Archive

  • Rescue plan for the countryside

    CONSERVATIVE Parliamentary candidate for Leominster, Bill Wiggin, has drawn up a rescue plan for a "countryside recovery". Mr Wiggin, whose constituency includes part of northern Worcestershire, claimed his party had supported the Government in its efforts

  • Lambs found in blazing skip

    Firefighters called to a blazing skip found it contained lambs which had been deliberately set alight, a brigade spokesman said today. Officers had put out the flames and were damping down the skip fire at a municipal tip in County Durham shortly after

  • It's vital to visit the zoos

    HOLIDAYMAKERS should visit zoos while foot-and-mouth rages, to support the country's "vital" conservation institutions. The call came after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott warned many zoos faced closure through loss of income as the crisis continues

  • Census is going ahead

    HEREFORDSHIRE'S census will go ahead, despite the complications of foot-and-mouth. But the survey, on Sunday, April 29, will take into account the plight of those affected by the epidemic. Although most householders can expect a visit from a census enumerator

  • MY FIRE BOY

    Flame-thrower son needs help, says frantic mum A DESPERATE mother is pleading for help on behalf of her son who has turned himself into a human flame-thrower. Irene Corns said she has been told she could face an 18-month wait for teenager Billy to see

  • Farmers under investigation

    FARMERS are being investigated for making bogus compensation claims and illegally moving livestock, West Mercia police revealed today. The probe is separate from investigations launched by trading standards officers, meaning the incidents will be treated

  • Arsonist could have set fire to wrong house

    AN arsonist who torched an elderly woman's home in Cutnall Green may have targeted the wrong house. The pensioner lives in the Elmley Close area of the village near the home of convicted paedophile Ronald Green's brother, and there are concerns the arson

  • Knife terror in alley

    A ST John Ambulance volunteer has told a jury how a drunken man held a knife at his throat and demanded money. Daniel Horton was walking home after being on duty at the Riverside Festival in Pershore last summer. But he was allegedly confronted by 20-

  • Exhibition plea

    WORCESTER businesses have been asked to support an exhibition about Holocaust victim Anne Frank, which is coming to Worcester Cathedral. The display, which is being set up by the Diocese of Worcester, celebrates the life of a teenage Jewish girl who was

  • Help when the chips are down

    A MALVERN Christian centre has celebrated its eighth birthday by launching a food voucher scheme for homeless people. The Lyttelton Well has sent church ministers in the town £2,000 in vouchers that can be redeemed at three fast-food outlets in the town

  • Drug trial denial

    A KIDDERMINSTER man is facing trial accused of possessing six ecstasy tablets with intent to supply them to others. Julian Delo, 33, of Comberton Road, pleaded not guilty at Worcester Crown Court and was remanded on bail.

  • Spa all set for season

    DROITWICH Spa Cricket Club hope to carry its indoor form into the sunshine when the new season gets underway on April 21. After winning the Worcester Indoor Premier League for the second season in succession and as reigning county champions, Spa's A team

  • Making the most of your money

    A COUPLE of years ago, our imagination was fired by a scheme proposed in Worcester to try and deal with the problem of beggars and begging. It was impressively simple. Rather than exposing people to intimidating hands held out for cash from shop doorways

  • Redditch combo scores

    REDDITCH and South Warwickshire Combination results from Sunday April 8: Steven Troth Cup Final (at Garringtons): Linread Northbridge 3 HDA Reserves 1. Terry Cup round four: Black Horse 2 (Brett Fleetwood, Lee Starlin) Bromsgrove Athletico 1 (Matthew

  • We're top of the league for junior football

    DROITWICH Spa Athletic U9s 1 Meadow Park U9s 2. Droitwich dominated the first half and took the lead with a fine goal from Mitchel Wilson. Spa had numerous chances to kill the game off but didn't take them. Park fought back in the second half and scored

  • Girls battle it out for soccer glory

    YOUNG soccer talent battled it out on the football pitch at Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre last week. Twelve girls teams from the Wychavon district's middle schools competed for a place at the county-wide youth games, organised by Wychavon District Council

  • Droitwich Spa FC set promotion goal

    DROITWICH Spa FC's Saturday side are gunning for their second consecutive promotion this season. After moving up into Midland Combination Division Two last season, Spa are out to seal another successful promotion charge into the first division. With plenty

  • Witton's winning line-up

    WITTON Middle School can't stop churning out winning talent. The under-11 boys led the way by roaring to victory in the 11-a-side district football tournament at Aston Fields Middle School on March 22. The Year Six lads beat off competition from seven

  • Singer Andy to be TV King for a day

    RESIDENTS can tune in to watch a town performer when he appears on a popular TV programme. Singer and actor Andy King is due to appear on Anglia talk show Trisha tomorrow. The show features people seeking stardom. The 22-year-old will compete with a handful

  • Hat's the way to do it

    GUIDES from across the town fused their talents and raised more than £1,000. Packed audiences flocked to Droitwich Spa High School, in Briar Mill, at the weekend to see their money spinning variety show. Around 180 girls from Droitwich Division Guide

  • Drug offence arrests

    POLICE arrested Spa residents in their homes last Wednesday as part of an operation to combat drugs. Eleven people from Droitwich, Worcester and Redditch, were arrested. Seven were due to appear before Droitwich Magistrates' Court on Thursday after being

  • Pupils to benefit from new course

    A LEARNING scheme to be launched in Droitwich will enable students to create a bright future for town youngsters. NEW College begins vocational courses on the Westlands estate after Easter. One of the first courses is in home improvement. Students can

  • Teen attacked by dog in pub

    A WOMAN whose dog attacked a teenage girl has been told to pay £600 compensation. Droitwich magistrates heard Natalie Layton was left in "unbearable agony" when Dudley - a basset hound - sank his jaws into her arm. Prosecuting lawyer Mike Cowley said

  • Bichel sets Worcs target

    WORCESTERSHIRE'S new pace star Andy Bichel today spoke of his determination to carry on where his fellow Australian Glenn McGrath left off last season. The 30 year-old has quickly set out his agenda for what he hopes will be a highly successful campaign

  • Goal hero Shepherd relishing final test

    MARK Shepherd is confident Worcester City can win the Dr Martens League Cup after inspiring them to a thrilling semi-final victory over Newport County last night. The striker, a recent signing from Moor Green, scored twice and helped set up two more for

  • Questions posed at meeting

    RESIDENTS had the opportunity to ask councillors about topical issues at a meeting on Monday night. The annual Droitwich Spa Town Council meeting at the community centre, in Heritage Way, was attended by around 20 residents. Mayor Don Lawley (Con, Droit.South

  • Carruthers goal stuns unlucky Bulls

    FOLLOWING on from the heartbreak of Saturday's FA Trophy semi-final defeat against Forest Green, Hereford United's poor run continued last night as they went down 1-0 at Dover Athletic. The Bulls, however, can consider themselves unfortunate not to have

  • Troubled Redditch slump to defeat

    MATTERS off the field app-eared to be on the mind of the Redditch United players as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Racing Club Warwick in the Dr Martens League Western Division last night. Boss Rob Smith and his management team of Larry Chambers and

  • Fixtures and Results 2000/2001

    Worcester City Football Club's full fixture list for the 2000/2001 season AUGUST 19 - Tamworth, DML (A) 2-1 (goal scorers Lutz, Cottrill) 21 - Bath, DML (H) 0-0 26 - Stafford, DML (H) 2-4 (Heeley, Joyce) 28 - Merthyr Tydfil, DML (A) 1-4 (Weir) SEPTEMBER

  • Dover Athletic 1 Hereford United 0

    Tuesday, April 10, 2001 FOLLOWING on from the heartbreak of Saturday's FA Trophy semi-final defeat against Forest Green, Hereford United's poor run continued last night as they went down 1-0 at Dover Athletic. The Bulls, however, can consider themselves

  • QUICK-THINKING MUM SAVES KIDS FROM BLAZE

    A QUICK-THINKING mum stretched a duvet tightly over her bedroom door to stop toxic fumes and smoke harming her young children when a blaze broke out in the family's Bromsgrove flat. Tracy Whitehouse, aged 22, was woken by thick, choking smoke billowing

  • Samaritans

    YOU read in the papers about badly-behaved children, unhelpful taxi drivers and long waits in hospital casualty departments. Last Sunday, I fell in the road outside Shrub Hill Station. Four schoolgirls rushed to help, and a concerned taxi-driver took

  • Happy days

    I AGREE entirely with Councillor June Tyler (You Say, March 29), learning should be life-long. I read New Statesmen, Church Times, Private Eye, Radio Times, Worcester Evening News, novels, The Bible, theology, poetry and so on. I also learn about life

  • Life in open air

    6 ARE you, or an older relative, Britain's oldest active gardener? Counsel and Care is anxious to hear from older people who are enthusiastic gardeners. At its annual meeting in June, this national charity is launching a campaign to encourage older people

  • Parish worthies once teenagers themselves..

    THE problems that lie at the back of what your front page described as "teenage trouble" (Evening News, April 4) are only partially addressed inside by your opinion column. It is true that when parents expend most of their physical and emotional energy

  • Worcester doesn't want a part-time MP

    RICHARD Adams' latest outburst (You Say, April 5) displays an arrogant attitude by assuming he is going to win the General Election in Worcester. I would advise him never to take voters, least of all Worcester folk, for granted. But he also makes the

  • Stoke have a shocker in Henley game

    STOKE Prior Bowling Club 132 Henley Bowling Club 152. Stoke's opening Yardley Wood and District League Premier Division Two game at home to Henley was played on a heavy green that gave Stoke little advantage over their newly promoted opponents. On an

  • 11/4/01 - Finishing the job

    I think the acid test over a season is always your league programme, as much as you try to make progress in cup competitions. We now have six games left in which to finish what has been a decent job up to now, and hopefully give some cause to think of

  • Rovers' run-in

    THESE are Rovers nine remaining first team league fixtures they have to tackle to beat the drop: l Saturday April 14: Evesham United (h) 3pm. l Monday April 16: Redditch United (a) 3pm. l Thursday April 19: Paget Rangers (h) 7.45pm. l Saturday April 21

  • Youngsters needed for youth games

    THE youth games have arrived at last, with the Worcestershire area games being held in Droitwich on Sunday May 20. This year the Bromsgrove district will enter boys and girls teams in six sports which are: under-13 basketball, under-12 hockey, under-14

  • Bosses wanted

    THE next junior team management courses being run by the Worcestershire Football Association, in conjunction with The Football Association, will be held at University College, Worcester. Course one is on Tuesday May 22, from 6.45pm until 9.45pm and Saturday

  • Club calls for sports talent to join the fun

    WHATEVER sport you specialise in, Bromsgrove Cricket, Hockey and Tennis Club cater for you. The St Godwalds Road club in Aston Fields, Bromsgrove, are always on the lookout for new talent -- both young and old. Bromsgrove Cricket Club are one of the leading

  • Youngsters star as title is shared

    BROMSGROVE RFC Under-12s shared the North Midlands tournament for clubs on Sunday. Winners last year, joint winners this year, Bromsgrove once again demonstrated their all round ability and commitment, drawing 5-5 with Worcester in a pulsating final.

  • Don't miss the latest junior rugby reports

    DROITWICH Sparklers U10s 15 Bromsgrove A U10s 0. In warm conditions, Bromsgrove started strongly and turned up the heat, putting Droitwich under early pressure. The Sparklers soaked up the pressure and midway through the first half started to turn things

  • Once, twice, three times a pay day

    I WOULD like to reply to the report of April 4 when the assertion was made that all council tenants were paying the service charges for the sheltered housing tenants. If this is true then our council must have been collecting this money twice. I was told

  • Litter picking praise

    THROUGH your newspaper, I want to thank those volunteers who turned up on Saturday March 31 and made a huge difference in clearing up the discarded rubbish on both the Recreation Ground, in Rubery, and Brook Road Recreation Ground. Unfortunately, some

  • Band could be target of terrorists says MP

    THE crack band of the Royal Marines, one of the highlights of this year's Bromsgrove Festival later this month, could be targeted by terrorists, the town's MP Julie Kirkbride claimed this week. The Tory MP, whose husband, Andrew MacKay, is Shadow Northern

  • Plan for homes at former abattoir is given go ahead

    A SCHEME to transform the site of a former abattoir in Tutnall into an 11-home development is being sent to the Secretary of State for the Environment after planners gave it the thumbs up. Plans include creating the farmyard-style complexes on land where

  • Trust is branded unfair to women

    A TRUST set up more than 50 years ago to help pay for a university education for male students from specific areas of Bromsgrove was branded as discriminating against women this week. The remark was made by Labour district and county councillor Peter

  • MP enters foot and mouth debate

    FURIOUS Tory MP Julie Kirkbride is asking for reassurance about the temporary reopening of a Tutnall-based abattoir and the risk of spreading foot and mouth it could pose. Miss Kirkbride, who represents Bro-sgrove, contacted the Ministry of Agriculture

  • GP 'oldie' of the year

    BROMSGROVE GP and Lockerbie campaigner Jim Swire was set to be honoured yesterday as an 'Oldie of the Year.' The retired town doctor whose daughter Flora was killed when the Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed out of the skies in 1998 was one of several older

  • Blueprint for development

    A LONG-AWAITED document designed to preserve the rural character of the ever-developing parish of Lickey and Blackwell is nearing completion. The Village Design Statement (VDS), which has been in the pipeline for two-years, is in its final stages and

  • Pensioners hit by hike in fees

    PENSIONERS meeting at a community centre in Rubery have been hit by a massive increase in costs and bureaucracy. Up to seventy pensioners who meet for four-hour community art sessions at Rubery Youth and Community Centre, in New Road, three times a week

  • Good Friday march in town

    CHRISTIANS from across Bromsgrove will gather together on Good Friday to march through the town centre with a large cross. Churches Together in Bromsgrove is marking the day with a Procession of Witness which will include prayers, hymns and bible readings

  • Disused station scheme on hold

    FURTHER talks on road safety are set to take place after plans to turn a disused service station at Stoke Heath into flats were put on hold. At Monday's meeting of Bromsgrove District Cou-ncil's planning committee, members expressed their concerns about

  • Worcester City 5 Newport County 3 (aet)

    Tuesday, April 10, 2001 MARK Shepherd and Wesley Joyce were the two-goal heroes as Worcester City booked a place in the Dr Martens League Cup final for the first time in 41 years. Both netted a brace of excellent strikes as City came from behind to see

  • April 13, 1901

    THE deputy clerk of Bromsgrove Urban District Council had received letters from the four boys who had broken one of its lamps. Each had expressed his sorrow and agreed to pay a share of the damage. 100 years ago April 13, 1901 THE deputy clerk of Bromsgrove

  • Tenants 'stung three times'

    BATTLING Bromsgrove tenants are fighting on in a bid to stop the district council 'stinging them three times' for service charges at sheltered housing schemes. Bromsgrove District Tenants' Association wants to stop pensioners being hit in the pocket after

  • 'Accident waiting to happen' outside school

    AN angry councillor has hit out at what he calls "an accident waiting to happen" in Charford Road. Bromsgrove district councillor Peter McDonald (Lab, Uffdown and Waseley), told the Advertiser/Messenger he was horrified to discover the parking dangers

  • Dog owners told to clean up act

    PROSECUTIONS will follow if dog owners do not clean up their act, Bromsgrove District Council has warned. Under new legislation being enforced by the authority, people who let their dogs foul footpaths or parks could be fined £1,000. The head of environmental

  • Hard work pays off as staff win top award

    WORCESTERSHIRE County Council's environmental services department has vowed not to rest on its laurels after being presented with the prestigious Investors in People award. Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce presented the award to the director

  • Taking steps to cut bills

    FIRMS in Worcestershire and Herefordshire could benefit from an energy tax introduced at the start of April. The Climate Change Levy has been introduced to help the UK meet its targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in particular carbon dioxide

  • Developers urged to invest in town

    A CAMPAIGN has begun to entice developers to invest in Malvern. Malvern Hills District Council says tackling the problem of empty shops in the town is one of the key points in its business plan for the coming year. "The number of empty shops in Great

  • Labour leader to pay £1,200 for illegal use of information

    A LEADING Labour politician in Bromsgrove faces a £1,200 bill for obtaining information illegally and using it for political advantage during the 1999 local election campaign. Labour group leader Cllr Peter McDonald (Uffdown and Waseley) pleaded guilty

  • Wildlife rescue work in peril

    WILDLIFE rescue workers warn the foot-and-mouth crisis is having a devastating effect on welfare work. Vale Wildlife Rescue, at Beckford, near Evesham, has had to close its visitor centre at Evesham Country Park and regular car boot sales will not be

  • Couple seriously hurt in crash

    AN elderly couple were in hospital with serious injuries today after a crash involving four cars in a residential Worcester street. The accident happened in Lansdowne Road, near to its junction with Laslett Street, at 7.45 last night. Firefighters removed

  • Sexual shame of cliff-plunge boss

    A DISGRACED managing director slashed his wrists and drove his car over a cliff after carrying out sex attacks on two young girls, Worcester Crown Court was told. The victims, aged seven and nine, then revealed that 55-year-old Eric Spalding had smacked

  • Hero dad in canal rescue drama

    A QUICK-thinking worker helped save a woman who had plunged into a Worcester canal after he heard her screams from his office window. Gary Whenman was working at his desk at Misys in Buckholt Drive, Blackpole, when he heard someone screaming for help.

  • Early morning vandal attacks

    A DROITWICH Spa trader claims vandals are leaving a trail of destruction during early morning attacks. Brian Goodreid, of Spa Oakland Stores, in Oakland Avenue, said the Ridings and Primsland estates are regularly targeted by vandals at weekends. He says

  • Hospitals given the green light

    STAFF at Worcester Royal Infirmary and Redditch's Alexandra Hospital are celebrating today after being removed from a list of unclean institutions. A Government report said standards throughout the two hospitals were now classed as "acceptable". A previous

  • Police turned away heroin user

    A HEROIN user who gave himself up after jumping his bail for nearly three years was turned away by police, magistrates were told. Sajad Hussain went abroad for more than two years after he was caught with a £5 residue of a wrap in Worcester. When he returned

  • New reserve set to open

    A NEW Local Nature Reserve is set to open this summer following the completion by Wyre Forest District Council of the purchase of land at Hurcott Pool. The reserve, which will provide easy access to the countryside for thousands of people, has been designated

  • Derby hit by rain

    THE cricket season is finally upon us -- but the continued wet weather put paid to the first fixture of season when Bromsgrove Cricket Club were due to take on Droitwich. The eagerly awaited local derby was set to be the curtain raiser as both teams look

  • New batch look good

    BROMSGROVE Swimming Club's new batch of youngsters saw action for the first time at the weekend at the Dolphin Centre, in the Sport for All Rose Bowl Trophy. And their third place on the night leaves them in good heart for next week's crucial first leg

  • Olympique's wheely good time in Brum

    THE Birmingham Wheels Circuit was the venue for Bromsgrove Olympique Cycling Club's racing last weekend, the events being held to replace many races lost due to the foot and mouth epidemic or indeed the weather. The first race for under-16s saw several

  • Lickey lovin' it

    IN the Bromsgrove and Redditch Table Tennis league last week, both the two top teams had comfortable 10-0 victories. Lickey Monarchs, who were without their captain Martin Clark, beat Newton Works B, who included the veteran Roger Colley in their line

  • Bromsgrove bridge results

    BROMSGROVE Bridge Club ran two sections on March 27. Twelve individuals battled it out in the individual final with the following results: Individual section (single winner): First Sheila Short, second Neil Constable,third Chris Troth. Open Section (two

  • FIRE ATTACK AT OAP'S HOME SHOCKS VILLAGE

    NEIGHBOURS of a Cutnall Green pensioner whose house was targeted by arsonists have spoken of their shock. Firefighters were called to the home of a 68-year-old woman in Elmley Close in the early hours of Sunday morning after an incendiary device was put

  • Disease strikes again

    THE dreaded foot and mouth epidemic has spread to more villages surrounding Droitwich Spa. The disease has been found at two farms in Tibberton. At Evelench Farm, 322 cattle have been slaughtered and at Ravenshill Farm, 700 sheep and 19 cattle were killed

  • Dan is all keyed up for expansion

    A BROMSGROVE entrepreneur has centralised his hi-tech business in his hometown. Dan Huband launched Campus Systems Ltd four years ago, with funding from Bromsgrove District Council and Worcestershire County Council. The firm makes computers, sells them

  • Teacher complaint

    A COMPLAINT about a teacher working at a town school is being investigated by education chiefs. The supply teacher was employed at Droitwich Spa High School, in Briar Mill. Headteacher Mr Cledwyn Davies told the Advertiser: "There was an incident involving

  • Everyone's a winner

    ONE lucky Spa reader has scooped our bumper £50 cash prize - but everyone stands to be a winner with our new loyalty card scheme. Susan Walton struck it lucky with the numbers on her card, given away free with last week's Information Guide, but every

  • Canal camps aid restoration push

    CANAL camps will set up in Droitwich Spa to support the major restoration work on the town's landlocked waterways. The Waterway Recovery Group organises the camps which allow people to spend an outdoor holiday working on the canals. This year, six camps

  • Hospital fire

    FIREFIGHTERS were called to a fire at Droitwich Spa Hospital on Thursday night. Two engines from the town tackled flames on the building's first floor at 10.50pm. A brigade spokesman said: "The floor was smoke logged and patients were evacuated to a safe

  • Election candidates revealed

    THE identities of the people vying for Worcestershire County Council seats in Droitwich Spa have been revealed. Droitwich Town voters can prepare for a clash of the titans. Mayor Don Lawley (Con) and Cllr Peter Pinfield (Lab) are competing for the seat

  • McCracken quits after title defeat

    Worcester-based boxer Robert McCracken has announced his retirement after failing in a bid to win the European middleweight title. McCracken was stopped in the 10th round by Howard Eastman at the Wembley Conference Centre last night. Unbeaten British

  • Fuse box woe for pensioner

    A PENSIONER from Droitwich says a new fuse box fitted at his bungalow is out of reach. Leslie Goodman, of Steynors Close, recently had his home updated by Spa Housing Association. The 84-year-old said a new fuse box has been placed near the ceiling and

  • Shepherd spurs City to victory

    MARK Shepherd and Wesley Joyce were the two-goal heroes as Worcester City booked a place in the Dr Martens League Cup final for the first time in 41 years. Both netted a brace of excellent strikes as City came from behind to see off Newport County 5-3

  • Stourport denied vital win

    STOURPORT Swifts were denied a vital victory in their Midland Alliance promotion battle by a controversial late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Stourbridge. Leading 2-1 going into the final five minutes, a Kevin Casson shot appeared to be going wide until

  • Finishing the job

    The John Barton column I think the acid test over a season is always your league programme, as much as you try to make progress in cup competitions. We now have six games left in which to finish what has been a decent job up to now, and hopefully give

  • 11/4/01 - Bichel sets Worcs target

    WORCESTERSHIRE'S new pace star Andy Bichel today spoke of his determination to carry on where his fellow Australian Glenn McGrath left off last season. The 30 year-old has quickly set out his agenda for what he hopes will be a highly successful campaign

  • Residents have a great opportunity

    AS a parish council clerk, I have followed with interest the reports in your paper on the founding of Lickey End Parish Council. If any resident of Lickey End is concerned about what parish councils do, they could always visit any of the 19 other civil

  • Smith's carp haul enough to clinch Woodlands

    ON Tuesday the Woodlands View Affordable open was fished on Deans Pool which saw Jim Smith (Pershore MG) take top spot with carp up to six pounds caught with pole fished worms over casters at peg 24 for 43-8-0. Second placed Ernie Wills (Woodlands) had

  • Droitwich Men's Firsts 7 Leominster Men's Firsts 3

    DROITWICH, having finished their league season in third place last week, entertained Leominster in a friendly. Spa took the lead before half time when Nick Sankey converted a penalty corner. The visitors equalized soon after. Droitwich continued to attack

  • Chris's top job

    A BROMSGROVE-based manufacturing company has made a new appointment to ensure customers get top technical support. Chris Camsell has joined the team at BOGE Compressors Ltd, in Buntsford Park Road. The company, which is part of a German-based firm, manufactures

  • Super stripper

    A WELL-ESTABLISHED Bromsgrove business has launched an innovative new product. L G Harris and Co, based in Stoke Prior, has revealed its new super stripper, which removes old wallpaper, vinyl and tiles from walls and floors.

  • Cheers to opening

    DROITWICH Spa's community bobby has officially opened a new- look town pub. The Spa's beat manager PC Alun Jones was invited to reopen The Westcroft Inn, in Ombersley Street, last month. Sisters Tracey Sparkes and Kim Penfold will run the business.

  • 11/4/01 - Goal hero Shepherd relishing final test

    MARK Shepherd is confident Worcester City can win the Dr Martens League Cup after inspiring them to a thrilling semi-final victory over Newport County last night. The striker, a recent signing from Moor Green, scored twice and helped set up two more for

  • Two killed in smash at A491 blackspot

    A MOTORCYCLIST and pillion passenger were killed yesterday after being involved in a collision with a lorry at a notorious accident blackspot. The incident happened on the busy A491 dual carriageway near the Clent junction at around 2.05pm. The driver

  • Charity facing 'nightmare'

    AN animal charity in Bromsgrove is facing its "worst nightmare" as more than 70 abandoned pets are left stranded in kennels because of foot and mouth disease. The Blue Cross Animal Adoption Centre, in Wildmoor Lane, Catshill, is just a mile from a foot

  • They are weakest link... goodbye!

    MUCH has been made of the City of Worcester Local Plan. So, in all good faith, we decided to be good citizens and go to view it. What a disappointment! What a pathetic exhibition! There was just a small display screen set in a corner of the St John's

  • Pointing to root of a problem

    6 CAST your eyes upwards to admire the wonderful Victorian brick and stone archways carrying trains between Worcester and Hereford. But has Railtrack noticed the menace from young sycamore, ash and buddleia vigorously growing in the vertical brickwork

  • Blame the Tories

    6 REGARDING Samantha Jones' article about school meals and healthy diets, I was trained at Birmingham College of Food and worked for 10 years as a cook in Birmingham before coming to Worcester in 1979. During the 1980s, the then Tory Hereford-Worcester

  • Morse settles cup tie

    Bromsgrove Town 1 Droitwich Red Lion 2 LMS Shield semi-final DROITWICH Red Lion are through to the final of the LMS Shield after a hard fought victory over Bromsgrove Town. Dean Tudge was recalled to the Lion defence and he looked likely to break the

  • Don't miss chance to build superstore

    THERE is a planning application pending for 105 houses of various types in Kidderminster Road, Droit-wich, next to DFS. I think this should not be considered until Wychavon District Council's retail study has been completed, there has been a full debate

  • Free bus travel for OAPs is now lost

    AS from April 1, OAPs have to pay half price fares on all buses. It is 87p single from Finstall to Bromsgrove and £1.30 for a return. This will be applicable until April 30 when the new bus pass concessions are expected to be implemented. These, I am

  • Carnival laughter

    MAY I say what a privilege it has been to join in the fun and laughter helping chairman Jeff Evans and the carnival committee to arrange this year's Bromsgrove Carnival. It is such an enthusiastic group of people. It's great to think the money we are

  • Police warning after raiders steal garden equipment

    A WARNING has gone out to residents to take extra care of their garden equipment after a spate of break-ins in the Vale. Thieves stole a chain saw and a Stihl hedge trimmer, together valued at £600, from a garage in Kemerton near Pershore last Sunday.

  • Band could be target of terrorists says MP

    THE crack band of the Royal Marines, one of the highlights of this year's Bromsgrove Festival later this month, could be targeted by terrorists, the town's MP Julie Kirkbride claimed this week. The Tory MP, whose husband, Andrew MacKay, is Shadow Northern

  • Asbestos found in school's roof

    A POTENTIALLY harmful substance has been discovered at a Rubery school which caters for hundreds of students. The asbestos was found at Waseley Hills High School, in School Road, by workers who were carrying out repairs on the roof at the premises. Action

  • Couple could hold key to blaze at firm

    A MIDDLE-AGED couple enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll could hold the key to a £500,000 arson investigation. Bromsgrove police are looking for a couple, in their fifties, who were spotted walking along Sherwood Road, in Aston Fields, when a blaze broke

  • Residents to wage war on developers

    WORRIED Bromsgrove residents are set to wage war on developers for the second time. Plans to extend Breme House, a nursing home in Providence Road, have been resubmitted to Bromsgrove District Council by Warwickshire-based Heart of England Housing Gro-up

  • CAB service is 'forced to close'

    A SERVICE which provides needy Bromsgrove residents with advice and information has been forced to close on a Saturday after the plug was pulled on vital funding. The town's Citizens' Advice Bureau, (CAB) based in Worcester Road, will withdraw its Saturday

  • Tory at centre of shares row

    THE Tory leader of the district council was set to be grilled by opposition Labour councillors at a meeting last night over his former ownership of shares in the giant ASDA supermarket chain. Cllr Cathy Mole (Lab, Sidemoor) had tabled three questions

  • 150 cattle culled at farm

    AROUND 150 cattle have been slaughtered at a Bromsgrove farm as foot and mouth continues its hold on the farming community throughout the district. The herd at Foxwalks Farm, in Grafton Lane, was culled last Sunday, April 8, because the site had been

  • Veterans mark 50th anniversary of association

    THE Bromsgrove branch of the Burma Star Association has come up with a model way of celebrating the national group's 50th anniversary. It has teamed up with Models Two, an organisation which runs self-improvement courses, to host an evening of fashion

  • Fundraising delight for record-breaking group

    CHARITIES are often born out of sadness, but one group of fundraisers has every right to celebrate after a record-breaking year. Bromsgrove and District Branch of Leukaemia Research raised £62,000 in 2000 alone which will help improve the lives of people

  • Join in the St George's Day fun

    PATRIOTIC men and women from Bromsgrove are being called upon to help celebrate their patron saint on St George's Day. The International Wine and Food Society's heart of England branch, which covers the town, is organising a celebratory dinner at Burcot