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Neil Elkes

Neil Elkes

Music venue defiant on development

DEFIANT bosses at Birmingham city centre's premier rock venue insist they are going nowhere, despite a planned multi-million pound revamp. Read

Booze teenagers face police purge

A POLICE chief today vowed to take action against parents who fuel underage drinking in the street by supplying booze to teenagers. Read

Play project in cash plea

A SCHOOL holiday play scheme which caters for 500 Great Barr children has issued an urgent appeal to help plug a £13,000 funding shortfall. Read

Neighbour brings the house down

MOST people dream of owning a detached house, but a retired Birmingham couple would much rather have their old semi back. Read

Taxi marshals help cut crime

LATE night taxi marshals who patrolled Sutton Coldfield town centre in the run to Christmas helped slash drunk and disorderly behaviour by 94 per cent. Read

Nurse on mercy mission is fined

A DISTRICT nurse was left fuming after a traffic warden slapped a £60 parking ticket on her as she delivered equipment to a patient's home. Read

£550m city shopping complex unveiled

PLANS have been unveiled for the exciting £550 million city centre Martineau Galleries shopping and leisure complex. Read

Show will go on at historic cinema

THE new owners of Sutton's Odeon cinema today pledged that it would remain open and keep showing films. Read

Protester to stand in election

A KINGSTANDING road safety campaigner will stand in the local elections in a bid to slow down traffic on her street. Read

Refuse day to blame for rats

A RAT problem plaguing student homes around Birmingham University has been blamed on the black bag collection day. Read

Head teacher's off to Oz

A LONG-serving and popular retiring head teacher is winging his way to Australia. Read

Fears over dental flat rate charges

PATIENTS will delay vital dental treatment when controversial new NHS dental charges hit the West Midlands in April. Read

New powers to tackle yobs

POLICE have been granted new powers to tackle gangs and anti-social behaviour at a Sutton Coldfield shopping parade. Read

Baby Jesus is back - thanks to the Mail

A STOLEN baby Jesus has been returned to a city church - thanks to the Birmingham Mail. The nativity statue has been safely returned to St Nicholas Church in Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield after being stolen on Christmas Eve. Read

Boy's 11 years without a day off

IN 11 years of school life Robert Nolan has never missed a day. No sickies, no diseases, no serious injuries and certainly no playing truant. Read

Baby Jesus stolen from church crib

CRUEL yobs have sparked outrage after stealing figures from a Midland church crib. Read

Housing revamp for OAPs

CITY chiefs have given the go ahead for four new old people's homes designed to bring care for the elderly into the 21st century. Read

Tolkien's walking tree could be stumped

A GIANT statue of a walking tree from Lord Of The Rings may have to be moved from its planned home on Moseley village green - because it would confuse drivers. Read

Silent calls tax the patience of MP

YARDLEY MP John Hemming, who campaigned successfully to outlaw the menace of silent phone calls, believes that the taxman made 300,000 nuisance calls last year. Read

Red tape 'hits 25 patients a week'

CITY nurses could see an extra 25 patients a week if they are freed from the burden of red tape, a Birmingham study has revealed. 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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