Loughborough Students and Leicester Lions had flying starts to their respective national league campaigns.

Students won 34-9 at Blaydon in National One, while Lions saw off Dudley Kingswinford 29-16 in National Two North.

Full-back Jack Pons got on the scoresheet for Students in the first half of their game, but three James Guy penalties saw the hosts lead 9-5 at the break.

A blistering second-half performance allowed Students to take the spoils as they scored 29 unanswered points.

Pons grabbed his second try three minutes after half-time, and wingers Alex Davis and Craig Dowsett then secured the bonus point as Students forged 20-9 ahead.

Prop John Collister saw yellow after 66 minutes but Students survived shouts for a penalty try and wrapped up victory.

Davis scored his second, fly-half Chris Surman adding the extras, and replacement Thomas Pointer converted his own try.

Head coach Dave Morris said: 'It was a perfect start to the season. We're all a little more experienced in the league as players, coaches and support staff, not just technically and tactically, but also mentally.

"Coming up against a great club in Blaydon, you need real physical commitment. The boys were just relentless."

The ever-reliable boot of Jon Boden was a key factor in Lions' victory.

The experienced full-back kicked five penalties and also converted tries from Steve Cross and Alfie Molloy as Lions picked up four points.

Joe Glover had a wonderful afternoon as Hinckley landed a 51-31 National Three Midlands victory against Scunthorpe.

The fly-half, who has returned to the club after spells with Leicester Lions and South Leicester, recorded a stunning 36-point haul.

Glover helped himself to a hat-trick, had a 100 per cent conversion record and kicked three penalties.

Hinckley's other tries came from Kris McFedries, Ross Cunningham and last season's leading scorer, Devon Constant.

Head coach Chris Campbell was pleased with his side's work, and said: "It was nice to get 50 points on the board and, although we never really got out of second gear with our attacking mode, we scored some nice tries."

Syston enjoyed a promising 22-14 victory at Bedford Athletic, with Ian Smith kicking five penalties and also converting Adam Davey's try.

South Leicester endured a nightmare against hosts Broadstreet, losing 46-19.

The visitors, who were 28-0 down at half-time, picked up four yellow cards, one being converted to red.

There was at least a positive response, as South won the second half 19-18.

Tries came from Chris Bale, Aaron Langan and Lee Robinson, with Mark Lord kicking two conversions.

A pensioner who was duped by a conman into handing over his bank cards realised his mistake before his account could be raided.

The 79-year-old was contacted by phone by a conman posing as a police sergeant.

He was told that his account had been raided and that police needed the cards and other account details in order to investigate the crime.

The conman told the pensioner a taxi would be sent to pick up the cards.

The taxi driver – who was not aware he was involved in a fraud – collected them from the victim's Market Harborough home and was on his way to a house in Leicester to deliver them to the conman.

However, he was delayed by heavy traffic, giving the victim time to realise his mistake.

The victim and a friend contacted the driver's bosses who were able to contact him to tell him not to make the drop-off.

The man, who has asked not to be named, was one of a number of people who were targeted by the same conman in the space of three days last month.

He said: "People, especially the elderly, have no idea that this kind of thing goes on.

"I always thought things like this happened to other people, but now it's happened to me.

"First of all, I got a phone call from a man who said he was a police sergeant and that my 16-year-old grandson was in custody.

"The conversation went on and I asked him 'what is my grandson's name?

"He said a name which was completely wrong, so I knew something was wrong and hung up on him.

"Then I made my first big mistake – I rang the police to tell them what had just happened.

"I don't know how they did it, but these jokers have a method of keeping the line open, so, when I thought I was calling the police I actually got through to them again.

"They said they were the police and that one of my cards had been used and charged £700 for a flight to Australia.

"They said the only way they could continue their investigation would be if they had my cards. They asked for my PIN, but I refused to give them it.

"He told me to put my cards in an envelope and eventually a taxi arrived at my house.

"He was taking it to a house on a new estate in Leicester. The police told me they thought the men would be there in a car waiting for the taxi.

"After the taxi had gone I became concerned and rang a friend, who rang the taxi firm and told them to come back to my house and not deliver my cards to these people.

"Fortunately, the driver hadn't reached Leicester yet – he'd been held up in traffic.

"So, I got my cards back and appear to have had a very lucky escape."

Leicestershire Police said seven other people in the Market Harborough and Loughborough areas were also contacted by the gang over three days from Saturday, August 17.

Officers believe a number of people are involved in the fraud attempts and they used false names Detective Constable John Asper and Detective Constable Rachel Gates.

Inspector Paul McKinder, Commander of Market Harborough police, said: "This is a nationwide problem. It is important to note that a police officer will at no time ask you for your bank details over the phone, and will not arrange to collect your bank cards as part of an investigation."

Action Fraud, a national agency, advises victims to report suspicious calls and, if they have handed over any details or cards to a suspected fraudster, to contact their bank and cancel them immediately.

A woman is recovering from her ordeal after a young thug snatched a gold chain from her neck in a Leicester street..

The 48-year-old was targeted as she walked along Manor Road, Thurmaston at 3.30pm on Sunday, September 1.

The thief ran toward the woman and pulled the 22-carat chain from her.

Pc Louise Thomas said: "Although the victim wasn't hurt, she has been left extremely upset and shocked by the incident.

"We need to catch the person responsible and need your assistance.

"Were you in the Manor Road area of Thurmaston during the afternoon of Sunday September 1, did you see the suspect or witness the incident? If you can help, please get in touch."

Officers would also like to trace the owner of a small dark car, possibly a Renault Clio, which was in the area at the time.

The thief is white, aged 20 to 22, slim, 5ft 10ins and was wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans.

Contact Pc Thomas on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Owners hope to reopen Oadby golf course if they are given permission to build a floodlit driving range.

Leicester Racecourse Holdings, which owns the site, has applied to build 15 covered practice bays.

Racecourse bosses hope the plan, which will cost about £500,000, will enable them to open the driving range and reopen the course, which was closed down in April last year.

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council ran the course after leasing it from the racecourse but lost £533,000 in seven years.

Clive Buckle, general manager and company director at the racecourse, said the idea was to utilise the site and make a profit.

He said: "It has been shown, by the recent experience of the council, it was not commercially viable to run the course in its present form.

"We have plans for the site but it all hinges on the driving range. We intend to reopen the course and maybe turn our attention to refurbishing the club house."

To build the driving range, 51 mature and semi-mature trees would be chopped down.

These trees, which include birch, silver birch, rowan, maple and poplar, separate the fairways on the first and 18th holes.

The scheme includes a plan to create two short holes to replace the first and 18th holes.

The new holes would be on the sites of the fourth and 17th holes.

Mr Buckle said: "We hope to replace two holes using the brook as a feature.We hope to create an 18-hole course with nine holes inside the racecourse and nine outside the golf course."

He said the low-level floodlights should cause minimal disruption to residents. The site will also feature a short game practice area.

The application, submitted in July, is to be considered next month.

Oadby golf course lost the borough council £533,000 between 2005 and 2012.

A Leicestershire fire engine will soon be tackling incidents on the streets of a troubled African city.

Leicestershire Fire and Rrescue Service yesterday handed over one of its former fire appliances to tackle incidents in Mogadishu, including the aftermath of car bombs.

Mogadishu has been a major battleground in a civil war which has ravaged Somalia since 1991.

Although the city is now under the control of an internationally-recognized transitional government, it is still the target for terror attacks, the latest car bomb last week claiming 14 lives.

The Denis Saber fire engine donated by Leicestershire fire service will boost Mogadishu's fleet from three to four appliances. Leicestershire's chief officer, Dave Webb, presented the engine to his Somali counterpart, Abdulahi Mohamed, at fire service headquarters in Birstall.

Mr Mohamed, who lives in Checketts Road, Leicester, spent nine months in Mogadishu last year when he was recruited by the Mogadishu Fire and Emergency Services Department.

Since then, he has worked hard to rebuild the city's service, working both from his home in Leicester and during trips to Mogadishu.

He said: "For the past decade, a city of three million people didn't have a single fire engine, now we have four.

"The service now has 53 firefighters working 24/7 and a new headquarters being built.

"This donation is amazing, we are very grateful."

The three other fire engines in the city have been bought from fire authorities in the UK by the Leicester-based Iqra Aid Trust, originally set up to provide aid following the Gujurat earthquake in India 12 years ago.

Former Lord Mayor of Leicester Councillor Abdul Osman, of the trust, said: "The three fire engines cost about £14,000 each, with £5,000 shipping costs, so it is very kind of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service to donate one of theirs."

Mr Webb said: "I'm delighted we are able to provide this fire appliance and I know it will greatly assist my colleague Abdulahi Mohamed in developing their fire and rescue service in Somalia."

Councillor Steve Corrall, chairman of the local Combined Fire Authority, said: "It is really good that we have been able to work with the Somali community in Leicester to provide this appliance and its associated equipment to help and support the Somalia Fire and Emergency Services Department."

A former Leicester City footballer has fallen victim to thieves who stole his car from his driveway.

Matt Piper – who famously scored the final goal at Filbert Street – lost sports equipment and his three young sons' school uniforms when the car was taken at the weekend.

Thieves managed to steal the 31-year-old former winger's silver 1 Series BMW even though he had the only key – a special electronic fob which activates the car's ignition.

The 2005 car, which he bought three years ago, was taken from the driveway of his home in Heathley Park, off Groby Road, Leicester, late on Saturday night or Sunday morning.

He said: "I still have the key and there isn't a spare, so I'm not sure how they did it, but they got my car and it hasn't been found yet.

"I'm a personal trainer as well as a part-time football coach, so there was a fair amount of fitness gear in there as well as some of the stuff I need for my football schools I do with children.

"My boys' school uniforms were in there too, but fortunately they have spares.

"I had a busy day ahead of me on Sunday and I was heading to do a session St George's Park, in Burton, where I'm doing my Uefa B coaching badge.

"I wouldn't normally leave so much stuff in the car overnight, but it was going to be a busy day, so I put it in there. I regret that now, obviously."

Matt, who came through the club's academy to hit the big time with his home-town club, secured his place in its record books by scoring the final goal at Filbert Street at the end of the 2001/02 season.

However, the 2-1 victory over Spurs could not save the club from relegation from the Premier League and Matt was sold to Sunderland for £3.5 million. However, after just 24 games for his new club he suffered a career-ending knee injury.

He now works as a coach at the City academy in Belvoir Drive, Aylestone, and runs his own coaching company with fellow former professional Carl Heggs, called Football and Sports.

A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman urged people to keep an eye out for the car – registration E005 LWY – which was taken between 11.30pm on Saturday and 7.30am the next day. She said: "We are in the early stages of the investigation but we are appealing to anyone who saw anything suspicious to contact us."

Contact Leicestershire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

A Leicester man who downloaded more than 14,500 indecent images of children on his computer has been jailed for 10 months.

Lee Abbott (41) was arrested after a female house guest inadvertently found illegal pictures of youngsters on his PlayStation 3 console.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court: "She found pictures and videos of girls in underwear, which gave her cause for concern.

"She and her partner were friends of the defendant and staying with him. She was expecting a baby. She picked up her belongings, moved out and told the police, in November, 2011."

Officers seized all of Abbott's computer equipment and found 14,561 indecent images of children at level one, the least serious level, 14 images at level two, 43 images at level three and 81 images at level four. They also discovered 15 images in the most serious category, level five.

Abbott, of Church Hill Road, Thurmaston, admitted 10 counts of possessing child pornography between 2004 and 2011.

Judge Philip Head said: "Anyone who sees those images must wonder at the harm caused to these children who were made to suffer what they endured. Without people like you there wouldn't be a market for those who make them. All the children were under 13, but some were very young indeed.''

Carl Gaskell, mitigating, said: "When he committed the offences he was heavily into cocaine, which seriously affected his lifestyle and thinking.

"Since then he's turned his life around. He came off drugs by himself, got a job and his life is back in order. He's living with a partner who's carrying his child."

Abbott will have to enlist on a sex offender register for 10 years and was placed on a sex offences prevention order restricting his future computer use.

Leicester Mercury rugby correspondent Martin Crowson looks back at five key points from the weekend's rugby action.

1 The new scrum laws have already created much controversy this season. The Premiership and the International Rugby Board are desperate for them to work, while many Premiership directors of rugby have grave reservations about them. All new laws need time to bed in and these must be given that time, too. But Sunday's game at Welford Road – which saw Leicester Tigers beat Worcester 32-15 – was a poor spectacle at the set-piece, and both directors of rugby have genuine concerns that the new ideas will not work. Richard Cockerill has openly criticised them and, when Worcester's Dean Ryan was asked if he thought they would 'sort themselves out' this season, he laughed and said: "I doubt it. It's a very complex problem."

2It may have only been the first game of the season, but Tigers had 13 players either injured or unavailable against Worcester. They were Ayerza, Hawkins, Kitchener, Mafi, B Youngs, Flood, Benjamin, Smith, Tuilagi, Camacho, Tait, Hamilton and Harrison.

3 There were some good stories from around the Premiership on the opening weekend. Bath produced a superb performance to win at a rain-sodden Newcastle, while former Tiger Andy Goode nearly had a dream start to his Wasps career but his potentially game-winning kick from the touchline at Twickenham hit a post with time expired. And a much-maligned Sale recorded a memorable away win against Gloucester in front of The Shed, with a try from another former Tiger, Andy Forsyth, a key part of their triumph.

4Love them or loathe them, the new scrum laws will put referees under intense pressure for one part of the new engagement this season – and that will come when the scrum-halves put the ball in. Quite rightly, Sunday's young referee Luke Pearce, who had a good game, penalised both David Mele and Jeremy Su'a for not putting the ball in straight at one stage. But, as the game wore on, illegal feeds continued. Scrum-halves know there is no way in the world a referee is going to blow-up for all of them, as he would seem to be ruining the flow of the game. So several dodgy feeds went unpunished. Scrum-halves will continue to try their luck and referees will continue to be put under pressure.

5It will be a fascinating call to see who starts in Tigers' No.10 shirt at Bath on Saturday. Will Toby Flood be fit enough to start? Will Ryan Lamb be given another go to help him settle at his new club? Or will the power and huge boot of Owen Williams be given the nod?

A man drove a car with his screaming ex-partner trapped underneath while her baby son watched, a court was told.

Andrew Coleman (24) of Aikman Avenue, New Parks, Leicester, appeared for sentence at Leicester Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, drink-driving, and criminal damage and being found guilty of assault on July 20, 2013.

Prosecutor James Bide-Thomas said the relationship between Coleman and the woman had been "a little rocky", and, on July 19, she had left their home, leaving Coleman in charge of her 15-month-old son. "She returned to the sound of loud music playing and her son crying," said Mr Bide-Thomas. "The defendant was lying drunk in bed. Some threats were made and she locked herself in her son's bedroom. The defendant threw paint outside the room and then got into a car."

He said the woman tried to retrieve her handbag from the vehicle, was pushed in the chest and, when the car began to reverse at some speed, she became tangled under the car, trapped and screaming.

"It travelled 15ft, or two car lengths," said Mr Bide-Thomas. "She was at the passenger side of the car and, when the vehicle turned, she became disentangled."

A witness heard Coleman shouting: "I hope someone slits your throat. I mean it."

Mr Bide-Thomas said there was no suggestion Coleman had used the car to attack her.

When arrested, Coleman proved positive for alcohol, with 50 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit for driving is 35 microgrammes.

Coleman accepted causing criminal damage but said the woman had assaulted him, although he had no injuries, and accepted he had driven the car when drunk.

Catherine Chasemore, for Coleman, said the couple had been together for four months.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said Coleman had exhibited elements of controlling behaviour and, as a result, she had taken herself away to a women's refuge.

The woman said she lacked confidence, was scared to go on a bus or into an area where there might be problems and was being judged in her role as a mother because of what had happened.

Judge Robert Brown suggested the woman wanted the relationship to end, but Coleman disagreed.

Ms Chasemore said there was little, if any, mitigation for Coleman's actions, all of which were witnessed by a child.

Judge Brown said the child would recall the incident. "He was awake and screaming."

The judge believed Coleman was guilty of controlling, almost obsessive, behaviour.

"His low cognitive abilities meant that he lacked confidence in doing anything on his own – he did not deliberately set out to make her life hell."

He was sentenced to six months for dangerous driving, six months for actual bodily harm, both suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work, given a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim or going where she lived, ordered to pay her £500 compensation and was disqualified from obtaining a driving licence for 12 months.

A drink-driver who seriously injured a 13-year-old boy and drove off, leaving him in a ditch, is facing a jail sentence.

Alex Blackham told police he had no idea his car had hit Daniel Harvey-Steans.

Daniel suffered a smashed leg, broken eye socket and nose and had his back "skinned" in the collision, which happened as he walked along Cosby Road from last year's Victory Show in Cosby. One of his shoes was latest found in a nearby field.

Blackham pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the scene of an accident, but had denied drink-driving and driving without due care and attention.

However, after a two-day hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court last week, district judge Tim Daber said Blackham's version of events was "incredible" and found him guilty of all charges.

Speaking after the hearing, Daniel's mother, Tracy, of Narborough, said: "No mother should ever have to encounter her son lying in a ditch, beaten and battered and abandoned by the person who caused it.

"He was in agony and kept asking me if he was going to die. The hardest thing for Dan to come to terms with is that the man who did this didn't stop to help him.

"He believed adults would be kind and wouldn't drive away and leave him to die.

"I hoped justice would be done so my little boy could regain his faith in right and wrong."

Daniel, now 14, said he felt "happy" Blackham had been found guilty.

He said: "It was very important for me because of all the pain and suffering he made me go through."

Daniel had surgery after the crash and is due to have another operation on his leg later this month.

He will need plastic surgery on his cheek and extensive dental work when he is older.

Blackham told police he had not noticed the impact, or that his Vauxhall Zafira was dented and had lost a wing mirror in the collision, on the afternoon of September 9 last year.

The 41-year-old, of The Paddocks, Littlethorpe, was driving over the alcohol limit, with his partner and their two-year-old daughter in the car, at the time.

He was on his way back to a friend's barbecue where he had been drinking earlier in the day.

When he got back to the barbecue, he continued drinking alcohol.

When police tracked down his car, arrested and breathalysed him at 8pm that day, he was found to be over the limit.

The test showed he had 55mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

Blackham told officers he had had only one glass of wine before the crash and had only failed the breath test because of the wine he had drank since returning to the barbecue.

However, district judge Tim Daber rejected Blackham's account.

He said it was not possible the driver had failed to notice the extensive damage to his car or heard the loud crash other witnesses reported hearing.

He said that, although Daniel had stepped into the road, Blackham should have been able to avoid the collision if he had been paying attention.

He was also unconvinced of Blackham's claim he was within the legal limit before the crash.

Blackham, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving from 2008, is due to be sentenced tomorrow.

Mr Daber told him: "You must come back prepared for all eventualities, which means prison is not only an option, it's a real option in this case."

New Leicester City signing Dean Hammond believes cash does not guarantee promotion to the Premier League.

Under the new Financial Fair Play regulations, clubs coming down from the Premier League will have a big financial advantage.

However, Hammond believes City's superior knowledge of the Championship gives them the advantage, and he uses his experience of clinching promotion with Southampton two years ago as an example.

When the Saints returned to the Championship from League One they only recruited four players during the summer of 2011, spending a fraction of the £12million they received from Arsenal for teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Hammond believes the key to success isn't cash but camaraderie

"The teams coming down are going to have an advantage financially, but we have the advantage of knowing this league," he said.

"The club has been in this league a few years now and we know what it takes to win games in this league.

"They have finance and the parachute payments so they can probably go out and buy Premiership players, and keep Premiership players. But this is the Championship, not the Premiership, so I think we have the advantage.

"You need consistency, a good team spirit and good players and we have all that here. It is good to go here.

"But it is a tough league and you probably have 10 teams saying the same thing every season, that they are going for promotion and how good their squad is."

Hammond, who joined City from Southampton during the transfer window, is expected to make his debut in place of the suspended Matty James in Saturday's clash with Wigan at the King Power Stadium.

So far, he has been impressed with the quality within the City squad.

"I know some of the squad from playing against them," he said. "There are some top players here and they have all impressed me.

"You have Paul Konchesky at left-back who has played for England, and you have some really good midfield players. I know because I have played against them.

"It will be tough to get into the team, but I have to work hard and let it take care of itself."

Hammond, who has signed a two-year contract, is planning to move his family to Leicestershire and says he wants to commit fully to playing for the club.

"My daughter is starting school in Southampton, but as soon as I find a house up here they will be moving up," he said.

"I want to commit to moving to Leicester and to the club. I am a family man and I want my family around me.

"It would mean everything to me to get promoted. That is why you come to a club like Leicester, to try and get to the Premier League.

"Every player wants to play in the Premier League. I am no different, but it is going to be hard work.

"It is a long old season in the Championship, but as long as we stick together we will be good."