Villagers are being asked if they are prepared to pay an extra fiver a year to keep their local library open.

Burbage library is one of 36 community facilities countywide which could close under planned County Hall cuts.

The county is asking communities to come with up with their own plans to run them themselves with their support from next April.

If no volunteers can be found, they could be shut and replaced by a weekly mobile service.

In response, Burbage Parish Council has launched a consultation on a possible community takeover of the £24,500 a year service in the village, which had 16,300 visitors last year.

Parish council chairman Richard Fleming said: "Our library is a valuable resource and is well used by the residents of the village, particularly by children. It would be a great loss if it were to go.

"We understand that the county council is having to cut £800,000 from its libraries budget – that is why we, as a parish council, are asking people what they would like.

"We do not want to prejudge the outcome and are asking if they would be prepared to pay an additional average contribution of £5 a year or volunteer their time to help run it."

A questionnaire has been published in the village newsletter and the council is hoping to get widespread feedback from the village's 17,000 residents by September 30.

In the past 12 months, Burbage library recorded 16,300 visits involving 17,778 loans. There were also 819 computer user sessions.

Mr Fleming said: "I was pleasantly surprised to see how well used the library was, considering it is only open for 14 hours a week."

Should a local team take over the library, it could expand its opening times and encourage wider use of the building.

At the moment, the library is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 2pm to 5pm, Thursday 10am to noon and 4pm and 7pm and on Saturday from 10am to 1pm. It is closed on Wednesdays and Fridays.

County council libraries spokesman Richard Blunt said: "We are very keen to hear what people in Burbage – and the rest of the county – think about our proposals.

"I know that people value their libraries and want them to continue, as community hubs. A number of groups are already looking into how they could manage libraries and we are keen to work with them."

He said that the county council was having to save £800,000 per year from its £5.6m libraries budget.

It is proposing to reduce opening hours at the 16 most-used libraries and assist communities to run the remaining 36. The consultation results will be considered by the cabinet in September.

People in Burbage can give their views to the parish council by post to the Millennium Hall, Britannia Road Burbage LE10 2HF or e-mail:

julie@burbage-council.co.uk

The 36 community libraries under threat are: Anstey, Barrow, Barwell, Bottesford, Braunstone Town, Burbage, Castle Donington, Countesthorpe, Cosby, Desford, East Goscote, Enderby, Fleckney, Glenhills, Great Glen, Groby, Hathern, Ibstock, Kegworth, Kibworth, Kirby Muxloe, Leicester Forest East, Market Bosworth, Markfield, Measham, Mountsorrel, Narborough, Newbold Verdon, Quorn, Ratby, Rothley, Sapcote, Sileby, South Wigston, Stoney Stanton and Thurmaston.

The council's 16 most-used libraries are at: Ashby, Birstall, Blaby, Broughton Astley, Coalville, Earl Shilton, Glenfield, Hinckley, Loughborough, Lutterworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Oadby, Shepshed, Syston, and Wigston Magna.

This week Brazil will be bouncing with excitement as the 2014 World Cup gets under way – and a few fortunate fans from Leicester will be there soaking up the samba.

Brazil will take on Croatia in the opening game of the tournament – which kicks off on Thursday – with millions from across the globe expected to tune in or head out.

Among the 10,000 English supporters travelling to South America for the world's biggest sporting event is John Hoolahan, from Birstall.

The 30-year-old is taking the trip of a lifetime and flying 5,500 miles to watch England's three group games against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, as well as other games.

He said: "I'm unbelievably excited, I've been going to all the home and away games for a few years now, but nothing will compare to this."

John is flying out with Nottingham Forest fan Gerard Milano, who he met at a previous England match.

The pair will first travel to Manaus – the setting for England's opening game against Italy on Saturday.

"I'm spending a few days there and then going to Rio on Monday and spending the rest of the time there, using it as base to travel to the other games," said John.

"I'm also going to Spain v Chile and Belgium v Russia.

"I can't wait – Chile look like a good side, they looked class at Wembley."

The trip is part of John's 30th birthday present to himself.

He said: "I was 30 in January, so I thought why not – it'll be something to remember.

"It cost about £4,000 for the flights and hotel and I went for the cheapest tickets, so they're about £55 each, which is quite good considering I paid more than £30 to go and watch Leicester."

Also heading out to Brazil is Poonam Sisodia, from Thurcaston, who is flying out with her brother Jay, 44, his wife Mina, 39 and their son Viraj, 13.

The group will spend the days and nights soaking up the World Cup atmosphere and, to cap it all, will travel to the Estadio do Maracana, in Rio, to watch the final on July 13.

Poonam said: "I'm a moderate football fan, but Jay, Mina and Viraj are fanatical Liverpool fans. We decided to go because it's the World Cup and it's Brazil – what more do we need?"

If you're heading to Brazil and want to tell us, e-mail:

peterwarzynski@ leicestermercury.co.uk

John's trip will see him travel 14,000-miles as he jets halfway around the world to watch the tournament.

His initial outbound flight to Brazil will see him fly 5,500 miles from London to Manaus.

Following the first match between England and Italy, he will then travel 1,800-miles to Rio where he will be based for the remainder of the trip.

From Rio he will fly to Sao Paulo – 200 miles away – and back again for the Uruguay game.

Then a 720-mile round trip will take him to Belo Horizonte and back for the final Group D match against Costa Rica.

Both the Spain v Chile and Belgium v Russia games take place in Rio, so there will be minimal travelling involved.

Finally, John will jet back home to the UK, adding 5,500 to the count and bringing the total to just under 14,000-miles.

A man repeatedly punched his partner in the head as their young son lay on the same bed, claiming the birth of the child had ruined his life.

Michael McDonnell also pushed the woman so she fell down a flight of stairs, breaking her elbow.

McDonnell (32), of Bewicke Road, off Narborough Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to causing grievous bodily harm to the woman.

He was jailed for two years and three months.

Lynsey Knott, prosecuting, told the court the attack occurred in the bedroom of the couple's home at about midnight on January 9.

The victim had just put their 14-month-old child to sleep on the bed.

Miss Knott said the couple had had a volatile relationship since 2010.

"McDonnell went into the bedroom complaining the birth of the child had ruined his life," said Miss Knott.

"She was on the bed and he punched her six or seven times on the head."

Miss Knott said the woman's eight-year-old daughter came in and screamed at him to stop hitting her mother.

The woman managed to get up, but McDonnell pushed her and she fell down the stairs, fracturing her elbow.

The girl managed to give her a mobile phone to call the police.

Miss Knott said the victim also suffered a cut nose and severe facial bruising. The fractured elbow impacted on a earlier injury for which she was still having treatment for pain.

Donal Lawler, mitigating for McDonnell, said his client was full of remorse.

He said: "He did not intend to push her down the stairs but he accepts the injury to the elbow was caused as a direct result."

Mr Lawler said the relationship was volatile and they had stayed together because of the child.

He said McDonnell now realised the relationship was over but wanted to be a "father figure" for his child.

Mr Lawler said he had written from prison expressing his remorse for what he had done.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "Incidents of domestic violence are no less serious and, indeed, in some cases are more so, than public incidents in the street.

"There is a breach of trust and the victims are often vulnerable.

"In this case, it was witnessed by a young girl who will be affected by what she saw."

He said he hoped the boy would have been too young to realise what was happening.

Judge Dean said he believed the letters of remorse sent from prison to the victim were genuine, and that they would have an impact on the length of the sentence.

As well as jailing McDonnell, the judge placed him under an indefinite restraining order from contacting the victim saying he could only have contact with his child through solicitors.

A petition to change the name of Jubilee Square in the city to Peace Square has been handed in to the city council.

The petition has more than 1,500 names, which could trigger a debate at a full council meeting if they are all found to be valid.

Sally Skyrme, who organised the petition, has been collecting signatures for the past four months.

Sally, of Thurnby Lodge, set up the petition because she believes the name Peace Square would be more relevant to the people of Leicester.

She said the name Jubilee Square was not imaginative.

"There are so many places named after royalty," she said.

"I think it could attract national attention if its name is changed to Peace Square.

"The fact we are honouring the Queen does not say anything about Leicester."

The 44-year-old said that Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee leisure centre, in Duns Lane, had already been named after the Queen's visit, in 2012.

"I think that is enough," she said.

The campaigner added that in Leicester there was Queen Elizabeth College, in University Road, Jubilee Gardens, in Humberstone, and Leicester Royal Infirmary, in Infirmary Square, named after royalty.

Sally said: "The royal family don't pay that much attention to Leicester, why should we pay attention to them? The royal family pay attention to things that are international.

"This is a great opportunity for the mayor to show he listens to the people."

Sally, a hospital welfare rights worker, said she was pleased to have collected so many signatures.

"I have been working hard doing this. People's faces light up when I say the alternative name is Peace Square. People get really enthusiastic about it."

She has collected signatures by speaking to people at work, in the street and spreading the word online.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "I have made it very clear there is already a Peace Walk in Leicester and there will be other opportunities to mark our commitment to peace. However, I don't think that Jubilee Square is one of them."

The council will look over the petition to see if there are enough valid signatures to warrant a full council debate.

If not, and there are more than 750 signatures on a petition, campaigners can ask senior council officers to give evidence to a council committee on the request in the petition.

The committee can then recommend the executive to take action, take no action, or investigate further.

Leicester City Council has told Sally that they will get back to her before the beginning of the next council meeting, on June 19.

To view the petition, search for Peace Square at:

www.change.org

Leicester City signing Marc Albrighton believes the way Nigel Pearson's men play is tailor-made for him.

The 24-year-old winger said City's style of play last season as they marched to the Championship title is a perfect match for his game.

Pearson opted for two wide midfielders for the majority of the campaign and Albrighton, who was ranked second for most successful crosses in the Premier League last season, says that was a factor in him deciding to join after leaving Aston Villa.

"I looked at the style of play when I was making my decision," said Albrighton, who has signed a four-year contract with City.

"If I came here and he wasn't playing with wide men then it would be a bit of a strange decision.

"It is good for me knowing he (Pearson) plays that way. Obviously, he might need to change it a couple of times this season and use different formations against different sides but it is the way the manager likes to play."

No player who played 10 or more Premier League games last season crossed the ball more times per minute than Albrighton, who also features high in the rankings of chances created for team-mates.

"It is something I like to do, put crosses into the box," he said. "That is dangerous and can hurt teams. Hopefully I can do exactly the same here and feed the strikers."

Albrighton also feels he will fit in well with City's young squad, on and off the pitch, and believes that team spirit will stand City in good stead.

"I think that is one of the main factors in why they did well last year," he said. "They have a great togetherness and everyone is pulling together in what they are doing, they work for each other. That is going to be massive next season.

"That along with their ability and performances will be vital.

"Being young lads, I have played against a few of them at reserve level over the years.

"There is a massive amount of talent in this squad. There is a good mix in the squad and what you need in a squad.

"I am really looking forward to joining up with them and getting going."

An interim director brought in to take charge of the finances at Leicester's hospitals is being paid £1,250 a day, it has been revealed.

The money is not being paid directly to the director, Peter Hollinshead, but to a company of which he is a director.

The payments bring the total spent on three temporary directors to more than £500,000 in the past seven years.

Care Minister Norman Lamb, who was in Oadby on Friday, described the figure as "worrying".

"We talk about pressure on health service finances and to hear about so much money, which should be going on patient care, being spent on interim directors is worrying."

Union officials and health campaigners said they were staggered by the figure and have criticised the payments being made to companies rather than individuals.

Carole Brown, from Unison, said: "When a 1 per cent pay rise is being offered to our members, these amounts are obscene.

"With payments being made to companies it means tax on contributions which go to help fund the NHS are not being made. This needs to be investigated."

Health campaigner Zuffar Haq, who is also a member of the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel, said: "I am staggered at the amounts of money being paid in this way.

"It is totally unacceptable to take this kind of money away from patient care."

Mr Hollinshead began work at Leicester's hospitals on January 20 as interim director of financial strategy.

He took over from Andrew Seddon, who went on "special leave" a few months after the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust announced a deficit of £39.8 million.

Mr Seddon has since been appointed group financial director at Marie Stopes International, a family planning organisation.

Kate Bradley, director of human resources at the trust, said: "The remuneration for Peter Hollinshead, interim director of finance, is paid to the trading company Brandhill Financial Services.

"The rate of £1,250 per day is a commercial short-term rate covering all away-from-home expenses, travel and business overheads.

"As a result of the payments being made to a trading company, the trust does not incur any additional costs, such as tax, national insurance and pension payments.

"In addition, the trust pays no holiday, sick pay, training or other standard entitlements.

"More importantly and, given our financial situation, we need the best interim on the market until we recruit to the substantive post."

The appointment of a permanent finance director is expected to be announced next week.

Two years ago, the trust paid out about £190,000 to a firm for temporary chief executive Jim Birrell. He was at the helm from July 2, 2012 to December 20, 2012, after the departure of Malcolm Lowe-Lauri.

Prior to that, the trust paid the management company Durrow £173,750 for Derek Smith.

He was brought in after chief executive Peter Reading "took early retirement" in 2007 after the collapse of a £711 million private finance scheme which was to have transformed the city's hospitals.

Leicester City have announced a record number of season ticket sales for the King Power Stadium.

City have sold 22,000 season tickets for their return to the Premier League this season.

This is the highest number since they moved from Filbert Street and a club record since the introduction of all-seater stadiums.

Only a small proportion of the season tickets holders from last season, almost 15,000, have failed to renew.

A total of 7,000 new season tickets, which were put on sale in May, were snapped up in just two-and-a-half days.

Once away allocations and hospitality is taken into account, there could be as little as 3,000 tickets for sale on a match-by-match basis.

This means City home games are expected to be a sell-out next season as the club take on the elite of English football for the first time in 10 years.

City are considering the further release of a small number of additional season tickets and will make an announcement soon, should they take that option.

The demand for season tickets from City fans has delighted commercial director Ian Flanagan. "The response from supporters has been incredible and we're enormously appreciative of the commitment made by over 22,000 of our fans to be part of our Premier League journey next season," he said.

"The buzz around the city following our Championship-winning season has been huge and our supporters are clearly ready to carry that momentum into what will be a massive season.

"We are currently completing a reconciliation process before deciding on our next steps, which we intend to communicate to supporters shortly," he added.

Meanwhile, City are set to open talks with Cardiff striker Fraizer Campbell this week after triggering a release clause in his Bluebirds contract.

The former Manchester United academy graduate had a clause in the contract allowing him to speak to other clubs following Cardiff's relegation, if they bid £800,000.

City have activated that clause.

The 26-year-old is now expected to hold talks with City this week ahead of a possible move to the King Power Stadium.

However, other clubs are said to be considering a similar move for Campbell.

Leicester City Council has spent £35,000 on monthly "sniff monitoring" after residents reported foul odours seeping from a waste processing plant, it has been revealed.

The council has employed two firms of environmental consultants to assess the scale of the stench which, according to locals, has been a problem since the Biffa ball mill, in Mowmacre Hill, was built in 2003.

Birstall technology company SLY and international consultancy firm RPS have been called in to monitor the stink, made worse by recent malfunctions at the plant.

RPS experts have been visiting Mowmacre Hill since March last year to sniff the air for foul smells produced by the complex, on the Bursom Industrial Estate.

Steve Weston, head of waste management at the council, said: "We've paid for consultants to come and do sniff monitoring.

"They're professional people with very sensitive noses – a bit like perfumers – who can detect small changes in the smell of the area. They've been doing random sniff tests and recording what they find.

"That's the only way we're going know whether there's a problem. The consultants have also looked at the air evacuation systems and the bio-filter at the plant to assess their effectiveness. It's cost us about £35,000 so far."

Since the "sniff monitoring" started in March last year, residents have complained 152 times about the waste plant, which processes 120,000 tonnes of the city's rubbish each year.

Stewart Lewin, chairman of the Mowmacre Tenants and Residents' Association, said: "We can't open our windows or our doors – it's a sickly horrible smell and it's about time something was done about it."

Reg Hubbard, who lives close by, said: "Biffa should be doing a lot more to make sure this stops. It's not nice for anyone."

Information from the "sniff monitoring" and the assessment of the plant's filtration systems – which are designed to catch any smells before they escape into the city centre estate – have been handed over to the Environment Agency.

Tomorrow, representatives from the agency, Biffa and the council will meet to discuss the findings of the report.

Mervyn Tongue, law enforcement officer for the Environment Agency, said: "We've now taken receipt of the technical reports, which show some problems with the processing plant. We'll meet with Biffa to discuss the next steps."

He said his agency has the power to force the company to find a solution, but said: "I'm sure Biffa will want to resolve this as much as everyone else."

On Saturday, a meeting to update residents was chaired by Leicester West MP Liz Kendall. She said: "I'm so angry we're still talking about this after so long. I will do everything in my power to make sure the Environment Agency uses its power to do something because we're sick of having to meet like this all the time."

Biffa has previously said that it continues to cooperate fully with the authorities.

Fire at Druck, Groby....advised to close window pic.twitter.com/SlvQv9Mpyf

— Berry Parker (@Piratenanabez) June 9, 2014

Huge fire in Groby somewhere pic.twitter.com/ElV4F9eiic

— George Bates (@Georgebates94) June 9, 2014

Groby fire details to follow pic.twitter.com/P3KWfIypxf

— Wigston Fire Station (@wigston_fire) June 9, 2014

Big fire @ groby village today. Smoke and maybe ash over to Ratby pic.twitter.com/kZ1Jclv6uT

— Mark Banner (@Standard8) June 9, 2014

MT @alejandroa: Big fire in Groby, #Leics this morning. pic.twitter.com/phLZbtS5no

— Leicester Voice (@LeicesterVoice) June 9, 2014

Major chemical fire at work today. Everyone safe & we have been sent home waiting for news. #GEDruck#Grobypic.twitter.com/upTvpSCbzJ

— Michael Phillips (@OwstonMichael) June 9, 2014

Thats mental #grobypic.twitter.com/eh0BXRKput

— Mildred (@EmilieeBolton) June 9, 2014

Huge fire in Groby somewhere pic.twitter.com/ElV4F9eiic

— George Bates (@Georgebates94) June 9, 2014

@Leicester_Mercpic.twitter.com/xfAVYX5pyy

— Leah-Emily Kube (@leahemily321) June 9, 2014

@Leicester_Merc@Danjamesmartinpic.twitter.com/FK7qh6JgPw

— Leah-Emily Kube (@leahemily321) June 9, 2014

Reassuring community around Groby incident. Smoke from fire is no more toxic than house fire. People asked to stay indoors as precaution.

— COMMSleicsfire (@COMMSleicsfire) June 9, 2014

A new bus timetable is proving a pain in the neck for passengers, who found it positioned 7ft up a lamppost.

Howard Parker, who spotted the sign, said the information board at the stop in Dumbleton Avenue, in Rowley Fields, Leicester, was so high up it was almost useless.

The 62-year-old, of Glenfield, said: "I am about 5ft 9in and have pretty good eyesight, but I find it hard work to see the bus times.

"After studying it for a while I got a real crick in my neck. You would have to be 7ft tall not to have to crane your neck.

"I don't know how anyone smaller than me or with worse eyesight is going to be able to see any of the information.

"The timetable is the normal small print and is going to be very, very hard for anyone to read if the information they need is at the top of the timetable.

"I really don't know why anyone would put an information board up so high on a lamppost. It just doesn't make any sense at all.

"The timetable is supposed to be there to help people but it's not going to be much help if people can't read the information, is it?"

The timetable is on the lamppost at the bus stop near the junction with Barbara Road.

Mr Parker, who used to live in Rowley Fields and spotted the notice when he was helping to cut the hedge at Christ Church United Reformed Church, in Dumbleton Avenue, said he thought the shape of the lamppost, which has a "bulge" on the lower part, might be the reason behind the placement. However, he said: "If they can't put the timetable on any lower because of the shape of the lamppost, then surely it is better not to put it on at all.

"It is just no good to anyone as it is."

Keith Myatt, spokesman for Arriva Bus, said the company had an occasional problem with people moving timetables on lampposts.

"It sounds as if someone has pushed the timetable up the lamppost," he said.

"I shall send out a team to reposition it at a more sensible height and tighten the brackets to make it more difficult to move in future."

A group of travellers who set up an unauthorised camp on a busy traffic island have been moved on.

The travellers comprised six families and six caravans. They had spent the past three weeks at Redhill Circle, on land owned by Leicestershire County Council. The council's multi agency travellers' unit, whose job is to liaise between local authorities, travellers and the community, successfully obtained a removal order from Leicester Magistrates' Court last Tuesday, which was enforced on Thursday.

However, residents have complained about litter left behind, including gas canisters, kitchen utensils and general litter.

Roy Maxfield, who lives nearby, said: "It's disgraceful. They left it looking like a complete eyesore, with litter strewn everywhere and scooters and prams in hedges."

A spokesman for the travellers' unit said: "The condition in which sites are left have an impact on any future toleration on other sites these families may pull on to."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "Our cleansing teams moved on to the site on Friday and have been removing litter and waste. Some building rubble has been dumped which can't be lifted by hand, but we will arrange for this to be removed by mechanical digger as soon as possible."