Leicestershire's four-day cricket faces its biggest test so far this season when Division Two front-runners Hampshire visit Grace Road tomorrow (11.0).

County have started their LV= County Championship programme confidently and, although they have had to settle for three draws from as many games, the positive approach they have shown is far removed from the problems they faced late last term.

Greg Smith, Niall O'Brien and Ned Eckersley have already posted centuries but, most encouragingly, Leicestershire have produced healthy first-innings hauls to give them footholds in games.

Charlie Shreck and Ant Ireland have shared 21 wickets between them, while Nathan Buck also looked back to his best in the most recent Championship match when he claimed first-innings figures of 5-76 against Essex.

Against that, Hampshire have won two and drawn three of their five games to stake an early place at the top of the chart.

They have been strong in both batting and bowling departments, although they will lose opener Michael Carberry for this game as the left-hander is on England's duty.

James Vince already has more than 500 runs to his name, including a brace of tons, while seamer Kyle Abbott has picked 17 wickets.

James Tomlinson, who provides a left-arm option for the visitors, has struck 14 times to date.

A restaurant has received an award from the Lord Mayor of Leicester for its work feeding homeless people at Christmas.

For the past 10 years, The Case, in Hotel Street, has opened its doors to hundreds of people who have nowhere to go on Christmas Day.

The visitors get a full festive dinner with all the trimmings, all provided free by a group of volunteers.

The idea was cooked up by chef and college lecturer Ian Bremner and his friend and manager of The Case, David Hartshorn.

David said: "We started doing it after Ian saw a story in the Leicester Mercury about a Christian group who were looking for a place to feed people over the festive period. It took off from there."

David and Ian were presented with the Citizen of the Year award at a ceremony at Leicester Town Hall on Thursday night.

They were chosen from a shortlist of nine candidates.

Chef Ian said: "It's very humbling and I would like to share it with all the volunteers who take time to help us.

"It wouldn't be possible without them."

The runners-up included Marie Potter, who pioneered the Plot to Pot scheme in New Parks, Leicester.

The project encourages residents to grow their own food and take part in cookery lessons.

Melanie Marriott, who has battled ill health while helping with fund-raising in her community, was also nominated.

They were each presented with an award by the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Mustafa Kamal.

He said: "I would like to congratulate each of you for the contribution that you have made, not only to your communities but to the city of Leicester."

Assistant city mayor Manjula Sood, who was on the judging panel, said: "When we were going through the nominations, we all agreed that each one of these people deserved to be here.

"But Ian and David stood out because Christmas is a time when everybody wants to shut their business and go home and put their feet up.

"These two take time out of their own Christmas to make sure people less fortunate than them have a lovely dinner."

Blaby & Whetstone Athletic were crowned Westerby Cup champions following their impressive 2-0 victory against Quorn at the King Power Stadium.

Aaron Preston and Mason Hirst were on target for the East Midlands Counties League side, who lifted the trophy for the first time in their history.

Blaby, who had pulled off the shock of the competition by beating Coalville Town in the semi-final, once again punched above their weight to defeat a Quorn side who play one level above them in the Midland Alliance.

Preston's strike was his sixth of the competition and completed his superb record of having scored in every round.

Blaby also had goalkeeper Ben Jackson to thank, who kept Quorn at bay in the first half with a string of fine saves.

Quorn, meanwhile, were unable to complete the double following their League Cup triumph just seven days earlier, in their first season in the division.

They were also dealt a severe injury blow when midfielder Dan Henton was stretchered off just before the break with what was later confirmed as a broken fibula.

Blaby will now go head-to-head with a Leicester City XI in the Westerby Cup Winners' Cup final.

A collection of Edwardian rugby memorabilia is expected to fetch up to £12,000 when it goes up for auction next week.

The treasure trove of sporting items includes shirts, caps and documents from an early 20th century tour of New Zealand and Australia, dubbed the Imperial Crusade.

In 1908, the Anglo-Welsh Lions set sail for the Southern Hemisphere in a bid to save rugby union from the emerging league game, which was becoming increasingly popular Down Under.

Among the English players was Thomas Smith, a former Wigston Grammar School pupil, who was a Tigers player at the time, and after whom the collection is named.

James Laverack, of Louth auctioneers John Taylors, where the lot will appear on Tuesday, said: "The Smith Collection is extensive and is probably the best to come on to the market for a very long time.

"It includes three jerseys from the tour, an Anglo-Welsh cap, blazer badge and hat ribbons, plus an album and folder containing match programmes, menu cards, signatures, postcards, newspaper cuttings, letters and souvenirs.

"The collection also includes a number of contemporary items relating to his club, Leicester Tigers, including caps, club tie and other memorabilia.

"However, for some, the most interesting part of the collection will be the documentation relating to the attempts to entice Smith to play rugby league, the rumours of which were enough to put an abrupt end to his rugby union playing days immediately after the tour.

"He was never selected for England again."

The "crusade" went badly for the Lions players, who spent more time visiting picturesque parts of both countries than training.

James said: "The crusade was not a great success, which is perhaps not surprising when we hear how the two teams prepared for the third and final test in Auckland.

"While the All Blacks trained flat-out in the week ahead of the game, the Lions – who had already lost the first Test 32-5 and managed only a 3-3 draw in the second – went sightseeing for four days. Surprise, surprise, they lost the game 29-0."

Viewing sessions take place on Sunday, from 2pm until 4pm, Monday, from 2pm until 4.30pm, and on Tuesday, from 8.30am until 9.45am.

The auction starts at 10am.

The catalogue can be viewed online at:

www.johntaylors.com

An opportunity to uncover the creative side of Leicester is on offer this weekend at a pop-up shop event.

Showcasing 40 of Leicester's businesses, from cupcakes and cards to jewellery and bags, the event opened at Silver Arcade yesterday and will run until 4pm tomorrow.

Martin Wright, co-owner of M&R Guitars, has set up a pop-up shop selling handmade guitars with his son, Richard.

Martin said he thought the event was just what Leicester needed.

"Over the past 15 years, I think the creative side of Leicester has plummeted a little bit," he said.

"I did think Leicester was losing its touch, but this is a way to bring it back."

As well as hand-crafted goods for sale, there will be chocolate workshops, craft demonstrations and music.

Martin said: "It's a great way to create a rapport with other shop owners and with customers."

The event is being hosted by NatWest in partnership with a number of enterprise agencies, including the Prince's Trust, Leicester College, Leicester for Business and The Mighty Creatives.

NatWest business specialist Liz Waddington said: "We're home to some amazing creative businesses in Leicester, which we are proud to be able to showcase to the community through this one-off event.

"I would encourage the people of Leicester to come down to the arcade over the three days and support your local entrepreneurs, many of whom have only recently started up their business."

The pop-up shops will be open from 11am to 4pm today and tomorrow.

One of eight defendants on trial over the fatal Wood Hill house fire has given more evidence blaming one of his co-accused for the murders.

Kemo Porter, the first of the defendants to give evidence, admits he witnessed the house blaze that killed four members of a family in Spinney Hills, Leicester, in September.

However, he told the jury at Nottingham Crown Court he was not involved and that his co-accused, Tristan Richards, started the blaze.

During cross-examination yesterday, prosecutor Richard Latham asked why Richards would have poured petrol on the house and set it alight with the seven other accused watching him.

"For all he knew, the seven of you might have rushed off and told the authorities what he had done," he said.

"Your evidence makes no sense."

Mr Latham then asked Porter whether Richards would have needed a lift to Wood Hill or help carrying the petrol.

Porter replied: "No".

Mr Latham also attacked Porter's previous description of Richards as a "dangerous" man whom the others obeyed out of fear.

Mr Latham said: "This is all a lie. You were all in this together."

Porter replied: "No, we weren't."

Mr Latham asked Porter why he thought the entire group had switched their phones off ahead of the arson.

He said: "Did you honestly believe the police were going to trail through phone records if all you were going to be doing was breaking a window?"

The prosecution claims the defendants wrongly believed a teenager suspected of killing their friend, Antoin Akpom, lived at the home.

However, it was the home of Shehnila Taufiq and her children, Zainab, Bilal and Jamal, who all died.

All eight defendants, including Porter (19), of Browning Street, West End, Leicester, and Richards (22), of Sparkenhoe Street, Highfields, Leicester, deny four counts of murder.

The other accused are Aaron Webb (20), of Saltersford Road, North Evington, Leicester; Jackson Powell (20), of Burnside Road, Saffron Lane, Leicester; Nathaniel Mullings (19), of Farrington Street, Leicester; Shaun Carter (24), of Franche Road, Dane Hills, Leicester, Akeem Jeffers (21), of Car Mills, Buslingthorpe Lane, Leeds; and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Youths have been blamed for damaging a villager's garden wall.

The wall was damaged while a group was gathered outside the home at the corner of Sandhill Drive and Leicester Road, in Enderby.

Police are trying to trace the youths present on the evening of Monday, May 5.

Pc Julie Watkins said: "We take reports of anti-social behaviour and damage to property very seriously and I am keen to speak to anyone who saw a group of youths around this location on that evening.

"Similarly, if you know who is responsible for causing this damage, please get in touch. Any calls will be treated in confidence."

Contact Pc Watkins on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Cases dealt with at Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

Dhiraj Kumar Chauhan Giles (36), of London Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to stealing meat worth £50 from Sainsbury's, Leicester, on February 2. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £47.45 compensation.

This discharge also covered two similar offences, both committed at Sainsbury's involving meat, worth £23.80 on February 5 and £44.90 on March 2.

John Lee Robinson (38), of the same address, pleaded guilty to stealing meat worth £50 from Sainsbury's on February 2 and meat worth £44.90 from Sainsbury's on March 2. He was also given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £47.45 compensation.

Mohammed Ikleriya (38), of Garendon Street, Highfields, Leicester, pleaded guilty to engaging, seeking or offering to engage in a regulated activity from which he was barred – teaching children on a daily basis within a madrassa – on April 16.

His action was contrary to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

The court issued a community order including 120 hours of supervised unpaid work over 12 months. He was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge and £45 costs.

Robert Leslie Jones (81) of Staveley Road, Melton, pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident in Morrisons supermarket car park, Rutland Street, Melton, on October 11, when another vehicle was damaged. He was fined £195 with £85 costs and told to pay a £20 victim surcharge. His licence was endorsed with five points.

Christopher Hanlyn Shaw (22), of Alpha Place, Saffron Walden, was given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to assault by beating in Leicester on March 31. He was ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Shaw also admitted possessing cannabis or cannabis resin in Leicester on the same day. The court made an order for the drug to be seized and destroyed.

Leicester Lions have signed former rider Lasse Bjerre to replace Peter Ljung.

Ljung has decided to withdraw from racing in the UK, and Rapid Solicitors Lions have been busy exploring different options to find a replacement to ride at number two in the side.

Bjerre, who spent two years at Lions from 2011, has agreed to return to the club on a double-up arrangement with Peterborough.

The Dane was popular with Lions fans during his first spell with the club.

He showed his liking for the track with third place in the World Championship Under-21 qualifier at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium last Saturday.

"Throughout our team building process during the winter, Lasse was always in our thoughts," said Lions promoter David Hemsley.

"But when you are juggling riders' calculated match averages to keep within a points ceiling of 32, there are occasions when you have to revise your thinking as negotiations can alter the composition of the one to five that you had in mind.

"However, (team manager) Norrie Allan and I have kept a watch on Lasse's performances in the Premier League this season and he is in good form."

During the course of last season, Bjerre increased his match average for the Lions and is currently in the top half-dozen riders in the Premier League.

He will make his Elite League debut for Leicester at Swindon on Thursday, subject to the approval of the British Speedway Promoters' Association.

The future of British speedway is on show at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium tonight when riders from all over the country compete in round two of the British Youth Championship.

The competition is open to any British rider under the age of 16 and the series, which began at Scunthorpe in March, is set to run throughout the season.

After tonight's meeting, there are further rounds scheduled for Northside, Eastbourne, Rye House and Redcar.

There are four classes, starting with the 125cc-sized engines and moving up to 150cc, 250cc and 500cc.

With 41 riders entered tonight, it will be the biggest round since its inception.

There will be plenty of interest for Lions fans as their three mascots, Luke Whitehead and twins Dan and Joe Thompson, will be competing.

In the opening round at Scunthorpe, Dan fared the best with fourth place in the final of the 125cc section.

Lions promoter David Hemsley said: "The competition is seen to be the stepping stone into National League racing.

"The sport is indebted to Neil Vatcher and Phil Morris, the Team GB Under-21 managers, who give up a great deal of their personal time to ensure the smooth running of this event.

"This will be our third season of hosting a round and we are pleased to play a part in the development of young British riders at grassroots level."

With 41 races on the programme, the meeting will start at the earlier time of 6.30.

A family returned from a fund-raising walk to find their home had been ransacked.

Burglars stole thousands of pounds worth of property from Joanne and Douglas Mitchell's home in Melton, including jewellery, computers, bikes and the couple's BMW, which was on the driveway.

The thieves struck as they were climbing Helvellyn, in the Lake District, with their 15-year-old son, Kallum, raising money to send the teenager on a Scout trip to Japan.

Some of his sponsorship money was also stolen in the raid.

Mrs Mitchell said the family returned home from the sponsored walk on Sunday to find the house trashed.

"I feel a bit numb about it all and I couldn't stay in the house for the first night," she said.

"Kallum has been collecting sponsorship towards his trip to Japan. He had collected £110 from family which was taken by the burglars.

"He and two other Explorer Scouts had been selling sweets at the end of Cubs.

"They had about eight or nine pounds in a tub which was taken as well.

"We also had a penny jar in the kitchen, in a three-litre vodka bottle, which was probably about three quarters full and was towards Kallum's trip. That was also taken."

Police believe the intruders broke in between 9pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.

The couple's car was found by police in Melton on Tuesday night, but the thieves still have the keys.

Other items stolen included jewellery which belonged to Mrs Mitchell's late grandmother, including a gold butterfly brooch and gold leaf brooch.

Some of Mrs Mitchell's own jewellery, including a Pandora bracelet, several watches and a pair of silver leaf-shaped earrings with diamonds, was also taken.

Sentimental items, belonging to Mr Mitchell's grandfather from the war, were also stolen, along with two Apple MacBooks, an iPad and an Advent laptop.

Mrs Mitchell said they were insured for the loss of some but not all of the items.

"Everything can be replaced apart from the sentimental items," she said.

"Kallum has already raised about £1,200 towards his Scout trip and needs to raise his next £600 by June.

"He was a bit disheartened to have his sponsorship money stolen, but we can replace that.

"He was very angry at first, but he's a really calm lad who is now feeling more positive with the attitude that these people just aren't worth it."

Other items stolen included a Blackberry mobile phone, a PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii games consoles, a silver Apple iPod, Apple iPod Touch, Garmin cycle computer, two chainsaws, a SLR camera, sports equipment, a black and white Gibson electric guitar, an Orbea bike and two other bicycles.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Detective Constable Emmy Thresh on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

A blistering half-century from Scott Styris helped Leicestershire Foxes open their NatWest Blast T20 campaign with a 27-run win over Derbyshire Falcons at Grace Road last night.

The New Zealander blasted 63 not out from 31 deliveries on his County debut, helping the hosts post a daunting 197-4 in their 20 overs.

Nathan Buck then led the bowling attack, finishing with figures of 3-26 from his four overs as the Falcons were restricted to 170-7.

The Foxes were put into bat after losing the toss and there was an early shock when a leading edge from Niall O'Brien off Mark Footitt saw the left-hander caught at third man from just the second ball of the game.

Josh Cobb and Greg Smith put the setback to one side and an enterprising second-wicket stand got the innings going nicely.

Smith initiated the attack, but it was Cobb who really pushed on, launching three sixes in his 38, which came from just 28 deliveries.

The stand was worth 69 when the Foxes captain was stumped in the ninth over, but by the halfway point Leicestershire were handily placed on 81-2.

Smith followed for an entertaining 35 but, with Ned Eckersley and Styris set, the Foxes went into the last five overs on 126-3 looking for a late onslaught to put them in the driving seat.

Eckersley began it well by smiting Jonathan Clare on to the Meet roof, only to fall in the same over for 33 attempting to drill the bowler over mid-off.

Styris was moving through the gears, however, and a huge six off Footitt helped the Foxes ramp up the pace with 19 coming from the 17th over. The Kiwi then deposited Clare for a maximum over long-on before going to 50 from his 26th ball.

Youngster Tom Wells got in on the act, too, and his straight six in the penultimate over from Tim Groenewald was as good as anything that had preceded it. He finished unbeaten on 13 but it was Styris who shone, closing with 63 not out to his name from a mere 31 balls.

Leicestershire made a sound job of defending their total, with Buck particularly impressive.

He struck the first blow when he flattened Chesney Hughes middle stump with the first ball of the third over.

Stephen Moore has been a thorn in the Foxes' side in the past and he produced some brief power-hitting before he became Buck's second victim, caught behind driving.

Ant Ireland then chipped in, forcing Shivnarine Chanderpaul to chop into his own stumps and, with their rivals on 37-3 in the sixth over, Leicestershire had gained a measure of control.

A fourth-wicket stand of 70 between Wes Durston and Marcus North ensured the game stayed alive, but the Foxes bowlers generally kept a lid on the run-rate so that when Durston was brilliantly caught at extra cover by a diving Cobb, the Falcons still needed 91 to win in a little more than five overs.

Some incredible hitting by North might have had one or two in the crowd of around 3,000 getting a little jittery, the Australian stroking six sixes in a magnificent 90, but when Ireland bowled him in the 18th over the Foxes had the winning line in sight.

Buck and Cobb then saw out the final two overs with the minimum of fuss and, in the end, the winning margin was as comfortable as it was well-deserved.

It could be a case of one in and one out at Leicester City as goalkeeper Ben Hamer is set to join the club while winger Lloyd Dyer could be on his way to Watford.

Hamer is expected to join City as a free agent after his contract runs out at Charlton.

The 26-year-old will sign a four-year contract, the Mercury understands.

City are looking to bolster their goalkeeping options, especially as Kasper Schmeichel has still not signed the new contract offer from the club and has been linked with a host of other sides, most recently Southampton.

Hamer could be confirmed as a City player next week.

But Dyer looks set to leave City after being offered a three-year contract by Watford.

The 31-year-old was offered a new one-year contract by City but he has rejected it as he wants more long-term security.

Dyer, who is officially out of contract at the end of next month, had stated he wanted to finish his career with City having spent the last six years at the King Power Stadium, but was unhappy with being offered just one more year.

He has been considering offers from several clubs, including one from overseas, and has been offered a three-year deal by the Hornets.

Dyer has just had arguably his best season in a City shirt, scoring 10 times in 46 appearances, and has made 265 appearances overall for the club, scoring 39 goals.

Defender Marcin Wasilewski will be a City player next season after signing a new one-year contract.

The Poland international has impressed Nigel Pearson this season and the City boss publically stated he wanted to keep the 33-year-old.

City are now just waiting on decisions from Schmeichel and David Nugent, who are both out of contract next month and have yet to accept their contract offers, although Nugent is believed to be in advanced talks.

Young striker Tom Hopper has also been offered a new contract.

City are also in negotiations with most of the title-winning squad who are set to enter the final year of their current contracts, including Danny Drinkwater, Wes Morgan, Matty James, Jeff Schlupp, Liam Moore, Chris Wood and Jamie Vardy.

Meanwhile, City have announced the squad which will defend their Hong Kong Citibank Soccer Sevens title later this month.

Adam Smith, Alie Sesay, Kieran Kennedy, Callum Elder, Ryan Watson, Jak McCourt, Michael Cain, Joe Dodoo, Marcel Barrington and Harry Panayiotou will take on Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City, Sunderland and Rangers in defence of the trophy they won last year by beating Newcastle United in the final.

The tournament gets under way on May 23 and the final is on May 25.

A group of travellers has set up an unauthorised camp on a busy traffic island in Leicester.

Up to a dozen caravans, vans and cars arrived on Redhill Circle, on the city's ring road, yesterday morning.

Leicestershire County Council, which owns the land, and Leicestershire Multi Agency Travellers Unit, whose job it is to liaise between local authorities, the travellers and the community, have been informed.

It must assess the travelling families' health and social care needs.

A member of the traveller group, who did not want to be named, said they were "just travelling through" and would not be staying for long.

He said the group was from Ireland.

A spokesman for the council said it would be speaking to the group to find out how long they intended to stay before considering any enforcement action.

A bronze statue of Richard III will be cleaned and given a new sword before being placed outside Leicester Cathedral.

The relocation from Castle Gardens is part of a £2 million scheme to develop the cathedral quarter.

Workers will raise the statue and its stone plinth on Monday and take it for restoration before it is placed in its new location next month.

Sculptors will cast a new bronze sword for the king to hold.

It will stand outside St Martin's Cathedral, opposite the new £4 million Richard III visitor centre, which is expected to open in July.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "Moving the statue marks the beginning of a really exciting period in the work under way on Cathedral Gardens and the new Richard III visitor centre.

"The statue will be carefully restored to its full glory, complete with a sword befitting a king, before being transported back to its new home in the heart of city's cathedral quarter."

The statue was commissioned and given to the city by the Richard III Society in 1980.

The society has welcomed the plans to relocate the statue.

Dr Phil Stone, chairman of the society, said: "I'm sure many members of the society will be as pleased as I am to see the statue moved to a place where it can be seen more easily and admired – somewhere close to where Richard III's remains were found."

Tom Wood's try with just 90 seconds left on the clock sent Northampton to Twickenham after a game of astonishing drama at Franklin's Gardens.

Tries from Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs had given Leicester Tigers a 17-6 half-time semi-final lead.

But Saints played the half of their lives to storm back and grab a memorable victory after George North and Wood's late scores snatched victory.

The home side paraded around the ground in delight at the final whistle, while Tigers players were on their knees, exhausted and devastated by defeat.

The game began at a ferocious pace with both sides hammering into each other in a tense opening five minutes.

With penalties all over the place and line breaks at a premium, it wasn't until the 10th minute that the opening scoring opportunity arose.

That fell to Toby Flood as he put the visitors 3-0 ahead from 30 metres out after an offside call.

The relentless pace continued, but it was the home side who looked most likely to score as Kahn Fotuali'i threatened around the fringes.

Saints turned down a couple of opportunities to kick for goal but they paid the price as Tigers' defence held firm.

Stephen Myler finally got them on the scoreboard on 21 minutes but Tigers shot back up the pitch immediately to score the first try of the game.

Leicester held on to the ball for 10 phases, got really quick ball from the ruck and stretched the Saints defence for Flood to put Manu Tuilagi in for the score.

Flood's extras made it 10-3 but Myler reduced the deficit to just four points when he nailed a penalty on 29 minutes.

That came seconds after Niki Goneva had been sent to the sin-bin by referee JP Doyle for an offence at the ruck.

A man down and just when they needed it most, Tigers found their best intensity of the half.

Winning a penalty deep in the Saints half, they turned down three points, kicked to the corner and scored off the throw-in as Logovi'i Mulipola went on crash ball and Ben Youngs scampered over.

Tigers weathered the early second-half storm until they suffered their second yellow card of the night.

This time Dan Bowden was sent to the cooler for a dangerous tackle on Tom Collins. Myler made it 17-9 from the resulting penalty.

The game hit boiling point when Tom Youngs and Salesi Ma'afu got involved in a fracas which resulted in the Leicester man becoming the third Tiger to received a yellow card, while Ma'afu was sent off for throwing two punches.

There was another fracas minutes later after a sensational tackle by Goneva on Fotuali'i which came to nothing despite Calum Clark running away with the ball to stop a quick Tigers line-out.

Saints piled the pressure on as the game stood at 14 men apiece as players flew in from all angles.

That ended when Leicester won a massive penalty at the scrum in front of their own posts and cleared the danger.

But Saints came straight back and scored through George North off first-phase ball. Myler's conversion sent the home crowd into raptures and the scoreline closed to 17-16.

Tigers were on the back foot again when Tom Youngs re-joined the fray to give the visitors a man advantage.

Some possession and territory seemed to take the pressure off the embattled visitors and a line-out offence gave them a penalty, which substitute Owen Williams cooly slotted to make it 20-16 with seven minutes left.

Northampton camped in Leicester's half again though and, with 90 seconds left, their pressure paid with a score out wide by Wood on about their 15th phase which sent Franklin's Gardens into raptures.

Myler's kick hit the post but there were only 50 seconds left at the re-start and Saints kept possession for a memorable victory.

Leicester Tigers' reign as champions of England came to an end at the home of bitter rivals Northampton.

The thrilling 21-20 Aviva Premiership semi-final defeat at a bristling Franklin's Gardens ended Tigers' run of nine consecutive appearances in the Grand Final.

It also saw the end of Leicester's recent domination of the fixture, as their unbeaten 10-game run came to an end. Northampton's win was their first since September 2010.

In a game of astonishing physicality that will live long in the memory, Tom Wood's 79th-minute try separated the sides during a game that went one way and then the other.

Tigers led 17-6 at half-time and had a man advantage for the final quarter after prop Salesi Ma'afu was sent off for punching Tom Youngs.

But Tigers suffered three yellow cards of their own to Tom Youngs, Niki Goneva and Dan Bowden and, in the end, that effort drained them late on as their superb defence was finally broken.

Saints dominated the second half and George North's 64th-minute try began a stunning comeback.

Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill blamed a lack of discipline as one of the reasons for defeat.

"I am obviously bitterly disappointed," he said. "We had enough opportunities to win the game but our distribution was poor.

"We weren't disciplined enough. Saints played well, fair play to them. They have got their win and that's life.

"We got beat, we will learn from it. The players will be hurting and I will be hurting for a little while yet."

Saints will now go to their second consecutive final at Twickenham in a fortnight, where they will meet either Saracens or Harlequins, who meet at Allianz Park this afternoon.

A former police authority chairman was arrested after he challenged two suspected thieves while holding a shotgun he had bought to mount on the wall of his pub, a court heard.

Robert Wann, landlord of the Dunton Basset Arms, in Dunton Bassett, believed the men were stealing wood from the car park.

Wann, a former Lord Mayor of Leicester, then called officers to explain what had happened, but was arrested himself when they found out he did not have a certificate for the firearm.

Wann (51), councillor for Thurncourt ward in the city, admitted having the gun without a certificate.

At Leicester Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Kwok Wan said: "On January 17, he (Wann) contacted the constabulary to say he had reason to challenge two persons in the pub car park who appeared to be stealing wood.

"He advised the officers at the time he happened to be carrying a gun case with a shotgun.

"It does not appear it was a naked shotgun at the time."

Mr Wan said Wann, who lives at the pub, was originally arrested for using the firearm in a threatening manner, but that matter was not pursued.

Mr Wan said: "It transpired he was not the holder of the certificate. He told police he purchased it some 18 months before with the idea of having it mounted as a display piece."

Wann said he had bought the gun for £240 from a man called "Ginger Bob" and thought it had been decommissioned.

Mr Wan said it would only take the replacement of the pins to reactivate and therefore a certificate was needed.

The prosecutor said: "The harm in this case is the unrecorded presence of a firearm.

"We wouldn't have known it was in Dunton Bassett without that call to the police.

"That's how the criminal fraternity get their firearms."

He stressed there was no intention that the weapon be used for criminal purpose.

Perminder Bassi, defending, said: "It was a genuine mistake. He believed the firearm had been decommissioned.

"He purchased the item and put it to one side in a horse box and forgot about it for a year."

Mr Bassi said his client was a man of good character, serving as a councillor for 30 years.

Chairman of the bench June Mullis warned Wann he could have been sent to prison but it was accepted he had made a genuine mistake.

She said: "You took a shotgun case outside. It was a gun and a gun is enough to frighten anybody."

Wann said: "I want to apologise for any inconvenience I have caused to anyone.

"I'll never entertain having even a decommissioned firearm again."

Wann was fined £2,600 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

A dangerous driver has been jailed following a seven-mile police chase at up to 80mph through residential areas.

Mutahir Abowath (28) was pulled over by police outside the Co-op store in Main Street, Evington, Leicester, at 6.20pm on New Year's Day.

The officers wanted to speak to him about failing to stop on an earlier occasion.

Sentencing Abowath to 10 months in jail at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Philip Head said it was "a mercy no-one was seriously injured or killed".

The court heard that after initially stopping in his VW Golf, Abowath then drove off, travelling between 60mph and 70mph in 30mph areas in Evington, Oadby and Knighton.

The police pursuit continued along Stoughton Drive South and in to London Road, with the VW Golf skidding around corners in wet weather.

Abowath then went on to Cordery Road and approached Gartree roundabout at 80mph, said Alan Murphy, prosecuting.

The chase, lasting 10 minutes, continued along Ethel Road and Wakerley Road, before the defendant gave up and stopped in Knighton Grange Road.

Abowath, of Okehampton Avenue, Evington, admitted dangerous driving.

He was jailed for 10 months and banned from driving for 18 months.

Sentencing, Judge Head said: "The road was wet and driving conditions were poor. You pulled over for the police and then took off and you can offer no explanation for doing that.

"It was intensely dangerous and it took just 10 minutes to cover seven miles at speed, in residential areas of Leicester.

"You went through two sets of red traffic lights and were overtaking vehicles on the wrong side of the road, at the time of day when there was every likelihood of oncoming traffic.

"It was a sustained piece of really dangerous driving and it's a mercy no-one was seriously injured or killed.

"It's been rightly described by your barrister as a disgraceful piece of driving."

Emma Downing, mitigating, said: "He's at a loss to explain his stupid decision to drive off.

"It was an isolated incident of poor driving. He's terrified of losing his liberty."

Sir Peter Soulsby says he expects his flagship £4 million Jubilee Square project to come in under budget.

St Nicholas Place, in Leicester, is being converted from a car park into a public plaza.

Nearby traders said they were told the construction work would be completed by the start of this month – and opposition councillors raised concerns delay would increase the cost of the scheme.

The mayor said no completion date for the project had been set, though it would be largely finished by the August bank holiday.

Businesses said the prolonged work had affected their trade.

Opposition councillors asked Sir Peter at a recent meeting if delays – caused by unexpected underground pipes and cables – and painstaking archeological examinations of the site, were adding to the cost of the project.

Sir Peter told them he was not aware of any added costs as a result of delays.

He said: "Any extensive scheme in a city centre is likely to be problematic."

He said lessons had been learned from 2006, when the then-Tory/Liberal Democrat-controlled council "made such a foul up of the city centre" that "piles of very expensive Chinese granite littered our streets".

Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Porter said: "He didn't actually answer the question, as usual.

"If big projects run on then it seems likely to me that they will end up costing more.

"Given that £4 million is a huge amount to spend on a big patio, we need to know if that is happening here."

After the meeting, Sir Peter was briefed on the project by officers and said: "The original budget was £4 million and we are still being assured it will come in under that budget."

He said the finished square would be "stunning" and would rejuvenate the historic heart of the city.

Tory councillor Ross Grant said: "He hasn't set himself much of a challenge to come in under budget if he sets a £4 million budget to slab over an area of that size.

"This is his big project. He would have known at the start it would have been embarrassing to overspend on it so you avoid that by giving yourself a generous budget.

"As soon as the car park shut, the city council started losing money and it is the traders who are really suffering."

People in Leicester are being urged to support a proposal to make the drug khat an illegal substance.

Somali-born Abdikayf Farah, 41, of Leicester, said the drug could have "a huge social and health impact" on users, who chew it to get a "small high".

Abdikayf, a health trainer, said that using khat was a "huge problem" in the St Matthew's area, which has a large Somali community.

"People can get addicted to khat and become dependent on it," he said.

"It can cause mental issues like paranoia, anxiety and depression.

"It's not harmless – it makes people lazy and they can lose their job. People who use khat often stop looking after themselves and can become violent a lot of the time. It breaks up families."

His plea comes after Home Secretary Theresa May announced she planned on categorising the currently legal drug as a class C drug.

This means if people are caught in possession, they could go to prison for up to two years and get an unlimited fine.

If they are found to be dealing or supplying the substance, this could result in a jail sentence of up to 14 years.

Khat, which comes from a leafy green plant, is commonly used in Africa but is now becoming more prevalent in Europe.

Abdikayf said the average portion can be brought for £5 to £10 and people chew it for about an hour.

"It is so popular in the Somali community, I think every family knows of somebody who is suffering from the effects of khat. A lot of us are very worried," said Abdikayf.

Chewing khat can also lead to gum disease.

Abdikayf said that khat is used to replace alcohol, which is prohibited in the Somali community because of their Muslim religion.

"It has become the norm to chew khat," said Abdikayf.

"Somali people sell it on the street, openly – it's socially acceptable."

A fortnight ago, Abdikayf organised a meeting at the Highfields Centre to back the proposed change.

"We now need people to support us," said Abdikayf. "We need to educate people on the impact khat has. People don't realise the damage it does."

Caroline Gadsby of Swanswell – alcohol, drug and support services – confirmed there are a number of risks associated with misusing khat.

"While it can make you feel more alert, talkative and happy, it can also cause problems including insomnia, short-lived states of confusion, and make you feel anxious or aggressive," she said.

"With heavy use, it could cause issues such as high blood pressure and heart problems. It could also make existing mental health problems worse, damage the mouth and teeth, and potentially lead to a small risk of significant liver disease."