BROMSGROVE Council was criticised for prosecuting shopkeepers who traded on Sundays.

Describing the Sunday Trading Act as archaic, Councillor Trevor Porter, leader of the Labour group on the council, claimed it was flying in the face of public feeling and common sense to prosecute. Coun Porter said: “TheLabourgroup would support initiatives to suspend any legal proceedings until the law is brought into the 20th century.”

 A VICTORIAN factory in Bromsgrove had just been converted into 12 luxury homes for yuppies. The factory in Carlyle Road, Aston Fields, was owned for generations by the firm of Harris and Whitfield, employing up to 400 in the town who were engaged in making clothing of all types. The factory had been empty for 10 years and was converted into three flat and nine mews houses, which all sold for between £60,000 and £65,000 mainly to young professionals.

 GRAND National winner West Tip was set to trot into Aston Fields to open a new bookmaker’s shop. Bookmaker Ken Barratt first opened a shop in Aston Fields 20 years before and was returning to the village from premises in Sugarbrook.

Mr Baker said he felt he needed a celebrity to open the newshopand11 year-oldchampion West Tip, who was stabled at Elmley Lovett, near Droitwich Spa, seemed the ideal choice.