It's time to get your children perfecting their cheeky smiles – the Leicester Mercury's Baby and Toddler of the Year contest is back.

Once again, the Mercury has teamed up with the Highcross shopping centre for the competition, which has become a highlight of the summer.

Cameras were due to start snapping from 9.30am today until Saturday, July 20, at our big, new studio on the upper floor of the shopping centre, next to H&M.

Each year, about 2,000 tots take part in the competition, and we're expecting similar numbers this year.

As well as vying for cash from our £3,000 fund, including a top prize of £1,500, parents taking their youngsters along to be photographed can also win one of the daily spot prizes that will be handed out each day.

Mercury sales promotion manager Tess Rushin said: "This year we'll have prizes to hand out every day. They include lots of toys, a baby car seat and hampers full of goodies from Boots and John Lewis.

"And with our bigger studio this year, it should make for the best year ever."

The studio is open from 9.30am until 5pm each day, except for on Sunday, when it will open from 11am until 4pm.

To take part, all you need to do is take along one of the coupons appearing in the Mercury every day this week.

Entry is completely free and parents get the chance to pick which shot of their child is entered into the contest and can also buy the professional photographs as a treasured memento.

The categories are: nine months and under, 10 to 18 months, 19 to 36 months and three to five years.

Jessica Barley, of Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, was last year's winner. At the time, her mum, Joanne Greenwood, 34, said: "It's amazing really, the emotions I feel are extreme – I'm excited, a bit shocked and, of course, very proud of her."

New mum Shannon Parkin, 18, of New Parks, says she is tempted to take her daughter, Evie-Mae Constant, to the photography sessions this week.

She said: "Evie-Mae is my first baby so I am tempted to enter her for the competition.

"She loves smiling for cameras and it would be really nice to get some professional pictures of her."

Kerry McDonald, 24, of Braunstone, Leicester, said: "I've got two I'm entering and I'll probably go down on the first day. It's really nice seeing them smile for the camera and chatting to other parents who are there. It's a really nice Leicester tradition."

Leicester City are unlikely to make too many changes to their squad for the coming season, manager Nigel Pearson has said.

City have yet to bring in any new recruits since the end of last season, and Pearson said no new arrivals were imminent.

And so far, there has been only one departure, with Jermaine Beckford set to complete his move to Bolton Wanderers shortly.

Pearson said that the new Financial Fair Play regulations, which restrict City to making no more than an £8million loss this season, at the risk of being hit with penalties such as a transfer ban, had played a big part in his summer transfer dealings.

However, he said he would not rule out making any new signings before the start of the season.

"I don't think there are going to be massive changes," he said.

"We will need to work very hard to come into line with the Financial Fair Play regulations.

"I am not ruling anything out. There is always speculation about what is happening, whether you are active or not overly active.

"We will try and do our business in the way we always do it, but I don't envisage large numbers of players coming in at all. We are not going to add to the squad at this moment in time."

Not many clubs are spending money in the Championship at present and Pearson said FFP was the major factor.

"It is going to freeze the market because the implications for football clubs are pretty big," he said.

"Whether we like it or not, we have to adhere to them. We have to work hard to come into line with those and we will cut our cloth accordingly.

"We have to do our business in the right fashion."

Although he will not be making many signings, Pearson said he had faith in his existing squad that they can do even better than last season, when they narrowly missed out on a place in the play-off final.

"This group of players got us into the play-offs last season," he said.

"Another year together and they have learned a lot. We have some good, exciting young players here.

"The expectation will be there for us to have another good year."

Leicester's grimy pavements are taking the shine off the city, according to traders and shoppers.

The new paving slabs were laid between 2006 and 2008 as part of a scheme to improve the city.

However, the Chinese granite which was used seems to be acting as a sponge – soaking up oil, grease and filth – and traders and shoppers say it makes the area look grubby.

Paul Pinckard, owner of Telectric, on the corner of Halford Street and Yeoman Street, said no amount of cleaning could remove the dirt.

He said: "The area generally looks good and the council has done an okay job with the Cultural Quarter, but whoever chose the pavement never threw a bag of chips over the slabs to test them. They're not fit for purpose. Even after a steam wash they look grubby and old."

Praful Chauhan, owner of Halford Shoes, also in the Cultural Quarter, said: "They jet-washed it and used a cleaning vehicle for about two days and it still looks terrible. It's all new paving, but it looks like it's been down for decades. Anything spilt on it is absorbed and chewing gum sticks to it like glue."

Mr Chauhan said the slabs also became hazardous in wet conditions.

Shoppers in Gallowtree Gate, Humberstone Gate and Charles Street, also expressed concerns about the slabs.

Hershey Edwards, 33, from Hinckley, said: "Are the pavements clean enough? Absolutely not... If you go to Hinckley it is absolutely pristine, as it should be.

"The mayor ought to do better. If he's interested in 'bigging Leicester up', he should make it look inviting."

Shaheed Rahman, 30, who lives in the city centre, said: "It's horrible, grubby, and always full of chewing gum. It's disgusting!"

Leicester City Council pay specialist contractors about £100,000-a-year to clean the slabs. They said it was aware the paving was susceptible to oil and grease, which was tough to remove.

It said it would be looking to see how the service could be improved.

A city council spokesman said: "We are aware of some particular problems with the slabs in parts of the Cultural Quarter, caused by factors such as leaks from vehicles and grease staining from food. Clearly, we want to keep the streets looking their best, and the city centre is covered by a rolling programme of cleaning, which usually takes place every night, although some areas need to be cleaned more often than others."

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "The slabs are an awful lot better as a result of the work we've been carrying out, but some of the granite slabs are so porous that if you leave oil on them for even a short length of time it becomes a real problem to remove it.

"We've been trying a whole range of solutions, and some areas are cleaning up beautifully, but some are proving really very difficult."

Shopkeepers have been left shocked by the sudden death of a businesswoman.

Lesley Morgan, who ran Far Fetched, offering New Age and pagan gifts, died in a flat above the King Street business on Friday.

A note on the shop door yesterday said it was closed "due to the tragic loss of Lesley, loving mother, grandmother, wife and friend to many".

Bunches of flowers and candles were left at the shop.

Nigel Keep, owner of the 54A King Street coffee shop, said: "I spoke to her most days. She was a very popular person in the street.

"She was well-respected in her field and organised the annual faery ball for charity."

John Bean, owner of Melton Antiques, said: "It came as a shock to a lot of people.

"We've only been here a couple of months but when we opened she sent us a good luck card."

Another trader said: "She was really well-liked, it's been a shock. She had just celebrated the arrival of her first grandchild."

Last year's Enchanted Faery Ball, at Pera conference centre in the town, raised about £800 for Leicestershire and Rutland charity, Coping with Cancer.

Leicestershire Foxes have little time to lick their wounds after Sunday's narrow four-run defeat by Lancashire Lightning at Old Trafford.

The Foxes are back in Friends Life T20 action this evening when they face Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley Carnegie, where a win is crucial to both sides.

Leicestershire have taken just one win from their first four matches in the north group, while the Vikings have played three games to date and have picked up just a point, which came from a dramatic tie against Lancashire last week.

On Sunday's evidence in Manchester, and the evidence of the 11-run win over Durham at Grace Road 48 hours earlier, there is not a great deal wrong with the Foxes' 20-over game.

They put in a solid performance with bat and ball at Old Trafford and could easily have turned the tables on their hosts.

Such is the nature of T20, though, that one shot, one catch or one piece of fielding can make a major difference to the outcome of a match.

"There was nothing to choose between the sides' batsmen and bowlers on Sunday but Foxes' head coach Phil Whitticase believes the game was decided in the outfield.

"The difference was in the field," he said. "Lancashire saved five runs, maybe we let eight through. Looking back, I can't see where else there was a difference.

"We have done a lot of things really well in the games we have played so far and could have won two or three with a bit more experience. What we do need is a bit more nous, and knowing how to win."

The big pluses in Manchester were the batting of opener Greg Smith, who made a thrilling 84, and the bowling of spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Jigar Naik.

"Greg was magnificent," Whitticase said. "Jigar and Shakib bowled brilliantly and, after the start Lancashire made, they stopped them scoring 180, which would have been far too much."

Whether Leicestershire retain the same line-up at Leeds remains to be seen – though Naik has made a strong case for being included again after conceding just 19 runs in four overs at Old Trafford.

"We will have a similar squad," Whitticase said. "Jigar has done nothing not to play but conditions will dictate the side we go with."

Seam bowler Robbie Williams looks likely to miss out again as he battles to recover from a hamstring problem.

However, Whitticase says he is "more optimistic" that Williams will come back into the picture for Friday's home match against Nottinghamshire Outlaws.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O'Brien remains unavailable as he is with Ireland in the Netherlands.

It was the win tennis fans have been waiting for since 1936.

And now it is hoped Andy Murray's victory at Wimbledon will inspire a new generation of youngsters to pick up a racquet.

Tennis coaches in Leicestershire believe it will lead to a surge in numbers of junior members of the county's clubs.

When the Mercury spoke to youngsters at Kibworth Tennis Club yesterday they were all inspired by his win.

William Lawrence, five, said watching Murray play tennis on Sunday made him want to play as well. "Andy was fantastic, he's good at hitting the ball," he said.

Six-year-old Amber Hastings said: "He's the best player in the world."

George Smith, six, said that Murray has made him want to play tennis all day, all afternoon and all night.

"Andy was brilliant because he thrashed Djokovic," he said.

Agnes Castens, six, said that when she grows up she wants to be a tennis player like Murray.

Lauren Cox, six, said Murray fantastic, adding: "He makes me want to play every single day."

Jack Simpson, head coach at Carisbrooke Tennis Club, in Knighton, Leicester, said he was sure there was going to be a "Murray factor".

He said: "Andy's win was so brilliant and so long-awaited.

"I think we will see a sudden boost in the number of youngsters wanting to get out there and be just like Andy Murray."

Neil Phillips, spokesman for Tennis Leicestershire, said: "I hope that the way that Andy plays tennis with all his strength and power is a magnet for all young people out there."

Former Leicester tennis player Mark Cox, who made it through to the fourth round of Wimbledon three times and was ranked 13 in the world, said he thought Murray's win would be a catalyst to getting more young people to discover tennis.

Mark, now 70, of Belgrave, said: "The more young people we have out there on the courts the more chance we have of unearthing another champion like Andy Murray.

"There is no reason why a Wimbledon winner of the future is not out there in Leicestershire.

"There is a lot of untapped talent out there and this could be the chance to make sure we give every youngster the chance to try tennis."

Here's your chance to win a new home Leicester City shirt signed by the first-team squad.

The club have given us a medium shirt to give away and all you have to do is answer a simple question.

Who was City's top-scorer last season?

Simply send your answer on an e-mail to the address below and include your name, address and telephone number on the email.

Competition entries close at mid-day on Thursday. The winner will be informed by e-mail shortly afterwards.

Send entries to: sportsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk

Members of a gang involved in an £11 million money-laundering scam have been sentenced to a total of 29 years in prison.

Vikesh Dinesh Patel (39), of Derngate Avenue, Birstall, Kishan Srivastava (25), of Golden Hillock Road, Birmingham, and Nisha Uddin (29), of Shipton Road, Hamilton, Leicester, appeared at Leicester Crown Court for sentence by Judge Mark Rogers.

A fourth man, Mukhtiar Singh (49), of Heybridge Road, Humberstone, Leicester, who is believed to be in India, was dealt with in his absence.

All were convicted of conspiracy to convert criminal property by making deposits into bank accounts, conspiracy to remove criminal property, including credit balances, from England and Wales by transferring funds into foreign bank accounts and conspiring to transfer criminal property – credit balances – between English bank accounts. The offences were committed between January 1, 2009 and February 2011.

Singh, a bankrupt businessman, was sentenced to 10 years and banned from holding a directorship for eight years.

Patel was sentenced to eight years, Srivastava to seven and Uddin to four. All were banned from holding a directorship for six years.

Judge Rogers described the scam as "a very large-scale example of money laundering involving £11 million".

He said while only £1 million could be proven to be the result of fraud, the £10 million balance was the proceeds of serious, organised crime.

The judge said Singh "was the heart of the organisation who recruited the others, exploited innocent people, including his own wife".

He referred to Srivastava as "a puffed-up apprentice who saw himself as a fledgling Mukhtiar Singh".

Judge Rogers said Patel saw he had an opportunity to make a lot of money and was responsible for recruiting Uddin.

He said Uddin had fronted two clothing companies responsible for transferring more than £2.1 million to China during four months in 2009 because she had been tempted by the chance of easy money.

The judge congratulated the team of police investigators.

He said: "Their findings were a model of good practice.

"There was an enormous amount of work involved."

Leicester City captain Wes Morgan has been fined £2,000 after he "dozed off" at the wheel of his BMW and crashed after not sleeping for almost 24 hours.

Morgan was found guilty of careless driving yesterday at Nottingham Magistrates' Court.

District Judge Morris Cooper ruled there was no case to answer on a second charge of driving while unfit through drink, which Morgan had also denied .

The trial of Morgan (29), of Brooklands Drive, Gedling, Nottinghamshire, began in April for both charges but was adjourned until yesterday.

The father-of-two told police in an interview he dozed off at the wheel, woke up and was swerving on the road.

The accident happened on the A46 in Bingham, on a bridge over the A52, in the early hours of May 1 last year, the court had heard.

The BMW appeared to have collided with a barrier on the bridge.

Sergeant Dan Skoraczewski had told the court he thought the car was a write-off when he attended the scene.

Morgan was in an ambulance and appeared "fine" but "slightly dazed".

"I could smell alcohol on him," he had told the earlier trial.

"It was only weak. It was noticeable but it wasn't overpowering.

"I asked him if he'd been drinking and he told me he had some brandy and coke, and had been driving. He appeared fine. He appeared normal."

Morgan was originally arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

The two new charges were brought after he was acquitted of drink-driving in August.

Morgan's defence lawyer Phillip Lucas said despite the footballer having four brandy and cokes, there was no evidence what effect that had on him.

At the scene he appeared to be fine. There was a slight smell of alcohol, but he was steady on his feet.

Breath tests and blood specimens taken from Morgan were not being used as evidence in yesterday's trial.

Mr Lucas put forward a series of legal arguments that there was no case to answer on the charge of driving whilst unfit through drink – and the district judge agreed.

Mr Lucas said the likely cause of the accident was the defendant's own submission that he had not slept for more than 22 hours before driving, he said.

"The likely cause of this is the defendant nodded off briefly, went briefly on to the grass, and over-corrected and lost control," he said.

"He was tired but he did not feel sleep was overtaking him until it did and that was, unfortunately, the time when the accident occurred.

"He is a respectable, hardworking person."

As well as the fine, Morgan will pay a £15 victim surcharge and court costs.

He will have five penalty points added to six points he already has for speeding.

Archaeologists are searching for a trio of headless friars they believe might be buried at the site where Richard III was discovered.

The University of Leicester team is back at the Greyfriars site to study the buried friary in more detail.

They hope to uncover three Franciscan friars who were executed for treason in 1402 on the orders of Henry IV – 83 years before Richard III was killed at Bosworth and buried in the friary's church. The 15th century friars – Roger Frisby, Walter Walton and John Moody – were accused of spreading rumours that the deposed Richard II was still alive and planning to try to regain the throne.

They were hanged and the corpses beheaded in London.

The heads were put on display in Oxford and London Bridge.

However, their bodies were lost following the execution.

Archaeologists at the University of Leicester think they may have been returned to the city and buried at the Grey Friars' religious house, in New Street.

Site director Mathew Morris, who researched the link between Leicester and the executions, said: "Roger Frisby was a respected theologian. People respected him for that and gravitated towards him for his teachings.

"It is not clear why Roger latched on to the rumours.

"It is possible no one particularly believed Richard II was still alive and the rumours were simply a way of expressing dissatisfaction at Henry IV's rule.

"It would be very interesting if we were to find a headless skeleton during our dig."

The rumours of Richard II's return are thought to have originated in Scotland as a way of undermining Henry IV's credibility with the public.

At the time, England was in a state of unrest and increasing dangers from Robert III, King of Scotland, and Owen Glyn Dwr, a Welsh revolutionary, threatened to destabilise the country.

Robert Frisby is reported as being central to the promotion of the myth about Richard II's return and was backed by a large network of Franciscan friars from Leicester, Aylesbury, Northampton and Nottingham.

Archaeologists also want to recover the tomb of 14th century knight Sir William Moton, whom they discovered during the Greyfriars dig in August last year.

The team reburied the stone casket as their attention was focused on the excavation of Richard III's remains, but now want to exhume the body.

The British & Irish Lions are back in business as a world rugby force. That has to be the overwhelming conclusion from an Australia tour that saw skipper Sam Warburton's team achieve what no other Lions squad has managed since 1997 and win a Test series.

But they also did it with such a swagger and style in Saturday's series decider at the ANZ Stadium that they will be remembered among the very best Lions squads of the past 125 years.

With the series tied 1-1 and amid unrelenting pressure, the Lions could easily have tried to grind out a win by relying on full-back Leigh Halfpenny's prodigious goalkicking.

They scored four tries, though, thrilling their vast army of supporters who painted Sydney red. It had been heartache and misery in 2001, 2005 and 2009, but this was all about unbridled joy.

From the opening minutes when Lions front-row warriors Alex Corbisiero, Richard Hibbard and Adam Jones tore into their shell-shocked rivals, there was realistically no way back for Australia.

The Wallabies made a fist of it in adversity, clawing back from 19-3 behind to just three points adrift, but then the Lions found another gear that perhaps even their coach Warren Gatland did not know they had in them.

The final scoreline of 41-16 said everything anyone needed to know about their domination. It was truly a stellar performance.

Such was the magnitude of Australia's defeat that Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has already paid with his job.

The Lions, though, head for home today with no such worries.

And they can begin planning for New Zealand, the toughest Lions destination of them all, in 2017, harbouring renewed confidence in what they are about.

Gatland and his coaching staff, Andy Farrell, Rob Howley and Graham Rowntree, could, and probably should, be involved again four years from now, while so many of this current squad will not be at the peak of their playing powers until then.

Halfpenny, just 24, underlines the breed of exciting young talent that should have seasoned Lions followers purring with delight.

He ended the three Tests by posting a new Lions series record of 49 points for one player. The previous holder, Halfpenny's mentor Neil Jenkins, looked on in admiration in his role as Lions kicking coach.

Halfpenny has the rugby world at his feet, the shining light among 10 Welshmen in Gatland's starting XV who delivered for him as they had done on so many previous occasions.

For New Zealander Gatland, this mighty success represents perhaps the most significant entry of all in his career portfolio. A domestic and European title winner with Wasps, a Six Nations title and Grand Slam winner with Wales, the country he also guided to a World Cup semi-final, Gatland is now a Lions king.

He effectively put his reputation on the line with his team selection for Sydney, being condemned in many quarters for his omission of Irish midfield talisman and four-time Lions tourist Brian O'Driscoll.

Flak also flew for the number of Wales players he chose for the biggest game in recent Lions memory, but Gatland has always done things his way. More often than not, he gets it right.

Saturday was not only about a Lions victory on the pitch, it re-positioned them as a rugby entity, that unique collection of players from four countries compiled every four years to tackle the best countries in the southern hemisphere.

There is nothing like winning in sport, and on occasions like Sydney, there really is nothing quite like the Lions.

Leicester Racecourse are hailing their Ladies Day fixture as "a perfect day".

Unbroken sunshine, four winning favourites, a shopping village and a concert made for a festival-like atmosphere for the 8,500 crowd, a record for the modern era at Oadby.

"It was a perfect day," said general manager David Maykels. "I've been here for seven years and this was the best in that time.

"I would challenge anyone to say there has been a better day in the history of Leicester Racecourse."

Two hours before the first race, coaches were pouring into the course and the paddock lawn was already packed with race-goers sitting around tables.

They were able to use seven specially-installed outside bars and follow the racing action on three giants screens.

After the last of the seven races, attention switched to what is usually the picnic car park area and the stage on which Human League and Blow Monkeys were in concert.

"The atmosphere for the music was amazing," said Maykels. "It was like a mini Glastonbury."

He felt that the course coped well with the crowds. The security staff were doubled to about 100 and Maykels said there were few problems.

He had feared that his phone would be ringing throughout the day with issues to resolve, but he said: "It went off only six times. The busiest day was the quietest day."

Course officials now have to consider whether they can raise the crowd limit in future years.

Maykels' chief concern is that in less favourable weather there might be problems with most race-goers looking to take cover and packing the buildings.

More immediately, he is turning his attention to the track's final music meeting of the summer, a family fun day on Sunday, August 11, when Peter Andre, Bjorn Again and James Graham are due to perform.

He is disappointed that Leicester City's first home Championship fixture against Leeds has been switched to that day for Sky TV coverage so he is looking to maximise advance sales.

For more information on tickets, ring 0116 2716515 or visit

www.leicester- racecourse.co.uk/

Martin Crowson looks back at five key things from the Lions' Test series win in Australia.

1 Warren Gatland should have taken time to seek out Saturday's referee Romain Poite and invite him into the Lions' liar for a glass of Moet. It was no coincidence that the third and final Test was the most pleasing to watch with Poite in charge. Gone were the endless re-set scrums and lecturing of the front-rows. Poite knows his scrums, awards the side with the ascendency and is not afraid to give penalties and yellow cards early on in the game. He did not favour the Lions, but his strong decision-making played right into the hands of Gatland's 'power game' tactics.

2 The nature and size of the Lions' win in Australia was important, not only for winning the series but for the continuation of the brand. It is becoming more difficult for the Lions to be successful on tour as the game becomes more professional. With no series win in 16 years, they really needed this triumph. The size of their task in New Zealand in 2017 will be huge. This win means they will travel there with that monkey off their backs.

3 One of the beauties of a Lions tour is that they always throw up the odd unsung hero, and it was wonderful to see Leicester Tigers lock Geoff Parling as one of those this time, along with the likes of Alex Corbisiero and Jonathan Davies. The 29-year-old grew in stature and saved his best game – and tackle – for the final Test.

4 The Australian Rugby Union wasted no time in sacking head coach Robbie Deans yesterday after his side's 2-1 series defeat. But I have some sympathy with the Kiwi. The player pool in Australia is always low compared to the other southern hemisphere countries, while the depth of front-row options is painfully shallow. Deans' replacement will have his work cut out to keep the Aussies on rugby's top table.

5 Had England beaten Wales in that Grand Slam decider last season, the six-man Leicester Tigers contingent would have returned to work at Oval Park in four weeks' time as winning British & Irish Lions, champions of Europe and champions of England. Two out of three ain't bad though, is it?

A rogue motorist and accomplice are believed to be travelling the countryside, pushing cyclists off their bikes and driving away.

In the past week, three people have reported a silver BMW to the police after being either pushed or forced off the road by the vehicle.

All of the victims have been injured and say that it is only a matter of time before someone is killed.

The latest incident took place at about 1.15pm on Saturday, when 55-year-old Andy Limb was made to veer into a ditch in Stanton Lane, near Croft.

The lorry driver from Stoney Stanton broke his collarbone and shattered his crash helmet after coming off his bike at about 25mph.

He said: "The car pulled up alongside and then dived into me, forcing me on to the gravel and sending me over the handlebars.

"My crash helmet saved my life, but I didn't even feel the impact, it all went so quickly."

He was taken to George Eliot Hospital, in Nuneaton, where he was treated for a broken collarbone.

"I didn't really hear him coming and I didn't see who was in the car because they appeared from behind," he said.

"Before I knew it I was in a heap and in a lot of pain."

Last Monday, Colin Haynes, 48, from North Kilworth, was cycling home after work along Dunton Road, near Broughton Astley, at about 4pm when he experienced a similar attack.

Without warning he was pushed from his bike after a silver BMW pulled up next to him, and the passenger leaned out and shoved him.

He said: "I landed awkwardly and thought I'd broken my ribs. Luckily they were only bruised."

He contacted the Mercury yesterday, after reading about a third victim, Martin Webster, in Saturday's paper.

Martin, a former international cyclist, was on a fast downhill stretch of a country lane when he was pushed.

He veered on to a bumpy grass verge and was flung from his bike.

The incident happened at about 3.30pm on Thursday in Thurlaston Lane, Earl Shilton.

Colin said: "Someone showed me the story in the Mercury and it sounded exactly the same as what happened to me.

"I have no idea why somebody would do anything like this, I don't know whether they think it's funny.

"But they need to be caught because someone could so easily be killed.

"You wouldn't jump out of a car at 15 or 20 miles-an- hour, and this is the same thing."

Colin said there may have been more incidents involving the same car.

He said: "After it happened I was speaking to someone who told me they heard the same thing happened near the Shell garage in Broughton Astley. If it's the same people, something needs to be done to catch them and put an end to this."

Police say they are looking into the possibility of a link between the three incidents, which all happened in the south-west of the county and involved an old silver BMW.

Leicester City players are ahead of schedule as they continue their build-up to the new season, manager Nigel Pearson has said.

The City boss said the players had returned from their summer break in good condition.

The first week of pre-season training has gone so well the players are a week ahead of the training plan Pearson had originally drawn up.

City play their first pre-season friendly on Friday, away at Leamington, before heading to Austria for a training camp next week.

Pearson said he was pleased with how preparations had gone.

"They are at least a week ahead of where they were at this point last pre-season," he said. "We normally have 10 days of conditioning work before we progress to the level of football we have been playing over the last couple of days.

"It is good that you can move on at a quicker pace because it means the players are able to cope with match situations.

"It is early days but pre-season is a very important part of the season.

"I have been really pleased with how they have come back and the condition they are in, but also their application has been fabulous."

As well as physically recovering from the demands of the last campaign, Pearson said it was important the players had recovered mentally after their dramatic play-off semi-final defeat at Watford.

"There are two key things about this break, they had to keep themselves in good physical shape but also mentally it was important for them to recover from what was a difficult end to last season," he said.

"They do seem to have done that, hopefully. We are going to go away, after we play our first game, which is different but you have to be flexible.

"It won't be a long trip but it will be an opportunity to get away as a group.

"The friendlies are an extended training session essentially.

"Yes, you want to win but more importantly you want to get out of it a few tactical and technical outcomes.

"For the players as well it is for them to get back into the mode of playing games.

"You have to practise in the correct manner, and we try to do that on the training field and in the warm-up games."