A man who was caught selling thousands of pounds worth of ecstasy at a music festival has been jailed for three years.

Sam Butterfield pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to possessing 56.3 grams of ecstasy with intent to supply.

Butterfield (23), of Western Boulevard, Leicester, also admitted possessing four tablets of the class A drug for his own use at the festival.

Prosecutor Warren Stanier said at the end of July, Butterfield attended the annual Global Gathering festival at Long Marston airfield, in south Warwickshire.

While he was there, he sold drugs to other festival-goers and was detained by security staff, who handed him over to the police.

Butterfield volunteered that he had four tablets of "yellow star" ecstasy for his own use.

When he was searched, he produced a plastic bag containing 104 self-seal clear plastic bags, each of which contained ecstasy powder.

He also had £2,025 in cash – which Mr Stanier said had been retained by the police after it had been "disclaimed" by Butterfield.

Officers went to Butterfield's home, where they found a set of electronic scales and more of the small self-seal bags, said Mr Stanier.

He said: "He was very frank with the police.

"He said he had lost his job and had been told by a friend he could make a significant sum of money by selling drugs at the festival."

Butterfield, who had previous convictions for violence but none for drug offences, said he had got the ecstasy powder and divided it into bags, which he sold for £30 to £60 each.

Sanjeev Sharma, defending, said Butterfield was "resigned to the fact it's custody".

He said: "His guilty plea is his best mitigation, and he is genuinely regretful and remorseful."

Jailing Butterfield, Recorder Upward told him: "You made a very foolish decision when you decided to sell drugs at a festival.

"We have all read about the damage which can be caused by the misuse of ecstasy."

Three people are seeking your vote to be police and crime commissioner on Thursday. They are Labour's Sarah Russell, the Conservatives' Sir Clive Loader and independent candidate Suleman Nagdi. Here are their answers to your questions:

How will you achieve savings and maintain frontline policing?

Sir Clive Loader: I will do all I have to in order to maintain the operational frontline at a time of increasing financial stringency.

In the first instance, I will be looking at efficiencies in the force. Then I will look at cross-force sharing, building on what is already happening.

If this does not yield enough savings while maintaining the operational frontline, I will look at outsourcing, of, for example, human resources, finance, IT, legal services, estate and fleet management, administrative support, control room services, criminal justice support and custody provision.

I will do everything necessary to keep the maximum number of uniformed bobbies on the beat.

Sarah Russell: I will work to share more specialist functions with neighbouring forces, reducing both management and overall costs.

I will review the police estate to see if there are areas we can share facilities with organisations such as the fire service and the NHS.

Suleman Nagdi: I will only look at outsourcing as a last resort and even then I will not allow the outsourcing of frontline policing.

If I decide to outsource any police services, then these will be backroom.

I will look at sharing resources with other forces where it makes sense.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it – why is this change necessary?

SCL: Not broke does not mean it is perfect. Plenty of voters have told me they perceive the police service as far from perfect – albeit a significant majority, like myself, are proud and generally very supportive of their local police.

The sad fact is, 93 per cent of people have no idea police authorities even exist, let alone how well or otherwise they police the police.

With the advent of police and crime commissioners, people will for the first time elect an accountable representative whose prime role will be to ensure an effective and efficient police force.

SR: If I had a vote on the legislation that created this new role, I would have voted against.

However, I take a pragmatic view that it is now the law and happening and I would prefer to get involved and make it work than stand to the side and complain.

SN: Right now, most people do not know who is on the police authority.

At least with an elected commissioner there will be a visible, democratically elected individual who can more easily be held to account by the public.

This system will only work if the commissioner is able to listen to, analyse and act upon the concerns and priorities of all the communities.

How will you achieve this?

SCL: I will have an e-mail address and phone number, both of which will be widely advertised.

I will hold surgeries as and when people request.

I expect to continue building on the hundreds of hours of visiting I have done during this election by going to schools, universities, religious communities, professional representatives, business leaders and so on.

SR: I hope to develop a panel with a good, geographical, political, faith, gender and age spread to both help understand the concerns across the patch and also to develop a better understanding of the differential impact of policies and priorities.

I will attend as many meetings as possible to listen to residents – including residents' associations, parish councils and Neighbourhood Watch meetings.

SN: I am completely independent and I am standing to serve the needs of the people and not the needs of a political party.

No decisions will be made without me first engaging in a process of extensive consultation with the people I serve.

As a community volunteer for over 25 years, my expertise lies in the ability to listen to the needs of the community and then relay this to government and statutory authorities.

Would you introduce a simple system showing jobs (including reports of crimes) received and completed, open to public scrutiny?

SCL: Yes, albeit I will need to make sure I understand exactly what that will mean in resource terms.

I intend every week to sit down with the chief constable and go through the crimes committed and detected so we can discern emerging trends and areas of stubborn crime which need to be addressed, particularly if they are accompanied by repeated requests from the public to sort out problems, for example, with anti-social behaviour, drug dealers and rural theft.

SR: I am happy to continue the practice of publishing reported crime numbers as well as detection rates, which gives the information you ask for, alongside the public satisfaction information.

SN: What has become clear in my conversations with members of the public is that they, too, need to be involved in the consultation process in order to make any improvements to the police. We will not succeed without a collective effort.

Former Lord Mayor of Leicester Robert Wann last night avoided been being kicked off Leicester City Council by attending his first meeting in nearly six months.

The veteran Labour politician last attended a meeting on May 17, when he handed over his mayoral chains.

Under the authority's rules he would have been disqualified as a councillor had he not turned up to a meeting before November 17. However, Labour group whip Councillor Barbara Potter, arranged for him to sit in on the economic development, culture and tourism scrutiny commission at the Town Hall last night.

Coun Wann is not a regular member of this committee but stood in for Councillor Wayne Naylor, who was unwell.

Before the meeting, Coun Wann told the Mercury: "It does sound like I have not been around for six months, from the way it has been portrayed, but that is not the case.

"I have actually been attending council meetings and outside bodies as well.

"I was also at the Labour group meeting.

"It would seem outside bodies don't count for Leicester City Council.

"I have had meetings here and I have had meetings with the elected mayor in his office."

Coun Wann has been claiming his councillor's allowance of nearly £10,000 and £1,200 for travel and subsistence and said he thought people in the Thurncourt ward he represents would be happy with that.

He said: "When I finished as the Lord Mayor (in May) I did say I was going to take a couple of months off to see my family because my mother has been ill with cancer so I made sure she was okay.

"And, of course, I work full-time as well which you have to because the £500 you receive a month as a councillor doesn't keep anything.

"I have done 29 years now and I think I have worked my socks off in those 29 years. What we are talking about in these six months is eight meetings, all of which I have been represented at."

Coun Wann said he did not yet know if he would seek reelection in 2015.

Coun Potter was not available for comment yesterday.

However a senior Labour source told the Mercury: "I am not surprised he has turned up at the last minute. It is typical of Rob's way of doing business.

"Unfortunately, we have the situation of having to try to explain his absence to people. I'm not sure they will understand it. It has embarrassed us on many occasions."

"I hope we will see more of him in the next six months than we did in the last."

Tory opposition city councillor Ross Grant accused Labour of "rigging it" so Coun Wann could beat the six-month cut- off.

He said: "He is not normally a member of that committee but it has been arranged for him to be there. I still don't think anyone will think it acceptable that, at the back end of six moths when he has been away, he just comes back."

A "larger-than-life" character who refereed some of the biggest names in British football in the 1960s and 70s has died, aged 81.

Roger Kirkpatrick was known by players as Mr Pickwick, after the Charles Dickens character, because of his stout appearance and bushy sideburns.

He refereed top-class football from 1966 to 1979, officiating at games featuring players such as Manchester United stars Denis Law and George Best.

Law asked the Leicester-born ref to officiate at his testimonial against Dutch club Ajax.

Roger once sent off fiery Manchester City forward Mike Summerbee – and said the striker sought him out in the referee's room after the match to apologise.

Mr Kirkpatrick, of Narborough Road South, Leicester, featured in the 1978-79 season opening titles for BBC's Match of the Day programme and it was said he could run backwards faster than he could forwards.

His son Mark said: "If there is such a thing, Dad was a well-liked referee.

"I'm not saying he got all his decisions right, but the big thing was he was respected by the players.

"He didn't swear. He used to say 'if I swear, how can I pull up the players for swearing?'

"Dad was a showman, he was aware of his nickname.

"He could have cut off his sideburns, but he chose to keep them.

"Me and my brother got to go to all the games. I remember once asking Alan Ball if he was a footballer and sitting two seats away from George Best.

"We always had footballers around and Brian Clough and Peter Taylor were big friends of the family.

"He was paid 21 guineas a game, plus expenses every weekend.You had to do it for the love of the sport. He enjoyed it and made the most of it."

Mr Kirkpatrick became a referee at 17 before joining the Fleet Air Arm where he continued refereeing for the Royal Navy. He also played cricket and rugby for the service.

He met his wife Elizabeth, a Wren, and the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last year.

Mark said: "He was known as something of a disciplinarian. He wouldn't take back chat – he would come down on you like a ton of bricks.

"He had an air of authority and a big, booming voice.

"I think he had something missing in the refereeing world today. I don't think there is the same respect from the players these days."

Leicester City ambassador Alan Birchenall has fond memories of Mr Kirkpatrick.

He said: "I was playing for Chelsea and the pitch was a bit of a quagmire. Whenever Roger had made a decision, he ran off backwards at 100mph.

"I 'accidentally' put out my right foot and he fell over. He called me over and asked me if I had done it on purpose. I said 'no' and he told me if he'd thought I had I would have been off.

"The story always brought a smile to his face. He was a lovely bloke and a top referee."

Mr Kirkpatrick was also a successful businessman, as a director of companies making knitwear and in the motor trade.

In later years, he achieved considerable success in another sport, serving as Leicester Bowls Club president, Leicestershire county president and Midlands Counties president.

He and his wife played bowls for England and he was an England Bowling Association assessor for 10 years.

He died at home last week, following a long illness.

As well as his wife and son Mark, he also leaves another son, Paul, and grandchildren Leon, Alex, Holly and Rosie.

See Roger in action on the 1978-79 Match of the Day titles. (22 second into the clip)

A soft drinks manufacturer was yesterday ordered to pay out more than £30,000 for health and safety breaches after a contractor was exposed to ozone gas.

The health of the electrician has been severely affected since the incident, which happened while he was servicing a machine at Cott Beverages Ltd's factory in Kegworth.

Loughborough Magistrates' Court heard he was a previously active man who had been left severely asthmatic and on anti-depressants and has put on three stone in weight.

Yesterday, Cott Beverages pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act between March and July 2010.

Andy Siddall, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), told how the contractor, from Yorkshire, fell ill after visiting Cott's Kegworth site on July 26, 2010.

Mr Siddall said the contractor was working on a machine in the same room as the ozone-producing equipment, which had a leak.

He felt unwell and went to rest in his car before going back in to finish the job on a separate piece of equipment which produces ultra-violet light.

Mr Siddall said the company had installed ozone-producing equipment at the factory in 2001, but then de-commissioned it seven years later.

He said that when the company recommissioned the equipment in February 2010, it encountered problems.

Mr Siddall said the company received an e-mail in March 2010 telling it there was broken connector, which meant ozone, which is used to help clean bottles before they are filled with drinks, was leaking into the plant room.

Mr Siddall said: "Quite simply Cott failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of its employees and non-employees on that site."

He said doctors had concluded that the 49-year-old contractor had suffered an acute irritant asthma attack consistent with suffering exposure to ozone.

A statement from the contractor, which was read out in court, told how he had put his wedding on hold and the relationship with his two young sons had broken down.

He said: "I am not the same man, I have flashbacks about the incident and worry about the future."

Rob Elvin, defending, said Cott Beverages was a responsible firm with no previous similar convictions and an above average health and safety record.

He said the company, which employs 220 staff at its Kegworth site, had completely overhauled its health and safety system since the incident.

It was fined £20,000 with £11,565 costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Richenda Dixon said: "Cott Beverages was aware of the hazards of ozone and knew there was a leak, but had done nothing to fix the problem or protect their employees or contractors from coming into contact with this gas.

"As a result of the company's failings, the contractor's quality of life has been severely affected and it is unlikely that he will be able to return to his job."

After the hearing, senior management at Cotts declined to comment.

Liam Moore and Martyn Waghorn will be hoping to stake a claim for a place in Stuart Pearce's England under-21 squad for next summer's European Championships.

The Leicester City duo will line up in a friendly against Northern Ireland, at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road, tonight as England begin their preparations for the finals in Israel after qualifying against Serbia in the play-offs.

Moore, who has represented England at under-17 level, received his first-ever call-up to the under-21 squad last week.

He was joined by team-mate Waghorn on Sunday night after he received a late call-up following withdrawals.

Waghorn has a 100 per cent record for Pearce's side as England have won all four games in which he has featured. The City striker has also scored twice in an England shirt.

Moore's call-up is reward for his performances this season, which have seen his breakthrough into the City first team.

The 19-year-old started the campaign alongside captain Wes Morgan at the heart of the defence.

Waghorn has recently started to show the type of form which earned him his first England cap just over a year ago after a frustrating time through injury.

Waghorn has started the last two games for City and, while both have ended in a draw, the 22-year-old has impressed and has been unlucky not to score his first goals of the season.

Waghorn is certain the goals will eventually start to flow for both himself and for City.

"The way the boys have been playing we have been on top on and we could have scored five or six," said Waghorn. "It will come.

"It is a bit of a concern that we are not punishing teams but, hopefully, it will just click and, hopefully, I can chip in with a few. We are good players and it will just happen one day."

Waghorn has had to be patient this season for his chance to stake a claim for a starting slot because of the form of Jamie Vardy and David Nugent, but has shown a commendable attitude.

"It is not about sulking, it is a team game and we have some great players," he said. "We have a lot of competition for places, so I am happy to get my chance and I will give 100 per cent.

"Sometimes I might not be great on the ball but I will wear my heart on my sleeve and give my best for the team."

Leicester City were yesterday waiting to discover the extent of top-scorer David Nugent's neck injury.

Nugent, who scored his seventh goal of the season in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, had to be substituted in the second half.

He is still suffering with a severely stiff neck.

City will wait to see if the injury settles down before Saturday's visit of Ipswich to King Power Stadium.

"We have to see how he is over the next few days," said manager Nigel Pearson.

"We don't know the extent of it. It was a shame because he and Martyn Waghorn were a handful against Forest.

"It would be a shame to lose him because he has been playing very well."

Meanwhile, it appeared yesterday that Pearson had escaped any action from the FA over his comments about the officials after the 2-2 draw.

Pearson was heavily critical of referee Anthony Taylor and his assistants after Forest were given a controversial penalty.

The City boss said he would move on after the disappointment of losing two points from a game City had under control.

Midfielder Richie Wellens has returned from his loan at Ipswich, but new boss Mick McCarthy has not given up getting Wellens for a second loan spell.

"It's up in the air at the moment," said McCarthy.

Leicester City captain Wes Morgan believes he is in the best shape – and best form – of his career.

The 28-year-old has been tremendous this season and has been City's most consistent and reliable performer.

His displays have prompted manager Nigel Pearson to say Morgan is the best defender outside of the Premier League.

Morgan spent the close season working hard on his fitness and has noticeably slimmed down from last season.

He hopes his dedication will be rewarded with promotion to the top flight.

"I feel in the best shape of my career, definitely," said Morgan.

"I worked hard all pre-season. Myself and the physio staff had a goal that I wanted to achieve physically and I have met that goal.

"Physically I feel better for it. I am staying fit and have played every game this season. I want to continue that and do the best I can.

"Obviously, being fitter and stronger, you can perform better and achieve better things. In this league, when you play two games in a week, it is important.

"I feel better and I think it is reflected in the performances."

Morgan moved to the King Power Stadium from home-town club Nottingham Forest in January, and his experience has been vital for City this season as Pearson has produced a young and exciting team.

While Morgan said he has enjoyed being one of the elder statesmen in the squad, he admits he is often baffled by the youthful banter within the dressing-room.

"It is a young team but they are all good players and professionals," he said.

"They are growing in confidence with each game they play. The youngsters have done well this season, the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Ben Marshall. Hopefully they can continue that.

"They are young and wild sometimes, but it is great for team spirit and morale.

"It keeps us old heads, like myself and Paul Konchesky, sane. It is great to have that in the team."

Morgan said City could be satisfied with the start they have made to the season, but warned there was still a lot of hard work ahead if they are to achieve their goal.

"We have had a good start to the season and have pushed ourselves towards the top of the table," he added.

"It is a long way to go and there will be lots of ups and downs, but the end goal is to get promoted and we are on course to do that."

A high street bank barked up the wrong tree when it hounded one of its customers for an unpaid debt.

Staff at NatWest wrote to "Noodles the Dog" to inform him he owed the branch £6.84 after his account became overdrawn.

The official letter, which also asked the household pet to make contact within 14 days to discuss the situation, was sent to a home in Woodhouse Eaves at the beginning of the month.

However, the tenants had moved out months earlier, leaving the home's resident, Rupert Chapman, scratching his head when the request arrived.

Mr Chapman, who runs a business consultancy firm, opened the bank's letter, hoping to gain some information about the account holder to allow him to forward the post.

Sensing an opportunity, he also replied to the bank with his own letter signed by his six-year-old labradoodle, Charley.

"She's not in debt, but she costs a fortune to keep," said Mr Chapman.

"When the letter came it was addressed to Noodles the dog – it was clearly someone who was in the house before – and I had no idea what it could be.

"We moved in in August and the previous people had rented and I didn't know who they were, so I thought it would be fitting to send a reply from Charley."

Mr Chapman noticed the bank's letter had another canine connection.

"It wasn't until I posted the reply I realised I was writing to a man named Collier – it was priceless," he said.

NatWest said it did not expect Mr Chapman – or Charley – to cover the outstanding amount. It also explained it was not unusual for customers to name their accounts after their pets.

Bank spokesman Grant McDonald said: "We get a lot of accounts like this.

"I worked in a branch years ago and people used to name their accounts after their animals and use them to pay for things such as vets' or kennel fees.

"I did work for an branch where a dog owner had trained his pet to bring his pass book in and pay in money.

"The new home owners do not owe the bank anything, this is the previous tenant's debt, so they shouldn't worry about it."

Do you have any stories or photos that would make people smile? If you have taken a funny picture, spotted a silly sign or have an amusing story, we want to hear from you.

E-mail the address below, putting "funnies" in the subject line.

newsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk

Two of Leicester Tigers' backs will be in the spotlight for tonight's big international clash.

Teenage star George Ford will be looking to bounce back against the Maori All Blacks at Welford Road.

Mat Tait also starts at full-back ending a 13-month injury nightmare.

A big crowd is expected for tonight's game (7.30), although tickets are still available.

Matt Smith, who plays at centre tonight, is backing his two team-mates to come through the game with flying colours.

The two backs will be under the microscope for very different reasons.

The game will give Ford a chance to bounce back from the rare off day he had with the boot against Northampton Saints, in which he missed five out of eight kicks at goal.

Former England man Tait makes his first start in a Tigers shirt in 13 months having recovered from a debilitating groin injury.

The 26-year-old former Newcastle and Sale back has managed just three appearances for the first team since arriving at Welford Road, in the summer of 2011.

His seven-minute cameo against Saracens on Friday night gave a hint of the natural running ability Tait possesses.

The power and pace of the Maoris means there will be no hiding place for either of them, but Smith says they will be up for the challenge.

"George still had a smile on his face after the Saints game and he will not let that bother him," said Smith.

"Days like that make you realise how good the good times are as a player. That makes you a much better person in the long run.

"George is a quality player who will relish the chance to get out there and play again.

"Mat gets on well with everyone and is a really nice lad. He was quiet when he first came but then, most people are.

"He has been back in full training and has had a couple of runs for the second team. He is looking sharp in training."

Tigers will be hoping for a repeat of the famous 22-17 win over the Springbok, in 2009.

On that night, two young Tigers backs were the stars – Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs.

A woman whose father was held in a concentration camp was outraged as some theatre-goers shouted "Sieg Heil" and made Nazi salutes during a film.

Katherine Horkheimer-Wolfe said the behaviour during a sing-a-long version of the Rocky Horror Show Picture Show movie, hosted by Curve theatre, was "utterly revolting, insensitive and abhorrent".

The production included a presenter who encouraged audience participation while the film was showing.

He told people to shout "Sieg Heil" – a common chant at political rallies in Nazi Germany which translates as Hail Victory – every time Dr Scott, the German scientist, came on screen.

Some audience members then did the Nazi salute.

The one-night show was a touring production, not produced by Curve, and the theatre is now investigating the complaint.

Katherine, who moved to Leicester in 2009 to escape anti-Semitism in London, attended the performance on Friday with her son and stepson.

"I am sure you cannot imagine the distress, sitting in the theatre on this day, surrounded by people shouting 'Sieg Heil' and some of them adding to this the Nazi salute caused me.

"When it happened I really thought I must have been imagining it.

"Asking people to shout 'Sieg Heil', and a portion of those, who would then of course do a Nazi salute, meant that sitting in the theatre could only be compared to a Nuremberg Rally," said Katherine, from the West End, Leicester.

The performance on Friday coincided with the anniversary of Kristallnacht – the Night of Broken Glass. On November 9, 1938, thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses in Germany and Austria were burnt to the ground and 30,000 Jews – including Katherine's father Max Wolfe – were incarcerated in camps.

Her father was held in Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.

He was one of the last Jews to be released after his family bought him back from the Nazis and sent him to England just before the start of the war.

He later served with the Leicestershire Tigers regiment during the war.

His brother was imprisoned in Auchswitz and their own father, Otto, was killed at Sobibor camp in Poland.

Katherine, 52, said: "On any day this would have been completely unacceptable, but on Kristallnacht of all days – you just could not make it up. It was extremely distressing."

She said she had been to many other productions of the show and had never witnessed any anti-Semitic behaviour.

Curve said the producers of the show – Singalonga Productions Ltd – is responsible for the content.

A spokeswoman for Curve said they were investigating the complaint.

"Curve does not condone racist or anti-Semitic behaviour in any way. We will contact Ms Horkheimer-Wolfe directly, and we are extremely sorry for any distress this has caused her and her family."

Ben Freedman, producer of Singalonga Rocky Horror, apologised for causing offence and said that was not the intention of the show.

"The heckling of the character Dr Von Scott is something which, as far as we are aware and having done significant research, has always been a part of the traditional heckles for the Rocky Horror Show dating back when the interactive show first started.

"Like many of the traditional heckles of the other characters in the film, it is intended to highlight hypocrisy.

"In this particular case it seems that the hypocrisy would be the willingness of people after the war to accept German scientists with questionable pasts because of the knowledge that they had.

"To reiterate, it is not nor has ever been our intention to upset anyone in any way."

Britain's women cyclists shone on the road and track at the London Olympics.

Riders of the calibre of Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott and Lizzie Armitstead all grabbed the headlines with their medal-winning performances.

British Cycling, the sport's governing body in this country, is determined to ensure a conveyor belt of quality young riders is in place to follow up those successes.

The first stage of that pathway to the top is the Talent Team, where there is a strong county representation.

Melton's Gary Coltman, a former professional rider, is performance manager of the squad, which this year features two of Leicestershire's rising cycling stars, Grace Garner and Charlotte Broughton.

"The first aim of the Talent Team is to supply the other British Cycling programmes which sit above it with a pool of athletes of the right quality," said Coltman. "The other aim is to increase the pool of talented athletes."

Both Garner and Broughton produced a series of gold medal-winning performances last season and are contenders in this year's Mercury Sports Awards.

Garner, 15, is nominated in the Young Sportswoman section, while Charlotte, 14, in the Junior Sportswoman section.

Top of Garner's list of successes in 2012 was victory in the junior pursuit event in Manchester, which helped her earn selection to the Talent Team for a second consecutive year.

However, Coltman believes the Cosby girl has the ability to thrive in any area of cycling she chooses.

"Grace is a very fast athlete," he said. "She has a lot of sprint capability – when you see her ride she has tremendous leg speed. She could almost choose any pathway she wants to in cycling."

Broughton, from Countesthorpe, took national crowns on the road and track in 2012 and has just had her first taste of the Talent Team environment with a training camp in Manchester.

"Charlotte is new to the programme and is learning what it is all about," Coltman said. "She excelled in all her disciplines last season, is tactically aware and has a lot of all-round ability."

The Countesthorpe College duo were part of a team pursuit squad, alongside Derby's Hannah Blount, which ripped up the national record at Newport in September. Representing the East Midlands at the Inter Regional championships, they produced a blistering 2min 25sec ride to eclipse the previous best by five seconds, emphasising why they are so highly regarded in their sport.

To nominate an athlete or team, complete the form below. Nominations close on December 4.

Staff and parents say they are owed thousands of pounds after the sudden closure of a day nursery.

Eleven members of staff lost their jobs at the Old School Nursery, in Kibworth, when the owners closed the nursery at short notice.

The sudden closure left parents of 52 children desperately looking for alternative care.

Staff say they are owed wages and severance money and parents say they have paid in advance for care their children will not receive.

A mother-of-two, who did not want to be named, said: "My husband and I are owed about £800. Our cheque for this month's care was banked on Friday, November 2.

"It was the same day the owners closed the nursery.

"We are angry at the way we and our children have been treated. They loved the nursery and we were very pleased with the dedication of the staff.

"The staff even phoned everyone to tell us what had happened, even though they had lost their jobs.

"They also provided us individual progress records of our children which are very precious."

The mother, who lives in Market Harborough and works in Leicester, said: "The nursery was ideal for us. Now we are having to find an alternative provider."

Another parent, who lives in Kibworth, said: "We are angry that we paid our £240 fees for November on October 24 to have the service withdrawn without the four-weeks notice which was in our contract."

The nursery was closed at 6pm on Friday, November 2.

Parents and staff held a meeting in Kibworth at the Methodist church hall last Friday, to discuss what happened at the nursery in Paget Street.

A former staff member, who does not want to be named, said: "There were 50 people at the meeting. The closure came as a shock to the managers and staff alike.

"On the Friday that the nursery closed, we were given only the shortest notice. We were told the nursery was insolvent and were not paid for the month of October. We have also not been paid any redundancy or accrued holiday money."

She said the closure had nothing to do with the poor Ofsted report the nursery had received following an inspection in September.

Director of the nursery Gary Martin said: "It was a difficult decision. But the directors met on the Friday (November 2) and decided that the company was insolvent, that we could not meet our outgoings.

"You cannot continue to trade when you are insolvent so we stopped operating at close of business (Friday, November 2, at 6pm)."

He said it was "unfortunate" that the staff had not been paid as the pay date fell on November 5. But said he was trying to sort something out with the creditors.

He said the situation may not have arisen if all the parents had paid what they owed in fees and Leicestershire County Council had funded its free places. But one parent said that from the meeting the parents and staff held last Friday it was apparent everyone had paid their fees for childcare services for November.

A spokeswoman for County Hall said: "There were 20 children on roll at the Old School Nursery, in Kibworth, that we were paying Nursery Education Funding for.

"The nursery received an initial payment of £10,731.42, which is the equivalent of just over 10 weeks funding. As it shut after eight weeks, it was actually overpaid.

"We are now in the process of claiming the outstanding money back."

A break-dancing pensioner who appeared on Britain's Got Talent has died, aged 77.

Fred Bowers, who lived in Sutton Bonington, near Loughborough, amazed millions of viewers with his moves when he appeared on the show in 2009.

He was also a cult figure on the dancefloors of nightclubs in his hometown.

He passed away in hospital on Monday, after being unwell for several months.

Best friend Billy Johnson, 38, of Zouch, Nottinghamshire, said: "Fred never really recovered from having a stroke earlier this year.

"He was standing at the bus stop in his village when he just collapsed. It hit him hard and he lost his sight.

"He was never the same again after that and was rather unwell for the last few months of his life. I saw him on Sunday and he looked as good as he had for a long time.

"But I got a call from the hospital on Monday morning asking me to go along as he had taken a turn for the worse. Sadly, Fred died before I could get there. That was really upsetting as I did not want him to be alone at that time."

Mr Johnson said Fred had been left on the steps of an orphanage as a baby. He joined the Army then worked at a clothing factory for 35 years.

Mr Johnson said: "Fred lived in Kegworth for a year then moved to Sutton Bonington.

"I met him in the pub and we became firm friends.

"He was a great bloke but had quite a sad life. He is a character who will be sadly missed."

Fred made it through to the semi-final of the hit ITV show.

However, his appearance caused controversy when it emerged he was claiming disability benefits.

A Department of Work and Pensions found he was claiming £70 a week in disability benefits for a bad leg and nearly £50 a month from the Government-funded Motability scheme to pay for a car.

It was decided he did not meet the criteria for Motability and that £70 a week was too much for his disability allowance.

He was told to pay back £10.80 a week from his pension.

Fred always maintained his innocence of fraud. At the time, he told the Mercury: "I was overpaid but it was a mistake by the social. I would never do anything dishonest."

Despite the controversy, Fred was still a "legend" to fans and continued to make personal appearances in clubs after his stint on the show. He had 5,052 friends on his Facebook site, while there was also a site dedicated to him, describing him as "The Legend We All Love".

Paying tribute, Ray Robinson, manager and DJ at the Vice Versa club, in Loughborough, said: "People warmed to his style, his energy and his positive can-do attitude. Fred really was a legend.

"Everyone knew him and everyone loved him."

Pamela Gormley, Fred's neighbour, said she was saddened to hear of his death.

She said: "I thought he was doing well for a man of his age."

Q Will the party political nominees always stick to the party line or will they be independent of all political ties?

Sarah Russell: My party affiliation is about the values I will use to make judgements and set priorities on a day-to-day basis – fairness, social justice, equality, community, protecting those who are most vulnerable.

I will be responsible to the people of the force area, not a party line.

Sir Clive Loader: At the beginning of this year, the Conservative Party approached me and asked if I would consider standing as their candidate.

I decided I would do that because their core values were a comfortable fit for me, as a compassionate Conservative.

But I have been clear throughout that my boss would not be Conservative Party Central Office or Home Secretary Theresa May.

Whoever is elected, their boss will be the populace of Leicestershire and Rutland.

Suleman Nagdi: As an independent, I would be there to serve and answer to the public only and not to political parties – unlike the other candidates.

Our police must remain independent and cannot be politicised.

QA very low turn-out is forecast for tomorrow. So how, if this turns out to be fact, will you be able to claim a popular mandate?

SR: It will be very difficult to claim a mandate if the turnout is very low, so it's vital to prove the success of the role. I will do this by working across political and administrative boundaries, giving people confidence and opportunities to hold me to account and challenge me throughout the term of office.

SCL: Even if only six people vote and four of them have voted for me, I would do the job with as much gusto and enthusiasm as I would if there had been an 80 per cent turnout.

There may be a low turnout on this occasion but this is the first time people have been asked to take part in an election of this nature.

If the PCCs do their job well and make a real difference over the next few years, I think people will be much more enthused and knowledgeable next time.

SN: I have tried my best to promote a popular mandate by writing personally to the Prime Minister and encouraging the mailshot which is delivered to every household before every local and general election.

Unfortunately the Prime Minister would not agree.

QWhere is our opportunity to vote for no change to the system?

SR: Sadly, the Government has brought this change in without a pilot or a local option – that was decided nationally by the Government and is not something the candidates have a say on.

SCL: Whatever people think about the initiative, we are going to have police and crime commissioners.

I want people who are considering not voting to ask themselves "which of these three candidates has the background and proven skills to hold the chief constable to account?"

They also need to ask who they trust to drive through the efficiencies which will be necessary, while maintaining frontline policing and ensuring that all people's voices are heard.

SN: Right now, most people do not know who is on the Police Authority.

At least with an elected PCC there will be a visible, democratically-elected individual who can more easily be held to account by the public.

QThere seems to be no evidence of candidates' election materials or official explanatory documents and websites having been translated into other languages.

What are the candidates doing to ensure people who do not speak English are able to participate?

SCL: This is a fair question and it is true my website is only available in English.

However, the question begged is "how many languages is enough?" – bearing in mind there was no Government money for this election, and each version would incur further cost.

I did have some of my leaflets translated in order to reach out to one section of the Leicester city population, but I accept I might have done more here.

It is of note, however, I have had many hours of meetings with the various communities, enga ging directly with their leaders, who in turn have assured me that they will explain the PCC initiative and encourage their communities to vote.

SR: Sadly, we have not had the resources in my campaign to translate materials.

I am, however, very grateful for all my multi-lingual supporters who have been taking the time to meet with communities and individuals, knock on doors and explain about the election and the candidates face-to-face.

SN: I have enlisted volunteers and engaged with community leaders from the various diverse communities which make up our city, including Bengali, Pakistani, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali, Turkish, Kurdish and many others so that people who do not speak English are able to participate in this election.

The decision of the Government to not issue a mailshot to every household has definitely been a disaster because not enough people in the city and county know about these elections and who the candidates are.

Leicester welcomed back three of their Olympic bronze-medal stars for their clash with University of Birmingham – and then turned on a golden performance to win 4-1.

For the first time this season, Great Britain trio Hannah MacLeod, Chloe Rogers and Anne Panter featured in their Investec Premier Division campaign.

A special presentation to mark the achievement was made to the trio by the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Abdul Osman.

It was Panter who made the first impact in the match against Birmingham, at Leicester Grammar School, by scoring from a penalty corner on six minutes.

The visitors hit back and levelled the scores with a 17th-minute strike from Xenna Hughes.

Leicester regained the lead early in the second half through Katie Long. Jo Hunter made it 3-1 and Long rounded off the scoring with her second.

After a sluggish start to the season, when they drew two and lost one of their first four matches, Leicester have run into form, reeling off four straight wins.

It means the reigning champions now lie second in the table, just one point behind Canterbury, the only team to have beaten them so far.

Police have seized a "substantial" haul of heroin in a raid on a house in Leicester.

Officers executed a search warrant at a house in Pendlebury Drive, Knighton, on Sunday night, following a tip-off from a member of the public.

Three people were arrested on the night. They included a 53-year-old woman who has since been released and will face no further action.

Two men, aged 33 and 36, have been released on police bail as officers continue their investigation.

A substance removed from the house was analysed in a laboratory and was yesterday confirmed to be heroin. It is now being tested further to assess its purity and value.

Inspector Richard Toone, commander of Welford Road police station, said: "It is still being tested so all we can say at the moment is it is a substantial amount of heroin. We cannot put a value to it yet.

"This was the result of information received from a member of the public. Our message to people is to share information like this with us and we will investigate and, where appropriate, take action."

Leicestershire's favourite fictional son Adrian Mole is to become the star of a musical that will premier at Curve.

Best-selling author Sue Townsend is collaborating with producers at Leicester's flagship theatre to bring her first book – The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 – to the stage.

Curve chief executive Fiona Allan revealed work was well under way on the project, while giving a presentation on the venue's end-of-year results to Leicester city councillors this week.

She told the Mercury: "If ever there was a story that is truly about Leicester, it is Adrian Mole the musical, with its premier at Curve.

"We have been working with a couple of very talented young writers who have been working with Sue.

"We are very excited about it and she has given us her blessing.

"She has been down to the theatre a few times to hear a sing-through.

"We started work on it about a year ago and I am really excited.

"With our funding situation, we are starting small on this, but Adrian is such a well-loved character and so many people have read Sue's books that it could become something huge.

"We think the world is ready for Adrian Mole the Musical. So many people have read and loved the books it will be great to put it on stage.

"They are just such funny books.

"I don't like to put timings on things but we hope it will be ready to premier – at Curve – some time in the next 12 to 18 months."

Ms Townsend, 65, from Leicester, who wrote her first Adrian Mole book while living in Saffron Lane more than 30 years ago, said: "I am genuinely delighted with it.

"It should all be coming together.

"The writers they have are very clever and have done a very good job."

Ms Townsend's Mole books, which have sold more than nine million copies worldwide, chart Adrian's life – from his awkward teenage years in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and his studies at Oxford to him becoming a lovelorn failed writer and television chef, and then his return to Leicestershire as he contemplates middle age.

Curve, in the city's Cultural Quarter, hopes the Mole musical will draw big crowds when it hits the stage.

Yesterday, the venue revealed its end of year results.

They showed 180,000 people bought tickets for the shows and events it staged in its last financial year – from September last year to August this year – an eight per cent rise on the previous 12 months and the highest figure since it opened in 2008.

The theatre said ticket sales also generated £2.88 million – though it still reported an overall loss of £181,000 for the year.

Ms Allan said: "We are delighted with the figures and the growth, especially given that we are in the middle of a recession.

"One of the reasons our ticket sales have been so good is the great success of 42nd Street last Christmas.

"It has never been in the business plan that we break even without subsidy.

"We budgeted for a deficit of £398,000 and we have come in well below that.

"It does require subsidy, as did the Haymarket before us."

The theatre gets an £818,000 subsidy from Leicester City Council. However, Ms Allan said she was anticipating cuts when the authority decides it budget in February.

In its last financial year, the theatre saw a £650,000 reduction in its public funding.

The main losses came from Leicestershire County Council, which scrapped its entire £88,000 grant, and the Arts Council, which reduced its funding from £2.4 million to £1.9 million.

Ms Allan said: "When budgets are tight people will ask if money should be spent on the theatre, but we know it brings people into the Cultural Quarter and other businesses complain to us when we have no show on.

"And, in broad terms, there is a social benefit.

"We have a big, amazing theatre, which is doing a lot to develop young people's talents."

Santa Claus really is coming to town – thanks to a festive charity single by dozens of Leicestershire's finest musicians.

Acts including By The Rivers, Martha Bean, Jersey Budd, Charlie Jones and The Screening are teaming up to sing the classic Christmas song, which will raise money for Leicester City's One in a Million campaign.

Most of the recording takes place this Saturday and Sunday, when a few well-known faces – including Foxes ambassador Alan "The Birch" Birchenall and possibly Showaddywaddy – will be joining the musicians at Yellow Bean Recording Studios, in Leicester's West End.

Here at the Mercury, we're getting into the festive spirit, too – so we're urging readers to download the single when it is released next month.

Yellow Bean owner Jon O'Neill, who came up with the idea for the single, said: "I wanted to do it just for a bit of fun, really, and it originally started with bands that use the studio.

"But then it snowballed and we ended up getting more and more people involved.

"Now, it's pretty much the whole of the Leicester music scene. We'll be doing the vocals and recording a video on Saturday and Sunday.

"It's all good fun and if we raise a few pounds for charity at the same time then all the better.

"I wanted it to be Christmassy, cheesy and fun, which is why I chose Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

"I didn't want it to be political, that's not what it's about – it's about smiling our way into Christmas."

Some of the musicians have already been hard at work in the studio, recording the instrumental parts to the track.

Saxophonist Gaz Birtles, who is among the musicians involved, said: "It's great that someone has organised something like this – it makes us feel like we're in Band Aid or something like that."

Fellow saxophonist Drew Stansall, who plays with The Specials, said: "It's a great Christmas song.

"You can't get more Christmassy than Santa Claus coming to town."

Money raised from the proceeds of the single will go to Leicester City's charity campaign, which raises money for 10 good causes.

The musicians are hoping the single will be played at a Leicester City home game in December.

Trumpet player Gareth John, whose stage name is G-Funk, said: "Anything to do with The Birch is always really good, he raises a lot of money for charity. It's a pleasure to be involved.

"And the song's not just done in a cheesy way... well, it is a bit cheesy, but there's a lot of variety and there are a few surprises in there."

The single will be available to download on iTunes and via text next month, with the release date to be confirmed.

It will cost £1, with all proceeds going to the charity.

Reporter Gemma Peplow will be donning her Christmas jumper and joining in the recording fun at the weekend. Find out how she gets on in Tuesday's paper.