West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson is co-hosting a special event on modern slavery. The all-day conference will detail a victim’s journey from their first contact with the trafficker right through to rescue and aftercare. Experts from the police, West Midlands Anti Slavery Network and more will share their knowledge and best practice. The event – hosted by the PCC, West Midlands Police, West Midlands Anti Slavery Network and Barnardo’s – will take place on Tuesday (18) at Tally Ho, Birmingham.

Six months after the introduction of compulsory microchipping of dogs in England, Andrew Bucher, Chief Veterinary Officer and co-founder of MedicAnimal, the UK’s leading online pet healthcare retailer has questioned elements of the scheme and whether it can be effective in the long term. Figures reported last week by animal charity Dogs Trust show more than 4,700 stray dogs in the UK last year couldn’t be reunited with their owners, due to outdated microchips.

A team of international artists will be transforming Blenheim Palace into an illuminated wonderland as part of a magical new festive trail this winter (November 25th – January 2nd). 'Christmas at Blenheim' will see the Oxfordshire estate lit up by a series of stunning outdoor attractions including a scented fire garden, dancing cascades, sparkling hedgerows, fairy-lit arbours, singing Christmas trees and a lake aglow with brightly-lit boats.

BIRD is most definitely not the word, according to a new study. British women want to banish ‘bird’ from the social dictionary with nearly 60 percent branding it their most hated pet name. Taking to task phrases they deem derogatory, a survey of more than 2000 British women placed ‘mumsy’, ‘hormonal’ and ‘ball breaker’ among the top 10 words they would like to see banned from day to day vocabulary.

With numerous businesses being targeted by cyber criminals in recent weeks and a continuous rise in threats from social engineering, keeping our personal and private information out of the wrong hands whilst working and socialising online is becoming increasingly difficult.  Cyber crime has not only grown in its capability to do serious damage to both businesses and individuals, it has also become so sophisticated that the difference between a legitimate request and a downright scam isn’t quite as apparent as it once was.

The role of Black Country factories as part of the war effort is explored in a new exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery. The Work in Wartime show highlights the scale and importance of factories in Wolverhampton and Bilston during the First and Second World Wars. The exhibition features dozens of archive images and original items including Villiers engines, a motorcycle and bicycle used by the British Cyclist Corps during the First World War and a very rare Sunbeam military dispatch rider’s motorcycle on loan from the Black Country Living Museum.