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TWO HELD OVER MAN'S DEATH
Two people have been arrested over the suspicious death of a man at a block of flats in Stoke-on-Trent.
The man's body was found at Newchapel Court in Tunstall, according to Staffordshire Police.
A force spokesman said forensic examinations at the scene were continuing and a post-mortem is to take place.

MAN CHARGED OVER CRASH DEATHS
A 19-year-old motorist is to appear before Redditch magistrates on July 27 charged in connection with a Bromsgrove crash in which an elderly couple died.
The 87-year-old man and 79-year-old woman died after their Hyundai Amica collided with a Renault Clio on the B4091 at Hanbury on July 10.
The Clio driver, a local man, has been charged with unspecified offences.

BUS LANES SHUT TO EASE JAMS
Motorists are to be allowed to use bus lanes on a key route into Birmingham in a bid to ease jams caused by roadworks on the M6 and the Aston Expressway.
The bus lane in Tyburn Road will be suspended from Hawkesyard Road to Kingsbury Road, in and out of the city.
Traffic management experts hope the move will help to relieve congestion on the nearby A47.

SCHOOL REVAMP TO GO AHEAD
The redevelopment of Worcester's Elbury Mount Primary School is to go ahead despite an 11th-hour hitch which could have scuppered the plans.
Education Minister Stephen Twigg has rejected an objection to the project lodged by the Independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel in May.
The panel objected to the decision not to spend £1m on education facilities.

DRIVER KILLED IN TRAILER CRASH
A 65-year-old Lichfield driver has been killed when his car smashed through a fence and struck a lorry trailer.
The motorist was driving a Mercedes when it careered off Wood End Lane, Fradley, into the haulage compound.
Police have yet to establish how the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene, lost control of the car and have appealed for witnesses.

CHALLENGE TO MAKE TOWN TIP-TOP
Residents are being urged to help "take the tip out of Tipton" by entering the town's garden competition.
The call has come from reigning Tiptonian of the Year Pauline Hodgetts, who chairs the Friends of Victoria Park group sponsoring the competition.
The event, split into four classes including one for children, is run by Sandwell council's Tipton town team.

BABY'S DEATH 'NOT SUSPICIOUS'
The death of a five-week-old girl at an address in Burton-on-Trent is not being treated as suspicious, police said.
Officers said the sudden death was reported to Staffordshire Ambulance Service from a Shakespeare Road home.
The girl was taken to Queen's Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was held. Police are satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances.

LAST PUSH FOR ELECTION HOPEFULS
Party chiefs are making a frantic late drive on the doorsteps in key Commons by-elections in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Leicester South next Thursday.
The results will be carefully analysed with as little as 10 months to go before a possible General Election.
The two areas cover predominantly working-class suburbs with a large ethnic minority population.

BUS STATION TO RECEIVE REVAMP
Bilston Bus Station is to undergo a £461,000 makeover, public transport body Centro has announced.
The scheme - set for completion in 2006 - will include new CCTV cameras, easy access kerbs at bus stands, improved lighting and public artworks.
Around 1,220 buses use the facility -which was last upgraded 13 years ago -on a daily basis.

SHOPPERS OBLIVIOUS OF BENEFITS
Up to a third of supermarket loyalty card holders in Warwickshire have no idea what benefits they are entitled to, an academic study has found.
The research, by Warwick University economics student Katriona Buchanan, found many customers believed the cards did not affect their buying habits.
But Katriona found loyalty card owners spend an average of £15.32 more.

TOWN HALL CALLS FOR STONEMASON APPRENTICES
Local people are being given a unique opportunity to learn the craft of stonemasonry, and in doing so, will work on one of the city’s most prestigious landmark buildings, Birmingham Town Hall.
As part of its commission to renovate the building’s stonework, Stonewest is offering two modern day apprenticeships in the ancient craft of stonemasonry.
Open to anyone sixteen years of age and above, the apprenticeships comprise two years of Construction Industry Training Board sponsored-study on a block release basis. Based at one of the country's premiere stonemasonry colleges in Bath, the successful applicants will return to Birmingham where they will join a highly skilled team of stonemasons and carvers on site at the Town Hall.
As well as creating the opportunity to be an active part of one of the city’s biggest conservation programmes, the apprenticeships also provide a recognised NVQ qualification.
Paul Woods is Project Manager for Stonewest, “We’re keen to attract applications from men and women from every age range and ethnicity. With no previous experience necessary, the most impressive candidates will demonstrate enthusiasm, dedication and an interest in architecture and conservation.”
The apprentices will learn the traditional skills of masonry and addition the training will also provide a general understanding of construction site management and procedures, including health and safety.
Accommodation at the City of Bath College will be provided for the duration of the college programme. The apprentices will also receive £265 per week living costs.The deadline for interview requests is 10am Friday 13 August 2004. To request an interview or for further details, contact Paul Woods or Lee Saunders at Stonewest on 0121 233 0846.

PENSIONER DIES IN CAR CRASH
An elderly man died and another was seriously injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a lorry in Warwickshire.
The dead man was a passenger in a car which collided with the lorry in The Fosseway near Coventry.
The driver was airlifted to Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

MI5 'TO OPEN REGIONAL BASE'
The security service is to set up bases in the West Midlands and other regions which are home to Islamic extremist groups, it has been claimed.
It is reported that MI5 will place intelligence officers, surveillance teams and analysts across the country to test out the plan within months.
Anti-terror raids have been carried out in Dudley and Walsall in the last year.

CASH TO HELP AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Development agency Advantage West Midlands has approved a further £1.5m of funding to help the region's aerospace maunfacturers.
The cash has been allocated in the latest phase of the agency's Lift Off programme, set up after a downturn caused by September 11 and Sars.
More than 25,000 people work for 500 aerospace firms in the region.

HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT UNVEILED
Thousands of blind and partially sighted people are gathering in Birmingham for the largest exhibition of European technology and services.
The event, which is in its 11th year, is being held at the Queen Alexandra College for the Blind.
Among the items on display is the Ultra Cane, which provides information about obstructions using ultrasound.

MAN ATTACKED WITH POOL CUE
A Coventry man sustained serious facial injuries when he was attacked with a pool cue at a pub in Bedworth.
The 22-year-old was assaulted at the Carousel pub in Dark Lane at 8pm on Monday evening.
Warwickshire Police said the victim was taken to the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton. Two men have been arrested and are being questioned by police.

INQUESTS ON CAR CRASH COUPLE
Inquests are due to open on an elderly man and wife who died when their car was in a head-on collision with another vehicle at Hanbury, near Bromsgrove.
Herbert Pollitt, 87, and Joan, 79, of Bromsgrove, died after the B4091 crash.
The inquests are being opened at Stourport-on-Severn. A 19-year-old man has been charged with causing the deaths by dangerous driving.

YOUTH BAILED OVER E-MAIL BLITZ
A sacked accounts clerk has been arrested after allegedly blitzing his former employer in Warwickshire with five million e-mails.
The 17-year-old was arrested following a complaint from insurance giant Domestic and General.
The teenager, who worked at the firm's site in Bedworth, has now been bailed by police pending further inquiries.

SHOP MANAGER SHOT IN RAID BID
A shop manager has been shot in the face during an attempted armed robbery in Church Gresley, near Swadlincote.
Two men entered Primrose Stores on George Street, where they both produced and pointed small handguns at the manager before demanding till money.
He refused and was shot by one of the men, suffering a minor injury thought to have been caused by a pellet.

KENNEDY REVISITS CONSTITUENCY
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has made his fourth visit to Birmingham Hodge Hill ahead of Thursday's by-election in the constituency.
Mr Kennedy accompanied party candidate Nicola Davies as she visited Tame Valley Community School.
He told reporters his party would work to increase community policing and improve public services if elected.

BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES
The candidates selected to contest the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election on July 15 are:
Liam Dominic Byrne Lab; Nicola Sian Davies Lib Dem; Stephen John Arthur Eyre Con; James George Hargreaves OCV; John William Rees Respect; James William Starkey NF; Mark Kenneth Wheatley Eng Dem.

TRAIN TO BE NAMED AFTER CITY
A tilting Pendolino train is being named the City of Birmingham ahead of improvements to the service between the West Midlands and London.
The £11m locomotive will be formally named by Birmingham's Lord Mayor at New Street station.
Virgin Trains said journey times between Birmingham and London would eventually be reduced to 81 minutes.

PETROL-BOMBED PUB EVACUATED
Ten people were forced to flee a Coventry pub after a petrol bomb was thrown through a ground-floor window, the local fire service said.
The landlord, his family and guests had gone up to bed at the Three Horseshoes in Foleshill Road when the attack was launched.
After initial attempts to extinguish the flames, firefighters were called.
 

TWO ARRESTED IN MURDER PROBE
Police investigating the murder of a man at a block of flats in Stoke-in-Trent say he is thought to be a 62-year-old Tunstall man.
A murder investigation was launched after the body was discovered at Newchapel Court in Tunstall on Sunday.
A 43-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, both from Tunstall, have been arrested in connection with the death.

UNIVERSITY TO HONOUR CARROTT
Birmingham funnyman Jasper Carrott is to receive an honorary doctorate in his home city.
The comedian, real name Robert Davies, will be presented with the University of Birmingham award in recognition of his contributions to entertainment.
Born in 1945 and educated at Moseley Grammar School, he started his career at the Boggery Folk Club in Solihull.

SOCCER CLUB'S TRIBUTE TO FAN
Wolves players and the club's chief executive Jez Moxey joined mourners outside Molineux to pay their respects to murdered fan Stephen Smith.
Defender Joleon Lescott, striker George Ndah and midfielder Colin Cameron wore their black away strip as the funeral procession passed the stadium.
Mr Smith, 28, was stabbed to death during Euro 2004 in Portugal.

NEW ABUSE CLAIMS FOR CHURCH
The Birmingham-based unit set up to combat paedophile activity by priests received 62 new allegations last year.
The alleged complaints from children towards the Roman Catholic Church have been referred to the police.And 51 reports of "inappropriate behaviour" were handled internally by the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.

TWO MEN DIE AFTER CAR HITS TREE
Two young men have been killed when the car they were travelling in hit a tree in Tipton, police said.
The driver of the Honda car which crashed in Bloomfield Road was a 24-year-old from Wolverhampton.
Both the driver and his passenger, a 19-year-old man from the same city, were pronounced dead at the scene at the junction of Oak Road.

PENSIONER DIES IN CAR CRASH
An elderly man died and another was seriously injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a lorry in Warwickshire.
The dead man was a passenger in a car which collided with the lorry in The Fosseway near Coventry.
The driver was airlifted to Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

SHREK MODEL STOLEN FROM STORE
Police are trying to trace a 5ft model of the fat green ogre Shrek which was stolen from a fancy dress store in Great Barr, West Midlands.
Thieves made off with the £500 cast of Shrek, star of the latest animated film to hit cinema screens.
Two youths were seen throwing bricks at the window of Aladdins Cave and running away from Gorse Road with the model.

MP REACTS ANGRILY TO REPORT
Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant has reacted angrily to the Commons Administration Committee report calling for knighthoods to be scrapped.
The Conservative MP said it would result in Britain losing its individuality and heritage.
Mr Fabricant said: "Our second biggest dollar earner is tourism and I can tell they don't come here for the weather."

VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS
Voters are going to the polls in a Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election prompted by the current MP's decision to stand down.
The poll - on the same day as another by-election in Leicester South - sees Labour defending the 11,618 majority won by Terry Davis in 2001.
Mr Davis resigned earlier this year to go to the Council of Europe.

MAN QUIZZED OVER SHOOTING
A man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a 22-year-old man who was injured by several pellet rounds in Rugby.
The suspect, 21, was detained and later released without charge after he was questioned by Warwickshire Police.
The victim suffered multiple wounds as he walked across the town's cattle market on a night out with friends.

MAN AND CHILD FOUND DEAD
Police have launched an investigation after a man and child plunged 80ft to their deaths from a Wolverhampton multi-storey car park.
Horrified onlookers told how the pair fell from the car park near the Mander Centre.
West Midlands Police are investigating whether it was a suicide or "something more sinsister".

WOMAN CHARGED WITH MAN'S DEATH
A 46-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of a Stoke-on-Trent man whose body was discovered in a block of flats.
The suspect was charged following the death of the 62-year-old, who was discovered at Newchapel Court, Tunstall, on Sunday.
Police have not named the victim or confirmed the cause of death.

ARCHBISHOP ON CHARITY RIDE
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham is to embark on a charity cycle ride around his archdiocese.
The Most Rev Vincent Nichols will swap vestments for cycling shorts during the five-day 235-mile ride, which starts on Monday.
The 58-year-old, who in 2002 had a hip replacement, has already raised £10,000 for the city's Catholic Youth Service.

HOSPITAL AWAITS BUG RESULTS
Birmingham Children's Hospital chiefs are awaiting the results of tests on a mystery illness contracted by a teenage patient who subsequently died.
Officials are trying to discover the cause of the respiratory condition which struck the 14-year-old and five other bone marrow transplant patients.
The youngsters, all moved to intensive care, include a four-month-old baby.

BOY SAVED AFTER POND ACCIDENT
A toddler was brought back to life more than seven hours after he was found face down in a garden pond at his Birmingham home, his family have said.
The battle to save two-year-old Joe Towey is thought to be the longest successful resuscitation in the UK.
Joe was showing no signs of life when he was pulled from the water but he has since made a complete recovery.

PLAYER CHARGED OVER DRUGS
An international footballer and former Coverntry City player has been charged with attempting to possess crack cocaine with intent to supply.
Jamaica international striker Onandi Lowe, sacked by the first division team at the end of last season, was charged after answering police bail.
He was bailed to appear before Wellingborough magistrates on August 3.

RED CAPS MURDER CASE: PM's VOW
Iraq's courts now have the evidence they need on the murder of six military policemen - one of whom is from Derbyshire - to take the case forward.
Making the statement, Tony Blair also said it would be unacceptable if the killers were pardoned in an amnesty.
The dead included Cpl Russell Aston, 30, of Swadlincote, Burton upon Trent, who was married with one daughter.

BOY TRAPPED IN CLIMBING FRAME
Firefighters had to dismantle a climbing frame at a Birmingham park to rescue a six-year-old boy who had become entangled in it.
West Midlands firefighters were called to Kitts Green playground in The Meadway after the youngster became trapped in the equipment.
The boy is not thought to have been injured during his ordeal.

NARROW VICTORY FOR LABOUR
Labour has held off a strong challenge by the Lib Dems to secure victory in the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election -but with its majority slashed.
Liam Byrne saw the party's massive 11,000 majority almost wiped out, winning the seat by just 460 votes.
A surge of support for the Lib Dems saw them increase their share of the vote by 26%, leaving the Tories in third.

POLL WAS TORY 'HUMILIATION'
Labour officials insisted the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election result was no disaster despite seeing their 11,000 majority cut to just 460.
The party said it was happy with a mid-term victory and turned its fire on the struggling Conservatives.
A Labour spokesman said: "For Michael Howard, slumping to third place is a humiliation."

BIRMINGHAM HODGE HILL: RESULTS
The full result for the Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election was:
Liam Dominic Byrne (Lab), 7,415; Nicola Sian Davies (Lib Dem), 6,991; Stephen John Arthur Eyre (Con), 3,543; John William Rees (Respect), 1,282; James William Starkey (NF), 805; Mark Kenneth Wheatley (Eng Dem), 277; James George Hargreaves (OCV), 90. Majority 460. Swing 26.75% Lab to LD. Turnout 20,439 (38%).

PARTY FOUGHT 'DIFFICULT' BATTLE
The Labour Party chairman has admitted the battle to retain Birmingham Hodge Hill had been "difficult" after it won with a hugely reduced majority.
Ian McCartney said the by-election followed a disappointing local election for Labour when the party lost its hold on Birmingham City Council.
But he claimed the result was "catastrophic" for Michael Howard.

TERRORIST 'ATTACK' TO BE STAGED
The Government has announced plans to stage Britain's largest simulated terrorist attack involving civilians across the West Midlands.
More than 2,000 emergency service staff will tackle a "mock" poison gas attack at a major public venue on Sunday.
Emergency planners will test responses to a potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack.

POLICE FREEZE CRIMINAL ASSETS
Police in the Midlands have frozen more than £8.4m of criminal assets in the past 18 months, said the Home Office.
These include a £100,000 Bentley car and a luxury apartment in Marbella, while an extra £405,000 in cash has been confiscated from gangsters.
Police have been empowered to hit criminals in the coffers since the Proceeds of Crime Act became law.

MAN AND DAUGHTER DIE IN PLUNGE
A father and daughter who fell 80ft to their deaths from a Wolverhampton car park were from a "happy, normal family", police have said.
Officers said the bodies were those of Noel White, 40, and his five-year-old daughter Shanice Claire.
There is no immediate explanation for the tragedy and officers are pursuing several lines of inquiry.

TRAGIC MOTHER COMFORTED
The mother of a five-year-old girl who plunged to her death with her father from the 11th floor of a Wolverhampton car park has been comforted by family.
The woman, named locally as Claire Beardsmore, was said to be distraught over the death of her daughter Shanice White and partner Noel White, 40.
Police said she was being supported by family liaison officers and relatives.

HEAD TEACHERS TO MEET PRINCE
Head teachers from five primary schools in the West Midlands are meeting the Prince of Wales at a reception.
They are: Highfields at Rowley Regis; Fairhaven, Wordsley; Colmore, Kings Heath; Greswold, Solihull; St Lawrence, Preston-upon-the-Wealdmoors, Telford.
Charles is congratulating a total of 84 heads for improving standards of education in their schools.

TV PRESENTER'S KILLERS TO HANG
Two men have been sentenced to death for killing three people, including former BBC Midlands Today presenter Lynette Lithgow Pearson in Trinidad.
Ms Pearson, 51, was killed on the island along with her mother and brother-in-law in December 2001.
A Trinidad jury found Daniel Agard, 21, and Lester Pitman, 26, guilty and they were sentenced to be hanged.

CREAM 'CAN CAUSE POLLUTION'
Cream - delicious with strawberries -can also be classed as "pollution" if it gets into waterways, the High Court has ruled.
Two judges clarified the law when they upheld the conviction of a dairy for spilling cream into a brook.
Both agreed that "polluting matter need not be poisonous or noxious" and it was not necessary for harm to be caused.

PEDAL POWER FOR SCOPE – FUNDRAISING GROUP FINDS A WHEELIE GOOD WAY TO RAISE MONEY

The Sikh Arts and Cultural Association will ride from Birmingham to London to raise money for Scope, the national disability charity, on July 24-25th 2004.
Participants will pedal a gruelling 140 miles during the overnight event which will take them from Birmingham to Southall, London via Luton. As well as raising vital funds for Scope, the annual trip gives riders the chance to meet up with friends and get fit at the same time!
Dr Savi Arora, who works in management consultant, is one of the 250 bike riders taking part in the 15th anniversary annual Birmingham to London Charity Bike Ride.
Speaking about taking part in this experience of a life time Dr Savi said:
“I cannot wait to get on my bike to raise money to help disabled people achieve equality. Over the last 15 years this bike ride has raised a staggering £90,000 for good causes and we expect this years ride to be the biggest and most successful yet.”
The charity cyclists will be accompanied by highly experienced teams who have a good knowledge of the route. They will also provide training support and fundraising tips.
Andrew Morris, Scope’s Events Manager said:
“We are thrilled that the Sikh and Cultural Association have chosen to support Scope and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership in years to come. Scope needs all the money it can get to campaign for the rights of disabled people."
• Those wishing to support the bike ride event should contact the bike ride hotline on 0208 867 9111.• Scope runs over 12 overseas events. To find out more please visit www.scope.org.uk/adventures