An 84-year-old woman from Solihull has helped to catch a conman who tried to trick her in to handing over her bank cards and PIN numbers.
The 48-year-old phoned his intended victim with a scare story claiming her bank card had been used fraudulently and said cash had been taken from her account.
He told the elderly lady to hand over her bank details, including PIN numbers, in order to block further transactions and then told her a specialist courier would arrive to collect her cards and complete security checks.
The pensioner went along with the story and pretended to be taken in by his claims but by the time he had turned up she had reported the suspicious call to her daughter and they alerted police.
Moments after the 48-year-old emerged from a taxi to collect the cards officers, who were lying in wait, stepped in to make a doorstep arrest.
The man from Bordesley Green is now being questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and police are reminding people to be vigilant about who they pass their personal information on to.
A man knocked down by a hit and run driver in Bordesley Green last week has died of his injuries.
Father-of-four, Steven Chappell, was struck by a silver Nissan Micra as he crossed Bordesley Green Road, near Adderley Park train station, at around 2:20pm on January 30.
The 49-year-old suffered serious head injuries from the impact and was pronounced dead in hospital yesterday afternoon.
West Midlands Police arrested two people at an address in Sparkbrook – a 38-year old man and 26-year old woman – just hours after the collision, whilst a vehicle was seized nearby and has been examined by forensics experts.
They have been bailed pending analysis results of the forensics submissions.
Eight police officers had to be treated in hospital after being exposed to an unknown substance during a house raid.
The officers, from the West Midlands Police force, were carrying out a search at a house in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham at around 00.00 (31 August).
Three men, aged 21, 27 and 34, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to possess a controlled drug with intent to supply.
Police say they also seized a "very large" quantity of suspected Class A drugs with an approximate street value of around £250,000.
During the raid, officers were exposed to an unknown substance, which caused ill-effects for both the officers and the people arrested, namely sickness and breathing difficulties.
Eight police officers and the three people arrested were taken to Heartlands Hospital.
All were discharged this morning.
“Police officers face threats on a daily basis and, on occasions, criminals will use extreme measures to resist arrest.
“What happened overnight demonstrates the ongoing commitment and bravery of officers as they work to keep our streets safe.
“Events such as this always raise concern in communities, but I want to be clear that this is about drugs alone and not connected to terrorism.
“A long term operation, ‘No Deal’, is already underway targeting drug dealing across Birmingham, during which efforts have been focussed on two organised crime groups responsible for the supply of cocaine and heroin in the local area.
“Following a long-term covert operation and a series of co-ordinated raids during March 2012, a total of 39 individuals were arrested for various drugs offences, with 26 already sentenced for supplying drugs.”
– Chief Inspector Lee Wharmby, Force Incident Manager
