A NEW photography project is uncovering the Black Country’s historic murder spots which have been hidden from many residents for decades.

Astra Wheeler, a photography student at Birmingham City University, has been researching and photographing the sites of historic killings in Halesowen, Hagley, Oldbury and Tipton to see how the landscape has been transformed.

Grim Deeds in the Black Country examines famous and less well known cases and poses questions about the crimes’ legacies for offending in the region today.

Cases include the Halesowen Turnpike Murder when West Bromwich landowner Sam Whitehouse’s body was discovered and resulted in the trial of Rowley farmer Joe Downing for wilful murder in 1822.

Other cases include the drowning of Catherine Moore at Oldbury Canal Site in 1853 and the mystery of who put Bella in the Wych Elm in Hagley Woods during World War Two and the 1882 Emil Hindelaing case in which he drowned two of his brothers in Tipton Canal.

Astra Wheeler said: “"Like most areas in the UK, the Black Country has an interesting history filled with suspicious deaths and murder.

“I wanted to visually capture this hidden side to the Black Country to understand how it has shaped the way the Black Country is now, and if these past events still have any significance today.

She added: “For most, the links to the past are no longer evident, and the knowledge of these events have faded over time. However, as the use of media has expanded, those that were well documented in newspapers are still well known by some local people."

Many of the images show some of the Black Country’s most scenic areas, putting them in contrast with the deeds that took place there.

The photographs were first unveiled at the Inspired Festival, a two-week celebration of the creative talents of students graduating from the university.