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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.
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JAM-BUSTERS SCOOP £800,000 Worcestershire County Council's Highways department has received an extra £800,000 after being praised for its efforts to ease congestion. Whitehall officials awarded the cash so the council can increase spending on road maintenance, keeping commuters safe and "jam-busting" schemes. A spokesman said: "We are delighted our hard work has been recognised." 'UNEXPLAINED' DEATH PROBED Police in north Worcestershire are probing the "unexplained" death of a 39-year-old woman whose body was found at a flat in Bewdley. Post-mortem tests on the woman, who was found dead in High Street, have proved inconclusive and officers are waiting for toxicology results. A man arrested over the death has been bailed pending further enquiries. TEENAGERS IN COURT OVER FRACAS Three teenagers are due in court in Walsall charged with violent disorder after a disturbance in which two men were seriously injured. Police said the defendants, aged 14, 17 and 19, also face assault charges following the "large-scale" outbreak of disorder in the town's High Street. In the fracas one man suffered head injuries and a second was stabbed. VIP TOUR FOR CRASH TRAGEDY BOY A 10-year-old who was hurt in a crash in Birmingham which killed his father eight years after his mother died is to be given a VIP tour by police. Dominic Gilsenan was promised a ride in a police car after being injured in the crash which killed his father, Anthony, 33, and uncle in Longbridge last year. Dominic's mother, Jackie Ware, 32, died of a heart attack in 1995. 'FAIR DEAL' FOR DETAINEES The treatment of a Birmingham man held at Guantanamo Bay has been criticised by Home Secretary David Blunkett. Moazzam Begg, 36, from Sparkhill, is one of nine Britons detained without trial at the military base in Cuba. Speaking before a visit to the United States for talks on fighting terrorism, Mr Blunkett pledged to fight for a "fair deal" for the men. MP AIMS TO GIVE ELDERLY A VOICE Worcester MP Michael Foster has become the first backbench MP in the country to set up a personal advisory group to represent the needs of pensioners. The Older Persons Advisory Group will meet the MP on a regular basis to discuss issues affecting the elderly. Labour MP Mr Foster said: "Without doubt, older people deserve to have their voices heard." WOMEN'S CHARITY MARKS EVENT A Birmingham group that supports women and children experiencing domestic violence is marking International Women's Day. Representatives of Birmingham Women's Aid are lighting a candle at the heart of a giant water lily in a canal. Alongside these celebrations, the city council is organising seminars, lunches, walks and open days. ALUMINIUM CAR GOES ON DISPLAY An aluminium Jaguar car weighing 200kg less than its steel predecessor is going on show at a Birmingham museum. The XJ saloon, which has pioneered use of aluminium, will be exhibited at Thinktank, Millennium Point. Mark White, a design manager at Jaguar, said the car's lightness has a positive impact on fuel consumption and limits its effect on the environment. CAMPAIGN TACKLES HATE CRIMES A poster campaign is being launched across Birmingham to remind people that hate crimes should not be tolerated. Three posters bearing messages about domestic violence, homophobic and racist crime are being plastered on council poster sites across the city. Council spokesman Mick Rice said: "It is up to all of us to challenge hatred and bigotry in our communities." SAFETY FEARS 'HIITING RAILWAYS' Hi-tech rail schemes are not being introduced because the industry is too concerned about safety, researchers at Birmingham University have claimed. "No-one wants to take the risk when people in the industry could be prosecuted," said Rail Research UK director Keith Madelin. The group's concerns will be put to Network Rail at a meeting this week. GUANTANAMO TRIO FLYING HOME Three Tipton men detained at Guantanamo Bay are due to be released by the US government later, Home Secretary David Blunkett has confirmed. Ruhal Ahmed, 23, Asif Iqbal, 20, and Shafiq Rasuo, 25, will fly home from the Cuban terror camp within 24 hours. On their arrival in London the group will be interviewed by counter-terrorism officers, he added. The Labour MP representing the Tipton terror suspects believes British police will be "quite justified" in questioning them. West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey said there were issues to be addressed about why the trio were in Afghanistan. A lawyer for one of three has criticised plans to hold him in the UK. Greg Powell, representing Ruhal Ahmed, 23, said his client would be taken to Paddington Green police station in London for questioning by police. Mr Powell said his priority was to secure the student's freedom. 61 ARRESTED IN CRIME CRACKDOWN Police in south Worcestershire have made more than 60 arrests in a month-long crackdown on drug dealers and thieves. Officers said heroin and crack cocaine were among £36,000 worth of drugs recovered during Operation Angel. A total of 61 arrests included 23 suspects thought to be in possession of drugs with intent to supply. BUILDING FIRM SAVED FROM FIRE Firefighters saved a Wolverhampton city centre building supplies firm from losing an estimated £2m after stopping its premises from going up in flames. Around 60 officers tackled a blaze in a timber yard which threatened to spread to suppliers Carver Ltd next door. West Midlands Fire Service said their overnight efforts prevented the loss of the Littles Lane site and its stock. YOUNG WOMAN ATTACKED IN STREET A woman pedestrian has been knocked unconscious during a street robbery in broad daylight in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Staffordshire Police said the 22-year-old was walking in Hawthorn Road, Chesterton, when she was approached from behind and thrown to the ground. The robber emptied her handbag before fleeing. Police believe the attack was witnessed by several people. JAMS 'PUT NEC UNDER THREAT' The Government must improve transport links to Birmingham's NEC or the venue will lose events which boost the local economy, business leaders have warned. Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry's warning follows congestion on the M42 which Crufts chiefs blamed for a dip in visitors this year. The Kennel Club is to review its future at the NEC after the problems. POLICE APPEAL TO GAY COMMUNITY Detectives investigating the murder of a retired Shrewsbury music teacher are appealing for help from the gay community to catch his killer. West Mercia Constabulary said they are confident that Philip Cieciora, 53, was gay or bisexual and that his social life did not extend beyond the town. He was found in his Ditherington flat suffering from severe head injuries. CASH TO REPAIR WAR MEMORIALS Crumbling war memorials in the region are to benefit from a £60,000 repair fund, English Heritage has announced. Grants will be available to pay 50% of the cost of any work, such as restoring fabrics, improving the legibility of inscriptions and landscaping. Memorials to benefit from grant aid in previous years include the one at Bridgnorth, Shropshire. NEW-LOOK SERVICES TO OPEN A state-of-the-art service station is opening on the M6 in Staffordshire with a pledge to ensure travellers receive "high street quality" facilities. RoadChef said it hopes the £15m site on the M6 Toll at Norton Canes will help to alter perceptions of rest areas. The 68-acre site boasts outdoor water features and seating, an exercise trail and a "food theatre". M6 TOLL POPULARITY INCREASING The operator of the M6 Toll has welcomed new figures which show more than 37,300 drivers used the route daily during February. A Midland Expressway spokesman stressed that it is too early to read too much into the figures, which compare with a daily average of 30,662 in January. But he added: "More and more people are finding the road an attractive option." GUANTANAMO TRIO ARRESTED Three Tipton men who were detained by the US in Guantanamo Bay on suspicion of being involved with al-Qaeda have been arrested on arrival in the UK. Ruhal Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, Shafiq Rasul and one other Briton were arrested as they landed at RAF Northolt in London. The four, held under the Terrorism Act 2000, are being transferred to a police station. A fifth man has been released. FAMILY'S JOY AT INMATE RELEASE A friend of a Tipton man who was held by the US in Guantanamo Bay has spoken of his family's joy at his release. Paul Quigley, a friend of Ruhal Ahmed, said: "The family are very pleased that after two years of unlawful detention, Ruhal is now in Britain." He added: "The family would like to thank their friends and supporters and they look forward to Ruhal's return." FIRM CRITICISED FOR BEER CLAIMS The Burton upon Trent-based maker of Carling lager has been criticised by the advertising watchdog for blaming "kebabs and curries" for beer bellies. Drinks giant Coors made numerous claims about the health benefits of beer in a leaflet, including that in moderation it protects against heart disease. The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered Coors not to repeat the claims. WORKPLACE SMOKING BAN URGED The West Midlands' Director of Public Health is marking national No Smoking Day by backing plans for a ban on lighting up in all workplaces. Professor Rod Griffiths said the move, including a ban in pubs and clubs, would save the lives of almost 400 people each year across the region. "A ban is not about upsetting smokers, but about saving lives," he said. MANHUNT AFTER WOMAN ATTACKED A woman has been subjected to a serious sexual assault in Tamworth, sparking a police hunt for three men. The 21-year-old victim was attacked in Stonepit, Kettlebrook, after accepting a lift home from the men, whom she met at the town's Kube nightclub. Officers believe the woman was assaulted by one of the men, who are all thought to be in their 20s. MP IN CALL OVER BENEFITS A West Midlands MP has urged the Department of Work and Pensions to sort out "teething problems" with efforts to modernise benefit and pension payments. Ross Cranston, Labour MP for Dudley North, said some of his constituents are having problems receving their benefits when paid into bank accounts. Mr Cranston said people "are asked to fill in a multiplicity of forms". EX-MI5 AGENT TO HOST TALK MI5 renegade David Shayler is giving a talk in Birmingham about the case of fellow whistleblower Katharine Gun. The former agent, jailed for breaching the Official Secrets Act, is to give a lecture entiled Anarchy In The UK at the city's university. Mrs Gun leaked details of requests by America for help to eavesdrop on United Nations members before the Iraq war. FAMILY FLIES IN FOR DEATH PROBE The family of a woman found dead in her Worcestershire flat have travelled from their home in Ireland to assist detectives with their inquiry. West Mercia Constabulary are treating the death of Margaret Morrissey, 39, of High Street, Bewdley, as unexplained. A man arrested in connection with the investigation has been released on bail pending further inquiries. MAIL DELIVERED AFTER STRIKE Royal Mail staff are hoping to deliver 300,000 letters held up after a strike at Birmingham's main depot. A company spokesman said the items will be delivered today, after about 100 workers protested over a colleague sacked for gross misconduct. The stoppage was launched when the worker, named as Peter Longbottom, was escorted off the premises in Aston. GUANTANAMO TRIO RELEASED Three ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees from Tipton are enjoying their first day of freedom amid growing calls to sue those responsible for their incarceration. Ruhal Ahmed, 22, Asif Iqbal, 22, and Shafiq Rasul, 26, have all been released without charge. They were taken to locations of their choice after being freed from a high-security police station in London. PAIR QUIZZED OVER DRUG SEIZURE Two Birmingham men are being questioned after police recovered crack cocaine with a street value of £10,000. Nineteen officers swooped on an address in Moseley, where two "fist-sized" parcels of the drug were found. Detectives are quizzing two suspects, aged 22 and 40, in connection with the seizure. A police spokesman said: "We are pleased with this latest success." EURO PIRATE GOODS LAW BACKED West Midlands Labour MEP Michael Cashman is backing European anti-counterfeiting laws that could protect jobs in Staffordshire's Potteries. The new measures mean there will be a common approach to tackling pirate goods across the EU member states. Mr Cashman said: "Recent job losses in our region in the ceramics industry make the case for action urgent." PROTESTER LOSES WAR ADVICE BID A protester from Shropshire has failed to gain access to the Attorney General's advice on the war in Iraq as part of a legal defence after a demo. Jim Footner, 26, faces a charge of trespass over a demonstration in Southampton last year. District Judge John Woollard at Southampton Magistrates' Court said he would not summon Lord Goldsmith. 'VOICES OF DUDLEY' CHOSEN A tool setter from Brierley Hill and a mother-of-two from Netherton have been named as joint winners of a contest to find the "Voice of Dudley". Dudley Borough Council said Jeremy Jackson and Jane Steventon's dulcet Black Country tones will now grace its 24-hour Callpay payment phoneline. A council spokesman said: "They are Black Country born and bred." SCHOOL COOKS COMPETE FOR TITLE School cooks from around the country are vying for the accolade of Chef of the Year at a contest in Birmingham. The finalists will have to produce a two-course meal which would appeal to an 11-year-old for just 80p - and also meet Government nutritional standards. Judges at the College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies include Ready Steady Cook star Brian Turner. MAN ARRESTED AFTER BODY FOUND A man has been arrested in connection with the discovery of a woman's body at a house in Shrewsbury. The detained man was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital suffering from minor injuries after police found the body in Copthorne Road. Det Chief Insp Martin Whitelegg, of West Mercia Police, said: "We are treating it as an unexplained death." MAN HELD OVER GRAFFITI DAMAGE A 22-year-old man has been arrested after a graffiti vandal sprayed scores of sites across Coventry, causing an estimated £40,000 of damage. A police spokesman said the offender used the tag "Doc" on each of the buildings he daubed in the city. West Midlands Police said the man was held on suspicion of criminal damage and bailed pending further inquiries. CONCERN OVER MISSING MOTHER Police have expressed concern for the welfare of a 25-year-old Warwickshire woman and her five-month-old son. Emma Louise Powell, of Hanbury Road, Bedworth, was last seen with her son, Joshua Aaron Main, in Rugby town centre and is believed to be depressed. Ms Powell is described as white, 5ft 5in and of thin build with dark brown shoulder-length hair. COFFEE MORNING NAPPY ADVICE Worcester residents are being offered the chance to learn about the benefits of non-disposable nappies at "nappuccino" coffee mornings. Worcestershire County Council is hosting the advice sessions at the Countryside Centre in Wildwood Drive on the second Tuesday of every month. A council spokewoman said the nappies benefit the environment. FIFTH PERSON HELD OVER DEATH A fifth person from north Staffordshire is being held over the killing of a Stoke-on Trent off-licence owner. The body of 66-year-old Frank Bayley was discovered by police on August 16 last year. A post-mortem examination showed he had died from asphyxiation. Two men and a woman from Birmingham and a north Staffordshire man are already being questioned. SNOW CAUSES ROAD PROBLEMS Motorists in Warwickshire were urged to slow down by police after heavy snowfalls caused 15 minor accidents in the south of the county. The A452 between Kenilworth and Balsall Common was particularly badly hit, a police spokesman said. Other areas which suffered problems included Kineton, Bidford-on-Avon and Fenny Compton. FIRM SET TO RELOCATE OFFICE A pub company intends to switch a firms head office operations to its Solihull base when it takes it over. Enterprise Inns will become the UK's largest pub company when it takes over Thame, Oxfordshire, firm the Unique Pub Company's business in a £609m deal. Enterprise said up to 100 jobs could go in Thame but employees could be offered positions in Solihull. TWO ARRESTED IN DRUGS RAID Police in south Birmingham have arrested two men and seized over 10kg of cannabis resin with a street value estimated at £42,000. The operation in Druids Heath targeted two addresses at which the local men, aged 23 and 38, were detained. During the raid, 42 nine-ounce bars of cannabis resin and a number of stolen electrical goods were recovered. FLAT FALL INQUEST ADJOURNED An inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of a French woman who is thought to have fallen from a seventh-floor Birmingham flat. Caroline Lamour, 26, was found dead at the foot of Kendrick House in Ladywood. A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing, however we are not looking for any other people in connection with this tragic incident." ROYAL VISITS CHARITY OFFICES The Duke of Edinburgh is to inspect new offices of the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA) in Coventry. The Duke, who has been President of the the charity since 1948, will meet staff at the Park Road premises along with Labour MP Kate Hoey, an NPFA trustee. Prince Philip is also due to pay a visit to the Engineering Innovation Centre at Loughborough University. PIONEER OPENS SCIENCE CENTRE A scientist who helped discover the link between smoking and lung cancer is to open a new Clinical Sciences Centre at Coventry's Walsgrave Hospital. Sir Richard Doll will open the site, one of Europe's most modern healthcare education facilities. It will benefit the UK, said University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust chairman Bryan Stoten. BRIDGE CLOSED DURING REPAIRS An historic Shropshire bridge is to close in late April for 29 weeks to allow vital repairs to be carried out. Coalport Bridge, which carries the Broseley-to-Coalport road over the River Severn, will close while the £900,000 project is under way. The bridge, which was constructed in 1818, is both a listed building and a scheduled ancient monument. ROBOTIC 'ARM' UNVEILED A prototype of a ground-breaking robotic "arm" designed by Staffordshire University to help disabled people with everyday tasks has been unveiled. The Flexibot, which resembles a caterpillar, has three pivots allowing it to move and a three-fingered "hand". The device was unveiled at the university's centre for rehabilitation robotics in Stoke-on-Trent. COUNCIL GETS PLANNING AWARD Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council has been awarded £283,000 to help improve its planning department. The award for the next financial year from the Government's planning delivery grant scheme is the highest made to a Shropshire local authority. Planning spokesman Keith Brennand said: "It reflects on the effort and commitment of all our staff." STUDENTS' DESIGNS SHOW THE SHIFT OF TIME Back in the 50s and 60s, the classic shift dress was very popular and featured in many women's wardrobes. Now this short, simple, straight-cut dress has been taken by Fashion Studies students from the University of Derby and injected with creative ideas and design skills to bring it back to life in Shifting Times, an exhibition at Pickford's House Museum, Derby. The exhibition is a chance to see work by talented young designers who are preparing to enter the world of fashion. It will run until June and the garments will be changed every four weeks to feature the work of four different groups of students. Fashion Studies Lecturer Marilyn Warren said: "The starting point for this project was an original 1960s Le-roy Weldons paper pattern, which at the time could be purchased for seven shillings! Students have manipulated the 1960s mini-dress pattern and interpreted it into their own contemporary version." Pickford's House Museum is open Monday 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and on Sunday 2pm to 5pm.
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