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THE NEW BIRMINGHAM SUPER PRIX IMPORTANT MAJOR UPDATE Would you like to see THE BIGGEST MOTORSPORT / MOTOR
SPECTACULAR THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER SEEN on the streets of Birmingham?
We have had to have a major rethink of our plans to bring back motor racing, but
have come up with something potentially even more spectacular. We are trying to
bring together as many individuals, businesses and organisations as we can to
try to make this happen again. It could bring huge benefits to the region, but
it needs as much support as possible to make it happen.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE, VIEW VIDEO & PHOTOS FROM THE OLD SUPER PRIX, AND TO SEE
HOW YOU CAN HELP BRING ABOUT THIS SENSATIONAL AND UNIQUE EVENT. QUICK LINKS TO THE SITE NEWS
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SIBLINGS STRUCK BY VAN A four-year-old boy and his sister, aged 13, were crushed against a wall by an out-of-control van as they walked in Stoke-on-Trent. The pair were struck by a Renault Kangoo which mounted the pavement in Parsonage Street, Tunstall, Staffordshire Police said. The girl escaped with cuts and bruises, but her brother has crush injuries. DRIVING FIGURES RELEASED Motorists from Birmingham are among those most likely to have a road crash, according to new findings from an insurance company. Endsleigh found 14.9% of policyholders in the city claimed each year, with only motorists in London involved in more crashes. The findings were based on analysis of five years of policy data. REGION HAS MOST LORRY THEFTS Lorry thefts in the West Midlands are the highest in the UK and on the increase, police research has found. The region has topped a league table for the number of HGVs stolen in Britain during the first quarter of this year. And the number of stolen trucks in the region during the first quarter has nearly doubled compared to last year. 1m CASH BOOST FOR OAP HOMES Birmingham's independent care and nursing home owners are to receive more money for looking after the city's elderly in a £1m social services deal. The new package will give care homes a 3.5% rise and nursing homes an extra 5% in the amount the council gives them. Currently, care homes receive around £300 per week for each resident, while nursing homes receive £320. AREA 'HAS MOST TEEN MOTHERS' The Birmingham district of Longbridge has the country's highest proportion of teenage mothers, according to research. Figures released by the Government's teenage pregnancy unit show the rate among under 18s is 112.58 per 1,000. That figure is nearly three times the national average, and Longbridge will now receive extra funding for sex education awareness. TEAM UNCOVERS BENEFIT FRAUD More than 40 employees working in Telford factories are claiming benefits totalling £250,000 at the same time, anti-fraud officers have revealed. The team found the huge swindle after asking firms for lists of workers' names as part of a new campaign. Their investigations led to a 61% increase in the number of prosecutions in the borough during last year. YOUNG AMPUTEE RETURNS TO SCHOOL An 11-year-old Birmingham schoolgirl whose right leg had to be amputated after a collision with a police car is preparing to return to school. Sadie Stevens, from Newtown, will return to Holte School, Aston, on a part-time basis after half-term. The Police Complaints Authority is carrying out an investigation into the accident on a pedestrian crossing, AIRPORT GETS NEW FIRE DEVICE Birmingham Airport has become the first in the UK to invest in a sophisticated new £500,000 firefighting device called the Snozzle. The runway's new fire tender has a special articulated boom unique to these shores. The Snozzle can rotate 210 degrees and can also pierce an aircraft's fuselage to tackle onboard fires. STARS SPOTTED BY TOLL STAFF Starry-eyed pay booth staff on the M6 Toll have spotted more than 50 celebrities since it opened six months ago, according to bosses. Midland Expressway Ltd, which runs the 27-mile route between Warwickshire and Staffordshire, has compiled a Who's Who of famous faces seen pulling up. They include Princess Anne, Ryan Giggs and actress Jennifer Ellison. BROTHERS BARRED FROM TOWN AREAS Two brothers have become the first to receive anti-social behaviour orders in Droitwich after wreaking havoc locally. Magistrates in Worcester imposed the two-year punishments on 18-year-old Anthony Bonehill and his brother Marc, 17, both of Meadow Road. They were banned from various areas, with Marc also barred from four shops and a pub. THREE HELD IN RAID ON NIGHTCLUB Three people have been found carrying class A drugs in a Redditch nightclub after new detection equipment was used for the first time, police have said. Police tested 103 revellers at the Time venue with special swabs capable of detecting heroin, cocaine and Ecstasy. Two men were cautioned for possession of drugs and a woman was bailed pending inquiries, said a police spokesman. TORY LEADER CAMPAIGNS IN CITY Conservative leader Michael Howard is visiting Worcester as part of his party's local elections campaign. Mr Howard is due to meet community litter pickers and traders at the Corn Market in the city centre to seek support in the June 10 ballot. He will also address Tory supporters in the shadow of a statue of Elgar located at the top of the High Street. LETTER-HOARDING POSTMAN SACKED A postman has been sacked after more than 130,000 items of undelivered mail were found in his Staffordshire house. The Royal Mail security team found a haul including 17,000 addressed pieces of mail and 116,000 advertising leaflets at his home. The oldest piece of mail dated from 1999. The postman, who has not been named, was arrested and bailed. WARNING AFTER GIRL FALLS Safety campaigners are warning youngsters of the dangers of playing in inappropriate places after a girl fell 60ft down a quarry in Rowley Regis. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said the incident off Portway Road showed the perils of such places. The girl was rescued by paramedics and taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital with a broken arm and leg. 'POLITICS OF HATE' CRITICISED The Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent has urged residents not to succumb to "politics of hate" against asylum seekers. Mike Wolfe said that too many residents were "being conned into blaming groups such as asylum seekers for poverty in the city". Mr Wolfe was speaking at the opening of the revamped Bethesda Gardens, part of the ongoing city centre regeneration. TOP SECRET D-DAY PAPERS FOUND University researchers have uncovered top secret documentation relating to the Normandy landings on D-Day. The archive Second World War material includes research by geology professor Fred Shotton, a former Vice-Principal of the University of Birmingham. He was given the task of investigating the geological aspects of possible invasion beaches in Northern France. MP DEMANDS MEDAL OFFICE PROBE A Worcestershire MP is demanding an investigation into Government plans to close the Army Medal Office in Droitwich Spa. Peter Luff, Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire, is calling for the Public Accounts Office to investigate the proposals. Mr Luff said it was not too late to reverse any Government decision. FOOTBALL CLUB NEEDS INVESTORS AFC Telford United have appealed for investors to support the new club after the collapse of Telford United in the Nationwide Conference. Supporters have managed to raise more than £50,000 since the beginning of the crisis which led to liquidation. But officials estimate that £300,000 will be needed to put the squad back into the conference. THIEVES TRY TO RAM POLICE CAR Thieves twice tried to ram a police car with their getaway vehicle after making a bungled attempt to steal a cash machine in Badsey, near Evesham. West Mercia Police said the machine fell out of the back of a 4x4 vehicle as it drove off when police arrived. As police followed the vehicle, it twice tried to reverse into their car before eventually being abandoned. POP IDOL'S MOTHER HAS CANCER The mother of Black Country Pop Idol star Mark Rhodes has been diagnosed with lung cancer, he has revealed. The 23-year-old singer - one half of chart duo Sam and Mark - was devastated when doctors gave his mother Christine, 60, the news three weeks ago. Mark, originally from Darlaston, lost out to Michelle McManus in the final of the ITV show last year. GOLDSMITHS DESIGN AWARDS RECOGNISE LOCAL TALENT Goldsmiths Group Design Awards 2004 Goldsmiths, the UK's leading specialist quality jewellery and watch retailer,continued to invest in the future of jewellery design by hosting its annual Design Awards in association with the University of Central England on Thursday 27th May at The Assay Office, Birmingham. The Design Awards programme's main aim is to foster a long-term relationship between Goldsmiths and the UK's leading jewellery design school. It's an exciting way for Goldsmiths to invest in the development of commercial design talent for the good of its own future and the good of the jewellery trade as a whole.
Runners up in the Design Awards were Third prize winner Sarah Hilton, 22 and Second prize winner Andrea Thorpe, 26. TRAVELLERS WARNED OF DELAYS Travellers at Birmingham International Airport are being warned to expect delays after the national air traffic control computer system crashed. Flights were being operated manually by controllers after the crash at the national air traffic control centre. Birmingham airport said some flights were taking off and landing and passengers should check in as normal. MURDER INQUIRY AFTER OAP DIES Police have launched a murder inquiry after a 90-year-old man died in hospital a week after he was attacked by an intruder in his Solihull home. Neville Bassett died after suffering six broken ribs when he was pushed to the floor by the masked man on May 27. A man, 23, has been remanded in custody by magistrates over the robbery and will now be quizzed over the murder. WALLABY DEATH: BOYS IN COURT Three boys are appearing at Dudley Youth Court charged with animal cruelty after a wallaby was killed at a zoo. The children, two aged 11 and one aged 10, have been charged with the death of the five-month-old marsupial at Dudley Zoo, which was thrown into a pool. A fourth boy who was also arrested has been referred to the borough council's youth offending team. OIL PRICE SURVEY UNVEILED About 61% of businesses will have to pass on the impact of rising oil prices to customers, according to a Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry study. Only 31% of respondents said they could sustain current pricing structures by absorbing any increase in fuel costs. Respondents warned that a 5-10% rise in fuel prices would cripple the manufacturing industry. SIR IAN TO HELP PARTY CAMPAIGN Labour's European election campaign in the West Midlands has been boosted by actor Sir Ian McKellen. The star, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films, is helping to raise money for the party by donating a set of signed stamps for auction. Money raised from the auction is due to support regional MEP Michael Cashman ahead of next week's vote. DRIVER KILLED IN COLLISION A motorist has died following a three-vehicle collision on one of Stratford's major arterial roads. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene on the A46 at Bishopton. The drivers of a Transit van and lorry which were also involved were unhurt. Police closed the road in both directions between Bishopton roundabout and Sandbarn Lane. COUNCILLOR QUIZZED OVER BRAWL A Labour councillor standing in the local elections is to be questioned by police over a bar brawl in Birmingham. Tony Kennedy was allegedly involved in a fight at a Moseley pub which left one person needing hospital treatment. Mr Kennedy, who said he was barred from the pub and was punched in the head as he walked home, said: "I have nothing to hide. I am the victim." TRAVELLERS FACE EVICTION THREAT Travellers camped illegally on a field in Worcestershire have been told to leave the site or face eviction. Wychavon District Council gave the warning after the travellers started building work at the site in Eckington, which they bought from a local farmer. They have been given three days to pack up camp and leave or the council will call in bailiffs to move them. PREGNANT WOMAN ROBBED A heavily pregnant woman has been pushed to the ground and robbed of her handbag in Nuneaton, police said The woman, who was also pushing a three-year-old child in a pushchair, was set upon as she walked towards Sainsbury's in Vicarage Street. She was attacked by two males, aged 14-16, who made off with her handbag which contained about £200. TWO US PRESIDENTS VISITED CITY US presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson once stood together on top of Worcester's famous Fort Royal Hill, a US PhD student has discovered. The pair visited the city in 1786 at a time when they were ambassadors in Paris and London, Alice Hiller found. A Worcester museum officer said the student had brought to light "an important piece" of the city's history. POLICEMAN'S FUNERAL TO BE HELD The funeral of a police officer, who was stabbed to death while trying to arrest a man on a canal towpath in Birmingham, is due to be held. Up to 1,000 mourners are expected to say farewell to Det Con Michael Swindells, 44, from Burton-on-Trent, at the Lichfield cathedral service. Glaister Earl Butler, 48, has been charged with his murder. FIGURES REVEAL YOUTH CRIME CUTS The number of Warwickshire youngsters getting into trouble with police has been slashed for the third year running, figures have revealed. The Youth Offending Team, which works to prevent crime in those aged 10-17, has helped cut the number of offences committed by youngsters by 21%. Burglary has fallen by 26% and vehicle crime 35% since 2001, statistics show. PAIR KILLED IN COLLISION Two lorry drivers have been killed when their vehicles collided head on and burst into flames in Worcestershire. The pair were travelling in opposite directions on the A44 near Drakes Broughton when they collided. Part of the road must be relaid because of the effects of extreme heat and will not reopen until Friday lunchtime at the earliest, said a police spokesman. DISABLED-FRIENDLY FISHERY OPENS A fishery which caters for disabled anglers has been opened by the Lord Mayor of Rugby, Laurie Wright. The facility at Lanny's Lagoon near Stretton under Fosse includes 10 newly installed fishing platforms designed specifically for the disabled. The £5,500 fishery is a joint initiative between John Lanwarne and the Environment Agency. OAP'S KILLING: MAN BAILED A man has been released on bail after being questioned about an attack on a 90-year-old Solihull homeowner who later died in hospital of his injuries. Neville Bassett suffered six broken ribs when he tried to stop a masked attacker who had burst through the front door of his home. The 23-year-old man had been detained in connection with the incident. MAN ATTACKED AFTER BOXING MATCH A man has sustained a suspected broken jaw when he was attacked by a gang of up to eight assailants after a boxing match in Hereford, police have said. Police are investigating links between the attack and an incident in which a man entered the boxing ring and allegedly shouted racist abuse. The assault took place after a British title fight at Hereford Leisure Centre. WALLABY DEATH: BOYS IN COURT Two boys have appeared at Dudley Youth Court charged with animal cruelty after a wallaby was killed at a zoo. The boys, aged 11, have been charged with the death of the five-month-old marsupial at Dudley Zoo, which was thrown into a pool. A third boy, aged 10, has been charged with mistreating a wallaby. The three will appear again on June 24. RIVAL FIRM SNAPS UP TANK MAKER General Dynamics has lost control of tank maker Alvis, which has sites in Telford and Wolverhampton, after a manoeuvre by rival firm BAE Systems. The surprise move saw BAE Systems agree a £355m deal with Alvis - outgunning an earlier £309m offer from the US group. BAE Systems said the deal was "for the benefit of future Ministry of Defence programmes and the UK armed forces". ENVIRONMENTAL PLEDGES URGED The Environment Agency is launching a campaign in Telford and Stafford to mark World Environment Day. Agency staff will man stands at local Asda superstores urging people to sign up to pledges that will help the environment. These can include using energy saving light bulbs in their home, or hanging out washing rather than tumble drying. FLOOD DEFENCES 'NOT VIABLE' There are no viable ways of providing permanent flood defences to protect Bridgenorth in Shropshire, according to a study by the Environment Agency. The agency said temporary defences like those used in Worcester in February could be installed in the town. Almost 50 domestic and 20 non-domestic properties in Bridgnorth are at risk of flooding from the River Severn. NEW GALLERY GET "PASSIONATE ABOUT PAINT" Innovative Birmingham gallery, “the New Gallery”, are set to replicate
the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition with their own Summer Exhibition
– Passionate About Paint, running from June 11th until August 14th 2004.
 "Red Male Dancer" David Wilcox The “Passionate about Paint” exhibition will be running throughout the summer with all work available to purchase. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 11am – 6pm and Saturday 11am – 4pm.  "Peak District" James Byrne
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