News Room

Latest news Underage driver jailed for killing workman in Wolverhampton 06/07/2016 An underage driver who mowed down and killed a telecoms engineer in Wolverhampton has been jailed for four-and-a-half years. Matthew Harding was struck by the Citroen Picasso as he worked on a communications box with a colleague on 20 July last year. Matthew Harding Newly-married Mr Harding, aged 27, from Oldbury, was taken to hospital after being hit by the car but died a day later from his injuries, while his co-worker suffered a broken arm and jaw. The driver - who was just 16 at the time- fled the scene at the junction of Jack Holden Avenue and Robert Wynd in Woodcross, b…

Latest news Police arrest man following disorder in Sparkhill 05/07/2016 Police have closed off an area of Sparkbrook this evening (Tuesday) following some disorder in Henley Street earlier. Officers were called to the area around 6.45pm following reports of a man being chased by a group of other men, some reportedly carrying weapons. The man ran into a mosque in Henley Street, followed by one of the men, who was detained by members of the public. The detained man is now in police custody in connection with the incident, and another man was treated for minor injuries. Police are continuing to make enquiries and searches at the scene and as a result have closed St…

Latest news Man charged with series of Birmingham robberies 05/07/2016 A man has been charged in connection with a series of robberies in the Birmingham area following an appeal for information. Michael Edwards, of Antrobus Road in Handsworth was arrested on 29 June and charged with robbing a 74-year-old woman on Rookery Road, Handsworth on 14 June. The 39-year-old was also charged with separate offences of an attempted robbery at a shop in Rookery Road when it’s alleged he threatened a staff member with a knife, plus a theft in Grove Lane when a purse was snatched from a 34-year-old woman. Both incidents occurred on 28 June. Edwards appeared before Birmingham Mag…

Latest news UK police committed to rooting out rogue officers 05/07/2016 West Midlands Police has pledged “no hiding place" for rogue officers who abuse their position through acts of gross misconduct. The vow follows the publication of a Disapproved Register detailing the number of UK police officers that have been sacked - or resigned or retired while under investigation - for serious breaches of the police code of conduct. A total of 833 officers, ranging in rank from constable to Chief Superintendent, appear on the Register which covers the period from December 2013 to November 2015. The number includes 25 officers dismissed by West Midlands Police for gross …

Latest news CCTV released in hunt for sex attacker 04/07/2016 Police have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with a sexual assault. The stills have emerged as part of an inquiry into the attack, which happened in Lower Essex Street, Birmingham city centre. Numerous enquiries have been conducted and officers now want to speak with this person who could have crucial information. Detective Constable Adele Barnett said, "It happened last December and since then we’ve been working tirelessly to find the perpetrator. "We now have a new line of enquiry with this CCTV footage and really need to speak to the man pictured." I…

Latest news Godiva Festival hailed outstanding success for Coventry 04/07/2016 The policing operation behind Coventry’s Godiva Festival has been hailed a huge success after another trouble-free year. 148,000 festival goers – enjoyed the festivities and music at the city’s War Memorial Park. Additional officers from neighbouring police teams were joined by colleagues from across Coventry throughout the three-day long event as well as special constables, to prevent crime and ensure revellers’ safety. Just three people were arrested during the festivities; two for an assault and the other for possession of cannabis. Coventry officers again took to Twitter to s…

Latest news Body found in search for missing Martin Cadman 03/07/2016 Police have called off a search for engineer Martin Cadman after a man’s body was discovered in a wooded area of West Bromwich on Saturday afternoon (2 July). Officers were called to the patch of land in the Carters Green area at around 2.20pm. The death is not being treated as suspicious and although the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing 33-year-old. Mr Cadman’s family have been informed and are being supported. They have asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time. A file is now being prepared for the coroner. West Midlan…

Latest news Half-eaten Wispa helps catch Birmingham kidnapper 03/07/2016 A teenager lured an innocent lad to his home, held him hostage and threatened to kill him unless friends and family members transferred money into his bank account. But Mohammed Islam was snared by a half-eaten chocolate bar that he enjoyed while carrying out the crime, which helped to jail him for eight years on Friday (1 July). He casually munched on the Wispa while making his demands on 25 March this year, as his terrified victim sat scared for his life on the 18-year-old’s bedroom floor. Islam was able to get the lad – also then aged 18 – to his address, at Brookpiece House in Druids He…

Latest news Brothers now part of the West Midlands Police family! 03/07/2016 Sheryar and Syed Shah are used to serving the public after a career in retail - but now the pair have swapped High Street sales for High Street patrols after becoming two of West Midlands Police’s latest recruits. Sheryar Shah (right) has swiftly followed in the footsteps of his younger sibling Syed (left) - who only started on the beat in April - to join the force’s current training cohort. Syed, known as Luke, previously worked in retail, catering and for a charity before being put through his paces at the force’s Tally Ho training centre last November. The 25-year-old had been a spe…

Latest news Police issue warning after phone scam fraudsters strike in Sutton Coldfield 02/07/2016 Conmen posing as police officers made calls to three elderly people in the Four Oaks and Mere Green areas last week, telling them their cards had been used fraudulently. They then asked for personal bank details or for them to collect money from their banks. In the first report on Thursday 24 June, a 73-year-old woman was called by a man purporting to be from Hammersmith police station, he said that there had been fraudulent activity on her account and that the only way to make the money safe was to withdraw it from her account. She then met the bogus officer on her …

Latest news Carer found guilty of abusing severely disabled man 02/07/2016 A carer who abused a severely disabled man, causing bruising to his ears and spraying deodorant across his head and body has been convicted of ill-treating him. Nicholas Howard was found guilty of the offence under section 44 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday (1 July). A jury heard how the 32-year-old was supposed to be providing specialist one-to-one care at the home of his victim at Badger Court in Stourbridge on 28 May 2014. His job was to work as part of a team supporting the 44-year-old due to his severe learning disability which means he is totall…

Latest news West Midlands Police uses new ‘legal highs’ powers to target Wolverhampton head shop 02/07/2016 West Midlands Police has used new powers to target a Black Country ‘head shop’ suspected of selling psychoactive substances. Officers swooped on the Smokers Den in Queens Square, Wolverhampton, and recovered sachets previously known as ‘legal highs’. Psychoactive substances (file photograph) It’s the first time such legislation has been used against a head shop in the West Midlands region and follows intelligence suggesting the products were covertly still being offered for sale. A search warrant was executed on the business last week (Weds 22 June) and …

Latest news Rapist jailed for life after attacking two women in Birmingham 01/07/2016 A rapist has been jailed for life – to serve a minimum of 10 years – after brutal attacks on two vulnerable women as they walked through the streets of Birmingham. Dahir Ibrahim dragged them into dark alleys, threatened them with weapons and then sexually assaulted and beat them in the early hours of the morning in September and October 2014. Dahir Ibrahim The first assault happened on Friday 3 September in Villa Road, Perry Barr and the second on Saturday 18 October in Ludgate Hill, Birmingham city centre. Both women were left injured and helped by passers-by who called pol…

Latest news CCTV shows arsonist lighting petrol bombs – do you recognise him? 01/07/2016 Detectives investigating an arson attack at a Walsall shop have released CCTV footage of a man igniting two petrol bombs moments before they are hurled through the entrance. The clip shows the suspect – wearing a distinctive two-tone blue hooded top – lighting the bottles at a bus shelter in Wednesbury Road, Pleck, at 5.25pm on Monday (27 June) before running off camera. Since the attack – that saw a halal meat store suffer extensive fire damage – investigators have said they are keeping an open mind over the motive. But latest enquiries suggest that, contrary to media and soc…

Latest news Man charged over pensioner robbery 01/07/2016 A man is set to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (July 1) after being charged with robbing a 74-year-old woman in Handsworth. Michael Ossen Edwards, of Antrobus Road in Handsworth, is accused of stealing her handbag in Rookery Road on 14 June. The 39-year-old will also face separate allegations of an attempted robbery at a shop in Rookery Road when it’s alleged he threatened a staff member with a knife, plus a theft in Grove Lane when a purse was snatched from a 34-year-old woman. Both incidents occurred on 28 June. View the full article