s PARKHILL M A I L 01/11/2010 sparkhillmail.co.uk RESTRAURANT LEFT ABANDONED The Presidents was known to be a top restaurant and a great landmark until it was burnt down on December 31st 2009. Five fire crews from Highgate, Billesley, Haymills, Ladywood and Woodgate valley where called to Stafford and Warwick road in the early hours of new year’s day as flames ripped through the build- ing and shot through the roof. Fire fighters struggled to con- trol the blaze in the icy weather wick road and has been placed in the center of statford road. Crime rates in sparkhill are very high and with such a big landmark, in such bad cond- tions where most visters trav- el the area looks even worse. Members of the public have been complaining but nothing has been done and their now thinking will anything ever be done as a year has now passed and the build- ing is stil how it was a year ago. public complain as famous president balti still a burnt abandoned wreck Burnt : The presidents balti takeway still how it was a year ago, the day it was burnt Picture: Imran Birmingham city council take action > P7 WIN A YEAR’S SALARY CHECKOUT WITH PAYMATE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN 20M VISIT PAYMATE.CO.UK/WIN Chairity Tournament A football match that helped thoose in need > P19 Chirismas crazy The birmingham lights now up > P8 FEATURES Eid Mela’s Back Birmingham Eid Mela returns to Cannon Hill Park to celebrate the special occasion with its culture, food, sport, art and entertainment. Now in its tenth year, the festival is bigger and better than ever with some- thing for everyone > P18 NEWS Fireworks out of control Erdington held the fireworks display once again but this time was out of control, with fireworks heading all over the place > P15-16 EATING OUT Akbar’s better than ever only oppened reccently and al- ready attracting plenty of asian customers with its authentic flavours. Already known to be one of the best restaurants in birmingham > P23 BUSINESS Birmingham has had the biggest increase in the number of people claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance according to a study on the areas hit worst by the recession > P19 COUNCIL Midland transport on the increase new police operation, designed to target crime and anti-social behaviour on birmingham busses in the run-up to Christmas > P21 PAYMATE conditions and took over ten hours to take full control of the blaze. The landmark address was one of the first pubs in the midlands, a wonderful restau- rant and started life as a three story house however now is a half Burt abandoned building. The fire took place on Decem- ber 2009 and now is October 2010 but still is how it was the day it was burnt down, mem- bers of the public thought the landmark to be a nice place to eat and now just gives the area a bad reputation and hope for a change but nothing is happening. Not even the Birmingham city council has put foward plans for this historic bulding, The presidents is on Staford road, the heart of sparkhill, where many local shops from clothing to restaurants have been placed where vast amounts of people from the locals to those who travel quite a distance just to shop there. So it is of imporance that there should be a change, the balti ex- tends from straford road to war- By Imran Ahmed 42p