Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival Preview Show

De Montfort Hall, Leicester

Review by Gemma Collins

As audiences go, I'm not too sure host Alan Davies was impressed with us – to start with.

I think, when someone of his helix-haired stature elicits a response, he expects to receive one. And the lack of retort was, quite frankly, uncomfortable.

Not that the silence lasted long.

With his relative tales of fatherhood and a natural giddiness, he soon thawed the De Montfort Hall, leading us through a torrent of 'tasters' from the forthcoming comedy festival.

First up was Andrew Ryan who took his order in the running like a man. He was genuinely funny - he deserved more laughs - and was spot on with his story about phone security and the bank.

Having earned her place on stage, Kate Lucas – the reigning Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year – amused us with songs about not liking her baby, an arguing couple and the despicable act of leaving crumbs in the butter. Don't mess with Kate. She's spunky; deliciously distasteful, and already has her comic timing down to a tee.

But thank goodness for Jarred Christmas. He socked it to us, leaving little room for resistance.

If we were hoping for cleverly crafted tales about months of the year and Monopoly; bang – we got it. The applause was rapturous.

Riding high on the rousing atmosphere of the first half and our anticipation of the second, Canadian Bobby Mair didn't disappoint. He kept doing that stand back and smile at his own jokes thing, and was amusingly awkward – like he needed the toilet. And his legacy was possibly the best line of the night. "Stop touching me (kids), you're violating my parole."

Tim Renkow makes people uncomfortable. He knows. He does it on purpose. Tim has severe cerebral palsy and a wickedly dark sense of humour. Perhaps the most interesting act of the night, I want to see more of Tim.

Another 'not to be missed' this festival is US export, Alex Edelman. He was named Foster's Best Newcomer in Edinburgh and owned the stage in Leicester tonight. Perhaps it's the confidence of youth. But it seems more likely he's a natural.

Bringing the evening to a close was the brilliant Sara Pascoe. She can't bear it when people pronounce her name wrong. "It sounds like it's gone off. Like it's curdled," she quipped.

Sara was boundless with her banter - a wry, whimsical stream of observation and original thought.

It was just a shame it had to end. But it did. How else could we be teased into funny February? 

Fans visiting the King Power stadium today for Leicester's clash with Aston Villa will be stopped and searched by police.

The powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 have been approved by Assistant Chief Constable Phil Kay between 8am and 8pm in Leicester and Leicestershire.

This enables officers to search for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments, to prevent incidents of serious violence.

In August last year, Leicestershire Police signed up to the Government's Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme.

The voluntary scheme aims to achieve greater transparency and community involvement in the use of stop and search powers.

The scheme also encourages forces to tell people when there is a Section 60 authorisation in advance of the powers being used.

East Midlands Trains are warning passengers of major disruptions between Leicester and St Pancras.

The rail company has advised passengers not to travel unless it is "absolutely necessary" after overhead wire problems between St Albans and Luton Airport Parkway.

The following changes will apply until the end of service:

• No trains will run between Luton Airport Parkway and St Albans.

• A shuttle train service will run between Bedford and Luton.

• Buses will run between Luton and St Albans

• Buses will run between Wellingborough and Milton Keynes Central (to connect with Virgin Trains services to / from London)

• Some services between Sheffield / Nottingham and London St Pancras International will run between Sheffield / Nottingham and Luton or Bedford only.

For live updates, visit the East Midlands Trains website, at: www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk

The wife of a man who it is claimed recruited one of the Paris terror attacks gunmen lives in Leicester, it has emerged.

Sylvie Beghal, a French citizen living in Spinney Hills, Leicester, is the wife of convicted terrorist Djamel Beghal.

The couple also used to live in the Abbey Lane area of the city between 1998 and 2000.

The Telegraph has reported that it is understood Beghal met Paris shooter Cherif Kouachi in jail in 2008 where they became friends and remained close after being released.

Cherif Kouachi and his brother Said carried out the massacre at the Paris office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday.

They were killed during a stand-off north of Paris on Friday.

The Telegraph has also reported that Amedy Coulibaly and his girlfriend, Hayat Boumeddiene, suspected of murdering a policewoman and the Jewish grocery store hostage-taking, were also mentored by Beghal.

Hayat Boumeddiene (left), and gunman Amedy Coulibaly

The Mercury visited Mrs Beghal's address earlier today, but no one was home.

The Telegraph has reported that Mrs Beghal said she did not know Chérif Kouachi, and claimed her husband had "nothing to do" with the Paris killings.

The supermarket shootout on Friday which resulted in the deaths of four hostages

The newspaper has also said Mrs Beghal is living in the city on benefits.

Her husband Djamel Beghal is also believed to have set up terror cells in the Midlands, as well as in Germany, France and Spain, and had strong links to both Abu Hamza, the radical Muslim cleric who today jailed in the US for supporting terrorism and Abu Qatada, who was once described as Osama bin Laden's emissary in Europe.

It is also being reported that Djamel recruited the shoe bomber Richard Reid and Zacarias Moussaoui, the "20th hijacker" in the 9/11 attacks.

In 2003, Beghal was given a maximum 10 years by a Parisian court for leading a 2001 plan to send a suicide bomber into American embassy in Paris.

He is reported to be currently in prison in France.

Mrs Beghal, who was born in Afghanistan, moved to France in 1987 and married Djamel in 1990.

Seven years later they moved to Leicester.

They lived in Rose Street, near Abbey Lane, Leicester.

After briefly moving back to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in 2000, she returned to Leicester.

Mourners showing solidarity with the slogan Je Suis Charlie (I am Charlie)

Speaking in 2011 to a magazine, she said: "I wanted to educate my children surrounded by Muslim brothers and sisters.

"I wanted them to live in an Islamic environment. It is not possible in France since we cannot really live in a community.

"Most of all, I was asked to remove my headscarf to work. For me, it was unimaginable."

She has always denied the allegations that her husband was involved in terrorism despite him confessing to authorities that he was conspiring to destroy the US embassy in Paris.

In 2011, she was stopped by police after arriving at East Midlands Airport from Paris. She was detained under the Terrorism Act but refused to answer questions about her movements, and later lost a human rights case over her detention.

Two people had to be freed by firefighters after a two-car crash on the A606, near Langham, today.

The collision happened at about 1pm a mile north of Langham.

One car left the carriageway as a result of the collision.

Firefighters from the county's technical rescue unit helped rescue the two people from their vehicles.

The road remained closed at 4pm while recovery work was underway.

No further details about the people's injuries have been released.

Two people died on the same stretch of road in a crash on Christmas Day.

Mark Price, from Rothley, and Lynda Anne Wade, from Melton, died following the collision shortly before 9am on Thursday, December 25.

Police have arrested at least three football fans after a pub brawl in Leicester city centre.

Officers were called to the Richard III pub, in Highcross Street, at about 3.30pm.

It is understood that an ashtray was thrown at a group of football supporters by a second group of men.

A fight then erupted and police were called to the scene.

Officers were able to calm the situation before making the arrests.

Eyewitness Ruth Holland, 51, from Narborough, was driving past at the time and said a traffic cone missed her car by inches.

She said: "I was going into the Highcross car park and saw them all out in the road.

"Then one of them threw a cone and just missed my car.

"It all happened so quickly I didn't really know what was going on."

Nearby businesses also got a shock as the violence erupted.

Jamie MacKay, assistant manager at nearby salon Danique, said: "At first I thought they were just messing around but it started to get a bit heated.

"Then they started shouting and fighting in the street."

A spokeswoman for the police confirmed that officers were called to the scene and that "at least three people have been arrested".

Leicestershire Police's football command twitter account tweeted this afternoon that five Aston Villa fans had been "arrested for fighting in Leicester City Centre"

Police have not released any further information about the incident this afternoon.

Leicester City beat Villa 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Did you witness what happened? Call our newsdesk on 0116 2224240 or e-mail newsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk

Paul Konchesky's first-half goal earned Leicester City a crucial 1-0 victory over Aston Villa that moves Nigel Pearson's men to just two points off Premier League safety.

The full-back, who was sent off when these two sides met earlier this season, fired in a left-footed strike in first-half stoppage time to give City a deserved victory.

Both sides ended the game with 10 men after City midfielder Matty James was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Jores Okore in injury time while Ciaran Clark was shown a second yellow for his reaction to the challenge.

Pearson's side should have put the game to bed much earlier with David Nugent missing two glorious chances from close-range before rattling the bar from distance.

Villa keeper Brad Guzan kept his side in the game during the second half making a couple of fine saves to deny Marc Albrighton and James.

But City held on and, while they remain bottom of the table, sit two points off safety as just five points separate the bottom nine clubs.

Pearson made four changes from the side that picked up a 1-0 victory over Newcastle in the FA Cup, including Marc Albrighton who started against the club he joined at the age of eight.

City's new signing Andrej Kramaric, joined from HNK Rijeka for around £10m subject to a work permit, was watching the game from the stands.

The striker, who has scored 28 goals in 24 games this season, will surely have been thinking what might have been when he saw Nugent poke the ball wide, at full stretch, from just six yards out after Albrighton had played him in.

But if that miss had looked bad to the onlooking Croatian, it was nothing compared to the second. The impressive Anthony Knockaert dinked a ball to the back post, where Nugent somehow put his header wide from two yards out.

Villa, who looked toothless all game, did get the ball in the net when Christian Benteke rounded Ben Hamer and slotted home only to be denied by the tight offside flag.

That would prove to be Benteke's sole contribution as the Belgian struggled to have any sort of impact.

Nugent was denied once again, although this time he did not have himself to blame, when his excellent volley dipped over the sprawling Guzan but thundered off the crossbar. Leonardo Ulloa headed the rebound over from close range.

City thought they should have had a penalty when Dean Hammond was brought down by Alan Hutton inside the area but referee Michael Oliver waved away the protests.

But, eventually, the pressure tolled as Ulloa laid the ball out to the edge of the area to Konchesky, who rifled a first-time shot in off the post.

City continued to create chances after the break but, once again, failed to take them as Guzan pulled off a couple of spectacular saves.

The first denied James whose thunderous header, from Albrighton's cross, looked destined for the roof of the net.

It was then Albrighton, Guzan's former team-mate, who was left frustrated as the winger's right-footed striker was beaten away by the keeper.

If City thought they should have had a penalty in the first half, they were convinced of it when Ulloa was bundled over by Ashley Westwood. Again, Oliver said no.

Villa's best chance of levelling fell to former City loanee Tom Cleverley at the back post, as a corner creeped through, but he fired well over.

City substitute Tom Lawrence and Villa's Aly Cissokho both fired over from 10 yards as chances came and went.

With just seconds left of injury time, James went in two-footed on Okore, leaving the defender in agony on the floor.

James was then knocked to the ground by Clark, already on a booking, and the two grappled with each other in the centre circle prompting a mass scuffle between most of the players on the pitch.

The City midfielder was shown a straight red, Clark a second yellow, and the disagreements continued as the players headed down the tunnel with both dugouts engulfed in a mass tussle.

But City kept their composure to register their third win in four games in all competitions moving to just two points from safety, and keeping alive their hopes of pulling off their own Great Escape.

Teams:

Leicester City: (4-4-2) Hamer, Simpson, Morgan (c), Wasilewski, Konchesky, Knockaert, James, Hammond (King - 75'), Albrighton (Lawrence - 72'), Nugent, Ulloa (Vardy - 72')

Unused subs: Schwarzer, De Laet, Moore, Wood

Goals: Konchesky

Yellow cards: Hammond

Red cards: James

Aston Villa: (4-3-3) Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho (N'Zogbia - 89'), Cleverley, Cole (Weimann - 72'), Westwood, Sanchez (Richardson - 76'), Benteke, Agbonlahor (c)

Unused subs: Given, Bacuna, Lowton, Baker

Yellow cards: Okore, Clark

Red cards: Clark

Referee: Michael Oliver

Attendance: 31,728

Harlequins 32 Leicester Tigers 12

A Harlequins try in the final seconds summed up Leicester Tigers' performance at The Stoop as they slumped to a 32-12 defeat to the hosts.

The visitors started strongly in the opening 20 minutes and led 9-3 thanks to the boot of Owen Williams.

Yet as Quins grew in confidence following an opening try from Danny Care, Leicester's play went downhill with poor ball control and discipline contributing to their downfall.

Harlequins were desperate for a win to reignite their season and they played that way, stifling Leicester at every opportunity in defence and playing with pace and precision in attack – something the Tigers were sadly lacking.

Scores from Jack Clifford and Marland Yarde put the game out of reach and then, with time expired, Tim Swiel's try sent The Stoop into raptures.

Tigers started very brightly and carried the game to Harlequins in the opening quarter.

Fresh from signing a new contract, fly-half Owen Williams kicked three from three off the tee to give the visitors a 9-3 lead.

With a number of half breaks thrown into the mix, Leicester just couldn't find the final pass to get over the line.

Quins began to get some possession though and when Danny Care darted over on 22 minutes for the first try of the contest, they were right back into it.

Leicester came right back and a Williams break put Graham Kitchener through. The big lock needed a support runner that wasn't there though and Quins cleared their lines.

Mat Tait, outstanding throughout, was next to break through the home side's defence but Tigers lost the ball amidst a flurry of offloads.

The game was very open now and Quins has gained plenty of confidence from their try. That confidence led them to a second try just before the break. Care's tap-and-go ended with flanker Jack Clifford going over. Botica missed the extras but Quins led 15-9 at the half.

Tigers needed to score first in the second half but it was the home side who made the early running.

Their first attack ended with a knock-on after they had caught the kick-off but their second attack resulted in a third try.

Williams mis-hit a clearance kick straight to Marland Yarde and he ran straight through the Leicester defence from 40 metres out without a finger being laid on him. It was criminal defending from the visitors and Botica's conversion seemed to have killed the game dead at 25-9.

Williams pulled three points back to 25-12 and Leicester enjoyed some possession and territory as they chased a comeback try.

Despite dominating possession though, Tigers either shot themselves in the foot with poor ball control or got pinged by referee Luke Pearce who absolutely hammered them on the floor at the breakdown.

Tigers huffed and puffed, amidst a flurry of substitutes, in the final 15 minutes and almost totally dominated possession. But they were muted in attack as the hosts defended resolutely.

Knock-ons and poor discipline at the breakdown ended any hope of momentum and Quins had little problem holding on to their lead for a crucial win.

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson believes his side were deserved victors as they secured their second win in three Premier League games at home to Aston Villa.

Paul Konchesky grabbed the winner, firing in his first goal of the season just before half-time, as City move to just two points adrift of safety.

City should have had the game wrapped up by half-time but David Nugent missed two great chances from close-range as well as seeing his dipping volley rattle off the crossbar.

Villa keeper Brad Guzan kept his side in the game in the second half, making some crucial saves to deny Marc Albrighton and Matty James but the visitors never really caused City many problems.

"Three points is the outcome and we're happy with that," said Pearson. "That's the most important thing today.

"In both halves we quite easily created the better chances and so it is three points that are very welcome and also deserved as well.

"The only goals we've conceded in four games are penalties and that shows how well the side are functioning."

City could have been awarded a penalty of their own in both halves when Alan Hutton brought down Dean Hammond, before Leonardo Ulloa was bundled over by Ashley Westwood.

"We felt we could have two penalties – but I won't expand on that," said Pearson. "We've not had a penalty since Manchester United."

Pearson also refused to comment on the incident at the end of the game which saw both James and Villa defender Ciaran Clark sent off.

James was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Jores Okore while Clark received a second yellow for his reaction, wrestling with the City midfielder, which prompted a mass scuffle.

The disagreements between James and the Villa bench continued as he headed down the tunnel.

"I will wait to see what's in the report before I make any further comments," said Pearson.

Dean Hammond limped off in the second half, having only made his comeback from a calf injury in today's game, but Pearson says he hoped it was just cramp.

Pearson was also pleased with the performance of former Villa winger Marc Albrighton and Anthony Knockaert, as they came into the side in place of the injured Jeff Schlupp and Riyad Mahrez, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

"I was pleased with their contribution today," said Pearson. "They were themselves. You can't compare them to the players they are coming in for. Both of them bring something slightly different."

City's new £10million signing Andrej Kramaric was sat in the stands watching his new club as he waits on a decision over his work permit before completing his move.

"We need to get over the line with that deal so it is not prudent to talk too much about that," said Pearson. "He's a young man who we have followed for a long time. It's not a rabbit out of a hat. He will add a lot to what we already have."

A big hearted bare knuckle boxer is to donate his purse from his next contest to charity in memory of a man who died only yards from his home.

Twenty stone Stevan Cyril Miller is going to hand over up to £1,500 to the Salvation Army after reading about the plight of homeless man Mick Gillespie who was found dead in an alleyway in Hinckley.

Stevan, who is currently in Australia, is set to take on Cumbrian bare knuckle boxer Decca Heggie in a contest at the Eyres Monsell Workingmen's Club on January 31.

Stevan wrote on his Facebook page: "Having read the heartbreaking news of the homeless man found dead in an alley less than 500m from my home, I have decided to donate my entire purse for my fight against Decca to the Salvation Army.

"I can't afford to but am compelled."

Stevan, who has also acted as a bodyguard for the stars, said: "These things shouldn't be allowed to happen in our country. There simply isn't enough support for this great charity."

He said everyone makes mistakes but not everyone has "great people propping us up."

"So God bless and RIP sir."

Major Sephen Battle of the Salvation Army Citadel in Hinckley said they would welcome the donation.

He said: "It will be something positive to come out of a tragedy.

"The money will go into our community fund to help local people in need."

He added: "We knew Mick well. He would come to us for meals, copious cups of tea and a shower. He was offered accommodation but did not to accept it.

"We also provided him with a regular change of clothes."

Organiser of the show Jay Wann has known Stevan for 20 years. He said: "This is just like Stevan. He has such a big heart. He often donates a share of his purse to charity.

"I calculate that his share of the purse from the show could be £1,500."

He said the programme would include four bare knuckle and two gloved bouts.

Police closed the M1 last night following a fatal collision on the southbound carriageway between junctions 21 and 20.

Emergency services were called to the scene yesterday evening following reports of a crash.

M1sbound at jct 20 will remain closed until early hrs of Sunday morning following a fatal collision, police advise motorists to avoid area

— Leics Road Policing (@LeicsRPU) January 10, 2015

Officers have now reopened the motorway.

More details will follow…

A 15-year-old robbery victim fled in his underpants from a street mugger who stole his mobile phones and clothes, a court heard.

The incident happened after Joshua Anthony began chatting and smoking a cigarette with the victim in the city centre.

Ben Gow, prosecuting, said the pair went down an underpass near a church on Burleys Way at about 10.30pm on October 7.

He added: "The young man was seen running away from the underpass in his underwear; his clothing having been taken.

"He says the defendant punched him in the face, hitting him around the right eye causing him to fall to the floor."

The defendant repeatedly punched him demanding the bag he was carrying and three mobile phones.

The victim put his arms up to protect his head, whilst Anthony, 23, threatened: "I'll cut your throat, I'll leave you for dead."

Although no knife was produced.

Mr Gow told Leicester Crown Court: "The defendant pulled his jacket, jumper, shirt, trainers and jeans off, leaving him in his boxer shorts.

"When arrested, Anthony was still carrying the clothing.

"The victim had a large swelling to the right side of his face, around his right eye, which was entirely closed and he couldn't see out of it."

Anthony, of Eastway Road, Wigston, admitted the robbery and was jailed for three years.

Recorder Arian Reynolds said: "It's the third time you've been convicted of robbery.

"On this occasion you humiliated your victim by removing all his clothes so he had to run off in underwear.

"It was a despicable way to behave."

Sally Bamford, mitigating, said Anthony was suffering emotional and mental health difficulties at the time.

She added: "He's at a loss to explain himself.

"He didn't feel right and had suffered a breakdown.

"However, he says the meeting with this teenager was pre-arranged and drugs were the reason they got together.

"He can't say why events took such a bizarre turn."

A pedestrian was killed in a crash on the M1 in Leicestershire last night.

Police believe the man may have been hit by a car after he got out of a taxi which was parked on the hard shoulder.

The collision happened on the southbound carriageway of the M1 motorway just before junction 20 at about 7.50pm and involved a silver Ford Mondeo.

The pedestrian, who has not yet been formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

No one else was injured.

The motorway was closed southbound between junction 20 and 21 until 3am today.

Police are appealing for witnesses. Contact Detective Constable 1761 Pete Davies on 101.

Two men have been killed and four people seriously injured in a two-car city centre crash.

Emergency services were called to Hastings Road, off Uppingham Road, at about 8.25pm on Saturday following reports of a serious collision.

They arrived to find two cars had crash near the junction of Buckland Road.

The driver and front seat passenger of a black Honda Civic were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other men, who were in the back of the car, have been taken to hospital and are being treated for serious injuries.

One is at Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham and the second man is in a serious condition at University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire.

The two occupants of the second car, a black Mitsubishi Shogun - a man and a woman - also received serious injuries.

The man has been released from hospital.

However, the woman remains in the Queen's Medical Centre.

Crash investigators are today trying to piece together what happened in the lead up to the collision.

They believe that the Honda was travelling along Hastings Road towards Forest Road and the Mitsubishi was travelling in the opposite direction towards Tailby Avenue when the crash took place.

Detective sergeant Mark Watling from the East Midlands Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "If anyone witnessed the collision or the events leading up to it then we would urge you to contact the relevant investigating officer on 101."

The community appeal set up to help with the cost of reintering Richard III has raised £11,000 after being launched in November.

Leicester Cathedral is asking members of the public to assist with the £2.5 million needed to rebury the former King England in March.

So far, it has raised more than £1.9 million through private donations and contributions.

However, it still needs to make up the difference and is reaching out to the people of Leicester and Leicestershire.

The Community Appeal hopes to raise £50,000 and has been given the backing by the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard.

Cathedral spokeswoman Liz Hudson said: "We are delighted to say that the Community Appeal to raise the money to help pay for the reinterment of Richard III is going well, in that lots of organisations are holding events and joining in. But we need more."

Individuals, clubs, organisations and schools are all being invited to hold fund-raising events to collect cash for the fund.

Ideas put forward by the cathedral include coffee and cake mornings, dress up as Richard III days, medieval banquets and sponsored runs.

For every £1 donated, the cathedral will give 50p from its own funds to veterans' mental health charity Combat Stress.

Peter Poole, the charity's acting chief executive, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen to benefit from the King Richard III appeal. The re-interment of his body will be an historic occasion and we are very proud to be a part of it.

"King Richard was killed in battle more than 500 years ago, a war that would have left psychological, as well as physical, scars on many of those who fought.

"Today Combat Stress is supporting more than 5,600 Veterans across the UK suffering from service-related mental health conditions.

"It is important that as a society we remember our duty to support these brave ex-service men and women."

Download a fundraising pack at: www.leicestercathedralkingrichardiii.org/community

To donate, visit: don8.to/leic001 or to give £5 text LEIC001 to 709970.

The village of Quorn is demanding compensation from County Hall after a swimming pool built in the 1970s fell into disrepair.

The fundraising began in the 1960s to create an outdoor pool at the Rawlins school for use by the whole village.

Thousands of pounds were raised in several stages to build the pool, then a roof, then a heating system. The total raised over the years is unclear.

After it was completed in 1974, Leicestershire County Council was entrusted in looking after its maintenance.

In 2010, when Rawlins College became Rawlins Academy and independent from County Hall, it emerged that the pool's lining had been damaged and the expected cost of fixing it would be well over a million pounds.

The county council has claims it has had no responsibility for the pool since 1999 and that the parish council has "got its facts wrong".

Meanwhile the academy is keen to demolish the unusable pool and use the space.

Phil Child, a leading parish councillor in Quorn, said: "When we first heard about the problem in 2010 there was an agreement to repair it using section 106 money from housing developers.

"But now it seems the cost would be something like £1.5 million so it's not worth repairing.

"The village gave Leicestershire County Council a perfectly usable pool and they allowed it to deteriorate so we're asking them for our money back.

"We would like to have something for the village and we would consult people here to decide what it should be.

"The pool was paid for and created by the village and the county council should have looked after it."

A letter has been sent by the parish council chairman Gary Hughes to the chief executive of Leicestershire County Council, John Sinnott.

It states: "The Quorn community gave the swimming pool, to be maintained for the delights of future generations of villagers, into the hands of Leicestershire County Council. Leicestershire County Council has squandered that gift!

"As a consequence, Quorn Parish Council demands that Leicestershire County Council now opens discussions to determine how the villagers of Quorn will be recompensed for their loss."

County Hall has insisted it does not owe the village of Quorn any compensation for the loss of the pool.

A Leicestershire County Council spokesman said: "Unfortunately Quorn Parish Council has got its facts wrong.

"Due to Government policy, legislation and decisions taken by Rawlins College, the college has been responsible for the swimming pool since 1999.

"The future of the swimming pool is a matter for the Rawlins Academy, not the county council.

"The county council will look at its records to see what they might contain about any agreement from the 1970s which refers to the pool."

Mr Child said: "Rawlins was part of Leicestershire Education Authority until 2010 and part of the county council.

"So the county is pulling a fast one.

"They can't wash their hands of it that easily."

The Poppy Appeal in Leicestershire and Rutland has smashed all fund-raising records with its collection over the past few months.

Initial figures show collectors raised nearly £507,000 as part of the 2014 appeal - an 11 per cent increase on 2013.

Fund-raisers believe people have donated in force in response to this year's drive remembering the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

County fundraiser for the Royal British Legion Giles Coleman said: "We are delighted that our provisional figures are the highest ever.

"It is clear that people have responded to the fact that the First World War was the first global war which involved and affected the whole population.

"That resonates with today as people are made aware through the media of conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan."

He said: "Our initial figures show an increase of 11 per cent over last year and is a record. In Rutland we did particularly well with a 21 per cent rise.

"I would like to thank all the volunteers who have helped to make it a record year so that we can continue to work to support current and former service personnel and their families."

He said fundraising would continue throughout the year before the launch of the next Poppy Appeal in October.

In Harborough district, Dave Pryor said a record £30,000 had been collected so far compared to £26,000 to the year before

Among the fundraising initiatives was a Smart car covered in poppies and a scene from the First World War which was used to raise the profile of the appeal.

Mr Pryor said: "We drove the Smart car to the Menin Gate to attend the ceremonies on November 11. We shall be using the vehicle to promote the Poppy Appeal in the next few years."

He added: "However, we would still like to hear from people who are prepared to give an hour to act as volunteer collectors."

In Barwell and Earl Shilton there was an increase of 17 per cent in funds raised making a total of £6,118.60p.

A spokesman said: "Your commitment to helping the Poppy Appeal in our community is sincerely appreciated, specially against a backdrop of the cost of living crisis which is effecting this area more than most."