Birmingham Post

The Parents of a Young West Midlands Mother

The parents of a young West Midlands mother who mysteriously disappeared almost 16 years ago yesterday appealed for help to end a "living nightmare". Nicola Payne was aged 18 when she went missing while walking through a grassy area in Wood End, Coventry, on the afternoon of December 14 1991

Race to Find Space for 100,000 More Homes

The West Midlands faces a desperate search for land to accommodate tens of thousands of extra new homes demanded by Government targets, a senior planning official warned yesterday. Hundreds of acres of green belt have already been swallowed by developments in the last few years and the regional assembly fears more will disappear if Prime Minister Gordon Brown's ambitious plans are to be realised.

Post Best Performing Regional Morning Paper

The Birmingham Post is the best performing morning regional newspaper in the UK according to official industry figures released yesterday.. The Post has continued to beat the downward trend in regional newspaper circulation by increasing sales 1.1 per cent in the six months to June, the Audit Bureau of Circulations said.

Standards in Primary Schools Fall yet Again

Fewer seven-year-olds mastered the basic writing skills they need this year, while standards have stalled in maths, science and reading, Government figures yesterday showed. Primary school assessments across England saw writing results fall for the second year in a row, with 80 per cent of seven-year- olds reaching the standard expected of their age group. This was down from 82 per cent in 2005.

Woman and Pcs Stabbed in Street ; Attack

A 60-year-old woman was stabbed yesterday in an "unprovoked attack" in which two policemen were also injured in Birmingham. She was in a serious condition in hospital after the assault, which happened in Edgbaston.

Murder Inquiry After Video Row ; Death

The death of a man who collapsed after an altercation outside a video shop is being treated as murder, police said yesterday. A post-mortem examination showed the 57-year-old victim, who was taken to hospital in Redditch, Worcestershire, on Tuesday, suffered heart failure.

Cs Spray at Ice Rink ; Attack

Eleven people, including eight children, were treated for irritation to their eyes after a fracas outside an ice rink, paramedics said yesterday. None of those treated near the rink in Telford, Shropshire, required hospital treatment after being affected by what is thought to have been CS gas.

Pants Go Walkabout ; Robbery

Detectives are hunting thieves who had a brief encounter with a lorry driver before stealing 25,000 pairs of Jules men's underpants. The robbers sprayed an "unknown substance" into the face of the Polish HGV driver, causing him to fall asleep, Warwickshire Police said.

Green Space Homes Row As Walmley Ups Stumps

A West Midlands Tory MP has backed a cricket club's proposed move into the green belt - but insisted he would not allow development on its existing ground. Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell tried to allay fears over the future of Walmley Cricket Club by reassuring local residents he would battle to protect the club's current home, the John Findlay Memorial Ground, as a green space.

Heritage Cricket Club Faces 'Suspicious' Fire Disaster

One of the oldest cricket clubs in the Midlands was left devastated yesterday after a "suspicious" blaze destroyed its pounds 150,000 pavilion. Fire investigators and police scenes of crime officers were probing the cause of the blaze at Lye Cricket Club in Stourbridge Road, which left the club's 150th anniversary celebrations planned for next year in tatters. Old photos and memorabilia tracing the proud history of the club were lost in the fire, which broke out just before 2am.

Stark Warning to Parents As Cases of Measles Take Sudden Upturn

Midland parents are being urged to ensure their children are fully vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella before they start school, despite the region having one of the lowest rates of measles in the UK. The Health Protection Agency issued the stark warning after it confirmed that the number of cases nationally has trebled in the past 11 weeks, from 136 in June to 480. This compares with 756 during the whole of 2006 - which was the highest year on record.

Savlon Tubes Withdrawn After 'Tampering'

Thousands of tubes of Savlon have been pulled from shop shelves due to alleged contamination by animal rights extremists. Boots, Superdrug and Tesco recalled the antiseptic cream after the Animal Rights Militia claimed it had tampered with 250 products.

Poem for Rhys From His Dad

The father of 11-year-old Rhys Jones has written an emotional poem to his murdered son, in which he imagines the youngster playing football in heaven with George Best, Dixie Dean and Bobby Moore. Rhys's parents, Melanie, 41, and Stephen, 44, made their second visit to the scene of his murder before speaking about their 'little guy' in a newspaper interview.

Son in Plea Over Missing Mother He Never Knew

His mother is rarely far from his thoughts - yet Owen Cooke has not one memory of her. Yesterday the 16-year-old trainee electrician joined his grandparents to issue a heartfelt appeal for someone to solve the mystery of what happened to his missing mother, Nicola Payne. Miss Payne vanished when he was a baby of just seven months, and yesterday, 16 years after her disappearance, Marilyn and John Payne admitted that hopes she was alive had faded.

Gynaecologist Who Botched Op Fails to Get Full Licence Back

A Midland gynaecologist found guilty of serious professional misconduct last year, yesterday failed in his bid to get his full medical licence back. Instead Dr Andrew Gbinigie, who lives in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, was effectively banned from working as a consultant for 12 months.

Politics: Remember Unspoken Conspiracy Over Diana

Today the world remembers Princess Diana, as a memorial service ten years after her death is held in London. But what a way to remember her. We've had rows about who is to be invited, Diana's friends telling newspapers how badly she's been treated (even in death) and plenty of speculation about Prince Charles' private life.

Politics: Brown Says Nhs Will Get More Cash Through Changes

Gordon Brown visited a health clinic yesterday ahead of the publication of new figures showing the NHS is on a sustainable financial footing. The Prime Minister was joined by Health Secretary Alan Johnson to tour the Riverside Medical Centre, a newly-opened state-of-the-art NHS clinic in Vauxhall, south London. The centre has four GPs and operates a number of clinics for a large diverse community. During the half-hour visit, Mr Brown and Mr Johnson spoke to staff members and, in a short meeti...

Politics: Hospitals Run Up Pounds 135m Surplus by Shedding Jobs

Hospitals and health trusts in the West Midlands are set to end the financial year with a pounds 135 million surplus in their budgets, after axing hundreds of jobs. It follows years in which hospitals ran up massive deficits and fell millions of pounds into debt. New financial forecasts published by the Department of Health yesterday showed every health trust in the region except for Coventry Hospital is expected to end the current financial year within budget.

Politics: No Staff, so Baby Born in Ambulance

A baby was born in the back of an ambulance after a family were told there were not enough midwives on duty at their nearest hospital. When Sally West, aged 36, went into labour she was hoping to give birth at Malton Hospital - just three miles from home. But she was forced to travel 26 miles to Scarborough Hospital where Phoebe, weighing 7lb 3oz, was delivered in the hospital car park.

Politics: Straw Meets Widow of Killed Head

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has met the widow of murdered headmaster Philip Lawrence to hear her concerns about the decision not to deport her husband's killer, it emerged yesteday. An immigration tribunal ruled last week that Learco Chindamo, who was 15 at the time of the appalling crime, should be allowed to stay in Britain after serving his prison sentence.