Birmingham headlines 23 August: Snooker hall kidnappers jailed after sawn off shotgun threat
Four men have been jailed for more than 35 years after kidnapping and robbing a teenager last September. They assaulted him and threatened him with a sawn-off shotgun and a samurai sword before forcing him to hand over money and stealing his phone and trainers.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has called for a public inquiry into the Birmingham pub bombings. It follows the Crown Prosecution Service telling victims' families that no criminal charges are being brought following a reinvestigation into the atrocity due to insufficient evidence.

The oldest pub in Birmingham, The Old Crown, turns 655 this September. The pub is launching a brand new historical exhibition, which includes unseen photos of the pub throughout its history as well as insights into the struggles and successes of its near 700 year history.