Updated 8:43pm 20 May 2013

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Nick McCarthy

Nick McCarthy

University of Birmingham spends £280,000 on refurbishing vice chancellor's home

The University of Birmingham has spent more than £282,000 refurbishing the vice chancellor’s rent-free house.Read

Snooker club bought by city council to solve Birmingham school places crisis

Birmingham’s severe school places crisis has forced the city council into the compulsory purchase of a city snooker club.Read

West Midlands Guantanamo detainees accused of al-Qaeda links in US documents

Secret US documents released by the WikiLeaks website show how four West Midlands men were accused of having links with al-Qaeda during their detention at Guantanamo Bay. Read

Birmingham City Council defends £1million spent on consultants

Birmingham’s housing department has spent more than £1 million hiring just three consultants to managed “short term projects” which ended up lasting six years.Read

Erdington hospice to be run by its own staff as social enterprise

A Birmingham hospice is to be taken over by its own staff in a bid to sweep away red tape and improve patient care.Read

Councillors tried to stop Lord Adonis giving speech to Lunar Society

Deputy city council leader Paul Tilsley is at the centre of a bitter censorship row after he attempted to prevent a former Government minister from delivering a highly critical speech blasting Birmingham as a city with weak leadership facing a bleak future. Read

The 47 Birmingham City Council bosses earning a combined £4.6m

The annual wage bill for 47 directors and assistant directors at cash-strapped Birmingham City Council has been revealed as £4.6 million.Read

Revealed: Why Sutton Coldfield may never be royal again

Sutton Coldfield has proudly used its Royal name since 1528 – without knowing that it legally lost the privilege because of a paperwork error in 1887.Read

Redditch council backs plans to use crematorium to heat pool

A Worcestershire council is pushing forward with controversial plans to heat a swimming pool with recycled energy from a nearby crematorium – making a saving of nearly £500,000.Read

Council pushes through plans to use crematorium to heat pool

A Worcestershire council is pushing forward with controversial plans to heat a swimming pool with recycled energy from a nearby crematorium – making a saving of nearly £500,000.Read

Parents apply to open college for special needs students in Sutton Coldfield

Two sets of parents from Birmingham have applied to build their own college to help meet a city-wide shortage of places for teenagers and young adults with learning difficulties and disabilities.Read

Solihull showbiz agent banned from booking acts

A showbiz agent has been banned from booking magicians and other acts – after making their cash disappear.Read

Showbiz agent banned from booking acts

A showbiz agent has been banned from booking magicians and other acts – after making their cash disappear.Read

Elvis impersonator charged with assault at Birmingham convention

One of the organisers of an Elvis Presley convention in Birmingham has been charged with attacking the son of the King’s guitarist after the event. Read

Elvis impersonator charged with assault at Birmingham convention

The organiser of a Birmingham Elvis Presley convention has been charged with attacking the son of the King’s guitarist in the city.Read

Parents plan to build free school in Sutton Coldfield

Parents have applied to build their own school because of cutbacks in education budgets.Read

Parents plan to build free school in Sutton Coldfield

Parents have applied to build their own school because of cutbacks in education budgets.Read

Acorns Children's Hospice launches Be A Star volunteer campaign

After battling a financial crisis, Acorns Children’s Hospice has launched a Christmas appeal for more volunteers. Nick McCarthy meets some of the families benefiting from the charityRead

More than half of West Midlands GPs refer patients to private sector

More than half of GPs in the West Midlands are referring patients to private hospitals for routine operations, according to a survey.Read

More than half of West Midlands GPs refer patients to private sector

More than half of GPs in the West Midlands are referring patients to private hospitals for routine operations, according to a survey.Read

Author Profile

Nick McCarthy was born and raised in Birmingham and he joined the Birmingham Mail in 2007. He joined the weekly Sutton Coldfield News in 2004 and qualified as a senior journalist in 2006. Before working as a journalist he completed an undergraduate degree in sport and a masters degree in sociology.