Conservative Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton has said his party needs to adopt some UKIP policies.

The senior Tory at County Hall said the party's current leadership needed to change tack to win back of the support of traditional Conservative voters who are moving over to Nigel Farage's party.

Coun Rushton made the comments to the Mercury following UKIP's recent successes in parliamentary by-elections.

Councillor Rushton, who has frequently clashed in the council chamber with former Tory David Sprason who defected to UKIP, said: "We need to appeal to the more elderly, dry right wing Tory.

"We need to adopt some UKIP policies.

"In fact they are not UKIP policies they are the policies we used to have that UKIP took from us.

"We need to encourage the leadership to adopt some populist policies. There's nothing wrong with that.

"Populist just means people like them."

Councillor Rushton added: "Let's have some popular policies. We are too busy scratching around trying to be all things to all people and trying to find the middle ground like Tony Blair did.

"We have alienated our own side - the white working class voter - the electrician and the plumber."

"At the moment they are not voting for us. Either they are not voting at all or they are voting for UKIP."

Coun Rushton said the Tories should pledge to hold an in/out referendum on Britain's EU membership on the same day as May's election.

He said: "It would shoot the UKIP fox straight away.

"We spend far too much money on foreign aid. The Government is making so many cuts to local Government funding it's desperate.

"I don't want to be sending money to India when we are having to shut down the youth service at County Hall.

"I don't want people in Brussels telling us we can't throw terrorists out of the country because of their human rights."

Coun Rushton said he was also concerned with the scale of the Conservative-led Coalition Government's cuts to the armed services.

He added: "They are old-fashioned Tory views."

Coun Rushton, who incorrectly predicted UKIP would not win "a damned seat" in last May's county elections, however said he still had concerns about UKIP.

He said: "They can be overtly racist. They say they are not but I think they are."

Coun Sprason said UKIP was not a racist party but added: "Coun Rushton may want an EU referendum but he's not going to get it because Cameron doesn't really want it so it's not going to happen.

"He is right though, Conservative voters are coming to UKIP in big numbers people don't trust the Tory leadership any more.

"The Conservative are just like New Labour.

"I think Nick needs to come and join UKIP if that's how he feels.

"I know many Conservatives at County Hall who don't believe in Cameron.

"They are nervous because they know we will take seats off them next time."

The Queen of cooking Mary Berry will be going head-to-head with the King of entertainment Simon Cowell, in a bid to clinch the title of TV's favourite judge.

Producers of The National Television Awards, which will air in January, have introduced the new award which pitches the pair against one another.

Also competing will be X-Factor co-star Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Lord Alan Sugar from The Apprentice.

You can vote by clicking here.

Who will you be voting for? Mary Berry or Simon Cowell? Let us know by tweeting: @Leicester_Merc

New research shows that house hunters in Uppingham are paying over the odds when it comes to buying a home thanks to the town's good schools.

The research, published yesterday by Savills estate agents, lists the top 20 areas across the East Midlands where there's a hefty premium for the convenience of living close to the best classrooms.

It showed that those living close to Uppingham Community College, which is rated "good" by Ofsted and Uppingham School, a highly respected independent boarding school, pay 85.3 per cent more than the average Rutland house price of £149,037.

Those in Oakham, close to Oakham School, another independent boarding and day school, pay 33.2 per cent more than the average house price, while residents in Loughborough, close to Loughborough High School, pay 2.1 per cent more.

Savills research analyses examples put forward by The Good Schools Guide and compares them with property values in the vicinity with the county average. The firm has compiled a list of 400 schools with the highest house price premium on their doorstep.

Sophie Chick, from Savills who helped to compile the research, said: "Education is not the only factor determining the performance of house prices but it does play a significant part. As demand for good schools continues so too does the competition for houses in handy locations which, as we have seen, pushes up the values."

Chris Charlton at Savills Nottingham office added: "The East Midlands has some excellent schools although it's worth looking into those places where you pay a premium to be on the classroom doorstep. We find that parents are particularly keen to live close to schools when their children reach the age for clubs and other extra curricular commitments. Having to drive 10 or 20 miles not just for the school run but for all the additional activities becomes just too time consuming and inconvenient. We currently have a strong demand for houses in the East Midlands region with easy access to a number of these schools."

Uppingham Community College's latest full Ofsted report says that students there achieve well and make good progress overall to reach standards that are above average by the end of Year 11.

It says that teaching is also good overall with some outstanding practice and that students' behaviour is "excellent". 

Leicester City is among the cheapest places to see Premier League football.

According to the BBC Sport Price of Football study, the average price of the cheapest tickets across English football has risen at almost twice the rate of the cost of living since 2011.

But, City's least expensive match-day ticket has dropped from £20 to £19 since 2011, the third cheapest sum in the Premier League behind Newcastle United (£15) and Hull City (£16).

However, City's lowest-priced ticket has increased since the arrival of Premier League football, rising £4 from last year's £15.

This is a yearly increase of nearly 27 per cent, eclipsing the 4.4 per cent average of English football's top four divisions.

City's prices remain competitive compared to their Premier League rivals, though. City's cheapest day out, which includes the lowest-priced match ticket, plus a pie, programme and cup of tea, is £27.50, the third cheapest in the division and almost £10 below the league average.

A teenager is encouraging people to get their mixing bowls and teapots ready to make a difference for people with epilepsy.

Jhon (CORR) Bateman, from Coalville, is supporting the Epilepsy Action charity's National Tea and Cake Break, on Friday.

The 17-year-old will join bakers and brew-lovers across the country to help more than 600,000 fellow epilepsy sufferers and their families.

Jhon was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2010 after two years of unexplained seizures.

To complicate matters, he also has brittle bone syndrome, increasing the risk of him fracturing a bone during a seizure.

Speaking about his condition, Jhon said: "My seizures are tonic clonic seizures, so I fall to the floor and convulse.

"Whenever I have had a seizure, I have broken and dislocated bones. This means I have to go to hospital every time I have a seizure.

"Being diagnosed with epilepsy was a shock for me and my family, but Epilepsy Action has provided support and information to my family when we needed it most."

He added: "National Tea and Cake Break is a brilliant way for people to raise money for a charity that does such fantastic work supporting people affected by a condition that can be so difficult and scary."

Michael White, of Epilepsy Action, said: "Holding a National Tea and Cake Break really is a piece of cake!

"Whether it's a simple cup of tea and cupcake at home with friends, a tea party in the office or a school bake sale, anybody can get involved."

"It will make a real difference to people with epilepsy."

For details visit: www.epilepsy.org.uk/teabreak

A gigantic storm is making its way across the Atlantic Ocean and it set to hit Britain.

According to the Daily Mail The Environment Agency currently has flood warnings in place in Essex and parts of East Anglia and is warning parts of the South East and Midlands to be on alert.

Heavy storms are expected to hit the entire country today, with more rain over the next five days.

The growing financial demands placed on English football fans have been a reccurring theme in the Mercury over the past few years and figures released by the BBC indicate that supporters are being squeezed more than ever.

Obviously all the articles written and protests from supporters' groups seem to fall on deaf ears, according to the BBC's excellent Price of Football Study.

Instead of the football hierarchy listening to those concerns they are being ignored.

According to the study, the average price of the cheapest tickets across English football has risen at almost twice the rate of the cost of living since 2011.

The average price of the cheapest match day ticket from the Premier League to League Two has increased by a whopping 13 per cent, compared to a 6.8 percent increase in the cost of living during that time.

In the Premier League, the increase is 15.8 per cent, while it is 31.7 per cent in League One and 19 per cent in League Two. In contrast, in the Championship the average price has dropped 3.2 percent.

Compared to 12 months ago, the cheapest match day tickets in the top four divisions of English football is up 4.4 per cent from 12 months, from £20.58 to £21.49, almost treble the current rate of inflation which is 1.5 percent.

So it seems whether you are attending games or watching them at home, the amount you will have to pay to watch football will continue to increase.

As the Mercury reported earlier this week, when the Premier League television rights are up for auction again in the new year a bidding war is expected between Sky and BT which could see the amount they paid by rights holders rocket past the £4 billion mark.

That is great news for the club who will receive a larger income stream from television, but bad news for the fans watching at home because the cost of such huge expenditure will undoubtedly be passed on to the consumer.

And yet that still doesn't seem to be enough for the Premier League who, in search of even greater revenue, are now considering the '38th game' proposals, which could see one of one of the regular season fixtures played overseas.

Initially, the idea was for a 39th game to be introduced, but that was met with a storm of protest. But instead of dropping the idea the Premier League are looking at one of the regular season games.

Of course the Premier League is huge overseas, as the amount of international broadcasters vying for a slice if the television rights pie indicates.

But surely one of the attractions to overseas audiences is the fantastic atmosphere and passion generated inside English stadiums. How can that be replicated elsewhere? Yes, they would be getting English football live, but it would be a Diet Coke version.

But ultimately the biggest losers if such a proposal is adopted are the regular supporter, season-ticket holder and die-hard fan who follow their side home and away at huge cost. How can they afford to follow their club to the Far East, China or America for a one off game? How can they justify that expenditure, especially when they would have to take time off work to do so?

Supporters' groups are growing in strength and becoming unified to stand up to such proposals.

Leicester City's Foxes Trust, part of the Supporters' Trust and the Football Supporters Federations, say they oppose the proposal.

"The Foxes Trust believes that every fan has the right to watch a complete English Premier League season in England and that every home game should be at their home ground," the Trust said in a statement.

"Having battled for ten years to return to the Premier League, it would be a kick in the teeth to the 22,000 season ticket holders, the majority of whom held season tickets during the League One season, to be deprived of one of their 19 Premier League home games to satisfy financial and marketing objectives of the league.

"Unlike some club owners, our owners have always demonstrated that they understand and want to promote the club's heritage, therefore if this unwanted and ill-thought out concept is formally discussed at a Premier League meeting, we urge representatives from Leicester City (and other clubs) to consider the competitive integrity and heritage of the English game and the impact on match-going supporters, and swiftly reject any proposed format to play a league game overseas.

"It is disappointing that these proposals have surfaced without any fan consultation, a point that will be made strongly by Premier League Trusts at their next meeting with Premier League representatives.

"Foxes Trust fully supports the network of fellow supporters' trusts and the Football Supporters Federation's strong opposition to any such plans and will be working with fellow fan groups on a local and national level on a co-ordinated response to this proposal."

Valiant sentiments and through these organisations supporters are finally being represented.

But will fan concerns continue to fall on deaf ears?

Probably.

A firm of estate agents is appealing for information after one of its houses was stolen.

Staff who work for Martin & Co in Leicester fear the wool has been pulled over their eyes after a novelty knitted house was lifted from a bollard outside their shop in Clarendon Park.

Steve Buttery, the managing director, said the well-known "Crotched House" went missing earlier this month.

Steve said: "There is a wool shop a couple of doors down from us in Queens Road and they had lovely knitted tops on the bollards in the road.

"They soften the look of the bollards and brighten the place up."

Steve decide to commission a knitted creation of his own – and the obvious choice was a house.

He said: "I asked them to knit me a house so we could join in the fun and position it outside our office.

"The house has become quite famous and we have even had people posing with it and having their picture taken with it.

"It was a real feature and brought a bit of colour into the lives people who walked down the street."

He said the theft was discovered on October 4 when a member of staff went outside to fetch the Crotched House in for the night.

He said: "We used to put it out every morning and then bring it in every night.

"One evening at 5.30pm it was not there. It is upsetting and I hope someone took it for a joke and it is safe and sound somewhere."

Fiona Gamble, who works at Knit One, took a day and half to create the house.

She said: "It was not that straightforward. I had to reinforce it with chicken wire and polystyrene – I was proud of it.

"It is sad that someone thinks they can just walk off with it."

The theft is featured on a community Facebook site Clarendon Park Summer Fair and people have posted about their distress at the crime.

Abi Wilkes posted: "That's really rubbish. Hope it 8 returned unharmed soon."

Suzy Dann said: "Arh, that made us smile when I walked past it..... Shame."

Amy Pabla posted: "Oh no loved that lil house it made me smile everytime i drove by ;-( "

Steve said that he has not called the police and only wants the house to be returned.

He said: "If someone could put it back that would be great. It would be a no-questions asked basis.

"We just want the Crocheted House back where it belongs, and as safe as houses."

More than 30 farm animals have been removed and led to a safe place after a barn caught fire.

Fire crews were called to a barn fire at Thornborough Farm, Gilmorton Road in Lutterworth at 10.32am this morning.

The barn is 30 meters tall by 50 meters wide with 150 tonnes of hay and straw inside.

The fire is still burning but is under control - 50% of the barn roof has been destroyed.

A fire service spokesman said the cause of the fire is unknown.

He added: "There were no reports of injuries to people or animals." 

Market Harborough is changing its name in support of the Movember charity with the backing of political leaders.

Both the MP Sir Edward Garnier and council leader Blake Pain are backing the name change to 'Mo'ket Harborough'.

This will make Market Harborough the first town in the UK to change its name for the month of November.

Mo'ket Harborough organiser Sarah Blackler said "This is an opportunity for us to talk about men and their health.

"Mo'ket Harborough will help to raise questions that often go unasked through fear and embarrassment.

"As well as putting in teams to 'Grow a Mo' we know that our community spirit will offer a range of different things throughout the month of 'Movember' that will make it unforgettable."

Sir Edward said: "I support the county's prostate cancer charity which with the national body holds awareness raising events in the Commons and I am very happy to support what Sarah Blackler is doing too.

"Prostate and testicular cancer are all to prevalent but not many people are aware of the symptoms and effects, which is why this campaign is very important.

"There will be a launch event on November 1 which will kick off the month of awareness building and fund-raising and I hope a great many people in Harborough, of both sexes, will get involved."

The county highways and Harborough District Council have produced a town sign to be erected in the town centre.

Other initiatives include the local building society (Mo'ket Harborough Building Society) and a local Brewery producing special edition beers and Two Birds Gin producing 250 bottles of 'Two Moustache' Gin.

Blake Pain, leader of Harborough District Council said: "The whole community is getting behind this campaign for such a worthy cause and I am delighted that the council has assisted, working with County Hall, in providing the 'Mo'Ket Harborough' signs. I hope the campaign goes a long way to raising funds for the charity."

Jon Sim, Head of Community Engagement for Movember UK said: "We're all very excited about Mo'ket Harborough and have been impressed with the way it has grown. It epitomises the way local communities get behind Movember."

Details on all of the activities taking place can be found on www.moketharborough.com or on facebook https://www.facebook.com/MoketHarborough 

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has been nominated for the Barclays Premier League manager of the month award for September.

City striker Leonardo Ulloa is also nominated in the player of the month category.

Pearson is up against Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Southampton boss Ronald Koeman after City picked up two wins out of three in September.

City claimed their first win in the Premier League at Stoke City before the incredible comeback to beat Manchester United 5-3 at the King Power Stadium.

Ulloa scored twice in that sensational victory over United and the week before he grabbed the winner to give City all three points at the Britannia Stadium.

Ulloa is up against Manchester United's Angel Di Maria, West Ham's Diafra Sakho, Southampton's Graziano Pelle and Morgan Schneiderlin, and Palace's Mile Jedinak.

The winners will be announced tomorrow morning.

A developer has submitted new plans to build hundreds of homes on protected countryside, a year after an appeal was thrown out by the High Court.

Jelson Homes is seeking planning permission from North West Leicestershire District Council for 240 houses on farmland off Hall Lane, in Whitwick.

It means the fight is back on for campaigners battling to save the area, which is protected by the council as "green wedge" land, from development.

Last October, they were celebrating after an appeal by Jelson and William Davis Homes was rejected by a High Court judge.

The developers had appealed against the district planning authority's refusal of plans for 1,500 homes on the site, which separates the villages of Whitwick, Thringstone and Swannington from Coalville.

Sue Colledge, of Whitwick Action Group, set up by residents to fight the original plans, said: "We'd hoped the High Court ruling would draw a line under this, but we had a sneaky feeling they'd come back.

"Our position hasn't changed. The land is protected as green wedge.

"If they allow it's development then our communities will be overwhelmed."

She added: "The previous case went all the way, and we're prepared to do so again.

"Jelson has a business to run but there are better places to build houses than this.

"But when the planning department, planning inspector, secretary of state and a High Court judge all said 'no' when are they going to get the message."

Whitwick Councillor Tony Gillard said: "I'm disappointed with the developer.

"Local opinion remains the same and everyone else has said flat no, including one of the highest courts in the land.

"What are they trying to achieve? It just baffles me!"

The renewed threat to the 'green wedge' comes as the council is having to formulate a new development framework to identify land for 10,000 new homes by 2031.

It follows a decision to withdraw its original blueprint, last October, after a planning inspector said it was "unsound".

As reported by the Mercury, last month, Persimmon Homes has also put in plans to build 250 homes on a nearby site off Broom Leys, on the edge of Coalville.

The developer had withdrawn an appeal in 2011, lodged after the district council failed to consider similar plans for 300 homes within the statutory 13-week period.

Andrew Bridgen MP has also hit out at Jelson, and Persimmon.

He said: "I am surprised that these house builders are once again attempting to develop this land given the strength of public feeling against moves to build on the green wedge.

"It should be retained as it is."

Terry McGreal, land and planning director Jelson Homes, said: "

"A number of local people have made it clear that they are opposed to there being any development in the green wedge.

"They have a right to express their views and that these will have to be taken into account by the district council when it determines our planning application."

He added: "The council will, though, also have to have regard to the fact that the development that we are proposing is significantly smaller in scale to that previously considered.

"It will have only a very modest impact on the green wedge and will deliver a range of much needed, high quality new homes in a location that is highly sustainable."

"The development will also generate jobs and help generate the economic growth that house builders in particular are being tasked with delivering."

A host of former Leicester Tigers captains were present at the launch of the new 500-page Official History book of the club at Welford Road last night.

Peter Wheeler, Paul Dodge, Geordan Murphy, Martin Johnson and Neil Back were among those in attendance.

The book is available to order now, priced at £45. It features facts, figures, and stories from 134 years of Tigers history and includes many previously unpublished photos.

Police are searching for a man in his 50's who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl. The man, whose accent indicated he was from Liverpool, touched the girl's chest as she walked along a jitty in Barwell. The incident happened between Kerry Close and Hereford Close shortly before 7am on Thursday, October 2. Police released details today. The girl has worked with police to draw up a detailed description of the suspect. He is white, 50 to 55, "slightly" fat and approximately 5ft 7ins. He is balding with tufts of hair around his scalp and had a grey and brown beard. He was wearing blue stonewash jeans and a black rain jacket, which were grubby. His jeans had wet mud on them and his fingernails were dirty. The victim said he smelt strongly of body odour. Pc Shauna Ashton said: "This was obviously a distressing for the victim. "She has been able to provide quite a detailed description of the suspect and I would encourage anyone who thinks they may know who it is to please get in touch, even if you don't have a name for him. "Maybe he lives down the road from you, or you have seen him in your area. Please get in touch." Contact Pc Ashton on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

A Leicestershire school has gone from "inadequate" to "good" in just 18 months.

Wreake Valley Academy, in Syston, was told in April 2013 that it had serious weaknesses. It was placed in the failing category by education watchdog, Ofsted, when inspectors found that not enough students were progressing well enough.

However, inspectors who visited earlier this month, have now said that the school is "good" and progress has improved thanks to good and outstanding teaching.

Principal Tony Pinnock said: "We're very pleased that leadership and management's shared passion for staff and the school's community has come across in the report.

"The school's turnaround is down to team work with staff coming together to make the necessary improvements because they all wanted the school to be as good as it was possible to be.

"Teaching has improved thanks to working with a partner school - Beauchamp College, in Oadby, to share good practice and because we introduced staff training on a weekly basis which allowed teachers to talk about what was working best and what changes needed to be made. Now the majority of teaching is either good or outstanding."

The report says that Mr Pinnock is well supported by senior leaders and has focused "relentlessly on improvement and raising expectations".

It said that students conducted themselves well and their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development was strong.

In addition, the report said that staff had high expectations of students.

The school's governors were also praised for being "passionate and rigorous" in ensuring the school improved.

Mr Pinnock added: "Our governors have been absolutely fantastic at holding the school to account. They have received new training and are regular visitors.

"We're very grateful for their support and for parental support too. We held on-going discussions with parents to see where they thought we could improve. There's been a real willingness to change and morale has remained high. We're on the journey to becoming outstanding."

This summer's provisional results for the school show that 58 per cent of students achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths at GCSE.

Sixth form pupil George Sutton, 17, said: "There's a nice community feel about Wreake Valley and the teachers are supportive. We want to say thank you to Mr Pinnock for all of his hard work here."

Fellow pupil Kaitlin McCallum, 13, said: "The teachers are always really helpful."

Emma Moloney, 14, added: "There's really good pastoral support so if you have a problem, you know you have someone to talk to about it."

To improve further the school was told to make sure that teachers planned activities for the most able students to ensure they reached the highest standards, and to ensure that homework was consistently planned.

I am very concerned about the remit of yesterday's meeting of the county council scrutiny committee to discuss the 16 libraries remaining open and how to manage the handing over of the remainder to communities.

My understanding of a consultation is that it seeks ideas and feedback and incorporates these into policies and plans.

This has not been the case with the consultation on libraries – and the agenda of this scrutiny meeting suggests the consultation has indeed always been a "done deal".

The consultation presented communities with inaccurate statistical data reflecting the use of libraries – the evidence was fundamentally flawed.

The consultation presented only one option – for communities to take over the running of libraries, or face losing them – which is blackmail. There are no true choices being presented here – this was no consultation.

The consultation, supposedly based on an earlier survey about which services should bear the brunt of cuts, told communities at the public meetings that libraries were at the bottom of the pile – this was not true, as their own analysis of the survey results proved, with a significant number of people defending the vital importance of their library service.

And now the scrutiny committee is looking at the one proposal put forward by the council – not the ideas suggested by the people.

Remember that the High Court ruled in favour of local campaigners in Lincolnshire, against the county council.

Yet this is still the tip of the iceberg, for all our public services are under threat.

And let's not forget – the council has £97 million in reserve, has made staff redundant then re-employed them, and the expenses of councillors are questionable.

There is an obligation to protect vulnerable people, which is why the council is required to perform Equality Impact Assessments for every proposed cut. Yet every cut will hit the most vulnerable. What sleight of hand will the council use to get these cuts through?

The structure of local government should be reviewed for efficiency, to reduce duplication.

Do we need district councils in their current form? We don't need Mayors or dignitaries. We don't need executives with chauffeur-driven Jaguars. We don't need heads of department on pay comparable to the private sector.

Our overhaul of services must include an overhaul of the political infrastructure. There is much money to be saved here.

Councillors have blamed the Government for these Draconian cuts and this is true. But while the Government pursue their agenda to dismantle or privatise every public service, they are cleverly pitting the people against their own councils.

And while we fight for individual public services, we don't see the whole picture, and we don't apportion blame in the right place. If all our councils were to stand up to Government, the people would support them.

We are all concerned, frightened, in despair. We should all work together and act together to oppose all these cuts – in that way we can make a difference.

I appeal to the council to be honest with the people of Leicestershire, and rather than try to enlist us to run essential services, to ask us to support the council in standing up to central Government, to protect the needs of the many rather than the interests of the privileged few.

Ms Jo Sennitt, Syston.

An expert in infectious diseases has warned that the next few months could be crucial in whether the deadly Ebola virus can be contained.

Dr Martin Wiselka, a consultant in infectious diseases at Leicester's hospitals, said: "At the moment I would tell people in this country not to worry - there are plenty of other things to worry about.

"I don't believe anyone in this country is going to catch Ebola."

But that does not mean cases will not be seen.

With the number of health care professionals volunteering in the three affected West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea Dr Wiselka believes that some "imported" cases maybe seen.

He said: "At the moment the chances of many cases in the UK is very small and likely to be in single figures.

"The health and hygiene in the affected parts of Africa are so poor and this has allowed Ebola to spread

"The worry will be if it spreads to adjacent countries in Africa and that there are a lot more cases.

"Ebola is serious as it is but this is still essentially a animal virus in fruit bats and has not really adapted to humans yet."

Dr Wiselka likened it to HIV which began as animal virus which was then transmitted to humans.

He said: "Ebola could then become much more infectious and we could be looking at many more cases but at the same time it might then be easier to treat.

"I think it will be a good few months, probably at least three or four before we know how things are going."

Doctors at Leicester's hospitals have seen about four patients suspected of being infected but none have proved positive.

Dr Wiselka said: "We are well prepared. Ideally the patient will have called the NHS 111 number so that we are prepared for their arrival and they can be taken straight to our infectious diseases unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"Symptoms include a fever with a temperature of 38 degrees centigrade (about 106 degrees Fahrenheit).

"We can carry out basic tests to look for things such as malaria and a sample is sent to the national laboratory at Porton Down to test for Ebola."

He added: "We are used to dealing with infectious disease and we are as prepared as we can be. We have been through exercises and all practised putting protective suits on and taking them.

"It is a worry when you hear about healthcare workers in Spain and America who have become infected.

"It shows that even with our precautions you have to be absolutely careful.

"I certainly feel more confident with a 'buddy' system where there is someone with you so you can check each other taking off the protective clothing."

If a person does test positive for Ebola the procedure is that they would be transferred to a more specialised unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

Dr Wiselka added: "Ebola is not really something to worry about unless you have been in Sierra Leone, Liberia or Guinea."

I am mindful to write to you as an ex-member and a previous chair of the development board at the Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

In my estimation, strategically the club need to do the following:

First and foremost, appoint the right chief executive.

Easier said than done but proper processes must be adhered to and I would hope a leader who can inspire will be appointed, ideally with a good knowledge of county cricket.

Secondly, Neil Davidson's

appointment to the board will be counter-productive.

In his term of office as the chairman of the club, chief executives came and went, including Kevin Hill, David Smith, Gus Mackay and more!

Key Players, including Darren Maddy, Darren Stevens, Ben

Smith, David Masters and more moved on.

Two jewels in the crown, in terms of James Whittaker and Tim Boon, both now in key positions in England's cricket hierarchy were lost to the club.

To think this same person could be back at the helm fills me with horror!

Steve White, Leicester.

Here is a good question: what is the cultural product whose value rises through economic troughs and changes in fashion and leisure, and no matter the general state of the national or global economy? Answer: Premier League football on television.

The bidding war has already begun for the next round of Premier League TV rights from 2016, covering a new three-year period. In January, it was suggested that bringing forward the blind auction in which bidders make hidden

offers for various match packages was a piece of "commercial opportunism" by the Premier League.

Why risk a future fall in football's popularity if you can strike early, when likely bidders are already lining up?

The value of domestic rights to Premier League matches from 2016 is argued to rise to over £4 billion. This is good news for clubs because, unlike in some competitor leagues in Europe, the TV deal here is still centrally negotiated and TV income is spread relatively evenly between the elite. Even if they finished rock bottom of the Premier League in the new era, a club such as Leicester City would still clean up more than £100 million a season – just from TV.

Technology giants

Competition is driving up the value of TV rights: BT Sport is desperate to compete with Sky Sports for domestic football rights and even American technology giants such as Yahoo, Apple and Google have all been rumoured (perhaps by the Premier League) to have shown "interest" in the new round.

But increased competition was also supposed to benefit the consumer, though it is sometimes unclear exactly how. Top live TV matches are now divided between platforms and there is little sign of the still dominant Sky Sports reducing its subscription prices, even as its hold on sporting rights diminishes and live matches appear elsewhere.

In 1992, the CEO of the Premier League, Rick Parry, claimed that selling live rights exclusively to satellite TV would help keep ticket prices down for active fans. This proved to be cynical wishful thinking – maybe the ticket price reductions can start now? Perhaps we need a ceiling on agent fees and top players' vast salaries: this is, after all, where most of the TV money ends up.

The FA's recent report on the urgent need to improve grass roots facilities in English football and to rapidly increase the number of qualified coaches here also looks like a suitable case for funding.

Maybe some of the new TV money could be directed down below? The alternative is salary inflation and more "failing" Premier League clubs risking ruin, despite their huge TV income. It seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? Watch this space.

John Williams is senior lecturer in the

University of Leicester's department of sociology.