James Cartledge

5 days ago | birminghammail.co.uk | James Cartledge

'Patrols of two dogs would work - one flushes the vermin out, the other will despatch them'Black sacks and other rubbish piles up in Balsall Heath during the bin strike.(Image: Anita Maric/SWNS)Calls have been made to send in teams of rat-hunting dogs to control Birmingham's vermin problem. Residents have reported seeing huge rodents the size of cats - and allegedly even ferrets and monkeys - on the city's streets as they gorge on rubbish dumped on the streets during the all-out bin strike.

6 days ago | birminghammail.co.uk | James Cartledge

Karen Stephens was later diagnosed with bowel cancer and has urged others not to risk their lives because of 'pride'A grandmother nearly died of embarrassment after binning bowel cancer screening kits before being diagnosed with an advanced form of the disease. Karen Stephens says her pride nearly killed her after refusing to visit the doctor with tummy cramps and diarrhoea.

6 days ago | birminghammail.co.uk | James Cartledge

Delight as city joins other locations where more children got a place at their first choice primary than last yearBirmingham and major northern cities are part of a school place offer trend this year.(Image: South Wales Echo)Birmingham families are part of a new school place offer trend that saw more children in cities outside London accepted into their preferred primary this year.

1 week ago | birminghammail.co.uk | James Cartledge

Harleigh Kamal, 31, says wound 'smelt like rotten egg' and she was told she was lucky not to have developed sepsisA Midland woman who has spent more than £20,000 on plastic surgery said she could have died after her latest op left her with a gaping and smelly hole in her leg. Harleigh Kamal, from Kidderminster, flew to Turkey for a £3,500 procedure to "slim down" her thighs last August.

1 week ago | birminghammail.co.uk | James Cartledge

Dad says he is 'surprised' binmen rejected council deal to end the six-week all-out strike which has shamed cityA driver who said his Mercedes was wrecked by rats gorging on rubbish during the bin strike said he was devastated that no deal had been agreed to end the impasse. Adam Yasin, aged 33 and from Balsall Heath, said his motor was “completely written off” when rodents chewed through wires in the engine.