THE chances of unemployed Bromsgrove youngsters finding work were more than 100 to 1 – a county council report had revealed. Shocking statistics revealed that 267 young people, registered at the local careers centre, had been chasing just two advertised vacancies. This had put Bromsgrove bottom of the county’s unemployment league. But county councillor June Longmuir argued that unemployment was beginning to improve and people should look at the long-term picture.

PROPOSALS were put forward on how to develop vacant land off Aston Fields industrial estate.They included a plan by fuel giant Mobil to resite their New Road petrol station there and a proposal from Rotherham firm Action 2000 to build an all-embracing motor centre. Detailed discussions were to be held by councillors to look at the options.

A WOMAN had claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object over Bromsgrove – the second reported UFO sighting in two months. The reports were of mystery objects, with bright orange lights, flying in the sky. But Birmingham air traffic manager Ralph Eaton said a possible explanation was that there had been a great deal of electrical storms. Alternatively, he said, they could have been orbiting bodies burning up on entry into the atmosphere.