Tonight's EuroMillions lottery draw is worth £25 million - and Saturday's Lotto is an £11.2 million triple rollover.

There's still plenty of time to buy your tickets. EuroMillions ticket sales close at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays for that evening's draw. Tickets are available again from 9pm – all tickets purchased after this time will be entered into the next draw.

To play, select five numbers from 1-50 and two Lucky Star numbers from 1-11, or pick Lucky Dip for a random selection. You also get an automatic UK Millionaire Maker entry with every line of numbers you play.

Lotto ticket sales close from 7:30pm to 9:00pm on Wednesday and Saturday for that evening's draw. To play Lotto on the day, you'll need to buy your ticket before 7:30pm. But, you can play Lotto online every day from 8am until 11pm.

To play Lotto, select six numbers from 1–49, or pick lucky dip for a random selection, then choose how many lines to play. You can play up to seven lines of numbers on each play slip and buy up to 10 play slips at a time. Then, choose the draws and number of weeks you'd like to play.

For more information visit the National Lottery website by clicking HERE.

An 80ft tall tree smashed into a greenhouse after it was blown down in strong winds.

It was one of the knock-on effects of a so-called weather bomb – which occurs when a storm intensifies as the pressure at its centre drops rapidly (by more than 24 millibars in 24 hours) – that brought wind and rain to the county on Wednesday night.

Yesterday, the maximum winds in the county were 43mph.

Rob Lucas, 56, of Countesthorpe, said he was shocked to wake up yesterday morning to find the 80ft pine in his garden because of the storm.

He said: "It lifted and travelled 15 feet and crashed into the greenhouse.

"That may not seem a long way but when you have a seven-tonne tree it must have been an awfully powerful wind to lift it."

He added that the tree snapped about half way down the trunk and one part landed only two feet away from the house.

"If it had snapped any lower it would have hit the house.

"It is a very strong tree. It is one and a half times the house size.

"We did not hear it in the night because of the noise of the storm.

"I have never heard a wind like it in my life."

He said he saw it when he came to the window in the morning and lifted the blind.

"It was one of those goose pimple moments," he added.

Freezing temperatures are now set to return to Leicester this weekend.

The temperature in Leicester is due to vary between 0C and minus 3C tomorrow, and on Sunday the temperature is set to be between 1C and 4C.

In preparation for the chilly conditions the city council's six gritting lorries are ready to take to the streets and spread salt.

The county council said it is also "on standby". 

An exclusive, tree-lined avenue in the heart of Charnwood Forest is again the most expensive street in the Midlands.

The title has, for the second year in a row, gone to The Ridgeway, in Rothley, which has an average house price of £1.78 million.

The half-mile stretch, which has 30 homes and boasts at least eight outdoor swimming pools, seven tennis courts and a private five-a-side football pitch, saw off the challenge of streets in upmarket Straford-upon-Avon, Sutton Coldfield and Solihull to claim top spot.

The survey, by Lloyd's Bank, also put Lyndon Road, in Hambleton, Rutland, in seventh place in the Midlands top 10, with an average house price of £1.14 million.

James Warne, residential director at Bentons estate agents, said The Ridgeway was known locally as Millionaire's Row.

He said: "It is no surprise to us that The Ridgeway is yet again the premier street in the Midlands to live in. It has been at the top of the pile for a very long time now and its appeal does not show any sign of waning.

"There are some beautiful houses along the road, which is in a beautiful forest setting.

"There are houses elsewhere in Charnwood Forest which may cost more than homes in The Ridgeway and have more land, but the concentration of lovely houses along the street puts it into top spot in such a survey."

His firm is offering for sale a seven-bedroom detached house in The Ridgeway for £1.4 million.

The property has a 1.25-acre lot with five reception rooms, a raised sun terrace and a two-bedroom apartment for guests.

Grant Murray, a partner in Murray's estate agents, in Oakham, said he was surprised Lyndon Road, in Hambleton, was not higher up the list.

He said: "There are some fabulous houses there and there is little to beat such a fantastic view of Rutland Water.

"We have just completed on a two-and-half-acre plot on the road which was on sale at £2.25 million. I suspect it may be in a higher position in next year's survey."

House price website Zoopla states there are 24 houses along Lyndon Road.

The 10 most expensive streets in England and Wales are all in the London boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.

The most expensive is Grosvenor Crescent, in Westminster, with an average house price of £16.9 million.

The first street outside London to feature in the national list is Spicers Field, Leatherhead, in 20th, with an average house price of £3.7 million.

Top 10: Most expensive streets in the Midlands

The Ridgeway, Rothley £1,783,000

Tiddington Road, Stratford-Upon-Avon £1,313,000

Rosemary Hill Road, Sutton Coldfield £1,268,000

Westfield Road, Edgbaston £1,179,000

Vicarage Hill, Solihull £1,175,000

Church Street, Broadway (Worcs) £1,154,000

Lyndon Road, Rutland £1,146,000

Kington Lane, Warwick £1,144,000

Croft Road, Nottingham £1,143,000

Hampton Lane, Solihull £1,140,000

Top 10: England and Wales

Grosvenor Crescent, Westminster £16,918,000

Eaton Square, Westminster £15,520,000

Trevor Square, Westminster £10,150,000

Cadogan Square, Kensington and Chelsea £8,592,000

Montpelier Street, Westminster £8,483,000

Chester Square, Westminster £8,282,000

Argyll Road, Kensington and Chelsea £8,000,000

Elgin Crescent, Kensington and Chelsea £7,683,000

Egerton Crescent, Kensington and Chelsea £7,100,000

Hillsleigh Road, Kensington and Chelsea £7,091,000

Figures from Land Registry and Royal Mail

Action is being taken by Leicester City Council after 20 bin bags and other waste was dumped in a city centre street.

The bags, along with a metal clothes airer and a cardboard box, had been dumped in Albion Street.

City street cleaners removed the bags and the city wardens found evidence inside the bin bags and will now serve a legal notice on a nearby resident.

The legal notice forbids any future dumping and could lead to a prosecution if it happens again.

Assistant city mayor Sarah Russell said: "Fly-tipping is an unnecessary blight.

"The city council offers a free bulk collection for domestic waste, so there's no excuse for anyone to dump their rubbish in this way – and there's certainly no excuse for anyone not to use bins that have been provided for their waste.

"I'm glad that the city wardens are working to trace those responsible for this fly-tipping and pleased that the street has now been cleaned."

Bulk collections can be booked by calling 0116 454 1002. Domestic waste can also be disposed of, free of charge, at the city council's two household waste and recycling centres at Bridge Road and Freemen's Common.

A vintage designer dress has been sold to the highest bidder for £350 after it was donated to a charity shop in Leicester.

Sue Ryder Care, in Loseby Lane, held an auction for a Christian Dior dress after it was found among other donations.

It is an original vintage dress from 1957 which has been kept in pristine condition.

It has three-quarter length sleeves and rests on the knee, and should fit a UK size 10 to 12, or a small 14.

Samantha Wood, manageress of the Sue Ryder Care shop, said: "The highest bid was £350 which was absolutely amazing. It was a very generous bid.

"It was close - there was only £30 between the highest and second highest bidder."

Samantha said the response to the auction had been brilliant.

"We had more than 30 bids and they were all really high, which was awesome."

She added that the highest bidder wants to remain anonymous because the dress is for his wife for Christmas.

The auction was open from November 1 to December 5.

Samantha said the dress just appeared among other items and she does not know who donated it.

She added: "When I first looked at it I got goose pimples. I have never held anything so beautiful and well made."

The money raised will go towards the store's Christmas fund-raising campaign for specialist hospice and neurological care.

When it rains, it pours at Leicester City. 

Being bottom of the table heading into the crucial Christmas period and a fiery row between Nigel Pearson and a couple of fans are certainly enough to disrupt morale. 

However, the reported abuse towards Leicester City's owners Vichai and Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha during the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool has largely been overlooked. It seems there is an even greater lack of perspective among some fans as there is a lack of defensive composure amongst our backline.

It's plainly clear that everyone on Filbert Way, players, staff and fans alike, have felt the immense frustration of the last two-and-a-half months but how we as a football club channel that will be key to how the rest of our season pans out. If we galvanise the fanbase and get behind the entire Leicester City team, we give ourselves the greatest chance possible of turning it all around. If we start to feel sorry for ourselves, turn on each other and start hurling banal and unfair abuse at the owners and the manager we'll struggle even more.

Let's paint a potential picture for the future of our club if we all adopted the negative, abusive mentality of the minority.

It's the 2018-19 season, Leicester are back in the Championship, besieged by 10 or 11 others trying to scrape in to the top six. Nigel Pearson is long gone, the relentless pressure and mistreatment from media and the fans alike led to another outburst that the club couldn't condone and, thus, they dismissed him.

Pearson's replacement failed to keep the Foxes up – and exhausted from the backlash from the fanbase, the owners withdrew their investment allowing Milan Mandaric to fashion a return to the club. Three seasons, £20,000 spent on transfers, and 48 managers later and City are once more knocking knees with Preston North End, Bournemouth and Brentford while Steve McLaren's Derby enjoy the high life in the Premier League.

Okay, maybe driving the owners away wouldn't be as disastrous as that – maybe it would be even more so.

Either way, the point remains that the Srivaddhanaprabhas don't deserve to be lightning rods for fan frustrations. The Thai owners have been a blessing for the Foxes, having transformed us in to a sustainable, reliable football club that plies its trade in the Premier League.

It seems flat-out ridiculous to be having to defend the owners when there is very little reasoning to hold them in contempt over the club's league position.

The simple fact is, if we keep attacking the best parts of our club, we may end up losing them. As the old adage goes, don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Leicester City fan Chris Whiting blogs at thechriswhitingshow.wordpress.com

Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisRWhiting

Plans for a multi-storey car park at Leicester Royal Infirmary have been submitted to the city council.

The move has been welcomed by campaigners who have been lobbying for extra parking at the city centre hospital for more than a decade.

Detailed plans have yet to be revealed but a spokesman for Leicester's hospitals said the target is to provide 610 public car parking spaces.

Half of the 300 spaces at the infirmary's Havelock Street car park will be lost when the multi-storey is built, leaving a total of about 760 spaces, according to a trust spokesman.

He said the cost of the building is not yet known but it is hoped that work will begin in about March next year.

The new car park should be completed by December next year.

Health campaigner Zuffar Haq, who is also a member of the Leicester Mercury patients' panel, has welcomed submission of the planning application.

He said: "It is fantastic news that Leicester's hospitals are moving along with this project.

"It is vital that something is done about car parking at the infirmary."

It was 10 years ago, in 2004, that Mr Haq presented a petition containing 10,000 signatures demanding a multi-storey be built.

He said: "It has not been acceptable that a hospital the size of Leicester Royal Infirmary has so few spaces and that people have to queue, often for an hour, to get into the hospital."

Mr Haq added caution on car parking charges.

He said: "It would not be acceptable for car parking charges to rise for this multi-storey."

Eric Charlesworth, chairman of the Leicester Mercury patients' panel, added: "It has taken a long while to get here and I hope the plans go through smoothly.

"These extra spaces will create comparable parking with other acute hospitals, such as at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire at Walsgrave.

"This, added to plans to move a number of services off the Leicester Royal Infirmary site and into the community over the next few years should considerably ease the current parking and congestion problems."

Earlier this year trust estates director Andrew Chatten said the new car park would connect the hospital's Havelock Street car park to Aylestone Road.

He added: "There are two objectives: one is to provide better access for the public and the second to reduce congestion in surrounding roads and reduce the impact on residents."

More information about the new building is due to be published in the next few weeks.

A Christmas card designed by Leicester's fashion guru Gok Wan is being auctioned for charity.

His hand-drawn cared is the latest addition to a set of cards created by celebrities to raise money in an online auction for the MS Society.

Gok's comic self-portrait design features alongside artwork by David Tennant, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Frank Lampard, Lorraine Kelly, Sir Chris Hoy, Jessie Ware, Graeme McDowell and Katherine Jenkins.

The Cards for a Cause auction is on eBay and people can bid for their favourite design over 10 days.

The money raised will go towards supporting more than 100,000 people are living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the UK.

Gok said: "I've witnessed what having MS can do to a person day-to-day so I hope this auction raises as much money as possible for people in the UK who are living with the unpredictable condition."

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of the MS Society, added: "We're incredibly grateful to all the celebrities who've taken the time to design a card for our auction.

"They're helping us to raise awareness of MS by creating unique designs that will be very special Christmas gifts for their fans.

"Every penny raised will help us to fund vital research into the condition, as well as help us to continue to provide information and support services to all the people affected by it."

To place a bid go to www.ebay.co.uk/usr/mssocietyuk

The people behind this video claim it creates a 'strong natural hallucination'.

WARNING: HAS POTENTIAL TO CAUSE VIEWERS TO HALLUCINATE

They say the effect is "based on the motion aftereffect illusion (MAE)", and adds: "Use full screen and HD for better results."

If you decide to watch the video, let us know what effect it has on you.

Vandals have wrecked the lights decorating a town's Christmas tree.

The illuminations were put up on the tree, in Park Square in Syston, on Saturday but were torn down on Tuesday night.

It is the second time in three years that the town's Christmas tree has been targeted.

Steve Hampson, chairman of Syston Town Council, which is responsible for the lights, said he thought the incident was a failed attempt at theft.

He said: "A couple of years ago, somebody stole the lights and the tree and that prompted us to wire them down so it couldn't happen again.

Ripped

"I think somebody has come along to have another go at pinching them and when they found them to be too secure they have just ripped them up and left them on the floor.

"Whoever did it put themselves at a lot of risk to go pulling at live electric wires.

"If someone was so hard up they felt they needed to steal the lights then I've got some sympathy for them, even if it was a mean-spirited thing.

"If it was just vandalism then they need help.

"The tree is there for the enjoyment of everybody but the actions of a few idiots have ruined it for all."

Coun Hampson said a colleague walked past the tree at about 5.30pm on Tuesday and it was undamaged.

He returned three hours later to find the lights broken into three sections, leaving bare wires on show.

The lights have now had to be removed from the tree for the safety of the public.

Coun Hampson said: "The lights only cost £100 or so but that isn't really the point.

"We probably won't replace them until after the weekend. Hopefully they won't be damaged again.

"We thought about putting a fence up around the tree to protect it but its only eight feet high and the fence would have to be nearly as tall.

"It wouldn't look very good."

Syston resident Geoff Powell, 64, said: "The cheeky beggars who did it want putting in the stocks.

"I don't get it at all. Why can't some people just keep their hands off?"

The incident has been reported to the police and Coun Hampson said there was a council CCTV camera overlooking the tree that probably recorded the culprits.

A police spokeswoman confirmed it was investigating an incident of criminal damage and asked anybody with information to call 101 or Crimstoppers on 0800 555 111.

X Factor winner Sam Bailey will be watching Sunday night's final of the TV singing show in her onesie.

The 37-year-old turned down a VIP guest ticket at the live X Factor final for a night in on her sofa in Leicester Forest East with her husband and three children.

Sam, who won the show last year and has since had a number one album and single, said she put a trip to the pantomime at De Montfort Hall in Leicester before a seat at the final.

She said: "I am going down on Saturday to the X Factor with my daughter Brooke and her nine-year-old cousin Niamh Pearson.

"It is girls only and should be a real giggle.

"I could have gone to the final night on Sunday but I wanted to take the kids to see Cinderella.

"We will do the show and then go home get our onesies on and snuggle in front of the telly and watch the X Factor final."

Sam said in many ways her life had changed beyond all recognition but that she had remained the same person.

The former prison officer at HMP Gartree near Market Harborough, said: "Sometimes I have to pinch myself to prove that what has happened did actually happen.

"I went into the X Factor last year with a bit of a silly dream and I actually won the thing. It was just amazing.

"I have had a number one single and a number one album and got to meet and appear with some incredible stars.

"I have done lots and lots of TV and radio shows but none of this has changed me.

"I have my autobiography out and I did a book signing at Asda in Fosse Park in Leicester recently.

"After I had finished the signing I got a trolley and did the weekly shop. That's me. A mum-of-three from Leicester getting the groceries in."

Last weekend Sam returned to the stage at the X Factor for the first time since she won the title.

She said: "I was very nervous about it and was terrified as I went out to sing.

"Simon Cowell chose the song 'With You' from the musical 'Ghost' for me to sing. I think it was great choice and I thought I did okay.

"It was good to see him again and give him a big hug. It brought back some fabulous memories about my journey on the show."

Sam said the X Factor gave her the chance to fulfil her dream to make records as a singer.

She said: "It's a great show and I am grateful for the opportunities it gave me.

"As usual, there will be tremendous excitement about the final.

"Don't get me wrong, some of the glitzy showbiz stuff is fun but I am much more comfortable at home on the settee in my onesie with my family."

Sam gives her verdict on the three finalists:

Andrea Faustini

I think he has to pull out all the stops to stand any chance in the final.

He has given some people the impression that he is one-trick pony by just singing diva song after diva song.

I want to step out of his comfort zone and really shock us all by doing something radically different.

Ben Haenow

He has a wonderful voice and I love people who blast out big ballads.

Not only is he a fabulous singer but he is a really nice, genuine guy.

I can see all the housewives voting for him because he is so cute.

My heart wants him to win.

Fleur East

For me she is the complete package.

I don't think she has the best voice in the competition but she knows how to work it.

She is beautiful, has an amazing six pack and can dance like she was born to do it.

My head says she will win.

Who will win?:

Winner Fleur

Runner-up Ben

Third Andrea

Parents should be free to discipline children with a "mild smack", education secretary and Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan has said.

The senior Conservative appeared on a Sky News debate where James Lloyd-Elliott, 11, asked her what she thought about the UK being one of the few countries in Europe where it was still legal for children to be hit.

James asked her: "Shouldn't violence against children should be banned altogether?"

Ms Morgan, who has a six-year-old son, said that while violence that left a mark was a matter for the police and social services, "reasonable chastisement" was acceptable.

She said: ""There's what we have called reasonable chastisement, which is a long way of saying that if it was a sharp tap or a mild smack, which doesn't leave a mark, then actually I don't want to criminalise parents if that's the decision that they take to discipline their child.

"But anything more serious than that is illegal and should be stopped by the police and should be reported to social services."

She added that children "don't come with a guidebook".

"As politicians, we struggle with this all the time - when does government make a decision or when do we allow parents or carers to make that decision? It's very difficult.

"People sometimes talk about the nanny state and, actually, we don't want to be telling people how to bring up their children, or how to be parents.

"But there has to be a line, when we say, no, that is a line that you have crossed and that is a child that now needs support from other people."

Ms Morgan said she was against politicians telling parents how to raise their children.

She said: "We hear some people talk about the nanny state and, actually, we don't want to be telling people how to bring up their children, or how to be parents."

Earlier this year the Mercury ran its own poll to see what Leicestershire people thought about the rights of parents to punish their children.

About 70 per cent of those asked thought a short, sharp smack was the best way to keep a child on the straight and narrow.

An NSPCC spokesman said that while the charity did not want to see the law changed, smacking was never a good technique for disciplining a child.

He said: "Although the NSPCC does not want to see parents criminalised for smacking, we believe that children should have the same legal protection from assault as adults.

"Smacking is never a good way to discipline a child and there are much better techniques to encourage good behaviour.

"Hitting children also teaches them that violence is acceptable, and lashing out in anger can also be risky as parents could unwittingly injure their children."

What do you think about the use of smacking by parents?

Nazeefah Karotia, 17, unemployed, Evington, Leicester

"I don't believe you should hit children. I think I would rather use the naughty step than smack my child. If you do hit them, it doesn't help - you just make them scared of you."

Ahmad Nouri, 36, unemployed, Hamilton, Leicester

"You have to be careful if you choose to hit your children. They're only small and delicate. You shouldn't do it to hurt them, just to discipline them. It's better to speak to them first if you can."

Paula Marriott, 67, retired, Braunstone, Leicester

"I don't think you should be allowed to hit your children hard - maybe just give them a light smack if they are being naughty. That's what I did with my children, and they were fine. They would say 'Sorry Mum,' and that would be it."

Malcolm Peace, 65, retired, Stocking Farm, Leicester

"I think you can use a very light tap on the hand. It's like if you're training a dog. You just to it to tell them 'that's naughty'. My dad used to belt me about, and I don't believe in that."

Anna Nowak, 33, payroll administrator, Leicester city centre

"You need to discipline your children. You shouldn't allow them to get away with being naughty. My parents hit me, it didn't hurt me. It was a good lesson for me for the future."

Hazel Lacey-Ward, 23, cafe worker, West End of Leicester:

"I think there are definitely better ways to discipline a child. I think that smacking is often out of anger so sends the wrong message."

Sehliselo Nguenya, 26, event assistant, Anstey

"I look at it from the child's point of view. It should be based on what they understand it as. You have to consider if they'll see it as sign that they've done wrong or if you're doing it out of anger. You have to be cautious."

Thomas Taylor, 20, unemployed, Leicester city centre

"It can be okay when they're old enough to understand, around four or five-years-old. As long as you're not being too harsh then a tap can be okay. But I don't think you should have to resort to that. You have to bring them up to respect you."

Zana Beric, 22, letting negotiator, Oadby

"I don't have kids myself but I don't think it's acceptable to even lightly smack them. It may teach them to do the same thing when they grow up. You can discipline children in other ways without resorting to physical means."

Tony Sulley, 70, retired, Anstey:

"It does depend where you hit them. It's got to be proportionate to what you're trying to tell them. There has to be a reason for it and it's got to be considered. But I was smacked and I turned out fine!"

Leicester City will hand manager Nigel Pearson the funds to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window.

However, the City boss says he cannot assume he will be given the season to see the job through.

Pearson retains the full backing of the City board, who will support his transfer activity when the window opens, but Pearson said he cannot take anything for granted.

He knows he must address City's recent poor run of results, which has seen them go 10 games without a win.

City are looking to bring in a central defender, a striker and now a goalkeeper following Kasper Schmeichel's foot injury, and speculation is rife over their targets.

City have been linked with a host of names including Tottenham's Kyle Naughton, Hull's Curtis Davies, Bournemouth's Steve Cook, strikers Jermain Defoe, Anderlecht's Aleksandar Mitrovic and Rijeca's Andrej Kramaric, who City are said to have made an £8 million bid for.

"I know that funds will be made available but, as I've said many times before, it is not an easy window to operate in because most clubs want to retain their best players rather than move them on," he said.

"You can have grand ideas of what you might want to bring in but the reality of being able to secure the players you want is never straight forward in any window but certainly not in January."

Pearson said it was great to have that support but knows he can't make any assumptions.

"That (thinking he had all season) would be presumptuous of me," Pearson said.

"We always have to consider that our owners are very successful people and they have been very supportive of me, not just in terms of what you see in public in terms of building the side, but also on a personal level they have been supportive.

"They will ultimately do what they feel is best for their football club.

"I don't think anyone can ever make any assumptions.

"We are in the situation we are in. I am in charge of the team and I would hope to stay in charge and I will work as hard as I can to make sure that is the case, but ultimately any decision like that will be made with the club's interest put first.

"Whether managers like it or not, that is always how it is."

Toulon duo Martin Castrogiavanni and Delon Armitage face misconduct complaints in the wake of the European Champions Cup match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road last week.

The complaint against Martin Castrogiovanni is that after the match he made a number of comments to the media in which he attacked, disparaged, criticised, damaged and/or brought into disrepute Leicester Tigers, the club's Director of Rugby, Richard Cockerill, EPCR, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the sport of rugby union in contravention of the disciplinary rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Armitage is alleged to have conducted himself in an unsportsmanlike manner by making a number of comments to, or within earshot of, spectators using foul and abusive language and may have brought into disrepute the sport of rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup, other clubs and persons and/or EPCR in contravention of the competition rules.

The complaints will be heard by an independent committee made up of Antony Davies (England), chairman, Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London December 17.

New roadworks commencing from Sunday December 14:

• St Mary's Avenue: carriageway improvements. Off-peak temporary lights in use at the Braunstone Lane junction on Monday (15 December) only.

• Evelyn Road: carriageway improvements. Off-peak temporary lights in use at the Bidford Road junction on Friday (19 December) only.Ongoing works in the city:

• Henshaw Street: carriageway work. Road closed at junction with Gateway Street. Diversions in place.

• Lower Brown Street: carriageway improvements. Off-peak closures, as required, around Norton Street. Diversions in place.

For queries please contact Area Traffic Control on 0116 254 0000. ATC Lines are open Monday-Friday 6.30am-6.30pm, and 9.30am to 1pm on Saturdays.

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• Luxpaul: 6 (1S, 3R)
• USA_Mark: 6 (1S, 3R)
• Kreuger22: 5 (5R)
• Stuart_Young: 4 (1S, 1R)
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People are missing out on the "joy and pleasure" of living longer because they are suffering years of ill-health as they grow older, it has been warned.

Latest figures show life expectancy in Leicestershire has risen to just over 80 for men and 84 for women but people of both sexes are likely to face some kind of serious illness when they hit 65.

The findings come from County Hall's director of public health Mike Sandys in his 2014 Leicestershire public health report.

It has shown county residents only remain healthy until they reach 65.2 years old then they start to suffer serious effects from conditions such as diabetes, lung and heart disease and strokes.

Leicestershire County Council's cabinet member for public health councillor Ernie White said: "Life expectancy is now 80.1 years for men and 84 years for women. That's something to celebrate but healthy life expectancy is 65.2 years for both men and women.

"On average men spend 15 unhealthy years beyond the age of 65 and women spend 19 unhealthy years beyond the age of 65.

"Longer life should be a pleasure and a joy but we work until 65 and retire and all we have too look forward to is an increasing number of tablets every.

"What sort of prospect is that?

"If the outcome of living longer is just more ill health then just pop me off now."

Coun White said the statistics were "thought provoking" and that they ought to make people think carefully about their lifestyle choices

He added: "That's what we need to change. It's what so many public health programmes are designed to do.

"Many of those unhealthy years are caused by lifestyle choices - not eating the right food, not enough activity, smoking and that kind of thing. If we can impact on that we can bring down that difference between healthy life expectancy and life expectancy and that is a key statistic."

Age UK Leicestershire and Rutland executive director Tony Donovan said: "Ernie White is right but unfortunately these are the kind of statistics people choose to ignore because they hope they will not be one of the people who will suffer ill health as they get older.

"People need to age well but unfortunately the economy is against them. There is not the investment in measures to get early intervention to prevent ill health rather than treating it when it hits people."

Mr Donovan said organisations like Age UK ran healthy aging classes and fitness sessions to stave off ill health.

In Leicester life expectancy is just over 77 for men and nearly 82 for women but healthy life expectancy is 57.4 years and 57.3 years respectively.

The city council's public health spokesman and deputy mayor councillor Rory Palmer said: "It is clearly a concern but it could well take a generation of effort to put right. We need to start identifying concerns much earlier. The earlier that happens the sooner we can intervene.

"Obviously we want people to live longer and enjoy their lives in good health but also if that happens it reduces their need for health services and the cost to the public purse of providing them."  

It's the last chance to get your Free Entry Voucher for kids at 'Go-kids-Go'. They can been redeemed until and including Tuesday December 16, excluding weekends. Terms and conditions apply.

Readers have the choice of either a free selection box, or a free children's Ladybird book - Sleeping Beauty, if they buy the paper from a vendor.

Three big value pull-outs: More Magazine, Homes (Property to buy) and Weekend Magazine.

Police seized 1,500 fake designer watches which could have fetched £1 million and arrested a man they suspect was selling them online as the real thing.

Officers detained the 31-year-old man in his home in Leicester as part of a national campaign against online fraudsters who they suspect are trying to cash in on Christmas.

Police suspect the man was selling the timepieces online. If sold at full market price, they believe they would have generated up to £1 million.

Officers have not revealed the brands but said they were top-of-the-range luxury names.

The raid was carried out by specialist officers from City of London Police's intellectual property crime unit, (Pipcu), on Tuesday. 

Today, the force released photographs of the seized goods. The 31-year-old suspect has been released on police bail until May next year.

Also on Tuesday the unit arrested a man and a woman in Leeds who they believe are the country's largest retailers of counterfeit designer handbags.

Detective Chief Inspector Danny Medlycott, head of the unit, said: "Counterfeit goods are cheap and shoddy versions of the original and the public need to be aware that they are potentially putting themselves at risk by buying them.

"Not only can fake goods, such as cosmetics or electrical items, be a risk to your health, but if you buy any counterfeit item online, you risk having your computer infected with viruses and malware or your financial details being compromised."

Tim Mascall, Director of the unit said: "The success of these raids once again show the value of having a dedicated police unit to coordinate the fight against intellectual property crime.

"The City of London Police's anti-counterfeiting initiative in the run-up to Christmas is a timely reminder of the serious and insidious nature of product counterfeiting.

"It is important for us all to remember that this not the victimless cottage industry that the counterfeiters would have us believe, but rather a well organised international criminal enterprise, often with links to other types of serious crime."

Alison Statham, director of operations at the industry body, the Anti-counterfeiting Group, (ACG), said "The ACG is committed to supporting agencies such as Pipcu in the fight against product counterfeiting and we welcome the action taken.

"This was part of a broader multi-agency initiative to tackle this phenomenon.

"We are also grateful to our member brands who took part in the action, giving a clear message that a collaborative approach by law enforcement, industry and government is the only way forward to reduce this criminal activity."

Report counterfeit goods to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at www.actionfraud.police.uk.

There has been a surge of interest from people hoping to attend the reinterment of Richard III in 100 days time.

Leicester Catherdral, where the service will take place on March 26, has made 600 places available to members of the public.

The ballot went live at 8am today on the Cathedral website, and by 6.30pm almost 4,000 people had applied for an invitation.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Leicester said: "We had no idea really how many people would apply, it's difficult to gauge the level of interest, but the first indications are it is huge.

"Everyone thought it would be about 2,000 by the end of the first day, but over a hundred people had applied within the first minute!

"By 1pm it was over 2,000 and by 6.30pm the figure stood at 3,884. Considering there are just 600 spaces available, that's a really great response."

Invitations to a reception service on March 22 and a tomb reveal service on Friday, March 27, are also being made available.

Paper application forms are available at visitor centres and libraries.

The Very Rev David Monteith, Dean of Leicester, speaking to the Mercury earlier today, said: "It's vital the public forms part of these services.

"They have shown huge interest in the Richard III story from the beginning so it's only right that they have the chance to be present.

"Not only that, Leicester Cathedral is embedded in and open to the community everyday and this is what makes us inclusive."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct the reinterment service, which will be broadcast by Channel 4.

Half of the invitations will be allocated to entrants with a Leicestershire or Rutland postal address.

Entrants can opt to be in the ballot for all three services or for a specific one.

The ballot will close at noon on December 31, with the winners informed within 30 days.

Mr Monteith will officially invite 1,800 guests to the three services, including members of the royal family and descendants.

To date, the only confirmed royal is the Duke of Gloucester – the patron of the cathedral's Richard III Appeal.

To apply for an invitation to one of the services visit:

leicestercathedral.org/ ballot