Birmingham Post

Unanswered Questions As Cars Roll Off Longbridge Line

Car production has finally started up again at Birmingham's Longbridge plant - three years after it closed. However, speculation was rife yesterday as to the extent of that production.

George Freed After Eight Years Spent Protesting Innocence in Dando Death

Barry George walked free from court yesterday after eight years battling to prove he did not kill TV presenter Jill Dando. The 48-year-old's eyes welled with tears as he was cleared by an Old Bailey jury of Miss Dando's murder in 1999 after an eight-week retrial.

Midland Firms Riding Out Credit Crunch Better Than Most - but It's Early Days

Companies in the West Midlands appear to be avoiding the worst effects of the credit crunch - but the worst could still lie ahead. According to figures published yesterday, 350 companies in the region became insolvent between April and June, a slight reduction on the first quarter of the year but a 10 per cent increase on the same time as last year.

Rooney Spitting Row ; Caution

Teen 'Killa' Gets Life ; Court

A bicycle-riding hooded teenage gunman who called himself "Killa" was yesterday jailed for life for the "cold-blooded execution" of a young student. Jermaine Callum, 18, was told he must serve a minimum of 19 years for gunning down Robel Tewelde in Stockwell, south London. Callum, from Clapham, showed no emotion as he was jailed at the Old Bailey for the "cowardly" and apparently motiveless attack.

Three Die On Trawler ; Blaze

Where's the Fire? ; Apology

Hang the Expense, Life's a Gas!

The boss of British Gas yesterday apologised for the rowdy behaviour of some staff at a team briefing in Birmingham on the day the company put up its prices. Employees attended the four-course event at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on Wednesday night, which went on until the early hours of Thursday.

Mass Resignation a 'Conspiracy'

Swiss-owned bank UBS yesterday accused former employees who resigned en masse of an "unlawful conspiracy" to take their investment business away. High Court judge Mr Justice Openshaw was told a total of 75 employees had resigned to set up or join a new company, Vestra.

George Set for Pounds 1m Payday Now He's Free of Dando Suspicion

Barry George is in line to become a millionaire in the wake of his eight-year battle to prove his innocence, experts said yesterday. Compensation claims after he was found not guilty of murdering Jill Dando following two trials and two appeals would be expected to fetch between pounds 250,000 and pounds 500,000, lawyers said.

No Evidence Hbos Shares Manipulated, Fsa Concludes

The City's watchdog formally ended its inquiry yesterday into the false market rumours which hit shares in Halifax Bank of Scotland in March. The Financial Services Authority said it found no evidence that the rumours were spread as part of a "concerted attempt" by individuals to profit by manipulating HBOS's shares.

Derailment Verdict ; Accident

Parents' Tribute ; Death

Hq Sell-Off ; Council

Emergency Landing ; Plane

Strange Increase ; Jobs

New Ray of Hope Cuts Through the Cloud Over Longbridge ; More Than Three Years After Its Demise As a Volume Car Manufacturing Plant, the Longbridge Site in Birmingham Is Back in Production. Aimee Postle Looks at the History of Mg Rover.

It was the darkest day in MG Rover's history - and that of its workers and their families. On April 7, 2005, Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced that the company had called in the administrators.

Still No Convictions for 7/7 As Jury Fails to Finger 'Conspirators'

Survivors of the July 7 bombings and bereaved families last night were still waiting for anyone to be convicted in relation to the terror attack after a jury failed to reach verdicts in the case of three men accused of helping the bombers. Waheed Ali, Sadeer Saleem and Mohammed Shakil were charged with carrying out a two-day reconnaissance mission in London seven months before the 2005 atrocity. The three men were the first people to be prosecuted in connection with the suicide bombings which...

Half Marathon Volunteers Sought

Organisers of the EDF Energy Birmingham Half Marathon are looking for hundreds of volunteers to help the inaugural race run smoothly. The 13.1-mile run, which has already attracted more than 2,000 entries, will take place on October 26 starting at Alexander Stadium, in Perry Barr and finishing on Broad Street, near Centenary Square.

Final Bid to Halt Last Post for 26

A final attempt to halt the closure of 26 post offices has been launched by Birmingham City Council. With a consultation period into plans to reduce the city network by 18 per cent due to end on Monday, the council has prepared a dossier setting out the case for keeping all of the existing outlets.