Birmingham Post

Only Government Action Can Avert Disaster ; 24 Hours Birmingham Post Comment

Working closely with... moving as fast as we can...holding a seminar next week...urgently assessing ... continues to look very carefully' Are these the words of someone who is on top of the biggest challenge faced by the manufacturing sector since the Industrial Revolution - or the obfuscation of a man who simply doesn't know what to do? An alternative interpretation is that Lord Mandelson and the government have given up caring for what they see as two lost causes: the automotive industry in...

Opposition Passing Up Chance to Give Mps Greater Say ; 24 Hours

When the Prime Minister set out his vision for regional representation in 2007, he proposed two major innovations. The first was the creation of ministers to give regions such as the West Midlands a voice in government.

Glass Eyes ; 24 Hours

Army Official Backs Nhs Hospitals for Injured Soldiers

A senior Army official has revealed his support for controversial NHS treatment of injured soldiers in Birmingham saying there is no need for a military hospital. Surge on general Lieutenant General Louis Lilywhite made it clear that he believed there was no longer a place for dedicated military hospitals as numbers were too small.

Kirkbride Calls for Mp Addresses to Be Secret

An MP has revealed that she fears for her safety after receiving unwanted fan mail from male admirers. Julie Kirkbride (Con Bromsgrove) said she received letters from would-be suitors who appeared to have "a fixation" on her, after seeing her on television.

Johnson Tour Relived in City

Two historical guests were welcomed into the city by Birmingham's Lord Mayor, Coun Chauhdry Abdul Rashid, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of a journey made by celebrated West Midland author Samuel Johnson and actor David Garrick. The visitors, suitably dressed in 18th century attire, are following in the footsteps of Johnson and Garrick, who traveled almost 150miles from Lichfield to London on a shared horse.

Pounds 100m Redevelopment of Digbeth Wholesale Market Site Poised for Green Light

The redevelopment of Birmingham's 21-acre wholesale markets site in Digbeth appeared to be back on track last night - despite the recession. City council leaders are likely to agree a pounds 100million scheme to move the markets to new purpose-built accommodation in Witton.

Number of Armed Police Actions Falls Across Region

Armed police were sent into action in the West Midlands more than 1,000 times last year. But the figure was down significantly on the year before, as the force used more "intelligence-led" policing to reduce the number of occasions when firearms were needed.

Couple Tied Up by Masked Robbers

A Midland couple were tied up by masked robbers wielding a crow bar and pick-axe in a raid on their home for thousands of pounds worth of jewellery. Four robbers in ski masks burst into the home in Hillpool Road, Kidderminster, hustling the man and woman into their bedroom where they assaulted them while ransacking the house for cash and valuables.

Ballistics Centre On Frontline of War Against Guns

The mothers of two teenage girls shot dead in Aston welcomed a new CSI style fire arm forensics centre that will link guns used in crime across the country. The laboratory, based at a secret location in Birmingham, will for the first time link guns to crimes and give police intelligence of who and where the gun might be connected to.

Zoo's 3,000-Plus Would-Be Staff

Lock-Out for Museum Rescue ; Leisure

Campaigners battling to save a famous Black Country museum have been dealt another bitter blow in their desperate quest to fund the facility. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) said they cannot support Willenhall's historic Lock Museum with financial assistance.

Man Arrested After Binman Killed ; Crime

Green Lane Crowned One of the Greenest ; Environment

Man and Boy, 15, Charged with Conspiracy to Rob Lorry

A man and a teenage boy appeared in court charged in connection with an attempted robbery which resulted in a man being stabbed to death. Spencer Howell, 34, and his 15-year-old co-defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were charged with conspiracy to rob in relation to an attempted raid on a lorry in Coleshill, Warwickshire.

Funding Means Threatened St George's Day Event Will Go On

Organisers of an under-threat St George's Day parade described as the biggest in England are celebrating after securing funding that could see the march go ahead. Stone Cross St George's Day Association were denied funding for the West Bromwich parade by Sandwell Council, which severed ties with the event over claims it had been infiltrated by racists.

Taxi Drivers' Anger Over Bia Charges

The latest in a series of rows between taxi drivers and their trade chiefs could result in visitors being stranded at Birmingham International Airport. Cabbies have baulked at a pounds 540 payment to operate from the terminal and claimterms of a newcontract negotiated by the Birmingham and Solihull Taxi Association will leave them out of pocket.

University Quiz Team Disqualified

The Oxford University team which won this year's University Challenge has been disqualified after fielding an ineligible contestant, the BBC said. ABB Cstatement said: "The University Challenge rules on student eligibility are that students taking partmust be registered at their university or college for the duration of the recording of the series.

'Boot Camps' Drill Children to Pass ; Exams Education

Elms Branch Out in Pershore ; Education

Ahorticultural college inWorcestershire is helping to overcome the ravages ofDutch elmdisease after discovering a local tree that had survived intact. Pershore College in Worcestershire has been able to plant the first Dutch elmdisease-resistant elms in a local park following a partnership with the towncouncil.