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Curiosity leads amateur space enthusiasts to possible discovery of missing Soviet lander

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Amateur space enthusiasts following the progress of the Mars Curiosity rover might have discovered debris from a Russian lander which mysteriously disappeared more than 40 years ago. The Soviet Mars 3 lander touched down on the Martian surface on December 2, 1971. It transmitted data for just 14.5 seconds before contact was lost. However, the reason for the malfunction has never been determined. Now, a group of Russian enthusiasts, who have been following the Nasa mission - which is being carried out with the help of scientists from the University of Leicester - think they have spotted four pieces of hardware from the lost lander after studying photos of Red Planet's surface. The images show what is believed to be the Mars 3 parachute, heat shield, terminal rocket and the lander itself. The photographs were taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is tracking the progress of Curiosity – the one-ton Nasa robot searching the surface for signs of a habitable environment. The orbiter's principal investigator Alfred McEwen, from the University of Arizona, Tucson, in the US, said: "Together, this set of features and their layout on the ground provide a remarkable match to what is expected from the Mars 3 landing, but alternative explanations for the features cannot be ruled out. "Further analysis of the data and future images to better understand the three-dimensional shapes may help to confirm this interpretation." The Mars 3 lander was the first spacecraft which survived a Martian landing long enough to transmit data back to Earth. Its partner lander, Mars 2, which was launched at the same time crashed without sending anything back. The Curiosity robot is taking a short break while Mars and the Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun. The solar conjunction, as it is known, will last until May. Scientists are worried that any data transmitted between Earth and Mars during this time could be lost or corrupted by solar interference.

Curiosity leads amateur space enthusiasts to possible discovery of missing Soviet lander


Alan showing his mettle with sculpture of soldier

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Everything from an old filing cabinet to coat-hangers and a garden gate have been used to help create this detailed sculpture of a German soldier.

Amateur metal worker Alan Rosak has spent just over a year bashing, molding and welding hundreds of bits of metal together to create the life-size model.

The 52-year-old, from Braunstone, Leicester, said: "I just enjoy looking out for bits of metal and then being creative.

"I just like a challenge. Some people do crosswords, so I suppose this is my alternative.

"You wouldn't believe what's in it – a filing cabinet, a lot of coat-hangers, the legs off office furniture and there is a gas fire surround.

"I used car sockets and car wheel bearings for the binoculars, a toilet roll holder, some gate hinges, a kitchen bin and bits of wood, too.

"The only two things I didn't make are the gas mask on his back and the little water bottle."

Alan and his friends and family pick up bits of metal from car boot sales.

He started with the head and then made the rest of the body, flattening the metal before stripping it of paint and welding the parts together. He then varnished and lacquered the whole sculpture.

"I don't want to offend anyone with it or anything because it is a German soldier," Alan said.

"I didn't make it because of that. I just wanted a challenge, with lots of equipment to make for the soldier, and I'm interested in military history – that's all.

"I've made an American GI before, but that was just a bust, and I'm hoping to do something for the 70th anniversary of D-Day next year.

"Maybe a British soldier, maybe Montgomery."

Alan first became interested in metal work at school, and in the late 1980s, when he was working, took welding classes in the evening.

He began making sculptures about 13 years ago, and has created a butterfly, a fish and a flamingo.

"I would love it if people were able to see my soldier because I think I've definitely come on with my sculptures and have got better over the years, but I'm not sure where I would display it," he said.

"At the moment, it's just standing in my house."

A spokesman for Leicester City Council said the sculpture could go on public display if Alan entered the city's Open Art competition. The contest enables artists to display their work.

"All he needs to do is to complete an application form when the competition is launched later this year," said the spokesman.

"If he's selected, his sculpture could go on show at Leicester's New Walk Museum."

Alan showing  his mettle with sculpture of soldier

Market fun day raises cash for cancer charity

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Traders at Leicester Market donated scores of items as part of a fund-raising day for a young persons' cancer charity.

Stall-holders offered raffle prizes for an event at the market on Saturday to raise cash for the Harley Staples Cancer Trust – set up by Harley's parents, Katherine and Jamie, following his death in 2009.

Weekend shoppers bought tickets for donated prizes such as toys, flowers and homewares, while youngsters had their faces painted and watched dancers from KT Performing Arts, which is based in Hinckley Road.

Swing singer Craig Radford was also there to entertain the crowds with some crooning classics.

Senior market officer Rob Manley, who organised the event, said: "Everyone has given their time for free and we're all determined to raise as much as we can."

Rob and the traders pledged to raise at least £1,000 through the event.

Rob said: "All the traders have been really great and donated items which we can raffle off.

"But the main prizes are the Tigers shirt and Riders basketball – they've both been signed – in fact, we waited for some of the Tigers players to get back from England duty so we have their signatures on the shirt."

Harley died from a rare form of leukaemia in November, 2009, after being diagnosed at the beginning of the year.

Katherine and Jamie are hoping to raise enough money through his charity to build Harley's House – a holiday home in Leicestershire, to give young cancer sufferers time away from hospitals and treatment.

See pages 10 and 11 for more charity stories.

Market fun day raises cash for cancer charity

Dealer loses appeal and must repay drugs cash

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A convicted drug dealer who was told he must hand over £185,000 of his ill-gotten gains from a £2.2 million cannabis operation has lost an appeal against the order.

Kuldip Singh Hayre was given a six-year sentence at Leicester Crown Court in April, 2009, after he admitted conspiracy to supply Class C drugs.

Hayre, of Nottingham Road, Loughborough, also pleaded guilty to possessing Class A drugs and having a prohibited weapon.

The 45-year-old was caught out in an investigation into a gang which dealt cannabis in wholesale quantities to lesser dealers in the East Midlands in 2006 and 2007.

The gang was said to have pocketed £2.2 million from the operation, with Hayre himself receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds from his role as distributor.

Making a confiscation order in 2010, a Birmingham Crown Court judge said he was convinced that Hayre had hidden assets which meant he could hand over £185,000 of this money.

Some cash and a car were recovered, leaving him with £179,066 to come up with, or face extra time behind bars in default of payment.

Hayre claimed police had found a safety deposit box to which he had access and thousands of pounds had been stolen from it.

But Lord Justice Laws, who considered Hayre's arguments with Mr Justice Irwin and Mr Justice Cranston, said that could not affect the validity of the confiscation order.

"Even if this all were true, it wouldn't affect the legality of the confiscation order, because it doesn't touch the finding of hidden assets," he said. "One supposes it confirms it.

"The Independent Police Complaints Commission has investigated the applicant's allegation and the impugned officers have been entirely exonerated.

"This application is entirely hopeless and is refused."

Leicester dental academy plan is put on hold

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Plans to launch a dental academy in Leicester have been shelved.

The Leicester Dental Teaching Academy (LDTA) had been due to open in September, based at the city's Phoenix cinema, but the project has now been put on hold until further notice.

The University of Buckingham, which has accredited the £176,000 five-year course, told the Leicester Mercury it had taken the decision not to start teaching students in September following discussions with the General Dental Council, which would have to sanction the course.

In a statement, the university said: "The University of Buckingham is careful to ensure the highest standards for all its degree courses and to insist that all necessary procedures have been followed before the launch of a new programme. As a result, and after negotiations with the General Dental Council (GDC), which sets the standards for new dental schools, we have decided regrettably that we are unable to start the dentistry programme in September.

"We are continuing discussions about the timing of the launch."

The university did not want to comment further.

It remains unclear how many students had signed up for the course before it was put on hold. However, its deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Alistair Alcock, said: "We deeply regret this delay and the uncertainty this is causing the students.

"We are making every effort to help them to find alternative courses."

The dental academy's registrar, Atul Patel, did not want to comment and advised the Mercury to contact the university.

Had the course begun in September, students would have been taught in a Phoenix cinema auditorium when it was not in use showing films. They would have trained on model heads.

The arrangement would be lucrative for the publicly-funded Phoenix.

Confidential minutes of Phoenix board meetings, previously leaked to the Mercury, showed the venue was set to be paid £500,000 over the first five years by LDTA for hiring the venue.

In the long-term, LDTA's plans include building a £6 million dental school and clinic next to the Phoenix, although planning permission has not yet been sought.

Phoenix chief executive John Rance told the Mercury: "This is an interesting business opportunity for Phoenix, but it is important for everyone to know we had not factored it into our budgeting or financial planning. I feel fairly neutral about it. It's part and parcel of discussing opportunities with people."

As previously reported by the Mercury, the proposal by the Phoenix to host the academy had caused division among board members

De Montfort University's (DMU) two representatives resigned after raising concerns about the scheme.

DMU provided £750,000 towards the £21.5 million cost of the Phoenix building when it opened in 2009.

It said it would keep paying the £20,000 a year it gives to the Phoenix as part of its partnership deal.

The Mercury attempted to contact the General Dental Council for a comment, but nobody was available.

Leicester dental academy plan is put on hold

City secondary school judged outstanding by Ofsted

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A city secondary school has leapt from satisfactory to outstanding in just three years.

Babington Community College, in Beaumont Leys, has been given the good news by Ofsted inspectors who visited the 700-roll school before the Easter holidays.

The inspectors said students were making outstanding progress at the school and the overall quality of teaching was outstanding.

Head teacher Denise Newsome, who has led the school since 2008, said: "I'm delighted with this news. It recognises all the hard work of staff, students, parents and governors. It's been a real team effort and I'm incredibly grateful."

When Mrs Newsome took over, 20 per cent of pupils were achieving the Government's benchmark of five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths, at GCSE.

Babington's results last summer were its best-ever, with 45 per cent of pupils achieving the benchmark.

That figure is still below the national average of 59 per cent, however, inspectors said pupils' achievement was still rising strongly.

They highlighted the school's rigorous tracking of pupils' progress so under-achievement can be quickly identified and support put in place.

Inspectors praised the head teacher for being an "inspirational" principal and said staff considered her "phenomenal" for her relentless drive for improvement.

Mrs Newsome said: "We've raised the bar in terms of pupil aspiration. They know they need to aim high and with hard work they can achieve whatever they want to. As part of that, we've developed strong links with universities so students get a feel for what it's like.

"We have audited every teacher's strengths so they can share their knowledge and practice with others, and we have a good relationship with parents so they can be part of their children's learning.

"Every child is closely monitored. As the report points out, this isn't about headline figures, it's about the progress every pupil makes, whether they start late in year 10 or 11 or arrive not speaking any English at all.

"I passionately believe every child can have a bright future and we can make a difference as teachers. That is what's behind my relentless drive."

Inspectors said teachers planned appropriate tasks to match pupils' abilities, behaviour was good and the school provided outstanding support to improve literacy, particularly for those students newly-arrived in the country.

Teacher training was highlighted as consistently good or outstanding. To improve even further they said even more of the teaching should be outstanding.

Pupil Abdlahi Hassan, 14, said: "I think Babington's outstanding because of the behaviour system and the way teachers get the best out of everyone.

Fellow student Molly Fitzjohn, 16, said: "Teachers always take extra time to help you succeed."

In February, Mrs Newsome was told the school was among the 100 most improved in the country for pupil progress last summer and was congratulated by schools minister David Laws.

Leicester West MP Liz Kendall said: "This is a phenomenal achievement, and every student and member of staff deserves huge praise.

"Backed by strong support from the council, Babington has shown we can achieve outstanding schools in all parts of our city."

Vi Dempster, ward councillor for Beaumont Leys and the city council's cabinet lead for schools, said: "My congratulations go to all those at Babington and particularly the head teacher."

Work began to rebuild the school last week as part of a £13 million redevelopment under the city council's Building Schools for the Future programme.

City secondary school judged outstanding by Ofsted

Barbecuing up for US-style treat

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The succulent, wood-smoked world of American barbecue is about to hit Leicestershire.

Husband and wife champion barbecuing team Scott and Lyndsey Lane, from Hugglescote, are working with America's Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) to launch the organisation's first official barbecue cook-off in England.

The KCBS organises some of America's biggest barbecue competitions, with first prizes of up to $100,000 being awarded to the finest food from hundreds of hungry participants.

Now, teams from the UK, USA, Ireland, Germany and Netherlands are among those expected to take part in the Leicestershire event, called Q on the Canal, which will involve a KCBS crew jetting in from the States to assist.

Barbecue-loving Ashby School teacher Lyndsey, 43, said: "It's going to be fantastic.

"It's the first of its kind in England and we'll have loads of other things going on during the day – but the main event will be the barbecuing."

The chefs will be pitting their pulled pork and beef brisket against each other at the Globe Inn, in Snarestone, on Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26.

They will be assessed by licensed judges, who must take a course and recite an oath before qualifying as an official adjudicator.

American-style barbecuing involves slowly-cooked joints of meat, rather than the traditional burgers and sausages.

Hunk of beef brisket and pork shoulder are cooked over coals and wood smoke for up to 18 hours to create tender joints.

Self-employed fishing pole repair man and fellow barbecue fan Scott, 44, said: "We've been competing in barbecue competitions since about 2008 and managed to win all sorts of prizes in England and the USA.

"I love barbecue – it's the food that gets you hooked, but then it's the camaraderie and the friends you make.

"It's a bit of a cliche, but they call it a barbecue family – we've got more friends in the States than we have in England and we're always going to visit."

Scott and Lyndsey compete under the name Miss Piggy's BBQ, and already have a long list of trophies for their efforts.

They are two-time British champions, current European champions and were the highest-placed team outside of the USA at the Jack Daniel's World Championships, held in Tennessee, last year – finishing 25th out of 87 teams.

Scott said: "We want to bring the feel of American barbecue to England. I

"t's completely different to our traditional burgers and sausages – I told an American about our summer barbecues once and he laughed and said 'that's just grilling'.

"Then he showed me photo of his barbecue pit and my eyes lit up.

"I want other people to come down in May and get as inspired as I was."

Scott and Lyndsey are donating proceeds from the cooking event to Help for Heroes.

"The more people attend, the more we can donate," said Scott.

Teams will be competing for a place at KCBS tournaments in Las Vegas, Kansas City and Lynchburg, in Tennessee.

Barbecuing up for US-style treat

Ben Youngs says Leicester Tigers are peaking at right time

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Scrum-half Ben Youngs believes Leicester Tigers are right where they want to be as the finishing line approaches.

Youngs scored two tries for Tigers in yesterday's 35-16 victory over London Wasps at Welford Road, which kept them firmly on course for a home semi-final in the play-offs.

Games at Bath, on Saturday, then at home to London Irish round off the regular season. One win from those two should secure home advantage for Tigers.

"I think we are right where we want to be, playing some of our best rugby for a long time," said Youngs, who scored Tigers' first try before adding the fourth early in the second half.

"We are peaking at the right time," he said. "We have two more games and then, hopefully, a home semi-final. I think that if you look across the board us and Saracens are the in-form teams. Our squad is tremendous.

"We were able to rest a few players and people like Rob Hawkins, Steve Mafi and Graham Kitchener all slotted in."

Tigers' fans will have been particularly pleased to see Mafi back in action after an 11-week absence with a hamstring injury suffered in the Heineken Cup group game at home to Toulouse.

Mafi, who started yesterday's match in the back-row with Jordan Crane and Julian Salvi, made a considerable impact before being replaced for the second 40 minutes.

"Steve had a really great half," said Youngs. "He has pace for such a big guy. He is huge for us in terms of our phase play and his strength makes him a real danger."

Tigers' players also had the task of putting to bed the Heineken Cup defeat at Toulon. They could easily have been flat at the start of the Wasps game after the effort they put in against the French giants but that was far from the case.

Youngs said: "We had a really great start. We dealt with Tom Varndell and Christian Wade, who are tremendous finishers.

"From our point of view, we controlled the ball well. We got the bonus-point try early in the second half and probably dropped off a bit.

"But there were a lot of things we wanted to get out of our system and, with our physicality in the first 40 minutes, we managed to do that."

Ben Youngs says Leicester Tigers are peaking at right time


Basketball: Leicester Riders into play-off semi-finals

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Leicester Riders moved a step closer to Wembley with a 14-point aggregate win over London Lions in their play-off quarter-finals.

Having won by just a single basket in the first leg, the Jelson Homes DMU-backed Riders were 73-61 victors on Saturday night to set up this weekend's semi-final with a 143-129 aggregate win.

Their opponents won't be confirmed until after tonight's other quarter-final second legs.

The eighth seeds gave Leicester a difficult 80 minutes over the two legs, but the champions always looked the more likely and eased home in the final quarter.

Anthony Rowe and Drew Sullivan were too much for the Lions to handle, combining for 47 points and 16 rebounds.

In front of another sell-out crowd, all bedecked in red T-shirts the club had given out free of charge in their play-off push, Rowe helped Leicester off to a good start.

He netted six points and Jay Couisnard the other five as Leicester began with an 11-4 lead.

With the Lions determined to contest everything and make it a physical affair, they came back to level the game at 19-all early in the second period.

A spell of eight unanswered points by the visitors saw them move 27-22 in front and ahead by three on aggregate.

But Sullivan and Rowe led Riders to an 11-4 finish to the first half to re-establish the lead at 35-31.

Rowe continued that run at the start of the second half as the lead moved out to eight points, but the Lions hit back to again move ahead.

Again Sullivan and Rowe responded, with the GB captain hitting from behind the arc to give Leicester a six point aggregate cushion.

With just over a quarter to go, the game and the tie were still in the balance as Jordan Spencer tied it at 45-45 with three free throws.

But as has happened so many times this season, with the finish line in sight, Riders turned up the defensive intensity and blew their opponents away.

Leicester held London scoreless for more than six minutes, poured in 13 unanswered points at the other end and, with five minutes left, were 58-45 clear and into the semi-finals.

As they had in the first leg, Riders struggled from the free-throw line in the first three quarterS, but when the Lions tried to use it as a tactic to get back into the game, Leicester made 13 of their last 14 foul shots to shut the door.

Rowe was a rebound away from a double-double, while Sullivan had four assists and two steals to go with his points and rebounds.

Riders 73: Rowe 24, Sullivan 23, Couisnard 8, Taylor 7, Calvo 4, Lamble 3, Williams 2, Anderson 2

Lions 61: Lawson 12, Martin 11, Jackman 9, Brown 9, Ogedengbe 8, Sturt 7, Spencer 5

Basketball: Leicester Riders into play-off semi-finals

Warning as scam letter claims 'lottery' cash win

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A woman has warned people not to fall for a lottery scam after she was sent a letter saying she had won £700,000.

In the letter, Christine Watts, of the Narborough Road area of Leicester, was told her numbers had come up on the "Euromillions Commonwealth of Nations online lottery programme".

The document – which featured the official Olympics and Euromillions logos – asked Mrs Watts for her bank details and a variety of personal information.

It told her to not make public her "win" to "avoid unwarranted abuse of the programme or fraudulent acts from criminal-minded and unauthorised persons".

"I knew it was a scam and that was obvious to me when I read the letter," said Mrs Watts, a 60-year-old receptionist.

"But they are crafty devils and I know people can be taken in by these things.

"It has the Euromillions lottery logo on and the rest, so I think people could be taken in by it if they didn't know any better."

The letter, purportedly sent by a Chris Phillips, stated: "This is a tax-free draw and all participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 40,000,000 individuals worldwide."

It stated that to claim the money, Mrs Watts had to contact a named person on a given number at a named "government-licensed lottery payment claim agency".

When the Leicester Mercury called the number, a man answered the phone and said he was from the agency named on the letter.

However, when we identified ourselves as calling from a newspaper and questioned the validity of the letter, the man said he was not from the agency.

Before hanging up, he said: "This is my home number. I have had a few calls like this in the past few days."

Leicester City Council said it had received reports of similar scam letters.

Roman Leszczyszyn, head of business regulation at the council, said: "People are bombarded every day by scams. We know of four recent scam attempts in Leicester in which the Euromillions brand was misused. There would have been more but most are unreported.

"We want to remind people that advice is available if they do receive a suspicious letter of this nature."

Anybody who thinks they might have received a scam contact of this nature can report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at:

www.actionfraud.police.uk

Anyone who has fallen victim to a scam can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040 506.

Warning as scam letter claims 'lottery' cash win

Gambling addict burgled a friend's home for cash

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A compulsive gambler committed a "mean and nasty" burglary at the home of his friends.

Ahmed Amijee (19), who had previously baby-sat for the family, secretly took a spare key to get a copy made.

He then waited until they went on a trip and helped himself to £3,000 of jewellery. He sold it for £1,500 – and gambled it all on roulette and blackjack in a casino.

At Leicester Crown Court on Friday, Amijee was sentenced to 12 months' detention.

Neil Bannister, prosecuting, said Amijee let himself into the house in Normanton Road, off East Park Road, Leicester, using the copied key on October 25 last year. A neighbour spotted him on the premises and phoned the mother-of-three who lived at the house.

Amijee spoke to the woman, on the neighbour's phone, and falsely claimed he had been walking past, seen the front door was open and had gone inside to check.

Mr Bannister said Amijee was a friend of the woman's husband and son, and the family had given him work experience as a plumber's mate.

Mr Bannister said: "The day after returning home she realised a bracelet with two diamonds, a necklace and a gold bangle were missing.

"They had belonged to her now deceased mother and were of great sentimental value."

Amijee, of Fairfield Street, Spinney Hills, Leicester, pleaded guilty to the burglary.

The court heard he had been given a police caution for an almost identical offence on Christmas Day in 2011, after he stole house keys from another friend's mother.

On that occasion, he entered the home in St Saviour's Road, North Evington, Leicester, and took a laptop, money box, two mobile phones and a watch. The laptop and one of the mobiles were recovered.

One of Amijee's brothers personally compensated the victims with £400 for the missing watch and a phone.

The brother had also given £1,500 to the victim from Normanton Road who lost the jewellery, by way of compensation, and the defendant had personally apologised, said Nadine Khan, mitigating.

Ms Khan added that her client "regrets what happened and knows he shouldn't have done it".

"Although the offence was planned, it was because of a compulsive gambling habit," she said.

"It began with gaming machines and got out of control.

"He's now stopped gambling. He feels he's brought shame on his family."

Judge Ebraham Mooncey said the offence was "mean and nasty".

He said: "You were a friend of the victim's son and also baby-sat for the family.

"When a neighbour confronted you, you had the gall and nerve to say you were being a good samaritan, having seen the door was open.

"It was a huge breach of trust."

Gambling addict burgled a friend's home for cash

We can win all our final four games – Leicester City's Jeff Schlupp

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Leicester City striker Jeff Schlupp said he fully believes they can win their final four games to break into the play-off places.

Birmingham's last-minute equaliser from the penalty spot on Friday night meant City have now won just one game out of their last 13.

They are eighth and two points adrift of sixth place with only four games remaining, starting with tomorrow night's visit of Bolton Wanderers, who leapfrogged into the play-off places on Saturday.

City boss Nigel Pearson has admitted City may need to win all four, which are all against top-six sides, and Schlupp said, despite the poor run, he knows City have what it takes to achieve it.

"We have four games left and I am really confident we will secure those four and get into the play-off spot," said the 20-year-old, who thought he had secured a vital win for City on Friday with his superb 75th-minute header.

"People know we tend to do better against the bigger teams so, at the end of the day, it is just another game and, hopefully, we will get the win.

"It looked as though we had done everything we could to get the win we needed but we have to just pick ourselves up now and go again.

"The mood in the dressing room (after the game) wasn't nice but we are big men and will pick ourselves up.

"Hopefully, we can win the last four games and get into that play-off spot."

Schlupp has started the last two games in attack and impressed with his performance against Birmingham, although he admits he should have taken more of the chances that fell his way.

"I am back playing up top, where I feel most comfortable. I am happy with that. I have done decent in the last few games. I was gutted with the chances I missed because I did have a few.

"Normally, I back myself in those positions.

"Paul Robinson pulled off a good tackle on one when it just wouldn't sit down for me.

"That is why I was quite gutted I didn't put them away, but I was pleased with the goal.

"When that header went in it was a big relief to finally get that goal. It was great delivery from Matty James and I got a good run and jump, but I just closed my eyes really. I just saw it go in, It was a great feeling."

We can win all our final four games – Leicester City's Jeff Schlupp

Leicester Tigers favourites for home semi-final in Aviva Premiership

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Leicester Tigers returned to Welford Road in style with a five-try showing against old rivals Wasps.

The result means they will be big favourites for a home Aviva Premiership semi-final in the play-offs after pulling eight points clear of third-placed Harlequins with just two games to go.

Ben Youngs scored two of Leicester's tries and was in sensational form all around the pitch as he, and captain Toby Flood, pulled the strings in midfield on Tigers' first appearance on home soil for six weeks.

Graham Kitchener, Rob Hawkins and Adam Thompstone added the others as Leicester were never really threatened after racing into a 21-3 lead after 35 minutes.

With director of rugby Richard Cockerill pulling several of his big-name players long before the final whistle, there will still be plenty of legs in the squad for this weekend's trip to Bath.

Leicester dominated the opening 10 minutes with Anthony Allen looking very dangerous in midfield.

Flood had already missed one penalty when he opened the scoring on 13 minutes from almost exactly the same place on the field.

The 27-year-old added a second penalty soon after, before Tigers scored their first try of a superb first half.

Youngs was the man to dive over the line from close range after the home side had slipped through a dozen phases.

The second try came just five minutes later when lock Kitchener barged through the tackle of winger Christian Wade again, after Tigers had built pressure with good continuity. Flood's conversion attempt from wide on the left was off target

Wade was soon off the pitch with injury and fly-half Nick Robinson was the second Wasp to leave the field before the half-hour mark as the already-depleted visitors suffered more injury misery.

Tommy Bell got Wasps on the board 10 minutes before the interval and added another kick with the final act of the first period.

But they came in between Tigers' third try, which was finished by hooker Rob Hawkins as Tigers again sucked the life out of the Wasps defence with over a dozen phases of powerful runs and half-breaks.

Flood hit the post with his conversion in a swirling wind but Tigers led 21-6 at the interval.

The home side only needed three second-half minutes to secure a try bonus point.

Turning down a kick at goal, they called for a scrum in front of the posts and Jordan Crane's lovely pass to Youngs created space for the scrum-half's second try of the day.

Tommy Bell was in the sin-bin by this time for a deliberate knock-on and, after Elliot Daly had landed a long-range penalty, Leicester scored their fifth try close to the hour mark.

A Tom Waldrom break was followed by quick hands on the left from Ed Slater and Thompstone was in for his ninth try of the season.

He was given an agonising wait and spared some serious blushes though as the TMO was asked to check whether his foot had gone into touch as he ran around to try and get under the posts.

With the score at 35-9 with 20 minutes left, it looked like it could get messy for the visitors. But Tigers used the whole of their bench, with the game well won, and lost the ascendency.

Daly scored a sensational individual try and former Tiger Tom Varndell was ignored in acres of space with 10 minutes to go to end the chance of a scoring a try that could have given his team an outside sniff of a remarkable comeback.

There was plenty of attacking rugby late on but no further scores and Tigers left the field to the delight of another 24,000 sell-out.

Leicester Tigers favourites for home semi-final in Aviva Premiership

'My injuries are healing, but I can't rest until thug is caught'

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A man who suffered horrific injuries when he was knocked unconscious during a night out has made a renewed appeal for help tracing his attacker.

The 36-year-old was left with a shattered cheekbone and eye socket and a dislocated jaw after the apparently motiveless attack in Belvoir Street, Leicester city centre.

An appeal in the Leicester Mercury in February did result in a number of names being passed to police.

However, detectives say they are keen to hear from more potential witnesses or people who believe they know the attacker's identity.

The victim, who has asked not to be named, was walking along Belvoir Street when he accidentally brushed shoulders with his attacker.

As he turned to apologise, the stranger punched him in the face without warning. The single blow knocked him unconscious.

"That single punch smashed my left cheekbone, broke my eye socket and dislodged my jaw," he said.

"The physical affects of the assault are starting to get better, but I still have that sense that justice needs to be done.

"The only way that is going to happen is if this man is caught. I don't think I'll be able to settle until that happens.

"It's a few months since it happened but I'm still having trouble sleeping – and when I do get to sleep I still have nightmares about it.

"I even went to the place in Belvoir Street where the attack happened because I thought it might help me in some way to get over it.

"I don't go out at night any more, so I went during the day. I'm not sure if it did any good or not. I'll have to wait and see."

The victim has released a photograph showing his injured face two days after the attack, which happened at 3.25am on Sunday, December 16, near the junction with Bowling Green Street.

The victim and his wife spoke to the Leicester Mercury in February in their first appeal for help trace the thug.

His wife said then: "I don't think any words can describe how I felt when I got to the hospital and saw what this man had done to my husband.

"I've seen the effect it's had on him. He will sit up in bed in the night with a jolt because he is still having nightmares about it.

"What makes it worse is that the person who did this to him has not been caught."

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they wish to speak to regarding the assault.

Detective Constable Andy Spence, of the force's serious crime team, said: "This is not going to go away until we trace the person who did this to this man.

"The victim needs this man to be caught so he can move on with his life.

"I would still appeal to people to come forward with names. Even if they are not sure, we will investigate those people and will rule them out if necessary."

The suspect is white, about 5ft 10in and in his mid-20s to mid-30s.

He has short, dark, spiky hair and was wearing a long-sleeved dark top, jeans and white trainers.

Contact Det Con Spence on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

'My injuries are healing, but I can't rest until thug is  caught'

Sainsbury's could call time on a busy city centre pub

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A busy pub could be turned into a Sainsbury's store.

The supermarket giant has lodged plans to convert Varsity, in London Road, Leicester, into a shop.

Should the application be approved by Leicester City Council, Varsity would close and be replaced by the store.

Paul Sellers, Sainsbury's regional acquisitions manager, said: "Sainsbury's is in negotiations to open a convenience store at the Varsity public house, subject to planning and licensing.

"If successful, we hope to be open towards the end of the year, providing local people with more choice and up to 30 full and part-time jobs."

Last year, the Leicester Mercury reported that Sainsbury's was interested in opening a branch on the former site of Page & Moy travel agents, near Varsity.

The site was vacated by the travel firm when it moved to Market Harborough in 2006.

However, the chain put that plan on hold when it was refused permission to sell alcohol at the store because of issues with anti-social behaviour in the area.

Mr Sellers told the Mercury the company was no longer interested in the Page & Moy site.

It is understood Sainsbury's believes it has a better chance of securing an off-licence for its new proposed site because the pub is already serving alcohol on the premises.

Planners at the city council are considering the scheme.

Officials at the authority have received more than 20 letters of objection to the plan.

They range from concerns that an off-licence will increase anti-social behaviour and street drinking, to the potential for traffic problems.

Some residents fear more cars are likely to be drawn to a shop than a pub, and the plan includes no extra parking. They fear nearby streets will become clogged up with the parked cars of shoppers.

Some objections centre on concerns that a major chain store setting up could harm nearby independent shops. Newsagent Manish Radia, who runs the Mercury News Shop nearby, said: "I've been here for about three-and-a-half years and I've built up a good business. That's all going to go to waste if Sainsbury's move in.

"They've been denied an alcohol licence once, because police are concerned about street drinkers in the area.

"If they start selling strong alcohol it'll be like attracting moths to a flame, and people will hang out outside the shop, and some will be up to no good."

Stoneygate ward councillor Lucy Chaplin has objected to the move.

In a letter to planners, she said: "At the Tesco Express store further down London Road, the problems of cars being parked up when someone pops in to shop has been a very real inconvenience and danger to traffic.

"Recently, no-waiting cones have been put in place outside the shop. That does nothing for the street scene and that would have to be the case if another supermarket opened further up the road."

Sainsbury's has recently opened a store in Narborough Road, on the other side of the city, and is creating a superstore on the old GE Lighting site in Melton Road, Rushey Mead.

The Mercury contacted Varsity for a comment, but the manager said she preferred not to give one.

Sainsbury's  could call time on a busy city centre pub


Leicester Tigers set sights on top spot

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Leicester Tigers booked a place in the Aviva Premiership play-offs but now have bigger targets in their sights.

A 35-16 victory over Wasps on their first showing at Welford Road in six weeks delighted a 24,000 sell-out crowd.

One more win from games at Bath and at home to London Irish will secure a home semi-final, but director of rugby Richard Cockerill is hoping to go one better and topple a Saracens side four points ahead of them.

"The home semi-final is in our grasp but we want to finish top if we can," he said.

"That will rely on Saracens slipping up somewhere but they are fighting on two fronts (domestic and Europe) so let's hope they go all the way and wear themselves out."

Cockerill said his side had put in a "half-decent performance" after they ran in five tries against a Wasps outfit without half of its regulars. And he was pleased there was no hangover from last weekend in Toulon.

"There was a danger from the last couple of weeks that we could be a bit flat but it was 'job done' and five points," said Cockerill.

"Over a 36-game season, it is hard to beat the drum every week. Last week was a must-win game and we beat the drum. This week, you cannot keep saying the same things.

"We had a low-key week and only trained twice which left everyone freshened-up and ready to play.

"It was half-decent performance and there were some bits to improve on.

"We were a bit disjointed when we took people off to protect them but the win keeps third and fourth place far enough away from us with a couple of weekends to go."

Tigers withdrew England trio Geoff Parling (shoulder), Tom Croft (back) and Tom Youngs (ankle) on the day of the game and then took off Steve Mafi and Dan Cole at half-time.

But Cockerill insisted all five should be fit for selection for this week's trip to Bath.

"Parling, Croft and Tom Youngs probably could have played but there was no point in risking them," said Cockerill. "They trained yesterday and we took them to the line but we made the call not to take them out there.

"We took Mafi off as a precaution because he has not played for 11 weeks."

Leicester Tigers set sights on top spot

Couple's plea to burglar who 'stole 10 years of memories'

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A burglary victim today makes a heartfelt and direct plea to the intruder who ransacked her home and stole a computer hard drive on which she had stored hundreds of family photographs.

Ruth Rolinson's home in Groby was raided while she and her husband, John, were enjoying an Easter break.

A burglar emptied 61-year-old Mrs Rolinson's jewellery box and stole her husband's laptop.

However, the greatest loss was a battered old computer hard drive, on which she had stored hundreds of treasured images.

As the pain of her loss of a decade of family history sank in, Mrs Rolinson sat down and wrote an open letter to the intruder.

The Leicester Mercury publishes it in full today (see panel below).

"These photographs represent 10 years of my life and are absolutely irreplaceable," she said.

"I am absolutely heartbroken they have gone and I just wanted to express that.

"You never know, the letter might just prick the burglar's conscience and they will do something to get the hard drive back to me.

"Also, someone in the village might have seen it discarded somewhere and hadn't thought anything of it. There were hundreds of photographs stored in it. There were holidays with my family, with my mum and with friends.

"There are pictures of my two brothers and their families as well as special occasions such as friends retiring from work as well as our two daughters and their partners.

"We have a fabulous family and a wonderful circle of friends and they are all in there somewhere."

The couple's home, in the centre of the village, was burgled while they were away for a few days. They came home early when they contacted about the break-in.

"It was awful when we saw what they had done," Mrs Rolinson said. "They hadn't made such a mess downstairs, but they went through all the rooms upstairs.

"They pulled open all the drawers, cupboards and wardrobes and threw the clothes everywhere.

"They were looking for small valuable items, I suppose.

"They emptied my jewellery box and took my husband's laptop. I imagine they took everything away in a bag.

" I am usually a very strong person and my husband is too, but this has absolutely floored us.

"We are insured, so I will be able to buy more jewellery – but I won't enjoy spending the insurance money because I will be replacing pieces of jewellery which are, in many cases, simply irreplaceable.

"Now I want to see if anyone can help us find the hard drive. I just hope that the letter will have some effect. I never thought someone would want to steal the hard drive – it's just a small box held together with electrician's tape and is of no monetary value to anyone."

Police are investigating the break-in, which they believe happened between 2.30pm on Sunday, March 31 and the following Tuesday.

A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said the intruder broke in by forcing open a back door.

The Leicester Mercury reported last week that total recorded crime in Leicestershire fell by 13 per cent from 68,151 offences in the 12 months between April 2011, and March 2012, to 58,805 in the past year.

The number of homes burgled fell from 4,231 in 2011/12 to 3,935 in the past year.

Information about the break-in at the Rolinsons' home can be passed to police on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Couple's plea to burglar who  'stole 10 years of memories'

VIDEO: Parents' new hope their little girl will walk and talk for first time

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A bubbly three-year-old girl could soon be able to walk and talk for the first time after she was diagnosed with a condition which affects just 500 people in the world.

Fields Taylor has Glut1 Deficiency, which means her brain is starved of energy because her body cannot produce and transport the glucose it needs to function properly. While the condition is complex and hard to manage, her parents, Stevie and David, of Asfordby, are thrilled to finally know why their daughter has been poorly since she was just 15 weeks old.

Now she has been diagnosed, Fields can begin a specialist, high-fat diet designed to combat the condition.

The treatment could see her walk within months and begin to learn to speak – skills her parents feared she might never develop.

Mum Stevie, 34, said: "When the doctor finally gave us a name for Fields' condition, it was just amazing.

"People say they don't like to be categorised, but actually all we strived for was a label.

"Not we know what she's got, and what we can do – and for them to tell us it wasn't our fault, that there was nothing we could have done, meant a lot."

Fields appeared healthy when she was born, but at 15 weeks suffered her first seizure, while her mum was feeding her.

She was rushed to hospital but after dozens of tests – and more seizures every three to six months – doctors had no idea what was wrong.

Stevie, an accountant, said: "The tests were coming back negative, and while it was a relief when you found out it wasn't something serious, we still had no idea what it was.

"All you want is for your child to be the same as everyone else."

As she grew up, Fields did not learn to sit or stand at the same rate as other youngsters her age, and cannot speak.

Stevie said: "The easiest way to describe it is she is constantly running on flat batteries. She can stand holding on to furniture for a little bit, and she can walk a few steps holding on to your hand, but she is non-verbal."

After one seizure just before Christmas, tests revealed Fields' sugar levels were low.

That finding prompted doctors to do more tests and, coupled with information discovered by geneticists at Leicester Royal Infirmary from DNA and blood samples taken a year earlier, experts finally found out why Fields was poorly.

Doctors told Stevie that some of Fields' genes were missing, and the deletion in her DNA had caused her to have Glut1.

There is no known cure for the disease, which affects just 25 people in the UK, but children can be helped with a special diet called the ketogenic diet.

Low in carbohydrates and sugar – which Fields' body cannot turn into energy for her brain – the diet is high in fat, forcing her brain to use this as its primary and alternative energy source.

"She can't have cake, she can't have sweets, she can't have McDonald's, and that is her diet for the rest of her life," said Stevie, who will start Fields on the diet this week.

"It is going to be very, very hard.

"For example, they have said she can maybe have a digestive biscuit – but only if she has no other carbs that day and it is covered in butter.

"Fingers crossed it will work. There are no guarantees but the consultant said that one other boy he saw with it was barely able to walk properly, and then three weeks after starting the diet he waltzed into this office and he had to question whether it was the same child.

"We can only hope and keep our fingers crossed."

Fields' consultant, Dr Mark Sharrard, specialises in metabolics at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, and has a monthly clinic at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

He said: "Fields' condition is very unusual. We are aiming to treat her with a ketogenic diet, which has been shown to significantly benefit patients with this condition.

"There is an active research project into a new treatment of this condition in America.

"We hope this trial will yield positive results for families, and I would aim to give any new treatments of proven benefit to my Glut1 patients here. We will continue to treat Fields and support her for as long as she needs our care."

How you can help Fields' mum and dad want to take her to a conference in Texas in July, where they can meet the doctor who discovered the syndrome and world-leading specialists to find out about the rare condition. It will allow them to meet other sufferers and get tips on coping with the strict diet. The trip will cost £5,000. They are hosting a barn dance in Asfordby Village Hall on June 22, and are looking for individuals and companies to donate raffle prizes. To donate a prize, e-mail: fieldstaylorandglut1@yahoo.co.uk To donate money, visit: http://gogetfunding.com//fields-and-glut-1-1

VIDEO: Parents' new hope their little girl will walk and talk for first time

We need to win all our matches - Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson

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Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson admitted his side probably have to win all four of their remaining games to reach the play-offs.

Pearson said: "It's still do-able for us, but really we've now got to win our last four games."

That run will have to start with a win against a resurgent Bolton tomorrow, who are now in the play-off places after finding form.

In contrast, Birmingham's last-minute penalty equaliser at the King Power Stadium on Friday night stretched City's winless streak to nine games.

Pearson's men have slipped to eighth in the table, two points off the play-offs with those four games remaining.

However, all of those games are against sides above them in the table, giving City the chance to make up the lost ground.

Pearson admitted his side need to find a win quickly.

"We've got to win the next one, and we've been saying that for a long time now," he said.

"At this moment in time when we've just come off the back of a performance in which the players showed quite a bit of courage to get out there playing in a very positive fashion, it's difficult," said Pearson after the Birmingham game.

"I thought it was a very interesting tactical game as well and we created a lot of very good scoring opportunities.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to win the game but the players were positive about how they approached it.

"We've got games left in which we play teams above us and we've got to do everything we can to beat them, because we've still got the opportunity to make some in-roads.

"To get so close to securing three points was tough on the team, but we're going to have to bounce back."

David Nugent lost possession in a dangerous area and then conceded the last-minute penalty, and Pearson admitted his side must cut out the mistakes which are costing them so dearly. City were also guilty of wasting a host of great goalscoring chances.

"We've created enough chances to win the game comfortably," he said.

"Unfortunately I've got to talk now about the equalising goal, which was avoidable, but we really should have won the game.

"It's hard on us, but the situation for the equaliser was avoidable.

"Unfortunately for us collectively, mistakes that we are making are costing us dearly. That's two games on the trot now where we've been ahead with a few minutes to go and we've only got two points from those games.

"That is very difficult for us to deal with at the minute."

We need to win  all our matches -  Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson

Basketball: Leicester Riders wait to find out semi-final opponents

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Leicester Riders will need to wait until tonight before finding out their opponents in the semi-finals of the BBL play-offs. Riders made it through from the quarter-finals when they narrowly beat the London Lions in both games, winning 143-129 points on aggregate. The only other tie decided at the weekend was the fourth/fifth place tie – when Surrey Heat prevailed over the Worcester Wolves. The Wolves won at home by three, but Surrey won by six at home on Sunday, winning the tie 154-151. Second-placed Newcastle Eagles will take a 15-point lead to Sheffield for their match-up with the Sharks tonight and remain favourites to progress. Sixth-place Plymouth Raiders shocked the third-placed Glasgow Rocks in Scotland yesterday winning 82-71 and will be favourites to progress when the same two teams meet tonight, in Plymouth. Riders will face the lowest placed team to progress, which could be Sheffield, Plymouth or Surrey – with the likelihood now Plymouth. Riders' home leg will be played next Sunday at Loughborough University (4.00) irrespective of the opposition because as it has been selected as the Sky TV live game for next weekend.

Basketball: Leicester Riders wait to find out semi-final opponents

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