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Birmingham: News Headlines July 2010

31.07.10 Greens to Hold Party Conference in Birmingham: The Green Party will hold its autumn conference at the Birmingham Conservatoire from Friday 10 to Monday 13 September.

31.07.10 Fake Clothing Seized at Perry Barr One Stop: Trading Standards Officers have seized over 1,000 items of counterfeit designer clothing worth an estimated £50,000 from an untitled unit at the One Stop Shopping Centre in Perry Barr.

31.07.10 Sparkhill Post Office Robbers Jailed: Two brothers aged 21 and 19 have been jailed for 6 years and 4.5 years respectively after pleading guilty to attempted robbery and firearms offences at Birmingham Crown Court. The pair, who wore balaclavas and were armed with guns and a machete, threatened staff at Sparkhill Post Office but were chased away by a member of the public.

31.07.10 Planning Permission Renewed for Alstom Works: Planning permission for the regeneration of the former Alstom Works on Leigh Road in Washwood Heath has been extended for a further five years. The developer, Key Property Investments, intends to transform the factory, which has been closed since 2004, into a modern industrial estate.

30.07.10 Newtown Swimming Pool to Reopen: Newtown Swimming Pool will reopen on Monday 16 August following repairs costing around £170,000 which removed asbestos from the roof.

30.07.10 Bus Route 68 Will be Axed: Bus Route 68, which runs between Erdington and Sutton Coldfield via the Fort and Pype Hayes, will be axed as the operator, National Express West Midlands, believes it is no longer viable due to low usage.

30.07.10 Grass Fire in Bromford: Grassland off Bromford Drive caught fire yesterday afternoon, creating a dense cloud of black smoke that shrouded the M6 and the Birmingham-Peterborough Railway.

30.07.10 Dead Body Found in Tame Valley Canal: A dead body has been found floating in the Tame Valley Canal, near to the A4041 Newton Road bridge, in Great Barr. Update 06.08.10: Body identified as that of a 72-year-old pensioner; his death is not regarded as suspicious.

29.07.10 Travel Agent Robbed in Kingstanding: Three armed robbers broke into a travel agency on Kettlehouse Road in Kingstanding at around 6am yesterday. They locked two employees in the toilets after forcing them to open a safe containing foreign currency.

29.07.10 Poolway Handbag Thief Still At Large: A man believed to be in his twenties, who snatched a handbag from a woman at the Poolway Shopping Centre in Lea Hall at around 12.30pm on Friday 25 June, is still at large despite a four week police investigation and CCTV evidence.

29.07.10 Acocks Green Murderer Jailed: A 37-year-old man, who stabbed his 45-year-old neighbour on Gospel Lane in Acocks Green on Wednesday 10 February, has been convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years at Birmingham Crown Court.

28.07.10 Council Axes Another 430 Jobs: The Children Young People and Families Directorate at Birmingham City Council will axe 430 jobs in order to achieve savings of £6.1 million by December.

28.07.10 Police Seize Family Pet in Handsworth Wood: The police seized a suspected pitbull terrier, which is a banned breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act, from a family home at Taverners Green in Handsworth Wood yesterday morning at 9am. The dog will be destroyed if tests prove that it is a banned breed. Six pitbull terriers have already been seized in Handsworth Wood during the past six months.

27.07.10 New Lee Bank Health Centre Deferred: The construction of the proposed £13 million Colston Primary Health Centre, which was to be built on Bath Row, by the former Lee Bank Housing Estate (now Park Central), has been deferred. The centre, which is designed for the treatment of around 20,000 patients, would have housed GP surgeries, community nurses, dentists, dieticians, speech therapists and a sexual health clinic. However, it is so large that it might have been underused.

27.07.10 Two Hospitalised in Hockley Road Crash: Two men have been hospitalised following a car crash on All Saints Road in Hockley at around 3.30 pm yesterday afternoon. The men were rescued by fire crews who cut through the roof of their vehicle.

27.07.10 City Centre Victorian Hotel Refurbished: The 118-room Macdonald Burlington Hotel on New Street, which is particularly well-known for its late Victorian splendour, has been refurbished at a cost of £2 million. The refit includes three additional executive rooms on the 5th floor.

26.07.10 New Tri-Golf Course Opens in Lickey Hills: A new miniature Tri-Golf course has opened at the Lickey Hills Country Park. The family-friendly 6-hole course, which will introduce small children to golf, includes all the normal features of a full-size course such as bunkers, roughs, greens and fairways.

26.07.10 New Telephone Number for West Midlands Police: West Midlands Police have a new non-emergency telephone number, namely 0345 113 5000.

25.07.10 Green Award For Edgbaston Community Garden: The Martineau Gardens on Priory Road in Edgbaston have won a Green Flag Award. The 2.5 acre gardens, which are largely staffed by volunteers, contain formal beds, glass houses, woodlands, orchards, wildflower meadows, vegetable plots and a children's play area. The award recognises the achievement of high standards with regard to conservation, sustainability, community involvement etc.

25.07.10 Nature Centre Breeds Miniature Pythons: The Birmingham Nature Centre on Pershore Road has bred a new generation of miniature pythons whose natural habitat is the Savu Islands in Indonesia.

24.07.10 New Kurdish Community Centre for Winson Green: The Victor Yates Elderly Persons Home on Camden Street in Winson Green will be converted into a Kurdish Community Centre with a restaurant, library, playroom, classroom, two flats, meeting and prayer rooms.

24.07.10 Business Link West Midlands Sheds Jobs: Business Link West Midlands, which is headquartered at Quinton Business Park, has asked 230 employees to consider voluntary redundancy following budget cuts of £11.3 million.

24.07.10 City Centre Loses 180 Government Jobs: The Government Office for the West Midlands on Colmore Row in the Business Quarter will close with the loss of 180 jobs.

24.07.10 Eastside Loses 326 Government Jobs: Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency based at Aston Science Park in Eastside, will close with the loss of 326 jobs.

24.07.10 Man Stabbed by Car Thieves in Edgbaston: A 30 year-old man was stabbed on Selwyn Road in the Rotton Park area of Edgbaston at around 10pm on Thursday 22 July after a gang of four armed men forced their way into his home and demanded the keys to a silver Mercedes.

23.07.10 JFK Memorial May Be Moved to Digbeth: The JFK Mosaic (1968) by Kenneth Budd, which once stood on St Chads Circus next to Birmingham's Roman Catholic Cathedral, has been kept in storage since this area was redeveloped 4 years ago. However, the council may reinstall the mosaic at the Irish Quarter in Digbeth and is considering possible sites in consultation with the artist's son, Oliver Budd.

23.07.10 New Erdington Council Homes Could be Cut: A £254 million project for the construction of 262 new council homes on the Lyndhurst Estate and Pits Farm Estate in Erdington is under threat since it requires the approval of central government and PFI funding of £100 million.

22.07.10 Handsworth Artwalk Launches Tomorrow: Artwalk 2010 will be held in Handsworth from Friday 23 until Sunday 25 July. The festival will include poetry readings, live music, dance, photographic and other visual arts events. Films will be shown on an outdoor screen in Handsworth Park.

22.07.10 Factory Engineer Windpipe Severed: A 59-year-old maintenance engineer was struck by a robotic arm which severed his windpipe when attempting to repair a machine in automatic mode at Dura Automotive Body and Glass Systems in Castle Vale on 6 May 2008. The company was yesterday fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 costs at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting two breaches of Health and Safety Regulations.

22.07.10 Gunshots Reported in Handsworth: The police closed part of College Road in Handsworth at around 2pm yesterday afternoon after gunfire was reported. Nobody appears to have been injured.

21.07.10 Fatal Stabbing in Birches Green: Two 17-year-old youths have been charged with the murder of a 21 year-old man who was stabbed in the heart on Kingsbury Road in the Birches Green area of Erdington during the early hours of Saturday 17 July.

21.07.10 Rolling Car Crashes into House in Harborne: A car parked on Sheepmoor Close in Harborne rolled down a slope and crashed into the front of a house after its handbrake failed. The incident happened at around 9:45pm on Sunday 18 July. Nobody was injured.

21.07.10 Campaign for New Village Green in Longbridge: Earlier this year developers were granted planning permission to lay an access road to a new 14 house estate on a 0.75 acre field off Austin Rise in Longbridge. Campaigners have fought to preserve this field, formerly rough scrub and woodland, as an open space for community events. They wish it to be officially designated as a village green and have requested that the planning committee consider an alternative access route.

20.07.10 Family Evacuated from Burning House in Aston: A family of four were evacuated from their home on Whitehead Road in Aston after their front door caught fire at around 4am this morning.

20.07.10 Man Dies in Highgate Blaze: A man, who was apparently sleeping rough, died during a blaze at a boarded-up property on Moseley Road in Highgate at around 4am this morning.

20.07.10 Police Raid Flat in Handsworth Wood: The police raided a flat on Church Lane in Handsworth Wood during the early hours of Friday 16 July. They seized money and drugs and arrested a 53 year-old man on suspicion of the possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

20.07.10 Police Raid Suspected Cannabis Farm in Bromford: The police raided a house, which they suspected was being used as a cannabis farm, on Chipperfield Road in Bromford at around 1pm yesterday afternoon. They did not discover any drugs, but did find equipment that may have been used to cultivate cannabis.

20.07.10 Sexual Assault in Sutton Coldfield: A woman was sexually assaulted by a stranger wearing a balaclava as she walked on Rectory Road in Sutton Coldfield just after midnight, yesterday morning.

19.07.10 Major Refurbishment for Alexander Stadium: The City Council Cabinet has approved a major £10 million refurbishment of the Alexander Stadium in Parry Barr that will include the resurfacing of the running track and the construction of a new 5,000-seat stand.

19.07.10 Police Seize Baikal Pistol in Edgbaston: The police seized a Russian-made Baikal pistol from an 18-year-old man who was stopped in Edgbaston on Friday 9 July.

19.07.10 Police Seize Cannabis at Wholesale Market: The police seized a quantity of cannabis from a van parked on Pershore Street at the Wholesale Market in Digbeth at around 8am yesterday morning.

18.07.10 Councillor Arrested in Sparkhill: Councilllor Tanveer Choudhry (Lib Dem), who represents the Springfield Ward, was arrested for an alleged breach of the peace at a police cordon on Woodstock Road in Sparkhill on Tuesday 13 July. It seems that he was attempting to mediate between the police, who were attending a suspected burglary, and several of his constituents who were trapped behind the cordon. He was held at Kings Heath Police Station for around 3.5 hours and then issued with a fixed penalty notice of £80.

18.07.10 Cannabis Farm Raided in Sparkhill: Police discovered a cannabis factory with around 200 plants at premises on Woodstock Road in Sparkhill on Tuesday 13 July. They had been called to the address following reports of a burglary and arrested four men on the premises.

17.07.10 Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival Opens: The 26th Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival has been launched and will run for ten days until Sunday 25 July during which period 450 musicians will perform 218 gigs at 81 venues throughout the city.

17.07.10 Late Night Shootings in Bordesley Green: A girl aged 16 and two men aged 20 and 25 were shot outside the Victoria Inn on Cattell Road in Bordesley Green at around 2:15am this morning. All three have been hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.

16.07.10 Yet Another Takeaway at the Yew Tree in Yardley: The Planning Committee has approved the conversion of a newsagents to a takeaway on Stoney Lane at the Yew Tree Shopping Centre in Yardley. It will be the 12th food outlet at the Yew Tree and could erode its character and viability as a retail centre, particularly as Tesco will soon open a new superstore at the nearby Swan Centre. 

16.07.10 Formula One Go-Karting Arrives in Lifford: A new Formula One Go-Karting Centre will open at 6.30pm on Monday 2 August in the Lifford area of Kings Norton. The facilities will include a 600 metre circuit, restaurant, changing rooms, conference areas, light effects and smoke machines.

16.07.10 New Council Homes for Primrose Hill: The Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust has almost completed the construction of 43 new semi-detached council houses at Primrose Hill in the Three Estates area of Kings Norton.

15.07.10 Saltley Drug Dealer Jailed: A 36-year-old Saltley man has been jailed for four and a half years at Birmingham Crown Court for the possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. The police, who raided his home on Herrick Avenue on 14 January 2010, found large quantities of heroin and cocaine in the living room.

15.07.10 Nesting Falcons Delay Bromford Tower Demolition: A pair of peregrine falcons have raised four chicks in their nest on the roof of Bayley Tower at the high-rise Bromford Bridge Estate which overlooks the M6. Their presence has further delayed demolition work on the 57 metre tower which has now been empty for more than three years.

15.07.10 Teenage Illegal Immigrants Arrested in Digbeth: Three teenagers, a boy and girl aged 15, and a second boy aged 16, who are believed to be illegal immigrants from Eritrea, were arrested under the Immigration Act after being found in a lorry on Cheapside in Digbeth on Tuesday 12 July.

14.07.10 Travellers Camp at Crossway Court in Kingstanding: Travellers have moved onto a strip of private land adjoining the disused Crossway Court pub on College Road in Kingstanding.

14.07.10 Street Brawl in Kingstanding: A street brawl between two gangs involving around 30 people occurred on Warren Farm Road in Kingstanding at around 7:45pm on Sunday 11 July. Nobody was seriously injured. One man was arrested for suspected public order offences.

14.07.10 Shopkeeper Stabbed in Acocks Green: A shopkeeper, believed to be in his thirties, was stabbed at his shop on Yardley Road in Acocks Green at around 5pm yesterday afternoon. He remains in a critical condition.

13.07.10 Bishop Opens Harborne Community Garden: The Bishop of Birmingham has opened a new community garden on former wasteland behind the Church of Saints Faith and Laurence off Balden Road in Harborne.

13.07.10 Acocks Green Security Van Robbers Jailed: Two men aged 24 and a third aged 22 have been jailed for 8 years, 6 years 3 months and 6 years respectively at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery. The men took a cash box containing £5,500 from a securicor van driver who was making a delivery on Warwick Road in Acocks Green. However, the box was equipped with a tracker and two of the men were arrested following a high-speed chase. The third was traced through a letter found in abandoned clothing.

13.07.10 Bomb Disposal Squad Called to Jewellery Quarter: The army bomb disposal squad have this morning attended a suspicious package that was put through the letterbox of the Refugee Council on Lionel Street in the Jewellery Quarter. Its offices and several neighbouring premises were evacuated and Lionel Street, Livery Street and Constitution Hill were closed. The police believe that the incident was a malicious hoax.

12.07.10: Moseley Festival Gets Underway: The opening day of the Moseley Festival attracted almost 80,000 visitors on Saturday 11 July. There was a street fair and live performances, including a concert by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Moseley Park. The festival runs for 10 days and consists of over 60 cultural, sporting, gastronomic and craft events.

12.07.10 Moor Street to Marylebone Upgrade for May 2011: The upgrade of the train service operated by Chiltern Railways between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone will be complete by May 2011. Journey times between the two stations will be reduced from 2 hours to 1 hour 40 minutes. Moor Street will undergo a £13 million refurbishment that will double its capacity.

12.07.10 Gorse Fire Threatens Houses in Rubery: A gorse fire on heath land off Cock Hill Lane in Rubery was attended by around 40 firefighters during the early hours of Sunday 11 July. The fire, which was probably started by vandals, covered an area of 100 square metres and required the evacuation of several homes on nearby Sandstone Avenue.

11.07.10 Severe Cuts to Birmingham Schools Building Programme: Birmingham City Council had planned to build 8 new academies and rebuild 80 secondary and special schools at a cost of £2.4 billlion by 2024. However, following central government cuts, it now seems that funding may only be available for the construction of one academy, the Ormiston, and the rebuilding of 11 schools, namely: Waverly, Stockland Green Technology College, Holte Mayfield & Lozells, Broadway, Four Dwellings, George Dixon, the International School, Moseley, Park View, Saltley, and Queensbury School.

11.07.10 Aston Jewellery Raiders Still at Large: A masked gang used sledgehammers to smash through two security doors at the jewellers Nanakson & Sons on Witton Road on 17 April 2010. They stole an estimated £100,000 of stock in barely 90 seconds but fled when a security device filled the shop with dense smog. The gang remain at large.

10.07.10 Suspected Murder on Marsh Lane in Erdington: The police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a 21 year old man, apparently from chest injuries, on Marsh Lane in the Stockland Green area of Erdington at around 11.30pm on Friday 9 July.

10.07.10 Drug Arrests in Handsworth: The police have arrested three men aged 25, 37 and 38 and seized drugs with an estimated street value of £15,000 following a raid on a house on Woodstock Road in Handsworth. Crack rocks cut for small deals were found stored in yellow capsules.

09.07.10 Verdict on Train Death in Sutton Coldfield: The jury at the inquest into the death of a 53 year old man, who was hit by a train at Sutton Coldfield Railway Station on 31 October 2009, has recorded an open verdict. They heard evidence that the man, who was walking alongside the tracks, had financial problems and could have fallen or deliberately walked in front of the train.

09.07.10 Police Evict Occupants of House in Erdington: The police have executed a warrant for the eviction of the occupants of a multi-occupied house on Orchard Road in Erdington which is in a state of disrepair and has blocked fire escapes and doors. They found drug paraphernalia on the premises and arrested two residents on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

08.07.10 New Longbridge Housing Estate Will Get Subsidy: The planned construction of 115 new homes off Lickey Road in Longbridge will go ahead with a £3.6 million subsidy. The project forms part of the proposed regeneration of the former Rover car factory.

08.07.10 Bartley OAP Rescued From House Blaze: An elderly man from Bartley Green has been rescued from a smoke-filled room at his terraced home on Bangham Pit Road by passers-by who smashed a window in order to release him. The incident happened at around 5.30am yesterday morning.

08.07.08 Man Died After Assault on Hurst Street: A 29 year old man, who was punched on Hurst Street in the Southside area of central Birmingham during the early hours of Sunday 4 July, has died at City Hospital in Winson Green. His assailant has been charged with manslaughter.

07.07.10 Sutton Coldfield Car Thieves Jailed: A 24 year old man and a 33 year old man who stole high performance cars from upmarket addresses in Sutton Coldfield have been jailed for 5 years and 5.5 years respectively. The men burgled houses with expensive cars parked on the driveways in order to get the ignition keys. They then created a new identity for the stolen vehicles by obtaining false plates registered for the same models.

07.07.10 Violent Carjackings in Erdington and Lozells: A gang of 4 men armed with pistols forced a 24 year old to surrender his BMW X3 on Hollydale Road in the Tyburn area of Erdington at around 4pm on Tuesday 4 May. The same gang stole a Ford Focus at gunpoint on Finch Road in Lozells on the same afternoon. The gang remain at large despite a two month police investigation.

06.07.10 Ring of Steel Covert Cameras Will Be Switched Off: 72 hidden surveillance cameras partially financed by the counter-terrorism budget and installed in inner city areas of east Birmingham with large Muslim communities will be switched off. New rules governing the use of covert cameras will be introduced by the Home Secretary. Visible cameras have already been deactivated and covered with bags following complaints from the local community.

06.07.10 New Superstore Planned for Longbridge: St Modwen, the developers of the former MG Rover site in Longbridge, are negotiating with a large retail chain for the construction of a superstore next to the new Bournville College on Longbridge Lane. This development could create up to 500 jobs.

05.07.10 Harborne Carnival Attracts 70,000: The 13th Harborne Carnival, which was held on Sunday 4th July, attracted crowds of 70,000. It included a parade, fairground rides and attractions.

05.07.10 Tragic Student Could Have Accidentally Stabbed Himself: The Coroner has heard evidence that a 19 year-old law student, who was studying at the University of Birmingham, died of a single self-inflicted stab wound which penetrated his heart at his shared house on Alton Road in Bournbrook on Friday 13 November 2009. An open verdict was recorded since the teenager did not leave a suicide note and may simply have overbalanced whilst holding the knife.

05.07.10 Suspected Murder in Bordesley Green: A 40 year-old man has been charged with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered by police at Norton Crescent in Bordesley Green at around 6am on Saturday 3 July.

04.07.10 Man Died of Suspected Asthma Attack in Hockley: A 31-year-old man, who died shortly after he was found lying in snow on Camden Street in Hockley on Tuesday 12 January, is believed to have suffered a fatal asthma attack. Three men suspected of his murder will face no further action.

04.07.10 Tower Block Fire in Nechells: A fire broke out in the bedroom of an 8th floor flat at Humber Tower on Francis Street in Nechells at around 11.30 am on Friday 2nd July. Fire crews attended from Aston, Ward End, Highgate and Hay Mills; 50 residents were evacuated; nobody was injured.

03.07.10 Couple Found Dead in Quinton: The bodies of a man and woman in their forties were found at a house on Minton Road in Quinton at around 7pm on Friday 2 July. It is thought that they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

03.07.10 Bus Passenger Severely Injured in Yardley Wood: A 37 year old woman sustained suspected neck fractures and severe back injuries as she fell whilst travelling in a number 38 bus that braked suddenly before she could reach her seat. The incident happened on Yardley Wood Road at around 9pm on Friday 25 June. The woman remains in a critical condition at QE Hospital.

03.07.10 Woman Stabbed in Handsworth: A 59 year-old woman was stabbed several times in the hands and stomach as she fought with two muggers who tried to steal her handbag at the Benson Road Metro Stop in Handsworth at around 8.30pm on Tuesday 29 June.

02.07.10 Vandals Target Trees in Moseley Village: Vandals uprooted a copper beech tree on Woodbridge Road in Moseley Village on Sunday 27 June after England had been knocked out of the World Cup by Germany. The gardens at the junction of St Marys Road and Oxford Road were similarly vandalised.

02.07.10 Airport Cuts Paramedics in Bid to Save Money: It appears that Birmingham Airport will terminate its contract with the West Midland Ambulance Service for 24/7 paramedic cover on 1 November of this year. The paramedics will probably be replaced by first-aiders unable to administer drugs.

02.07.10 Canal Floods A38 in Castle Vale: Vandals opened two lock gates on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal in Castle Vale last night causing severe flooding and the disruption of morning commuter traffic on the A38 Kingsbury Road.

01.07.10 Metro Extension on Hold until Autumn Spending Review: The planned extension of the Midland Metro from Snow Hill to New Street Station, which was approved by the previous Labour Government in March of this year, will be reconsidered during the Autumn Spending Review.

01.07.10 Murder Suspect Arrested at Birmingham Airport: A 19 year old man was arrested on Wednesday 30 June at Birmingham Airport in connection with the suspected murder of a 23 year old woman who died in a house fire at Maidenhead on Friday 25 June.

01.07.10 Typhoo Works to be Redeveloped as College: Part of the former Typhoo Works in Digbeth will be redeveloped as classrooms for the Birmingham College of Business.

01.07.10 City North Sports Centre Renamed After Doug Ellis: City North Sports Centre on the Perry Barr campus of Birmingham City University has been renamed the Doug Ellis Sports Centre. Doug Ellis, the 86 year old life president and former owner of Aston Villa, is an honorary graduate of the university.