Birmingham Post

We're Fighting Back

The chief executive of MG Rover last night outlined the company's plans for a sales fightback to rebuild confidence in the embattled brand. Speaking exclusively to The Birmingham Post, Kevin Howe said it aimed to win back traditional MG and Rover buyers who were switching to rivals because of fears over the future of the Longbridge company. In the short term, efforts will concentrate on rebuilding sales of its existing range of cars which have suffered a massive slump over the last year. The ...

Jasper & Co All Set to Brum It Up

Three of Birmingham's best loved performers are to appear in a musical about the city. Jasper Carrott will be joined by Malcolm Stent, who has written and directed the show, and BBC 2 Radio presenter Don Maclean for Go and Play Up Your Own End at the Alexandra Theatre.

Now Pay Pounds 1.6m to Find Out What You Already Know

The Government is forcing Birmingham City Council to conduct a pounds 1.6 million consultation exercise into offloading its housing stock two years after tenants overwhelmingly rejected the idea. All local authority householders - more than 70,000 people - will be asked whether they are happy to have the council as their landlord or whether they favour one of three forms of partial privatisation. The exercise, which will take 20 months, was branded a 'stupid waste of money' by deputy council ...

Couple Wanted by Fbi Arrested in Midland Raid

Two people were arrested in the Midlands yesterday on suspicion of committing a $29 million dollar fraud through non-existent banks and bogus religious groups in the US. Officers from the Metropolitan Police extradition unit and West Mercia Police held a 60-year-old man and a 50year-old woman in Whitchurch, Shropshire, at 12.30pm.

Rural Matters: Gm Study Finds Controversial Crops Do Not Harm Environment

A study of genetically modified crops in the UK has found there was no evidence that they are harmful to the environment. The Bright project focused on GM sugar beet and winter oilseed rape which is tolerant to some herbicides compared with non-GM cereals grown in rotation over a four-year period.

Rural Matters: Virtual Hunting Is a Real Alternative ; Hunt-Ban Protesters Facing New Curb

Demonstrators protesting over the hunting ban could be hit by a new crackdown on animal rights activists, a senior Tory warned yesterday. Home affairs spokesman Baroness Anelay of St Johns, speaking during debate on the Queen's Speech, said the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill introduced welcome measures to deal with harassment by animal rights extremists.

Rural Matters: Mushroom Magic

A week-long festival to celebrate the humble mushroom is to be set up in Herefordshire, following a pounds 5,000 grant. The committee of the Herefordshire Festival of Fungi 2005 plans to hold cookery demonstrations, gardening forums, exhibitions and displays of fungi throughout the county after receiving the cash from the Awards for all Funds.

Rural Matters: Radio Campaign to Boost Farm Logo

A national radio campaign aimed at boosting confidence in a National Farmers' Union logo has been launched this week. The campaign centres on farmers making specific promises in relation to food production and standards on their farms.

Rural Matters: Big Boost to County Wildlife

Some of Shropshire's greatest landscapes are to be linked together to boost wildlife populations and ease the strains of tourism on the environment. Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT), National Trust and English Heritage are looking at creating corridors to link the Long Mynd with the Stiper Stones.

Rural Matters: Badger Dna Database Will Help Clamp Down On Illegal Baiters

A scheme to map the DNA profiles of badgers aims to help crack down on illegal baiting and digging. The RSPCA has commissioned Wildlife DNA Services Ltd to set up a database of hundreds of badger DNA samples from across the country.

Criminal Case Reviewers Call for Extra Powers

The Birmingham-based body which investigates alleged miscarriages of justice is seeking to expand its powers, its chairman said yesterday. The independent Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) wants new measures to force private companies and possibly solicitors to hand over documents and other material.

Inquiry Into Six Child-Death Convictions

Six people convicted of child killing are having their cases investigated by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. They are among 28 cases referred to the Commission following a review by the Attorney General.

Worker 'Cheated' Colleagues

A Midland factory worker cheated colleagues, their friends and relatives out of pounds 106,000 with 'pie in the sky' promises, a jury was told. Ian Reynolds pledged to invest the money in numerous business ventures and return their cash with interest, Stafford Crown Court heard.

Businesslike Way to Tackle Muggers

Students in Birmingham planning to take a gap year have received some extra help from the safety expert who taught film star Ewan McGregor and his pal Charley Boorman how to survive in dangerous territory. Major Charlie McGrath spent three days educating the Trainspotting star before he embarked on a 20,000 mile trip across Europe, Russia and into the US in April.

Zoo Fined Over Death of Elephant Keeper

A zoo was fined pounds 25,000 yesterday after admitting breaching safety regulations in connection with the death of an elephant keeper. Richard Hughes died in February 2001 after he was struck several times by 30year-old cow elephant Kumara at Chester Zoo.

Be Proud of Britain, Labour Tells Us

Last week it was the politics of fear, but yesterday Labour launched the second element of its election strategy based around the politics of hope. Midland Minister Jacqui Smith, whose marginal Redditch seat is being targeted by the Tories, helped launch the party's 'Britain is working' campaign. It focuses on the strength of the economy, highlighting low inflation and unemployment rates.

Small Businesses Facing Court Threat for Not Helping the Disabled

Two-thirds of small to medium-sized businesses in the West Midlands risk court action for not providing access to disabled people, according to a survey. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, which came into force on October 1, businesses must ensure they do as much as they can to provide disabled people the same access to their goods and services as able-bodied people.

Mps Claim Careers Advisers Are Failing School Leavers

Industry and young people are being let down by poor careers advice, MPs warned today . School leavers are not always getting the information they need, according to MPs including Sion Simon (Lab Erdington) and Brian Jenkins (Lab Tamworth).

Gang Returns

A gang of students suspended after threatening to kill a girl in a row over a boy returned to school yesterday. A mob of more than 40 year nine and ten pupils, aged between 13 to 15, were caught on camera threatening a year 11 pupil in a row about a 'twotiming' boy.

Pops Off Bbc1