Fresh appeal 20 years after boys vanish in Chelmsley Wood

STILL MISSING: Patrick Warren and David Spencer were last seen at a
Chelmsley Wood petrol station 20 years ago this month.

A MAN whose older brother disappeared during the Christmas holidays 20 years ago has made an impassioned plea for information so that his sibling can be "laid to rest."
David Spencer, then 13, and his friend Patrick Warren, 11, were last seen late on Boxing Day 1996 and despite extensive police investigations, attempts to find out what happened to the two schoolboys have been unsuccessful.
Today David's younger brother, Lee O'Toole , has spoken about how events have affected the family and made a public appeal for anyone who can help solve the case to come forward.
He was just nine-years-old at the time of the disappearance and revealed that he spent evening after evening walking around local streets trying to find the pair.
Now 29, Lee said he still suffers nightmares about the events of the mid-1990s and will not be able to rest until he finds out what happened.
"I’ve come to terms with the fact David is dead, but I wake every night wondering what happened to him and how he died," he said.
"This time of year is very hard, December 14 was David’s birthday, he would have been 33, and then Christmas just brings back memories of him vanishing.
"After all these years I just want to know where David is. If something terrible has happened, if I know about it at least I can grieve. I’m in limbo at the moment not knowing what happened.
"I would like to give him a proper funeral and have a special place that I can visit."
On December 26 1996, the two boys had told David’s family that they were staying at Patrick’s brother’s house.

APPEAL: Lee O'Toole

The last sighting of them was at the Shell petrol station, in Chelmsley Wood, at just after midnight, where they were given a packet of biscuits by an assistant working at the forecourt.
The boys were reported missing in the early hours of the next day and a full-scale search was launched.
Later, Patrick’s Christmas present, a red Apollo bicycle, was discovered at the back of the petrol station. It had been hidden in an area used for storing commercial bins.
In the years since there have been numerous public appeals for information and the case was featured on BBC's Crimewatch a decade ago.
DCI Caroline Marsh, the senior investigating officer, said that detectives continued to pursue old lines of inquiry, as well as seeking new information.
As the 20th anniversary approaches, she said that the force had no intention of closing the case while the boys' whereabouts remained unknown.
"Anyone, with any piece of information, however small they might consider it to be, should contact the police," she said. "That piece of information could ultimately lead to us finding out what has happened to Patrick and David and bring some peace to their families."

Council pressed on future plans for Babbs Mill

Councillor Ian Courts

A COUNCILLOR has demanded assurances that there will be no further development of Babbs Mill Park.
Councillor Debbie Evans (UKIP, Kingshurst & Fordbridge) raised the question at this month’s meeting of Full Council.
It comes amid concern from residents that the decision earlier this year to allow housing to be built on part of the Local Nature Reserve will set a dangerous precedent.
Councillor Ian Courts, cabinet member for managed growth, said: “No changes to the green belt are proposed in or around Babbs Mill Park and Nature Reserve.
“I can say it is not the council’s policy to allow residential development on the remainder of the park or nature reserve.”
When asked how long this commitment would be respected, Coun Courts said that it would be for the duration of the Local Development Plan – which continues until the early 2030s.

School chef from Marston Green scoops top award

TWO COURSE TREAT: Jose Davies
Kochakkadan with his winning meal

THERE’S no sign of lumpy custard or limp lettuce leaves at one local school...
And it helps that the man designing the menu at Marston Green Infant Academy has just won the title of West Midlands School Chef of the Year.
Jose Davies Kochakkadan had to call on all his culinary skills to triumph against two other school cooks in a fiercely-contested final.
With just £1.30 to spend on their two-course menu, the three finalists had 90 minutes to rustle up a main course and dessert which were both tasty and nutritious.
Jose impressed the panel of chefs and catering professionals with an Indian-inspired main, which he followed with mango frangipane.
He now goes on to face nine other kitchen wizards in the national final, which will take place at Stratford-Upon-Avon College on March 2 next year.
Should he triumph he will take the title as the UK’s undisputed School Chef of the Year.
Jose said: “Looking forward for the national final, I will definitely put my heart and soul into competing against the other finalists to achieve one of my goals.”
Councillor Ken Meeson, Solihull Council’s cabinet member for children, education and skills, said: “Solihull’s Catering Service has a strong track record of providing high quality meals for children in Solihull and further afield, so we are very proud to have one of our team members shortlisted for this prestigious industry award.”
Organised by the Lead Association for Catering in Education (LACA), the annual contest aims to prove that school meals now are a far cry from those that the parents of today’s pupils may remember.

Parking ban to take effect outside Marston Green school

TOUGH new parking restrictions are to be introduced at Marston Green Infant Academy in response to concerns about congestion during the school run.
The “traffic exclusion zone”, which will come into force next September, aims to address problems caused by parents picking up and dropping off pupils.
As part of proposals, which will also include a 20mph speed limit, vehicles are expected to be banned between 8am-9am and 2.30pm- 3.30pm every weekday.
Only those with special permits, such as local residents and the disabled, will be exempt.
Solihull Council has admitted that previous campaigns to deter mums and dads from clogging up surrounding streets had often fallen on deaf ears.
They have now drawn up plans for the new pilot scheme, which will be trialled at Marston Green and two other schools (Oak Cottage Primary, near Olton, and Haslucks Green School, in Shirley). Depending on the success of the scheme at these three sites, similar restrictions could be put in place at other schools around the borough.
The plans were approved by Councillor Ted Richards, cabinet member for transport and highways, who has spoken in the past about the deluge of complaints the council receives about driveways being blocked and cars churning up grass verges.
Paul Tovey, the council’s head of highway services, said: “We started this process off following a successful trial in Edinburgh [in response to] a similar type of problem.
“School gate parking has been on the agenda for a number of years now and we have been trying to make inroads into changing people’s behaviour.
“It’s worth pointing out that this tool is only suitable in certain locations, you can’t put it outside every school.”
A total of 11 schools registered an interest in taking part in the pilot and interestingly six of them were in North Solihull (Marston Green Infants, Castle Bromwich Juniors, Yorkswood Primary, Smith’s Wood Primary, Fordbridge Primary and Smith’s Wood Sports College).
Marston Green was chosen as one of the most suitable sites because of the local road layout and the fact that 60 per cent of children lived within a mile.
Councillor Stephen Holt (Green, Smith’s Wood) said he was “very pleased” that the scheme had been brought forward but asked what would be done to consult local residents.
“I think this is rather different from what most people are used to,” he said.
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Mayor of Solihull's Christmas message

Christmas already, it can’t possibly be - I’m only just getting over the last one!  Ring any bells?  I think it’s fair to say we’ve all thought that at one time or another.  I’ve noticed as I get older, time like sand slips through your fingers so easily, one moment it’s there and then it’s gone.
When you think about it, time is a strange concept, we have loads of it, it’s free but there’s never enough.  Not that modern living helps, the internet, emails, Twitter and Facebook all compete for our attention.  So now I have less time rather than more!
As Christmas is a season of reflection and a time to reevaluate what’s really important I think this year I'm not going to text or email those that mean so much to me. I am going to, at the very least, give them a call or better still, go and see them. Because that’s the real value of Christmas, making the time to share with others.
It’s been seven months since Jenny and I became Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull and it’s been a roller coaster of a journey from the very first day.  I’ve always believed we live in an extraordinary place and becoming Mayor has simply confirmed that as a fact.
People make places extraordinary and it’s people that make great communities.  Solihull is blessed; we have some really great communities spread across the borough.  I am truly honoured to be your Mayor - thank you Silhillians.  We wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Councillor Mike Robinson
Mayor of Solihull 

Knitted Christmas tree unveiled in Marston Green.

TOWERING ACHIEVEMENT:
The St Leonard's knitted tree

TWELVE months of work have gone into the hand-knitted Christmas tree which has taken pride of place at St Leonard's Church, in Marston Green.
The 23ft tree itself and the hundreds of decorations adorning its branches are all made from wool.
The Knit, Stitch and Natter group - which meet at the village library - and members of the local community had helped create the formidable "fir".
A total of 248 hand-knitted decorations were collected from the library a few weeks ago.
A church spokesman said: "So much time, effort and wool have been put in and it's a sight to see.
"We are opening the church next Saturday for anyone to drop by and admire the decorations! A big thank you to everyone involved."
A photo of the tree (right) was posted earlier this week and has attracted a lot of positive comments on social media.
Gemma Sale wrote on Facebook: "I will definitely be coming next week to see what my Gramps has been busy helping with!"
The project follows the success of a "knitted nativity" two years ago, for which child-sized woollen characters were created by members of the congregation and installed in a traditional stable scene.
The tree will be on show on Saturday (December 17) between 1.00-4.00pm.