Parent fined for child’s unauthorised absence from Solihull school

A mother from Solihull has been fined for failing to ensure her child’s school attendance. The woman was found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday 28th January 2015. She was fined a total of £200, as well as £125 in costs and £20 victim surcharge, on charges relating to a total of 41 unauthorised…

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Teen jailed for killing grandfather in Shirley crash

Stephen Beckett was killed in a collision when a teenager ‘floored’ a £105,000 Range Rover – hitting speeds of 81mph. Mr Beckett was just two days from his 60th birthday when Kirpal Singh Sokhi ploughed the 4×4 into the grandfather’s car in Bills Lane, Shirley. The 19-year-old had taken the Range Rover on 17th August…

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Life-saving donation to remember Solihull dad

A father of three – who died of an undiagnosed heart condition aged just 43 – will be remembered at two schools thanks to his devoted wife. Gary Hawkes, from Solihull, died suddenly on 4th January 2014, of an unknown heart condition leaving his wife Angela and three young daughters devastated and heartbroken. In a…

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North Solihull regeneration project to be kick-started with 137 homes

A massive scheme to regenerate north Solihull will be kick-started with 137 homes set to be built early in 2015. Bellway has been given the green light to start work on the houses across four sites in the latest phase of the 15-year project. Planning applications for the new homes were approved by Solihull Metropolitan…

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Driver had lucky escape after her car overturned in Dovehouse Lane this morning

A Renault Clio appeared to hit a lamp post before completely turning over and landing on its roof in Dovehouse Lane just before 10:00am this morning. The woman driver managed to crawl out of the car and was unhurt. A West Midlands Ambulance spokeswoman said: “We were called to the scene in Dovehouse Lane at…

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It will not be lonely this Christmas for 93-year-old veteran

Former Seaman Torpedoman Lewis Albert Matkin has spoken about how much he is looking forward to Christmas this year, now he will be spending it with friends thanks to Blind Veterans UK. The 93-year-old, who lives alone in Solihull will be sharing his Christmas day with other blind veterans at one of the charity’s life-changing…

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Solihull aid worker will stay in Afghanistan despite horror attacks

A British aid worker from Solihull has spoken of his resolve to continue working in Afghanistan – despite being fearful following a string of horrific attacks on fellow aid workers. Mark Harvey, aged 56, is currently working as an Infrastructure Advisor for the Department for International Development (DFID), heading up the road-building and infrastructure programmes…

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Solihull’s Poppy Appeal smashes all previous records to mark centenary of WW1

Solihull’s Poppy Appeal has smashed all previous records, making the poignant centenary year of WW1 a landmark fundraising year. A massive £75,797 was raised in the appeal – £14,791 on the previous best and £20,483 more than last year. Solihull Royal British Legion chairman Dave Mouzer has paid tribute to everyone involved with the campaign…

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Solihull teenager Joseph Lockington awarded for his bravery

An inspirational teenager left paralysed by a stroke at just 14 has been recognised for his bravery. Joseph Lockington, now 17, was struck down in January 2012 as he prepared for a new term at Langley School. He spent 15 months recovering in Birmingham Children’s Hospital before returning home – where he needed 24-hour care…

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Heart of England NHS Trust named among worst for complaints

Heart of England NHS Trust has been named and shamed as one of the worst in the country for patient complaints. The Trust – which runs Solihull, Heartlands and Good Hope hospitals, received 958 complaints to the Health Ombudsman over a 12-month period from 2013 to 2014 – a figure that equates to almost three…

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