A well-spoken solicitor yesterday (Thurs) told how he has been mobbed in the street by England fans – because he is the

Which is which? (Roy on right)

spitting image of new boss ROY HODGSON.

Posh Neil Maybury, 58, bears an uncanny resemblance to the England boss – but could not sound more different.

While Roy is affectionately known as ‘Woy’ because of his difficulty pronouncing his r’s, public-school educated Neil admits fans are taken aback by his gold-plated accent.

Neil, a solicitor in intellectual property rights from Birmingham, has come face-to-face with Roy and is set to make a fotune from appearing as Roy’s official lookalike.

The father-of-four said: “I get stopped at least a couple of times a week but since Roy was made the England manager I get people coming up to me almost every day.

“I’ve been stopped at a cafe in Windermere, pubs in Lincolnshire and even in Majorca.

“It’s a real giggle.

“Even though I look like Roy, I don’t sound like him.

“Some people meet me and really think I am Roy – but then they hear me talk and realise I must be a lookalike.

“I have appeared as a Roy lookalike before but I have been warned that will probably increase now that he is England manager.”

Son Toby first noticed his dad shared the England manager’s distinctive owl-like looks after watching the future England boss interviewed on TV five years ago.

And he came face-to-face with the real Roy after bumping into him after a football match in 2009.

Neil added: “Toby and I were watching the football on TV when he said: ‘Dad, I’ve got to tell you, you bear a striking resemblance to Roy Hodgson’.

“Roy was manager of Fulham at the time and I was an Aston Villa fan and we finally met when they played in August 2009.

“It was extraordinary.

“The Fulham team were on their way out to go back on the coach and there was a seething throng of people.

“The door opened from the changing room and Roy immediately pointed his finger at me and smiled.

“We just chatted about the game, and I said ‘Roy, when you’re in the Midlands, I hope you don’t have the trouble I have when I’m in Fulham.’”

Neil was born in Birmingham and privately educated at #12,000-a-year King Edward’s School before studying law at the University of Birmingham.

He qualified as a solicitor in London with Clifford-Turner before returning to Birmingham as a partner with Pinsent & Co where he remained for 20 years.

Bizarrely, Neil and Roy share the same passions including tennis and opera.

On Neil’s personal website states he is patrol of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, chairman of the Spitfire Museum.

Neil, who is expert in protecting intellectual property, now charges #250 for appearances as Hodgson and another #500 to “say a few words”.
ENDS

A 94-year-old great gran who was battered by a thug as she slept in bed told her daughter: “I was screaming for help but no-one came,” it emerged yesterday (Tue).
The intruder beat frail widow Emma Winnall senseless, broke her arm and wrist and partially cut off her FINGER in the “motiveless” attack.
The cruel yob broke into Emma’s ground-floor flat last Monday night (1/5) but did not steal anything.
Shocked carers raised the alarm on Tuesday morning when they discovered Emma unconscious and covered in blood in bed at her home in Moseley, Birmingham.
The wheelchair-bound pensioner was rushed to hospital where she had emergency surgery and metal plates inserted into her arm.
Yesterday (Tue) Emma’s daughter Joyce Blencoe, 56, made an emotional appeal to catch the culprit.
Police also confirmed they were following up “a number of names” of potential suspects.
Speaking at a press conference at Lloyds House, West Midlands Police HQ in Birmingham, Joyce said: “I’m appealing for your help to find whoever did this.
“To see your own mum viciously beaten and covered in blood is the most horrific nightmare.
“It broke my heart to hear my frail and defenceless mum in hospital say to me ‘I was screaming for help but no-one came.’
“So please, if anyone knows what happened, if they have any suspicions that certain people may be involved or have information, then please come forward before they do it to someone else.”
Her brother John Winnall, 63, was beside Joyce as she made the impassioned plea for help.
Detective Chief Inspector Sab Johal, of West Midlands Police, said the motive for the attack was still “unclear”.
He said: “Emma is not someone who shows wealth.
“There does not appear to be a break in. The motive still remains unclear.
“The levels of violence were shocking.
“This is a 94-year-old person who was in bed. Even if she could offer resistance she was not able to.
“It appears Emma at this stage is unable to fully converse with us. A vulnerable victim of 94 years old, her recollection is not always going to be 100 per cent.
“It is a unique offence. It is very rare.
“The injuries suffered are quite horrific. She remains in hospital at this time and is very poorly. She is stable but critical.
“The injuries she sustained would have been challenging for people half her age.
“We have had a number of names put forward to the investigation team. At this stage we are treating the investigation with open minds.
“Moseley is one of the safest parts of Birmingham. We have a team of 20 detectives working on the investigation.”
Hardened cops were shocked by the motiveless attack.
Days after the attack, her family released a photograph of her in hospital with shocking injuries in the hope it will persuade anyone with information to go to the police.
Emma, who has five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, has lived alone since her husband Frank died six years ago aged 91.
ENDS

A teenager who was declared brain dead by FOUR doctors made a ‘miracle’ recovery after his parents begged medics for a second opinion – moments before his life support machine was about to be switched OFF.

Steven Thorpe was 17 years old when he suffered horrific injuries after a multiple car crash which left another man dead.

He was placed in a chemically-induced coma and doctors said he would never recover and even asked his devastated parents to consider donating his organs.

But Steven’s father begged doctors to reconsider and even enlisted private GP Julia Piper to examine him again after being convinced that their son could recover.

Doctors at University Hospital in Coventry, West Mids., agreed to let a neurologist re-examine him and astonishingly, he detected faint brain waves indicating Steven had a slim chance of making a recovery.

NHS chiefs agreed to bring Steven out of his coma to see if he could survive on his own and he stunned medics by making an almost full recovery.

Incredibly, just five weeks later Steven was discharged from hospital.

Speaking about his amazing recovery for the first time, Steven, now aged 21 and a trainee accountant, said: “My father believed I was still there.

“He expressed his views to Julia Piper and I think she listened very closely to what my dad had said.

“My impression is maybe the hospital weren’t very happy that my father wanted a second opinion.

“I think the doctors wanted to give me three days on the life support machine and the following day they said they wanted to turn it off.

“The words they used to my parents were ‘you need to start thinking about organ donations’.

“I think that’s what gave my dad energy, he thought ‘no way’.

“I think if my dad would’ve agreed with them then it would’ve been off in seconds.

“If my parents hadn’t asked for the second opinion, and if Julia hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Steven, from Kenilworth, Warks., was been travelling home from nearby Leamington Spa in February 2008 when the vehicle he was in was involved in a collision with two other cars and a horse that had run loose.

The horrific crash left one man dead and the horse was also fatally injured.

Steven was rushed to hospital and surgeons performed a craniotomy to help alleviate any swelling on his brain.

But despite the operation being successful, brain scans failed to detect and electrical pulses and he was declared brain dead.

Steven added: “As far as I am concerned, living is a full recovery. From how I was to how I am now, I think it’s a miracle.

“I drive to work every day, I don’t think anything is holding me back. There’s no point dwelling on it, I just pull my socks up and get on with it.

“Hopefully it can help people see that you should never give up. I’ve had so much positive feedback about it.

“If you believe it then follow it, that’s the moral. My father believed I was alive and he was correct.

“It’s hard for me to even ask my parents about what happened.

“They do cooperate with me because they want me to understand it all but they don’t want to be reminded about it.”

Dr Piper, who runs a private practice in Leicester, said: “They had doctors saying he wasn’t going to live but the parents felt there was flickers of response and it wasn’t just wishful thinking.

“I had this strong feeling that this wasn’t right and then eventually I got someone else to look at him and of course it proved to have been the right thing to have done.

“It’s an inspirational story about never giving up.

“He’s a remarkable young man and his recovery has been astonishing.”

Since leaving hospital four years ago, Steven has had four operations to reconstruct his mangled face – including having his nose rebuilt and an artificial eye socket made.

He also has physiotherapy session to improve the movement in his left arm – which was badly injured in the road smash.

In a statement, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust said: “The injury to Steven’s brain was extremely critical and several CT scans of the head showed almost irreversible damage.

“It is extremely rare that a patient with having suffered such extensive trauma to the brain should survive.

“However, critical care and other specialist teams continued to support his systems through his critical period and we were delighted to see Steve recover and make progress against all the odds.

“He is truly a unique case.”

One of Britain’s most historic tourist attractions has been fined #350,000 following the death of a pensioner who plunged from a castle bridge into a moat.

George Townley was on a day out at Warwick Castle with his partner and her family when he stumbled over a low parapet wall as he was leaving the famous attraction.

The 72-year-old grandfather dropped 14ft into the dry moat at the castle and died from his injuries in hospital the next day.

A court heard this week how the castle, built by William the Conqueror in 1068 ,did not take ‘sufficient measures’ to protect visitors crossing the bridge and failed to carry out an appropriate risk assessment.

Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, who run the castle, was found guilty of two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act in relation to the retired mechanic’s death in December 2007.

At Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday the company were ordered to pay £350,000 in fines by Judge Nigel Godsmark QC.

He said: “This matter arose from the tragic death of George Townley.

“The death was tragic and unfortunate and he seems to have tripped unluckily.

“On my part I believe the risk of the bridge was not mainly to adult pedestrians but to children.

“Many people have crossed the bridge over the years and some were of the ilk of the health and safety experts from whom most of their evidence has been given in hindsight but Merlin had failed in its duty.”

Barry Berlin, prosecuting, said: “It is crystal clear that there was a material risk here and at a result of that people were put at risk.

“On anyone’s account the bridge should have been risk assessed because it was a major artery to the castle.

“Warning signs could have been put up and a barrier could have been put up.

“That’s not just what we suggest, that is clear from the December 10 risk assessment that was carried out the day after the accident.

“Sadly this was too late.”

Keith Morton QC, defending, said Merlin, who took charge of Warwick Castle in 1978, accepted the parapet wall was low but pointed out there had been about 20 million visitors who had crossed the bridge since the company had been involved with the castle.

He said: “There was an insignificant risk of one in four million of any type of accident happening on the bridge and a one in 40 million risk of serious injury or death, you can’t get much more insignificant than that other than, I suppose, one in 80 million.

“It’s hard to see how there was a significant risk.”

Merlin was found guilty of failing to take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent or protect visitors when entering or leaving the castle via the bridge from falling from a considerable height.

It was also found guilty of failing in its duty to provide preventative and protective measures.

As well as a #350,000 fine, the company was also ordered to pay costs of £145,000 to Warwick District Council.

Castle staff put temporary barriers on both sides of the bridge on the day after the accident, which are still in place.

The company intends to put up permanent barriers, subject to planning permission.

As well as Warwick Castle, Merlin also run famous British tourist attractions like Alton Towers, the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Thorpe Park.

Families living close to a brand new £200 million UK prison have reacted with anger after it was revealed sex offenders at the jail will enjoy days out with their families.

Inmates at HMP Oakwood will be released on ‘town visits’ as part of a rehabilitation programme at the prison – much to the disgust of residents living nearby.

On Wednesday, families living close to the jail, based near Wolverhampton, West Midlands, said they knew nothing of the plans and criticised the move.

Angry mother-of-three Lisa Jones, 43, who lives just three miles down the road from the prison, said: “I’m appalled to hear that people who have committed sex offences will be allowed to walk among the general public when they are still serving their prison sentence.

“If you are a prisoner – you should be just that, in prison.

“If sex offenders, including paedophiles, are let out for days out they could go near parks and playgrounds.

“It’s ridiculous.”

And another parent of a pupil at a nearby school, who did not wish to be named, said: “I am disgusted with this.

“No-one has informed us that these fiends will be free to walk around the area close to schools and other public places.”

Jail expert Mark Leech, editor of the Prisoners’ Handbook, said he was surprised residents living near the jail had not realised that sex offenders would be housed at Oakwood.

He said: “Neighbouring residents have been complaining about extra traffic and a lack of public transport for staff and visitors, but it seems they have missed the point with their fears about the prison.

“They have obviously not realised that these inmates will be roaming the area with their families to prepare them for release.”

The first prisoners arrived at Oakwood on Tuesday.

It houses category C inmates, defined as those who cannot be trusted in open conditions but are considered unlikely to make a determined escape attempt.

Mr Leech, who served time for robbery and is now a successful businessman, added: “I welcome the opening of HMP Oakwood, because it will help to ease overcrowding and enable more prisoners from the region to be closer to their families.

“However as a Category C Prison taking convicted sex offenders, residents need to know that these inmates can be allowed out on visits with their families once a risk assessment has been conducted.”

HMP Oakwood director Steve Holland confirmed sex offenders would be housed at the jail and said G4S, who run the jail, was negotiating to implement treatment programmes for the prisoners concerned.

He insisted the prisoners would be vetted before they were included on town visits programme.

Mr Holland: “The community needs to be reassured that they are not put at any risk. Prisoners will be individually assessed before being given access to town visits.”

Dozens of residents were forced to evacuate their homes after a mini TORNADO tore through a quiet suburb.

The vicious winds caused havoc when they struck on Wednesday evening in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Just after 6pm, the twister is reported to have ripped the roof off one house and caused extensive damage to other homes.

It also ripped through gardens, tearing down fences and overturning garden furniture.

Emergency workers had to be called to the Overslade and New Bilton areas of the market town after the high winds scattered roof tiles across pavements and roads.

There were also reports that the powerful gusts blew the roof off one property, whilst another is said to have lost its chimney stack due to the high winds.

Police issued a warning to locals to watch out for falling roof tiles and other debris tumbling from wind-damaged properties.

A Warwickshire Police spokesperson said: “As a result of the wind damage motorists and pedestrians are advised to be aware of debris from the buildings which has been blown into surrounding streets.”

“The County Buildings Inspector has been called to assess the structural damage to the buildings.

“Police officers attended the damaged buildings but thankfully there are no reports of any injuries to residents at any of the properties.”

A Rugby Borough Council spokesman said: “This morning, building control officers are checking for possible structural damage, and the housing maintenance officers are on site working with tenants to assess damage and facilitate repairs and determine whether there is a need for alternative accommodation: although it doesn’t seem so at present.”

The Met Office said that the damage was likely to have been caused by a funnel wind and possibly a tornado.

A severe weather warning remained in place for the area on Thursday.

The world’s smallest eco car is set to go on sale and at just a metre wide – it can even fit inside a LIFT.

With a top speed of just 30mph the electric car is not designed to fly down motorways but can instead squeeze into the smallest of gaps – including office elevators.

It means the commute to work can continue up to the office where the car can be charged at your DESK.

Standing at just 1.5m tall, the Volpe is the brainchild of Italian Romano Artioli, former owner of the famous Bugatti and Lotus brands.

The mini-motor, which can also squeeze in spaces left between two parked cars on a regular street, has been launched in a bid to ease traffic congestion.

Styled by Zagato, the coachbuilder responsible for limited edition versions of iconic Aston Martin cars, it is around half the width of the average car and just 2 metres long.

Isabella Artioli, vice president of Volpe, said: “Volpe is for every urban dweller desiring to move around town in style, independently, without losing time in traffic and to look for a parking space.

“Our founder, Romano Artioli, has long researched new types of clean engine solutions. In 2006.

“It is not only an idea, Volpe is a precious instrument in the service of who lives in the city. It is freedom of movement, without a need to compromise.”

The miniature motor is road legal as a ‘quadricycle’, meaning people as young as 16 can drive it with a motorcycle licence.

When it goes on sale it will cost EUR6,900 (about £5,600).

It will be launched across Europe in early 2013.

Chaos erupted at an indoor market when angry women brawled in a 20-minute ‘food fight’ which saw tins of beans hurled through the air.

Three women were arrested after police were called to the market where food and bottles of bleach were thrown during the violent bust-up.

The trio ‘went wild’ in the isles and flung baked beans across Birmingham Indoor Market during the punch-up – leaving one of them needing hospital treatment.

The feisty ladies had to be separated three times by gobsmacked stall holders after the scrap unfolded at midday on Wednesday.

It is believed the punch-up started when two of the women bumped into a lone shopper.

Almost half an hour later it ended when one of them was hit on the head by a tin of baked beans.

Police officers were flagged down in the street to deal with the fracas and one of the women was arrested on suspicion of assault.

Another ran off before officers arrived and a third was taken to hospital after she suffered cuts from the can of beans.

A market trader, who did not want to be named, said: “The management tried to say it lasted for just four minutes – but it went on in different parts of the market.

“In the end somebody had to flag down police officers because there was no sign of security and the security phone number was disconnected.

“I have no idea what the fight was about.

“The women were in their 30s and they were throwing all sorts at each other from the market stalls, including bottles of bleach and tins of food.

“One was taken away by ambulance crews with a bandaged head and another was taken away by police. ”

Customer Jez Gartland, 19, from the city, who was at the market at the time, said: “It was chaos – it was the biggest food fight I’ve ever seen.

“There were bottles and tins flying through the air and I could hear a lot of commotion.

“I’m not sure how it started – but I think one of them bumped into the other and words were said.

“I know how it ended though – with a tin can bouncing off a woman’s head.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to argue with them – they were really going for it.”

West Midlands Police said a 34-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault and later bailed.

A 38-year-old woman, who had a purse stolen from her bag, was taken to hospital with cuts to her head.

A spokesman confirmed officers were searching for a third woman who fled before officers arrived.

A Birmingham City Council spokesman said police were on the scene within ten minutes and that traders had called a wrong number.

Anyone who saw the incident should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A Midlands-based alternative funding consultancy firm has received an enormous accolade for helping businesses in the region raise over 30 million in finance.

The two year old company, Central Finance, received the accolade from award winning Funding Circle, an organisation which links businesses and investors across the UK.

The business has been recognised for assisting West Midlands businesses in raising finance and been has been selected to be an ambassador for Funding Circle.

Central Finance’s Director Steve Harris said, “We are delighted to have been chosen by Funding Circle to be an Ambassador company – one of only two national funding organisations to be chosen from more than two hundred Finance Brokers that Funding Circle deal with.”

The organisation is one of only two companies to receive the accolade, from a selection of more than 200.

Funding Circle, which has received plaudits from financial experts, has recognised the steps taken by Central Finance in the two years since it was formed.

Managing Director Alison Bradley has been helping companies raise finance for over 15 years and set up Central Finance when funding for her role in a government based organisation was cut.

Alongside director Steve Harris, who will sit on the panel of ambassadors for the first time on Thursday, Central Finance has raised capital for over 300 companies in 24 months.

Alison Bradley said, “We are all very proud that Central Finance has been able to assist UK businesses in the last year.

“At a time when SMEs in particular have found obtaining finance extremely difficult, we think that our experience, accrued contacts and reputation have been instrumental in our being able to access funding of between £20,000 and £10,000,000 for our clients.”

Sean Thornton, from Eze Fitness, a client of Central Finance said, “From start to finish the service we received from Steve Harris and Central Finance was exceptional.

“I would highly recommend the team at Central Finance to any business who are looking for honest financial advice and support.

A helpless pensioner who had to crawl to her garden and shout for help because her phone line wasn’t working following a fall has spoken of her disgust after she was offered just 96p compensation from BT.

Stricken Hetty Stokes badly fell on two occasions and had to desperately shout to neighbours because there was a fault with her telephone line.

And after spending three weeks in hospital with a fractured hip, the 88-year-old was stunned to be told by BT they would pay out a mere 96p following her ordeal.

The phone giants claim the amount covered the “loss of service” over the two days in line with the company’s policy of having three working days to first repair a fault.

But furious Hetty yesterday branded the offer of compensation an ‘insult’.

She said: “It is disgusting to be offered this amount.

“I was frightened when I couldn’t call for help, and if it hadn’t been for my neighbours, I may well not be here today.

“I have lost my confidence and it will take a long time to build it back up.”

The retired pottery worker first complained about the problem on March 9.

She fell the following night after tripping over a curtain as she tried to lock her back door – luckily managing to raise the alarm by crawling into her back garden to bang on a neighbour’s fence.

Hetty, who lives alone in her bungalow in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., spent the night in the accident unit and returned home on March 11.

But two days later she was back in hospital after fracturing her hip and having to shout for help again.

The fault was finally fixed a week later on March 16.

Daughter Jean Cartlidge, 61, who is a retired social services employee, said: “What my mother has been through is an absolute disgrace.

“We rang BT on numerous occasions to tell them that the phone was off and that it left an elderly woman isolated in her house. How she survived this I don’t know.

“It was very cold on the night that she was found on her hands and knees, and BT is lucky I am not planning a funnral.

“Since she came out of hospital she is not the same and is very afraid to be on her own in the house.”

As a ‘goodwill gesture’, BT have offered two months’ free line rental worth #21.50 but the the family say they have lodged a formal complaint.

A BT spokesman said: “We would like to apologise to Mrs Stokes for the fault on her line and are sorry we have been unable to come to an agreement on compensation.

“Mrs Stokes clearly suffered a very upsetting fall and we are very sorry that this stressful time was further exacerbated by being unable to use her care alarm.

“The fault was fixed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a fault-free service on any phone line, and this account was not registered with us as a care line, and therefore we had not recommended Mrs Stokes to join our priority service.

“We have since added this service to her account.”