Ian Paterson: as 67 deaths are investigated, a new book details how he 'groomed' victims

Dear readers — Monday at Dispatch HQ is off to a rollocking start — it’s been a bumper weekend for sign-ups putting us well within reach of our new goal to get 2,000 paying readers by June. Welcome, new faces! Make yourselves at home and head to the now-unlocked comment section to let us know a bit about yourselves. For those of you still out in the cold, we have 1,611 paying members and there is plenty of room for more. Sign up to our introductory offer to try out The Dispatch for just £1 a week for the first three months — just hit that lovely purple button to get acquainted.

Enough of the sales pitch and on with the news: we headed to the local launch of a new book about disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson and heard some frightening details about his malpractice. In local politics, a senior Labour councillor has been investigated for calling a Conservative employee a “twink” and “piece of eye-candy”, and the Lib Dems have said they want to abolish the Treasury and bring its replacement to Birmingham. The catch? They’ll need to win an election first. Plus, Carl Chinn has an engrossing new podcast out now.

Catch up and coming up:

• On Wednesday Samuel’s search for the identity of a prolific tagger known as Nek got tongues wagging. Expect sleuthing, underground graffiti beef, and long walks along canals. “Loved the read at breakfast and I thought Lupo ruled the streets and now I find it is someone called Nek,” commented one reader. 
• On Saturday, we published a history article by Jon Neale exploring the legacy of Birmingham band The Move and their libel battle with 1960s Labour prime minister Harold Wilson. “Fascinating story of a world of energy and possibility,” wrote one reader.

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Photo of the week

Firefly Field by STUDIO1OER, part of the Birmingham Light Festival. Located at St Paul’s Square, Jewellery Quarter. Photo: Samuel McIlhagga. 

Been to the lights festival and got a recommendation? Let us know in the comments. 

Brum in Brief

🔎 An inquest into the death of one of botched breast surgery specialist Ian Paterson's patients was announced last week, just as a tell-all book about his crimes was launched. The Birmingham surgeon was jailed in 2017 for 17 counts of wounding with intent — but a later inquiry found he could have harmed “hundreds” of people and coroner, Judge Richard Foster, is examining the deaths of 67 women. Author Deborah Douglas, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and treated by Paterson — private care covered by her employer — has penned the story of his victims and their struggle to be heard. The Cost of Trust, written by Douglas with Tracy King, was celebrated at an event at Waterstones on Thursday, attended by The Dispatch. Douglas described how, before surgery, Paterson told her “you’ll go in with two boobs, come out with two and a nice, flat stomach.” When she came out, he told her husband, “she’s been a brave girl.” She also detailed how Paterson “groomed” members of the breast cancer support group Breast Friends and some of his victims had gone into debt to pay for unnecessary treatment. Douglas herself had lymph nodes removed and endured seven months of chemotherapy which a specialist later told her she hadn’t needed. “When I read that I thought ‘he’s not going to get away with this’”, Douglas said. The moment spurred her now-famous fight for justice.

⚠️ A senior Birmingham Labour councillor, Jamie Tennant, who represents Weoley and Selly Oak, has been investigated for comments he made in 2024, to the then-teenage Conservative activist and now-council candidate for Harborne: Hugo Rasenberg. Tennant allegedly made sexual comments to Rasenberg during a ballot count for the mayoral election on 4 May at the International Convention Centre (ICC). According to Rasenberg, Tennant said that he was hired: “as a piece of eye candy for people to look at.” Tennant allegedly went on to call Rasenberg a “twink.” ‘Twink’ is a common, neutral slang term in the gay community for a man with a slim and youthful appearance. (Birmingham Live).

🗎 However, the council determined that Tennant wasn’t at the event “in an official capacity as a councillor” and took no further action, according to documents seen by The Dispatch. Tennant told the council it was “never his intention to cause any distress” to Rasenberg, noting that he “certainly never intended to harass nor humiliate him.” Rasenberg took to X (formerly Twitter) last Friday, writing: “I did what we are all told to do in these situations: I called it out and reported it. What followed shocked me.” He alleged that the Labour Party and council had not taken proportionate action after he made formal complaints to both bodies. A Labour spokesperson said last week: "We take all complaints seriously and they are investigated in line with our rules and procedures."

📈 The Liberal Democrats have proposed breaking up the government’s Treasury and replacing it with a ‘Growth Department’ based in Birmingham — if they get into power. Instead of focusing narrowly on budgets and spending, this new department would consider long-term growth, the cost of living and how to improve living standards. The policy was announced by deputy leader Daisy Cooper at a press conference last week. Cooper proposed moving the UK’s economics function to Birmingham: “because a significant indicator of the imbalance in our economy is the yawning gap between the UK's capital city and every other city and all other parts in the UK.” (BBC). 

👮 The killer of 12 year old Leo Ross from Hall Green has been named, after a court order ensuring the teenage assailant's anonymity was lifted. It has now been revealed that the then 14-year-old Kian Moulton stabbed Ross in the stomach on his way home from school in January 2025. Moulton was jailed for 13 years last week, at Birmingham Crown Court. (BBC). 

Quick Hits

🪢 ‘Anti-racism’ protestors have claimed they are barred from attending meetings of Staffordshire County Council. (Express and Star). 

🏠 A multi-million pound plan for 1,600 houses at Mell Square in Solihull has been approved, despite opposition. (Coventry Telegraph). 

🎼 Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is expanding its community opera programmes. (Classical Music).  

🚲 Questions have emerged over funding for a safe cycle route between Selly Oak and Longbridge. (Express and Star). 

Media picks

🎧 Carl Chinn has launched a new podcast unravelling the stories of both famous and lesser-known Brummies, as well as deep dives on key moments in the city’s history. Our Lives, Our Stories is a family affair, produced by his daughters Cat and Rochelle Chinn and the aim is to create a “living archive” of local voices. At the launch at Nortons pub in Digbeth on Thursday, attended by The Dispatch, Chinn shouted out attendees who run the gamut of West Midlands life, from local Brummie pub landlord Roifield Brown and his parents, to young Walsall leather designer Lauren Broxton. The first two episodes are out now.

📰 Samuel wasn’t the only one at last week’s Reform rally at the NEC. Stella Tsantekidou, reported on the event for the New Statesman, going behind the scenes to talk to the populist-right party’s young faithful. Around a table in a mystery pub somewhere in Birmingham, Tsantekidou ‘trapped’ several teenage Reform supporters with her journalistic interrogations. “When is the Hitler Youth article out then?” one of the students anxiously jokes to her. Other young Reformers tell their interviewer that they: “hate how left wing their universities are.” Tsantekidou is scathing of Reform’s slate of policies appealing to older demographics, and ends her piece with a mic-drop: “we were told this rally would set out Farage’s economic vision. Call it what it is – boomerslop.”  

🎞️ History blogger and influencer, Alice Loxton covered Birmingham’s collection of pre-Raphaelite art last week. In an Instagram video, Loxton covers Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s recently reopened collection: featuring paintings by Edward Burne-Jones, John Everett Millais and others. She also explores the connection between Birmingham’s art school and the pre-Raphaelite collection, which inspired a second-generation of artists who worked in the style in the late 19th century. 

Letters

Responses to our Saturday 7 Feb read on Sutton Coldfield: ‘The decline of a royal town’ by Shaun Patrick Hand

‘Towns are defined by their people’

To anyone who isn’t paid by the word I would urge them to visit Sutton Coldfield, which is a lively, vibrant, friendly town — or indeed any town, with a slightly more open mind than the rather sad Mr Hand — towns are defined by their people — if Sutton Coldfield is a low mark then the rest of the country must be a positive wonderland. If in doubt — visit and make your own mind up. — Michael Kelly (not from Sutton Coldfield).

Cranes and scaffolding

Your piece says there’s no masterplan for the town centre – this is simply wrong. The town council led the creation of just such a plan and its core principles continue to guide ‘Big Moves’ in the town centre. The plan provides a roadmap for the Town Centre Regeneration Partnership, a broad group of many key stakeholders

Given that the piece is themed around the fact that your correspondent entered Sutton along Birmingham Road, he’s gone directly past a number of very high profile investment sites — the Royal Cinema, the Cottage Hospital, Aldi (on the Brassington Avenue Site that has been blighted for 50 years), the new Rudy’s pizza restaurant being built now and the site of a new Wagamama due to open this year. There are cranes and scaffolding on many sites — I am unsure whether his eyes were closed?

He also seems to have somehow not noticed Harvey Norman who will open a large store in the Town Centre later this year.  The retailer has committed millions to the project and will be employing more than 100 Staff.  There is massive investment going into our town (town hall, new A&E at Good Hope, £25 million Gateway project, £20m Pride in Place funding) — all public sector support that is driving confidence for investment from the private sector. — Cllr Simon Ward, leader Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council

Our to do list

🖼️ This week is your last chance to visit the Donald Locke exhibition at the Ikon Gallery. Resistant Forms traces the development of Locke’s art over five decades across Guyana, the United States, and the UK. It leaves the gallery on Sunday, and is free with no ticket needed. 

🐎 Tomorrow marks the start of Chinese New Year celebrations. To celebrate the year of the horse, there are events all week, with the main festival taking place on Sunday. Expect firecrackers, dancing, funfair rides and more. 

📚Meet the Silent Book Club at Oxfam in Kings Heath on Saturday for a book crawl through the best “bookish” spots in the area. It’s free to go, but reserve your space here.

🦁On Wednesday, pop over to the Town Hall to hear filmmaker and cameraman Gordon Buchanan discuss his up close encounters with all kinds of animals, and his career in wildlife film. Tickets start at £33 here.

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16/02/2025 addition: An earlier version of this edition neglected to mention that The Cost of Trust was written by Deborah Douglas with Tracy King. King's name has been added to the copy.