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BID TO CLEAR GIANT MASTS

A massive clean-up operation is getting under way to dismantle eight giant radio communications masts in Rugby. The 820ft towers - which have dominated the landscape since the radio station opened in 1926 - were toppled after BT decided they were no longer necessary. Work is starting on a six-week operation to cut the giant structures up and remove them from the site. 

ANTI-SOCIAL CRACKDOWN LAUNCHED 

Police in Redditch are enforcing new legislation designed to crack down on anti-social behaviour. Officers will be able to disperse groups of people and take unsupervised under-16s home after 9pm. Police said Redditch Borough Council had authorised the use of the powers in the Woodrow area of the town for the next three months. 

CAMPAIGN TARGETS RAIL TRESPASS 

Birmingham has been named as one of the 10 worst areas in the UK for trespassing on railways. Last year 60 people, including six children, died in the UK after gaining unauthorised access to the railways. The figures were released as part of the National Railway Crime Week campaign, which has the message "Keep off the track and stay alive". 

POLICE OFFICERS HURT IN CRASH 

Two police officers were hurt when their marked vehicle collided with another car in Stafford. The pair were responding to a local incident and were overtaking a coach when their Ford Focus collided with a maroon Volvo. The Volvo's three occupants were unhurt in the collision in Wolverhampton Road. The officers suffered minor injuries. 

MAN KILLED IN COLLISION 

A 58-year-old man was killed in a road accident in Tamworth in which four people were also injured, police said. The victim, from South Wales, was travelling in a red MG Rover car when it collided with a black Vauxhall Corsa in Marlborough Way. The male driver, from Tamworth, two female passengers and the sole occupant of the Corsa were also injured. 

ZIMBABWEANS 'SMUGGLED INTO UK' 

An illegal network that helps smuggle fake Zimbabwean asylum seekers into the UK has been unearthed in Birmingham. The group is said to have provided members of the country's ruling Zanu PF party with fake documents. The probe, by BBC Radio 5 Live, claims party members are taught how to falsely claim asylum and reporters were sold a Home Office letter granting UK refuge. 

FIREFIGHTERS REMAIN AT BLAZE 

Firefighters have been tackling a huge fire which destroyed a building in Birmingham storing polystyrene slabs. Local residents were warned to stay inside and keep windows and doors closed while crews fought the blaze. About 130 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at an industrial estate in Erdington, Birmingham, at 6.30pm on Saturday. 

GUN REPORT SPARKS POLICE RAID 

Armed police laid siege to a house in Bedworth following reports of a man, with possible access to a gun, threatening a woman with a knife. Officers called to the Wootton Street property later established there was no-one in the house but said they were continuing to investigate the incident. Supt Neil Brunton said: "We take all reports of firearm use seriously," 

MAN INJURED BY HIT-AND-RUN CAR 

A 29-year-old man was seriously injured when he was struck by a car which drove on, Stafford police said. The victim suffered head and spinal injuries, which were not thought to be life-threatening, during the collision in North Walls. Police said they are appealing for help tracing the vehicle which failed to stop at the scene. 

NATURE RESERVE IMPROVED 

Further environmental improvements are being made around a Staffs nature reserve, home to a rare dragonfly. The measures at Chartley Moss at Drointon, near Stafford, will include new field margins to provide nectar and pollen for insects species, Defra said. The site has already benefitted from a local farmer's involvement in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. 

FAILED BNP CANDIDATE IN COURT 

A failed BNP election candidate in Staffordshire charged over violent clashes between football fans is due to appear in court. Ian Clegg, 36, of Souldern Way, Meir, is to appear at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court accused of threatening behaviour. The charge relates to violence at a Stoke City v West Ham match in April. 

ARREST OVER CARAVAN PARK DEATH 

A Warwickshire caravan park resident has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a fellow mobile home owner who was hit by a car on the site. The 48-year-old woman died in hospital after the incident at Woodside Park in Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Warwickshire Police said officers were questioning a 56-year-old man, who had been arrested in Banbury. 

HUSBAND HELD OVER WOMAN'S DEATH 

Detectives are questioning a man over the murder of his wife, who was stabbed to death at her home in Worcestershire. West Mercia Constabulary said Hazel Dix, 54, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at the house in Redditch. Her husband Glyn was arrested and is in custody at the town's police station after magistrates granted officers an extra 24 hours to question him. 

FEARS GROW FOR MISSING TEENAGER 

Concern is growing for the safety of a 14-year-old Worcestershire girl who has been missing for a week. Ebony Amore left her home in the Blackwell area of Bromsgrove on June 15 and was last seen at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital two days later. She is described as black, 5ft 4in and has curly brown hair. She was wearing a white fleece, black jeans and trainers. 

CALL FOR CHEAPER SOFT DRINKS 

A Dudley MP has claimed the high price of soft drinks in British pubs is encouraging binge-drinking during the Euro 2004 soccer tournament. Ross Cranston was commenting on a Government study that discovered the cheapest fruit juices offered by pubs were more than £6 per litre. The Labour MP wants pubs to cut the cost of soft drinks to reduce disorder. 

MURDER ACCUSED DENIES CASH PLOT 

A Worcester financial adviser accused of stealing an elderly client's cash before murdering her has told a court that he is not a crook. Peter Crittenden, 64, denies seducing 71-year-old Joan Beddeson before fleecing her of £280,000 and smothering her when she demanded the cash back. He said: "I'm not somebody who goes about stealing clients' money." 

GROUP CLAIMS COURT PROTESTS 

A fathers' rights group says it has staged protests at courts in Worcester and Burton upon Trent on Father's Day to fight for access to their children. Fathers 4 Justice spokesman Jason Hatch said the group locked doors at family court buildings with purple chains and padlocks and left cards. A Government spokesman said no incidents had been reported. 

POLICE NAME MAN FOUND IN PORCH 

Police have named a man whose body was discovered in the porch of a derelict house in Staffordshire. Officers found 32-year-old Ian Jeffrey Griffiths at a property in Poplar Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is believed his body may have been at the house for one or two days before it was discovered and police say the man was thought to have come from the area. 

WOMAN'S BODY FOUND BEHIND PUB 

Detectives are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in woodland behind a Birmingham pub. West Midlands Police were alerted after the body was discovered near the Horse Shoe in Kings Heath. A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out to establish how the woman died, although officers have ruled out foul play. 

WOMEN REACH COMPETITION FINAL 

Two West Midlands women have made it into the finals of Miss Great Britain. Abi Saunders, from Coleshill, Warwickshire, and Kim Rowley, from Wolverhampton, are among a dozen finalists vying for the title. The pair, both 21, will find out if they have taken the title next week, when - for the first time - the public chooses the winner through text voting. 

STABBED FAN IDENTIFIED 

An England fan from Wolverhampton has been stabbed to death in Lisbon during celebrations after the national team's Euro 2004 victory over Croatia. A Ukrainian man, Vadym Abramov, 31, has been remanded in custody over the stabbing of Stephen Smith, 28. The victim's parents, John and Diane Smith, said their son "was living his dream when this tragedy happened". 

TEENAGER STABBED IN PUB BRAWL 

A teenager suffered a severe stab wound to his abdomen when a brawl erupted at a Worcestershire pub showing England's match against Croatia, police said. The 19-year-old is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after the fight at the Horse and Jockey, Wythall. An 18-year-old man was also injured. Two 26-year-old men from Birmingham have been arrested over the incident. 

TRAVEL BAN ON FANS LIFTED 

Football fans charged over violent clashes after a Stoke City match are free to travel to Euro 2004 in Portugal after travel restrictions were lifted. Bail conditions banning the 21 men from leaving the country were lifted at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court. Among the number is Ian Clegg, 36, a failed BNP candidate from Meir. The case was adjourned until July 19. 

CITY GAINS FIRST ASIAN MAYOR 

A Worcester councillor is celebrating after being elected the city's first Asian mayor. Allah Ditta succeeded the current incumbent Gareth Jones to take over the 777-year-old post. The 52-year-old Tory, originally from Pakistan, hopes to strengthen ties between the Faithful City and Lahore in his native Punjab. 

CRACK ADDICT 'STABBED DEALER' 

A crack addict murdered a Wolverhampton drug dealer in a frenzied knife attack just hours after kidnapping and raping a prostitute, a jury has heard. Jerry Williams, 46, of Birmingham, allegedly stabbed Ian Jenkins 18 times in his flat in a row over a deal, Birmingham Crown Court was told. Williams denies charges including rape, murder, kidnap and attempted robbery. 

MURDER TRIAL JURY DISCHARGED 

A Stafford Crown Court jury has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict in the case of a Birmingham boy fatally stabbed in a street fight. Jamaican Anthony Blair, 34, denies murdering Jahmaine Downer near the 16-year-old's home in King Edwards Road in Ladywood on July 15 last year. Blair has been remanded in custody but may face a retrial. 

PRINCE VISITS SCHOOLS 

The Earl of Wessex is visiting Walsall to meet youngsters involved in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. Prince Edward is due to meet children working on a boat renovation project and five-a-side football teams at Jane Lane Special School in Bentley. He is also visting Sneyd School, in Bloxwich, to see a range of sports, including sailing, being taught. 

WARNING OVER FAKE FINES 

West Midlands Police are warning of a scam in which people receive a letter saying they have been reported for a traffic offence and must pay a fine. The letters from the Canary Islands give details of a bank account into which money should be paid. Detective Inspector Dave Churchill said: "Obviously the fine should not be paid - this is a scam." 

ADVISER CLAIMS CASH WAS GIFT 

A Worcester financial adviser accused of fleecing an elderly client out of £280,000 before murdering her has insisted the cash was a gift. Peter Crittenden, 64, had an affair with Joan Beddeson before allegedly smothering her with a pillow. He told Chester Crown Court that she threatened to burn her money if he did not accept it as a gift. 

LABOUR MP MOVES TO NEW POST 

A Birmingham Labour MP has been elected as the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Assembly. Terry Davis's office confirmed he would stand down as MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill in order to take the new post. Mr Davis held what has traditionally been a safe Labour seat with a majority of 11,618 over the Conservatives at the last General Election. 

BLAIR TO ANNOUNCE BY-ELECTION 

Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to announce a snap by-election in a Birmingham seat. The by-election in Birmingham Hodge Hill is likely to be held in just three weeks time - on July 15 - after MP Terry Davis decided to stand down. The area is traditionally a safe Labour seat but it is feared the party could be vulnerable to mid-term disaffection. 

TEAM TO PAY RESPECTS TO FAN 

England's heroes will wear black armbands in their game against Portugal as a tribute to a Wolverhampton man who was fatally stabbed in Lisbon. Stephen Smith, 28, was stabbed in the heart in Rossio Square, allegedly by a Ukrainian pickpocket who was arrested. Dozens of people have been paying their respects to the Briton with floral tributes left at the attack scene. 

PAIR HELD IN SMUGGLING RAIDS 

A 50-year-old Stourbridge man and a 46-year-old Bilston man have been arrested with seven others in a police bid to smash a people-smuggling ring. More than 200 officers were involved in raids across the country which followed a probe into the smuggling of illegal immigrants from the UK to the US. The nine being held are being quizzed in West Midlands police stations. 

TWO HELD OVER BUSINESSMAN DEATH 

Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Birmingham businessman in Moseley. The pair, aged 30 and 34, are being questioned about the murder of Naveed Saleem, 32, who was stabbed to death. A man and woman, aged 22 and 20, have been charged with perverting the course of justice and are due at Solihull Magistrates' Court on Thursday. 

THREE IN COURT OVER ZOO ATTACKS 

Three boys are due before Dudley Youth Court in connection with two attacks on a group of wallabies at the town's zoo. Two 11-year-olds are charged with "cruelly terrifying" the animals. A third youngster, aged 10, is accused of mistreating the marsupials. A five-month-old wallaby was found dead in its enclosure and a second was put down after suffering a broken leg. 

TORY LEADER LAUNCHES NHS PLAN 

Tory leader Michael Howard is set to launch a Conservative health roadshow at hospitals in Shropshire. Mr Howard will be promoting the party's latest health policy at Ludlow Community Hospital before moving on to the Royal Shrewsbury. Under the plans, private hospitals who offer treatment for the same price as the NHS would receive state funding. 

ACCUSED ADVISER 'HAD VIAGRA' 

A Worcester financial adviser accused of fleecing and murdering an elderly client carried Viagra in his "travelling toolbox", a court was told. Peter Crittenden allegedly used the drug to help him seduce Joan Beddeson, 71, and persuade her to let him "invest" her life savings of £280,000. At Chester Crown Court, Crittenden, 64, denies theft and murder. 

MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING SISTER 

A 56-year-old Warwickshire man has appeared in court charged with murdering his sister at a caravan site. Henry Gaskin, of Woodside Park, near Ryton-on-Dunsmore, was remanded in custody for a week by Rugby magistrates charged with killing Violet Gaskin. Ms Gaskin, who also lived at the caravan park, died in hospital after being in collision with a car. 

BABY MURDER: MOTHER CAN APPEAL 

A Birmingham mother-of-three serving life for murdering her 12-week-old son has won permission to appeal. Lawyers for Chah'Oh-Niyol Kai-Whitewind will cite the cases of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings, both cleared on appeal of child-killings, later this year. Kai-Whitewind was convicted by the unanimous verdict of a Birmingham Crown Court jury last December. 

ARRESTED MEN REMAIN IN CUSTODY 

Two men who were arrested following a stabbing at a Warwickshire pub remain in custody awaiting further questioning, police have confirmed. The pair, both 26, were detained after a 19-year-old man received a serious stab wound, which punctured his heart, at the Horse and Jockey in Wythall. The victim received life-saving surgery at Redditch hospital, where he remains. 

BOYS ADMIT CRUELTY TO WALLABIES 

Children who terrified wallabies at Dudley Zoo in incidents that led to the death of one of the traumatised animals from shock have walked free from court. Ryan Jones and Kieron Anslow, both 11, and another boy, 10, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the wallabies. At Dudley Youth Court, they received 12-month referral orders and their parents must pay the zoo compensation. 

FAMILY REMEMBERS IRAQ SOLDIER 

The family of a military policeman killed in Iraq are travelling from Wales to Solihull to dedicate a garden at his old school. Lance Corporal Thomas Keys, 20, was killed by a mob along with five colleagues in Al Majar al-Kabir. His father and brother are travelling from Llanuwchllyn, Gwyned, for the first anniversary of his death. 

HEART UNIT SET TO OPEN 

The NHS "heart tsar" is set to open a new state-of-the-art laboratory and extended cardiac ward at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. Cardiologist Dr Roger Boyle will perform the opening ceremony for the facility in Stoke-on-Trent. The catheterisation laboratory is used to diagnose heart problems and, in some cases, correct them without surgery. 

JULY DATE FOR BY-ELECTION 

Voters in Birmingham will go to the polls on July 15 for a snap by-election in the Hodge Hill constituency. It comes after Labour's Terry Davis -who held the seat in 2001 with an 11,618 majority - resigned for a post at the Council of Europe Assembly. The area is traditionally a safe Labour seat but it is feared the party could be vulnerable to mid-term disaffection. 

MP WELCOMES TENANCY LAWS 

Wrekin MP Peter Bradley has welcomed the Government's decision to introduce laws to protect tenants whose landlords fail to return deposits. The announcement comes after a long-running Citizen's Advice Bureau campaign supported by the Labour MP. He said: "I'm delighted the Government is going to strengthen tenants' rights to recover their tenancy deposits." 

TWO TRAPPED ON FUNFAIR RIDE 

Two men trapped upside down for two hours on a funfair ride in Birmingham were freed after fire crews called in engineers from a car factory. West Midlands Fire Service said experts from the Jaguar assembly plant in Castle Bromwich managed to "unlock" the Robocoaster ride at nearby Star City. A spokesman said the men were suspended about 15ft above the ground. 

MURDER PROBE AFTER FATAL ATTACK 

West Midlands Police have launched a murder inquiry following the death of a Birmingham man who was allegedly punched in the face in a city street. Robert Poulton, 26, of Castle Bromwich, suffered severe head injuries during the attack in Brockhurst Road, Hodge Hill, and later died in hospital. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with assisting an offender. 

FIRM DEFENDS TOILET CAMERA 

A Worcester firm has defended its decision to train a secret CCTV camera on its disabled toilet. Bosses at Worcester Heat Systems, based in Warndon, installed the miniature device following concerns that staff were smoking inside the facility. The company said the camera was trained on the door in a way which did not compromise "dignity or privacy." 

MAN KILLED IN CAR CRASH 

A 26-year-old Staffordshire man was killed when his car crashed on a country road near Stone, police said. Two other occupants of the black Peugeot 306 were treated for minor injuries after the accident between Swynnerton and Yarnfield. Police said the passengers had been treated at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent. 

DYLAN THOMAS LETTER SOLD 

A letter written by Dylan Thomas eight months before his death has been bought at auction by a buyer from the West Midlands for more than £2,000. The item, which details the poet's progress on Under Milk Wood, was sold at the Swindon auction for £2,176. The letter is addressed to BBC producer Douglas Cleverdon, who encouraged Thomas to write the famous work. 

DON’T TURN A BLIND EYE ON BLIND AWARENESS MONTH

Do you know that there are over 30,000 people in Birmingham with a visual impairment?
Visual impairment can happen to anyone, of any race and at any time. When it happens, it can cause loneliness, isolation and depression. 
To help raise awareness for Blind Awareness Month, Birmingham Focus on Blindness (formerly BRIB - Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind) has many exciting initiatives planned for the month. During June they will be promoting and communicating many facts and stories about visual impairment. 
Over and above monetary donations, one of the keys to the future success of Birmingham Focus on Blindness is volunteer support. Volunteering is a great way of giving something back to society and is very rewarding. And the charity is always looking for new volunteers. 
If you would like to support the charity, Birmingham Focus on Blindness in any way at all, or if you know of someone who could benefit from their support, contact their switchboard on 0121 428 5000, or visit their website at www.birminghamfocus.org.uk 
Birmingham Focus on Blindness has also recently launched a telephone Helpline.
Graham  Rollason, a Community Worker with the charity adds, “Our Helpline is there because we want to offer advice and support on all aspects of visual impairment. We can advise you on how to go about accessing information and services for those with a visual impairment and how to go about receiving community support and rehabilitation advice. In fact if you have any concerns at all, just pick up the phone and give us a call.”

Graham  Rollason

WORRY OVER RAW MATERIALS COST 

The rising cost of raw materials will force many manufacturers to increase prices, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry has predicted. The group's quarterly economic survey found many of its members are concerned about the cost of steel and fuel. A third of firms said they would have to charge more for their goods and services over the next three months. 

SCHOOL DAMAGED BY BLAZE 

Part of a Warwickshire secondary school has been destroyed by a massive fire, police have said. Fifteen fire appliances were called to Avon Valley Secondary School, Newbold Road, Rugby, and several nearby roads had to be closed during the incident. The cause of the fire - which police said damaged a "substantial" part of the school - has not been determined. 

MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN CRASH 

A motorcyclist has been killed and another airlifted to hospital after separate accidents in Staffordshire. One man died when his Yamaha bike was in collision with a Citroen Xsara on the A51 at Longdon, near Rugeley. Meanwhile, a motorcyclist and a female car passenger were seriously injured in a collision on the B4176 Bridgnorth Road in Wombourne. 

MAYOR TO REOPEN TOWN PARK 

The Mayor of Stafford is to reopen the town's Victoria Park after a revamp which includes new flood defences. Frank Finlay will be joined by an official from the Environment Agency at a ceremony which will be attended by groundsmen who worked on the scheme. The project to install anti-flooding measures on the River Sow, which runs through the park, started in 2002. 

SCHOOL TERMS MAY BE REVIEWED 

A full consultation on school terms is due to start start in Northamptonshire this summer. The county council wants to hear the views of the local community to see how people feel about a five or six term school year. The consultation is looking at possibilities for the school year starting in September 2006. 

VASSELL THANKS FANS FOR SUPPORT 

Birmingham-born Darius Vassell has thanked fans for their support in the wake of his missed penalty for England. The Aston Villa striker admitted that he was "completely devastated" by the penalty shoot-out defeat. He said: "Since coming back home to Birmingham, I have been inundated with messages - not only from Villa fans -which have really been touching." 

DRIVERS BEHAVING DANGEROUSLY 

West Midlands drivers are engaging in dangerous practises such as putting on make-up, eating and using hand-held mobiles, according to a survey. The Autonational Rescue poll found that as many as 17% of West Midlands drivers ate or drank while driving, while the national average was 11%. A firm spokesman said: "Hopefully this isn't the start of a trend." 

DISCOUNT STORES CREATE NEW JOBS 

Discount chain 99p Stores has announced plans to create 1,000 jobs as part of a £5m expansion drive, including opening a new store in Walsall. The London-based company has secured funding from equity finance group Barclays Ventures to open an extra 50 stores across the UK over three years. The new outlet will be open by early August, a company spokesman said. 

BISHOP HITS OUT AT DEBT CULTURE 

The Bishop of Worcester has criticised the "uncritical acceptance" of Britain's growing debt culture. The Rt Rev Dr Peter Selby also compared the exploitation of the planet's natural resources to a "credit card with no credit limit." Dr Selby also called on society to stop treating money as a "commodity to be generated for its own sake." 

BOY, 12, FOUND SAFE AND WELL 

A 12-year-old boy who went missing from his home in Stoke-on-Trent has been found safe and well. Benjamin Robinson disappeared from his home in the Meir area on Saturday, Staffordshire Police said. A spokesman declined to disclose where Ben had been but did confirm there would be no further police inquiries into the matter.