Birmingham Post

Safeguards Sought On Expansion at Airport

Leaders of six West Midland district councils are demanding Government safeguards in return for dropping their opposition to the expansion of Coventry Airport. The councils intend to fight proposals for a 10,000 sq m passenger terminal and parking for 3,425 cars unless their fears about competition between Coventry Airport and Birmingham International Airport are addressed.

Would-Be Car-Jacker Jailed 'After Walking Free

A would-be car-jacker who was allowed to walk free by an "unduly lenient" judge after holding up a pharmacist at knife-point has been handed a five-year prison sentence. Within hours of being given a drug treatment and testing order, Ian James Giles (30) was out celebrating his good fortune with friends, London's Criminal Appeal Court heard.

Night School 'Only Choice' for Girl, 13 ; Jodie Reddington at Home with Her Father Paul

A father is being forced to enrol his 13-year-old daughter at night classes because he has been unable to find her a school place since February. Paul Reddington says he has been 'let down' by the education system and has no choice but to place his daughter Jodie into night school at his local college.

Back to Drawing Board On Airport

Bosses at Wolverhampton Airport have promised to draw up new expansion plans after the shock withdrawal of its previous application. The airport had a Monday deadline to submit a new environmental statement to South Staffordshire District Council but instead announced it was formally dropping the entire proposal.

Whitby War Forces City Lawyer Out

A leading Birmingham lawyer has been forced to resign from the board of a business lobby group following a bitter verbal spat with the leader of the city council. Andrew Sparrow, deputy chairman of Birmingham Forward, quit yesterday less than a month after claiming the council was mired by a culture of indecision.

Goodbye Best Mate

The return to the track of one of Britain's best-loved racehorses - Best Mate - ended in tragedy when he suffered a suspected heart attack and died during his comeback race. Anticipation surrounding the reappearance of the triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, who was owned by Birmingham businessman and Aston Villa fan Jim Lewis, soon turned to concern when he was pulled up in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter yesterday.

Barristers' Protest Put On Hold

Midland barristers in dispute with the Lord Chancellor over legal aid pay rates have put their protest action on hold pending a Government review. Bar leaders in the region say individual barristers will accept legal work, meaning no further disruption to trials, until Lord Carter of Coles's review reports early next year.

Tributes to Archers Actress

Tributes were paid last night to The Archers actress Mary Wimbush who died after recording an episode of the rural radio drama at the BBC's studios in Birmingham. Wimbush, better known to Radio 4 listeners as the "grande dame of Lower Loxley" Julia Pargetter-Carmichael, suffered a stroke as she left The Mailbox on Monday night.

Legal Matters : Compensate the Victims

Lawyers in the Midlands are calling on Government to overhaul the scheme which pays compensation to people injured as a result of crimes. Simon Sharpe, the region's representative for the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, said the time was ripe for Government to address the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme's inadequacies and give crime victims the level of compensation they deserve.

Legal Matters : Sensitive Issues 'to Become Easier

Families will be able to discuss sensitive issues more easily with health care professionals, counselling services and advice centre staff, under new court rules on disclosure of information. The changes, which apply to family court cases involving children, came into effect on Monday.

Legal Matters : Sikh Protester Challenges Police 'Misuse' of Asbo

A Sikh protester has launched a High Court challenge after he was given an anti-social behaviour order for protesting against a controversial play outside a Birmingham theatre. Pritpal Singh was one of around 20 protesters who handed out leaflets and spoke to the public outside the Birmingham Repertory theatre on December 16, 2004, in protest against the staging of the play Behzti .

Legal Matters : Judges May Be Able to Practise Again

Moves which could allow judges to step down from the bench and return to work as lawyers were backed by the Lord Chancellor yesterday. If adopted, the proposals, first published in October last year, will radically alter the existing set-up where judicial appointments are made for life. Lord Falconer of Thoroton QC will ask the Judges' Council to consider whether judges below High Court level could return to legal practice if they leave the judiciary.

Why 'Golden Mile' Needs a New Image

The man charged with overseeing the revitalisation of Birmingham's Broad Street will tell bar owners, hoteliers and traders tonight that they have to change the public perception of the entertainment district. Mike Olley, the new pounds 50,000-a-year manager of the Broad Street Business Improvement District, will spell out his vision for the city's 'golden mile' at the BIDs first general meeting.

Not Such a Grand Entrance

Controversial plans to build a new pounds 400,000 entrance to Birmingham Council House have been abandoned. The scheme, which involved constructing new doors next to the main steps and a lift leading to a new reception area on the first floor, were deemed inappropriate changes to the grade-two listed building.

Drug Raids

Police arrested 12 people and seized heroin, crack cocaine and stolen goods in dawn raids in north Worcestershire yesterday. Officers from West Mercia Police were joined by detectives and dog handlers as they targeted addresses in Stourport-on-Severn as part of Operation Midas.

Policeman Stabbed

A police officer was stabbed in the arm as he attended a report of a domestic incident in Nuneaton yesterday. The 29-year-old male officer, who was with two colleagues, sustained stab injuries to his upper arm as they tried to detain a man suspected of being involved in the domestic dispute.

Murder Charges

Three men appeared before a magistrates court in Birmingham accused of the murder of an IT worker, stabbed to death following a city race riot. Waqar Ahmed (25), Afzal Ashraf Khan (22), and Azail Rashid Khan (22), all from the Handsworth area, who are charged with murdering 23-year-old Isiah Young-Sam and wounding Andrew Byfield with intent were remanded in custody to appear before Birmingham Crown Court on November 8.

Panda On the Run Panda

Members of the public have been urged to keep an eye out for a red panda (above) which disappeared from a nature centre three days ago. Keepers at Birmingham Nature Reserve discovered the latest disappearance during early morning checks on Sunday.

Handsworth Takes a Leaf Out of Big Apple Book

While New York's Central Park is one of the most famous urban spaces in the world, Handsworth Park is decidedly less so. Perhaps not for much longer.

Rugby Club Pays Tribute to Veteran Who Died After Collapsing

A rugby club has paid tribute to a former player who died after collapsing on the pitch during a veterans' match. Mark Edwards, a 42-year-old father-of-four, collapsed while he was playing for Droitwich RFC's veterans' team in a reunion match at the club's Hanbury Road ground last Saturday. The former first team scrum-half was taken to the Worcester Royal Infirmary by ambulance but died there on Monday. It is believed that he suffered a heart attack during the game.