The boss of East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust is to step down after two years at the helm.

Phil Milligan, who was appointed chief executive in 2011, said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Director of finance and performance Jon Sargeant will take his place until a full-time successor is appointed.

Mr Milligan said: "I joined East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) to make a difference.

"With the plans in place and progress made, I am proud to leave Emas in a much stronger position.

"I am looking forwards to spending more time with my family.

"The role of chief executive has been very demanding and has required very long hours to make the progress necessary.

"It is time for me to take a back seat for a while and to leave the driving to someone else."

Jon Towler, chairman of the Emas board, said: "Phil led the organisation through a time of significant change.

"He leaves Emas in a considerably better shape and with a clear plan for the future.

"The whole board extends its thanks for the improvements made and wishes him well for the future."

A drunken man terrified passers-by as he waved a meat cleaver around in a street.

Pradeep Desai damaged six parked cars in another incident, using a knife to scratch paintwork and causing damage totalling £4,000.

He was jailed for 15 months at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

Judge Michael Pert QC told the 43-year-old: "You've run out of chances."

Desai, of Wordsworth Road, off Welford Road, Leicester, was found guilty after a trial of six counts of causing criminal damage, on October 19.

He pleaded guilty to damaging a neighbour's door, by making 6in knife marks on it, on January 18, as well as causing an affray and possessing a meat cleaver in a public place, on May 23.

Sarah Knight, prosecuting, said the meat cleaver incident happened in Wordsworth Road at 6.30pm.

She said: "He kept walking into the road and then stepping back on to the pavement, waving the cleaver in the air and trying to stop cars.

"An old lady had to jump out of his way."

Concerned onlookers called police, who arrested Desai at his nearby home.

The damage to the cars involved him going along Loughborough Road, Roughton Street and Jackson Street, in Belgrave, "scoring car panels with a long-bladed knife".

Miss Knight said: "Witnesses tried to challenge him. One of the vehicles also had a slashed tyre."

At that time, Desai was living in Jackson Street, and was arrested there.

The cars he damaged were a Mercedes E350, a Vauxhall Zafira, a Renault Clio, a Vauxhall Corsa, a Toyota Avensis and a Ford Ka.

Desai was given a two-month suspended jail sentence in September for failing to comply with the requirements of a previously imposed community order for assault and criminal damage.

He admitted breaching the suspended sentence by committing further offences.

Judge Pert told him: "It must have been terrifying when you wandered, drunk, down the middle of the street, brandishing a meat cleaver.

"You've already been given a number of opportunities.

"You have a deep-seated problem with alcohol and have previously been given an alcohol treatment requirement."

Carl Gaskell, mitigating, said: "There's no excuse for damaging the cars, or a neighbour's front door.

"Then he goes out with his knife into the street, not causing any damage, but obviously frightening people.

"He attended an alcohol programme but he became upset when his divorce was finalised and returned to alcohol to allay his upset.

"He was also drinking to relieve insomnia symptoms.

"He's been on remand in custody for two months and detoxified and now wants to remain alcohol-free."

The Leicester Mercury is offering free advertising to credit unions to help them compete against payday loan companies.

We are supporting the campaign led by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Church of England to promote credit unions.

They provide cheap, last-resort loans and save people from the vicious circle of debt many find themselves in with payday loan companies offering high interest rates.

Adverts will be available free to credit unions in Monday and Tuesday editions of the Mercury.

Editor Richard Bettsworth said: "We recognise that payday lenders operate legally and have every right to promote themselves.

"However, we want to help credit unions compete. They do not have the marketing budgets of large commercial organisations.

"Offering them free advertising is a practical step we can take to promote their work and make people aware of the alternatives to the high-interest, short-term loans often offered by payday lenders.

"We hope this will help make hard-pressed individuals and families better aware of the choices available to them and avoid the nightmare of large debts."

Paul Dickinson, chairman of credit union Clockwise, which has 8,000 members and almost £3 million out on loan to people in Leicestershire, said: "Payday lenders, with their expensive TV adverts and increasing prominence, are commercial businesses that seek to make big profits.

"The price of their success is the negative effect they have on the least well-off neighbourhoods and the people who live in them.

"The Mercury's help and support in raising the profile of credit unions in general and Clockwise in particular will make a real difference.

"If it helps people solve their financial problems in a way that avoids the real risks of getting themselves into a never-ending debt crisis, the Mercury will have a lot to be proud of."

The campaign to help credit unions end the payday loan business will have a big impact, according to Dr Peter Davis, of the University of Leicester School of Management.

He said: "The problem for the poor is that the banks won't lend £100 or even smaller amounts because it's not profitable.

"High interest-bearing operators offer pay day loans to tide one over, but if you are on a low income and cannot pay the loan back quickly, it becomes extremely difficult to pay it back at all."

Any credit union wishing to advertise with the Leicester Mercury can e-mail:

lauraheap@ leicestermercury.co.uk

Tributes have been paid to an 18-year-old who died while on holiday with a group of friends on a Greek island.

More than 200 people have laid flowers at Little Bowden Bowl, a skatepark in Market Harborough, in memory of Ashley Chandler, who died on Thursday.

Friends and family, including his parents, met at the park on Thursday night to pay their respects to the keen BMX-er.

The mourners left a mound of flowers with messages of grief and condolence for the family.

They also lit candles in memory of the teenager, who worked at George Hall Cycles, in Market Harborough, and is from Desborough, Northamptonshire.

He was visiting Laganas, a resort in the Mediterranean holiday destination of Zakynthos, also known as Zante, with a group of 15 friends.

It is not clear how Ashley died.

However, it is understood his body was due to be flown back to the UK today.

Neil Holman, who runs the cycle shop where Ashley worked for two years, said: "It's hit everyone really hard.

"He was great person – really hard working.

"We went down to the skatepark on Thursday to place some flowers and told a few people and it just snowballed.

"Before long, there were 200 people there and they were still coming at 10pm.

"Then more turned up on Friday and Saturday."

Well-wishers also left tributes on Facebook.

Posting a message on the social networking site, Sophia Louise said: "RIP cousin, you will never be forgotten."

Lynda Billing wrote: "A young life too soon gone. RIP Ashley, friend of my daughter. Thinking of your parents and family at this sad time."

Di Evans posted: "I hope that his parents will take some comfort in the many tributes that have been left at The Bowl."

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Zakynthos, Greece, on July 29.

"We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time."

Friends of the cycle enthusiast are planning to hold a number of events to raise money for the family.

The latest plans to develop De Montfort University's campus have been unveiled.

The university has proposed revamping the Fletcher Tower, in Newarke Close, which houses the faculty of art, design and humanities, as part of a £90 million campus scheme to transform the site.

Features will include new atrium spaces with open galleries, large display cases to showcase three-dimensional work, digital internal and external displays of students' work and sculpture podiums and catwalks.

The area around the building, which is close to the River Soar, is also set to be developed as part of an attempt to reconnect the city centre with the waterfront through a series of linked public open spaces through the university campus. Vice-chancellor, Professor Dominic Shellard, said: "The exciting developments on our campus represent our continued focus on creating an unparalleled student experience."

Nottingham architects CPMG has been appointed to bring about the vision and the university this week released artists' impressions of how the area could look.

Plans have yet to be submitted to the local authority but are expected to be handed in before the end of the year.

Prof Shellard said: "We were seeking an architect that could understand our vision and bring it to life.

"CPMG shares the creative ethos that defines De Montfort University.

"It was therefore no surprise its bold and innovative designs for our new Fletcher complex were precisely what the university had envisioned.

"The Fletcher complex will be the centrepiece of our £90 million campus investment and will be a building and open space that will perfectly marry aesthetics with function.

"It will provide an inspiring place to work and a relaxing space to meet with friends and colleagues – everything a 21st century university should be."

CPMG previously worked with the university on the Hugh Aston Building, which was completed in 2009 to provide a new base for the university's business and law students.

A year after it opened it won the ProCon large scheme of the year award and was one of six schemes in the running for the Leicester Mercury People's Choice Award 2012.

CPMG director Nick Gregory said: "This is an exciting and demanding project and our team relishes the opportunity to create an inspirational solution for staff and students.

"With a clear focus on contemporary architecture and landscape, the university has already achieved a huge transformation with the realisation of the Hugh Aston building and we were fortunate to be involved.

"Now, to be able to help continue the university's development of its first-class facilities is a truly exciting prospect."

Work on the Fletcher Complex is scheduled to start next summer and will be completed in 2016. Students will be moved to other sites while it is carried out.

Future plans for the university include changes to teaching rooms, eating areas and the students' union, as well as creating a parkland at the heart of the campus.

Leicester City's match- winner Jamie Vardy has promised there is more to come from him this season.

The 26-year-old capped a superb comeback at the Riverside Stadium with a stunning winner in the second half.

Vardy admits he found his first season at Championship level tough and the expectations after his £1m move from Fleetwood Town, a record for a non-league player, a burden.

But Vardy says he is better prepared this season and wants to be a success.

"I was hungry last season but it was a massive learning curve for me and, hopefully, now I can kick on," he said.

"There was probably a weight of expectation as well. I came with a record price from the Conference. That was on my shoulders a bit but it is down to myself now. I have learned from that now.

"I feel at home at this level. I have got used to the physicality of the division and it is quicker. Hopefully, I am up to speed now.

"There are quite a few strikers here so you have to work hard in training. And if you do it in the game too you should keep your spot."

Vardy said he had been working hard during the close season to prepare himself for the new campaign, and he feels sharp.

"I am delighted to get the nod," he said.

"I have been working hard during the off season and I have been doing my own work before we reported back and all that is paying off now.

"I have been learning to hold the ball up as much as I can because this league is so physical. And then if I can play on the shoulder and get in behind it is good for the team."

City were transformed in the second half after a poor display in the first, and Vardy said that demonstrated the character in the squad.

"Obviously, going a goal down at Middlesbrough, it is hard to get back into it and we didn't play to the best of our ability. But you could see in the second half how we dug in, upped the work rate and came through it.

"I am obviously delighted to get the goal. It got us the victory."

A multi-purpose arena to host large-scale music and sports events could be built in Leicester.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said discussions had been taking place with Sport England about establishing a venue.

He spoke about Leicester's lack of an arena capable of staging larger concerts during a public meeting about the city's bid to become 2017 City of Culture.

Sir Peter said: "Since we lost Granby Halls we have lacked a multi-purpose venue. I would want to take every opportunity to bring an arena to the city.

"Having a decent arena is a high priority but we have to make the figures and users add up." He said the former Granby Halls site – currently a car park – was a potential site.

It is unclear what capacity the venue would be but similar developments such as the Capital FM Arena, in Nottingham, can accommodate 10,000 people.

Sir Peter said: "Capacity is one of the things we are discussing with them (Sport England)."

He said winning the City of Culture title would give impetus to the drive to get an arena and hinted that some money could be found for the project.

Leicester will find out in November if it has overcome the challenge of Swansea Bay, Hull and Dundee to win the Government contest.

Granby Halls closed in the late 1990s and was bulldozed soon after.

A series of plans for the area have been drawn up since, including hotel complexes linked to the nearby Leicester Tigers ground, but none has got off the ground.

Sport England is in negotiations with Leicester Riders basketball club about developing a £2.5 million, 2,000-seat arena at Leicestershire County Cricket Club's Grace Road ground.

Music fans have been calling for a larger venue for the city for years as some acts have bypassed the 2,200-seat De Montfort Hall because of its size. Mark Greenwall, 23, who lives in the city centre, said: "It would be great.

"Bands are doing more and more live music these days because tickets sell better than albums but you don't see the big acts in Leicester and that's a shame.

"There's nowhere big enough to play that would make it worth coming. There should be."

Carl Bennett, 32, of Hinckley Road, Leicester, said: "Nottingham's got an arena for big events and it's great. Why shouldn't there be one here?

"We should show a bit of ambition and confidence and getting an arena would do that."

Sir Peter Soulsby says he wants to make pay and display parking in Leicester simpler for drivers.

The mayor plans to scrap the system where drivers have to input part of their vehicle registration to buy a ticket.

He said the keypads at 240 parking pay stations around Leicester were "fiddly" and irritated drivers.

Sir Peter said he would also like to see more consistent parking charges across the city.

The moves are part of a planned review of the city's parking regime.

He said: "I am far from convinced we have it right at the moment."

The keypads were installed to try to stop motorists passing their tickets to other people if they leave their space before their purchased time expires.

Sir Peter said: "I think that is more a perceived problem than an actual one.

"I have discussed this with officers and been told it is easily achievable to blank off the keypad and reset the machines so you simply put in your money, press a button and take a ticket.

"I think shoppers would be much happier with a simpler system.

"The car parking is pretty difficult to understand.

"People struggle to understand the differential in charging from one car park to the next and I think that puts some off.

"It also means that parking is not spread evenly about the city.

"I would like to see a system where you can go to any machine to buy a ticket, reach into your pocket and take out a coin, probably £1, and know that will buy you one hour of parking."

Sir Peter said he did not think applying a flat rate of £1 per hour would significantly affect the council's income from parking.

He said: "In some car parks it would put the price up and in some it would bring it down, but overall it would be roughly the same."

There have been no increases in parking charges in the city for three years.

Charges vary across the city from 70p for an hour's parking at Abbey Park to £4 for an hour in Mansfield Street.

Driver Sue Hardman, 51, from Birstall, said: "Having to enter your registration number is annoying.

"So what if you give your ticket to somebody else when you leave? There's still only one car in one parking space. It's not going to bankrupt the council."

Mujat Anwar, 44, from Stoneygate, said: "If the mayor is going to change the parking rates he should lower the charges. That will encourage more shoppers to go into the city centre, which is what businesses want."

A large snake has been discovered trapped in netting in a back garden pond.

Christine McAdam was in her garden in Aylestone, Leicester, on Friday afternoon when she spotted something in the netting that covers her pond.

She said: "I noticed something caught up in the mesh in my pond and I looked closer and it was a big snake.

"It's about two foot long and it's certainly not a grass snake or anything you would expect to find in this country.

"I've never seen anything close up like this before and I was scared it would bite me."

Christine, 58, enlisted the help of neighbour Rick Wright to cut the net and release the snake.

She has been trying to get hold of the RSPCA to take the snake off her hands.

She said: "I've been phoning and getting a message that says if you find a fox or snake or anything, just let it go.

"But I don't think I should with this one. It's so big.

"It's in a plastic box at the bottom of my garden for the moment.

"I'm keeping it out of the sun."

An exotic mix of calypso music and brightly-coloured dancers brought the flavoursome taste of the Caribbean to the city.

About 30,000 people took part in the celebrations and visitors stood four deep in places along London Road on Saturday as the annual carnival made its booming entrance into the city.

Brief flurries of rain did not disrupt the excited echoes of whistles and vuvuzelas – although they were momentarily eclipsed by passing thunder.

Dozens of floats, each carrying mountains of speakers, blasted out soca and salsa music as hundreds of colourful, scantily-clad dancers followed energetically behind.

The parade snaked its way from Victoria Park, past the railway station and down Granby Street and Charles Street to Lee Circle, before heading back up Gallowtree Gate and finishing back in Victoria Park.

At the Clock Tower, crowds pushed up against the temporary barriers to get a glimpse of the action.

Sasha Turner, 29, from Beaumont Leys, was with her children, Taylor, six, and Flo, three, as the dancers went by.

She said: "I usually go up to Victoria Park because it's such a lively, fun atmosphere.

"This year, I had to do some shopping, but I couldn't not come and see some of it – the kids nearly pulled my arms off trying to get over here to see what all the noise was."

Once past the city centre, the floats headed back towards the park.

Rhea Berry, 18, a volunteer at the ER Dance troupe, based at Braunstone leisure centre, was leading a group of youngsters along the route.

"It's always so colourful and loud, I love it," she said. "We have two-year-olds in the parade and they absolutely love everything that's going on around them."

Many of the performers and visitors had come from outside Leicestershire to sample the carnival's delights.

However, not many people had travelled further than 40-year-old Donna Wallace, who flew from St Kitts, in the Caribbean, to be at the festival.

She said: "I've got lots of family here, so I thought I'd try to come at the same time as the carnival.

"I think it's great – it's like being back home."

The parade also had a flavour of cultures from outside the Caribbean, with performers such as Melina Caceres, 27, and Ramona Ativena, 29, showing off the best of Bolivian dance.

"People might not have seen Bolivian dancing before," said Melina. "Unless they were here last year – we did a show then, too."

Amara Deacon, 24, who lives off Narborough Road, was part of the Ndi Igbo Leicestershire parade group – made up of members of the Nigerian community.

She said: "I love the way that everyone gets involved and takes part together.

"I'm here to promote culture and raise awareness of the Nigerian community here in Leicester."

Dance teacher Laura Gilchrist, from Studio 79, in Midland Street, Leicester, had brought 30 youngsters dressed in blue and silver costumes to represent the island of Barbados.

"We've been preparing for a few months now and the kids have been really excited," she said.

In Victoria Park, vendors including Pat Martia, a Caribbean cook, were offering food such as jerk chicken and goat curry.

"People always want goat curry," she said. "We go all over and that's what sells."

Shaun Lord, 37, from New Parks, said: "I love the food, especially when the weather's like this.

"You can sit on the park, have some jerk chicken, have a beer and chill out."

Organiser Dennis "Sugar" Christopher said: "It has been a really successful carnival – one of the biggest and best. I would like to thank everyone who has made it possible.

"Special thanks also go to the co-ordinator, as well as all the people behind the scenes who made the wonderful costumes."

Police said no arrests were made during the carnival procession or celebrations in Victoria Park.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Prior, the officer in charge of policing the carnival, said: "I'm pleased to say the carnival has once again been a great success.

"It was great to see so many people lining the streets and supporting the carnival, in the sunshine as well as the rain. The atmosphere was fantastic.

"I would like to thank those who attended for their co-operation during the event and motorists for their patience during the procession through the city centre."