Pulse

Category: News

  • Police: two arrested during operation around ‘Anti-Zionist Movement’ event in Birmingham

    Police: two arrested during operation around ‘Anti-Zionist Movement’ event in Birmingham

    West Midlands Police say two people were arrested during an operation around a pre-planned Birmingham event on 8 February, including a woman detained in Kings Heath on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

    West Midlands Police say two people were arrested as part of a policing operation around a pre-planned event in Birmingham.

    In a statement, the force said a 35-year-old woman was detained in the Kings Heath area at about 2.30pm on 8 February, after officers stopped the car she was travelling in. Police said she was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

    Police said they were acting on information that the woman was due to attend a launch event for the ‘Anti-Zionist Movement’, which they said took place in the Balsall Heath area that afternoon.

    The force also said the woman was wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of a Public Order Act offence, as part of a London-based investigation into speeches and social media posts made between May and October last year in London and Birmingham.

    West Midlands Police said they maintained a policing presence outside the venue during the event. They said that at about 5pm, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence after a member of the public, who had come to observe the event, reported being threatened.

    Police said a criminal investigation is continuing into a social media post used to advertise the event.

    In their statement, West Midlands Police said they updated local stakeholders before and during the operation, including members of the local Jewish community.

    At this stage, police have not released names, nor said whether anyone has been charged. As with any investigation, arrests are not proof of guilt and the legal process will determine what happens next.

  • Police seize more than 50 illegal e-bikes in Birmingham city centre crackdown

    Police seize more than 50 illegal e-bikes in Birmingham city centre crackdown

    West Midlands Police say they have seized more than 50 illegally modified e-bikes in Birmingham city centre since launching a crackdown last summer. Officers say bikes found breaking the rules can be taken and crushed, with riders dealt with for traffic offences.

    West Midlands Police say they have seized more than 50 illegally modified e-bikes being ridden in Birmingham city centre since launching a crackdown last summer.

    Police say officers have been spotting and intercepting bikes, checking whether they have been altered to go faster than the law allows. They say bikes found to be illegal are sent away to be crushed, and riders can be dealt with for traffic offences.

    The force says it launched the operation after concerns from pedestrians and businesses, with worries that quieter, faster bikes could lead to serious collisions in busy streets and pedestrian areas.

    Police also say the issue has had a particular impact on vulnerable pedestrians and people who are blind or partially sighted, who rely on pavements and pedestrian zones being predictable and safe.

    What counts as an “illegal” e-bike?

    In the UK, most road-legal e-bikes fall under the rules for an “electrically assisted pedal cycle” (EAPC). In plain terms, that means the bike must be pedal-propelled, and the motor must stay within strict limits.

    If an e-bike is modified so it no longer meets those requirements, it can effectively become a motor vehicle in the eyes of the law. That can bring different rules around licensing, insurance and road legality, depending on what it has become.

    West Midlands Police say their city centre operation is aimed at e-bikes that have been illegally modified to increase speed, which they describe as posing a risk to other road users and people walking through the city.

    What happens next

    Police say the operation will continue through 2026, with officers maintaining enforcement in the city centre.

    For residents, commuters and visitors, the practical point is simple: if you are using an e-bike in the city centre, it needs to be genuinely road-legal. If it is not, police say you risk losing it.

  • Pulse West Midlands headlines: 9 February 2026

    Pulse West Midlands headlines: 9 February 2026

    Two West Midlands Police identification appeals in Birmingham, the annual review hearing for the Black Country street racing injunction, and rail engineering works that will disrupt services into Birmingham later this month.

    Colmore Row: appeal after phone snatched near Christmas Market

    West Midlands Police are appealing after a woman had her phone snatched from her hand on Colmore Row, shortly before 3.10pm on 14 December.

    Police say she was taking photos of the Christmas Market when she was approached and the phone was taken. Officers have released an image of a man they want to identify after CCTV enquiries.

    Police describe him as around 5ft 7in tall, with brown curly hair. The appeal was published on 8 February.

    Digbeth: CCTV appeal after assault at Nortons

    Police have issued a CCTV appeal after an assault at Nortons bar in Digbeth.

    West Midlands Police say a man was punched in the face at around 8pm on Boxing Day, 26 December, at the Meriden Street venue. Police say the punch caused him to fall, leaving him with a broken ankle and bruising.

    Officers want to speak to the man shown in the footage as part of the investigation. The appeal was published on 8 February.

    Black Country: street racing injunction review hearing set for 26 February

    City of Wolverhampton Council says the High Court will hold the annual review of the Black Country street racing injunction on Thursday 26 February 2026, in Birmingham.

    The council says the injunction covers Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall, and already bans “street racing” or “car cruising” in the area. It says the order applies between 3pm and 7am, and covers drivers, riders and passengers in or on vehicles, as well as organisers and spectators.

    The council says the injunction has a power of arrest attached, and that breach is contempt of court, with penalties that can include imprisonment, a fine, or asset seizure. It says the original order was granted on 27 February 2024 and is reviewed annually.

    Trains: February engineering works affecting services into Birmingham

    West Midlands Railway has published a list of engineering works that will disrupt services into Birmingham later in February.

    From Monday 9 to Thursday 12 February, the late-evening 22:58 service from Birmingham International to Rugeley Trent Valley is listed as amended.

    On Sunday 22 February, buses are due to replace trains between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, affecting services that run through to Birmingham New Street.

    And over the weekend of Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March, there are due to be no trains between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street, with changes also listed on the Transport for Wales corridor.

  • Pulse West Midlands headlines: 8 February 2026

    Pulse West Midlands headlines: 8 February 2026

    Two West Midlands Police identification appeals in Birmingham, an update in a Handsworth death investigation, and Metro service changes that affect travel into Birmingham city centre later this month.

    Heartlands Hospital appeal after racist abuse and threats

    West Midlands Police are appealing for information after an incident at Heartlands Hospital in Bordesley Green.

    Police say that at around 4pm on 14 January, a man entered the hospital and shouted racist abuse at several people and made threats. Officers say they want to speak to the man pictured in their appeal as they investigate what happened.

    Perry Barr robbery appeal after woman pulled to the floor

    Police have also issued an identification appeal after a robbery on Walsall Road, Perry Barr.

    West Midlands Police say a woman was robbed at around 5pm on 29 December. Officers say she was approached by a man who grabbed her handbag, pulling her onto the floor, before leaving with the bag, which contained money.

    Handsworth: investigation after man dies following serious injuries

    West Midlands Police say they are investigating after a man died after being found with serious injuries in Handsworth.

    Police say they were called just after 12.45pm on Monday 2 February to reports of a man in cardiac arrest on a supermarket car park on Soho Road. Officers say the man, aged 40, later died in hospital. Police say they believe he was involved in disorder in the Soho Road/Holyhead Road area before he was found.

    Police say a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and has been bailed pending further enquiries. A second 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and has been released under investigation, police said.

    Metro: February service changes and mid-month tie-in works

    West Midlands Metro has published its February service changes, including works that will affect travel into Birmingham city centre.

    Metro says Wolverhampton St George’s stop will not be in use from Saturday 7 February while signalling equipment is replaced.

    Metro also says that from 21:15 on Monday 16 February until the end of service on Wednesday 18 February, trams will run only between Wednesbury Great Western Street and Wolverhampton Station. Metro says there will be no services between Wednesbury Great Western Street and Edgbaston Village during that window, before normal service resumes from the start of service on Thursday 19 February.

    Metro says ticket acceptance will apply on specific alternative services during the works, including National Express bus routes and West Midlands Railway services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham for season ticket holders only.