A fisherman took these shocking photographs of rubbish polluting part of the River Soar at a country park.

They show bottles, plastic bags, cans, crisp packets, fast food containers and other junk littering the water and banks at the beauty spot.

Litter louts upstream in Leicester are blamed for creating much of the problem in an area of Watermead Country Park, near Thurmaston.

The pictures were taken by villager Terry Sutton, of Nursery Close.

"I've been fishing in this spot for the past 40 years," said the 73-year-old.

"It's an ongoing problem, but this is the worst I've seen in recent times."

The area is popular with fisherman and picnickers.

"It's a favourite spot for people like me and others who like to explore the park away from the main footpaths and cycle-ways," said Mr Sutton.

"But it's in a disgusting state and is almost impossible to fish – you're fishing old boots, bin liners full of rotting food, just about everything but fish!"

He believes the concentration of rubbish is partly due to the location, between a lock and a weir.

"I think the litter chucked into the canal and river ends up collecting in the lock," he said.

"This builds up and every now and then floods out. It's then diverted into this little back water by a boom to stop boats going over the weir.

"It all comes down from Leicester.

"You can tell it's not just litter but fly-tipping.

"There's bags of stuff floating in the water.

"It's supposed to be part of a wildlife park for everyone to enjoy, but it just looks awful."

The Canal and River Trust is responsible for dealing with litter and pollution on the stretch of river affected.

However, it is assisted by Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council, which manage parts of Watermead Park within their respective boundaries.

Charnwood Borough Council also takes a keen interest in monitoring fly-tipping.

Mr Sutton said: "Park rangers patrol the area, but I haven't seen many at this spot.

"This rubbish has accumulated over quite some time. I think it needs better monitoring and clearing regularly before it gets to the state it's in now."

A county council spokesman said: "We will work with the Canal and River Trust to see how this issue can be resolved.

"We are happy to offer whatever assistance we can."

A city council spokesman said: "A number of factors can lead to litter being washed into waterways, including people dropping rubbish where it can enter gulleys or drains, or flooding washing litter into rivers.

"We do carry out a lot of work to tackle these problems along the riverbanks and waterways within the city, including litter picks and clean-up events, as well as running the city council Green LifeBoat Project which involves working with volunteers to clean the rivers.

"Our city wardens service also tackles litter being dropped in the streets and public spaces to prevent it making its way into rivers and streams in the first place."

A spokeswoman for Charnwood Borough Council said: "We take great pride in keeping the borough clean and tidy."

No-one at the Canal and River Trust was available to comment.

A mum fears her son may have been killed in a "prank gone wrong" after a body was found in his burnt-out car.

Nicola Morrell was devastated after police told her about the grim discovery in a country lane in Frisby on the Wreake on Sunday morning.

Her 18-year-old son, Ryan, had been at the nearby Fristock festival and was believed to have slept in his car that night.

Police have not yet formally identified the body, but Mrs Morrell says everything she has been told leads her to believe it is Ryan.

Officers are treating the incident as suspicious.

Mrs Morrell, of Welby Lane, Melton, said: "The car had blacked-out windows, so no-one would have known there was anybody in there.

"I think it was just a stupid prank. I believe he was asleep and it was a prank gone wrong. He had been out partying for about three days and hadn't had any sleep."

Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after midnight on Sunday morning by a woman attending the music festival, and contacted the police after they discovered there was a body in the car.

Mrs Morrell, 38, said: "He had gone to the Fristock festival at about 8.30pm.I think Ryan had a drink and had gone to sleep in his car.

"The police came round at 5am on Sunday and said they had found a body in his car.

"At first I thought it might not have been Ryan, that his car had been stolen and it might be somebody else.

"They couldn't say at that stage if it was him or not, but there was a silver bracelet in the car. I knew it was him."

On Sunday night, 20 of Ryan's friends visited his home.

"They went into his bedroom and sat looking at old photos of him and had a cry," his mother said. "He had recently got a new girlfriend and on the day he died he seemed happy and content in himself, he had everything to live for."

Ryan doted on his two-year-old niece, Ruby May Talbot, the daughter of his 22-year-old sister, Natasha, of Salisbury Road, Melton.

Natasha said: "We always got on well. I looked after him when we were little. He was a cheeky chappie and was always the joker of any group.

"Ruby May called him Uncle Ry and was always giving him cuddles. He never used to share his food with anybody, but he would with her.

"He had a real soft spot for her, they had a special bond."

A post-mortem examination has taken place and further tests are being carried out to determine the cause of death.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Hewson said: "We're pleased with the response we've received but would still like to speak to anyone who was in the area on Saturday evening.

"If you've heard any rumours or have any information about the events leading up to the body being discovered, please contact us in confidence."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Two 18-year-old men and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in police custody.

Bolton manager Dougie Freedman says he is still confident of completing the signing of Leicester City striker Jermaine Beckford soon.

The Trotters had hoped to have the Jamaica international on board before they flew to Spain for a pre-season training camp after agreeing a fee with City.

However, the deal has not yet been completed and Freedman said it was down to City to complete the final details.

The deal does involve a fee, believed to be less than £1million, but Bolton are understood to be unable to pay large cash fees up front, and the fee could be paid in instalments.

"It's just the last little bits of paperwork that need to be completed," said Freedman.

"We left the last details with Leicester City and, hopefully, they'll be completed very soon."

City hope to get the deal completed soon to free up Beckford's high wages to help finance any new arrivals, and help the club comply with Financial Fair Play.

Beckford scored 15 goals in his first season after arriving from Everton in a £3m deal.

Last season, City boss Nigel Pearson sent Beckford out on loan to Championship rivals Huddersfield.

Council bosses are set to reduce the number of hostel beds available to homeless people in Leicester.

Leicester City Council says it intends to shut two hostels it runs itself – in Lower Hastings Street and Loughborough Road – while also reducing the cash it gives to voluntary sector groups to provide beds.

Under the plans, the number of beds available for the city's homeless will fall from 424 to 264.

Assistant mayor responsible for housing Councillor Andy Connelly admitted the cut was significant but said he was confident it would not lead to an increase in homelessness.

He said the council was shifting its emphasis from providing large numbers of hostel beds to helping homeless people get into housing tenancies and stay there.

However, homelessness campaigners and some of the voluntary sector groups facing the cuts have warned the new approach may not work.

Leicester Homelessness Council spokesman James McLean said: "I think it will totally decimate the services – especially those provided by the voluntary sector.

"I understand the thinking of helping people out of a situation where they need a hostel bed.

"When the beds numbers are cut I don't think there will be enough left to meet the demand, so homelessness will rise. It is on the up anyway because of the economy."

The council spends £6.6 million a year on dealing with homelessness.

It insists the proposals are not financially motivated but it would save £400,000 over the next three years by closing the hostels – which have 42 beds between them – and £600,000 by reducing the places it pays for in the voluntary sector from 248 to 130.

Coun Connelly said removing the funding for voluntary sector organisations could see some of them close.

However, he said the council would increase the number of people it supports in tenancies from 315 to 395. They will be offered help with issues such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as debt advice.

He said: "We have provided sufficient spaces plus 10 per cent, in case we have got it wrong. We need to get away from a revolving door situation where people are going back to hostels again and again."

Members of the council's scrutiny commission will discuss the issue at the end of the month and if the proposals are adopted the changes will take place early in the new year.

Plans for a £35 million, five-star hotel and leisure complex in the city centre are being drawn up by developers.

A group of city businessmen is eyeing the site of Leicester City Council's New Walk headquarters with a view to building a hotel and a 2,000-seat arena which could be used for ten-pin bowling, ice skating and roller-skating.

The consortium, FBI Developments, has made a formal expression of interest in acquiring the 1.9 acre site, which the city council needs to quit by Easter because its two concrete towers are structurally unsound.

The council has been inviting developers to put forward proposals for the area once the buildings have been flattened and FBI is the first to go public with its scheme.

The plans also involve 220 apartments, 100,000sq ft of office space and a food plaza with 20 restaurants and coffee shops .

Underground parking is also proposed.

The firm estimates the development could create 3,000 jobs.

FBI spokesman Noni Atwall, boss of city knitwear firm BS Atwall, said: "We want to put something brilliant on that site. It has huge potential.

"Our aim is to give Leicester something it doesn't have and really needs.

"We're not going for a cinema because there are two already, but people miss Granby Halls – a place where they can go roller-skating.

"We're talking about a multi-purpose arena which would double as an ice rink."

Mr Atwall hopes this could open the way to the city getting its own ice hockey team.

He said: "We hope people will be really excited by what we want to do, but there's a lot of work to be done yet.

"It would be just awful if we ended up with nothing but student flats there.

"It needs a development that will create jobs and boost the city centre economy and that is what we want."

He said he and his partners had the funding in place should the city council pick their project.

The scheme's architect, Neil McMinn, director of Leicester firm Ink/Drawn, said: "We are in talks with a hotel operator who are really interested in what we are proposing.

"We are looking at a 160-bedroom hotel.

"We think the development will have the same massing as the two towers there at the moment, potentially with bridges between them.

"The arena would be between them.

"The site is quite confined, but we can get everything on there if we can build upwards.

"We want to create a chic quarter that creates a bit of a buzz."

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he did not want to talk about any particular bid, but revealed he and his officers met a number of potential developers on Friday.

He said: "I can say I have been hugely encouraged by the interest we have had.

"There are many very exciting schemes which we will be assessing over the next few weeks.

"I am determined we are going to get a good development on what is a key site."

When Theo Jones celebrates his fifth birthday this month, there is just one present his parents desperately want to give him.

A heart transplant cannot come too soon for the youngster.

He was put on the waiting list six months ago, but parents Colin Jones and Willow Langdale-Smith, of Loughborough, know it is a race against time to find a donor before he becomes too poorly for the operation.

Willow said: "It's tough, very tough. We are finding it very hard to cope.

"Theo's heart failure means his kidney function is poor, his liver is very enlarged and his lungs are becoming damaged.

"If his heart deteriorates too badly, he will have to be put on an artificial heart and that will mean living in hospital."

Theo, who turns five on July 21, was struck by a virus which left his heart severely damaged when he was a week old.

His family has been warned it could take two years to find a donor.

"He is such a happy and sunny little boy but his stamina and energy levels are very low," Willow said.

"We are watching him die in front of our eyes. He will not be able to survive without a new heart.

"At the same time, we acknowledge that for this to happen someone else has to lose a child.

"We can only hope and pray that someone, somewhere can find the courage to donate."

Willow is hoping National Transplant Week, which began on Monday, will encourage more people to become donors.

But she said: "I do think there should be a system of presumed consent, where people have to opt out if they don't want to be donors."

The Welsh Assembly adopted this system last week – the first part of the country to do so.

Theo is one of five patients in Leicestershire waiting for a heart transplant. A further 265 are waiting for kidneys and 12 for other transplants.

Entrepreneur Richard Branson is one of an array of celebrities backing a campaign to encourage people to become donors.

They are encouraging people to watch short films inspiring viewers to talk to their families about organ donation.

Sally Johnson, from NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Since April, 10 people in Leicestershire have benefited from life-saving transplants.

"To help more people we need everyone, including the 255,348 people on the NHS organ donor register in Leicestershire, to talk to their loved ones about their donation wishes."

To join the register, go to:

www.transplantweek.co.uk

A viewing platform has been erected to allow the public to watch archaeologists in action.

The structure opened today at the city council car park in New Street, where Richard III was discovered in August.

The latest excavation aims to uncover the tomb of a 14th century knight, three headless friars and evidence of the construction of the friary itself.

A 25m by 17m trench has been dug in the choir of the friary's church, uncovering the outlines of the walls.

The diggers have discovered lots of floor tiles from the friary, some of which appear to have been reused in the 17th century garden built by Robert Herrick, a mayor of Leicester.

The platform will be open from 9am until 4pm each day until the end of the month.

Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, of University of Leicester Archaeological Services, said: "It is not often we get the chance to let the public watch excavations in progress.

"They will get to see how the archaeologists work, as well as what the excavation entails.

"They will also have the chance to witness discoveries."

Celebrity entrepreneur and television personality Hilary Devey has lent her support to a campaign aimed at tackling lorry litter.

The former Dragon is backing the initiative by North Leicestershire District Council.

The authority has enlisted her help in its efforts to clean up the mess left behind on roadside verges, truck stops and lay-bys.

Ms Devey made her fortune through launching Leicestershire-based Pall-Ex, a Europe-wide palletised freight distribution network,.

She said: "I have has always believed passionately in corporate social responsibility:

"Our business model is designed to help lessen the environmental impact of the haulage industry by reducing the number of vehicles on the road."

The council said litter was found dumped at lay-bys across the district every day – including items such as bottles of ur ine, bags of human excrement, discarded magazines, drink cans, food packaging and tyres.

It asked Ms Devey for help after an e-survey of commercial drivers by Keep Britain Tidy revealed 22 per cent admitted to having dropped an item of litter out of their vehicle in the past six months.

Pall-Ex handles about 10,000 consignments every day through it's Leicestershire hub, in Ellistown, near Coalville.

The firm works hard to ensure its drivers respect the environment and consider their actions.

Ms Devey said: "We know that even the smallest of actions can have a big impact, which is why we've worked hard to ensure that all of our drivers operate in a responsible way and that they respect the environment." Speaking at yesterday's launch at Pall-Ex's offices in Victoria Road, Ellistown, Councillor Alison Smith, the council's deputy leader, said: "Littering is a serious issue and one that will not be tolerated in our district. The waste that is found in our lay-bys is not only a blight on our countryside but it effects our wildlife too. The types of waste that we are finding at these sites also poses a risk to public health.

"To help eradicate the problem, we have asked haulage and distribution companies to follow the lead of Pall-Ex to make a commitment that their staff will dispose of waste by putting it in a bin.

"By pledging support for the campaign, firms will demonstrate they have responsible staff and are committed to protecting the environment."

Ms Devey said by joining forces with the district council "we hope that other companies in the area will get the message, too".

TV sports presenter Clare Balding, ex-Leicester Tigers captain Geordan Murphy and author Sue Townsend are among the star names on De Montfort University's latest honorary awards list.

They will join thousands of students set to graduate from the university this summer, with ceremonies starting at the Curve theatre on Saturday.

Clare, whose sports interviews and coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics have made her a household name, will become an honorary Doctor of Arts.

She said she planned to advise graduates to always do their best.

"Whatever you end up doing in life, you should follow the thing that you love, which brings out the best in you and makes your heart sing," she said.

Both Geordan, a De Montfort alumnus, and Adrian Mole creator Sue will be made an Honorary Doctor of Letters.

Also on the list is University of Leicester vice-chancellor Sir Robert Burgess.

While he is used to presenting degrees at his own graduation ceremonies, he will experience it from the other side when he is given an honorary doctorate on Saturday.

Professor Burgess said university was a "life-changing experience".

He said: "Not only does it influence the job that you do and who your friends are, university provides a range of skills which allow people to contribute more broadly to society."

Other honorary degrees will be presented to film and stage actor, author and theatre historian Murray Melvin – most famous for his role in Ken Russell's The Devils and as baddie Bilis Manger from Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood – who will become an Honorary Doctor of Arts.

After being dismissed from school at 14 for "failing to master fractions," his advice to graduates was to never stop learning.

"Getting dismissed was the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.

"It did me the world of good. I became the eternal student, I never stopped learning."

De Montfort University graduate Doug Ellison, who is now working at Nasa as a visualisation producer, helping to create films which explain its technical space missions and showcase its work to millions, will become an Honorary Doctor of Design.

In a joint ceremony, Sir Peter Blake – the man christened the father of British Pop Art who designed iconic album covers including The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Paul Weller's Stanley Road and – will be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts. Also receiving this honour will be artist and printmaker Brad Faine and painter and printmaker Professor Brendan Neiland.

Sumer Singh, principal of Daly College, in Indore, India, is also to become an Honorary Doctor of Education.

Leicester Tigers centre Anthony Allen insists that a fast start to the new Aviva Premiership season is crucial to the champions' hopes of retaining the title.

Tigers are traditionally slow starters to league campaigns before finding their best form after Christmas.

But Allen, who was a pivotal figure in Leicester's success last term, insists they must turn that habit around when they kick off the new campaign against Worcester at Welford Road, on September 8, before meeting Bath away and Newcastle at home.

"The start of the season will be a big challenge," said Allen. "It is a tricky start with Worcester at home, I think they'll be a good outfit this year and very disciplined.

"Obviously, with Dean Ryan going in and with a few new signings, they will be well organised and I think they will be an underdog team this year.

"Then it's Bath away at The Rec – we lost down there last year and it is always a cracking game, I love playing there as it is always a good atmosphere and they always want to beat Leicester Tigers.

"That will be a fantastic fixture and one where we can judge ourselves and see if we'll be challengers or not this season.

"We have Newcastle at home after that and, obviously, we won't know too much about them. But they won the Championship and did very well and, with Dean Richards back at Welford Road, it will be good for the game to have a character like that back in the Premiership."

Leicester are firmly back in training for the new season but with a glut of Tigers returning after Lions duty in Australia – Ben Youngs, Tom Youngs, Geoff Parling, Dan Cole, Manu Tuilagi and Tom Croft – the start to the season is going to test Richard Cockerill's squad reserves as his Lions will only return to the club four weeks before the season opener.

"Obviously, the Lions players are being missed, but we are just carrying on because they will be away with England most of the year as well," said Allen.

The first competitive action for Tigers will be the J.P Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s, with Leicester drawn in Group B at Franklin's Gardens alongside the Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks on Friday, August 2.

Unlike Bath, London Irish and Saracens, who have thrown international stars into competitive action in 7s, Cockerill and Leicester have perennially used the competition to blood youngsters.

But, according to Allen, starting the campaign with silverware, even in the shorter form of the game – remains a priority at Welford Road.

"Our season really starts with the J.P Morgan Asset Management Premier Rugby Sevens and it's a competition that we will be going out to win," added Allen.

"We are really looking forward to the event at Franklin's Gardens. We're playing Northampton Saints so it should be a cracker of an East Midlands encounter.

"I personally see it as a good development for players and individuals. There will be a young squad there hoping to do well."

The second leg of J.P Morgan Premiership Rugby 7s will be at Franklin's Gardens, the home of Northampton Saints, on Friday, August 2. For tickets and more information follow @jpmorganrugby7s or visit:

www.jpmorgan7s.com

Grace Garner sprinted to the national youth circuit race title as she tuned up for next week's European Youth Olympics in the Netherlands.

The Cosby flyer maintained a superb run of form as she won her third road race in the space of eight days following victories at Curborough and Otley.

It was a notable day for the county as Countesthorpe's Charlotte Broughton took second place in Blackpool, an outstanding effort from the 15-year-old, who is in only her first year as a youth rider.

Despite being one of the country's top youth cyclists, Garner was not expected to challenge for gold on a course which featured a testing climb on each circuit – hills have hardly proved to be the RST-Trigon racer's strength in the past.

However, the 16-year-old has recently been putting in the miles on some demanding Peak District roads, including Holme Moss and the Snake Pass.

That appears to have paid off without blunting the edge of her explosive finishing sprint.

"I'm getting more confident and feel I'm getting better on the hills," said Garner.

"I still couldn't believe I'd won. It was such a long, hard race and it's the one that everyone works up to.

"It's my best win. I prefer the road to the track and I haven't won a road title before – apart from the under-12 race."

She had to work hard for it and, as the riders moved into the finishing straight, Garner admitted she thought the gold medal had disappeared.

"Two girls went from the last corner and they got a massive gap," she said. "I thought one of them would win it.

"It was still a long way from the finish and I knew I had to go. I got my head down, it was maximum effort from that corner.

"I picked off the riders that were between me and the two at the front. I got around them – then I could see Charlotte coming up but I just held on."

MG Décor's Broughton was about half a wheel down as the pair crossed the line.

They will join forces next week in Europe when they don Great Britain colours to tackle both the time-trial and road race at the Youth Olympics in Utrecht.

Kibworth's George Atkins secured his best domestic victory to date when he demolished a high-quality field to win the Stockton town centre race, part of the British Cycling elite circuit series.

The 21-year-old was part of an early break, initiated by Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy, before bursting clear in the latter stages to seal victory.

Atkins made the decisive move after 30 minutes of racing.

He surged away from the leading group and, with his rivals slow to react, the 100%ME racer was quickly able to open a gap of over half a minute.

Atkins, who is a Great Britain Academy rider, lapped the stragglers in the field to consolidate his advantage.

Firefighters in Leicester saved the day when a pregnant dog got trapped in a garden while giving birth to a litter of puppies.

German shepherd Bell became wedged between a fence and a mound of earth when she went into the garden of her owner's Saffron Lane home after giving birth to four puppies.

Firefighters were called to try to free Bell, who gave birth to another three puppies while she was stuck for an hour.

They managed to rescue her in time for her to have another four puppies, although sadly one died.

Owner Mandy Lowndes said: "It was really hectic. I was really panicking.

"Bell was scared because she didn't know what to do."

Firefighters from Wigston station were called to the house in Windley Road at about 8.15am on Monday.

Blue watch manager Richard Featherby said: "Bell had already given birth to four puppies in the house and the owner had let her out into the back garden. She went off and got herself stuck between a mound of earth and a fence and could not get out."

Firefighters spent half an hour talking to Bell, while removing shrubbery and a fence panel so she could be freed.

Mr Featherby said: "She was very good-natured and we were able to comfort her as we worked to release her.

"We managed to get enough of the shrubbery removed and to smash a fence panel out to allow her to get out.

"When she came out we could see she had given birth to three puppies in the hole.

"We carried two of the puppies back to the house while Bell carried one gently in her mouth.

"It was a pleasure to help her and a lovely end to a job well done. We left Bell lying in a makeshift bed surrounded by her puppies.

"The owner, Bell and the puppies all seemed very happy."

Neighbour Marie Botting, who called the fire service, said: "I wasn't sure whether they would come or not, but I thought if they can get cats out of trees, then they can get a dog out of a bush."

Mandy said: "I'm very proud of Bell, I love her so much. She is so gentle and loving, one of the firemen told me they had never seen such a placid dog.

"I'm so grateful to Marie. I would never have thought about phoning the fire service."

The memory of their heart-breaking play-off exit will drive Leicester City on to a promotion challenge this season, says midfielder Andy King.

The Wales international said the defeat at Watford was the worst feeling of his career when City were on the cusp of reaching the play-off final, only to be dumped out seconds after Anthony Knockaert's penalty was saved in added time.

King was also a member of the City side that crashed out of the play-offs in Cardiff three years ago, and he said he never wants to experience that heartache again.

"It took a while to get over," he said. "I had been in that boat before having lost the play-offs (in 2010) and didn't want to repeat that experience.

"I don't want that to ever happen again. We all needed a break after that but everyone is back, raring to go and really looking forward to the new season.

"I think we'll be stronger because of what happened. Disappointments make you stronger.

"You don't want to ever feel like that again after a game of football. I am not just speaking for myself, I am sure I speak for the other players and the fans when I say that.

"When you go out to play now, you just have to remember how you felt that day and make sure it never happens again.

"This is massive for me now. In terms of disappointments, I have had it so many times, to suffer like that.

"I know what it would mean to everyone, so it would be massive for me personally and the club if we got promoted this season."

City are gearing up for another stab at promotion, but King believes the task could be an even tougher one this time.

"With the strength of the teams coming down and the Financial Fair Play kicking in, it will be tougher," said the 24-year-old.

"The clubs coming down still have their Premier League players.

"With the clubs who came down last season not going back up, there are a few with parachute payments.

"I reckon there are about 15 teams who will fancy their chances of getting into the top two or the top six.

"It will be a strong league, but we are used to that now. We have been in the league a few years and have always been successful, or tried to be.

"We are ready for the task and looking forward to getting started."