News Room

Latest news Cops stand up – and stand out – for equality 13/08/2016 One hundred West Midlands Police officers and staff a month are putting their name to a scheme to increase equality. Just eight weeks after Chief Constable Dave Thompson and other members of the Executive team signed up to the Allies initiative, membership has surged to over 500. Allies are individuals who do not identify as LGBT but who believe that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should experience full equality in the workplace. Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “Allies are role models who create truly inclusive workplaces and send a strong message to the wider …

Latest news 10 years jail for pub knife attacker 11/08/2016 A man who slashed a drinker’s throat with a Stanley knife during a fight in a Birmingham pub has been jailed for 10 years. James Lee lashed out with the blade at Erdington High Street pub The Cross Keys on June 3, severing his 41-year-old victim’s carotid artery and leading to “catastrophic” blood loss. Doctors later said the man – who’d earlier been punched by an associate of Lee – would have bled to death had he not received swift medical attention by paramedics and customers who provided first aid. Builder Lee, from Linwood Road in Stechford, was knocked unconscious during the fight that broke out ju…

Latest news Prolific Coventry crook jailed for running “industrial scale” drugs network 12/08/2016 A prolific Coventry crook who ran cannabis ‘farms’ at addresses across the city – and was producing drugs on an “industrial scale” – has been jailed for more than four years. Nigel Barwell (pictured), from James Galloway Close in Binley, managed cannabis cultivation sites in at least five properties – all with extensive light, heat and ventilation set-ups – that had the potential to net him £400,000 a year. Detectives raided an address in Laneside, Willenhall, on 26 February last year and found 40 mature plants in one bedroom. Forensic examination of the flat’s elec…

Latest news Two arrested on suspicion of murder in Dudley 12/08/2016 Detectives investigating the death of a man at a house in Netherton have arrested two people on suspicion of murder overnight. The men – both aged 18 – were detained at a property in Dudley at around 9.20pm (Thursday 11 August) and remain in custody this morning. It follows the discovery of a body at a house on Cradley Road yesterday. Police were called to the address at around 9.40am by the ambulance service and launched an investigation after the 41-year-old – who has not yet been formally identified - was pronounced dead at the scene. Specialist officers are supporting the victim’s family and…

Latest news Coventry man charged with funding terrorism 11/08/2016 A Coventry man who was arrested on Tuesday (9 August) on suspicion of Syria related terrorism offences has been charged. Nadeem Hussain, aged 35, from Threadneedle Street, Coventry is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow (Friday 12 August) He faces three counts of being concerned in arrangements to make money available for the purposes of terrorism. The offences, contrary to s.17 of the Terrorism Act 2000, were allegedly committed in April 2016. A 25-year-old man who was also arrested by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit in Coventry on the same day remai…

Latest news Coventry man charged with funding terrorism 11/08/2016 A Coventry man who was arrested on Tuesday (9 August) on suspicion of Syria related terrorism offences has been charged. Nadeem Hussain, aged 35, from Threadneedle Street, Coventry is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow (Friday 12 August) He faces three counts of being concerned in arrangements to make money available for the purposes of terrorism. The offences, contrary to s.17 of the Terrorism Act 2000, were allegedly committed in April 2016. A 25-year-old man who was also arrested by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit in Coventry on the same day remai…

Latest news Key witness sought after Kingswinford collision 11/08/2016 Police are appealing for a key witness to come forward following a serious collision in Kingswinford this morning (11 August). Officers were called to Stream Road at around 5.30am following reports that a car had hit a lamppost. A man - believed to be in his 40s - was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition. Sergeant Paul Hughes from the Regional Collision Investigation Unit, said: “I urgently want to trace the driver of a silver saloon style car that was overtaken by a small red sports car and a blue Subaru just before the crash. I also want to appeal to the driver of the…

Latest news Police appeal for information to trace missing teenager 11/08/2016 Police are asking for your help to find a missing teenager from Birmingham. Hannah Patton has not been seen since yesterday (10 August) when she left her home in Hawkesley to visit a friend. The 13-year-old is described as a white girl, of slim build, 4ft 9ins tall, with long straight brown hair. She was last seen wearing a grey jacket, a short black vest top, black jeans and black and grey Adidas trainers. Officers are appealing for Hannah to make contact with them, or for anyone who sees her to call police straightaway. Anyone who can assist in tracing Hannah is asked to call the Lo…

Latest news Man’s body found in Netherton 11/08/2016 A man has been found dead in Netherton and his death is being treated as suspicious. Police were called to an address on Cradley Road at around 9.40am today by the ambulance service. An investigation was launched after a man in his forties was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers have cordoned off part of Cradley Road and an area of Bodmin Road, pending a forensic examination. Detective Inspector Warren Hines, from the West Midlands Police’s Homicide Team, said: “I am keen to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area either yesterday or this morning.” Information can be passed to police via 1…

Latest news Thief flees scene in getaway car – with husky on back seat 10/08/2016 A thief robbed a woman in Ward End this afternoon (10 August) then got away from the scene in another man’s car along with the victim’s Siberian husky, which was sat inside. Officers are now hunting this suspect following the offence at around 12.45pm and are appealing for help to find the missing dog called ‘Bo’. It happened outside the Natwest Bank on Washwood Heath Road when a man opened the passenger door of a blue BMW 520 and tried to snatch the driver’s bag from the passenger seat. She tried to stop the offender by holding onto the bag, but during a struggle her purse fell on…

Latest news Police appeal for information to trace missing Birmingham man 10/08/2016 Police are appealing for information to help trace a man who disappeared from his Birmingham home on Sunday (7 August). Gene Thomas, 32, was staying at an address on Reservoir Road in Erdington and was reported missing after failing to return from the shops. Officers have been searching the area and visiting known addresses for Gene and are now appealing to anyone with information of his whereabouts to contact them. He is described as a black man, around 5ft 11ins tall, clean shaven with a shaved head and has a scar to the right side of his nose. He also has tattoos on both hands…

Latest news Birmingham man jailed for non-recent rape 10/08/2016 A Birmingham man has been jailed for 16 years for raping two young girls in his care. Dwayne Kesto from Parkfield Avenue, Harborne, was convicted of the non-recent offences at Wolverhampton Crown Court after an eight day trial on 20 July and sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday (8 August). The 40-year-old abused his position of trust and assaulted the young girls on several occasions from when they were both just seven years of age. The abuse continued for a number of years until the younger girl found the courage to tell her teacher. Detective Sergeant Jayne Killoch, from the force’s P…

Latest news Drug dealer with gun under his bed jailed for 12 years 10/08/2016 A bungling Birmingham drug dealer has been jailed for 12 years after trying to get through Birmingham Airport with a wrap of heroin in his cabin baggage. Detectives from West Midlands Police believe Majid Hussain simply forgot about the Class A drugs in his carry-on bag as he tried to board a flight to Pakistan in February. He was rumbled after a scrupulous member of security staff made the find during a routine check. Following his arrest, officers searched the 41-year-old’s home on Nansen Road in Saltley and found a suitcase under his bed which contained around a kilogram of heroin …

Latest news Man charged in cold case murder enquiry 10/08/2016 Police investigating the death of a Birmingham woman 35 years ago, have charged a man with her murder. Nova Welsh, aged 24, a mother of two, was found dead in a utility cupboard at flats in Lighthorne Avenue, Birmingham on 18 August, 1981. A post mortem revealed she died from pressure to the neck Osmond Bell, aged 59 from Handsworth, Birmingham will appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning (Wednesday 10 August). View the full article

Latest news Coventry terrorism suspect bailed 09/08/2016 One of the two men arrested in Coventry this morning (9 August) on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences has been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries. The 25-year-old was detained by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit at a property earlier today. A 35-year-old man who was also arrested from a separate address remains in custody and searches are continuing in the city this evening. The arrests were part of a continuing investigation into the financing of terrorism and were intelligence led. There was no immediate threat to public safety. View the full article