Police in Birmingham are searching for a local man wanted for a violent assault and have released his image in a bid to trace him.

Darren Walker, aged 45 from Speedwell Road, Tyesley, is wanted in connection with the offence which took place on May 20; he is also wanted in connection with a theft.

DC Dan Lagorio, from Birmingham East, said: “Walker is wanted in connection with a violent assault in the Tyesley area and theft. Officers are investigating the incidents but have so far been unable to locate him. We want to hear from anyone who has information to contact us as soon as possible.”

He is described as: white, of medium build and is around 5ft 8ins tall.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or alternatively information can be given to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A teenager is due to appear in court this morning (25 June), accused of committing a series of robberies, when in possession of a BB gun, in Birmingham’s Perry Park.

Abdi Abdi, aged 18, was arrested by police near to Perry Park on 23 June after officers received a call suggesting a man suspected of involvement in the robberies may be in the park.

Officers quickly arrived and, after a short footchase, arrested Abdi, of Aldersea Drive, Aston, on suspicion of robbery.

The teenager, who is unemployed, was last night charged with eight counts of robbery, five counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and one charge of attempted robbery.

Abdi was remanded in custody to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning.

The charges follow a police warning to residents and visitors to Perry Park at the weekend after concerns were raised over a series of recent robberies in which young lads had been forced to hand over their expensive bikes near to the park’s BMX track.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man suffered stab wounds in an assault on a canal path.

The 36-year-old victim was walking along the towpath between the Derby Road bridge entrance into Long Eaton and the green pedestrian bridge when he was assaulted.

He suffered one stab wound to the leg and one to the abdomen, which were not thought to be serious or life-threatening, and was treated by paramedics.

Police investigating the incident – which happened at about 3.30pm on Monday, June 23 – want to hear from anyone who might have witnessed it.

Anyone with information should call Derbyshire police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A man has been charged with assault following a disturbance in Holme Hall, Chesterfield, at the weekend.

Police were called to reports of a group of people fighting near to the flats on Cauldon Drive at 12.30am on Sunday, June 22.

During the disturbance a 20-year-old man was allegedly struck to the ground. He was taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital by ambulance suffering from an injury to the head.

One man was arrested shortly after incident and was later charged with wounding with intent.

Christopher Blair, 25, of Cauldon Drive, Chesterfield was due to appear at North East Derbyshire and Dales Magistrates Court on Monday, June 23.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident.

Anyone with information should contact T/DC Katherine Hodges at Chesterfield CID on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Detectives investigating the stabbing of a Wolverhampton doorman are to revisit the scene this weekend – three weeks on from the attack – in a bid to trace new witnesses.

Ian Ramsey, aged 38, remains in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a single stab wound to his chest outside the Harp Inn in Walsall Street in the early hours of Saturday 7 June.

Ian was attacked by a man outside the pub at around 2.45am and officers are anxious to trace anyone who was in the area who may not have yet spoken to police.

DI Paul Joyce, from Force CID, said: “A 31-year-old man has been charged in connection with the stabbing of Ian Ramsey but detectives still need the help of people who were out and about that Friday evening/Saturday morning who may have seen the attack.”

Officers will be outside the pub between from 8pm on Saturday 28 June giving out flyers to pub and club goers in the town centre.

Anyone with information which could assist police is asked to call Force CID at Harborne on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A 27-year-old woman remains on bail in connection with the inquiry.

West Mercia Police have today released the following statement relating to the investigation into their previous contact with Jamie Reynolds. In December 2013, Reynolds was sentenced to a full life term for the murder of Georgia Williams in Telford in May last year:

In January 2014 West Mercia Police referred the police handling of previous incidents involving Jamie Reynolds to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) with the strong recommendation that an independent investigation be carried out.

On Friday 14^th March the IPCC informed us that their recommendation was that such an investigation should be managed locally by West Mercia Police.

Our officers and staff strive to provide the best possible service to the public and it’s important to examine previous incidents involving Jamie Reynolds to ascertain whether those investigations fell short of what is expected.

We take the concerns around these previous incidents very seriously and, in light of the IPCC’s decision not to investigate them independently; we strongly feel that it would be more appropriate for the investigation to be carried out by an alternative force.

We have therefore asked Devon and Cornwall Police to conduct an investigation and senior officers from Devon and Cornwall have already visited Telford. They have met Georgia’s parents and other complainants, and have been briefed on all relevant matters.

As an investigation is in progress, it would inappropriate for us to comment further in relation to the investigation.

Our thoughts very much remain with Georgia Williams’ family and friends and through this investigation and the Discretionary Serious Case Review we remain determined to fully examine the circumstances that led to her tragic death, to provide her family with answers and to learn how West Mercia Police can further improve to ensure young people are protected.

An investigation is underway after robbers forced a woman from her car in Oldbury before driving the suspected stolen Audi at police in Wolverhampton last night (24 June).

Officers received an emergency call at 5.30pm after a car drove into the back of a woman’s Audi A3 on Pound Road.

The offenders, in a Vauxhall Astra, accelerated into the back of the car and when the motorist got out to find out what was going on, a man ran past her and drove off in her ‘12’ plate car − also escaping with the woman’s handbag, which was inside.

The offenders drove off, in convoy, towards Langley Farm Road.

Police were quickly despatched and details of the stolen vehicle were circulated to all officers in the area.

Around two hours later officers on patrol in Norfolk Road, Penn Fields spotted a car matching the description of the stolen white Audi ‘S line’. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, which was driven at police as it attempted to get away from the scene.

Three men were seen running from the area and officers flooded the neighbourhood to conduct searches for the suspects.

Detective sergeant Toby Davis from Wolverhampton Force CID is leading the inquiry. He said: “This is a serious crime and we want to hear from anyone who was in the area of Pound Road, or Penn Fields later in the evening, and saw this car to contact us.

“The crime happened during rush hour just off the main Wolverhampton Road and the stolen car is bound to have driven through busy commuter traffic along the Birmingham New Road to Wolverhampton.

“Thankfully neither the car’s owner or the police officer were injured but we need to trace these people as they were prepared to use violence to commit their crimes.”

The Audi remains outstanding and enquiries are continuing this afternoon.

DS Davis added: “The car may well have been changed onto false number plates and so we want to hear from anyone who has spotted an unusual car parked in their street, or who has seen anything suspicious.”

Anyone with information to help the police investigation should call Wolverhampton CID by dialling 101 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police investigating an arson attack which destroyed a £150k bus in Sparkbrook earlier this month have released CCTV images of two boys they want to trace in connection with the inquiry.

It took just minutes for the fire to rip through the top deck of the National Express West Midlands vehicle but passengers were quickly evacuated and nobody was hurt.

Officers have been speaking to witnesses and trawling CCTV footage since the blaze happened on Stratford Road at around 2pm on Thursday 12 June.

PC Chris Burns is leading the investigation and said: “There were 10 people on board who were lucky enough to get away before the fire took hold; we believe it was started after paper was set alight on the back seat of the upper deck. 

“I am appealing for anyone who knows the two boys in the images to come forward or for the lads themselves to make contact with me and my team. We know they boarded the bus at Maypole and got off at Stratford Road near to Beach Road.”

He added: “The bus is a write-off but it could have been much worse because lives were put at risk and it’s important those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

Anyone who can assist with the investigation should contact PC Chris Burns on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing about an alleged robbery thought to have taken place in the Mansfield area during June.

Enquiries are being carried out by officers in Chesterfield who received details of an incident which took place on an alleyway near to a pub on Stockwell Gate.

A victim has yet to come forward to report the alleged offence.

Anyone with any information about this incident should contact PC Julie Pearson at Chesterfield Police Station by calling 101.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman reported she was assaulted in Shrewsbury at approximately 4pm on Monday 16th June.

She told police the incident occurred on an isolated path running between Underdale Road and Robertson Way on the outskirts of Shrewsbury town centre, close to what is locally known as ‘The Memorial Tree’.

The woman was in a state of distress and has told police she was approached by a male who was initially friendly towards her and tried to engage her in conversation. He then assaulted her before she ran off.  She suffered no injuries from the incident.

The man was described as being between 30 and 40 years old with a dark complexion, between 5ft 5ins and 5ft 10ins tall, with short hair.  He was wearing dark blue jeans, a round neck T-shirt and dark shoes or trainers.

Detective Sergeant Rob Mountford of Shropshire CID said: “The victim has told us this incident took place on a Monday afternoon and there would have been a lot of people in the area, so we hope someone would have witnessed something.

“If anyone recognises the man’s description or saw him in the area of Underdale Road or Robertson Way, please get in touch. We would also like to speak to anyone who witnessed a distressed woman running from the area.”

Any witnesses are asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101 quoting the incident number 583s of the 16 June.

If you want to give information without giving your name you can also call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit their website www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Cannabis with a suspected value of between £600 and £1000 has been seized from an address in Batchley today (Wednesday 25th June).

Officers from the Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team for West Mercia Police carried out a warrant at the home on Pulman Close and seized the class B drugs and £600 in cash.

An investigation has been launched and two people are due to be interviewed by the police later this week.

One of the ways that members of the public can help keep Batchley safe is by reporting the use or supply of illegal drugs to police on 101. Any information received is taken very seriously and will be acted on where appropriate.

You can also remain anonymous by giving information to Crimestoppers through their website,

www.crimestoppers-uk.org, or by calling them on 0800 555 111.

UPDATE: Local police are talking to residents and young people across the Chesterton area today following a serious assault last night (Thurs).

The additional patrols will be visible and actively targeting areas where young people gather throughout the weekend to address any local concerns.

The two 17-year-old males injured following last night’s stabbing incident in a subway in Newcastle are recovering well in hospital. The incident occurred at around 6.30pm in the subway off Dimsdale Parade West, near the McDonald’s restaurant on the A34.

Chief Inspector Clare Riley, Commander of Newcastle Local Policing Team (LPT) said: “The carrying and use of knives is completely unacceptable and we will take firm action against any person found carrying knives or weapons.

“A detailed police investigation is underway, seven young males have already been arrested and are being questioned in relation to very serious offences. The investigation will progress and we will bring those responsible for this incident to justice.

“Police officers will continue to be in the community to provide reassurance to the local residents following this shocking incident and they are proactively speaking to young people about this very serious incident.

“We are also actively working with schools and colleges across the area to address any concerns.

“Thankfully the two injured teenagers appear to be recovering quickly, and we have already spoken to a number of witnesses about the incident.

“A forensic examination of the scene will be completed shortly and detectives will be questioning those in custody.

“I urge anyone with any concerns to get in touch with the local policing team and anyone with information on this incident should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“We normally have a safe community and anyone who chooses to get involved in such serious crimes should expect to be dealt with firmly and positively by Staffordshire Police.”

Those arrested in connection with this incident are aged between 15 and 22 and are all from the local area. One of the teenagers assaulted sustained only minor injuries, the second had a number of puncture wounds and is recovering well in hospital.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man from Coventry was attacked with a single blow to the head causing him to lose three teeth.

The attack happened on Friday 23 May at around 10:00pm on Northumberland Road in Earlsdon.

The 34-year-old man was walking from his home to a friend’s in Spon End via Middlesborough Road when he was approached from behind and assaulted. He received an unexpected blow to the left side of his ear, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the floor.

The man was unconscious for several minutes before being able to get to his feet and stumble to the walk-in medical centre in Hillfields.

He sustained a large cut to his top lip, which needed 20 stitches, another five stitches to the inside of his mouth and dental work to remove three teeth, as well as whiplash.

Detective Constable Jim Clarke, investigating the case said: “We urge anyone with information or witnesses to this vicious assault to come forward.

“This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent man resulting in serious injuries to his face and causing him to lose his teeth.

“He was unconscious on the floor for several minutes so we are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything or have any information to assist our lines of enquiry.

“If you do know anything about this incident I would urge you to call police on 101 or the independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Police in Walsall have released images of a man they want to identify after a woman was sexually assaulted as she travelled on a bus.

The assault took place on the number 51 bus on Sunday 11 May at around 6.20pm as the bus pulled into Walsall Town centre bus station.

A 17-year old girl was sat on the top deck of the bus , when she was approached by a man who put his arm around her and sexually assaulted her.

He is described as a black man, late teens-early twenties, wearing a “snapback” style black cap with a camouflage peak, jeans with white writing on the back pocket, with stud earrings in both ears.

DC Lisa Gilbert from Walsall Public Protection Unit said: “The suspect had got on the bus about 6pm eating a bag of chips and later approached 17-year-old girl as she sat upstairs. The girl assaulted is quite distinctive as she has pink hair and I need to hear from anyone who saw the incident or anyone who recognises the offender shown in the image to contact police at Bloxwich on 101.”

A Wolverhampton man has been charged with drug offences after he was found with drugs and cash.

Unemployed Jake Durnall, aged 19 from Blackburn Avenue, Aldersley, approached two police officers as he rode his pedal bike, underneath a disused railway bridge just of Aldersley Road in Wolverhampton on April 5 this year.

After realising they were police officers, Durnall tried to dump his bike and ran away. He was caught by the officers and arrested and cannabis and cocaine was recovered from him.

After searching his home address, officers recovered more cocaine and cannabis and an investigation was started.

Durnall was charged on June 17 with possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis and three counts of possession or criminal property under the Proceeds of Crimes Act (POCA) after money was confiscated that was believed to be from drug dealing.

Durnall was bailed to appear before Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday 2 July.

Police arrested four men last night (Thursday 26 June) who were trying to flee following a robbery at Asda in Jubilee Crescent, Coventry.
 
Officers were called to the store in Radford at 10.52pm following reports of a robbery carried out by four men who threatened and assaulted the staff, before demanding  money.
 
The men left empty handed and drove off in a Audi A4 vehicle, ramming a police car which had been sent to the scene as they left. 
 
The Audi car was abandoned in Burnaby Road and four men aged 27, 21, 19 and 20 were arrested nearby on suspicion of robbery and are  currently helping police with their enquiries.
 
DS Gareth Mitchell from Force CID in Coventry said: ” Investigations are on-going and we are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area of Jubilee Crescent and Burnaby Road last night to contact police on 101.”

A former football coach from Coventry, who travelled to Egypt for more than a decade to pay for sex with children as young as 11, is beginning a four-and-a-half year jail term.

Alan Rattigan visited the African country on several occasions between 2000 and 2013, where he would abuse the same young boys, all aged under 16.

The 64-year-old was caught after officers from the West Midlands Police Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET) received information about his activities earlier this year.

When they raided his home on Avon Street in Wyken they found photographs and videos which directly linked him to the sexual abuse of children abroad.

Analysis of his bank accounts showed cash transfers to Egypt, together with emails from children living in the country asking for money.

In interview, Rattigan admitted travelling to the country and paying for sex with the youngsters.

He also told police that he photographed and videoed the abuse in Luxor and Hurghada and brought the images home.

In total, police found 1,131 photographs of Rattigan abusing the youngsters and a further 3,084 indecent images of children that he had downloaded from the internet.

Five of them showed abuse of the worst possible kind.

At the time of his arrest Rattigan was an assistant coach at Pinley Football Club in Coventry and West Midlands Police worked closely with the Football Association throughout the investigation.

On Wednesday (25 June) Rattigan was sentenced to four-and-a half years in prison at Warwick Crown Court. He was also given a Sex Offenders Prevention Order (SOPO) to run for 15 years and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

DC Simon Hale, from West Midlands Police, said: “Rattigan was essentially a sex tourist; he knew he could satisfy his desires by travelling abroad to a place where, sadly, some families are so desperate to make money, they’ll even sell their own children.

“But these kids will have been no less affected by Rattigan’s actions than if they had been living in this country and it’s quite right that he’s been brought to justice for what he did.”

DC Hale added: “Work to tackle the sexual exploitation of children is going on every day across the West Midlands; whether it’s grooming for sexual activity or making, possessing or distributing indecent images − we will catch those responsible.”

The Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team uses advanced IT techniques to track internet activity and gather online evidence against suspects.

It features both investigators and intelligence officers who proactively interrogate suspicious internet activity and hunt down paedophiles.

The national Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) team has developed a website – Think You Know – which provides useful web safety advice and a guide on how to report worries or concerns about people you’re chatting to online: www.thinkuknow.co.uk.

Three men have being found guilty of fraud following their involvement in a former Rugeley-based hot tub distribution business.

Hundreds of customers from across the country, and a few from mainland Europe, were affected by the actions of the three men who ran Spaserve, which went bankrupt in October 2010 owing £2.7million.

Following a three-month trial at Stafford Crown Court the three men were convicted of fraudulent trading and conspiracy to defraud yesterday (Tues).

Simon Foster, aged 48, from the south of Staffordshire; Stuart Cox, aged 40, from the West Midlands; and Johnathan Husselbee, aged 36, from the south of Staffordshire will now be sentenced at the same court on a date to be fixed in April.

The defendants were convicted for their involvement in the fraudulent running of Spaserve, and agreeing to lie and mislead customers at the point of sale as to the origin of the hot tub and how long they would take to arrive.

This led to repeated misrepresentation by office staff, who lied about anticipated delivery dates to stop customers from cancelling their orders.

The police investigation into the activities of Spaserve – which traded under different names including The Trade Price Group – began in the late summer of 2010 as a joint inquiry with Trading Standards following numerous complaints from disgruntled customers.

Their experiences included receiving a hot tub which didn’t work or never receiving items ordered. In a substantial number of cases customers had handed over money and never received anything.

It is thought that around 2,000 hot tubs were sold to customers over three-and-a- half years (from April 2007 to October 2010), and only in the region of 1,600 were delivered.

As the investigation progressed Staffordshire Police took the lead, but before any arrests were made the business was declared bankrupt in October 2010, owing £2.7million. It was established that between them the partners took £1.2million of company funds.

Initially five people – four men and one woman – were arrested in November 2010 on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. As the investigation continued one man and the woman were released from police bail without charge.

The investigation, which focused on the three men’s business activities through Spaserve, was extremely complex but Foster, Cox and Husselbee were charged in May 2012 and the case sent for trial.

More than 17,500 pages of statements and exhibits made up the case and 65 witnesses – which represented the 734 customers affected by these individuals and the business – gave evidence during the lengthy trial.

Various professionals also gave evidence about their dealings with Spaserve, including Staffordshire Trading Standards.

It was found that the business was not profitable at any stage in its existence. DS Rob Harvey, from the force’s Fraud and Financial Investigation Unit, said: “The conviction is to be welcomed and follows a highly complex investigation which ran over several years.

“This case highlights that fraud is not a victimless crime. It is a criminal act, and one which is motivated by greed. These three men preyed on unsuspecting members of the public by abusing their trust and callously disregarding the impact their actions would have.

“They did not care about the customers they were dealing with – they were purely motivated by securing hot tub sales and getting money.

“I would like to thank all those people who came forward and told us of their experiences at the hands of Spaserve.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the officers and support staff who have spent many hours working on this case over the last three-and-a-half-years.

“Our justice system relies on those appointed to conduct jury service and this trial has taken up three months of their lives. Their commitment to that justice system and the part they play cannot be underestimated.”

Johnathon Husselbee

Simon Foster

Stuart Cox

Burglars targeted two homes in the same road in Wythall, north Worcestershire, on the same day stealing five shotguns and £1,000 in cash from one of the properties.

The offences took place in Brick Kiln Lane, Wythall, in broad daylight and West Mercia Police officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward to help with their investigations.

Sometime between 11.30am and 2.30pm, burglars broke in through the back of one house and made an untidy search of all the rooms before ripping a large sky blue metal gun cabinet off the wall containing five shotguns and £1,000. They also took computer/digital equipment.

The items taken were an Aya 12 bore side by side shotgun, Browning 20 bore self loading shotgun; a Beretta 12 bore over/under shotgun; a Browning over/under shotgun; a side by side/hammer gun; an iPhone 4s; an iPad 16gb and a Fuji Finepix S4900 digital camera.

A second property in the same road was broken into via the back sometime between 7.35am and 4.40pm on Thursday June 26. Again the burglars made an untidy search of all the rooms before leaving with £195 in sterling, 359 in euros, a gold wedding ring and other items of jewellery.

Detective Constable Paul Lettis of Redditch Proactive CID said: “We are linking these burglaries and are appealing for anyone who was in the Brick Kiln Lane area during the daytime on Thursday to contact us.

“They may have seen or heard something, no matter how small it might seem, that could be vital to our investigations and could help track down the offenders and recover the stolen property.

“We are also urging anyone who is offered items matching the descriptions of those stolen to contact us immediately.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Lettis on the non emergency number 101 quoting incident numbers 367s 260614 and 510s 260614.

Alternatively information can be passed on anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or completing its online form by logging on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Police are trying to trace the owner of garden ornaments and an iron, which were found after officers stopped three men in Markeaton Park.

The items include a stone lion, a gargoyle-type creature, a goose made out of twigs and a Bosch steam iron.

They were seized after police stopped three men who were acting suspiciously in Markeaton Park at about 3.25am on Wednesday, June 25.

The men had a shopping trolley with them, in which some of the ornaments were stored.

Police now want to trace the owner of the items and want to hear from anyone who might know who they belong to.

Do you recognise the items in the images below?

If so, call Derbyshire police on 101, quoting crime reference 49 of June 25. You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.