The season may have just ended for Leicester Lions but promoter David Hemsley is already thinking about the team that he would like for next year.

The Rapid Solicitors Lions ended their first season in the Elite League a disappointing last place and that is a position that Hemsley does not want to see replicated in 2015.

"Attendance-wise it was a success and, for that reason alone, it endorsed the decision to move into the top division," he said.

"The level of racing and quality of competitor was that much better than we had seen before as most weeks a Grand Prix rider featured in the visiting team at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium.

"Looking back we had our moments and at one stage went six matches unbeaten at home before injuries took their toll," added Hemsley.

"The one big positive to take from the season was the arrival of Jason Doyle on the world stage and he has deservedly earned his place in next season's Grand Prix series.

"That, of course, presents us with a challenge if he decides to return for a second season at Leicester, as each of the rounds of the competition is staged on a Saturday – our normal race night.

"But that will not get in the way of talking to Jason this weekend."

Hemsley, accompanied by his team manager Norrie Allan, is due to travel out to Poland today to open talks with Doyle, who is attending the last round of the Speedway Grand Prix at the Torun track.

"Jason is my top priority to secure his signature for 2015," Hemsley added.

"He became an instant hit with Lions fans and I know that they will be delighted if talks come to fruition at the weekend.

"I don't see that a clash of commitments between Leicester and the staging of the Grand Prix meetings will be a problem as I am formulating plans for a workaround when Jason will be missing. I cannot divulge what they are until I have cleared it with our governing body.

"While we are in Poland, I will be taking the opportunity to talk to a current Grand Prix rider about the possibility of joining Leicester.

"At this moment, it would be unfair to name him but, should we be successful, the rider will add a new dimension to the team and create a powerful spearhead with Jason.

"It was an area we lacked at the top end of the team last season and I believe it is essential that we rectify the situation going forward."

There is always a great variety in my role as club ambassador and that was illustrated this week.

I had an unbelievable experience as a group of us from the club travelled to France for a very special and poignant road trip.

I can't go into detail, and there will be more information in the future once we have got everything organised, but suffice to say it is getting close to that time of year when our football club remembers those who have sacrificed so much for us all.

We were the first club to have the poppy on our shirts and marking Remembrance Day is something we have always done well as a club.

Before our trip, we had the disappointment of last Saturday's draw with Burnley, courtesy of that late, late equaliser for the Clarets. The two dressing rooms felt distinctly different.

They felt like it was a win, while our boys felt we had thrown two points away. There are fine margins in football, but especially in the Premier League.

The international break has given the lads chance to recharge the batteries – those who aren't away, of course.

But it is only a brief respite as the players prepare for the trip to Newcastle next Saturday.

It is great to see so many of our lads getting international recognition and I am sure there will be more.

Thank you to everyone who stayed in their seats at half-time last week for our CPR demonstration.

I think 99.9 percent of you appreciated the message of awareness and it was great to see Clive Clarke, our former defender, walk out on to the pitch. He is living proof of how crucial CPR is.

Would you believe we did get one complaint from a fan who said he hadn't gone to the football to see a CPR awareness demonstration! I just hope one day he doesn't have cause himself to find out how vital the message is.

No one made him stay and watch it if he didn't want to.

We did the demonstration in support of the Joe Humphries Trust initiative and last night I was at Leicester Tigers doing another demonstration at half-time.

Tonight I round off the week by doing the same at Leicester Riders.

Hopefully, by the end of the week more than 50,000 people will have learned something.

Also this week we had a visit from some of the pupils from our vice chairman Top's former school in the UK and I gave them a Birchy tour of the training ground and the King Power Stadium.

Also, yesterday I spent some time with Mark Selby and we played a few frames of snooker before visiting LOROS, as we are both patrons.

I enjoy going there and I can remember when the first brick was laid 25 years ago.

People may have the perception it is a depressing place, but it is a delightful place, full of wonderful people and lots of laughter.

Finally, tomorrow we have the charity match at the King Power Stadium where a host of celebrities will be strutting their stuff.

It kicks off at 3pm and I hope as many as possible will support it as funds will be going to the Foxes Foundation and our nominated charities.

Leicester City's tough start to life in the Premier League has been a blessing, says defender Liam Moore.

City were faced with an incredibly tough sequence of fixtures which included four of last season's top seven clubs, but have more than held their own, claiming nine points from their opening seven fixtures.

Many pundits predicted City would be struggling now, but Moore says their start hasn't surprised anyone in the camp.

"We have had a hell of a start to our season but it speaks volumes for the attitude of our squad that when the fixtures came out we were all buzzing," said Moore, who is currently away on international duty with England under-21s.

"We wanted to get those games going straight away. They are the games you live for.

"Why not play them at the start of the season and get a good feel straight away for the Premier League?

"I think a lot of people wrote us off straight away.

"People will start looking at Leicester City and notice the players who are performing at a really high standard.

"It is a really close squad. From what happened at Watford, we have been so close and the lads coming in have added to that.

"We are showing a real togetherness on and off the pitch."

This has been achieved with a side largely unchanged from the side that romped to the Championship title barring a few quality additions who have made an impact, such as Argentinian duo Leonardo Ulloa and Esteban Cambiasso.

He may have been shocked by his departure from Queens Park Rangers but defender Danny Simpson believes he has landed on his feet by signing for Leicester City.

Having been a regular in Harry Redknapp's side last season as they won the play-offs, Simpson was expecting to start this season with the Hoops only to be told he was being sold.

He admits it was a shock but now he has joined City he feels the move has turned out even better for him.

"Football is football and you never know what will happen, but it was a shock when QPR told me I was leaving," said Simpson, who made his City debut at Crystal Palace.

However, he is yet to feature at the King Power Stadium.

"I pretty much played every game last year and I was expecting to start this season, but it has worked out better for me because it is a club going in the right direction from top to bottom.

"They are a great set of lads here and I wanted to be in a team that is progressing and wants to do well in the Premier League.

"I think we have shown that already.

"It has been a good start. To beat Manchester United at any time is great but to do it in the way we did, it was tremendous.

"The home form is the key and we are making home a bit of a fortress, especially with the fans.

"The atmosphere at the KP has been class. It has been electric and I want to be involved on the pitch and feel that."

Simpson admits it has been easy to settle in at City, especially as so many of the Leicester squad graduated through the United academy, just as he did.

"I knew a few of the lads anyway so it has been easy to integrate," he said.

"Everyone is so close and so together. It is nice to walk into a group like that.

"Everyone works hard on the pitch and off it. Everyone demands 100 per cent from each other and it is easy to walk into that environment. Once you have that, you have a great chance of doing well.

"Sometimes to walk in it can take a while to develop that spirit. They have already got it and I have walked into it.

"It has been quite easy to join in. Sometimes when you don't make your debut you are itching and itching but everyone has been great to me.

"I understand I have to be patient. Ritchie De Laet has been doing a fantastic job in the team.

"All the lads have been great."

Emily Head does awkward well, writes Lizz Brain. From three seasons of playing self-centred love interest Carli in smash-hit Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners, she's now preparing to open in classic play Abigail's Party at Curve.

The Mike Leigh satire on middle-class mores is possibly the ultimate in cringe, as The Inbetweeners might say, and "cringe" is a word which pops up regularly when Emily talks to Weekend.

Director Suba Das is planning to ensure the audience gets maximum impact of "well, that was awkward" moments – staging the comedy of manners in the round.

Audiences will be seated close to the action, almost as though they are guests at the event as they listen to José Feliciano and see the cheese and pineapple passed around.

Leigh's acerbic play, which debuted in the spring of 1977 at the Hampstead Theatre, became an instant classic when it was adapted for TV, with Alison Steadman turning in a career-defining performance in the role of the outwardly monstrous, inwardly broken Beverly.

The flirtatious, flamboyant Beverly and her prickly, aspirational husband Laurence are having a bit of a do for their new neighbours, the glowering, monosyllabic Tony and his meek wife Angela.

They're joined by the refined Susan – she likes olives, in the 1970s – who needs somewhere to be while her teenage daughter Abigail throws a rowdy party for her mates.

One critic hailed the TV version as "the most painful hundred minutes in British comedy-drama".

"It's cleverly done," says Emily. "So, although at any point we will have our backs to some of the audience, other members of the cast are facing them, and our reactions and the lines will keep the audience involved.

"But it will make the audience feel as awkward as some of the characters do at times, which we wouldn't get as much if we were performing it end-on."

Emily admits she has taken advice from her parents for performing the play, but this time the focus wasn't her famous dad, Anthony Head. Instead, she listened to her mum.

"I hadn't seen it since I saw the TV version when I was doing my GCSEs," she says, "but it's my mum's favourite play and she knows it really, really well – no pressure then!

"Mum isn't an actor but she has had a lot of practise of being in the audience over the years, and she knows all the lines!

"It's great she's so excited about it but I did have to ask her how Angela's little bit of singing went because I didn't know the tune.

"Angela's sweet but she has no filter, so she just says things and doesn't realise that people can take it a different way.

"I don't know how I'd feel if she was in my house but it would be fun to watch her chew someone else's ear off."

She likes Angela though: "I have to or I couldn't play her", which also applies to her most famous screen role, as Carli D'Amato in The Inbetweeners series and first film.

Sadly, Carli didn't appear in the second film.

"I haven't seen it yet," she admits. "I feel awful because it's like I'm not supporting the family, but I will.

"I loved playing Carli. My favourite moment to play was on the boat in the first film – probably because it was the moment the audience really hated me when she's kissing Simon and looking over his shoulder to make someone else jealous. "But the scene which makes me laugh most is still the fashion show and yes, it was real!"

If you're not sure what she's talking about, have a look on YouTube. And prepare to wince.

The show opens at Curve at the end of next week. "I'm really excited about Abigail's Party," says Emily. "It's taking real shape now.

"And then I'll be taking Christmas off. It's the only time of year that our whole family gets together so we'll be celebrating together – and there will be no cheese and pineapple in sight!"

Abigail's Party is at Curve from next Friday to Saturday, November 8. Details on 0116 242 3595 or:

www.curveonline.co.uk

Five Loughborough swimmers have been named in British Swimming's 2015 performance squad.

Adam Barrett, Fran Halsall, Georgia Davies, Jack Burrell and Molly Renshaw are among the 21 athletes who will receive funding through UK Sport.

Leicester Penguins staged their Open Meet at Braunstone Leisure Centre, the event producing some high-quality performances.

Girls 9yrs: Chloe Baxter (COLSC) 50m fly 1st 40.13. 100IM 1st 1.29.25 50m f/s 1st 33.93. 50m backstroke 2nd 42.07 200m breaststroke 3.38.76. Molly Denton (Sharks) 50m f/s 35.98 50m fly 3rd 43.80 100IM 3rd 1.34.46. Yasmine Sheffield (Sharks) 50m fly 2nd 43.23. 10yrs: Hannah Freeman (COLSC) 50m f/s 2nd 33.22 50m fly 1st 39.14 100IM 2nd 1.26.07. Madeleine Squires (COLSC) 50m f/s 3rd 33.72 50m fly 3rd 39.53 50m bk 3rd 40.77 100m f/s 3rd 1.16.42. Georgia Clarke (Pen) 200m breaststroke 1st 3.14.84 100IM 1st 1.25.59 50m backstroke 1st 40.08. Rebecca Hadley (COLSC) 200m f/s 2nd 2.41.58 200m breaststroke 3rd 3.29.23 50m fly 2nd 39.36 100 IM 3rd 1.26.51. Lucy-Ann Cunliffe (COLSC) 50m bk 2nd.40.56. 11yrs Abbie Ruddle (COLSC) 50m fly 3rd 38.23. Nicole Smith (Sharks) 200m breaststroke 2nd 3.12.07. Lara Mousley( Pen) 50m fly 1st 36.92. Ianthe Britain (MM) 50m fly 2nd 36.93. Isabel Barnes (MM) 50m backstroke 2nd 39.30. 12yrs: Lara Sinclair-Banks (Peng) 200m f/s 2nd 2.18.11 50m backstroke 1st 35.10 50m f/s 1st 29.56 50m fly 1st 35.53 100IM 1st 1.16.29. Samantha Rodgers (Peng) 50m f/s 3rd 31.52. Lauren Grice (Coal) 50m fly 3rd 35.85. Jasmine Burton (MM) 100IM 2nd 1.16.74 100m f/s 2nd 1.6.83. Charlotte Gudgeon (Sharks) 50m backstroke 3rd 35.94. 13yrs: Olivia Davies (Peng) 200m f/s 1st 2.20.58 50m f/s 1st 29.61 50m fly 1st 32.6 100m f/s 1st 1.4.22. Rachel Tobin (Peng) 50m f/s 2nd 29.88. Ailsa McDonald (Peng) 50m f/s 3rd 30.,07 200m breaststroke 1st 2.45.55 50m fly 3rd 33.6 100IM 1st 1.14.18 200m f/s 2nd 2.22.41. Melissa Lock(Peng) 100m f/s 3rd 1.6.47 200m f/s 3rd 2.23.51.

14yrs: Grace Beesley(Coal) 50m backstroke 1st 34.17 100m f/s 2nd 1.5.69 200m f/s 3rd 2.24.65 50m f/s 2nd 29.70 50m fly 2nd 33.35 100IM 1st 1.15.71. Fleur Ellingworth (MM) 200m breaststroke 2nd 3.5.64. Jennifer Dancy (Peng) 100IM 3rd 1.19.69. Charlotte Christie (MM) 100m f/s 3rd 1.6.1. Eleanor Gray (Nept) 50m backstroke 2nd 35.37. Frances Copeman (Peng) 200m f/s 2nd 2.23.02. 15yrs: Sophia Hartley (Peng) 50m f/s 3rd 29.50 50m backstroke 1st 32.32. Elizabeth White (Peng) 100m f/s 1st 1.4.04 50m backstroke 2nd 34.53 200m f/s 1st 2.19.22. Isabelle Graham (MM) 100m f/s 2nd 1.4.89. Ellen McDoanld (Peng) w00m f/s 3rd 2.29.6. Emma King( Braun) 200m f.s 2nd 2.27.34. 16yrs: Hollie Marriott (Peng) 50m f/s 1st 28.42 50m fly 2nd 31.19. Dani Tomlinson (Peng) 100m f/s 1st 59.04. Rebekah Webster-Aikman(Peng) 50m backstroke 3rd 33.21. 17/over Charlotte Seagrave (MM) 50m f/s 1st 29.01 100m f/s 2nd 1.5.91 50m fly 1st 31.60 100IM 2nd 1.16.73. Georgia Amison (Peng) 50m f/s 3rd 31.145 100m f/s 3rd 1.8.02 50m backstroke 1st 37.06 200m f/s 2nd 2.24.22.

Boys 9yrs: Alex Sutton (Sharks) 50m breaststroke 2nd 52.38 200m backstroke 2nd 3.20.02. Alex Keeble(Sharks) 200IM 1st 3.13.34. 10yrs: Daniel Ormerod 200m backstroke 1st 2.58.64. Bradley Knight (Sharks) 200m fly 1st 3.22.98 100m fly 2nd 1.36.34. Gabriel Murphy (COLSC) 50m breaststroke 3rd 44.51. Charlie Kaletha (COLSC) 100m fly 1st 1.24.84. Zane Poulton (Peng) 100m backstroke 1st 1.22.74 200m backstroke 2nd 2.58.91. Stanley Alexander (COLSC) 100m backstroke 2nd 1.25.29. Nathan Allen (COLSC) 100m breaststroke 3rd 1.36.8. Hosea Waweru (COLSC) 50m breaststroke 1st 41.76.

11yrs: Joseph Fletcher (Sharks) 400m f/s 3rd 5.13.59 200IM 3rd 2.47.96. 100m breaststroke 1st 1.25.54 50m breaststroke 1st 40.15. Louis Fenson (Sharks) 100fly 3rd 1.21.79 100 breaststroke 3rd 1.34.36. 50m breaststroke 2nd 43.74. Luca de Zilva (Sharks) 100m backstroke 3rd 1.17.4 50m breaststroke 3rd 45.74 200m Bk 2.42.59. 12yrs: Isaac VonFintel 400m f/s 3rd 5.0047 200IM 2nd 2.47.95 100m backstroke 3rd 1.16.17 200m backstroke 2nd 2.39.4. James Brett (Brau) 100m breaststroke 2nd 1.27.57 50m breaststroke 1st 40.21. Chris Snow (Sharks) 100m breaststroke 3rd 1.32.64 50m breaststroke 2nd 42.26. 13yrs: William Graham (MM) 100m fly 1st 1.6.59 100m breaststroke 1st 1.18.25 50m breaststroke 1st 35.45. Sam Wilkinson (MM) 200m backstroke 3rd 2.43.33. 14yrs: Oliver Beal (Peng) 400m f/s 4.59.38 200m fly 3rd 2.41.8. Brendan Kelly (Brau) 100m breaststroke 1st 1.17.99. Josh Tapsell(Peng) 200m fly 2nd 2.40.64 200IM 2nd 2.32.17. 15yrs: Jonathan Bennett (Sharks) 200m fly 2nd 2.26.76 100m fly 2nd 1.6.41 100m backstroke 1st 1.3.71 50m breaststroke 3rd 36.37. Jacob Mousley (Peng) 100m breaststroke 1st 1.16.67 50m breaststroke 1st 35.33 200IM 3rd 2.28.66. Sam Ingham (Braun) 100m breaststroke 3rd 1.18.37 50m breaststroke 2nd 36.26. 16yrs: Tommy Smith (MM) 400m f/s 2nd 4.29.46 100m backstroke 2nd 1.9.7 100m breaststroke 1st 1.14.35. Aksel Saukko-Paavola (Peng) 100m backstroke 1st 1.5.44 200m backstroke 1st 2.17.93. Max Shaw(Brau) 50m breaststroke 3rd 36.53. 17/over: Adam Raynes(Peng) 100m breaststroke 1st 1.8.23 50m breaststroke 1st 31.18

A cute, curly-haired youngster wearing a yellow hat has clinched the title of Baby or Toddler of the Year 2014.

Sienna Elisha Pabla Pillay, who is two and a half, was chosen from nearly 1,000 tots in this year's contest as the overall winner and the winner of the category for children aged 19-36 months.

Her mum, Simona Pillay, 31, of Stoneygate, Leicester said she was in shock when she received the phone call saying her daughter had won.

"I was so excited for her."

Simona said Sienna is a free spirit.

"She is a very happy little girl and is always smiling. She loves having her picture taken.

"She just really stood out with her curly hair and yellow hat."

Her family have been given the top prize of £1000 as well as £500 for winning the category.

With the money Simona intends to take her daughter to Disneyland, open a bank account for her and buy a few things for Sienna's room to make it look special.

Bob Pabla, Sienna's dad, said he was overwhelmed that his daughter had won.

"I am very proud of her."

The 3-5 years category winner was Haley-Ann Daly, four, of Braunstone.

Her mum Lisa Spencer said: "I am quite proud. I have entered her every year since she was a baby. She is bubbly and does not stop talking."

She said she will put the money in Haley-Ann's bank account.

The 10-18 months category winner was Soraya Ana Lourenco, who is nearly two-years-old, of the West End, Leicester. Her mum Tatiana Saldanha said she was so excited to hear Soraya was the winner of her category.

"She loves having her picture taken. She has such a beautiful smile," Tatiana said.

The winner of the 0-9 months category was Ola Doig-Simons, from Thurmaston.

Her mum Natalie Doig said the whole family are over-the-moon that Ola has won her category.

She said she will use money to buy some winter clothes for her daughter and the rest will go into Ola's bank account.

All of the entries were whittled down to 80 by public vote - 20 from each category.

A panel of judges then picked a winner of each category and an overall winner.

Tess Rushin, social media manager at the Leicester Mercury, said: "The Baby and Toddler of the Year 2014 event has once again been fantastic with lots of beautiful babies and toddlers being entered.

"We would like to thank Haymarket Shopping Centre for sponsoring the event.

"The judges had a difficult time with so many gorgeous children to choose from. Thank you to everyone that took part and well done to the winners."

Emergency services were called to Northfields after two cars collided.

The incident took place at about 10.15pm, yesterday, in Overton Road.

Firefighters made the vehicles safe by cutting off the fuel supply to the engine and disconnecting the battery while paramedics treated two people for injuries.

The extent of the injuries are not know.

The road was cleared and emergency services left the scene at about 11pm.

A fire has broken out in a freezer unit at Iceland in Narborough Road.

Firefighters from central station were called to the store at about 6.35am today.

They found a small freezer unit ablaze and used CO2 gas and hose reels to extinguish the flames.

The unit, still filled with frozen food, was removed from the store and taken outside.

It is believed that the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical fault.

Crews left the scene at about 7.30am.

After the 5-0 thrashing of San Marino on Thursday, England will face Estonia in Group E of the European Championship qualifiers tomorrow.

England are hoping to maintain their 100 per cent record in the qualifying round and kick-off against Estonia, at the Le Coq Arena, at 5pm, on Sunday.

They sit above Lithuania, who also have six points out six and face Slovenia at 7.45pm – straight after England's game.

Hodgson's men are 2/9 favourites to win the game.

The sister of a popular cafe owner who was killed in a car crash has unveiled a memorial bench dedicated to her brother outside the business that he owned.

Gareth Carnall, 33, died in July when the van he was driving was hit by another car, in Leicester Road, Earl Shilton.

His death sent shockwaves through the tight knit Clarendon Park community, where he ran the Fingerprints Cafe, in Queens Road.

Today, scores of people gathered to pay their respects to the well-known trader and listened as his sister, Jess Jones, paid homage to her brother and unveiled a bench and plaque in his memory - an idea put forward by Fingerprints worker Maisy Anderson and Morelli's salon owner Fash Molchtari.

Jess, 33, from Burbage, said: "It was Maisy and Fash's idea really and when they came to me and asked if it was okay I said 'of course,' I thought it was a fantastic idea.

"It's so nice to see so many people coming to the unveiling, it shows how much Gareth meant to people – to me he was just 'our Gareth,' I never realised how much he meant to other people."

Gareth's family have had to step in a keep the cafe open since his sudden death.

Jess said: "I've been doing some shifts in the shop to be closer to him, but it's still really hard.

"On the one hand you want to do everything you can to keep the café going because this was his dream.

"But on the other hand you keep expecting him to pop his head up and say 'hello,' and yet you know that's never going to happen."

Jess, Maisy, Fash and others have managed to raise more than £6,000 since starting a collection for the bench.

It sits facing the cafe and has a plaque with his name attached, which said: "In loving memory of Gareth Carnall, 1981-2014.

"Owner, heart and soul of Fingerprints Delicafe.

"May his kind spirit, endless generosity and cheeky grin always be remembered by his friends, colleagues and the Queens Road community."

Morelli's owner Fash, 38, has known Gareth for about 10 years and said he would miss the jokes they shared.

He said: "My salon is only two doors away and we were always playing practical jokes on each other.

"I remember one day I came outside and my car was gone and there was loads of broken glass on the pavement.

"Gareth had got my keys and moved it round the corner and put the glass down to make me think it'd been stolen.

"It took me two hours to find – it's funny now, but I was panicking at the time."

Fingerprints worker Maisy, 17, who lives near the café in Claredon Park, said Gareth was more like a big brother than a boss.

"He was amazing," she said. "A great boss.

"I always said I had two families – my Fingerprints family and my home family.

"I'm so glad we managed to get the bench done and I can't believe we raised so much money – I thought we'd struggle to get £1,000."

Gareth's best friend James Blighton, 33, from Hinckley, was also at the unveiling.

He said: "I've known Gareth for about 15 years – I met him because I was going to buy a car off him and we were inseparable from that moment.

"It means a lot that so many people have come along. He was such a great guy and was always around if you needed him.

"He'll be missed a lot."

UKIP MEP Roger Helmer has insisted that what he does in his private life is no one else's business but his after being photographed entering a massage parlour following his party's by-election victory.

The 70-year-old Euro MP was snapped going into Victoria House, in Lutterworth, on Friday, just a few hours after campaigning in Clacton with UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Victoria House, which features images of scantily-clad women on its website and Facebook page, offers VIP rooms and services ranging in price from £40 to £100-an-hour.

Its motto, 'Driving men wild since 1999,' is on its home page and its Twitter feed is filled with suggestive messages about its girls.

Victoria House http://t.co/0VpROKoJfl KEELY fit for filth or flirtation, you chose, both will have you panting sieze the day come and play x

— Victoria House (@VHMassage) October 7, 2014

Mr Helmer was photographed going into the Leicestershire massage parlour by the Sun, which quoted him as saying: "MEPs are entitled to a private life.

"I work extremely hard and when I do occasionally have time off I enjoy a massage.

"I hope my constituents will agree people are entitled to enjoy their leisure as they please."

Speaking to the Mercury today, Mr Helmer reiterated his belief that his personal life should kept private.

He said: "What I do in my own time is of no concern to anyone but myself, especially not The Sun.

"I've always said people are welcome to ask me anything about my political life and political views, but my private life should be my own and is of no concern to anyone but me.

"The guy from Sun spoke to me on the street and I said what I said, which I stand by, and to be fair the quote they put in was fairly accurate for once – which is rather rare because I'm usually quoted as saying things I have never said."

Snapchat pictures from mobile users' phones have been reportedly leaked onto the internet in what is being called the "Snappening".

Thousands of images from some 200,000 phones have allegedly been hackled by a third party over a number of years, but are yet to be published.

The Snapchat app, which allows people to send photos which last just a few seconds to friends, has more than 4.6 million users between the ages of 13 and 17, and there is concern that many of the leaked images may be of children.

But the developer said it was not responsible for the breach of security and blamed third party apps, downloaded by Snapchat users, for the leaks.

A spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that Snapchat's servers were never breached and were not the source of these leaks.

"Snapchatters were allegedly victimised by their use of third-party apps to send and receive snaps – a practice that we expressly prohibit in our terms of use precisely because they compromise our users' security.

"We vigilantly monitor the App Store and Google Play for illegal third-party apps and have succeeded in getting many of these removed."

A Leicester man who left the city to pursue his dream of running his own post office died when his car went into a ditch and burst into flames, an inquest heard.

Mr Vasta Odedra was over the drink-drive limit when his white Volvo V40 crashed on the verge of the A337 in Everton, near Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, in the early hours of May 29 this year.

The 29-year-old and his wife Shanti had only moved from Leicester to Hampshire to run Lymington Post Office two months earlier.

Tesco heavy goods vehicle driver John Brookes said in a statement how he had spotted the car ablaze off the road just after 3am.

"The car was facing downwards into the ditch and was well alight," he said.

"I could hear the car cracking and popping, I thought that it was going to explode."

The inquest in Winchester heard how Mr Odedra was around 1.8 times over the legal drink drive limit at the time of the accident.

Pathologist Dr Norman Carr said the postmaster had sustained a severe head injury in the crash, which left him unconscious before the car had burst into flames.

The court heard that on the day before his death Mr Odedra had visited London to apply for a visa to visit India, then drunk vodka with friends.

He began the 117-mile return journey to his home in Keyhaven Road, Milford-on-Sea, in the early hours of the following morning.

Hampshire police's Sgt Simon Brooks said the Volvo had been photographed by a camera going through roadworks on the M3 near Farnborough at 02.22, and its speed between there and the crash scene would have averaged in excess of 80mph.

Accident investigators found tyre marks on the road by the crash, and concluded that the Volvo had then hit trees, spun round and become wedged in the ditch in a 'high speed impact'.

Recording an accidental death verdict, assistant coroner Sarah Whitby said: "On the balance of probabilities, excessive speed and alcohol contributed to the crash."

Following his death Mrs Odedra released a tribute to her husband on behalf of his family.

It read: "Vasta Odedra, 29, has tragically suffered a fatal car accident.

"His dream had been to run his own post office and he had finally managed to realise his dream. However, in the early hours of May 29 he was taken away from us from his trip back home after meeting friends in London.

"He was a kind, friendly person and made friends wherever he went. He was loved by family and friends and he will be sorely missed after having only been with us so briefly."

A spokesman for the Post Office at the time said: "We would like to offer heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Vasta Odedra."

Post Office field change advisor Doug Loxton, who worked closely Mr Odedra on his transformation plans, said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened by his death. My sincere sympathy goes out to Mrs Odedra and their family and friends. 

Thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal regions in the south eastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as cyclone Hudhud approaches the country's mainland.

More than 35,000 people have been moved from their homes as the powerful cyclone gets closer bringing winds of up to 140km/h (87mph).

It is expected to hit the coast on Sunday afternoon – Indian time – and the centre of the storm will reach the port city of Vishakapatnam, in Andhra Pradhesh a short time later.

The Indian authorities have begun mass evacuations and are stocking shelters with rations and provisions for the thousands of displaced families.

It is not the first large storm to hit India and cause panic in recent months.

Last October, some 500,000 people were evacuated when cyclone Phailin swept through Orissa and Andhra Pradhesh.

In 1999, a super-cyclone killed more than 10,000 people in the same region.

A man has been arrested after police broke down the door to a house in Shepshed and found the body of a 67-year-old woman.

Officers were called to the home, in Rockingham Close, after receiving reports that a woman was being held against her will.

They arrived at the house, in the quiet residential road, at about 2.30am today.

Police had to break into the home, waking residents as they forced entry.

They discovered the body of an elderly woman who they say had been stabbed.

A second woman, aged 33, was taken to hospital with "non-life threatening injuries," a police spokeswoman said.

The road was closed off for most of today to allow forensic examinations to take place.

Police have arrested a 36-year-old man, who is currently being treated in hospital, and confirmed they are not looking for anyone else connected with the incident.

Neighbours who knew the victim were keeping tight-lipped following the dramatic events.

The area remained closed for most of the day - with no cars being allowed in or out of the quiet road.

One lady, who asked not to be named, said: "We woke up at about 3am and everything was cordoned off.

"There was this loud banging that woke everyone up - it must have been the police trying to knock down the door. Everyone heard it.

"I don't really know the people who live there, they keep themselves to themselves.

Andrew Lau, 37, who lives opposite the house, said: "It was about 3am and there was a lot of blue lights and noise.

"I just thought there had been a burglary and they were after someone.

"I went back to sleep and when I woke up the whole road had been cordoned off and there were forensic guys everywhere."

A third resident, who asked not to be identified, said officers were conducting door-to-door inquiries, but kept the details of the incident under wraps.

"They came round asking us questions," he said. "But they wouldn't say what had happened.

"It was a bit scary to be honest, I've got kids and I didn't know who was out there or what they had done.

"When they finally told us I was quite shocked. It's usually very quiet round here."

Resident said officers lifted the cordon after midday and by evening all traces of the police were gone except for two constables who kept watch over the house to make sure the scene was preserved.

A spokeswoman for the police said: "Police were called to an address on Rockingham Close, in Shepshed, Loughborough, at 2.32am this morning (Saturday, October 11) following reports that a woman was being held against her will.

"Officers arrived at the scene and forced entry into the property and found the body of a 67-year-old woman. She had been stabbed. Another woman, who is 33, has been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"A 36-year-old man has been arrested and is being treated in hospital. Leicestershire Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident."

Hundreds of health workers are expected to take part in a four hour strike tomorrow from 7-11am.

It will be followed a four day work to rule as they take designated breaks and refuse to work unpaid overtime.

Union officials have said emergency cases will still be seen and they hope to keep disruption to patients to a minimum.

However, bosses at East Midlands Ambulance Service (Emas) are appealing to people call 999 only for life-threatening emergencies.

They have warned that response to non-life threatening calls are likely to be affected and people could be asked to make their own way to hospital.

It is the first time in its history that the Royal College of Midwives have voted in favour of industrial action.

Members will join colleagues from five other unions in the stoppage.

The Society of Radiographers is due to take similar action the following week.

It is in protest at a Government decision to refuse a recommended one per cent pay rise for NHS workers.

Sue Noyes, Emas chief executive, said: "We recognise the right of our staff to take industrial action and we respect and understand that their decision to strike is a difficult one to make.

"Union colleagues have confirmed they will respond to life-threatening emergencies during the four-hour period and I thank them for putting the safety of our most acutely ill patients first.

"However, the action will affect all non life-threatening emergency calls we receive and it is inevitable we will face significant pressure."

She said training-courses and non-essentials meetings have been postponed and clinically trained managers and support staff would be on front line duty "where appropriate."

She added that telephone advice would be provided to non-life threatening calls and that "this may include asking people who are not in a life-threatening or serious condition to make their own way to an assessment centre via a friend or family member, taxi or public transport."

Suzanne Miller, region officer for the Royal College of Midwives in the East Midlands, said: "We have never before balloted for strike action. It is a momentous decision."

But she said midwives would be on duty for all mums going into labour or needed for emergency care.

She said some planned Caesarian sections and routine assessments might be deferred.

Rhana Azam, GMB national officer representing ambulance workers, said: "Staff take action with a heavy heart as their only priority is to deliver the best patient care.

"Even after staff voted to take strike action and action short of a strike the Secretary of State for Health has refused to meet with the unions representing NHS staffs."

Carol Brown, regional organiser for Unison whose members cover a range of professions from nurses to porters, said: "We hope the action is not going to have an impact on patient care."

Bosses at Leicester's hospitals have set up a central command centre to oversee services.

Phil Walmsley, head of operations at Leicester's hospitals, said: "Patient safety remains our top priority. We have developed contingency plans to ensure all our essential and critical services are delivered as normal, and that other services have minimal disruption."

He said patients should attend appointments as normal although some might be delayed or cancelled.

A spokesman at the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which runs community and mental health services, said it was not anticipating having to cancel clinics or appointments.

A business owner has said road works outside his hair salon have caused profits to suffer so much he feels the only option is to move premises.

Ilyas Ozluk, owner of Celly's Hair International in Belgrave Gate, said he is moving because of profits lost due to Haymarket Bus Station works.

Mr Ozluk said since the work started in July he has lost £2,000 in profit every month meaning he has had to cut his staff's hours.

"These last couple of months have been a struggle. I have had to reduce my staff's hours."

He added that between his six full time workers they have lost 30 to 40 hours of work per week.

Mr Ozluk said as soon as barriers went up outside his business no-one could see his salon which caused his footfall to drop drastically.

"I am not going to wait until it gets better because it will take ages. So I have decided to move," he said.

Severn Trent started work in Belgrave Gate in July to re-route water mains as part of city council's £13 million overhaul of the ageing Haymarket bus station, in Charles Street.

The Severn Trent Water work is due to finish this month but the following work on Haymarket Bus Station is expected to take more than one year and the station is due to be operational by December 2015.

Mr Ozluk said that even though he has one year left on the lease of his Belgrave Gate salon, and will therefore be paying two lots of rent for the next year, he feels it will be more beneficial to move.

"It is better than staying here and losing money."

He added that although Severn Trent has said it will asses his loss of earnings and look into compensating him it is not a financially viable alternative.

"I can't wait for them to compensate me," he said.

Mr Ozluk is currently in the process of decorating a new salon in Market Street, ready to open on October 20.

The city council's Haymarket Bus Station project aims to modernise the 20-year-old public transport interchange, creating 11 additional bus stands and a sheltered concourse to protect waiting passengers from the weather.

A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: "The redevelopment of the Haymarket Bus Station is a major redevelopment which will bring huge benefits, and increased footfall to this part of the city centre.

"This is an ambitious build, in a confined area. As with any project of this scale, some disruption is inevitable.

"We have worked hard to come up with a plan that will minimise the impact that this will have on traffic, nearby retailers and other local businesses, especially over the busy Christmas period.

"A full consultation with businesses and members of the public was carried out last year and all properties have been kept informed of each critical stage of work."

A Severn Trent Water spokeswoman said: "We'd like to apologise to the businesses on Belgrave Gate that have been affected by the work we're doing for Leicester City Council.

"Over the last few weeks, we've been out to speak to each one of the business owners who may be affected and left a loss of profits compensation scheme application form with them.

"If anyone has suffered from loss of profits during our work, we'd encourage them to fill in the pack and send it to us. We'll assess the claim and pay compensation where it's applicable. So far we've had no claims from the area."

Police are urging clubbers to keep their mobile phones safe and secure when they are out and about in Leicester.

Senior officers believe travelling gangs of professional thieves may target the city's bars and nightclubs in the next few weeks.

Past experience has shown that November is a peak time for sneak thefts of phones at night-spots.

Officers the thieves target towns and cities such as Leicester after spending the summer stealing at music festivals.

City centre police commander Inspector Simon Preston said officers have been speaking to licensees, door staff and bar workers to encourage them to look out for suspicious characters and to warn their customers to keep their possessions safe.

They are also spreading the message among the city's student population.

In a typical month, city centre police record approximately 50 personal thefts, chiefly of phones.

Last November the figure rose to 126. Officers blame out-of-town thieves for much of the sharp rise.

Insp Preston said: "There are organised groups out there who come here with the sole intention of stealing phones.

"We had a significant rise in thefts last November and we are now looking at what we can do to prevent it happening again.

"The patterns is that we have a lot fewer thefts in the summer.

"There is a theory that organised criminal gangs go to festivals in that period."

Police urged people heading for the city centre to keep their phones secure at all times, ideally in a zipped-up bag or inside pocket.

One bar manager, who asked not to be named, said: "Our staff are trained to give people a gentle reminder to keep their stuff safe, particularly phones and bags.

"Our door staff are really good at spotting people who they think are going to get up to no good."

Jane Harding, 22, a student from Aylestone, said: "People need their phones with them when they're having a night out because they want to take pictures, send texts and just stay in touch with their friends.

"But you see loads of people leaving them lying around on bars on their tables.

"One of my friends has lost at least two phones like this in the past couple of years, so we're always on at her to keep it safe in her bag or in a pocket."

Campaigners fighting to save one of Leicester's municipal golf courses from closure have been angered by the admission that officials have considered building houses on it.

The city council is currently consulting on proposals to shut down Western Park Golf course arguing it can no longer afford the £185,000 annual subsidy required by it and Leicester's other public course at Humberstone Heights.

The consultation on closing the 18-hole course at Western Park runs until October 24 and city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has insisted no final decision has been made.

However in a recent meeting the mayor was questioned by councillors about what would happen to the land should it close.

Labour councillor Bill Shelton  asked Sir Peter if the land could be used for affordable housing to which he replied: "Officers have included that as a statement of the obvious."

Western Park golfer Nick Pridden, a UKIP candidate in the upcoming city council elections, said he was infuriated by what Sir Peter said.

Mr Pridden claimed: "It's more evidence to show that this entire consultation is a farce.

"Whatever he says he's made his mind up to shut Western Park which makes this all a waste of all our time and public money.

"He can't come out and say it though because he's worried members will just walk away immediately costing the council more money.

"It's a beautiful green wedge in the city which people do not want to lose and the golf course is a great asset to the city.

"We have suggested some of the land could be sold so the council gets some money but we could be left with an nine-hole course. It's a compromise but he doesn't want to listen."

Another Western Park golfer Martin Cobb said: "Most people believe it is being closed because the land is being sold. There's no convincing people otherwise."

Mr Cobb said the course had been allowed to decline by the council because of a lack of investment and poor management.

Sir Peter, who has pointed out club membership is falling, said he would not discuss potential uses for Western Park while the consultation was still running but said: "I am sympathetic to the view that the land is open space and it is valued open space.

However he warned allowing golf to continue there could undermine efforts to run Humberstone Heights in the future.

He said: "If there is a decision to close, and if it is Western Park, I am determined it will be done over a period of time so there is not an exodus from the course.

"If we do not take action now in five or 10 years time we will be in a situation where we have to close both."

Councillor Deepak Bajaj said a number of club members at Humberstone Heights and Western Park lived in the county.

He said: "There are 320 members in the city and the cost of nearly £200,000 is huge.

"We might as well pay for the members to play in other courses and for their bus fares. It would still work out cheaper for us."

Mr Pridden said: "Was he joking? That's just daft, and it's not true."