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Former England and Stoke City goalkeeper Gordon Banks, from Stoke-on-Trent, is to sell his 1966 World Cup winner's medal to help his family. Described as one of the world's finest goalkeepers by Sir Alf Ramsey, the 63-year-old said it was a "sad day". He hopes an England fan will buy the medal, which is expected to fetch between £70,000 and £90,000. A heavily-pregnant woman and her unborn child have died after they were involved in a car crash. The 36-year-old mother-to-be's Peugeot 206 was involved in a collision with a Subaru Impreza as she pulled out of a lay-by in Malvern, Worcestershire. The eight-months pregnant woman, from the Worcester area, was airlifted to hospital where she later died. A builder who scooped more than £830,000 on the National Lottery has pledged to spend the first part of his fortune on a deluxe wooden pigeon loft. Kevin Head, 35, of Wolverhampton, plans to spend £1,700 on the new structure. The married father-of-five said he would also invest in a people carrier and a family holiday in Majorca. He said: "I am just in a daze." 'HOOLIGAN' CASE MAN SPEAKS OUT A Birmingham football fan convicted in Belgium after violence at the Euro 2000 tournament has reacted angrily after his appeal was adjourned in Belgium. Mark Forrester, 34, of Great Barr, said video evidence would show him "walking away from where the trouble was". His appeal against conviction for assaulting a police officer has been adjourned until March 28. A Northamptonshire church is aiming to recruit younger worshippers by holding monthly services in a pub. The Daventry Vineyard Church is holding services at the Dun Cow on the first Sunday of every month. Affiliated to Vineyard Churches UK, the aim is to appeal to the 20-to-30 age group who would not normally attend a Sunday service. MINISTER OPENS OPERATIONS BASE Health Minister Gisela Stuart is due to open West Midlands Ambulance Service's new emergency operations centre. The Edgbaston MP will open the site as part of a whistle-stop regional tour to visit a variety of health services. She will start the day with a visit to a GP and dental practice in Uttoxeter, before visiting the emergency centre in Brierley Hill IRISH BANDS PULL OUT OF PARADE Organisers of Birmingham's St Patrick's Day parade have promised the event will be as good as ever - despite the fact some Irish bands have pulled out. Several bands have cancelled due to the foot-and-mouth outbreak but organisers said Sunday's show would go on. Parade organiser Anthony Duffy said: "We have plenty of local talent to fill their shoes." EXTRA PHONE LINE FOR QUERIES An extra telephone line has been installed at Worcester's livestock market to cope with the rising number of calls about foot-and-mouth disease. Worcestershire Trading Standards officers have been inundated with calls from worried farmers asking for advice. A council spokesman said: "Officers took the decision to install an extra dedicated telephone line." 'DISAPPOINTMENT' OVER SLAUGHTER The RSPCA has expressed disappointment that animals at Alton Towers
were slaughtered amid fears that visitors could spread foot-and-mouth disease.
The Staffs theme park destroyed a cow, six sheep, three pigs and eight
goats on Government advice. An RSPCA spokesman said: "I am surprised that
Alton Towers was unable to isolate the animals."
LOCAL NEWS 09/03/01
An annual air show in Coventry dedicated to post-war aeroplanes will not take place this year. The owners of Coventry Airport said redevelopment of the Baginton site means it will be unavailable for the Fifties Festival of Flying. An airport spokesman said the show, which attracts visitors from across the world, is likely to resume in 2002. BANK MOVE DISAPPOINTS BUSINESS Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry has expressed disappointment at the Bank of England's decision not to cut interest rates. Louise Beard, policy director at the chamber, said: "It's much like the Budget - not a lot of help to business. "A cut in interest rates would have been a welcome boost to business confidence." Sports car manufacturer Lotus is to cut up to 300 jobs - 15% of its UK workforce - in factories including its engineering site in Coventry. The company said the redundancies, which will also hit its plant at Hethel, near Norwich, are due to a shortfall in revenue. The redundancies will take place over the next few months, it added DAY OFF TO MARK BOSS'S FUNERAL About 3,000 employees at excavation equipment maker JCB's Staffordshire plants are to be given the day off to mark the funeral of the firm's founder. Joseph Cyril Bamford died in hospital in London last week, aged 84. He is being buried in Switzerland. The firm's factories in Rugeley, Uttoxeter and Cheadle, as well as the Rochester HQ, are closing for the day. A cavalcade of E-Type Jaguars is to set off for Switzerland from Coventry to mark the car's 40th anniversary. The E-Type, which achieved cult status after its launch in Geneva in March 1961, is rated by critics as possibly the most stylish sports car ever built. Fourteen of the classic vehicles are setting off from Jaguar's plant in Browns Lane heading for Geneva. PARK SLAMMED OVER SLAUGHTER A group of MPs have attacked Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire for slaughtering pet animals to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Six sheep, three pigs, eight goats and a cow were destroyed after the park was named as being in an infected area. A spokesperson for Alton Towers claimed the slaughter of the animals was the only course of action available. BALLET FOUNDER DIES Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Birmingham Royal Ballet School
and a leading light in the dance world, has died aged 102. Dame Ninette,
who also founded the Royal Ballet School in London, died at her home in
Barnes, south-west London. She is credited as one of the greatest influences
in the development of classical ballet in the UK.
POLICE CHARGE 29 OVER RIOTING Police say 29 people have been charged with violent disorder after rioting at a Stoke City versus Cardiff City match at Stoke's Britannia Stadium. The arrests are part of a major police operation following the match on April 30 last year. The 29 charged are from the South Wales and Gwent Police areas and are to appear at Stoke-on-Trent magistrates. MAN ILL AFTER 'SHEEP DIP' DRINK A Shropshire haulage company boss was fined £1,500 for failing to ensure the safety of a lorry driver after he drank sheep-dip he mistook for orangeade. Norman Rex Jones, 64, from Ludlow was also ordered to pay £500 costs and fined a further £500 for failing to notify the Health and Safety Executive. Thomas Walker was left fighting for his life, Ludlow Magistrates heard. THEATRE MISSES OUT ON FUNDING The Swan Theatre in Worcester has missed out on a £25m package
from the Arts Council of England. Venues throughout England have shared
funds after a wide ranging review of theatre policy which identified a
need to boost more and better productions. The Swan was one of five major
regional theatres to miss out, some of which could now face closure.
GUNMAN THREATENED SECURITY MAN An armed robber threatened a security guard with a gun as he made a delivery to a post office in Stourbridge. West Midlands police said the guard was targeted as he delivered boxes in Junction Road. The man fled in a stolen car driven by an accomplice. Detectives believe the criminals may have been covered in red security dye which was activated during the raid. BLAZE RAVAGES CAR PARTS FACTORY Police and fire officers have launched an investigation after a blaze badly damaged a West Bromwich factory. It caused extensive damage to the factory, which makes car brake pads, and adjoining offices in Forge Lane. It took seven fire crews using a hydraulic platform two hours to control the blaze and to stop flames spreading to the rest of the factory. Police want to trace a stolen car which may have been used by the killers of a West Midlands stabbing victim. Officers said the vehicle was similar to one seen by a witness last June outside the home of taxi driver Zafar Mehdi in Basons Lane, Smethwick. They have searched scrapyards in a bid to trace the white Vauxhall Cavalier saloon, registration number N203 VNF. Councillors in Birmingham have approved an £82m repair programme for tenants and owner-occupiers in the city. Work such as central heating installation, windows, inside toilets and re-roofing will continue to be a priority, council chiefs said. Dennis Minnis, cabinet member for housing said it reflected increased national resources for housing. Women in Solihull are being warned to be vigilant after a sex attacker
struck for the second time in the same area. In the new attack a 19-year-old
student was grabbed from behind and assaulted as she walked along Hermitage
Road. The incident happened a few yards from where a 26-year-old woman
was raped at the end of January and police fear the attacker may strike
again.
JOBS IN ROUND OF PUB OPENINGS Pub giant JD Wetherspoon plans to create 200 jobs across the West Midlands by opening seven new pubs. The £7m investment will see watering holes in Sutton Coldfield, Smethwick, Birmingham and Lye. Three other sites in Birmingham have been identified. A spokesman said: "Birmingham has become a really vibrant city and we are enjoying the spin-offs from that." COUNTERFEIT TRADERS ARRESTED Police in Walsall have launched a major operation to clamp down on the sale of counterfeit goods. They teamed up with Walsall Council's Trading Standards team to swoop on an indoor car boot sale held in Walstead Road West. Hundreds of items were seized from two stalls and four people were arrested in the crackdown. WARM WELCOME FOR SCHOOLS' CASH Staffordshire County Council has welcomed a £3m boost for its education service provided in the Budget. Education leader John Brooks said the cash would see an extra £1.6m to support day-to-day school running costs, with a typical primary school gaining about £4,000 a year. "Gordon Brown continues to give education a high priority," he said DEALING WITH YOUNG ARSONISTS Juveniles convicted of deliberately starting fires are to undergo a special education programme. The initiative is part of a package of measures aimed at stopping young arsonists - who cause thousands of pounds worth of damage. West Midlands Fire Service chiefs say the Child Fire-Setting and Juvenile Arsonist scheme is starting to pay off. SERVICE TO REMEMBER NIKOLA The funeral of a prostitute found strangled near a Stoke cemetery will take place on Tuesday. Staffordshire police said Nikola Higgins would be remembered at a service at Holy Trinity Church in her home town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leics. Miss Higgins, 23, was found dead on a driveway in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, on February 12. LOCAL NEWS 12/03/01 ENGINEERING FIRM CUTS 200 JOBS Around 200 jobs are to be lost at a Birmingham-based engineering
group, it has been announced. Engineering group IMI said 200 jobs would
be affected in the UK as result of a major review of operations. The move
comes after the firm endured a tough second half of last year, with earnings
hit by the economic slowdown in the US, where it has 25% sales.
The number of foot-and-mouth cases in Worcestershire has risen again, with another confirmed case. The case at a cattle and sheep farm in Bringsty has been confirmed along with 11 other cases across the UK. But Agriculture Minister Nick Brown insists he is "absolutely certain" that the outbreak is being contained and is under control. Thousands of people descended on Birmingham for the annual St Patrick's Day parade. Despite the foot-and-mouth outbreak organisers said the popular event went ahead with the usual flair. The highlight of the annual parade, to mark St Patrick's Day on March 17, was the stream of pipe and drum bands with dancing troupes through Digbeth. MP IN ANIMAL RIGHTS ALERT The MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme is to take security precautions, after police warned she may be on animal rights activists' hit list. Llin Golding was alerted as the House of Lords prepares to debate the Hunting Bill, since there are signs that two female MPs may be targets. Mrs Golding is co-chairman of the parliamentary Middle Way hunting group. Police are to join forces with Travel West Midlands inspectors to clamp down on robberies on public transport. Checks will be carried out in the Selly Oak and Northfield areas as part of Operation Safer Streets, the long term initiative to combat street crime. Sergeant Yvonne Harris said that the main focus of the drive is the theft of mobile phones. Nearly half of West Midlands people do not trust their partners with a screwdriver, according to a new survey. Some 45% of the West Midlands people said their other halves would struggle fitting a new kitchen. The Move and Improve survey, for the Alliance & Leicester, quizzed 4,129 people nationally about their partner's capability around the home. £3m BOOST FOR SCHOOLS Staffordshire schools will benefit by more than £3m from April following Gordon's Brown's budget, the county's education chiefs revealed. Staffordshire county council said £1.6m will support day-to-day running costs, In additiion, a typical primary school with just over 200 pupils will gain an extra £4,000 and secondary school will get about £10,000 each year. POLICE HOLD BENGALI CONFERENCE West Midlands police have hosted a conference aimed at creating better relations with ethnic Bengalis. The Bangladeshi High Commissioner is joining officers and representatives from West Midlands fire and prison services at the Aston conference. A police spokesman said the conference hoped to attract recruits from leaders of the Bengali community. VICE WORKSHOP ART UNVEILED Artwork by prostitutes working in Walsall is to be unveiled at the town's New Art Gallery as part of a research project into the area's vice trade. The art workshops were run in conjunction with Walsall Council's community arts team and researchers from Staffordshire University. The workshops, and the art produced, foucsed on safety issues. MAN TO BE SENTENCED FOR MURDER A council worker from Lichfield is being sentenced for the murder
of a partially blind man, who was bludgeoned to death with a child's cricket
bat. Craig Melling, 21, is facing a mandatory life term for killing former
detective constable Victor Mercer, 59, during a drunken argument in Lichfield.
He is to be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Melling pleaded guilty.
PARK TO STAY SHUT AMID OUTBREAK Staffordshire's Drayton Manor Park has delayed its spring opening
for a week due to the foot-and-mouth outbreak. The 250-acre theme park
near Tamworth had planned to re-open its rides on March 24 but will now
throw its doors open to the public on March 31. A spokesman said the situation
will be reviewed again on March 29 and a final decision confirmed.
The RSPCA has appealed for information about the discovery of 17 dead birds in a box in Birmingham. Inspectors, who said a Big Issue seller found the birds in Rea Street, believe they may have been illegally trapped. Meanwhile, a 38-year-old man is being quizzed after two birds and trapping equipment was seized from a house in Friars Park, Wednesbury. A disused nuclear bunker in picturesque Worcesterhire countryside has gone on the market - priced at £8,000. The property, at Burford, near Tenbury Wells, is thought to have been used in the 1960s by the Royal Observer Corps. Tenbury Wells-based estate agent McCartneys said the bunker, with views of the Clee Hills and Malvern Hills, had attracted plenty of interest. A thanksgiving service for the life of the former Bishop of Worcester Philip Goodrich will be held at the city's Cathedral on Saturday. The Rt Rev Goodrich, Bishop from 1982-1996, died in January after a short illness. The Dean of Worcester will lead the service, which will see a collection for Christian Aid. AIRPORT HAS RECORD PASSENGERS Birmingham International Airport registered a record number of passengers last month - 491,902. The figure marks an increase of 6.8%, compared to the same month last year, and brings the passenger totals in the last 12 months to 7,696,714. A spokesman said the number has grown by 14% due to new routes and increased frequencies of services. JAIL INSPECTOR TALKS ON PRISONS The man responsible for probing the state of the country's jails is to address delegates in Birmingham on the benefits and drawbacks of imprisonment. Sir David Ramsbotham will give a lecture called What Price Imprisonment? at Birmingham University as part of its Issues in Criminal Justice talks. The Chief Inspector of Prisons is an outspoken critic of jail conditions. CABBIES DROP COUNCIL APPEAL Dudley Council has welcomed two taxi drivers' decisions to abandon an appeal against a new regulation requiring them to carry guide dogs and their owners. The two cabbies have dropped the appeal against the new condition lodged with the town's magistrates. A spokesman for the council said: "This is a victory for common sense and equality." MAN FACES JAIL OVER SHOOTING A man who suffered nine months of attacks and threats at his former home in Stafford was warned he faces jail after being convicted of a shooting. Simon Jennings, 37, wounded Sean Pritchard after confronting him outside his then-home, moments after a brick had been thrown through his window. A jury at Stafford Crown Court found him guilty of wounding with intent. ASSAULT VICTIM WINS DAMAGES A Daventry assault victim whose injury turned into a serious brain
condition and went undetected by doctors has been awarded £1.25m
agreed damages. Paul Boddington, 24, was attacked and had treatment for
minor head injuries but his brain became infected, the High Court in London
heard. Doctors at Northampton General Hospital failed to diagnose the infection.
NEW DISEASE
CASES CONFIRMEDA new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has
been confirmed at two sites in Staffordshire, the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food said. The cases have been confirmed at sites in Offley
and Marston, MAFF officials have confirmed. The two cases are part of the
latest new outbreaks recorded at farms across the country.
A Lichfield alcoholic binman has been sentenced to life for the murder
of a partially blind man who was bludgeoned to death with a child's cricket
bat. Craig Melling, 21, pleaded guilty to smashing 59-year-old Victor Mercer's
skull during a drunken row. Judge Frank Chapman, at Wolverhampton Crown
Court, said it was "mindless, gratuitous" violence.
FRESH APPEAL OVER ABDUCTION BID Wolverhampton police are renewing their appeal for two witnesses to get in touch after the attempted abduction of a 35-year-old woman. A man, said to be of mixed race and in his late teens to 20s, tried to grab the woman in the Parkfields area. Oficers are keen to trace a passer-by who shouted at the offender and a motorist who sounded his horn. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has warned plans for a new £1m headquarters could be threatened by vandalism and arson. Director Guy Corbett-Marshall said attacks on disused buildings at the former Wolseley Garden Park, near Rugeley, threatens the project. The trust has earmarked the site for redevelopment in a move from its present base at Sandon, near Stafford. AMBULANCE WARNS OVER SHORTAGES The head of Staffordshire Ambulance Service is warning that its enviable record of fast response times could be under threat from lack of funding. Chief executive Roger Thayne said less efficient services were now getting more money to boost efficiency. The service, which responds to 90% of calls within eight minutes, could now be forced to cut costs, he added. Dudley Council has welcomed two taxi drivers' decisions to abandon
an appeal against a new regulation requiring them to carry guide dogs and
their owners. The two cabbies have dropped the appeal against the new condition
lodged with the town's magistrates. A spokesman for the council said: "This
is a victory for common sense and equality."
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