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Live: Traffic and travel updates for Leicester and Leicestershire

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7.51am: Heavy traffic on the A6 Leicester Road in Loughborough, at the A60 King Street traffic lights junction.

7.21am: Area Traffic Control report no major incidents or congestion on city and county roads so far this morning.

For more local and national travel information and weather updates see the links below:MOTORWAY UPDATES: For traffic updates on UK motorways and other key roads - CLICK HERE.

LIVE CAMERAS: Check the M1 through Leicestershire with our live traffic cameras - CLICK HERE.

NATIONAL RAIL: For live UK train updates - CLICK HERE.

FLIGHT INFORMATION: For East Midlands Airport visit: CLICK HERE.

WEATHER: See the latest five-day weather report for Leicester and Leicestershire

CONTACT NEWSDESK: Send us your news and pictures. Tweet us @Leicester_Merc or email newsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk

Live: Traffic and travel updates for Leicester and Leicestershire


Two hurt in Blaby crash

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Two people were taken to hospital following a crash involving two cars.

Emergency services were called to Hospital Lane, Blaby, just before 6pm, yesterday.

A fire service spokeswoman said: "It was initially reported that casualties were trapped, however, on arrival, crews found a road traffic collision involving two vehicles, but no persons trapped."

"Police and ambulance were in attendance at the incident, where we made the scene safe."

She added: "Two casualties were taken from the scene to Leicester Royal Infirmary and the incident was left with the police."

Fire control received a stop message from the crews at 6.28pm.

Two hurt in Blaby crash

Solar farm plan for Newbold Verdon

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An energy firm has submitted an application to build a solar farm.

Push Energy Ltd, of Colchester, Essex, is proposing to build the facility at Hall Farm, in Main Street, Newbold Verdon.

The company said the solar panels would be able to generate enough electricity for more than 3,200 homes.

A public meeting about the proposal was held in the village in February.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council will determine the application.

Cricket: Faith in youth reaps benefits for Enderby

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Enderby are reaping the benefits of putting their faith in youth.

Gone are the days of the club veterans with the oldest player at the club, first-team all-rounder Dave Haden, aged just 33.

This move to youth has been the catalyst for the club's success, too, as Enderby look to join the upper echelons of local cricket in Leicestershire.

Enderby currently lead the way in Talent Cricket Division Two of the Everards League, looking to gain their third promotion in five seasons, while they reached the last-eight of the County Cup, too. Their junior sides also won the League Cup in 2011 and 2012.

The second team boasts an average age of just 21 and is battling away in the top half of Division Six East.

"This club has a warm, family feel and we socialise together throughout the year," said first-team captain Steve Coulson.

The most recent move in trying to push Enderby to the next level came this year in welcoming South African all-rounder Pienaar Buys to the club. His coaching expertise and on-field contributions have played a significant part in Enderby closing in on promotion to Division One.

"When I was first contacted about coming to the UK, it didn't take me long to accept Enderby's offer and I can only see good things coming to this club in the future which I hope to be a part of," said Pienaar.

In the second team, batsman Andy Moore has the pleasure of being the team veteran at just 29. "Keeping up with these youngsters is hard work and their skills at their age are a world away from when I first became a regular at the age of 15," he said.

New PDSA shop opens in Market Harborough

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A charity which treats more than 10,000 pets across the county each year is to open a shop to raise funds today.

The PDSA is opening a store in The Square, Market Harborough, selling a range of new and second-hand goods.

The store will help PDSA raise vital funds to treat sick and injured pets.

NHS in search for directors

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The hunt is on to find four non-executive directors to join the board of Leicester's hospitals.

They will not have responsibility for day-to-day management, but share responsibility for making sure the hospitals are run efficiently.

The closing date for applications is August 28.

Full details of the role are available at the website below. Click on the "public appointments" tab, and then "current vacancies"

www.ntda.nhs.uk/

Stage is set for Leicester's Caribbean carnival

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Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the Caribbean carnival on Saturday.

A celebration of the life of South African statesman, Nelson Mandela, who died last year, will be the theme of this year's carnival.

Festivities will kick off at 10.30am in Nelson Mandela Park, before a parade through the city to Victoria Park.

A street procession of bands, floats and costumed performers will be on the go from 1pm.

It is set to follow a route through the city centre, along London Road, Waterloo Way, Charles Street, Belgrave Gate, Gallowtree Gate, and Granby Street, before returning along London Road to Victoria Park.

After the parade, there will be live performances from local bands and music in the park from around 2 to 8pm.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, will officially launch the event at Nelson Mandela Park.

Sir Peter said: "It is one of the high points of the summer season in Leicester, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will help bring some Caribbean sunshine to the city."

Tickets for the festival events at Victoria Park will be available in advance from the BBC Radio Leicester studio, in St Nicholas Place, and at Stabana Cultural Products, in Charles Street.

You can also buy tickets on the day from 11am at the ticket booth near Victoria Park, and at the main entrance.

Temporary parking restrictions will be in place near the park on the day, and road closures will also be in place.

From about 1pm, bus services will be diverted in the city centre to make way for the parade.

For more information, visit:

www.leicestercarnival.com

Hinckley murder: I've lost my beautiful boy, says mum

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Nicola Webb, mother of the murder victim Matthew Dunn, read out her own statement in court after the guilty verdict.

She said her son had been happy, thoughtful and in love with life. Now that life had been snatched away.

She said: "On January 24 this year Matthew was taken away from us by a cruel and evil man. Our lives were shattered and broken and as a family – we'll never be the same again.

"Having him taken from me is killing me. I feel that I can't live a normal life because I've lost my beautiful boy.

"Every day I want to give up on life, but deep down I know that I can't because I have to look out for my grandson. Every time I look into his eyes I see his dad Matthew, and I feel sadness for him, knowing he's lost the most important thing in his life, his dad.

"I have to deal with the pain my other children are feeling. I often feel that I can no longer cope with life but I know my family love me and need me to be strong.

"It's so hard to think I'll never be able to see, touch or talk to my son again. It's the most heart-breaking thing a mother can go through.

"Matthew didn't deserve to die in the way he did. James Burton has taken my son's life away and I'll never forgive him.

"I've had to listen to evidence in this court where James Burton showed no remorse for his actions. For him to then try and apologise I found insulting and sickening."

Mrs Webb said of Matthew: "All through his years of growing up I never had any problems with him. He was always happy and very thoughtful. He looked out for his younger brothers and sisters. He was everyone's rock. He loved life."

Hinckley murder: I've lost my beautiful boy, says mum


Local Cricket: County girls hope for national T20 glory

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Narborough and Littlethorpe's under-13 girls have reached the finals of a national T20 competition.

Narborough will travel to Leamington CC on Tuesday as one of the four finalists in the Lady Taverners club tournament.

There they will compete with Ealing, Newport and Wolverhampton for the title of national champion.

Having beaten Bitteswell, Garboldisham and Four Oak Saints in the first three rounds, Narborough defeated Walmley in the regional final to progress to the last four.

Narborough lost to Walmley in the third round of the Lady Taverners competition last year, but made light work of their opponents from Sutton Coldfield this time around.

Walmley put Narborough in to bat and they reached 132-3, with a superb partnership of 114 between captain Rachael Chipman (63) and Libby Haward (16) the catalyst for the innings.

Narborough then bowled Walmley out for just 23, with seamers Bhijal Khunti (3-9) and Jess Lapworth (2-4) the pick of the attack.

The team, which has now been together for four years, is full of individual talent.

Seven of the girls have represented Leicestershire at under-13 level, while several have gone on to play for the under-15s and under-17s.

And girls' team manager Will Rossiter believes this talent gives Narborough an excellent chance of success on the finals day.

"Our prospects for the finals are good," he said. "We have a strong squad in this age group and would expect to give most teams a good game.

"But there are some big clubs playing in the finals, not least Newport, who won this competition last year. The Narborough girls will really need to play to their potential if they are to beat them."

Narborough are keen to hear from local girls wanting to play cricket. To get in touch, contact Rossiter on:

wrossiteruk@aol.com

Local Cricket: County girls hope for national T20 glory

Geordan's our Mr Motivator in Leicester Tigers 7s title bid

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Geordan Murphy provides ample inspiration for Leicester Tigers' young stars as they aim for another successful Premiership Rugby 7s series, says development squad prospect George Tresidder.

The 19-year-old scrum-half praised the motivational qualities of Tigers assistant backs coach Murphy, who takes charge of the 7s team at Darlington tomorrow.

He believes this will spur them on to surpass last year's runners-up finish.

Tresidder, who was handed a first-team contract at Tigers this summer, was part of the 7s side that surprised the opposition last year as they went all the way to the final, despite no previous victories in the first three years of the competition.

And he thinks it was Murphy, then acting as coach for the first time since his retirement from playing, who propelled them there.

"Geordan's great," he said. "Last year, it was his first time out coaching, so we didn't really know what to expect.

"But in terms of giving us the inspiration to go and achieve what we wanted to achieve, and more than we expected to achieve, you can't really put words to it. It was just fantastic.

"It's interesting because before last year I don't think we'd even won a game, so we exceeded what the other clubs expected of us.

"There will be added pressure this year, as other sides will be looking for us more than they have done in the past. That is an added challenge and an interesting challenge that we're all looking forward to."

Certain qualities come to the fore in the scaled-down form of the game. With fewer team-mates to watch your back, missed tackles are even more damaging than usual, while more ground to cover means stamina is crucial.

Tresidder believes an all-round rugby skill-set is paramount for success in 7s.

"You have to be skilful in all aspects of the game," he said. "You're not just a scrum-half, or just a fly-half, you have to move across the pitch and have all those skills on a more regular basis, whereas in 15s you're very much a cog in a well-oiled team.

"One-on-one tackling is very important. If you miss a tackle, it's likely the other team will score a try, it's as simple as that. I'm one of the smaller guys on the pitch, so if that lets me down, it's glaringly obvious.

"And there's nowhere to hide in 7s. It's a very open game, which means fitness is key. As it's spread out, you need to be on top of your game and your passing and your movement have got to be precise.

"But highlighting those skills will make it easier when it comes to the 15-man season."

Geordan's our Mr Motivator in Leicester Tigers 7s  title bid

Leicester City Council to compulsorily purchase rundown homes

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Rundown eyesore houses that have stood empty for years are to be compulsorily purchased by council bosses.

Leicester City Council intends to buy four premises, which have been vacant for between two and 14 years, and bring them back into use.

The estimated value of the four homes is about £415,000.

The council aims to recover its costs by selling the properties to new owners who must agree to bring the properties back into use within an agreed timescale.

Any losses will be covered by a budget set aside as part of the council's empty homes strategy.

The properties are 32 Gopsall Street, in Spinney Hills, 1a Oban Street, in Newfoundpool, 52a and 52b Knighton Drive, in Knighton, and 82 Ocean Road, in Thurncourt.

The move follow numerous attempts by the city council's empty homes team to contact the owners of the properties and encourage them to make improvements, and let or sell them if they are likely to remain unoccupied. Assistant city mayor for housing, councillor Andy Connelly, said: "We will only consider compulsory purchase orders as a last resort and this action follows a lot of complaints from neighbours.

"People do not want to live next door to empty properties.

"If left unoccupied, properties can quickly fall into disrepair or attract crime, which can affect neighbours' house prices.

"It is important that we are able to take action to bring empty houses like these back into use.

"It can help provide much-needed family accommodation and stop empty properties becoming an eyesore in their neighbourhoods."

The Gopsall Street home has stood empty for 14 years and a number of complaints have been received about the negative impact the property is having on neighbouring properties.

The city council has served legal notices on two occasions to force the owners to repair a broken, leaky drainpipe and to remove overgrown shrubbery.

The former corner shop in Oban Street has been empty since 2009 and has been boarded up for at least three years. It previously received planning approval to convert the shop unit into a flat.

Complaints have been received from neighbours. The city council and Severn Trent Water have had to take action, in the owner's absence, to fix water leaks at the property which damaged neighbouring homes.

The pigeon-infested property in Knighton Drive has been the subject of complaints from residents. It has lost a portion of its roof and neighbours have also previously complained about the unsightly collection of construction waste including broken slabs, pipes, pallets and window frames, which the council has taken action to remove.

The council says, despite correspondence with the owner, there has been no sign of progress on the site and the property stands empty and unimproved.

The property in Ocean Road has also caused numerous complaints from residents.and the city council has served a notice for overgrown gardens littered with rubbish to be cleared.

The building is boarded-up and covered in graffiti.

The compulsory purchase orders are part of a wider empty homes strategy which has seen the council bring 344 empty properties back into use in the last 15 months.

Officers concentrate on properties that have been unoccupied for over 18 months, and the council says compulsory purchase orders are only used as a last resort.

Martin Bromley, city council housing renewal and grants manager, said: "We will continue our attempts to make contact with the owners and work with them to bring these properties back into use."

Leicester City Council to compulsorily purchase  rundown homes

Just quackers! Duck family rescued by worried villagers

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Concerned residents and shop workers spent an hour rounding up a mother duck and her ducklings after they were found roaming the streets.

The mum and her 12 ducklings were found outside shops in Kingsgate Avenue, Birstall, at about 3pm on Tuesday

James Bryan, owner of TJ Cycles, in Birstall, said he was repairing a bike when a woman living in a house a few doors down from the shop asked for help in rescuing the ducks.

James, 22, of Thurmaston, said: "When I first saw them they were outside the shop and sitting in between the bikes.

"We tried to pick them up, but they kept trying to go over the road.

"They were all running in the middle of the road and in people's front gardens."

James said they had to stop quite a few cars to rescue them.

"They would have more than likely been hit by a car," he said.

"The lady had quite a big bucket to put the ducklings in so they could not get out and we caught the mother duck and put her in a blanket.

"I caught two ducklings, one of our customers caught the mother duck and the lady and her daughter caught the rest.

"We caught the 12 ducklings first, but the main duck was the hardest to catch.

"We then put them in a car and took them to Watermead Country Park."

Graham Grewcock, 47, of Birstall, who caught the mother duck, said: "It flew over my head and I managed to grab its feet and I brought her down to the floor. We then wrapped her in a blanket.

"I have kept owls myself, so I have handled birds before.

"We were really pleased that she was back with her youngsters."

Angela Downham, animal carer at Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, said it was not uncommon to see ducks inland.

She said: "Ducks go inland to have their babies.

"The ducks feel safe there because there is not anything likely to get them.

"If they have them at the side of the water the rats will take the young duckling eggs.

"It is more than likely she has come from Watermead and gone inland to have her babies.

"But once they have hatched, within 48 hours, they need to be taken to water. If they have crossed busy roads to go and have their babies they do get themselves into trouble."

She said the passers-by did the right thing by rescuing the duck and ducklings and taking them to water.

Angela said: "If they look like they are in danger, it is good to collect them up."

To contact Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, call 0795 1285 366 or e-mail:

info@leicesterwildlife hospital.org

Just quackers! Duck family rescued by worried villagers

The Niall O'Brien Column: I'm already excited as the World Cup nears

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Time flies when you're having fun, they say, and anyone who watches me play regularly for either Leicester or Ireland knows I enjoy my cricket and try to have fun while out in the middle doing battle.

Therefore, time will pass quickly and, before you know it, I will be in Australia and New Zealand playing for Ireland in what will be my seventh World Cup and possibly my last.

The 50-over game is under the spotlight at the moment as it has returned to the County scene and it will take people a while to really get used to it and accept it again.

But in the Irish set-up we enjoy the format and it gives us batsmen a longer time to bat and get big scores.

We have some huge fixtures in the World Cup playing the likes of India, West Indies and South Africa and these are games I will relish on the big stage.

Playing in front of the world's watching eye is something we dream about .

We have some young players who will be looking to make a mark for Ireland – but even our younger players are seasoned campaigners on the international front now and it will be the experience in the squad that will see us pushing for the later stages of the competition.

Touring is part and parcel of life for an international cricketer and this winter I will travel to Australia and New Zealand just days after Leicestershire's last game.

I have spent five winters in Oz and it is a great spot and somewhere I would love to live post-career. I can only guess how many tours and places Scott Styris has been on!

December will bring potential for some rest, although knowing me, I will find some cricket somewhere in the world to go and play. In January, Ireland will tour the West Indies and take part in the Nagico 50-over competition, which was great fun this year if a bit tricky on some slow wickets in Trinidad.

It is a more sedate form of the game than T20 but the 50-over stuff needs plenty of skill, application and patience.

Key phases of the game are normally through the middle and that is where Leicestershire need to be ruthless in our RL50 campaign so we can either post big totals or else chase down targets without leaving too much for the last few overs dash.

You cant keep a good man down and Alastair Cook is a good man and a fine player. I think everyone was delighted to see him bounce back to form down in Hampshire.

A lot has been made of his captaincy and form of late and that is understandable as he is England captain and will always be in the spotlight for one thing or another, whether it be his batting or captaincy. I hope he has now got his summer going.

Away from the Test and looking to the One Day International series I feel England must be brave in their selection.

Players like Alex Hales must be given a go in my opinion – wickets down under for the World Cup are going to be good and an aggressive player like Hales can take games away from opponents in the blink of an eye. That would allow the likes of Joe Root and Ian Bell to play alongside his aggressive style and for England to get the 300-plus scores that will be needed to win out there.

To round matters off, I would like to mention Jos Buttler's encouraging start to his Test career. He could have been gone in the slips for a duck, a catch I thought was out, and he should have been stumped by MS Dhoni but some of his strokes were eye-catching and he entertained the public. That is what we are here to do so come down to a Leicester game and let me and the Foxes entertain you.

The Niall O'Brien Column: I'm already excited as  the World Cup nears

Commonwealth Games: I'm just so sorry for my mum, says disappointed Eden

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Eden Francis was left downbeat in Glasgow after failing to deliver on her medal promise at the Commonwealth Games.

The 25-year old from Leicester was ranked fourth coming into the women's shot final.

And while gold was always likely to go to two-time Olympic champion, New Zealand's Valerie Adams, Francis was confident of forcing herself on to the podium.

But her best effort of 16.57m, exactly one-and-a-half metres down on her season's best, was only good enough for sixth.

"I'm just really sorry for my Mum," she said.

"After my injury, we've worked really hard since April just to get here.

"I hoped that I could come here and make her proud but it just didn't go to plan.

"The injury wasn't there. I was just really trying hard and, in technical events like the shot, when you try too hard it messes everything up and that's what happened.

"The crowd was good but it was just a shame I couldn't put on a show for them."

However, the emotions were very different for Alison Rodger, competing for Scotland in front of a partisan home crowd.

Rodger's best effort was her first round throw of 14.76m, which secured her 10th place in the final.

"I loved it out there – the atmosphere is absolutely brilliant. If you had told me before that I would get 10th in the Commonwealth Games I would have bitten your hand off," said Rodger, who works in Leicester for Intertek.

"I gave it my all in the first round but my knee kind of buckled after that – it was just a little niggle but I didn't want to push it.

"The atmosphere and watching all the girls was amazing. We are never going to get anything like this in Glasgow again, so it was really great."

Commonwealth Games England (CGE) leads and manages the participation of the Team England at the Commonwealth Games and Youth Games. We work with sports, Sponsors and Sport England to support the development of athletes and their sports, and to achieve success at Games-time.

Commonwealth Games: I'm just so sorry for my mum, says disappointed Eden

Tributes paid to lifelong Leicester City football fan

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A lifelong Leicester City Football Club fan has died at the age of 53.

Sean Tyrrell died in his sleep at his home in Saffron Lane, on July 17, because of the muscle-wasting condition motor neurone disease.

He was diagnosed in 2009, but lived two years longer than the doctors predicted.

Sean, who was one of eight children, grew up on Saffron Lane, and went to all of Leicester City's games, home, away and abroad, from the mid-70s up until 2009, when his illness stopped him going.

Sean's funeral is today and a horse-drawn carriage will take him around Leicester City's King Power stadium at about 10am, before heading to St Thomas More Church, in Knighton Road, where the service will be held.

Sean, who worked in the building trade, leaves behind his partner of 10 years, Maureen Austin, 54, and his three children Michelle, 30, Josh, 24, and Sophie, 21.

Maureen said: "Football, music and his family were all he was bothered about – this is what kept him going.

"He always watched Leicester City home, away and abroad until this terrible illness confined him to a wheelchair.

"He would then listen to the matches on radio or watch them on TV. His mates would drop by his local club on their way home from the game and give him a match report."

Maureen and Sean were childhood sweethearts but then lost touch for 28 years. She said: "We were in the same class at school and were childhood sweethearts in about 1975 or 1976.

"Sean then left school and went with his older brother, Peter, to work in Israel. We did not see each other until 28 years later when we met at a school reunion.

"We had five fantastic years together and he was diagnosed with this terrible disease in 2009.

"The way he faced this illness, which took away his ability to move, was so brave.

"He became totally dependent on us for everything, but still lived his life as best he could.

"Sean never lost his sense of humour and still had the ability to make everyone laugh.

"He was loved by everyone who knew him and everyone had a funny story to tell about him."

Sean has a brick with his name on in Leicester City's stadium, which was given to him as a gift.

His brother Tommy Tyrrell, 64, said Sean knew every Leicester City result from the 60s.

He said: "He had a memory like nobody has ever had."

One fond memory Tommy has of Sean was at a Leicester home game against Sunderland when Martin O'Neil was manager.

Tommy said: "Sean got into the changing room and after Martin's pre-match talk, he noticed Sean and he was promptly marched out.

"Martin said 'who are you?' and Sean said 'I am your number one fan'.

"He is a legend of Saffron Lane – everyone knows him up there for being a football fan.

"Lots of his friends said they felt inspired to hear how he dealt with this horrible disease."

Tributes paid to lifelong Leicester City football fan


Commonwealth Games: 'We can beat No.1 side and reach Commonwealth final'

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England have made a habit of tumbling out in semi-finals in recent years but midfielder David Condon insists the rot will stop tomorrow at the Commonwealth Games.

Loughborough's Condon was in action yesterday as England rounded off their group campaign with a 3-1 victory over Canada.

That success sealed their progress through to the final four and set up a clash with Australia, the No.1 ranked side in the world and defending Commonwealth champions.

England's recent record in big competitions makes for familiar reading, losing out in the semi-finals at this year's World Cup, the London 2012 Olympics – as Great Britain – and four years ago at Delhi 2010.

But, after comfortably seeing off Canada, Condon is confident that he and his teammates are more than ready to set the record straight.

"As a group, the final is our goal so by no means are we settling for the semi-finals now that we are there," he said.

"We have notoriously been a team that have got to the semi-finals and not performed so looking forward now, playing Australia might actually be a gift.

"We know that if we don't go out there and perform then we may as well say goodbye to that final.

"There's no doubt within our group that if we perform on the day we can definitely match and beat Australia.

"They are relentless though, we saw that at the World Cup, so we know that if we don't match them, we have no chance."

Skipper Barry Middleton, who also scored in England's win over Canada, admitted that the relaxed team environment was building confidence ahead of the final knockout stages.

"It should be fun playing against Australia, that's who you want to play in big tournaments," he added. "I think a big part of elite sport is getting the culture right, giving people the best chance to perform to the best of their ability.

"The team environment is good, everyone is pretty casual and chilled but ready to switch on at the right time.

"It's nice to be going into games feeling that it is not luck if you play well, it's just what you do every game."

Commonwealth Games: 'We can beat No.1 side and reach Commonwealth final'

They are great bunch of lads here and team spirit is fantastic - Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson

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Nigel Pearson is unwavering in his belief in the squad ethic.

Ever since the Leicester City boss returned to the club two-and-a-half years ago, he has built his team around having a group of players who work hard for each other. It has proven to be a fruitful philosophy.

They are by no means grinders, though.

Pearson clearly has plenty of skilful individuals at his disposal.

City played some exceptional, vibrant football on their way to winning the Championship last season.

Whenever asked about a single player's performance, though, Pearson will often caveat his praise by bringing the attention back to the team. It is the work of the team that allows the stars to shine.

The whole, as they say, is greater than the sum of its parts.

Those bad eggs in the City camp who threatened to upset the harmony and spirit of the squad, or were not prepared to give their all for the team, have been moved on.

That also applies to those players who are brought into the club.

Although Pearson has stated he does not just intend to sign "angels", his scouting staff will go into meticulous detail to understand the personalities, as much as the technical ability, of potential signings.

Dean Hammond knows that feeling. The midfielder was one of those new faces last season, brought in by Pearson to add some vital promotion experience to a young squad, having won the Championship with Southampton.

Pearson has done the same this season, too.

He has acquired Premier League experience this time in Matthew Upson and Marc Albrighton, to go with goalkeeper Ben Hamer and club record signing Leonardo Ulloa.

Hammond says, like himself last season, those new recruits felt right at home straight away.

"They were a part of the group as soon as they walked through the door," he said.

"We have got a great bunch of lads here and the team spirit is fantastic.

"Anyone who comes in, is part of the group straight away. They are welcomed with open arms and we look forward to working with them."

And work with them, they have.

Three wins in three so far in City's pre-season campaign and all but the injured Upson have featured. And in true Pearson style, keeping that level head and focus on the team has played a key role in his team talks.

"Just to take it all one game at a time," said Hammond of Pearson's message so far. "Just try to improve yourself, work as a team, keep that morale that we have together, and just continue it through the whole season.

"We are all working so hard and want to be ready for the Premier League."

They are  great bunch of lads here and  team spirit is fantastic - Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson

Gary Silke Column: Leicester City were even better last season than I had realised

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After the initial jolt of the Premier League fixture list coming out, without any easy games on it, I have felt better about City's top-flight prospects this week.

I set aside 150 minutes to watch the highlights DVD of City's 2013-14 season.

And what I picked up from watching it was that City were good. Really good.

Even better than I had remembered. It makes for really entertaining viewing.

Brilliant, pacy, attacking moves, highly accurate passing and superb finishing were our trademarks. There were many memorable goals.

Every year The Fox fanzine subscribers vote for their favourite goal of the season and this time round there were three that were neck-and-neck for first place.

Eventually, by just two votes, a winner emerged and it was Chris Wood's brilliant effort at Turf Moor, which saw him out-muscle a Burnley defender before sending a half-volley soaring into the top right-hand corner. As that made it 2-0 against the only side within touching distance of us, many of you said that was the moment you knew that we were going up.

In second place was Danny Drinkwater's late and spectacular equaliser at home to Watford, to cap a frantic comeback after City had trailed 2-0; and close behind in bronze medal position was Lloyd Dyer's cut in from the left and crashing shot at Bolton, which clinched City's first second tier title in 34 years. As one subscriber told us: "It made me cry with joy!"

There were many others, any of which could have won in a more ordinary year.

Andy King's 25-yarder at Blackpool; Anthony Knockaert's rising free-kick in the League Cup against Derby; Danny Drinkwater's low drive at Reading; David Nugent's sharply taken opener at Burnley; Jamie Vardy's winner at QPR and Riyad Mahrez's stunner at home to Blackpool.

There were even plenty of votes for a goal that never was (officially, at least) – Kasper Schmeichel's header at home to Yeovil ... we all know it crossed the line before Wood made sure on the follow up.

There will, almost certainly, be fewer City goals to enjoy this season, but things have got off to a good start. Go on YouTube and check out David Nugent's incredible curler round the keeper with the outside of his right foot from the Walsall game on Wednesday night. It made Drinkwater's 25-yarder in the same game look a bit run-of-the-mill!

Here's a fact that I quite liked. There are seven Premier League clubs with stadium capacities lower than the King Power Stadium. Southampton's St Mary's Stadium, being the same design, is just about equal to the KPS, So there are only 11 grounds bigger than ours. It demonstrates we aren't minnows in the top flight. More like a gudgeon, or maybe a dace.

Gary Silke Column: Leicester City were even better last season than I had realised

Hey, Kasabian - pop round mine when in Sydney for a proper Leicester curry!

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Leicester-born John Ram is making plans to ensure city band Kasabian don't get homesick when they play a gig in Sydney, Australia.

John, originally from Rushey Mead, is eagerly awaiting Kasbian's concert and would like to offer the band some home comforts during their world tour by inviting them to his house for an authentic curry.

John, who went to Soar Valley School, has been living in Kellyville, New South Wales, since November 2003.

He will be going to the Kasabian concert at The Hordern Pavilion, in Sydney on Sunday, August 10, with his son and a work colleague.

The 49-year-old said: "I'm really excited that Kasabian are coming to Sydney and playing. It shows people over here are taking them seriously.

"I think Kasabian are now renowned as one of the best in the world.

"I like the unique sound – it is fresh and the music is accessible to all generations.

"I would like to invite them round to my place for a Leicester curry, just so they don't get homesick!

"They are all Leicester- orientated so, if they want an authentic curry, they will find the best here."

He said his sister had bumped into Tom Meighan, one of the band's frontmen, in Leicester earlier this year and had a quick chat.

"This is what I like about people from Leicester. I like the Leicester culture – the people are friendly," he said.

John describes himself as being "very Leicester proud" and promotes his home city everywhere he goes.

He said: "Within seconds of people meeting me I will tell them very proudly that I am from Leicester.

"If I go to a public place, a sporting event, concert, or festival, I will always have a Leicester shirt on."

John said that anyone from Leicester who is in the crowd at the Kasabian concert should look out for him. He will be there with a Leicester City shirt on.

Despite Sydney being 10,500 miles from Leicester, John said he expected to see a lot of ex-pats at the gig.

"There is a good band of Leicester people here," he said.

Hey, Kasabian - pop round mine when in Sydney for a proper Leicester curry!

Leicestershire health expert's reassurance on ebola outbreak

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A leading public health expert said systems are in place to pick up any suspected cases of the deadly ebola virus coming through East Midlands Airport.

However, Dr Philip Monk, a consultant in public health with Public Health England in Leicestershire, said the disease sweeping countries in West Africa is not easily passed from person to person.

He said: "The critical thing is that this outbreak is in West Africa.

"Many people have friends or family working charitably or on business in West Africa but they are not picking up the virus. Those who are at risk are those exposed to the bodily fluids of those infected."

Dr Monk said that unlike the flu virus, ebola cannot survive long in the environment, such as on desks or telephones.

He said: "To date, we have never had a case of transmission in the west."

Dr Monk, who is responsible locally for anyone flying into East Midlands Airport with an infectious disease, said "robust systems" were already in place to detect anyone coming into the county with an infectious disease.

He said: "Aircraft captains have a legal duty to report any case of someone who is unwell.

"I would then have a conversation via the control tower.

"If it is something potentially serious, an ambulance would meet the plane and, if necessary, the person taken to the infectious diseases unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary, for tests."

Nationally, Public Heath England is working with agencies such as Medecins Sans Frontieres to provide support.

By the end of next month it is also planning to send 10 staff to the affected areas.

The organisation has also warned doctors to "remain vigilant for unexpected illness in those who have visited the affected area."

Ebola is a viral disease, thought to be caused by fruit bats. It affects humans and other primates.

The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days and symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat and intense weakness.

This is followed by diarrhoea, vomiting, a rash, impaired kidney and liver function and stomach pain.

Some patients may develop a rash, red eyes, hiccups, internal and external bleeding.

Ebola, also known as ebola hemorrhagic fever, is fatal in 50 to 90 per cent of cases.

There is no specific anti-viral treatment for ebola. Dr Monk said treatment is supportive, such as replacing fluids if a patient is bleeding, and helping those with breathing difficulties. He said: "The problem in Africa is that by the time the disease is recognised it is often far too late, as there aren't the developed health care systems in place."

Leicestershire health expert's reassurance  on    ebola  outbreak

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