More people are getting rid of their pet dogs by reporting them as strays to dog wardens.

The abandoned pets have caused a surge in the number of dogs handed in at the kennels used by Blaby District Council dog wardens.

Michelle Ikin, senior dog warden, said the kennels were "reaching crisis point" due to the problem.

She said: "We seem to be receiving a lot of calls from people who have apparently 'found' dogs, which turn out to be their own pets. Obviously, with this situation, the dog isn't going to be claimed, as genuine strays would be. This is putting tremendous pressure on kennel space."

The Blaby wardens recently collected a 10-year-old dog who was handed into a rescue centre after the person had "found" him outside.

They discovered the owner of the dog had made a number of phone calls that day trying to get rid of the dog and believe the "finder'' was actually a friend of the owner.

Michelle said: "People abandoning pets in this way is putting a lot of pressure on resources that are intentioned for genuine stray animals.

"Dogs that come in as strays are much more difficult to re-home than a pet handed in at a rescue with a history.

"By trying to get rid of their animals this way they're actually putting their pets at a much greater risk of being destroyed than if they re-home them responsibly.

"What people are prepared to put their animals through never fails to amaze me. It's very sad."

The same problem is being felt at Willowtree kennels, in Barrow-upon-Soar, which re-homes dogs collected in Leicester. Owner Mick Watts said: "I think we have the same situation as Leicester. People are getting their own dogs picked up by the dog wardens because they can't afford to keep them.

"Since December, only about 30 per cent of stray dogs are being reclaimed by their owners and the rest are not wanted. A year ago it would be more like 50 per cent."

Simon Ellis, who runs the stray dogs operation at College Garth Kennels in Hathern, is responsible for a growing number of abandoned strays collected by dog wardens in Melton, Charnwood and North West Leicestershire.

He said: "We're getting an average of 29 stray dogs a week and that number is rising.

"About 70 per cent are abandoned and it's getting worse because of the economy – people can't afford to keep them. It's vet bills as well as food.

"We have room for 104 dogs and if they're not re-homed within 60 days we have to put them down."

For more information about dogs needing homes in Blaby district, visit:

www.blaby.gov.uk/dogs

A mum is planning a trip to Disneyland with her daughter to mark the first anniversary of a life-saving operation.

This time last year Amy Baker was in Papworth Hospital, in Cambridgeshire, recovering from a double lung transplant.

The 26-year-old, who was born with cystic fibrosis had been waiting for more than two years for the operation.

Amy, from Thorpe Astley, now has to take a cocktail of drugs each day but it is a far cry from having to have extra oxygen 24 hours a day.

She said: "There have been ups and downs during the year.

"It was quite scary coming home from hospital and it was a little difficult adjusting to all the medication.

"I have to take what seems about 100 tablets a day, including antibiotics and anti-rejection drugs to keep everything going, but it is just part of my life now.

"It was also difficult to maintain how much I did. I would go shopping and then feel awful.

"I have had to learn not to over do it.

"Now I am going to the gym three times a week and it is nice to be able to just do things randomly.

"Before the operation I couldn't plan anything because I never knew how I was going to be feeling.

"Another big change was how quiet the house was because there was no longer the noise of the oxygen supply which I relied on."

One of the things she is also looking forward to is see her daughter, Bella Baker-Eames, four, start school in September.

Amy, who feared this was a dream too far, said: "We are going to buy her school uniform.

"But before that, in a few weeks, we are going to Disneyland Paris to mark the first anniversary of my transplant.

"It is so nice being able to do all sorts of different things with Bella."

Amy was able to lead a relatively normal life until she caught pneumonia when she was 10.

She was in and out of hospital with constant infections and, in 2009, doctors said her lungs were so damaged she would need a transplant to survive.

There were three false alarms when the transplant had to be called off because of problems with the donor organs.

The fourth call came in the early hours of April 27 last year.

Amy said: "I was lucky. I had been in hospital with a temperature but had just recovered when the call came.

"I was in intensive care for two days after the operation but on the third day I managed to sit up and by the fifth I was on the gym bike.

"I knew if I didn't get moving it would be harder in the long run."

She has also written a thank you to be passed to the donor's family.

Amy said: "I wrote at Christmas but I haven't had heard anything back yet."

It was a notorious murder trial which divided opinion when it was held at Leicester Castle almost 100 years ago.

Yesterday, the historic Green Bicycle Murder case was brought to life in the same court room by performing arts students who re-enacted the story.

As it would have been back in the 1920s, such was the interest in the case, the venue's old Victorian courtroom was filled with dozens of visitors, as the De Montfort University students played out the trial of Ronald Light.

The ex-soldier and maths teacher was cleared of the murder of 21-year-old Bella Wright, thanks to renowned defence lawyer Sir Edward Marshall Hall, despite overwhelming evidence against him.

Yesterday, the courtroom once again echoed with the sounds of the trial as six students, all in their third year, took part in the performance.

Joshua Williams, 21, of Melton, who played Sir Edward, said it had been an interesting role to take on.

"He was a really high-profile lawyer at the time and this was one of his biggest cases," Joshua said.

"It is interesting because this was a case where everyone said he wouldn't be able to get him off, but he managed to do it."

Despite playing Sir Edward – who was nicknamed "the great defender" – Joshua said it was his opinion Light had got away with murder.

"I personally think he was guilty," he said. "I feel a bit guilty getting him off, to be honest.

"We've done a lot of research into this and from everything I've seen, I think it's a miracle he managed to get away with it."

The Green Bicycle murder trial centred on the death of Bella, from Stoughton, in the summer of 1919.

The re-creation of the trial, which took place the following year, involved painstaking historical research from the students, who accessed records of the actual speeches used in the hearing.

Visitors, who were assigned various roles – including rival reporters for the Leicester Mercury and Leicester Chronicle – witnessed the prosecution and defence lawyers in action and heard evidence from the defendant.

However, the re-enactment ended with the judge's summing up – leaving people to weigh up the evidence and come to their own conclusions as to whether Light was guilty.

Michael Stephenson, 22, who lives in the city centre, played the defendant.

"The atmosphere in the courtroom was definitely noticeable," he said. "It did have the feeling of a real case and I definitely felt like there was a lot of eyes on me."

Katrina Blackett, 26, who lives in the Jarrom Street area of Leicester, took on the role of the judge, Sir Thomas Horridge.

She said she was pleased with the performance.

"I was pleased with how it went," she said. "There was a realness to it."

Daniel Daley, 22, who lives in the city centre, played prosecuting lawyer Henry Maddocks. "It's been really interesting and enjoyable," he said.

"I didn't know much about the trial before, so it's been really interesting to find out about it.

"It's been a great turn-out as well, we didn't expect to see so many."

The city council has given the go ahead for £129 million of work to rebuild and revamp schools in Leicester.

The next phase of the authority's Building Schools for the Future programme will see 12 secondary schools transformed by 2015.

After months of consultations, contracts for the project have now been signed.

Work at New College, in New Parks, and Babington Community College, in Beaumont Leys, has just begun.

Work at Sir Jonathan North Community College and The Lancaster School, both in Knighton, Moat Community College, in Highfields, St Paul's, in Evington, English Martyrs, in Beaumont Leys, Hamilton Community College, and Nether Hall School, will start in the next few weeks.

At New College, classrooms are being refurbished, new drama and music facilities created and a reception area and entrance are being built as part of a £9 million project.

Head teacher Jane Brown said: "This is excellent news. We've been working closely with the council, our students and our community to ensure the plans for our new building reflect their wishes and needs.

"We're looking forward to taking this to the next stage now and can't wait until we are moving in."

Parent Jenny Wilson said: "The work here in the school should improve and make the learning environment excellent for all its students."

Contracts for two of the city's special schools – West Gate, in New Parks and Ash Field Academy, in Evington – are expected to be signed in the summer, with work due to start before autumn.

These schools will complete the programme, which will mean all 22 of Leicester's secondary and special schools will have been rebuilt or refurbished thanks to a total investment of more than £350 million of Government money that has been handed over to the council.

Councillor Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for children, young people and schools, said: "It's fantastic news that we can now move on to the next phase of our programme. A huge amount of hard work has gone into securing this money for Leicester.

"The BSF programme is transforming the environments our children and young people are learning in. And the partnership between schools and the council is transforming the quality of that learning."

The re-modelling of the Children's Hospital School at Willowbank is almost complete.

The handover of a new building to Rushey Mead School will take place this spring. In addition, Crown Hills Community College and City of Leicester College will move into their new buildings at the end of 2013.

Miller Construction has been appointed as the main contractor for the design and build of the schools.

Giant lightbulbs, stags and statues of dancers are among the ideas submitted so far for a new landmark statue for the city.

The former GE Lighting factory site, in Rushey Mead, is being transformed into a new Sainsbury's store and the supermarket chain is going to pay £70,000 for a large work of art for the corner of Troon Way and Melton Road.

A panel of judges has been set up and members of the public have been invited to send in their thoughts on what a suitable landmark should be.

Scores of suggestions have been submitted so far, with a lot of people coming up with ideas incorporating lightbulbs – millions of which were once made on the site.

Other ideas include a statue of Leicester-raised broadcaster David Attenborough and a giant DNA double helix to celebrate the city's breakthrough in genetic fingerprinting, led by Sir Alec Jeffreys.

Among the bright designs is the one pictured right, sketched by John Inchley, 67, of Syston, who wanted a giant bunch of steel rushes to celebrate Rushey Mead, with bulbs in the tops of the rushes.

He said: "I was brought up next to the factory and my mum worked there making munitions in the war, and later making bike lights.

"It's a brilliant idea to have the landmark there and I'd like it to be 30ft high rushes that light up at night to commemorate the people who worked in the building."

Another person who e-mailed the panel said: "How about a huge light bulb made up of thousands of smaller bulbs in different colours on a rotation of different coloured cycles?

"GE was well known for its Christmas lights. I was gutted when it was knocked down as were a lot of people who lived in the area and worked there."

Another entrant said: "It could feature Afro-Carribean, Asian, British and Eastern European dancers featuring a character from each group dancing in a circle and placed high on a pedestal for all to see. It could rotate and be powered by the wind and also be illuminated at night time."

Someone else who sent in a bulb-themed idea said: "My idea is to have a very large bulb to reflect the history of the site.

"This bulb could be covered in LED lights that are hooked up to a computer in order to produce images and colours."

Another suggested an illuminated glass statue of a Bradgate Park stag rearing up on its hind legs.

The final decision on the design will be made by the judges, chaired by Keith Vaz, MP for the area.

Other members of the panel include Leicester Mercury editor Richard Bettsworth, business leader Dharmesh Lakhani and Karen Hammond, who is head teacher at nearby Mellor Primary School and an artist.

Schools and community groups are also coming up with their ideas over the next two months.

The consultation will close on June 30. To submit an idea to the judging panel, e-mail:

leicesterlegacy2013@gmail.com

Leicester's deputy mayor should stand down to focus on his campaign to become a Member of the European Parliament, according to a former city council leader.

Councillor Rory Palmer announced earlier this month he would be one of Labour's five candidates for the East Midlands seat when the election is held next May.

Coun Palmer has said he intends to remain in his £50,000-a-year mayoral post until election day, though opposition councillors have warned he will be unable to fight a serious campaign and carry on his city duties.

Now, Labour colleague councillor Ross Willmott has said Coun Palmer should resign in the run-up to the election.

Coun Willmott took that step in 2010, when he stepped down from his position as council leader to focus on his – ultimately unsuccessful – bid to become North West Leicestershire MP.

He said: "I carried on being council leader then I stood down.

"I would expect the Labour group to say the same thing should happen with Rory.

"I think the choice is already made. As the campaign builds you can't have a foot in both camps.

"Now would not be the time, but the time will come.

"Experience suggests to me you can't hedge your bets. You make your choice when you decide you want to be an MP or an MEP.

"You have to demonstrate you are serious about your campaign and people don't respect you if you say 'I'll keep this job in case the other one doesn't work out'.

"It's playing fast and loose with the electorate.

"This is not about Rory. The same would apply whoever is in that position." Coun Palmer, who represents the city's Eyres Monsell ward, said at this point he had no intention of giving up his deputy mayor's post.

He said: "The situations are not necessarily comparable. Ross contested the North West Leicestershire seat, which was a different area to the city.

"The constituency I am contesting includes Leicester and I am raising the same issues in my European campaign that I am working on every day here.

"Of course, questions can be asked about my capability.

"I am mindful I have a serious job to do here in Leicester, and if I feel I need to move to do more campaigning then I will have that discussion with Peter Soulsby and colleagues."

If Coun Palmer is elected to the Brussels job he would have to quit the deputy mayor's job.

Cancer patients and their families fighting to save a support service have formed a focus group.

They are meeting with officials from the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust this evening to try to find out what is happening to the psycho-oncology service.

The service helps patients come to terms with a cancer diagnosis and its effects.

Patients believe changes to the service will mean they have less time with a consultant psychiatrist and there will be less continuity.

Vivienne Hedges, from Wigston, whose husband David was referred to the service 10 years ago after he was diagnosed with lymphoma, said: "We have formed the group because we are worried about the changes.

"We need to keep the service as it is. We have asked for a meeting with the managers to make sure this happens."

The group has also invited health campaigner Zuffar Haq, a member of the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel to the meeting.

Mr Haq said: "I want to hear what is said about this. This service needs to remain as it is for patients.

"I am not worried about which pot of money it comes from.

"Patients need to be cared for when they have cancer and they need the support of this service."

A spokesman for the trust previously said that changes were needed to the service "to ensure it stays within budget while maintaining high levels of care and the same level of service".

Wherever 15-month-old Billy goes, so does a life-saving defibrillator and special monitor to check his heart while he sleeps.

Two months ago, the youngster was diagnosed with a rare heart condition and now dad, John Grabowski, and mum, Charlotte Francis, have to keep a constant check on him.

Billy has cardiac fibroma – a benign tumour which measures about 6cm by 4cm – growing on his heart.

His family's life was turned upside down when Billy collapsed suddenly at his Loughborough home in February – and had to be resuscitated.

Charlotte, 26, said: "He looked as if he was having a fit and then was lifeless. Seconds later he had turned blue. It was so scary."

East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) paramedic Vince Lowe could not find a pulse and had to shock Billy's heart to get it going.

Charlotte said: "I didn't know if Billy was alive or dead."

He was still struggling to breathe without help when he arrived at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Charlotte said: "It is all a bit of a blur and because the condition is so rare it took weeks to find out what was wrong.

"An MRI scan in London showed a tumour on the pumping chamber of Billy's heart.

"It was only the third case the consultant had seen and we were told he might die and that the risk of sudden death is very real."

Billy was in hospital for seven weeks and although the condition has been identified, his future is uncertain.

As his heart grows, the tumour might not be a problem, or he may need an operation.

Meanwhile, every time he goes to sleep his parents hook him to a monitor to keep a check on his heart.

They also always have a defibrillator with them, in case his heart stops again and they have to use the machine to "shock" him and restart it.

Charlotte said: "It does feel as if we are still living on the edge, but I don't know what we would have done without the paramedic who saved his life.

"We have been overwhelmed by support from everyone."

Dr Kate Linter, a children's cardiologist at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital, said: "This condition is very rare in this age group and Billy's is the first case I have seen.

"The paramedic certainly saved his life and we are now keeping a close eye on him.

"He is on medication, but at the moment we don't know exactly when or what treatment he will need."

Mr Lowe, who has worked in the ambulance service for 39 years, said: "When I saw Billy it was clear that he was a very ill child.

"I am delighted he is now back home with his parents."

The defibrillator has been donated by the Leicestershire charity, Keep the Beat.

Adam Tansey, from Keep the Beat, said: "We are delighted to be able to help patients in this and hope that through the work we do we can continue to support many other families like Billy's."

Intrepid adventurer Sarah Outen has started her second world record attempt to become the first person to row solo across the North Pacific Ocean.

The 27-year-old, of Oakham, began her 4,500-nautical mile trip from Japan to Canada in her rowing boat, Happy Socks, shortly before 8am UK time (3pm in Japan) on Saturday.

It is the latest leg of her round-the-world trip by kayak, bike and rowing boat.

Yesterday, a message on Sarah's website, from one of her team, said: "Sarah has made great progress in the last 24 hours and has covered 30 miles thanks to the Kuroshio current. Seasickness has been pretty bad but is now easing so all is well."

Yesterday afternoon, the adventurer tweeted: "In the Kuroshio current and whizzing NE. Still struggling to eat but improving."

The journey will see Sarah spending between 150 and 200 days alone out at sea.

She first attempted the row in May, but the challenge was cut short when she hit a typhoon several hundred miles off the coast of Japan.

After days of being battered by 15metre-high waves and winds gusting at more than 80mph, her first boat, Gulliver, sustained irreparable damage and capsized.

The ocean row is set to be the most gruelling part of Sarah's London2London: Via the World expedition. If successful, she will be the first woman to row solo across the North Pacific Ocean, west to east, and to row solo from Japan to Canada.

A man who drunkenly attacked a stranger leaving the victim with a broken eye socket and permanently reduced vision, has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Ryan Steers (26) kicked the man in the face during the unprovoked assault, Leicester Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Justin Wigoder said Steers walked up to his victim's car in Copthorne Avenue, Braunstone, Leicester, at 12.10am on September 25, 2011, and started banging on it, asking for a lift.

He said the victim pushed Steers away who responded by pushing him to the ground.

When he was on the ground, Steers ran in and kicked him once in the face.

Mr Wigoder said: "The kick connected near the right eye and it began bleeding immediately.

"The defendant ran off, a friend of the victim came out, saw him and rang the ambulance."

Mr Wigoder said that when the victim went to his friend's house, Steers was outside banging on the windows.

He said: "A couple of the victim's friends arrived and detained Steers until the police arrived."

Mr Wigoder said the victim suffered bleeding on the back of the eye and had to have a metal plate inserted in his face to repair his broken eye socket.

In an impact statement sent to the court, the victim told how the attack has left him with 30 per cent reduced vision in his right eye.

The victim, who had to take seven weeks off work, said the attack had damaged his self-confidence and left him wary of strangers in case he gets assaulted again.

The court was told that Steers has 20 convictions for 30 offences, including dishonesty, affray and harassment.

Steers, of Steins Lane, Humberstone, Leicester, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm on September 25, 2011.

James Varley, defending, said the attack was a one-off incident which his client regretted.

He said: "It was gross error of judgement while he was in the pit of drink."

Judge Simon Hammond told Steers: "This was an unprovoked attack and a typical act of gratuitous, drunken violence. There is no excuse for it.

"You kicked a man when he was on the floor and completely defenceless.

"You could have blinded him. Kicking people can cause serious injury and can actually kill people."

Four people were rescued by firefighters after a blaze broke out at their home.

The fire started in the kitchen of the semi-detached house in Conway Drive, Shepshed, at about 5.40am on Sunday.

Two adults and two children had to be rescued by firefighters from an upstairs room.

A spokesman for Leicester Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call from one of the occupants of the house.

The four people were told to move to a bedroom at the front of the house, as the fire was coming from the kitchen at the back, and told to stay there until crews from Loughborough and Shepshed arrived at the scene.

They were rescued from the property and treated by paramedics. They did not need hospital treatment.

The fire service spokesman said: "They were rescued from a first-floor front bedroom, using a short extension ladder. They had been directed to move to the front to make the rescue easier."

The fire was put out by about 6.20am.

Police were called to the scene as part of protocol when people are trapped inside a property.

However, the fire service said the blaze was accidental and was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

A 1930s poster of Leicester's historic Guildhall, which featured in a campaign urging wealthy Americans to visit Britain, is to go up for auction.

Photographer John Dixon-Scott took the picture shortly after the 14th century building had been renovated by the council and saved from demolition.

Mr Dixon-Scott was concerned by the disappearance of many of the country's fine buildings and toured the country making a pictorial record of them.

The sepia tint he produced of the Guildhall, which more than 50,000 people have visited in the past few months to see its Richard III exhibition, was used for a poster in the 1930s in America.

Now, the poster, along with 50 others from the series, is going under the hammer in England after recently being uncovered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Auctioneer Patrick Bogue said: "Just months before the stock market crash of 1929, the Travel Association of Britain and Northern Ireland was founded by Lord Waldorf Astor and Winston Churchill to increase the amount of American money spent in the United Kingdom by tourists.

"In the late 1930s, the Travel Association hired the best photographers to document the scenes of Great Britain, including Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"Using a traditional style black and white or brown, green and blue sepia tones, these records recall to us our history and pride.

"Among them is the picture by John Dixon-Scott of Leicester Guildhall."

Other posters which feature in the series depict well-known sights in London, the Cornish Riviera and the Scottish Highlands.

He said most of the posters were in excellent condition and many are estimated to fetch between £80 to £120, although some may attract higher bids.

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: "There had been calls to demolish the Guildhall – but, fortunately, essential works were carried out by the council in the 1920s that ensured this historic building was preserved for future generations to enjoy.

"It's wonderful to see that, so soon after its restoration, the Guildhall was helping to promote not only Leicester, but the whole of the UK."

Market Harborough art expert Malcolm Lever-Jones said: "I would agree with the valuation that many of the posters will sell for about £100. They have been produced by some of the best printers of the day.

"The name of John Dixon-Scott could push the value of the poster up into the high hundreds of pounds."

A council spokesman would not say if the authority would be interested in buying the poster, which will be sold by Onslows Auctions Ltd in Stourpaine, Dorset, on June 21.

A preview of the auction can be seen online two weeks before the sale.

www.onslows.co.uk

A woman who stabbed a stranger three times in the back as he walked along a street has been jailed for four years.

Teresa Lavin (49) of Rectory Road, Markfield, knifed the 68-year-old, who she did not know, while he was in Main Street, in the village, on his way home from the pub.

Cheryl Williams, prosecuting, at Peterborough Crown Court, said: "The man was walking down the street when what felt like a punch hit him on the back.

"He told police, 'I ran off but she chased me. I felt a sudden, sharp stabbing pain in my back. I looked behind to see her behind me.

'I realised I was not going to be able to out-run her. As I faced her, I could see she had a knife in her right hand.

'I managed to pull her to the floor and grabbed the knife'."

Miss Williams said as the man grabbed the knife he said 'you nutter,' and Lavin replied 'I am a nutter'.

The man needed 11 stitches after the kitchen knife caused a wound two inches deep.

Lavin then fled the scene, but a witness found her wallet at the scene and she was arrested at her home later that night, on January 15.

The court heard that when police arrived at her home, she said: "I know I stabbed him and don't even know who he is. I just went to the shop and did it."

As she was arrested, she headbutted a female police officer.

In mitigation, the court heard how Lavin had suffered from alcohol problems and mental health difficulties, and this was a cry for help.

She pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and battery.

Sentencing, Judge Nic Madge said: "I have to consider the issue of dangerousness.

"Is there a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm, occasioned by the commission by you of further specified offences?

"I have to bear in mind that serious harm includes serious personal injury, whether physical or psychological. The author of the pre-sentence report and the psychiatrist consider you pose such a risk.

"I conclude there is a significant risk of further specified offences.

"It is necessary that I pass an extended sentence to provide adequate protection for the public."

Lavin was given a sentence of four years for wounding, with two months concurrent for battery.

Judge Madge also added an extended licence period of three years when she was released.

A mother pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a child after she walked a mile-and-a-half in freezing temperatures carrying her 11-month-old son.

The 33-year-old admitted the charge at Leicester Crown Court, after she left a house where she had assaulted a friend and another woman.

Prosecutor Victoria Rose told how the mum-of-two committed the offences after the visit to a house in Whitwick, on November 29.

She was given a year-long community order and was warned by the judge her children may be taken away from her if she does not control her drinking.

Miss Rose said the woman had taken her 12-year-old and 11-month-old sons to a friend's home, where another woman was visiting.

She said the defendant and the friend went to a social club for an hour and returned at about 10.30pm.

She said: "The woman described the defendant as being extremely intoxicated."

Miss Rose said the mum and the woman had words before the mum stood up and punched the woman on the nose. As the victim ran out of the house the defendant went after her, but was stopped by her friend.

She then punched her friend, who retaliated and dragged her about by her hair.

The defendant then went upstairs and left the house, carrying her 11-month-old son.

Miss Rose said: "She walked a mile-and-a-half to her mother's house, carrying her son in sub-zero temperatures.

"When the police arrived there to arrest her, she was sleeping in bed with her mother with her 11-month-old son in between them."

The defendant, of Whitwick, admitted being drunk in charge of her child on November 29.

She pleaded guilty to assaulting both women on the same date. She also admitted possessing cannabis.

The offences were committed while she was in breach of a six-month conditional discharge for a conviction for being drunk in charge of the same child, who was then 10 months old.

Miss Rose said on that occasion, the defendant had gone to the house of an ex-partner with the child when she was heavily intoxicated.

Luke Blackburn, defending, said his client had finally admitted she had a drink problem and was getting help. He said: "It is a sad case indeed.

"She realises what she did was distasteful, embarrassing and something of which she is ashamed."

Judge Simon Hammond told her: "You are having help.

"You have to sort yourself out for the sake of your children.

"If you don't sort yourself out, we may take your children off you.

"Don't let your children down."

He gave the defendant a one-year community order with supervision and a requirement to attend an anger management programme.

A new inquiry into a historic paedophile ring in North Wales care homes has uncovered "significant" fresh evidence of "systematic and serious sexual and physical abuse".

Detectives from Operation Pallial, which launched in November, have received 140 allegations relating to 18 care homes between 1963 and 1992, including fresh claims by 76 new complainants.

The alleged victims were aged between seven and 19.

The report said a total of 84 people – 75 male and nine female – were named by complainants.

Of these, 16 were named by more than one alleged victim and 10 may now be dead.

The large number of alleged victims and care homes, and the duration of the period involved, is much wider than previously thought.

Detective Superintendent Ian Mulcahey said: "Many have provided graphic accounts of abuse, in some cases of very serious criminality.

"We are prioritising our work focusing on those individuals who pose the greatest risk to the public."

The publication of the report on phase one of the inquiry comes less than a week after a man was arrested in Ipswich, Suffolk, accused of "a number of serious sexual offences against a number of individuals", the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) said.

He was arrested last Tuesday and taken to a police station in North Wales where he was interviewed over recent allegations of historic abuse and then bailed to the end of July, pending further inquiries. Soca refused to give his age.

He is the first person to be detained so far as part of the inquiry.

North Wales Chief Constable Mark Polin, who asked the National Crime Agency (NCA) to run Operation Pallial, warned offenders: "If you believe that the passage of time will reduce the resolve of Operation Pallial or any police force to identify people still alive who have caused harm to others and bring them to justice, you are mistaken.

"People who commit serious and sexual offences should live with the knowledge we will always examine new information and seek to bring them to justice for their crimes."

The NCA was selected at the request of North Wales Police to ensure the inquiry's independence.

It was set up to re-examine claims of sex crimes and look at the original police investigations into abuse at care homes in North Wales.

Mr Polin said: "I took the decision to ask the NCA to investigate these allegations, conscious that some victims of historic abuse may not have the necessary level of confidence in North Wales Police to report matters directly to us.

"Pallial has now secured accounts from almost all victims who are willing to support an investigation and it makes sense for the officers and staff to be at the core of phase two and to move matters forward."

He said it was "never too late" to report abuse and urged anyone who has not come forward yet, to do so.

The shine has returned to one of Leicester's historic shopping streets following a three-month refurbishment costing £300,000.

Silver Street – which links High Street to the cafes, boutiques and independent shops of The Lanes and St Martin's – has been given a new lease of life.

The project was not only completed on time, but came in £100,000 under budget.

It features a terra cotta-coloured asphalt road surface and a contrasting coloured pedestrian channel, replacing the previously raised kerb.

Etched granite paving now marks the entrances to the Malcolm Arcade, Royal Arcade and St Martin's Shopping Centre.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby met with traders and shoppers yesterday as part of an official opening celebrating the completion of the works.

"Silver Street links High Street with The Lanes and St Martin's Shopping Centre, but it's also a really attractive route through to the historical and architectural treasures in Cathedral Square and Guildhall Lane," Sir Peter said.

"This scheme complements the work that's already been done in Loseby Lane and Carts Lane and I'm delighted it's been completed in time for the opening of Silver Arcade."

Traders and shoppers have also welcomed the scheme.

Chris Cobbett-Rayment, assistant manager of The Globe public house, at 43 Silver Street, said: "We're very happy with how the street looks now.

"While work was under way, we did have some difficulties with our deliveries, but those problems were overcome."

Juliet Hooper, who has run Brides of Bond Street at 32 Silver Street for 20 years, is hoping that the new-look will lead to more passing trade.

"We're already noticing an increase in the numbers walking from the Clock Tower to the new Richard III exhibition, which is great for us," she said.

"I think it looks lovely – and somehow Silver Street looks twice as wide as it did before.

"The scheme seems to have opened up views of both the cathedral and the Clock Tower. It's made a huge difference and we're delighted."

Shopper Mike Smith, 40, from Barlestone, said: "I think it looks much better than it did – it's a definite improvement."

"For a big city, this part of Leicester's got a small market town feel that I really like."

Shauna Cooper, 20, of Westcotes, Leicester, said: "They've taken an old back alley street and brightened it up. It looks a lot more sophisticated and modern and goes nicely with the rest of the town centre."

The Silver Street refurbishment is part of Connecting Leicester – a programme of works to improve pedestrian links between historic buildings and heritage sites and the modern heart of the city.

Cases dealt with at Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

Rachel Herald (26), of Dover Street, Leicester, was jailed for 28 days for a number of thefts from shops. She pleaded guilty to stealing jewellery worth £718 from Claire's Accessories in Leicester on February 27. She also admitted stealing jewellery worth between £200 and £300 from the same shop on January 24, and mobile telephone items from there on February 15. Herald also admitted stealing alcohol worth £60 from the Co-op store in Briton Street, Leicester, on March 10, and 12 jars of coffee worth £90 from the Spar store in Buckminster Road, Leicester, on March 10.

Ryan Huggins (18), of Wiltshire Road, Wigston, was given an 18-month conditional discharge for assaulting a man and a woman. He pleaded guilty to beating the woman in Leicester on November 30, and assaulting a man in Leicester on the same date.

He also pleaded guilty to damaging a table at the Nautical William pub in Leicester on November 30. Huggins was ordered to pay £150 compensation for the table, a £15 victim surcharge and £75 court costs.

Gursharan Sharoon Virk (27), of Overdale Avenue, Glenfield, was banned from the road for three years for drink driving. He pleaded guilty to committing the offence on Lubbesthorpe Way, Leicester, on December 1.

He gave a reading of 90 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80. He was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work on a year-long community order, told to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Martin Thomas (48), of Canal Bank, Loughborough pleaded guilty to driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone on January 3. He was fined £270 with £60 costs. He was ordered to pay £27 victim surcharge and had four points placed on his licence.

Moaz Walijay (23), of Whitwell Row, Leicester pleaded guilty to driving at 47mph in a 30mph zone on October 5. He was disqualified from driving for six months, fined £170, told to pay £60 costs and £20 victim surcharge.

For a self-confessed food addict and travel lover, being paid to research the finest produce and best eateries on the other side of the world must be the absolute dream job.

So Asha Patel is more than a little excited after being shortlisted for the role of Western Australia taste master, one of the country's "best jobs in the world" as advertised on its official tourism website.

More than 600,000 applicants from across the world applied for six positions – and just 25 people have now been shortlisted for each role.

The winners of each will spend six months carrying out the job of their dreams, getting paid $50,000 – plus $50,000 living expenses – for the pleasure.

Asha, who grew up in Rushey Mead, Leicester, said landing the job would be "a dream come true".

"I'm really up for adventure and excitement," she said.

"It would mean everything to me.

"I was thrilled, ecstatic and a bit overwhelmed when I found out I'd been shortlisted.

"It's quite different to anything I've ever done before."

Asha works as a freelance writer and photographer in London, but says food is her true love.

While the other five positions – lifestyle photographer, Outback adventurer, park ranger, wildlife caretaker and "chief funster" – are all equally amazing jobs, the 30-year-old says she was instantly drawn to the role of taste master.

She said she knew it was for her as soon as she read the job description, which includes "eating your way round the state, foraging out the finest produce and uncovering the best bars and restaurants".

"I'm really passionate about food and have such a love for it," she said. "As soon as I saw it there was something that really rang true for me.

"I've never had a job in food before, but so often you do a job for income and because it's sensible. It's rare that people can have the dream of doing what they love for a living.

"I love cooking and baking and I love eating out, too.

"I've got a food blog. My first love in life is food so to be able to promote it in a place as beautiful as Western Australia would be amazing."

After applying, Asha was asked to send in a video to show why she would be perfect for the job.

She found out she had been shortlisted last week. On May 15, three applicants for each role will be chosen as finalists, and will be flown out to Australia for interviews.

Having travelled the east coast of the country before, Asha said she would not be at all nervous about packing up and moving to the other side of the world.

"I'd be so excited," she said.

"The job is for six months and if I get it, I honestly don't know what would happen after that.

"I've not really thought beyond the six months, but I'm just up for the adventure."