News Room

Latest news Bra Face! Thief made decoy baby in botched shoplift bid 04/02/2017 A shoplifter made her own baby out of a soft-toy dog and a bra in a creative bid to smuggle stock from a discount store. Saffron Curtiss-McGinty hatched a plan to stash stolen goods under a child’s buggy – but the problem was she didn’t have a baby to justify pushing a pram. However, the 18-year-old overcame the dilemma by making a child from a cuddly toy dog – dressed in a baby-grow and scratch mitts – and half a bra with facial features scrawled on the underwear. Suspicious staff at B&M Bargains in Stratford Road, Solihull, stopped her on 27 January and found scented candles, sw…

Latest news Home Secretary singles out West Midlands Police’s ‘pioneering’ recruitment 03/02/2017 Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP has singled out West Midlands Police for praise following high-profile ‘pioneering’ work to increase the diversity of new recruits. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has made it a ‘top priority for West Midlands Police to look more like the people it serves’. More than 3,200 people recently applied to be a police officer, more than 1,000 (33 per cent) of whom are from minority ethnic communities. The Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP said in a letter to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson: “I am aware that West…

Latest news Appeal for information following theft at Jaguar Land Rover 03/02/2017 Police are appealing for any information regarding a large scale theft of Jaguar Land Rover engines in Solihull. It is believed the engines were stolen from the Damson Lane site in Solihull sometime between late night Tuesday 31 January and the early hours of Wednesday 1 February. An articulated truck is believed to have entered the site twice, each time hooking up to trailers carrying the engines and then leaving again through the gate. The empty stolen trailers have since been located and seized by police. Any information on the whereabouts of the engines or those involved in the…

Latest news Slavery suspects arrested in WMP probe into suspected brothels 03/02/2017 Two men have been arrested as part of a West Midlands Police slavery investigation into suspected brothels in Coventry. Officers executed a warrant at an address in Foleshill last night acting on intelligence suggesting it was being used by traffickers luring women from Eastern Europe to work in the sex industry. Men aged 35 and 50 – both Romanian nationals – were arrested from the property and are being held in police custody for questioning on suspicion of slavery offences. [embedded content] Investigating officer, Detective Inspector Wes Martin, said: “The warrant was execute…

Latest news Teen louts sentenced for taxi stone attack 03/02/2017 Four teenagers have been sentenced at Birmingham Youth Court today (3 February) for hurling stones through a taxi window - leaving a 70-year-old passenger with a fractured skull. Shocking CCTV footage from inside the taxi shows the moment a rock smashes through the window, striking the woman on her forehead and sending glass shards flying through the cab. [embedded content] The teenagers aged 17, two aged 16 and a 15-year-old were found guilty at an earlier hearing of wounding and conspiracy and to cause damage. They have now been given a 12 month rehabilitation order that comes with a curfew. Two …

Latest news Be the person who sends help to those in need 03/02/2017 Could you calmly deal with someone in distress? Would you be able to professionally communicate with someone in need? If so a career in Contact could just be for you. West Midlands Police needs people who make sound decisions under pressure and think logically. We want people who are focused on understanding the circumstances, person and need placed before them. No two days are the same − we take over 3,000 calls every day and our team is the largest in West Midlands Police, which includes Contact Officers and Dispatchers. We answer emergency and non-emergency calls from people right across the r…

Latest news Coventry pair jailed for human trafficking and sexual offences 03/02/2017 Two Coventry men have been jailed for 14 years for human trafficking and facilitating Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) as well as sexual assault on two teenage girls. Zoaeir Tamari, aged 20 (pictured left), and 27-year-old Lala Gul Utkhel were convicted at Coventry Crown Court after a seven day trial which ended on Tuesday (31 January). The charges relate to two young teens, aged 13 and 14, who were on their way to a friend’s house in Coventry city centre in the early hours of Friday 26 August last year. The two defendants along with two other friends pulled alongside them in a …

Latest news Over 50 and fancy becoming a PCSO? 01/02/2017 West Midlands Police are keen to hear from ‘mature’ members of the public over the age of 50 who might be interested in joining the force as a police community support officer (PCSO). They have joined forces with Job Centre Plus to help recruit the first intake of a total 150 police PCSOs and are keen to hear from all sections of society who have the skills to become a support officer, playing a crucial link between local neighbourhoods and the police. They are particularly keen to hear from ‘more mature’ candidates who may have decided to return to work or change roles later in life. To help guide peo…

Latest news Birmingham man sentenced for sex offences 02/02/2017 A Birmingham man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to sexually assaulting a baby. Craig Palmer, aged 33, was given the lengthy sentence today (Thursday) after pleading guilty to a string of child sex offences, including eight counts of sexual assault which took place when the baby girl was aged between five and 12 months old. Police investigating the case discovered Palmer’s sickening crimes after a tip-off from the National Crime Agency linked him to indecent images of children posted online. Officers moved in to arrest him at his then home in F…

Latest news Family of murdered woman pay tribute 02/02/2017 The family of Nyasha Kahari have today paid tribute to the ‘caring and hardworking woman’ who was found dead in a supermarket car park earlier this week. Nyasha, (pictured), aged 35, who is also known as Gillian, was found by police in a Lidl car park in Mackadown Lane, Tile Cross, on Monday (30 July). In a statement, her family said: “Gillian was a decent, loving mother of four children, two boys and two girls. She was a caring and hardworking woman who always strived to keep her family happy. “She will be missed by her family and all those who knew her. We hope that for her sake justice will prevail …

Latest news Talented youngsters visit Lloyd House 02/02/2017 Some of Birmingham’s budding future stars of the art world have had their work selected to be on display in West Midlands Police’s newly refurbished headquarters, Lloyd House. Pupils from across the West Midlands were invited to submit pieces of art around the theme ‘what the word ‘police’ means to you’. As a result, the force received hundreds of entries and chose a selection to go on display in the reception area. Seven pupils from Cockshut Hill in Yardley had their work selected and were invited to visit the headquarters to see their work on display and meet Chief Constable Dave Thompson. As well as m…

Latest news Top cop hits the ground running - in more ways than one! 02/02/2017 The new top cop at Sandwell Police is aiming to hit the ground running − and not just because of his love of charity marathon runs. Richard Baker has been appointed as Commander of Sandwell Neighbourhood Policing Unit after climbing the ranks during more than 20 years with the force. An early priority for the temporary Chief Superintendent − who has raised £10,000 for the Diabetes Research Foundation from running marathons − is to get out and meet local communities. This will help him to learn about the issues which impact on them the most - with the aim of keeping the borough a safe…

Latest news Appeal for driver of Volkswagen Beetle involved in a collision in Lozells 02/02/2017 Police are appealing for a driver involved in a non - stop collision at the junction of Heathfield Road and Villa Road, Lozells to come forward. On Tuesday 31 January around 8pm, a dark coloured Volkswagen Beetle was involved in a collision with a pedestrian who suffered a serious head injury. The pedestrian - Andrew Wallace, aged 48 from Birmingham - remains in hospital in a critical condition. CCTV from the area is currently being viewed and any other witnesses who have not yet contacted police are urged to do so. The car is likely to have sustained some damage in…

Latest news Man to appear in court charged with murder 02/02/2017 A Birmingham man will appear in court this morning (Thursday) charged with the murder of his 35-year-old wife. Norbert Chikerema, aged 42, of Overdale Road, Quinton will make his first appearance at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, accused of killing of Nyasha Kahari. It follows the discovery of a body in the car park of a Lidl supermarket in Mackadown Lane, Tile Cross at around 5am on Monday (January 30). View the full article

Latest news Court of Appeal rules police use of regulation A19 lawful 02/02/2017 Chief Constable Dave Thompson responds to the Court of Appeal's ruling that the use of regulation A19, which required officers with more than 30 years’ pensionable service to retire, was lawful: “I am pleased the Court of Appeal has supported the decision on our use of the A19 regulation which was regrettable but unavoidable. I am sorry some staff had their policing careers ended early. “The proceedings were brought by the Superintendent’s Association of England and Wales but were not supported by the West Midlands Branch nor by the Police Federation of England and Wales. I am disap…