Firefighters were called to deal with a fire in a kitchen in a block of flats in South Wigston last night.

Three crews, two from Wigston and one from Leicester's southern fire station, were called to the incident at Kennedy House, in Tigers Close, off Saffron Road shortly before 8pm.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment dealt with the blaze which was started accidentally by a faulty toaster, causing slight fire and smoke damage to the kitchen.

No-one had to be evacuated and no-one was injured in the incident.

The mother of Marco Baccellini, Joanne Greenwood, said she would "never forget" the heart-breaking sight of her son in intensive care - nor being warned by doctors he might die - following the brutal attack.

The 36-year-old said in a victim impact statement, read out at Leicester Crown Court, that her son was "hooked up to all the machines" in an induced coma.

Joanne, a mother-of-five, from Leicester, said: "The doctors made me aware of how badly injured Marco was.

"Over the next few days the doctors kept telling me to prepare for the worst, as Marco was in a life-threatening condition.

"I felt crushed by this every time they told me.

"To be told your first born child is likely to die is something no mother should ever have to hear.

"Whilst at hospital with Marco I received the video of the assault.

"I watched it and was physically sick after seeing it.

"I couldn't watch it with the sound on and had to mute it.

"I was disgusted that one human being could do that to another human being, and that it was filmed for their enjoyment.

"It was my son in that video.

"Marco was kept in a coma for a period of time and it was touch and go whether he'd pull through.

"Thankfully he did recover.

"This ordeal has been incredibly difficult for me to cope with.

"Apart from the emotional impact of seeing my son on a life support machine, I've struggled financially and physically.

"The cost of visiting Marco at the Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, has left me in debt and some days my other children have been without food.

"My children's schooling has been affected.

"I saw a huge change in Marco since his injury.

"He came home and he wasn't himself.

"He lost his bond with his younger brothers and sisters.

"He was cold and distant and not as loving with them.

"My three-year-old daughter went to bed one night crying, and when I asked her what was wrong she told me that Marco doesn't cuddle her any more.

"I'm aware that Marco was no angel himself, but he didn't deserve what happened to him that night.

"He's been damaged as a person and he has a long road to recovery.

"I'm not sure we'll ever see Marco right again.

"The last few months have been the most traumatic and emotionally draining times we've ever experienced as a family."

A surge in the number of Leicester shops experiencing financial problems has been blamed on a supermarket price war.

A report by business recovery specialist Begbies Traynor said 178 city stores were suffering from financial distress in the three months to December 2014, up from 106 in the same period of 2013, an increase of more than two-thirds.

The report said small independent shops were being hit hard by the price war between the major supermarkets and German discounters Aldi and Lidl. John Lowe, partner at Begbies Traynor's Leicester office, said retailers also faced a major challenge due to shifts in consumer habits.

He said: "The German discounters have massively disrupted the UK market, bringing us cheap food like we've never seen before, and creating a classless shopping experience as people of all backgrounds are buying their groceries from them. There's a huge amount of uncertainty around the long-term effects."

An aerial photography firm has launched a prototype website allowing people to assess if a building is suitable for solar-powered energy.

Bluesky International, based in Coalville, has set up Eagle, which assesses whether a building can have solar power by using high resolution geographic data.

The information is combined with energy tariffs, expected consumption, cost of installation and available subsidies to calculate the potential return on investment for solar renewable energy systems. James Eddy, technical coordinator for the Eagle project and director of UK aerial mapping company Bluesky, said: "The Eagle platform provides easy to understand, objective yet accurate information about renewable energy systems for a specific dwelling or building.

"This allows for the calculation of return on investment for any given scenario as well as potentially reduced installation costs. "This can then be used to target consumers with information and educational campaigns."

A businessman is launching a new climate-controlled glove for runners.

Ross Weir, a sports technology graduate of Loughborough University, has created the Flux glove, which is aimed at sportspeople.

The glove contains a mesh that enables the temperature to be regulated by opening and closing the hands.

Ross said: "When it's cold, every runner faces the same dilemma, how much gear to wear?"

"Wear too much and you end up overheating, peeling off and carrying your discarded kit. Wear too little, and the chill soon sets in."

Ross is trying to raise £5,000 on crowd funding website Kickstarter to manufacture the product.

A house builder has seen annual profits soar after the number of homes it sold rose by almost a third.

William Davis, of Loughborough, said earnings before one-off payments increased by 80 per cent to £4.6 million.

The group said it aimed to build more houses this year, despite problems getting hold of bricks for some schemes.

The company sold 154 houses last year at an average price of £224,000, up 13 per cent.

Managing director Guy Higgins said: "With the market looking stable so far this year, we are planning to increase our output further."

Mr Higgins said the market was stabilising after the Government's Help to Buy programme caused a sharp upturn in the sector last year.

The resurgence led to a shortage of some types of bricks across the country last summer as producers, such as Leicestershire's Ibstock Bricks, struggled to meet demand.

William Davis said the problem held back some of its developments.

"There were certainly bricks that we were using that were on 44-week delivery times," said Mr Higgins.

"The usual delivery time is about four weeks. It has certainly held back development, without a doubt."

Documents recently submitted to Companies' House said the group made a turnover of £67.1 million in the year to May 31, 2014, up £1.6 million on the previous 12 months.

House building makes up 90 per cent of the business, which employs about 400 people, including 70 at its head office in Forest Road, Loughborough.

The previous year's pre-tax profits were flattered by a one-off £4.6 million payment from the sale of land. The 80-year-old company currently has active sites in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire.

It is planning to begin work at new developments in Hathern and Rothley later this year.

Mr Higgins said the market had also been boosted by the shake-up of stamp duty thresholds and continuing low interest rates.

However, he said mortgage approvals for buyers were more difficult to obtain and house builders were still struggling to meet demand.

"Despite some of the challenges the market faces, these results demonstrate that William Davis is in a strong financial position to maintain its place as one of the region's leading housebuilders," said Mr Higgins.

The NHS has approved the £7.8 million business case for new hospital buildings at St Luke's Hospital in Market Harborough.

The project represents one of the largest single investments in healthcare facilities seen in Leicestershire in recent times and will provide first class, modern health care facilities.

Approval for the delayed scheme was granted yesterday by the board of NHS Property Services.

Regional director Martin Royal said: "This is fantastic news for the people of Market Harborough. They've been waiting a long time to know what will happen to local health services and this is a major step forward.

"The purpose built hospital on Leicester Road will provide the best health facilities available."

The announcement has been warmly welcomed by health campaigner Phil Knowles who has been working for more than 25 years to see better community hospital services in the town.

Mr Knowles said: "'The people of Harborough have waited so long for this new community hospital facility. They have backed the campaign every step of the way and now finally it seems they will have the facility which is richly deserved and much anticipated.''

He added: "There is still a way to go but hopefully the contractors will shortly be on board and the scheme, delayed on so many occasions will finally proceed."

Dr David Sharp, director of commissioning operations for NHS England (Central Midlands), said: "All of the NHS partners involved in this project are aware of the long history behind it.

"I am delighted that this significant investment is finally getting off the drawing board and we look forward to working closely with the local community and the council to bring these plans to fruition."

St Luke's Hospital currently houses NHS services such as stroke rehabilitation, palliative care and endoscopy.

Other local services including minor injuries, radiography and ultrasound, outpatient facilities for rehabilitation, speech and language, and some specialist services are provided from the District Hospital on Coventry Road.

These services will transfer to the new development at St Luke's.

Karen English, interim managing director for East Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "We are delighted that the business case has been approved and that work can now get underway at St Luke's.

"There will be a wide range of services available for local people enhanced by the addition of purpose built facilities for an urgent care centre and GP practice as well as space for mental health services. "We believe the development will be of great benefit to the community and to local healthcare."

A contract will now be issued to Morgan Sindall of Birmingham who will complete the build.

Contracts must be agreed and signed before work is anticipated to start in late spring. The new St Luke's hospital is expected to open in the summer of 2016.

* NHS Property Services are working with NHS England, the CCG, Harborough District Council and the local community to ensure the protection and preservation of the war memorial currently situated at the Coventry Road site.

Andy Donoghue, Regional Programme Manager for NHS Property Services said: "We understand how important the memorial is to local people and we are committed to its preservation. If the commissioners declare the building surplus to requirements we will make it a condition of sale that any future developer should preserve and maintain public access to the monument. We are currently working with councilors and officers from Harborough District Council and English Heritage to determine the options for how the war memorial can best be protected for future generations."

A petition calling for the remains of Richard III to be taken to a Catholic place of worship before their reinterment has been signed by 2,000 people.

Launched by the Looking for Richard Project, and headed by Philippa Langley, the campaign urges church leaders to take the king's bones to "a place of Catholic sanctity with the prayers and rites of his own religion".

The group is concerned that Richard's remains will be transported directly from the University of Leicester - where they are being kept - to Leicester Cathedral without observing a ceremony that Richard would have known during his life.

The petition reads: "King Richard III is to be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral in March 2015, however, the request to move him temporarily so that he may be in a place of Catholic religion has been refused.

"Instead he will be confined to a laboratory with none of the Catholic prayers and services that should take place at such a time.

"We, the undersigned, are concerned Catholics who urge our leaders to act now to honour the deceased King by allowing this ceremony to be carried out reverently in a place of Catholic sanctity with the prayers and rites of his own religion."

The reinterment will take place at Leicester Cathedral on March 26

The Looking for Richard team said it had struck up an agreement with the university which meant the king's bones should have been released to them.

But the university said this was not true.

A spokesman said: "The university cannot release the remains to any other party except Leicester Cathedral.

"The Partnership [university, city council and cathedral] agrees that this is the correct, timely and appropriate process to mark the transition of the remains of King Richard III from archaeological exhumation by an academic body to a cathedral burial as permitted by the licence."

A spokesman for Leicester Cathedral and the Catholic diocese of Nottingham also said the private agreement has no legal credibility.

He added: "Leicester Cathedral and the Diocese of Nottingham are aware of the repeated expressions of frustration from the Looking for Richard Project regarding the manner of the coffining of the remains of King Richard III in advance of his re-interment in Leicester Cathedral. We believe them to be fundamentally misplaced.

"There is no requirement in the Catholic tradition for prayers to be said at the coffining of human remains, including those of a monarch; the arrangements agreed between the university and the Cathedral have the full support of the Catholic church, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate Mass for Richard III in Holy Cross Priory, Leicester as part of the re-interment ceremonies."

There are 13 restaurants and takeaways on the Food Standards Agency hygiene rating website with a score of zero and 215 with a score of just one.

The latest figures give up-to-date rankings for eateries in the city and rate them on a scale of zero to five – with five being the best.

Businesses are judged on cleanliness of where food is prepared and served.

The list is accessible to everyone and there is a link at the bottom of this page to help you search for restaurants near you.

But there's no need to worry – of the 2,922 businesses on the list, 1,227 have a five rating and 604 are rated as a four. So there are plenty of clean places to eat this weekend.

For the full list, visit: ratings.food.gov.uk

Councillors have urged Sir Peter Soulsby to rethink his decision to close Leicester's Western Park golf course.

Last night, during a debate at the town hall, councillors called on the city mayor to give golf club members more time to draw up a business plan that would see them take over the municipal course.

As previously reported, Sir Peter says the council can no longer afford to run two public courses so he has decided to close Western Park in October, saving £123,000 a year, but keep Humberstone Heights open.

However councillors voted to support a motion by Western Park ward councillor Su Barton to refer Sir Peter's decision back to him for reconsideration.

They said the authority had ignored the results of two public consultations - both saying the 18 hole course should be saved - and had not given players, who have campaigned to prevent the closure, enough help to secure its future as a independently-run operation.

Coun Barton said Western Park Golf Club committee member Martin Cobb had already started drawing up a business plan and had sought advice from Golf England ad Sport England.

She said: "There is no rush for the council because they have until October for the closure process."

She said she wanted a firm commitment the golf course land would remain an open space.

Sir Peter has said no consideration had been given to whether the land would be sold for development after the closure but admitted some housing could be built. He said it would have been improper to have looked at future uses before taking a decision on the whether to close the course.

Tory councillor Ross Grant said it was unbelievable the mayor had not "run through" the possibility of the capital receipt from selling prime development land as well as the potential increase in council tax income from any new homes.

Councillor Sue Waddington said: "It is appropriate some time is given to the members of the club to come up with a viable business plan."

Former Labour council leader Ross Willmott said the council ought to approach private operators who could lease the course, saving it from closure and generating an income for the authority.

Following the debate, Sir Peter said his original closure decision still stood.

He said: "I remain unconvinced there is a future for two municipal golf courses in Leicester. If one is to have a future it will be at the expense of the other. I do not think there will be a credible business plan for Western Park that comes forward."

Young visitors to three city leisure centres can pick up a free piece of fruit as part of a pilot scheme to encourage healthy eating.

From today children and young people visiting Aylestone, Braunstone and Cossington leisure centres can choose a piece of fruit to eat after their fitness activities.

Deputy city mayor councillor Rory Palmer, who chairs the city's health and wellbeing board, said: "This initiative is a simple, practical way to help children and young people to eat more healthily.

"We know that children and young people who make healthier choices early on in life are more likely to continue eating healthily as adults.

"Getting young people to move more and eat more healthily is a key way to ease pressures on health services and can help to prevent more serious health problems from occurring later on in life."

Coun Piara Singh Clair, assistant city mayor responsible for culture, leisure and sport, added: "It's already very positive that so many children and young people use our leisure centres. This initiative will help them to think about eating healthily, complementing the good work they are already doing by getting active."

Fruit will be available at the centres on a first-come, first-served basis. The pilot will run until mid-February.

Distributing free fruit at leisure centres was recommended by the Child Poverty Commission.

The commission has set out a wide range of recommendations offering immediate, practical support for families, as well as longer-term actions and proposals for policy change.

www.leicester.gov.uk/ourhealthycity

Fifty-seven years have passed since Tottenham and Leicester last met in an FA Cup tie at White Hart Lane.

Back in 1958, City, boasting players like Howard Riley, Derek Hines and Arthur Rowley, were dispatched 4-0, but the two sides have met in the Cup at four different venues since then.

In 1961 they contested the final at Wembley, although pre-match controversy and on-field bad luck did for City on that occasion. 

The late Jimmy Walsh once told us: "It was a strange day because we were a bit bemused by Matt Gillies' team selection. He dropped Ken Leek, who'd scored in every round.

"I don't know why, Ken and I had played together for three years and we'd got to a Cup final, so we can't have been that bad.

"All of a sudden he just dropped him. That's something I could never quite forgive Matt for because I think it cost us the Cup.

"Every time we had played against Spurs, Leek and I had always scored goals.

"So they were quite happy when they found out Leek wasn't playing.

"I felt sorry for Hugh McIlmoyle, who took his place. He'd done nothing wrong but he was on a hiding to nothing.

"None of the players wanted Leek to be dropped and Hughie knew that, but what do you do?"

When Len Chalmers was reduced to a hobbling passenger in pre-substitute days, it was too big a task for City and they lost 2-0. 

In 1974, the clubs met in the third round at Filbert Street in a game that you can watch on YouTube.

Although Jimmy Bloomfield's side had dominated Spurs, it was 0-0 with 90 seconds remaining.

Keith Weller was fouled on the halfway line and Malcolm Munro launched the free-kick forward. Mike Stringfellow played a one-two with Frank Worthington and delivered a low cross which was deftly touched past Pat Jennings by Steve Earle.

I know, because I've just watched it five times.

The next meeting was at Villa Park for the 1982 semi-final and City suffered some terrible luck again.

Jock Wallace's side went down 2-0, with Ian Wilson netting an own-goal and Tommy Williams breaking his leg on a disastrous
afternoon.

The car stickers proclaiming that 'Jock's Foxes Eat Cockerels' had lied.

City's last FA Cup encounter with Spurs was a rare highlight in a poor era, at the Walkers Stadium in 2006.

Craig Levein's side took on Spurs in a televised game on a cold and rainy Sunday evening and the first half had not gone well – Spurs were 2-0 up.

Then Elvis Hammond and Stephen Hughes pulled two goals back, before Mark de Vries scored the winner in stoppage time.

It signalled mayhem in the stands as the home supporters heralded an unlikely victory. Here's hoping for more of the same tomorrow.

A doctor and two nurses accused of the unlawful killing of six year old Jack Adcock appeared in court today.

Hadiza Bawa-Garba (38), Isabel Amaro (46) and Theresa Taylor (55) are all accused of the manslaughter of the boy at the Leicester Royal Infirmary on February 18, 2011.

They were all asked if they understood the charges when they were read out to them at a packed Leicester Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Rick Moore remanded Bawa-Garba of Watkin Road, Freemans Meadow, Leicester and Taylor, of Henley Road, Western Park, Leicester on unconditional bail to appear at Leicester Crown Court on February 6 for a preliminary hearing. Amoro was granted bail until the same date on the condition she lives at an address at Balmoral Court, Beadham Drive, Blackley, Manchester.

Marcos Ayerza and Tom Youngs return to the Leicester Tigers front-row for tomorrow's do-or-die Pool Three clash at Ulster (5.30).

Argentina prop Ayerza and England hooker Youngs were both among the replacements for the bonus-point win over Scarlets last week.

They replace Michele Rizzo and Leonardo Ghiraldini.

Graham Kitchener, called into the England squad ahead of the Six Nations, also returns to the starting line-up as a replacement for Brad Thorn, who went off early in the victory over Scarlets with a calf injury.

The only other change sees the return from injury of Niall Morris, who is included on the bench.

Leicester Tigers

15 Mathew Tait

14 Adam Thompstone

13 Vereniki Goneva

12 Seremaia Bai

11 Miles Benjamin

10 Freddie Burns

9 Ben Youngs (capt)

1 Marcos Ayerza

2 Tom Youngs

3 Logovi'i Mulipola

4 Graham Kitchener

5 Geoff Parling

6 Tom Croft

7 Julian Salvi

8 Jordan Crane

Replacements:

16 Leonardo Ghiraldini

17 Michele Rizzo

18 Fraser Balmain

19 Sebastian De Chaves

20 Robert Barbieri

21 Sam Harrison

22 Owen Williams

23 Niall Morris

Ulster

15 Jared Payne

14 Tommy Bowe

13 Darren Cave

12 Luke Marshall

11 Craig Gilroy

10 Ian Humphreys

8 Ruan Pienaar

1 Callum Black

2 Rory Best (capt)

3 Wiehahn Herbst

4 Alan O'Connor

5 Franco Van der Merwe

6 Iain Henderson

7 Mike McComish

8 Roger Wilson

Replacements:

16 Rob Herring

17 Andrew Warwick

18 Bronson Ross

19 Lewis Stevenson

20 Clive Ross

21 Neil McComb

22 Paul Marshall

23 Mike Allen

Leicestershire's over-60s were unbeaten in the Masters County Challenge to earn promotion back to the Premier Division.

Relegated from the top tier last year, the veterans produced an excellent performance at Lilleshall Sports Centre to finish first in Division 1A.

Leicestershire claimed 15 points from a possible 16, drawing with Suffolk in their opening match before going on to win their next seven.

County dropped just five games from 32 played. Audrey Preston and Greg Howes were the best performers, winning eight from eight. Women's pairing Cathy Buckler and Jan Thomson won seven, as did duo Carole Spencer and Edward Hayes.

Men's pairing Richard Dayman and Dave Watts took five.

So Snibston Discovery Museum is to close, well, no surprise there then, a decision that was made I am sure months ago.

Does Westminster have the power to overrule a county decision? Is there such a thing as heritage protection?

I think 25 years down the line people will say: why did we let this happen, a huge chunk of our heritage gone down the pan?

I am not going to go into the reasons for cutbacks – we all have our own views on that subject – but could we cut back on some high-profile, high salary jobs at County Hall to help the Snibston cause?

Going back to 1962 on Nick Rushton's patch in Ashby, the Ivanhoe Baths was in need of a lot of repair. There was very little protection then for a building like that. What happened? Demolished. This would not be allowed to happen today.

The number of people who visit Ashby Museum and see the photos plus a working model, say, why did we let this happen, what a massive tourist attraction that would be now. Shortsighted.

I think a scaled down museum for Snibston will not work – I can't see bus loads of people visiting from all over the country as they do now. You only have to be on the M1 for about an hour and you can be at the National Mining Museum.

What is going to happen to all of those wonderful artefacts the museum has? But that is another subject.

All of this for a few more houses, may I suggest if the council are looking for space for more housing, there is plenty on the Staunton Harold Estate.

M Conibear, Ashby.

I believe the only reason this shower are closing Snibston museum is so they can sell the land to property developers to build yet more houses.

That way they are in a win-win situation. All they see are pound signs –– they are not the slightest bit bothered about selling off yet more of Leicester's heritage.

Name and address supplied.