When Barack Obama was first elected as US President four years ago, expectations were ridiculously high. With his re-election, the tone is more realistic. The US is still struggling to recover from the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. The country's parliament, Congress, is bitterly divided and has been mired in legislative gridlock.

And the US and Iran are effectively in a state of cold war, with the frightening potential for the crisis to turn into military conflict.

Given the circumstances, President Obama's re-election owes a great deal to his personal charisma and resilience, and his victory speech amply demonstrated just what an inspiring figure he continues to be.

His success over his Republican rival Mitt Romney will, of course, be immensely popular in this country, and the rest of Europe, where he is greatly admired, and where the Republicans are reviled.

Domestically, however, things will not be as rosy.

The US election showed that the country is bitterly divided and this is manifested in Congress, where President Obama faces an immediate and pressing economic challenge.

Known as the "fiscal cliff", this a combination of spending cuts and tax rises which could plunge the weak economy back into recession, with potentially devastating effects elsewhere, including Britain.

President Obama must negotiate a solution to prevent disaster.

Beyond that, there is the lethal issue of Iran's nuclear programme.

The President must ensure that Iran does not gain a nuclear weapon and do so without resorting to military force. He must also try to head off the possibility of war between Israel and Iran.

Failure on any of these counts will plunge the Middle East into a fresh crisis and increase instability across the world.

These challenges are important to Britain's immediate future. Our fortunes are inextricably tied to the success, or otherwise, of President Obama over the next four years.

Our view continues to be that he is the best man for the job and we welcome his victory.

However, we are under no illusions about the scale of the task ahead.

A scientist who was part of the team which landed a robot on Mars has returned home after three months working with Nasa in California.

Dr John Bridges will continue his exploration of Mars from the comfort of his laboratory at the University of Leicester.

He has been at the Jet Propulsion Lab, in Pasadena, where he was one of a large team working to determine whether Mars was once a habitable place for microbial life.

He will now carry on probing the Martian environment from the University of Leicester's Space Research Centre.

He said: "It's good to be back at the university and in familiar surroundings but, of course, the mission goes on and there is still a lot of work to do.

"We're now entering the remote data operations phase, which means all those who were in Pasadena have gone back to their home institutions and we'll be working across six time zones.

"Our goals are practically the same, but it's going to take a little more time and patience to get the results we want."

Curiosity landed on the Red Planet on August 5.

It has beamed back vast amounts of data from rock, soil and atmospheric samples taken using an arsenal of hi-tech equipment.

Dr Bridges said: "Over the first 90 Mars days it was useful to be able to talk to other members of the team, but it's not practical to continue for any protracted amount of time.

"But the aim remains the same – to test for habitability, trying to understand whether there was flowing water or other conditions able to support life on Mars."

In 2011, Dr Bridges was selected from 140 scientists who applied for a role working on the Nasa Mars mission.

He arrived in California on August 1.

"It was a fascinating working environment in Pasadena, seeing the project right through from the entry to the landing to turning everything on," said Dr Bridges.

"The first few images of Mount Sharp were beautiful and then we started moving little by little towards it, which is the ultimate goal.

"We switched on the ChemCam for the first time – it was a fascinating experience seeing it all unfold."

Curiosity has an estimated two-year lifespan.

The mission will continue until the robot is no longer capable of sending back information.

"Another Mars rover, Opportunity, has been on the planet since 2004 and is still functioning, so we'll keep analysing whatever Curiosity sends back until it fails," said Dr Bridges.

"Hopefully, it will go for a considerable period of time."

The latest data to be sent back is the analysis of methane in the atmosphere.

"The levels are much smaller than we first thought – there are vanishingly small parts of methane in the Mars atmosphere," Dr Bridges said.

"Earth spectrometers were giving us much larger readings than we are getting from Curiosity, but that's one of the advantages of being on the surface."

Scientists were interested in the methane levels because they could be associated with microbial activity at some point in the planet's history.

Read Dr Bridges's blog at:

www2.le.ac.uk/departments/ physics/research/src/res/ planetary-science/mslblog

Detectives have been granted more time to question a woman in connection with a man's death.

A murder investigation was launched on Tuesday.

A man was found seriously injured in a house in King Street, Scalford, near Melton. He was taken to Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, where he died the same day.

A 31-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the man's death. She remained in police custody last night.

The house remained cordoned off yesterday as forensic scientists continued to examine the scene.

The man's identity has not yet been officially released. He was named locally as Eddie Miller, of Eastwell.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Spicer, of the East Midlands special operations unit's major crime team, said: "We are in the process of establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident and would urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything to call us."

The funeral of a suspended senior police officer who was killed by a train last month took place yesterday.

Leicestershire Assistant Chief Constable Gordon Fraser's funeral cortege was led by a police motorcyclist to the Heart of England crematorium in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Mr Fraser was hit by a train in Aston Magna, Gloucestershire, shortly after noon on Friday, October 19.

The 48-year-old's death is not being treated as suspicious and an inquest has been opened and adjourned.

Mr Fraser had been due to appear at St Albans Magistrates' Court alongside his wife Teresa, a police officer, three days after he died.

The couple were charged in July with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by allegedly lying to help Mr Fraser avoid a speeding fine.

At the time of the alleged offence, Mr Fraser was suspended from his post while he was investigated for suspected fraud and gross misconduct.

The inquiry centred on his alleged involvement in an overseas property business, in which investors reportedly lost money.

Mr Fraser's 42-year-old wife, a detective with West Midlands Police, is also suspended as part of the investigation.

As the force's assistant chief constable, Mr Fraser oversaw its performance on tackling and investigating crime.

Every successful side needs a great leader – and Leicester City have that man in the shape of captain Wes Morgan, says Sean St Ledger.

This weekend could be one of mixed emotions for the City captain as he faces his former club Nottingham Forest, for whom he made more than 400 appearances.

But all sentiments will have to be put to one side as City look to kick on from their encouraging 0-0 draw against Bolton on Tuesday.

The pairing of Morgan and St Ledger had begun to look a very solid partnership at the heart of the City defence, with the side having won every Championship game in which the two had started together before St Ledger was ruled out through injury.

St Ledger said that his defensive partner is a very good captain.

"He is definitely a captain that leads by example," he said.

"Everyone can look up to him. He's played in this league for a number of years and has been one of the best centre-backs.

"I think his form has shown that he's been a stand-out player for us. He's strong and very, very solid and he's got great experience."

As well as earning the respect and admiration of his colleagues, Morgan has also been praised by his manager Nigel Pearson, with the City boss believing his captain to be the best defender outside of the Premier League.

"I think it's a very fair assessment," said St Ledger.

"He's proved it over a number of years in this league and the way he has performed this season. You have to give him credit for that."

Since St Ledger was ruled out of action with a hamstring injury he picked up in City's 2-0 victory over Bristol City last month, the side have won just one of their five league games.

"It always helps when you're playing in a winning side – you always seem to be a better player when you're in a winning team," said the 27-year-old Irishman.

Leicester City's academy side have been drawn to face Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

Rovers were the runners-up in the competition last season.

The tie will be played before December 15.

They might not have conjured any knights on fiery steeds, but a host of fund-raising heroes turned out for an all-singing all-dancing extravaganza yesterday.

More than 1,000 De Montfort University students and staff, police officers, Leicester Tigers players, Leicestershire county cricketers and members of the public danced to and mimed the words of Bonnie Tyler's 1980s classic Holding Out For A Hero, in Castle Gardens, Leicester.

Spurred on by a good luck message from the gravel-voiced rock chick herself, they were hoping to set a world record for the biggest lip-synching flash mob.

But while they failed to achieve that, they did raise lots of cash for the charities Loros and Prostaid, with each person paying £1 to take part.

University vice-chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard came up with the idea as part of the 2012 Grant Thornton Executive Quest, which challenges bosses to come up with original fund-raising activities.

"I could have climbed Snowdon or run a marathon, but I wanted to do something that got the whole community involved and this seemed like a fantastic idea," he said.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic about the turnout."

The fun was captured by a film crew and an edited version will shortly appear on the university's website and YouTube.

The video shows Prof Shellard being chased through the university campus wearing a wig resembling Bonnie Tyler's hair.

Bonnie phoned the university yesterday, ahead of the event, to wish everyone good luck.

She said: "I think it's wonderful using this song to raise money. I wish everyone the best of luck and ask them to dig deep in their pockets."

The choreographed dance moves included Mo Farah's Mobot and Bruce Forsyth's signature bent knee and clenched fist stance.

Leicester City ambassador Alan Birchenall wanted to give his moves a bit of extra pizzazz and turned to a South Korean chart hit for inspiration.

"I rehearsed my moves and made them into the latest Gangnam Style," he said.

Leicester Tigers player Andrew Symons, 21, said: "Raising awareness of these charities is important work and it's been lots of fun at the same time."

Ross Tarbard, 33, who works in the communications department at the university, was there with his three-year-old son, Alex, who dressed as Superman for the occasion.

He said: "My brother's best friend died from testicular cancer this year, aged just 29, so this was very important to me."

A cyclist has died in hospital five days after he was involved in a suspected hit-and-run.

The 41-year-old rider was involved in a collision with a van in Bruntingthorpe on Friday.

Police said the van failed to stop at the scene of the collision, which happened near Shearsby Bath restaurant, in Bruntingthorpe Lane, at 2pm.

The cyclist was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he died on Tuesday night.

A 68-year-old man has been arrested and released on police bail.

Detective Constable Seamus Burns said: "The cyclist was travelling towards Bruntingthorpe Airfield when he was struck from behind by a van travelling in the same direction.

"From inquiries we've conducted so far, we've located a van believed to have been involved in the collision.

"However, we would still like to trace the drivers of other vehicles we believe were in the vicinity of the cyclist at the time. If you were travelling along this road on Friday afternoon and believe you may have seen the cyclist, we would urge you to contact us."

New Leicester City signings Michael Keane and Jesse Lingard are being backed to make an impact at the King Power Stadium during their one-month loan from Manchester United.

The 19-year-olds made their debuts after completing their moves in Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium, and City boss Nigel Pearson said they come from Old Trafford with a great pedigree.

Both could make their home debuts on Saturday when City entertain East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest in a lunchtime kick-off.

Keane, however, was substituted as a precaution at the Reebok Stadium with a tight hamstring, and will be assessed later this week.

"Michael has had a good introduction to the Championship and this team," said Pearson.

"Michael had a tight hamstring so we decided to protect him.

"If we have a player capable of going on and playing that position I don't see the point of risking a longer-term injury.

"I am sure both he and Jesse have enjoyed sampling the Championship. They played their part in a very good team performance and, hopefully, we will see a lot more from them.

"They are coming from probably the best club in terms of producing young players.

"Whenever you can add the type of vitality that players like them can bring, and they are good players as well, then you do it.

"The quality is there. It doesn't matter what age they are if they are good enough."

City defender Ritchie De Laet knows the duo from his time with United and said they were among the rising stars coming through the ranks at United.

"They are good players," he said. "Michael proved himself against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup recently and he did it again at Bolton.

"It was a great performance. Jesse is still a young player as well but he is very good on the ball and I think you will see a lot of both of them."

De Laet said City had been buoyed by their performance at Bolton on Tuesday ahead of Saturday's East Midlands derby, despite being unable to convert their dominance into a victory.

"We had the better chances and their keeper pulled off some good saves," he said. "He kept them in the game.

"There was more drive and the energy was back. We controlled the midfield. That wasn't there in the last two games so, now it is back, hopefully we can push on this Saturday."

More than 100 people spent the night at a Salvation Army hall after fire broke out at a hotel.

A total of 133 staff and guests were forced to leave the Sky Plaza hotel, in Leicester, at 1.30am yesterday.

Eleven fire crews were sent to the hotel, in Abbey Street, after smoke was seen coming from a room in the nine-storey building.

The hotel was evacuated as the firefighters tackled the blaze, which is believed to have started in the laundry room on the third floor.

About 100 of the guests were members of a film crew shooting a Bollywood movie.

Actress Niina Kabesa, 30, who plays an opera singer in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 (Mad, Madder, Maddest 2), said: "I was half-asleep when I heard knocking on my door.

"I ignored it because I looked at my watch and saw it was only about 1.30am and not 5am, when were supposed to be getting up to leave to start filming.

"Then the door burst open and a member of staff was saying 'There is a fire. You need to get out into the street now.'

"I got dressed, grabbed my bag and rushed out.

"It was quite scary and much more dramatic than anything I have filmed."

After everyone had been accounted for, some guests went to other hotels while the majority went to the nearby Mansfield House police station.

The police called Leicester City Council's emergency management team.

Martin Halse, manager of the team, said he called the Salvation Army, which opened its Leicester HQ in nearby Kildare Street at about 3.30am.

Members of the council's team joined workers from the Salvation Army and British Red Cross to look after the displaced guests.

Mr Halse said: "We have contingency plans for such an eventuality. Luckily, no one was hurt and no one needed medical assistance so the British Red Cross helped with hot drinks and blankets."

Rudi Bruinewoud, a major in the Salvation Army, said his organisation was happy to be able to help.

He said: "We made sure people were comfortable and set up a PC projected on to a giant screen so anyone who wanted to could watch the American election vote unfold.

"Some did while others slept."

Associate producer Suniel Saini praised the actions of everyone involved.

He said: "We have lost a day's filming but we were so well looked after it was wonderful."

Mr Saini called the film's catering crew who turned up at the hall and gave everyone a slap-up breakfast.

A fire service spokeswoman said the cause of the blaze is being investigated.

She said it was too early to assess the damage to the hotel.

Guests were in alternative accommodation last night.

Nigel Pearson is considering another dip into the loan market.

The Leicester City boss has suggested he may target an experienced player after left-back Paul Konchesky suffered a hamstring injury at Bolton on Tuesday.

City do not have a like-for-like replacement for the 31-year-old Konchesky, with striker Jeffrey Schlupp once again being used as a make-shift left-back at the Reebok Stadium.

"Paul will be out (for the Nottingham Forest game on Saturday) I would suspect," said Pearson.

"He felt his hamstring pull so I think it is pretty certain that he will be missing, which is a shame.

"I think, at some point, we will try and add a bit more experience, it's not just about having young players.

"Maybe with Konchesky being on the sidelines we may need to have a look at the possibility of more experienced players.

"But, as I have said before, I am not bringing in players for the sake of it.

"I am not going to add players just because people start bleating on about the fact we might need players.

"It took me long enough last season to get rid of players who were either not good enough, or didn't want to be at the club, and it's been a huge task for us to eliminate those influences from the club.

"So I don't intend to have any knee-jerk reactions in terms of bringing players in. Any players we do bring in will be because we feel that they are the right people for our football club."

Pearson has only just added to his squad with the arrival of the young Manchester United starlets Michael Keane and Jesse Lingard earlier this week.

But Keane could also be a worry as the 19-year-old came off in the 57th minute on Tuesday suffering with a tight hamstring.

Sean St Ledger is on the road to recovery from a hamstring injury of his own, but he is not expected to be fit in time for Saturday.

But centre-back Zac Whitbread will be eligible for selection as he returns from a one-match suspension following his red card against Watford.

A man who threatened to kill police – demanding "do you think Raoul Moat is bad?" – has been jailed.

Armed police surrounded woods in Oadby after Sean Jeffrey made 999 calls threatening to shoot officers with an AK47 assault rifle.

Leicester Crown Court was told Jeffrey was living in a makeshift den in the woods, near Windrush Drive.

The 40-year-old made seven emergency service calls within two-and-a-half hours, three of which included threats to randomly shoot and kill two police officers.

In a call played in court, Jeffrey made reference to infamous killer Raoul Moat, who went on the run in north east England after killing his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend and shooting her and a policeman, before killing himself, in 2010.

In one of the calls, he said: "Do you think Raoul Moat is bad?"

He had earlier said: "I'm looking for your officers tonight and I'm gonna kill them. I'm gonna put them in their grave. I'm gonna kill two police officers."

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said the calls began at 5.15pm on May 28. Jeffrey initially threatened to kill himself.

Mr Murphy said: "Police cordoned off a dense wooded area near Windrush Drive.

"A number of armed officers were deployed, along with the police helicopter."

The calls continued until 7.40pm, when he told an emergency call handler he had slashed his arm and blood was "spurting" out.

At 8.05pm, he was seen walking along Windrush Drive with a heavily blood-stained arm.

He was arrested and taken to hospital.

Police located his den and found razors, along with his mobile phone, but no gun.

In interview, he said he had an argument with a friend who told him: "Why don't you just kill yourself?"

He had then taken beer to his den and had no memory of the first six calls.

He admitted two counts of making threats to kill and was jailed for 27 months.

Judge Michael Pert QC said: "You made threats, possibly with the intention of attracting armed police officers who might shoot you, though that's unclear.

"Threatening that you have a firearm and intend killing officers is so serious I can't deal with it in any other way than custody."

Linda Jerman, mitigating, said: "He's been suffering from mental health problems for a long time.

"The first call to the police was a cry for help.

"He said he was homeless and was going to kill himself. Because there wasn't a response from the police, anger took over while he was in drink.

"He's asked for help in the past and feels hospital staff and police haven't believed him."

She said Jeffrey was estranged from his family at the time. He went from sleeping in a park to living in the woods.

Miss Jerman said: "He was in a desperate situation and ended up cutting his arm and losing some blood.

"He's very sorry. He realises the person on the phone would have been scared for anyone who attended the scene.

"He's on medication and detoxified from alcohol while on remand in custody. He's found the prison regime helpful.

"He's made amends with his family."

Devoted wife Margaret Toach has been caring for her husband since he had a heart attack 23 years ago.

The 81-year-old has to wash and clothe and prepare meals for 85-year-old Jack.

Margaret, of Wigston, is the latest nominee in the Mercury's Carer of the Year Awards 2012 in the Home Carer of the Year category.

She said: "I took and continue to take my marriage vows very seriously. When we tied the knot 64 years ago I said in sickness and health, and I meant it.

"Jack has got a wheelchair and a scooter and can get about a bit but he more or less relies on me for everything.

"He has had another couple of smaller heart attacks since the big one, so he's not at his best, but we get by together."

Former hosiery worker Margaret, who met Jack at the South Wigston Fair when she was 14 and he was 17, said her husband does not want nurses or others to assist him.

She said: "He is a proud man and I am there for him. He doesn't want anyone else in and that is the way it is.

"Doctors and nurses have asked me lots of times if I need or want any assistance but, although it is kind of them, it is not necessary.

"Anyway, most of the doctors have said that because I have been looking after Jack for so long, I probably know how to care for him and meet his needs better than they could."

Margaret told how she and Jack became inseparable after he fed her a cheeky line at the fair.

She said: "I had noticed him and liked what I saw, then he came over and spoke to me.

"He said: 'Do you want to go for a ride with me, blondie?' I did and in that moment realised he was the one for me.

"We were married three years later and it's as if we were meant to be together."

Margaret was singled out for special praise by friend Bernadette Heggs, who nominated her for the award.

Bernadette, 65, of Oadby, said: "Margaret does everything for Jack. She is his world.

"She has a very infectious laugh – more like a girlie giggle. Margaret does so much and it is never for herself and she is always laughing.

"She is an inspiration to all of us and it would be great if she could win an award and get a bit of recognition and perhaps even time to relax."

As wacky fund-raisers gear up for their latest charity exploits, one family is testament to Children in Need's power to change lives for the better.

The BBC appeal has awarded more than £1,515,000 to 36 projects working with children and young people across Leicestershire in the past year.

For Jilly Humphry, of Saffron Lane, Leicester, the £9,000 given to a "buddy" scheme run by disability charity Menphys, is worth every penny.

Jilly and her daughter Lily, three, are among those who have benefited from the service, which provides carers to accompany and supervise disabled youngsters in activities of their choice.

"It's been an absolute godsend for us," said Jilly, whose daughter was born with Down's syndrome and has other complex health problems such as heart and respiratory problems and speech and hearing difficulties.

"Lily loves attending her nursery at Pindar Road, New Parks. During term-time she has a support worker paid for by the city council. That stops between terms but, thanks to the buddy, she was able to continue this summer.

"Mixing with other able children of the same age has been very important.

"Her speech has improved no end and it has motivated her to try to walk. In fact, she took her first few steps only this September.

"Without this support I have no doubt she would have regressed and not made the fantastic progress she has."

Thanks to Children in Need, Menphys has extended the scheme from 25 to 30 families, each given a buddy for up to 80 hours each year.

Peter Coopey, chairman of Menphys Sport, Play and Leisure, said: "Flexibility is key, allowing youngsters such as Lily to attend nursery or someone to accompany a teenager to a gym.

"Children in Need has been pivotal."

Goldhill Play Association, which runs an adventure playground on the Saffron Lane estate, was awarded £27,669 last year.

It has been used to fund an art worker for the next three years, running activities for 266 children, including 75 with special needs.

Nick Deacon, from Eyres Monsell, whose son Callum, 13, has autism, said: "He loves painting, it's given him a new way of expressing himself.

"Because of his condition, it's difficult to organise the same thing at home, which has also resulted in his 11-year-old sister Abigail missing out.

"This way, they can join in and have fun together."

Max Hiley, special needs co-ordinator for Goldhill, said the service costs £160,000 a year to run.

Sarah Monteith, the appeal's director of marketing and fund-raising, said: "It is really important that everyone sees their fund-raising and donations working in their local area."

Other causes receiving funding include Faith in People With HIV, a city project helping children affected by the virus; Leicester's Laura Centre, supporting bereaved children and families, and the Speakeasy Theatre Company, off Saffron Lane, for young disabled people.

This year's Children in Need appeal is on November 16. To tell us about your fund-raising antics, e-mail:

newsdesk@leicester mercury.co.uk

Rock star Tom Meighan has thanked members of a golf club who raised £1,800 for Support our Forces.

The Kasabian frontman is a patron of the Leicestershire charity, along with fellow Countesthorpe musician Jersey Budd.

The charity was formed seven years ago in Blaby by Wayne North and his family.

As well as sending packages to soldiers serving overseas, it supports injured service personnel back home and gives money to the Royal British Legion.

Wayne said: "Kilworth Springs Golf Club chose us as its charity for this year and has gone a brilliant job raising money over the year, with raffles, cake sales, fining players for wearing two many items of clothing on the golf course and other things.

"Tom and Jersey came along to the club on Friday to receive the cheque, which is going to make a big difference.

"I've known Jersey and Tom for quite a long time.

"Only last month Jersey ran the Leicester Half-marathon for us and raised £400. Having Tom supporting us is phenomenal because Kasabian are a worldwide band now.

"He knows the good work soldiers do and he's right behind us."

Police have named a cyclist who died in hospital after he was involved in a suspected hit and run incident.

Adam Bennett, 41, of Kibworth, was hit by a van in Bruntingthorpe, near Lutterworth, just after 2pm on Friday.

Police said the van failed to stop at the scene, near the Shearsby Bath restaurant, Bruntingthorpe Lane.

He suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary, with where he died on Tuesday.

A 68-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and released on bail pending further inquiries.

Detective Constable Seamus Burns said officers believed Mr Bennett was riding toward Bruntingthorpe Airfield when he was struck from behind by a van which was travelling in the same direction.

He said officers would like to speak to any drivers who saw the collision, or any of the vehicles beforehand.

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

Traders rolled up their sleeves yesterday to remove unsightly graffiti in an attempt to encourage visitors.

Staff at Christopher Scotney, More restaurant and Crane and Walton solicitors, all in London Road, Leicester, were joined by about 20 other businesses and city wardens to scrub away spray paint and collect litter.

They made the decision after becoming sick of vandals repeatedly tagging their shops, restaurants and places of work.

Their aim is to make the parade of shops and restaurants between the railway station and Victoria Park a destination for shoppers and diners in the run-up to Christmas.

Manoj Keshavji, chairman of the newly-established London Road Business Association (LRBA) and owner of More restaurant, said: "This is just the first step in improving the area. Next, we're going to light up London Road – all the businesses are going to put something in their windows to make it feel more festive.

"Our ambition is to make London Road a destination for visitors, rather than somewhere they pass through to get to town."

The work began yesterday morning when members of the London Road Business Association met with city wardens from Leicester City Council, who handed out free clean-up kits.

The team of traders began the painstaking process at the former Cecil Jacobs shop and scrubbed their way up to Dominoes Pizza, near Evington Road.

Vimal Chauhan, chairman of the Leicester Federation of Small Businesses and owner of Drive My Car Home, based in London Road, said: "There's still some work to do, but this is a great start.

"It's coming up to Christmas and we want to be enticing people to come to London Road to dine at restaurants and shop here.

"We know the council's budgets are being stretched, so we're making things happen for ourselves."

Kam Ubhi, a solicitor at Crane and Walton Solicitors, who was also involved in the clean-up, said: "This is one of the first steps taken by the LRBA to help improve the appearance of London Road. We want to encourage all our business community to take pride in the local environment, and to help the area prosper and thrive."

Barbara Whitcombe, city wardens manager at Leicester City Council, said: "We were approached by the LRBA to see if we could offer any help following a recent spate of graffiti attacks.

"The graffiti kits will mean that business owners can quickly remove graffiti from the doors, windows and shutters of their properties."

Families rolled up to enjoy all the fun of the fair.

Loughborough Fair, now in its 791st year, features 20 large rides, games, novelty stalls and other attractions.

The fair was officially opened on Wednesday by Mayor of Charnwood Councillor Diane Wise, who took a spin on the waltzer.

Paul Harley, leisure spokesman for Charnwood Borough Council, said: "For nearly eight centuries, Loughborough Fair has been a highlight of our events calendar and even today it is as special and loved as ever.

"Not only does it provide attractions for residents, it also showcases the town and the borough to visitors – especially our international students who send pictures of this unique event to their families all over the world."

The fair's charter was granted to the Lord of the Manor, Hugh Le Despenser, in 1221 by Henry III. It was originally held in July, on St Peter's Day.

In 1881, officials obtained an order to stipulate that the opening day of the fair would always fall on the second Thursday in November.

Some roads have closed for the duration of the event, which runs until tomorrow.

For a map of diversions, see:

www.charnwood.gov.uk\pages\ fair_road_closures

A mum who has turned her troubled life around has been named the Prince's Trust Young Achiever of the Year.

Laura Jenner, 23, from Beaumont Leys, Leicester, was chosen from hundreds of young people across the region for overcoming barriers to transform her life.

As a teenager, Laura and her baby daughter ended up in supported accommodation, where she started to take drugs and drink alcohol due to the pressure of being a young mum. Facing the possibility of having her daughter taken away, Laura enlisted on one of the Prince's Trust's 12-week courses,

She said it was this which gave her the start she needed to change her life.

She is now a support worker for the Prince's Trust, helping others like herself.

She said: "I'm thrilled to win the Young Achiever of the Year award – it was an amazing night and this is the icing on the cake.

"I can't thank The Prince's Trust enough for its support."

A Prince's Trust spokesman said: "We're really proud of Laura for winning Young Achiever of the Year Award.

"Her achievements are truly exceptional, as she has managed to turn her life around and now works helping other young people."

A man who broke a teenager's jaw after a fall-out on Facebook has had his sentence cut by judges on appeal.

Ryan Harriman (20) attacked his victim at a bar on March 25, having previously clashed with him on the social networking website.

Harriman, of Maple Way, Earl Shilton, who also threw a glass at another man at the bar on the same night, was later jailed for a total of three years at Leicester Crown Court.

He had admitted unlawful wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Rafter's Bar, in Barwell.

This week Lord Justice Moore-Bick, Mr Justice Collins and Judge Nicholas Cooke QC, sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court, cut that sentence to 26 months, after accepting that the original sentence was too long.

The court heard Harriman approached his victim, who was smoking outside the bar, and asked him for a fight after getting wound up about their online exchanges.

He then punched him repeatedly, breaking his victim's jaw in two places and leaving him with nerve damage.

He needed three metal plates to hold his jaw together and could not eat solid food for six weeks, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement read out during the sentencing hearing in Leicester, the victim told police: "It was absolute agony until the operation the next morning."

After the attack, Harriman took to Facebook again, to "offer his victim out" for another fight. He was sentenced to 20 months for the attack on the teenager and, at a later hearing, to 16 months – to run consecutively – for throwing the glass.

It was argued by his lawyers in the Criminal Appeal Court that the total three-year sentence was over the top.

It was said that the jaw-breaking attack had been "an isolated incident in an otherwise blameless life."

Mr Justice Collins said: "It was unfortunate that these offences did not come before the court for sentencing on the same occasion. It is possible a more satisfactory outcome could have been achieved."

The judge went on to cut the total sentence by 10 months.

A family has paid tribute to a "beloved son, brother and friend" who died in hospital shortly after he was found seriously injured in a house.

A murder investigation was launched on Tuesday after 20-year-old Edward Miller was reported to be injured in a house in King Street, Scalford, near Melton.

The Leicester Mercury understands Mr Miller, whose identity was confirmed by Leicestershire Police yesterday, had suffered stab wounds.

Mr Miller, a former pupil at King Edward VIII School, in Melton, was taken to Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, where he died later the same day.

Yesterday, a 31-year-old woman was charged with Mr Miller's murder.

She was due to appear before Loughborough Magistrates' Court today.

A spokesman for Mr Miller's family yesterday issued a brief statement through Leicestershire Police.

In the statement, they said: "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son, brother and friend.

"He was good friend to all who knew him. A tragic end to a young life."

The family also asked the media to respect their privacy.

The house was cordoned off as police forensic experts continued to examine the scene.

Detectives are still piecing together Mr Miller's final moments and have urged anyone with information to contact the investigation team urgently.

The investigation is being conducted by police's East Midlands Special Operations Unit's major crime team – which is made up of detectives from the five regional police forces.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Spicer, who is overseeing the inquiry, said: "Our investigations into the incident continue and we would still urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything in King Street during the very early hours of Tuesday, November 6, to contact us."

Contact Detective Constable Chris Wright on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.