A 75-year-old man who abused two schoolboys in the 1970s and 1980s has been jailed for seven years.

Albert Victor Marvin caused "severe psychological damage" that has blighted both victims' lives, Leicester Crown Court was told.

At times they felt suicidal.

Marvin, of Church Hill, Bagworth, pleaded guilty to one count of indecently assaulting a boy, aged between 14 and 15, at a children's home in East Yorkshire in the early '70s.

Marvin also pleaded guilty to three counts of indecently assaulting another boy, aged between 12 and 13, in Leicestershire in the early '80s.

In relation to the East Yorkshire incident, Philip Gibbs, prosecuting, said Marvin was working on a farm attached to St William's Children's Home, in Market Weighton, and abused his position to sexually touch the vulnerable teenager in the outhouse of a derelict cottage.

With regard to the Leicestershire incidents, Mr Gibbs said the victim would visit the defendant, who worked on a farm near Desford crossroads, to play in the fields. He let the victim use an air rifle, but turned it into a "bargaining tool" for sexual favours – and he molested the boy.

Decades later, the victims independently reported the abuse to the police to get "closure".

Sentencing Marvin, Judge Robert Brown told him: "I expect you've lived 40 years of your life in a normal way, unaffected.

"They've lived with constant pain and torment at what you did to them and they've suffered severe psychological harm.

"I'm not sure if you understand the extent of the harm you caused, but it lives with them every day.

"Hopefully these proceedings will help them by bringing closure and make it easier for them to receive help and counselling.

"I take into account your age and the fact a prison sentence will be more arduous than for a young man."

In a "powerful" personal statements, the victims described the effect Marvin's actions had had on their lives.

The first victim described being "consumed with anger" by what Marvin had done.

He said: "It's had an enormous impact on my whole life."

The abuse affected his schooling and relationships with others.

He said: "I couldn't have proper friendships with men and just held it all inside for 40 years."

The victim still suffered nightmares.

The second victim, who suffered two major emotional break-downs, said the abuse "completely blighted" his life.

He said: "It's impacted on almost every aspect of my life and I still feel very angry – like being in hell.

"I feel I've had most of my life stolen from me."

He has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and suffers flashbacks and mood swings.

He said: "At one stage I became delusional.

"I was waking up every morning wishing I could put a rope around my neck to get rid of the horrible feeling."

James House, mitigating, said: "The offences occurred 33 and 42 years ago with a 10 year gap between them.

"He has no previous convictions and has contributed to society in positive way.

"He was also a school governor about which there's no suggestion of misconduct.

"He's worked in agriculture all his life and for the last 20 years, before retirement, worked for Leicester City Council's cemeteries department as a gardener and supervisor.

"He's now only too aware of the damage his actions caused the victims and offers a genuine apology.

"He accepts responsibility for his wrongdoing."

Marvin was told he will have to enlist on a sex offenders register for life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual offences prevention order, banning unsupervised contact with children under 16.

Detective Constable James Potts, who investigated the crimes, said after the case: "Marvin abused his victims over some years and put them in a position where they felt unable to tell someone they trusted.

"His victims were left traumatised by what happened and continue to suffer to this day, but have shown commendable courage to draw a line under the abuse they suffered as children and come forward to the police so their attacker can face justice."

A woman believes a photograph of a Leicestershire war hero found in a skip might be of her great, great uncle.

Corine Taylor, of Earl Shilton, contacted the Mercury after reading Tuesday's story about how a framed photograph of Private Leonard Grewcock, - killed in action on July 14, 1916 - was found during a house clearance in Hinckley.

Pte Grewcock was was one of 284 members of the Leicestershire Regiment listed as killed in action that day.

The Royal Tigers' Association is appealing to trace the family of Pte Grewcock so they can present them with the photograph.

Mrs Taylor, 59, said her branch of the Grewcock family did live in the Barwell area at the turn of the 20th century.

Mrs Taylor said: "Our great aunt Bessy collected a great deal of memorabilia from the First World War.

"When she died we sorted through the collection. Among them was a number of pictures of family members.

"We are 99.9 per cent certain the picture which has been handed into the Royal Tigers Association is of our Leonard.

"We have two pictures of him in uniform, one seated and another standing alongside his father George."

She said: "We would like to speak to the Association and if he is our relation then we would like to take possession of the picture."

A local historian has also contacted us to shed a little more light on the life of Pte Grewcock.

Earl Shilton man David Herbert, 79, a retired accountant, who has written a book about the life of politician, war hero and Barwell shoe factory owner George Ward, mentioned Pte Grewcock in his book.

He said: "Before he joined up Pte Grewcock worked at Arguile,corr Grewcock and Ward boot and shoe factory in Barwell.

Pte Grewcock's home was in High Street, Barwell, according to both the 1901 and 1911 census returns.

His parents were George and Louisa Grewcock.

Details on the regiment's website said Pt Grewcock enlisted in Hinckley. He served with the 9th Battalion during the First World War.

He was killed in action during the attack at the Battle of Bazentin Wood at the Somme. He is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme.

A city councillor took to Facebook to criticise police hours after she was convicted of intending to pervert the course of justice.

Independent Leicester city councillor Barbara Potter was found guilty of lying to officers when she told them her ex-partner had spat on her car.

Jurors at Leicester Crown Court heard yesterday he had a cast iron alibi and was in fact more than 40 miles away in Birmingham at the time.

The jury accepted the prosecution case that Potter had deliberately lied to get him into trouble after their 18-year relationship ended.

Potter had denied this saying she had genuinely believed she had seen her ex-partner who, she told the court, had been harassing her in previous months.

Potter, a mayoral candidate and former police authority member, was warned by the judge she may be jailed when she is sentenced next month.

However last night she posted on the social networking site to continue protesting her innocence.

She said: "I've been found guilty accused of lying WTF.

"No faith in reporting a crime or ever talking to a copper ever again.

"The old bill only support people that live around here claiming illegal benefits and robbing the tax man.

"No real justice in this unfair world I live in.

"Feeling stitched up."

Police and crime commissioner Sir Clive Loader described Potter's comments after the trial as remarkable.

He said: "It's part of my job to assure myself the police act in a professional and evenhanded manner.

"I have no reason to believe that has not happened here.

"If she has got reason to think they have not acted this way I would be interested in hearing about it."

Potter declined to comment when contacted by the Mercury.

If Potter, of Winslow Green, Netherhall, is given a prison term of more than three months, without the option of a fine, she will be disqualified from her

position as ward councillor for the Humberstone and Hamilton ward.

Fake guru Mohammed Ashrafi's conviction and sentence was met with praise for Leicestershire Police from the Asian community and the judge in the case.

The Indian Workers Association (IWA) and the Asian Rationalist Society Britain (ARSB) both issued statements saying they hoped the case would send a strong message to other fake gurus.

They urged other victims of Ashrafi or similar con artists to come forward.

Read: 'Spiritual healer' guilty of duping victims out of £650,000

Sital Singh Gill, secretary of the Leicestershire's IWA branch, which actively campaigns against fake gurus and babas, said: "These fakes claim to have supernatural powers which can be used to alleviate financial, personal health and marital problems.

"It's very worrying that thousands of pounds are taken from victims on the premise that the fake guru/baba will bring good luck, rid them of evil spirits and even cure their illnesses.

"The more vulnerable the person the more money they're likely to be conned out of.

"It's almost the perfect crime, where the perpetrator could cheat people out of small fortunes and never be held to account - often people are too embarrassed to come forward."

Sachdev Virdee, general secretary of the ARSB, said: "We welcome the jury's decision

"Ashrafi has ruined people's retirements, health and family relationships.

"The ARSB would like to praise the courage of the victims in coming forward despite social pressure or stigma attached to it.

"We hope it encourages others who've been victims of these charlatan predators to come forward – something can be done."

Of Ashrafi's activities, Mr Virdee said: "We believe this case is just the tip of the iceberg.

"We know investigations into his activities in Birmingham, London and Canada are continuing."

After the case, Judge Robert Brown publicly commended the Leicestershire Police team of investigating officers, including Detective Constables Joanna Brown and Lorna Granville, for the sensitive, thorough and professional way they handled the inquiry.

The judge said: "This is good police work."

Parents in Leicestershire have hit out at the cost of childcare after a report revealed how the price of nursery places has increased.

The cost of a part-time nursery place for under-twos in the county (25 hours a week) has increased by 17.5 per cent from 2010, and now averages £94 a week, according to a study by the Family and Childcare Trust.

The Government currently offers 15 hours of free childcare places a week for three to four year olds.

But parents have told the Mercury they think that amount should be increased to help families.

What do you think about the cost of childcare?

Michelle Southam, 32, full-time mum, Melton

'The government don't offer enough hours, only 15 hours a week. That's not even two days' work. I would have to pay so much extra. Luckily, we can rely on family. It would cost more for me to work with a 40 minute journey to work and back included.

Lynn Skivington, 36, medical clerk, Melton.

"Childcare is way too expensive. At nurseries, you still have to pay for breakfast and after school dinners. Nan helps out. But if I was to work, we would have negative equity. If they want mums to work, then the government needs to help you.

Oliver Logue, 33, Full-time dad, Braunstone, Leicester.

'The government need to bring in more free hours when children are younger. And more free spaces for two, three and four year olds. There needs to be more hours free – more like 30 as opposed to 15. 15 hours are definitely not enough.

Kim Hendy, 31, full-time mum, Melton.

'I had to quit work, because childcare was taking all of my wages. It's just not worth working. The government needs to bring in lower childcare costs to make it easier for families.

Stephen Hall, 41, factory operator, Melton.

'The government should help out and pay a bit towards childcare, either with vouchers or they could raise free hours from 15, even to 20. That would definitely help. It isn't worth mothers working if their wages only go to pay for childcare.

Sajeeda Pandor, 36, full-time mum, Humberstone Village, Leicester

'I'm a full-time mum, but I'm looking for work. It is such an issue to find reasonable child care. I want to go back to work and be able to say that I can work 9am to 5pm, but I haven't got that flexibility, and with childcare being more expensive, it's not going to be easy.'

Deborah Hoakes, 42, teacher, Market Harborough

"My husband worked evenings and weekends and I worked during the day when we first had our daughter. Childcare was very limited. We had to pay £500-600 a month. When your child hits three years old, you get free childcare, so I think it needs to be brought in earlier."

Sudhir Patel, 42, salesperson at Asda, Hamilton, Leicester

'We both work part-time and work around each other. We only get three hours of free nursery a day and we don't have family around. The government need to cut costs and allow us to be able to leave her at nursery for a bit longer."

There are long delays on the M1 tonight after a crash in which a vehicle overturned.

All four lanes of the motorway are currently closed on the southbound side of the motorway between junctions 21 and 21a while the vehicles involved in the crash are recovered.

The emergency services were called to the scene at about 6.25pm today and one person was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said that two cars were involved in the crash but that firefighters had not been involved in helping any casualties from their vehicles.

The crash has also led to severe delays on the northbound carriageway, with the queues also affecting the northbound M69 on the approach to Leicester.

The Highways Agency has estimated that emergency services will continue to be at the scene of the crash until at least 8.30pm.

Former Leicester City and England striker Gary Lineker concerned his fans today after posting two pictures of his leg in plaster on Twitter.

The Match Of The Day presenter posted the first picture with the message "ah bugger!"

Tweeters responded to the initial post with a mixture of amusing and concerned messages.

Geoffrey Smith wrote: "Did [Nigel] Pearson catch up with you?"

Others accused him of a "blatant dive" or "tripping in the box again".

However, his second tweet of "something is afoot" accompanied with a Walkers crisps packet led to many tweeters questioning whether it was all a stunt.

So did the Leicester City legend break his leg in a comeback? Or was his 'injury' part of an elaborate stunt?

The mystery was soon solved when he tweeted his son George, telling him the pictures were taken for a Walkers advert.

Did you see Gary's tweets earlier and, if so, did you think his injuries were genuine? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

A flood alert has been issued by the Environment Agency for the Lower River Soar in Leicestershire.

The agency said flooding was possible tomorrow morning for the river around Leicester and along tributaries from Cossington to the River Trent on Friday morning. Flooding is expected on Slash Lane at Sileby.

A flood alert means low lying land and roads could well be affected. 

For more information call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

The question on every soap-lover's lips has been answered this evening as we finally found out who killed Lucy Beale.

Jane Beale was revealed as the killer after months of guessing, speculation and wild theories.

Or was she? The first episode of the night seemed to suggest Jane was the killer but it was later revealed that Bobby was in fact the killer.

Lucy, played by actress Hetti Bywater, was killed nearly a year ago on Good Friday 2014.

The storyline has gripped the nation and even the stars of Australian soap Neighbours.

The 'who killed Lucy Beale?' saga has concluded with a week of live episodes and marks EastEnders 30^th anniversary.

The hashtag #EELive – EastEnders Live - has been trending all week and went into overdrive on a couple of occasions.

Confusion over a line from Max Branning, played by Jake Wood, led to fans revising their theories on what happened to Lucy.

He said to daughter Abi Branning: "She knows, she knows whether you killed Lucy."

However, there was confusion over whether he said "you" or "who" leading to a meltdown on Twitter.

Tanya Branning, played by Jo Joyner, also suffered from a line fluff calling Ian Beale by his real name Adam.

The mistake was picked up quickly on Twitter with the word Adam trending soon after.

Despite the killer being revealed tonight, the EastEnders madness is not at an end with another live episode tomorrow.

Did you get the killer right? Vote now in our online poll which is to the right of this page.

Frustration. That emotion has completely engulfed Leicester City.

It has been visible every time I have spoken to manager Nigel Pearson after a defeat this season and it is etched on the faces of the players as they shuffle, head bowed and with mobile phones stuck to their ear in a bid to avoid eye contact with reporters through the mandatory Premier League Mixed Zones following games.

It has also been evident on the internet from the more vocal minority of supporters, although I have never taken that to be an indication that there was a genuine groundswell of discontent, despite the cycle of defeats.

That frustration has never manifested itself in stands though, that is up until recent weeks.

The first time I was aware of any real discontent was when there were reports of City fans fighting amongst themselves at Manchester United. I saw the commotion to our right from the press bench at Old Trafford after the game but it wasn't until later, on social media, that I heard it was a disagreement between Anti-Pearson and Pro-Pearson supporters.

I hadn't heard any chants prior to that, but there was no doubt that the frustration boiled over towards the end of the defeat at Aston Villa last week.

It all started in usual fashion, with the vast majority of the 6.500 City fans who made the trip up the M6 chanting Pearson's name as the City boss watched the warm-up. Pearson acknowledge the support.

But as the game drifted away from City in the second half at Villa Park there was the first significant chants of discontent emanating from the City fans. 'Pearson, sort them out' and 'what a load of rubbish', were clearly audible.

City fans should be applauded for their patience this season, and for their football knowledge, because they have recognised that Pearson's men have been giving their all and the fact that no one in the division so far this season has given them a drubbing illustrates that they have been in every game.

But the fact they have won just four league games this season and six in all competitions from 29 games cannot be ignored. Credit for the effort and spirit but City have been found wanting in key areas and at vital times in games.

There is no masking that fact and at no stage has Pearson tried to.

The biggest frustration is that City know their short comings – an inability to take their chances at key times and a propensity for conceding soft goals – but have been unable to change course.

City still have a third of the season to go and, despite the general outlook, do have a chance of escaping relegation, but it is going to take a large shift in fortune.

So far they have picked up just 17 points from 25 games. They could need another 20 from just 13 games to survive.

It is generally said that the 40 point marker guarantees safety and that is certainly true as the team that has been relegated with the most points in the past decade is Birmingham City with 39 in 2011, but in general over the years a total of 36 or 37 points has been enough.

The lowest total to survive over the past ten years is 34, achieved by West Bromwich Albion in 2005, with Nigel Pearson as assistant manager.

Despite their inability to consistently pick up results, City have not been cut adrift simply because the teams above them have also been unable to pick up victories, and that provides City with hope.

But hope will start to fade if they don't start to turn around their run of results quickly, and then the frustration will really start to show.

The historic granite cobbles in the grounds of Leicester Castle's Great Hall rarely hear the sound of footsteps.

The building has been closed to members of the public since the early 1990s, when it ceased to be used as a courthouse.

And despite the area being arguably the most attractive part of the city, the picturesque Castle View, and the Rupert and Castle Gateways, are often deserted.

The castle was first built following the Norman invasion of 1066. In its grounds - a conservation area - there are a number of significant buildings including the Great Hall, John of Gaunt's Cellar and the beautiful St Mary de Castro church.

The Great Hall, which dates from 1150, boasts one of only three Norman arched ceilings in Britain. It is also the oldest aisled and bay-divided hall in Europe.

However, its shell of 17th century brickwork belies the history of the structure. It has a Grade II-listed exterior, but the interior is Grade I-listed.

The shell is a 1695 family mansion, but the Great Hall's remaining original stones, and the pock marks of Prince Rupert's cannon balls, which you might be able to spot from the side near the river, give a glimpse of the past.

The hall was turned into courtrooms in the 19th century, with cells below. It began to decline when it stopped being used as a courthouse in the early 1990s.

The castle's motte, or mound, is still there, although greatly reduced. The Victorians turned it into a bowling green, shortening it by a few metres.

There was a pub at 12 Castle View, called The Old Castle Inn, where last orders were called almost 40 years ago.

The newly-spireless Church of St Mary de Castro was built in 1107 and still has part of the original nave and north wall of the chancel. More was added to the building between 1160 and 1813, and in 1850 extensive restoration began under the auspicious eye of Sir George Gilbert Scott – a 19th century gothic revivalist.

Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English literature, got married there.

And in 1426, Henry VI was knighted in the church at the age of five.

In the Castle View collection of buildings is Castle House, which is actually three houses. Two are medieval and the other Georgian.

Metro-Boulot-Dodo, a Leicester-based arts organisation, is working with Leicester City Council Arts and Museums Service on a digital project called Leicester Castle Tells Its Story, which aims to create a free app which will help tell stories about the castle's court.

Co-artistic director Esther Simpson said Leicester Castle used to be known as the palace of the Midlands and the Hall of Kings.

"The Great Hall of Leicester Castle has stood for over 800 years, hosting kings, queens, parliaments, balls, concerts and court cases - this is just a taster of what we've discovered so far.

"Handel's music floated through the rafters and the author of Peter Pan scribbled from the reporters bench as the criminals were sent down to the docks below."

Today the castle is not open to the public. Once in a while it has visitors for special heritage days. Some people might not even know Leicester has a castle.

Castle Park, which includes the castle, is the most important of the city's 25 conservation areas.

A new deal has been struck to turn Leicester Castle's Great Hall into a business school.

De Montfort University (DMU) is to lease the ancient building - parts of which date back to the 11th century - and transform it for teaching.

As part of the deal with Leicester City Council, the university will allow visitors to look around the Grade I Listed building, which - behind the 16th century brickwork - is the largest remaining part of the medieval castle, built in the years after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The building, which served as a courthouse until 1992, is currently only opened on rare occasions, such as Heritage Open Days, when the public can book and pay £2.50 to have a guided tour.

The Great Hall appears each year on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register. The deal will ensure it will be "restored", said DMU.

Leicester city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "This would be a wonderful way of bringing the hall back into use and guaranteeing public access to this very important historic building.

"The hall has been locked up for far too long, so I am delighted that DMU is proposing taking responsibility for it and giving it the sustainable future it deserves."

The university has struck a deal with Hong Kong business Sunwah Group to finance the project, but the costs, and the timescale of the scheme, are yet to be decided.

Professor Dominic Shellard, vice-chancellor of DMU, said the new businesses school would bring world-renowned academics and more international students to the city.

He said: "The Great Hall of Leicester Castle is a landmark building which, with this partnership between DMU, the city mayor and Sunwah, will be restored for the benefit of our staff and students, as well as for the citizens of Leicester.

"It will provide the flagship home for this dynamic new business school and allow DMU to play its part in further reinvigorating the Castle Quarter on the university's doorstep."

DMU already uses Trinity House, which backs onto the castle grounds and has features dating back to the 14th century.

By extending into Castle Quarter, Professor Shellard said the university would ensure the area would be "reinvigorated".

It is intended that the area will play a central role in the city mayor's Connecting Leicester plan to link heritage areas of Leicester to create a better tourist trail for visitors making their way across the city.

The Great Hall will be known to DMU's students as the Dr Jonathan KS Choi Business School, named after the chairman of Sunwah Group. For the past three years the university has been working closely with the company, which has its own business school in China and is also involved in the food, property, finance, technology and media industries, as well as running its business school.

Sunwah International Business School is based at Liaoning University in mainland China, where visiting DMU academic staff have been preparing Chinese students for studying in Leicester since 2004.

Last year Dr Choi announced that his company would donate cash to build the Jonathan KS Choi Creative and Cultural Centre on DMU's campus.

Dr Choi travelled to Leicester in July last year for the groundbreaking ceremony when the redevelopment began on a large site that used to include the old students' union, the ceramics block and the Fletcher complex.

Dr Choi said of the Great Hall development: "This innovative partnership between Sunwah, DMU and Leicester City Council aims to create a world-class business school in the setting of Leicester Castle, one of Leicester's most significant historical locations.

"It is my ambition that future global business leaders will be educated right here in the Leicester Castle."

Next month DMU will be opening its own mini museum - DMU Heritage Centre - which will be free for the public and students to visit to learn more about the city's history.

Firefighters managed to stop a blaze ripping through a 17th century coaching inn this afternoon.

Fire crews were called to the Coach and Horses in Kibworth shortly before 2pm after fire broke out in the kitchen annexe.

Fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus fought the blaze in the building in Leicester Road.

Licensee Des Scarboro said: "I want to thank the fire service for their speedy reaction and  skill in restricting the fire to the kitchen area.

"We shall have to check out the electrics to see when we can re-open."

There were two customers in the pub at the time the fire broke out. No-one injured.

Watch manager Tony Bishop from Market Harborough fire station said: "We were called to a fire in the kitchen annexe of the public house.

"It looks as if a deep fat frier was the cause.

"The single storey kitchen measuring some 10m by 8m was very badly damaged.

"But the rest of the public house was untouched."

Kibworth resident and local heritage expert Dr Kevin Feltham said: "The Coach and Horses has just re-opened after having the fire alarms upgraded.

"It is a 17th century coaching inn and it would have been a tragedy if it had been badly damaged."

He said many villagers had planned to attend a Chinese New Year buffet organised by new licensee Des Scarboro on Saturday night.

Mr Feltham added: "The kitchens had also been upgraded. We don't know what will happen about the event now."

The pub featured in the celebrated television history series the Story of England by Michael Wood.

The series plotted 1,000 years of English history as Kibworth was situated where Danish and Anglo-Saxon territories met.

The building was used as a headquarters for the production team.

Women can now combine screening and a supermarket shop.

A mobile breast screening unit has been set up in the Morrisons car park, in Hinckley, to make it easier for women at attend routine

appointments.

The supermarket chain has also agreed to foot the bill for electricity for the year the unit is there.

Amanda Gibby, breast

imaging general manager for the Breast Care Unit based at Glenfield Hospital, said:

"Offering our service into the community allows easier

access for women who may, for a variety of reasons, be unable to travel to their nearest permanent breast screening unit.

"It's been proven that when these local services are not available, attendance

numbers drop significantly.

"Being able to expand our service by using mobile screening units and working with partners such as

Morrisons, gives us more scope to offer an increased number of appointments."

Nearly 43,000 women in Leicestershire attended breast screening appointments in 2013/14.

This represents an attendance rate of just over 82 per cent. It is above the national

target of 70 per cent and one of the highest attendance rates in the country.

Screening is offered to

women for early detection of cancer, often picking it up when it is too small to see or even feel. Research published in September 2000 showed that the national NHS breast screening programme had

reduced death rates from breast cancer in women, aged 55-69.

Women aged 50 to 70, who are registered with a GP, are routinely invited for

screening every three years as part of a rolling programme.

Some older and younger women across the region are also being invited as part of a randomised study of

screening women in different age groups. Women over the age of 70 can self-refer for breast screening every three years by contacting their local breast screening unit to make an appointment.

A spokesperson from

Morrisons said: "NHS breast screening services are vital for women in our local

community.

"We are pleased to be able to host the free breast

screening unit on our car park throughout 2015."

For further information, people should go to the website below or contact their GP:

www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/

aboutus/departments

-services/breast-care/

screening-programme

A Leicester city councillor has said she plans to appeal against her conviction for lying to the police.

Independent councillor Barbara Potter was found guilty of intending to pervert the course of justice after a two day trial at Leicester Crown Court this week.

Potter has been warned by a judge that she could be jailed when she is sentenced next month.

The former Labour group chief whip, who represents the Humberstone and Hamilton ward, has since protested her innocence and has now told the Mercury she would be lodging an appeal.

She said: "I have taken legal advice and will be appealing within the time frames of being able to do so.

"I have got good grounds."

She would not say what those grounds were.

The court heard Potter, 48, told police her ex-partner spat on her car when she was visiting a friend in Leicester.

However he had a cast iron alibi as he was working in Birmingham when Potter accused him on August 8, 2013.

Police took a DNA sample of spittle recovered from the windscreen of Potter's yellow soft-top Renault Megane.

It was not a match for her former partner, with whom she had split up in 2010 after an 18-year-relationship.

Prosecutors said she deliberately lied to the police to frame her ex and get him into trouble.

Potter told the court her ex partner had been harassing her and she had panicked when she saw what she thought was him driving his van past her car.

She said she heard a flobbing sound and had believed it was him when she made her report to the police just minutes later.

The jury did not believe her and found her guilty after just over an hour of deliberation.

 A man suffered severe head injuries when he was hit by single decker bus in the city centre.

Scores of people went to his aid as he collapsed near the crossing to the Haymarket Shopping Centre in Charles Street.

Blood was pouring from the head wound as people called the emergency services.

One witness said: "The man was in his mid twenties and he tried to get across against the lights.

"He was hit by the coach which suffered a broken windscreen."

The air ambulance was called and hovered overhead.

But the injured man was taken to hospital in a land ambulance.

The witness said: "I tried to help him as he was moaning. But other people got their first."

The accident occurred at around 3.50pm as hundreds of people queued for buses in the Charles Street area.

The area near the crossing was sealed off by police tape.

The bus, operated by Starline of Melton Mowbray, was parked in a bus lay-by close by.

The white single decker had suffered a smashed windscreen as a result of the impact.

The driver was badly shaken but uninjured in the incident.

He was interviewed in the vehicle by accident investigators.

Colin Onions, Managing Director, said:

"It is understood that the coach, which was on a routine journey along the Charles Street, was in collision with a pedestrian."

He said the driver of the coach was unhurt but was badly shaken by the incident.

Mr Onions added: "As a longstanding coach company which has operated in Leicestershire for many years, Starline Coaches' staff are doing all we can to assist the emergency services with their questions and investigations.

"Naturally, we are saddened that this incident has occurred and we await news of the pedestrian's condition."

A section of Charles Street was closed to enable officers to examine the scene.

A spokeswoman for Leicestershire police said: "We received a call from the ambulance service at approximately 3.50pm.

"Initial reports indicated that a man has been hit by a bus. It is not thought that anyone else was injured in the incident."

Police said they had closed off Charles Street between the junctions with Belgrave Gate and Humberstone Gate.

The extent the pedestrian's injuries are not known.

There are long tailbacks on the M1 today after a van burst into flames in the Lutterworth area.

Two lanes of the northbound carriageway were shut earlier today by the emergency services and long queues formed between junctions 20 and 21 as traffic slowly passed the scene of the blaze.

The fire service received numerous calls from motorists shortly before 3.30pm today. Firefighters from Lutterworth and Leicester reported the van was well alight when they arrived on the scene. Crews wearing oxygen tanks put the flames out but the van was severely damaged.

The firefighters reported that the cause was a mechanical fault and the incident was left with the Highways Agency at 4pm.