Solihull man Karl Loxley was handed a second chance by Sir Tom Jones on The Voice last night. The classical singer looked set for an emotional exit on the BBC talent show as mentor Will.i.am decided to put Lucy O’Byrne through to the next round following their singing battle. However, the 24-year-old from Balsall Common,…

Solihull Council has agreed its budget for 2015/16 – which includes a decision to freeze council tax for the fifth year running. At the Full Council meeting on 26th February, councillors agreed a budget of £169.615 million. The Band D council tax figure, excluding police, fire and parish precepts, will remain at £1,173.72. The Council…

A popular Solihull theatre group boss died after he suffered a deep vein thrombosis in hospital while recovering from a serious cycling accident. An inquest heard Chris Macrow had been making good progress at University Hospital Coventry after suffering severe head and chest injuries when he fell from his bike while riding with friends from…

Travellers who set up camp on a vacant plot of private land in Shirley over the weekend have now been removed by police and bailiffs. They have reportedly caused damage to a portacabin and fences and left rubbish behind on the site in Radway Road. A local business owner, said: “Great work by police and…

Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osbourne spearheaded the Conservative campaign in Solihull, both visiting the borough to promote the Tory Party’s committment to business and the economy. The PM visited Virgin Media on Coventry Road to welcome the ‘substantial investment’ the firm – and parent company Liberty Global – is making in UK…

A local man will hope to win over the judges when he appears on this weekend’s episode of hit BBC One programme, The Voice UK. Karl Loxley, from Balsall Common, is hoping his rendition of ‘Nessun Dorma’ will attract the attention of Rita Ora, Will.I.Am, Ricky Wilson and Sir Tom Jones. Others may have shyed…

Travelling from Solihull Hospital to Heartlands is to get easier for patients as plans to have a shuttle bus between the sites looks set to go ahead. Bosses at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Good Hope, Solihull and Heartlands Hospitals, confirmed plans to bring in a new inter-site bus service to…

Brave cancer victim Ulrika ‘Riya’ Dandekar, who tragically lost her brave battle with Lymphoma on New Year’s Eve, has been posthumously handed a prestigious award for her campaign to get more people on the stem cell donor register. The inspirational 21-year-old was diagnosed with Anaplastic Lymphoma, a rare blood cancer, in March 2014 and spent…

A devastating spate of thefts from charity shops in Shirley is depriving the disadvantaged and needy of vital funds. There are more than a dozen different charity shops lining the High Street – all raising much-needed cash for their various causes. But all of them are reporting a worrying upturn in the number of thefts…

Councillor Bob Sleigh, Leader of Solihull Council, welcomed the expansion of the Government’s Growth Deal – which will see a further £21.4 million coming to the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership area. Speaking at Solihull College yesterday (29/01) where the announcement was made, Councillor Sleigh, said: “I am pleased that this new tranche…