My name is Sergeant Reeves, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Sergeant of the Erdington Neighbourhood Team.
Firstly, I want to say thank you to Sergeant James Hurdrige for all his hard work over the past year in looking after Erdington.
Allow me to provide you with a brief summary of my background. I have been working with West Midlands Police for 19 years, starting as a Special Constable in 2005. Following that, I transferred to Warwickshire and served an additional seven years there.
In 2007, I joined West Midlands Police full time and began working as a call handler and front office staff member. Over time, I progressed to the role of dispatcher until 2018 when I became a Police Officer.
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with various neighbourhood teams, and I am now eager to take on the responsibility of overseeing the Erdington area.
However, I want to emphasise that while my team and I will be responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of the community, we cannot do it alone. We rely on the support of our partner agencies and, equally importantly, the collaboration of the community.
We require your support in reporting matters so that we are aware of any issues within your community. Please be aware we may not be able to attend all reports, this may be due to other commitments. By informing us of problems in your community can assist us in providing supporting evidence to facilitate us requesting additional patrols from other departments.
By working together as a community and actively looking after our area, we can create a better and safer place to live.
I am excited about the opportunity to serve as your Sergeant and contribute to the safety and well-being of the Erdington community.
Your active participation and collaboration are essential to achieving our shared goal of creating a safer and more secure environment for everyone. I look forward to working with you and getting to know the community better.
Officers from Operation Skybridge / West Midlands Police
Officers from the recently formed special police unit Operation Skybridge have arrested three men in the Erdington constituency and charged them with possession with intent to supply, after seizing Class A drugs and money.
After stopping a car on Jackdaw Road, Perry Common, in the early hours of Friday 25 October, two men were found to be holding what police described as “a stash of drugs and haul of cash.”
Shaun Williams, aged 35, of no fixed address, and Daniel Griffiths, aged 31 from Erdington, were arrested and charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply.
Jacdaw Road, Perry Common / Google Maps
The pair were then processed and appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court the following weekend, with a date set for their case to be heard at Birmingham Crown Court on 25 November.
Preceding the arrests, and acting on information gained, officers from Operation Skybridge were able to apprehend and charge another suspected local drug dealer.
Rielle Forbes-Brown, aged 23 from Erdington, was arrested for possession with intent to supply after being found with drugs, money, and “multiple mobile phones” in a car on Chudleigh Road, Erdington, on Thursday 24 October.
Mr Forbes-Brown has been remanded in custody until his day at Birmingham Crown Court on 22 November.
Chudleigh Road, Erdington / Google Maps
Following all the arrests and the suspects being processed into the courts, a spokesperson from West Midlands Police told: “We’ve seized Class A drugs and secured charges after our proactive crime team swooped on vehicles in Erdington.
“Officers from the Op Skybridge team stopped a car in Jackdaw Road during the early hours of last Friday (25 October) and recovered a stash of drugs and haul of cash.
“We arrested two people who have since been charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply.”
They added: “We detained another man after acting on information and stopping a vehicle in Chudleigh Road on Thursday [24 Oct] morning.
“We found drugs, multiple mobile phones and a quantity of cash.”
Cocaine / Adobe Stock Images
As defined by the Misuse of Dugs Act 1971, narcotics in the UK that fall under Class A include cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, crystal meth, LSD, and magic mushrooms.
Jail time for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs can vary depending on the amount seized, and the perceived role the offender plays in the distribution of the drugs.
The lowest level offender can be let off with a high level community order, but most will be looking at a minimum of around two years behind bars – with the most serious facing life imprisonment.
Operation Skybridge was recently launched with officers from the Birmingham Proactive Crime Team, with a mandate to tackle street level and community crime such as robbery, assault, home invasions, burglaries, and drug dealing.
A spokesperson from WMP added: “Our Op Skybridge team is made up of plain clothed and uniformed officers who target areas where information is received about crime that affects our communities.
“This includes those believed to be involved in robbery, burglary and drug crime.
“If you have any information about crime in your area then please call us on 101 quoting #OpSkybridge. The intelligence we receive will be considered and acted upon.”
Members of the public have also been invited to contact West Midlands Police though the Live Chat facility on their website, or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Ripped police tape on Castle Vale High Street / Pic by Ed King
Councillor Ray Goodwin (Castel Vale, Labour) has called for an “urgent meeting” with West Midlands Police after multiple sources warn the Tyburn Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) currently based on the estate could be moved to Erdington Town Centre.
For several weeks, stakeholders and individuals across Castle Vale have been told the Tyburn NPT are being relocated to the constituency’s main station on Sutton New Road – leaving their current base at The Greenhouse, office premises owned by The Pioneer Group, based on Castle Vale.
Following requests for information by both Erdington Local and Cllr Goodwin, at the time of writing West Midlands Police (WMP) and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPPC) – the two organisations responsible for community policing across the region – have not given any compatible statements confirming or denying a possible move, leaving many concerned about the future of community policing on the estate.
With increasing concerns that Castle Vale, an area which depends on a visible police presence for public safety, could lose its community police officers, Cllr Goodwin has demanded clarity from both WMP and the Police and Crime Commissioner and promised to “challenge” any decision that could see less visible community policing on the North Birmingham estate.
Cllr Ray Goodwin (Castle Vale, Labour) / Pic supplied by Birmingham Labour
In a statement made to Erdington Local, Cllr Ray Goodwin told: “I am deeply concerned to have spoken to a number of stakeholders who have had it confirmed [that there will be] the withdrawal of the Neighbourhood Policing Team from Castle Vale – despite receiving assurances from West Midlands Police… there are no plans, at this point, to relocate.
He added: “Yet two weeks later we have been told the [Tyburn Neighbourhood Police Team] officers will be moved out in three weeks. I will, alongside other partners, be seeking an urgent meeting with West Midlands Police to challenge this decision on behalf of the community in Castle Vale.”
Erdington Local first contacted both West Midlands Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner about the issue on 25 September.
WMP stated all “all enquiries regarding Estates is dealt with by the [O]PCC” and promptly referred the enquiry to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
On 26 October, the OPPC responded by saying: “there are no plans, at this point, to relocate [the Tyburn NPT]” but added “if operational requirements change, our estates team will be on hand to deliver an appropriate solution.”
Police invetsigating reports of gunshots and violent disorder on Castle Vale / Pic supplied by local resident
After continuing confirmation from sources on Castle Vale that the Tyburn NPT are indeed relocating, with Erdington Police Station on Sutton New Road cited as the new location, the OPPC then responded on 9 October saying it was “an operational policing matter” and not one for the Police and Crime Commissioner.
With the ball bouncing back to WMP, a spokesperson for the Force confirmed on 17 October the Tyburn NPT currently “remain at their Castle Vale base” – but crucially did not confirm or deny any possible plans to relocate them in the future.
Police invetsigating reports of gunshots and violent disorder on Castle Vale / Pic supplied by local resident
The Tyburn Neighbourhood Police Team, which operates community policing on a patch stretching from Bromford and Castle Vale to Gravelly Hill and up to parts of Pype Hayes, have been based at The Greenhouse since the closure of the Castle Vale Police Station in 2017.
On 3 April 2023, West Midlands Police launched a new Neighbourhood Policing Strategy, led by Chief Constable Craig Guildford, which planned to make officers responding to crime “more local to provide a better service”.
Supporting the new strategy, the West Midlands Police Federation stated: “We are going to be more visible, we are going to be engaging more with the public and we are going to start talking with our partners again. It will be much better for the public.”
Chief Constable Guildford, who came into post in December 2022, added: “The new local policing model will help us to get better at solving local issues and preventing and solving crime by working in partnership with communities to deliver justice and keep people safe across the West Midlands.”
Castle Vale statue outside Chivenor Primary School / Pic by Ed King
In a statement issued by the OPPC in October 2023, addressing changes to local police teams and stations, it was confirmed that for Castle Vale: “Neighbourhood Policing Teams are currently co-located within a partner building (The Greenhouse). This will continue.”
Stakeholders on the Castle Vale estate are continuing to be told the Tyburn Neighbourhood Police Team will be relocated.
Erdington Local has asked both WMP and the OPPC for further comment about any existing or future plans around the location of the Tyburn NPT.
(Ed’s note: This article was first written by West Midlands Polcie and submitted for publishing in the Oct/Nov newspaper on 11.10.24 – there have continued to be arrests made by Operation Skybridge.)
#OpSkybridge the CID crime team have been in the Erdington area for the last few weeks and [at the time of writing] have made ten arrests.
The team made up of plain clothed and uniformed officers have been a highly visible presence in and around Erdington following concerns raised by the local community.
Since 30 September they’ve made ten arrests [at the time of writing] for offences like possession of an offensive weapon, burglary, driving offences and possession of drugs with intent to supply.
This has also resulted in three people being charged, two people have been remanded in custody until their next court date.
The team work closely with the local neighbourhood team in each area to understand the priorities and concerns of local people. They provide a highly visible presence to deter criminal activity, make arrests and offer reassurance to the local community.
Inspector Shameem Ahmed, from Erdington’s Neighbourhood Team said: “It’s been great to have the additional support to deal with issues the community tells us needs looking at.
“But I want to reassure people that this is not the end of our work in the area, the local policing teams are still there and will continue to disrupt and deal with crime that affects our communities.”
For more from West Midlands Police, and advice on how to report a crime, visit www.westmidlands.police.uk
Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by West Midlands Police, or taken from Erdington Local archives
A man has been arrested for a series of distraction burglaries, one of which left an elderly Erdington woman in a “serious condition” in hospital.
West Midlands Police confirmed they now have a 59 year old man in custody in connection with the robberies, which took place across Birmingham and the West Midlands, after raiding an address in South Yardley on Thursday 10 October.
At the time of writing, West Midlands Police could not confirm or deny if any charges for assault had also been made.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police told: “A 59-year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of 16 burglaries in Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton. He’s currently in custody for questioning.
“We’ve been investigating a series of distraction burglaries over the last month with many targeting elderly victims. An 88-year-old woman was assaulted during one offence in Erdington.”
They added: “We’re grateful for all the support and information we’ve received from [the public] during our enquiries so far.”
Prior to any arrests being made, forces across the country had been chasing a 59 year old man named Bernard McDonagh (also known as Bernard Lovell) in connection with the crimes and for absconding from HMP Spring Hill – a Category D prison for male inmates in the village of Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire, over 60 miles from Erdington.
In previous a statement issued to Erdington Local, investigating officer Detective Constable Melanie Cannon from Thames Valley Police confirmed: “I am renewing our appeal for anyone with information on [Bernard McDonagh’s] whereabouts to contact Thames Valley Police online or by calling 101, quoting reference number 43220388450.
“Colleagues at West Midlands Police are also searching for McDonagh in connection with distraction burglaries targeting vulnerable elderly women in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Solihull.”
West Midlands Police could not release the name of the 59 year old man they now have in custody for the distraction burglaries, but following the arrest they did confirm to Erdington Local: “Bernard McDonagh is no longer wanted.”
In public statement West Midlands Police added: “We still want information about the distraction burglaries, and to hear from anyone else who has been a victim.
“You can contact us via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101, and quote 20/819250/24.
“Alternatively, report information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Words by Ed King / Pics from Google Maps or taken from Erdington Local archives
Jerry’s Lane, Erdington / Google Maps
Police have apprehended and arrested a man on suspicion of burglary in the early hours of Tuesday morning on Jerry’s Lane.
Responding to call over concerns a break in was taking place, officers from the recently formed Operation Skybridge responded quickly and arrived at the address at around 2am on 8 October.
After searching the scene and surrounding areas, a 28 year old man was found hiding in a nearby garden and arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Tesfa Bernard-Wheeler, from Selly Oak, was subsequently charged with the offence and remanded to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on 9 October.
A spokesperson from West Midlands Police told: “We’ve arrested a suspected burglar after promptly responding to a break-in in Birmingham this morning (8 October).
“We were alerted to a burglary taking place in Jerry’s Lane, Erdington, at around 2am. Officers from our Op Skybridge Team – part of the Birmingham Proactive Crime Team – quickly arrived and a suspect was seen leaving the area.”
Jerry’s Lane, Erdington / Google Maps
They added: “A 28-year-old man was found in a nearby garden and arrested on suspicion of burglary. He remains in police custody for questioning.
“The team, made up of plain clothes and uniformed officers, target areas where information is received about crime that affects our communities.”
Operation Skybridge was recently launched with officers from the Birmingham Proactive Crime Team, with a mandate to tackle street level and community crime such as robbery, assault, home invasions, burglaries, and drug dealing.
Initially deployed in Selly Oak and Erdington, the team behind Operation Skybridge wasted little time in making significant arrests.
Thief breaking in with a crowbar / Adobe Stock Images
On 5 October, the special police team announced they had arrested a man the caught on Erdington High Street with 40 wraps of cocaine hidden in his boxer shorts which lead them to make a wider seizure of drugs worth over £5000.
Parts of Erdington High Street have long been blighted by open air drug dealing, leaving many local residents and shoppers alike feeling unsafe in Erdington Town Centre and leading to contact calls for extra police presence
It is hoped by many in the area the new Operation Skybridge might start to turn the tide on crime on Erdington Town Centre and other crime hotspots across the North Birmingham constituency.
Sergeant Leon Butler from Operation Skybridge told: “We’ve carried out dozens of stop and searches, made 12 arrests, disrupted drug dealing on the streets and carried out numerous seizures of weapons, drugs and cars.
“Last week we stopped and searched a man in Erdington to find he had 40 wraps of cocaine in his boxers.
“Through investigation and subsequent warrants we executed, we made a higher value drugs seizure of £5,000. This extra legwork means there is a good chance he will face a greater sanction, which is really good news for the force and for the community.”
West Midlands Police – crest and logo
He added: “We’re also seizing large amounts of drugs from other offenders, arresting nominals for robberies and burglaries and we’ve seized numerous weapons which could have caused real harm out on the streets.
“This is pure proactive policing, causing maximum difficulty and disruption to those who are doing the most harm to our communities.”
West Midlands Police are asking Erdington locals to contact them about crime in the area by calling 101 and quoting #OpSkybridge, stating: “The intelligence we receive will be considered and acted upon.”
Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by West Midlands Police, or taken from Erdington Local archives
Police have released the name of man they want to talk to in relation to a series of distraction burglaries – one of which left on elderly Erdington woman in a “serious condition” in hospital.
Detectives investigating a number of crimes across Birmingham, Sandwell, and Solihull, are looking for Bernard McDonagh – also known as Bernard Lovell.
Distraction burglaries are where the offender pretends to someone in a position of authority or trust – such as a council official, tradesperson, or a member of the emergency services – to gain access to the victim’s house and steal cash, jewellery, and personal belongings.
The recent spate across the region have told reports of a man posing as a city officer or member of the local water company telling the victims he needs entry to their home “to check their taps”, with elderly women being targeted.
After a number of enquires, detectives involved in the investigation want to speak to Bernard McDonagh and have asked the public to get in touch if they can help track him down.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police told: “We need to speak to Bernard McDonagh, who’s also known as Bernard Lovell, aged 59, over the offences.
“Elderly women have been targeted by a man posing as a council official or an employee for a water company, stating that he needs to check their taps.”
They added: “During one of the incidents, an 88-year-old woman was assaulted at her address in Erdington, and she remains in hospital in a serious condition.
“Detectives have carried out a number of enquiries and now need to speak to McDonagh.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Mr Bernard McDonagh, also known as Bernard Lovell, have been asked to call 999 immediately – or by calling 101 quoting crime investigation number 20/819250/24.
Information can also be given via the West Midlands Police Live chat on the WMP website: www.westmidlands.police.uk
Alternatively, reports can be made anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Video of distraction burglary suspect released by west Midlands Police
Kingstanding Crime Conference poster / Supplied by Paulette Hamliton MP
This evening, 3 October, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, will be attending and speaking at the Kingstanding Crime Conference.
Held at the Kingstanding Leisure Centre, Dulwich Road, from 6pm to 7:30pm, the conference is free to attend and open to members of the general public.
Tickets can be secured by registering through a special Eventbrite page – click here, or type ‘Kingstanding Crime Conference Eventbrite’ into an online search engine.
Organised by Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton, who will also be speaking at the event, the conference has been set up to hear local residents’ concerns over crime in the area and “[lay] the groundwork for key community initiatives” which the MP hopes will “enhance safety and security in Kingstanding.”
Kingstanding Leisure Centre / Google Maps
Ms Hamilton recently became the representative for the entire Kingstanding Ward after the Boundary Commission changed the constituency boarders ahead of the 2024 General Election.
She told Erdington Local: “[Kingstanding residents] feel like nothing is being done” to tackle crime in the area, with a focus on “off-road bikes, gangs, and other forms of antisocial behaviour.”
She added: “I have been working tirelessly across our constituency to tackle these issues head-on. The Kingstanding Crime Conference is an important step in this effort.
“This event aims to bring together the police, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (WMPCC), local partners, and residents. The goal is to provide strong leadership and long-term solutions to the challenges we face in the area.
“Our ultimate aim is to create a community where everyone feels safe and proud to call it their home.”
Simon Foster talking to a member of the public on Erdington High Street / Ed King
After attending similar events in Castle Vale and Erdington Town Centre, Mr Foster – who is responsible for the region’s policing and anti-crime strategy – will now be meeting with Kingstanding residents.
As outlined on the conference agenda, Mr Foster will be telling Kingstanding locals what ‘resources have/can be allocated to help the police’ tackle crime in the area, before taking questions for 30 minutes.
The conference will also be a chance for Kingstanding locals to input into the region’s Police and Crime Plan, which is set to be published in 2025 and will guide the regional anti-crime strategy for the next four years.
Mr Foster will be inviting those attending the Kingstanding Crime Conference to complete a survey that will help shape the final plan.
Police and public / Ed King
Ahead of the Kingstanding Crime Conference, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner told Erdington Local: “The conference is an important opportunity to listen to local residents about matters that are of concern to them, discuss achievements, explain challenges and identify the further action required by West Midlands Police and partners, so that we all work together to prevent and tackle crime, to keep people, families, business and the local community safe and secure.”
He added: “I am in the process of an extensive and wide-ranging consultation, on the preparation of my new Police and Crime Plan.
“It is important the Plan reflects the needs, priorities and objectives of the people and communities of the West Midlands, when it comes to crime, policing and community safety.”
An Erdington man has been convicted of the murder of Wallis Webb, after a four week trial found him guilty of the crime on Thursday 12 September.
Mr Webb was discovered dead at his home on Baldmoor Lake Road on 6 February this year, after emergency services were contact by the victims brother who was living overseas and had not heard form their sibling in five days.
After forcing entry to Mr Wallis’s home address, police found the deceased with multiple stab wounds and began a murder investigation.
Sakander Hussain, of Knights Close, Erdington, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court earlier today where a jury of his peers found him guilty of both the murder of Wallis Webb and fraud by false representation – after the victim’s bank cards were used to rack up over £400 of purchases after he was dead.
Hussain, who pleaded guilty to false representation but denied murdering Mr Webb, will be sentenced at a later date – with the Crown Prosecution Service sentencing guidelines outlining he could be facing up to 24 years behind bars.
A spokesperson from West Midlands Police told: “Following CCTV enquiries and searches into the records of Wallis [Webb], investigators found that he had picked an individual up just before midnight on 30 January, and that individual was seen leaving his property just before 4am, hours later.
“Later that morning and for multiple days following, Wallis’s bank cards were used at several shops across Birmingham and online for a shopping delivery.”
They continued: “On 7 February, we arrested Sakander Hussain, 25, at an address in Ingleton Road, Birmingham. We found that Hussain of Knights Close, Erdington, had used Wallis’s bank cards totalling over £400 in the days after fatally stabbing the 65-years-old.
“He was later charged with murder and fraud by false representation.”
Detective Inspector Nick Barnes, from the West Midlands Police Homicide Team, added: “As soon as the murder investigation was launched, our team worked tirelessly on this case and to bring justice to the family of Mr Webb.
“This was a heinous crime with an elderly victim who should have been safe within his own home.
“The fact that Hussain went on to use Mr Webb’s bank cards after he had left him dead demonstrates the callousness of the crime. He even had the presence of mind to set up an online shopping delivery to his home address within hours of the killing.
“He has not offered an ounce of remorse and deserves to spend a significant number of years behind bars.
“I am pleased we have been able to secure justice for the family.”
Words by Ed King / Pics taken from Erdington Local archives
Police are appealing for help from the public after a man was stabbed on Coton Lane yesterday afternoon (10 September).
Responding to the incident, emergency services found the victim in a “serious condition” at the scene, but after rushing him to hospital it was confirmed his injuries were not fatal or “life changing”.
Now the force is calling for any information that may help them “trace who is responsible” for the attack that took place in broad daylight, just off the busy Erdington High Street.
Officers investigating are also looking for any eyewitnesses to the incident, or dashcam footage from any vehicle parked on Coton Lane or on the surrounding parts of Erdington High Street.
Following the attack, forensic teams cordoned off the quiet side street to search for clues – with officers also seeking CCTV footage that may help with their enquiries.
A spokesperson from West Midlands Police told: “We’re appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage as investigations continue after a man was stabbed in Coton [Lane], Erdington yesterday afternoon [Tuesday 10 September].
“The man in his 30s was taken for hospital treatment after the incident at around 3.15pm.
“Thankfully he is not believed to have suffered life-changing injuries and remains in a stable condition today [Wednesday 11 September].”
They added: “CCTV from around the area is being retrieved and reviewed as we work to establish what happened and trace who is responsible.
“Investigators have been carrying out door-to-door enquiries and would urge anyone we’ve not yet spoken with, but who believes they can help, to come forward.
“We’d also ask that anyone who has any dashcam footage from around the time of the incident to get in contact with us. If you can help, call us on 101 or message us via Live Chat on our website, quoting crime reference number 20/832261/24.”
Members of the public who wish to pass on information anonymously have further been asked to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Attending the scene on Tuesday afternoon, West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed: “We were called to reports of a stabbing on Coton Lane in Birmingham just before 3.15pm.
“An ambulance, paramedic officer, a MERIT trauma doctor and two critical care paramedics were sent to the scene where, on arrival, crews found a man in a serious condition.
They added: “Medics provided advanced trauma care before he was conveyed under emergency conditions to hospital with MERIT travelling on board to provide continued treatment.”
