A journalist who spent 30 years working for the Leicester Mercury newspaper group has died.

Peter Gilbey, the writer behind the paper's popular Mr Leicester nostalgia page for many years, died at his home in Yorkshire, last Thursday.

His widow Liz said: "Peter died at home following a short illness, aged 66.

"Over many years, he was the Mercury's Mr Leicester, the letters page editor and editor for special publications.

"But he was most proud of being the last editor of its rural weekly sister paper, The Leicester Advertiser."

Liz, a freelance writer from Ratby, said Peter had started his newspaper career at the Northamptonshire Chronicle and Echo.

"He came to Leicester as chief reporter on the Leicester Advertiser, where I was a junior reporter," she said.

"Together, we worked on both the Advertiser and Mercury for more than 30 years."

Nick Carter, editor of the Mercury from 1993 to 2009, paid tribute to Peter.

He said: "It was sad to hear of Peter's death. He gave good service to the Mercury and its readers for many years."

He added: "As Mr Leicester, he worked every day on what was one of the most popular pages in the newspaper, bringing readers a fascinating compilation of nostalgic reminders of what life was like in Leicester and Leicestershire years before.

"It was a tribute to his selection of that material that he received so many submissions from readers, whose memories were jogged by his work."

Born in Grantham, Lincolnshire – where his mother went to school with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – Peter was also an examiner for the National Council for the Training of Journalists and an enthusiast for the annual Leicestershire Agricultural Society's Ploughing Competition and the Best Kept Village awards.

The couple lived in Willoughby Waterleys, near Lutterworth, and later Braunstone Town, before Peter took early retirement in 2004, when they moved to Yorkshire to be closer to their only daughter, Eleanor.

Liz said: "Peter very much enjoyed his retirement years – painting watercolours, being involved in dog rescue and rallying his pride and joy, a 1953 Rover P4.

"His three rescue Shetland sheepdogs were his closest companions."

As well as Liz and Eleanor, Peter leaves son-in-law Ray and sister Annette.

His funeral will be a private family service in Hull, on February 9. Donations made in Peter's memory will pay for a garden bench at Jerry Green Dog Rescue, in Gilberdyke, East Yorkshire.

For details call 01430 449112 or visit: www.jerrygreendogs.org.uk

Death of former Mr Leicester, 66

Leicester Riders head coach Rob Paternostro praised his side's toughness after they made it through to the semi-finals of the BBL Trophy. 

Riders beat Worcester Wolves 80-71 in a physical game at Loughborough University on Saturday night, with the result in doubt until the final minute of the game. 

"Our size and depth was critical in this game," said Paternostro. 

"We had Anthony Rowe and Pavol Losonsky fit and available really for the first time this season, and it made a big difference to the way we were able to match up inside with the Wolves. 

"We were competitive and aggressive from the tip, were winning the 50-50 balls early on, and our rebounding, particularly on the offensive boards, was superb. 

"But all our guys were up to the challenge and both Neil Watson and Tyler Bernardini showed their toughness when it mattered down the stretch. And, of course, our fans were absolutely superb and really helped us hold our nerve." 

The draw for the semi-finals will take place on Monday after the completion of the quarter-final fixtures. 

Riders face one of their toughest double-header weekends of the season when they travel to league leaders Newcastle Eagles on Friday night, before a home game against Sheffield Sharks on Saturday evening at Loughborough University. 

Elsewhere, the Eagles made light work of Plymouth Raiders, beating them at home 123-101 with the highest points tally so far in the BBL Championship this season. 

Andre Jones, with 27 points, was the main contributor to that total. 

Jones was at it again with 30 points and eight rebounds in a 97-84 victory over Sheffield on Sunday. 

Second-placed Worcester prevailed 71-70 over bottom side Surrey United. 

In a Yorkshire derby, Sheffield won 79-73 at Leeds Force to settle the head-to-head between the teams and avenge their previous defeat at the hands of their rivals. 

Former Rider Drew Sullivan bagged 17 points to lead London Lions to a 78-65 win over Bristol Flyers. 

Glasgow Rocks recovered from an early deficit to beat Manchester Giants 90-85, largely thanks to 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists by GB international Kieron Achara. 

Results: Newcastle 123 Plymouth 101; Worcester 71 Surrey 70; Leeds 73 Sheffield 70; London 78 Bristol 65; Cheshire 79 Bristol 68; Durham 76 Surrey 75; Glasgow 90 Manchester 85; Sheffield 84 Newcastle 97 (all BBL Championship); Leicester 80 Worcester 71; (BBL Trophy).

Leicester Tigers' Laurence Pearce said the side's physicality against Northampton was a reflection of how badly the club's fringe players want a shot at a Premiership starting role. 

The big No.8 scored Tigers' game-clinching second try against the Saints in the 17-8 LV= Cup win at Welford Road. 

That has put Leicester in the box seat to book a place in the semi-finals of the Anglo-Welsh competition, and Pearce said he and the squad are relishing the chance to prove themselves again at Cardiff Blues on Saturday afternoon. 

"We had an awesome week of training leading into the Saints game and we wanted to put on a show," he said. 

"We were upset with our execution and we let some points slip but, when it mattered most at the end of both halves, our defence was unbelievable. 

"We scored a couple of good tries, too, as a result of team play with guys backing each other up. 

"We were physical and desperate at the end of the first half trying to keep them out. Everyone was throwing themselves at everything that moved. 

"If we saw someone in a green shirt, we were just throwing ourselves at them. 

"It was a very important game and that defensive stand changed it for us. 

"It showed how much we are buying in together and how united we are." 

The start represented Pearce's third of the season since joining from Rotherham in the summer. 

Hooker Harry Thacker made his fourth, while centre Jack Roberts made a starting debut and lock Jack Whetton a first appearance. 

"The whole squad wants more game-time," said Pearce. "It was good for me and guys like Harry Thacker and Jack Whetton to play. 

"But it's great for everyone and it creates depth in the squad. 

"It helps us in training and helps us go against the first team, too. 

"The boys who have not had a chance in the Premiership want to show a reaction in this competition and I think we did that. 

"I need more game-time and I need to get used to playing again. As a group, we are very confident and we are taking this competition seriously. 

"I'm looking forward to Cardiff."

Tom Hopper has extended his loan spell at Scunthorpe United until the end of the season, but none of Leicester City's other young players are expected to go out on loan.

Hopper has impressed greatly with the Iron and boss Mark Robins has thanked City for allowing the 21-year-old striker to extend his stay after he scored four times in four appearances.

City have not had a recall clause inserted in the agreement with Scunthorpe.

However, despite speculation, defender Liam Moore and striker Chris Wood will be staying at City.

A Leicestershire theme park has been prosecuted after an eight-year-old boy broke his leg on a ride.

He was out for a birthday treat with his family at Twinlakes, near Melton, when the incident happened on 14 April, 2013.

Leicester Magistrates' Court today heard that he and his parents were on the Jester's Revenge, a spinning barrel ride, when his left foot became twisted and trapped as a result of his shoelace becoming tangled in a bolt.

The boy, from Derby, had to have his leg straightened, which left him in a cast from his thigh to his toes. As a result, he was bedridden for eight weeks.

It took several months for his leg to heal during which time he needed 24 hour care.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the bolt was protruding from the base of the column which holds the central disc that riders turn to make the barrel spin. The bolt had always stuck out by around 2cm, and was part of the ride design.

BB & B Leisure Parks Ltd, which owns Twinlakes, had tried to cover up the bolt head by wrapping agricultural self-adhesive tape around the pole, but this was prone to wearing through by rubbing against people's shoes as they used the ride.

Although daily checks on its condition were in place, it could wear through very quickly.

BB & B Leisure Parks Ltd, of Blackawton, Totnes, Devon, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £13,000 and ordered to pay costs of £30,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Ward said: "BB& B Leisure Parks should have tackled this risk far more robustly than they did."

He added: "The company should have found a better solution - which it did after the incident. It had some smooth plastic collars made which fit over the bolts so that there isn't an entanglement risk, and that are sufficiently robust that they won't wear through quickly. It was a simple, low-cost measure that could have prevented a painful injury to a young boy enjoying his birthday."

The company declined to comment.

New signing Robert Huth said he did not have to think too hard about joining Leicester City's relegation fight. 

The 30-year-old German has joined City on loan for the remainder of the season from Stoke. 

He feels City have enough about them to claw their way out of relegation trouble. 

Huth will have to wait to make his debut as he will serve the second of a two-game ban this weekend for infringing FA guidelines on social media. 

He will miss the visit of Crystal Palace to the King Power Stadium on Saturday, but is relishing getting into the action next week at Arsenal, if selected. 

"The deal came through fairly quickly," Huth told lcfc.com. "At the start of last week, I was told Leicester were interested, so there wasn't really much to think about. 

"The club is very impressive. The facilities are top-notch and I can't wait to get working. 

"Hopefully we can stay up. I think we are all agreed on the main aim for the season and, hopefully, I can help in that. 

"It isn't just one special ingredient needed to stay up and I think Leicester have pretty much got it sorted. 

"A bit of luck now and then helps. 

"We are only three points off safety at the moment, so one win and we are back in it. 

"The whole of the bottom half of the table have the chance to go down or survive. It is a very tight race to stay in the league. 

"It is the same every year up until January and February, then teams start to separate themselves from each other. 

"We just need to stay in touch and make sure we win enough games. 

"I know Leicester because they beat Stoke at home and that was a bit of an upset. 

"I watched a few games and certainly watched the 5-3 win over Manchester United. 

I have seen enough to be happy to come here. 

"There is plenty of competition and I am not expecting to walk into the team. 

"I have to prove my worth and, hopefully, I will be able to do that." 

Having made nearly 250 appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea, where he won two league titles, and Middlesbrough and Stoke, Huth believes he can provide invaluable experience. 

"I have been around for a few years and played in the Premier League for quite some time and perhaps some times you need a cool head on the pitch to calm a few players down," he said. 

"Hopefully, I can do that."

A team of 20 specially trained advisers from the Stop smoking service are ready and waiting to help people wanting to kick the habit.

When someone calls the service, run by the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, one of four people will talk through the best option for the caller.

Some are seen by the team's advisers, some by pharmacists and others by the nurse at their GP practice.

Louise Ross, head of the service, said: "We are not a call centre – our advisers do this work because they care about helping people make a difference to their lives.

"We tend to see people on a one-to-one basis and we have advisers who can speak different languages."

Louise quit smoking 12 years ago after being hooked for about 20 years.

"At first I only smoked

occasionally, but soon worked up to 20 a day, until I was aged about 50.

"I stopped just before I saw my present job advertised – as much for the cost as anything.

"I thought smoking was helping me with stress, but about three days after stopping I experienced a strange calm that I'd never felt before because I wasn't constantly needing to top up my smoking levels."

Colleague Angela Yates, who retires later this year, knows what it is like to quit, having managed to kick the habit nearly 30 years ago.

She said: "I remember it as being a tough and gruelling experience.

"No support existed at that time and nicotine replacement aids were very expensive.

"But that first-hand experience is invaluable in knowing how it feels to beat addiction.

"Many of my clients have appreciated knowing that their adviser understands just how difficult it can be sometimes to maintain their dedication to abstaining from smoking."

After 15 years in the job, Angela recalls many rewarding moments.

She said: "I have received texts from old clients thanking me for helping them to quit three, five and even more years ago.

"I frequently bump into

patients at surgeries where our smoking cessation clinics run who proudly shout 'it's been four years now' which puzzles some but brings a warm glow to me!"

Angela added: "However, not everyone succeeds and I have had my fair share of 'those patches don't work' and tales of doom and disaster which clients say made them fall off the wagon."

Join the Leicester Mercury campaign being run with the Stop smoking service.

Call the service on 0116 295 4141 or text 07717 420 560 and a Stop smoking adviser will call back. People can also e-mail: Louise.ross@leicspart.nhs.uk

The Leicester Mercury is also looking for people to share their quit stories and the stories of those supporting quitters.

To do this, or just to pledge support for the campaign, e-mail: patients@leicestermercury.co.uk

Two new names that have been linked with moves to Leicester City before 11pm tonight are Tottenham midfielder Etienne Capoue and West Ham's Morgan Amalfitano.

City have so far been left frustrated in their pursuit for Aaron Lennon and while they did enquire about Capoue's availability earlier in the transfer window, Sky Sports report City are still talking to Spurs about the 26-year-old.

Capoue is a strong, defensive midfielder who played against City in the FA Cup tie at White Hart Lane just over a week ago.

Meanwhile, City are said to have enquired over the availability of Amalfitano, who has started 11 league games so far for the Hammers after joining on deadline day, having previously spent a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.

A number of county MPs failed to make the grade when asked to calculate a simple maths question.

Five out of six got the answer wrong when challenged to give us the answer to 11 multiplied by 12.

The Mercury carried out the telephone quiz after Education Secretary Nicky Morgan dodged the same query on the BBC Breakfast Show yesterday. (MOn)

Presenter Bill Turnbull asked the Loughborough MP to calculate the sum as she outlined government policy expecting all children leaving primary school to know up to and including their 12 times table.

South Leicestershire MP Andrew Robathan initially gave the answer as 134 then gave the correct answer of 132.

The Tory MP said: "I was just testing. I feel for Ms Morgan as perhaps she was concentrating on serious government policy and not some cheap jibe."

South Leicester MP Jonathan Ashworth said 131 then corrected himself.

The Labour MP said: "I was distracted by putting the kids in the car."

David Tredinnick, Conservative MP for Bosworth, said it was 133 then 132.

He said: "What happened to Ms Morgan is one of those things that happen to politicians."

Charnwood MP Stephen Dorrell said it was 131 before giving the right answer.

He said: "Ms Morgan should have expected to get a question like that."

Top of the class was MP Alan Duncan who gave the correct answer instantly.

The Tory MP for Melton and Rutland said: I think Ms Morgan should have had the sense to see that one coming."

Harborough MP Edward Garnier failed to answer the question.

He said: "I might have a go at it if I wasn't so cold as there is no heating in my office in London."

It is not the first time Ms Morgan has been ambushed with a numeric query.

Last December, a 10-year-old interviewer asked her a secondary school maths poser – the cube root of 125 – live on Sky News.

But again, Ms Morgan dodged it, saying: "I think that's one that I might just have to go away and work out."

MPs summed up:

Question: What is 11 x 12?

Answer: 132.

Jonathan Ashworth (Leicester South) 131.

David Tredinnick (Bosworth ) 133.

Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood) 131.

Andrew Robathan (South Leicestershire) 134.

Alan Duncan (Melton and Rutland) 132.

Edward Garnier (Harborough) no answer

Nicky Morgan (Loughborough) no answer

A man is to appear in court charged with causing the death of 79-year-old pedestrian Brian Sheldon in Melton.

The 41-year-old driver faces a charge of causing death by careless driving while impaired through drugs and is due before Loughborough magistrates on Wednesday, February 18.

Mr Sheldon was declared dead at hospital after the collision, which happened on Friday, November 15, 2013, in Saxby Road, Melton.

A ground frost is expected tonight as temperatures drop below zero once again.

The Met Office is predicting lows of -1C (30F) that will feel more like -4C (25F) because of the wind chill factor.

Tomorrow temperatures will be slow to rise, peaking at about 3C (37F) before heading back down below freezing again on Tuesday night.

Leicester City Council gritters are due to begin their rounds at 8pm tonight.

A controversial experimental lane closure on one of Leicester's busiest roads will end next week.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has said he will lift the restriction on Welford Road on February 10.

The lane was coned off in October from Newarke Street to Mandela Park.

Sir Peter said he wanted to see what impact it would have on traffic if the lane were to be permanently turned into an extended footpath and cycleway.

Sir Peter said officials would now spend a few weeks "crunching the numbers" to see whether to proceed with the plan.

He said: "I want to closely examine the impact it has had on traffic at peak time.

"At off peak times there has been little effect at all but it is crucial that we see what happens at rush hour.

"We are very clear that giving over a lane of Newarke Street to pedestrians and cyclists has had minimal impact on traffic flow."

If given the go ahead, plans will be developed to create wider footpaths and a separate cycle lane by removing the left-hand lane of Welford Road along the trial stretch.

The bus lane on Welford Road has been relaxed during the trial and the mayor said there was little point restoring it as the trial had not affected bus journey times.

The experiment prompted a petition by motorist Mark Radymski against the lane closure which has been signed by more than 1,500 people.

There was also a counter-campaign by cyclists in support of the move.

Eric Ludlow of the Leicester Cycling Campaign Group said: "The experiment in our view was working.

"We spent some time at the road expecting to be able to chat to motorists as they were stuck in the rush hour traffic.

"It didn't happen. I hope the mayor presses ahead with it."

Opposition Tory councillor Ross Grant said: "The experience of most motorists has caused problems especially in conjunction with some of the mayor's other schemes.

"He tells us Newarke Street has had no impact on traffic. It has so I don't have any faith in the way the numbers will be crunched.

"It perhaps makes sense to lift the restriction before the New Walk Centre is demolished later this month but whatever replaces that will change the whole situation anyway so the experiment's been a bit of a waste of time."  

The Leicester Mercury can today reveal the shops cafes, takeaways and bars that have the lowest ratings in the Food Standards Hygiene Rating.

Leicestershire currently has 19 outlets that the Food Standards Agency deemed to be at zero, which requires 'urgent improvement'.

Outside of the city and its suburbs the biggest offender was Hinckley, with four zero-rated premises.

The good news is that there are 2,440 premises in the county that have been inspected by environmental health officers and given full marks.

All ratings were taken from the Food Standards Agency website on February 2.

Find out which restaurants got which grade by clicking on the link here

Restaurants scoring zero:

Best Kebab

138 Narborough Road, Leicester

Mardin Kebab

77 Narborough Road Leicester

Children And Parents Centre

28 Saxby Street, Leicester

Anstey Lane Bar And Grill

21 Anstey Lane, Leicester

Chennai Dosa

78 - 80 Belgrave Road, Leicester

City Cafe

51A Upperton Road, Leicester

Dani's Fish Bar

211 Walnut Street, Leicester

Mashroobus

152 Harrison Road Leicester

Romario's Pizza

175 Fosse Road North, Leicester

Royal Chicken and Pizza

192 - 192A Evington Road, Leicester

The Bowstring Bar

1 - 3 Braunstone Gate, Leicester

Tastes

Meridian Leisure Park, Braunstone Town

The Shakespeare Inn

226 Braunstone Lane, Braunstone Town

Bengal Diner

26 The Borough, Hinckley

Cafe Chutney

Marlborough Square, Coalville

Coffee Rio

3 Market Place, Hinckley

Hinckley Off Licence

25 The Borough, Hinckley

Red Lantern

56A Blaby Road, Wigston

Voujon

48 Coventry Road, Hinckley

A London bus has had its roof ripped off when it collided with a tree.

The vehicle was travelling along Kingsway in the centre of the capital earlier today when the incident happened.

It hit overhanging trees and four people were injured as the roof tore away from the rest of the vehicle.

It is believed two people had to be taken to hospital and two others were treated at scene.

Gary Squires of London Fire Brigade told the BBC: "It's not something we deal with very often.

"Those involved were very lucky to escape serious injury."

LSE student Ethan Meade said he turned around when he heard a crash.

He told the BBC: "I saw the roof fall down off the side of the bus and the glass shatter everywhere.

"The passengers seemed to be sitting there pretty stunned, as you'd expect. Police seemed to handle it very well."

Trains have been running up to two hours late along the Midland Mainline after an incident on the line between Luton and London.

Transport police are dealing with the incident but no further information about it has been made pubic.

Update 8.30pm: Trains are currently no more than 12 minutes late arriving at Leicester.

Snow has begun falling in Leicester ahead of a night that is expected to be another sub-zero one.

Leicester City Council has said its gritters will be heading out to keep main routes throughout the city safe as temperatures drop below zero prompting a cold weather alert from the Met Office.

The temperature is expected to remain close to zero for the rest of the week.

It is Transfer Deadline Day! Follow all the latest news and rumours as Leicester City try to add to their squad before the window shuts at 11pm.

County Hall's controversial plans to save £1.1 million on the way it deals with household waste have been opened up for consultation.

Leicestershire County Council wants to hear people's views on proposals to reduce costs without having to close its tips and recycling sites completely.

As previously reported by the Mercury, ideas include scrapping free use of the sites for charities and parish councils.

People living outside Leicestershire could also be charged to use the county tips, opening hours could be pared back and free disposal of non-household waste such as bricks, rubble and other DIY waste could end.

Charities including Age Concern and the LOROS hospice have already warned the loss of free tipping could have punishing financial implications.

County cabinet member for waste councillor Blake Pain said: "The council needs to save £1.1 million from its household waste and recycling sites budget, as part of its overall £120 million savings.

"We have a range of ideas and we now want to hear people's views on how they could work."

LOROS chief executive Simon Proffitt said proposed tipping charges could cost the charity an extra £15,000 annually a year - "the equivalent of us providing care on our ward for two patients."

The council spends £27.4 million per year on waste and recycling and says it needs to reduce that figure by £4.9 million by 2018/19.

County Hall's Liberal Democrat opposition waste and recycling spokesman councillor David Bill said: "We have serious concerns about the effect this could have on charities.

"Sometimes furniture 'donated' to them can be damp and ruined. If we start charging them to dispose of such items, they may find they can no longer afford to accept such donations altogether.

"This would have a terrible impact on a service that they currently provide!"

"We also want to be careful not to spark off a "tit for tat" war with other councils. There are a number of services in the city than can be freely used by residents in the county.

"We wouldn't want to set a precedent for other Councils to start denying services to our residents."

The consultation will run to April 26.

The council's cabinet will consider the results of the consultation and decide on which proposals to take forward later this year.

www.leics.gov.uk/haveyoursay/futurewastemanagement

A phone app for reporting vandalism, flytipping and potholes in Leicester has been upgraded,

The app, called Love Leicester, has been developed to replace the One Clean Leicester app, which was launched by the city council in 2011 and downloaded by about 1,000 people.

It allows people to take a photo of any problems they encounter and then report it directly to council officials to put right.

The modified version allows users to quickly and easily report problems but now includes extra features.

People can use it to find council information, including details of consultations or activities at their nearest leisure centre, and to get quickly to the smartphone-friendly version of the council's website.

Assistant city mayor for neighbourhood services Coun Sarah Russell said: "The number of people who use smartphones is growing every day and apps such as Love Leicester make it really easy for them to take an active pride in their city and neighbourhoods.

"The heart of the app is still the ability for people to quickly tell the council about any grot spots or other problems they come across, so we can put it right."

Reports are automatically tagged with the sender's location, before being sent.

All reports and pictures then appear on a Love Leicester webpage, along with a progress report as council teams tackle the problem.

The app is available as a free download for Android and Windows phones and iPhone.

People who have the old One Clean Leicester app on their phones should delete it and reinstall the new Love Leicester app.

The city council received an average of around 40 to 50 reports this way per week.

To find out more, or to arrange a demonstration of the new app for your community group, visit:

leicester.gov.uk/loveleicester 

A group of travellers said it will be left homeless if planning officers force them to tear down their homes.

The families, who live on the Good Friday Caravan Park, in Barlestone, have been at the site, which they own, since 2009.

But the community they built was constructed before the planning application had been accepted by officers at Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

And now, the group of 50 men, women and children, have been given until 2016 to return the site to its previous state and leave the park.

Margaret Conners, who's been at the site for seven-years, said: "We own the site - it's our land, but the council want us to destroy our homes and move somewhere else.

"Where though? They haven't given us anywhere to go.

"My grandmother is 80-year-old and they want to kick her off her home. It's disgusting."

Her friend Ann-Marie Price said: "Most of the people on here are elderly - some are very sick.

"If they're going to kick us off I want to know where they plan to put us?

"I came here after living by the side of the road and I don't want to go back.

"My caravan was shot at and my husband was killed on the road outside where we lived."

A spokeswoman for the borough council said the reason for refusing planning permission was "include the effect of the development on highway safety, the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area and the site's distance from local services and facilities".

Matt Bagley, of the multi agency traveller unit, which works with the travelling community, said: "I know Margaret and Ann-Marie very well and they were homeless before they went to live on this site.

"If they can't live there they will be homeless again.

"But I don't want to get involved or really comment on council decisions. They are for the council to make.

"But if they do have nowhere to live I'm sure I'll be working with them again."