More than 1,100 pupils have been excluded from Leicester schools in the past three years accused of assault, verbal or racial abuse, bullying and sexual misconduct.

The figures were released by Leicester City Council following a Freedom of Information request.

Between 2010 and 2013, 1,113 pupils were permanently or temporarily excluded.

In 2012-13, there were 413 exclusions, 423 in 2011-12 and 445 in 2010-11.

Councillor Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for schools, said: "Exclusions are always a last resort and we work closely with head teachers to tackle challenging behaviour.

"Behaviour which disrupts the education and achievement of other children and prevents teachers from teaching is something that will always be addressed in Leicester schools.

"While we will always do our utmost to deal with disruptive behaviour, we're determined to look behind to see why children and young people behave the way they do.

"Where possible, we work to alleviate the causes."

The city council said it has developed and adopted a number of behaviour strategies in past years. These include an anti-bullying strategy for schools and an anti-bullying community awards scheme.

This year, the city and county councils jointly worked with colleagues in Denmark to use restorative justice techniques in schools to tackle challenging behaviour – described by the council as "very successful".

It also has behaviour support teams which offer training and outreach support for schools and for pupils with challenging behaviour.

Extra support is offered to children with special educational needs and disabilities because they are statistically more likely to be excluded.

The council has set up a special schools panel where head teachers considering exclusions can meet other leaders and local authority officers to share knowledge and skills and try to avoid exclusion.

Any child at risk of exclusion receives a support plan.

Councillor Dempster said: "We know encouraging schools to work together achieves results, which is why our head teachers' panel can be a very effective way of preventing exclusions.

"We're also trying out innovative techniques such as restorative justice to deal with problems such as bullying.

"We'll continue to support schools and families to ensure, wherever possible, behavioural issues are tackled as soon as they occur."

An archeological dig has revealed foundations of demolished cottages, as well as animal bones and Roman pottery.

About 115 people took part in Anstey's Big Dig on July 26 and 27, which unveiled new clues about the village's past.

Pits were dug in more than 30 spots around Anstey.

The majority in people's gardens and three or four were in public spaces, such as by the Pack Horse Bridge.

Dr Julie Attard, the dig's project manager, said the event was a huge success and finds are now being cleaned and recorded.

"We'll be back in Anstey next month with our findings," said Dr Attard.

"It was a truly inter-generational event. The youngest participant was about four, and the oldest in her mid-80s.

"Some volunteers got involved in the digging and recording of their test-pit, while others helped with washing and processing the finds."

Jenny Mulligan, 34, of Anstey, was one of the residents who took part and also volunteered her garden.

Her husband, Danny, and her two children Megan, nine, and James, seven, were also involved in the digging.

Danny said: "We were digging in our back garden as our property backs on to the old mill and Julie thought there might be something of interest.

"It was really interesting and the whole event was really well organised."

Jenny got involved in the dig by responding to a piece in the local newsletter asking for volunteers to take part.

In her garden, she said bits of pottery were found, as well as a penny from 1971 and fragments of flint from early tool making, among other things.

Jenny said she hoped this would happen again in the future.

"I am hoping we can carry it on.

"We were talking at the time about starting an archeology society," she said.

Jenny's daughter Megan said she enjoyed the dig and working together with her brother.

"My favourite part was that I got to ask the archeologists a lot of different questions.

"It was really fascinating because you got to see what was in our garden, that we didn't realise was there before."

The dig was part of the Charnwood Roots project, which explores how people lived, worked and enjoyed the Charnwood area across the centuries.

Supporting the dig were archaeologists from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), the Charnwood Roots team, and Leicestershire County Council's Portable Antiquities Scheme, which aims to advance the knowledge of the history and archaeology of England and Wales. Members of the Leicestershire's Young Archaeologists Club also took part.

Details about finds will be posted on the project website:

www.charnwoodroots.org

Follow the project at @CharnwoodRoots or join them on Facebook.

The extra preliminary round of the FA Cup takes centre stage tomorrow as the non-league football season gets into full swing.

While there is no realistic hope of any of the sides involved in the competition this weekend reaching the final at Wembley next May, there is still good money to be earned by progressing through the qualifying stages.

All the county's Midland League Premier sides are in Cup action and the draw has largely been kind to them.

Quorn host Bottesford as they set about responding to their 4-3 midweek defeat at league leaders Basford United.

Shepshed Dynamo, without a league win to date, are at home to Dunkirk. Kirby Muxloe, with back-to-back victories under their belts, entertain Wolverhampton Casuals.

Loughborough University travel to Shirebrook while First Division side Heather St John's entertain Coventry Sphinx.

Blaby & Whetstone Athletic, of the East Midlands Counties League, welcome Harborough Town from the UCL Premier in an all-county affair, while Oadby travel to Worksop to meet Northern Counties East outfit Handsworth Parramore.

The Poachers picked up their first league point on Tuesday, Louis Hamilton scoring in a 1-1 draw at Newport Pagnell. UCL new boys Thurnby Nirvana are at home to Lincoln Moorlands Railway.

St Andrews will look to take their good start in the EMCL campaign into the FA Cup tomorrow.

With two league wins already under their belts, the latest a 6-2 victory over Graham St Prims, they welcome Midland Leaguers Tipton Town to Canal Street.

Ellistown & Ibstock United are at home to Studley, while Holwell Sports host St Prims.

Hinckley AFC travel to Cadbury Athletic tomorrow in Division One of the Midland League. In UCL Division One, Lutterworth Athletic host Irchester.

Seven Asda stores in Leicestershire have been presented with a defibrillator for public use – and their store staff are to be trained in CPR.

The stores have teamed up with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to install the defibrillators.

Kate Main, from Asda's community team, said: "We're really proud of our relationship with the BHF and want the people in the local Leicestershire communities to have the best chance of survival if cardiac arrest strikes.

"It can take a number of minutes for an ambulance to reach one of our stores in response to an emergency like a cardiac arrest.

"Asda's investment of over half-a-million pounds in providing life-saving defibrillators for all of the communities we operate in could significantly cut the amount of time a cardiac arrest sufferer has to wait for life-saving CPR and defibrillation, giving them the best possible chance of survival."

Amit Aggarwal, head of corporate fund-raising at the BHF, added: "Cardiac arrest survival rates in the UK are astonishingly low.

"But Asda's bold commitment to become the first large retailer to have CPR-trained colleagues and public access defibrillators in every store will be instrumental in helping communities up and down the country access the life-saving support they need in an emergency.

"This really could mean the difference between life and death for someone having a cardiac arrest while doing something as ordinary as shopping."

Stores getting the defibrillators are in Hinckley, Shepshed, Oadby, Narborough South and Abbey Lane, in Leicester, Thurmaston and Coalville.

Burley Road, in Oakham, will be closed next week for resurfacing.

The closure, from High Street to Station Road, which comes into force on Monday, is expected to last for just over a week.

The pay and display car park in Burley Road will also be closed on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Diversions will be signposted.

An Afghan veteran raising money for servicemen who have lost limbs in the conflict survived a high-speed crash on his bike in his latest fund-raising effort.

Rob Tuck, 26, of Hamilton, Leicester, is completing six challenges over six months for the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association (Blesma).

In his latest event, the Birmingham Running and Athletics Triathlon, he came off his bike doing nearly 30mph in a downpour.

Rob, who had begun the day shortly after 7am with a one-and-a-half kilometre open water swim, was 10km into the 40km bike ride when the accident happened.

He said: "I was coming up to a left-hand bend and realised I was going too quick into the corner in the wet conditions.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to make the turn so I just carried straight on and went into a hedge and a fence.

"I checked with my GPS equipment and discovered I was going at 28mph at the time.

"I was lucky as I got away with just cuts and bruises on my legs and carried on."

Rob went on to complete the 10k run in his first triathlon at the West Midlands Water Ski Centre, in Tamworth.

He has now completed four of the six events he has planned for this year and has already exceeded his £1,000 target.

He said: "I have raised £950 on my Just Giving page and, with a charity box in a pub, I know I am over the £1,000 mark. I'm hoping to get £1,200 to £1,300."

Rob has completed the first year of an accounting and finance degree at De Montfort University – receiving a first in his end-of-year exams.

He served in the armed forces from 2009 until 2013 and for seven months was on the front line in Afghanistan.

After leaving the forces in January last year, Rob decided he wanted to raise money for Blesma.

He completed the Anglian Water Duathlon, in May, and The Long One, a 124-mile bike ride, in June. His next event is the Robin Hood Half Marathon, in Nottingham, on September 28.

The final event this year is the Leicester Marathon on October 26.

Rob said: "I'm also talking to Blesma about the possibility of me running the London Marathon for them next year."

To sponsor Rob, visit:

www.justgiving.com/rob-tuck3

Leicester Animal Aid is celebrating a year's worth of successful fund-raising and support from the Sainsbury's Wigston store.

Thanks to the generosity of its customers, the store has raised £2,396.92.

To help raise funds, the store held a Christmas fair and coffee and cake sales, as well as a colouring competition with schools.

Lindsay Woodward, of Leicester Animal Aid, said: "Working with Sainsbury's Wigston over the past 12 months has made such a difference to our cause.

"We've raised a fantastic amount which we're using towards caring for the Oadby and Wigston stray cats and dogs."

A woman has told how her pet dog had to have a leg amputated after it was attacked in her garden by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

Kerry Howkins, of Braunstone Frith, said she bit and punched the bull terrier as she fought to save her four-year-old pet, Buddy.

The 39-year-old said she was standing in her kitchen on August 1 when she saw the bull terrier race into her garden and attack her dog – a Bichon Frisé cross.

She said: "I ran straight out and the dog was already attacking Buddy.

"The terrier had its jaws locked on one of Buddy's front legs.

"I grabbed hold of Buddy and bit the other dog on the neck and punched it as many times as I could.

"It would not let go and I thought it was going to kill my dog. All of sudden, a neighbour jumped over my fence and the dog let go of Buddy's leg.

"I could not believe what had happened."

Ms Howkins said she rushed Buddy to the PDSA hospital, in Braunstone, where they treated injuries to his front left leg.

She said he was operated on and came home three days later.

She said: "I took him back in on August 9 and they said the wound was infected and they had to amputate his leg.

"He is recovering and being very brave but this sort of thing should not happen in your own back garden.

"The police have been to see me and spoke to the neighbour who owns the dog.

"The police told me there was nothing they could do about it as no criminal offence had been committed.

"It is awful. My 11-year-old daughter Kelsey saw the whole attack and is very upset about it.

"We are too scared to open our back door and use our own garden out there.

"There needs to be a change in the law so that a dog owner whose dog attacks another dog and causes such injury can be prosecuted. It is a crazy situation."

A police spokeswoman said: "We were called out after a Staffordshire bull terrier entered a garden and attacked the occupant's dog.

"The dog sustained an injury to its leg. The owner of the offending dog was spoken to and advised accordingly. No criminal offences were identified."

The owner of the dog was contacted by the Mercury but declined to comment.

A ban on an addictive plant which is popular with some Somalis has gone smoothly, according to police.

Khat, a leaf which is chewed, became a class C drug in June.

People who campaigned for the ban said it was addictive and could cause health problems.

A Leicester police officer whose patch includes St Matthew's, which has a large Somali population, said the ban had gone smoothly.

Inspector Ben Gillard, commander of Spinney Hill Park police station, had compared the Government's decision to ban the substance to outlawing smoking overnight.

But he said: "Everything we are seeing on the ground suggests the ban on khat has been well received.

"We have not had to do much in terms of enforcement. The community is upholding the law itself.

"I've not yet seen any evidence of us having to do stop searches on suspicion that someone is in possession of khat.

"Some areas had experienced anti-social behaviour as a result of people using khat, hanging around on street corners and, possibly, being intimidating. We are not receiving those reports on such a scale any more.

"We did a lot of work with the community in the run-up to the ban and that will continue.

"Clearly, there are people who have health issues and there are still people out there using khat.

"They are dependent on it and we are helping them to find appropriate support."

Members of the city's Somali community have described the arrival of the ban as a "day of celebration".

Jawaahir Dahir, of Somali Development Services, has said: "We have campaigned against khat for many years and I have spoken to the Government about its social impact.

"We welcome the change in the law, but we can see it is going to be difficult for some people to stop using khat because it is addictive."

Police said they were adopting a "graded" enforcement policy to the class C drug.

Those caught in possession will be warned. If caught a second time they will be fined £60, while a third offence will result in prosecution and potentially a prison term.

Users could be jailed for up to two years if convicted of possession.

Those who sell khat could face up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Dr Andrew Ball, of Leicester Recovery Partnership, which treats people with a range of addictions, said: "Individuals who regularly take khat can experience mental health problems and liver complications.

"Individuals attempting to reduce and stop khat use can experience withdrawal effects such as depression, sleeplessness and nightmares."

The partnership will be running sessions in GP surgeries and community centres to help people overcome addiction.

Contact Leicester Recovery Partnership on 0116 225 6400 or online at:

www.leicesterrecovery partnership.co.uk

Villagers plagued by a foul smell emanating from an MP's potato factory have cautiously welcomed the firm's latest commitment to tackle the problem.

People in Measham have long complained of a putrid stench from AB Produce, which processes potatoes and vegetables.

Founded by North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen and his brother Paul, it moved to Westminster Industrial Estate, in the village, in 2003.

The company has announced that over the next two months it will be draining storage lagoons at the site, where collected vegetable waste is thought to be responsible for the stink.

Managing director Paul Bridgen said the move followed consultation with North West Leicestershire District Council and the Environment Agency.

He said: "We are taking steps to reduce the issues experienced by residents.

"We are aware of their frustrations, but ask for their patience during this work which is being undertaken specifically to reduce the risk of odour problems in the short-term."

Diggers arrived on the site on Thursday. The waste will be stored temporarily until it has dried sufficiently, when it will be removed.

The district council's environmental health team warned villagers they might experience some "increase in odour" from the site, but that the rotting waste would be completely removed within eight weeks.

Measham parish councillor Michael Williams, who set up Campaign Against the Smell (Cats) in 2010 and a website for villagers to report smelly incidents, said: "I'm delighted action is finally being taken.

"We are optimistic, but cautiously so, that something will finally be done about this horrible smell. It really is hateful.

"I and some fellow residents took part in a round-table discussion at AB Produce on Thursday, involving the district council and the Environment Agency.

"It was very positive. The only problem is, we've been here before. The firms has made commitments in the past, but the problem has continued.

"I will be closely monitoring the situation over the next few weeks.

"I know, because of the horrible nature of the stench, that many residents will be very frustrated and angry about the smell as the lagoons are cleared.

"But if it means the problem is dealt with, then I think its a short-term price worth paying."

Councillor Alison Smith, deputy leader of the council, said: "We're very pleased to hear this work is being undertaken and hope this contributes to a permanent solution."

AB Produce – where Andrew Bridgen remains a director – said the company's next step would be to install a multi-million pound "anaerobic digestion" facility.

Paul Bridgen said that while the lagoon clearance was a "temporary fix", the facility, which will be built in Repton Road, will be a "long-term sustainable solution".

Speaking earlier this year, Andrew Bridgen said: "The company has plans to sort the whole issue out."

Academics and students from the University of Leicester's School of Medicine go head-to-head in the Leicester Castle Classic cycle race tomorrow.

Dr Andy Ward will lead his team, called Med School Mamils (middle-aged men in Lycra), to compete in the Vélobici corporate challenge, over a technical 1.5-mile circuit across the cobbles in Leicester's historic Castle Gardens and up Western Boulevard adjacent to the River Soar.

The Mamils team comprises Dr Ward and Dr Chris Sanders, from the university's Department of Medical and Social Care Education, Mark McCarthy, honorary senior lecturer in cardiovascular sciences, and Dr Rob Powell, anaesthetist and honorary senior lecturer.

Dr Ward said: "None of us have taken part in a city centre road race like this – it's daunting, but promises to be exciting. Underhand tactics may be required to ensure that we don't lose out to the students. It should be a great event with a good atmosphere – the elite professionals take to the road shortly after us and Mark's children are riding in the Go-Ride race earlier in the day, so it's an event for all the family."

The team will be donning eye- catching jerseys depicting the human cardiovascular system.

As well as avoiding losing to the students, competing under the aliases Maillot Jaundice and Maillot Vertigo, the team of academics hope to raise funds for the university's Centre for Medicine Appeal.

The £10 million appeal is in support of the biggest investment in medical teaching and applied research by a UK university in the last decade.

The centre is expected to significantly transform the experiences of patients across the region and reshape medical education by training the doctors of tomorrow, revolutionising patient care and fighting chronic disease.

Construction has already begun on the £42 million building due to open next autumn in Lancaster Road, and more than £1.5m million has already been raised towards the target.

Dr Ward said: "This appeal is ensuring the best possible educational and research environment for the doctors of tomorrow, which will allow them and Leicester to be at the forefront of innovations in patient care." Ave Vinick, deputy director of development at the university, said: "We are delighted Dr Ward and his colleagues are raising both awareness and funds in support of a new centre for medicine to benefit Leicestershire and Rutland."

To sponsor the Med School Mamils, go to:

www.justgiving.com/ MedSchoolMamils/

For more about the Centre for Medicine Appeal, visit:

www2.le.ac.uk/alumni/ supportus/current-appeals/ savinglives

The pace will be hot from the start when the Leicester Castle Classic gets under way in the city tomorrow afternoon (3.30pm)

It is the second year that the 80km event has been contested, with the best of Britain's home-based road racers in action over the 4km circuit, which starts and finishes on Western Boulevard.

Kibworth's George Atkins, who turns 23 on Monday, will be hoping to make an impact on roads that he is familiar with.

However, the race is the penultimate round of British Cycling's Elite National Road Race series and Atkins will have a role to play for Team Raleigh.

They currently lead the team standings on 58 points, just a point ahead of Madison-Genesis with NFTO lurking only three points further adrift.

Raleigh's Yanto Barker is the individual leader so it is a big day for their squad.

Atkins will certainly be hoping for a better day than he endured last weekend in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic when he came home well down the field after a rain-battered day.

"For me, it was a tough day out and the weather conditions didn't help, so it was just good to get around and get ready to take on the next few races," said the former Great Britain Academy rider.

"It's a really good event and a bit different as well because 200km is not a regular distance for us over here.

"The weather just makes it tougher generally. You can't ever predict how a race is going to go, but I think there are more punctures and maybe more crashes on the descents as well so it can play a part. We (Team Raleigh) were realistic. We have a few guys that were in the top 20 last year who were with different teams, so we would have hoped for a top 15 or 20.

"We want to be competitive with the rest and that's our aim, and I think we probably achieved that or at least made the most of what we had."

Prudential RideLondon took place on August 9-10. To find out more, visit:

prudentialridelondon.co.uk

A secure college for young offenders aged between 12 and 17 took a step forward this week.

The Ministry of Justice made an application to Blaby District Council on Wednesday to build the £85 million college next to Glen Parva young offender institution.

Plans show the site would include indoor and outdoor teaching areas, two basketball courts, a seven-a-side football pitch, workshops, a running track and a garden.

The site, on land owned by the Government but not currently in use, would also have accommodation, a clinic, car parks and bike storage.

Geoff Welsh, county councillor for Glen Parva, said he did not expect objections to the application.

"There was a time, many years back, when there were issues with young people yelling from windows but that stopped a long time ago," he said.

The college will aim to equip young offenders "with the skills, qualifications and self-discipline they need to build a life free from crime".

According to the Ministry of Justice, more than half of 15 to 17-year-olds in young offender institutions have the literacy and numeracy level expected of a seven to 11-year-old and nearly one in five has special educational needs.

Of all young offenders who are locked up, almost 70 per cent return to crime. Offenders at the college will be set up with training programmes that will continue after they leave custody.

Justice minister Andrew Selous said: "The secure college will be a pioneering approach to tackling the stubbornly high re-offending rates in youth custody, moving away from the traditional environment of bars on windows and putting education and training at the forefront.

"This week marks an important stage in making this innovative establishment a reality.

"By addressing the root cause of offending it will play a fundamental role in the rehabilitation of young criminals.

"We expect to invest more than £85 million in this project, which will help boost the economy in Leicestershire, creating jobs and opportunities." The legislation to create secure colleges is going through Parliament as part of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Construction could begin next year, if approved, and the college would open in 2017.

The college will be home to young offenders from the Midlands and the East of England, though offenders from other areas could also be taken.

Rough sleepers have been bedding down in scaffolding put up outside Leicester Town Hall.

The 19th century civic building has been undergoing maintenance for several months but when no work is being carried out, homeless people have been taking advantage of the shelter provided by plastic sheeting placed round the steel supports.

Campaigners say rough sleepers have been pushed to Leicester City Council's literal front door by the authority's own policies and cutbacks.

The city council itself says it is only aware of one homeless person sleeping in the scaffolding who was found at the end of July.

But city councillor Barbara Potter said she alerted town hall security to another on Tuesday night.

She said: "He was having a cigarette and the smoke was coming out of the plastic covering. When the security guards got him it looked like he had settled in.

"He was just in his trousers with his shirt and socks off."

Coun Potter said homeless people had put themselves at risk by climbing to the upper levels of the scaffolding to find somewhere out of the way to sleep.

This is despite the council fitting an alarm on the scaffolding to prevent intruders scaling it.

After the Mercury contacted the council about the rough sleepers, the plastic sheeting on the ground level, which had provided cover for them, was removed. The council said this was to discourage people using the scaffolding to sleep.

The authority says the scaffolding was due to be removed entirely tomorrow.

It said the one rough sleeper it was aware of had been helped to find accommodation by the council's outreach team that patrols the city centre between 6am and 9am.

James McLean, who founded the Leicester Homelessness Council, said: "The council should be ashamed about this. That people are sleeping rough outside their doors shows how desperate they are. They go there because it does provide a bit of cover. This is the legacy of the council's decision to close hostels.

The council has shut hostels in Loughborough Road and Lower Hastings Street to save cash and because it argued they were not providing long-term effective help for homeless people.

Assistant mayor for housing councillor Andy Connelly said: "There is an irony in them being outside the Town Hall. It's a temporary solution for them. There has been a recent increase in rough sleeping but it's not as a result of the hostels closing.

"We know we will never entirely remove the issue of rough sleeping but we are looking to find people long-term accommodation – either private or council. That is far better in the long-term than having them in and out of hostel accommodation."

An online questionnaire is asking Blaby district residents what they want their council's priorities to be.

Blaby District Council has drawn up a set of priorities using recent resident surveys, census information, health data, government statistics, and other methods. It now wants people's opinions.

Councillor Ernie White, leader of Blaby District Council, said: "Our vision is Blaby District made up of thriving and vibrant communities where people are happy and able to live, work and visit.

"We are reviewing our plans and, with partners, we want to make sure we focus our energies and resources on the areas most important to our residents, that will make the biggest difference to their lives and have the biggest impact on the district."

The survey is available until September 26. To take part, visit:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/ BlabyPlan2015-18.

To request a paper copy, call 0116 272 7732 or e-mail:

corporate.performance@ blaby.gov.uk

Volunteers have been working hard to build a rose remembrance garden.

Members of Brocks Hill conservation group have been building a rose garden around a remembrance tree sculpture in Brocks Hill Country Park, in Oadby.

The group hopes to make it a tranquil area of reflection and remembrance for all the community to use.

Nick Hague, countryside ranger for Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, said: "The area has been designed to be a place of reflection to focus on remembering loved ones.

"It will also benefit the bio-diversity of the area, especially the bees and insects, and it will enhance what is already here for our visiting public."

He said he would like to encourage people to come along and get involved with gardening in the community.

The Brocks Hill volunteers meet four days a week, Monday to Thursday, and every second Sunday of each month.

Anyone who would like more information can contact the countryside ranger team at Brocks Hill Country Park on 0116 257 2888 or e-mail:

informationofficer@ oadby-wigston.gov.uk

Artefacts and 12th century building remains have been found in a village excavation.

The latest finding, at a site in Croxton Kerrial, near Melton, is a tithe barn – a barn where crops were kept – and the artefacts include pottery and a metal belt strap-end carved as a dragon.

Work started in 2012 and it is expected to be a three-year project.

Members of an archaeology group, Framland Local Archaeology Group (Flag), made the discoveries as part of an excavation of the house in Croxton Kerrial, which was last recorded in the 16th century and had disappeared from maps by the 1790s.

So far, 350 finds have been discovered as part of this project.

Flag chairman Tony Connolly said: "Most of it is medieval. There is pottery dating from the 12th to 14th centuries.

"This season we have uncovered the tithe barn which is 28 metres long by seven metres wide.

"It is really exciting, no-one knew anything was here until we started excavating. It is getting larger all of the time, and we are finding more buildings.

"It all started because I was writing a history of the village.

"Then, as part of the local archaeology group, we decided to do a geophysical survey to find where the medieval manor house was."

The team dig two days per week, usually one weekend day and one day during the week.

Other finds since the excavation started in 2012 include the remains of the manor house, a medieval well and a 700-year-old glazed jug and other artefacts.

The team have also found cobbled stones surrounded by buildings, and think this may have been a dairy, a blacksmiths and a bakery.

The house, built in the 12th century, was given to Croxton Abbey in the 14th century. Records show it was uninhabitable by the 16th century.

Peter Ball, 57, one of the members of the group who have been digging for the past two years, said: "It is nice to think you are looking at something dated from the 12th century – you're looking at something nearly 1,000 years old."

Framland Local Archaeology Group is interested in hearing from people who want to help with digging.

To get in touch with the group, visit:

http://framland archaeology.co.uk/

A coroner has urged police to speed up their investigation into the death of a young mum-to-be in a road crash earlier this year.

Martin Gotheridge, assistant coroner for Leicester City and South Leicestershire, heard yesterday that a report on the investigation into the death of Paige Jackson was not yet finished.

Paige, 22, died after being hit by a car in Saffron Lane, Leicester, on February 15 as she walked to a bus stop on her way to work.

Doctors performed an emergency caesarean, but were unable to save her son, Rueben, who was due to be born in May.

A 21-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident remains on police bail.

A pre-inquest review at Leicester Town Hall yesterday heard police were still putting together a detailed report of the circumstances of the crash.

The report will be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will then decide whether the driver should be charged.

Police officers at the hearing, which was also attended by members of Paige's family, said the report would be ready early next month.

A passenger was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a road accident.

Emergency services were called to Melton Road, to the west of Wymondham, near Melton, after the two-vehicle crash at 12.40pm on Thursday.

The casualty was cut free by firefighters before being flown to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre. Two people in the same vehicle were treated at the scene.

A Frenchman was injured in a bottle attack by a drunken man, just a few hours after arriving in Leicester.

The 23-year-old was due to begin a work placement in the city the next day. He ended up with a badly gashed face and a shard embedded in his cheek, which had to be surgically removed.

He received numerous stitches to three cuts on the side of his face, which has left him badly scarred.

David Pitcher (33), a father of three, of Gees Lock Close, Aylestone, Leicester, admitted unlawful wounding and was jailed for 20 months.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said that on April 26 this year, the victim and a colleague travelled from France to Leicester.

After booking into a hotel, they visited two pubs in the Middleton Street area of Aylestone.

On the way back to their accommodation, shortly after midnight, they encountered Pitcher who was the worse for drink outside the Old Aylestone Social Club.

CCTV footage played at Leicester Crown Court showed Pitcher smashing a beer bottle into the complainant's face.

Judge Philip Head said: "The defendant was drunk and staggering.

"He placed his arm around the complainant's shoulder.

"The complainant understandably tried to shrug him off, but the defendant moved towards him and swung his bottle into his face. It was a bottle that the defendant had been drinking from."

Judge Head told Pitcher: "In 2000, when you were 19, you committed another wounding on someone, who you cut with a ring on your hand.

"Those who referred to you in references as being 'mature, placid and acting out of character' may be unaware of that earlier conviction. Your victim arrived in this country some hours earlier for a work placement.

"You'd had an argument with your mother and it was your victim's misfortune to be passing the club where you and others were and he stopped to chat.

"It was a deliberate blow with the bottle although you didn't intend to produce the injuries that it did. You were very drunk and have a limited recollection."

Mr Murphy said: "It was the victim's first day in Leicester and he had no idea why he was attacked.

"He was shocked when he saw his facial injuries."

Mr Murphy said he has since returned to France, after his work placement, but worries when he meets new people what they will think about the scars.

When arrested and shown the CCTV footage, Pitcher couldn't believe what he had done and was remorseful.

Mara Silva-Romefort, mitigating, said: "He's ashamed and wishes he could apologise to the victim. He's not going out any more. He was clearly drunk and it affected his correct thinking."

She said Pitcher had started counselling for alcohol issues, adding: "It went from a jovial conversation to a criminal act and he wishes to understand why he did what he did."