Birmingham headlines 17 January: Housing Ombudsman finds fundamental failures with Birmingham City Council
The Housing Ombudsman has issued a special report on Birmingham City Council after wider investigation finds fundamental failures. The Ombudsman made 25 findings across these cases and found maladministration in 24 of them, including five findings of severe maladministration.

Unite the Union has confirmed that around 3,000 National Express drivers are preparing to be balloted for strike action. If they go ahead, National Express services across the West Midlands will be severely affected. The drivers rejected a pay offer worth around eight per cent.

An eight-year-old boy was diagnosed with a brain tumour after doctors dismissed his symptoms as tummy bug - and robbed of his voice following an operation to remove it. Isaiah Jarrett died eight months after being diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour, following bouts of extreme vomiting.