Two new super-size hospital beds have been bought to cope with obese patients.

The beds, which cost £16,000, are strong enough to take the weight of someone weighing up to 60 stone.

Bosses at Leicester's hospitals said the beds are among a number of items of specialist equipment needed to cater for overweight patients.

Andy Lewitt, manual handling advisor at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "The beds are not just stronger, but we are also able to expand the width.

"However, it is not just about weight but also about how capable a patient is.

"An increasing problem is that we are finding that more of our patients are just too wide for the standard beds, which take a weight of up to 30 stone."

As well as beds, the trust is having to buy wider chairs.

It now has a stock of 40 chairs with 28 in-wide seats which can accommodate someone weighing up to 40 stone.

This compares to the average chair, which is 22 ins wide and can take up to 23 stone. The chairs also have special padding to prevent patients from developing pressure sores. In addition, the trust has 48 commodes, which cost £120 each and can take someone weighing up to 60 stone.

There is also a dedicated operating theatre equipped with specialist tools which might be needed."

Mr Lewitt said: "We have been monitoring the need for heavy duty equipment since about 2006. We have certainly seen a lot more use of the equipment and this usage is climbing every year and has really taken off in about the past five years.

"The equipment is in use most days. We used to hire in things such as beds but more and more are looking to buy.

"It gives us the flexibility to transfer it between wards and the three hospitals as needed."

In the past six years the trust has spent about £78,000 on the specialist furniture, known as bariatric equipment, and includes two extra-large wheelchairs at each of the city's three hospitals.

Mr Lewitt said: "This is saving on about £100,000 which we were paying a year on renting equipment.

"You could spend millions and I would always like more equipment, but I am confident that the vast majority of patients' needs are accommodated with what we have at the moment.

"In some instances it might mean, with a very big person, that their bed takes up more than one space and that can make them even more conscious about their weight.

"We don't want them to feel they are causing a big problem.

"We have never had a case where we can't find equipment to keep them safe."

A spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) said two vehicles capable of carrying obese patients are based in Leicestershire.

He said all new ambulance vehicles are also capable of taking a stretcher for very heavy patients and which allow extra width, but Emas is waiting for these to be supplied.

Exasperated Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has appealed to the game's top brass to "educate" referees after launching a scathing attack on Saturday's official Andrew Small.

After watching his side jump to third place in the Aviva Premiership table with a thrilling 17-12 win over Gloucester, Cockerill said the RFU's head of elite referee development, Ed Morrison, had to put a stop to the inconsistencies which he thinks are ruining the game.

Small handed out four yellow cards, but Cockerill felt Gloucester should have been more harshly dealt with in a scrum area that Leicester dominated.

"Enough is enough. It has to end," fumed Cockerill, who could barely contain his anger.

Responding to the official's interpretations of a set-piece, which saw the visitors penalised 10 times, Cockerill claimed that Small "didn't understand the game" and that he was "guessing" on a number of crucial calls.

It is not the first time Cockerill has been dismayed by the performance of referees this season. Alain Rolland's display in Treviso causing him particular ire.

It seems Saturday's contest was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Tigers won a thrilling game as Anthony Allen's second-half try helped them overcome a 9-3 deficit.

"We had a massively dominant set-piece because we spend our money there," said Cockerill. "We train hard and we work at it but we didn't get the reward we should have.

"They were destroyed for most of the game, they got penalised 10 times there, got warned twice and only got one man in the bin. Where is the consistency? 'Guessing' is the word I use.

"It's not good enough. Big games decide championships and European places. They have to get it right, yet Gloucester were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

"Sides come here and push the boundaries, which is fair play to them, but they don't get refereed.

"Every time we were in our half, we got penalised and they kicked at goal.

"When we carried the ball, they were in at the side and cheating the whole time. The referee didn't manage it.

"This is a professional era now and we spend all of our time doing our research on referees. Yet today, the scrum was refereed so poorly, what's the point?

"We need to educate them (referees) and Rob Andrew (RFU director of elite rugby) and Ed Morrison need to do that.

"If the refs don't do it right, they shouldn't get the games," added Cockerill.

The signing of striker Chris Wood could make all the difference for Leicester City, manager Nigel Pearson has said.

Wood will complete his move from West Brom, worth initially £1.25million rising to £2m, when the transfer window opens tomorrow.

He could make his debut in the New Year's Day game with Huddersfield at the King Power Stadium.

City have fought off interest from several Championship rivals, including Millwall and Brighton, to land Wood.

Pearson said the 21-year-old New Zealand forward would help City come out on top more often in tight contests.

"We are almost there in terms of finalising the deal, but, of course, we can't do that until the window is open," he said.

"I think we have had a bit of problem winning these tight games and he is the type of player who will add quite a bit to our squad.

"The competition for places will be good. Fresh faces in this window do give the rest of the squad a shot in the arm.

"If we do get that finalised, it will be a very good signing."

City are also understood to have made a £1m bid for Blackpool defender Alex Baptiste.

However, Pearson said he is not looking to bring in many more new players.

"I don't know how much business we will do but we probably won't do an awful lot," said Pearson, who refused to discuss any transfer speculation.

Reports emerged of City's approach for centre-back Baptiste on Friday night, but the Blackpool captain featured for the Tangerines in their 4-2 defeat at Middlesbrough, which indicated a deal had not been done.

City have also been linked with a move for Manchester United's England under-21 midfielder Nick Powell on a season-long loan.

Powell, who joined United from Crewe in a £6m deal, is highly rated at United, who have forged close links with City over the past 12 months and have recently loaned Michael Keane and Jesse Lingard to City.

A factory containing hundreds of thousands of brochures has been destroyed in a huge inferno.

Flames could be seen for miles around as more than 50 firefighters battled the blaze in the centre of Barwell for about seven hours on Saturday.

The premises, used by marketing firm Arden Direct and Digital, was just yards from residential properties and some nearby homes were evacuated as the fire raged.

Residents were forced to find other places to stay on Saturday night as they were not allowed back to their homes.

Yesterday afternoon, as demolition crews moved in to secure the smouldering shell of the large two-storey building, they were uncertain when they would be allowed to return to their homes.

Arden's owner, Sally Hollis, was herself unable to get close to the building yesterday as the emergency services kept up the cordon while they investigated the cause of the blaze.

Ms Hollis was on holiday in Paris when she got a call about the blaze from a member of staff. She said: "I was in my hotel and my phone went. He said, 'The factory's burned down'.

"I jumped on the Eurostar and got back as soon as possible.

"I don't know what is going to happen. I haven't been able to get to the building but it has been very badly damaged."

Three of her 35 members of staff were working in a call centre when the fire started at the Arthur Street building, but were able to escape unharmed.

She said: "The most important thing is that nobody was hurt, thank God. That's the only bit of good news.

"We have been here for 38 years. I'm not sure what will happen now. At this time of year, insurance companies are closed and our customers are closed. I feel helpless."

She said the firm's main customers were holiday firms and mail order companies and large amounts of printed material were being kept in the building ready to be sent out.

She said: "We had one lot of more than 300,000 brochures. It looks like they have gone up."

She said it was impossible to estimate the financial cost of the fire to her business.

Police and firefighters have launched an investigation to find the cause of the fire, but have said it is too early to determine whether there are any suspicious circumstances.

Residents in Barwell and nearby Earl Shilton were advised to keep their windows and doors shut because of the acrid smoke from the fire.

The blaze also affected water, gas and electricity in surrounding streets, although most supplies had been restored by yesterday afternoon.

IT worker Phill Ludbrook, 27, and his family, from George Street, opposite Arden, had to stay with his parents on Saturday night and he was unable to get back to his home yesterday afternoon.

He said: "My wife called the fire brigade at about 3pm, but within 20 minutes the whole place was up in flames.

"The windows were exploding from the heat. We were told to get to the back of the house away from the fire.

"The wall of factory collapsed and it made a terrific sound."

He said his children, William, five, and Poppy, six, were scared by the fire. He said: "We had to pass the kids over the garden fence to my parents because we couldn't get out of the front of the house.

Margaret Miller, 61, was shopping when she got a phone call about the fire. She was unable to return to her flat in King Street and had to spend the night with her sister.

She said: "It's terrible. I had problems because I couldn't get home, but what about all the people who worked there. What will they do?"

Yesterday, at 5pm, George Street was the only road still closed.

A fire service spokesman said a crew would remain at the site to dampen down the wreckage.

He said: "The cause is under investigation. There has had to be some demolition work done on the remains of the building. Once that is complete the investigation will begin."

Leicester City striker David Nugent believes he is reaching the prime of his career, and admits he wants to prove himself in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old is on course for his best goal-scoring season after hitting his 12th of the campaign as City remained in the promotion hunt with a 1-0 win at Burnley on Saturday.

Nugent said he is determined to help fire City back into the top flight, so he can show what he can really do on the biggest stage.

Nugent had spells in the Premier League with Portsmouth and Burnley, but said he was never able to show his true ability in the top flight and feels he still has something to prove.

"I am 27 now and I should be at my peak, and I have a lot more years in the tank to hopefully get Leicester into the Premier League," he said.

"Everyone wants to play in the Premier League because it is the best league to play in. I was privileged to have done that with both Portsmouth and Burnley. That is the aim and we have a good chance to get there.

"I don't think the Premier League has seen the best of me. I didn't get a chance at Portsmouth. I tried my best at Burnley, but we got relegated at the end of the season so I feel I have something to prove if we get up.

"I believe I can score in the Premier League. I have confidence in my ability so I don't see why not. If I get the chance, hopefully, I have the confidence to put it away and score the goals."

Nugent said the imminent arrival of Chris Wood will boost the City squad and that everything at the club was tailored for the top flight.

"I think we can do it with the players we have got and with Chris Wood hopefully signing in the next couple of days," he said.

"Hopefully. there will be a few more acquisitions to give the lads a boost.

"It is a massive club and we deserve to be back in the Premier League.

"With the owners we have got, the great manager and staff at the club, and the players, we can do it.

" If we perform like we did at Burnley and win games I am sure we will go a long way."

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby is considering a controversial choice over whether to offer a disused Scout hut to a Muslim community group or a different residents organisation.

The As-Salaam Trust hopes to turn the property in Nursery Road, Thurnby Lodge, into a community centre and prayer room and has stressed it would open the centre to the wider community, not simply to Muslims.

Meanwhile, some residents have staged protests against the group's plan by gathering outside the nearby community centre where members of As-Salaam have been meeting to pray for the past three years.

Many said they were concerned As-Salaam's plans would cause traffic problems and a residents' group called the Forgotten Estates Committee was formed as a result of the protests.

Committee members said they would also like to open the building for community use, saying many people on the estate would like it to house a boxing gym, as well as cultural activities.

Yesterday, Sir Peter unveiled two options for the site, while saying leaflets would be sent to homes in the area asking for views to help him come to a final decision.

One option would see the council buy the lease and pass responsibility for running the building to the Forgotten Estates Committee.

Under that option, the council would also grant a lease to the As-Salaam Trust for the nearby Raven Centre, which is next to the Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, where its members meet for prayers.

Other services provided at the Raven Centre would be moved to the community centre or other council properties in the area.

The second option would see the council buy the Scout hut lease and re-lease it to As-Salaam at an agreed price.

The Raven Centre and Thurnby Lodge Youth and Community Centre would continue to be available for local people to use, the council said.

Sir Peter said: "I have personally met with residents and with As-Salaam on several occasions in a bid to resolve this situation.

"I have listened to all of the views put forward and given very careful consideration to them.

"Following a number of meetings with all parties, and a lot of work by officers, I believe we now have options on the table that would meet everyone's needs and enable us to return to a situation of collaboration and harmony in the area.

"No decision has been made and we will be seeking the views of everyone who lives in the area before reaching a final conclusion.

"I would urge local people to complete the questionnaire and return it to us so their views can be taken into account."

As-Salaam's imam Mohammed Lockhat said: "We hope the mayor will be making a decision in the new year and that people will express their views to help him make that decision."

Maxine William's, licensee of the nearby Stirrup Cup pub and one of the founding members of the Forgotten Estates Committee, said: "It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

"I still think we all need to sit down around a table and talk some sense to each other, things do seem rather divided at the moment and that is a shame."

The consultation will close on December 21. A decision will be made in January once all views have been considered.

City MP Keith Vaz has said public confidence in the police has been shaken due to a "dangerous cocktail" including the "plebgate'' affair and the results of the Hillsborough Inquiry.

The Leicester East MP is chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee which will begin an inquiry into police accountability, integrity and internal corruption next month.

He has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to host annual summits with senior officers and for there to be a "a new Magna Carta'' for policing.

Writing in the Sunday Express about the alleged altercation between former chief whip Andrew Mitchell and police officers at the gates of Downing Street, dubbed "plebgate'', Mr Vaz said: "What appears to have happened to Andrew Mitchell could well have been a Christmas special script. The chief whip had to resign following a 60-second 'incident' in, of all places, Downing Street.

"Take a police officer apparently masquerading as a member of the public, a confidential logbook finding its way into the public domain, add the results of the Hillsborough Inquiry, which have resulted in thousands of serving and former police officers being investigated, and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable, and you have a dangerous cocktail.'

"This is a defining moment for policing. Cool heads, clear thoughts and strong leadership are required."

Mr Vaz also criticised Home Secretary Theresa May for trying to enforce radical changes on the police force without having a proper dialogue with officers.

He acknowledged existing police structures needed to be reformed, but said Mrs May's changes were "too rapid and too far-reaching''.

In the article, Mr Vaz rounded on the Government for altering police officers' pay and conditions while trying to implement reforms.

"The Government was wrong to change police pension arrangements retrospectively. It was unfair and forced out a number of experienced officers,'' he said.

Mr Vaz's committee will next month launch an inquiry into issues of police training, accountability and integrity and into the effectiveness of the processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice in the force.

He has also called for there to be a Royal Commission for the police service to explain what it is doing and for the public to say what they want it to do.

He wrote: "We need a Royal Commission that sets out a new Magna Carta for policing in this century."

However, the Home Office has said surveys regularly showed public confidence in the police remained high. The 2011/12 Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that just under two-thirds of adults thought the police in their area were doing a good or excellent job.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Police reform is working and crime is falling. The police budget is £14bn a year and it's only right that they should make a contribution to reducing the budget deficit.

"Chief constables are rising to the challenge of making efficiency savings and providing greater value for money."

Thousands of football fans will cheer on Leicester City today using cut-price tickets, thanks to our fantastic Mercury reader offer.

There is still time to pick up your tickets for as little as £10 to see City take on Huddersfield Town – the Terriers – this afternoon at the King Power Stadium.

All you have to do is take along two tokens and an entry form, which have been printed in the Mercury, to the City Fanstore at the ground before noon today to get your cut price tickets.

Season ticket holders will pay £10 for adult tickets and non-season ticket holders pay £15.

All tickets for under-12s will be £5 and under-eights will be able to watch the match free in the family stands.

Season ticket holders will be limited to a maximum of four tickets per person at the ticket office and seats in the popular B and J blocks will cost £15, and £20 for non-season ticket holders.

Fans are advised to arrive early for today's match, which kicks off at 3pm.

The tokens have appeared in the Mercury nearly every day over the past few weeks. One is printed in today's edition on page 39.

It has been some year for Drew Sullivan. It's not often you get to lead out your country in an Olympic Games on home soil.

This summer saw the Leicester Riders star captain the Great Britain basketball team during London 2012, as well as playing a key role in taking Riders to their most successful season in their history.

"It's been a hugely productive year," said Sullivan. "I had the opportunity to play in the Olympics and represent my country and that was a huge deal for me.

"It was the biggest honour I could ever have hoped for. So many people told me what it was going to be like, but until you are there and you've experienced it, there are really no words you can use to describe it.

"Every time you represent GB, you are playing against some of the best players in the world. There's a different level of intensity and concentration, of how hard you have to play and the level of work ethic. But I try to bring that to Riders every day."

Sullivan was also an integral part of a record-breaking season for Riders.

The team finished second in the BBL Championship table – their highest-ever finish – and also posted their best-ever win percentage.

They also made the play-off final, in May, but ultimately fell to defeat at the hands of domestic champions, and Sullivan's former team, Newcastle Eagles.

Despite the apparent success, Sullivan said he found it a hugely frustrating season.

"I didn't come here to set records, I came here to win trophies," said the 32-year-old Sullivan.

"We could quite easily have been a mid-table team but still won a cup or the trophy, but at least we could have come away with something. But we came second in the league and second in the play-offs.

"I'm not really competing for second spot, I'm competing to win. So, for me, it was a very frustrating year in that respect.

"I understand that there were some records broken, which is great for the history books, but the thing that people care most about, at least what I care about, is silverware."

But the final few months of 2012 have seen the Riders make an even better start to the new season. They beat Newcastle in their first win on Tyneside for more than 15 years and have a BBL Cup final against the Eagles in mid-January.

So could 2013 be an even better year for the 6ft 8in forward?

"I don't see why not," he said. "There's everything to suggest that there's a good chance of it being more successful.

"I have got the European championships in September, so that will be another chance to represent Great Britain.

"We're in a good position in the league but the season has just started and there are a lot of things that can happen – I don't think we've really even started to hit our straps yet.

"I don't think any team at this point can openly say they're going to win the league this early – if we've got one game to go and we're two wins better than the next team, then I will say 'yes we're going to win the league' but outside of that, there's always a twist – that's the great thing about sport.

"So we'll just take it as it comes and keep my fingers crossed that 2013 will be more successful."

Police are asking people to be on the lookout for a man who has gone missing from an open prison in Gloucestershire.

Sean Cawthray, 41, was last seen at Leyhill prison at about 5.30pm on Sunday.

It's thought he may have travelled to Leicestershire or Leeds where he has links.

He is white, 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in, medium build, with short brown hair and blue eyes.

When last seen, he was wearing a pair of silver-coloured training shoes, cream coloured combat trousers and a light-blue Helly Hansen type-top.

He may have been wearing either a worker's fluorescent jacket, grey jacket with orange patches or black jacket with a blue patch.

If you see Cawthray, ring the police on 999.

Martin Crowson looks back at five key points from the weekend's rugby action.

1It was like a snippet from the amateur era on Saturday. Tigers' Geordan Murphy began the game at full-back, slotted in for 10 minutes at scrum-half when Ben Youngs was binned and then had 10 minutes as fly-half when George Ford was sent to the cooler. As you would expect from one of the world's most natural footballers, he did a cracking job in all three positions – although he loses marks at scrum-half for not putting the ball into a scrum at the feet of the second rows. Far too straight!

2Northampton Saints were unlucky to lose again to Saracens on Sunday as Stephen Myler's last-minute penalty hit the woodwork. The defeat took them down to sixth place and they travel to Exeter this weekend. ESPN pundit Austin Healey suggested they should change their coaching staff if they don't win a trophy this season. The heat is on.

3It will be an interesting week ahead to see if the powers-that-be take any notice of Richard Cockerill's "enough is enough" comments regarding Andrew Small's refereeing on Saturday. I genuinely believe Tigers are victims of their own success. Their wonderful scrum will continue to dominate teams this season. But will any referee have the guts to keep binning or even red-carding members of the opposition pack as Small should have done on Saturday? I doubt it.

4It was one of the best lines of 2012 for me when Richard Cockerill said that Toulon's mega-rich president Mourad Boudjellal "couldn't afford" to back up his interest in prop Martin Castrogiovanni with a big enough financial offer to tempt him away from Leicester. If, however, the French giants do make a 'silly money' offer for the Italian it will be an interesting call for him and Leicester as to whether or not they accept that bid.

5Finally, a happy New Year to one and all. It has been a fantastic year to cover Tigers. Those people I work closely with at the club have been their usual brutally honest selves – and I thank them for that. I have travelled the equivalent of London to Singapore covering the team and seen more wins that losses. I know every service station in the country by name and have eaten 43 Zinger Burger Meals at KFC. I have also met some terrific Tigers fans through my Twitter feed. 2013? Bring it on.

A father-of-six who suffered critical injuries in a fall from a hotel balcony has celebrated his 35th birthday with his family.

Karl Nethercot's relatives feared he would die after he fell two storeys while on holiday in Tunisia in October.

However, yesterday they said he was making good progress in his long-term recovery.

Karl, who now lives in Nottingham, spent Sunday with his parents Dawn and John at their home in Leicester's West End.

The couple re-mortgaged their house to raise cash for Karl's medical bills after insurers refused to pay out as he had been drinking before he fell.

Karl's friends and family also raised thousands of pounds, both in Leicester and Nottingham, to help with the costs of getting him flown back to UK and his treatment.

Karl said: "It's been great to be back and enjoy my birthday with mum and dad and the family.

"I'm so grateful to so many people have helped to get me home.

"It's really touched me.

"It's strange hearing all these stories of people raising money for me and digging deep when I wasn't aware of it at all.

"It means so much to be back home with my family.

"My memories from the holiday are pretty good – probably a lot better than everyone else's who were worried for me.

"The last thing I can remember is lounging around by the pool and the heat.

"Next thing I know, I'm waking up at Queen's Medical Centre.

"I've had to learn to do quite a few things again, such as walking and balance.

"When they first asked me to take a step up, I thought it would be pretty easy but it was really hard work.

"I still get a little bit dizzy because of the injuries – I was putting Christmas decorations up the other day and just standing on the chair made me feel funny, so I had to stop.

"Things like that are pretty frustrating but I know I won't be as good as new tomorrow."

Mum Dawn said: "It has been lovely to have Karl back with us for his birthday.

"We have had a nice day, taking it easy, going out for lunch and then having the extended family round to see him.

"Karl is getting better all the time but it is nice for us to be able to look after him."

Karl has been undergoing rehabilitation in a specialist unit in Nottingham but was released at the end of November to return to his fiancee, Emma Husrazik.

They were set to celebrate the new year together yesterday.

Karl suffered severe brain injuries in his fall and was placed in an induced coma in hospital in Tunisia. His family had initially faced a bill of more than £20,000 to fly him back home on a specially commissioned flight but in the end he was well enough to return on a scheduled flight and was taken straight to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where he spent weeks in rehabilitation.

Karl's sister Mandi Dann, 38, said: "It's great to have Karl back – especially for mum and dad. They just want to look after him.

"He is making progress with remembering things and doing stuff. It's slow but at least it is progress."

She thanked everyone who has supported the family.

Cancer survivor Jen Macdonald can hardly believe she is cradling the baby she was warned she might never have.

Six years ago, Jen was told the chemotherapy and radiotherapy she needed to treat an aggressive form of breast cancer could leave her infertile.

She gave birth to Lily Mae on Friday, December 14.

It was a dream come true for Jen and her partner, Andrew Hinton, from Groby.

The 37-year-old said: "I had always wanted and had planned to have children but those hopes were dashed with the cancer diagnosis.

"I did consider having some of my eggs frozen but I was told any delay in starting treatment could prove fatal.

"It was a hard decision at the time but I knew it was the right one to go ahead with the treatment straight away."

Her breast cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and two weeks after the diagnosis she had a mastectomy at Glenfield Hospital. This was followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

In 2010, she had a breast reconstruction operation.

Jen and partner Andrew were over the moon when, in April, they discovered she was pregnant.

She said: "It was like a dream come true. I was expecting a baby which I had never thought would be possible.

"It was as if my life had suddenly turned around."

The pregnancy went almost to plan, except that Jen developed gestational diabetes.

She said: "Lily Mae was due to be born on Christmas Eve.

"But because of the diabetes she was getting so big that doctors said they didn't want me to go to full term.

"I was booked in for an induction on December 12 but I ended up having to have a caesarian on December 14 because Lily Mae just wasn't arriving.

"Everything is fine now and she is just the best thing ever.

"I can't stop crying. Until now I never realised what it is like to fall in love instantly. Lily Mae is just beautiful."

The new arrival has been showered with Christmas gifts and "thoroughly spoilt", according to mum.

Jen said: "I can't thank people enough. They have been so kind.

"I was pretty shattered the first week but as a first-time mum I am learning as I go along.

"We did find time to go out and buy some presents for Lily Mae.

"We have bought her some sensory toys and a bouncy chair and a few other things.

"Having our beautiful baby is the best Christmas present ever."

A woman has died following a crash involving two cars yesterday morning.

The accident happened on the A426 Lutterworth Road, in Whetstone, at about 11.30am.

The female driver of one of the cars was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which happened at the junction with Countesthorpe Road.

Two passengers in the same vehicle were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary.

A police spokeswoman could not confirm the extent and nature of their injuries, but said there was nothing to suggest they were seriously injured.

The road was closed for several hours while the vehicles were recovered.

Rail services to and from London that had been affected since a freight train derailed last week were returning to normal today.

The rear 10 carriages of the train, which was carrying more than 1,000 tonnes of quarry stone, left the tracks at Barrow upon Soar on Thursday.

Engineers from Network Rail have been working at night since the incident and an amended service has been run by East Midlands Trains.

A road had to be built to get heavy machinery to clear stone and wagons from the site.

A spokesman for East Midlands Trains said normal services were due to resume at 11am today, though trains would still not be able to stop at Barrow Upon Soar station.

A replacement bus service will run between Barrow and Loughborough.

Network Rail is also expected to carry out further work overnight on Saturday. Details of any more disruptions will be released later this week.

Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, said: "Removing the wagons safely is a complex job and this location is not easily accessible, all of which has added to the time it has taken to complete.

"We have worked through the night in order to minimise the effect upon passengers and expect to complete the removal of the wagons on Saturday night. Final repairs to the track and embankment will then be completed as quickly as possible."

A spokesman for East Midlands Trains said: "As soon as we are advised this work has been completed, we will restore train services for passengers in Barrow."

The freight train, operated by DB Schenker, came off the tracks at 5.30am on Thursday.

Investigators said it was possible a landslip caused by days of rain may have been the cause.

Passengers with tickets for yesterday can use them to travel today and East Midlands Trains tickets will also be accepted on Virgin, East Coast, Cross Country and Virgin Trains services.

Huddersfield Town boss Simon Grayson said his side will show no fear when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

The former City captain brings his Terriers side to face City on the back of a nine game winless streak which has seen them pick up just five points.

The Terriers have only claimed one point away from home against any of the top 11 clubs.

However, they did pick up a morale-boosting draw on their last away trip at promotion chasers Crystal Palace, and Grayson is convinced his side can match that performance.

"It will be a very tough task for us," he said.

"They have a very good squad and it looks likely that they will recruit a couple of players in time for the game on New Year's Day.

"We will go there with one defeat in five looking to perform an upset.

"Everyone will be expecting Leicester to win the game, but we have got players here who have shown what they can do already this season."

"Playing away from home may help. We showed at Palace what we could do and that we aren't frightened of taking on the big boys.

"We will go to Leicester and be positive in our approach and try and get the win."

Huddersfield, who have not beaten City in Leicester for 58 years, may be on a slide of late but Grayson believes they can have a better second half to the campaign.

"Starting 2013 with a win would be nice and I hope that if we do we can kick on and get a little run going," he added.

"The main aim for 2013 is to carry on moving the football club and to keep making it better and better each month.

"Huddersfield Town is a positive football club and one that is certainly on the up. Dean (Hoyle, the chairman) and I want to keep taking the club forward as quickly as possible."

Striker Jermaine Beckford, on loan at Huddersfield from City, is ineligible to play.

Grayson also has injury concerns over right-back Jack Hunt (knee), full-back Calum Woods (groin) and winger Danny Ward (knee).

Striker Alan Lee is available after a serving a three-match ban.