News Room

Latest news Speeding driver tried racing other car before death crash 03/07/2017 A speeding driver who tried to lure another motorist into a street race before crashing into an elderly couple’s car has been jailed for causing the fatal road smash. James Mills (pictured) was travelling at more than 70mph in a 40-zone along Pedmore Road, Brierley Hill, and undertaking vehicles in his Ford Focus ST when he slammed into a car turning into The Gateway. Vijaya Mistry, a front seat passenger in the car being driven by her husband, suffered critical injuries and the 75-year-old later died in hospital. Mills – who had no previous criminal convictions – was arrested at the …

Latest news New appeal for witnesses over Aldridge murder as victim's family pay fresh tributes 03/07/2017 Detectives investigating the murder of James Brindley are appealing for two men who were in the area at the time to get in touch. At around 11.45pm on Friday 23 June, two Asian men were seen leaving the Croft and entering Rookery Lane in the direction of the High Street in Aldridge. The men were dressed smartly so may have been coming from a party, night out or celebration. Detective Chief Inspector Chris Mallett, from force CID, said: “I can’t stress enough that we want to speak to these men as witnesses as we believe they may have seen something that coul…

Latest news Police to go 'Facebook LIVE' in the air this Thursday 03/07/2017 We’re going #WMPLive again next Thursday (6 July) to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we work with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) who operate all of the police helicopters across England and Wales. From a network of 15 national airbases, NPAS send the nearest available aircraft in response to the needs of police forces. Through this borderless network, they are able to reach 92% of UK locations within 20 minutes. [embedded content] Using Facebook Live we’ll give you an idea of how we work with NPAS to find missing people and track offenders using high tech equipment on board …

Latest news Student in court over global web attack business 03/07/2017 A student has been charged with running a web business supplying malware that was used to attack the accounts of some of the world’s leading companies. Student Jack Chappell is accused of helping cyber crooks attack millions of websites around the world, including a 2015 attack on NatWest that brought down the firm’s online banking systems. The 18-year-old, from Stockport, was charged following an investigation led by the West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit, assisted by Israeli Police, the FBI and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre. It’s claimed Chappell supplied Denial of Service (DoS)…

Latest news Brave bobby tackles man armed with large kitchen knife 02/07/2017 A brave bobby who tackled a man wielding a large knife in a Brierley Hill street has received an award for his commitment to protecting the public. PC Wayne Trueman quickly responded to reports of men being seen with a blade in Mill Street last November. He spotted a suspect waving a 24cm knife in the street which left him fearing for the safety of others in the area. PC Trueman bravely approached the man with the knife and after he refused to stop the officer sprayed him with CS type spray. The kitchen knife was thrown into a garden and, after a foot chase, he was detained - despite P…

Latest news Two terrorism suspects arrested at Heathrow Airport 01/07/2017 West Midlands Counter Terrorism detectives have arrested two men at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of terrorism offences. The men – both aged 21 and from Leicester and Birmingham – were detained just after 10am this morning (July 1) having landed on a flight from Turkey. They are being transported back to the West Midlands for questioning on suspicion of preparing for terrorist acts; the pair have been detained under PACE legislation. The arrests were intelligence-led and there was no immediate threat to the public. View the full article

Latest news “Most wanted" man arrested over shooting outside school 01/07/2017 A man wanted in connection with two street shootings, including one outside a Birmingham school, has been arrested during an early morning West Midlands Police raid. Officers executed a warrant at a flat in Selwyn Road, Winson Green, just before 5.30am today (July 1) and detained a 40-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder. He was wanted over a shooting outside St Edmunds Primary School in Rosebury Street, Springhill, on 21 June where two shots were fired from a moving car at a cyclist. One of bullets struck school railings and another hit a vehicle in the staff car-park but no-o…

Latest news Jailed drug boss forced to pay back £605,000 01/07/2017 The jailed ringleader of a major drug supply network has been ordered to pay back more than £600,000 in crime proceeds – or face another five years behind bars. Birmingham man Zaheer Hussain (pictured) was handed a 20-year prison term in 2013 after a West Midlands Police investigation identified him as the kingpin of a trafficking gang smuggling heroin to the UK from Afghanistan. More than £3-million worth of heroin, hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash and firearms were recovered by police during a three-year investigation that concluded with 20 people being jailed for a total of more than 200…

Latest news A rapist who attacked and tortured a Coventry teen has been jailed for 11 years. 30/06/2017 Timothy Forsyth, of no fixed address, befriended his 19-year-old victim on Hall Green Road before luring him to a children’s play area in Bell Green on the evening of 15 September. Forsyth attacked the teenager, subjecting him to a horrifying ordeal including beating him and burning his face with lit cigarettes. The 23-year-old attacker walked the teen home posing as have-a-go hero telling his foster parents that he had come to his rescue after he saw him being assaulted by a group of men. After Forsyth left, the teenager revealed what had happened and an inve…

Latest news Driver who ran red light and killed pedestrian jailed for 10 years 29/06/2017 A driver who ran a red light, killing a pedestrian as he crossed the road, has been jailed for 10 years. Connor McCaugherty (pictured) had been pursued by officers after they spotted him driving dangerously in Erdington on the evening of Sunday 26 March. In his bid to escape he turned his car lights off and drove off at speed. He drove through a red traffic light on Belgrave Middleway, Birmingham and hit Dil Bahadur Subedi (pictured below) as he crossed the road. McCaugherty sped away from the scene leaving Mr Subedi in the road and then set fire to the car on Sovereign Heig…

Latest news Force flooded with applications from Forensics hopefuls 30/06/2017 Over 2,000 people have applied for just two apprentice posts with the force’s Forensics team. The vacancies - promoted with WMP’s Facebook followers - reached over half a million people with 3,600 shares and attracted 2,500 comments. Interest was so high the three-week application window had to be closed early as staff struggled to cope with the deluge of forms. Head of FSI and Major Crime Michelle Painter said: "We were overwhelmed by the popularity of the vacancies, and the applications have included some very strong candidates. "It is heartening to see so many people want to join …

Latest news Teen hurt in street shooting − police plea for info on gunman 29/06/2017 A teenager was hurt in a suspected drive-by shooting in a residential Birmingham street − and police are appealing for information to help trace the gunman. The 17-year-old was among a group understood to have been outside Teviot Tower in Mosborough Crescent, Hockley, at around 11.30pm on Tuesday night when a shot was fired from a passing car. He suffered a gunshot wound to his ankle and is now recovering in hospital. Witnesses have described seeing the car head towards Unett Street before making off. West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Jim Colclough has urged anyone with in…

Latest news Student jailed for raping fellow under-graduate as she slept 28/06/2017 A university under-graduate who raped a fellow student as she slept has been jailed for 16 years following a West Midlands Police investigation. Akiel Flemming, who was studying at the University of Wolverhampton, attacked the woman in the early hours of 1 October last year at their halls of residence in Stafford Street. The 19-year-old awoke at 5am to find Flemming, from Albert Avenue in Manchester, having sex with her. He made off but moments later sexually assaulted another 19-year-old after creeping into her room and then entered a third room where he found a female student, a…

Latest news Birmingham man arrested in Spanish terrorism investigation 28/06/2017 West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit detectives have executed a European Arrest Warrant in Birmingham this morning (Wed 28 June). The warrant was carried out in the early hours at an address in Sparkhill on behalf of Spanish authorities who are investigating support for Daesh. A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. The investigation focuses on terrorism material created for use online. The man will be taken to Westminster Magistrates Court later today to seek his extradition to Spain. View the full article

Latest news Detectives keen to speak to two men in connection with the James Brindley murder investigation 27/06/2017 Detectives investigating the murder of James Brindley in Aldridge on Friday night (23 June) are appealing for two men who approached James moments before his death to come forward. Detective Inspector Jim Munro, from force CID, said: “We’ve have already had a really good response following our appeal yesterday and have spoken to a number of witnesses. “We have received some information about two men who were seen by the entrance to ‘The Croft’ near to the entrance on the Little Aston Road side just before the attack. “We’ve also been told that Jame…