Birmingham Post

Pounds 26,000 Fraudster Escapes Jail Term

A woman convicted of masterminding a pounds 26,000 credit card fraud yesterday escaped jail after a Birmingham judge raised concerns about "over-crowded prisons". Nyah Johnson used stolen identities - taken from people who had used a city centre car park she worked at - to buy goods and services from the internet, including holidays for herself and family and friends.

City Dream in Deep Water ; Beijing Will Have This Ready for the 2008 Olympics. Birmingham Might Hire a 50-Metre Portable Tank.

Birmingham is considering hiring a huge tank, filling it with water and placing it in the National Indoor Arena as a mock 50- metre swimming pool in an attempt to lure the Chinese squad for the 2012 Olympic Games. The bizarre city council proposal emerged yesterday after it was confirmed that attempts to build an Olympic-size pool in time for the London Games have proved inconclusive.

Beckett Condemns Baghdad Bombings After 178 Killed

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett yesterday condemned a series of bombings in Baghdad which are believed to have killed at least 178 people. Mrs Beckett said the day of "carnage" showed how desperate insurgents were to undermine the fledgling democracy.

Minister Says Birmingham Could Be New Home of House of Lords

A national competition should be held to find the best site for the House of Lords, according to a member of the Government who is floating the idea that Britain's second chamber should be moved from London. Lord Adonis, the Schools Minister, said he was certain Birmingham would put up a strong case and would be one of the favourites to win.

News Digest: Rider Dies

News Digest: Female First

News Digest: Firemen Pelted

Young yobs threw stones at firefighters as they tackled a huge blaze at a Black Country recycling yard last night. Around 60 fire officers at the blaze, at Bloom-field Recycling in Bloom-field Road, Tipton, had to fend off missiles from local youths.

News Digest: Man Injured

More Pools Built Ahead of Olympics ; Background

Olympic-size pools are springing up all over the UK ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games. There are already 21 pools which are the regulation 50m long around Britain, with eight lanes or fewer. A further eight are under construction, four of which are in England.

Leaked Iraq Memo Could Have Cost Lives

The leaking of a secret memo about a meeting between George Bush and Tony Blair by a senior civil servant could have cost British lives, a court heard yesterday. David Keogh offered the document to his friend, MP's researcher Leo O'Connor, when they met up at their local Labour club, an Old Bailey jury was told.

Traffic in Chaos for Brum Commuters

Birmingham commuters faced traffic hell yesterday as two accidents saw both the morning and evening rush hours grind to a halt. Police said a collision between a car and a lorry on the interchange between Tyburn Road and Bromford Lane at 1.55pm left the northbound A38 with just one lane for three-and-a-half hours yesterday afternoon.

Pounds 55 for Four Hours Park Defended

Network Rail yesterday defended its policy of charging motorists pounds 55 for a four-hour stay at New Street Station. The car park, which is run by NCP, was criticised by the GMB trade union, which named it as one of the most expensive in the country.

Julie Walters to Play Mary Whitehouse

Brummie actress Julie Walters is to play legendary taste and decency campaigner Mary Whitehouse in a film commissioned by her former foe, the BBC. Filth: The Mary White-house Story will start filming next month to be aired on BBC2 in the autumn.

Dad's Army to Make Stage Comeback with Star Cast

Don't panic, but classic BBC sitcom Dad's Army is being revived for the stage with former EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham. Grantham, aged 59, written out of Albert Square after an internet sex scandal, plays Private Joe Walker in the new touring production.

Black Country Police Constable Denies Raping Woman After Date

A Black Country police constable raped a woman after taking her out on a date, it has been alleged. Gopal Dehar, 34, has denied raping the 28-year-old mother of one between June 1st and July 31st 2003.

Cameron Launches Go Green Campaign

David Cameron launched the Conservatives "Vote Blue, Go Green" local government election campaign yesterday by picking up litter in Dartford. The Conservative leader joked that picking up discarded chairs and bottles at the flytipping site off Shire-hall Road in Dartford, Kent, was "a lot more meaningful than Prime Minister's Questions."

Tories 'Now Reflect the Whole Country'

The Conservative Party has changed its image in the West Midlands, the party's chair insisted as he visited the region today. Shadow Cabinet Member Francis Maude said the party had succeeded in recruiting candidates who defied the stereotype of the traditional Tory MP and reflected the country as a whole.

Council Leader Is Standing Down

Terry Dix, Labour leader of Staffordshire County Council, will return to the back benches next month. Coun Dix, who has been in ill health, said he would remain a councillor and continue to play an active role.

Us Experts Warn On Electronic Votes

Fears have been raised by US experts about the electronic counting of the Holy-rood and local election results. The system, to be used in Scotland for the first time on polling night, lacks enough independent safeguards, the experts told BBC Scotland.

Government Sinks Cross-Party 'Lifeboat' Fund for Pensions

A cross-party bid to set up a "lifeboat fund" to help workers who lost their pensions in collapsed schemes was sunk by the Government yesterday. Despite some Labour backbench support the amendment to the Pensions Bill was narrowly defeated by 282 to 260, a majority of 22. The vote came after the Prime Minister rejected a call from Tory leader David Cameron to back the move using unclaimed pension assets as funding.