Birmingham Post

3,500 Council Jobs to Go but 'No-One Will Be Axed'

Fewer than 3,500 jobs will be lost as a result of Birmingham City Council's cost cutting programme, the authority's chief executive insisted yesterday Stephen Hughes stressed the jobs, mainly in back-office administration, would disappear over 10 years but pledged "no one will be sacked".

Mp Delighted Over News of No Second Runway at Bia

News there will be no second runway at Birmingham International Airport has been welcomed by the MP representing hundreds of families whose homes were blighted by the plans. Caroline Spelman (Con Meriden) said she welcomed the announcement, which would end years of uncertainty for constituents. The airport confirmed that plans for a second runway will be suspended until at least 2030, when it published the final draft of its master plan.

Why Santa's Been Told to Belt Up ; Social

Every Christmas Eve, Santa delivers presents to good children across the globe without fail. But his mythical safety record is not enough to satisfy modern day insurance companies while he makes his rounds in Midlands.

Shop Doorway Woman Burned ; Crime

Police are investigating a fire in which a woman sleeping in a shop doorway sustained serious burns. The woman of 60, described as a "well known local figure" in Leamington Spa, was wrapped in a duvet which caught fire.

Streetsmart

As the annual round of Christmas parties begins, Birmingham restaurants are asking you to spare a thought for the city's homeless. Almost 20 of Birmingham's favourite eating places are supporting the StreetSmart scheme, by asking their customers for a donation of pounds 1 on each table's bill.

How the Small Things Will Make a Very Big Difference ; New Technology Is Modernising Birmingham City Council's Arcane Working Methods. But There Is a Distinct Unwillingness to Talk About How Many Jobs Will Disappear, Observes Public Affairs Editor Paul Dale

The man in charge of the biggest public authority in Europe insists it is the small things about Birmingham City Council's business transformation project that will make a real difference. A new computer system for Corporate Services will, for example, revolutionise the way the council buys the pounds 1 billion-worth of goods and services it needs each year.

At Least 35 Bromsgrove District Council Workers Set to Lose Jobs

At least 35 Bromsgrove District Council workers are set to lose their jobs, it has been revealed. A budget shortfall of more than pounds 1.6 million has led to district bosses considering job cuts in a bid to save cash next year. A spokeswoman said that although job losses were being considered, extra cash was expected to be ploughed into the Bromsgrove Street Theatre.

Tributes to Fireman Who Died ; Firefighter John Averis Died in Tragic Circumstances a Month Ago While On Duty Serving the People of Warwickshire. Yesterday His Family, Friends and Colleagues Paid Tribute to a 'Local Hero'.

Emotional tributes were paid yesterday to an "enthusiastic and passionate" firefighter who died doing the job he loved. John Averis, 27, and three of his colleagues were killed while tackling a fierce blaze at a warehouse in Atherstone on Stour, Warwickshire, four weeks ago.

Residents to Be Asked Views Over Building of Two Stores

Campaigners will today be asking residents in Birmingham their views on plans to build two new ASDA supermarkets - one on land used as a pet cemetery. Members of the Birmingham branch of Friends of the Earth will carry out surveys at Selly Oak and Weoley Castle as part of their campaign to oppose proposals to build stores in the two locations.

Hourly Watch As Spaghetti Junction Just Crumbles Away

Worried Highways engineers are mounting an hourly watch on part of Birmingham's iconic Spaghetti Junction which they admit is crumbling. The problem on the 'underbelly' is so serious that it is being constantly monitored by Highways Agency engineers on hydraulic platforms, it has emerged.

Chaos After Crash On Expressway

An accident on the Aston Expressway yesterday caused major delays and tailbacks as far as Broad Street in the city centre. Motorists spent almost two hours in traffic while the emergency services tried to free an injured man - trapped in his vehicle after a collision between a van and a car at about 9.30am.

Plans for Young Pointless If There Are No Jobs, Says Simon

Plans to keep young people in education or training until the age of 18 are pointless unless there are jobs for them afterwards, a Labour MP has warned. Sion Simon (Lab Erdington) urged Ministers to tackle the high level of unemployment among young adults in Birmingham. He warned that raising the education leaving age to 18, the flagship policy of Gordon Brown's Government, was doomed to failure unless unemployment was cut.

Labour Mps Furious Over 'Disaster' of Donations Row

The Electoral Commission yesterday afternoon formally handed over its report on Labour's disguised donations to the Metropolitan Police. The Commission said in a statement: "The Electoral Commission made the formal handover this afternoon during a meeting with the Metropolitan Police and CPS. The police will now review the contents of the report."

Terror Threat Grows, Warns Smith

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith yesterday warned that the threat of terror attacks in public places, including from radioactive dirty bombs, was "growing". She asked the public to remain vigilant over the Christmas period but urged people nevertheless to get on with their daily lives. In an interview with Sky News she also insisted that the Government could be trusted with sensitive biometric data despite the debacle over the loss of sensitive data relating to 25 million people held by the HMRC. ...

Iranian Group Wants Uk Apology

The British Government should apologise to the Iranian people for labelling one of Iran's most powerful opposition groups a banned terrorist organisation, campaigners said yesterday. They should also immediately drop plans to appeal over a tribunal decision which ruled that the Home Secretary's refusal to take the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) off the banned proscribed terrorist list as "perverse".

'Doom and Gloom' of Rail Privatisation Wrong, Lord Snape Admits

One of the strongest opponents of rail privatisation has admitted it was a good thing for passengers and the industry. Lord Snape of Wednesbury, the former MP for West Bromwich East, said the "doom and gloom" which he had predicted had not come about.

Pounds 1bn Cutbacks for Cost Overruns ; Defence

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is being forced to find savings of more than pounds 1 billion to cover cost overruns on major projects, the public spending watchdog revealed today. The National Audit Office (NAO) expressed "disappointment" that some of the Government's biggest defence programmes were continuing to incur significant extra costs.

More Criminals Released Early ; Prisons

The largest number of criminals so far were released from jail early under emergency measures last month, it was disclosed yesterday. Prisons in England and Wales freed 2,612 offenders before the end of their sentences, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said.

Miliband Approval ; Foreign

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has welcomed the announcement that the state of emergency in Pakistan is to be lifted next month. President Pervez Musharraf hoped to ease criticism of his regime by ending emergency rule, paving the way to free elections in the new year.

Lib-Dem Dancer ; Showbiz

Acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable has revealed his secret ambition - to appear on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. In an interview to be shown on GMTV's Sunday programme, Mr Cable discloses he is a keen ballroom dancer, but dismissed the glitzy dance show's host Bruce Forsyth as "over the top".