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Rooney back for £250,000 per week
Wayne Rooney made a dramatic U-turn on his threat to quit Manchester United after being offered £250,000-a-week, it is claimed. The England superstar is believed to have become football’s highest-paid player by agreeing to the megabucks five-year deal which amounts to an extra £8million a year on his salary. Rooney, who celebrates his 25th birthday tomorrow, pledged to quit the Premier League giants just 48 hours earlier, claiming the club lacked ambition. But United officials are thought to have given the striker assurances that world class stars will be recruited by the club. Rooney’s reported new £65m salary tops his former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, now earning £217,000a-week with Real Madrid. Lionel Messi, regarded as the world’s best player, rakes in £175,000 at Barcelona. Both Messi and Ronaldo are thought to earn more than Rooney in sponsorship deals, however. Despite the staggering wage bill, and a £700m debt, United’s American owners have told Rooney they can still compete financially with the world’s top teams. ● Reward – Back Page
Checks on sub damage A nuclear-powered submarine which ran aground on a shingle bank, embarrassing the Royal Navy, was being checked for damage today. HMS Astute was on sea trials when the rudder of the vessel is thought to have become stuck on the bank on the west coast of Scotland at around 8am yesterday. It is believed a crew transfer from the shore to the submarine was being carried out when the incident happened between the Isle of Skye and the mainland. There were no reports of any injuries and the Ministry of Defence said it was not a “nuclear incident”. The vessel, described by the Navy as the UK’s most powerful attack submarine, was towed free by a tug at around 6pm and sailed to deep water under its own power. Today damage to the submarine was being assessed.
New store for charity
A new store opened today with thousands of bargain goods on sale to raise cash for charity. The Newlife at Home store in the former Maymies nightclub in Hemlock Way, Cannock, will sell a wide variety of home and garden goods donated by retailers. Newlife Foundation already has a successful shop selling High Street fashions at cut prices. There will be new stock each day with profits helping the charity’s work with children. ● Full story – Page 6
Saturday, October 23, 2010
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Toughest week yet for X Factor hopefuls By Sunita Patel Sore throats, bad song choices and the wrath of Simon Cowell – the Black Country’s X Factor stars are facing a challenging time in tonight’s show.
Walsall student Treyc Cohen
Schoolboy Liam Payne, aged 17, from Bushbury, Wolverhampton, has revealed to the Express & Star his band One Direction has had a rocky week, experiencing highs and lows over today’s choice of song. Meanwhile Wolverhampton University student Treyc Cohen says she is hoping she can shake off an ongoing throat problem which has affected her preparations. And Dudley’s Wagner Carrilho will come face-to-face with Simon Cowell after he claimed the show was fixed in a telephone call to a friend and subsequently made headlines across the country.
Liam, second from right, with the fellow members of One Direction
● Nobody knows what’s coming next – See Page 4 Liam said: “We have had a couple of ups and downs this week which you will see on the show. “I can’t really say too much, but it has been the most difficult week for us so far.” Treyc is believed to be singing Led Zeppelin’s classic Stairway to
Heaven tonight. The 26-year-old, today promised a knock-out performance - despite still having trouble with her voice. The songstress from Tamworth has been seeing a throat specialist. “I’ve had a really busy week,” she said. “I’ve got a big production
Star – Wagner Carrilho
this week so I have been learning the routine and working the stage - I’ve got a big song again.” Former PE teacher Wagner, 54, from Pensnett, sparked controversy this week when it was claimed he said he was being set up to fail with silly song choices. He will sing Relax tonight.
Police pay out millions for translation
£2.2m BILL FOR INTERPRETERS By Alex Campbell
THE annual cost to police in the West Midlands of hiring interpreters to translate for foreign criminals, suspects and victims has rocketed by 25 per cent in five years to more than £2.2 million, new figures revealed today.
Miliband in crime warning
Ed Miliband has warned the West Midlands will suffer from soaring crime if the region’s police force cuts 2,250 jobs. The Labour leader used a visit to West Bromwich to lambaste Chancellor George Osborne’s programme of cuts which will remove £81 billion of public spending in a bid to rein in Britain‘s debt. He said the Black Country would only be able to return to its manufacturing heyday with public money invested into creating jobs. The new Labour leader was in the Black Country to meet party members at its Thomas Street headquarters. Speaking to the Express & Star 40-year-old Mr Miliband said: “Police spending needs to be ringfenced. The community will suffer as a result of the decision not to do so.” He added: “The coalition government has gambled with jobs here in the Black Country.”
Road to be hit by new repairs
Another set of roadworks is on the way to one of the Black Country’s busiest routes – just weeks after it was shut for almost two months. Severn Trent Water says it is to return to Penn Road in Wolverhampton because more work needs to be done on its pipes replacements project. It comes after a six-week project caused major disruption over the summer when a stretch was closed off and a diversion put in place. The company today insisted the next phase of work would not cause as much disruption as it did in July and August. Meetings will take place next week to decide how long the roadworks will take and what section of the road it will affect. Severn Trent spokeswoman Gill Dickinson said: “We have now completed the water main replacement work in the area. “However, because of the location of some of the service pipes that link from the mains pipe to the customer’s property, we have been unable to complete their replacement. This means we will need to return. “We’re grateful for people’s patience and understanding while we’ve been carrying out the works.”
Fire-hit Fans queue all night to catch glimpse of Andre pier to reopen
The figures are revealed at a time the force is facing cuts of £123 million to its budget – with Chief Constable Chris Sims suggesting 2,250 jobs may have to be cut.
Language experts providing translation services were paid £2,216,326 by West Midlands Police in 2009-10 – enough to pay for 93 beat constables. Figures disclosed to the Express & Star show an increase of £443,115 since 2005-06, and the cost has more than doubled since 2002. Police bosses today blamed the rising cost on the region’s “increasingly diverse” population. Around £121,000 of the annual bill is for over-thephone translation used by beat officers, but the majority of translators are hired for face-to-face meetings. In Staffordshire, where minority ethnic groups account for only 2.5 per cent of the population, the police payout for translation services still topped £353,000 in 2009-10. The bill, up from £342,000 in 2008-09, includes £19,000 for telephone translation. West Midlands Chief Inspector Matt Markham said today: “The population of the West Midlands has become increasingly diverse in recent years and, naturally, that presents the force with communications challenges when dealing with people for whom English is not a fluent language.”
40p
Stacey Jackson, aged 16, Shani Tatton, 16, Lucy Croydon, 27, and Louise Ellis, 25, waiting to meet the pop star
A huge queue of fans in Wolverhampton today
Fans get their hands on the new perfume
Peter Andre
Hundreds head to Mander Centre Peter Andre fans went “insania” inWolverhampton today, with hundreds queuing to meet the star in the city. The Australian heart-throb was appearing at the Mander Centre promoting his new perfume named after one of his biggest hits, Mysterious Girl. Devotees from across the region began queuing last night be among the first to meet the 37-year-old. Superfan and mum-of-three Tina Lacy camped outside the shopping centre from 9pm yesterday. The 32-year-old from the Lunt Estate in Bislton said: “I have been a fan
Report by Laura Blyth since I was 16. “He is a lovely guy and a devoted dad. “I wanted to make sure I met him so I came last night. I have not slept but it will be worth it when I meet Peter. “I’m hoping for a kiss from him.” Her friend Hannah Jeavons, 28, also from the Lunt Estate, said: “It was really cold last night and it rained. “The police kept coming over to us and asking if we were alright. But we
are at the front of the queue so it doesn’t matter. I don’t know what to say when I meet him. I will probably just freeze.” Devoted Jessica Anslow was in the queue with 11 of her friends, who all arrived at the shopping centre at around 6.45am this morning. The 17-year-old, who is studying child care at the City of Wolverhampton College, said: “I’m a massive Peter fan. “He is lovely and has a gorgeous body. “I am going to give him a rose and get him to sign my CD and perfume bottle. He was appearing at 11am.
One of Britain’s bestloved piers – and a favourite holiday haunt for West Midlanders – rose from the ashes today as it reopened following a devastating fire. The Grand Pier in Weston-Super-Mare was destroyed by a blaze in July 2008. The pier underwent a £39 million transformation and was due to be opened in July but was hit by setbacks. Owners Kerry and Michelle Michael said they were devastated by the fire but vowed to bring the landmark back to life with a modern glass fronted design by Bristol-based architects Angus Meek. The pier is now home to the first ever laser maze in the UK and the only double one in the world as well as Britain’s smallest rollercoaster – the Robocoaster – a giant robotic arm ride. The Grade II-listed pier first opened in 1904.
Family in fire drama
A family had to flee their home in Walsall after a fire in the kitchen of their terraced property. Firefighters were called to Rosamond Street, Palfrey, after a fridge-freezer caught light last night. All eight people were outside when crews arrived at around 9.30pm. Meanwhile, fire crews were also called when two cars collided in Oldbury Road, Blackheath, just after midnight. The female passenger of a Hyundai, believed to be aged in her 40s, needed treatment although she was seriously injured.
COLLECT 1,000 CASH FOR SCHOOLS POINTS TODAY – PAGE 20