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Neil Elkes

Neil Elkes

First time buyers queue for £60k flats

THERE may be barely enough room to swing the proverbial cat, but Birmingham's first clutch of £60,000 new flats are being snapped up by eager first time buyers. Read

Church snubs £1.2m buyout bid

CHURCH-goers have rejected a pennies from heaven offer and voted against selling their 127-year-old building to shopping centre developers. Read

Green light for landmark plan

A LANDMARK former bank overlooking Sutton Coldfield town centre is to be redeveloped as a restaurant and flats. Read

Veterans bid for new club

A BIRMINGHAM club for retired armed forces veterans has launched a £300,000 campaign for a new clubhouse. Read

Hospital merger's a tonic - bosses

THE strategic health authority for Birmingham today welcomed talks over the possible merger of Heartlands Hospital and cash-strapped Good hope Hospital. Read

Seven arrested in city drug swoops

THIS was the moment police renewed the war on the drug dealers blighting a Birmingham community. Read

Stewards shot at rapper's city show

A GUNMAN brought terror to an NEC concert by outspoken American rapper Kanye West when he shot two stewards. Read

MP kick-starts bid to bring back speedway

THE bid to bring speedway racing to Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium has hit the fast lane after MP Khalid Mahmood threw his weight behind the plans. Read

Historic cinema gets new name

SUTTON'S historic cinema has been re-christened The Empire by the Irish movie group which saved it from closure. Read

School destroyed by raging inferno

A HUGE blaze devastated a Solihull school, causing damage estimated at more than £1 million. Read

Ronnie hoping it's fourth time lucky

RONNIE the greyhound has finally found happiness at the fourth attempt - thanks to the Birmingham Mail. Read

One Stop gun store closed down

A CONTROVERSIAL weapons store has been closed down just hours after being exposed by the Birmingham Mail. Read

Anger after gangland gun shop opens

A WEAPONS store, bristling with hunting knives, crossbows and guns, has opened in the heart of gangland Birmingham, close to the scene of the fatal New Year shootings. Read

Council blasted over mast policy delay

CITY council bosses were today accused of standing by while mobile phone companies continue to put masts on every street corner. Read

Pledge of net gain for all city families

EVERY family in Birmingham should be on the internet within ten years under a new strategy announced today by the city's Labour group. Read

Speed camera hope for road

ONE of north Birmingham's busiest commuter routes could have speed cameras installed after it was placed on a city priority list. Read

Brown receives positive report

POLICE claim they are winning the battle against anti-social behaviour on the streets of Kingstanding. Read

Hunt for comic strip artist

SPIDER-MAN, Batman and Judge Dredd are among the superheroes helping to inspire a new generation of comic strip illustrators in Birmingham. Read

Gordon's getting streetwise

A ROGUES gallery of 13 notorious teenagers with ASBOs greeted Chancellor Gordon Brown when he arrived in Birmingham. Read

Anger at council computer contract

THE city council is "selling off the family silver" after giving a private firm a 10-year contract to run its computer systems. Read

Author Profile

A local news reporter in the Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and south Staffordshire area since 1995, Neil Elkes is the local government correspondent covering the activities of Birmingham CIty Council - Europe's largest local authority. An avid reader and collector of comics Neil is writing a column on this for the Birmingham Mail website.

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