The initiative targets the sale of illegal and harmful goods across the city.

Warrants were executed at a business premises in Kings Heath last month, along with two vehicles linked to the operation. The coordinated action resulted in the seizure of 40 large nitrous oxide bottles and associated paraphernalia, 600 illicit vapes, 17 packets of oral snuff and 80 unlicensed erectile dysfunction tablets.

One vehicle was seized, and forced entry was made into the second. A male suspect was also arrested at the scene.

The Council’s Trading Standards team and West Midlands Police visited the same premises in November 2024 and seized a number of illicit goods. Last month’s visit was the second seizure at the premises.

A closure order has now been issued for the premises based on concerns from the community worried about anti-social behaviour. The closure will be in place for three months.

On 7 August, the Council’s Trading Standards team continued to intensify operations with two further enforcement actions under Operation Cloud in Erdington.

Both premises were identified through new intelligence and were visited with the support of a trained detection dog.

This operation resulted in seizures of 1666 illegal vapes, 5624 packets of illicit cigarettes (112,480 cigarette sticks) and 992 packets of counterfeit tobacco pouches, with a combined estimated street value of £125,000.

Officers also accessed a vehicle that was storing illegal goods, which was seized at the scene.

Councillor Jamie Tennant, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said:

“This latest raid demonstrated our unwavering commitment to protecting Birmingham’s communities from the dangers of illegal goods. These products were not only harmful to individuals – particularly young people – but also fuelled anti-social behaviour and criminal activity in our neighbourhoods.”

Launched in September 2024, Operation Cloud has been a city-wide crackdown on the distribution of illicit vapes, nitrous oxide, counterfeit tobacco, and other illegal products that pose serious risks to public health and safety. To date, the operation has removed nearly £7 million worth of illegal goods from circulation.

Operation Cloud continued to intensify, with enforcement actions targeting the illegal sale of single-use vapes, following a new ban introduced on 1 June 2025.

Residents were encouraged to report any suspicious activity or sales of illegal goods by contacting Birmingham Trading Standards on 0121 303 9360 or West Midlands Police on 101.

The Trust has a catalogue of initiatives which have led to the organisation achieving a Modeshift STARS certification for a ‘Very Good Travel Plan’ awarded by Birmingham City Council.

Schemes include the promotion of car free days, cycling to work and using more public transport to travel to the Trust’s sites.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport at Birmingham City Council, visited Birmingham Children’s Hospital this week to present the Trust with the certification and met with staff Steve Cumley, Chief Operating Officer and Maya Desai, who both cycle to work.

Cllr Mahmood said: “Modeshift STARS recognises healthcare settings, schools, businesses, workplaces and other organisations that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel.

“This is the first hospital site in Birmingham to achieve this level of accreditation on the Modeshift Healthcare platform which is a fantastic achievement and I would like to congratulate everyone involved.

“The way we travel is more than just logistics. It is about rethinking how we move about. By encouraging walking, cycling, public transport, low-emission vehicles, and car sharing, we are making it easier and better for staff, patients, and visitors to choose sustainable travel options.”

Dan Saxton, Head of Sustainability at the Trust who also greeted the councillor, said: “The take up from staff in using different modes of travel has been really encouraging.

“We have been actively promoting cycling by offering free bike loans which is also an NHS Net Zero initiative, whilst we have also been investigating car sharing where possible. We have expanded on offers for use on public transport including free bus and discounted tram travel.

“These different initiatives are shared with staff on a regular basis and any new starters are given all this information on their first day, again this is in line with the NHS Net Zero programme.

“We are grateful to Cllr Mahmood for presenting us with this certification.”

Carers’ Voice is running throughout August in the Industrial Gallery as part of the museum’s powerful Made in Birmingham display.

Organised by Forward Carers, which runs the Birmingham Carers Hub on behalf of the city council, it is funded through the National Lottery Community Fund.

Cllr Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This exhibition really brings the stories of unpaid carers to life, illustrating the vital work they do to support people who need help due to disability, illness, mental health needs, addiction or frailty.

“We have over 91,000 unpaid carers in Birmingham who face real challenges and it is so moving to hear their stories. It was a real honour to meet some of these wonderful people at the exhibition launch.”

Many carers have also shared their stories in a newly released book created in collaboration with Barefoot Birmingham Yoga and supported by Big White Shed. The book will be available to purchase from the museum shop throughout August.

The exhibition features original artwork and poetry created by carers, short videos capturing the lived experiences shared in the book and space for visitors to reflect on the realities of caring and the strength it takes to support loved ones.

This first phase of the Eastside extension includes two stops offering passengers easy access to key destinations including Moor Street Station, Millennium Point, the Clayton Hotel and Birmingham City University campus, while work continues to take the extension to Digbeth Coach Station.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, joined colleagues from Metro Midlands and Transport for West Midlands when the trams were tested last night.

The line also offers a direct tram link for the almost 400,000 bus passengers a week who use services at the busy Moor Street bus interchange. This brings bus, rail, tram and cycle hire together in a single location as part of an integrated transport system.

Mayor Richard Parker has earmarked £400m to build the tram extension to the new stadium and surrounding Sports Quarter regeneration scheme. The money is also being used to plan and design the full East Birmingham and Solihull extension out to Birmingham Airport and HS2 Interchange.

Cllr Mahmood said: “This is an exciting milestone in the expansion of the Metro to East Birmingham.

“I am determined to work hand-in-hand with the Mayor to deliver better transport links across our city, and the Metro is at the very heart of this. The £400m investment that the Mayor secured will unlock economic growth in East Birmingham, helping to connect our communities with jobs and opportunities for generations to come.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Our plan to extend the Metro network to East Birmingham and Solihull is crucial to unlocking the £3 billion private sector investment in our new Sports Quarter, which in turn will create huge opportunities for communities that have been held back for too long.

“These successful tests show how close we are to opening up new reliable tram links to this part of Birmingham City Centre. Soon it will be easier for everyone to get around – whether they are commuting to work, heading to class or travelling further afield by connecting to rail and bus services.

“Expanding the tram network is a crucial enabler for my Growth Plan. It’s about more than just transport; it’s about connecting people to the businesses and education opportunities that will drive our region forward.”

Birmingham City Council is working closely with local partners to respectfully gather and preserve these tributes. In agreement with the Osbourne family, items will be carefully collected and stored with the utmost care at a secure location, ensuring they are protected and treated with dignity.

In due course, they will be passed on to the Osbourne family, so they may keep them as a lasting reminder of the public’s affection and support.

The Osbourne family said: “We are deeply moved by the heartfelt tributes that have been placed at the Black Sabbath Bridge and at the Black Sabbath mural on Navigation Street in recent days. These expressions of remembrance reflect the profound impact that Ozzy had on the city and its people, as well as fans from around the world – BIRMINGHAM FOREVER!”

Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Zafar Iqbal, said: “We understand how important it is for the community to have a space to grieve and celebrate Ozzy’s legacy.

“We know fans will continue to pay their respects at the bench at the Black Sabbath Bridge and the mural on Navigation Street, as well as visiting the Ozzy exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which closes in September.

“Our thoughts remain with Ozzy’s family at this difficult time.”

The individual was believed to be responsible for a significant number of illegal waste dumping incidents in the south of the city, causing environmental damage and blighting local communities.

As part of the investigation, the Council seized one vehicle that had been used to transport and dump waste illegally and West Midlands Police seized three vehicles for road traffic offences. In connection with the case, one person has been arrested.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and a serious criminal offence. We will not tolerate individuals who think they can profit by dumping waste illegally and leaving the clean-up costs to taxpayers. This joint operation between the council’s waste enforcement team and WM Police sends a clear message – if you fly-tip in Birmingham, we will investigate, we will find you, and we will take action.

“We are committed to protecting our neighbourhoods and the environment. Illegal dumping not only scars our streets and green spaces, but it also poses health risks and undermines the hard work of residents who take pride in their communities.

“I want to thank our enforcement teams for their tireless efforts in tracking down offenders and bringing them to justice. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal — from receiving intelligence from the public to surveillance, vehicle seizures and prosecutions — to crack down on this behaviour. I am sure everyone is really pleased when we catch these criminals.”

The Council urges residents to remain vigilant and continue reporting any suspected fly-tipping or unlicensed waste carriers. Anyone with any information on cases of fly-tipping is urged to contact www.birmingham.gov.uk/flytipping.

The Council continues to work closely with West Midlands Police and other partners to investigate and prosecute fly-tipping offences wherever possible.

Earlier in the year, the council conducted a trial partnership with Housing Perks. This app provides tenants with exclusive offers and discounts at retailers such as Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons, and Argos.

During the trial around 5,000 tenants downloaded the app, which generated savings for these households of £17,722.

The trial has been a success, and the council is looking to continue with Housing Perks while implementing a new feature where tenants are able to put their savings towards rent arrears payments.

Councillor Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said:

“We are committed to doing all we can to support our tenants through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and I am pleased to add the Housing Perks app to our other cost-of-living support.

“Housing Perks provides our tenants with discounts on everyday essentials and big one-off costs.

“We understand how challenging it can be budgeting and managing household bills, so we are implementing a new feature that gives tenants the option to pay any savings made through the app directly to their rent account. By doing this, tenants can keep on top of rent payments while doing their weekly shop or buying petrol.

“By linking tenants’ everyday spending to rent payments, we hope this will provide an additional way to help tenants who are struggling during this cost-of-living crisis.”