Shisha Shop at 280 High Street, Erdington, with shutters down after Closue Order issued / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID
Words by Erdington Local Editorial Team
Shisha Shop by Six Ways Island has been officially closed down, after West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards found the business was selling illegal vapes.
Promoting itself as offering ‘E-Cigs, Tobacco, Shisha & Accessories’, the business located at 280 High Street, Erdington, was targeted as part of the Operation Fearless initiative that started in Erdington Town Centre in January 2025.
Having accumulated enough evidence to establish the independent retailer was selling illegal vapes, West Midlands Police and Trading Standards finally secured a Closure Order from Birmingham Magistrates Court to force down the shutters on 11 August 2026.
Under Section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a Closure Order can be issued to shut down a business for up to three months if it is believed anyone at the address ‘has engaged, or is likely to engage, in criminal behaviour on the premises’.
Operation Fearless and Council notice on shutters at Shisha Shop, 280 High Street, Erdington / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID
The enforcement at 280 High Street, Erdington, was based on evidence gathered by Operation Fearless and enacted as part of Operation Cloud.
Public Health were also consulted, likely due to the potential health risks around the sale of illegal vapes, which are produced and sold without regulation.
Illegal vapes have been known to contain excess levels of nicotine, exceeding the legal UK limit, and can emit hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein from cheaply produce heating coils.
A study into the dangers of illegal vapes at the University of Dery also found the under the counter products can contain dangerous levels of lead, nickel, chromium, and cadmium – which can impair brain development.
Erdington Wrad Councillor Robert Alden on Erdington High Street with police / Photograph supplied by Cllr Alden
Following the closure of Shisha Shop, Erdington Ward Councillors Robert Alden and Gareth Moore told local residents through social media: “We have been pushing for tougher enforcement on Erdington High Street from Birmingham Police and Birmingham City Council, therefore we are delighted to see this enforcement action being taken.”
They added: “We will continue working with the Erdington BID to help hold the Council and Police to account and ensure that the enforcement action needed is taken to keep our High Street safe for local residents.”
Erdington Town Centre and BID Manager, Ed King, also told: “The sale of illegal vapes and smoking related products pose a real threat to people’s health – as well as the potential for children to access products legitimate and ethical business would not sell to them.
“Any business on Erdington High Street selling illegal products must stop or be forced to stop. It’s that simple.”
They added: “Operation Fearless showed what robust policing in the area can achieve, but when they left some of the problems started to return – with no effective strategy in place for the local team.
“Although, thankfully, Erdington’s new Sargeant [Sgt Millard] is now in post and has been rebuilding a strong Neighbourhood Police Team – cracking skulls and just getting on with the job.
“Erdington BID, working alongside Councillor Alden and Councillor Moore, will do everything to support Sgt Millard and her team – and we hope West Midlands Police are prepared to do the same.”
(l-r) Erdington Neighbourhood Police Seargent Millard, Town Centre Manager Ed King, Erdington BID events team and Community Market stall holders / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID
Directors of M1 Shisha Shop Ltd and A1 Shisha Shop Ltd, both registered at Companies House as retailers with the trading address 280 High Street Erdington, were issued with the official closure order.
Two Directors of Starborn International Limited, a property firm based in West London, were also issued with the closure order – alongside two further individuals, one based in Great Barr and one in Erdington.
On Friday 14 August, Northside Welcome Centre will celebrate 20 years of community support and services.
Located at 176 Streetly Road, Stockland Green, the local community hub runs a varied programme of activities to encourage social inclusion, positive health and wellbeing, and learning new skills.
The weekly calendar hosts sessions including exercise classes, advice surgeries, walking groups, coffee mornings, arts and crafts and computer skills workshops.
Through funding from the Erdington Neighbourhood Network Scheme (ENNS), which supports many community groups and projects across the constituency, Northside Welcome Centre has also recently launched a Cooking Club – where a professional chef will lead workshops on how to prepare food that helps challenge arthritis and inflammation.
Promotional poster for Cooking Club at Northside Welcome Centre
The Cooking Club will run alongside a series of weekly session giving advice on how to manage arthritis and promoting good joint health – as well as a regular gentle movement class to encourage suppleness and mobility.
Held on Tuesdays and Thursday, the new programmes are being promoted as part of Northside’s ‘Move well, eat well, live well’ project – with all activities funded by the ENNS.
Launched in 2006 by Sikh Nari Manch UK, Northside Welcome Centre grew from the registered charity’s work supporting women in the local Sikh community.
Craft and knitting session at Northside Welcome Centre / Photograph supplied by Northside Welcome Centre
Sikh Nari Manch UK was founded in 1998 by Bibi Gurdev Kaur OBE, but built the Northside Welcome Centre so it could operate a wider network of support and services for all faiths and genders.
A spokesperson from Northside Welcome Centre told: “Since opening Northside Welcome Centre in 2006, we have been proud to provide a welcoming space for local people, offering activities, friendship, wellbeing support and opportunities to bring our community together.”
They added: “Over the past 20 years, thousands of local residents have benefited from the Centre and we are looking forward to celebrating this journey with our volunteers, Centre users, supporters, partners and funders.”
Computer and digital skills session at Northside Welcome Centre / Photograph supplied by Northside Welcome Centre
The 20-year anniversary celebration on 14 August will take a look at the centre’s two decades of support, with special recognition of Northside’s volunteers and supporters.
There will also be live Indian classical music and Tabla, as well as a special lunch for invited guests.
Following the significant investment secured from central government earlier this year for Stockland Green Health Centre, it was a pleasure to mark the start of the new 32-bed purpose-built facility at the Highcroft site.
This long-awaited investment is a major step forward, and I’m proud we’re now seeing real progress.
Our faith and community groups play a vital role in bringing people together. That’s why it was a pleasure to join Pastor Aaron and the congregation at Charlton Road Church as they celebrated their 90th anniversary in Kingstanding.
It was a wonderful reminder of the dedication of volunteers, faith leaders and local organisations that make our area special. With Kingstanding benefitting from £20 million through the Government’s Pride in Place programme, I’m determined to ensure local people are at the heart of shaping that investment for years to come.
(l-r) Church Elder David Read, Paulette Hamilton MP, Pastor Aaron Reyes / Photograph supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP
Alongside securing investment, I’m continuing to campaign on the issues that matter most.
I recently challenged the Prime Minister in Parliament over the loophole allowing some landlords, whose HMO applications have been refused, to convert properties into exempt accommodation with far less scrutiny.
Our communities deserve a proper say, and I’ll keep pressing the Government for stronger protections. You can support my campaign by signing my petition at www.paulettehamilton.org
Finally, as schools break up for the summer, I hope you and your family enjoy some well-earned time together.
Whether you’re staying local or heading away, I wish everyone across Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale and South Oscott a safe, happy and relaxing summer.
(l-r) Paulette Hamilton and Keir Starmer at Tia’s Hair Salon on York Rd, Erdington – on the campaign trail for the 2022 Parliamentary by-election / Erdington Local archives
The recent Local Elections in May saw Labour lose six local councillors across the Erdington constituency and get propelled out of power across the wider city – with many blaming a toxic national brand and blind hate for anyone wearing a red rosette.
The once safe labour seat was now, on a local level, overwhelmingly represented by Reform UK. And on the doorsteps, it seems the public ire was aimed at one politician – Sir Keir Starmer.
Erdington Local sat down with Paulette Hamilton MP to ask just how bad it has become for Labour and why she was so publicly vocal about the need for change at the top.
Paulette Hamilton MP looks tired, sounds tired, and is hastily eating lunch on the go as we sit down to discuss the thrashing the Labour candidates in her constituency took at the recent Local Election – which saw several longstanding Labour seats go over to the new kids on the block.
An hour behind schedule, she’s been at “big roundtable in [Birmingham] City Centre looking at supported exempt accommodation” – an issue that often dominates both public and political discourse in the city – and is “not in Parliament today because I am, as I’ve always said, I’m more interested in the local things.”
Breakdown of Birmingham City Council seats won in May ’26 Local Election
And it would be pertinent to be present in Erdington right now, for a Labour MP. In May, mirroring results from across the country, Reform UK smashed down Erdington’s red wall to take all the ward seats in Oscott, Kingstanding, Pype Hayes, and Perry Common, and one in Stockland Green. A tough night for Erdington Constituency Labour Party (CLP), no doubt.
And in her own patch, this Labour MP now has only two of her own party as elected officials: Cllr Ray Goodwin on Castle Vale and Cllr Mick Brown in Gravelly Hill. Both whom carried themselves through with fiercely fought for local support, winning despite of their national party.
“I’m a bit of a hands-on MP,” begins Paulette Hamilton, explaining her own experiences on the campaign trail, in both the recent Local Elections and the last General Election. “I don’t just send people out to do things I won’t do myself. And I’ll start by prefacing everything I’m going to say. I really like Sir Keir Starmer.”
You can sense what’s coming. But the rumbling beneath the surface back in 2024 seems to have erupted into something much more unpleasant in 2026.
Local election count at Utilita Arena / Photograph by Ed King
“We noticed it during the General Election” continues Hamilton. “People were saying, yes, they would give us a chance, but they don’t like our leader. And what we were finding [during the campaign for the Local Elections] was in areas like Castle Vale, Kingstanding, in Erdington, and other places, people started talking about national issues at the door.
“So at the door, we were getting national issues, not local ones. And it all ended with – we don’t like your leader. Some people were literally slamming the door in my face.
“In Oscott [the Labour candidates] had a really difficult time. It was all about immigration. They don’t want the boat people, the black people. I had people at doors. saying to me, are you black? Where are you from?”
Image from Adobe Stock Images
Paulette Hamilton became Birmingham’s first ever Black MP, coming comfortably first across the finish line in the 2022 by-election, triggered by the untimely death of Jack Dromey MP.
“Where is your mum from? Where is your grandmother from?” continues Hamilton, describing the racism she experienced ahead of the May elections. “And when I said the Caribbean [they said] well, you’re not British then.
“You’re not white. You’re not white. You’re not… your family history doesn’t come from England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. And this is what your party is about.”
Abhorrent, no question. But how different was this to campaigning for the Parliamentary seat in 2022 or 2024, when it was about national issues?
“Much more hostile, but it was definitely on national issues. Don’t get me wrong, [people] talked about the bin strike, which was relatable. They talked about Birmingham being bankrupt. But you’d have expected to hear far more of that, considering it was [a Local Election].
“And everything was being blamed on Labour, even though Labour had only been in power for 18 months. And it was all our fault.”
(l-r) Keir Starmer and Paulette Hamilton at press conference in Erdington during 2022 by-election / Erdington Local Archives
There is little doubt that the political landscape has changed, with more popularist parties – both left and right leaning – gaining momentum and seats in the House. And with such vitriol for the leader of your party, as Hamilton admits “we were going to lose” at the next General Election.
“If I hadn’t experienced it, I wouldn’t have believed it could have happened,” adds Hamilton, “but I knew the Labour Party was headed in the wrong direction.
“We’d got the policies, we’ve got the people, but unfortunately the public have stopped… had stopped listening to us and we needed a reset.”
And that reset came, eventually, after an increasing number of Labour stalwarts began to come out and call for Keir Starmer to lay out a timeline for his resignation – the message, received sometimes so aggressively on the doorstep, was clear. A change was needed at the top.
(l-r) Keir Starmer and Paulette Hamilton meet CLP members on Erdington High Street during 2022 by-election campaign / Erdington Local archives
Paulette Hamlton took several interviews on high profile national news outlets, being very clear that Sir Keir needed to go. As risky move for a backbencher, but “I just knew that I had got nothing to lose at that point” she explains.
“I was always going out and I was always spouting the party lines,” continues Hamilton. “But it came to a point where I had to look at my constituency… I had got an Asian part of my constituency that had disengaged. They’d just disengaged with Keir Starmer, the Labour Party, the whole lot.
“Black community stayed at home, disengaged, because Derek (Douglas, who lost the race for the Stockland Green Ward by one vote to Reform’s Manni Butt) would have won that seat if the Black community had engaged enough, right?
Cllr Manni Butt at Utilita Arena after winning Stockland Green Ward by one vote / Photograph by Ed king
“White communities split to hell between reform, Labour, Greens, left, right. And then we’d got a leader that was just carrying on and not listening to what was going on out in the country. And I just felt I’m of an age where I can either carry on hoping for some big Cabinet position that was never going to come, or I can be true to what residents are saying to me.”
Backs against the wall, perhaps. And whilst the very public move, and being one of the first to make it, may have garnered Paulette Hamilton “a lot of hugs” from some in Westminster, she hasn’t got “Andy’s (Burnam) number in my phone book or been promised some position”.
“[People in Erdington] need to feel that the voices they are hearing, they can trust,” adds Hamiton. “They need to feel better that they are… They’re getting the change that they were promised. They’re getting the finances in their pocket. They feel better when they wake up compared to when they went to bed. They have seen improvements in the area where they live.”
And now that the King is dead, and the national Labour Party is on the cusp of crowning another, does our battle weary Erdington MP believe the gamble paid off?
“I actually do. And I have… you’ll be the first to know, but I have nominated [Andy Burnham. This man has done 20 odd years in Parliament. He went to Greater Manchester and learned those skills that sometimes parliamentarians haven’t got. And that is local community and what local communities need.
“And when you combine all those skills and plus his personality… He doesn’t forget a name. You know, he really is a people’s person. And I think it shines.”
Cllr Ray Goodwin, outside Spitfire House on Castle Vale High Street / Photograph supplied by Birmingham Labour
Words by Councillor Ray Goodwin
For years, I have proudly campaigned for cleaner streets, rolling up my sleeves alongside an incredible local litter-picking group and, with the support of Pioneer Housing, helping to make our neighbourhoods places we can all be proud of. Community spirit has always been at the heart of what we do.
That is why I was deeply disappointed to learn, at 5.45pm on a Friday evening, that major changes to household waste collections would begin the following week.
The return of recycling collections, additional recycling bins, weekly food waste collections and extra street cleansing resources are all positive steps that deserve recognition. I welcome any genuine effort to improve recycling and keep our communities cleaner.
However, introducing fortnightly general waste collections with so little notice is unacceptable. This is a significant change that affects every household, particularly larger families, carers and those with limited storage space.
Residents should have been properly informed and given the opportunity to understand how the changes would affect them before they were introduced.
Good public services rely on trust, and trust is built through clear communication, transparency and meaningful engagement. Announcing a major service change at the end of the working week, with implementation just days later, falls well short of what residents deserve.
I want this pilot to succeed because cleaner neighbourhoods benefit us all. But success depends on taking residents with you, not leaving them feeling ignored.
We all share the responsibility of keeping our communities clean, and the Council has a responsibility to keep residents fully informed when making decisions that affect everyday life.
Reform candidates on the campaign trail ahead of the Local Elections in May 2026 / Photograph supplied by Reform UK – Birmingham branch
Words by Councillor Jex Parkin and Councillor John Lambert
Reform councillors are fighting to get Kingstanding added to Birmingham’s Mobile Household Waste Centre programme.
Mobile Household Waste Centres are staffed pop-up sites that visit ten locations across Birmingham each week, usually for one morning. They allow residents to dispose of general household waste and bulky items locally, without having to travel to a permanent Household Recycling Centre.
These services matter. For older residents, people without a car, and those who cannot easily transport unwanted items across the city, they can make a real difference.
They are also part of the answer to fly-tipping. If the Council wants cleaner streets and fewer piles of rubbish, it must make lawful disposal easier and more accessible.
Other parts of Birmingham receive regular mobile waste-centre visits. Kingstanding does not. We do not think that is fair.
Following Cllr John Lambert and Cllr Jex Parkin’s persistent pushing, council officers have confirmed to us that Mobile Household Waste Centres are planned for Kingstanding. Your Reform councillors are in the process of progressing this and will update further with more details as soon as possible.
Kingstanding is one of Birmingham’s largest residential areas, yet residents are missing out on a service available elsewhere. We are fighting to change that.
A mobile household waste centre would give people a straightforward local way to dispose of unwanted items properly and help keep our neighbourhoods cleaner.
Birmingham City Council’s Public Participation Team will be back in Erdington Town Centre on Wednesday 29 July, to talk to local residents about the proposed changes to household waste and recycling collections.
The team will be meeting members of the public at the High Street Hut – the wooden chalet on the pedestrianised area of Erdington High Street in between B&M and Wilton Market – from 12:30am to 4pm.
There is not advance booking required, with the team talking to Erdington locals on a first come first seen basis.
Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) will be setting up some additional seating and cover, as well as free bottle of waters, so people can wait in comfort to be seen and allow more residents to have a chance to engage with the Council.
Engage with Waste team on Erdington High – 16 July / Photograph supplied by Erdingotn BID
The ‘Engage with Waste’ Public Participation Team first came to Erdington High Street on 16 July, as part of an ongoing public consultation campaign ahead of the proposed changes to household waste and recycling collections.
The team are also looking for feedback from members of the public about the upcoming changes to waste and recycling services, which they state could “directly shape” how the services are to be delivered.
(Please note, the Public Participation Team are not responsible for any policy making, legislation, or disputes over working practices, employment status, and pay.)
Mini bins as part of Engage with Waste display / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID
A spokesperson for the Public Participation Team told Erdington Local: “We are really pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Erdington residents directly about the upcoming changes to their waste and recycling services.
“Our goal is to help everyone understand the new weekly food waste collections and the return of recycling services, which now include additional recycling capacity.”
They added: “We are here to support the community with any questions they might have, and importantly, to gather their feedback. Listening to Erdington residents will directly shape how we communicate and roll out these services across the rest of the city.”
Birmingham Council House taken from behind Heras fencing in Victoria Square / Photograph by Ed King
Birmingham City Council has been in an ongoing dispute with Waste Management works and the unions that represent them, especially Unite the Union, since January 2025.
Following the recent Council Elections in May, the minority coalition – led by Cllr Roger Harker (Lib Dems) and Cllr Julien Pritchard (Greens) – announced a new schedule of household waste and recycling collections, although many outside the Cabinet raised concerns over a lack of consultation on the new policy.
Birmingham City Council is subsequently rolling out a public engagement campaign across the city, to talk directly to Birmingham residents about the proposed changes.
What organisers are promoting as the ‘world’s biggest tent pegging show’ is set to take place at Ward End Park on Sunday 26 July, brought to Birmingham by the Prince Malik Ata Tent Pegging Association (PMATPA).
Completely free to attend, and a fun day out for all ages, the tent pegging event starts at 11am and runs throughout the day.
Public parking is available at Wood End Park, with the ground accessible by the No 94 and No 95 buses on Washwood Heath Road.
Being held in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the tent pegging event on 25 July will bring together skilled riders from across the country – competing for the coveted ‘Tent Pegging Memorial Cup 2026’.
The West Midlands Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Dame Beverly Lindsay DBE OD OBE, will also be in attendance at the event.
Malik Ata at Horse and Cattle Show in Lahore, Pakistan / Photograph by Malik Amin Khan
Alongside the ten pegging competition, organisers are promoting a variety of attractions and activities – including horse riding demonstrations and a traditional cavalry display.
First played in the 4th Century BC, the sport requires riders to gallop at speed towards as small ‘tent peg’ embedded in the ground – the rider must make contact with the ‘peg’ and lift it from the ground using a sword or lance.
Reported to have evolved from the Indian and Pakistani subcontinent, the sport came from skills learned by cavalry in combat, where they would train to attack the soft flesh on the feet of elephants used in battle.
Requiring immense precision, ancient cavalry riders would charge the elephant and strike the vulnerable flesh behind the toenails of the big beasts – who would then rear up and throw their riders to the ground.
The term ‘tent pegging’ also derives from similar pre-dawn raids made at enemy encampments, where the riders would pull the literal tent pegs from the ground and collapse the messes and sleeping quarters of their opponents before attacking.
An official Olympic sport in Asia, tent pegging now is one of the ten equestrian disciplines and held it’s first ‘World Cup’ in Oman in 2014 – where South Africa beat the host nation to take home the inaugural championship cup.
The recognised international governing body of tent pegging is International Tent Pegging Federation (ITPF) which has its headquarters in Muscat, Oman – with branches across the world in England, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, and India.
Wood End Park / Still image taken from video by Birmingham City Council
The official governing both in the UK is the British Tent Pegging Association (BTPA), with the sport further championed in Britain by the Prince Malik Ata Tent Pegging Association – named after the first elected President of the Equestrian & Tent Pegging Federation of Pakistan, and one of the ITPF founders.
Tent pegging in the UK has grown from just a handful of riders in 2006 to now boasting over 25 clubs across the country.
Birmingham City Council’s Public Participation Team will be in Erdington Town Centre on Thursday 16 July, inviting members of the public to talk to them about the upcoming changes to household waste and recycling collections.
The team will be situated on the pedestrianised area of Erdington High Street, by the wooden Community & Creative Hub in between B&M and Wilton Market, from 10am to 1pm.
Additional seating and cover will be provided by Erdington BID, allowing more people to have a chance to engage.
The Council team will then move over to Erdington Leisure Centre, setting up an information stand inside the sports facility by the reception, for an afternoon engagement session from 2pm to 5pm.
Both sessions are completely free to attended and require no advance booking, with members of the public attending seen on a first come first served basis.
Uncollected rubbish outside residentail properties in Erdington Town Centre / Photograph by Ed King
Please note, the Public Participation Team will be able to answer questions people may have about the recently announced changes to waste and recycling collections – but are not responsible for any policy making, legislation, or disputes over working practices, employment status, and pay.
They are also looking for feedback from members of the public about the upcoming changes to waste and recycling services, which they state could “directly shape” how the services are to be delivered.
A spokesperson for the Public Participation Team told Erdington Local: “We are really pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Erdington residents directly about the upcoming changes to their waste and recycling services.
“Our goal is to help everyone understand the new weekly food waste collections and the return of recycling services, which now include additional recycling capacity.”
Birmingham Town House as seen behind Heras fencing / Photograph by Ed King
They added: “We are here to support the community with any questions they might have, and importantly, to gather their feedback. Listening to Erdington residents will directly shape how we communicate and roll out these services across the rest of the city.”
Birmingham City Council has been in an ongoing dispute with Waste Management works and the unions that represent them, especially Unite the Union, since January 2025.
Although the issue – reportedly about equal pay, job descriptions, and a number of potential redundancies – persists from previous Labour administrations and goes back to as far as 2017, when John Clancy was then leader of the Council.
Following the recent Local Election in May – where the Birmingham Labour Group lost control of the Council – a minority coalition was formed between the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and some independent councillors, with Cllr Roger Harmer (Lib Dems) voted in a Council Leader.
Shortly after taking office a new schedule of collections was announced, with many members of opposing parties complaining the was inadequate consultation and the new policy was forced through.
Birmingham City Council is now rolling out a citywide engagement programme, talking to members of the public about the proposed changes to their household waste and recycling service.
Erdington Town Centre sign by Six Ways Island / Photograph by Ed King
Ed’s note… This article was first published in the Erdington Local monthly newspaper, out on shelf from 18 June.
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Words by Ed King – Erdington Town Centre Manager
After taking over as Town Centre Manager in March 2025, I spent the first six months meeting with the local Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) and officers from Operation Fearless.
It was an exciting time, with high profile policing in Erdington Town Centre and extensive media coverage about the impact the near million-pound police initiative was making.
And it was working, too.
Operation Fearless team on Erdington High Street during initial launch – Photograph supplied by West Midlands Police
But as a rising balloon gets higher in the sky, the easier it can burst. And with a loud pop and dull thud, once the team left Erdington all the good work achieved by Operation Fearless came hurtling back to earth. £880,000 to disrupt the problem. Or move it from Iceland to Borsch Electrical.
So, excitement turned to frustration. Then anger, as I watched revolving door sergeants and inspectors leave no visible strategy, or police officers, on the ground. And for the next six months I had more meetings, and more frustration, mostly ending in the words: “…just do your job.”
Now I don’t know how to run a police force as much as I know how to fly a plane, which (you should know before taking your seat) I don’t. At all. We’d crash before take off.
(l-r) Street Pastor talking to Designated Nieghbourhood Officer on Erdington High Street / Photograph by Ed King
But what I meant was the answer – to me, and to the entire retail, consumer, and residential community in Erdington Town Centre – was simple. Regular, physical, uniformed, and active police presence on Erdington High Street.
Building a network and building trust. Doing their job. Or rather, being left alone, and in place, to do their job continuously. Simple.
And whilst I don’t know how many annual salaries the cost of Operation Fearless could have paid for, I do know without an effective handover to the NPT it counted for nothing.
Sergeant Millard (far left) with members of Erdington BID and local stall holders at Erdington High Street Community Market / Photograph by Ilona Zielinska
I also know, have met, and have seen doing their job, we have some excellent officers working the Erdington patch. The problem is they’re seldom left there for long, and after a list of false starts and promises from those above them you start to switch off.
Then, after the second sergeant in under a year had signed up and signed off, I got a call from Detective Chief Inspector Askew – a copper’s copper who led Operation Fearless, and one of the only boys in blue I still allowed myself to trust.
“There’s a new sergeant coming to Erdington… give her a chance, you’ll like her. She gets the job done.”
