Kingshurst crimes spark concerns about policing

TRIBUTES: Flowers in Haselour Road, near where Callum Lees suffered
fatal wounds - one of several serious incidents this month.

RESIDENTS who have lived in Kingshurst for decades have told a public meeting that crime on the estate has never been as bad as it is now.
Scores of people had packed into St Barnabas Church to voice concerns about the police response; claiming that foot patrols were non-existent and that officers had failed to act when offences were reported.
This month’s meeting had been organised by Meriden’s MP, Dame Caroline Spelman, amid rising anxiety within the community.
While the murder of 20-year-old Callum Lees had been widely publicised, various other incidents were highlighted during the course of the 90 minute event.
These included a young man being threatened with a meat cleaver outside KFC, flagrant drug dealing and incidents of pensioners being deliberately knocked over by bikes.
Coun Debbie Evans (UKIP, Kingshurst & Fordbridge) said that residents had lost faith in the police.
“There was an incident on the Parade involving knives. They phoned 999 and it was engaged.
“When they finally got through it took [officers] half an hour to get there, by which time the kids had gone.
“I have lived on Kingshurst for most of my adult life and I have never known anything like this.”
One resident claimed to be “scared out of their wits” while another spoke of her frustration that concerns did not appear to be acted upon.
“I have lived here for 52 years...I like this community and I have always been quite proud to say I come from this area, until now.”
As tensions boiled over, a panel which included Dame Caroline, Solihull Chief Insp Colin Barnes and representatives from Solihull Council sought to reassure the audience.
Chief Insp Barnes insisted the force would act on reports from the public, although he admitted that cuts had affected police responses.
Echoing comments made at a meeting in Castle Bromwich back in January, he acknowledged there had been a particular shortage of call handlers.
“We have been aware of the issues with the 101 [non-emergency] number for a few months and that we couldn’t always get to the calls.
“We have known this on the front line for a while and it took a while for that to filter up the chain of command.
“There has been a recruitment drive and I hope that is starting to pay dividends.”
Official figures suggest crime rates in Kingshurst have been erratic over the past five years, with a fall in offending some years and a rise in others.

• Next week we will report on the questions about youth services raised at the same meeting.

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Police make arrest in Callum Lees murder investigation

POLICE have this afternoon arrested a man wanted in connection with the murder of Callum Lees, who suffered fatal injuries in Kingshurst earlier this month.
James Atherley, 21, was detained at an address in Newcastle-upon-Tyne a few hours ago, following a widely-shared public appeal.
A man and a woman, who have not been named, have also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Twenty-year-old Callum was stabbed in Hopwas Grove on August 6. A member of the public found him collapsed in nearby Haselour Road and he was confirmed dead the same day.
Atherley remains in custody in Newcastle and will be transported to the West Midlands for questioning by detectives.

Castle Bromwich responds to flight path fears

PLANE SPEAKING: Meriden MP Caroline Spelman addresses local
residents during the recent meeting in Castle Bromwich.

FEARS about changes to flight paths have prompted residents in Castle Bromwich to set up a campaign group.
Efforts to mobilise opposition to some of the more controversial adjustments follow a meeting at St Mary and St Margaret's Church earlier this month, in which several dozen locals gathered to discuss the proposed alterations to air traffic.
The proposals, which are currently out for consultation, will see changes to northbound flights from Birmingham Airport and are set to have an impact on North Solihull.
While some residents are fairly unfazed by the plans, others have concerns about noise from aircraft and increased pollution.
Questions have also been raised as to the wording of the 50-page consultation document, with some criticism that it includes several leading questions and fails to address other queries.
Meriden's MP, Dame Caroline Spelman, who was among those to attend the recent meeting, said: "I was pleased be able to offer residents a guarantee that I will work closely with them and Birmingham Airport to campaign for appropriate noise mitigation and to ensure that local voices are heard.
"Having been in regular contact with the airport for some weeks with regards to this issue, I am pleased that following the meeting we have already secured some changes to the format of the consultation. These will serve to better ensure that views can be properly expressed."
David Winstanley, Birmingham Airport's chief operating officer, said: "The airport is very, very conscious that this is a sensitive issue”.
"We are providing the [consultation] website and information so that residents can dig down and find the answers to the questions they wish."
The consultation runs until October 9. You can have your say here.

Lions' pop-up shop set to be a roaring success

MARSTON Green & District Lions will be running a "pop-up" charity shop in Chelmsley Wood this weekend.
Books, DVDs, toys and bric-a-brac will be among the items for sale in the old Halifax unit, in Maple Walk.
The shop will be open Friday and Saturday (September 1 and 2) from 10am-4pm.
Proceeds from sales will go towards the Lions' good causes and there will also be a chance to chat to members about the work that the branch is doing within the local community.

Man who hit 115mph in late-night chase is jailed

WRECKAGE: The badly-damaged BMW M3 outside the BP petrol station
Picture/West Midlands Police

A DRIVER who crashed at Bacons End after reaching speeds of up to 115mph has been jailed.
Kamar Farooq had careered across a roundabout at the junction of Chester Road and Birmingham Road before colliding with another vehicle at the nearby petrol station.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that the 30-year-old - who was banned from driving at the time of the incident - had aroused the suspicions of police as he drove down Birmingham's Washwood Heath Road.
When officers signalled for him to pull over, he had sped off down the road. In the hair-raising chase which followed, Farooq had reached speeds almost four times the legal limit and at times drove on the wrong side of the road in his attempt to escape.
The pursuit through the streets, in the early hours of September 23 last year, came to a juddering halt following the collision outside the BP filling station.
At this point Farooq had jumped into the back of the BMW alongside two other men and tried to claim he had been a passenger.
Fortunately police were able to secure CCTV which showed the driver of the £85,000 sports car was wearing the same clothes as Farooq at the time of his arrest.
The defendant, of Aston Lane, Aston, had continued to deny being behind the wheel, but was convicted of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and jailed last Friday (August 25). He received a two and a half year prison sentence and a further ten year driving ban.
PC Robert Lattimer, from Chelmsley Wood's road policing unit, said: "This was reckless driving by someone who should not have been behind the wheel.
"This was a high performance vehicle and the outcome could have been much worse. He now faces a long time behind bars rather than behind the wheel of a car."

Chelmsley Wood woman's new radio series

A WRITER who grew up on Chelmsley Wood is to present a new radio series on the history of social housing.
Lynsey Hanley's documentary comes on the back of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and examines how these types of property have evolved over the decades.
The first of the five-part series airs on Radio 4 tomorrow (Monday) at 1.45pm. Episodes will also be available to listen to after broadcast via the BBC website.