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BOY, 16, IN COURT FOR ROBBERY A 16-year-old boy is due to face magistrates in Birmingham charged with leaving a woman with multiple broken bones after a robbery. Maureen Green's Hyundai car was taken from her driveway in Moodyscroft Road, Kitts Green. Both the 59-year-old's arms and legs were broken and she suffered head injuries trying to stop the robbery. MOTORIST FIGHTS FOR LIFE A motorist is fighting for his life in hospital after a collision which has caused rush-hour traffic chaos on part of the M6 near Birmingham. The Rover 214 driver was taken to City Hospital with his passenger following the collision involving a Ford Transit. Police shut the southbound carriageway between junctions seven and six, leading to a 10-mile tailback. MAN BADLY BURNED IN ATTACK A man is being treated in hospital for serious burns to his face after he was attacked on the doorstep of his Black Country home. The victim answered his front door in Stourdell Road, Cradley, to two men who threw a corrosive liquid into his face. The men were both white and in their mid-20s and any witnesses are urged to contact police on 0121 626 8156. MP SPEAKS OF KNIFE ORDEAL A Birmingham MP has described his terror after being confronted by a knifeman in his constituency surgery. Roger Godsiff, who represents the ward of Sparkbrook and Small Heath, claims he was threatened by the man who he described as "looking like Mike Tyson". The Labour MP, 56, is now considering whether to introduce security measures. A 49-year-old man was arrested. MARKET TOWNS 'LOSING CHARACTER' Two market towns in the West Midlands are losing their character to faceless modern development, a new report says. The Campaign to Protect Rural England study says the individuality of Ledbury, in Herefordshire, and Alcester, Warwickshire, must be saved. It claims Ledbury "could be anywhere", while Alcester is "dominated" by charity shops and takeaways. WOMAN TARGETED IN SHOOTING A female motorist escaped unharmed after she was targeted in a drive-by shooting in Birmingham, police said. The 44-year-old was driving in Unnett Street, Hockley, when a dark coloured hatchback drew up alongside her and one of the occupants opened fire. Detective Inspector Tim Bacon said a number of shots hit the victim's car, but she was uninjured. CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT SPACE Hundreds of Telford children are to learn about space exploration from American astronauts under a unique new partnership set to be launched. The internet project, the only one of its kind in the UK, will allow primary school pupils to quiz Nasa's experts about their work. Topics to be studied include volcanoes on Mars and virtual astronaut training. CONGREGATION RAISE £400,000 Generous church-goers have been praised for contributing an extra £400,000 to the Diocese of Lichfield last year compared to the previous 12 months. The Diocese's financial statements reveals a 5% boost to the budget. But the financial chairman has warned the Parish Share debt has risen from £1m to more than £2.36m in five years, "raising questions" about the future. BIRD RESERVE USING SOLAR POWER A Birmingham bird reserve has become the first in the UK to use solar energy at its visitor centre. The RSPB's Sandwell Valley site has installed panels to use the sun to supply the building with electricity. The charity has teamed up with energy producer solarcentury, which fitted the equipment, to encourage visitors to produce their own power at home. PRINCE TO OPEN SCHOOL HALL Pupils at a Warwickshire primary school are to receive the royal seal of approval for a new £400,000 hall when it is opened by Prince Edward. The Earl of Wessex is to visit Haeslor School, near Alcester, to inaugurate the new building on July 2. It is the first time the village school, which has 101 pupils, has had a hall in its 126-year history. NURSE ON MURDER BID CHARGES A hospital nurse is due to make her second court appearance charged with the attempted murder of five former patients at Leighton Hospital in Crewe. Barbara Patricia Salisbury, 47, is due before Chester Crown Court. The alleged victims are James Byrne, 76, Reuben Thompson, 81, Frances May Taylor, 88, Frank Owen, 92, and Bertram David Maidley, 76. EURO MP CALLS FOR FUR BAN West Midlands MEP Liz Lynne has called on the Government to ban cat and dog fur products amid claims that they are often passed of as sable. Ms Lynne said plans to force fur firms to label products will not totally stamp out the trade. She said: "Only a total ban on cat and dog fur would give the general public the reassurance they deserve." 'COVERT' DETECTOR VANS UNVEILED TV licensing chiefs are in Birmingham to unveil the latest generation of detector vans, including their first undercover "plain clothes" vehicles. Enforcement officials said the vans, being unveiled in the city's Victoria Square, feature hi-tech devices. The "covert" crews will initially operate in the Birmingham area before being rolled out across the country. MAN DENIES SMUGGLING TOBACCO A 22-year-old Worcestershire labourer is on trial accused of conspiracy to smuggle 480 kilos of tobacco from France aboard a motor cruiser. Oliver Delahay, of East Hope Close, Stourport-on-Severn, pleaded not guilty at Exeter Crown Court to conspiring to evade nearly £60,000 of duty and VAT. Three other men had earlier pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. TRUCKER WINS £2.5m ON LOTTERY A Black Country trucker is to receive a £2.5m cheque from one of his football heroes after scooping a share of the National Lottery jackpot. The 56-year-old from Oldbury, who has not been identified, matched all six numbers in the draw on June 14. The Aston Villa fan is being presented with the cheque by defender Steve Staunton at the club's home stadium. £15m MOTOR ACADEMY LAUNCHED A new £15m academy aimed at boosting skills in the motor industry has been launched in the West Midlands. The academy will act as a focal point for the training and development of the UK's 250,000 motor industry workers and those wanting to join the profession. The centre will open in October. Amicus union officer Duncan Simpson said: "This is a massive step forward." BISHOP CONDEMNS USE OF PRISONS Politicians' reliance on retribution through the courts and ever-tougher jail terms has been condemned by the Bishop of Birmingham. The Rt Rev John Sentamu criticised the "simplistic" use of prison by successive home secretaries and called for less focus on punishment. He called for a system which does not "ignore the needs of the offender". M-WAY REOPENS AFTER CRASH Police have reopened the M6 near Birmingham after a crash which caused rush-hour traffic chaos and left a man fighting for his life in hospital. The driver of a Rover 214 is critical in City Hospital after the collision involving a Ford Transit. Police shut the southbound carriageway between junctions seven and six, causing 10-mile tailbacks. HUNT FOR KILLERS CONTINUES The hunt in Iraq for killers of a soldier from Derbyshire is continuing. Corporal Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, was one of six Royal Military Police gunned down by an angry mob in Al Majar al-Kabir. A senior officer described the deaths as "unprovoked murder", but witnesses claim the soldiers opened fire first. A major inquiry is under way. SOLDIER'S WIFE COMFORTED The wife of a soldier from Derbyshire who has been named as one of six killed in action in southern Iraq is being comforted at their home. Anna Aston, the wife of Corporal Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, was too upset to discuss the tragedy. Neighbour Trevor Bird said he was "shocked and upset" to hear of the father-of-one's death. JURORS DELIBERATE OVER 'HITMEN' Jurors are continuing deliberations in the case of two alleged hitmen from Birmingham accused of conspiring with a man to murder his wife's new lover. Ram Labhaya Chand, 38, and Lublara Singh Sond, 31, deny conspiracy to murder at Nottingham Crown Court. Edward Grant, of Grantham, has already been found guilty of plotting to kill Ian Dowling, who was murdered in 2001. RULING DUE ON CHURCH REPAIRS Law Lords are due to rule whether two Warwickshire landowners are liable for £95,000 repairs to their local church. Andrew and Gail Wallbank, the owners of glebe land at Aston Cantlow, are liable for repairs under an ancient law. They successfully challenged a High Court judgment in 2000. The Parochial Church Council re-appealed and now awaits a decision from the Law Lords. TORY BOSS ON RASTAFARIAN PATROL Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith is set to meet Rastafarian "peace officers" who help police patrol part of Birmingham. Mr Duncan Smith is going on a walkabout with members of the Haile Selassie Foundation after a visit to Holyhead Road police station in Handsworth. The Rastafarian-aided patrols aim to break down barriers between the police and the local community. TWO ARRESTED OVER £2m BURGLARY Two people have been arrested over a £2m raid on the Worcestershire country house which inspired Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited. Detectives also found decorative boxes and rock crystal stolen in the burglary at Madresfield Court near Malvern. A 48-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman were arrested and bailed on suspicion of handling stolen goods. MAN CLEARED OF SMUGGLING A Worcestershire labourer accused of helping to smuggle nearly half a tonne of handrolling tobacco by sea from France to the UK has been acquitted. Exeter Crown Court found Oliver Delahay, 22, of Stourport-on-Severn, not guilty of conspiracy to evade duty on the importation of the tobacco. Delahay told Customs officers he went on the voyage "for a bit of sun". MAN BECOMES OLDEST LOTTO WINNER A Uttoxeter octogenarian has become the oldest known winner of the Lottery jackpot after landing £2.3m in last weekend's rollover draw. Reginald Smith, 85, was handed a cheque for £2,371,361 at Uttoxeter racecourse and immediately pledged to book his place in a grandstand box at the venue. The racing fan and great-grandfather has played the Lottery since it began. STUDENT DEVELOPS DIABETES WATCH A new device designed by a student from Leicestershire could make needles to test blood sugar levels in diabetics a thing of the past. Alan Popejoy, 22, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, developed his "Smart Watch" idea as part of his studies at Nottingham Trent University. The device triggers an alarm when glucose levels become too high or low. APPEAL OVER SHAKESPEARE CHURCH Trustees of a Warwickshire church where William Shakespeare was baptised and buried have appealed for financial help to safeguard its future. The Friends of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon has been set up to raise money for repairs. But new members are needed to raise £100,000 after visitors were hit by the Sars outbreak and foot-and-mouth. FAMILY PHOTOS USED IN PLEA The soldier from Derbyshire shot and killed in Iraq pulled out photographs of his family to show his attackers, an Iraqi eye-witness has said. Cpl Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, and his five Royal Military Police colleagues hoped this would save them, Ali Al-Ateya said. The six Red Caps also put in a radio call for help. But none came PRAYER SERVICE FOR SOLDIERS Prayers are being said for the soldier from Derbyshire who was killed while defending a police station in Iraq. Cpl Russell Aston and his five colleagues gunned down in Al Majar al-Kabir are being remembered at a service at Chichester Cathedral. The service was to mark the 200th anniversary of the RMP's Roussillon Barracks, but will now be a sombre one. TWO DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS IN CITY Police are investigating two drive-by shootings in Birmingham. Shots were fired between vehicles in the Frederick Road-Bevington Road area of Aston in the first incident, a West Midlands police spokesman said. One or more of the vehicles was then driven to the Brantley Road-Electric Avenue area of Witton, where more shots were fired. No-one was injured. RIVER BODY TO BE IDENTIFIED Police in Worcester are due to release further details about the discovery of a body recovered from the River Severn. West Mercia Police are attempting to establish if the body was that of a Hereford man who jumped into the river. The man was sucked under the water near to New Road cricket ground after leaping from Worcester Bridge. The incident was witnessed by cricket fans. SOLDIER IN MOUNTAINS CHALLENGE A Staffordshire soldier who almost died six years ago in a abseiling accident will join four colleagues climbing remote American mountains. Sgt Robert Stevenson, 32, from Abbots Bromley, suffered multiple injuries when he plummeted 75ft in a charity abseil in Birmingham's Victoria Square. The serviceman aims to scale the 5,748 metre Cerro Gigante Grande in Bolivia. CARE HOME PROVISIONS CONCERN Concerns about the provision of care homes in Birmingham for the elderly have been flagged up in the Commons. Sutton Coldfield's Tory MP Andrew Mitchell said the issue was of "great concern" in his constituency and the wider Birmingham area. "Over the last three years more than 120 beds have closed in Birmingham," he told MPs. £200,000 PLASMA TVs TAKEN Burglars escaped with plasma screens worth more than £200,000 after breaking into a freight depot in Birmingham, British Transport Police have said. Almost 100 42in screens were taken from the site in Landor Street, Bordesley. The screens, which were boxed and have the model No PX42VP4GS, are not compatible with DVDs or TV without modification. COUPLE LOSE BID TO AVOID BILL A Warwickshire couple have lost their bid to avoid paying the £95,000 cost of repairs to the chancel of their church. Andrew and Gail Wallbank, the owners of Glebe Farm at Aston Cantlow, are liable for repairs under an ancient law. The House of Lords has ruled against a Court of Appeal decision two years ago which cleared the couple of their liability to pay. PRINCE ENJOYS VEGETABLE BANTER The Prince of Wales admitted he enjoyed banter with vegetables as he opened an extension to Europe's largest organic research centre in Warwickshire. The prince was opening an interactive exhibition at Ryton Organic Gardens. He said: "Bearing in mind some of my more illuminating conversations have been with vegetables, I am delighted with this development." TEENAGER WINS £15 DAMAGES A King's Norton teenager is celebrating winning £15.45p for unlawful deduction of wages, one of the smallest sums ever awarded by an employment tribunal. Julianne Garbett, 17, won a day's pay at a Birmingham hearing after walking out on the first day of her job. Shop manager, John Ugurji, refused her a break in an eight-hour shift at the Mr Sandwich and Miss Baguette shop. WOMAN IN BATTLE TO SAVE EMBRYOS A West Midlands woman has begun a High Court battle to prevent her frozen embryos from being destroyed. Lorraine Hadley, 38, from Sandwell, underwent IVF treatment with her partner before they separated. He has since refused permission for the use of the embryos, which the law says will be destroyed unless both parties consent to their storage and use. EXAM SCRIPTS IN MIX-UP An administrative error led to a batch of GCSE papers being wrongly sent to the home of a student at a Birmingham college, exam giant Edexcel has said. The group said it sent a further set of religious studies papers to the home of post-graduate student Christian Jones, who had pulled out of the marking job. Mr Jones, 25, is training to become a teacher at Birmingham's Newman College. FLATS HIT BY TWO ARSON ATTACKS Police and firefighters are probing two arson attacks on the same floor of a 15-storey Walsall tower block which happened within hours of each other. Two of the four residents rescued by firefighters from the 11th floor of Leadbetter House, Somerfield Road, had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Earlier, the five top storeys were damaged after the same floor was hit. SPECIAL PROJECT TO CONTINUE A unique project to train special police constables in Warwickshire to use life-saving equipment is to continue for a second year. The volunteer policemen qualified to use the portable automatic external defibrillator are also set to learn how to administer oxygen to victims. The medical equipment was donated by the British Heart Foundation. ARMED PATROLS STEPPED UP Armed police are spending a third day patrolling the streets around a Birmingham barber's shop where two men were seriously hurt in a shooting. Detectives are keeping an open mind over the attack in Witton Road, Aston, after a man was shot in the head and another suffered a broken shoulder. A third man was stabbed in the arm in a nearby street just hours later. SPEEDING DRIVERS TO GET WARNING Electronic signs are being switched on in villages across Northamptonshire to remind drivers to slow down. Motorists driving over the 30mph or 40mph limit will be told to cut their speed once the signs are operational. The signs include ones in Charwelton, Yardley Hastings, Collyweston, Flore, Easton on the Hill, Upper Heyford, Wilby, Isham, Welford and Watford. BIKER DIES IN COLLISION A motorcyclist has been killed and his companion seriously injured after a collision in Shropshire. The 40-year-old rider, who has not been identified, died after he and another male biker were in collision with a car on the B4368 at Holdgate, near Ludlow. The other motorcyclist was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, but there are no details of his condition. DISABLED WOMAN IN SEX ATTACK Police have asked residents in Nuneaton to check domestic CCTV systems for footage of an offender who committed a sex attack on a disabled woman. The victim, 41, was seriously sexually assaulted by a man who called at her home in the vicinity of School Walk. Officers want to speak to anyone whose CCTV equipment may have recorded something at about 4.30pm on June 23. FLAT EVACUATED DURING BIN FIRE Residents had to be evacuated from a flat after arsonists set fire to bins at the back of a supermarket in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Officers spotted the blaze at the back of Safeways, Shorecroft, where they found rubbish which was well alight. They alerted the occupants of a nearby flat which was being damaged and the residents safely escaped. GRAFFITI CLEANER HITS STREET A new graffiti cleaner is taking to the streets of a Birmingham suburb to get rid of unsightly slogans and drawings on walls. Under a six-month pilot scheme in Sheldon, a cleaner with specialist equipment will respond to calls from residents with reports of graffiti. The new cleaner can be contacted on a dedicated mobile number - 07919 166417.
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