u/BirminghamLive

Birmingham is the UK hotspot for rats - and one postcode has seen a 950% rise in call outs of pest control experts.

The B postcode area recorded 315 attended rat call-outs in the 12 months to August 2026 – more than any other postcode area in the UK.

Birmingham also stands out for mice, with 212 mouse call-outs across B postcodes, making it the second worst area outside London in the data collected by JG Pest Control.

The wider dataset is based on genuine pest-control jobs attended by the company's engineers rather than surveys or estimated infestation rates.

More here including an interactive map if interested: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-uk-hotspot-rats-one-34452054

TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic content about a sexual attack.

The full details of a horrific rape at the popular Sandwell Valley Country Park have been revealed for the first time after the victim waived her right to anonymity in a bid to catch the vile perpetrator.

Amanda Quiney, a mum of four from Tipton, was attacked in broad daylight walking on a quiet path at the beauty spot on Monday June 29th.

She was struck from behind, blacked out, and woke in bushes to find her leggings and pants down, shoe missing, her t-shirt ripped and blood pouring from a head wound. Police believe she was raped.

Amanda, 28, has waived her right to lifelong anonymity to tell her story exclusively today in the desperate hope it will unearth a vital clue or shame someone into coming forward.

"There has to be someone out there, someone who has seen something, knows something, please come forward.

"Right now I am in a place where I feel I'm not going to get closure, it will always be an open wound. Even the slightest small thing might actually be a big important piece of information. Please come forward."

In heartrending detail, Amanda spoke exclusively to BirminghamLive's Jane Haynes about the shocking events of June 29th.

Full story: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/remarkable-mums-direct-appeal-after-34441296# (ad free article)

An Olympic silver medallist has called out food and drink prices at the European Athletics Championships - after it emerged a BBQ pork roll was being sold for £18.50.

Olympic silver medallist swimmer Sharron Davies directly responded to the menu being shared online, which shows a bottle of water will set you back £3.95, a bratwurst hot dog £15 and a traditional pork roll £17.50.

Davies, who scooped silver in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, was critical of both the menu cost and ticket prices, saying events must be affordable.

There are still tickets available in every category for the 100m men's final tonight, one of the prestige events. Prices start at £26 for a category E ticket but rise to £150 for a category A ticket for the evening session.

On X, Save Station Street, Birmingham uploaded a picture of the menu inside the Alexander Stadium.

The account posted: "Sorry but this is disgusting and a sure fire way to turn people off a sport that gets only a couple of opportunities to show itself off each year.

"European Athletics Championships organisers in Birmingham need to be called out for this price gouging."

Olympic silver medallist Sharron Davies directly responded to the menu and labelled it 'a real shame'.

Evening session tickets go from £26 up to £110 for adults while it's priced from £13 to £30 for a child, depending on the ticket category.

She responded: "This along with ticket prices is a real shame.

"We must bid for more events but we must make it affordable, so we get to enjoy it first hand, fill stadiums, support our athletes, promote our country & inspire generations to come to love sport."

The European Athletics Championships and Alexander Stadium has been approached for comment.

Mama Roux's has voiced their fears over proposals to demolish the home of their business and others around lower Trinity Street.

A new proposal has come forth with aims to renovate Moor Street Station and expand the rail line leading to Bordesley, but if plans go ahead it would directly impact its neighbouring businesses.

This includes Mama Roux's, the popular 800-capacity club, live music venue, and party bar located at 2-3 Lower Trinity Street in Digbeth.

Under the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance (MRHA) Bordesley Chords consultation plans businesses such as The Warehouse, Original Patty Men, and other small company's are at risk.

Speaking to BirminghamLive, Mama's Operations Manager, Benjy Hill, said: "It's a cultural wipe out of all the night life and independent culture and music. I don't think people have really grasped the sheer scale of it going up from our bit of Digbeth, which is the main strip to all the way down to Moor Street.

"It would completely paralyse Digbeth. The BBC and all these new apartments are coming in and because of all the cool stuff that is here. All this infrastructure is coming in and is needed for the city, but it feels like it's just wiping out everything that makes Digbeth good. You'll just be left with a culture-washed space with a load of high rise apartments."

The 32-year-old added: "Any support would be grateful, just by coming to the venue and telling the Midlands Rail Hub what the area means to them. It's not just about Mama Roux's or Club Colette. If anyone's ever danced at any of those venues or gone to see a gig, if they could share the cultural importance, what it means to them, that would be really helpful. The more people we get submitting, the more they would hopefully have to reconsider or adapt their plans."

Read more here: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/birmingham-city-centre-venue-fears-34407023