The Richard III Centre in Leicester has been closed to the public for two weeks to allow changes to be made to the exhibition.

The attraction, at the site in St Martin's where the last Plantagenet king's bones were unearthed, closed on Sunday January 4.

Visitor centre director Iain Gordon said the closure was to allow the team to make some minor changes to the attraction, including updating information and working on sound levels.

He said: "Since opening at the end of July we have welcomed over 30,000 visitors and we have asked them to let us know what they thought about their visit.

"As a result of comments received, we're going to make some tweaks to the sound and light levels within the attraction, as well as taking the opportunity to update some of the content."

He said visitors' feedback had allowed them to identify minor changes which could be made at the city centre attraction.

He said: "We have listened very carefully to what our customers have told us.

"The comments have identified places where the customer experience can be improved by us turning up the sound a bit and lowering it in other places.

"This tweaking process also applies to the lighting in parts of the exhibition.

"The feedback has also identified the need for more signs in some places.

"That is a difficult balance to achieve because we didn't want to intrude on the experience but the comments have indicated that the extra sign here and there would be helpful."

Mr Gordon said there was also snagging work to be done on the building itself.

He said: "We are very happy with the way things have gone so far. We are on track to achieve a total of 100,000 visitors in the first year of opening."

He said the centre had opened on July 26 last year and had only previously been closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: "The visitor centre has been amazingly popular, and has rightly been described as 'state of the art', even by the BBC on Radio 4.

"I expect it will continue to be enormously well attended, especially overs the coming months in the run up to the king's reinterment."

Leicester Cathedral will receive the remains of Richard III on Sunday March 22.

The centre is due to re-open at 10am on Saturday January 17.

For more info about the centre go to www.kriii.com

People took to Twitter and Facebook to express amazement after a low-flying Boeing 747 rumbled over the roofs of villages including Narborough and Cosby.

The Cathay Pacific jet was flown from Manchester to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground on Monday, passing over Narborough at less than 4,000ft at around midday.

Hannah Elizabeth, who managed to take a picture of the plane, said on the Leicester Mercury Facebook page: "The aeroplane flew ridiculously low over Narborough.

"Everyone was out in the streets and an elderly lady said that in all the time she had lived in Narborough she had never seen a plane fly that low.

"You could see each individual window of the plane."

Bruntingthorpe managing director David Walton said: "It was a Boeing 747 originally from Hong Kong that had just finished its life and was flown here to be taken apart for second hand parts.

"Companies like bringing their planes to the UK because the regulations here ensure there aren't dubious second-hand parts on the market and we've had quite a few 747s come here recently.

"There was a spate of them over the summer and there are about half a dozen here waiting to be taken apart by the engineering company on site here, although this was the first we've had since the beginning of October."

A banned driver put a number plate from an identical Kawasaki on his motorbike so he could continue to use it on the roads.

The innocent owner of the identical motorcycle ended up receiving penalty notices for speeding and bus lane violations, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Hammad Sakhi, 25, the son of a Leicester solicitor, eventually crashed his motorbike on a city road – and fled leaving it behind.

He then falsely reported to the police that his Kawasaki had earlier been stolen, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Sakhi, of Stoughton Drive South, Oadby, was jailed for 15 months.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of perverting the course of justice, by using false number plates on his own vehicle, between September 14 and October 23, and making a false theft report, on October 25.

Gary Short, prosecuting, said that Sakhi was banned from driving for four years in December 2011, for driving with excess alcohol.

He bought a Kawasaki bike last September and began using it having acquired false plates with the same number as an identical bike he saw advertised for sale.

Sakhi was known to have driven it illegally along bus lanes on 11 occasions, was clocked by an automatic number plate recognition camera and also went through a speed trap, days before he was in an road accident, on October 23.

"The police found the defendant's crashed bike still displaying the false number plates," said Mr Short.

The owner of the identical bike lived in the West Midlands and contacted his local police when he began receiving penalty notices for traffic violations he was alleged to have committed in Leicester – when he had not even been in the city.

When falsely reporting his bike as stolen the defendant claimed the gate at home had been damaged, where the motorbike was kept.

When the police asked Sakhi what his registration number was he said he could not remember it.

Mr Short said: "The police attended his address and found no damage to the gate.

"They found a CCTV system and seized footage from the relevant period when he said it was stolen.

"It didn't show a theft.

"It didn't even show the bike being there."

The defendant had obtained the false plates to enable him to drive whilst disqualified, on a bike that he legitimately owned, the court was told.

Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "You have an appalling record mainly involving driving and ignoring sentences involving disqualification from driving.

"From 2011 there was a period where you appeared to have got your life back on track, avoided further driving offences and complied with the disqualification imposed in December 2011, until such time you applied for the disqualification to be reduced – and you succeeded in one instance but failed in getting another disqualification reduced.

"You chose to buy a motorbike and disguised it so you could drive, you hoped, without being detected.

"It was inevitable you'd be caught.

"You're now paying a heavy price for that behaviour."

Mary Prior, mitigating, said: "What he thought he was thinking of, he can't tell me.

"He's gone to extreme measures to drive when he knows he shouldn't be.

"He brings shame, with this, to his family.

"He's been a complete and utter fool and has lost his job as a result.

"All he can ask for is an element of mercy." 

Leicester City have completed the signing of experienced goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and are hoping to bring in several other targets.

The 42-year-old Australian has finalised his free transfer from Chelsea and has signed an 18-month contract.

City have moved for the former Middlesbrough and Fulham keeper after first-choice keeper Kasper Schmeichel was forced to undergo surgery on a broken metatarsal in his right foot and will remain side-lined for several weeks.

Ben Hamer has stepped in and performed well, but academy graduate Adam Smith was City's only keeping back-up.

"I feel really excited about the challenge," said Schwarzer. "When I first arrived I got a great buzz and feel about the club."

Schwarzer, who is part of an elite goalkeepers' club, alongside Petr Cech and David James, to have kept 150 Premier League clean sheets, is expected to the first of several new arrivals this January as manager Nigel Pearson looks to bolster his squad ahead of their Premier League survival push.

City remain in pole position to sign Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric, with reports the 23-year-old was in Leicester to seal his move from HNK Rijeka.

He was accompanied by HNK assistant sporting director Ivan Mance and is set to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract after City agreed a deal which could potentially be worth in excess of £9million.

City are likely to look to add even further attacking firepower during the window.

Japan international Shinji Okazaki is the latest striker to be linked with City, according to reports.

The 28-year-old is currently playing for Mainz in the German Bundesliga, with whom he has scored 23 times in 49 appearances since joining them in July 2013 from Stuttgart, and reports claim City have put in an offer for Okazaki.

As the Mercury has reported, City have also made moves for Jermain Defoe and are interested in Anderlecht's Aleksandar Mitrovic, although they were scuppered in their bid to lure Danny Ings away from Burnley.

Wigan's Shaun Maloney remains a target, while Tottenham defender Kyle Naughton has also been linked with City.

A major shake-up of education provision is on the cards at one of the county's best performing colleges – and at schools in its catchment area.

Beauchamp College, in Oadby, is now consulting with parents and staff on proposals to change its admission age for pupils from 2016.

The college wants to begin admitting students from the age of 11, instead of 14 as it does at present.

The eight-week consultation coincides with simultaneous consultations, also launched this week, by Gartree High School and Manor High School, who propose to extend their school leaving ages from 14 to 16.

Hugh Howe, executive principal at Beauchamp College, which left local education authority control to become an academy in 2013, said: "The proposal is to become an 11 to 19 college from August 2016.

"This would mean only one transition point for children between th ages of four and 19. This decision has taken a long time but we feel it's the right path to take.

"This will impact on a great number of families. So it's important people are made aware of what will be happening."

The move will bring Oadby schools into line with other parts of the county and the UK, where the high school and upper school system is disappearing.

Supporters of the changes believe moving to a two-tier system will also help improve achievement – and choice for parents.

In a letter to parents and staff, Gartree head teacher Sonia Singleton said: "The governing body feels the time is now right to provide a school which offers continuity of education from 11 to 16, aligned to the structure."

The proposals will mean the two high schools, which both have academy status, teaching pupils through to GCSE level for the first time.

Liam Powell, head teacher at Manor High School, said: "We feel the educational arguments for change at this time are so compelling we should respond with a positive plan."

The proposals will also end a historical anomaly in the Oadby area in which children leave primary school a year earlier than elsewhere, aged 10, to start high school in Year 6.

It would mean primary schools in future having to guide pupils through SATs National Curriculum tests.

Beauchamp is proposing to accept Year 6 pupils for one year only.

County Councillor Simon Galton said: "Many parents are worried about what these changes will mean.

"My big concern is whether the primary schools can be ready in time for next year."

To be implemented, the proposals will have to be agreed by the Secretary of State for Education, and Leicestershire County Council. The consultations close on February 27.

For more information, visit:

www.beauchamp.org.uk

www.gartree.leics.sch.uk

www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk

A man was taken to hospital following a crash involving three cars this morning.

Fire crews were called to Waltham Road, in Branston, just before 8.30am.

Three cars had been involved in a road collision.

A male was trapped in one of the cars.

The fire service released the man, who was then transported to Queens Medical Centre, in Nottingham by road ambulance.

The condition of the patient is not yet known.

New Leicester City signing Mark Schwarzer believes he can play a valuable role in helping the club survive in the Premier League.

The 42-year-old goalkeeper has been snapped up on a free transfer from Chelsea and signed a contract until June 2016 earlier today.

Schwarzer's arrival reunites him with former Middlesbrough team-mate, and current City boss Nigel Pearson, and the Australian international said he was determined to his part.

"The club made an inquiry to Chelsea over a week ago to see if I was available and then I was given permission to speak to them," he told Sky Sports.

"Over the last couple of days everything was agreed and it was pretty straight forward.

"At Chelsea I definitely wasn't going to play unless something major happened.

"I have a lot experience. There are some good goalkeepers as well at Leicester and good competition but the idea is to put some pressure on and hopefully perform well enough to be selected to play.

"It is very obvious that is where they are at the moment but they are a good club and there are talented players at the club, but they probably lack that bit of experience in the Premier League.

"Obviously I have that so hopefully I can bring that and help the boys out.

"The club has really turned the corner in the last couple of games. They have played very well and got some good results.

"I am coming here with lots of optimism and hopefully we can continue that and take it even further."

Schwarzer says he knows exactly what to expect from Pearson and believes he has the fighting spirit City need in their relegation battle.

"I know from way back then, what he was like as a player and what he is like as a person," said Schwarzer.

"He is a fighter all the way. Everyone speaks very highly of him at the club and I knew when he was interested in bringing me to the club what I was letting myself into.

"I am really exciting about the challenge and looking forward to do my best for Leicester City."

Schwarzer is unlikely to be the last of City's January transfer window recruits and he said he thought City needed to bring in some experience.

"If you look at the speculation surrounding the club at the moment there seems to be quite a bit of movement," he added.

"One thing I think they are trying to do, and what they have done with me, is bring in experience.

"They are trying to even up the limited experience they have in the players they have and add a few more experienced players."

After his glittering career, which has seen him play over 500 Premier League games, keeping 150 clean sheets, and having been capped over 100 times by his country, Schwarzer said he is relishing this new challenge

"Sometimes I have to pinch myself but there is also a lot of hard work," he said.

"I enjoy playing and if didn't like playing as much as I did and look after myself like I do then this wouldn't happen.

"I want to continue to play as long as I possibly can and as long as I am good enough to play. I believe I am.

"At the end of the day it is all about performances. I believe given the chance I can perform and help Leicester City."

Pearson said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we've been able to sign a player of Mark's vast experience.

"To have played the number of games he has played at the very top level is outstanding and highlights both his ability and his professionalism.

"I know Mark really well. He has a number of great attributes as a player and brings a huge amount of Premier League know-how to the squad.

"His qualities as a player and as a man will be very valuable for us during the second half of the season and beyond."

City are still locked in talks tonight with Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric finalising details over his £9 million move from HNK Rijeka.

Leicester's hospitals had to declare an "internal major incident" as they fought to cope with hundreds of A&E patients and emergency admissions.

It was the seventh time in the past three months that such a status has been declared at the city's three hospitals, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield and the General.

The status was stepped down at 6pm on Monday.

Declaring a major incident is a sign things are exceptionally busy and that special measures are needed to help the hospitals cope.

The special measures include extra staff being drafted in, other health organisations, including GPs, and social services being called upon to help ease pressure and non-urgent activities being stepped down.

High demand for emergency services means the city's A&E department is continuing to fail to meet its target of 95 per cent of patients being seen within four hours.

Latest figures show that in the week ending December 28, emergency doctors saw 2,206 patients in the infirmary's A&E department. Of those, just over 76 per cent were seen within the Government target of four hours.

That meant 528 people had to wait more than four hours - nearly double the English average of 268.

Leicester West MP Liz Kendall has called on the Government to "get a grip" on improving waiting times in A&E.

Richard Mitchell, chief operating officer at Leicester's hospitals, said: "The current pressures on Leicester's A&E are unprecedented for this time of year.

"It is likely that these pressures will only increase from now until March."

He added: "I would like to re-iterate the importance of people making sure they choose they right NHS service when they are feeling unwell."

One of the problems affecting Leicester's hospitals is a lack of beds at community hospitals and places at nursing and care homes. This means many patients are having to say in hospital longer than necessary, which in turn means some patients who need to be admitted have to wait for a bed.

At the end of December, for example, there were 120 patients who could not be discharged because of a lack of beds elsewhere.

Latest figures show that on Monday, 303 people were discharged - but there were still 61 patients who could not be moved because there was no suitable care available in the community.

In a report to be considered by directors at Leicester's hospitals on Thursday, Mr Mitchell said: "Attendance, admissions and acuity remain high at the infirmary emergency department and the clinical decisions unit at Glenfield Hospital, which is now receiving higher medical takes than ever before."

He added: "Performance will only consistently improve when more patients are discharged than before and, most importantly, we need to see a change in the ratio of discharges to admissions.

"Despite 11 per cent more patients being discharged year to date compared to last year the benefit of this has been completely offset by increasing admissions."

Ms Kendall, Shadow Minister for care and older people laid the blame at the door of Government.

She said: "Accident and emergency departments now have the worst waiting times in a decade.

"Last month alone, 2,500 patients in Leicester were made to wait more than four hours before they were seen.

"This just isn't good enough and the Government needs to get a grip."

Ms Kendall, named by the Health Service Journal as the 43rd person out of 100 with greatest influence on national health policy and the NHS, added: "My constituents need a proper long term plan to get the NHS back on track."

A pet dog was found abandoned at a railway station along with a suitcase full of his belongings.

An animal charity is now attempting to trace the owner of the dog, who was discovered, tied to a railing outside Ayr station, in Scotland on January 2.

The suitcase included the dog's pillow, toy, food bowl and food.

The male Shar-Pei cross-bread is now being looked after by animal welfare experts until they find his owner.

Inspector Stewart Taylor said, "The dog is micro-chipped and we were able to find out his name is Kai."

Mr Taylor said that they had contacted the owner registered to the micro-chip, who stated they had sold Kai in 2013 and did not know the details of his new owner.

"This case highlights the potential consequences of selling an animal online as it often leads to the impulse buying of pets that people know very little about," added Mr Taylor.

"Regardless of the fact Kai was left with his belongings, this was still a cruel incident and we are keen to identify the person responsible. If anyone can help we would ask them to get in touch as soon as possible.

"Kai is around two to three years old and is a lovely dog with a nice nature. We will look after him until we can find him a permanent and loving home."

Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

A Leicestershire businessman has admitted his part in a £50 million property investment scam.

Richard Aston Clay, 50, pleaded guilty to three fraud charges relating to the creation and marketing of unregulated finance schemes for investors.

The offence was uncovered after a joint investigation by Nottinghamshire Police and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Clay, of Station Road in Bottesford, was a former partner of Arck LLP, a Nottingham firm that created and marketed property investment financial products.

Clay will be sentenced in February at Southwark Crown Court with business partner Kathryn Clark, 52, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Clark, of Village Street in Edwalton, Nottinghamshire, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and two of forgery.

Jane de Lozey, joint head of fraud at the SFO, said: "This was a complex and thorough investigation involving financial products which appeared innovative but were in fact part of an elaborate scam. It is another example of the misuse of pension monies and highlights the vulnerability of investors to these types of frauds."

The SFO and Nottinghamshire Police, assisted by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, had worked jointly on this investigation since 2012. 

A reveller who attacked a doorman with a wheel brace after being refused entry to a city centre club has been given a suspended jail sentence.

James Fixter charged at the bouncer aiming for his head, but the victim parried the blow with his forearm.

As he tried to deliver a second blow other doormen intervened and wrestled him to the ground to detain him until the police arrived.

The incident happened outside Mosh nightclub, St Nicholas Place, on September 16.

Fixter, 22, an engineer, of Sunningdale Court, Carlton Avenue, Narborough, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and common assault upon the doorman.

He was given a nine month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 100 hours of unpaid work, and placed on a three month curfew, between 8pm and 6am.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said Fixter "who had clearly had some alcohol," took umbrage at being refused entry to the club's student night, because he was not a student.

He left the scene, but returned shortly afterwards armed with a wheel brace.

Mr Murphy said: "The doorman suffered pain to his arm, but had no visible injury, and was shocked by the incident."

CCTV footage of the assault was played at Leicester Crown Court.

Sentencing, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: "You're lucky you didn't succeed in injuring that man properly.

"You could have caused him serious injury, you could have killed him.

"For a man of your intelligence and background it's a pathetic way to behave.

"You're young enough to go and do something constructive with your life – go and do that."

Helen Johnson, mitigating, said: "He went out with friends who drove into town and there was some difficulty with a tyre, which is why the wheel brace had been left in the passenger foot well.

"There was an argument at the club because, he says, his friend was not allowed in.

"It happened during a momentary loss of control when the red mist came down.

"He's a young man from a good family and his father and girlfriend are in court."

She said he had attained nine GCSE's and other qualifications and had his own business as an engineer.

"He understands he behaved in a foolish way," said Miss Johnson.

Conservative-run Leicestershire County Council has admitted it may not now press ahead with it plans for a mining heritage museum in Coalville if it shuts Snibston Discovery Park.

County Hall had said it intended to save cash by closing Snibston and replacing it with a smaller scale, cheaper to run mining attraction based on the old colliery site.

Now however it says these plan will be reviewed after the Government's comprehensive spending review, later this year, once the impact on council funding is known.

County Hall says it will costs £900,000 a year to run Snibston - an unaffordable sum at a time of Government finance cuts.

The mining museum proposed would cost £320,000 annually but even that may not open now.

Council leader Nick Rushton declined to answer any questions about Snibston but, in a statement, said: "We can't afford to spend £900,000 per year on Snibston, when the council has to save £120 million."

He added: "When we are face with horrendous cuts to adult social care and our children's budgets keeping Snibston as it is simply isn't an option."

The council has dismissed a business plan drawn up by the Friends of Snibston campaign group to run Snibston through and independent charitable trust.

Cabinet member for museums councillor Richard Blunt said: "We're not alone in facing this issue – many other councils, including Derby, are having to cut museum funding, in order to protect statutory services.

"We've given the Friends ample time and information to develop their proposals over the last year.

"I'm disappointed that they have not set up the trust they say will run the museum and an independent assessor says their plans are not financially viable.

"I'm concerned that, if we backed the Friends' current plans, we would be left with considerable costs and liabilities, which could lead to cuts to other services."

Friends group chairman Brian Vollar said: "In the short term we will appeal to county councillors because we feel these decisions are actually being made by highly paid unelected council officials rather than councillors.

"Now it appears there is doubt over the replacement mining museum so we could end up with no attraction there at all."

He said if the council's cabinet approved the closure when it meets on Wednesday, there was still the possibility of a legal challenge through a judicial review."

Under the plan parts of the Snibston site would be cleared and sold for redevelopment.

Labour parliamentary candidate for North West Leicestershire Jamie McMahon said: "The campaign to save Snibston has been loud and clear. People right across Leicestershire want Snibston saved.

"Saving Snibston is not only what people want but it's also vital for the local economy.

"Snibston brings over £4 million into the Coalville economy every year yet the council claims closing it will have no significant impact on the social, economic or environmental well-being of the county area.

"I do not think there is anyone living in Coalville believes that to be true."

Labour's Coalville county councillor Terri Eynon said: "The Tories at County Hall have been consistent in their determination to continue with plans to close Snibston Discovery Museum.

""The council is hiding the weakness of their own plans behind a pile of papers attacking the alternative."

The Co-op has announced that its Leicester Haymarket supermarket will shut on February 14.

Less than a month ago, the Mercury heard rumours the store could close, but the company's headquarters in Manchester denied it at the time.

However, this week the announcement was made that the store in the Haymarket shopping centre would close with the loss of seven full-time and 41 part-time staff.

A spokeswoman for the Co-op said: "We will be surrendering the lease on our store when it expires next month.

"It will, therefore, close as a Co-operative food store on Saturday February 14.

"Staff at the store have been informed of the decision, which has been taken with the greatest reluctance and is not, in any way, a reflection on the commitment and hard work of the store team.

"Every effort is being made to redeploy as many as possible of the staff with The Co-operative, or to help them find alternative employment."

The news was expected by some shoppers yesterday but came as a surprise to others.

Bea Harris, 68, who lives in the Tudour Road area of Leicester, said: "I had expected it to close - it's so expensive.

"I don't think I'll miss it. There's Iceland over the road and the market that are much cheaper.

"I just went into the Co-op to get a box of tissues and they were £3 so I'm going to Poundland instead."

A 50-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, said: "It's a shame. I use it a lot because it has good bargains and a good selection compared to Tesco. I shop here a lot.

"A lot of things are closing in the Haymarket and it's going down and down.

"Luckily I've got another Co-op near me that I can use and that one's staying open, touch wood."

Stephen Murphy, 61, of Braunstone, said: "I only went in today to check the lottery results. I stopped shopping here 'cause it was too dear."

Pavan Hundal, who works at the Pixie clothes shop in the centre, said: "I'm really surprised it's going. I think there will be less people coming into the centre because many of them come for food.

"It's going to be bad to lose it and I'm going to miss their meal deals on sandwiches myself."

An employee of Jeans & Jeans, next door, said: "The Co-op brings a lot of people to the Haymarket, particularly old people who don't want to walk far.

"They can get off their bus and come into the centre, sit on the benches and chat with their friends and then pick up their shopping and go home.

"It will be bad for them because there's nowhere else so close to a bus station - some may stop coming into the city when it shuts.

"But it's also bad for the other businesses here.

"The footfall is going to go down it's going to leave a big hole." 

Thieves ransacked the home of a Baptist minister and his wife while they were taking a few days off after a very busy Christmas.

The Rev Bob and Angela Almond returned to Kirby Muxloe on Tuesday afternoon to find the downstairs flooded and every room in the house overturned.

But the couple said the only things of value taken were a silver long service award awarded to Mrs Almond's late father and a gold locket from her grandfather's watch chain.

Mr Almond said: "We had taken a few days off after a busy Christmas and we discovered the break-in when we returned yesterday afternoon. It looks as if they broke in through the back door.

"It seems they also went through every room in The Manse and went upstairs into the bedroom looking for cash and jewellery."

The couple are set to move to a new church near Bournemouth next month and much of their belongings had been packed into boxes.

He said: "They spent a lot of time unpacking everything. They also blocked the kitchen sink and flooded the downstairs."

He said: "There was very little to take – just a few treasured items of sentimental value. Among them was a silver Boys' Brigade Medal, from the 1930s, belonging to Angela's late father Stanley Hall presented for 30 years' service to the organisation. A gold hexagonal locket from her grandfather's watch chain was also taken.

"We would urge anyone who comes across them to contact the police."

Mr Almond has spent almost 20 years as minister of Kirby Muxloe Free Church and the couple are preparing to move to Dorset at the end of this month.

It is the third time

He said: "It has been a busy and fruitful time, with the church becoming more involved in the local community. However, the departure has been marred by the burglary and we hope the items they can be recovered before they move south."

The couple have been thankful for the support they have received from their neighbours.

He said: "We have had people coming in helping to clear up and repack our belongings. I would also like to thank the police for their response to the incident."

A police spokeswoman said: "The break-in took place some time between December 25 and January 6.

"We would urge anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Barns Close area during that time to contact the investigating officer Detective Constable Christopher Coates on 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Parents have expressed concern that Sixth Form places at one of the county's best performing colleges will no longer be available to their children if proposals to broaden the admission age range are agreed.

Beauchamp College, in Oadby, currently has an A'Level pass rate of just under 90 per cent in grades A* to C, and is rated "outstanding" by education watchdog Ofsted.

But worries have surfaced with the launch of a consultation on proposals to become an 11 to 19 college, from August 2016, admitting pupils three years earlier.

If agreed, the academy has said it will maintain overall student numbers, which currently stand at 1,734.

Principal Hugh Howe, in the consultation document, said: "The plan is to keep the number of pupils the same, but over time to rework the year groups so that they are of an equal size.

"It is proposed that by 2020 all year groups (7 -11) will consist of 300 pupils."

But parents such as Andrew Blain, professor of observational astronomy at the University of Leicester, are concerned by the prospect.

He said: "I'm an Oadby resident who, as many others, moved there for the schools.

"The proposed changes will remove about 40 per cent of sixth form places that Beauchamp College currently provides, predominantly for Oadby residents.

"As Beauchamp is the star in Leicestershire's education system, this change will be to the great detriment of many local residents, who will have to seek private schooling or less-august state provision."

The eight-week consultation coincides with simultaneous exercises by Gartree High and Manor High academies, both in Oadby, which propose to extend their school leaving ages from 14 to 16.

Supporters of the changes believe moving to a two-tier primary/ secondary system will help drive up standards and improve choice for parents.

However, it will mean changes to catchment areas, admission priorities and entitlement to free school transport.

Prof Blain said: "My children, aged eight and 10 in Year groups 4 and 5 at Brocks Hill Primary School, are right in the firing line for the changes.

"So I've paid attention to this sudden rash of consultation papers.

"However, this week's proposals are inconsistent, appear very rushed, are full of education jargon but lacking in content, and the motivation for them is not clear."

He added: "Moreover, there is no clear route to Beauchamp's excellent sixth form for pupils who become enrolled in the now-proposing-to-be 11 to 16 Gartree and Manor schools.

"Reducing the number of transitions may be excellent news for those pupils who get to sixth form, but not for the rest."

"My understanding is that Beauchamp must have been forced into this move by the middle schools, and that the proposed changes will entail massive and entirely unnecessary disruption."

Manor High School headteacher Liam Powell, said: "Parents can be reassured that there will still be a broad range of sixth form options and choices available to their children."

Kath Kelly, headteacher at Beauchamp, told the Mercury that Manor High School was the driving force behind the changes, forcing the other schools to react.

"We have had to adapt to protect our interests and those of our pupils," she said.

"However, it does bring with it some potentially very exciting opportunities, particularly a new learning partnership with primary schools which is highly innovative and we believe will dramatically improve pupils' learning and educational development."

Mr Powell said: "I can't really comment.

"What I can say is that at Manor High we will do what's best for our children in providing a quality education."

The proposals, if adopted, must be approved by the Secretary of State for Education, and Leicestershire County Council. The consultations close on February 27.

www.beauchamp.org.uk

www.gartree.leics.sch.uk

www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk

Five people have been treated in the isolation unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary after concerns they might have the deadly ebola virus, it has been revealed.

Dr Martin Wiselka, an infectious diseases consultant at Leicester's hospitals, said: "They were treated on the isolation unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"In most instances ebola didn't seem a risk factor but it is better to be safe than sorry.

"There was really only one case which was given serious consideration as the person had returned directly from Sierra Leone and have a high fever.

"However, it turned out to be something else."

He added: "The patients were generally here for a day or two. We can test for and get the results for ebola within 24 hours.

"It is a pretty good system."

Dr Wiselka also spoke of how the next few days are likely to be critical for the British nurse being treated for ebola after returning from Sierra Leone.

He said reports that Pauline Cafferkey, who is being treated at London's Royal Free Hospital, was "critical, but stable" was "slightly better news."

However, he warned that it is still early days in her battle against the deadly virus.

Dr Wiselka said: "With a virus like this you get worse over a period and then reach a plateau.

"Hopefully Pauline is reaching this but it is still early days."

He added: "When you get a virus your body will eventually produce antibodies but it need at least a week or two, maybe longer.

"The longer you are able to keep a patient going the more chance you give for them to do this.

"You have to try and support them to stop any organs that may be failing.

"This usually includes intravenous fluids, maintaining blood pressure and making sure the patient has enough oxygen.

"You do all you can to buy time for the patient."

It has also been reported that Ms Cafferkey, who travelled home to Scotland via Casablanca, Morocco and Heathrow Airport in London, has received blood plasma from the nurse William Pooley, who successfully recovered from Eeola after treatment at the Royal Free Hospital.

Dr Wiselka said: "Mr Pooley has already produced the antibodies and the idea is that his blood plasma will contain them and that this helps to neutralise and knock out the virus.

"The number of antibodies won't be huge but it is all part of buying time for the patient."

Dr Wiselka said it was still not known how Ms Cafferkey had contracted the disease.

He added: "Possibilities are that the protective equipment failed in some way or wasn't sealed properly or that she had been in contact with someone outside the hospital where she was working who was brewing up ebola."

A public consultation into proposed cuts by the county's fire authority has ended.

Leicestershire Fire Service is planning to save £7.5 million over the next five years and must make the savings by scaling back its services.

The cuts, which have been described as "savage" by the Fire Brigades' Union, include reducing the size of crews, cutting the number of fire engines and increasing its council tax precept.

A public consultation, asking people which measures they would prefer to see implemented, ended on New Year's Eve.

Now, fire service is collecting the data and said it would be releasing the results once they have been processed.

But Leicestershire FBU chairman Graham Vaux said that the proposals had been "rushed" and called on the fire authority to scrap them and start again.

He said that just 500 people (0.05 per cent of the Leicestershire population) had responded to the online consultation.

He said: "That is a tiny proportion of the whole of Leicestershire and not a fair representation.

"It shows that the proposals haven't been communicated well enough and managers have not thought them out.

"What we need now is for the fire authority to admit mistakes have been made and go back to the drawing board with their proposals."

The fire service said that the number of call outs had dramatically reduced in the last five years which meant it could operate safely on a reduced number of engines and staff.

However, Mr Vaux said this was only half the truth, and a Freedom of Information request had shown that although call outs had gone down, the number of rescues had in fact increased.

"They're talking about reductions in calls in Loughborough, Rutland Oakham, but they're not saying is that the number rescues has gone up," said Mr Vaux. "The fact that we're carrying out more rescues shows that these proposals can't be achieved safely."

The next stage is for the fire authority to publish the results of the consultation and publish the results.

It will then decide which of the cuts - if any - it will implement.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "All submissions and responses to the consultation are now in the process of being counted and logged.

"Once these have been processed we will begin to analyse the data which will then be written up in a summary document."

He said that data from eight other forums - which also asked people for their thoughts on the cuts - was also being considered and is the subject of a report by the Opinion Research Services (ORS).

He said: "Both reports on the summary of findings will be presented to Combined Fire Authority, in February, to assist them to make decisions on the proposals.

"As soon as we are able to publish the consultation outcomes, we will do so via the usual channels including our social media platforms."

The A14 westbound will be closed over night on Friday between the Market Harborough turn and the Catthorpe interchange at junction 19 of the M1.

The closure is needed to allow the traffic management to be changed for the construction of the direct M6 to A14 link road which will run under the M1.

Ivan Marriott, Highways Agency Project Manager, said:

"Work has been progressing smoothly to create a new direct link underneath the M1 at Catthorpe.

"These closures are necessary to allow our engineers to safely construct the new link road. We are undertaking this work overnight to minimise disruption to road users, but drivers should plan their journeys and allow extra time while construction takes place."

The closure will take place between 9pm and 8am.

The A14 westbound will be closed between junction 2 at Kelmarsh and the Catthorpe junction.

Westbound traffic will be diverted south onto the A45 at junction 13, before joining the M1 at Junction 15 and heading north towards M1 Junction 19.

Traffic heading west from Kettering will be diverted south onto the A43 towards M1 Junction 15 before heading north on the M1. All diversions will be clearly signposted.

He added:"We would like to thank road users for their continued patience while we deliver this important junction improvement. "Once completed, the scheme will help boost the local economy and drivers can expect improved journey times around this busy junction."

Further information about the project is available on the schemes pages on the Highways Agency's website: http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/M1-Junction-19-Improvement-Scheme 

Three new Earth-like worlds have been discovered by Nasa's planet-hunting space telescope Kepler.

Kepler-438b, Kepler-442b and Kepler-440b all obit their respective stars' habitable zones – the distance at which liquid water can exist, which is essential for life to flourish.

Of the three, two (Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b) are also made of rock, like Earth.

The latest additions make up a haul of 1,000 new verified planets, all recently discovered by Nasa – bringing the total number of known exo-worlds to 4,000.

John Grunsfeld, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate said: "Each result from the planet-hunting Kepler mission's treasure trove of data takes us another step closer to answering the question of whether we are alone in the Universe.

"The Kepler team and its science community continue to produce impressive results with the data from this venerable explorer."

To determine whether a planet is made of rock, water or gas, scientists must know its size and mass. When its mass can't be directly determined, scientists can infer what the planet is made of based on its size.

Two of the newly validated planets, Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b, are less than 1.5 times the diameter of Earth. Kepler-438b, 475 light-years away, is 12 percent bigger than Earth and orbits its star once every 35.2 days. Kepler-442b, 1,100 light-years away, is 33 percent bigger than Earth and orbits its star once every 112 days.

Both Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b orbit stars smaller and cooler than our sun, making the habitable zone closer to their parent star, in the direction of the constellation Lyra. The research paper reporting this finding has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.

"With each new discovery of these small, possibly rocky worlds, our confidence strengthens in the determination of the true frequency of planets like Earth," said co-author Doug Caldwell, SETI Institute Kepler scientist at Nasa's Ames Research Centere at Moffett Field, California. "The day is on the horizon when we'll know how common temperate, rocky planets like Earth are."