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MAN DUE IN COURT OVER DEATH A 23-year-old is due before magistrates in Newcastle-under-Lyme charged with the murder of a grandfather found stabbed at his home in Staffordshire. The defendant, who has not been named, was detained on Friday by officers probing the death of Harold Bunn, 59. Mr Bunn was found dead in his home in Kidsgrove, near Stoke-on-Trent, on New Year's Eve. MP BACKS SCREENING PROGRAMME Worcester MP Michael Foster is backing the introduction of a county-wide Newborn Hearing Screening Programme. The NHS service is designed to identify hearing impairments, meaning babies get earlier help with social development alongside support for parents. "Early diagnosis of any problem will help minimise the effect of hearing impairment," Mr Foster said. MANUFACTURING OUTLOOK 'GLOOMY' Exporting manufacturers in Birmingham and Solihull paint a gloomy picture for the New Year, according to figures from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Advance orders have slumped alarmingly and there is little confidence that things will get better, according to the last quarterly economic survey. A spokesman said: "Manufacturers clearly feel pessimistic about 2004." CRACKDOWN ON COURT ABSENCES Police in east Birmingham have pledged a New Year crackdown on defendants who have failed to appear in court. Sukhi Gahir, of the offender management team, said: "We want to warn people who have failed to attend court that they face being traced and arrested." "People should consider whether it is in their own interest to surrender themselves to a police station." OZZY 'DIED' TWICE IN CRASH Birmingham-born rocker Ozzy Osbourne "died" twice after his quad-bike crash on his Bucks estate, he has revealed. The ex-Black Sabbath frontman was saved by bodyguard Sam Ruston, who gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when he stopped breathing at Chalfont St Peter. "If it wasn't for Sam I probably wouldn't be here. He had to bring me back to life twice," Ozzy said. SCHEME RAISES FUNDS FOR CHARITY An innovative printer cartridge and mobile phone recycling scheme which generates funds for three Warwickshire charities has been hailed as a success. Warwickshire's Waste Forum said the Freepost scheme has attracted hundreds of users since its launch in October. The project generates income for Myton Hospice, Guide Dogs for the Blind and the county's air ambulance. COUNCIL'S FUNDING PLEDGE South Shropshire District Council has pledged to use cash from the sale of Ludlow's Castle Flats to raise further external funding. The flats have been sold for £500,000 to the Trustees of the Powis Estates, the owners of the historic castle. Council leader Heather Kidd said: "We can use the money to attract many times this amount into long-term investment." FAMILY APPEAL OVER TORTOISE A Sutton Coldfield family whose tortoise was stolen in a burglary have appealed for it to be returned. Steve and Karen Morris said their four children were distraught at the theft of 50-year-old Spuds. Mr Morris, 52, said the thieves may not have realised Spuds was in the box as they helped themselves to drink which had been stockpiled for Christmas. BLUE IS CAR BUYERS' FAVOURITE A survey of car buyers across the West Midlands has found that almost a third opted for blue vehicles during 2003. Local retailer CD Bramall said that traditional favourite red accounted for just 13% of the year's new car sales. Marketing director Neil Addley said: "A car is often the second largest investment most of us make so it makes sense to choose the colour carefully." LOCAL GIRL DENISE SPEARHEADS NEW FITNESS INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN Nike Jumpstart UK returns for a second time in a bid to motivate and energise women to get fit and maintain exercise programmes. From January 1st it has become possible to go online and download a unique fitness regime that comprises elements from a variety of different sports. Coupled with expert advice and tips to get going Jumpstart aims to keep women focussed and maintain those initial good intentions of the New Year. All needs and fitness levels are catered for and progress can be achieved at your own pace and moulded to fit into modern women’s busy lifestyles.
Both Paula Radcliffe and Denise Lewis endorse the programme, the latter having recently given birth and understanding the difficulty and mental strength it takes to getting back in shape. With the onset of the Olympics next year, both will be competing at the highest levels once again so are ideal spokespeople for women interested in fitness and exercise. For more information go to www.nikewomen.com/uk. HIGH SUICIDE RATE AT PRISONS Two prisons in the West Midlands recorded the highest number of suicides in England and Wales last year, a new report has revealed. Five people took their own lives at Blakenhurst Prison in Redditch, while Birmingham Prison was one of four institutions recording four suicides. The figures were released by the Howard League for Penal Reform. MAN KILLED IN CAR COLLISION One man died and another was injured during a collision in Staffordshire, police have said. The victim, who has not been named, died at the scene of the crash on the A449 at Kidderminster Road, Wombourne. He was driving a Ford Focus which was in collision with an Audi A4. The Audi driver, from Bobbington, is being treated at hospital in Dudley. FIRE BREAKS OUT AT WASTE DEPOT More than 40 firefighters have been called to tackle a severe blaze at a six-storey waste depot in Coventry. The fire centred on a fourth floor waste hopper, where scrap paper and refuse was held at the Waste Reduction Unit in London Road. A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said the fire was thought to have started accidentally. SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ CRASH A Staffordshire soldier has been killed with a colleague in a crash in Iraq. Sgt Norman Patterson, 28, and Maj James Stenner, 30, both believed to be from the elite SAS, died in a road accident on New Year's Day. Their vehicle struck a barrier forming part of a security chicane in Baghdad, the MoD said. The deaths bring total UK losses to 55 since the conflict began. MORE MURDER DETAILS RELEASED Detectives are releasing more details about the murder of a 78-year-old man in Wolverhampton. Sohan Singh died in hospital after suffering head injuries in a Christmas Eve attack at the Guru Nanak Sikh temple in Park Village in the city. Mr Singh was fatally injured at the gurdwara in Cannock Road, where he worked as a volunteer. MP SUGGESTS CIVIL JOBS SWITCH Civil servants working at the Department of Trade and Industry in London should be relocated to the West Midlands, a Euro-MP has suggested. Michael Cashman said jobs should move to Birmingham, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and the Black Country to boost the regional economy. The Labour MEP's comments were made in a letter to Chancellor Gordon Brown. THREE DENY CRASH DEATHS CHARGES Three men have denied charges over the deaths of a pregnant teacher, from Daventry, and her unborn baby in a crash in Northamptonshire. At Northampton Crown Court, Ratnam Yogan, 28, denied causing the death by dangerous driving of Deborah Peaty, 26, and her daughter, Charlotte. He and two other men denied conspiracy and were bailed to reappear next month. MAN REMANDED OVER MURDER A 23-year-old man has been remanded in custody over the murder of a grandfather who was found stabbed to death at his bungalow in Kidsgrove. Keith David Griffiths, of Crystal Street, Stoke-on-Trent, appeared before the town's magistrates accused of killing 59-year-old Harold Bunn. Mr Bunn was found dead at a sheltered housing complex in Hollinwood Close. MURDER PROBE OVER STREET ATTACK Police are preparing to question three youths on suspicion of murder after a 40-year-old man died following an altercation in a Shropshire street. Derek Duffett died in hospital after he was assaulted by a gang of teenagers in his home town of Newport, police said. Three youths arrested on suspicion of assault and released on bail before Mr Duffett's death will be re-interviewed. FIRM FINED OVER WAREHOUSE DEATH A Stafford company which designed a 17-metre steel column that killed a 16-year-old worker must pay £160,000 for health and safety breaches. Christopher Kerton was constructing a warehouse in Lutterworth when the unsecured structure fell over. Conder Structures pleaded guilty and was fined £100,000 at Leicester Crown Court with £59,374.61 costs.
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