Commissioner warns there is "no quick fix" for knife crime

THE West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has described a recent spate of fatal stabbings - one of which took place in Chelmsley Wood - as "very concerning."
David Jamieson, who had previously served as a Labour councillor for Kingshurst & Fordbridge, acknowledged that there had been a spike in violent incidents across the region.
The death of 65-year-old Philip Rolph, who suffered knife wounds in Alder Drive earlier in the month, was one of five similar incidents to take place in the space of three weeks.
Four other men had died in separate attacks in the Birmingham area and Mr Jamieson (pictured, right) said that all efforts must be taken to put a stop to the recent trend.
In a statement earlier this week, he said: "The police will continue to do all they can to prevent violence and bring perpetrators to justice.
"Tough action, whilst necessary and correct won't stop the rise in violent crime on its own.
"There are no quick fixes and this is not an issue that we can simply arrest our way out of.
"It will only be through concerted efforts to give our young people opportunities and to educate them on the dangers of violence that we will create lasting change."

Dad has to deliver his daughter in a Collector Road lay-by

A DAD had to deliver his baby daughter by the side of the Collector Road after it became apparent that his pregnant partner wouldn't make it to the maternity unit in time.
Steve Sandford, from Chelmsley Wood, pulled into a lay-by alongside the dual carriageway after Joanne Winters' waters broke on the way to Good Hope Hospital.
The 45-year-old builder was talked through the birth by a 999 operator and paramedics arrived at the scene to find that Joanne, 39, was already cradling baby Chloe.
Speaking to the BBC, Steve said: "I pulled over and then the woman [on the phone] said you need to check if you can see the baby's head. I could see some hair so I started to panic and sweat.
"I said 'give it one big push Jo' and she pushed and the baby came out in my hands. I had tears in my eyes, I couldn't speak."
The couple's elder daughter, 16 month-year-old Charlotte, had also been in the car at the time of the incident, which happened on June 27.
Ambulance crews later took mother and child to hospital to recover from the early arrival.

Art project gives the public paws for thought

STUDENTS from a Smith's Wood school have designed one of the eye-catching bears which form part of a new art trail around Birmingham and Solihull.
The Big Sleuth invites families to travel the region to track down more than 200 ceramic statues (100 of the larger characters are straight from the imagination of local artists, with the smaller "cubs" having been crafted by schoolchildren).
Each one has its own unique design, with Forest Oak School having worked on one of five fur-midable figures installed at Birmingham Airport.
The pupils' particular creation has been dubbed the Mindfulness Bear (pictured, right).
It has a vivid patchwork coat and takes inspiration from a form of meditation which has become increasingly popular in recent years.
The public event, which will run until September 17, will be raising money for Birmingham Children's Hospital - the larger bears will be auctioned off in the autumn.
It follows the success of The Big Hoot, which took place two years ago and saw scores of owl statues appear around the region.
This time organisers chose to unleash an army of colourful bears, having argued that the animal is popular with all ages.
Louise McCathie, the director of fundraising at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’re so excited that The Big Sleuth is finally here, we have been planning the bears' arrival since the owls left and we can’t bear-lieve it’s finally here!”
You can find out more about the trail at The Big Sleuth's official website. There is also a map available to download, which will allow people to track down the individual statues more easily, and a phone app through which people can complete a series of activities.

Pub organises event in soldier's memory

A CHARITY event organised as a tribute to a Castle Bromwich soldier, who gave his life in the line of duty, will be taking place this weekend.
The fundraiser will be held in memory of Joe Murphy, an 18-year-old serviceman who was killed while serving in Afghanistan eight years ago.
It is set to take place at The Farthings pub on July 15, starting from 2pm. There will be a barbecue, bouncy castle and raffle.
Saturday promises to be a busy day locally. Aside from the Joe Murphy event, Chelmund's Day will be taking place over in Chelmsley Wood, while Smith's Wood Parish Council will be holding their own family fun day at the Community Gym (11am-4pm).

Tennis celebration at the CTC

IF you've been glued to events at Wimbledon this week then why not pick up a racket yourself and head down to North Solihull?

The CTC Sports Hub, in Kingshurst, is hoping to tempt people to their Summertime Slam event, being held at the Cooks Lane courts this Sunday (July 16).

There will be a number of contests taking place on the day, with prizes for those who prove to be the local equivalent of Andy Murray or Johanna Konta.

Matches will be played between 12noon-2pm and in a tip of the hat to SW19's famous dress code, competitors are encouraged to wear as much white as possible.

Afterwards those in attendance will be invited to watch BBC coverage of the men's Wimbledon final at the pavilion.

British fans will of course hope that a certain Scotsman will be playing to defend his title, although even if the reigning champion falls short of the final weekend there will still be strawberries and cream and non-alcoholic Pimms to look forward to.

Police name grandfather killed in Chelmsley Wood

POLICE have confirmed that a woman has been charged with the murder of a 65-year-old in Chelmsley Wood.

The man, who had reportedly suffered stab wounds and was found in the Alder Drive area, was today named as Philip Rolph.
The father and grandfather, a chef who lived locally, had been discovered in a vehicle in the early hours of Friday morning (July 7). Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he died a short while later.
In a statement, Mr Rolph's family described him as "kind, loving and generous" and said that he "loved his life and his work."
Georgina Henshaw, 35, of Alder Drive, has been charged with murder and remanded in custody.
She will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court tomorrow (Monday).

Planning officers anxious about business park plan

SOLIHULL’S planning committee has been advised to throw out plans to expand Birmingham Business Park.
Proposals had been put forward to create four industrial buildings, a service yard and around 180 car parking spaces.
Those residents living in nearby Blackfirs Lane and Coleshill Heath Road had already raised concerns about the noise and disturbance that would arise.
While not all of their arguments were accepted by council officials, there were sufficient concerns for them to recommend that councillors reject the application.
A report published last month suggested that there were particular questions about lack of public transport links to the site, as well as adding to traffic jams and queuing in an already congested area.
A formal decision on the plans had been expected back in February and again earlier in the month, but in both cases the item was dropped from the council agenda at relatively short notice.
It remains to be seen if the developers are likely to modify the plans to address the issues identified by officers.
The application is the latest of several which have fed into concerns about over-development in Marston Green and the impact that successive schemes are having on the village’s infrastructure.
A separate plan to build 68 homes off Chelmsley Lane has now been submitted to the planning department and is expected to go to committee later this year.