A leading health charity is urging parents to be on the lookout for their children grinding their teeth, as its revealed to be major sign that their child could be being bullied.

New research has revealed that adolescents who suffer from bullying are far more likely to grind their teeth in their sleep, a sign which could help parents identify victimised children sooner.

The study, published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, found that teenagers who were subjected to verbal bullying in school were almost four times as likely to suffer from sleep bruxism (65%) compared to those who were not (17%).

Sleep bruxism is when you grind your teeth in your sleep and over time can lead to major oral health problems, including migraines, sensitive and worn teeth, chipped or cracked teeth, loosing of teeth and severe oral pain and can lead to irreparable damage.

The Oral Health Foundation, is urging parents, carers and schools to be alert to students complaining of oral health problems and symptoms related to bruxism as a signifier of them being bullied so that they help can tackle to issue.

Speaking on the issue Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said: "Bullying of any form is absolutely abhorrent and can have a both physical and psychological impact, and when experienced in childhood, can lead to trauma that might last throughout adulthood.

“Grinding teeth may not sound like priority within the wider picture but it could prove to give a vital insight into a child’s state of mind and could be an important sign for us to identify bullying at an earlier stage.

“Both children and adults tend to grind their teeth when suffering from stress, and bullying is a significant contributor here. Sleep bruxism can be particularly damaging as we are often unaware that we do it. Many times, we learn that we grind our teeth by a loved one who hears the grinding at night.

“A dull, constant headache or sore jaw when you wake up is the first tell-tale symptom of sleep bruxism and I urge parents, carers and schools to alert to children complaining of this regularly so they may be able to identify cases of bullying and address it.”

As well as drawing attention to this issue of sleep bruxism and bullying, the Oral Health Foundation is also aiming to raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and problems associated with bruxism more widely so that people who feel they are suffering from it can get it looked at.

Dr Carter added: “It is estimated that sleep bruxism affects more than six million people in the UK², but many are entirely unaware of it.

“If you feel that you have any of these symptoms and may be suffering from sleep bruxism I urge you to visit your dentist who can assess you.

“They may choose to fit you with a custom dental appliance which will stop your teeth grinding together in a stressed manner.

“Suffers can also explore a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to get to the source of the problem.

“Making lifestyle changes, such as giving up smoking, reducing alcohol consumption and managing stress can also help alleviate the problem.”

If you wish to discuss the issue of sleep bruxism further the Oral Health Foundation offers expert, impartial and free advice through their Dental Helpline.

More than 20 people went over the edge in a 170ft abseil to raise money for Birmingham’s John Taylor Hospice.

Descending 17 floors from the roof of the city’s Park Regis Hotel, the abseilers have raised thousands of pounds to support local families.

It was the first abseil organised by the hospice which has cared for people with a terminal illness and their families for more than 100 years.

For many of the participants the event was the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition – but all agreed they were happy to put their feet back on solid ground.

Carl Oldacres, of Walsall, was taking part in memory of his dad Raymond who was cared for at John Taylor Hospice five years ago.

“They did such a good job at the hospice, they couldn’t have done any more for my dad and this is a way of saying thank you,” said 41-year-old Carl, who was cheered on by friends and family. “When my dad was at John Taylor Hospice they organised an 80^th birthday party for him. It was his last wish to have that 80^th birthday party and they did it all for him, they paid for it and everything. That is something you don’t forget.”

Abseiling in memory of her gran Enid Seeley was 27-year-old Kiran Seeley of Erdington. Enid was supported at home by the hospice teams after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2009.

“The abseil was brilliant,” Kiran said. “When I went over the edge I looked down and my legs just went to jelly but I just kept going and then you get over that.”

Teams from fashion store Fat Face in Birmingham’s Grand Central and electrical parts retailer eSpares also took part in the event. Both companies are long-term supporters of John Taylor.

Dan Mavr, a 24-year-old production data assistant at Small Heath based eSpares, said: “I wanted to abseil today to help John Taylor Hospice – and for the thrill of it. It was really good.”

Staff members from John Taylor Hospice also joined the team including Head of Fundraising Katie Mitchell, PR and Media Officer Louise Allen and Community Fundraising Manager Darren Dudley.

Katie said: “A huge well done to all of our abseilers and thank you to the Park Regis Hotel for being such fantastic hosts. It was a great day and it was lovely to meet so many people for whom John Taylor Hospice is a special place which has made a massive difference by caring for their loved ones.

“There are lots of other ways for people to support the hospice’s valuable work. There’s still time to join our Great Birmingham Run team, there are places at our Masquerade Ball and all our other events are on our www.johntaylorhospice.org.uk website.”

Birmingham Airport has seen another month of record breaking growth this year. Figures for June have revealed the Midlands gateway saw over 1.3 million passengers travel through the terminal – giving 16.4 percent growth when compared to the same month last year.

In total 1,301,962 passengers flew through Birmingham – over 183,000 more than the same month in 2016.

Short haul saw a very significant rate of growth at 17.8% whereas long haul services saw a smaller 2.7% increase.

David Winstanley, Chief Operating Officer at Birmingham Airport, said: “June was our twenty eighth consecutive month of record breaking growth, it’s also the third month this year in which we have seen over a million passengers. These are both fantastic achievements and show how Birmingham Airport’s popularity is rapidly growing.

“We are now fully into the busy summer season and so we expect figures for the next few months to remain very healthy.”

Scheduled traffic accounted for 88 per cent of the total, with charter passengers making up the remaining 12 per cent.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) have announced an Introduction to Directing course for West Midlands based new and emerging D/deaf and disabled directors in autumn 2017. The course will offer an amazing opportunity for anyone that has considered a career in directing or already has some experience but has faced barriers from pursuing it further.

The course, which is free to attend, will include weekly workshops with professional theatre directors and practitioners from both The REP and beyond focussing on the skills and resources individuals need to take work from the page to the stage and to continue to develop their craft.

The first workshop will begin on the evening of Wednesday 13 September 2017 and will run every week for 10 weeks culminating in a sharing of participants work to an invited audience.

Tessa Walker, Associate Director at Birmingham Repertory Theatre said:

“I am delighted that The REP and RTYDS are able to offer this unique opportunity to D/deaf and disabled directors from the region. To be able to welcome new directors into The REP and nurture and support them in the early stages of their directing life is a privilege and further strengthens our commitment to representing the diversity of our region in our theatre, in our stories and on our stages”.

Sue Emmas, Artistic Director, Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme said:

“Theatre needs to change.  We need to create an artistic democracy where the society around us is represented both on and off stage.  Directors can have the biggest impact.  They choose the stories to tell and the collaborators they work with to tell those stories. This is the first time the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme has run an Introduction to Directing for D/deaf and disabled new directors.  Be one of the artists who changes UK theatre.”

Priya Dosanjh, a previous participant on an RTYDS Introduction to Directing scheme at The REP also said:

“The Introduction to Directing course was a fantastic springboard for a career in theatre. Beyond the provision of a practical foundation in directing, it led to the ongoing support and mentorship of industry professionals. Within a year after concluding the course, I was assisting on a main house production - an opportunity that I was afforded as a direct consequence of my participation on the course. It’s an invaluable program for anybody in the foundling stages of their career.”

The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) is a professional artist development programme for new and emerging theatre directors in the UK. The scheme seeks out and nurtures the most talented theatre directors at the early stage of their careers; developing their skills and experience by placing them in the UK’s leading regional theatres and providing unique training and professional development opportunities.

New parents and mothers-to-be can get information and support about feeding their baby at a free event taking place to mark World Breastfeeding Week.

Pregnant women, new parents and families with young children can find out more about feeding their baby as well as other issues including reflexology, slings, hypnobirthing, baby massage and baby yoga at the event at Low Hill Strengthening Families Hub on Thursday 3 August.

Experts from the City of Wolverhampton Council's Public Health Team, the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's Infant Feeding Team, the Healthy Lifestyles Team and Health Visitors will be on hand to offer advice and guidance, while families will be able to meet other parents, share experiences and learn new skills. Refreshments will be available, along with activities to keep babies and toddlers occupied.

Lisa Raghunanan, Strengthening Families Partnership Manager, said: "The aim of the event is to support mothers and families to get the information they need to make a fully informed choice on feeding their baby, to support and develop their parent-infant relationships, and also to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.”

Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, added: "This event is part of the ongoing work of Public Health, Early Years and Wolverhampton’s Infant Feeding Team to encourage more new mums in Wolverhampton to breastfeed.

“Research shows that babies who are breastfed are less likely to develop illnesses such as gastroenteritis and respiratory and ear infections. They are also less likely to be obese or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels – all risk factors for heart disease.

“New mothers, mums-to-be and families with young children can find out more about feeding their baby at this free event, as well as getting information and advice about a range of other issues which will benefit themselves and their new arrival."

A sea of colourful wildflowers is springing up at open spaces and grass verges across Sandwell.

Five sites have been sown with a mix of wildflowers, creating a stunning multi-coloured display – brightening up the area and attracting bees and butterflies.

The flowers not only look beautiful and benefit local wildlife, they reduce the need for strimming, mowing and pesticides – saving time and money.

Three of the sites – Ashes Road open space in Oldbury, Sandy Lane open space in Friar Park and Balls Hill park in West Bromwich – have had new bollards recently installed following unauthorised encampments.

The flowers have been grown around the base of the bollards to add a splash of colour, encouraging bees and butterflies and reducing the need for strimming.

The verges on Brandon Way in West Bromwich have also been seeded, as has the Owen Street island in Tipton where a large conifer tree came down in high winds earlier this year.

Just last week, The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country named the A41 in West Bromwich the best for bees thanks to rare bee orchids and other plants growing there. This is down to the council changing when the mowing is done to allow the rare flowers to grow.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for highways Councillor David Hosell said: “We have had so much feedback from residents about the wildflowers – they have gone down incredibly well.

“They really are stunning to look at and they are attracting all sorts of bees, butterflies and insects.

“We’re now looking at other places we can use the wildflowers – and the beauty of them is, they will now re-seed for years to come.”