Help tend Remembrance Garden

A COMMUNITY group is looking for help to work on Chelmsley Wood's Remembrance Garden.
Gro-Organic, the social enterprise which specialises in transforming open spaces, is keen to speak to residents who can assist with their latest project.
If you're handy in the garden or good at landscaping and building work they would like to hear from you. For further information please call Sarah Gill on 07718 883417.

Survey to reveal local issues "crying out" for urgent action

HUNDREDS of people in and around Fordbridge have taken part in a large-scale survey, the results of which are due to be announced next month.
Over the summer, CAN (Community Action Network) interviewed over 400 residents about what they liked most about the neighbourhood and the improvements they would like to see.
CAN will use this research to kick-start a drive for community action in these key areas.
The poll's findings will be revealed at an event at Bosworth Community Centre on Sunday, October 15. The event will also celebrate existing community activities, with various local groups expected to attend.
Simeon Bright, CAN's chair, said: "[We] would like to say thank you to all those that took part in the research and especially our amazing volunteers.
"This event will be a chance for people to see what the key themes are that people are passionate about in this area.
"The results of the research make powerful reading and cry out for urgent action. The identification of these issues is just the beginning – we all now need to come together to see how we can take action to address them."
To book a free ticket for the community celebration click here.

Housing development proposed for Village Hall site.

PLANS have been submitted to build ten homes on the site of the Village Hall in Marston Green.

The application would see the demolition of the premises in Elmdon Road and the erection of two, three and four bedroom dwellings.

It has been lodged by Elegant Residential Construction and is likely to be considered by Solihull Council in the coming months.

The venue has been on the site since 1926, though the current brick-built premises dates from the 1970s.

999 call after man is stabbed in Marston Green

A MAN was knifed in the rib in Marston Green earlier today (Tuesday).
Emergency services were called to Station Road at around 12.20pm following reports that the individual had been stabbed in broad daylight.
The victim, in his 50s, was taken to hospital by ambulance crews. His condition is understood to be stable.
In a statement, West Midlands Police said: "A man was...treated by paramedics for a small, non-serious stab wound.
"Enquiries are ongoing to trace the offender, but we understand the parties were known to each other."
Only last week the force launched a campaign to clamp down on knife crime, following a number of high-profile incidents in both North Solihull and the wider region.
Anyone with information about the latest offence should contact officers on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Ex-Kingshurst councillor faces calls to resign over anti-Muslim retweets

A FORMER Kingshurst & Fordbridge councillor has been suspended by his party after retweeting a string of inflammatory comments.
Jeff Potts has had the Conservative whip withdrawn after it emerged that he had shared the anti-Islamic tirades.
One of the posts he retweeted said: "Deport and repatriate all Muslims from the UK or watch terrorists kill innocent people for generations to come."
Screengrabs of his social media feed shown to Other Side of Solihull also revealed highly-charged retweets focused on sex abuse scandals and ISIS. Some of the content has since been deleted.
The vice-chair of the planning committee, who also sits on the borough's religious education committee, told the Birmingham Mail that his page made clear that he did not endorse retweets.
The leader of Solihull Council, Bob Sleigh, has confirmed that a full investigation will now take place, although some opposition members have suggested that Coun Potts should resign.
Coun James Burn (Green, Chelmsley Wood) said: "His position is untenable. When you start retweeting things about deporting all Muslims you are publicising views that are very close to crossing a legal line and encouraging hatred.
"I’m afraid to say I don’t think he has any other choice but to resign. By retweeting, you are spreading that view and information."
Coun Potts was previously a Labour councillor, before defecting to the Tories in 2004 - blaming in-fighting within his old party. Today he represents Knowle ward.
The controversy comes only a couple of months after another councillor, Ken Hawkins, was embroiled in a row over a tweet relating to the Grenfell Tower fire.
Coun Hawkins was later instructed to undergo social media training by a Code of Conduct panel

Invisible spray to target off-road bikers

ILLUMINATING EVIDENCE: A forensics expert takes a swab of the spray

POLICE have unveiled a new weapon which will be deployed in the battle to bring off-road bikes to book.
The West Midlands force announced this week it was issuing dozens of its traffic officers with special canisters of DNA spray, which will be used to tag bikes and their riders.
The liquid is invisible to the naked eye, but is unmistakable when exposed to ultra-violet light, enabling officers to identify vehicles that have been causing trouble.
And given that each batch of chemicals has its own unique code, it is possible to link a bike to individual crimes.
Chief Supt Dave Sturman claimed that use of the spray would make it easier to find and prosecute offenders.
He said: "The DNA spray is an inert, water-based product – it’s not an irritant and won’t cause any side effects – but it leaves an indelible mark that cannot be scrubbed off.
"It officers are unable to apprehend offenders at the time they can utilise the spray – and if it later shows up on suspects, their clothes or bikes we can link them to a particular incident."
Off-road biking is a common form of anti-social behaviour in North Solihull, with racing reported on parkland and public roads.
Often officers have struggled to deal with perpetrators as a national policy prevents teams from giving chase, for fear the pursuit could result in a serious accident.

Mayor gives a royal welcome to Birthday Honours guests

A GROUP of dedicated local residents recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List were invited to meet the Mayor of Solihull this month.
The nine recipients were asked to attend afternoon tea at one of two events held at the Mayor's Parlour.
Among the guests were Janet Down, the chief executive of Chelmsley Wood-based charity Solihull Life Opportunities (SoLO), Darrilyn Downes, a former teacher at Forest Oak School, Smith's Wood, Amanda Mordey, the principal of the same school and Ellen Delaney, who was honoured for services to Fordbridge.
Speaking after the event, the Mayor, Coun Stuart Davis, said: "It was a pleasure to meet such inspirational people from across the borough who have given so much to their communities.
"After spending an afternoon in their company it is clear why they have received such high accolades."