Sun is out for Marston Green's gala event

MARSTON Green Scout Gala will be taking place later today (Saturday).
The family event will be held at St Leonard's Church grounds, in Elmdon Road.
Lawrie School of Dance, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Marston Green Young Theatre Company and Emma Jayne Dance will be among the groups at the event.
Visitors can look forward to live performances, browse the array of stalls and take part in the gala draw. Refreshments will also be available.
The gala's official opening will take place at 1pm. Several surrounding roads will be closed in the village (from 12.15-1.30pm) for the scouts' traditional street parade.

Kingshurst's sporting stars shine at school awards

AWAY from the drama in Russia, sporting success is in the air a little closer to home..
That's because Kingshurst Primary has picked up a top local award for the fifth year running.
The school once again collected the North Solihull School of the Year gong at this month's Solihull School Sports Partnership Awards.
Held annually, the event celebrates sporting achievement among students across the borough.
Winners were announced during the ceremony at The Core Theatre, in the town centre.
Two of Kingshurst's pupils also picked up individual awards on the evening.
A spokesperson said: "A huge achievement and we are proud of all our pupils who have competed and represented school over the year."

Family fun at Chelmsley food festival

A FOOD festival will be taking place in Chelmsley Wood this weekend.
The event will be held at Bosworth Community Centre on Saturday (June 30), from 11am-4pm.
For further information call 0121 770 8570.

Will the sun shine beside the seaside in B37?

ORGANISERS will be hoping that today's glorious weather goes on a little longer, with a beach party planned in Kingshurst next weekend.

The event, taking place on the Parade next Saturday (June 30), will bring the British seaside to B37.

Taking place from 11am-4pm, the event is one of several being hosted in North Solihull as part of the Mayor's Community Weekend.

Scores of events are being held around the region, with organisers receiving funding from the Big Lottery Fund.

Residents locally can also look forward to an afternoon tea at Ipswich House, Chelmsley Wood, and take part in a project to paint a mural at the Community Victory Garden.

You can find out about the full programme of activities and timings for individual events at the weekend's official website.

4x4 set ablaze late at night

BURNED OUT: Firefighters assess the blackened remains of the 4x4
Photo by Sheldon Fire Station

A LAND Rover was torched in a Marston Green street earlier this week.
Residents have said that the 4x4 was set alight in Wells Walk late on Sunday evening (June 17).
Sheldon Fire Station confirmed that firefighters from red watch had been out to dowse the flames at just before midnight.
It's not thought that anyone was injured in the incident, although the blaze also caused damage to a second vehicle parked nearby.
Anyone with information about the arson attack should call police on 101.

Police appeal following attempted car theft

POLICE are asking for help in tracking down four men who attempted to use an electronic device to steal a car in Castle Bromwich.
The would-be thieves had smashed the window of an Audi Q5, parked on a drive in Lyndon Close.
The gang spent almost half an hour attempting to start the vehicle using a device, popular among thieves, which allows a car to be started without the keys.
Fortunately their efforts were in vain and they left the scene empty-handed.
Following the attempted theft, in the early hours of last Wednesday (June 13), the owner discovered the damage and contacted police.
Officers have now released CCTV images of one of the suspects holding the device and urged anyone with information to contact detectives. The incident happened at just after 5am in the morning.
The incident is the latest in which crooks have attempted to use new technology to steal a vehicle.
Last month, Solihull's Police Commander, Chief Supt Bas Javid, urged residents to take steps to thwart the thieves.
"A Disklok [steering lock] that costs less than a £100 will prevent that type of crime," he said.
"It does not matter how great their technology is ... they cannot drive away with the car."
If you recognise the man caught on camera or can assist with enquiries, call West Midlands Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Please quote crime number 20SH/134951T/18.

Residents' group's AGM to take place tomorrow

MARSTON Green Residents' Association could be forced to wind-up unless it is able to find replacements for a number of key posts.
The group is set to lose both its chairman, who is moving out of the village, and the minutes secretary, who has decided to step down from the role.
If people can't be found to fill these positions, the association has warned that it "seems certain" that it will cease to exist.
A spokesperson said: "It is very sad, that after all these years, all the good work done by the residents' association and of course all the work yet to do, no one is willing to give a little time each month to take the association forward."
Anyone who would be willing to fill either of the vacancies should attend the AGM at the Free Church Hall. It is set to take place on tomorrow (Thursday), starting at 7.30pm.

Reed bed project to start off Fordbridge Road

WILDLIFE HAVEN: The council has said that the new reed bed on the
banks of the River Cole will benefit birds, fish and other creatures.

WORK to create a new reed bed in North Solihull is set to get underway this month.
The wildlife habitat will be developed on the banks of the River Cole, near to the junction of Fordbridge Road and Gilson Way.
The project, expected to take several weeks to complete, is part of the borough's wider Habitats and Nature Improvement Project.
Solihull Council confirmed that the works, part-funded by the EU, will see wetland species planted by the riverside. The work is expected to reduce pollution, as well as offering shelter to birds, fish and other creatures.
The local authority has admitted that there will, however, be some degree of disruption while the project is being completed.
Councillor Tony Dicicco, cabinet member for the environment and housing, said: "These works will protect and enhance our natural assets in the north of Solihull for the benefit of wildlife, residents and visitors alike.
"There will unfortunately be some temporary disruption to achieve this, with footpath closures and some noise due to the machinery being used.
"However, we will aim to keep any disruption to a minimum, with the area of work fenced off and signs in place to inform residents of any changes."
The Habitats and Nature Improvement Project is designed to enhance sites around the borough, with funding previously used to thin the trees at Alcott Wood.

Crematorium scheme raises thousands for hospice.

METAL recycled from cremations at Woodlands Crematorium, near Chelmsley Wood, has helped raise vital funds for the Marie Curie Hospice.
A cheque for £5,000 was presented to the charity last week by Councillor Alison Rolf, cabinet member for stronger communities and partnerships.
The money, which was also collected through the borough's other crematorium, at Robin Hood, was derived from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) Recycling of Metals Scheme.
All of the material recycled is only processed with the written consent of each bereaved family.
Coun Rolf said: "We are extremely proud to be involved in this scheme and be able to provide a donation to Marie Curie, which is a fantastic charity providing help to so many local people and their families through difficult times.
"I know that cremation is a sensitive issue and can be hard for many people to deal with, but I’m so thankful to every bereaved family that has agreed to take part in this scheme. Without their support we wouldn’t be able to donate such an incredible amount of money to this worthwhile cause."

Investigation continues into Chelmund's Cross concerns

ROAD chiefs have confirmed that they are looking at concerns raised by residents about "hostile" parking restrictions at Chelmund's Cross.
There has been mounting frustration about the number of people being fined during visits to the recently completed village centre.
Organisations, including the Three Trees Centre, have warned that the situation is making motorists wary about parking in the vicinity and could ultimately mean that visitors don't return.
Following the submission of a petition back in April, which was signed by well over 400 locals, Solihull Council pledged to look at the issues that had been raised.
The urgent appeal from

the community asked the local authority to create more parking spaces at the site, review the restrictions currently in place and restore the bus service.
At his decision-making session on Thursday of this week, Cllr Ted Richards, the cabinet member for transport and highways, was told that his highways team had now met with Heather Turner-Croft - who had spoken on behalf of worried residents at the recent Full Council meeting.
Following these initial discussions, the local authority has confirmed it will continue with an investigation and, where necessary, talk with other agencies - including Transport for West Midlands, who oversee bus routes.
A report will be presented to Cllr Richards at the next meeting on July 26. This will confirm whether the residents' requests will be acted upon.

Terrible teeth...but a great cause!

OWL'S ABOUT THAT: Characters from the
popular children's book. Photo/Gro-Organic

A TRAIL which takes inspiration from one of Britain's most popular children's books is being created in Chelmsley Wood.
Sculptures based on characters from The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, have been installed in the community garden behind Bishop Wilson CofE Primary.
A snake, owl and fox, not to mention the mighty beast that gives the story its name, have been recreated from a range of materials.
The project has been co-ordinated by the green-fingered team from the North Solihull-based social enterprise Gro-Organic.
"We have been working hard to get this ready for all local families to enjoy the space," the group said.
"Soon residents will be able to enjoy pond dipping, outdoor cooking, fire lighting and forest activities, bike rides and more."
Parents were given a sneak-peek of the trail last month and it's hoped that the various activities will be getting underway soon.

Castle Brom bells will sound to mark 100 year anniversary

A CASTLE Bromwich church is keen to recruit new bell ringers, as the team prepares for the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

St Mary and St Margaret's Church will be joining a nationwide effort, with the bells set to sound on November 11 - a century on from the end of the First World War. 

If you would be interested in joining the team and helping commemorate the anniversary of the date which brought the global conflict to an end, visit their website.

Crossbow seized during police patrol in Chelmsley Wood

SEIZED: Photo of the crossbow shared on social media by local police.

POLICE in Chelmsley Wood seized a crossbow while out on patrol this week.

A photo of the weapon was posted on the neighbourhood team's Twitter account on Tuesday (June 12).

The item is understood to have discovered by officers during a patrol.

The team said: "This is now in a safe secure place and will be destroyed."

Appeal following flytipping in Chelmsley street

POLICE are appealing for information about rubbish dumped in a Chelmsley Wood street.
The neighbourhood team this week posted photos of fly tipping in Conway Road, with items including clothes, shoes and timber strewn on the tarmac.
The latest incident follows recent concerns a few weeks ago over reports of waste being abandoned in Lanchester Park, Smith's Wood. Solihull Council confirmed at the the time that its environmental crime team was investigating the problems.
Anyone with information about the incident should call officers on 101.

Times are changing at North Solihull medical centre

EXTENDED HOURS: Bosworth Medical Centre, in Crabtree Drive.
Photo/Google Street View

APPOINTMENTS at evenings and weekends will be available in North Solihull from the beginning of next month.
As of July 1, the extended service will be introduced at Bosworth Medical Centre, in Chelmsley Wood, with GP, nurse and healthcare assistants seeing patients outside of normal working hours.
Evening sessions will take place from 6.30-8pm and there will also be slots available on Saturdays (9am-12noon) and Sundays (9-11am).
The Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said that the appointments during these hours can be booked via the following surgeries: Arran Medical Centre, Bosworth Medical Centre, Castle Practice, Chester Road Surgery, Coventry Road Practice, Croft Medical Centre, Green Lane and Sheldon Surgery, Kingshurst Medical Practice, Manor House Lane/Chelmsley Lane Surgery and Parkfield Medical Centre.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron had previously pushed for family doctors to provide patients with seven day access.
Ministers believed the drive would ease pressure on beleaguered hospital wards, although some in the medical profession had accused the Government of trying to "scapegoat" GPs for the pressures facing the health service.

Police appeal following gun incident on local bus

POLICE are investigating following reports of a gun being fired on the top deck of a bus route which passes through North Solihull.
The incident, which happened on Saturday, April 14 but has only just been made public, is alleged to have taken place aboard the X12 service.
During a journey earlier this year, it is understood that a firearm discharged and damaged the roof of the double-decker. No-one was injured in the incident, which happened at around 3pm.
The suspect police want to speak to in connection with the incident - a white male - had boarded in Castle Bromwich and was carrying two carrier bags, one of which is alleged to have concealed a weapon believed to have been a shotgun.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101, quoting crime reference number 20BE/83922F/18. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Accident fears prompt crossing petition in Smith's Wood

RESIDENTS are pushing for a crossing to be installed near to a Smith's Wood school, amid fears about parking during peak times of the day.

More than 200 people have put their name to an online petition, calling for action in Burtons Way.

The campaign was started by Aaron Clarke, who noted public concern about cars queuing and vehicles parked on blind bends.

He argued that a solution should be reached before an accident happens at the site, a stone's throw from the estate's Primary Academy.

Solihull Council has said that while the petition had not at this stage been formally submitted, it was aware of the one which had been posted online. 

A spokeswoman added: "Once this is received it will be considered through the petition reporting process, whereby it will be taken to the transport and highways cabinet member decision session for consideration.

"Officers are aware of this location and have worked with the school and local ward councillors within the last 12 months to address concerns associated with parking at this location."

Survey captures hedgehogs in Castle Bromwich

THERMAL imaging cameras played a pivotal part in a hedgehog survey recently conducted in Castle Bromwich.
The Warwickshire Wildlife Trust team visited the Hall Gardens last month and used the technology - which is also utilised by police helicopters - to locate the elusive mammals. Torches fitted with red filters were also used during the exercise.
The wildlife trust is currently running a Help for Hedgehogs campaign, aiming to raise awareness about the creatures' declining population and take steps to help the animals locally.
In decades gone by, the animals were abundant across Britain, with around 30 million in the 1950s.
Today it is estimated that there are fewer than a million individuals remaining, which means that there are more people living in Birmingham than there are hedgehogs in the entire country.
The loss of habitat, road deaths and changes in farming methods are all thought to have contributed to the rapid decline.
To find out more about the Help for Hedgehogs initiative, visit the official website.

Appeal for donations for Marston Green scout gala

FIRST Marston Green Scouts are holding their annual gala at the end of this month and have asked for donations for their tombola and white elephant stall.
The group has said it would be "extremely grateful" for any toys, unwanted gifts, bric-a-brac, books and other items that local residents can provide.
Committee member Jacqueline Altham said: "Take the opportunity to declutter and help a good cause at the same time. All money raised on the day goes towards activities for the young people."
The gala will be taking place at St Leonard's church grounds on Saturday, June 30. There will be stalls, games and refreshments on the day.

Former Chelmsley Wood teacher convicted of massive tax fraud

A TEACHER, who previously worked at a Chelmsley Wood school, has been handed a suspended  prison sentence after stealing £100,000 of tax repayments,
Blaine Wakeman, 26, of Spiceland Road, Birmingham, lied about purchases and financial losses from his two companies, that provided children’s sports coaching, to fraudulently claim VAT repayments.
An investigation by officials at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed that he had used the six-figure sum to spend on gambling, golfing and Leeds United football matches
The tax authority had become concerned about the tax returns of Wakeman’s companies, Sports Plus Scheme Staffordshire and Inspire Sports Education Limited, and a criminal investigation was launched in June 2016.
Wakeman, who had latterly been a PE teacher at the Grace Academy, initially denied any wrongdoing and produced fake invoices and bank statements to support his lies.
But in October last year he admitted producing the false documents and fraudulently claiming VAT repayments between October 2013 and August 2016. It was announced today (Friday) that he had received a 21-month suspended sentence.
Richard Young, from HMRC's fraud investigation service, said: "Wakeman knew what he was doing was wrong. He was abusing the tax system to fund a lifestyle he couldn’t legitimately afford.
"Tax fraud is not a victimless crime. It affects us all by depriving the public services of vital funding."
In a statement, the Grace Academy said: "Blaine Wakeman no longer works at Grace Academy Solihull. Obviously this behaviour does not reflect the core values of the Academy or the level of integrity we expect from all our staff.
"Grace Academy has not, at any time, had any involvement with Mr Wakeman’s external business interests, or been contacted by HMRC as part of their investigation."

What a wizard idea for a garden...

A HARRY Potter-themed garden is being created at a North Solihull school.
The plot at Coleshill Heath Primary, which takes inspiration from JK Rowling's famous children's books, is being created by Gro-Organic.
The social enterprise has revealed it is working on a "herbology" garden, named after the study of magical plants which features in the series.
The finished garden will feature a range of specially-created items, including a sign which warns visitors to "Beware of the Snapdragon" and a flower pot decorated to resemble the boy wizard's head.

Fresh traveller camp set up in Kingshurst

UPDATE (05/06/18): Solihull Council has confirmed that a court order has been secured, requiring the travellers to leave by 11am tomorrow (Wednesday).

TRAVELLERS are reported to have moved back onto Babbs Mill, the latest in a series of incursions at the site.
Police and Solihull Council have been notified after a group of caravans returned to the Kingshurst beauty spot this afternoon.
The incident comes just a couple of weeks after a senior borough councillor called for greater powers for councils to deal with unauthorised encampments, having argued that present legislation left local authorities "chasing" travellers around sites just a few miles apart.
Addressing a public meeting last month, Coun Tony Dicicco said that the current process for getting an order to evict a group took several days and did nothing to prevent them relocating to another site nearby.
"The big frustration for me was that we would bust a gut to get this injunction to get them off the piece of land, they'd drive half a mile down the road and break on to another piece of land.
"So to me the law is failing. The injunction, when we get it, should not just be for that piece of land and those travellers, it should be the whole of the borough ... that prevents them coming back to our borough and causing the disruption that they do."
Coun Dicicco, who had been the cabinet member for stronger communities and partnerships for the previously two years, had urged the public to make their feelings known during the current consultation on possible changes in the law.
During the course of the Question Time-style meeting - which gave residents the chance to raise concerns about crime and public safety - a number of those in attendance voiced fears about traveller camps.
There was a general consensus among those who spoke that too little was done to prosecute those who broke on to sites.
Solihull Police Commander, Chief Supt Bas Javid, acknowledged that the previous two years had seen higher than usual numbers of camps being established in Solihull.
He said that to date there had been fewer incidents this year, although those that there have been have been concentrated in the north of the borough.

One Stop shut for the next few weeks

A CONVENIENCE store in Marston Green will be closed for the next three weeks to allow major repair works on its floor to be completed.
The One Stop shop, near the village's railway station, is scheduled to remain shut until June 21.
In the meantime, customers are advised to use the next nearest branch, which is located opposite the Marston Green Tavern - some 500 yards away.
Those who need to use a Post Office can choose from branches including Chelmsley town centre (inside WHSmith), Coleshill High Street or Bains, on the Tile Cross Road. 

Group delighted with "once-in-a-lifetime" performance

SPELLBINDING: AcroCadabra had the honour of opening their semi final

PERFORMERS from a North Solihull-based group have thanked the public for their support following a barn-storming appearance on Britain's Got Talent.
As reported earlier this week, AcroCadabra - made up of members from Spotlight Stage School - had battled their way through to the live semi finals of the ITV show.
They performed their latest routine during Wednesday night's show, but were unfortunately not among the acts to be voted through to tomorrow's grand final.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the group said: "We were in such a tough semi final but, even though we were eliminated, we got to show the world what we could do.
"Thank you to everybody who has helped along the way, to all who voted and sent messages of support, and to the entire BGT team for giving us this unbelievable once-in-a-lifetime experience. We've loved every second!"
The group had been selected to open the third of the five semi finals, performing a frenetic new routine to Little Mix's hit Black Magic.
Comedy singer/pianist  Robert White topped the public vote, with opera singer Gruffydd Wyn Roberts gaining the second highest number of votes.
A total of 11 acts will be battling it out tomorrow with hope of winning the coveted spot on this year's Royal Variety Performance.