Birmingham Post

What's the Truth About New Street? ; Comment

The campaign to give Birmingham a modern railway station was thrown into confusion last night after Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly warned the pounds 550 million redevelopment of New Street is far from a done deal. Following 15 months of intense negotiations between the Department for Transport and Birmingham City Council, Ms Kelly said she was not convinced that the New Street Gateway project represented "clear value for money".

More Phone-in Deceptions Emerge

The BBC has suspended all phone-in competitions after uncovering a string of viewer deceptions involving Children In Need, Comic Relief and Sports Relief. All three charity appeal programmes featured fake competition winners.

999 Heavyweights

A Midland hospital trust has joined the region's ambulance service to invest more than pounds 100,000 in equipment and vehicles designed to carry obese or morbidly obese patients. Three West Midlands Ambulance Service vehicles have been adapted, at a cost of pounds 10,500 each, to meet the needs of patients who weigh more than 19 stone.

Strikes Stepped Up

Strikes by postal workers in a bitter row over pay and jobs are to be escalated, disrupting deliveries for two weeks, it was announced yesterday. The Communication Workers Union unveiled a fresh programme of industrial action, which will start next Wednesday evening.

Why Rome Gave Ireland the Green Light to Move St Patrick's Day

Worldwide celebrations for St Patrick's Day could face disruption after the Catholic Church decided to move the Irish patron saint's feast day. Bishops were left with sore heads after they discovered the traditional March 17 festivities will clash next year with the second day of Holy Week.

Man Begins Jail Term for Attempted Rape 12 Years Ago

A man who tried to rape a disabled woman more than 12 years ago began a seven-year prison sentence yesterday after being traced through advances in forensic science. Police were originally unable to trace Paul Alexander after the attack on the then 21-year-old student, who did not know him.

Triple Murder Case

A man appeared in court yesterday charged with the triple murder of a mother and her two children. Pierre Williams, 32, appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court accused of murdering Bev-erley Samuels, 36, her daughter Kesha Wizzart, 18, and son Fred Wizzart, 13, at their home in Fallowfield, Manchester.

Gay Christian Wins Claim Against Church of England

A gay Christian has won a discrimination claim against the Church of England after it was found to have blocked his appointment on the grounds of his sexuality. John Reaney, a 42-year-old from North Wales, took the Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance to employment tribunal after his appointment to the role of youth worker was blocked by the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev Anthony Priddis.

New Street: Still Some Way to Go

Birmingham MPs are in crunch talks with Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly after she warned the city still has "significant work to do" to win backing for the refurbishment of New Street Station. Liam Byrne, the newly-appointed Minister for the West Midlands, said local politicians were "working furiously behind the scenes" with a decision on funding just days away.

Businesses Count the Cost of Floods and Wait for More Rain

Shop and restaurant owners were counting the cost yesterday of flash floods which struck a Worcestershire village - while being warned that more torrential rain was on the way. A torrent of water 3ft high flooded through Market Street and Teme Street, in Tenbury Wells, on Tuesday, bursting through property doors, soaking carpets and ripping down a wall on a nearby brook.

Chair of Birmingham Future

Back Gardens Campaign Under Fire

A Government-backed campaign to protect England's back gardens has been heavily criticised by MPs battling to prevent excessive housing development in Birmingham suburbs. Biodiversity Minister Joan Ruddock was accused of double- standards after she helped launch a manifesto by the quango Natural England, which promises to "save the nation's gardens, particularly those in towns and cities".

Single House Buyers Need to Earn Pounds 43,000

A single person would need to earn pounds 43,000 a year to buy an average-priced house in the West Midlands countryside, a new study has revealed. Research from the National Housing Federation reveals the average cost of a home in the region is more than 7.5 times the average income, which is considered to be beyond the reach of most people's pockets.

Judge Rules On Sick Baby's Bone Marrow Transplant

The High Court ruled yesterday that it would be lawful for a terminally ill seven-month-old baby girl to be given a bone marrow transplant (BMT) despite her parents' refusal to consent. Mr Justice Holman said the issues in the case of 'A', who cannot be identified, were "truly ones of life and death".

Three Jailed for Soliciting Murder in Demonstration

A Birmingham man was yesterday one of three people sentenced to six years in jail for soliciting murder during a demonstration against an anti-Islamic cartoon. Umran Javed, 27, from Washwood Heath Road in the city, and Mizanur Rahman, 24, and Abdul Muhid, 25, both from London, were convicted during separate Old Bailey trials.

Bid for Change in Youth Discipline

The coroner who heard evidence about the death of a teenage Midlands boy in a youth jail wrote to Justice Minister Jack Straw yesterday urging speedy reform of the way children are disciplined in custody. An inquest jury found the death of Gareth Myatt, who choked to death while being restrained by three guards at a privately-run youth prison, was an accident that could have been prevented.

All-Day Drinking has 'Trebled a&E Visits'

The number of people attending A&E during the night with alcohol- related problems has trebled since the introduction of 24-hour drinking laws, experts said today A study compared the number of A&E visits at a major London hospital before and after the laws were introduced in November 2005. The authors said their findings are likely to represent the same picture at other inner city hospitals across the UK and warned of the possibility of "very substantial" numbers of additional patients over ...

New Drivers Face More Rules to Save Lives

A zero alcohol limit for newly-qualified drivers was recommended todayin a report by MPs. Learners should also have a minimum 12-month learning period and not be allowed to have a full licence until they are 18 compared with the present age of 17, the report from the House of Commons Transport Committee said.

Drive-by Shooting Suspect Arrested ; Crime

Detectives investigating a drive-by shooting which took place more than eight months ago have made their first arrest. Darren Ogiste, 20, died after he was shot once in the chest in Stoke Newington, east London, last November.

Poles Polish Off Supermarket Food ; Retail

Britain's biggest supermarket chain is doubling its range of Polish food and drinks to meet demand, it said yesterday. Tesco will also extend the products from 240 to 370 of its stores.