|
   
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 & WEB DESIGN PACKAGES
|
THREE INJURED IN BUS COLLISION A party of 10 Coventry schoolchildren escaped serious injury when their minibus toppled on to its side after colliding with a car in Staffordshire. The pupils were on holiday on moorlands when the LDV vehicle collided with a Rover Maestro on the B5053 at Warslow. Two occupants of the Rover were seriously injured and a 15-year-old boy needed treatment for minor injuries. FAMILIES HIT OUT AT IRAQ PROBE A Derbyshire man and other relatives of six British military police killed by a mob in Iraq fear the inquiry into their deaths will be a "cover up". Families of the Red Caps who died criticised the Ministry of Defence for its handling of the investigation. Mike Aston, father of Corporal Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, said he had been looking forward to his return. KILLER SET TO BE SENTENCED Two cousins are set to be sentenced over the murder of a 21-year-old Muslim bride-to-be who was stabbed to death at her Birmingham home on her wedding day. Rafaqat Hussain, 38, stabbed dressmaker Sahjda Bibi 22 times after plotting the killing with Tafarak Hussain, 26, who helped him flee to Pakistan. They are due to be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court. CAUTION URGED OVER FIREWORKS West Midlands Fire Service are warning of the dangers of transporting fireworks on the back seat of cars. Fireworks - which should always be carried in the boot away from flammable materials - have the potential to turn a vehicle into a "car bomb". Station Officer Stuart Murphy said firework misuse was a particular problem at this time of year. CAR MAINTENANCE DRIVE TO START West Mercia Police are launching a campaign featuring a car adapted to highlight faults which can develop when vehicles are not properly maintained. The campaign, being launched at force headquarters near Worcester on Tuesday, has been organised to emphasise that maintenance is crucial to safe driving. A spokesman said it is illegal to drive with defects such as split wipers. CRASH VICTIM FIGHTING FOR LIFE A man is fighting for his life in hospital after the car in which he was a passenger struck a tree in Main Street, Anslow, near Burton-on-Trent. He was airlifted to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after being cut free from the wreckage by firefighters. He has not been named. The driver is being treated at Queen's Hospital, Burton. Witnesses are sought. WORK SCHEME BOOST TO UNEMPLOYED A scheme to ensure local people find work at Birmingham's new Bullring retail centre has provided a massive boost to jobseekers. Figures show that of the 5,500 posts created, just over 2,000 were filled via Bullring Jobs 2003 which aims to ensure locals find work at the site. Of those 2,000 vacancies, nearly 70% were filled by unemployed people. NO TROUBLE AT CITY SOCCER DERBY Police have praised Birmingham's soccer fans after the second city derby of the season at St Andrew's passed off with just four arrests. A spokesman said no major incidents of disorder had occurred either before or during the Blues-Villa clash, which ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Last year's matches were marred by crowd trouble. PUB CRAWL'S 11,000th STOP Four beer-loving friends from the Black Country who spend weekends sampling watering holes around Britain have visited their 11,000th bar. Group member Pete Hill, from West Bromwich, said the near 20-year pub crawl hit the 11,000 mark on a visit to Bennett's in Birmingham city centre. "It may be a surprise to people, but we're not massive drinkers," he added. RIGHTS OF WAY CONSULTATION Horse riders and cyclists are being asked their views about how the rights of way network in the Bridgnorth and south Telford areas can be improved. The consultation is part of a pilot study by Shropshire County Council and the Borough of Telford & Wrekin. County councillor Martin Beardwell said: "This is a real opportunity for cyclists to put forward their ideas." MEN JAILED OVER DRUGS PLOT A Shropshire man has been jailed for 10 years for his part in a plan to smuggle more than 230kg of class A and B drugs, worth £20m, into the country. Joseph Kean, 28, from Bishops Castle, was sentenced alongside 11 other men -jailed for up to 22 years each - at Liverpool Crown Court. Birmingham man David Ellis, 41, was jailed for two-and-a-half years SUSPECTED OVERDOSE WOMAN NAMED A 33-year-old woman who died from a suspected overdose in Warwickshire has been named by police. Sarah Whiting was found at a house in Atherstone. A 32-year-old man who was arrested and questioned has been released without charge. The results of further tests, after a post mortem examination failed to reveal how she died, are awaited. POLICE APPEAL OVER HIT-AND-RUN Police are appealing to a hit-and-run lorry driver who knocked down a Birmingham man who later died. Launching the appeal after the first anniversary of Jimmy Cordiner's death, police urged witnesses to the incident on October 14, 2002 to contact them. Jimmy, 37, of Winson Green, suffered head injuries in Lodge Road, Hockley when a lorry hit him and did not stop. MEP CONCERN ON ILLEGAL WORKERS The Government is failing to clamp down on illegal workers or prosecute employers who flout the law, a West Midlands MEP has claimed. Liz Lynne said the arrest of 44 foreign workers at a market near Evesham, Worcs, suggests authorities are failing to tackle the problem. The Lib Dem Euro MP said: "It is time we cracked down on it." POLICE RAID CITY SCRAPYARDS Dozens of police officers have swooped on scrapyards in Birmingham in a unique operation against stolen vehicles. A total of 60 officers paid visits to 15 yards following intelligence that some were harbouring illegally obtained cars and parts. A police spokesman said: "We have information that some yards are the end location for some stolen vehicles." DREAM HOLIDAY FOR LOTTO WINNER A Stafford woman is preparing for a dream holiday in Mexico after winning nearly £60,000 on the Lottery. The lucky winner, whose identity is due to be revealed later, matched five numbers and the bonus ball to scoop the £57,698 prize on October 15. She is due to receive her cheque at the Asda store where she bought the winning ticket, in Lammascote Road. JOB LOSSES AT POWER COMPANIES Job losses in the region are likely after energy group Powergen bought power distributor Midlands Electricity for £1.15bn. The Midlands firm currently employs 3,500 people. The company will now be merged with East Midlands Electricity, which employs 1,500. Spokesman Jonathan Smith said they did not yet know where the cuts would fall. SWOOP AFTER CIGARETTES FOUND Nine people are being questioned after police raided addresses in Birmingham as part of a UK-wide attempt to smash a counterfeit cigarette smuggling ring. The raids came after 23 million illegal cigarettes, believed to be from China, were seized in Belfast and Southampton. Seven men and two women were held on suspicion of smuggling and the laundering of the proceeds of crime. WARNING OVER 'DANGER' DUMMIES A new brand of flashing dummies popular among clubbers could kill a child and should be banned, Birmingham trading standards experts have warned. Officials have discovered the dummies, which could choke or strangle children, being sold by street traders. A spokeswoman said: "These products are potentially very dangerous if they are given to babies or young children." ATTACKER MAY HAVE STRUCK AGAIN Detectives in Shrewsbury believe a man who indecently assaulted two women in the town over the summer may have struck for a third time. The latest victim, a 17-year-old girl, was walking along Telford Way talking on her mobile phone when a man cycled up to her and grabbed her. Police have released an e-fit image of the man and are asking for information. 'HIT SQUAD' TO AID POLICE FORCE A West Midlands police area is to be visited by an expert "hit squad" from Whitehall in a bid to drive up performance, it has emerged. The Smethwick area will get £50,000 from the Police Standards Unit which will intervene at the force to help implement targeted action on crime. Minister Hazel Blears said: "We want communities to break free from crime." FIREWORK HOTLINES SET UP West Midlands Fire Service and Birmingham Trading Standards have set up hotlines for the public to report traders selling fireworks illegally. The scheme will allow offences, such as retailers selling fireworks to children under 18, to be reported anonymously. People can contact West Midlands Fire Service on: 0121 753 1313 or Birmingham Trading Standards on 0800 413381. JARVIS FACING FRESH PROBE Network Rail is investigating claims engineering firm Jarvis entered falsified documents over track work on the West Coast Main Line. The claims relate to the line between Stoke and Macclesfield. Jarvis admitted it had laid some tracks incorrectly. But the firm, already at the centre of the Potters Bar inquiry, strenuously denied the allegations of impropriety. LEAVES INTERFERE WITH CAMERA Drivers have been given a reprieve after a Birmingham speed camera was rendered useless by leaves on the lens. The West Midlands Casualty Reduction Partnership said a twig had been blown in the way by high winds, and not by sabotage as was first thought. Spokesman Adam Warwick said: "We haven't got evidence to suggest it was tampered with. This is Mother Nature." MAN FREED FOR TAPING COURT CASE A retired man caught using a dictaphone to record a case at Birmingham Crown Court has been released from custody after spending a night in the cells. Joseph Irish, 62, from Moseley, was ordered into the dock after a High Court judge spotted him taping proceedings from the public gallery. Irish apologised and said he had set the machine recording by mistake. POST OFFICE CASH MACHINE STOLEN Burglars used a stolen Land Rover and a heavy chain to pull off the front door of a post office in Worcestershire before stealing a cash machine. The raid in Pinvin, near Pershore, on Wednesday night involved three men wearing balaclavas. The grey Land Rover was found in a lay-by. Anyone who has any information should contact 08457 444 888. PUBS TEAM UP TO BEAT VIOLENCE Publicans in Nuneaton town centre have joined together to ensure that troublemakers barred from one pub are refused entry to others. A total of 15 pubs and nightclubs have formed Bars Against Night-time Disorder in a bid to reduce drink-related violence and the fear of crime. Customers who misbehave may be banned from all premises for up to a year. PARK AND RIDE SITE EXTENDED A park and ride site at Birmingham's Northfield railway station has been extended as part of a £280,000 revamp. Transport body Centro said the station has an extra 30 car parking spaces, now giving more than 220 motorists the option of taking the train. Centro hopes the expansion will help to ease parking capacity problems currently experienced on weekdays. CASH FOR OLD STATION'S MAKEOVER The Heritage Lottery Fund has given £530,000 to transform a historic Birmingham railway station into a home for the Royal College of Organists. The funds will pay for detailed design work when the former Curzon Street terminus undergoes a £7.2m makeover. Built in 1838, Curzon Street was the original terminus of the Birmingham-London railway. BOY SERIOUSLY HURT IN COLLISION A 10-year-old boy has been seriously injured when he collided with a car after stepping off a school bus in Worcestershire. The boy was taken by air ambulance to Birmingham Children's Hospital after the collision with a green Rover 75 estate in The Bourne, Dormston. Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident at 4pm on Wednesday. READY, STEADY, LET'S STUDY Primary schoolchildren in the Kitts Green and Shard End area of
MATERNITY UNIT DEATHS PROBED Health watchdogs are carrying out an investigation into Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital maternity unit following a number of infant deaths. The Commission for Health Improvement has been called to examine the cases of possibly five deaths at the hospital. The inquiry was requested by the Birmingham and Black Country Strategic Health Authority. CAR WORKERS REJECT PAY OFFER Workers at Solihull-based car giant Land Rover have voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay offer worth 6.5% over two years, it has been announced. Members of the Transport and General Workers Union turned down the deal by 5,055 votes to 1,117. Union officials are due to meet to discuss their next move, but have urged the firm to reopen negotiations. SIX MORE CHARGED WITH VIOLENCE A further six Staffordshire men have been charged with violent disorder after a Division Two football fixture. Seventeen people have now been charged following raids in connection with violence involving Port Vale supporters after a match in Wrexham on October 4. Twelve men will appear at magistrates in Wrexham on October 12. The remaining five are due to appear on November 3. MP CRITICISED IN REPORT Coventry North West Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson has been criticised in a report into the failure of engineering firm Transtec, which he founded. DTI inspectors said Mr Robinson "swung from hostility to co-operation via irritation" when giving evidence. TransTec went into receivership after it could not keep up with payments to meet an £11m claim made by Ford. MOURNERS TO ATTEND SERVICE Hundreds of funeral mourners in Birmingham are to pay their respects to a seven-year-old girl who was found shot dead along with her father. The joint service for Toni-Ann Byfield and her father Bertram is to take place at the New Testament Church in Lozells, where Toni-Ann attended Sunday School. The pair were gunned down at a bedsit in north-west London on September 14. NEW TEST FOR PREGNANT SMOKERS Birmingham City Hospital has reported a doubling in the number of pregnant smokers who quit the habit after taking a new urine test. The new test, devised by University of Birmingham scientists, was designed to show women their level of consumption. Researchers say it had "a significant effect on smoking habits" with more mothers-to-be reducing their smoking. PATROL CAR RAMMED IN CHASE Police have appealed for information after one of their patrol cars was deliberately rammed during an 80mph chase which began in Evesham. The patrol car was struck only minutes after it started following a Vauxhall Cavalier SRi, registration K15 MWB, which escaped towards Pershore. The patrol car still followed but lost the Vauxhall at Hinton-on-the-Green. EXTRA FLIGHT TO MIDDLE EAST The number of flights between Birmingham International Airport and the Middle East is to be increased, according to an existing carrier. Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, said it would be launching a second daily service next spring. It is thought the flight will be timed to connect with onward travel for destinations like Sydney and Bangkok. 'TRICK-OR-TREAT' WARNING West Midlands Police have issued a pre-Hallowe'en warning to youngsters that "trick-or-treating" can intimidate elderly residents. A force spokesman acknowledged children see Hallowe'en as an opportunity to "have fun and play harmless jokes". But the spokesman also added: "Young people could be putting themselves at risk by knocking on a stranger's door." EX-RAF WOMAN WINS SEX CASE An ex-RAF woman from Shropshire has won her sexual discrimination case against the MoD after complaining about lewd comments made at a training session. Catherine Brumfitt, from Albrighton, objected to a course at RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, that taught officers to deal with sex attacks. The tribunal invited both parties to settle or return for a remedy hearing.
PHONE
BACK TO BIRMINGHAM101 HOME PAGE
|
