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FOOTBALL HOOLIGAN DEPORTED 

A hooligan from Staffordshire has been deported from Portugal and handed a suspended jail term following an attack on a French supporter, police said. Alan John Walker, 29, of Leek, was given 12-months in prison suspended for three years and fined 2,000 euros. The Stoke City fan had previously been given a football banning order, but it had expired prior to Euro 2004. 

DISTURBANCE AFTER ENGLAND LOSE 

Twelve people were arrested in Birmingham after more than 200 people ran amok through the city centre after England lost to France. Police closed parts of Broad Street for 45 minutes as the disturbances broke out. Damage was caused to several pubs, a bus and various hoardings. Fans involved had been watching the match on a screen in Centenary Square. 

UKIP WINS FIRST EVER SEAT 

The UK Independence Party has taken its first ever seat in the European elections in the West Midlands. The party came third in the poll and improved its share of the vote by more than 11% to 17.49%. The Tories won three seats in the poll but the party saw its share drop by 10%. Labour took two seats, one down on 1999, and the Lib Dems took one. 

NO CHANGE IN COUNCIL CONTROL 

Birmingham City Council's local election results have revealed no change in the control of the authority. The results, which were abandoned on Friday after a second recount in the Perry Barr ward, reveal that both the Tories and Lib Dems gained four seats. Labour lost three councillors and their are two less independents. Labour has 53 seats, Tories 39 and Lib Dems 28. 

REPORT GIVES FORCE TOP MARKS 

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has given West Midlands Police top marks in a "baseline" assessment of the UK's 43 forces. HMIC said the force is on track "to meet the majority of its targets" after conducting a performance assessment. The report also highlighted the force as performing well in areas such as so-called volume crime and hate crime. 

GANG ROBS SECURITY VAN 

A four-strong gang escaped with an undisclosed haul after robbing a security van at a wholesaler in Stoke-on-Trent. The raid at the Booker cash-and-carry in Campbell Road involved a white Transit van, which was found abandoned. The robbers then escaped in a blue Mitsubishi car. Witnesses are urged to contact Hanley CID on 01785 234871. 

MP PROMPTS M-WAY SIGNS RETHINK 

Motorway message boards could be used to instruct drivers not to hog the middle lane following a complaint from an MP who travels from Staffordshire. Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant blames poor lane discipline for much of the congestion he encounters while driving between the county and Westminster. He said: "I am delighted that the roads minister takes this matter seriously." 

CRASH VICTIM WAS ROYAL MARINE 

A driver whose body was found by his relatives 30ft from the wreckage of his car was a 19-year-old Royal Marine commando, police have said. Chris Barclay, from Fifth Avenue, Kidsgrove, was found dead in a field at nearby Mow Cop about five hours after the crash. Emergency crews had earlier failed to locate the body of the soldier. 

MP CRITICISES CLOSURE DECISION 

Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has accused the Government of having an ulterior motive for its plans to close the Amry Medal Office in Droitwich Spa. However, Mr Luff said proposals to sell the £4m site for housing would be blocked by planning policies reserving the land for employment use. "Special planning policy guidance is in force to protect such land," he said. 

MAN RECEIVES FIVE-YEAR BAN 

A Birmingham man has been banned from entering parts of the city for five years after committing more than 100 vehicle crimes over eight years. Aaron Elvis Presley Lane-Wells, 26, was issued with an order banning him from Digbeth and Lee Bank when he appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. The Handsworth man was also jailed for six months for motoring offences. 

BRAVE POLICE OFFICERS HONOURED 

Five West Midlands Police officers who overpowered three robbers armed with knives are being honoured for bravery. PCs Philip Jones, Sara Twyford, Stuart Staples, Richard Bryan and Simon Thompson are being honoured for detaining the violent gang in 2002. They will all receive a Chief Constable's Commendation for their "selfless acts of bravery". 

OAP REUNITED WITH JEWELLERY 

The elderly owner of a stash of stolen jewellery found at the bottom of a Rugby householder's garden has been reunited with her property. The items, including gold chains, a brooch and a string of pearls, were found covered with discarded litter. The elderly woman had the property stolen during a burglary and is said to be "extremely happy" at the find. 

ONE-LEGGED POLICEMAN STARTS 

Disability campaigners have welcomed the appointment of a one-legged police officer in the West Midlands. The constable, believed to be the first officer in Britain to wear a prosthetic leg, has started duties as a recruit with West Midlands Police. He recently completed his training at the Tally Ho! centre in Birmingham after completing the necessary tests. 

FIVE ARRESTS IN FOOTBALL RAIDS 

Five suspected football hooligans were arrested during a series of dawn raids across the West Midlands, police said. The men are being questioned in connection with a fight in London following the Charlton Athletic versus Aston Villa game on March 27. Several people were injured and a pub was damaged when Villa and Chelsea fans clashed. 

DRIVER DIES AFTER COLLISION 

A Black Country lorry driver has died after becoming trapped in the cab of his vehicle when it toppled over. West Mercia Police said the lorry tipped over as it went round a bend in Kidderminster causing the container to come off and slide across the road. A police spokesman said the ring road, near Sainsbury's, was closed for barrier repairs. 

CHURCH ORDAINS NEW BISHOPS 

A Brazilian, a midwife and a barrister are among 13 new priests who have been ordained by the Church of England in Birmingham, it has been announced. The men and women come from three continents and also have experience in academia, teaching and human resources. The Rt Revd Dr John Sentamu, Bishop for Birmingham, said the group were as diverse as the diocese they will serve. 

ENERGY SCHEME HELPS RESIDENTS 

Almost 240 residents in Worcester have benefited from grants worth nearly £270,000 thanks to a scheme helping homeowners and tenants to save energy. The Warm Front initiative helps to cut fuel bills by making improvements to heating systems and insulation. A total of 25 houses had new central heating and a further 53 received repairs to broken or condemned boilers. 

BUTTERFLY SPECIES GIVEN BOOST 

One of Britain's rarest butterflies is to get a boost with the restoration of its traditional West Midlands habitat. Work is getting under way to encourage traditional grasslands on the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire and so aid the recovery of the High Brown Fritillary. Since the 1950s, the species has seen a 94% reduction in range as scrubland encroached where stock once grazed. 

OLYMPIC SCRATCH CARD LAUNCHED 

A new instant win scratch card is being launched in Birmingham ahead of this summer's Olympic Games in Athens. Money raised from the £2 game will help fund Britain's Olympic team as it travels to Greece for the competition. The card is a joint venture between the British Olympic Association and Littlewoods Lotteries - and features five Olympic heroes. 

FAILURE TO FIND BODY PROBED 

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has pledged a "robust" probe into how police failed to find the body of an accident victim from Kidsgrove. Royal Marine Chris Barclay was found dead in a field by his family after an accident on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border near Mow Cop. The single-vehicle accident involved a grey Vauxhall Nova carrying seven men. 

REPORT CONDEMNS MATERNITY UNIT 

A Wolverhampton hospital's baby unit has been condemned for poor standards of care, bad working relationships and "impoverished" conditions for patients. New Cross Hospital's maternity unit was probed by the Healthcare Commission following four serious incidents, including the deaths of three babies. The report said failings led to staff not recognising babies were at risk. 

BISHOP 'HORRIFIED' BY ABUSE 

The Bishop of Lichfield has expressed his horror at news that a former organist has been convicted of a string of indecent assaults on children. Jonathan Rees-Williams, 55, molested a series of children over a 14-year period from the mid-1970s. The Bishop said his thoughts and prayers were with the victims of the assaults. 

PETITION OVER CUBA DETAINEES 

The father of a Birmingham man held in Guantanamo Bay is joining relatives of other UK detainees in handing a 3,000 name petition to the Foreign Office. Actress Vanessa Redgrave will accompany Azmat Begg, father of Moazzam, 36. With Richard Belmar, Martin Mubanga, and Feroz Abbasi, all of London, Mr Begg is among more than 600 foreigners still held at the US base in Cuba. 

AIRPORTS TO USE IRIS SCANNERS 

Britain's first iris recognition systems will be up and running at Birmingham Airport within a year. The system will also be installed at Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester and Gatwick airports. Immigration minister Des Browne said the system will give "watertight" confirmation of identity for "specially selected" foreign nationals. 

BUSINESS GROUP CLAIMS VICTORY 

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry has claimed victory after plans to make bosses compensate staff who suffer criminal injuries were axed. Policy executive Nadia Shah said: "We stated that businesses should not bear the cost of the Government's failure to address crime." The British Chambers of Commerce led opposition to the proposal. 

DOCTOR 'ABUSED POSITION' 

A Stoke doctor who accused the husband of cleared solicitor Sally Clark of killing their babies abused his professional position, the GMC said. Prof David Southall acted irresponsibly and inappropriately in writing a report on the family in August 2000, it added. Prof Southall, who denies serious misconduct, made accusations after seeing a TV documentary on the case. 

HOOLIGAN GIVEN BANNING ORDER 

A soccer hooligan from Staffordshire who was deported from Portugal has become the first man to get a banning order for violence at Euro 2004. The three-year order was made against Alan Walker, 29, from Leek, who was given the order at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court. It bans the Stoke City fan from his club and also from all England games. 

APPROVAL FOR £10m BYPASS 

The Government has given final approval for a £10.7m bypass in Cradley Heath, Sandwell, after allocating extra cash. The cash should allow Sandwell Council to start work on the road - aimed at alleviating congestion - in October. The 900-metre bypass will take traffic around the High Street when it opens in 2007, routing traffic between Lower High Street and Upper High Street. 

REGION 'HAS MORE SHEDS' 

West Midlands householders are more likely to have a shed on their property than people in any other area of Britain, a survey has found. The poll for insurance firm esure showed four-fifths of homeowners in the region now have a shed or outbuilding. And the study showed that more than a third of West Midlanders had added an outbuilding in the last five years. 

FOND FAREWELL TO TOWN HALL ORGAN 

Colour sketch-Town Hall interior BMAG

An internationally recognised instrument, Birmingham Town Hall's organ has been given a fond farewell until the reopening of the Hall. To protect it from the works taking place, the organ has been encased in an 'enviro bubble' to protect it from the dust and debris created during the renovation process. To mark the last playing of the organ prior to it being cocooned in the enviro bubble, Thomas Trotter, the renowned Birmingham City Organist, played works by Bach, Elgar, Thalben-Ball and Wesley to 200+ school children and members of the public. Immediately after the recital, Wates, the preferred contractor, began the process of enveloping the organ within the enviro bubble. Councillor Ian Ward is Chairman of the Town Hall Shadow Board, "Birmingham Town Hall is a complex building that is being painstakingly and lovingly renovated and improved. As part of this process, the organ will be protected before being cleaned, repaired and retuned ready for the opening ceremony." Thomas Trotter, the Birmingham City Organist said, "Birmingham Town Hall is incredibly fortunate in being home to such a splendid example of Georgian organ building. I am proud to be involved in the last recital and am looking forward to playing the first piece of organ music upon the opening of a rejuvenated and renovated Town Hall." 

Thomas Trotter

About the organ
The first organ in England to boast a 32 feet tall front pipe, it is a landmark instrument in terms of its engineering and mechanics Constructed by the same firm that built the organ at York Minster Paid for from public funds, the organ became an integral and valued part of the Triennial Music Festival When constructed, the organ was the biggest in the UK, and with more than 6,000 pipes today, is still comparable with the most powerful of organs around the world. 

The'enviro bubble'in which the organ is enclosed is a lightweight scaffold structure with a plywood face, sealed where it meets the ornate plaster mouldings in order to create an enclosure with a positive air pressure. Similar to an operating theatre, the enviro bubble will maintain the existing environment, physically blocking out debris, but also using pressure to create a 'virtual barrier' to dust entering. In liaison with the organ builder, temperature and humidity control will be incorporated. The enviro bubble is approx metres 13 high and 13 metres wide and 500 metres2 in capacity. 

THREE REMANDED OVER DJ'S DEATH 

Four Birmingham teenagers have been remanded in custody by Solihull Magistrates over the manslaughter of a top DJ who died of head injuries. The defendants, all aged 17, were ordered to reappear at Solihull youth court via video link on June 21. The boys are also accused of burgling the home of Heart FM presenter Tushar Makwana in Castle Bromwich. 

FAMILY SAY FIREMAN IS INNOCENT 

The Birmingham family of a Kent fireman jailed after violent clashes in Portugal has said they have video evidence showing he is innocent. Birmingham City fan Garry Mann, 47, is facing deportation and two years in jail, which he will serve in Britain. His sister-in-law Bernadette Mann said the tape shows him in a bar with his brother Mark, away from the clash. 

MAN ATTACKED IN CITY PARK 

Police are hunting a man who inflicted serious head injuries on another man in a Stoke-on-Trent park. The victim, who has not been named, was repeatedly struck over the head with a broken bottle during the incident near a lake in Hanley Park, police said. The attacker, whose clothing would have been bloodstained, is described as Asian, stocky, with short dark hair. 

POLICE NAME CRUSHED OAP 

Police have named an 82-year-old Coleshill woman who died after becoming trapped in her car door. Leah Florence Alberta Small is thought to have been cleaning her Mercedes 190E saloon when she became trapped. A post-mortem examination revealed Ms Small died from asphyxia after being crushed. Police are not treating her death as suspicious. 

TRUANTS' PARENTS FACE FINES 

Parents of children who play truant from schools in Birmingham and Stoke are being fined for failing to make sure they turn up for lessons. The fine is £50 if people pay within 28 days, and rises to £100 if they leave it to pay between 28 and 42 days. Birmingham has issued 24 truancy "penalty notices", while two have been handed out in Stoke-on-Trent. 

14 ARRESTS IN ROADSIDE SWOOPS 

A West Midlands Police crackdown on criminals using an automatic number plate recognition system has led to 14 arrests and the recovery of a shotgun. The eight-hour roadside operation at two sites in Smethwick also saw the seizure of eight untaxed cars. Four people who were wanted on warrant and three people in possession of drugs were among those arrested. 

MP CALLS FOR MORE NHS DENTISTS 

Ludlow MP Matthew Green has criticised the chronic shortage of dentists taking on new NHS patients. The Liberal Democrat's complaint comes after a report found that thousands of children are having badly decayed milk teeth removed in hospital. He said: "The shortage of NHS practices means that people are getting out of the habit of going to the dentist". 

BOY BURNT IN AEROSOL EXPLOSION 

A Wolverhampton teenager has been taken to hospital suffering burns after an aerosol can exploded. Fire crews were called to Rosemary Crescent West, Goldthorn Hill, by West Midlands Ambulance Service, whose paramedics were already in attendance. The 15-year-old was treated for 9% burns to his right shoulder following the incident. 

WARNING OVER DANGEROUS OVENS 

City council inspectors are to visit restaurants throughout Stoke-on-Trent following the discovery of potentially dangerous tandoori ovens across the UK. Dangerous levels of gas have been known to build up where ovens are not fitted with a flame supervision device. This has led to explosions in other parts of the UK, resulting in serious injuries to restaurant staff. 

COUPLE RENEW VOWS 65 YEARS ON 

A Birmingham couple who eloped to Gretna Green 65 years ago have returned to the village to renew their vows. Dennis and Eileen Howell, both 83, were just 19 when they married over the anvil at the famous Old Blacksmith's Shop on June 17, 1939. They eloped after their parents refused consent for the marriage - required at the time in England by anyone under 21. 

MAN GETS LIFE FOR KILLING LOVER 

A man who fled to Belgium after strangling his lover during an argument at their Uttoxeter home has been found guilty of murder and jailed for life. Toby Norris, 23, took money from Tina Moore's bank account to buy a car to escape after killing her in a drunken rage, Stafford Crown Court heard. Parents Sonia and Kenneth Moore said: "We feel that justice has been done." 

WORK STARTS ON 'SUPER COLLEGE' 

Building work has begun on an £18m Birmingham "super college" which will play a key role in tackling a shortage of skilled construction workers. The Centre for the Built Environment Birmingham and Solihull is to be completed in Fordrough Lane, Bordesley Green, by October. The innovative project is being led by South Birmingham College. 

'PEACEFUL' NIGHT AFTER MATCH 

Police have reported a peaceful night of celebration among fans in Birmingham after the England-Switzerland match. The city council changed the way the game was screened in Centenary Square after 200 people ran amok in the city following England's defeat on Sunday. The sale of alcohol was banned and more stewards were hired to marshall the city-centre screening. 

DRUG SYNDICATE MAN FACES COURT 

A Burton-on-Trent man is among six people to be sentenced at Derby Crown Court for his part in a conspiracy to import cocaine into the UK. Calbert Wilson, 43, of Blackthorn Road, was given the task of collecting couriers carrying cocaine as they returned to the UK from Jamaica. The six had already pleaded guilty to the drugs charges at another hearing. 

RESTRAINT BANNED AFTER DEATH 

Security staff at a youth training centre in Daventry have been banned from using a particular restraining hold after the death of a teenage boy. Gareth Myatt, 15, of Stoke-on-Trent, died while being restrained by staff at the Rainsbrook centre in April. The use of the seated double embrace restraint has been suspended following a police probe into his death. 

MP'S FEAR OVER PLANNING CHANGE 

Lichfield's Tory MP has said local people will lose the right to make planning decisions under a new law. Michael Fabricant said planning powers would be transferred to the West Midlands regional assembly. "Councillors are answerable via the ballot box. Transferring responsibility to unaccountable regional bureaucrats is undemocratic," he said. 

AIRPORT INJUNCTION NOT PURSUED 

Council planners have decided not to pursue an injunction preventing the use of a temporary passenger terminal at West Midlands International Airport. Warwick District Council was to take action after losing a legal bid to ground Thomsonfly until the dispute over the facility was resolved. They had accused the airport of breaching planning regulations. 

ARCHITECTS TO BE HYPNOTISED 

Several architects are being hypnotised as part of a week-long series of events in Birmingham being held to celebrate the architectural profession. The participants will be hypnotised and asked to envisage different kinds of dwellings which they will then draw. The event, Second Skin, is being hosted by hypnotist Marcos Lutyens at the Think Tank Theatre, Millennium Point. 

ASSAULT VICTIM NAMED BY POLICE 

Police have named a 65-year-old man who died in hospital a week after being assaulted by two men in Walsall. Donald Hill struck his head on the pavement during the attack in Palfrey and died from head injuries. A murder inquiry is under way and police are seeking two men of Asian appearance in their late teens or early 20s who were seen running away. 

OFFICER HURT IN COLLISION 

A police officer was injured when the marked force car she was travelling in collided with a lorry in Oldbury. The constable suffered back, neck and shoulder injuries in the crash as she responded to reports of a man threatening someone with a knife. Three other people received minor injuries but the lorry driver was not hurt in the collision.