A life-saving piece of kit has been officially unveiled thanks to fund-raising by villagers.

They decided to set about raising more than £3,000 for defibrillators after concerns that ambulances struggled to find some homes in Barkby and Barkby Thorpe.

One of the driving forces behind the project was retired ambulance man John Barnes.

There have been several times – the last in 2008 – when the 65-year-old has called 999 but East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) crews have not been able to find his Barkby home.

Mr Barnes, who has heart problems, said: "Over the years, I have had to call an ambulance four or five times and they have struggled to find the house because it doesn't come up on the satellite navigation system.

"I was invited to Emas headquarters, in Nottingham, and told the information on how to find the house had been recorded and stored.

"But when I made an emergency call the information wasn't flagged up.

"There must be hundreds of other places that aren't on a sat nav."

At the time, Ian Donnelly, Emas general manager for Leicestershire and Rutland, apologised and said: "The stored information was not flagged up as it should have been and for this we apologise."

He said there are about three other houses in the village with addresses that do not tally with the post code.

The Barkby Heartbeat group was formed after discussions at the Syston Jubilee Medical Practice patient group, of which Mr Barnes is chairman, and fund-raising began.

One defibrillator has been installed at the village hall.

A second is due to go up in the Molt Shovel pub and it is hoped a third will be installed in Barkby Thorpe.

One of the donations, £400, came from The Pochin School, Barkby.

Stephen Cotton, the head teacher, said: "We thought donating to the project was a really good thing to do.

"We have a lot of parents and grandparents visiting the school, as well as Parent Teacher Association events, so there are potentially hundreds of people attending events each year, some of whom might need a defibrillator."

An Emas spokesman said: "Our 999 control centre has technology to help us find patients and in our vehicles we use satellite navigation, road maps and our own knowledge to get to the right location.

"However, vital minutes can be wasted if we are not able to identify the house where the patient is because of poor, or no house numbers."

He said it helped if someone stood outside the house as the ambulance arrived or, if at night, switching on all the house lights. Michael Barnett-Connolly, Emas head of community response, said: "When it comes to cardiac arrest, seconds count and the use of a defibrillator can save a life.

"It is important community groups and organisations who have held fund-raising initiatives and bought defibrillators remembered to tell us so we can record it.

"When we receive a 999 call from the area, we can tell the caller there is a defibrillator nearby and treatment can begin while we travel to the scene."

The owner of a fish and chip shop in Leicester will be attempting to bag a Guinness World Record tomorrow.

Paul Martin, who owns Millennium Fish Bar, in Saffron Lane, will be seeing how long it takes him to wrap five bags of chips.

Paul, 44, is hoping to beat the record of 58 seconds, which is held by Steph Celik, who works in Maltby, South Yorkshire.

Steph will be there on Friday to battle it out for the title.

The chips must weigh 350g, have salt-and-vinegar on and be put on a tray and bagged.

Leading up to the event, Paul has been practising his wrapping skills, with a best time of 40 seconds.

"We've been making it into a bit of a competition, I've got everyone trying it and nobody can beat me yet," he said.

Father-of-two Paul, said his 11-year-old son loves the idea of buying the book and seeing his dad's name in it.

Paul said: "I've been taking it really seriously. It will be a great thing to have for the fish and chip shop."

Preparations will be going on all day, but wrapping for the record will begin in the afternoon.

Cases dealt with at Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

Michael Kirk (45), of no fixed address, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to failing to comply with Sexual Offenders Register regulations and thefts from a temple and shops.

He failed to inform police of his address on March 8, stole a charity box from the Geeta Bhavan Temple, Clarendon Park Road, Leicester, on March 1, stole from Sainsbury's on March 23, Tesco Express on March 28, Iceland on April 26 and the Co-Operative Store on April 27.

Joanna May Brown (43), of Church Avenue, West End, Leicester, admitted driving above the 30mph speed limit on Humberstone Road, Leicester on October 23. She was fined £40, with £20 costs, and three penalty points were put on her driving licence.

Ladislav Makula (22), of Woodgreen Walk, off Gipsy Lane, Leicester, admitted using a vehicle without third-party insurance at Redhill Way, Leicester, on February 14. He was fined £100, with £60 costs, a £20 victim surcharge and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 42 days.

Vincent Makula (20), of Woodgreen Walk, off Gipsy Lane, Leicester, pleaded guilty to using a vehicle without third-party insurance at the Redhill Roundabout, Leicester, on February 14. He was fined £100, with £60 costs, a £29 victim surcharge and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 42 days.

Wendy Barbara Saunders (49), of Fulford Road, New Parks, Leicester, admitted using a hand-held mobile phone while driving in Strasborg Drive, Beaumont Leys, on November 28. She was fined £60, with a £20 victim surcharge and £50 costs. Her driving licence was endorsed with three penalty points.

Ryan Mark Spring (26), of Central Close, Whetstone, pleaded guilty to stealing a toothbrush and toothpaste set worth £3.49 from a chemist on High Street, Whetstone, on June 3. He was discharged conditionally or 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

David and Kathleen Newcombe's relationship started nearly 70 years ago with a tossed tomato.

The couple, who celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary yesterday, were working at neighbouring grocery stores in Leicester when they met in 1944.

David, 86, said: "Before we started courting we worked next door to each other and one day Kathleen's boss was having a chat with my boss in the back yard.

"I was being cheeky and went out there to listen in and I saw Kathleen listening in, too.

"So I picked up a tomato, winked at her and threw the tomato right at her and hit her.

"That started our slow courtship."

The couple, who live in Cumberland Road, Wigston, spent the next few years apart as David went away to work for the Merchant Navy.

He said: "I was away until 1947 but we wrote to each other all the time I was away.

"I was in the Indian Ocean when we got engaged. I wrote and asked my mother to take her out and get her fitted for a ring."

The couple married at St Mary's Church, Anstey, on July 3, 1948, and now have four sons, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

The couple will be celebrating their big day with a party at their home and have just got back from marking their anniversary with a holiday in Torquay.

With the sun finally putting its hat on, what better place to enjoy La Dolce Vita than in one of Leicester's famous Brucciani Italian coffee shops.

Throughout this week, Mercury readers have the chance to take up the offer of a free treat at cafes in Fox Lane and Churchgate, in the city centre.

On Monday, it was hot chocolate and cream, followed by ice cream soda on Tuesday.

Yesterday's offer was a delicious lemon split, one of Brucciani's famous specialities, with ice cream cornets made to a special recipe on the menu today.

On Friday, readers can try an authentic Italian Brucciani blend coffee, with the offer ending on Saturday with a tasty, free gingerbread man.

Hayley Grant, store supervisor at Brucciani's Fox Lane cafe, said: "We've seen a lot of people come in to enjoy a treat and take advantage of the Mercury offer.

"It's been a busy week and, with the weather warming up nicely, what better place than Brucciani's to catch up with friends or treat the family.

"We look forward to welcoming many more Mercury readers over the next few days, so why not pop in and enjoy a treat in a friendly atmosphere with excellent service."

Look out in your Mercury today and the next couple of days for your free Brucciani voucher, which you have a week to redeem.

For more information, visit:

www.brucciani.co.uk

It was a trip down memory lane for Sarah Milthorpe as she marked her 106th birthday by visiting her old school and village yesterday.

Sarah was joined by her four children and other family members on a tour of Oakthorpe, near Ashby, where she grew up, Donisthorpe School, which she attended, and Donisthorpe's parish church, where she was married.

At the school, Sarah was invited to an assembly and the children sang happy birthday.

She was presented with a birthday card and a bunch of flowers at the church.

Her granddaughter Rachel Cook, 45, of Groby Road, Leicester, said: "It was so emotional at the school when all the children sang to her, and it was lovely at the church, too."

Sarah, who was born in 1907, was one of 10 children brought up on a smallholding raising pigs. She was married to her late husband Frederick when she was 21 and her family now includes nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

She lives at Preston Lodge, in Leicester, but lived independently until the age of 102.

Sarah said: "I put my old age down to living off the land when I was growing up."

Kirby Muxloe's Jason Palmer fired a course record to be the pick of the Leicestershire golfers competing in the Local Final Qualifying tournaments for the Open.

But his seven-under-par 63 at Dunbar was not enough to secure him a place at Muirfield in two weeks' time.

With only three slots available to get into the Open from each of the four Scottish courses in use at this stage, Palmer went tantalisingly close by finishing in joint-fourth place.

No other Leicestershire professional, or amateur, went closer than Palmer, whose 63 followed up a first-round 71, leaving him in a four-way tie on six-under 134.

The top qualifier at Dunbar was Scottish amateur Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) after his 67-65 cards for a 132 total, with two on 133 – Shiv Kapur (India) and John Wade (Australia).

Palmer, who fired eight birdies in his 63, said: "I knew I had to go low in my second round, and I was really happy with how I played, especially under pressure towards the end. With four birdies in the last five holes, I knew I was in with a shout. I just could not have done more.

"Unfortunately, it was just not quite enough, so that was disappointing.

"But it was great experience and I know it will all prove invaluable in future.

"This was a big occasion and there were so few places, no reserve spots at all, so it was always going to be difficult."

Glen Gorse amateur Ashley Mason also played at Dunbar and he finished on 142 after his 72-70 returns.

Pro Matthew Cort (Rothley) shared 10th on two-under 140 at Musselburgh, where he opened with 73 then hit four-under 67, including five birdies, in his second session.

The top qualifier at Musselburgh was pro Steven Tiley on nine-under 133, winning by three shots.

Whetstone's Craig Shave was competing at North Berwick, where he returned 74-72-146, while Paul Broadhurst and Ian Burnett (Luffenham Heath) also failed to qualify there.

Another County amateur, Cosby's Alastair Kinnaird, posted a total of 150 after his rounds of 74-76 at Gullane No.1 course.

Dozens of staff have written to the chairman of governors at a school to oppose academy conversion proposals.

More than 70 teaching and support staff are believed to have expressed concern over proposals to convert Rushey Mead School, in Leicester, into an academy, in letters to Ann White, chairman of governors.

However, executive head teacher Carolyn Robson has said that about half of these have been withdrawn following "reassurance" over what could happen in the future.

Academies receive funding directly from the Government and have more powers over areas such as curriculum and staff pay.

Leicester's branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) is strenuously opposed to the move, which it claims will "privatise" a publicly-funded site and give parents no local accountability via the city council.

The branch said it will ballot members over potential strike action in the next academic year if the proposal is given the green light.

Rushey Mead, which has about 1,350 pupils, has received a grant of £25,000 to help with potential conversion.

Ian Leaver, assistant branch secretary for Leicester's NUT, said: "Applying for a £25,000 grant ahead of any decision speaks volumes for the school's intentions.

"It's a large sum of money intended to help with legal matters concerned with conversion. Furthermore, the head has claimed the city council would like it to support local primary schools to improve and this can only be done by converting into an academy.

"On the contrary, the city council has made it quite clear that it opposes any such conversion."

In a statement to the Mercury last week, Councillor Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for schools said she could "see no benefit whatsoever" in a conversion.

Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT nationally, was due to visit the school to talk to staff today.

Mrs Robson said: "The consultation process around possible conversion will involve a wide range of stakeholders including staff, parents, the community, other schools, the local authority and our young people.

"We have also begun conversations with groups of staff and individuals to explore what conversion would mean. Staff understandably want to explore any potential changes to contracts, pay, conditions and pensions, and it has been explained if we continue this process we would adopt an approach which would protect all these things.

"The school has drawn up a frequently asked questions sheet for staff where we are collating any issues or questions raised and are writing up factual responses.

"A number of staff, before knowing the details, made initial expressions of opposition, of which the governing body is fully aware, but about half of these have now withdrawn their letters, having now been reassured about the facts.

"The Academy Support Grant of £25,000 is made on the basis that the school is considering conversion. We need to access this funding so we can adequately explore the legal and HR matters."

Any grant funding spent is repayable should the school not convert.

A formal consultation is due to start in September before a final decision is made.

Rushey Mead has just undergone a £17 million rebuild under the city council's Building Schools for the Future programme to improve every secondary school in Leicester.

Leicester Tigers will have just one representative in the starting line-up for the final British & Irish Lions Test in Sydney on Saturday.

Lock-forward Geoff Parling is the lone Tiger in a controversial team that has resulted in a barrage of criticism for head coach Warren Gatland.

Tom Youngs, Dan Cole and Manu Tuilagi are on the bench, but fellow Tigers Ben Youngs and Tom Croft have been dropped from the 23-man squad altogether.

Tuilagi has been left out of the starting XV despite the Lions failing to make a single line break in the second Test, while Croft is not in the squad despite the tourists lacking options in the line-out.

The talismanic figure of Irish legend Brian O'Driscoll has also suffered the same fate as Croft.

Gatland has made six changes to the side that narrowly lost the second Test in Melbourne.

And there are plenty of dissenting voices after the Wales head coach picked 10 Welshmen in his starting XV for the do-or-die fixture.

That selection equals the record number of Welshmen in a Lions starting XV, set in the first Test against Australia in 1950.

Former Tigers and Lions back Austin Healey took to Twitter to voice his displeasure.

"So Wales v Australia it is then – hope this rain stops, the grass needs cutting Saturday morning."

Another former Lion, scrum-half Matt Dawson, tweeted: "The simple fact is, if they don't win decent set piece (ball), we are screwed!"

Plenty of pundits also voiced their concerns over the controversial omission of O'Driscoll.

The BBC Five Live radio correspondent, Ian Robertson, said it was a "catastrophic" decision, adding: "He's still one of the top centres in world rugby. He's a fantastic guy, has been on four tours and knows it all inside out. It's a massive mistake."

Former Ireland hooker Keith Wood added to the criticism by saying that Gatland has "made a terrible mistake".

"He has picked a team that will play a style of rugby that he wants," said Wood. "I think that misses what the Lions are about.

"It's about getting the best out of these players and this side is low on subtlety. We are not seeing the blend of four teams and that is what the Lions is all about.

"I am totally at a loss. There is very little guile in the team."

This will be the third successive Lions tour to Australia that has ended in an all-or-nothing decisive third Test.

The Lions won 19-18 in Sydney to sneak the 1989 series, but were beaten 29-23 on their most recent tour in 2001.

Lions: Halfpenny, Bowe, Davies, Roberts, North; Sexton, Phillips; Corbisiero, Hibbard, A Jones, AW Jones, Parling, Lydiate, O'Brien, Faletau. Reps: T Youngs, Vunipola, Cole, Gray, Tipuric, Murray, Farrell, Tuilagi.

Departing head coach Matt O'Connor has told the Leicester Tigers' senior players that they must "drive the club forward" next season.

The Australian began his new job as boss of Irish province Leinster on Monday after five hugely successful seasons at Welford Road.

He left Tigers as champions of England, and with a strong and experienced group of players at the core of the side who have grown up under his leadership.

Paul Burke and Geordan Murphy will take over the role of backs coaches next season, but O'Connor believes the players that have driven Tigers' style of play must "step up" too.

"There is a good core of senior blokes that have a really good understanding of the game at Leicester," said O'Connor.

"And they need to take their own game to another level. I would like to see those guys, without me, take that ownership on.

"I certainly think those players need to step up.

"Burkey and Geordy – and Richard Blaze with the forwards – have the utmost respect of that group.

"That's important in terms of getting ownership of that group of players. Now they all need to drive the club forward."

O'Connor admitted it was a group of players and coaching staff he would miss being around.

"Tigers have been a huge part of my life," he said. "There are a lot of footy teams around but there are not many special environments – this has been one of those.

"It's hard to leave but it's the best thing for me coaching-wise at this point, and I hope it won't impact on the players or the club. I will miss them all."

O'Connor hopes being Leinster coach will boost his long-term chances of landing a top international job in the future.

"Being involved at Leicester and Leinster is a good grounding to go down the international route – so we'll see what develops," he said.

It is 17 years since Leicester City last tasted play-off success when Steve Claridge's last-gasp strike fired them back into the Premier League.

His 120th-minute finish against Crystal Palace in the 1996 Wembley final secured City's place in the top flight in Martin O'Neill's first season in charge.

City fell agonisingly short of emulating that dream last season when they slipped to defeat to Watford in the Championship play-off semi-final.

Manager Nigel Pearson had made no secret of the fact promotion was the sole target last season and, ultimately, it was a goal they failed to reach.

But the club's owners have shown faith in their manager and have stuck by him to lead the team into the start of the new season.

Claridge said the owners have made an intelligent decision, although Pearson may have midfielder Anthony Knockaert to thank for it, whose stoppage-time winner on the final day of the season secured City's play-off place against all the odds.

"I think it would have been difficult to make a case for him to stay if they hadn't made the play-offs," said Claridge, pictured right. "That would be the least that's expected.

"But they got there, and eventually they were beaten by a last-minute goal. That can happen.

"I think the owners have shown great fortitude and great character. They have shown a degree of consciousness that the grass is not always greener.

"They have been down the Sven (Goran Eriksson) line and that clearly didn't work, it was never going to work.

"The owners have seen the other side of it, looked at it, and probably thought 'he made the play-offs, so let's give him another go'.

"Pearson's record at this level isn't bad. When you weigh up everything, I don't think it's a bad decision. I genuinely don't.

"He will be under pressure and he will have to start well but he knows that. But I certainly think he deserves another go."

City boasted the third-youngest squad in the entire Football League last season with many of their first-choice players tasting a full campaign in the Championship for the first time.

"They will have learnt, they will be a year older, a year wiser, a year stronger, a year where they have been through that turmoil – which is important – a year where they have had to handle that pressure," said Claridge.

"But Pearson is also not in a position where he has got the time to allow people to develop. Everyone wants to see young players given a chance, yet no one wants to give a manager time to develop them. It is a double-edged sword.

"On the one hand. everyone wants young players to come in but, on the other hand, everyone wants results now. That's your problem."

While the squad's shortage of experience may have proved a weakness last season, Claridge thinks it will help them in the wake of such a heart-breaking end to the last campaign.

"I don't think it will negatively affect the younger players," said Claridge. "It can affect older players because they wonder whether they will ever get another chance.

"Younger players don't say 'oh it could have been the Premier League, I'll never get there', they will think about doing it the following year."

But City's 1996 play-off hero also warned City's young stars, such as Knockaert, that they have to be more consistent.

"Talent isn't doing something good once in a game, talent isn't playing one good game in five," said Claridge.

"This game isn't just about ability. It is about application, character, learning the game and being intelligent enough to know how to develop it.

"Even when you don't play well, it's being intelligent enough to understand you need to be fit. That extra bit of fitness will give you that extra advantage over the opposition.

"There are players, like Knockaert, who look great on the ball. When they are good they are very good. But that has to be at a more consistent level so when he's bad, he's not so bad."

A crematorium and cemetery could be built on a 20-acre site near Great Glen.

The Co-op is behind the proposals for farmland between London Road and the A6, just south of the village.

The project aims to tackle the shortage of crematoria and burial sites in south Leicestershire.

A two-day public consultation event will be held this month when residents will get a chance to look at plans, which include a woodland burial site, and talk to representatives from the developers.

No planning applications have yet been submitted to either Harborough District Council or Leicestershire County Council.

Harborough district councillor Kevin Feltham said: "I've been aware they have been thinking about this for several months. But, as far as I'm aware, they haven't spoken to the highways department at the county council yet, and I know from previous applications that plans can become unstuck when they come against highways."

In 2010, plans to build a crematorium and memorial gardens on the opposite side of the A6, a few hundred yards from the latest proposed development, were scrapped.

A number of other failed bids followed in other parts of south Leicestershire, including plans to build a crematorium in Countesthorpe last year.

Harborough District Council has admitted the need for such a service in the area.

A spokesman said: "The core strategy acknowledges a need for additional burial provision and the potential for a local crematorium."

Coun Feltham said that should the latest plans to build the site in Great Glen be rejected by planning officers, there could be an alternative close by.

He said: "We've come up with another proposal for some county council land which might become available between Countesthorpe and Great Glen. It would be less likely to cause as much concern as possibly this one."

A spokesman for Great Glen Parish Council said it had been approached by the Co-op and told the plans were at their very early stages. He said: "The parish council will be discussing this outline proposal at their meeting next Tuesday."

Teresa Cook, planning manager with the Co-operative Group, said: "We would very much like to hear residents' views, that is why we are organising a public consultation.

"Our intention is to liaise with residents before we submit our plans to the council."

The public consultation will take place in Great Glen village hall, in Main Street, on Tuesday, July 16, from 3pm to 7pm, and Wednesday, July 17, between 10am and 2pm.

A comedian, young musician of the year and prominent businessmen and researchers are among those to be honoured by the University of Leicester this summer.

Fourteen distinguished individuals will receive honorary degrees to join the likes of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu and radio and television star Terry Wogan.

Impressionist and comedian Jon Culshaw, who has contributed to the BBC's The Sky at Night to promote astronomy to young people, and is best known for his starring part in popular BBC programmes The Impressions Show and Dead Ringers, will be made a Doctor of Laws.

He said: "This is a very great and most unexpected honour.

"I have been able to visit the university on a number of occasions for filming and the building and atmosphere are hugely inspirational.

"Leicester University is the first to award me an honorary degree where I don't have any local connection – so it really is a fantastic honour. I am thrilled."

Nicola Benedetti, a classical violinist and previous winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year, will become a Doctor of Music, Richard Brucciani, chairman of hygiene products firm Pal International, in Lutterworth, will be made a Doctor of Laws, and Professor Ken Pounds, astronomer and now Emeritus Professor of space physics at The University of Leicester, known for his discovery of black holes, will become a distinguished honorary fellow.

Dr Laurence Howard, Lord-Leiutenant of Rutland and alumni of Leicester, will be made a Doctor of Laws.

He said: "I'm delighted and honoured.

"My links with this outstanding university started when my wife began her degree here.

"Little did I know I was later to read for a doctorate in the embryonic department of general physiology and return as a lecturer in the newly-created medical school, where I stayed until I retired.

"Working with remarkable people gave me a confidence I could never have imagined."

Ms Benedetti won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2004 and has released several albums, of which Fantasie was number one in the UK classical chart.

Mr Brucciani was born in the city and educated at Ratcliffe College, in Sileby.

He later qualified as a chartered accountant and was about to join the family business, Brucciani & Co, but decided to develop a new company – Pal International Ltd.

Since then, he has expanded the firm with offices in the Middle East and Hong Kong and warehouse in Shanghai.

He said: "It's a great honour to receive this award and, as a local person, having watched the growth of the University of Leicester into one of the best in the country, it's especially pleasing."

Prof Pounds has won several honours and awards during his illustrious career, including a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society. He is also a member of prestigious bodies including the Institute of Physics and the International Academy of Astronautics.

The ceremonies will take place at De Montfort Hall between Tuesday and July 12.

Professor Sir Robert Burgess, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester, said: "I'm delighted to be able to once again award honorary degrees to a wide range of highly successful individuals.

"We're honouring both local people and those who are renowned nationally and internationally, as well as leaders in their own disciplines.

"It's important for us to be able to highlight the achievements of key individuals, many of whom have strong connections to Leicester. It is a valuable opportunity for students to see how they can aspire to be future leaders."

Ms Benedetti said: "I'm hugely honoured and humbled to be receiving an honorary degree from the university.

"I greatly look forward to sharing the occasion with students who have worked hard to complete their courses."

Helicopter pilot George Phillips braved blizzards in the south Atlantic to bomb rats with hundreds of tonnes of poison.

George, a former air ambulance pilot, has just returned from a mission to the island of South Georgia to save millions of endangered sea birds.

He was part of a team of four pilots who were tasked to attack an infestation of brown rats which have run amok on the island since they were accidentally introduced by whale hunters 200 years ago.

In February, he joined the latest mission by the South Georgia heritage restoration project to reclaim the habitat for millions of seabirds and penguins threatened by the rodents, which eat the eggs and small birds.

His team completed 1,000 flights supplying baiting sites and dropping bait across 70 per cent of the island, from the support ship RRS Ernest Shackleton.

George, 61, who lives in Kibworth Harcourt with his wife Jane, said: "I had recently retired as an air ambulance pilot, so I jumped at the chance to take part in the operation when I was contacted by project director Tony Martin.

"I flew in conditions which I would not have considered safe in my past careers."

That is some admission, as George has been an Army and RAF helicopter pilot and flew police helicopters before becoming an air ambulance pilot.

The latest operation followed a successful trial in 2011.

He said: "The biggest challenge for me was realising if we worked to the usual rules and regulations on helicopter flying, we would have never got the job done.

"The terrain was extremely mountainous with up and down draughts. We were carrying hoppers of bait which weighed 500 kilos. That is difficult to handle in high winds."

He said on one occasion while transporting materials from the ship to forward bases, they ran out of fuel and had to camp out over night.

"I must say the conditions were terrible. The weather was so extreme and variable the three Kiwi pilots I worked with were, in my opinion, often laying their lives on the line in order to get the job done."

During the missions the crews had to cope with blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and frozen equipment.

The team began flying 800 loads of fuel, bait, equipment and food from the helideck of RRS Ernest Shackleton to 14 separate forward operating bases.

Often when laying bait, they flew at 1,500 feet without a door so they could clearly see the bait drop below. The pilots endured temperatures of -14C.

With time running out, they managed to hit the target of baiting 580 square kilometres (360 square miles) of the island.

The bait is designed not to appeal to the birds on the island.

A spokesman for BirdLife International said: "South Georgia and its surrounding islands are the home of seven globally-threatened seabird species.

"With the rats gone, the vast, lost seabird colonies of the main islands could begin to recover, a giant step forward in the work to save these species from extinction."

Professor Martin said: "To clear this magnificent island of rodents has been an ambition of mine for over a decade.

"I am thrilled we are well on the way to securing this important seabird habitat for future generations."

Organisers of a charity music festival held in memory of a woman who died of cancer face having to spend all the money they raised on replacing a stolen generator.

Nearly 1,000 people attended Saturday's Knipfest event, which raised about £8,000 for Cancer Research UK and a hospice where mum-of-three Julie Copley was treated before she died in 2010.

But following the event, held in Knipton, in the Vale of Belvoir, the hired generator was stolen.

Due to an oversight, the organisers – who have raised more than £70,000 through the festival and a series of challenges since Julie died, aged 41 – had not insured it.

They are now looking at having to come up with a replacement which could wipe out the entire proceeds from the event.

Organiser Jon Watchorn, of Sproxton, said: "After so much hard work had been done, it came as a real blow to find it had been stolen.

"We hope the thieves' conscience will be pricked by the fact they have basically stolen charity money by taking the generator.

"It was not insured. We have approached the hire company and they say it will cost £8,000 to replace. We just want to either get the generator back or hope that someone can help the police catch the people who stole it and recover it for us.

"We would even be happy if the thieves just left it to be found somewhere."

Julie's husband, John, 43, and a group of friends have been fund-raising for cancer charities since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

He said: "I'm gutted. It was probably the best Knipfest we've had and everyone enjoyed a cracking night, but it was a real blow when we discovered the generator had gone.

"We're hoping it might still be found and we're checking with scrap dealers.

"I hope the people who stole it don't have to go through the same sort of suffering we have.

"Julie was clear of this horrible disease for nearly five years, but unfortunately it returned in her liver and spine.

"She again had treatment, but lost her battle in 2010. Julie was loved dearly by her friends and family and will always be missed."

As well as organising Knipfest events, John and his friends have ridden from John O'Groats to Land's End, completed the Three Peaks challenge and paddled across Scotland to raise money for the two charities.

John said: "We pay for ourselves to go on the challenges and every penny goes to charity. Whoever took the generator has stolen money directly from charity."

A police spokeswoman said: "We are appealing for witnesses to the theft between 6pm on Sunday and 5pm on Monday. A vehicle would have been needed to tow it away."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Pc Paul Anderson on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Jermaine Beckford will be a Bolton player by the time the squad flies off to Spain for pre-season training.

Bolton are still dotting the Is and crossing the Ts but confirmation of the two-year deal is expected to be announced before the weekend.

The two clubs agreed a fee of around £1 million just over a week ago and Beckford has agreed personal terms, which means he will take a wage cut from the reported £30,000-a-week salary he receives at City.

After undergoing a medical on Tuesday, Beckford will now join up with Dougie Freedman's squad ahead of a week of warm-weather training in Marbella on Sunday.

The Bolton manager is no stranger to Beckford as they were strike partners during their time together at Leeds United. So Freedman believes he knows how to get the best out of his new striker.

"I played with him at Leeds so I know exactly what he is all about and what makes him tick," he said.

"He wants to prove something to himself and I think we'll be the beneficiaries of that."

Leicester City's trip to Watford has been moved for coverage on Sky Sports.

The Championship clash with the Hornets on Saturday, November 2, will now kick off at 12.15pm instead of the original time of 3pm.

The last time the sides met was the fateful play-off semi-final when City crashed to a 3-1 defeat (3-2 on aggregate) thanks to Troy Deeney's 96th-minute strike.

It is already City's third league game to be moved so far this season.

The first home game against Leeds is now on Sunday, August 11, for coverage on Sky, while their trip to Bolton at Easter has been pushed back to Tuesday, April 22.

Leicester Tigers have slammed the Rugby Union over their handling of Richard Cockerill's disciplinary hearing.

The club said they were "very disappointed" with the nine-game match-day coaching ban handed down to their director of rugby.

And, in a stinging criticism of the methods used during the case, Tigers claim the RFU's conduct has "called into question the new disciplinary structure" at the game's governing body.

Cockerill was suspended on Monday night at the end of a four-hour hearing in Coventry for an exchange with fourth official Stuart Terheege during the Aviva Premiership final at the end of May.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges but received a lengthy ban and was also ordered to pay £500 in costs.

In a short statement, Tigers said it would "fully support" Cockerill, who will not be allowed any contact with his team before, during or after any of the opening nine games of the season.

That includes seven Aviva Premiership matches and two in Europe.

Tigers' statement read: "Following the verdict of the Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing, Leicester Tigers are extremely disappointed that Richard Cockerill has been found guilty of any offence relating to the Aviva Premiership final on May 25.

"The club will, therefore, await the full written judgement so it can determine whether to appeal the disciplinary panel's decision or not.

"Leicester Tigers are, however, disappointed with the Rugby Football Union's conduct in this matter.

"There are elements of the way in which they have conducted this case which, in our opinion, calls into question the new disciplinary structure and we will be taking this up with the RFU at the earliest opportunity.

"The club will not make any further comment about this until there has been an opportunity to discuss it with the Union and it is appropriate that this is dealt with privately.

"Richard Cockerill has been a central part of Leicester Tigers' continued success over many years and the club will fully support him and the rest of the coaching team for the 2013-14 season."

While the accusations within Leicester's statement creates more questions than answers, the club cannot have been happy with the amount of time it took the RFU to either announce the charges against Cockerill or finally hold the session.

They took nine days to announce details of a case, which the court finally heard a full 37 days after the final.

It is unlikely this will be the end of the matter.