Traffic congestion hit two major routes into Leicester yesterday morning following three accidents.

Drivers were delayed by up to an hour on the A6 after a five-vehicle crash south of the Leicester Racecourse roundabout.

The congestion was made worse by a two-vehicle accident further up the A6 near Leicester High School for Girls.

Vehicles tailed back towards the southern outskirts of Oadby as emergency services worked to clear the debris.

A lorry and a car were also involved in a collision in Welford Road, Wigston, shortly afterwards, when a driver received minor injuries. That caused tailbacks for nearly an hour.

Only one driver from the three accidents needed hospital treatment.

A driver who was delayed in the tailback on the A6 said: "There was a pile-up of vehicles in the city-bound outside lane. It looked as if at least three cars travelling towards the roundabout had collided with a fourth vehicle which was facing county bound.

"Emergency services were at the scene and drivers were standing on the central reservation talking to police officers.

"Shortly afterwards, I came across another collision the other side of the roundabout near the entrance to Leicester High School."

An eyewitness who lives near the school said: "There was a car in the entrance to the drive where I live. There was a young man in the driver's seat with a collar on and he was being treated by an ambulance crew.

"I could see the incident on the opposite site of the roundabout and the long tailback ."

A bus passenger from Oadby said: "It took an hour to get through the congestion."

A fire service spokesman said a crew from Wigston attended the five-vehicle incident where two people were slightly injured.

No-one was trapped and the fire service made the vehicles safe.

A spokesperson for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Two emergency calls were received relating to road traffic collisions near Oadby Race Course in Leicester.

"We dispatched a fast response vehicle and double crewed ambulance to the first incident following a call at 7.51am and a patient was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"The second call was received at 7.52am and the caller reported five vehicles being involved. We dispatched a double crewed ambulance and our clinicians assessed the people involved. No-one was taken to hospital."

A spokesperson for the police said they received calls about the two car crashes within minutes of each other.

She said the five vehicle collision occurred on the city bound carriageway.

She said: "It appears a county-bound vehicle ended up on the city bound lane.

"We want to find out how that happened and would appeal to anyone with information to contact us."

She confirmed one person needed hospital treatment after an unrelated collision involving two cars near Leicester High School for Girls.

She said the driver of a car received slight injuries after being involved in a collision with a lorry in Welford Road in Wigston at 8.40am.

She said it took 50 minutes to clear the accident and fully open the road.

A man who tried to scare off a troublesome neighbour by wielding a samurai sword in the street has been given an 18-month supervised community order with 150 hours' unpaid work.

Callum Crawford (29), of Gillman Road, New Parks, Leicester, pleaded guilty in Leicester Magistrates' Court to possessing the sword in a public place on September 22.

Prosecutor Mark Williams said police were called to a house in Warwick Street, Black Friars, early in the morning and saw Crawford waving the sword around in the street.

He was arrested for affray.

Mr Williams said: "When interviewed he said he had heard banging downstairs on the front door and saw someone holding a pole-like item, so he went to get the samurai sword.

"He claimed he was waving the sword towards the ground, not above his head."

Crawford told the court he felt threatened by a neighbour who he claimed was outside.

He said: "My kids were in the house and I wanted to scare him away from the door. I know I should not have done it and I am sorry I did it."

Probation officer David Charlton said: "Mr Crawford does not know the neighbour very well. He lives with his parents but, on the night in question, he was staying with his partner and their three children.

"He heard a banging noise from next door and shouted for the neighbour to stop. The neighbour took offence and came around with what appeared to be a metal pole and started banging on the window with it. He (Crawford) took the sword in an attempt to scare the neighbour away."

Mr Charlton said the offence was not committed while Crawford was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and there were no mental health issues involved.

The magistrates imposed an 18-month supervised community order, including attending an anger management programme and to do 150 hours unpaid work.

Crawford was ordered to pay £85 costs.

Leicester Tigers could welcome back two top players for their do-or-die Heineken Cup clash with the Ospreys on Sunday.

Louis Deacon (shoulder) and Geordan Murphy (knee) are both battling to regain fitness ahead of the clash at Welford Road.

If they make the cut, it will be a huge boost to a Tigers squad that needs to beat their old Welsh rivals in order to maintain their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals after an opening round defeat in Toulouse.

Director of rugby Richard Cockerill was keeping his cards close to his chest about team selection but did admit that two of his most experienced campaigners are very much in the frame.

"Louis Deacon, inset, played on Monday night in the A League and has put himself in the mix, which will be good for us experience wise," said Cockerill. "Geordan Murphy is getting somewhere near and is training with us today so he should be there or thereabouts – but Julian Salvi (broken hand) is still a couple of weeks away."

Cockerill also revealed a delay in Tom Croft's recovery from a neck injury he picked up in the win over Harlequins at The Stoop last season.

There was talk in sections of the media last week that the 26-year-old could be back at the end of October. But Cockerill said they were more likely to see their blindside flanker at the start of December.

"Tom had an X-ray on his neck, and it is healing pretty well, but not as quick as we would like. He is still probably six weeks away, which is a little bit behind schedule," said Cockerill.

"But there is no rush with Tom, it was a pretty serious injury and it is healing up well but not fully healed so his turn has been held back a few weeks. That's life and he needs to be 100 per cent."

Tigers host an Ospreys side who opened their Pool Two campaign with a bonus point win at home to Treviso in round one.

It is the latest chapter in a rivalry that has seen plenty of excitement and controversy during their meetings in the Heineken Cup.

"It's a massive game and we have to win," said Cockerill. "But then again, if we had picked up one, two or even four points in Toulouse, we would still have had to win this one."

A national animal charity is offering a £1,000 reward after a family's pet cat was shot at close range with an air gun.

The three-year-old cat was rushed to the vets for an emergency operation to remove a pellet lodged in her neck after the callous attack on Melton's Kirby Fields estate.

The cat's owners, Shirley and Arthur Baker, say the cat, named Harriet, is lucky to be alive.

The charity, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) heard about the attack and have offered the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

The couple, of Anemone Close, found Harriet after returning home from walking their dog.

Mrs Baker, 54, said: "Harriet managed to get up on the bin in our back garden and she was dripping with blood down her right side.

"I could see the wound to the right side of her neck. I thought she'd been attacked by a dog."

The wounded animal was rushed to Oakham Veterinary Hospital where she was put on a drip overnight.

Mrs Baker said: "The vet thought at first Harriet had been hit by a car as her claws were scuffed. But when she saw the lump in the left side of her neck she thought it was a pellet."

An X-ray confirmed it was and Harriet was operated on.

Mrs Baker said: "She's lucky to be alive.

"The vet thought Harriet had been shot at close range, that maybe she'd been up on a wall and scuffed her claws when she came down.

"I don't understand the mentality of anyone who could go out and deliberately shoot someone's pet. Whoever did this should be hung, drawn and quartered in my opinion.

"I don't think Harriet roams from the estate, but my real worry now is letting her out.

"She's definitely not been herself since the attack. She's nervous and seems very subdued.

"I think it's brilliant Peta have put up this reward, it's a large sum of money which might make someone give away the name of whoever did it."

Peta spokesman Ben Williamson said: "It's imperative any community faced with such horrific abuse of animals take measures to find the culprit or culprits and stop the violence.

"Animal abusers are a danger to everyone – they take their issues out on whoever is available to them, human or non-human."

Pc Lee Green, who is investigating the incident, said: "It's malicious and cruel to deliberately shoot a pet cat. At the end of the day it's a family member to someone."

Harriet was found by her owners at about 7.45pm on Wednesday, September 26, and anyone with any information is asked to contact Pc Green, of Melton Police, on 101, Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or the RSPCA, in confidence, on 0300 1234 999.

For more information, visit:

www.peta.org.uk

A nurse told an inquest yesterday she failed a mentally-ill patient after he was able to walk out of a hospital and hang himself.

Clara Foromani agreed she had not given Gagandip Singh Sandhu the level of care she should have done before he hanged himself in a park.

The hearing at Leicester Town Hall heard how Mr Sandhu, 55, of Skelton Drive, Knighton, hanged himself after he walked out of the Bradgate Unit at Glenfield Hospital on November 18 last year.

Ms Foromani said she did not check on his status, which would have told her Mr Sandhu was on escorted leave and should have been accompanied at all times off Bosworth ward at the unit.

The inquest heard how Ms Foromani, who was a qualified registered nurse but was doing a shift as an agency-provided health care support worker, took Mr Sandhu to the breakfast club at the day room and left him there at about 9.45am.

Mr Sandhu, a married financial advisor who was bi-polar and considered an increased suicide risk, walked out of the hospital and was found hanging from a tree in Knighton Park by a member of the public at 3.40pm.

Ms Foromani said: "I failed. I did fail him."

She said she took Mr Sandhu to the day unit but left him there.

Coroner Catherine Mason told Ms Foromani that as a registered nurse she should have checked as to Mr Sandhu's status before she took him off the ward.

She said: "That information was available to you on the glance board in the nursing office and on the register on the nursing desk.

"You did not even do the common courtesy of finding out who he was."

Mrs Mason said Ms Foromani, who had worked on the ward before, had also relied on Mr Sandhu for directions when taking him to the breakfast club. She said her actions had fallen below the accepted standard of those of a registered nurse.

Stephen Kasote, a staff nurse on the ward and Mr Sandhu's named nurse, accepted he had also not met the required standard of care.

The coroner told how Mr Kasote had not kept Mr Sandhu's care record up to date.

She said: "As Mr Sandhu's named nurse it was your duty to make sure his care package was reviewed properly. You did not do that."

Detective Constable Steven Hadden, who investigated Mr Sandhu's death, said: "We trawled through CCTV from buses and other places along the route to Knighton Park but did not find any images of Mr Sandhu."

Det Con Hadden said he was satisfied there no suspicious circumstances.

Pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton said Mr Sandhu died from hanging.

The hearing continues today.

Gary Lineker hopes his beloved Leicester City can continue their recent fine form and march back into the Premier League.

City went into the international break sitting nicely in second place in the Championship following an impressive run of five wins on the bounce.

They were even top of the table, albeit for just a few hours, following the 2-0 victory against Bristol City, prompting Match of the Day presenter Lineker to tweet: "Great to see Leicester at the top of the Championship. Be even better to see them back in the Premier League."

The former City striker scored 95 goals in 187 appearances for the club between 1978 to 1985 at the start of his illustrious career at Filbert Street.

Speaking to the Mercury at the launch of his new book, Football: It's Unbelievable, Lineker said he thinks City are playing some really good football.

"I know it's still early days, but you do need to be up there early," he said. "They are playing with confidence and that is so important.

"The Championship is a division where you don't need to do too much extra as most of the teams are a much of a muchness.

"Leicester seem to have ironed out their defensive errors from earlier in the season and are playing some very good football, and long may it continue. It would be brilliant to have Leicester City back in the Premier League."

Despite City's run of results, it did not stop speculation over Nigel Pearson's position as manager, with rumours linking Harry Redknapp to the job.

Lineker said he found the speculation surprising.

"Pearson did a very good job at City first time round," he said.

"It's no good being impatient but, sadly, a lot of football supporters are.

"He came back from Hull to a Leicester side that had spent a lot of money on players and many of them were not performing.

"It was always going to take a lot of time for it to settle and become his side again.

"But he has been given time and it has proven to be the right decision."

Lineker also paid tribute to Pearson's scouting team who, he said, have shown they can find some really good players, such as Anthony Knockaert.

The young Frenchman was unearthed in the second division of French football, and has thrilled City fans with his combination of unpredictability, step-overs and a couple of wonder-goals.

"He looks very exciting," said Lineker.

"I have seen only a couple of games on television and even from that he looks very lively and a constant threat – he has been terrific."

Lineker added: "I saw his two goals against Huddersfield and they were something quite special."

Football: It's Unbelievable is on sale now priced at £16.99.

The Mercury have five signed copies to give away. To be in with a chance, email us by noon tomorrow at this address:

sportsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk

MPs are taking the fight to save children's heart surgery at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital to the House of Commons.

They have won the right for a three-hour Parliamentary debate on the crucial issue after more than 102,000 people signed an online petition.

It is scheduled to take place on Monday evening.

Campaigners hoped by reaching the 100,000 threshold MPs would be able to lobby for the debate, but it was not guaranteed.

Only 14 other online petitions have reached or exceeded the 100,000 signatory thresholds and gone before Parliament.

Harborough MP Sir Edward Garnier successfully applied for the debate.

He said: "The future of the heart centre is of vital concern to people living in my constituency and the entire county. But it goes beyond that. Patients across the country and abroad are treated by the cardiac team at the unit.

"It would not just be a mistake to close it, but a disaster.

"This is the first opportunity as a backbencher to see what I could do to nail this issue."

The petition was launched in July, days after an NHS review of children's heart surgery in England cut the number of hospitals providing the service from 11 to seven.

Glenfield Hospital was one of four centres told it will have to stop surgery for children born with heart defects. It means children will have to travel to Birmingham for operations and the children's specialist extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (Ecmo) treatment will stop at Glenfield.

Ecmo oxygenates blood outside the body, taking pressure off the heart and lungs.

Protests over the decision included two marches organised by patient Ria Pahwa, 14, from Rushey Mead.

She said: "I hope Glenfield didn't fix my heart just for this devastating decision to break it. The decision to close the heart centre is wrong."

Giles Peek, a children's heart surgery consultant, said: "We are delighted Sir Edward has secured this debate to enable an open and honest look at the concerns raised by independent experts."

Leicestershire MPs will meet Glenfield Hospital doctors before taking part in the debate.

Leicester West MP Liz Kendall said: "I will be making a strong case for Glenfield and outlining all the evidence such as the risks of losing our children's Ecmo service."

Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth said: "I will be making the case that children's heart surgery and Ecmo should remain at Glenfield."

Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan will not be able to speak as she is a Government whip but said she will be there supporting colleagues.

Ms Morgan said: "This is a really important issue and it means a minister has to be in Parliament, listening to the arguments."

North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said: "There are a number of queries about the review I intend to raise during the debate."

Campaigner Gill Smart, from the Leicestershire charity Heart Link, said: "This is people power.

"We owe a heartfelt thanks to the general public who gave up their time to support us."

Adam Tansey, from Burbage, whose son Albert was born with half a heart, said: "This is another step in the right direction. We are pleased Sir Edward has secured this debate."

Eric Charlesworth, from health watchdog the Leicester and Leicestershire local involvement network, said he was "delighted" the debate was happening.

Campaigners are still waiting to hear what advice the Government's Independent Reconfiguration Panel has given Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt about the review findings.

Birmingham manager Lee Clark has told his side to use Leicester City as an example of what is required to come through trying times.

Bouyant City travel to St Andrew's on Saturday to face a Blues side that has been decimated by injuries and is in desperate need of a positive home result after successive defeats on home soil to Barnsley and Huddersfield.

Clark admits his side is facing a tough challenge on and off the pitch, with owner Carson Yeung's trial on money laundering charges about to start and the future ownership of the club in question.

However, Clark said Nigel Pearson's City are a shining example of a side that has battled through similar difficult times.

After City started with three defeats from their opening five games, questions were being asked of Pearson and his players, but a magnificent run of five consecutive victories has seen them climb to second in the Championship.

"It has been a tough one," Clark told the Birmingham Mail.

"We have just got to battle through it, there is still a long time left in the season.

"There are lots of examples in the division, even after these first 10 games.

"Take our next opponent, Leicester City. In the early part of the season there were questions being asked and they have responded with five wins on the spin.

"They look a different team to the one I saw playing a few weeks ago, to the one that I watched on the DVD footage against Bristol City.

"They look a high-energy, powerful team who are just playing so naturally, not even thinking about things, passing the ball well. They look a positive group of players. We just need to get on a similar sort of run to give us the confidence to show everybody what we are about."

The Blues have a lengthy injury list but could be boosted by the availability of former City defender Curtis Davies and left-back David Murphy ahead of Saturday's clash.

But they will be without giant centre-forward Nikola Zigic, who is suspended after his red card against Huddersfield.

Clubbers who use the drug "mexxy" should face up to five years in jail, Government advisers have said.

Methoxetamine, which is sold as an alternative to ketamine, has been linked to two deaths in Leicestershire.

It is believed the two people – a 59-year-old woman and a man aged 32 – whose bodies were found in Melton and Leicester, on February 11 and 12, had taken the drug.

Their deaths, which were reported in the Mercury, are to be examined at a coroner's inquest.

Yesterday, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs said methoxetamine should be made a class B drug

The substance, the first to be placed under a temporary class drug order, was banned in March while the advisers considered whether it should be permanently controlled.

Council chairman Professor Les Iversen said: "Methoxetamine is not a 'safe' alternative to ketamine, as it is sometimes advertised.

"It is a dangerous and harmful drug which can cause heart problems, hallucinations and paranoia.

"The evidence leads us to advise that methoxetamine should be permanently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act."

Users face heavy fines and up to five years in prison, while suppliers could be jailed for up to 14 years, if it is made a class B drug.

A chance meeting on a trip to the zoo has led to a lifetime of happiness for Ralph and Gaynor Hallam.

The Shepshed couple celebrated 60 years of marriage yesterday.

They were married at St Peter's Church, in Oadby, three years after they bumped into each other while watching the animals.

Ralph, 84, who was working for a company in Oadby, said: "We were on a works outing to St Albans and Gaynor was on the bus, but was with a group of other people.

"We chanced to meet each other at the zoo and got chatting. After we got back I asked her out and things went on from there."

The couple, who were both from Oadby, set up home there, but moved to Shepshed when Ralph, a maintenance fitter, moved from Leicester Power Station to Ratcliffe on Soar.

They had four children, and now have eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

They both have a passion for gardening and enjoy going out for a meal each week with friends.

Ralph said that he and Gaynor, who is 79, went out for lunch yesterday before having a family gathering at their home.

He added: "We are also having a party for the family on Saturday."

Eldest daughter Jenny Martindale said: "Mum and dad are a real couple. They go everywhere together and we are all looking forward to the family party on Saturday."

The couple received a card from the Queen to mark their diamond wedding anniversary.

De Montfort University will be training the next generation of cyber spies to work for the UK's intelligence agencies.

Foreign secretary William Hague announced yesterday that a new apprentice-style scheme is being launched by the city university to recruit students into Cheltenham's spy centre, GCHQ, along with other secret intelligence services such as MI5 and MI6.

The news means that real-life James Bonds could be graduating from the university, with up to 100 18-year-olds being given the chance to train for a career in the secret services.

It is not yet known when the apprenticeship scheme will start, but it is aimed at tapping the skills of the "Xbox generation" – teenagers who have grown up in a world of social media, global connectivity and interactive gaming.

Speaking at Bletchley Park, the home of Britain's Second World War code-breakers, Mr Hague said it was important to bring in the most talented people to secure the UK's cyber expertise for the future.

"It will be the young innovators of this generation who will help keep our country safe in years to come against threats which are every bit as serious as some of those confronted in the Second World War," he said.

Recruits will undergo a two- year training programme at De Montfort's cyber security centre, studying communications, security and engineering.

They will also study for a diploma in IT, software, web and telecommunications professional competence.

The university's cyber centre already advises GCHQ on problems such as how to stop a cyber attack before it is triggered.

The course will be led by Dr Tim Watson from the university, who has estimated that cyber crime costs the UK more than £27 billion a year.

Leicester City's under-21 development squad entertain local rivals Coventry tonight at the King Power Stadium and manager Steve Beaglehole believes the experience will prepare the young professionals for the first team.

Beaglehole believes City's inclusion in the newly-formed league, which allows each team to include three over-age players, is a vital step in preparing the players for the first team, and said he has been delighted with his side's excellent recent form.

"It's something we have needed at the club in the last few years," he said.

"The under-18 side have been excellent but, for a lot of the players, they need another step before they go on to the first team set-up.

"There hasn't been that kind of bridge, but the under-21 league gives us a chance to drive them on more regularly and play some of the under-18 players 'up'.

"This helps the process a huge amount, and being able to introduce the experience of first-team players now and again is another big positive.

"One of the big things young players have to get used to is playing on main stadium pitches. Some of them will have had the opportunity at under-18 level in the FA Youth Cup, but you have to get used to playing on these stages regularly.

"We've had three games at King Power Stadium already and we played at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest last week. If it's something they can get used to now, it will improve their chances of coping with it in front of 20,000 with the first team."

Kick-off is 7.0 and admission is priced £3 for adults and £1 for under-18s on the night.

For nearly 40 years Dawn Alfonso could be found behind a market stall in the city centre.

But now the 64-year-old, who sold lingerie, has decided it's time to put her feet up.

Dawn, who organised a 14,000-signature petition 10 years ago to keep the market where it is, choked back tears yesterday as she was presented with a huge bouquet of flowers and a host of other gifts outside the Corn Exchange.

She said: "I've fought many battles and I'm pleased to say there have been some great successes. Not least when they wanted to move the market away from the city centre to Humberstone Gate. "It's the heart of this city and that's where it should stay."

"I grew up with the market. My mum was a trader, so it's in my blood. It helps bring this city to life and there's never a dull moment."

For 12 years she was secretary of Leicester's branch of the National Market Traders' Federation (NMTF), and is also vice-chair of Leicester Market Forum and a councillor for New Parks,

Several of her fellow traders applauded her for the efforts she has made to promote the market over the years.

She welcomed future investment by the city council and said she appreciated the efforts being made by city mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, to inject new life into it.

"I'm still part of the market forum so I won't be forgetting about the place," she said. "This is an emotional day for me, but I'm not getting any younger. Gone are the days when I can start work at 6am and work 12 hours straight."

Paddy Deevey, chair of Leicester's branch of the NMTF, said: "She has been a stalwart of this market and will be sadly missed.

"The work she has put in on behalf of everyone is very much appreciated. She has also raised thousands of pounds over the years for good causes and this place just isn't going to be the same without her."

Rob Linnet, who runs a fruit and vegetable stall on the market, said: "Dawn has given her heart and soul of this market. She has been a real champion for it and worked endless hours.

"Her commitment has been unbelievable."

Vicki Chapple, who also runs a fruit stall, said: "She's going to be a big loss, but we wish her all the best."

Councillor Paul Westley, who is chair of Leicester Market Forum, said: "Dawn's excellent service to the market over the years has been second to none.

"As vice-chair of the forum I know she will carry on that service just as much as she has in the past."

Leicester Tigers want to make amends for their disappointing Heineken Cup start by rewarding their loyal supporters on Sunday, says full-back and winger Niall Morris.

Tigers welcome Pro12 champions Ospreys to Welford Road for their first home fixture in Pool Two, following their 23-9 defeat in France at the hands of Toulouse last weekend.

Some 1,500 Tigers fans made the journey to support their side, only to be disappointed for the sixth successive time.

Morris said the support was incredible. "There were loads who travelled to Toulouse last week and that was brilliant to see," he said.

"It's really important when we come back to Welford Road that we reward the supporters for being so loyal to us.

"It's not that you want to let anyone down, but you want to do your best for the people that support you every week.

"Obviously, we'll also have friends and family in the crowd so you certainly don't want to let them down. You want to play your best stuff and, hopefully, we'll get the win and reward the supporters."

Tigers may not have the best record against their fierce Welsh rivals in recent years, having lost three of their last four meetings, but they have not lost at home in the Heineken Cup since October 2006.

Morris said being back at Welford Road would be a huge factor.

"Having that home crowd behind you is massive," he said. "Everyone at Tigers loves playing at home.

"It's brilliant to be able to come back from somewhere like Toulouse, where it's very hostile, to Welford Road with everyone supporting you and getting behind you.

"We're really looking forward to playing there this weekend and we will, hopefully, put things right from last week."

The 24-year-old has played six times for Tigers so far this season and has impressed in the absence of injured club captain Geordan Murphy.

It is something Morris has relished. "It's brilliant to have an opportunity to play," he said.

"Obviously, I've got it because Geordy has been injured, but to be playing in the Heineken Cup and the Premiership against quality sides has been really enjoyable.

"If I'm lucky enough to have the chance to play this weekend, I just want to do my best, play as well as I can and do my bit for the team to get a win. That's the ultimate goal, no matter who is playing.

"You never know which way selection is going to go. If I'm lucky enough to get another opportunity, I'll be delighted, but if not, I'll work harder again to try and get back in there but we'll see what happens."

Leicester Tigers recorded an operating loss of just more than £1million in the past financial year.

The club's turnover fell £2.2m in the year to June 30, 2012.

Part of the blame for the falls were reduced attendances at Welford Road throughout the 2011 World Cup, the absence of an international friendly fixture and reduced income as there were no autumn internationals.

A large proportion of the fall in turnover was due to outsourcing of the club's merchandising activities – although this yielded an improved profit contribution.

In a statement, Tigers admitted the figures were a "disappointing outcome".

The statement continued: "Sponsorship, season ticket sales and match ticket sales, as well as increased numbers of younger supporters on matchdays, provide optimism for the future.

"Season ticket numbers for the 2012/13 season are also at an all-time high."

The detailed results showed an exact operating loss of £1.037m and a fall in turnover from £19.5m, in 2011, to £17.3m to June 30, 2012.

Chairman Peter Tom was optimistic for the future and thanked all at the club "who worked so hard during a particularly difficult season."

A householder was reluctant to let firefighters deal with his chimney fire because he was illegally growing cannabis indoors, a court heard.

Owen Peaker had a crop of 186 cannabis plants growing in his mid-terraced home in New Street, Lutterworth.

Philip Gibbs, prosecuting, said: "He was obstructive when the fire brigade arrived because he was trying to hide the plants. The smell of cannabis was overpowering."

The crop had a potential harvest of 1.66 kilos with a street value of £9,480.

Peaker (44) was jailed for 20 months after he admitted producing the class B drug, in April.

Mr Gibbs said: "The Crown say there was a commercial element to this. He told the police in interview he had a circle of friends who were cannabis users. There would have been enough to have made 474 deals."

Peaker claimed he was growing his own supply. He had previously bought a fishing boat in Egypt but failed to make a successful business out of it. A tree surgery business also failed.

"There was no evidence he was supporting a lavish lifestyle," said Mr Gibbs.

Michael Garvey, mitigating, said: "He spent £10,000 on the fishing boat but doesn't expect to get anything back from it.

"He couldn't afford his own cannabis use, but went beyond what was necessary for his own needs.

"The cannabis plants were not being grown to their maximum advantage."

Mr Garvey said it was an amateurish set-up and the plants were of poor quality.

He said: "There's no evidence he'd actually supplied any of it."

He had previously possessed cannabis in 2010, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Sentencing, Judge Sylvia De Bertodano said: "The police attended your address following the report of a fire unconnected with the cannabis.

"They found you were growing cannabis in substantial quantities.

"It was an amateur operation, not being conducted in a professional way.

"You were planning to make some money, although not a great deal as you were intending selling it to friends at a low rate."