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TOURIST VOWS HUMAN RIGHTS CASE A West Mids man stabbed by a teenager while on holiday has pledged to use the European Court of Human Rights to bring his attacker before a criminal court. Mike Weaver, of Sutton Coldfield, says his human rights were infringed through the attack by a youngster in Tenerife. The 13-year-old, from south London, was not prosecuted because he is below the Spanish age of criminal responsibility. DRIVING BAN FOR SOCCER STAR Aston Villa footballer Lee Hendrie has been banned from driving for 12 months after being caught one-and-a-half times over the legal alcohol limit. The England midfielder was initially stopped for speeding on the M40 in Warwickshire but failed a breath test, Leamington Spa magistrates heard. Hendrie, 26, of Solihull, admitted driving while over the legal limit. APPEAL OVER TRAINER'S MURDER Police in Coventry have appealed for information about two people seen in a vehicle prior to the murder of a boxing trainer gunned down outside his home. Police said 10 officers had conducted a series of checks a week after the killing of Joseph Montague, 64, in the Foleshill area of the city. Anyone with information is urged to contact West Midlands Police. STABBING VICTIM NAMED Detectives have named a 37-year-old man who was found stabbed to death at a block of flats in Worcestershire. West Mercia Police said Lewis William Arthur, found dead at Conniston House in Hurcott Road, Kidderminster, had suffered at least two stab wounds. A post-mortem found that Mr Arthur, from Kidderminster, died as a result of injuries to the chest and back. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR TARGETED Bromsgrove District Council has pledged to make greater use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts as part of a clamp down on anti-social behaviour. John Moody, the authority's Head of Community Safety, said the council had enlisted the help of West Mercia Police to stamp out unacceptable conduct. "We are taking a firm stand against young offenders," Mr Moody said. MEP JOINS AIRPORT FIGHT West Midlands Euro MP Liz Lynne has joined residents fighting plans to expand Wolverhampton Business Airport. The Lib Dem MEP has opposed the proposals, claiming the area does not possess the infrastructure to cope with a larger airport. Ms Lynne told protesters: "Wolverhampton is only really suitable for more moderate expansion." POLICE NAME CRASH VICTIM Police have named a motorcyclist who suffered fatal injuries when his Honda machine was in collision with a car near Elford in Staffordshire. Police said Martin Lawless, 36, died in hospital in Burton-upon-Trent after the crash on the A513 road. The driver of the car, a Vauxhall Nova, and his passenger left hospital after treatment for minor injuries. BID TO BOOST TRANSPORT SECURITY The West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority is set to approve a £750,000 package to improve security at nine of its park-and-ride sites. The authority's project development and monitoring committee is meeting in Birmingham to consider the plans. The scheme comprises upgraded CCTV linked to a central monitoring centre in Birmingham and improved lighting. CHILDREN TO LEARN LANGUAGES Inner city children in Birmingham and Coventry are to get the chance to learn languages from the age of seven in a Government experiment. Nineteen local education authorities, mainly in urban areas, were chosen to pilot the national languages strategy. University students will be encouraged to help out and exchanges of teachers will also be increased. RISE IN CAR CRIME OFFENCES Police have blamed lax security for a rise in vehicle crime in Shrewsbury, which has seen 77 offences committed in the town during May alone. Chief Inspector Martin Whitelegg said many of the thefts of or from vehicles had been committed after owners left cars unlocked. He stressed that vehicle crime had fallen in other parts of Shropshire.
BA BACKS SECOND RUNWAY British Airways has backed plans for a second runway at Birmingham airport. Support came in the airline's response to the Government's aviation expansion consultation process which is examining where and how to develop UK airports. An extra runway in the Midlands should be built at Birmingham because of expected higher passenger demand and its strong transport links, BA added. MAN QUIZZED OVER STABBING A 27-year-old woman is fighting for her life after she was stabbed outside a 24-hour Birmingham supermarket. Officers and paramedics were called to Stratford Road near Tesco where she was found with multiple injuries, said West Midlands Police. A spokesman said a 25-year-old man is helping with inquiries. The victim is critically ill. BOY PLUNGES DOWN 30ft GULLEY A Wolverhampton boy is in hospital after falling down a 30ft gulley. The youngster, whose condition is not known, was playing in Waterloo Road when he fell down the trench bordering the Pearl Assurance building. Fire crews used a ladder to rescue him before he was taken to Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital with a suspected broken arm and head injuries. MEP DEMANDS BUS LANE REVIEW A West Midlands Conservative MEP has demanded a review of the legality of all of Birmingham's bus lanes. The call comes after a disgruntled motorist discovered that officials had failed to sanction one of the routes. Philip Bradbourn also called for those fined for using the bus lane on the A38 - which has been operating illegally since February 2001 - to be reimbursed. TRUST TO SHOW PATIENTS RED CARD The University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust is penalising abusive and violent patients with a football-style yellow and red card disciplinary system. Patients who verbally abuse staff will have a yellow mark on their notes, and those who attack staff will lose the right to treatment and gain a red mark. The trust says the system will give staff warning of troublesome patients. TODDLER'S INQUEST RESUMES An inquest is due to resume into the death of a 22-month-old West Midlands boy who died after falling into a pond. Andrew Condon, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, died on June 2, two days after being admitted to Birmingham's children's hospital. The hearing into the tragedy is being held by the Worcestershire coroner Victor Round in Stourport-on-Severn. RAIDER 'USED FIREWORK OR FLARE' A Worcester shop raider escaped with cash after threatening staff with what is thought to have been a firework or flare, police have said. The offender struck at the One-Stop outlet in Martley Road, Worcester, before making off on foot. The robber is described as a white man in his mid 20s, of skinny build and about 5ft 10in. MAYOR GETS ON BIKE Stoke-on-Trent's mayor is joining council staff in cycling to work in support of National Bike Week. Mike Wolfe and council manager Ita 0'Donovan are both supporting Bike2Work Day, which aims to encourage employers to promote a healthy lifestyle. Mr Wolfe said: "Cycling to work will benefit your health and help to reduce congestion." THREE PEOPLE INJURED IN CRASH Three people have been taken to hospital after a three-car smash on one of Birmingham's major arterial routes. West Midlands Fire Service said one of the cars burst into flames following the collision near the Man on the Moon pub on the A441 Redditch Road. One of the victims had multiple injuries while the other two suffered back injuries. DRIVER DIES IN CRASH A pensioner was killed when his car hit a wall in Stoke-on-Trent, police said. The 74-year-old was in a Vauxhall Cavalier with an elderly female companion which crashed in High Lane, Burslem, said Staffordshire Police. The man was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire but pronounced dead on arrival. The passenger suffered minor injuries. NURSE ON MURDER BID CHARGES A Crewe hospital nurse has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of five of her former patients. Barbara Patricia Salisbury, 47, who worked at Leighton Hospital, was bailed at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court. She faced charges of attempted murder of James Byrne, 76, Reuben Thompson, 81, Frances May Taylor, 88, Frank Owen, 92, and Bertram David Maidley, 76. TINY ENGINES DEVELOPED Tiny engines a few millimetres wide may replace batteries, it has been claimed after research by engineers at the University of Birmingham. Micro-engines, which are lighter and smaller and have over 300 times more energy than an ordinary battery, could be used to charge mobile phones. A university spokesman said the engines would be much more efficient. APPEAL FOR CRASH WITNESSES Police are trying to trace witnesses a week after a fatal accident in which a vehicle crashed through a wall and fell 45ft on to a Birmingham railway line. Tony Gilsennan and Brian Smith, both 33, died when their Land Rover landed upside down on tracks at Longbridge. Officers will be at the crash scenebetween 8pm and 9.30pm, the time of the accident, to question passers-by. CONSUMERS WARNED OVER STRAPS Consumers in Walsall have been warned against using luggage straps which recoil quickly and can cause blindness. Walsall Council trading standards officers said the straps - known as tie downs or bungee cords - are highly elasticised with metal hooks. The warning follows the successful prosecution of three companies selling the imported straps from China. BA BACKS SECOND RUNWAY British Airways has backed plans for a second runway at Birmingham Airport. Support came in the airline's response to the Government's aviation expansion consultation process which is examining where and how to develop UK airports. An extra runway in the Midlands should be built at Birmingham because of expected higher passenger demand and its strong transport links, BA added. CORONER WARNS OF POND PERILS A Worcestershire coroner has warned parents of the dangers of water features after hearing how a young boy drowned in his back garden. Victor Round recorded a verdict of accidental death on 22-month-old Andrew Condon, who died after being found in the pond at his home in Kidderminster. Mr Round warned: "It only takes a few inches (of water) to drown a child." POLICE OFFICER INJURED IN CRASH A police officer has been hurt when her force car was in collision with another vehicle in Leamington Spa. Warwickshire Police said the officer was responding to an incident when her police car and an Audi A4 collided on The Parade. The officer was taken to Warwick Hospital with abdominal injuries. The other driver suffered leg injuries. BIKER CAUGHT RIDING AT 157mph A Leamington Spa biker caught riding at what is thought to be the fastest speed recorded by police in Britain has pleaded guilty to driving dangerously. Andrew Osborne, 29, was clocked doing 157mph on the A412 in Buckinghamshire. Neil Bolger, 29, of Gaydon, also pleaded guilty to the charge before Aylesbury magistrates after doing 148mph. The cases were adjourned. MORNING-AFTER PILL 'CONFUSION' Nearly 50% of Birmingham women have taken the so-called morning-after pill, according to new research. But 60% of women in the city are confused about emergency contraception, wrongly believing it can only be taken one to three times a year. Pill manufacturer Schering Healthcare Ltd questioned 300 Birmingham women and said better understanding is needed. CORONER 'NOT WEARING SEAT BELT' A Birmingham coroner involved in a fatal road accident has admitted he was not wearing a seat belt. Aidan Cotter escaped with only minor injuries after he and his wife were in a head-on collision with a motorcyclist near their home in Elford, Staffs. He said he was "very stupid" not to strap himself in. Martin Lawless, 36, of Tamworth, died in the crash. SEX SUSPECT PLUNGES TO DEATH A Staffordshire man under investigation for sexual assault in the United States has fallen 1,000ft to his death. Steven Prosser, 42, plunged from the Royal Gorge Bridge into the Arkansas River in Colorado. He had been on the bridge with his girlfriend before he fell. He was being investigated for an alleged sexual assault in Ponca City MAN DUE IN COURT OVER STABBING A man is to appear before magistrates accused of killing a 37-year-old who was stabbed to death at a block of flats in Kidderminster. The unnamed defendant is due before Kidderminster magistrates charged with the murder of Lewis William Arthur. Mr Arthur died after suffering stab wounds to his chest and back in the attack at Coniston House, Hurcott Road. CALLS FOR INQUIRY INTO UNIT The children of two elderly women who were sexually assaulted while in the care of a Birmingham mental health unit have backed calls for a public inquiry. The East Birmingham Community Health Council also wants an investigation into the former North Birmingham Mental Health Trust's Avonside unit. One patient was raped and another indecently assaulted in three years. OFFICERS QUIT OVER DRUG MISUSE One police officer has been required to resign and another has quit following internal investigations into drug misuse, Warwickshire Police have said. A 37-year-old male, who had received a police caution and was suspended for possession of a controlled substance, resigned after a misconduct hearing. Another 36-year-old officer gave his resignation before a similar hearing. SUBWAYS TO BE FILLED IN Nine pedestrian subways in Telford are to be filled in and replaced with surface crossings under a £650,000 regional development agency scheme. The scheme is to utilise a more cost-effective way of filling in tunnels devised by West Bromwich-based engineering contractors Forkers. The subways are being replaced with more community-friendly routes. STEEL GROUP BUYERS NEEDED An administration firm has said it is confident of finding buyers for a Stourbridge steel processing group. Deloitte & Touche said the 11 firms that make up David Fabb Holdings will still operate until buyers are found. David Fabb Holdings has a turnover of more than £40m and about 570 workers, including 163 at Servosteel, which has sites in Stourbridge and Dudley. LORRY BLAZE ENGULFS SEX TOYS Investigators are probing the cause of a lorry blaze on the M6 near Great Barr which engulfed the vehicle's cargo of paper, computers and sex toys. The incident caused the temporary closure of the motorway. A police spokesman said the HGV was carrying a mixed load, including a consignment of sex aids and 10 tonnes of paper, when it caught fire. £12,000 COLLECTION 'DUMPED' A £12,000 rare record collection was dumped on a rubbish tip after workers emptied the wrong storage cupboard in Worcester, an angry music fan claims. Uninsured Anthony Dixon, from Warndon, said he had been collecting the records, which dated from the 1950s to the present, for more than two decades. The council said that Mr Dixon's claims are being investigated. MP WELCOMES TOWN ALCOHOL BAN The Tory MP for Stratford-on-Avon has welcomed news that a ban on street drinking in the centre of the town is to be widened. John Maples said new restrictions -extending from Lucy's Mill to Arden Street - will come into force on June 26 after signs have been erected. He added that residents should be able to feel protected from nuisance. STOLEN VEHICLE USED IN RAM-RAID A 4x4 vehicle has been used in a ram-raid at a Birmingham mobile phone store, police have said. The offenders used a green Nissan Terrano, stolen from Knowle on June 10, to break into the front of the Carphone Warehouse on Coventry Road, Sheldon. A police spokesman said the offenders left the scene in a black car and drove off along the A45 towards the airport. BIG JOB LOSSES AT TRAIN-MAKERS Engineering giant Alstom is to stop building trains at its plant in Birmingham, with a significant loss of jobs, workers have been told. Amicus officials said the announcement could lead to the loss of 1,000 jobs at the Washwood Heath factory. The plant has built trains for 100 years but has no other contracts after Virgin Pendolino trains are completed. UK MARKET BLAMED FOR JOB LOSSES Union officials have blamed the UK's labour market after engineering firm Alstom announced plans to end train-making at its Birmingham plant. Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, said the workers are victims of the UK's weak labour laws. Regional officer Tom Keogh condemned the move, saying the plant's workers are highly skilled and motivated. HIGH COURT CLEARS PAROLE BOARD The Parole Board has been cleared at the High Court of accusations it acted unlawfully by admitting evidence from three boys against a Dudley paedophile. Peter Pearson denied taking the boys to a bonfire party breaching early release conditions, but the Board accepted the boys' hearsay evidence that he did. Wolverhampton Crown Court subsequently extended his custodial sentence. FAMILY ORDER OWN POST-MORTEM The family of a suspected failed Derby suicide bomber whose body was found off the Israeli coast have ordered a private post-mortem examination. Relatives of Omar Khan Sharif, 27, instructed their own pathologist to conduct tests following suspicion about the manner in which he died. Sharif's supporters claim he was murdered by Israeli security services. 'JAMBUSTERS' PLAN FOR ROADS A roads "jambusters" control centre is to operate in the West Midlands as part of a Government scheme to keep traffic moving and free up police. Uniformed Highways Agency officers are to patrol motorways dealing with accidents, heavy loads and roadworks following a trial on the M42. The control centre will be the first in England as the scheme is rolled out. CARJACKING VICTIM 'STABLE' A woman left lying in the road with serious injuries after thieves stole her car in Birmingham is in a stable condition in hospital. The 56-year-old victim was reversing out of a drive in Kitt's Green when two men dragged her from her seat. She was then run down or flung from the bonnet. The Hyundai Accent car was found abandoned a few streets away. CITY OFFERED AS FILM LOCATION UK film bosses have met with an MP to discuss promoting Lichfield as a location for overseas film makers. Tory MP Michael Fabricant was approached by the UK Film Council and Screen West Midlands following his meetings with American film chiefs. Mr Fabricant said the idea was not "crazy" and hoped a campaign to promote Lichfield would follow. FARMING COUPLE WIN AWARD A Staffordshire farming couple have won a national award for their innovative establishment of a pub and offices on their rural property. Roger and Karen Mercer, from Barton-under-Needwood, won the excellence in farming award from the Royal Agricultural Society of England. Judges said the couple had created a unique business structure. BLOOD TEST TOUR HEADS FOR CITY A major nationwide blood testing tour which aims to discover the extent of chemical contamination from man-made substances is set to visit Birmingham. The biomonitoring tour will provide a snapshot of the nation's exposure to persistent chemicals. People can be tested for more than 70 man-made chemicals which may have contaminated their bodies. FEARS FOR 1,000 UNIVERSITY JOBS West Midlands university departments are facing funding cuts which could threaten more than 1,000 academic jobs. The Association of University Teachers said Government funds would be cut, reducing research opportunities and the ability to attract top students. Government proposals would allow different universities to charge variable fees for the same subject. LITTLE CHEF RE-OPENS One of Britain's most popular Little Chefs is set to become even more
popular after a major makeover. The Hagley Little Chef is one of the busiest
Little Chefs in the country, but has been closed recently to complete
works on the site. The Little Chef is now reopen, with a brand new menu
that includes some of the Little Chef original dishes which have been
missing from the menu in recent years but which have been re-introduced
at the request of customers. "We are delighted to have completed the refurbishment
in record time, which is important bearing in mind how busy this restaurant
is. "We would like to thank everyone for their patience whilst we have
been closed ," explained Ben Forbes of Little Chef. "We understand the
importance of the Hagley Little Chef to locals and travellers and want
to give the best value possible to all our consumers," added Ben.
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