Shyamantha Asokan

Midlands

Journalist at BBC

BBC journalist covering Birmingham & West Mids. Formerly @TheEconomist, @FT, @Reuters, @WorkingMums. Interested in stories about motherhood.

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Articles

Rubbish still piling up on streets, Brummies say

1 week ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Sarah Julian |Shyamantha Asokan

Rubbish still piling up on streets, Brummies sayResidents in some parts of Birmingham have said there are still piles of rubbish on their streets, with the city's bin strike in its third month and no sign yet of a deal. Bin workers from the Unite union, who began an all-out strike on 11 March, are in a stand-off with the Labour-run city council over proposed changes to roles and pay.
Police officer sacked for hitting football fan

1 week ago | bbc.com | Shyamantha Asokan

Police officer sacked for hitting football fanShyamantha AsokanVideo shows the incident outside Walsall FC's stadiumA police officer has been dismissed for using excessive force during the arrest of a football fan, the institution's watchdog has said. PC Richard Mannox, a West Midlands Police officer, was investigated by the watchdog over a 2023 incident outside Bescot Stadium after a Walsall FC match.
'Memory man' West Midlands cop milestone spotting 3,000 suspects

1 week ago | bbc.co.uk | Shyamantha Asokan

Image source, West Midlands PoliceImage caption, Andy Pope has been nicknamed "memory man" by colleagues due to his talent for remembering facesA police officer with a talent for remembering faces has hit a new milestone of spotting 3,000 suspects. Andy Pope, of Redditch, who has been nicknamed "memory man" by his colleagues, works on a West Midlands Police travel team that patrols bus, rail, and metro stations across the region.
'Memory man' West Midlands cop milestone spotting 3,000 suspects

1 week ago | bbc.com | Shyamantha Asokan

'Memory man' police officer spots 3,000 suspectsShyamantha AsokanWest Midlands PoliceAndy Pope has been nicknamed "memory man" by colleagues due to his talent for remembering facesA police officer with a talent for remembering faces has hit a new milestone of spotting 3,000 suspects. Andy Pope, who has been nicknamed "memory man" by his colleagues, works on a West Midlands Police travel team that patrols bus, rail, and metro stations across the region.
Christmas star church in Coventry set for local listed status

1 week ago | bbc.com | Shyamantha Asokan

Christmas star church set for local listed statusShyamantha AsokanKirsty BrewetonHearsall Baptist Church in Coventry, which dates back to 1938, has traditionally had an illuminated "Star of Hope" at ChristmasA former Baptist church that has featured a distinctive Christmas star is set to be locally listed. The Hearsall Baptist Church, on Queensland Avenue in Coventry, first opened as a Sunday School in 1928 and became a church in 1938.
Menopause among topics for free Wolverhampton women's event

1 week ago | bbc.com | Shyamantha Asokan

Menopause among topics for free women's eventShyamantha AsokanGetty ImagesThe free two-hour session in Wolverhampton on 5 July will cover the menopause and other health issues, organisers saidWomen will be able to speak to medical specialists about issues such as the menopause, sexual health and mental health at a free event next month. The two-hour session is due to take place at the Penn Manor Medical Practice, an NHS GP surgery in Wolverhampton, from 10:00 BST on 5 July.
Coventry photographer pictures scoliosis to raise awareness

2 weeks ago | bbc.com | Shyamantha Asokan

Photo series highlights women with spine condition Shyamantha Asokan Mandip Singh Seehra Ayesha Jones, a photographer based in Coventry, has documented ten women with scoliosis in her new book Ayesha Jones recalls that, when she was 12, a doctor told her she would "grow up to be a pretty girl with an ugly back." But she turned to him and said: "It won't be ugly, it will just be different." Ms Jones had been diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition where the spine twists and curves to the side,...
Exhibition of modern saris to come to Birmingham arts centre

2 weeks ago | bbc.com | Shyamantha Asokan

Exhibition of modern saris to come to cityShyamantha AsokanBodiceThe Offbeat Sari exhibition is due to open at the Midlands Arts Centre on 28 JuneA touring exhibition of modern and experimental saris, including those made from denim and from steel threads, is coming to Birmingham this month. The Offbeat Sari exhibition will be at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) from 28 June until 2 November.
'You can't find better people than Stokies'

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Scarlett Hutton |Shyamantha Asokan

Stoke-on-Trent has been marking its 100th birthday this week, after King George V declared it a city on 5 June 1925. As part of the celebrations, BBC Radio Stoke is gathering residents' stories and asking them to sign a giant oatcake card. These "Stokie stories" will be displayed in an exhibition later this year at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley. Here are some of the Stokies who have spoken to us so far.
Solihull Council's children's services show improvement - Ofsted

3 weeks ago | bbc.co.uk | Shyamantha Asokan

Image source, Family handoutImage caption, Solihull Council's children's services came under scrutiny after the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-HughesChildren in Solihull are receiving better and more timely support from social workers, an Ofsted visit has concluded. The local authority has since improved in areas such as managing safeguarding referrals and staff workloads an Ofsted inspector said after the latest monitoring visit.