Crystal Palace caretaker-manager Lennie Lawrence said his side just about deserved their victory at the King Power Stadium.

Lawrence, who is expected to leave the club this week to link up with former manager Dougie Freedman at Bolton, said it was a proud scalp for the Eagles to be the first side to win a league game on Leicester soil this season.

Lawrence admitted that his side rode their luck at times, but said overall their game-plan had worked to perfection.

"Leicester and Cardiff are the best home teams in this league, so we knew exactly what it would be like and drew up a game-plan," said Lawrence. "It worked for us.

"We started boldly and bravely, and this time we got our reward.

"We knew they would come at us and there would be a bombardment and a heavy spell of pressure at the start of the second half, and we defended resolutely.

"We had our chances for a third on the break and we rode our luck at times in our penalty area, and Julian Speroni produced some good saves.

"It was our day. We probably just about deserved it overall.

"It is a great scalp for the club because Leicester will be in the top six, without a shadow of a doubt.

"You can see why they are where they are. They are on the front foot and virtually everyone is committed to going forward.

"They will get caught on the break because of the way they play but, if you are not bang on it when you come here, they will sweep you aside..

"There was a shout for a penalty for them but we had enough chances to get a third as well. Perhaps we had a bit of fortune in our box.

"When they did eventually score, it a good header from Andy King. But fortunately for us, it was just too late."

Leicester City produced a performance which was a pale imitation of the side that has been so impressive in their climb to the top of the Championship.

Their success so far this season has been built on energetic, high-tempo performances but, against Crystal Palace, that zip was evidently missing from the very first minute.

City boss Nigel Pearson said afterwards that too many of his players were off form, and that was certainly the case. In fact, very few of them could come out of the game with much credit.

The decision to make captain Wes Morgan the man of the match is probably the easiest decision of the season as he stood out among team-mates who looked completely flat.

There was no shortage of effort on the part of the boys in blue, but it was one of those days when nothing really came off.

On other days, Kasper Schmeichel would claim the corner that led to the first goal when he collided with his own team-mates.

And whoever was given the task of tracking Peter Ramage for the second five minutes later would have stuck to his man.

And Danny Drinkwater would have been able to influence a game that completely passed him by, while Anthony Knockaert's touches and clever flicks would have come off instead of gifting possession back to Palace so frequently.

In the battle of the two team's creative players, Wilfried Zaha, probably the best player currently in the Championship, won hands down.

David Nugent could have had a hat-trick on another day. He could not direct Jamie Vardy's cross past Julian Speroni early on and then Owen Garvan scrambled two of his efforts off the line, one legally, the other illegally.

In short, there were just too many of the City players who were not at the races, for whatever reason.

During the course of a season as long as this Championship campaign, you are going to get bad days at the office, and this was a bad day at work for Pearson's men.

But a test of any side's true credentials is how frequently these days come. Although they have suffered three defeats on the road at the start of the season, in each of those games you could not really say that City played poorly. As Pearson as frequently pointed out, they were always in those games.

However, although City were never really out of this game either, their performance level did not inspire belief that they could complete a comeback, although Andy King did kindle some hope at the death with a superbly placed header from Paul Konchesky's cross.

Up to this point, City have been impressive and they deserve credit. No-one should be going overboard after one poor showing.

But they do need to rediscover their true selves quickly, ahead of two very tough away games coming up.

Captain Wes Morgan said Leicester City must not dwell on their first home defeat of the season after they went down 2-1 to Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium.

Although Morgan admitted City looked jaded and were way off their best form, he urged his team-mates to take heart from the way they had played in their previous seven-game unbeaten run.

City are still second in the Championship and Morgan said they had to get back to their best at Watford on Saturday.

"We have to reflect on our previous performances," he said.

"We have been in fantastic form and we have gone all this time winning games at home, and this is only our first defeat.

"We can't go into the next game with our heads down. We have to pick ourselves up and get back to our best.

"We will be working hard in training this week because we will be aiming to get back to winning ways at Watford."

Morgan admitted that City were lacking their usual spark against Palace.

Although he believed that City got the raw end of some refereeing decisions, he said Palace deserved their victory.

"It was very disappointing to suffer our first home defeat," he said. "The lads were feeling it in the changing room.

"I thought the boys looked jaded. We weren't at our best and we can certainly play better.

"Palace came out and played very well. You can't take anything away from them. They got the goals at the right time and we had a lot to do in the second half, perhaps too much. We played much better in the second half but couldn't get the goals.

"It is very disappointing, that the goals came from set-pieces. The first one, Kasper (Schmeichel) went for it and he was blocked by their players, and everyone thought it should have been a free-kick.

"But we didn't get it so we won't moan about it, but it should have been a free-kick.

"But to concede from another corner was very disappointing, and that is something we need to work on in training.

"We should have had a penalty. We have seen it on the video and all the boys are saying it is a definite handball. We didn't get it, so there's no point dwelling on it.

"The referee was not on our side and some decisions should have gone our way.

"You can't take anything away from Palace. They were very good."

An artist has won £37,500 compensation after an operation went wrong, leaving her hardly able to use her left arm.

Margaret Gold, of Cosby, suffered the damage when a surgeon severed nerves in her armpit during an operation at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital to test for breast cancer in April 2009.

The mistake and a delay in follow-up treatment has left her hardly able to use her left arm and hand and she is still not able to straighten the arm.

As well as agreeing a £37,500 settlement, bosses at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS have given assurances that changes have been made to prevent the same thing happening to other patients.

Mrs Gold, now 70, said: "The doctor knew immediately that something had gone wrong and although I should have had immediate attention, I was left waiting to go to different clinics.

"If something had been done more quickly I might have been able to regain some of the use of my arm and wrist.

"As it is, I can't raise my wrist, it just sort of hangs and my fingers are numb. I haven't painted since it happened. It is difficult to hold a piece of paper and it is now difficult to do everyday things like chopping food because there is no weight in my hand to hold things still.

"It is a constant reminder of what has happened."

Mrs Gold, who was an art therapist as well an artist and illustrator for a range of publications, said: "It is distressing to think this need not have happened but I am pleased the trust has acknowledged and taken responsibility and is making sure that it doesn't happen again.

"I have also received a letter of apology.

"One of the worst things was the delay in getting help after the operation went wrong.

"It meant the operation to try to repair the damage was too late and then my arm was in a sling for so long without physiotherapy and I have never been able to straighten it."

Mrs Gold still has to wear splints to support her wrist.

Anna Manning, a solicitor with Irwin Mitchell in Leicester, said: "This has been a difficult time for Mrs Gold.

"She had put her trust in doctors at Glenfield Hospital and sadly the surgery and aftercare she received was below standard.

"The operation was meant to be a routine procedure but the mistake during surgery has had a major impact on Mrs Gold's life.

"It also took the hospital so long to refer her for follow-up treatment that it was impossible to repair the damage."

A hospital spokesman said: "We have shared the results of the detailed investigation with those involved to try to prevent similar circumstances in future and I would once again like to offer Mrs Gold our most sincere apologies."

Students could hardly believe their eyes when they woke to find stars of the Indian screen filming an action scene outside their rooms.

Bleary-eyed residents of Code, in Upperton Road, Leicester, were greeted by stunt men flying past their windows as they opened their bedroom curtains yesterday.

Somewhere among a crowd of film crew technicians and extras below was the Action King of Bollywood himself, Sunny Deol.

The 56-year-old star was filming Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 (Mad Madder Maddest 2), which co-stars his superstar father Dharmendra and brother Bobby.

Jaskaran Bassi, 25, a law student at the University of Leicester, said: "I grew up watching Sunny's films back home in Vancouver, Canada.

"I'd heard he would be making a movie here in Leicester a while ago but I had no idea it would be right here.

"I woke up this morning, looked out the window and, as soon as I realised what was going on, thought 'wow!'.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a front row seat watching your movie star hero in the flesh – I'm pinching myself."

The film is being shot almost entirely in Leicester – chosen because Sunny's wife is from Oakham and the couple's two children were born in the city.

The seven-storey building, owned by developer and letting agent Jamie Lewis, was only secured as a location for the action scene on Wednesday.

Wendy Roberts, office manager at Code, said: "The producers called to say they wanted to come down to use the building and, after checking it out, said it was perfect.

"We told the students what was happening but I think many were still oblivious until the crews started arriving.

"One girl said she saw a man hovering in mid-air outside her window – he waved at her so she just waved back.

"It's extremely exciting for everyone involved."

The scene involved Sunny's character rescuing a man trying to commit suicide by jumping from the roof.

De Montfort University students Harriet Diggory, Sam Plummer and Martin Hewlett, all 18, were among dozens of extras who gathered in the cold to await their turns.

Harriet said: "A woman approached me when I was shopping in Highcross asking if I wanted to be in a film.

"They told me to come along this morning and I brought my flatmates along in case it was a con.

"It's so exciting, but not quite as glamorous as I thought it would be."

Mr Lewis said: "It's incredibly exciting to have such famous Bollywood stars on our site and I'm really looking forward to seeing the end result."

Other locations have included the University of Leicester's botanic gardens and halls of residence, in Oadby.

Producers said they hoped to complete filming by the end of next month, with a UK film premiere in Leicester before it hits cinema screens in India, next summer.

Archaeologists are looking into the possibility that the second set of human remains found at the Richard III dig site are those of the friary's founder.

A female skeleton was unearthed at the Franciscan friary in the city centre at the same time as University of Leicester scientists were excavating the body of a man they believe could be Richard III.

The female remains have not been subjected to the same rigorous examination as those of the last Plantagenet king.

However, evidence suggests they may be the remains of Ellen Luenor who, along with husband Gilbert, is thought to have founded the 13th century friary now buried beneath the Greyfriars car park, in New Street.

Dig site manager Mathew Morris said: "The remains were found in the east end of the church and there's a possibility they belong to Ellen Luenor, who could be either a benefactor or the founder of the friary where Richard may be buried.

"We haven't had the chance to get into any detailed analysis of the remains, but it is something that we would like to do in the near future."

The resting place of the female skeleton was in a different part of the friary to the supposed grave of Richard III.

Richard Buckley, co-director of the university's archaeology service, said that at some point the bones had been reburied.

He said: "It wasn't a full skeleton.

"It's not uncommon. When we excavated the area beneath the John Lewis car park we found stacks of bones neatly stored on top of each other."

Archaeologists believe the skeleton may have been dug up by a gardener when the site was the garden of a mansion house in the 17th century. Mr Morris said: "They were buried at a higher level than the church floor and the bones were not intact, which suggests that someone dug them up by accident and reburied them in a different spot, just not as deep."

University of Leicester academics will examine the bones once they have been able to establish whether or not the male remains are those of Richard III.

Any identification of the former king's body is at least two weeks away, with the results likely to be released in the new year.

DNA from the 500-year-old bones are being tested against genetic information gathered from descendant Michael Ibsen, a Canadian-born furniture maker now living in London.

A Channel 4 documentary, which followed the University of Leicester dig team during the excavation, will air in January.

Horses, hounds and riders saddled up as one of the world's oldest hunts opened its new season.

More than 150 mounted hunt followers gathered at the Quorn Hunt's kennels, in Kirby Bellars, near Melton.

They spent the morning chasing a scented trail laid over a designated course to mark the start of five months of hunting.

Forty of the women rode sidesaddle.

They were led by Emma Brown, 41, from Seagrave.

She said: "It's an old tradition for female hunt followers which is rather rare these days. But it's something were are trying to promote to keep it going.

"I think our youngest rider was 12 and we also had a lady travel from Belgium to join us, which was marvellous.

"It felt great to be back in the saddle and to see so many people having fun."

The hunt will meet four times a week until the end of March, with the traditional highlight being the Boxing Day meet.

Leicester Tigers are likely to go into Saturday's huge local derby with Northampton Saints missing six frontline back-row forwards.

That will put a massive strain on director of rugby Richard Cockerill's resources, with eight members of his squad also joining up with England this week for the opening autumn international against Fiji on November 10.

Ben Woods and Craig Newby have been forced to retire, Tom Croft is on the long-term sick-list, Julian Salvi is still missing with a broken hand, Thomas Waldrom is set to be named in England's match-day 23 and Jordan Crane left the Kingsholm pitch injured after just 19 minutes of Tigers' 27-21 Aviva Premiership defeat against Gloucester on Saturday.

With other back-row squad options Ben Pienaar and Tom Armes both having left the club in the summer, Leicester will be down to the bare bones when Saints arrive for the latest chapter of blood of thunder on Saturday.

Steve Mafi, Brett Deacon and Richard Thorpe look a possible back three if Crane fails to recover, while lock-forward Ed Slater could also slot in on the blindside having played there before.

Cockerill also has untried new signings Wessel Jooste, Michael Noone and Lucas Guillame, as well as Academy prospect George Oliver, at his is disposal.

Saints, meanwhile, could name all three of their starting back-row that played in the 16-6 defeat by Saracens. If Tom Wood and Phil Dowson are not wanted by England, they and Gerrit-Jan Van Velze should all be available.

The visitors, however, will also be without several forwards on England duty or missing through injury, and goal-kicking full-back Stephen Myler is also a doubt after he left the pitch on 27 minutes against Saracens.

Cockerill will find out whether he will get any of his eight-man Elite Player Squad back after discussions with England head coach Stuart Lancaster early this week – but he is not expecting much joy.

"Ben Youngs needs some game-time and I will also find out where Anthony Allen sits with England and the rest of the guys in terms of playing against Fiji," said Cockerill.

"We will have to manage that and I will have discussions with Stuart on Monday or Tuesday.

"England will pick their 23 and the others will be released.

"For our sake, I am hoping that all eight aren't in the 23. But realistically, Anthony Allen is probably the only question mark.

"You would expect all of the others to all be in the squad and Youngs is fine, despite not playing for us."

It seems increasingly likely that if the remains prove to be those of Richard III they will be buried at Leicester Cathedral.

Justice minister Helen Grant appeared to confirm the Government plan was for the bones to be reburied in the city.

Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis had submitted a question about the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's plans for the potential burial of the remains.

Ms Grant said in a written reply: "Should the remains be found to be those of Richard III, the current plan is for them to be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral."

A row broke out in Parliament last week after Worksop MP John Mann said the bones should be buried at Worksop Priory, halfway between Leicester and York, the king's ancestral power base.

Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth, speaking about Ms Grant's statement, said: "This is terrific news."

Cycle thieves have struck 77 times in the centre of Leicester in the past month.

The spate of bike thefts has taken place in Castle ward, which includes the city centre, parts of the two university campuses and Clarendon Park.

Police warned riders to take basic security measures to help combat the surge in thefts.

They are also staging extra patrols to catch the thieves and have arrested a number of suspects.

Tim Hudson, co-director of Future Cycles, in St Martin's Square, in the city centre, warned the true scale of the problem could be even worse.

He said: "I would guess half of the people who have their bikes stolen don't report it to the police, so it's almost certainly a lot more than 77 in the past month.

"We point out to people that some of the locks available could be cut with a pair of scissors and there are people walking around the city with bolt croppers up their sleeves.

"The punishment for stealing a bike is pretty low, especially compared to that for stealing a car."

Kelvin Morris, 34, of Clarendon Park, Leicester, had a bike stolen in the city centre.

He said: "That was my fault, because I hadn't put the lock on it.

"I have a good-quality lock now and use it every time.

"I also chain my bike up in a busy place, even if it's bit of a walk from where I'm going.

"My bike cost more than £500 so I'm not going to let a thief get his hands on it.

"I'd also recommend people spend at least £20 or £30 on a good-quality lock."

Sgt Jim Smallman, of city centre police, said officers were patrolling areas where thieves have been active. He said before the current spate of thefts, the number of such offences had been lower than it was last year.

In July, August and September, the average number of bike thefts was 45 a month. That was down on 63 a month for the same period the previous year.

Police advised cyclists to chain their bikes to cycle racks or other substantial fixtures in well-lit and busy areas and to etch their postcode on the frame.

They urged people to use D-locks, which are strong and heavy and difficult to cut through.

Sgt Smallman said: "We've run initiatives to tackle the thefts and we have given away D-locks in various parts of the city.

"We're not aware of any bikes which were fitted with D-locks being stolen.

"Now, we're looking at running further initiatives and we're reiterating the need for people to get an appropriate lock as a way of reducing the chances of their cycles being stolen."

Sgt Smallman urged people to contact police if they had information about the underground trade in stolen bikes.

Cycles can be left for £1 a day at the Bike Park, in Town Hall Square. It is run by Leicester City Council and Future Cycles.

Cyclists can register their bikes on the UK National Property Register at:

www.immobilise.com

A 26-year-old man will appear before Leicester magistrates next month charged with being in possession of a cycle which had been stolen in Newarke Close, Leicester, last week.

Nigel Pearson offered no excuses for his Leicester City side's first home defeat of the season at the hands of Crystal Palace.

The City boss said his side could have been awarded two penalties as they tried to hit back from a two-goal deficit in the second half.

Pearson called for referee Andy Haines' performance to be examined, but he said that should not detract from the fact that too many of his side were off form and that Palace deserved their victory.

"I think they deserved to win," said Pearson. "They are a good outfit, very well organised with some good attacking players.

"Unfortunately, we had a few too many players who were off form.

"You will have days where, with some teams, you could say the players downed tools. You can't say that about our lot (against Palace).

"We huffed and puffed right the way through and didn't play with too much quality.

"We just had too many players below par. When you concede two goals in the space of five or six minutes, it changes the complexion markedly.

"We didn't really have enough quality to change things."

Although he said he had no complaints about Palace's goals, despite goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel's protests that he was fouled for the first one, Pearson did say City should have had a clear penalty when Owen Garvan appeared to handle David Nugent's header on the line.

"I have seen the goals again and, with the first one, it is a good take but he hit one of our own players. There is not a lot we can do about that.

"The second one, we have to do better in terms of marking. But I don't have any contentious issues with their goals."

Pearson added: "I don't think there is any question he (Garvan) moved his arm to the ball. Let's make no bones about this, I can't make those decisions, it is the job of the people who are officiating to get those decisions right.

"I am not going to make a big thing about decisions because my team has not played as well as it should have done.

"But what I will say is that there were two penalties we should have had, and they could argue they should have had one as well."

A primary school has been told it is "inadequate" and needs to improve teaching, pupils' achievements and exam results.

Heatherbrook Primary's latest Ofsted report means the school will now be under increased pressure to become one of the Government's new-style academies.

Inspectors, who visited the 188-pupil school in Beaumont Leys, Leicester, said standards in reading, writing and maths had fallen in recent years, the majority of teaching was not good enough and bad behaviour was not always managed well.

Head teacher Lee Venning, said: "Our results have dipped below the national average, but we do not expect this year's results to be below the Government's benchmark.

"We expect them to be higher.

"We're working to address some of the weaknesses highlighted in the report and have an action plan in place.

"There were many positives to come out of the report, including strengths in leadership and governance. It also said results had improved in the early years foundation stage."

The school's Sats results this summer and the year before were below the Government's threshold of 60 per cent or more for children reaching the appropriate level for their age in English and maths. However, the report said improvements were beginning to show in key areas of the school's work, including better progress by pupils in years five and six.

Inspectors said the head teacher and deputy head retained too much responsibility and this limited the contribution made by other staff in tackling the school's weaknesses.

However, they added, leaders and managers, were "demonstrating the capacity to tackle the school's weaknesses and raise standards".

They praised the school's themed curriculum. Although the school has been told it has serious weaknesses, it has not been placed in special measures – the lowest rating.

This is because, although achievement among pupils is low, leadership and management are not a serious issue.

The school's last full inspection took place in 2009, when it was judged satisfactory.

Last week, education secretary, Michael Gove, wrote to the city's MPs to request their support in turning Leicester's under-performing primary schools into academies.

Mr Venning would not comment on whether Heatherbrook Primary would consider the move.

Academies are semi-independent state schools, which receive funding directly and have more powers over areas such as the curriculum.

Councillor Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for schools, said: "I do not see that academy status would be of any lasting benefit. We are as focused on raising standards for all our children across the city."

Police have appealed for help tracing two burglars who conned their way into a 79-year-old man's home in order to steal his money.

The couple called at the man's home in Uppingham Road, Spinney Hills, Leicester, at 11am on Sunday, October 21, and claimed to know him.

They pushed past him and began to tidy his home.

The man asked to use the toilet and the woman went into the victim's bedroom.

The woman then hugged the victim before she and her accomplice left the house, which is near the junction with Oakley Road.

The victim discovered a quantity of cash had been stolen from his wallet and a cabinet.

Detective Constable Louise Osborne said: "It's terrible to think these two people targeted this man, claiming they knew him and then stole his money.

"I hope anyone who has information about these two will call us and help us with our inquiries. If you live in the area, you may have also been approached by these people. Perhaps you spoke to them? If so, please call us."

The man was white, aged 20 to 30 and 5ft 2in to 5ft 4in. He had short dark hair and spoke with an Eastern European accent. The woman was white, 20 to 30, and of medium to large build. She had dark brown hair which the victim has told police was possibly long and tied back. She also spoke with an Eastern European accent.

Contact Det Con Osborne on 101.

A police officer has received a boost in his fight against leukaemia – just as he prepares to spearhead a campaign to recruit thousands of stem cell donors.

Inspector Rik Basra has been taken off all of the drugs which have been protecting him from infection ever since he underwent transplant surgery last December.

That means the 53-year-old will be totally drug-free for the first time in almost a year, and, after a precautionary wait of three weeks, will be able to go out and about in public.

Later this week, Rik and wife Kas will hold the first of a series of public events to recruit potentially life-saving blood stem cell donors to the national register, maintained by the Anthony Nolan charity.

The couple, whose work with the charity has already boosted the number of Asian people on the register by 1,000, now aim to add a further 3,000 people to it by March.

The first two recruitment events will take place at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre, Rothley Street, on Sunday, November 4, and Tuesday, November 13, between 5.30pm and 9pm.

Rik wrote on his Facebook page this week: "Hi all, had some fantastic news today.

"Got taken off a shed load of drugs, including the last of the immune suppressants.

"It means I can go out and about in public very soon and my bedroom will stop looking like Boots the chemist. Oh no, I might have to do the shopping again."

Kas said yesterday: "When we think about where we were as a family a year ago, when we thought it was curtains for him, we realise what a long way we've come.

"Being taken off all of the drugs is a huge step forward. In another three weeks, there will be no stopping him.

"People of all faiths have been praying for him since this all began and he is making a textbook recovery.

"Now, we're determined to do everything we can to make sure the Anthony Nolan campaign is a success."

The couple began urging Asian people in Leicestershire and the wider Midlands to join the Anthony Nolan register last year, when Rik was still desperately searching for a suitable stem cell donor.

Eventually, a match for him was found in Germany, and the officer had a transplant of the donated cells in December.

The Basras went on to organise a series of recruitment events in Leicestershire and the West Midlands.

Before the Basras' efforts, Asians accounted for a tiny proportion – about 18,000 – of the people on the national Anthony Nolan database.

Almost all of the 1,000 additional people who signed up as a result of their events were Asian.

Ann O'Leary, head of register development at Anthony Nolan, said: "The impact that Rik and Kas have had on the numbers of Asian people joining the register has been absolutely phenomenal.

"Not only have we seen a 150 per cent increase year on year, but Asian people now account for 4.8 per cent of donors on our register, up from 4 per cent last year.

"Blood cancer patients from an Asian background only have a 40 per cent chance of finding a matching bone marrow donor on our register, but we know that we can improve this by recruiting more Asian donors – it's that simple.

"Everything that Rik and Kas have done – and continue to do – will help us save many more lives in years to come, and give hope to Asian blood cancer patients in the future."

Donated stem cells are fed into a patient's body via a blood transfusion. It is hoped the donated stem cells will help the patient's body build a healthy immune system that will be able to fight the cancer.

For more information on the Basras' campaign, e-mail:

kas.basra@gmail.com

For more on the register, visit:

www.anthonynolan. org/register

A Leicester man has gone on trial charged with the murder of a guest at a nightclub where singer Jessie J had been performing.

Ashley Charles (26) is accused of slashing telephone executive Phillip Sherriff in the neck with a broken beer bottle during the event.

Jurors at the Old Bailey, in London, were told yesterday that 37-year-old Mr Sherriff had been at the bar of the Pulse nightclub, in central London, when there was jostling by Charles, who was trying to get free beer.

After becoming irritated, Charles grabbed a bottle from Mr Sherriff's hand and slashed it into his neck in a second, said Duncan Penny, prosecuting.

"Eyewitnesses described it as a swipe or slash," said Mr Penny. "It happened very, very quickly indeed – perhaps one second, one second to take a life."

Mr Sherriff began to bleed profusely as vital blood vessels had been cut. He died four days later in hospital.

He had travelled to London from Preston, Lancashire, with colleagues for the promotion event in April, organised by mobile phone company BlackBerry, where he worked in management.

Charles had travelled to London with his brother and friends from Leicester to attend the event, where Jessie J and others performed.

Mr Penny said the clash occurred just after midnight, after the performers had left.

He alleged Charles became annoyed with Mr Sherriff who was joking about. Charles had been trying to get to the bar and squeezed between Mr Sherriff and a woman.

"He continued to jostle Mr Sherriff after he obtained two bottles of free beer," said Mr Penny.

Words were exchanged about the woman and Charles tried to grab Mr Sherriff's mobile phone from his hand before snatching the bottle "in a flash".

As people tried to help Mr Sherriff, Charles was detained by security staff. The jury was told he asked them: "Is he okay? I wish I hadn't done that. It was a stupid mistake."

After being arrested, Charles said: "Yeah, I know I bottled him. He kept pushing past me through the bar area."

Charles, of Nevanthon Road, Western Park, denies murder.

The trial continues.

Two brothers who carried out a "ferocious" attack on a contract worker at a cemetery have each been jailed for 14 months.

Their 40-year-old victim was repeatedly punched and kicked in retaliation for upsetting the men's 15-year-old nephew, who was caught vandalising a fence at Gilroes cemetery, in Groby Road, Leicester.

The foreman suffered a broken nose, bruising, an eye injury and had three teeth knocked out in the attack, on September 7 last year.

He is still receiving costly dental treatment and suffers occasional pain, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Geremy Kirk Fleck (32) and Simon James Fleck (33) were identified and arrested following a police appeal in the Leicester Mercury.

The victim's employers, Mole Plant Hire and Groundwork Contractors, of Huncote, offered £1,000 for information – and the defendants' names were given.

Geremy Fleck, of Tournament Road, Glenfield, and Simon Fleck, of Hackett Road, New Parks, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Speaking after the attack, the victim told the Mercury he had feared for his life as he was beaten "to a pulp" while he lay defenceless on the ground.

Sentencing the pair, Judge Ebraham Mooncey said: "You both launched a ferocious attack.

"He was punched and kicked and was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"He suffered a lot of pain and distress, had to have time off work to get treatment and his life is forever changed.

"Both of you left the scene and through appeals in the media your names became known to the police."

The victim was working as foreman of a £4 million project to extend Gilroes cemetery. Jonathan Cox, prosecuting, said he caught the defendants' nephew damaging boundary fencing at the site and told him to stop.

The teenager initially apologised but then said: "I'm going to get my uncle. You can't do anything, you can't touch me."

Mr Cox said about an hour later he returned with defendants "as muscle" and to "mete out punishment".

When the boy pointed out the victim, Simon Fleck knocked him to the ground.

Mr Cox said: "He curled up into a ball to protect himself from a flurry of blows by both defendants. Simon Fleck in particular was punching, mainly to his head and kicking him to his upper body on the ground.

"Geremy joined in punching him to the face and head."

One of the uncles told the injured foreman: "If you touch my nephew again, you'll be dead."

The defendants, after arrest, denied any involvement.

The boy – who threw "a couple of punches" – is not being prosecuted.

Mr Cox said it was not accepted the victim had earlier physically assaulted the defendants' nephew, as the defendants had later suggested.

In mitigation, the court heard that the brothers acted "out of character" and neither had been in trouble for many years.

Matthew Smith, for Geremy Fleck, a father-of-three, said: "There was a complaint by his nephew of mistreatment by those on the site."

Justine Robinson, for Simon Fleck, said: "He's normally a positive member of society, going out of his way to assist others."

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: "This was a vicious and senseless attack and it is reassuring that the culprits have been sentenced. Nobody should fear violence of this nature as they do their job."

An India Under-19 international is on trial at Leicester City.

Brandon Fernandes will join up with City's development squad for a two-week trial at the King Power Stadium, following a trial at Premier League side Reading.

Fernandes, who is from Goa, plays for ASD Cape Town, in South Africa, after coming through their academy.

He was noticed by scouts when he impressed in the Manchester United Soccer Skills tournament, in 2008.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has represented India at U13, U16, U17 and U19 levels, including scoring a hat-trick for the U19s.

Fernandes said the people of Leicester had made him very welcome and that he has already been made to feel at home.

"Leicester City are a great club," he said. "I meet up with the development squad today and I'm really looking forward to focusing on my football."

"I like to play an attacking, passing game and play short balls, try to find spaces so I can create chances for the strikers.

"I am very confident that I can do well because I believe in myself and work hard. All I can do is my best, and hope that will be enough.

"My dream is to play for a club in the Premier League so I would love to be able to help Leicester City get there."

Stephen Dorrell has written to the Health Secretary to ask him to investigate how Jimmy Savile was able to get privileged access to hospitals.

The Charnwood MP, who is chairman of the House of Commons' Health Select Committee, said he was surprised at the freedom the DJ had when visiting Leeds, Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor hospitals.

It came after allegations emerged that former BBC radio and television star Savile molested patients at the institutions while visiting in fund-raising and management roles.

Mr Dorrell's letter to Jeremy Hunt urges him to look at what, if anything, was known by staff at the time Savile was alleged to have been preying on patients.

The MP said: "So far, this issue has focused mainly on what happened at the BBC, but there are elements of concern for the NHS.

"We need to know what happened at these hospitals and how it happened.

"We need to know what lessons have been learned. It is important to know who knew what and if staff did try to raise concerns why they were not listened to."

The Department of Health is investigating the allegations.

Mr Dorrell, who was Secretary of State for Health from 1995 to 1997, said he had not yet had a reply from Mr Hunt, but was confident it would be carried out properly.

Savile had accommodation or offices at Broadmoor and Stoke Mandeville and worked as a porter at Leeds hospital.

He also invited patients to appear on show he presented such as Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It.

Police are investigating allegations TV star Savile sexually abused about 300 young people over a 40-year period and detectives have described him as "undoubtedly one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history".

Trick or treaters have been urged to only visit homes where people are displaying a poster which says they are welcome.

Leicestershire Police and councils across the city and county yesterday launched a poster as part of a campaign to reduce anti-social behaviour on and around Halloween.

One side of the poster says Trick or Treaters Welcome, while other side's message is No Thanks to Trick or Treaters.

The posters are available at police stations, fire stations and council officers across the city and county.

People were yesterday urged to display it prominently.

Superintendent Mark Newcombe, Leicestershire police's lead officer for anti-social behaviour, said: "It has been known for people, particularly members of the retired community or the vulnerable, to seek solace in the home of a family member or a friend during Halloween.

"We'd ask that those who go door-to-door in the good sprit of Halloween be mindful not everybody will want to join in.

"Look out for the poster and kindly miss the houses on your route which display the red-bordered poster with the 'No Thanks' message."

Tony Donovan, executive director of Age UK in Leicestershire, previously told the Mercury: "Trick or treating has become a lot more prevalent and this is always a worrying time for a lot of older people.

"Our advice to those who don't want to take part is to not open their doors.

"We'd also ask older people's neighbours to look out for them."

The poster has been designed and distributed by the Anti-Social Behaviour Delivery Group, which is made up of representatives of the police and local authorities.

Damion Nickerson, a member of Leicestershire County Council's community safety team and of the Anti-Social Behaviour Delivery Group, said: "New for this year is the option to display the green-bordered 'Trick or Treaters Welcome' message. Now everyone has the opportunity to have the Halloween of their choice."

Complaints about antisocial behaviour can be reported on 101.

Posters can be downloaded here: Trick or Treaters Welcome

"No Thanks to Trick or Treaters

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill will voice his concerns to the Rugby Union's head of elite referee development, Ed Morrison, in the wake of Saturday's defeat against Gloucester.

Cockerill and the rest of the Tigers camp were left frustrated with the officiating in the 27-21 thriller, especially so with some of the decisions made in the final 20 minutes.

With a two-man advantage at one stage after both Jimmy Cowan and Rob Cook were sin-binned, Tigers felt there were several key incidents which stopped them making the most of their numerical and huge forward advantage.

In such a close game, they believed they were crucial calls.

"It was a great game of rugby, apart from the result," said Cockerill.

"We got back in the game after going behind and put them under huge pressure.

"But I don't know how many times you have to get penalised two metres from your goal-line before someone goes to the bin or people get penalised?

"That was frustrating. We will have to review that with Ed Morrison. We got that pressure and they pulled down maul after maul – but how many times do they do it before you get your reward?

"You have to be under the sticks.

"If you were killing the ball three times on the trot, you would have someone in the bin. If they were penalties at the scrum, you would be in the bin.

"There were other tough calls, too. Their scrum disintegrated twice but he (referee JP Doyle) just re-set it. That is frustrating.

"Then they kick the ball out of our scrum-half's hands and the ref admits he didn't see it and says 'sorry'. That was a massive point in the game.

"We will go through the right channels and feed that back – but that's no solace to us. We made mistakes too, and they played really well."