A 22-year-old motorcyclist whose off-road riding caused £1,000 worth of damage to a farm in Knowle has paid for his crime – by becoming a farm hand for the day. The man, from Hawkesley, was arrested by officers from Solihull Police in September 2013 after the farmer complained that the biker was trespassing on one…

Ruby Mander has donated her curly tresses to Little Princess Trust which provides wigs to children who have undergone chemotherapy. Together with over £1,000 raised through the sponsored trim at Birmingham’s Puro Hair, three children will benefit from Ruby’s kind cut. Proud mom Rebecca said: “Ruby was fantastic. After it was over, she said, ‘I…

A woman who kept 135 rabbits and guinea pigs has been banned from having pets for 10 years after a large number of the animals had to be put down because of neglect. The RSPCA found 135 animals in the care of Helen Inshaw, of Blackfirs Lane, Marston Green. A large number were in such…

After seeing the devastating effect of the floods on the news, Ranjit Choongh, head of operations at Jimmy Spices, decided it was time to help. On 14th February he asked staff at the restaurant chain, which has branches including Solihull Town Centre and the NEC, to dig deep and by the following day, they had…

A technical services engineer who stole over £26,000 worth of electrical components in a bid to pay off loan sharks has escaped going to jail. Michael Ashley’s dishonesty spree came to light when some of his colleagues noticed items being sold on online auction site eBay. Judge Simon Drew QC said “Over a sustained period…

The NEC Group is being put on the market by Birmingham City Council, it has been the major shareholder in the business since it opened in 1976. The group includes the International Convention Centre (ICC) and National Indoor Arena (NIA) in the city centre. The council argues that in these austere times it cannot afford…

Private health group Spire has apologised to patients who may have suffered during treatment by controversial surgeon Ian Paterson at its hospitals in Little Aston and Solihull. The group said it welcomed the findings of a report by independent consultancy Verita after concerns were raised over the work of consultant surgeon Mr Paterson. The report…

A driver escaped a major smash with just a minor hand injury after his car overturned and crashed into a ditch this afternoon. The man, in his 20s, had been driving along the A46 in Hampton-on-the-Hill at around 2.15pm today when the accident happened. By the time paramedics arrived, he had been helped out of…

A teetotal pensioner was left fuming after being accused of smelling of alcohol during a hospital appointment. Chris White, who has never touched a drop, was told a doctor picked up a “strong smell of alcohol” when the 83-year-old visited Solihull Hospital. Health chiefs launched an investigation after he complained and demanded the comment be…

Little Harvey Sutton is one cool baby because his life was saved by sleeping on an ice bed. He was put on a high-tech cooling mattress after he was starved of oxygen before he was born, leaving him with only a 30 per cent chance of survival. The three-day treatment at Heartlands Hospital saw Harvey’s…