Leicester house fire deaths: What the judge told killers
Leicester house fire deaths: Arson murderers jailed for life
Inside Football: 'Time to stop the England excuses'
House fire in Luther Street, Leicester, caused by 'cannabis factory'
Leicestershire crash to 10-wicket defeat against Surrey at the Kia Oval
Ex-boarding school teacher jailed for sex abuse
Police appeal after man indecently exposes himself to woman in Loughborough
Motorbike crash in Bushby
Flights cancelled and delayed at East Midlands Airport due to strikes
Police report a 70 per cent drop in crime at Download festival
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson agrees new deal
New-look India squad are ready for 'a special game'
India captain MS Dhoni said it will be great to see some familiar faces when his side begin their three-day game with Leicestershire today.
Dhoni's new-look squad kick off their two-and-a-half month tour of England at Grace Road today, a trip that will see them play five Tests in this country for the first time since 1959.
India's last visit to the county was three years ago, when they finished off their disastrous tour of England with a 15-run victory over the Foxes in a one-off T20.
That game was played in front of a 6,000-strong sell-out crowd and fans are expected to flock to Grace Road once again to see Dhoni's side in action.
"It is a fantastic city," said the 32-year-old, who was awarded an honorary degree from De Montfort University after the game in 2011. "Once you come out of India, it is good to see familiar faces.
"We have seen the people of this county, more often than not, right from 2007, when I made my first trip to England.
"That's the best thing, it's a great honour, and what really makes it very special for you.
"But all over England we have a big fan following.
"When we played England in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston, I think we had more support than the English team. I don't think we are short of fans in England."
India's last Test series in England, in 2011, was one to forget.
Dhoni's side failed to win a single game as they were hammered 4-0 in the Test series, 3-0 in the ODI series and 1-0 in the T20.
It will be a new-look India squad that will play five Tests, five ODIs and a T20. Their team is no longer littered with greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
Their inexperienced side will now rely on the likes of Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara to end a run of two series defeats, to South Africa and New Zealand.
But India coach Duncan Fletcher believes this could stand them in good stead against an England side coming off the back of their first ever series defeat to Sri Lanka on home soil.
"We could be unpredictable because it is a very inexperienced side if you look at how many Tests our batsmen have played and how many overs our bowlers have bowled," said former England coach Fletcher.
"But it is nice to be that sometimes because, being unpredictable, they can play some very exciting cricket.
"There are some very exciting cricketers in this group, who will go on to be very good cricketers for India."
Fifteen of India's 18-man squad will play a part in the warm-up game.
"It is absolutely fantastic," said County chief executive Mike Siddall.
"It is a different India team to the one that came last time, mainly because there is no Sachin Tendulkar, but they have brought a star-studded squad."
Tickets are still available, which can be bought on the gate.
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson was always confident of signing new deal
Nigel Pearson said he was always confident he would remain as Leicester City manager after signing a new three-year deal.
City officially announced last night that the 50-year-old, whose original contract was due to expire this month, had signed his new contract and committed his future to the club until 2017, along with assistants Craig Shakespeare and Steve Walsh.
Although the announcement came just under two weeks before the players are set to return to pre-season ahead of their first season back in the Premier League for more than a decade, Pearson said his future with City was never in doubt.
The Mercury reported at the end of May that Pearson had agreed in principle to stay on after guiding the club to the Championship title.
"I have always seen my long-term future, and that of my staff, at Leicester City," he said. "On the back of the success we have worked so hard to achieve, I have always been confident that my future would remain here.
"I feel very proud to be the manager of a club with genuine ambition, a clear direction in which it wants to go and loyal owners that are prepared to support its development."
Pearson is in his second spell as City boss. His first saw him lead them back to the Championship at the first time of asking following relegation to League One under Ian Holloway, and they reached the play-offs the following season before going down to Cardiff in the semi-finals.
He left to join Hull after relations with the club hierarchy soured, but returned when the current owners, the Srivaddhanaprabhas from Thailand, sacked Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Pearson took City to the play-offs again in his first full season back before clinching the title last season in record-breaking fashion, winning the Championship with more than 100 points. He boasts the best win percentage of 51.41 per cent of any manager in the club's history.
Vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said the owners always believed he was the right man to lead City into the Premier League. "From the first day I met Nigel, I knew he was the man to take us into the Premier League and I am delighted that he has been able to help us deliver that for our fans," he said.
"He is a man of fine principles, a great leader and he believes in our long-term vision, while his qualities in coaching, motivation and player development have been evident in our success on the pitch.
"Nigel is the perfect fit for our football club and his ambitions, both short and long-term, match ours."
Live traffic and travel updates from Leicester and Leicestershire

Leicester house fire deaths: Judge's tribute to innocent victims
The judge paid tribute to the four victims and the dignity displayed by Dr Muhammad Taufiq.
Mr Justice John Griffith Williams, speaking at the sentencing, said: "That the victims were the wholly innocent and worthy Mrs Taufiq and her three children, who, on any view, were forces for good in the community, makes the offending even more heinous."
Doctor Taufiq said: "I am sure any husband and parent thinks and speaks fondly of their spouse and offspring but I say this with complete conviction, these four people were extraordinary people.
"They had a strong concern for the welfare of others even before their own comfort.
"They had devoted their lives to a dream to give to others, to serve others – the needy, the less privileged, the misguided.
"It hurts me from the core of my soul that these four amazing human beings, whom I had the honour of being directly related to, have been cheated of their natural life.
"This fire has stolen everything from me."
The judge said Dr Taufiq told in the most moving of terms of his loss, its effect upon him and of his dedication to complete, in their memory, the family goal of setting up a community centre in Dublin. He said he was a victim of "a heartless, malicious act".
Illegal gun councillor faces no further sanctions from Leicester Labour group
A Labour city councillor will face no further action from party whips after being convicted of having an illegal shotgun.
Former lord mayor of Leicester Robert Wann admitted having the weapon without a certificate when he appeared before magistrates last month and was fined £2,600 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Since then, officials from the city council's Labour group have been deciding whether he should face any further sanctions – such as suspension.
Now, after taking advice from the party's National Executive Council (NEC), the group's chief whip Coun Neil Clayton has said the matter will be taken no further.
The court had heard Coun Wann had challenged two suspected thieves at his pub in Dunton Bassett while holding the shotgun, which was unloaded and in its case.
He called the police and was himself arrested after it emerged he did not have the proper documentation for the firearm, which he had believed was fully decommissioned and intended to be mounted on the wall of the pub.
Magistrates accepted his defence that he had made a genuine error and did not jail him.
Coun Clayton said: "I have investigated the case and spoken to him. He made a genuine mistake when he was confronting intruders. I feel he has been punished appropriately by the court and I am not taking any further action."
However, the Labour group has been accused of double standards by former member Barbara Potter who claims she was "forced out" of the party after her own court appearance last year, despite being acquitted of harassment.
She said: "I love Robert but the way the Labour group handled our cases was totally inconsistent.
"He has been given a criminal conviction and they are doing nothing. I haven't been convicted of anything and they forced me out. It's total double standards."
Coun Potter is appealing against a restraining order she accepted after her acquittal and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of perverting the course of justice, for which she will stand trial in August.
She stood down from the party temporarily last year when the charges emerged so she could clear her name, but then resigned.
She said she would have been suspended had she not quit.
Coun Clayton said: "There are no double standards. No action was taken against her. The deal she accepted was that she would step aside from the group to fight the charges.
"If she cleared her name, she would come straight back in. She then chose to resign from the party."
Coun Wann, who has said he will be stepping down as member for the Thurcourt ward at the next city council elections, was unavailable for comment.
Barrier built to keep out travellers from unauthorised spot in Beaumont Leys, Leicester
About 500 metres of earthworks have been built along a Leicester road to try to stop travellers returning to a spot where they have often set up unauthorised camps.
The obstruction, which stands about four feet high, has been piled up on the western side of Beaumont Leys Lane, Beaumont Leys, as a barrier to prevent travellers moving their vehicles on to the grass verge.
The roadside spot has been popular with travellers for many years and the last group vacated it last week before city council highways officials moved in on Thursday to get to work.
Tonnes of hardcore and rubble have been taken from a nearby city council site at Hood's Close to form the obstruction, which runs from the junctions with Greengate Lane, to Bennion Road.
Currently, it is a wall of mud, bricks and other items, including old shoes, but it will have topsoil placed on it before it is planted with wildflowers.
The council says the obstruction will be too large for anyone to move without considerable effort and heavy machinery.
Residents on a nearby housing estate have welcomed the move, having asked the council to take action to prevent illegal camps.
One, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's a great idea. I think it will work, unless they just stop on the footpath.
"People will say it just shifts the problem elsewhere, but they shouldn't be stopping on this roadside – or any other.
"Normally they leave their rubbish in a neat pile for someone to collect – but someone still has to collect it.
"Some people have had their fences damaged by horses and there have been some burned- out caravans left there."
Another said: "We have been asking for years for something to be done and nothing's happened.
"Perhaps it is something to do with Samworth's building their new factory right across the road. They may have more clout than us."
A city council spokesman said: "It's a technique we've used elsewhere in the city – on Bennion Road, for example and it's proved very effective.
"Once the topsoil has been put on and the wildflowers have been planted, the mound will blend in with the existing open space."
Th city council spent £10,000 putting the mound in place.
Assistant city mayor councillor Vi Dempster, who is also a ward councillor for Beaumont Leys, said: "Residents have put up with the inconvenience of illegal encampments for far too long, so the ward councillors are very pleased this action has been taken to address the issue.
"Earth mounds have proved effective at discouraging travellers elsewhere in the city, so I'm confident these works will help keep the site secure until development gets under way."
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has approved the £1.8 million development of two city council-managed official travellers' sites – at Red Hill Way and Greengate Lane – in the hope it will reduce the number of illegal encampments.
They are due to open in March.
Leicester hospital trust at fault in death of baby
Hospital negligence contributed to the death of a newborn girl, a coroner has ruled.
Dayani Chauhan-Ahmed died at Leicester Royal Infirmary at 4.45pm on October 3.
An inquest at Leicester Town Hall yesterday heard that neonatal pathologist Dr Nikola Ostojic gave the cause of death as brain damage due to a lack of oxygen, which also resulted in multiple organ failure.
Contributing factors were a "hypocoiled" umbilical cord, which restricted oxygen to the infant, and "prolonged labour".
Coroner Lydia Brown said University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust was "negligent" in failing to take action that would have saved the infant.
Mrs Chauhan-Ahmed, of Tudor Road, Leicester, arrived at the General Hospital's maternity ward at 7.35pm on October 1, showing signs of labour.
Mrs Brown, in a narrative verdict, said: "Neither registrar or on-call consultant saw Mrs Chauhan-Ahmed apart from a single occasion at 10.55pm.
"She was to have a drug to induce birth and they agreed to a further medical review in 30 minutes.
"The drug was not given until 12.10am and a further medical review never happened.
"Mrs Chauhan-Ahmed had to continue labour with only a midwife's care."
Dayani was born by natural means at 2am. She was not breathing and was put on a ventilator.
She was transferred to the neonatal ward at Leicester Royal Infirmary, where her condition failed to improve and her parents were told there was no option but to discontinue her resuscitation.
The inquest heard from registrar Sreeparma Biswas and on-call consultant Douglas Tincello that it had been the "busiest" night they had ever experienced on the maternity unit at the General.
They said that they were not able to see Mrs Chauhan-Ahmed as they were carrying out emergency operations on three other women – and did not realise the gravity of the situation until it was too late.
Midwife Lesley Christie said hospital protocol meant she had to ask midwife co-ordinator Ulrike Hunting to call another on-call consultant to help, but she was also too busy.
Since the death, the NHS trust has brought in a policy whereby a junior member of staff can call the on-call consultant at the infirmary.
Ms Brown said: "I'm looking at the trust, not the actions of individuals.
"The reason Dayani died was because labour was so prolonged. Had appropriate action been taken, she would have survived.
"Senior staff should have been made to know action was necessary. The fact is was not taken amounts to a failure.
"Her death was contributed to by neglect."
Ms Brown said she would be writing to the chief executive of the trust because she was not confident "adequate provisions" were now in place.
Mrs Chauhan-Ahmed, 34, said: "While nothing can compensate for the death of Dayani, I don't want any other parent to go through what happened to us.
"It is vital more medical staff are employed to make sure this doesn't happen again."
Elaine Broughton, acting head of midwifery at the trust said: "We offer our deepest condolences to Mr and Mrs Chauhan-Ahmed."
"Urgent steps have been taken to avoid a recurrence."
The couple are pursuing a civil claim for clinical negligence against the NHS trust.
Man pistol-whipped in cafe as terrified children looked on in horror
Children screamed in shock as a man was beaten up and pistol-whipped in a cafe.
Parents and shop staff described "feeling like jelly" in fear, on seeing the gun, Leicester Crown Court was told.
The male victim had just left Café Cake Smiles, in East Park Road, Spinney Hills, Leicester, when he encountered Najmul Halim (19) and Sameer Naeem (18) outside.
Steven Coupland, prosecuting, said: "Halim was in possession of an imitation firearm, a gas-powered ball bearing (BB) gun with all the appearance of an automatic pistol.
"Naeem was arguing with the man and Halim reached inside his coat.
"The defendants struck him repeatedly before he was bundled into the cafe in front of customers, including families.
"Halim was using the gun as a weapon, pistol-whipping his head, as Naeem delivered punches.
"Those in the cafe included children, aged between five and 10, and they were screaming and crying because of the violence."
The customers were quickly taken into another area, out of the way.
Mr Coupland said: "Some adults said they were feeling like jelly, having seen the gun. It has had lasting effects on the children, who have been edgy and following their parents around from one room to another.
"They didn't want to go back to the cafe for some time."
Mr Coupland said despite the beating, the victim declined to make a formal complaint.
He suffered "visible minor injuries".
Halim, of Mere Road, Spinney Hills, was sentenced to nine months' detention after admitting affray and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, on the afternoon of December 8.
Naeem, of Sutherland Street, Highfields, who played a "lesser role" and has no previous convictions, was given a 12-month community order including 150 hours of unpaid work.
Isabel Wilson, mitigating for both defendants, said the argument was initially outside, between the victim and Halim, who knew each other.
Naeem claims he joined in after the victim made an insulting remark about his mother.
Miss Wilson said: "Halim had the BB gun concealed and was going to the park to play with it and wasn't expecting to see the complainant."
Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "You used violence in public in circumstances that were very frightening for innocent bystanders.
"No matter if there was any provocation; an insult was no excuse.
"Halim, your case is particularly serious because you used an air weapon to pistol-whip the victim.
"The people in the shop were scared to death by what they witnessed.
"The event was brief but violent and it must have been terrifying, particularly for the children."
The judge said he accepted Naeem was unaware his co-accused was going to produce the weapon.
Miss Wilson said Halim was "remorseful and accepts it would have been more than scary".
She said that Naeem was "remorseful and ashamed".
Kasabian: Leicester fans getting ready to do it all again at Glastonbury
Kasabian follow up their triumphant homecoming gig by headlining at Glastonbury on Sunday.
A decade after their Glastonbury debut, the Leicester rockers will top the Pyramid Stage bill on the final night of the five-day festival.
Darcie Chambers, 21, of Coalville, who watched the band's Victoria Park gig, said: "I can't wait to see them again at Glastonbury.
"They are so good at getting the crowd going, the atmosphere was buzzing."
Hannah Brookes, 22, of Wigston, said: "They were so amazing, really good, it was brilliant – so much better than I expected.
"I can't wait for Glastonbury now.
"And they're closing the whole festival, it's going to be really special for us."
Unsigned reggae band By The Rivers will also be returning to the festival, following their debut on the BBC Introducing stage last year.
Starting at midnight on Saturday, the six-piece ensemble will be playing an hour-long set on the Croissant Neuf stage.
Lead singer Nile Barrow, 24, said: "We have a lot of memories at Glastonbury, it's going to be emotional going back.
"We had such a good time there last year and we hope for exactly the same this time round."
The boys will be showing off some of their new music, which they have been working on over the past year.
"We're all really excited," said Nile. "Glastonbury is the biggest gig of the year, we're so pumped up.
"I am nervous but I think that's normal – if I ever stopped getting nervous, I think I'd have to quit."
Following their slot, Nile said the band plan on staying at the festival and watching Kasabian play.
"I went to Glastonbury and watched Kasabian back when I was 17,'' he said.
"I remember seeing them doing so well and thinking, they're from Leicester, too, and they've proved it can be done – it is possible if we keep at it. I hope that one day, it will be us closing the show, too."
Also playing on Saturday will be Midlands' electronic dance band One Bomb, who will be taking to the BBC Introducing stage at 3.45pm. Band frontman Shane White, of Hinckley, said: "It's brilliant, we're all absolutely buzzing for it.
"It's a real chance to show our talent off, this could be our big break."
Playing on Sunday will be folk-rocker Grace Petrie. She has secured a spot on the Bread & Roses stage at 7.45pm.
For more information and the full line-up visit:
www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk