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McClarkin picked again as Tory candidate for Euro elections

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Sitting Conservative MEP for the East Midlands Emma McClarkin is to stand as a candidate next year's European elections Miss McClarkin, who lives near Market Harborough, has been endorsed by a panel representing Conservative members from across the region. She will be the top Conservative candidate in the regional list system used in the proportional representation European elections. Miss McClarkin said: "I am delighted to have been re-adopted. It is a huge honour and great privilege to serve the people of the East Midlands. "I have thoroughly enjoyed the last four years as MEP but there is still much work to do." Today up to 100 Tory MPs were expected to vote in Parliament to express regret that Prime Minister David Cameron had not included a promise of an in/out referendum on Britain's membership of the EU in the recent Queen's Speech. However Miss McClarkin said: "I look forward to the year ahead leading to the European elections in 2014 and the debate on our future relationship with the EU. "Our message is clear – if you want an in or out referendum the Conservatives are the only party who can deliver this." East Midlands Conservatives regional chairman Stephen Mold said: "Emma has been a very good MEP for the East Midlands over last four years, achieving some hard fought victories through rolling up her sleeves and negotiating hard on behalf of local people, especially in the area of trade and jobs. "We hope the people of the East Midlands take the time to appreciate her hard work when it comes time to vote." Leicester's deputy mayor Rory Palmer has already been selected as a Labour East Midlands candidate.

McClarkin picked again as Tory candidate for Euro elections


Leicester City academy duo sign new deals

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Leicester City academy duo Alie Sesay and Callum Elder have both penned new deals with the club after successful seasons with the Under-21s and Under-18s sides. The defenders join the likes of George Taft, James Pearson, Jacob Blyth, Rob Paratore, Jamie Anton and Jak McCourt in extending their stay with the club after helping Steve Beaglehole's Under-21s take the Development League Two North title with a game to spare. Sesay, 19, is now in his third year with the club, and is a quick and strong central defender who has been in impressive form alongside Taft for the Under-21s - captaining the team on a number of occasions in Conrad Logan's absence. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Australian left-back Elder has also featured for the Under-21s, who only missed out on the chance to become national champions with a 3-2 play-off defeat to Cardiff, and has been a key part of Trevor Peake's Under-18s set-up this term.

Burglars smashed hole in jewellery shop wall

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A gang of burglars spent four hours dismantling a wall to break into a jewellery shop. The men removed bricks and plaster to get into Grace and Co in Market Street, Ashby town centre, in the early hours of last Friday. Once inside, they smashed a number of glass display cabinets and grabbed a large number of Pandora bracelets and charms. Police believe the men began smashing the hole in the wall at 12.30pm and left the shop at approximately 4.30am. Detective Constable Alf Doyle said: "The owners of the shop are understandably angry and upset that their property has been taken and they are keen to have it returned. "The suspects spent some time outside the premises while they made attempts to break in. "Once inside they smashed numerous glass cabinets. "Anyone who was in the area between 12.30am and 4.30am may have seen them at the shop. "It's likely that those responsible will now try to sell the items. We're going to do all we can to locate the items and hope that members of the public will able to help us with this. "We would like to ask anyone who knows someone who has acquired a large quantity of Pandora goods, or anyone who has been offered Pandora goods to buy in suspicious circumstances, to call us." Anyone with information should contact Det Con Doyle on 101, or call Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Burglars smashed hole in jewellery shop wall

Liam Moore selected for England Under-20s training camp

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Leicester City defender Liam Moore will join up with England Under-20s for a training camp ahead of the FIFA U20s World Cup. The 20-year-old was selected to attend the camp from May 20-24 in preparation for the tournament in Turkey in June. England Under-20s manager and former City boss, Peter Taylor, will be assessing his options prior to the announcement of a final 21-man squad on June 7. Moore has made 24 senior appearances this season, including a seven-game loan spell with League One side Brentford, as well as featuring in City's final day victory at Nottingham Forest. The Young Lions have been drawn in Group E for the tournament alongside Chile, Egypt and Iraq. They will kick-off their campaign against Iraq on June 23 at Antalya's Akdeniz University Stadium, before taking on Chile three days later at the same venue and finally facing Egypt on June 29 at the Ataturk Stadium in Bursa. The final will take place at the 52,000-seater Ali Sam Yen Arena in Istanbul on July 13, with a new name on the trophy guaranteed, after defending champions Brazil missed out on qualification.

Liam Moore selected for England Under-20s training camp

Man dies following crash in Loughborough

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A 59-year-old man has died following a crash in Loughborough. Robert William Allen, who lived in the town, was involved in a crash in Forest Road at about 8.15pm on Monday. The car he was driving, a maroon Volkswagen Golf, was the only vehicle involved in the collision. Police said he was pronounced dead in hospital. A passenger in the car was uninjured. Detective Constable Seamus Burns, who is investigating the incident, said: "The car was travelling towards Nanpantan when it came into collision with a lamppost. "We hope that anyone who witnessed the collision, or the car prior to it, will get in touch and help us with our inquiries. Any information could help us so please get in touch." Anyone with information is asked to contact Det Con Burns by calling Leicestershire police on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Man dies following crash in Loughborough

"Get a life," Garnier tells Twitter fake

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Harborough MP Sir Edward Garnier has told a person pretending to be him on Twitter to "get a life and go and do something useful instead". The Tory politician discovered yesterday morning that an account on the social media network was set up last month in his name. He said he was previously unaware of the impersonator, who began tweeting using the handle @EdwardGarnier on April 22, without his knowledge or permission. He said he had no idea who was responsible and his office is now to ask Twitter to close the account. It follows 51 other Twitter accounts and is in turn followed by 28 people. Sir Edward said: "Until this Twitter account was shown to me (yesterday morning) I had no idea that a fake Twitter account had been opened in my name. "I have never had a Twitter account and have no intention of having one. "Whoever set this up is either very sad or very silly and with plenty of time on their hands because anyone who knows anything about me would soon realise that the stream of inane comments that have been Tweeted in my name bear little relation to what I think or am likely to comment on. Sir Edward, one of the country's leading libel lawyers, said the account looked plausible but pointed out a mistake in its biography which lists him as the ex Attorney General when in fact he is the ex Solicitor General. He added: "I ask anyone who has been following "me" in the mistaken belief that it was actually my account to delete or otherwise ignore the account. "I would also urge the person who set up this account to get a life and go and do something useful instead. "With any luck the account will be shut down in the very near future." He added: "Lots of MPs do have a Twitter account. The prime minister has one. "It is a modern and effective means of communication but it is not one I choose to use." Sir Edward, who is currently acting on behalf of Lord McAlpine in a high profile libel case resulting from a tweet by Sally Bercow, said: "So far there has been nothing offensive or obscene but there is no way of knowing what will be said next." The fake account appears to be more an imitation than a spoof. Yesterday its followers included Tory MPs David Rutley, Mark Garnier, James Brokenshire as well as Conservative peer Baroness Stowell of Beeston. Since Sir Edward raised his concerns about the impersonator a second account - seemingly a spoof - with the handle @NotEdGarnier has been set up. The MP's office said he was aware of the new account, which yesterday had just nine followers. Twitter says impersonation is a violation of its rules and says it may permanently suspend an account "portraying another person in s confusing or deceptive manner. Twitter's policy says: "Upon receipt of an impersonation report from the individual being impersonated, or a legally authorised representative, we will investigate the reported accounts to determine if the accounts are in violation of Twitter rules. "Upon confirming the reporter's identification, accounts determined to be in violation of our impersonation policy will either be suspended or asked to make edits." Twitter says parody accounts are permitted and stresses usernames should not be the exact name of the subject of the parody. In 2011 Leicester City Council asked Twitter to stop an account purporting to be city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby. Yesterday there were four accounts appearing to be the city mayor but non seemed to be active. Sir Peter does not use Twitter.

Reality TV star Lydia adds sparkle to big day for Naomi's clothes shop

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A wedding dress store has been opened by a reality TV star.

Lydia Bright, from ITV's The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE), dropped into Amour Encore, in Stoneygate, Leicester, to officially launch the business.

The shop has been opened in Francis Street by TOWIE fan Naomi Henry.

"I'm a fan of the show and have been watching it since the start," said Naomi. "This was about launching the boutique with a bang and getting as much publicity as we can because it's quite difficult to raise your profile."

Naomi decided to start the business after taking voluntary redundancy as a personal assistant at Santander, in Carlton Park, Narborough, after 12 years in the role.

The mother-of-one became interested in the bridalwear industry after searching for her own gown, while preparing for her wedding in September.

"I wanted to do something completely different and be master of my own destiny and do something I enjoyed," she said.

"I'm getting married so got really interested in bridal gowns. I also heard there was a real gap in the market."

Reality TV star Lydia  adds sparkle to big day  for Naomi's clothes shop

CCTV shows two street attack suspects

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Police investigating an assault which left a man with head injuries today released CCTV of two men they want to question. The 27-year-old victim was attacked in St Nicholas Place, Leicester city centre, shortly after 6am on Sunday, April 21. He was approached by two men near the Subway takeaway and Mosh nightclub. Both men punched the victim and he fell unconscious to the ground. The victim was treated at Leicester Royal Infirmary for head injuries. Pc Jefferson Pritchard said: "I would appeal for people to take a moment to look at these two images and see if you recognise the men. "Do they live near you? Do they drink at your local? Is it you? "We believe they could have information which will help with the inquiry and I would ask anyone who thinks they know who they are to contact us as soon as possible." Anyone with information should contact Pc Pritchard on 101. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

CCTV shows two street attack suspects


Police confirm M1 accident victim died at the scene

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Police have confirmed that a man died following a collision on the M1 in Leicestershire yesterday afternoon. The man was driving a blue Renault Clio, which stopped on the hard shoulder of the southbound carriageway between junctions 20 and 21. It is believed he got out of the vehicle and was then involved in a collision with a lorry. The incident happened near Lutterworth at about 2pm. Officers said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Formal identification is expected to take place later today or tomorrow. Detective Sergeant Mark Watling, from Leicestershire police's serious collision unit, said: "We are appealing for witnesses who were on the M1 yesterday and who may have seen the incident itself or who may recall seeing either of the vehicles prior to the incident to contact us." The incident involved the victim's Clio and a white Mercedes Benz HGV. It caused traffic chaos across the city and county. A section of the southbound carriageway between junction 21, near Fosse Park, and junction 20, at Lutterworth, was shut for almost five hours as emergency services dealt with the incident. Drivers were advised to avoid the M1 southbound altogether as tailbacks led to major congestion around Fosse Park, while the chaos spread into the city and on some county roads as the congestion turned to rush-hour gridlock. Eye-witnesses said it was obviously a serious incident. One told the Mercury: "There was a car on the hard shoulder opposite, where it looks as if the impact took place. A green tarpaulin was erected around something lying on the edge of the carriageway. "Yellow marks had been put on the road near the car, leading towards where the tarpaulin was lying." A spokesman for the fire service said firefighters were not called upon to help at the incident, but a later request came to provide a salvage sheet to screen the crash from the public. Routes on to the Everard's roundabout at Fosse Park, Narborough Road, the M1 and Lubbesthorpe Way were completely clogged up by about 5.30pm, with tailbacks stretching into the city centre and along the A46, the A50 to the west and north of Leicester and along the A5 in the south and south west of the county. Det Sgt Watling said: "Diversions were put in place and we apologise to anyone who may have been caught up in the tailbacks, but the closure was necessary to allow officers to carry out a full investigation at the scene." Anyone with any information is asked to contact DS Watling on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Police confirm M1 accident victim died at the scene

TV presenter Paul O'Grady visits Leicestershire pet business

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TV personality Paul O'Grady was in town yesterday to learn about animal health and nutrition during a visit to Mars Petcare. The presenter visited the firm's base in Waltham on the Wolds, near Melton, which is home to Pedigree Pet Foods. It came after he backed the company's Feeding Brighter Futures campaign, which aims to feed 1 million meals to dogs in rehoming centres across Britain. Pedigree is the sponsor of the second series of the star's award winning ITV show, Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs, in which he helps staff to rehome dogs at The Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. As part of his visit, Paul toured the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, the world leading authority in animal health and nutrition. He also hosted a question and answer session with a number of Mars employees, discussing the campaign and his passion for dogs. Pedigree senior brand manager Gemma Howells said: "We were delighted to welcome Paul O'Grady to Waltham and, as expected, his arrival caused great excitement. We were thrilled that he was able to talk to the team and, of course, meet our dogs."

TV presenter Paul O'Grady visits Leicestershire pet business

TV illusionist Derren Brown visits Loughborough school

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Television and stage illusionist Derren Brown visited a Loughborough school today in memory of a former pupil who passed away last year. The star met students at De Lisle College to commemorate Joe Humphries, 14, who collapsed and died while jogging near his home in Rothley in October. Best known for his mind tricks, Derren is also a talented painter. He was invited to the school by Joe's art teacher, Sarah Ward, to share his work with students. Derren talked about his love of art and shared his techniques with students before answering questions. "It's great to be able to raise awareness of Joe and the condition Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome," he said. "I'm told that he was a very talented young artist and showed great promise, so to talk to his fellow students about art seemed very appropriate. "Although I've never had any formal training, it's something I really enjoyed at school and I'm not precious about. It was lovely to talk to them and share our interests. "I know that a trust, set up in memory of Joe, aims to inspire young people, and I can only hope that by visiting today I have achieved that. I've thoroughly enjoyed it." Derren, whose recent artwork includes portraits of Michael Sheen and Dame Judi Dench, spoke to year 10 students who knew Joe well, along with A-Level art students. Student Matt Noon, 18, also presented Derren with his own portrait of the star. Matt said: "I was really pleased with the way it turned out and he said it was excellent. He generally seemed pleased to have it." Pupil Sophia Guarasci, 16, said: "It was great to pick up some of Derren's tips on artwork and to hear about his influences. "I really enjoyed the lesson and it's a nice way for us all to pay tribute to Joe." Fellow pupil Georgina Smith said: "It's amazing just how talented he is. It's been a great day and totally out of the ordinary to have someone like Derren Brown talking to us about art. "He showed us some of the caricatures he's done and portraits, including one of his mum." A trust has been set up by Joe's family – dad Steve, mum Angela and sister Lauren – to raise awareness of SAD. It also aims to inspire young people through art and sport. Ms Ward said Derren's visit was very fitting. She said: "I taught Joe art throughout the school - he had a phenomenal talent. I think it was an area he may well have made a career out of so it was hugely fitting that we honour him through Derren's visit."

TV illusionist Derren Brown visits Loughborough school

Police appeal for witnesses to car damage incident in Berners Street, Spinney Hill, Leicester

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Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident in the Spinney Hill area of the city when a man's car was damaged. It happened at about 2.15pm on Thursday, May 9 in Berners Street. The 22-year-old victim was driving his car along the street when another driver, in a Ford Mondeo, blocked his way at the junction with Keythorpe Street. As the victim sat in his car he was approached by a man who spat at him before damaging his wing mirror. The victim was not injured in the incident. The man police want to speak to is described as Asian, about 6ft tall, of stocky build, in his 30s. He was clean shaven, with short hair and was wearing a tee-shirt. PC Susanne Peace said: "The victim and his friend got out of the car following the incident and the victim was briefly chased by the suspect. "The suspect's car blocked the road at the time of the incident so it may be that you were also delayed when travelling along the street." Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Peace on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Police appeal for witnesses to car damage incident in Berners Street, Spinney Hill, Leicester

"Elderly" man injured in collision with car in Marlborough Square, Coalville

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Police officers and paramedics were called to Marlborough Square in Coalville this afternoon after an elderly man was involved in a collision with a car. Police responded to the incident at 4.25pm and East Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics were also at the scene. A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Police said the victim was described as elderly, but did not know what injuries he suffered or what condition he was in. Police were on the scene for about an hour.

Leicester's indoor market set to be demolished

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One of Leicester's "least loved buildings" will face the bulldozers after its demolition was approved this evening. The city's huge 1970s market hall is to be flattened to make way for a new public square after councillors passed plans for a £7 million revamp of the area. Members of the city council's planning committee unanimously approved city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's plan aimed at re-invigorating the historic market. Nearly 300 people had signed a petition opposing the demolition of the current market hall. It is set to be replaced by a new glass, steel and timber pavilion on the edge of the Corn Exchange which will house relocated fish and meat traders. Committee chairman councillor Patrick Kitterick said: "Leicester has a fantastic fish market but we hide it in that building. "It is one of Leicester's least loved buildings." Councillors heard that not all the traders in the existing market hall would be able to move into new units, but were told that was not a planning consideration. Coun Kitterick said the new pavilion would display the wares of the fish and meat traders in a much better way and said the old building was not structurally sound and had "always been on borrowed time". He added: "Hopefully it will draw people out of the Highcross and into that part of the city." Councillors said the removal of the red-brick market hall would improve the appearance of the Grade II listed, 19th Century Corn Exchange to which it is currently attached. Councillor Lynn Moore said: "The Corn Exchange is elegant ant Italianesque. Its ugly companion will now be banished." Committee colleague Sundip Meghani said the existing market hall had a "Prisoner Cell Block H feel about it". Although the council has approved the scheme, it still needs Government consent because it is in a conservation area and some of the works will affect listed buildings such as The Corn Exchange, used as Lloyd's bar, and Molly O'Grady's pub which sits at the rear of the indoor market. However, that is likely to be a formality. The new square will sit between the two pubs. The city council intends to fund the £7 million scheme by borrowing money against the £650,000 annual income from the market. Now planning permission has been given, the council intends to start building the new pavilion so it is ready to open by Christmas. The fish and meat traders will move across and it is hoped there will be minimal disruption to their businesses. Once the pavilion is open, the demolition of the old hall and the laying of the new square will start and, if it goes to schedule, the project will be complete within the following 12 months.

Leicester's indoor market set to be demolished

Fire crews attend flat fire in Upper Temple Walk, Beaumont Leys, Leicester

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Fire crews were called to Upper Temple Walk, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, tonight after smoke was seen coming from a flat. Two crews from Leicester's western fire station forced entry into the property at 7.15pm. A corridor was found to be lightly smoke-logged.

Fire crews attend flat fire in Upper Temple Walk, Beaumont Leys, Leicester


Dambusters honoured at Leicester ceremony

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Royal Air Force veterans have paid tribute to the men who gave their lives in the Dambusters raid.

It was 70 years ago today that 19 Lancaster crews from 617 squadron set out to destroy dams in Germany.

Fifty-three airmen died in Operation Chastise, which saw Barnes Wallis's revolutionary bouncing bomb breach the Moehne and Eder dams.

Members of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) gathered at Victoria Park war memorial, in Leicester, yesterday, to lay wreaths.

They were joined by relatives of Harry Humphries, from Leicester, adjutant to Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the mission.

Harry died in 2008, aged 92. His wartime role ranged from organising aircrew rations to sending telegrams to the families of the lost airmen.

Daughter Pat Love, 77, from Wigston, said: "I am very proud to be here today to remember those brave young men.

"It was so nice dad was also remembered. I felt very emotional."

Grandson Richard Love, 55, who lives inWilloughby Waterleys, said: "Memories of the men who died stayed with grandad and we grew up listening to tales of derring-do."

Daniel Love, 26, from South Wigston, said: "My great-grandad was a larger-than-life figure and I was always fascinated by his stories.

"To think what those airman had to do – flying a giant bomber about 60ft off the ground – it's unfathomable. "

The service, led by the Rev Jill Marsh, of the University of Leicester's Chaplaincy, was followed by the Last Post and a minute silence.

RAFA branch secretary Roy Rudham, 70, from Clarendon Park, Leicester, who organised the commemoration, said: "It was sombre but poignant."

Chief technician Alan Sharp, an engineer with 617 Squadron, now based at RAF Lossiemouth, in Scotland, was there with Flight Lieutenant Chris Whitehare.

"It was an honour to join people in Leicester to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters," he said.

Following the service, RAFA member Andy Morris, 58, laid flowers in Peace Walk remembering the 1,026 Soviet prisoners of war and other forced labourers killed on the ground in the raid.

There was due to be a flypast by a Lancaster, two Spitfires and two Tornadoes over Eyebrook Reservoir, Rutland – used in practice runs for the mission – at 1.45pm today.

See today's Mr Leicester page for Harry's memories of the raid.

Dambusters honoured at Leicester ceremony

Police target youths in villages

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Young people who have been causing trouble in two neighbouring villages will be ordered to leave the streets under new powers adopted by police.

The measure, known as a dispersal order, has been introduced in Thurnby and Scraptoft following complaints from residents and businesses about the behaviour of a group of youths.

They have been blamed for a series of incidents of vandalism and drunken, anti-social behaviour in both villages.

The order, which has been granted under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, allows police to break up groups of young people who are causing a nuisance, telling them to leave the area for up to 24 hours.

Those under 16 can be escorted home.

Anyone who fails to comply with a police officer's instruction to disperse can be arrested and could face a fine of up to £5,000 or up to three months in custody.

The order came into effect on Monday. Police stressed it was not a blanket curfew and that youngsters have nothing to fear if they are behaving.

A number of ringleaders have previously been visited at home and spoken to in the presence of their parents.

Two youths suspected of involvement in the trouble have been arrested, said beat officer Pc Steve Winn.

"We have a group of youths which has been causing problems for residents and shopkeepers for some time and the idea of introducing the dispersal order now is that it will cover the spring and summer months, which have been the most problematic times.

"It is not a curfew. Officers will use their discretion on how they use the dispersal order in response to complaints from residents."

One shopkeeper in Thurnby said: "We had problems with people hanging around after the shop had closed.

"It was kids drinking and leaving litter around the street.

"They weren't actually harassing anyone but the people who live here felt very uncomfortable.

"We have not had any problems for the past few months because the police are doing a good job and hopefully this new thing they are doing will make sure the problems don't come back."

Simon Galton, the area's district and county councillor, said: "I have been to a number of public meetings there where residents have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour of a fairly large number of youths.

"The problems people have been talking about include windows being smashed, gardens being trampled and fences broken.

"There was a concern among some people that the police have been slow to react to these problems but I think they will be reassured now that these issues are being taken seriously."

The order will be in place for six months and will be reviewed by police regularly.

Similar orders have been granted in parts of Leicester and have been credited with helping to reduce street crime and anti-social behaviour.

The boundaries of the Thurnby order are Station Lane, including Fern Close, Forest Rise, the neighbouring open land and Pulford Drive.

The boundary of the area of Scraptoft which is covered by the order is part of Covert Lane, Station Lane, Scraptoft Rise, Main Street, Beeby Road, including Malsbury Avenue, Mitchell Green, Corah Close and Elliots End. It also includes Edith Cole Memorial Park.

Police target youths in villages

Staff evacuated from factory after fire

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Staff at a Leicester engineering factory had to be evacuated from the building when fire broke out in the workshop early today. The alarm was raised at 12.20am at the Trelleborg Industrial AVS unit in Hoods Close on the Bursome Industrial Estate. Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze which had been caused by an overheated motor on a piece of machinery. Damage was restricted to the machine and nearby machinery was damaged by smoke. A fire service spokeswoman said: "Staff were evacuated from the building which was badly smoke logged. No-one was injured." Fire crews remained on site for two hours damping down. The company employs more than 100 making suspension systems for marine and rail uses

Staff evacuated from factory after fire

University's £2.5m plans on display

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Officials displayed plans to renovate the road splitting De Montfort University's campus yesterday and revealed the scheme would cost about £2.5 million.

The university intends to landscape Leicester's Mill Lane to turn the road into a pedestrian area with trees and lawns.

Umesh Desai, De Montfort University's deputy director of estates services, said the aim of the plan was to create a safer and greener area along the busy route, which was closed to traffic last year, but remains heavily used by students, staff and pedestrians going from the West End to the city centre.

He said: "We recognise we are a city centre campus which has public roads through it and we want to knit our buildings together with high-quality public realm.

"We have already started doing that with Hawthorne Square and Magazine Square and this is the next step.

"We will also be demolishing quite a few 1960s modular buildings which are not that attractive."

Mr Desai said the overall cost of the Mill Lane project will be about £2.5 million and would be part of a wider £100 million revamp of the campus.

Yesterday, Leicester City Council, which is working closely with the university, confirmed it will retain ownership of the land, which will remain as a public highway.

The council has been involved in creating the designs shown off to the public yesterday, at the university's Trinity House chapel.

It also confirmed that no planning permission will be needed for the Mill Lane elements which are being "considered permitted works on the highway".

Steve Richards, the city council's project manager for the scheme, said the council would maintain responsibility for any major road maintenance but day to day tasks like litter picking and grass cutting would be carried out by university staff.

He said: "It will have its own identity as part of DMU but it will still be very much a public area to be enjoyed by people from the university and nearby residents.

"It will be a great improvement on what he wave along Mill Lane at the moment."

At lunchtime yesterday, only a handful of people had been in to see the plans on display and they were mainly university employees.

Construction work on the Mill Lane scheme is slated to start in June or July.

It is hoped they will be complete in November next year.

University's £2.5m plans  on display

Burglars chatted and smoked during four-hour jewellery shop break-in

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A gang of burglars spent four hours dismantling a wall 'brick-by-brick' to break into a jewellery shop.

The men were captured on CCTV casually chatting and smoking as they broke into Grace and Co in Ashby.

Once inside, the raiders – whose faces were covered with hoods or masks – smashed glass display cabinets and grabbed a number of Pandora bracelets and charms. The value of the stolen items was being calculated yesterday.

The shop's security cameras filmed the men outside the back of the shop as they took the external wall apart.

The raiders were also filmed inside the shop, where they stayed for only two minutes.

Shop manager Olivia Towey said: "We have four hours of CCTV footage of them taking the wall apart, brick-by-brick.

"You can see them chatting and smoking.

"They seem to have known exactly what they were doing and what they were looking for."

Police believe the men began making the hole in the wall at 12.30am on Friday and left the Market Street shop at about 4.30am.

Shop owner Mick McQuillan said: "We sell a wide range of jewellery and watches but they were only interested in Pandora.

"Despite this, we are determined it will be business as usual – we have a Pandora promotion on this weekend and would like to thank Pandora for helping us get back on our feet so quickly.

"It is the first time we have had anything like this in three years of trading.

"Everyone has really pulled together and we can now trade as normal, although with upgraded security."

Detective Constable Alf Doyle said: "The owners of the shop are understandably angry and upset their property has been taken and they are keen to have it returned.

"The suspects spent some time outside the premises while they made attempts to break in.

"Anyone who was in the area between 12.30am and 4.30am may have seen them at the shop.

"It's likely those responsible will now try to sell the items.

"We would like to ask anyone who knows someone who has acquired a large quantity of Pandora goods, or anyone who has been offered Pandora goods to buy in suspicious circumstances, to call us."

Contact Det Con Doyle on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Burglars chatted and smoked during four-hour jewellery shop break-in

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