THERE'S been some positive developments in The Blitz, sorry I mean Cllr Allah Ditta's Timberdine Avenue house saga, and for that we should all rejoice.

The former Worcester mayor has secured permission to make some slight alterations on plans to turn his cave-like structure into a mansion, meaning the project is now surely in hand, despite what your eyes tell you.

Cllr Ditta's name appeared absolutely nowhere near the original planning application, when it was in the name of his daughter, meaning your average layperson couldn't possibly tell that one of the city's best-known politicians was the true figure behind the wreckage were it not for us.

The Source couldn't help but notice that under the second planning application Cllr Ditta has now listed himself as the 'agent' behind the project.

Agent of destruction.

* WORCESTER City Council spends around £5,000 a year trying to tackle menacing seagulls - but it isn't nearly enough.

This week yours truly spotted swarms of them over the roofing to the Guildhall, and only stepped outside for two minutes to exchange gossip with a councillor before one quite literally took a dump on the pair of us.

The mess narrowly missed Cllr Simon Cronin but splattered over my back - something The Source is considering good luck.

The irony is that Cllr Cronin despises seagulls, perhaps more so than any other politician in the city - and that's some feat.

"If it was up to me I'd shoot them," he groaned afterwards.

* TALKING of good luck, the new High Sheriff of Worcestershire Michael Hogan might need some.

The Tenbury farmer wants to spend his year in office trying to solve Worcester's congestion problems - and wants talks with some of the county's high-and-mighty to make it happen.

Incidentally, The Source can tell you Mr Hogan, now 70, ran the 400 metre hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics 50 years ago.

He'd have better fortunes returning to compete in the olympics than easing Worcester's traffic.

* SKILLS minister Matt Hancock was in Worcester earlier this month meeting business and political leaders when he was handed a bag of Evesham's finest asparagus as a present.

On his next stop, at Croydon College, he told his aides he wanted to eat it and was promptly cooked up the dish to enjoy on-site.

You never knew the wheels of Government worked so swiftly.

* MAYOR of Worcester Councillor Alan 'fiasco' Amos has made the hallowed pages of satirical magazine Private Eye this week - in the Rotten Boroughs section they've labelled him 'Rat of the Week'.

Congratulations!