One of Leicester's leading Tae Kwon Do clubs is moving venues after 30 years.

James Freer's Tae Kwon Do Academy has had its base at Leicester YMCA for three decades, but will be moving to Regent College's sports hall from the beginning of next month.

The centre, on Regent Road, Leicester, has already hosted clubs events, including seminars with world champion Gordon Fearn and Welsh national coach Gianni Peros, but thanks to its larger size and easier accessibility, the club is now there full-time.

The club will hold its first session at the college, an open evening, on Monday, September 1.

Anyone is welcome to attend.

www.jfreer-taekwondo.com

Roller Derby Leicester came from behind to earn a hard-fought win in their first open-door home game, beating Devon-based South West Angels of Terror 188-130.

Leicester recovered from a half-time deficit at the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Sports Centre with a terrific second-period display to remain undefeated since forming in November last year.

A close game had been expected, and the first half lived up to the billing.

Gemma Warne took advantage of a power jam to give Leicester an early lead, but the Angels hit back to level the score at 14-14.

The rest of the half continued in the same fashion, with the Angels clawing their way back every time Leicester's lead reached double figures.

Some high-scoring jams by the Angels' powerful, agile jammers saw them pull away from the home side and, at half-time, Leicester trailed 100-81.

It was the first time this season that Leicester had been behind at half-time, but the break gave them the opportunity to regroup and they came back strongly in the second half.

Power blocker Monika Malkowska had been forced to sit out the first half, but her fresh legs provided valuable strength to Leicester's walls.

Leicester took control, their rock-solid defence enabling the jammers to score 37 points without reply to regain the lead.

Esther Hickey was impressive in only her second game for Leicester with some fierce hits.

The Angels continued to fight hard but were unable to capitalise on their power jams, and a composed performance saw Leicester to victory.

An earlier men's game saw Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder beat Cumbria-based Barrow Infernos 267-78.

Leicester's bench coach Gregory Roulstone and line-up manager Pete Kirkham both featured for Lincolnshire.

Leicester's next game sees them host Sheffield in a double-header on Saturday, September 13. Tickets are available at:

www.rollerderbyleicester.co.uk/events/

Three teams are still in contention for two semi-final spots in Group A of the Elbow Tankard as the summer tournament heads into its final week.

Vicars and Nomads increased their chances of last-four qualification with wins in the latest rounds of matches.

Vicars retained top spot with a 12-8 win over Park Strollers. Star of the match was Shabnam Ahmed, who won three of her four singles and also returned 3-1 in the doubles.

Raju Rahul and Tosh Singh added to Ahmed's haul, both claiming three from six to undermine the efforts of Strollers' Aman Rashid, who overcame some hefty handicap deficits to win four from six singles.

Nomads remain hot on the tail of Vicars after their 12-8 victory over Villagers.

Andy Searle maintained his good form, winning four from six, while Cliff Smith shared his singles 3-3 and Trevor Hawkins triumphed in three of four. The doubles were shared.

Vicars lie top on 11 points with Nomads trailing on nine. Both sides have one match remaining, but third-placed Park Rangers, on seven, have two games to go.

Elsewhere in Group A, Park Strollers earned their first win of the summer, beating Villagers 11-9.

In Group B, the two confirmed semi-finalists, Park Keepers and Park Attendants, played out a 10-10 stalemate.

The family of an artist and best-selling book designer have paid tribute to his life and work.

Leslie Marshall died on August 2, at his home in Blaby, aged 86.

His career encompassed design, art direction, illustration and typography and his client list included BBC Publications, Oxford University Press and The Metropole Hotel group.

A book of craft projects for children, Things to Make and Do, topped the bestseller charts, as did his series of picture reference books for Brockhampton Press, published between 1965 and 1977.

He also designed the Action Man books, an early merchandising spin-off from the toy.

As illustrator, he worked on projects as various as All About The Royal Family, in 1981, and the first Inspector Morse book, in 1989.

Mr Marshall's son, Tim, said: "He was passionate about art and had a studio at home which he worked from on freelance projects.

"His love for it started from quite a young age after he was encouraged by the art master, Hugh Collinson, at Gateway Grammar School for Boys.

"Dad subsequently pursued an apprenticeship in typography and calligraphy, which proved to be a useful grounding for his diverse career.

"Dad was a regular exhibitor at Leicester Society of Artists, and exhibited his watercolours at the Royal Academy.

He had a keen interest in history, particularly Rome, and made his first study trip there in 2001.

"This continued on a yearly basis until 2007. Dad also enjoyed walking in the countryside and one of his favourite watercolours is one he drew of Bradgate Park.

He illustrated a series of four books in 1977 for Bradgate Park Trust."

Mr Marshall was a visiting lecturer on the BA Graphic Design course at Leicester Polytechnic – now De Montfort University – between 1975 and 1986.

In 1986, he became the head of third year graphic design at Loughborough University, where he worked in tandem with his studio practice until his retirement in 1993.

He was a member of Leicester Rowing Club and Blaby Heritage Group, a friend of Aylestone Church, were he had been a choirboy, and chairman and treasurer of the Society of Hearing Impaired People.

Passionate about the environment, he supported causes including the conservation of butterflies and bees.

Mr Marshall met his wife, Doreen, when she was 17. The couple would have celebrated their 60th anniversary in October.

He is survived by Doreen, son Timothy, daughter Sarah and granddaughter, Georgia.

Mr Marshall's funeral took place on August 15 at St Wistan's Church, Wistow.

People lined the streets of Barwell to enjoy the village's annual carnival.

They saw a procession of floats, marching bands and classic Minis, followed by entertainment at Barwell Academy.

There were stalls, fair rides, a demonstration by Vital Martial Arts and performances by Hinckley St Mary's Church Lads' and Girls' Brigade Band, and TKT Cheerleaders.

Barwell Carnival Association co-chair Alison Poxon said: "It was a fantastic day and it was great to see so many people watching and taking part in the day."

The carnival Royal Family were 15-year-old Queen Fern Neale and her attendants Ellie Marie, Eve Cotterill, Izzy Carter, Georgina Andreou, Tyler Kenny and Cameron Charles.

The Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Jeff Bannister, helped to judge the floats before travelling in one of the classic Minis.

The winning floats were The Cross Keys pub, Barwell Youth Café, Arden Direct and Digital.

Stageworks won the Barry Peace cup and the Little Stars won the George Warner trophy.

Dan Greaves insists he will have no problem resetting his focus at the IPC Athletics European Championships tomorrow as he goes in search of a fourth major title.

Last month, Greaves completed his set of medals at major international events when he took gold in the F42/44 discus at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 31-year-old ranked his Hampden Park success as on a par with some his best career highlights, which has included four Paralympic medals from Sydney 2000 to London 2012.

But Greaves is not done yet for major success in 2014, with the European Championships taking place in Swansea and his men's F44 discus event scheduled for tomorrow.

While still riding a high from his triumph in Glasgow, Greaves admits he is fully focused on maintaining his impressive run of success on the European stage.

"It has been quite difficult to refocus after the Commonwealth Games," he said.

"Winning gold there was the same high that I experienced at London 2012.

"The support I received and the attention meant I did not get much sleep while I was in Glasgow. But I managed to get home for a couple of weeks, get some rest in, and I'm feeling really good to go again.

"I can take a lot of confidence going into Swansea, it's a nice place for me to be in at the moment.

"I'm going for my fourth title if I can win and I really want to do that.

"The Europeans are massively important for me. To be able to compete in any championships, whether it's Paralympics, Commonwealths, worlds or Europeans, I always want to win.

"I'm ranked number one, people will be out to beat me and nothing is pre-empted in sport, so I will have to be at the top of my game."

Greaves' best throw in Glasgow measured at 59.21m, 91 centimetres off his personal-best mark set in Loughborough last month.

But with friends and family in attendance in Swansea, he intends to take full advantage of more favourable throwing conditions to set a new lifetime best.

"In Glasgow, it was different being in a stadium where there was no wind," he said.

"I threw 59m which is pretty good and probably equates to a 60-61-metre throw when there is wind.

"Swansea is a track where there is a lot of wind, so fingers crossed I can try to get a big throw out and get a personal best.

"It's brilliant to be out performing in front of a home crowd again.

"We saw it in Glasgow and I know the Welsh love their sport too so, hopefully, it can be a big crowd again."

Sainsbury's is proud to support British athletics through the Summer Series events and is committed to helping young people lead healthier, more active lifestyles. For more information, visit:

www.sainsburys.co.uk/legacy

Coby Cartwright is the new County Open champion in what has been a remarkable few days of success for the teenager.

There was a tie between the leading professional Sam Mayfield (Kilworth Springs) and Cosby 16-year-old Cartwright in the County Open, backed by the Mark Group, at Rutland County.

It led to a dramatic play-off before Cartwright won at the second extra hole.

Only days earlier, Cartwright had made a successful defence of his County boys' titles and, in between, he won the Cosby club championship for the first time.

Cartwright said: "It has been an amazing few days for me. I am proud and thrilled to be the County Open champion.

"But it has also been a very intense, pretty tiring spell of golf and there is a lot more to come for me this season, so I will have to keep trying my best to keep it all going."

Cartwright and Mayfield were locked on 143 totals after 36 holes at a windy Rutland County.

Cartwright had 72-71 cards, with Mayfield on 73-70 to see play continue.

Mayfield's one-under 70 second round included five birdies to go out in one-under 35, and he came back in level with two more birdies to lift the Frank Weston Professional Trophy.

Cartwright fired six birdies in his level-par 71 second session when, after going out in four over, he came back in four-under 31 to claim the Open Salver and the trophy presented to the leading amateur by the Society of Leicestershire & Rutland Golf Captains.

At the halfway stage, Brandon Armitage (Market Harborough) and Jack Merry (Birstall) were locked on 70, leading by a stroke from Cartwright and another Cosby amateur, Josh Stancer.

Pros Mayfield and Ian Lyner (The Leicestershire) and another Cosby amateur, Luke Burrows, were all on 73.

Armitage, who added 75, finished in a tie for third with another young County golfer, Jevann Parmar (The Leicestershire), who shot rounds of 75-70.

Lyner fired another 73 for 146 and was fifth overall and second pro. Cartwright shot 76-67-143 in winning the Cosby club championship by two from Johnny Fairbrother.

Leading Open Championship scorers: 143 S Mayfield (Kilworth Springs, pro) 73-70, C Cartwright (Cosby, amateur) 72-71; 145 J Parmar (The Leicestershire, amateur) 75-70 B Armitage (Market Harborough, amateur) 70-75; 146 I Lyner (The Leicestershire, pro) 73-73, 147 M Anderson (Kibworth, amateur) 74-73; 148 J Pretty (Longcliffe, amateur) 74-74, L Challinor (Lutterworth, pro) 74-74, J Merry (Birstall, amateur) 70-78; 150 T James (Cosby, pro) 78-72, O Booth (Scraptoft, amateur) 74-76; 151 C Abbott (Lutterworth, amateur) 77-74, H Duval (Kibworth, amateur) 75-76, D Mee (Longcliffe, pro) 74-77; 152 M Whelband (Park Hill, pro) 76-76; 153 M Jones (Cosby, amateur) 80-73, L Burrows (Cosby, amateur) 73-80, J Stancer (Cosby, amateur) 72-81; 154 T Collins (Hinckley, amateur) 77-77, M Palmer (The Leicestershire, amateur) 76-78, R Ahmed (The Leicestershire, amateur) 76-78, S Sharpe (Luffenham Heath, pro) 75-79.

Freemasons have donated £200 to a charity that provides boat trips for the elderly, disabled and people with special needs.

The Baldwin Trust operates river day trips in specially-designed narrowboats.

John Skipworth, of The Vale of Catmose Lodge, which made the donation, said: "Being on the boat makes you realise that it is a very peaceful and tranquil way to travel and how beneficial it could be for the elderly and infirm."

The use of police stop-and-search powers has long caused concern across the country because statistics show black and Asian people are more likely to be stopped than white people. This evident unfairness has led to huge and understandable resentment and has created rifts between communities and police forces.

Now we learn that a black Leicestershire police officer has himself been stopped and searched about 30 times while off duty by officers from other forces. It is a striking example of the scale of the problem.

It is therefore good to see that this officer, Inspector Nick Glynn, has been chosen to reform the way that forces across the country use stop-and-search powers.

"I have my own personal experience of being stopped and I'm now in a position where I can have more of an influence on it," he told the BBC.

Leicestershire Police has clearly made progress on this issue and the use of stop-and-search powers has fallen significantly.

However, last year's figures showed that black and Asian people were still more likely to be stopped than white people, both locally and nationally.

Earlier this year, Home Secretary Theresa May pledged to introduce a package of reforms to reduce the use of these powers and introduce a more intelligence-led targeted approach.

Police are only meant to stop and search people if they have reasonable grounds to suspect they are carrying illegal drugs, weapons, stolen property or something which could be used to commit a crime.

However, the Home Secretary told MPs that up to 27 per cent of searches nationally may have been conducted illegally, and said she may change the law unless forces rethink their approach.

There is no doubt that these powers can be a useful aid to policing.

However, they must be used with the utmost care and only when there are concrete grounds for suspicion.

There is clearly still some way to go to strike a better balance between effective policing and the equitable and fair treatment of all communities.

The planned reforms are therefore hugely welcome – as is the involvement of Inspector Glynn.

The Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations has urged people not to watch or share internet footage of the beheading of a captive journalist by the extremist group Islamic State.

Suleman Nagdi, spokesperson for the FMO, today condemned the murder of American James Foley.

A video showing the 40-year-old's death, at the hands of an apparently British fighter in the terrorist group, appeared on social networks this week.

British police have warned viewing or sharing it may be an offence under anti-terror laws.

US intelligence officials have confirmed the footage is authentic.

Mr Nagdi said: "This is a shocking and despicable act of callous murder that has no place in our world as evidenced by the universal condemnation the video has received from around the World.

"The Federation of Muslim Organisations condemns and opposes indisputably, the inhumane actions of the IS ('Islamic State') Group.

"We strongly urge individuals to refrain from viewing or sharing the video as individuals can be prosecuted by the police for viewing and sharing the video.

Hundreds of foreign volunteers, including British Muslims, are understood to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join IS which is attempting to carve out a Islamic caliphate.

The group is battling Kurdish and Iraqi soldiers and American forces are using air strikes against the militants.

Mr Nagdi said: "We also wish to reiterate what we have said previously in that we oppose the decision taken by individuals to join the IS Group.

"For those wishing to make a difference we urge positive action such as charitable donations to reputable charities as well as promoting messages of peace.

"We must honour the memory of James Foley by remembering that he put himself at harm's risk in order to bring the world's attention to the unbearable suffering being endured by innocent civilians from all faith backgrounds in the wider Middle East.

"It is important for us to continue James Foley's legacy by striving to bring peace to the region.

He added: "In this most difficult time our thoughts are with the friends and family of James Foley who are going through the most unimaginable heartache.

"Our thoughts also go out to the innocent victims of the turmoil in the wider Middle East and as such we urge governments of the world to unite in order to bring peace to the region."

The top floor of a home in Wigston was badly damage after a fire began in the roof.

Fire crews were called to Goldhill in Wigston at 10.25pm last night to put out the blaze.

Two firefighters entered the house while others used water jets to battle the blaze through a hole created in the roof by the flames.

The upper floor and roof of the two-storey semi-detached house were severely damaged in the fire, which was out by 12.10am.

The fire service said the cause was accidental and everyone had been safely out of the property.

Slight damage was caused to the roof of a neighbouring property and crews returned to the house this morning to re-inspect the structure.

"We're playing a couple of shows so we thought we'd drop on by here, " said Debbie Harry, in her American twang.

It's that casual, cool attitude that has set Blondie apart from the rest for many years, and has made Debbie Harry an icon for decades.

Despite the laidback attitude and several line-up changes, Blondie still know how to put on a show, complete with guitar and drum solos and dry American wit.

Classics such as 'One Way or Another' and 'Hanging on the Telephone' kicked off their stellar set at the packed O2 Academy in Leicester.

New tracks 'A Rose by Any Name' and 'Sugar On The Side' were showcased, while hits such as 'Heart of Glass' and 'Atomic' were played just as vibrantly as they would have been 10, 15 or 20 years ago. "Don't strain your brain, paint a train, you'll be singin' in the rain, I said, 'Don't stop, do punk rock'" rapped Harry, as she shimmied around the stage in an outfit that was reminiscent of the band's Parallel Lines album cover.

Support act The Carnabys were the perfect warm up to Blondie, with their sunny disposition and graceful presence. Hits such as 'Wonder How You Feel' and 'The Pocket' were melodic suited the 1970s rockers, which is tricky considering Blondie have dipped their toes into the disco, rap, pop and punk rock over the years.

Lead singer Jack Mercer's mature vocals supported the melodic riffs and punctuated bass lines played to an adoring crowd.

A young chef killed in a road accident has been described by his boss as a "smiley lad, full of jokes" who was committed to his job.

Zach Whittall, 21, was on his way home from working at the Olive Branch in Clipsham, Rutland, when he was killed in the crash.

He was a passenger in a car that was involved in a collision with another vehicle before crashing into a tree.

The incident happened at about 11pm on Tuesday.

For the past year Zach had been a junior member of the kitchen staff at the successful Olive Branch, which was named the 2014 UK Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide.

The pub remained closed on Wednesday as the staff learned about the tragedy.

The co-owner of the restaurant, Ben Jones, said Zach had become a popular member of the team.

He said: "It was just over a year that he was working here and he fitted in really quickly with the team and got on well with them all.

"He was the junior chef in the kitchen and he was like the apprentice on the team and everyone spent time teaching him things."

Ben said Zach always gave 100 per cent and was committed to improving his skills.

He said: "The kitchen works split shifts but, instead of going home in the afternoons, Zach would often stay and try new things in the kitchen or read recipes for new ideas.

"It's a terrible loss. He was a very smiley lad, full of jokes and a very cheerful character."

Zach, who lived in Great Oxendon, Northamptonshire, was a passenger in the black Vauxhall Corsa, which came off Clipsham Road in Stretton, Rutland on Tuesday night.

He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and the driver of the car was taken to Peterborough City Hospital with serious injuries.

A light grey Vauxhall Astra estate was travelling in the same direction at the same time and the two cars had collided before the Corsa crashed into the three. The driver in the Astra was not injured.

A 24-year-old man was arrested after the crash and has been bailed.

Police are appealing for information from any witnesses who saw the vehicles before the crash happened.

Detective Constable Pete Davies is investigating the incident.

He said: "Both vehicles were travelling along Clipsham Road towards Stretton when the Corsa left the road and collided with a tree.

"We would like to speak to anyone who was travelling along this road yesterday evening to contact us if they saw either vehicle beforehand or witnessed the actual collision."

Witnesses are asked to call 101 quoting incident 689 of August 19.

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson confirmed there has been "no progress" on signing Esteban Cambiasso but is still hopeful of completing a deal.

There had been reports earlier this week that the Argentinian had all but completed his move to the King Power Stadium on a two-year deal, but Pearson said there had been no progress since the weekend.

"I don't think it's right to talk about players publically when we have not been able to achieve many deals," said Pearson.

"The only one that is in the public domain and has been for a couple of weeks now is the Cambiasso one. We've not really made too much progress on that as we stand but I am still hopeful something could be done.

"Unfortunately at times it is quite a complicated process. It appears to be representatives coming out of the woodwork so it is very much a case of getting to the bottom of who represents who and trying to achieve the goal, and that is to add players to the squad."

"It may not be football issues. It is slightly more complicated than I'm prepared to be discuss."

Pearson also confirmed that Marseille right-back Rod Fanni will not be joining the club after spending a few days at the club.

"He has been in for a couple of days and we have decided not to pursue that," said Pearson.

There had also been reports that former City centre-back Sol Bamba could be set for a return after being released by Turkish side Trabzonspor but Pearson confirmed that will not be the case.

Pearson also said striker Jamie Vardy and winger Marc Albrighton could feature against Chelsea on Saturday after both returned to training this week following injuries.

Teenager Danielle Lunn had several tragic events to deal with while studying for her GCSEs.

The 16-year-old's father suffered a heart attack, her parents split up and her grandma died.

Despite that - and failing all her mock exams - the teenager clinched a bumper set of results, with Bs in triple science, geography, sociology, and dance among them.

She attends Wreake Valley Academy, in Syston, where she will now stay on to study A-Levels.

Danielle said of the tragedies: "It all happened at once. It felt surreal and I almost gave up because there didn't seem like there was much point."

But she picked herself up and became determined to do well.

"During the last term I came in at 6am every morning and I finished until about 5pm studying in the library," she said.

"Next year, I'm studying A-Levels, and I know what I'm capable of."

Danielle's dad, Wayne Lunn, 50, said: "It was like swimming up a hill for her.

"When I had a heart attack, she didn't think I was going to be there.

"Her grandma would have been so proud of her achievements."

Fellow Wreake Valley pupil Celine Matthews, 16, also had a testing time.

Celine has cerebral palsy and had to undergo an operation to strengthen her legs in February. She was unable to attend school following surgery, but had home schooling instead as she recovered.

Celine got As in history and geography, a B in economics and C in triple science.

"I'm quite happy with my results because when I took the exams I was in a lot of pain," she said.

Despite being born with a serious health condition, Aisha Seedat was determined to fulfil her dream of completing GCSEs.

The student at Beauchamp College, Oadby, has a rare form of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), which means she is a full-time wheelchair user and has trouble breathing.

Although the 16-year-old spent the duration of her revision time in and out of hospital, she still managed to gain five GCSEs.

"It's a big relief," said Aisha.

"I've been worrying so much over the past few weeks. A few years back it only seemed like a dream, now it's a reality. I've proved everyone wrong that doubted me."

Aisha is planning to complete A-Levels at the college, before studying social care at university.

"It's my faith that keeps me strong and my family which keeps me going," she added.

Her father, Sharif Seedat, said: "She's overcome so many hurdles. I'm extremely proud of her."

Twins Kathryn and Victoria Van Der Byl, 16, who also study at Beauchamp, were speechless after finding out they had gained 19 A*s between them.

"I can't stop smiling," said Kathryn.

Fellow student Keval Parekh was promised £100 by his parents for every A* he achieved – so when he gained seven, his mum, Vina Parekh, was more than shocked.

"I'm over the moon, although I'm regretting promising him the money now," she said.

"I'm speechless," said Keval.

Robyn Platts, 16, from John Ferneley College, in Melton, was flying high after picking up 10 A* grades - the first pupil to do so in the school's history.

She said: "I was predicted a couple of A*s but nothing like this. It hasn't quite sunk in yet. I worked hard and I missed out on a family holiday to stay at home and revise, so I'm chuffed to bits."

Chloe Smith, 16, from John Cleveland College, in Hinckley, was also over the moon with her four As and four Bs,

She said: "I'm so pleased. I got a bad night's sleep last night and I was at school on the dot of 9am to pick up results."

Thomas Marlow, 16, from Lutterworth College did better than expected, with six A*s and four As.

He said: "It's amazing. I put in a lot of hard work and now it's all been worth it."

Students at Charnwood College, in Loughborough, were also celebrating outstanding results.

High achiever Cerys Hughes, 16, secured eight A*s, two As and a distinction. She is going to stay on at the college and do A-Levels, and wants to become a vet.

Twins Becky and Charlotte Whittle, from Ashby School, have already begun mapping out their careers.

Becky achieved seven Bs and four Cs and will be taking up a place studying BTEC dance at Birmingham Ormiston Academy.

She will be joined by sister Charlotte, who will be studying for a similar qualification in musical theatre.

Becky said: "I worked really hard and am absolutely thrilled.

"We supported each other and did most of our revision together.

"Whenever one of us felt a bit down, we'd gee each other up."

Charlotte's GCSEs included three A*s and two As.

She said: "I was so happy when I found out my results, I don't quite know how I managed it."

To see more stories about Leicester and Leicestershire's GCSE results in 2014, click here.

A teenager who has celebrated GCSE success two years after his father was killed in a street attack has said: "I know my dad would be so proud."

Diluxshan Nimalaraja's father, Ponnuthurai, fell backwards and hit his head after being punched while at the junction of Gipsy Lane and Northfield Road, in Northfields, Leicester, in June 2012.

He died a week later.

Today, at the city's Hamilton Community College, Diluxshan found out he had achieved seven GCSEs, despite having to study while coping with the trauma of his dad's sudden death.

His exam success is the 16-year-old's first step on the path to becoming an engineer - the career his father always dreamed his son would have.

Diluxshan, who lives in Thurmaston, said: "It was hard for me at the beginning, but the school helped me a lot and my mum's been such a great role model.

"I've revised loads and worked hard - I know my dad would be so proud.

"I think he'd be surprised with what I got, but in a good way."

Diluxshan gained two Bs and three Cs, including English and maths.

"I was so nervous, and barely got any sleep, but when I went to get my results, I was so excited," he said.

Diluxshan is hoping to study A-Levels at Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth II College, in Leicester, next year, and would like one day to start a career as an engineer.

"For some reason, my dad had his heart set on me becoming an engineer," said Diluxshan.

"This is as much for him, as it is for me.

"I'm sure he will be looking down on me, making sure I'm doing well. I wanted to do well for him."

His mum, Mathanika, fought back tears as she said: "Diluxshan has been so strong throughout all of this, he's been my rock.

"It's been a mixture of emotions. I'm so proud of him."

Mathanika said her husband, known as Nimal, would have been "over the moon" with their son's results, and "very proud".

"His dad wanted him to become an engineer, he would be so pleased," she said.

After Nimal's death, a boy from Leicester was charged with his manslaughter.

A jury at Derby Crown Court found the 15-year-old guilty, following a five-day trial and was sentenced to three years in a young offender centre.

The youth, who cannot be identified because of his age, had denied manslaughter, claiming he punched Nimal in self-defence.

Schools across the city and county celebrated GCSE success today.

In Leicester, all but one school achieved the Government's benchmark of 40 per cent of pupils with five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths.

The good news came despite a warning from exam regulator Ofqual that schools could face "variability" in their results this year compared to last, following a shift from modular to final exams which has made GCSEs more like the old O-levels.

Samworth Enterprise Academy, off Saffron Lane, was the only city school which did not hit the target.

Overall, Leicester's provisional results show that 54.4 per cent of students achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths this year, compared to 54.8 per cent last year. However, two schools have still to collate their results and that is likely to go up.

This year's results are also difficult to compare to previous years' because vocational qualifications are no longer counted in the same way towards GCSE totals.

Among the many schools celebrating yesterday was Hamilton Community College, in Hamilton, which recorded its best ever results. Some 55 per cent of pupils achieved the benchmark, compared to 50 per cent in 2013.

A delighted head teacher John Morris said: "We're very happy.

"All of the teachers have delivered this year – they've really gone for it, nothing has been too much trouble for them."

Babington Community College, in Beaumont Leys, also recorded its best ever results, with 55 per cent hitting the threshold, compared to 37 per cent the previous year.

Head teacher Denise Newsome said: "Everyone here is delighted.

"These results are the reward for lots of hard work by the staff and the students.

"I'd also like to praise the parents for their support, because I think they sometimes get left out."

Fullhurst Community College, in Braunstone, leapt up from 37 per cent to 50 per cent.

Head teacher Tom Campbell said: "Four years ago this school was in special measures, so this is brilliant news.

"These results are down to the hard work and dedication of the staff and the pupils themselves."

Councillor Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for schools, said: "Our students and schools have raised the bar once more and should all be congratulated.

"Given the changes in GCSE assessments this year, this is a very positive picture."

The city's top performing school was Madani Boys, in Evington, with 71 per cent of pupils making the benchmark.

At Samworth Enterprise Academy, the city's poorest-performing school, just 24 per cent of pupils made the grade.

Head Pat Dubas said: "We're disappointed and quite shocked because it's not what we were expecting. Our results in English are down and we're now working through them.

"Like most other schools we'll be looking at borderline candidates to see if any appeals should be lodged.

"These are provisional results but we'll be reflecting hard on them."

In Leicestershire provisional results showed the number of students achieving the benchmark this year was 59.4 per cent, compared to 59.5 per cent the year before.

Despite dropping two percentage points, Beauchamp College, in Oadby, was once again the county's top performing school, with 78 per cent of students gaining five or more grades at C or above including English and maths, compared to 80 per cent in 2013.

College head Kath Kelly said: "Students have worked so hard for the past two years and now it's finally paid off.

"When they get their results – that's the real winner, that's what we all do it for."

John Ferneley College, in Melton, was also pleased with its results. Despite a drop from 71 per cent to 65 per cent making the benchmark this year, it remained among the top schools in Leicestershire.

Head Christine Stansfield said: "Given the context of national results, students have done very well and we're proud of all of them."

William Bradford Community College, in Earl Shilton, was the only county school to fall beneath the benchmark, with 36 per cent of students getting the required grades.

Councillor Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council's cabinet member for children and families, said: "These results are broadly in line with last year's and I'd like to congratulate the students and teachers on their achievements."

Kizzy Richards has spent her life juggling schoolwork and caring for her mother.

Her mum, Martine, has a number of health problems, which meant that when Kizzy was not studying at Hamilton Community College, in Hamilton, Leicester, she was her parent's main carer.

Today, 16-year-old Kizzy was "over the moon" when she found out she had achieved six Cs in her GCSEs.

"It's hard at times and often very difficult, but I wouldn't want anyone else to look after my mum," she said.

"I was so determined to get the grades, I just wanted to make my mum proud."

Kizzy attended extra revision sessions in the evenings, during the holidays and at weekends, to ensure she achieved the grades she wanted.

"When I called my mum and told her how I'd done, she said she was very proud of me - hearing that made it all worthwhile," she said.

Fellow Hamilton pupil Nirojan Muralithran, 16, also had a mountain to climb.

When he moved from Sri Lanka to England in 2010, he spoke no English - but four years later has gained a C in English language.

Nirojan said he felt "very proud" of himself.

"I couldn't believe I got a C in English, I honestly thought I was going to fail," he said. He also achieved two As, a B and three Cs.

"I rang my dad and he didn't believe me," said Nirojan. "It all seems like a dream."

Fullhurst Community College students Zi Yu Wang and Min Weng, both 16 and from China, know how Nirojan feels.

They could barely speak a word of English two years ago, when they moved to England.

But today, at the Braunstone school, Min Weng picked up seven GCSEs including an A* and an A.

She said: "I want to be an accountant but love fashion as well. I'm very happy with my results and can't wait to tell my family."

Zi Yu Wang got six GCSEs including three A*s and an A.

She said: "I'm very happy.

"When I arrived here I could only speak a few words in English.

"It was good to have Min here as we could help each other."

Fellow Fullhurst student Salma Omar, 16, has won a £100 bet with her older brother, Ahmed, after getting better GCSE results than him, including four A*s and an A.

She said: "I'm happy with my results and happy that I won my bet."

Beaumont Leys' Babington Community College pupil Vinita Duvarcadas, 16, got 11 qualifications, including five grade As at GCSE.

She is going onto study A-Levels at Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College in Leicester.

Vinita said: "I'm pleased because I want to study and go to university, but don't know what job I might want to do yet."

Martha Lambert, 16, from Sir Jonathan North Community College, in Knighton, picked up nine A*s and even clinched 100 per cent in her maths exam.

She said: "I'm feeling really happy. I didn't expect it at all."

Martha said the most challenging part was trying to put effort in to all her subjects, even the ones that she did not enjoy as much.