Birmingham Post

Binmen Offered New Wage Deal

Birmingham binmen are being offered wage rises of up to pounds 8,000 a year to soften the blow of losing hefty bonus payments - but they will still be out of pocket even if they accept the deal. The proposal, backed by the city council cabinet, has been described by union officials as a blatant attempt to buy off the refuse collectors before next Tuesday's 24-hour walk out by local authority workers.

Ub40 Forget War of Words to Tour

Members of UB40 put their differences behind them yesterday afternoon and boarded a plane for New Zealand. A handful of dates Down Under will see lead singer Ali Campbell fulfil his obligations to the Birmingham band he has fronted for 30 years, after which he will leave to pursue a solo career.

Customs Swoop On Off-Licences ; Raid

Customs Officers have seized "illicit goods" from 17 off- licences and convenience stores in Wolverhampton. The haul included 374 bottles of whisky and vodka, almost 15,500 cans of beer, a small quantity of cigarettes and half a kilo of hand rolling tobacco.

Firemen Put Out Own Blaze ; Emergency

Two part-time fire fighters were called out to a false alarm - returning moments later to find their own business premises in flames. When a 999 call came in last Friday morning, business partners Pete Price and Jason Smith reportedly rushed from their vehicle repairs workshop in Cricklade, Wiltshire, to the village fire station before going to assist crews in nearby Swindon.

Shooting Quiz ; Police

Detectives were last night continuing to question a 25-year-old man arrested in connection with a shooting in Warwickshire. Police were called to Lighthorne Heath, near Leamington Spa, following reports that a 41-year-old man had been shot.

Car Crackdown ; Police

Victory for Parents As Village Schools Saved

Parents, teachers and children in Shropshire were celebrating yesterday after the suspension of plans to close small village schools across the county. As thousands of people protested outside, a meeting of county councillors decided not to go ahead with proposals that could have seen 22 village schools close.

Birmingham Council Tops Table for Pounds 50k-Plus Earners

More Birmingham City Council staff are paid over pounds 50,000 a year than is the case at any other local authority in the country, it is revealed today. Some 823 employees - just under two per cent of the total workforce - earn more than pounds 960 a week according to research by the TaxPayers' Alliance.

No Senior Jobs for Some Ethnic Minority Workers

A number of local authorities in England do not not employ any ethnic minority workers in senior jobs, according to a report today. But Birmingham is one of only two councils outside London who are in the 20 local authorities employing minorities in senior roles.

Is This the Look of Midland Home of the Future? ; Housing Technology

This artist's impression provides a glimpse of what could become the future of modern living in the Midlands. Designed to stand the test of time, the ecofriendly home claims to combine history with society's concerns for the environment, while providing a blueprint for housing that is carbon zero in both construction and use.

Ikea Unveils Flat-Pack Homes

A new generation of pre-fabricated homes by the flat-pack furniture firm Ikea went on show yesterday. The BoKlok concept homes, which some commentators believe could help resolve the country's affordable housing crisis, were unveiled in Gateshead, Tyneside.

Jewellery Quarter Is Too Residential, Says Food Firm

A food business employing 125 people in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter is set to close - because the area is becoming more residential. Bakkavor Birmingham, on Carver Street, makes dips, salad dressings, sauces and stir-fries.

Midlands 999 Call From Australia

Staff at West Midlands Ambulance had to launch an international rescue mission yesterday after getting an emergency 999 call - for a woman in Australia. The Emergency Operations Centre got a call from a man in Brierley Hill just after 3am saying his sister had been ill.

Now Top Firms Looking Overseas for Graduates

A quarter of top firms are looking overseas to recruit as they struggle to find British graduates with the right skills for work, research warned today. Despite rising salaries, recent graduates show less loyalty to their companies than previous generations and are seen as "ambitious", "self-centred", and "greedy".

Shelter Wants Free Advice Service Set Up

The number of people contacting housing charity Shelter for help with mortgage problems has soared eightfold in the past year, the group said today. Shelter said 80,000 people had asked for help after running into problems keeping up with their mortgage during 2007, compared with just 10,000 in 2006.

Red Tape Over Stop and Search May Be Dropped

The Government is poised to scrap red tape which forces police to fill in a form every time they stop someone in the street, it emerged yesterday. The controversial bureaucracy - introduced in the wake of black teenager Stephen Lawrence's murder - will be ditched in a bid to crack down on gun and knife crime.

Mp Conway to Step Down Over Family Sleaze Money

Conservative MP Derek Conway last night announced that he would step down at the next General Election, after embroiling an angry Tory Party in "sleaze" allegations over payments to his family. The Old Bexley and Sidcup MP decided to quit the Commons after further talks with Chief Whip Patrick McCloughlin, as Scotland Yard confirmed they had received a letter of complaint over the affair.

Johnson Pledge On Community Police

Boris Johnson yesterday pledged to strengthen the relationship between police and the communities they serve if he becomes Mayor of London. The Conservative candidate wants to encourage Londoners to get involved in the current consultation on the future of local police stations and announced that, if elected, he will chair the Metropolitan Police Authority which is conducting the review.

Smith Wins Prison Name Battle in Her Constituency

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is celebrating a bizarre victory over the Ministry of Justice, after she objected to proposals for a new prison. The Government has backed down over plans to call the prison HMP Redditch, after Ms Smith publicly opposed the name.

Dog That Didn't Bark and a Hint of a Midland Civil War ; It Was the Dog That Didn't Bark but While Sleaze Didn't Get a Look in, There Was a Hint of Midland Civil War in the Air During Yesterday's Prime Minister's Questions, As Political Editor Jonathan Walker Reports

First, Peter Hain had to resign from the Cabinet after police launched an inquiry into his finances. Then, Tory backbencher Derek Conway was roundly condemned by an official watchdog for employing his son - at the taxpayer's expense - on an "excessive" salary.