DETECTIVES from Staffordshire Police are currently investigating the death of a woman in Tamworth.
Staffordshire Police have now confirmed that emergency services were called to an address in Cross Street at around 4.20am today, Friday 9 January, after the woman was found collapsed.
Sadly, the woman, a 50-year-old from Tamworth, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her immediate family have been informed and are being offered support by specially trained officers.
Police have said: “A 38-year-old man from Tamworth has been arrested in connection with the death and he remains in custody for questioning.
“The death is being treated as suspicious and while we work to understand the circumstances of her death we would ask the community not to speculate.
“The address remains cordoned off while a forensic examination is carried out. Officers will be carrying out house to house inquiries and offering reassurance to residents in the area.
“If you have concerns please to speak to them or contact us on 101, quoting incident number 54 of January 9. Alternatively, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”
Tamworth Informed reiterate that people should no speculate as to what as gone on and ask that people do not name any persons they belive to be involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of all concerned.
STAFFORDSHIRE Police have received reports of two incidents of courier fraud in Amington this evening.
Police in Tamworth have received two separate reports of the ‘Courier Fraud’ scam occurring in Amington this evening and are urging public to be extra vigilant.
They are also asking for the warning to be spread as far as possible and for people to reiterate to more vulnerable friends and family to not pass personal details and pin numbers over the phone.
The courier scam is when fraudsters call and trick you into handing your cards and PIN numbers to a courier on your doorstep.
There are many variations of the scam, but it usually follows this method:
A fraudster will cold call you on a landline, claiming to be from your bank or the police. They state their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on your card or it is due to expire and needs to be replaced.
In order to reassure you that they are genuine, they suggest that you hang up and ring the bank/police back straight away. However, they don’t disconnect the call from the landline so that when you dial the real phone number, you are actually still speaking to the fraudster.
They then ask you to read out your PIN or type it on your phone keypad. They may ask for details of other accounts you hold with the bank or financial service provider.
Finally, they send a courier to you to collect your bank card. The fraudster will have then obtained your name, address, full bank details, card and PIN.
Protect yourself against courier fraud:
Your bank will never send a courier to your home.
Your bank and the police will never collect your bank card.
Your bank and the police will never ask for your PIN
If you receive one of these calls end it immediately.
Call Staffordshire Police on 101 to report any suspicious calls.
STAFFORDSHIRE’S drivers are being reminded that 20 is Plenty as part of an ongoing road safety campaign to help keep pupils safe.
In 2014, 47 Staffordshire schools benefited from the campaign which encourages drivers to reduce their speed to a maximum of 20mph when driving outside schools.
The initiative is run by Staffordshire County Council and is in operation when pupils arrive at school in the morning and leave in the afternoon. Speed Indication Devices (SIDs) which display the speed of a vehicle as it passes by are used to urge drivers to slow down.
Cllr Mark Deaville, cabinet support member for Highways and Transport at Staffordshire County Council said: “Staffordshire is amongst the top two counties for road safety in the country, and our roads are now the safest they’ve been since records began thirty years ago.
“Our 20 is Plenty campaign is one of many initiatives we operate which helps to keep our roads and school children safe and I’m pleased to see so many of our schools benefiting from the scheme.
“Since we introduced the ‘20 is Plenty’ four years ago, around 175 schools have taken part and it is now helping encourage more parents and children to walk and cycle to school. This is not only helping to keep people fit and healthy but is also helping to reduce the amount of traffic around schools.”
The high profile scheme was first introduced in 2010 and has now been rolled out to around 175 schools across the county. Each term 16 schools are selected to take part in the scheme.
PENSIONERS and people on low incomes in Tamworth who could benefit from a government grant scheme which gives £140 towards energy bills are being urged to apply before the January 30 deadline.
Residents of the borough are being encouraged to call Tamworth Borough Council’s free Home Energy Advice Tamworth (HEAT) scheme to see if they could benefit from the Warm Homes Discount, now in its fourth year.
The Warm Homes Discount is available to pensioners who receive the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit, or those aged over 75 who receive either element of Pension Credit.
Residents in certain low income groups may also be eligible for the Warm Homes Discount if they meet various criteria laid down by their individual energy provider. Each energy company sets its own criteria for eligibility. To find out if you qualify, please call the HEAT freephone number on 0800 043 2815 or text 07922 651982 and we will call you back.
People born before January 5 1952 may also be eligible to receive the Winter Fuel Payment of between £100 and £300 tax free. Anyone not automatically receiving the payment is asked to call the HEAT number.
Advisers at HEAT will also check whether callers are eligible for any other energy saving measures, grants or discounts.
The deadline for applying for Warm Homes Discount is Friday January 30.
Cllr Michelle Thurgood, Cabinet member for Housing & Waste Management, said:“Now that the weather is getting increasingly colder, many pensioners and people on low incomes are worrying about whether they can afford to pay their heating bills.
“The Warm Homes Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment are available to help people to stay warm and healthy. I would encourage everyone who thinks they may benefit from a grant to call the freephone HEAT number to see if they qualify for help.”
HEAT is a Tamworth Borough Council project which offers independent advice on energy efficiency to help save money on energy bills and can also offer information on renewable technologies, solid wall insulation, replacement heating and other improvements.
TAMWORTH Football Club are offering young fans a chance to watch some local football this Saturday for just £1!
This Saturday (10 Jan), The Lambs take on Guiseley AFC at home and hope to stretch their recent winning streak out to ten games, securing their place even further in the promotion play off zone.
In an effort to swell the numbers of local supporters through the gate, Tamworth FC have decided that the 3pm kick off this Saturday will be a ‘Kids for a Quid’ event, where the ‘Junior Lambs’, aged 6-15 will be able to watch the game in the terraces for just £1. Mini Lambs, the fans age 5 and under will be able to watch the game for free as normal.
The offer is also being extended to allow 16-17 year old fans admission to this home game for just £2, instead of the normal £7. Ticket prices for adults remain the same at £12 for the terraces.
This season, visitor numbers to The Lamb seem to have drastically dropped but the recent winning streak seems to be bringing the fans back. It would be amazing to see a gate of over 1000 again.
Whether you haven’t been to a game at The Lamb for a while, or have never been before, get yourself down to the ground this Saturday and show your support for the local team. It will be amazing to hear hundreds of local voices cheering on the team and helping them win their tenth successive game.
Mobile App
Tamworth FC have also this week launched their new mobile app to Android and Apple devices. To get this free app, just search ‘Tamworth FC’ in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
NOW that winter is well and truly here, Tamworth residents are being urged to take advantage of an offer which gives them the chance to get their lofts and cavity walls insulated completely free of charge
Homeowners or people renting their homes from a private landlord are eligible for free loft and cavity wall insulation, as long as the house is in the Tamworth Borough Council area.
The offer is open to owner-occupiers and private rented tenants, regardless of age or income. The only stipulation is that a free no obligation property survey is carried out. Unfortunately, the offer is not available to tenants of Tamworth Borough Council properties.
The free insulation measures – which can help residents stay warmer at home in the winter and cooler in the summer, while keeping fuel bills down – are being made available through Tamworth Borough Council’s Home Energy Advice Tamworth (HEAT) scheme.
HEAT has teamed up with experienced installer Insuheat Ltd to deliver the free loft and cavity wall insulation, which is funded through the Government-backed Energy Company Obligation scheme.
Anyone living in Tamworth who would like free loft and cavity wall insulation should call HEAT on 0800 043 2815 or text 07922 651982 for a call-back. Work must be booked with the insulation contractor by March 31 2015, although the work can be carried out after this date.
HEAT can also offer help and advice on all aspects of energy efficiency and other grant funding which may be available to help with heating costs.
A similar scheme launched in June 2011 saw hundreds of householders across the borough get their homes insulated for free.
Loft insulation could save a household £150 a year on fuel bills, and the installation of cavity wall insulation could save £145.
Cllr Michelle Thurgood, Cabinet member for Housing & Waste Management, said: “This is a great offer which will benefit thousands of households in Tamworth. Installing energy efficiency measures is an effective way of reducing heating bills, as well as being good for the environment.
“I would encourage all residents – whether they own their own homes or rent them from private landlords - to take advantage of this offer and have insulation fitted before the scheme comes to an end. Fuel bills will be reduced and you’ll be doing your bit to help reduce carbon emissions as well, which is good for the environment.”
HUGE free arts project which aims to inspire, excite and give people across the borough the chance to have a taste of the arts is set to launch this month – with 12 weeks of free taster sessions to give people the chance to have a go at something new.
I Am Tamworth is the biggest and most ambitious arts project ever to take place in Tamworth, and is the culmination of two years of hard work by the borough council’s Arts & Events team.
Its aim is to encourage people of all ages who may never have attended arts events or taken part in anything creative to get involved, by trying out different things for free, including dance, drama, visual arts, music and writing – and even a ground-breaking dance performance by one of the country’s top dance companies.
And to launch the exciting programme, everyone in the borough is being given the opportunity to join in free taster sessions, taking place in venues throughout the borough from January 12 to April 5.
The sessions include drama workshops, songwriting, guitar playing, singing, street dance, tap dancing, ballroom and Latin dancing, creative writing, theatre, painting, upcycling, dress making and crafts.
Venues for the sessions include St Francis’ Church in Leyfields, Tamworth Rugby Club, Tamworth Library, Amington One Stop Centre, Wilnecote Library, Tamworth Community Fire Station, St Martin’s Church in Stonydelph, Glascote Library and Tamworth Assembly Rooms.
All the sessions are completely free of charge, and people can join in with as may as they like. No experience is necessary, as the idea is to give Tamworth residents the chance to try something new.
Full details of all the sessions, including times and venues, are available by visiting the I Am Tamworth website at www.iamtamworth.co.uk, where the full brochure can be downloaded.
The I Am Tamworth project has been funded by Arts Council England, which has awarded the Arts & Events team a £78,000 grant. It will involve accomplished artists from across the genres bringing their skills to Tamworth and working with the public.
It is split into 15 areas, each celebrating a different form of the arts. Projects throughout the year-long festival include:
I Am Dance – including a spectacular outdoor performance using Tamworth Castle and the Castle Grounds by award-winning dance company MotionHouse and Tamworth Dance Company.
I Am Visual Art – shops and empty spaces across Tamworth being turned into pop-up art galleries, creating a portrait trail across the town.
Trotters Trail – a trail of pigs throughout the town, inspired by the famous Tamworth Two. Pigs will be created by local artists, community groups, schools and local businesses.
I Am Music – raising the profile of the existing local music scene and encouraging new and emerging musicians.
I Am Words – creative writing and poetry project, encouraging the people of Tamworth to tell their own stories in their own words. It will include the publication of a book and the creation of poetry trails.
I Am Drama – a number of drama groups to be established across the borough to cerate short pieces about their areas. This will be brought together in a summer showcase called Tales of Tamworth.
I Am Heroes – inspired by the stained glass windows in St Editha’s church which were funded by the people of Tamworth to honour those who died in the First World War. Residents, working with artists, will be encouraged to create their own artwork based on the windows, which will be displayed in the church and Tamworth Library.
I Am Development – a series of events and workshops to support local artists and give them the chance to share their knowledge and skills.
I Am the Beat – giving families the opportunity to learn a new skill together.
I Am Art – the finale of the year-long festival will be a huge celebration which will put the community of Tamworth centre stage.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economy, said: “I Am Tamworth is the most ambitious arts project which has ever been put on in the borough and will give every single person in the borough a chance to have a go at the arts and try something different.
“I would urge everyone to try out at least one of the free taster sessions – they may enjoy it so much that they decide to take up a new arts activity or join a group as a result.
Children under eight must be accompanied by an adult to take part in the sessions. Children under 16 must provide a consent form completed by a parent or guardian to join any of the sessions.
TAMWORTH have today extended their winning streak by winning their ninth game in a row!
This afternoon The Lambs took on Stockport County FC on their own turf, in front of a crowd of 2503, with 99 making the trip from Tamworth.
After a slow start the game finished at 2-0 to Tamworth meaning that Tamworth have now won nine successive games.
The win has added a further three points to their recent winning streak and further securing their 4th place position in the Vanarama Conference North.
A full match report can be seen on the Tamworh FC website here.
Tamworths next game is at home on Saturday 10th against Guiseley. Why not get yourself down there for the 3pm kick off and see Tamworth make it 10 wins on the trot!
A base jumper has escaped serious injury after his parachute failed to fully deploy as he fell from a telecommunications mast near Tamworth.
West Midlands Ambulance Service can confirm it attended a location near a transmitting station off Watling Street, Hints near Tamworth at just after 8.30am.
One ambulance together with a paramedic officer in a rapid response car and BASICS doctor were sent to the scene. The Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) was also in attendance.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived to find a man had been injured after his parachute failed to fully deploy following reports of a base jump attempt from a telecommunications mast.
“The man in his thirties was fortunate to escaped serious injury after he reportedly fell over 300 feet. He was treated for a pelvic injury at the scene.
“Medics stabilised his condition with the use of pain relief and he was immobilised with the use of a neck collar, pelvic splint and spinal board before being taken by land ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.”
A TAMWORTH florist is helping ensure the memory of a six-year-old boy who died from cancer will live on forever in the hearts of his local community.
Every fortnight, at her flower stall in Ankerside Shopping Centre, Taylor Brown creates floral arrangements for Julia and Wayne Mellors to put on the grave of their son Oliver.
Along with her mum and business partner Carol, Taylor also collects for the Lymphoma Research Trust, which Oliver‘s parents have supported since the Hockley youngster, a pupil at Hanbury’s Farm Primary School, lost his battle with non Hodgkins B cell lymphoma in April 2009.
Taylor also makes special floral arrangements to mark significant dates such as Oliver’s birthday, family celebrations, Christmas, and the anniversary of his death. And this summer when Wayne and Julia married, Taylor and her mum were asked to supply the wedding flowers.
Carol said: “Their wedding was a lovely day and we were thrilled to be involved. Over the years we have got to know Julia and Wayne quite well.
Oliver Mellors, aged six, who died from non Hodgkins B cell lymphoma in April 2009
“For special occasions Taylor really takes care to design something vibrant that she feels Oliver would like. His parents tell us the sort of things that would have appealed to him and she then gets to work on
creating the design from scratch.
“While I run the business and administrative side of things here at Ankerside, Taylor is the professional florist. She loves to create new and different arrangements.”
So far Taylor’s designs for Oliver have included a floral snowman, a gnome, a car, a Santa Claus and a football.
A collection box at the flower stall, Mrs Brown’s Flowers, takes donations for the Lymphoma Research Trust.
Julia, who with her husband runs Tamworth security company Central & County Closed Circuit, said:“Some successful research has been done into lymphoma so there is a perception that people tend to recover from it, but so much more is needed. There are still very aggressive types of lymphoma, including the one Oliver had. We desperately need to find a cure to help save other children like him.”
Julia and Wayne, who now have a 21-month-old son, Jacob, have also set up an online fundraising site in Oliver’s memory www.justgiving.com/olivermellors which has raised more than £12,000.
Julia said: “I am always surprised to see donations from organisations and individuals who we don’t know personally but who have given to the cause. They just go onto the page and donate or give the proceeds of fundraising events they have held. Some people leave a message, others donate anonymously. We are so grateful to everyone who supports us.”
On the page she describes Oliver as a “a courageous little boy always laughing always the joker, never let his illness get him down and yet had such time and patience for many people, didn’t suffer fools easily and knew exactly what he wanted in his life, fun, laughter and even tears he did it all and now we find ourselves without the most precious person in our lives.”
Mrs Brown’s Flowers has been based at Ankerside shopping centre for 23 years, though Carol and Taylor did not take over the company until 2008.
Carol said:“Amazingly the man who ran it before us was also called Brown, so we didn’t even have to change the name. We love it here and feel a part of the local community. That‘s why we like to help with local charitable causes, to give back something to the people who support us.”
Julia Mellors with her son Jacob, 21 months, and florist Taylor Brown
They are also dedicated supporters of STEPS, Conductive Education Centre, a specialist nursery and charity for children with motor disorders and their families, and have a second collection box at their Ankerside Shopping Centre flower stall.
Carol explained: “My lovely 16 months old grandson, Isaac, attends the centre and it has been an enormous help for him. Away from the shop we have also helped with other fundraising events for it, including a social evening which raised more than £1,000. I cannot stress enough what an invaluable centre it is for children like Isaac, with Down’s Syndrome and other similar disorders.”
Carol, who lives with husband Tony in Amington, regularly organises raffles to help boost funds for both charities. A recent one to win a teddy bear raised £100 and was won by a customer whose wife had just given birth to a baby.
“It was like he was meant to win it,” said Carol. “We were thrilled for them. Our customers are very generous - even if they are not buying flowers, many people - including our fellow Ankerside retailers - will pop in to buy a ticket when we have a raffle. Customers will also freely put their spare change into our two charity boxes. We have collected several hundreds of pounds over the years since we took over here.”
Isaac is the son of Mrs Brown’s son, David and his wife Joanne, who live in Derbyshire. The STEPS centre (www.stepscentre.org.uk), based in Loughborough, was started in 1994 and is now recognised as one of the leading organisations of its type, helping children with motor disorders lead fuller, more active lives.
Ankerside Shopping Centre, open daily, is home to 60 stores, from fashion, health and beauty to services and food and drink, and has more than 700 parking spaces. More details at www.ankerside.co.uk
