Court appearance over Royal gifts

Two men have appeared in court in connection with the disappearance of £22,000 worth of ornaments to mark the Queen's 80th birthday.

They went missing from the Bilston and Battersea Enamels firm last year.

They were then spotted on internet auction site eBay before they had been officially released to the public.

Dennis Mansell, of Salter Road, Tipton, and Adrian Hingley, of Bradley Lane, Bilston, West Midlands, appeared before Wolverhampton magistrates on Monday.

Mr Mansell, 34, who works for Bilston and Battersea Enamels, is charged with theft from his employer while Mr Hingley, 39, faces a charge of handling stolen goods.

The two men were arrested in September last year as part of Operation Strikeout, an initiative by West Midlands Police to cut all forms of crime.

The case was adjourned until 20 February.