshire GCSE students have missed their geography exam because of a blunder by their school. The Wakeman School in Shrewsbury admitted that it timetabled last Monday's exam for today, meaning pupils cannot now take the paper. Headteacher Simon Blackburn said he immediately contacted examination board OCR to report his mistake BISHOP'S SUPPORT FOR WORKERS The Bishop of Stafford has lent his support to 1,050 workers who will lose their jobs when two Wedgwood factories in Stoke-on-Trent are closed. The Rt Revd Christopher Hill said he would be writing to unions and management to see if there was any way the decision could be reversed. He said the closures will have a huge impact on the economy and residents. MP HAILS FREE PASSPORTS PLAN A decision by the Home Office to issue free passports to veterans of the Second World War has been welcomed by Worcester's Labour MP Michael Foster. He said the special one-year passport would keep down the cost of travel for those attending the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France. "We must help as many veterans as possible attend," Mr Foster said. AWARD FOR LIFE-SAVING EFFORTS Two West Midlands employees of the Highways Agency are to receive Good Citizenship awards after they tried to save the life of a heart attack victim. Paul Stephens, 39, from Birmingham, and Paul Mynett, 38, of Shirley, found the victim slumped in his car on the M6. Despite their efforts, the 34-year-old man died later in Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital. STUDY FINDS WADING BIRD DECLINE Wading birds such as lapwings, snipe and redshanks are rapidly disappearing from the West Midlands, according to a new study published by the RSPB. The survey of 106 sites found only 193 lapwing pairs, four snipe pairs and 25 redshank pairs, representing a 61% fall on their numbers two decades ago. The survey was carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology. COMPENSATION FOR CULTURE LOSERS Birmingham will receive financial compensation after it lost its bid to become European Capital of Culture, Tony Blair has said. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, he said "a particular sum of money" would be given to all the shortlisted cities beaten by Liverpool. He told MPs the cash will "make sure they develop as cities of culture". BOY, NINE, ASSAULTED IN WOOD A nine-year-old boy was indecently assaulted as he played in woodland in south Staffordshire, police said. The victim, who was with an eight-year-old friend, was left unhurt but shaken by the attack near the A460 in Featherstone. The attacker is described as white, aged 40-50, about 5ft 6in and of casual appearance. WARNING AFTER POND TRAGEDY The parents of a Worcestershire boy who died after falling into a pond have expressed hope that the tragedy will heighten awareness of water dangers. Andrew Condon, aged 22 months, of Kidderminster, died after two days in Birmingham Children's Hospital. The boy's parents, Frank and Sam, said, "We hope that the loss of our golden child will increase public awareness." WOMAN 'CRITICAL' AFTER CRASH A 45-year-old Gloucester woman is fighting for her life in hospital after an accident on the M5 motorway between Oldbury and West Bromwich. She was a passenger in a car driven by her 17-year-old son which left the road and crashed into a concrete parapet. The teenager suffered minor injuries. His mother is said to be in a critical condition in Sandwell General Hospital. JOB CUTS TRIGGER UNION FEARS A union fears that telecoms group Cable & Wireless could be forced to close down a major site in Birmingham due to restructuring. London-based C&W has revealed plans to cut 1,500 of its 5,500 UK jobs as it reported a record £6.5bn annual loss. The Communication Workers' Union has attacked the job losses and said C&W is pursuing a "slash and burn" policy. AXING OF MAIL TRAINS COSTS JOBS The Royal Mail's plans to stop transporting post by rail could cost more than 60 jobs in the West Midlands. The move to cut costs, which will end 170 years of history, could affect workers at rail terminals in Birmingham, Crewe, Rugby and Stafford. The mail trains will be phased out altogether by next March, with all post being distributed by road and air. SEARCH FOR MISSING WOMAN Staffordshire Police have used the force helicopter and police dogs to look for a missing 35-year-old woman. Diane Litherland, whose car was found parked opposite the White House Hotel on Penkridge Bank Road in Hednesford, went missing from her home on Thursday. Relatives have joined police officers and dog search teams to explore dense woodland in Cannock Chase. SOCCER CLUB SIGNS UP PRISONERS Nuneaton Borough soccer club is getting its Manor Park ground ready for the new season - with the help of inmates on day release from an open prison. Manager Alan Lewer said the unusual move, made after a phone call to HMP Sudbury, followed a similar experiment conducted at Doncaster Rovers. Mr Lewer said a revamp of the pitch and facilities meant extra help was needed. PHONE THEFT HOTLINE LAUNCHED A £120,000 campaign to crack down on mobile phone theft is being launched in Coventry by a Government minister. Lord Rooker is joining West Midlands Police to launch the campaign urging victims of mobile crime to report the theft to stop phones being sold on. Posters and leaflets advertising a new phone line to report lost or stolen handsets are being handed out. CLUBBERS' DUMMIES 'COULD KILL' A warning that dummies used by revellers at nightclubs could harm or even kill babies has been issued by Warickshire trading standards chiefs. They urged anyone with young children to dispose of the dummies, which are fitted with flashing lights. A spokesman said the dummies can come apart very easily and cause a "choking, ingestion or strangulation hazard". CITY CONGRATULATES WINNER Birmingham, which lost to Liverpool in the race to be 2008 European Capital of Culture, has erected a poster in the Merseyside city praising its success. The outsize billboard put up in Canning Place pledges that Birmingham will help people in Liverpool celebrate in 2008. Birmingham City Council said: "We know how hard Liverpool worked on their bid and want to congratulate them." FOUR HELD OVER ATTACK AT CLUB Four men have been arrested after a vicious assault on a 40-year-old man at a nightclub in Shrewsbury. The victim required 20 stitches to his head and face after being punched, kicked and attacked with bottles at the Ministry venue in Abbey Foregate. Det Insp Peter Clarke said four local men had been detained and predicted that further arrests would follow. 600 FINED IN BUS LANE BLITZ Almost 600 drivers have been fined during a crackdown in the West Midlands on motorists using bus lanes illegally. Police said the month-long safety campaign, which began in May, has seen errant drivers issued with £30 fixed penalty tickets. Sgt Dave Swift said: "Research has shown that collisions increase when motorists contravene bus lanes." FIRMS 'WANT EURO REFERENDUM' Many Birmingham firms want a referendum sooner rather than later on joining the euro, despite the Chancellor's five economic tests, a survey has revealed. Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that 67% of businesses polled believe that a referendum would remove uncertainty over the issue. A third of the firms said a vote should be deferred until next Parliament. MAN RELEASED OVER 'SHOOTING' A man arrested after gunshots were allegedly heard at a Birmingham crash has been released without charge. Police say no evidence was found at the scene in Ladywood Middleway to support reports that gunshots were heard at the scene of a collision between two cars. But detectives said the inquiry was continuing and further witnesses were urged to come forward with information.
PHONE
BACK TO BIRMINGHAM101 HOME PAGE
|
