Quantcast
Channel: Leicester Mercury Latest Stories Feed
Viewing all 9894 articles
Browse latest View live

I thought England call-up was a joke – Leicester City's Liam Moore

0
0

Liam Moore admits he thought it was a wind-up when he found out he had been called up to the England under-21 squad.

The Leicester City defender found out he had been selected by manager Stuart Pearce for Tuesday night's friendly against Northern Ireland via Twitter and could not believe it when he checked the FA website and it was confirmed.

He went on to win his first cap as a second-half substitute as England claimed victory at Blackpool, watched by his proud family.

Moore, who came through the ranks at City, wants it to be the first of many international caps.

"It has been an amazing week, the best of my career," said the 19-year-old.

"There is no bigger thrill than to pull on that England shirt, the same thrill as when I pull on a Leicester shirt. I am thankful for both.

"When I saw it on Twitter, I thought it was a wind-up and I had to check it on the official FA website to confirm it.

"You always think there is hope and, when you look at a squad, you think you could fit in there, but for me to actually get a call-up – it is massive.

"The manager picks who he thinks can do a job out of the whole of England. That is amazing to think.

"I was itching to get on and, when I did, it was nice. The ball took an age to go out but, when I finally got on, it was a great feeling."

Moore has had an amazing year. He made his full debut for City after the return of manager Nigel Pearson last season and has been a constant in the first-team squad, but he is not about to rest on his laurels. His family would not allow that anyway, he says.

"It is just the start of my career now," he said.

"I want it to be the start of a rising career, not the peak and it all goes downhill. My family are massive in that. When good things happen they will celebrate it with me, like my call-up, but they are never over the top.

"It is always a case of 'well, you've done that now, what's next?'

"My family all came to watch the game and afterwards I went up to see them all in the players' lounge. They were a bit more shocked than me, I was all cool about it.

"When I spoke to my mum on the phone, she said she had to go because she was feeling weird and then she was in tears.

"I am only 19 and the under-21s have already qualified for next year's Euro championship, but the campaign after that will be more my age group."

I thought England call-up was a joke – Leicester City's Liam Moore


Carjackers steal gold from lone woman driver in Evington, Leicester

0
0

Two masked robbers forced a woman's car to a halt before robbing her of a gold necklace.

The 56-year-old victim was targeted in Evington, Leicester, shortly after 10pm on Wednesday as she drove home from work.

A dark-coloured car overtook as she drove along Headland Road towards the junction with Ethel Road.

It pulled up in front of her, forcing her to stop. The driver and passenger got out and walked towards her and told her to hand over her jewellery.

The victim locked her car but the men then smashed the driver's side window and the woman handed them her gold necklace.

The robbers also took her car keys before they went back to their vehicle and drove away.

A witness, who was driving past at the time, said: "I thought it was a fight or maybe a car crash.

"The men got out of their car and I assumed it was to swap insurance details.

"But they began smashing the car window and I saw there was a lady in the car.

"One of the men reached in and I think he grabbed a chain from around her neck. The lady was distraught, but as far as I could tell she wasn't hurt.

"The men were very professional about it. It didn't look random to me.

"They left the house that night intending to do what they did. It was shocking."

Residents said they initially thought there had been an accident.

Anil Bhima, 36, said: "You have to ask how they knew she had gold jewellery. On a dark night you wouldn't be able to see it.

"They must have followed her and then seen the chance to stop her car here.

"They smashed the window very quickly. I don't know what they used but it's difficult to do that. It was all very quick and professional. It's very frightening that a woman could be attacked like this. This is a quiet area."

Police last night appealed for help tracing the men.

Detective Constable Charlotte Mee said: "This was a frightening incident for the victim, which has left her extremely distressed and we need to catch those responsible.

"If you were in the Headland Road area and saw any part of the incident, please contact us immediately.

"We would also like to speak to anyone who has heard rumours locally about who may have been involved in this incident. Any information you can provide may help us with our inquiries."

One of the men is thought to be Asian. He is in his mid 20s, 6ft and of medium build. He was wearing dark clothing and half of his face was covered with a dark cloth.

The second man is also in his mid 20s and of medium build. He was wearing dark clothing.

Contact Det Con Mee on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Carjackers steal gold from lone woman driver in  Evington, Leicester

Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson asked by FA to explain remarks

0
0

The FA has asked Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson to explain his comments after last Saturday's controversial home draw against Nottingham Forest.

A letter has been sent to Pearson asking him for his view on what he said to the media following referee Anthony Taylor's decision to award Forest a hotly-disputed penalty.

Pearson has until the end of Monday to respond and the FA will then decide whether or not to charge Pearson.

Taylor penalised Zak Whitbread for a challenge on Billy Sharp inside the City penalty area in the second half of a game City had under control and Simon Cox stroked home the spot-kick to give Forest a 2-2 draw.

The City boss was livid with the decision, which cost his side two points, and branded it "laughable".

"It was never a penalty and we were robbed of two points," he said. "I am under scrutiny and the players are under scrutiny, and it is about time these people were held accountable for their decisions.

"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."

Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson asked by FA to explain remarks

Injury boost for Leicester City ahead of clash with Ipswich at King Power Stadium

0
0

Leicester City have been handed an injury boost ahead of tomorrow's visit of Ipswich to the King Power Stadium.

Jamie Vardy and Paul Konchesky returned to training yesterday after calf and hamstring injuries respectively. Both could be fit to face the Tractor Boys.

David Nugent was also back in training after missing the start of the week after going off with a neck injury in last weekend's draw with Nottingham Forest.

However, Sean St Ledger is still not ready to make his return from a hamstring injury and loanee Michael Keane has returned to Manchester United for treatment after he picked up a hamstring injury on his City debut at Bolton.

Manager Nigel Pearson said it was uncertain whether Keane would be fit to return before his one-month loan expired.

"It depends on the severity of it," said Pearson.

"We are not going to put any pressure on that situation and we will look at it again when he is fit. I am disappointed for him but we will see how that progresses.

"Sean is not ready yet and it is difficult to give him a timescale because we need to make sure we get that right.

"He is very frustrated because he felt he was getting really close but we have to make sure he is 100 per cent before he can return. We hope that is soon.

"Vardy, Nugent and Konchesky have been back on the training ground. They are the main three who have picked up injuries recently, but we will see how they are ahead of tomorrow."

Also in contention to face Ipswich is midfielder Richie Wellens, who has just returned from a loan spell at Portman Road where he gained valuable match-fitness after his long-term knee injury.

Wellens' return has led to Neil Danns leaving for Bristol City on a one-month loan to gain match-fitness.

"Richie has had a spell at Ipswich which has allowed him to play games and, hopefully, that has benefitted him, and hopefully that will benefit us," said Pearson.

"That is the reason for allowing Neil Danns out because he hasn't had a great deal of pitch time and so he will have an opportunity to play some games now.

"We will have to see how these first couple of weeks pan out with Richie back here. He has been playing regularly at Ipswich and we have had a relatively settled midfield.

"It is certainly good to have him back and he does have a wealth of experience. We will see how that develops over the next few weeks."

Kasper Schmeichel was absent from training yesterday as he was travelling back from international duty with Denmark, but will re-join the City today.

Injury boost for Leicester City ahead of clash with Ipswich  at King Power Stadium

Man charged with murder of Reihana Rezayi in Leicester

0
0
A man has been charged with murder after a woman's body was found at a house in Braunstone, Leicester. The body of Reihana Rezayi, 23, was found at the house in Hand Avenue at 2.20pm on Tuesday, November 13. A 31-year-old man has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Leicester Magistrates Court today.

Inquests into death of Leicestershire police inspector and his family

0
0
An inquest is being held today into the deaths of former Leicestershire police inspector Toby Day, his wife, Samantha, and daughter Genevieve. It is believed Mr Day, who was sacked by Leicestershire police for misconduct days before the tragic incident, stabbed his wife, 38, and six-year-old daughter at their Robin Crescent home, in Melton Mowbray, before turning the knife on himself. The couple's surviving children Kimberley, 15, and Adam, 14, were also injured in the attack on December 8 last year. The hearing will resume at Rutland and North Leicestershire Coroner's office at Charnwood Borough Council Offices in Loughborough at 10am on Friday.

Inquests into death of Leicestershire police inspector and his family

Fury at TV chef Clarissa Dickson Wright's comments about Muslims in Leicester

0
0

A celebrity chef has come under fire after making "hurtful" comments about the city's Muslim community.

In her new book, Clarissa Dickson Wright describes a visit to Leicester "as one of the most frightening experiences of my life".

The 65-year-old dedicates a chapter of Clarissa's England: A Gamely Gallop Through the English Counties to each county in England, discussing their culinary, cultural and historical merits. On Leicestershire, she writes of the city's "ghetto".

She describes coming off the ring road to escape a traffic jam and becoming lost.

"I found myself in an area where all the men were wearing Islamic clothing and all the women were wearing burkas and walking slightly behind them," she wrote.

She said the men would not talk to her "because I was an English female and they don't talk to females they don't know".

She said: "Here I was, in the heart of a city in the middle of my own country, a complete outcast and pariah.

"If multiculturalism works, which I have always been rather dubious of, surely it must be multicultural and not monocultural.

"I can only hope that in generations to come there will be a merging of the cultures and not the exclusion zone that is the ghetto."

Ibrahim Mogra, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, and a city imam, said: "How is she judging an entire community on her one-off rare time of getting lost in Leicester?

"I find it very hurtful to read because everybody is working so hard to create a peaceful and happy Leicester.

"It showed a complete lack of appreciation of the fact we are almost two million in this country, doing our bit for our country.

"When she says that she was in the centre of a city in the centre of her own country, I take objection. This is also my country and this is also my city.

"I would like to call on Leicester people to be even more welcoming and hospitable than we've been so far."

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "That is the sort of thing that makes me very angry – when someone breezes in from outside and paints a picture of Leicester that does not have any foundation in reality.

"It may help sell books but it is cheap."

Councillor Manjula Sood, chairman of Leicester Council of Faiths, urged readers to ignore her comments.

"I don't believe a meeting with one person on one street should mean you can label a whole city," she said.

Both Coun Sood and Mr Mogra invited Ms Dickson Wright back to the city for an opportunity to change her opinions.

When contacted by the Mercury, the chef, who lives in Edinburgh, said: "I'm surprised any of the people who might object could read what I wrote as it is written in English.

"When you get to 65, you will think back on this conversation and I think you might find yourself in my frame of mind."

She said she had a lot of Muslim friends but her experience of Leicester was "unpleasant".

"It scared me and I am not scared easy," she said.

Asked why, she said: "Because it was part of my country that I was born in and there are a lot of radical Muslim preachers in this country.

"I was in London when the July 7 (2005 bomb attacks) happened and this to me was proof for those people who have been saying we're getting ghettoisation of Muslim areas.

"I have never believed that political correctness was a reason not to say what I have experienced."

She said she had "done a lot" for Leicestershire, campaigning for the protected geographical status of Melton pork pies and Stilton.

In her book, Ms Dickson Wright praised Melton's food festival, saying "it was just everything that a good food festival should be".

She also wrote about "charming" Market Harborough, and "pleasant" Oakham.

She is signing copies of her book at Northfield Farm Christmas Fair, in Cold Overton, on Saturday.


ON THE COUNTY In her book, Ms Dickson Wright wrote: Melton: I first came across it at the original Melton Mowbray Food Festival, which, in the first two years, was held in the cattle market in Melton Mowbray and was to my mind without doubt the best food festival in the country. (It had) produce from the Asian communities, in particular in Leicester, and the West Indian community, and it was just everything that a good food festival should be. Market Harborough: A charming old town. Rutland: Rutland is a triumph and a lesson to us all. Oakham: A pleasant town with all the right sort of shops and bookshops and I am always happy to visit it.ON LEICESTER I had one of the most frightening experiences of my life there. Leicester has a very high Asian Muslim population and I found myself in an area where all the men were wearing Islamic clothing and all the women were wearing burkas and walking slightly behind them. None of the men would talk to me when I tried to find out where I was and how to get out of there because I was an English female and they don't talk to females they don't know, while if the women could speak English they weren't about to show it by having a word with me. (She bought a map at a newsagents.) Somebody, very reluctantly, pointed to where I was and then I had to work out the rest myself. I have many good acquaintances and even some friends among the Muslim community, yet here I was, in the heart of a city in the middle of my own country, a complete outcast and pariah. If multiculturalism works, which I have always been rather dubious of, surely it must be multicultural and not monocultural. However, everything has an upside and one of the results of this is that Leicester has a very good selection of Asian restaurants. I can only hope that in generations to come there will be a merging of the cultures and not the exclusion zone that is the ghetto.

Fury at TV chef  Clarissa Dickson Wright's comments about Muslims in Leicester

Leicester City appoint Chinese businessman to board of directors

0
0
Leicester City have confirmed the appointment of Liu Shillai to its board of directors. The 40-year-old Chinese entrepreneur and businessman Mr Liu will take up the position of vice-chairman alongside Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn, son of chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn. Mr Liu's appointment to the board of directors has been fully ratified by the Football League and he will take up his position from December 1. There will be no change to the ownership structure of the club, which remains wholly owned by King Power International. "Mr Liu's extensive experience and knowledge will be of great value to the club, along with a great sense of sportsmanship," said a club spokesman. "His appointment reflects the vision of Leicester City chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn to strengthen the club's highly-valued domestic fan-base with an international following, recognising China as the largest potential fan-base in Asia. Vichai Raksriaksorn said: "I am delighted that Mr Shillai has accepted our invitation to join the Leicester City board of directors." Mr Liu said: "I am extremely proud to be joining an ambitious, progressive club with the heritage and tradition of Leicester City and it is my intention to play a role in the club's further development and growth."

Toby Day inquest: Former Leicestershire police inspector unlawfully killed wife and daughter

0
0
Former Leicestershire police inspector Toby Day unlawfully killed his wife and six-year-old daughter before taking his own life, a coroner ruled today.
Mr Day, who was sacked by Leicestershire police for misconduct, strangled and stabbed his wife Samantha and youngest daughter Genevieve at their home in Robin Crescent, Melton, before turning the knife on himself.
The couple's surviving children Kimberley, 15, and Adam, 14, were also injured in the attack on December 8 last year.
Rutland and North Leicestershire Coroner Trevor Kirkman gave the verdict today at an inquest in Loughborough.

Toby Day inquest: Former Leicestershire police inspector unlawfully killed wife and daughter

PCC election: Turn-out rates for Leicestershire and Rutland

0
0
As we await the results of the Leicestershire police and crime commissioner, (PCC), election, the Leicester Mercury has obtained the following turn-out rates for seven of the nine districts of the city and county. At the moment the average turnout is approximately 16 per cent. The winner is expected to be declared this afternoon or early evening. The figures show the total electorate eligible to vote and the percentage that did vote.
District  Total electorate  % turnout
Blaby  73,792  14.2
Charnwood  133,604  14.75
Harborough  66,351  18.7
Hinckley and Bosworth  84,659  13.8
Leicester  233,19018.97
Melton  38,864  16.22
North West Leicestershire   72,824  12.94
Oadby and Wigston   45,006 16
Rutland  28,635  19.68

PCC election: Turn-out rates for Leicestershire and Rutland

PCC election results in Leicestershire as they are declared

0
0
The results of the police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections in Leicester and Rutland are being updated here as they are announced today. The final result will be revealed once all the districts have declared. It is expected to be announced between 4pm and 6pm.
North West Leicestershire police commissioner result.
Clive Loader (Conservative Party Candidate) 4,930 votes. Sarah Russell (Labour) 3,378 votes. Suleman Nagdi (Independent) 898 votes. Clive Loader is declared the winner of North West Leicestershire district. Turnout: 12.94%
Blaby (to be declared)
Charnwood (to be declared)
Harborough (to be declared)
Hinckley & Bosworth
Clive Loader (Conservative Party Candidate) 6,860 votes.Sarah Russell (Labour) 3,221  votes.
Suleman Nagdi (Independent) 1,314 votes.  Clive Loader is declared the winner of Hinckley & Bosworth district.Turnout: 13.8%
Leicester City (to be declared)
Melton
Clive Loader (Conservative Party Candidate) 3,951 votes. Sarah Russell (Labour) 1,288 votes. Suleman Nagdi (Independent) 836 votes.
Clive Loader is declared the winner of Melton district. Turnout: 15.22%
Oadby & Wigston
(to be declared)
Rutland
Clive Loader (Conservative Party Candidate) 3,978 votes. Sarah Russell (Labour) 842 votes. Suleman Nagdi (Independent) 672 votes. Clive Loader is declared the winner of Rutland. Turnout: 19.68%

PCC election results in  Leicestershire as they are declared

Leicestershire does its bit for Children in Need

0
0

CHILDREN IN NEED 2012 is already in full swing across the county. 

Thousands of people up and down Leicestershire are doing their bit to raise money for children's charities. 

Among them is Louise Moore (20) from Whetstone, who has so far raised over a £1,000 sitting in a bath of baked beans. 

She said: "It's horrible and really cold but I know I've raised at least a £1,000 already. I've only been in here for 20 minutes and I'm absolutely frozen."

It took just over 300 tins of beans to fill the bath and a few hot water bottles were added in an effort to keep brave Louise warm. 

Louise said she has never done anything like this before but liked the sound of the challenge when it was suggested to her by another member of staff.

Further afield at East Midlands Airport, more than 250 volunteers from DHL were preparing to man the phones for the BBC from 7.30pm until 1am. 

Vice president for customer services, Gary Schaffer said: "We have been call taking for Children in Need for four years now, and it's a really big deal for us. 

"This is a great opportunity where we have staff here and those from other divisions come and give their time for free, to help raise as much as they can. 

"We are in the public service industry so on days like this it's natural for our people to think nothing of working till 1am, when they came in at 8am. 

"It's just natural for them all to want to help and get involved."

During the day fundraising activities including a raffle, a fake tan o'meter, gunking of senior mangers and a DHL gangnam style show. 

Last year DHL raised over £14,000 a sum they hope to beat today. 

Let us know what you got up to for Children In Need this year. 

You can upload your pictures here or email our reporter with details of your event at maria.thompson@thisis.co.uk

  

Leicestershire does its bit for Children in Need

'fantastic' day as fund-raisers dig deep

0
0

Baths in baked beans and teachers making fools of themselves – the wacky fund-raising antics could only mean one thing.

It was Children in Need yesterday.

Thousands of people joined in the fund-raising to help projects working with under-privileged and disabled youngsters.

Sixth formers and staff at St Paul's Catholic Secondary School, in Evington, Leicester, performed the Gangnam-Style cult dance to cheers from the rest of the school.

Teacher Jonathan Dawson said: "It was fantastic. We all dressed in neon outfits and pupils paid £3 for the privilege of watching us makes fools of ourselves.

"Everyone was cheering us on and we managed to raise £545."

Louise Moore, a trainee designer from Whetstone, raised more than £1,000 – and a few eyebrows – by sitting for five hours in a bathtub of baked beans, wearing only a bikini.

The 20-year-old, who staged the stunt at her workplace, building firm Jelsons, in Loughborough Road, Leicester, said: "It was horrible and really cold. I was absolutely frozen."

It took more than 300 tins of beans to fill the bath and a few hot water bottles were added in an effort to keep her warm.

Elsewhere, more than 260 staff at parcel firm DHL's call centre, at East Midlands Airport, manned the phones for the BBC from 7.30pm until 1am.

It followed a day of fund-raising, including a raffle, boss-gunking and dancing, with one unfortunate employee getting a gloss of fake tan every time the funds reached a certain benchmark.

Gary Schaffer, vice-president for customer services, said: "We were proud to be involved with Children in Need for the fourth year running, as it's such a worthy cause."

Olympic swimming legend Duncan Goodhew visited British Gas volunteers manning the lines at its base in Aylestone Road, Leicester, accompanied by London 2012 Team GB swimmer Ross Davenport and synchronised swimmers Olivia Federici and Katie Skelton.

Tim Bevans, of the British Gas customer services team, said: "Staff raised £1,500 during the week with a raffle and other activities and hosted a family disco on the night. It's been a lot of fun for a good cause."

Chefs from The Cinnamon Lounge Indian Restaurant, in Medbourne, raised £386 collecting on the streets of Market Harborough, where they enticed passers-by with free food.

This year marked the 33rd edition of the BBC appeal, with the Conkers visitors centre, in the National Forest, near Moira, chosen as the base for the BBC East Midlands team during the night-time telethon.

"We had all sorts of fun activities," said events manager Joy Tagg. "The place was buzzing."

Last year, the appeal nationally raised £46 million for projects as diverse as helping children with HIV and bereavement counselling.

Upload your own pictures of your Children in Need fund-raising antics to our website:

www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/ pictures

'fantastic' day  as fund-raisers dig deep

Takeaway murder defendant accused over 'a pack of lies'

0
0

A jury has been told one of three men accused of murdering a pizza restaurant owner has a previous conviction for armed robbery.

The hearing, at Birmingham Crown Court, was told Sarwar Gader was jailed for his part in a raid in which petrol was sprayed in a shop and a postmaster was threatened with a firearm and told to hand over money.

The jury also heard Gader (35) had been convicted of the burglary of a takeaway restaurant.

Gader, with Wali Khan (32) and Naveed Naveed (28), all of Leicester, are accused of murdering 50-year-old Dogan Dogan in a robbery.

The alleged incident occurred in Mr Dogan's bedsit above Aladdin's takeaway, in Linton Street, Evington, Leicester, on January 8 this year.

The revelations concerning Gader's past were made by Naveed's lawyer, Joanna Greenberg QC, who accused Gader and Khan of telling a "pack of lies".

She said: "Gader is a devious man who, while in his 20s, was involved in a robbery where a real or imitation firearm was waived at a postmaster."

She said Gader also had a conviction for a burglary from a takeaway. Miss Greenberg added: "The other defendant, Wali Khan, has pleaded guilty to the robbery but has lied to the police to minimise his role to implicate my client."

Khan said he had left Gader and Naveed questioning Mr Dogan in the flat after helping to tie him up and steal £600 in a plastic bag. Naveed had previously told the court he was sitting in his car outside the takeaway, unaware the two men were robbing Mr Dogan.

Gader said he had gone into the flat to use the toilet and was on the lavatory when the robbery took place.

The court has been told that Mr Dogan's hands and feet were tied with yellow twine and a towel and clothing had been tied over his face, which had suffocated him and caused his death. Three of his ribs were broken and the area around an eye was bruised.

Miss Greenberg said: "It is plain that more than one person was needed to subdue Mr Dogan. Each of the other defendants has blamed each other and implicated Mr Naveed.

"There is forensic evidence which puts both of them at the scene of the robbery. Apart from their testimony, there is nothing to put my client inside the flat."

Gader, of Gleneagles Avenue, Rushey Mead, and Khan and Naveed, both of St Stephen's Road, Highfields, all deny murder. Naveed and Gader also deny robbery.

Judge Henry Globe QC is expected to sum up the evidence on Monday before sending the jury members out to consider their verdicts.

Takeaway murder  defendant  accused over 'a pack of lies'

Get collecting to win your school a great green prize

0
0

Attention, eco-warriors – today sees the launch of our amazing Generation Green £135,000 giveaway for a school.

British Gas wants readers to decide which school in Leicestershire or Rutland gets to spend the cash, which can be used for improvements such as wind turbines, solar panels or environmentally-friendly lighting and heating.

We are printing voting tokens in the paper every day until December 1.

Pupils, teachers and parents should collect and send in as many tokens as they can to vote for their school.

The school with the most votes will receive £135,000 to spend on carbon-reducing technology, to cut its energy bills, plus a free consultation with British Gas on how to spend the money.

At Highcliffe Primary School, in Greengate Lane, Birstall, using a woodchip burner has helped the school cut its energy costs.

Head teacher Pauline Aveling said: "The wood burner costs half as much in fuel as an oil burner and the wood we use is all from environmentally friendly sources, so it's a very good thing.

"But there's so much more we could do.

"We have a 1950s building with no insulation at all in some parts and the school windows are single-glazed.

"It would be nice to be involved in wind or solar schemes so children could learn about it.

"Winning the £135,000 would save the school a lot on energy but, importantly, it would help the children learn about science, weather, maths, ICT and teach them to be more environmentally-friendly at home." Andrew Bacon, British Gas regional director for the East Midlands, said teaching children was a major part of what Generation Green was aiming to do. He said: "We want children at the winning school to experience the change the investment brings to their school.

"Once the measures are installed, we will provide schools with all the data to use in lessons and the pupils will be able to use energy meters and understand the difference changing just one light bulb can make.

"Hopefully, they can also take that knowledge home to their families."

The Generation Green scheme in Leicestershire and Rutland is one of several being rolled out around the country.

Mr Bacon said pouring a large amount of money into a few schools was preferable to paying for small improvements to a large number, because the education impact would be greater.

He said: "We have decided to really focus our investment to help children experience the whole process of an entire school going on this energy-efficiency journey.

"It is a significant investment and a great opportunity for teachers, parents and children to get involved and learn about the low-carbon industry."


A golden moment as Kev unearths 13th-century ring

0
0

A treasure hunter struck gold by unearthing a rare ring believed to date back to the 13th century.

Kev Duckett, from Fleckney, discovered the gold ring, set with a blue sapphire, while searching a field outside Mowsley, near Market Harborough.

When his machine began to bleep, Kev dug down about six inches and was sifting through the earth he had removed when he spotted something unmistakable.

"There is was, just gleaming in front of me," he said. "Because gold doesn't corrode, it looked brand new, like the day it was dropped. I knew straight away it was pretty special."

Under the treasure trove process, findings have to be reported to a coroner within 14 days, with the finder and landowner awarded money if the Crown decides to claim them.

That is why, despite making his discovery back in March, Kev had to wait until this week for coroner Catherine Mason to officially declare it treasure.

Under British law, any item found which is more than 300 years old with a content of more than 10 per cent gold or silver is classified as "treasure''.

Preliminary research suggests the ring could have belonged to a high-ranking church official, such as a bishop.

Kev said: "The jewel is called a black sapphire, although it's blue in sunlight.

"It looks as if it has barely been worn, but it definitely dates back to about the 13th century.

"You had be of high status to have a gold ring in those days but only the very high-rankers had gems too.

"Sapphires were actually put aside for leaders of the church and most would have come from places such as India. which is why they were so rare.

"The old ruins of Knaptoft monastery are only down the road, so that's a possibility."

Kev, who is a member of Hinckley Search Society and runs his own house clearance business, only took up metal detecting in the new year.

"I've had an amazing run," he said. "I only got my metal detector in December and as well as the ring I've found a 9th- century silver coin with a bust of Ceonwolf, the Saxon King of Mercia, a gold coin from 1694 and a Saxon Broach. But none of them compare to the ring."

Kev now has to wait for the ring to be valued and local museums to decide whether they want to acquire it for their collection.

"Basically, if a museum wants it then the Crown will offer me a price," he said. "Otherwise, it will be classed as 'disclaimed' and it will return to me.

"Personally, I'd like to see it go on display for the public, but it would be nice to get a fair price, too."

A golden moment as Kev unearths      13th-century ring

Historic factory ravaged by fire is bought by city council

0
0

A historic factory that was damaged by fire has been bought by Leicester City Council for more than £500,000.

Large parts of the 18th-century listed Donisthorpe building, in Bath Lane, in the city centre, was wrecked by a blaze this summer.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby immediately sealed off the structure, and surrounding parts of the site on which it stands, called Friars Mill, and sent in builders to secure it and start the restoration.

Yesterday, he announced he had completed the purchase of the properties on Friars Mill from the Bank of Ireland, which owned them and was looking to sell them.

Sir Peter said the move was to preserve the buildings and prevent them falling into further decay and to try to encourage regeneration.

The city council said longer term options were being drawn up for the future use of the building, as part of a wider development strategy along that area of the River Soar.

In total, it paid £550,000 for the site which includes a pump house and buildings facing onto Bath Lane itself.

However, the deal has been criticised by Tory opposition councillor Ross Grant, who accused the mayor of not having a clear vision of what he wanted to do with the buildings. Sir Peter said: "The Friars Mill complex is the most significant group of listed buildings at risk in the city.

"Following the devastation caused by the recent fire, I took immediate action by using the council's powers to secure and safeguard the structure of this privately-owned building.

"Having considered the options for the future of these important historic buildings, I feel strongly that decisive action should be taken to protect them and to pursue their acquisition, so this key part of Leicester's industrial history can be preserved for future generations.

"As well as being locally important listed buildings, the Friars Mill complex also forms a central focus for the regeneration strategy for the Waterside area.

"I have asked my officers to prepare plans for restoring the listed buildings and bringing them back into use. I will also be looking at a renewed strategy for developing the Waterside area, which I hope will also encourage private sector investment in new development.

"There have been some disappointments around there with projects falling through but this gives us a direct stake in the area and we must take risks if we want to encourage others to invest."

But Coun Grant said: "This sounds dangerously like other acquisitions the council has made like the post office in Bishop Street, which has been disused since we bought it.

"At a time when we are supposed to be short of money, I'm not sure people will like to see the mayor showering cash on old buildings.

"The council should not be buying buildings then deciding what they can do with them."

But Stuart Bailey, chairman of the Leicester Civic Society, said: "It's great news because it keeps it out of the hands of developers who might knock the factory down.

It is the start of a heritage-led regeneration in an utterly derelict area. I think the council has got a bargain."

Historic factory ravaged by fire is bought by city council

Which school will win green jackpot?

0
0

Get your scissors ready to start collecting tokens for our Generation Green scheme.

Monday sees the launch of the British Gas education programme, which is offering a school in Leicestershire or Rutland a £135,000 eco-makeover.

The scheme is designed to help schools and communities save energy, to educate the next generation about how everyone can reduce their impact on the environment and to inspire youngsters to become energy innovators.

More than 12,000 schools are signed up to Generation Green, which also provides them with free teaching resources and educational experiences.

Between Monday and December 1, tokens will appear every day in the Mercury. Readers need to use the tokens to vote for a school.

The school with the most votes wins the £135,000, plus a free consultation to help it to spend the cash.

If a small school wins and cannot spend all the money, it could be split between two schools.

Individuals, businesses and community buildings like schools are coming under increasing pressure from rising fuel bills and more ambitious emissions targets.

Through Generation Green, British Gas is aiming to help Britain's schools and communities manage tight budgets by controlling their energy usage.

For more information visit:

www.generationgreen.co.uk/

Protest against Israeli dancers held outside Curve Leicester

0
0

More than a hundred protestors gathered outside Curve in Leicester last night to demonstrate against a show by a dance company.

A group called Don't Dance with Israeli Apartheid organised the gathering to protest against the one-night appearance of the Batsheva dance company from Israel.

Protestors, carrying banners and placards, gathered outside the Rutland Street theatre at 6pm.

Police used barriers to keep the demonstrators away from members of the audience as they arrived.

Curve chief executive Fiona Allan said: "We have the right to put the show on and the people outside have the right to protest.''

Leicestershire PCC Sir Clive Loader to bring 'gusto and enthusiasm' to new role

0
0

As a member of the RAF top brass, Sir Clive Loader was in charge of 31,000 personnel and a budget of more than £2.6 billion.

His career as a young frontline Harrier pilot saw him fly missions over Belize, the Falklands, Iraq and the Balkans.

Now, as police and crime commissioner, he is jointly responsible for the safety and well-being of almost one million people across Leicestershire and Rutland.

Throughout the campaign which ended in his victory yesterday, Sir Clive and his two rivals anticipated a low turnout.

And, in the event, just 16 per cent of those eligible to vote did so.

On several occasions in the past few months, Sir Clive said that if only six people voted but four had chosen him, then he would take on the job with as much "gusto and enthusiasm" as he would with a much higher turnout. Sir Clive, a married father-of-three who lives in Wing, Rutland, said: "I hope people will look at what I and other police and crime commissioners do over the next few years and understand what this new role can do for them.

"Once it has become ingrained in the national psyche because people have seen how effective we can be on their behalf, then I think we will see more people voting in future elections.

"As soon as I begin, I will sit down with the chief constable and start to form the relationship with him which will be critical to the success of this post. Then we will get down to business."

He added: "I will have to write a crime and policing plan which addresses the needs and concerns of people here in Leicestershire and Rutland.

"I have spent hundreds of hours talking to thousands of people and listening to their concerns, and I will reflect that.

"I will then have to ensure that the policing plan fits within the available budget.

"I will continue to listen to people and take advice and I will do my best to make decisions which are transparent and well-informed."

The commissioner, who has the power to hire and fire senior officers, will earn a salary of £70,000 and will be based at force headquarters in Enderby.

He will be supported by the staff who previously worked for Leicestershire Police Authority and be held to account by a police and crime panel made up of councillors.

Chief constable, Simon Cole, will remain responsible for operational matters.

Leicestershire PCC Sir Clive Loader to bring    'gusto and enthusiasm' to new role

Viewing all 9894 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images