The clean-up at Black Patch Park in Smethwick has begun after a group of travellers were evicted earlier this week. Tonnes of rubbish including more than 300 tyres, rubble, black bags, furniture, beds and double glazed windows were left behind after the group were evicted by bailiffs. Sandwell Council bosses say the bill will run into thousands of pounds – with rubbish costing £110 a tonne to dispose of, plus the cost of cleaning the area, equipment and staff.

House of Fraser’s much-loved, festive winter wonderland raised an incredible £8,100 to support the pioneering work of Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. The Christmas grotto, which was located on the fifth floor of the department store, was open from the end of November until Christmas Eve and donated £1.20 from every ticket purchased to the charity’s £3.65 million Star Appeal, to help construct the UK’s first paediatric Rare Diseases Centre.

Of the many recent Queens Honours List, one of those who fully deserved her calling, and equally a mention, was the British Empire Medal which was so deservedly awarded to football coach, Annie Zaidi. Coventry-based Annie, a coach at Premier League champions, Leicester City and FA ‘Women in Football’ ambassador, was awarded the BEM in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for her services in football coaching. 

The public are being invited to participate in a mass walk through Selly Oak on Monday 6^th March, by the national disability charity Sense. The walk, which will involve members of the local community, people with disabilities and local business, will raise awareness of a major new community centre set to open in the area in the summer.

One in ten parents in the Midlands say short-term rentals, which result in frequent and stressful house moves, have stopped their children feeling settled. The new research published today by Shelter reveals the worrying impact the country’s broken rental market is having on families. In the past decade, the number of renting families has more than doubled but the law has failed to keep up. Renters only have a secure home for six months after which their landlord can ask them to leave with just two months’ notice and without a reason.

TV presenter Rylan Clark-Neal got up to 'nose' good in a Sainsbury's store in Nine Elms when he pranked shoppers with an animatronic talking Red Nose, for the launch of this year's official Red Nose Day merchandise. Sainsbury's worked with a specialist animatronic company to create the larger-than-life Red Nose character, complete with hidden microphone, moving eyes and mouth. Placed out of sight, Rylan was able to use a remote control to make the Nose come to life, surprising shoppers and colleagues with jokes, banter and even some singing.