Birmingham Post

Client Files Dumped in Bins Claim

Data protection watchdogs have unearthed a wealth of confidential information about business clients dumped in bins in a Midland town centre. Mike Bull, of ScamsDi-rect, is passing the documents on to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and the claims his investigation - carried out at random industrial bins in Walsall - shows breaches of the Data Protection Act among commercial organisations are routine and widespread.

Aston Martin Bides Time in Pay Row

Shop stewards at Aston Martin will wait until Thursday to decide their next move after workers at the luxury carmaker voted for strike action. Members of the Transport & General Workers Union met in Gaydon following the vote by 70 per cent of the workers to reject the firm's four per cent pay offer.

Land Rover Backs Zara to Glory

Zara Phillips donned her jodhpurs and riding boots yesterday to mark Land Rover's sponsorship of the British Eventing Team. The car firm announced it is to be the official vehicle for the top equestrians for the next three years.

Ba Pounds 162m Deal for Rolls Engines

British Airways has chosen Rolls-Royce engines for new Boeing 777 airliners in a deal potentially worth pounds 162.2 million. BA yesterday said in a statement it had picked the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engine - manufactured in Derby - for four 777-200ER jets and has taken options on engines for four more. BA has also signed a long-term agreement with Rolls to maintain the engines.

Tyrrell Moves to the Left As Candidate

Former Birmingham cabinet member John Tyrrell, who quit the Labour Party on Sunday, is to stand for the far-left Socialist Labour Party in next month's city council elections. Mr Tyrrell will be a candidate in Handsworth Wood ward, in a move that could split the Labour vote and potentially deliver the seat to the Conservatives.

News Digest: Broadband Up

More than half of UK adults have broadband at home. This follows a 39 per cent upturn since 2006 and a seven-fold increase over the last four years, the telecoms regulator Ofcom said. Strong competition among broadband suppliers has led to falling prices. Connections with speeds of up to 2Meg dropped to around pounds 15 per month last year - down from pounds 50 in 2003.

News Digest: She's a Goner-Il

News Digest: The Girl Guards

News Digest: Missing Christians

Blair Defiant Over Captured Marines

Downing Street insisted last night it would not be swayed by "stage managed" images of captured military personnel amid hints of progress in resolving the standoff. Tony Blair's official spokesman said Britain was sticking by its position as fresh footage of the sailors and marines aired on Iranian TV.

Judge Clears Prison Guards Over Drug Dealer's Death

Four prison guards standing trial over the death of a man in their care were cleared of all charges yesterday on the directions of the judge. Michael Bailey, 23, a drug dealer from Birmingham, was found hanged by his shoelace from the door to his cell in the segregation block at the privately-run Rye Hill Prison in March 2005.

Yardie Gang Link to Pub Pool Room Shootings

Two men were yesterday recovering in hospital after being shot in a Birmingham pub. An un-named 29-year-old victim suffered multiple injuries in the incident. Two other people, a 25-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, were also injured in the shooting in The Midland Tavern pub, Nechells, in the early hours of Saturday. Detectives said the incident followed a "disturbance" in the pool room of the pub, which had been hosting a disco and barbecue.

Here Comes the Sun for Easter

Warm weather is on the way for Britain over Easter, forecasters predicted yesterday. But the millions jetting abroad could face cold and rain before temperatures start hotting up in continental Europe.

Bully for Wembley Rail Link

A new rail route from Birmingham will be taking West Midlands football fans straight to the 'home of football'. Chiltern Railways is running the region's first direct route from Birmingham to Wembley, so fans can get to the recently-finished national stadium in two hours. But the first to benefit won't be Blues or Villa supporters, but fans of Worcestershire non-leaguers Kidderminster Harriers. The first big test of the new route will be when Kidderminster play Stevenage on May 12 in the FA T...

Snowy and Frosty

We're Devastated by Sailors' Deaths

An explosion on a nuclear submarine which claimed the lives of a Midland sailor and his colleague last month "devastated" the crew, their commanding officer said last night. Leading Operator Mechanic Paul McCann, from Halesowen, and Operator Maintainer Anthony Huntrod died when an oxygen generator exploded in an Anglo-American operation under the Arctic ice cap off Alaska on March 21.

News Digest: Spy Loved Me

Suspicious Britons regularly spy on friends and lovers - with more than 50 per cent admitting to reading a partner's text messages without their knowledge, research reveals. The UK Undercover survey reveals 20 per cent of people would like to spy on their partner more than anyone else, while 53 per cent admit to reading a partner's text messages without consent.

News Digest: Sharing Roles

The majority of men no longer expect to be the main breadwinner, but would rather share the role with their partner, claims a men's magazine. More than 70 per cent of men say they would prefer a "50-50" role with their other half, sharing work, childcare and housework.

News Digest: Home-Aloners

The number of homes being bought by singletons is on the rise adding further pressure on limited housing stocks, it was claimed yesterday. Research by property firm mform.co.uk found that over the past three years, 26.2 per cent of home purchases were by single people.

News Digest: Heart 'Grown'