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Birmingham: News Headlines August 2010

31.08.10 Wing Yip Expansion Plans Approved: The Chinese food importer Wing Yip has been granted planning permission to expand its UK headquarters on Nechells Park Road. The company will demolish some light industrial buildings, increase the size of its present warehouse, and build a second warehouse; these new buildings will cover existing service yards and so Wing Zip will convert part of Railway Terrace into a new delivery area. The expansion will create an additional 50 jobs and increase the total workforce to around 180.

31.08.10 Robbery At Betfred in Cotteridge: A man armed with a shotgun robbed Betfred on the Pershore Road in Cotteridge at around 5.30pm on Monday 30 August.

31.08.10 ASBO's Served On B515 Gang Leaders: Four men in their early twenties from Ladywood, who lead a 40-strong BMX bike gang, which includes children as young as 13, have been served with anti-social behaviour orders that prohibit them from entering Highgate. Police believe that the gang is involved in drug dealing, particularly in Highgate. Its members wear black-and-white bandanas and attack en masse, even threatening police officers and damaging patrol cars.

30.08.10 Newtown Road Rage Attacker Jailed for 9 Years: A 23-year-old man from Fast Pitts Road in Yardley has been sentenced to 9 years imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court . He stamped on the head of a 36-year-old motorist during a road rage incident at New John Street West in Newtown during the early hours of Sunday 25 April 2010.

30.08.10 Bus Route Changes in North Birmingham: Several bus routes through north Birmingham will be changed this September. In particular, route 68 will no longer connect Pype Hayes to the Fort Shopping Park and Sutton Coldfield Town. Furthermore, routes 104, 104a, 105 and 114 will travel on the A5127 Lichfield Road instead of the A38 Aston Expressway.

30.08.10 Kidney Dialysis Centre To Open in Sparkbrook: A warehouse on Studley Street in Sparkbrook will be transformed into a kidney dialysis centre with 4 consulting rooms and 20 treatment stations.

30.08.10 Hollister To Open Store at Bullring: The US fashion chain Hollister & Co will take over the retail unit vacated by USC at the New Street entrance to the Bullring. Hollister will employ 9 full-time staff and 250 part-time staff and will invest around £2.5 million in a major refit.

29.08.10 Men Stabbed in Jewellery Quarter: Police found a 28-year-old man, who had been stabbed in the chest, at the junction of Livery Street and Lionel Street in the Jewellery Quarter of central Birmingham at around 5am this morning.

29.08.10 Sutton Coldfield Library Will Relocate: Sutton Coldfield Library will move from its current premises on Lower Parade in the town centre to the nearby Metropolitan College Design Centre on Upper Holland Road. The current library building contains lethal asbestos that will cost around £1.8 million to remove.

28.08.10 Houses Planned for Harborne Car Park: Developers have applied for planning permission to build 4 apartments and 7 mews houses on a 66-space car park on St John's Road off Harborne High Street.

28.08.10 Claw Hammer Robber Jailed: A 26-year-old man has been jailed for three and a half years at Birmingham Crown Court for robbing a shop on Swinford Road in Weoley on 13 September 2009. The man threatened the shopkeeper and his wife with a claw hammer, smashed the till, and stole sweets and cigarettes.

27.08.10 Birmingham University Builds New Research Unit: The University of Birmingham has started work on a new Human Biomaterials Research Centre at the Old Rose Garden site in Edgbaston. The centre, which will cost around £15 million, will store human tissue for cancer and stem cell research.

27.08.10 Car Crash Closes City Centre Tunnel: A city centre tunnel was closed for over an hour after two cars collided on Suffolk Street Queensway at around 2pm on Thursday 26 August.

27.08.10 Car Crash on Yardley Green Road: Two vehicles collided on Yardley Green Road in Bordesley Green at around 1.20pm on Thursday 26 August. A female passenger was cut from the wreckage and taken to Heartlands Hospital.

27.08.10 Relocation of Wholesale Markets Delayed: The relocation of Birmingham Wholesale Markets from Digbeth to the former IMI site in Witton, which had been scheduled for January 2012, will be delayed because Prupim, the council's preferred bidder for the redevelopment of the new site, has not yet suibmitted an application for outline planning permission.

26.08.10 Erdington Church Removes Gravestones: Officials at St Barnabas' Church on Erdington High Street will remove 23 untended and derelict monuments from its graveyard, including several Victorian gravestones. The vacated space will be landscaped during the reconstruction of the church which was severely damaged by an arson attack in 2007.

26.08.10: Cash Seized in Yardley Drugs Raid: Police seized drugs and £15,000 cash during a raid at a house on Clements Road in Yardley on Wednesday 25 August.

26.08.10 Travellers Camp in Shire Country Park: A convoy of around 15 families travelling in trucks and caravans has set up camp on the John Morris Jones Walkway next to the River Cole at the Shire Country Park in Hall Green.

26.08.10 Handsworth Shopkeeper Robbed At Knifepoint: Two men robbed a Handsworth shopkeeper at knifepoint in a convenience store on the Soho Road at around 8:40 pm on Wednesday 9th June. The men, who emptied the till, are still at large despite a two month police investigation.

25.08.10 New Plots at Lodge Hill Cemetery: New drainage techniques have enabled the creation of 220 new burial plots at Lodge Hill Cemetery in Selly Oak. They are the first new plots to become available since the cemetery restricted interments to established family graves in 1998.

25.08.10 Handsworth Churchyard Vandalised: Several headstones were pulled down and smashed at St Mary's Churchyard in Handsworth during the weekend of 21/22 August.

25.08.10 Gas Cylinder Blaze in Small Heath: A gas cylinder store caught fire at a garage on Kenelm Road in Small Heath on the afternoon of Tuesday 24 August. Police cordoned-off the area and evacuated local residents because of the risk of explosion.

24.08.10 Empty Pubs Are Arson Risk: The Birmingham City Council Arson Squad, in partnership with the police and fire service, has established a building watch scheme for empty commercial properties, particularly pubs, which can attract thieves, vandals and arsonists.

24.08.10: Textline Cuts Bus Crime in Birmingham: The See Something Say Something Hotline, which encourages bus passengers in Birmingham to report crime by texting 83010, will be extended to the Midland Metro. The police report a 50% reduction in bus crime since the hotline was introduced in October 2008.

24.08.10 New Homeless Hostel for Bordesley Green?: A local businessman has submitted a planning application for the conversion of Bordesley Green Police Station into a hostel for homeless men referred by the local housing authority.

24.08.10 Tree Debris Injures Motorist in Kings Norton: An elderly motorist was fitted with a neck collar and spinal board after the branch of a tree, which overhangs the Redditch Road in Kings Norton, hit the windscreen of his car at around 1:15pm on Monday 23rd August.

24.08.1023.08.10 Suspected Suicide at Dale End Multi-Storey: A 48-year-old woman plunged to her death from Dale End multi-storey car park in the Retail Quarter of central Birmingham at around 1:15 pm on Sunday 22 August. She appears to have committed suicide.

23.08.10: Police Open Murder Investigation in Weoley Castle: The police have opened a murder investigation in Weoley Castle following the death of a 57-year-old man who was found with serious head injuries at his flat in Durham Court on Abdon Avenue in the early hours of Sunday 21 August.

23.08.10: Man Shot in Balsall Heath: A 28-year-old man was shot in the leg on Woodfield Crescent in Balsall Heath at around 10pm on Friday 20 August.

22.08.10 Tory Conference Faces Terrorist Threat: The Tory MP Patrick Mercer believes that dissident Irish Republican groups might launch a terrorist attack against the Conservative Party Conference which will be held at the ICC in the Westside area of central Birmingham between the 3rd and 6th October.

22.08.10 Birmingham Winefest in Victoria Square: The eleven day Birmingham Winefest will be held in Victoria Square until 30 August. Traditional German food and wine will be served daily from 11am until 10pm. 150,000 visitors are expected.

21.08.10 Council Seeks Budget Cuts of £230 Million: The Council Cabinet Member for Finance, Mr Randall Brew (Conservative), will attempt to cut the annual budget of Birmingham City Council by £230 million by 2013/14. The council currently has an annual turnover of around £3 billion.

21.08.10 Highgate Teen Stored Fireworks in Highrise Flat: A 19-year-old student has been sentenced to a 12 month community order at Birmingham Magistrates Court for unlawfully storing over 100 fireworks in a one bedroom flat on the 15th floor of Wilmcote Tower in Highgate.

21.08.10 Woman Dies in Yardley Car Crash: A woman died at around 12.30am this morning after being hit by a car near the New Inn on the Coventry Road in Yardley.

20.08.10 Car Crashes into House in Winson Green: The driver of a stolen Volvo crashed it into the wall of an end-of-terrace house on Norman Street in Winson Green at around 9:45pm on Wednesday 18 August.

20.08.10 Mitchell & Butlers Sell 333 Pubs: The brewer Mitchell and Butler, who is headquartered on Fleet Street in the Jewellery Quarter, will sell 333 drinks-led pubs but retain 1500 food-led pubs and restaurants. The purchaser is the private equity firm TDR Capital who will pay around £373 million.

20.08.10 Repair Work on Spaghetti Junction: The Highways Agency will replace a temporary support, which for 3 years has underpinned the northbound slipway from the M6 to the Aston Expressway, with a concrete column as part of a £2.7 million repair programme. Work will commence on Monday 23 August and should be completed by September 2011.

20.08.10: Birmingham Sky Ride on 12 September: The Birmingham Sky Cycle Ride will commence at 10am on Sunday 12 September. The event, which is being organised by Birmingham City Council and British Cycling, will follow a traffic-free 10 kilometre route and feature celebrity participants such as Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.

20.08.10 Airport Egg Smuggler Jailed: A 48-year-old man who took 14 peregrine falcon eggs from nests in South Wales, and attempted to smuggle them through Birmingham Airport on an Emirates flight to Dubai, has been jailed for 30 months at Warwick Crown Court.

19.08.10 Cyber Centre Opens in Aston: The Hilary Pugh Cyber Centre has opened at Prince Albert School in Aston. The centre, which cost £110,000, is a Computers in the Home Project jointly financed by Aston Pride and Service Birmingham.

19.08.10 Work Begins on Snow Hill Building: Work has started on the construction of a new £10.7 million building at Snow Hill in Birmingham city centre. It will contain 92 apartments, training areas, an IT Suite and social enterprise unit.

19.08.10 Drive-By Shooting in Saltley: A man escaped unharmed after being shot at by the driver of a green Ford Focus whilst walking on St Saviours Road in Saltley at around 1am on Wednesday 18th August.

19.08.10 Suspected Brothel in Hockley: Birmingham City Council have applied for a possession order in respect of a three-bedroom council house on All Saints Road in Hockley. Officials suspect that the occupants, a 42 year-old man and 37-year-old woman, are running a brothel.

18.08.10 Cardinal Newman Statute for Cofton Park: The sculptor Tim Tolkien will create a life-sized steel statue of Cardinal Newman that will be coated in bronze and placed in Cofton Park before the papal visit of Sunday 19 September.

18.08.10 Moseley Pub Hosts Alternative Film Club: The function room of the Cross public house on the Alcester Road in Moseley Village will host an alternative film night every Wednesday evening from 1 September.

18.08.10 Motorcyclist Dies on Tyburn Road: A motorcyclist died after crashing into a fence near a storage depot on the Tyburn Road in Erdington at around 8:45 pm on Tuesday 17 August.

17.08.10 Mice and Cockroach Infestation at Indoor Market: The Bullring Indoor Market closed on Tuesday 16 August after Environmental Health Officers discovered an infestation of mice and cockroaches. The site is currently being deep-cleansed but should reopen as normal on Wednesday 18 August.

17.08.10: Elderly Man Clubbed in Edgbaston: A 62 year-old Asian man was attacked by two strangers on Statham Drive in the Rotton Park area of Edgbaston at around 4:30pm on Thursday 12 August. The victim sustained cuts to his face and legs after apparently being beaten with a wooden club and metal bar. The incident appears to be a random assault without any obvious motive.

16.08.10 Protest over Future of Sparkhill Pool: Sparkhill Pool and Fitness Centre was closed in July 2008 because structural problems rendered the building unsafe. A private company, Pulse Fiction, has offered to rebuild and run the facility for the next 30 years for £6 million which is less than half the council tender of £13.5 million. However, the Friends of Sparkhill Baths object to the involvement of a private operator because they fear an unaffordable increase in admission charges.

16.08.10 Maisonette Blaze in Shard End: Fire crews attended a block of maisonettes on Panther Close in Shard End which caught fire at around 3am on Friday 13 August. The fire is being treated as suspicious; nobody was injured.

15.08.10 NDM-1 Superbug at City Hospital: A spokesman for the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospitals Trust has confirmed that a patient infected with the NDM-1 super bug, which can resist most antibiotics, was treated for a minor condition in an isolation unit at the City Hospital in Winson Green in November 2009.

15.08.10 Travellers Leave Old Yardley Park: A convoy of over thirty families travelling in an assortment of trucks and caravans departed Old Yardley Park on the afternoon of Friday 13 August leaving behind empty gas canisters and bin bags.

15.08.10 NEC Casino Faces Rival Bid: The NEC Group in partnership with Genting Casinos has applied for a license to build a super casino at the National Exhibition Centre. The £90 million scheme would include a hotel, spa, bars and restaurants. However, only one license is available and Grosvenor Casinos has now submitted a rival bid for a casino at the Otium Leisure Park on Highlands Road in Shirley.

14.08.10 Class A Drugs seized in Saltley: The Friendship Housing Association has obtained a possession order against the tenants of one of their homes on Herrick Road in Saltley following a history of anti-social behaviour and the discovery of class A drugs by police.

14.08.10 Gunman Raids Acocks Green Bookies: A man armed with a gun attempted to rob Ladbrokes on Warwick Road in Acocks Green at around 6.45pm on Monday 9 August. He threatened staff but was chased away empty-handed by a customer.

13.08.10 Refurbishment at Newman University College: Work has started on a two year refurbishment programme at Newman University College in Bartley Green. The project, which will cost around £20 million, will involve the construction of a new performance centre, family research centre and library.

13.08.10 Purnells Restaurant in UK Top 50: The Good Food Guide 2011 has named Purnells on Cornwall Street in the Business Quarter of central Birmingham as the 42nd best restaurant in the UK.

13.08.10 Work to Begin on Sparkhill Health Centre: Work on the new Sparkhill Health Centre will begin on the Stratford Road on 31 August. The three-storey building will house the Springfield and Oakfield GP surgeries. It will also include dental, maternity, podiatric, counselling, nursing, physiotherapy, substance misuse and outpatient clinics. Completion is scheduled for March 2012.

13.08.10 Lead Stolen from Yardley Church Roof: Thieves have stolen three 8-feet lengths of lead from the roof of St Edburgha's Church in Yardley. The theft was reported on the morning of 12 August and probably occurred during the previous night.

13.08.10 Gunman Opens Fire in Saltley: A man fired four shots on College Road in Saltley at around 9.30pm on Tuesday 10 August. He may have been shooting at a local resident who was investigating some noise in the street. The gunman fled the scene in a white Toyota.

12.08.10 Charity Condemns Cycle of Worklessness in Brum: The Prince's Trust has published the results of a survey in Birmingham which indicates that one in ten children expect to end up living on benefits. One in four households in Birmingham currently do not have a family member in work.

12.09.10 Uninsured Vehicle Blackspots in Birmingham: The Motor Insurers Bureau has identified six areas in Birmingham as uninsured vehicle blackspots: Aston, Handsworth, Saltley, Lozells, Bordesley Green and Nechells Park.

11.08.10 Bus Crash in Bordesley Green: A single decker bus collided with a car at the junction of Victoria Road and Bordesley Green at around 9.30am this morning. Fire crews released passengers from the bus; two women and a man were placed on spinal boards and hospitalised.

11.08.10 Three House Fire in Perry Common: Three unoccupied houses that form part of a Barratts development on Dovedale Road in Perry Common caught fire at around 11:45pm on Monday 9 August, possibly as the result of arson.

10.08.10 Man Threatened Because Sister Rejected Marriage: A man, from Parkfield Road in Alum Rock, whose parents were shot dead in north-east Pakistan on Friday 6 August after his sister apparently rejected a marriage proposal, has been threatened in Birmingham.

10.08.10 Government Approves Six Birmingham Academies: The Education Secretary Michael Gove has approved the construction of new buildings for six academy schools in Birmingham: Aston Engineering Academy, North Birmingham Academy, Shenley Court, Sheldon Heath, Heartlands and St Albans.

09.08.10 Alum Rock Parents Murdered in Pakistan: A husband and wife in their mid-fifties, who lived on Parkfield Road in Alum Rock, have been shot dead in the remote village of Salehana in the Nowshera province of north-east Pakistan having apparently travelled there in order to explain to their prospective son-in-law that their daughter did not wish to marry him.

09.08.10 Brandwood Tenants Plagued by Crime: Council tenants living in bungalows on Drews Meadow Close in Brandwood have requested the installation of security fencing following a spate of robberies, burglaries and attempted break-ins.

09.08.10: Travellers Camp on Old Yardley Park: Travellers have set up an illlegal encampment on Old Yardley Park, next to Saint Edburgha's Church in the Old Yardley Conservation area. The Council has served a notice to quit and will seek an eviction order if the travellers do not depart within 7 days.

09.08.10 Fatal Crash on A38 Tyburn Road: A 28-year-old woman was killed when the car she was driving hit a lamppost on the A38 Tyburn Road at around 4pm on Saturday 7 August. A teenage boy, who was a front-seat passenger in the vehicle, sustained serious injuries and was taken to QE Hospital.

08.08.10 Pedestrian Hit By Lorry in Quinton: A man, believed to be in his thirties, was hit by a lorry as he walked along junction 3 of the M5 at around 7.30am on Friday 6 August. He was taken by air ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston.

08.08.10: Proposed Closure of Birmingham Children's Homes: Birmingham City Council is considering the closure by January 2011 of two children's homes on Stuarts Road in Stechford and on Highters Close in Highters Heath. According to these plans, roughly 80 staff would be made redundant and more children would be placed with foster families. However, critics believe that there are insufficient foster places and that these cuts may result in more teenagers sleeping rough.

07.08.10 Sparkhill Landlord Failed to Maintain Smoke Alarms: Birmingham Magistrates have fined a 51-year-old landlord £2,500 for failing to maintain two smoke alarms at a house on Nansen Road in Sparkhill where one of his tenants died of smoke inhalation on 18 November 2009. Neither of the alarms contained batteries at the time of the fire.

07.08.10 Police Recover Pistol Used in Kings Heath Bank Raid: A Walther PPK pistol, which was fired at the police during a raid on the Nationwide in Kings Heath in January 2009, was recovered when officers stopped three men and searched their van in October 2009. Experts were able to match the two bullets fired outside the Nationwide to the pistol. The van also contained masks and a deactivated AK47. A 35-year-old man has been tried and found guilty of conspiracy to rob and firearms offences.

06.08.10 Planners Approve New Hotel for Eastside: The council planning committee has approved a proposal by the Hotel La Tour Group for a new 174-room, 9-storey hotel at City Park Gate in Eastside. The hotel, which will feature a distinctive triangular podium, will include a bar, gym, restaurant and conference facilities. It will create employment for around 100 people.

06.08.10 Oblates of Mary Immaculate Leave Digbeth: The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who are a Roman Catholic order of priests, have been responsible for the Catholic parish of St Anne's in Digbeth since 1938. However, the order will now return the parish to the diocese and depart from Digbeth, mainly because congregations, which peaked at 6,500 in the 1960's, now number barely 40.

06.08.10 Memorial Plaque Stolen from Witton Cemetery: Thieves have stolen a memorial plaque from a grave at Witton Cemetery. It was a romantic heart-shaped stone placed by the bereaved husband of a 30-year-old woman who died at the Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield on 19 February 2010.  

06.08.10 Conservatoire Could be Rebuilt on Broad Street: The Birmingham Conservatoire could be rebuilt next to the Municipal Bank on lower Broad Street. The existing building on Paradise Place will be demolished during the redevelopment of the surrounding area. The adjoining Adrian Boult Hall, the main concert platform for the Conservatoire, will also be demolished. However, the Municipal Bank could be refurbished as a replacement concert venue. Other possibilities are being considered.

05.08.10 Amey Win Contract for Road Maintenance in Brum: The public services contractor Amey will repair and maintain Birmingham's streets for the next 25 years in partnership with the City Council Highways Department. The company will employ around 500 staff for this purpose. Excluding motorways, which are maintained by central government, Birmingham contains 1,579 miles of road, 3,052 miles of pavement, 95,107 street lights and 13,912 street signs.

05.08.10 Sodium Azide Spillage at Birmingham University: An employee of the Clinical Immunology Research Centre at the University of Birmingham accidentally spilt a small quantity of sodium azide, which is generally used as an anti-bacterial agent, at around noon on Tuesday 3 August. The unit was evacuated and 11 members of staff reported to QE Hospital with exposure symptoms but were discharged after they had been screened and no serious health risk was detected.

05.08.10 Schoolteacher Mugged Drunk on Bristol Road: A jury at Birmingham Crown Court has convicted a 27-year-old sports teacher of committing a robbery on the night of 14 August 2009. The man, who has resigned from his job at the George Salter Academy in West Bromwich, assaulted a drunk on the Bristol Road from whom he stole a mobile phone, keys and wallet.

04.08.10 Prime Minister Visits Westside: The Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday attended an hour-long question and answer session at the Austin Court Centre on Cambridge Street in the Westside area of central Birmingham. During the visit, he expressed support for the armed forces and agreed that local councils should consider focusing help on young families.

04.08.10 NEC Posts £12.3 Million Loss: The NEC Group - which operates the ICC, NIA and NEC - posted an operating profit of £24.1 million for the year April 1 2009 - March 31 2010. However, after the payment of interest on loans to build the NIA and ICC, the group made an overall loss of £12.3 million. 82 redundancies have been announced.

04.08.10 Emergency Landing at Birmingham Airport: A Monarch flight carrying 213 passengers to Tenerife had to divert back to Birmingham Airport and make an emergency landing yesterday evening at 6:55pm after an engine caught fire. Nobody was injured and the passengers disembarked as normal.

04.08.10 Gang Attack on Elderly Man in Bordesley Green: A 60-year-old pedestrian was attacked by a gang of around 8 men after being hit by a car on Yardley Green Road in Bordesley Green at around 7pm on Sunday 1 August. He remains in a critical but stable condition having sustained stab wounds, head, stomach and back injuries.

03.08.10 Mugger Targets Booth Street Metro Station: Three women were robbed at knifepoint in the alley leading from Earlsmead Road to Booth Street Metro Station in Handsworth between 28 May and 11 June. The 1st victim, a 78-year-old woman, was robbed of £6 on 28 May; the 2nd victim, a 30-year-old woman accompanied by 2 children, was robbed of her mobile phone on 6 May and the third victim, a pregnant woman, was robbed of £21 and her mobile phone on 11 June.

03.08.10 Bournbrook Student Landlord Fined: Birmingham Magistrates have fined a landlord £20,000 for failing to obtain multiple occupancy licenses for six properties that he rents to students on Coronation Road, Heeley Road and Rookery Road in Bournbrook.

03.08.10 New Pavilion For Four Oaks Cricket Club: Planning permission has been granted for the construction of a new pavilion for Four Oaks Cricket Club on Clarence Road in Sutton Coldfield. The new building will be 57% larger than the existing clubhouse which will be demolished.

03.08.10 New Morrisons Store for Five Ways?: Morrisons has applied for planning permission to build a two storey supermarket with floor space of 4,800 square metres, 5 shops and a car park on the former site of the Edgbaston Shopping Centre in Five Ways. Update 06.08.10: Morrisons have been asked to revise their plans since the current version is regarded as unsuitable for a key gateway site.

03.08.10 Armed Raid on Harborne Co-Op: Four men armed with guns and knives raided the co-op store on Court Oak Road in Harborne at around 6:50 am on Monday 2 August. They escaped with a quantity of cash after stabbing two members of staff who suffered minor wounds.

02.08.10 Harborne Flats for Relatives of Injured Servicemen: Planning permission has been granted for the construction of two apartment blocks on Woodleigh Avenue in Harborne as temporary accommodation for relatives visiting injured servicemen being treated at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at QE Hospital in Edgbaston.

02.08.10 Man Stabbed in Gas Street: A 21-year-old man was stabbed in the chest on Gas Street in the Westside area of Birmingham city centre during the early hours of Sunday 1 August.

02.08.10 Duddeston Drug Smuggler Jailed: A 49-year-old man from Queens Tower on Duddeston Manor Road has been sentenced to 14 months imprisonment at Warwick Crown Court for the illegal importation of 5.98 kilos of cannabis worth an estimated £17,000 which he carried in three cake tins on a flight from Montego Bay to Birmingham International Airport in April 2010.

01.08.10 Yardley Distraction Burglar Jailed: A 34-year-old heroin addict from Clement Road in Yardley has been sentenced to 7 years imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting two charges of burglary. The man posed as a water board official in order to enter the home of a 78-year-old woman in Kitts Green from whom he stole £180 and as a pest control officer in order to enter the home of an 85-year-old woman in Bordesley Green where he threatened a neighbour who demanded identification.

01.08.10 Stockland Green Youth Centre Axed: The construction of a £5 million youth centre on Slade Road in Stockland Green, which was to be financed by central government under the Partnership for Schools programme, has been axed. The centre would have housed a youth club, education, training, welfare and health services. The council will appeal against the decision.