Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill blamed ill-discipline for his side's 40-19 LV= Cup defeat by the Scarlets yesterday.

Tigers were handed two yellow cards and gave away countless penalties as Llanelli fly-half Owen Williams landed six kicks in the opening 43 minutes.

Three late tries for the home side made it a convincing scoreline in a game which had nothing riding on it. Sale booked the semi-final berth following Saturday's win over Wasps.

"It was disappointing that the result looked a little bit one-sided," said Cockerill.

"We had such little territory and we gave away so many penalties that we got punished for it. They scored 21 points from the boot.

"We scored three tries to nil in the first half but they were still in it at the break because, every time they got into our half, we infringed and they punished us.

"The sin-bins hurt us in the second half and we took some senior guys off later on to protect them for next week's game against London Welsh.

"The Scarlets played really well and fair play to them. But I was disappointed with our discipline and there were one or two guys that kept giving penalties away. That really cost us.

"That is a lesson learned for us and that will dictate what happens going forward."

Tigers went into the game with nothing riding on it and that put Cockerill and his players in a strange position.

Tigers started well though with an early Thomas Waldrom try putting them into a 12th-minute lead.

A penalty try on the half-hour mark and a third score on the half-time whistle from Andy Forsyth sent Tigers in at the break in good spirits after the Scarlets had suffered two yellow cards.

But Rob Andrew and Fraser Balmain saw the third and fourth yellow cards of the game just after the hour-mark and that saw momentum swing the Scarlets way as they ran in three tries in the last 10 minutes.

"There's not many times that we play a game with nothing on it but that didn't affect our mentality and some of the commitment from both sides was good," added Cockerill.

"Some of those young lads have learned what life is like and some of those senior boys have had a run out.

"One or two lads did really well and applied themselves and I thought Brett Deacon was outstanding leading the side.

"Harry Wells is a young man and he battled through well in the second-row. While Fraser Balmain came on and learned a lesson. Some games have gone well for him at tight-head, but today he struggled."

Tigers suffered a number of injuries with young flanker George Oliver's knee looking the worst of the lot. Boris Stankovich and Logovi'i Mulipola had ankle knocks and Richard Thorpe got a stinger.

This is the first image of the battle-scarred skull that archaeologists believe could be Richard III's.

The striking photograph was released today by the University of Leicester ahead of its hugely-anticipated announcement regarding the identity of the remains found at the Greyfriars car park in the city last August.

More than 140 reporters, film crew and photographers were due to pack the university's council chamber at 10am to hear the eagerly-awaited verdict from lead archaeologist Richard Buckley.

In a meeting yesterday, academics assembled at the university to pull together evidence gathered during the past five months and finally decide how they would present the results to the world.

The skull is just one part of the full remains found in Leicester city centre.

The university has investigated it for signs of damage to the back of the head – potentially caused by battle injuries.

The rest of the skeleton, which also includes battle marks and a curvature of the spine (scoliosis), will be revealed to the media at today's press conference.

Dr Jo Appleby, lecturer in human bioarchaeology in the university's school of archaeology and ancient history, who led the exhumation of the remains in September, said: "The skull was in good condition, although fragile, and was able to give us detailed information about this individual.

"It has been CT-scanned at high resolution in order to allow us to investigate interesting features in as much detail as possible. To determine whether this individual is Richard III we have built up a biological profile of its characteristics. We have also carefully examined the skeleton for traces of a violent death."

The remains were found in the grounds of a long-buried friary where the Yorkist king is believed to have been laid to rest after his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

"Since their exhumation last year, they have subjected to tests and examinations by archaeologists, geneticists, radiographers, pathologists and historians.''

A living descendant – a Canadian-born furniture maker from London, Michael Ibsen – was traced by genealogist John Ashdown-Hill and had his DNA tested against those of the Greyfriars remains.

Other tests, such as carbon dating, environmental sampling and facial reconstruction, were also used as part of the process.

The project was initiated by the Richard III Society, which approached the university in 2010. A documentary team also had exclusive access to the dig and the scientific tests and will air their program, Richard III: the King in the Car Park, tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm.

Detectives are looking for two hooded men who called at a house where a woman was shot dead yesterday.
Police have launched a murder investigation following the shooting at a home in Hinckley.
Officers were called at 10.45pm and found a woman inside the house with gunshot wounds.
She was confirmed dead at the scene.
Formal identification of the body is yet to take place and the post mortem examination will happen this evening.
Detectives believe that, before the shooting, two men had called at the house, where the victim and a third man were inside.
They believe that the two men who called at the house were involved in the incident and are keen to trace them.
Officers say the two men, who both had their hoods up, left the scene in a dark coloured car that was parked in the street.
A 27-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently in police custody.
Detective superintendent Tom Davies, from the East Midlands Major Crime Team said: "This is an incredibly tragic incident and we are determined to find those responsible.
"Although we are only in the very early stages of the investigation we believe that the two men who stopped at the house prior to the incident were involved.
"Officers are looking into the possibility that those two men may have travelled from outside of the Leicestershire area.
"We are currently doing all we can to trace these two men and have a dedicated team of officers working on this investigation, talking to witnesses, carrying out forensic enquiries and looking at CCTV in the area. Local officers have also been out throughout the night talking to local residents and offering them reassurance.
"Incidents like this are unheard of in Leicestershire, and gun crime is not something we come across often.
"This makes us determined to do all we can to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
An area around the house remains cordoned off while police carry out their inquiries and officers are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward. No information about the weapon has been released.
Det Supt Davies added: "If you know anything about this incident, anything about those responsible or anything that could help us locate them, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Perhaps you saw two men in the area acting suspiciously? Maybe you heard the gun shots and saw the men drive away? If so get in touch. It's important that we have all the information available to ensure that we resolve this as quickly as possible."
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Patients, volunteers and health care staff in Leicestershire have taken to the small screen and internet to try to improve people's experiences when going into hospital.

They have all been filmed for a video lasting a little over three minutes produced by the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

The idea behind the production, which is on YouTube, is to remind everyone in the trust they have a role to play in a patient's experience of being admitted to hospital.

It will be shown over the next year to people starting work at the trust, which runs mental and community health services in Leicestershire, to remind them that their behaviour can help to improve care.

Carer Rich Wakefield, 62, from Oadby, took part in the film.

He said: "As a long-term carer, it is so uplifting to see how much emphasis the trust places on really caring for patients."

Patient Andy Murtha, 56, from Enderby, was given a preview before release of the film.

He said: "I think the video is great. This message is so important.

"As a patient, I notice if the receptionist smiles when I enter, or if the nurse is tired and shows little care.

"My care is influenced by every single person."

A trust spokesman said the film had cost £2,750 to produce.

He said: "It is already in use on the NHS Jobs website to reinforce the message on the importance of the patient experience to people thinking about applying to work for the trust."

John Short, the trust's chief executive, said: "I believe our staff show that care and compassion day in, day out."

Bottles, cans, bags and other litter have been washed up in Watermead Park by the recent floods.

High water levels led to the River Soar picking up more litter along its route through Leicester and much of it ended up being washed over the country park.

Andrew Jackson, 42, who lives in Thurmaston, reported the issue to Leicestershire County Council, which is responsible for the northern part of the park.

He said he was not happy with the response he got from them.

He said: "I was walking around the park after the floods last week and it's a tip.

"There are nappies and bags and all sorts of rubbish that's been washed up.

"I rang the county council and they weren't interested. I was told that there would probably be a litter pick at the end of March.

"It's supposed to be a nature reserve. Dogs and birds can get hurt by that litter.

"I'm not normally one for complaining but you see a mess like this and wander what sort of nature reserve it's supposed to be.

"No one seems interested in cleaning it."

John Tompkins, 61, of Anstey, visits regularly and also canoes through the park on the river.

He said the river was regularly affected by the litter being washed down and that floods led to a big increase in the amount of litter on the park.

He said: "You do find a lot of litter along the route of the old River Soar and I always see a lot more after floods.

"When the water gets very high you get rubbish in the trees and it's all the things the river has picked up downstream in Leicester.

"I saw a bike in a tree once.

"I think the council does an okay job and there are people like myself who will pick up odd bits of litter. People are proud of the area."

A Leicestershire County Council spokesman said dangerous items would be removed promptly and other litter would be cleared "over the coming months".

He said: "Maintaining Watermead Country Park in a safe and clean condition is a high priority for our country parks service.

"We continually need to litter pick as a result of material being brought into the park by the Grand Union Canal and the River Soar and this is work is done by volunteers and county council staff.

"The amount of material collected each week is significant and is removed from the site by a waste disposal contractor following collection but is accentuated when the watercourses flood. This has happened an exceptional four times this winter and created a backlog which will be cleared over the coming months.

"When we become aware of large or dangerous items, we seek to remove these promptly."

Motorists are being warned to expect delays along London Road in Leicester for the rest of the month due to a project to replace gas pipes.

Work starts tomorrow on the last phase of work to dig up the road's gas pipes and replace them with new plastic tubing.

It will involve a 60-metre stretch from the University Road junction into the city and is expected to carry on until Thursday, February 28.

Temporary traffic lights will be operating during the roadworks, some pedestrian crossings and parking bays will be temporarily suspended and diversions will be in place.

National Grid has been working in London Road at the Victoria Park end but this last stretch of work is expected to have a bigger impact on traffic.

Manu Madhani, whose firm Manu Export Service is on London Road, said: "I drive in down London Road from my home in Evington every day and for me there's no alternative route.

"I already waste a lot of time in traffic and I think it's going to be quicker to walk in."

Darren Harvey, 32, who works in Leicester and commutes in from Oadby each day, said: "There are other ways to get into town but I can't imagine how they're going to cope when London Road is being dug up."

Marlis Brown, 56, commutes from Wigston into work at the city end of London Road.

She said: "I usually come along University Road so I'll have to find another route to work.

"When London Road has problems it has an impact on Welford Road, which I use to get in from Wigston.

"That can be horrendous sometimes and it can take an hour to get to work."

National Grid said the pipes should last until almost the end of the century and that residents and businesses along the road would benefit from safer and more reliable gas supplies.

Construction engineer John Orton said: "This is a busy part of Leicester's road network and we advise drivers to allow extra time for their journey where possible or to find an alternative route.

"It will be a short term inconvenience for long-term benefit.

"We have worked closely with Leicestershire City Council's highways department to minimise disruption to road users."

He said National Grid had planned the work carefully and that engineers were likely to be working extra hours at weekends to finish the job as soon as possible.

Leicester Tigers No.8 Thomas Waldrom believes there are bright futures ahead for many of the club's young players who have been involved in the LV= Cup during recent weeks.

Tigers' defence of their Anglo-Welsh crown was ended with a heavy defeat by Llanelli Scarlets in Wales on Sunday.

But some of the club's brightest prospects showcased their talents, with the likes of Harry Wells, George Oliver and Fraser Balmain all getting game-time.

Waldrom was impressed by both their effort and potential.

"There are quite a few young lads in the squad who have bright futures here," said the 29-year-old. "Someone like Harry Wells, for example, in the second row, faced his biggest game away from Welford Road at the Scarlets and he did really well.

"You have to take these chances when they come at Leicester, and guys like him played last week against Wasps as well. He made a good impact.

"Exposure in these games gives young guys an idea of what it is like to be out there and get yourself into a routine, which is important.

"Rugby is a funny old game and you have to get yourselves up for it 30-odd times a year.

"It's about learning to do the right things, and everyone at Tigers knows how to do that.

"The guys play for the jersey and there is a lot of pride in doing that."

Waldrom admitted that Tigers made too many mistakes to give themselves a chance of winning at the Parc Y Scarlets in a game that had nothing riding on it after Sale secured top spot in Pool Two the day before.

"It didn't really work out for us," he said.

"It was a bit weird waking up with nothing on the game. That doesn't happen very often at Leicester.

"That can be nice to go out and just play with not as much pressure on.

"But you cannot afford to make mistake after mistake like we did. It ruins momentum.

"If you do make a mistake, you need to get a positive out of the next thing you do, but back-to-back errors cost us. It was probably a mixture of them playing well and us switching off at times.

"It is disappointing to go out of the competition at this stage because it was good for so many young guys last season to get the experience of a big game like a semi-final."

He added: "Playing under that pressure is great for their development and a good stepping stone.

"But it is not going to happen for us this year."

Two further education colleges have joined forces and are being overseen by one principal.

Marion Plant, principal of North Warwickshire and Hinckley College (NWHC), is now also responsible for running South Leicestershire College, in Wigston.

The colleges officially federated on Monday, when Jim Aleander, interim head of South Leicestershire College, relinquished his role.

Federated colleges are those who pledge to work together, and can do so under one principal.

One of the main benefits is that staff can be deployed across the federation.

Mrs Plant said: "I'm very excited about what the future holds. We already had a history of working together and this decision will complement that even further."

Although both colleges will remain as separate entities, with different governing bodies, the move will allow them to expand courses and share procurement costs. It is only the second time two further education colleges have joined forces in this way.

Mrs Plant, who will divide her time between both colleges, said: "We're in a fairly unique position, but it's one I think more and more colleges will seek to copy in the near future.

"There's no doubt there are financial challenges for the sector, with budgets being reduced.

"This is our response so we can improve our offer to the local community, work with employers to satisfy their needs and grow where it's required.

"By working together we can be much more efficient.

"There isn't a precise blueprint at the moment, but courses, especially for younger students, will be duplicated across both sites.

"In terms of other courses, we'll look at where the best facilities are and where the expertise of staff lies."

Mrs Plant said she could never rule out job losses, but said: "We've already saved a six-figure sum through joint catering and cleaning contracts.

"What I can say is if the two colleges remained as they were, the risk of job losses would be higher."

South Leicestershire College caters for 1,300 16 to 18 year-olds and 4,000 adult learners, compared to 4,500 young people, and 10,000 adult learners at NWHC.

Jim Aleander said he was sad to say goodbye to the college, but was confident the decision to federate was the right one.

He said: "This is about maintaining our education programmes and building on that offer. As a medium-sized college, it would have been difficult to do this without joining forces. This is a ground-breaking decision, but one that has the interests of students at its heart."

Builders and other tradesmen were shown around an "Aladdin's cave" of tools and equipment believed to have been stolen from the construction trade.

Officers from Welford Road police station, in Leicester, invited 25 people to cast their eye over more than 70 items – mostly professional building equipment and power tools – in the hope of reuniting them with their rightful owners.

Pc Paul Archer, of the Knighton safer neighbourhood team, organised the event after visiting builders merchants and DIY stores.

"I am really pleased with the number of people who visited the station," he said.

"There was a lot of interest from builders who had been victims of theft and I am hopeful the information they shared will result in more of the items being returned."

Police support volunteers Jim Plowman and Andrew Hartshorn were also on hand to offer advice about crime prevention and property marking.

Pc Archer said once all inquiries had been exhausted, the unclaimed property would be made available and disposed of through the police property act. The items were recovered by police at a house on the city's Eyres Monsell estate in December.

A "Walter Mitty" character masqueraded as a high-flying legal professional in order to obtain a mortgage, a court heard.

James George Tomkins was branded "a disreputable, dishonest rogue" and given a suspended jail sentence during a hearing at Leicester Crown Court yesterday.

The 61-year-old undischarged bankrupt was on state benefits when he tried to obtain a £160,000 mortgage by falsely claiming he was a £90,000-a-year legal professional working in Botswana, expecting a £70,000 bonus.

He failed to declare the bankruptcy in his mortgage application, prosecutor Gary Short told the court.

Tomkins, a father-of-two, of Forest Road, Coalville, admitted making a false representation in a mortgage application on June 17, 2009.

He also admitted possessing five bogus documents for use in fraud, which the police recovered from his home.

The forms were business letters or e-mails with fraudulent job descriptions, including chief financial officer, company barrister, senior partner and senior vice president, which were signed off by Tomkins.

One of the documents purported to be a purchase order for 120 million barrels of oil.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Hammond said: "He could only have had those false documents for the purpose of fraud, but they weren't used.

"The defence describe him as a Walter Mitty who masqueraded as different characters.

"He was holding himself out as someone he wasn't and he had wanted to get a lot of money on a mortgage."

Tomkins received a 21-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 280 hours of unpaid work.

The court was told the Inland Revenue had no records of Tomkins declaring any income between 2007 and 2009.

There was £16,000 in his bank account on his arrest, which was initially frozen.

No mortgage was ever granted and no-one lost out financially from his offences, the court heard.

However, Tomkins was convicted of theft and given a suspended sentence in 1988.

In 1997, while offering services as an investment broker, he defrauded victims out of advanced fees and was jailed for two years.

As an example of his Walter Mitty-style lies, unrelated to any charges, the court heard in 2008, Tomkins claimed at his children's prep school he was a Queen's Counsel barrister working on a murder trial in Sheffield.

During a viewing for a house worth £585,000, he told the owners he was a solicitor for an oil company. At another house, valued at almost £1 million, he told the estate agent he was a judge.

In mitigation, Mark Kimsey said Tomkins was formerly a commodity trader.

He had applied to a broker for a £160,000 mortgage, hoping to buy the home he was renting, but he did not pursue it when further confirmation was sought. The application never reached the building society, the court heard.

Mr Kimsey said: "He's changed his life since these offences."