WELCOME TO BIRMINGHAM - GREENHOUSE SAGA CONTINUES

16-08-2006

The Stirrer has been highlighting for days now what is possibly Britain's least welcoming tourist office - the greenhouse on New Street outside Waterstones.

As our pictures show, one of its two panes of glass is smashed and there's what appears to be a piece of cardboard wedged at the top to keep out the drafts.

Now we can reveal that neither the city council who commissioned it or Marketing Birmingham who run it knows who is actually responsible for the repair.

We made our first call to the council press office last week, but heard nothing back.

When we checked yesterday, they told us they'd passed our enquiry on to Marketing Birmingham.

Or maybe they'd just passed the buck, because Marketing Birmingham were adamant that it's nowt to do with them.

They're convinced that although their staff work the office, it's the council's job to maintain and repair it.

So while these two august bodies argue the toss over who's responsible, nothing gets done - and visitors continue to be greeted by what looks like a smashed-up greenhouse that you can't even see into.

Welcome to Birmingham.