Almost half (45%) of pet owners in the West Midlands say they feel guilty for leaving their pets to go on holiday, according to a new study released by Co-op Insurance.

The research reveals that a third (34%) of pet owners spend their travels thinking about their pets whilst almost a fifth (18%) refuse to go on holiday without them.

Highlighting that the guilt sets in before pet owners even set off for their breaks, a third (32%) of pet owners say they treat their pets to make up for what’s about to happen.

Furthermore, the study reveals that pet owners living in the region are dependent on technology for keeping track of their pets whilst on holiday, with two fifths (45%) saying that this is the case.

In terms of the most common forms of technology used to keep in touch with their companions, one in ten (11%) and received text messages.

Video Footage, Skype and Instagram are also seen as popular choices for pet owners.

For a third (35%) of pet owners, returning from their holiday with a souvenir for their pet is a must. Three quarters (76%) opt for edible treats, two thirds (67%) purchase toys and one of six (17%) spoil their pets with new bedding.

Once back to normality, pet owners say that out of guilt for leaving their pets they continue to spoil them, over a quarter (27%) provide extra treats, one in four (26%) say they are even more affectionate, and one in seven (16%) buy their pets new toys.

John Taylor Hospice has joined forces with local solicitors to offer people a discounted will writing service during September.

And every person who makes a will during the month-long promotion will also know they are helping the hospice care for local families.

From 1-30 September solicitors who are supporting the scheme are offering people the opportunity to make a single will for £60 and a double will for £110, with half the fee being donated to John Taylor Hospice.

“Making a will is the only way to ensure your wishes are followed after you are gone,” said hospice Patient and Family Support Worker Angie Donovan. “Knowing your will is made gives you peace of mind that everything will happen according to your wishes after your death.

“You may not consider yourself to be wealthy but, when you add everything up, you may find that you have more than you realise and it’s important that you are the one deciding who your beneficiaries will be. Writing a will means you can choose the family, friends and charities you’d like to remember in your will.”

Legacies form an important part of John Taylor’s fundraising with more than one quarter of the money donated to John Taylor Hospice this year received from people who have made a gift in their will.

This money is vital in ensuring John Taylor’s teams can be there for people when they are needed most. Founded in 1910, the hospice has been caring for local people for four generations. For the people who leave us a gift in their will, their legacy is helping make every moment matter for generations to come.

Carol Bernard has been receiving support from John Taylor Hospice since early 2016. She said: “I’d do anything to help John Taylor Hospice. I love going there so much, I only miss my time at the day hospice if it’s an emergency! The staff are amazing and they brighten your day if you’re feeling low. I’ve made incredible friends and I really would be lost without the support of the hospice staff, volunteers and fellow patients.”

And Carol, aged 71 of Newtown, Birmingham, added: “I’ve made my will as I didn’t want my son to have to worry about anything. By making a will, nothing is left to chance and it takes pressure away from your loved ones who are safe in the knowledge that your wishes are being fulfilled.”

Solicitors participating in John Taylor’s Wills Month include Baches, Sutton and Co and Robert Shaw and Co - for the full list see the www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk website.

“We’re really grateful for the support of our friends at Sutton and Co, Baches and Robert Shaw and Co again this year,” said hospice Head of Fundraising Katie Mitchell. “By helping people to make a will, we’re offering the peace of mind of knowing that your wishes are followed after your death.

“The money we receive from gifts in wills is so important to John Taylor Hospice and we’re hoping that, if the time is right for them, people will consider leaving a gift in their will to the hospice.”

Fear of crime is damaging the wellbeing of 203,000 teenagers in the West Midlands, with one in three teenage girls fearful of being followed by a stranger and one in four boys worried they’ll be assaulted, new research from The Children’s Society reveals.

The charity’s 2017 Good Childhood Report has found that an estimated 96,000 older children in the region are contending with at least seven serious problems in their lives, significantly harming their happiness. Fear of crime has emerged as the most widespread of the issues for children aged 10-17, with almost 2 in 5 worried about falling victim to two or more crimes.

One teenage girl interviewed by the charity said: “[They’re] blowing kisses, men beeping, standing asking [your] age, whistling, shouting stopping vans next to you, asking for [your] number.”

A 13 year old boy said: “You’ve got to fight to like kind of survive around this area. You have to stick up for yourself the whole time."

Closely following this fear were the worries of 194,000 teenagers in the West Midlands whose parents are struggling to pay the bills.

Its survey of 3,000 10-17 year olds revealed that more than half (53%) have experienced at least three hardships in the last five years, making them markedly unhappier. Teenagers who have experienced seven or more serious issues in their lives are ten times more likely to be unhappy than those who have experienced none.

The findings support The Children’s Society’s determination to focus more closely on helping children who are facing what it calls ‘multiple disadvantage’. Other disadvantages identified in the report include having a parent with a serious illness, suffering neglect and being at risk of homelessness.

The Children’s Society is calling for the government to urgently address the funding shortfall in children’s services – predicted to reach £2bn by 2020 – and for local government, police forces, schools and other local agencies to work together to improve the wellbeing of children in their area.

Sandwell Council’s taxi licensing team is carrying out spot check operations to make sure vehicles, drivers and passengers are safe.

The latest operation by Sandwell Council’s taxi licensing enforcement team, West Midlands Police, the DVSA and MOT testers stopped 22 vehicles – 18 from Sandwell and four licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council.

Of the Sandwell vehicles stopped, 14 passed the checks with flying colours. Four needed lightbulbs replacing, two were found to have brake pads that would soon need replacing and one vehicle had tyre and lighting issues as well as an insecure battery.

The tyre, bulb and battery issues were fixed during the checks.

One other Sandwell driver was issued with a delayed prohibition to get an excessively worn universal joint fixed – which will need repairing and a fresh MOT for the vehicle.

Of the Wolverhampton vehicles stopped, all four were found to have issues.

One driver was warned that their brake pads were worn and two front tyres were close to the legal limit, another driver was issued with a notice to fix an excessively worn universal joint and an Uber driver was found to have defective lights and seriously underinflated tyres. The bulbs were replaced on site.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for public health and protection Councillor Elaine Costigan said: “These operations are really important to make sure vehicles are safe to be on the road. Our taxi licensing team carry out these spot checks every couple of months.

“Many of the issues the vehicles need are easily fixed – such as bulbs -  and are done there and then to get the cars back on the road.

“Our colleagues in Wolverhampton have been informed about the issues raised on their vehicles.”

Gross domestic product figures (GDP) for the second quarter of 2017 are a further sign of the economy showing its resolve, Greater Birmingham business leaders said today.

GDP was estimated to have increased by 0.3 per cent between Q1 and Q2. Growth in Q2 was dominated by the service sector which grew by 0.5 per cent.

There was also relatively strong growth in government spending and investment, although household spending (0.1 per cent) and business investment (unchanged) during the same period were “sluggish”.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Paul Faulkner (pictured) said: “It was reassuring to see a pick-up in GDP growth levels for Quarter 2 as once again the British economy demonstrated its resoluteness in the face of wider political uncertainty.

“It was also heartening to see an increase in service sector output which made up for the slower level of growth in the manufacturing and construction sectors.

“Nevertheless it remains to be seen how long service sector growth can be sustained given the relative slowdown in consumer spending caused by higher inflation levels and weak wage growth.

“Business Investment was also revealed to be sluggish this quarter, a theme we saw reflected in our Q2 Quarterly Business Report, as local firms reported stagnant investment levels in light of Brexit uncertainty.

“Surveying for our current Quarterly Business Report is now open and it will be interesting to see if these are trends are still prominent in the latest findings.”

Accessing My Account got even easier for one lucky Haringey resident who scooped an Apple iPad 4 in celebration of being the 54,000th person to sign up to the online service. Jennifer Asenso receiving her iPad from Cllr Jospeh Ejiofor

Jennifer Asenso, from Tottenham, clicked her way to success by registering her details online to access a range of council services – from updating council tax details to searching the borough’s extensive libraries catalogue – through My Account. Her registration made her the automatic winner of a competition to celebrate reaching 54,000 registrations.

The milestone represents half of Haringey’s households signing up for My Account, which enables people to securely access their council tax and housing benefit accounts, report environmental issues such as fly-tipping and potholes, search and reserve from the council’s library catalogue and complete online forms for a variety of queries.

Jennifer said: "My Account makes everything easier. I was surprised I was the 54,000th person – I was like, wow!”

Delighted with her prize, Jennifer pledged to use her new iPad to regularly access My Account. Cabinet member for Customer Services, Cllr Joseph Ejiofor said: I was delighted to present Ms Asenso with her prize. This is a significant milestone for the council as we continue our commitment to modernise services and make it easier and quicker for residents to access the services and information they need. With council budgets facing significant reductions, My Account is also a really cost-effective way for residents to access council information, saving local taxpayers money that could be better spent on providing the services that local people rely on.”