A pensioner died at Heartlands Hospital – and no-one noticed for up to half-an-hour, her grieving son claimed. Retired policeman Martyn James discovered his mother Joan dead in bed at the hospital – he said staff told him the 85-year-old widow was last checked by nurses at 1.30pm, more than 30 minutes before he arrived…

A Shirley mum has honoured her son who was killed in a tragic digger accident, as part of Worker’s Memorial Day. Engineer Mark Handford was just 22 when he died from head injuries after being hit by a digger bucket on a Redditch building site on 12th August 2009. His family remembered their “lovely and…

A young former cancer sufferer from Solihull has inspired her cousin to start raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Sam Taylor-Bolshaw, 15, from Lancashire, will be taking part in the Bupa Great Manchester Run this month as a thank you to the charity which supported his cousin through her cancer treatment. When Sam’s cousin,…

Aged just 22, it’s not only Jack Lucas’s culinary skills which have impressed viewers – his good looks have earned him the nickname of “MasterChef Fittie”. Viewers will find out tonight (7th) whether he makes it into the final of the smash-hit BBC show. He beat dozens of other amateur cooks to win a place…

Six rowers inspired by a 12-year-old Solihull girl have put in a marathon effort to help the battle against brain tumours. Champion indoor rowers Ann Atkins, Anna Diamond and Joe White – who all hold national titles – were joined by Chris Donnelly, Tim Sherrif and Simon Eade as they each rowed a marathon in…

Council leader – and leader of the Conservatives – Ken Meeson is to stand down from his positions. The Dorridge and Hockley Heath ward councillor has been involved with local politics for nearly 30 years and has spent the last 11 as leader of the Conservatives on Solihull Council and ten years as Leader of…

Parliament has voted to push forward with the controversial HS2 rail project – with borough MPs Lorely Burt and Caroline Spelman in agreement with the decision. On Monday (28th April) MPs voted on the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill which grants powers to construct and operate phase one of the project and…

A mother from Solihull has been fined for her children’s non-school attendance. The woman was found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday 30th April 2014. She was fined a total of £800, as well as £588 in costs, on charges relating to a total of 129 unauthorised absences taken by her six-year-old son and…

A forgotten war memorial has finally found a new home on the wall of St Giles Church in the village of Packwood. The Chessetts Wood memorial plaque was discovered in a builder’s yard in Chapel Lane after Alan Loach and his brother Graham decided to clear out their father’s old site in 2009. It honours…

Solihull residents are once again being reminded to ensure they lock their vehicles and remove all valuables after an opportunist thief was sentenced to six months behind bars. Tom Millward was arrested shortly before 5.00am on Thursday 24th April as officers spotted him acting suspiciously near to Monastery Drive (B91). The unemployed 28-year-old was stopped…