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Tony Collins

Tony Collins

A 'real' job is a release

PRISON inmates should be given "real work" opportunities with full employment rights, according to research carried out by criminal justice experts in Birmingham. Read

Students are turned away

DOZENS of adult students were turned away from a city training centre after the plug was pulled on its funding at the last minute. Read

US bus crash girl is back on her feet

A BIRMINGHAM student is able to stand just three days after breaking her back in a horror coach crash in the USA. Read

Man killed near city youth hostel

A MAN died in hospital after being attacked near a Birmingham youth hostel. Read

Teenage pregnancy concerns

TEENAGE girls in Solihull are undermining the Midland's success in reducing the number of pregnancies among under 18-year-olds. Read

Pub roof is destroyed in arson attack

VANDALS were today being blamed for a fire which wrecked a Birmingham pub. Read

Merger is a £43m class act

THE education map of Birmingham has today under-gone a major change with the £43 million merger of two colleges in the city. Read

Couple find love in the classroom

WHEN Gareth and Melissa failed their GCSE exams at different schools miles apart they thought it was the end of the world, but it was only the beginning. Read

Children warned to keep off the tracks

THE city's schoolchildren are being urged to "stay alive" by not turning the West Midlands' railway tracks into a playground. Read

Family killed in horrific car crash

THIS is the Midland family who were all killed in an horrific crash as they returned home from a sunshine holiday in France. Read

GI bride's son recreates mum's voyage

THE Queen Mary has a special place in the lives of one extended Midland family. Read

Schools to scan for knives at gates

SCHOOLCHILDREN in Birmingham are set to be scanned with metal detectors to prevent them taking knives into the classroom. Read

Nanci Griffith @ Symphony Hall

THE Queen of Folkabilly is very much living up to the title famously afforded her by Rolling Stone magazine. Read

Festival fun in rustic Brum

THOUSANDS of city people turned out to enjoy a taste of the countryside brought right to their doorstep. Read

Cash plea for new school

EDUCATION bosses in the city are going "cap in hand" to the Government for more cash to build a desperately needed new primary school. Read

Cash pledge over hit-and-run tragedy

THE brother of a former amateur footballer who died following an after-match assault has vowed to raise cash in memory of hit-and-run victim Justin Murphy. Read

Lessons learned from city twister

COUNCIL chiefs say they have "learnt lessons" from last year's devastating tornado while admitting that the city was lucky not to have suffered a significant number of deaths. Read

Union leader ready to battle Blair

A NEW teaching union leader in Birmingham is calling for industrial action in defence of schools and his members' pay and conditions. Read

Union set to get tough in HP battle

UNION bosses today warned Heinz: "Accept our survival plan for HP Sauce in Birmingham or we will ruin the brand." Read

Teacher retires as pupils take his place

RETIRING teacher Roger Pope is leaving behind a legacy after saying goodbye to the classroom. Read

Author Profile

Tony Collins joined the Birmingham Mail in 1980.After working in a couple of the Mail's district offices, he became Education Correspondent in 1994. Being regarded as something of a Groucho Marx lookalike, it is no surprise that he is also the Mail's 'Mr Comedy', responsible for interviews with many of our top comics.

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