Birmingham Post

Pounds 55bn Rock Loan May Not Be Paid Back, Says New Boss

There is no guarantee the pounds 55 billion Northern Rock has received from taxpayers will ever be repaid, the bank's new chief executive warned yesterday. Ron Sandler, the man called in by the Government to save Northern Rock, sounded the warning after saying it would take "some years" for Northern Rock to pay back the money.

Why Old Chip Oil Could Help Fuel Regeneration of Longbridge

A biofuel plant, turning chip oil into petrol for lorries, could be on the cards for Longbridge as part of the economic regeneration scheme for the area. The Community Network South West (CNSW) group is carrying out a study into the possibility of building a green biofuel plant, run by a not-for profit business, on the former site of the Rover works.

Police Took Action to Stop a Very Real Threat to Life

The threat to life presented by Parviz Khan was real and imminent, the detective leading the investigation stressed. Detective Superintendent Liam O'Brien said he had no doubt that had police not acted when they did, a British soldier would have died in a most gruesome fashion on British soil.

Soldier Killed in Afghan Explosion

A British soldier was killed and a second injured in an attack in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. The soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment were on foot patrol in Helmand province when they were caught in the blast on Sunday.

Life in Jail for Fanatic Who Plotted to Behead Soldier

Parviz Khan, the fanatic who plotted to kidnap and kill a British Muslim soldier, was jailed for life yesterday and told it was impossible to predict when, if ever, he would be released. Four others were sentenced with him but it was Khan, who claimed to be a full-time carer for his elderly mother, who was the prime mover in the Birmingham-based terror cell.

Terror Control Orders Must Have Time Limit, Says Review

Terror suspects should only be placed on control orders for a maximum of two years unless there are "exceptional circumstances", a watchdog said yesterday. The Government's independent reviewer of terror legislation, Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, said there may even be a case for changing the law to impose a time limit.

Message of Defiance As Defendants Are Sentenced

Parviz Khan refused to attend court to face his charges - then sent a defiant message to other Muslims via video link from prison. As he sat down to be arraigned on January 17, he told Leicester Crown Court: "I would just like to say greetings to all Muslims." It met with no reaction in the courtroom, where Mr Justice Henriques, lawyers and Khan's co-accused waited for four counts to be put to the defendant.

Jihadi Fanatic Claiming Pounds 1,669 Benefits a Month

Parviz Khan, born in Derby on October 17, 1970, turned from a young man whose main passions were Sunday league football and cricket into a radicalised jihadi after making several trips to Pakistan. Raised in Birmingham and married with three young children, Khan's involvement with al Qaida transformed him into a homicidal obsessive who spoke of the July 7 bombers as "brothers".

Wife Urged Khan to Put Her First, Before 'Jihad'

Zahoor Iqbal's wife wrote him a heartfelt letter shortly after their marriage in which she urged him to put her before his desire for jihad. Rohana Sattar, a finance officer who worked at Birmingham University, broke down as she told Leicester Crown Court that her use of the word jihad was a reference to the "personal struggles" her husband faced in his family life.

Source of Media Leaks of Arrests Never Found

An inquiry failed to find the source of leaks made to journalists within hours of the arrests of Parviz Khan and his fellow terror suspects. Nine people were detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 during co-ordinated raids on properties in Birmingham on January 31 last year.

Plot Partners Who Helped or Turned a Blind Eye

Four other Birmingham men were involved with Parviz Khan: Basiru Gassama

Investors Could Find Shares Worth Next to Nothing ; Bank Nationalisation

Investors in stricken bank Northern Rock yesterday faced the prospect of getting next to nothing for their shares. The bank's shareholders - including more than 100,000 small investors - could receive no compensation under plans to value Northern Rock on its worth without a Government guarantee, according to City experts.

Scathing Attack On 'Failure' by Ex-Chancellor ; Bank Nationalisation

The Government's handling of the Northern Rock crisis was dubbed "the biggest saga of incompetence in any bank failure in our history" by Tory ex-Chancellor Lord Lawson of Blaby yesterday. He said there was "no public interest" in keeping the "failed institution" alive.

Tories Call for Darling's Scalp Over Rock 'Calamity' ; Bank Nationalisation

David Cameron called on Gordon Brown yesterday to sack Chancellor Alistair Darling after the nationalisation of Northern Rock. The Tory leader said the Black Wednesday crisis of 1992 - when he had been a Treasury adviser - had taught him it was vital for the Chancellor to leave the Government after such episodes.

Old Lefties Raise a Smile As Pm Sticks It Out ; Bank Nationalisation Rock Dominated the Prime Minister's Monthly Press Conference at Westminster Yesterday. Political Editor Jonathan Walker Watched the Day's Proceedings.

It doesn't matter how serious the situation is - Gordon Brown likes to stick to the same message. So when he spoke about the nationalisation of Northern Rock in his Downing Street press conference yesterday, he intoned: "Stability is our watchword and will remain so."

It Is Business As Usual Down at the 'People's Bank' ; Bank Nationalisation

Consumers were left to weigh up the pros and cons yesterday of putting their money into Northern Rock after the bank's new chairman said it was "business as usual". People who decide to save with the group currently have the added security of the Government guarantee protecting their money.

Pounds 90,000-a-Month Boss Tries to Reassure Staff About Future ; Bank Nationalisation

The new boss of troubled Northern Rock spoke positively yesterday about nationalisation of the bank as "a chance to pull back". Ron Sandler, the Government's pounds 90,000-amonth choice to head up the stricken Newcastle lender, looked cheerful and confident about the bank's future as he spoke to the press at the Northern Rock headquarters in Gosforth, Newcastle.

Restructure Must Take Account of the North-East ; Bank Nationalisation

The Government was urged yesterday to take "strong steps" to make sure Northern Rock workers do not suffer as a result of the decision to take the bank into public ownership. Unite called for guarantees about future employment to make sure there were no compulsory redundancies.

Politics: New Measures to Tackle Violence and Knife Crime

Pubs with bad reputations are to be banned from serving beer in glasses, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced. The Redditch MP revealed that pubs will be forced to use plastic replacements, as part of a wide-ranging plan to reduce the level of violence in Britain.

Politics: No 45-Minute Attack Warning in Draft Iraq Dossier

The Foreign Office yesterday finally released the first draft of the Government's notorious Iraq weapons dossier. The 30-page draft - drawn up by the then communications director John Williams - was not released to Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of Government weapons expert, Dr David Kelly.