Birmingham headlines 27 February: Hero police officers save two people from an arson attack

West Midlands Police officers saved two people from a fire in Lozells following an arson attack. Footage shows the officers smashing their way into the house before leading occupants to safety. The blaze was extinguished by West Midlands Fire Service.

A Birmingham music fan has spent 10 months in a Romanian prison on drug charges after attending a festival. Ethan Gill has been convicted of drugs trafficking and was handed a six-year sentence. He has so far spent £20,000 legal fees.

Birmingham's arts industry is set to lose its funding, a move which the city's cultural figures have said will 'devastate' creative output. Comedian Joe Lycett told The Guardian cuts were a 'short-termist national digrace'. Duran Duran/s Nick Rhodes called on the local authority to "reconsider and rapidly reverse" the cuts.