Birmingham Post

Bold, Iconic Landmark or Incongruous Leviathan?

A soaring 35-storey tower at the heart of the Colmore Row Conservation Area could be the latest addition to Birmingham's fast- changing skyline. The 441ft-high landmark office development on the corner of Colmore Row and Newhall Street is the proposed replacement for the smaller NatWest Tower, which will be demolished if owners British Land win approval from the city council planning committee for the new structure.

Driver Guilty of Toddler's Death

A driver has been convicted of causing the death of a two year- old boy who was hit by his car and dragged along a road in Birmingham. A jury at the city's crown court yesterday found Mohammed Hussain guilty of the manslaughter of Joshua Berrill. Hussain (22), of Highfield Road, Saltley, Birmingham, denied the charge.

10p Tax Rebels Still Unconvinced

The ringleader of the Labour 10p tax rebels last night warned that he may still seek to defeat the Government unless he received guarantees about the compensation package offered to those who lost out as a result of the abolition of the starting rate of income tax. Former welfare reform minister Frank Field said the agreement he had reached with Prime Minister Gordon Brown was that the package would cover the average losses and would be backdated to April 1.

Police Warning Over Explosives ; Crime

Police have launched an investigation after 40 detonators were stolen from a railway line in Warwickshire. The explosives - 6cm yellow discs used to alert train drivers to hazards on the line - could cause serious injuries, British Transport Police said.

Man Arrested for Infant Fatality ; Death

Police in Birmingham have arrested a man on suspicion of causing the death of a four-year-old boy by dangerous driving. The child, who has not been identified, was hit by a car in Tyseley, Birmingham, on Saturday, West Midlands Police said. He was taken from the scene, in Weatherfield Road, to hospital at around midday but later died.

Care Home Blaze ; Fire

Firefighters led four people to safety after a fire ripped through a Birmingham care home yesterday. Fire crews and paramedics were called the home in Dell Road, Cotteridge, shortly after 1.10am. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Two patients were treated for smoke inhalation and were taken to Selly Oak Hospital for assessment and treatment. Two patients were treated at the scene.

Dog Fell to Death ; Pets

A woman yesterday pleaded guilty to causing the unnecessary suffering of a dog which plunged to its death from a fifth-floor balcony. Cleaner Shenna Spence, 61, was taking care of the black terrier, called Laddie, for an elderly friend when the dog died in October.

20pc Fewer Homes for Sale Than Last Year - Surveyors

The property market in the West Midlands is shrinking rapidly, with 20 per cent fewer homes for sale compared with this time last year. But the region's successful economy means it has more reasons to be optimistic than many other parts of the UK especially if the Government can find space for vital new homes, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Peers Praise Bid to Increase Social Housing Provision

Legislation to help speed the supply of affordable social housing was hailed by Labour peers yesterday. Proposals to combine the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships into a new Homes and Communities Agency were welcomed by former chairmen of the two predecessors.

Elephants 1, Humans 0

A 15-year-old African elephant at West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire is top of her league with fancy footwork and her ability to keep a goalie on his toes. Not only is Latabe the elephant adept at dribbling, she is remarkably good on set-pieces and is certainly a match for 23-year- old Lewis Hodson, her keeper.

Super Opera Plan for Manchester's Super Casino

A multi-million pound opera house could be built on the site of the scrapped super casino project, it emerged yesterday. Talks are ongoing between Manchester City Council and the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden about whether a "national opera centre" could be the answer to regenerating the east of the city.

Top Independent Schools to Boycott 'Lying' Exam League Tables

Two of Britain's most prominent private schools are to boycott this year's exam league tables, amid claims they are misleading and hold down struggling schools. But while agreeing with the criticism of league tables by Eton and St Paul's, the head teachers of two of Birmingham's leading schools rejected claims that A levels in 'soft' subjects were not as valid as those in more academic areas like maths and physics.

Outrage As Sentence On Torture Gang Is Halved

An MP last night said he was "appalled" that three people who killed a man by imprisoning and torturing him in a garden shed would serve just half of their nine and 10-year jail sentences. Kevin Davies, 29, died after being locked in the wooden building in Bream, in the Forest of Dean, for four months, where he was beaten daily and fed on potato peelings.

Midlander Jailed for Drug Offence

A Midland man was jailed for two years yesterday for trying to smuggle more than 29lb (13kg) of cannabis into the UK though Belfast International Airport. Philip Stuart Page, 21 and originally from Shrewsbury, but who had been living in Spain, was arrested by HM Revenue and Customs officers in August 2007.

Berkswell Museum Gets a Pounds 15,000 Cash Injection

The small black-and-white cottage in a Warwickshire village may not look much like a museum. But the homely setting of the community-run museum which houses maps - the oldest one dating to 1841 - as well as photographs and pictures of the local area provides a valuable asset to the community in Berkswell.

Even Fakes Hit by the Crunch

The number of fake banknotes discovered in circulation has dropped to the lowest level on record, banking chiefs said yesterday. The Bank of England said 290,000 notes were removed from the system last year, a drop of 24 per cent on 2006.

Muslim Convert's Hate Ordeal

A British-born man attacked and threatened after his family converted from Islam to Christianity was told by police to "stop being a crusader", a report revealed. Nissar Hussein, 43, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, claims an officer made the comment after he reported a threat to burn down his house if he did not repent and return to Islam.

Physiotherapists' Pay Deal Row ; Pay Deal Politics

Another group of health workers is being urged to reject the Government's offer of a three-year pay deal. The 26,000 members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy will be recommended to turn down the offer, worth just over eight per cent, mainly because it is 'below the rate of inflation'.

Blair Returns to Westminster ; Return Politics

Tony Blair will return to Westminster next week to speak in Parliament for the first time since he quit as Prime Minister last June. The former PM is to give evidence to the House of Commons International Development Select Committee on May 8 in his position as the international community's envoy for the Middle East.

Coins Cost a Mint ; Coinage Politics

The design of a new series of British coins cost pounds 119,000, Treasury Exchequer Secretary Angela Eagle disclosed last night. In a Commons written reply, she said the cost included a pounds 35,000 fee for the artist who submitted the final design.