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8th. September 2003 NURSE IN COURT OVER DEATHS A nurse accused of attempting to murder five patients at a Crewe hospital is due to appear at Chester Crown Court. Barbara Salisbury, from Pontybodkin, near Mold, North Wales, is expected to plead not guilty during the hearing. Salisbury is accused of attempting to murder James Byrne, Reuben Thompson, Frances Taylor, Frank Owen and Bertram Madeley at Leighton Hospital. MAN FOUND ON STREET DIES Police are trying to identify a man who died after being found unconscious on a street in Leamington Spa. A West Midlands Police spokesman said the man, who was in his mid-40s and 5ft 10in with brown unkempt hair, was found on Dale Street. He was taken to Warwick Hospital where he later died. Police are not treating the death as suspicious. THREE HELD AFTER RIVER DEATH Two women and a man have been arrested after a woman died in a boating accident during a Worcestershire town carnival, police said. The craft got into difficulties on the River Severn in Stourport-on-Severn, shortly after 10pm on Saturday. The 20ft cruiser, called Sweetie Pie, capsized near the town's marina but the woman was trapped under the waterline. DEGREE FOR SOCCER HERO An ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers captain who led his side to FA Cup glory in 1960 is to be awarded an honorary degree by the city's university. William Slater won three League Championships with the West Midlands club and played more than 400 games. Mr Slater is to receive an honorary Doctor of Education for his work in sports education. MAN DIES IN POLICE CUSTODY An investigation is under way into the death of a Birmingham man who was arrested following a struggle and taken into police custody. The 38-year-old was detained outside an address in Wilton Street, Lozells, following reports of a break-in. The man was taken to Thornhill Road police station following a struggle but was later pronounced dead at hospital. AIR LINK TO HIGHLANDS An air route is being launched between Birmingham and the Scottish Highlands, ministers are expected to announce. Scotland's transport minister, Nicol Stephen, will reveal plans for the link during the launch of the ninth World Route Development Forum in Edinburgh. Eastern Airways will begin a twice-daily service between Birmingham and Inverness on October 26. RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS SET TO MEET Religious scholars from across the world are gathering at an international conference in Birmingham to discuss the merits of a pluralist society. More than 40 Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists from 16 countries are set to meet at the University of Birmingham. They are set to share their fears about the idea of a single world religion. HORSE PASSPORTS PREVENT THEFT Horse owners across Warwickshire are being alerted to the introduction of a new scheme requiring all horses to have a passport. A spokesman said all animals of the equine or asinine species will be required to hold the document from November 30 this year. Organisers believe passports may prevent the sale of stolen horses. BOY CRITICAL AFTER COLLISION A 13-year-old boy is in a critical condition in hospital after a road accident in West Bromwich, police said. The teenager suffered a fractured skull and brain injuries when he was in collision with a black Ford Escort car in Phoenix Street. West Midlands Police are appealing for witnesses. The boy is being treated at Birmingham Children's Hospital. FUNDING APPLICATIONS ENCOURAGED Farmers across Shropshire and Staffordshire are being encouraged to consider applying for money from a £13m rural development fund. A series of workshops are being organised for people planning diversification and anyone thinking of improving their rural businesses. A spokesman said the workshops allow more people to talk about their ideas. ARMED ROBBER GIVES HIMSELF UP An armed robber who failed to appear in court for sentence last week has handed himself in to police in Staffordshire. Gurjett Reehal, 26, from Goldthorn Park, Wolverhampton, was one of three defendants charged with robbing two Little Chef restaurants. Reehal, who has pleaded guilty to robbery, will now appear before Cannock magistrates or at Stafford Crown Court TWO KILLED IN CRASH FIREBALL Two people have died after their car crashed into a lamppost and brick wall near Walsall and burst into flames. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the victims were trapped inside the vehicle in Erdington Road, Aldridge. Ambulance service spokesman Steve Evans said: "It's one of the most horrific incidents that some of the crews have had to face." NURSE DENIES MURDER BID CHARGES A former nurse has denied trying to kill five of her elderly patients at a Crewe hospital. Barbara Salisbury, 47, of North Wales, is accused of five counts of attempted murder at Leighton Hospital. The plea and direction hearing at Chester Crown Court was adjourned until November 10. Salisbury was remanded on conditional bail. THREE BAILED AFTER RIVER DEATH Three people arrested over the death of a woman when their pleasure boat capsized during a Worcestershire town carnival have been released on bail. The man and two women are continuing to help police officers with their inquiries. They were held after a 20ft cruiser capsized at Stourport-on-Severn marina, trapping and killing a woman. NODDY HOLDER TO FRONT AWARDS Former Slade frontman Noddy Holder MBE has agreed to host Walsall's first ever Mayor's Civic Awards ceremony. The Walsall-born musician and actor will announce the winners of 10 award categories, including Good Citizen, at the Bescot Stadium event. Noddy said: "I am looking forward to going back, as I always have a great time there with fantastic people." SIKH SOLICITOR GIVES EVIDENCE A Sikh solicitor from Birmingham sacked by the Commission for Racial Equality is to give evidence to a tribunal panel considering unfair dismissal claims. Taqdir Singh Bains, 31, is claiming racial and sexual discrimination and victimisation, wrongful and unfair dismissal and breach of contract. Mr Bains, from Edgbaston, claims there is "anti-Asian bias" at the watchdog. POST-MORTEM PROVES INCONCLUSIVE Post-mortem tests on a Birmingham man who died shortly after being arrested have proved inconclusive, police said. Michael Lloyd Powell, 38, of Lozells, collapsed and died after being detained by officers who had been called to investigate broken windows at a house. He was taken to Birmingham's City Hospital from Thornhill Road police station and pronounced dead on arrival. UNCERTAINTY HANGS OVER JOBS Uncertainty is hanging over the jobs of 312 staff employed by a US-owned steel firm with a plant in Crewe after it slid into administration. PricewaterhouseCoopers have been appointed joint administrators of Sheffield Forgemasters Rolls, which supplies cast and forged steel rolls. The firm also employs workers in Coatbridge, Scotland. PROSTITUTE CRACKDOWN HAILED A scheme to clear prostitutes off the streets of Birmingham has been declared a success by city councillors. Six months after the first civil injunctions were taken out against women found soliciting in Edgbaston, numbers have dropped dramatically. Cllr Mick Rice said: "The aim is to put an end to the anti-social behaviour the residents of Edgbaston have suffered." SOCCER TEAM IN BHAJI BOOST A Wolverhampton soccer team sponsored by an Indian-owned pub have substituted half-time oranges for onion bhajis. Billa's AFC say the snacks have helped them overpower one rival team 6-0 and make an unbeaten start to the season. Billa's Bar owner Mac Matta said: "One lad decided football and curries were the greatest things in his life so we decided to combine the two." DRUGS CHARGES FOLLOW RAIDS Twenty-five people have been charged with the supply of Class A drugs following a series of raids by police in Stoke-on-Trent. A Staffordshire Police spokesman said more than 250 officers from across the county were involved in the swoops following months of investigations. Those charged will appear before magistrates in Newcastle-under-Lyme. ILLEGAL EXTENSION DEMOLISHED Council contractors have demolished an illegal house extension while its Telford owner serves out a prison sentence for refusing to pull it down. Sylvester Nseowo was jailed for three months after he extended his house in Checkley Lane, St Georges, without planning permission. Mr Nseowo now faces being charged for the cost of demolition and materials. MAN JAILED FOR Pcs GUN THREAT A Birmingham man who threatened two policemen with a handgun shortly after being freed from prison has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Sharif Tyrone Anthony Cousins, 27, pulled the gun out during a routine check in Winson Green, Birmingham. Cousins pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. MP CONDEMNS AIRPORT PLAN DELAY An MP has condemned as "disgraceful" the Government's decision to delay its response to the possible expansion of Birmingham International Airport. Meriden Tory MP Caroline Spelman, whose constituency would be affected by the plans, said a decision due this autumn has been put back, possibly to 2004. She said: "A delay will mean more misery for residents." APPEAL AFTER MAN FOUND DEAD Police are appealing for help to piece together the last movements of a man found dead in Ludlow. The body of Tommy Griffiths, 20, was found two days after he went missing from his home in Lower Galdeford. A police spokesman said officers want to establish his whereabouts on the two days before his body was discovered under an aqueduct in Lower Wood Road. APOLOGY OVER HEADSTONE DEMAND A couple who were told the headstone erected in memory of their 11-year-old daughter was one inch too high have won an apology from Solihull Council. Carole and Bill Mitchell were asked to remove the memorial at Woodlands Cemetery in Chelmsley Wood because it breached graveyard regulations. Kelly Mitchell died in January from a chest infection after major surgery. ORGAN DONOR SHORTAGES DISCUSSED A critical shortage of organ donors from members of Birmingham's black and south Asian communities is being discussed at a conference in the city. Transplant experts, spiritual leaders and bereavement workers will discuss the impact religion has on people's decisions to donate organs after death. Blacks and south Asians are the most likely to need a transplant in the UK. MOVE DTI TO MIDLANDS, MP URGES An MP has urged the Government to move the Department of Trade and Industry from London to the West Midlands. Hall Green Labour MP Steve McCabe said he fully supports relocation of some Government functions to the regions. "Birmingham is the heart of the country's manufacturing industry so it seems sensible to move the DTI to where it's most needed - our city," he added. TWO KILLED IN CRASH FIREBALL A pensioner and her 55-year-old passenger died after their car burst into flames near Walsall, police said. Ambulance chiefs said the victims were trapped inside the Ford Sierra, driven by a 65-year-old woman, when it hit a wall in Erdington Road, Aldridge. Neither of the victims has yet been identified. Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash.
CONCERN GROWS FOR MISSING WOMAN Concern is growing for a 50-year-old woman who has gone missing from her home near Nuneaton. Susan Bennett, of St Wilford Cottages in Arley, was last seen in Queen's Road, Nuneaton, on Monday. A police spokesman said she was in "a depressed state" and did not have any money with her. She has a birthmark on her nose, black hair and is 5ft 5ins. DIVER DROWNS ON SHIPWRECK A diver from Stoke-on-Trent has drowned after becoming trapped in a shipwreck. The body of Dean Herne, 31, was found inside the wreck of the Zenobia cargo ship off the coast of Larnaca in Cyprus. He had been in a party of 10 scuba divers diving to the ship, and may have removed his breathing apparatus after becoming stuck on the wreck. REFEREE DIES DURING MATCH A Wolverhampton football referee collapsed and died during a match as horrified players and fans looked on. Grandfather Maurice Podmore, 68, had just blown the half-time whistle when he was taken ill. Mr Podmore, a retired toolmaker, had been refereeing a Wolverhampton Combination League match at Aldersley stadium in the town. WIFE 'DEVASTATED' BY DEATH The wife of a Wolverhampton referee who died during a football match has said she is "devastated". Janet Podmore, married to Maurice, 68, for 44 years, said: "It is like it is a dream and it is not happening. It is just a big chunk out of my life. "He was always a lively, bubbly person. Nobody thought he was the age he was. He would do anything for anybody." MACHETE ATTACK HEROINE PREGNANT A former nursery nurse who suffered horrific injuries when she tried to shield youngsters in Wolverhampton from a machete attacker is expecting a baby. Lisa Potts, 28, is said by a close friend to be "thrilled to bits". Ms Potts received £68,300 compensation for her injuries, inflicted by schizophrenice Horrett Campbell at St Luke's School, Blakenhall, in 1996. MP CALLS FOR MORE CHEAP HOUSING A Shropshire Labour MP has urged the Government to double the rate of affordable housing which is being built in rural communities. Peter Bradley, MP for The Wrekin, said more money and a shake-up of the planning system was needed to increase cheaper housing. He said: "The provision of affordable housing is the key to rural revival." £1m FUNDING FOR TOWN'S STREETS More than £1m funding has been secured by Walsall Council to improve town centre streets and public spaces. The European Regional Development Fund's award will also attract a further £2.2m from the regional development agency. The proposals include improving safety and access and creating boulevard-style areas for pedestrians. THIRD OF STUDENTS SUFFER CRIME West Midlands Police have said one in three students become a victim of crime during their time at university. Officers say thieves commit offences against students because they own valuable goods and are seen by thieves as easy targets. Police officers have met with students and security from six universities in the region to discuss the problem. DRUGS CHARGES FOLLOW RAIDS Twenty-five people have been charged with the supply of Class A drugs following a series of raids by police in Stoke-on-Trent. A Staffordshire Police spokesman said more than 250 officers from across the county were involved in the swoops following months of investigations. Those charged will appear before magistrates in Newcastle-under-Lyme. RESCUE CHAPEL, RESIDENTS URGED Residents of Stoke-on-Trent are being urged to help save Hanley's historic Bethesda Chapel. The Grade II listed building has made it to the final of the BBC2 Restoration series, on which viewers can vote to have an old building renovated. Mayor Mike Wolfe said: "I want local people to get behind the appeal to save Bethesda and to vote in the poll." RAIL DISRUPTION CONTINUES Rail travellers between Birmingham and London are continuing to face major disruption after Silverlink services were withdrawn amid safety concerns. Only two of the firm's Class 321 services are operating from Milton Keynes to London while checks are made. And the firm has warned most Silverlink 321 trains will not be back in operation until Monday at the earliest. ATTACK VICTIM FIGHTS FOR LIFE A 40-year-old Sandwell man is fighting for his life after being found with serious head injuries in West Bromwich. Police say the unidentified man, who was found in High Street on Monday, is believed to have been involved in an altercation with another man. The victim had been out drinking with his girlfriend and other friends. Police have appealed for information. ROBBERY INITIATIVE LAUNCHED A major initiative to help cut so-called "cash in transit" robberies has been launched by West Midlands Police. The force said it is using specialist surveillance vans to carry out covert and overt patrols on collection points and routes used by security firm vans. Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hyde said: "It is vital (we) work with the security firms to tackle criminals." DIRECTOR TO BE SENTENCED A Wrekin company director who admitted selling unsafe equipment for use on North Sea oil rigs is due to be sentenced at Derby Crown Court. Paul Timson, 47, sold unsafe ball valves for Texaco and BP gas and oil installations and forged safety certificates to go with them. Timson, of Arleston, admitted charges relating to the sale of the equipment. THIEF STEALS DETONATORS A thief has stolen railway equipment from a van in Walsall, including detonators used to warn track workers of approaching trains. The devices, taken from a Volkswagen van parked in Stanley Place, are said to be "relatively stable" but may explode if subjected to a heavy impact. Anyone with information is asked to call 0845 113 5000. MP WELCOMES CARE MEASURES Dudley South MP Ian Pearson has welcomed moves to conduct more checks on staff working with the elderly and adults with learning disabilities. The Labour MP, who believes the measures will help prevent abuse and neglect, said: "We owe it to the most vulnerable people to do all we can." "The enhanced level of checks has been welcomed by care providers." he added. NATIONAL SIKH BODY LAUNCHED Plans to create the first UK-based Sikh political party are to be announced at a national conference in Wolverhampton. More than 10,000 Sikhs are expected at the three-day National Sikh Convention at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gudwara in Sedgley Street. Members of the 700,000-strong British Sikh community will hear details of the launch of the UK Sikh Foundation. THIEF STRIKES AT STORE A raider stole a cash and a large number of phone cards during a burglary at a Co-Op in Daventry. The thief took the haul from the store in Highfield Road after gaining access to a till. Police have asked the public to be aware of anyone selling large quantities of phone cards in the area and have appealed for information. PASSENGER MILESTONE FOR AIRPORT Birmingham International Airport had 1,017,452 passengers in August, a 12.9% rise on last year and the first time it has broken the one million mark. EU traffic rose by 30.5%, international services were up 25.8% and the number of travellers using domestic flights increased 7.7%, figures have shown. MD Richard Heard said it was testament to an on-going aviation recovery. DAMAGES CLAIM BY STAR'S WIDOW The widow of a former TV star has begun a legal battle with the Staffordshire rehabilitation clinic he checked into days before his death. Kevin Lloyd - Tosh Lines on The Bill -choked to death while recovering from alcoholism just after being sacked. His wife, Lesley, claims negligence by the management of the Dove Clinic, near Burton-on-Trent.
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