Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson made just two changes for the clash with local rivals Nottinhgam Forest.

Zak Whitbread returned from suspension and replaced the injured Michael Keane at the heart of the defence alongside captain Wes Morgan.

The other change from the side that drew 0-0 at Bolton in midweek saw Jeff Schlupp drafted in at left-back for Paul Konchesky.

The experienced Konchesky had picked up a hamstring injury at the Reebok Stadium.

7 mins: GOAL 1-0 Lloyd Dyer gets to the byline after beating Brendan Moloney and his low cross is turned into his own net by Elliott Ward. Dyer has looks threatening down the left in the early stages, supported by Schlupp.

11 mins: A great chance for City. David Nugent plays in Anthony Knockaert down the right-hand side and he races into the box, but he over hits his cross with Martyn Waghorn waiting. He could have shot himself.

16 mins: Andy King almost scroes into his own goal as Kasper Schmeichel comes and fails to collect a whipped-in free-kick.

17 mins: Knockaert combines with Nugent again and gets a shot off, but it is blocked and goes for a corner.

21 mins: Knockaert whips in a free-kick which is just inches away from the on-rushing Wes Morgan.

22 mins: GOAL 1-1 Forest break down City's right and Simon Cox gets to the by-line and pulls the ball back for Adlene Guedioura, who beats Schmeichel from 12 yards out. City have bossed the opening stages but Forest have restored parity after carving City open far too easily.

32 mins: GOAL 2-1 What a great finish by Nugent. Knockaert picks the ball up on the left and delivers a delightful chipped pass, which bounces in front of Nugent and he dinks it over the top of the on-rushing Lee Camp.

38 mins: Dyer is sent clear by Knockaert and he goes round the on-rushing goalkeeper but his touch is just too heavy and it runs wide for a goal kick. A let off for Forest, who are looking vulnerable defensively.

45 mins: City can be relatively happy with their first-half performance, but it is a very open game, perhaps a little too open for Pearson's liking.

HALF-TIME: City 2 Forest 1

49 mins: Waghorn has a certain goal cleared off the line by Ward. Guedioura had gifted the ball to Nugent, who tees up Waghorn. He shows composure to pick his spot past Camp but the delay allows Ward to get back to clear.

57 mins: Camp denies Waghorn a deserved goal again with a great save. Full-back Ritchie De Laet had delivered a cross from the right, which Waghorn heads goalwards but keeper Camp gets a strong hand to it.

59 mins: SUBSTITUTION Jesse Lingard comes on for Nugent.

60 mins: Simon Cox fires wildly wide after good work from strike partner Billy Sharp.

62 mins: Dyer tests Camp with a strike from the edge of the box. The ball is clearly moving in the air.

66 mins: PENALTY Whitbread is penalised for a tackle on Sharp. Whitbread appears to win the ball but the referee, Anthony Taylor, does not like the challenge.

67 mins: GOAL 2-2 Cox sends Schmeichel the wrong way from the penalty spot. It is Forest's first penalty for a year. It is harsh on City, who have not had much luck with referees' decisions this season. Pearson is seething and is furiously remonstrating with the fourth official.

71 mins: Dyer fires in a shot which strikes Simon Gillett's hand but nothing is given. Andy Reid completes the clearance off the line. It's yet another controversial talking point from what is an exciting local derby.

77 mins: SUBSTITUTION Ben Marshall comes on for Knockaert.

82 mins: Substitute Marshall whips in a near-post corner and Waghorn heads wide. Another good chance and Waghorn shows his frustration.

FINAL WHISTLE: City can feel aggrieved by the refereeing decisions that have gone against them, but they also created enough opportunities to make the decisions by the officials irrelevant.

FULL-TIME: City 2 Forest 2

A teenage girl found indecent images of children on a second-hand laptop she had been given for her birthday.

Following the discovery, police launched an investigation which led them to the laptop's former owner, James Dell.

Officers searched Dell's Burbage home and found hundreds more indecent images of children, plus other extreme pornography, on his computer equipment.

Prosecutor Neil Bannister told Leicester Crown Court 60-year-old Dell traded in his laptop at a shop in Hinckley on January 16, 2010.

A week later, the computer was bought by a man for his daughter's 16th birthday.

"To her distress, she uncovered some files which indicated there may be some disturbing images," said Mr Bannister.

He said the girl's 11-year-old sister had also used the computer, although she had not seen the images.

"The elder daughter informed her father and he was angry and distressed," said Mr Bannister.

The father called the police, who retrieved the laptop, and subsequently searched Dell's home, in Flamville Road.

Computers and memory sticks were seized and analysed, uncovering 717 indecent images – 283 at level one, the lowest category of seriousness, 55 at level two, 144 at level three, 224 at level four and 11 at level five, the most serious category.

Five examples of extreme pornography were also uncovered.

Dell pleaded guilty to 10 counts of making indecent images and two of possessing extreme pornography.

He was jailed for eight months, banned from working with children and placed on a sex offender register for 10 years.

Judge Simon Hammond said: "Any right-minded person would be utterly disgusted by some of the images I have had to see.

"How anyone could find them attractive I know not. The gravity of this offending is that young children somewhere in the world have been grossly sexually abused to create these images.

"Their lives have been ruined. These children in these images will never be the same again. Their innocence have been stolen."

In mitigation, James Varley said many of the images were duplicates and that not all were accessible to people without specialist computer knowledge or software.

Mr Varley said Dell had discovered child pornography on a computer he bought at a car boot and had then sought out more.

"He accepts that he did find them gratifying," said Mr Varley.

"He has family members in court who have to hear that and he finds that crippling."

Three men have been sentenced for their role in a "get rich quick" plot to smuggle nearly 300kg of shisha tobacco through Heathrow airport.

Two men from Leicester, who had packed the contraband into cases, were arrested with a third man when they arrived from Dubai on January 15.

They were detained after police received a tip-off.

Sahil Sheikh (19), an undergraduate at De Montfort University, led the criminal operation and recruited couriers to carry out the smuggling.

He paid for the travel, hotels and purchase of the tobacco in Dubai and organised its sale in the UK.

When arrested, Sheikh, of Grasmere Street, close to Leicester Royal Infirmary, and his couriers, fellow De Montfort student Muhibur Rahman, also of Grasmere Street, and Dawood Walilay, of Rugby, were trying to smuggle in 291kg of shisha tobacco.

Each had five suitcases containing about 100kg of the tobacco.

Isleworth Crown Court, West London, heard all three were of previous good character.

Sheikh was sentenced to 28 weeks in jail, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Rahman (21) was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work, and Walilay (20), of Crick Road, Rugby, to 150 hours.

All three had pleaded guilty to tobacco smuggling and conspiracy offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 at an earlier hearing.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which carried out the investigation said the revenue due on the shisha tobacco – smoked using a water pipe – was about £58,300.

After sentencing, John Cooper, assistant director of criminal investigation for HMRC, said: "Sheikh led and organised what he thought was a sophisticated plot, along with his gang members, to get rich quick by lining his own pockets through smuggling and selling illicit tobacco to the Leicestershire community.

"In effect, he stole taxpayers' cash by not paying duty on the goods."

Mr Cooper urged anyone with information about illicit tobacco sales or smuggling to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 595000. Calls can be made anonymously.

Nottingham Forest boss Sean O'Driscoll admitted his side had been lucky to leave the King Power Stadium with a point.

Simon Cox's controversial equaliser from the penalty spot after a Zak Whitbread was adjudged to have fouled Billy Sharp inside the area gave Forest a share of the derby spoils.

But O'Driscoll said his side's performance had not deserved such generosity.

"We were definitely fortunate," he said. "You try to be honest with your opinions, whether you win, lose or draw – and we got out of jail, we were lucky.

"It is just my opinion. If it was given against my team, I would tell you the same thing – I did not think it was a penalty.

"I can see why the referee gave it.

"I am not going to run on the pitch and tell Simon (Cox) to blast the ball over the bar, because we all live by the same rules. Everyone in this division will moan about decisions not going their way.

"Most people keep quiet when they do go in their favour. In the context of the game, it was fortunate for us.

"We gave the ball away so many times. You can talk about tactics, structure, organisation and anything else – but if you give the ball away as frequently as we did, then that all goes out the window. We will blame the early start.

"On a positive side, we gave ourselves a chance because we defended, we never gave anything up. We had players who followed up on balls they had no right to get.

"We got a fortunate penalty at the other end, however. That is the first time we have come off the pitch this season where I have felt that we did not deserve anything.

"We will try to react with a better performance. We want to play as well as we did against Middlesbrough when we play Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.

"Before the game, if you had offered me the point, I would have taken it. But, if you had told me we would play like this, I would say 'no, no, no, no'.

"There were fewer positives to come out of this game than there were in the three defeats we have had."

Proud veterans stood shoulder to shoulder with young cadets under a brilliant blue sky yesterday to pay their respects to fallen soldiers.

In the crisp autumn air and with the sun shining, thousands of people gathered at the war memorial in Leicester's Victoria Park for the city's annual Remembrance Day service and parade.

After a two-minute silence – starting and ending with the loud bang of the maroon reverberating around the park – Bishop of Leicester, the Right Reverend Tim Stevens, led a moving service.

About 3,500 people joined in with hymns and listened as prayers were said, not just in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice but also for soldiers serving in war zones today.

The service was particularly poignant for Melvyn and Beverley Reeves, of Thurnby, whose son, Leigh, died in Afghanistan in 2006, aged 25.

"We come to remember our son and to remember all the others who have fallen as well," said Mr Reeves.

"It means a lot to us as a family. It's been lovely this year and I think there are more people than ever here."

Mrs Reeves said: "Obviously, we think about Leigh every day, but at this time of year it's all around us. We're so proud of him."

Mary Salt, who was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, attended the service with her daughter, Kate Bristow. The 85-year-old, of Cropston, said: "It's a very important day and it's nice to see so many people."

Kate 49, of Beaumont Leys, Leicester, who served in the Army as a driver in Germany for five years, said: "It's not just about the First and Second World Wars, but about Afghanistan, Iraq, everything.

"You have to come and pay your respects."

During the service, which featured music from the Salvation Army Band, City of Leicester Singers and Leicester Cathedral Choir, wreaths of red poppies were laid.

A march followed along Peace Walk, led by the Seaforth Highlanders.

Tony Boyall, of the Submarine Renown Association, was among those watching.

The 68-year-old, who lives near Fosse Park, said it was important to never forget the horrors of war.

"I come here every year," he said. "The country must never forget and it's right that people show their respect for the fallen.

"I tend to always think about people from the association on this day."

Friend and ex-Army veteran Tom Gamble, 63, said: "Each year you come there seems to be a few more people, which is brilliant.

"A lot of that is to do with the coverage – people know a lot more about what's going on."

Paul and Lesley Wilson, of Thurnby, attended the service with family members, including grandchildren Hope Edwards, eight, and Francesca Griffin, nine.

"We come every year out of respect for those who have died," said Paul, 62.

"It's good for the children to learn what it's all about.

"When you watch archive films about the war and see what people went through, you realise how awful it was and how hard it was for the soldiers.

"My grandad fought in the Battle of the Somme."

Son-in-law Terry Edwards, 44, who served in Northern Ireland with the Royal Anglian Regiment, said: "Today is very important.

"It is about paying respect and it's right that the younger generation should learn.

"Being here, it makes you feel like you want to get your boots back on."

Leicester City were left with a huge sense of injustice after being denied victory by an extremely dubious penalty decision by referee Anthony Taylor.

City boss Nigel Pearson felt massively aggrieved after Zak Whitbread was penalised for a challenge on Billy Sharp inside the box in the 67th minute of a pulsating derby, which City had under control.

Pearson's outrage is completely justifiable and understandable as, even without the benefit of television replays, it was clear the City defender had played the ball.

Pearson was so incensed he did not try to quiz the official for his decision after the game.

But Forest boss Sean O'Driscoll, who admitted he would have felt aggrieved had the decision gone against his team, did reveal that Taylor said he would have still given the decision even after reviewing it on television.

In the referee's view, Whitbread took Sharp's standing leg before he played the ball.

Frankly, this is why having technology to help officials make these decisions will not work.

Even with the benefit of replays, it still comes down to one person's interpretation of what they have seen.

All the technology in the world cannot change the fundamental fact that there is only one person's opinion that ultimately matters – the referee's.

However, that does not mean to say he is right!

Having seen the replay time and again, it appeared Whitbread did get a touch on the ball before Sharp went down.

It is not the first controversial penalty decision and it won't be the last. It fact, it was not the only one of this game.

Just four minutes later, it appeared that Forest midfielder Simon Gillett blocked Lloyd Dyer's shot with his arm. The City players raced towards Taylor but, for the second time in the game, his decision would go in Forest's favour.

City have had to get used to decisions going against them this season. Last Tuesday night, City had a strong claim for a penalty waved away when Ritche De Laet was scythed down by Bolton defender Zat Knight but nothing was given.

There have been other controversial moments so far this season and Pearson's frustration bubbled to the surface for the final 20 plus minutes and beyond.

But the controversy shouldn't detract from the fact that City should have put the game to bed before Taylor's match-defining intervention.

Elliott Ward had turned Dyer's cross into his own net after just seven minutes but he made amends with a superb goal-line clearance to deny the impressive but luckless Martyn Waghorn in the second half. Then, keeper Lee Camp denied Waghorn with a one-handed save.

In fact, Camp was by far the busier of the two keepers as Forest only mustered two efforts on target in the whole game. Unfortunately for City, both of them went in.

Their first was a well-worked strike for Adlene Guedioura in the 22nd minute after Forest had carved City open far too easily. A worrying sign for Pearson.

However, David Nugent scored a sensational second to restore City's lead.

Anthony Knockaert picked out the City striker with an exquisite ball and Nugent provided the deftest of touches to lift it over Camp and into the net for his seventh goal of the season.

Ordinarily, Nugent's strike would have gained all the headlines afterwards, but then referee Taylor stepped in to ensure that once again the officials were the talking point.

When medical student Umair Khan started making slogan T-shirts to challenge negative views about Muslims, he did not expect more than a few orders in the UK.

But his idea proved so popular it is now a global business, with orders coming in from Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, America, Australia, Canada and across Europe.

The T-shirts have slogans which aim to convey positive messages about Islam, such as "Terrorism Hijacked My Religion", "I'm a Tourist, Not a Terrorist", and "Islam – 0% APR", in reference to the interest-free ideology of Islamic banking.

The demand for the T-shirts has been so great Umair's Design Molvi business, which started as a four-person team in the UK, has opened a second office in Pakistan.

Umair, who is in his final year of a medical degree at the University of Leicester, said he was amazed and pleased at how successful the business had become.

The 23-year-old, who lives in Scraptoft, Leicester, said: "It's such a contemporary topic.

"We are trying to challenge those stereotypes."

Umair, who was born in Pakistan and moved to the UK 11 years ago, said: "When we started, we were just thinking we would sell them in the UK.

"But people started to ask if we could ship to this country, then another and suddenly we were getting orders from all over the world.

"It was a pleasant surprise and very encouraging."

Umair's project was helped with a bursary from Enterprise Inc, which gives students or recent graduates looking to start a business in the East Midlands up to £2,500 in funding and business start-up support.

He is keeping the project in the family, with his brother and co-founder, Ammar, setting up operations in Pakistan and their cousin, Ibrahim, marketing the product.

Volunteers have been brought on board to help with social media and design.

Following the success of the T-shirts, the company has launched a line of hats, bibs and other baby clothes.

Umair said he wanted to add mobile phone covers and accessories within the next year.

Although Umair plans to pursue a career in medicine once he finishes his degree, he said he was keen to keep going with Design Molvi in his own time.

He said: "I am passionate about both. It's just about time management and delegation."

Irene Zempi, a tutor at the University of Leicester's department of criminology, has published research on hate crime towards veiled Muslim women.

She said the T-shirts were an effective way of challenging people's misconceptions.

"Design Molvi is a very innovative way to tackle Islamophobia," she said.

"It is refreshing and encouraging to see students addressing anti-Muslim prejudice in such an intelligent manner.

"This idea is inspiring and, hopefully, it will contribute into dispelling myths surrounding Islam and Muslims."

www.designmolvi.com

Furious Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson wants referees to be held accountable for their decisions.

A controversial penalty award denied his side two precious points against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

David Nugent scored a stunning goal to put City 2-1 ahead at half-time at the King Power Stadium, and the home side looked in control until Zak Whitbread was adjudged to have fouled Billy Sharp inside the penalty area by referee Anthony Taylor.

Whitbread appeared to play the ball before Sharp went down. But Taylor pointed to the spot and Simon Cox stroked home the equaliser.

Pearson was visibly raging on the touchline – and was still fuming when he spoke to the media immediately after the game.

The City boss pulled no punches. "I thought it was a good tackle, he played the ball." said Pearson, who did not attempt to quiz Taylor over his version of events.

"I am not going to waste my time trying to talk to people who are totally disinterested with what is right and what is wrong.

"They have a team of four people out there and they need to utilise all four of them. For me, it is laughable.

"I have to sit here and answer questions about it, the players have to answer questions about it and the one thing that is missing is any chance of seeing them to explain what they do. Until we get to that juncture then we are going to miss a trick.

"I have seen it again on TV and listened to pundits on Sky talking drivel. It was a good challenge. He got the ball. The referee is in a good position – full stop.

"We have to look at transparency and accountability. I am made accountable for what I do and the players are made accountable by myself and the media to a large extent, and rightly so.

"I just find it bemusing that we hear all the points of views on it except the people who make the decisions.

"It is about time someone made them accountable for what they do. We have assessors at the games and we should have assessors in here now talking you through the decision process.

"If I get in trouble, I think I have missed a trick because I think I have been careful with what I have said and how I have constructed my sentences.

"If I get fined after what has happened out there then there is something seriously wrong with the game."

A man who suffered terrible injuries when he was hit by a car while on holiday in France has received a six-figure pay-out.

David Armes, who was a builder until the accident in June 2006, suffered internal bleeding in his head, a fractured collarbone and severe cuts and bruising.

The 72-year-old, of Loughborough, is now unable to work or drive as he struggles to walk and is unsteady on his feet.

Despite the trauma, Mr Armes said he feels lucky to be alive.

"I remember being hit, I remember flying through the air," he said. "It was a horrendous experience.

"I've had lots of operations and I'm scarred, but it's mainly mental scars. It caused a lot of damage.

"A lot of the time, I'll be talking and then I'll forget what I'm talking about. I'll use the wrong words – I know what I want to say, but I don't say it.

"But I'm still here and I can live with it. I feel lucky to be alive.

"My life has changed completely but I have to accept it."

Mr Armes was walking to a shop in Beuzeville, northern France, when he was hit by a car being driven by a French woman who apparently did not see him crossing the road.

He was taken to hospital and treated, but it was only when he returned to the UK that the seriousness of his head injuries was discovered and he was taken to hospital in Leicester.

Although Mr Armes's accident was in France, a change in European law meant lawyers could pursue his case against the driver's French insurance company through the courts in England.

The money he received, as well as compensating him for his pain and suffering, will help cover loss of earnings, the cost of rehabilitation and ongoing care.

"If it wasn't for my friends and family, I don't know how I would have coped," said Mr Armes, who had travel insurance.

"The amount of money I've received is not important, but what it shows is how important it is to have insurance.

"It has been horrendous, but if I hadn't had insurance it would have been even worse.

"I was semi-retired, doing part-time consultancy work when I was injured.

"I couldn't work for several years while I was recovering. I have worked on one project since, but it was tough and I'm now completely retired.

"I need to pay for things that I would have done myself before.

"I've got a big garden, which I love. I can't do it myself. The only way we can stay is to employ someone to work on it.

"I've also paid to have my bathroom done completely and the same with the kitchen. Before, I would have done most of the work myself."

Leane Shanks, of law firm Irwin Mitchell, who represented Mr Armes, said: "David had been living an active life, enjoying part-time work and spending time with family and friends.

"However his life was turned upside down by the accident. Thankfully, we were able to secure a settlement."

Leicester City midfielder Andy King said the controversial penalty award that gave Nottingham Forest a point had been a body blow.

King felt City were comfortable and the more likely to add to their 2-1 advantage when referee Anthony Taylor gave Forest a penalty, which had City boss Nigel Pearson raging on the touchline.

There was more controversy minutes later, when Simon Gillett handled Lloyd Dyer's shot inside the Forest penalty area, but Taylor did not give the spot-kick. King said he did not see that incident clearly enough.

"That had determined the final score," said King. "I think the same as our manager, the same as their manager and the same as the majority of people in the stadium and those on the pitch. But his decision is the one that counts and we have to get on with it.

"I couldn't see it at the time but I have heard that he (Gillett) has moved his arm towards the ball.

"I didn't have a good enough view to judge that one, but certainly their penalty looked overly harsh on Zak.

"At 2-1, I thought we were the team creating the better chances, but after it went back to 2-2 it knocked the stuffing out of us. They could sit back a bit more because they were happy with the draw and it made it a bit harder for us to break them down and get ahead again. At 2-1, I thought we looked comfortable but the referee's decision changed the game."

City had led through a wonderful finish from David Nugent and both sides had played their part in an entertaining game, but referee Taylor became the talking point and King said that had detracted from what had been a good advert for the Championship.

"It was a great ball from Ant (Knockaert) and a top finish from Nugent," said King.

"Both players are capable of that skill. That was a great goal and we looked comfortable at that point. We have a draw when we should have won.

"It was a local derby between two good teams with some good players, and both teams will be hoping to be up there challenging at the end of the season. It didn't surprise me it was such an entertaining game.

"But the way the game has ended is not what anyone wants to see."

A judge has banned a nightclub from playing music after it breached a legal ruling.

Mr Justice Warren said the owners could not play any music at Club Avenue, in Dryden Street, Leicester, after breaking copyright laws.

The judge, sitting at London's High Court, imposed the ban on Richard Banks and Andrew Bagshaw after hearing they played recorded copyrighted music at the club without a Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) licence.

The judge also ordered the owners to pay more than £1,600 in legal costs within 14 days.

Banks and Bagshaw were also ordered not to play any more music at any other premises they run until they bring their music licence up to date.

Failure to obey the order would be regarded as contempt of court, the penalties for which can be fines of up to £10,000 and up to six months in prison.

Ben Longstaff, counsel for PPL, said an inspector visited the Leicester club on March 23 and heard recorded tracks being played.

He said solicitors had sent letters telling the owners they could not play recorded music in public without a PPL licence.

The Mercury was unable to contact anyone at the club for a comment.

A children's hospital and a centre for day surgery patients have been proposed as part of a five-year plan from a health trust.

The shake-up would also include a newly-designed accident and emergency department at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Detailed plans have still to be drawn up, but University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust estimated they would cost about £250 million over the next five years.

It is the first major scheme put forward for the future of Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General and Glenfield hospitals since the Pathway project, in 2007, which was scrapped when estimated costs rose to £921 million.

Jim Birrell, interim chief executive at the trust since July, said: "There wasn't much of a strategy when I got here and the money for this vision will have to be found over the next five years."

He described Leicester Royal Infirmary as "looking increasingly tired" and said: "We need to spend £20 million-plus to make it better.

"Car parking is disastrous and people can't easily find where to go.

"Some of the facilities are just awful and when people come into our emergency department we cannot treat them as quickly as we would like.

"Our clinical standards are high but this work needs go ahead to improve the quality of care."

Plans for the infirmary include creating a children's hospital on the Sandringham building site and a new-look accident and emergency department.

Glenfield Hospital would become the centre for specialist services such as cardiology, stroke care and renal services.

The General would have a day surgery centre and outpatient facilities, plus a diabetes centre of excellence.

Mr Birrell said: "The General is a really important site and it won't be a neglected part of the organisation."

But he warned the plans were dependent on the trust gaining foundation status.

This would give managers more independence in deciding how and where money was spent.

Mr Birrell said: "As a foundation, we will be able to borrow the money for this work.

"It is still going to be tight. Precise numbers have still to be worked out and we need support from GPs and other health organisations.

"We have tried to come up with a scheme which is not pie in the sky.

"It is important for the people of Leicestershire that we don't present them with something we can't do.

"It may be that the plans take longer than five years, but people in the area deserve a first class set of hospitals."

Plans are being shown to MPs, campaigners and councillors.

It is expected that early next year patients will have a chance to comment on them as part of public consultation on the application by Leicester's hospitals to become a foundation trust.

Jon Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, said: "These are important plans and show that the hospitals are going in the right direction."

Ballu Patel, chairman of the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel, which has seen the scheme, said: "It is good to see some thought has been put into restructuring of the hospitals.

"However, in the interim we need to make sure that areas which may be struggling, such as dealing with winter pressures, are equally addressed."

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has warned "appalling choices" will have to be made when it comes to setting Leicester City Council's future budgets.

Sir Peter is in the early stages of determining what cuts will have to be made from the authority's budget in the next financial year, starting in April.

About £38 million is being cut from the budget this year and finance bosses expect there will be a further £3 million gap between the council's income and its spending in 2013-14.

Labour mayor Sir Peter accused the Government of making savings needed at Whitehall by stripping down local government budgets.

The largest chunk of the council's income is the revenue support grant from the Government. Next year, that will be £110 million but city council finance officers estimate it will have dropped to £63.2 million by 2016-17.

Sir Peter said: "We face some appalling choices in the years beyond next year.

"Leicester is inevitably being forced to look at the fundamentals of the services we provide.

"The Government says it is giving councils more freedom in their finances by allowing us to do things sich as keep our business rates.

"It says if the economy grows we will get a greater income from that, but its policies have meant the economy is bumping along the bottom."

When pressed on what services may have to be cut, Sir Peter said it was too early to pick out individual departments. However, he said: "At this stage all we can say is we have to have some discussion with the voluntary and community sectors."

Sir Peter said hundreds more job losses could follow next year, but would not be pinned down on a figure.

Two young shoe designers had the honour of being invited to London to join a spectacular pageant.

Becka Hunt and Hannah Binns, who both study footwear design at De Montfort University, rode on the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers vehicle which formed part of a three-and-a-half mile parade for the annual Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday.

Each year, the Lord Mayor of London travels from the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice, accompanied by a parade of vehicles and horses.

Earlier this year, Becka designed a pair of shoes for the Duchess of Cambridge and she carried her royal creation while aboard the float.

The 21-year-old, who described the event as "spectacular", has previously received a grant from the Company of Cordwainers, or shoemakers, which has been around for about 700 years and now exists primarily for charitable purposes.

Becka said: "Their support for young footwear designers plays a really important role in support the British footwear design industry."

"I'm very flattered we were invited to join the float."

Hannah's shoe design won her a prestigious placement with Gap in New York last summer.

The 20-year-old said of the London parade: "It was an amazing experience. It's very exciting to see British footwear design flourishing and being showcased and celebrated at major events like this."

Police are looking into claims that the councillor wife of former County Hall boss David Parsons failed to declare she had a financial interest in a matter discussed at a meeting she attended.

Elizabeth Parsons has been referred to the police by Blaby District Council, on which she sits as a Conservative member, and is to be referred to the authority's standards committee over the issue.

The allegation is in relation to a district council meeting held on September 25.

Both Mrs Parsons and her husband, who is also a district councillor, were at the meeting.

Mr Parsons declared a pecuniary interest and left the room while a discussion took place on whether the authority should dispose of garage sites to make way for housing.

However, Mrs Parsons did not make a declaration and remained in the meeting.

The council voted to give seven of its garage sites to East Midlands Housing Association so 18 homes could be built.

Draft minutes for the meeting show Mr Parsons stated he had a pecuniary interest in the matter as the director of a company providing consultancy advice to "an involved party".

On their registers of interests, submitted to the council in October, both Mr and Mrs Parsons are listed as directors of a firm called Cor Nobile, Latin for "noble heart".

Mr Parsons is also registered as having a contract with a firm called Eco-Modular Housing.

A senior councillor who was at the meeting on September 25 said: "When we got to the discussion about the garages, David Parsons stood up and said he thought he had a financial interest and left the room.

"He didn't say what it was though, and he should have done. His wife didn't budge, she didn't say anything, but she stayed through the meeting.

"If he has a pecuniary interest, I don't see how she cannot have one too.

"I believe he should have taken her with him when he left, or she should have declared an interest herself.

"The purpose of a councillor declaring an interest and leaving a debate is they don't hear what is said."

The Mercury made a number of attempts to contact Mrs Parsons, but her husband said she was not available.

Mr Parsons told the Mercury it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the matter.

In a statement, Blaby District Council said: "Further to a meeting of full council at Blaby District Council on September 25, certain irregularities relating to declarations of pecuniary interest have been investigated by the council's monitoring officer.

"This matter relating to Mrs Elizabeth Parsons has now been passed to the police for their consideration."

A council spokeswoman said: "It should be made clear that we are not saying there has been a breach of the law, but in the interests of the council and all concerned, the matter has been referred to the police.

"The issue will also be referred to the council's standards committee."

Police confirmed they had received the council's report.

A spokesman for East Midlands Housing Association said it had been contacted by Eco-Modular Housing about potential work in the future.

The Mercury was unable to contact Eco-Modular Housing yesterday.

Welford Road will be the stage for another historic occasion in Leicester Tigers' long and proud history tonight – the Maori All Blacks are in town.

They will be the third national side to take on the Tigers in the last four years.

The memories of those games against South Africa and Australia are still fresh in the memory.

While Tigers came up just short against the Wallabies in 2010, their famous 22-17 win over the Springboks the previous year has gone down in the annuls of the club as one of its greatest moments.

Back then, two young tyros named Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs (who was taking Leicester's goal kicks on the night) announced themselves on the big stage.

Both are now firmly entrenched in the England set-up.

There are more of the club's talented young players on show tonight hoping for a similar leap through the ranks.

Could the likes of fly-half George Ford and lock Graham Kitchener be heading in the same direction?

Will Ed Slater, Mat Tait or young prop Fraser Balmain be England men in three years' time?

If there was ever a night to stake a claim, a visit from a touring Kiwi side boasting a haka and a number of players who have impressed in the Super 15s, would be a good place to make it.

It's the sort of night people could remember for a long while to come and Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has put out his strongest possible side for the fixture.

"We are looking forward to it. There are lots of guys playing tonight who would never normally get that opportunity to play against a side like this and that is fantastic," he said.

"The South Africa and Australia games were good nights and the lads are excited about another chapter being played out. Former Tigers Daryl Gibson and Jamie Hamilton will be back at Welford Road as part of the Maori coaching staff and it will be good to see them again.

"It's a great chance to come and see a quality side with some very, very good players from the Super 15 in it. I am sure there are some All Blacks in the waiting on show tonight."

The game will kick-off with the world-famous haka being played out on the Welford Road surface.

Cockerill made a name for himself during the Maori war dance back in November 1997 when he squared up to opposite number Norm Hewitt before and England-New Zealand game at Old Trafford.

It is a moment he has never been allowed to forget.

"They will be a very physical side and the whole haka thing makes it very interesting," said Cockerill with a wry smile.

"I am sure the question of how to face the haka will be our biggest debate going into the game.

"I will let the players decide that. I was a bit less thoughtful than our lads are when I did it. It should be a great occasion."

Intrepid traveller Mike Howitt celebrated the end of his 8,000-mile journey to South Africa with a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain.

He was photographed yesterday on the summit of the mountain, which towers 1,084m (3,558ft) above Cape Town.

It was eight weeks to the day since he set off from outside the Loros hospice, in Leicester, to raise £5,000 in memory of his wife Diana.

Mr Howitt, 80, from Evington, Leicester, said: "It was an exhilarating experience for me to mark the completion of my Long Walk Down."

He had planned to reach Cape Town by hitch-hiking before Christmas.

He thumbed rides through Europe, Israel and Jordan, but when he arrived in Africa decided to use buses as they are cheap and people who give you a lift expect payment.

He said: "The buses were very cheap but varied in quality from good to ramshackle."

He is due to travel to Johannesburg in a couple of days to stay with friends. He expects to fly back to Britain by the end of the month.

A cannabis factory containing about 3,000 plants with an estimated street value of up to £2 million has been discovered by police.

Officers were called to Langar Industrial Estate, off Harby Road, in the Vale of Belvoir, at about 3pm on Tuesday. The factory, on the outskirts of the village, which is on the border of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire border, has since been dismantled.

Sergeant Chris Jury, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "When officers entered the unit, they were met with the sight of thousands of plants.

"It was very much a professional set-up that involved the use of high-tech lighting and watering equipment and paraphernalia. The plants are estimated to be worth millions of pounds."

Nobody was at the site when the plants were found and nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Anyone with any information can call police on 101.