will see the charity remove around 7,000 tons of sediment at various locations on the canal between Sutton Cheney and Market Bosworth The work is carried out using a special floating digger which will haul out silt which has accumulated on the bottom of the canal and load it into a hopper barge to be taken away We’re also shoring-up a 150-metre section of the canal’s bank near Shenton silt dredged from the canal will be used as ‘backfill’ The remainder of the nutrient-rich dredged material will be unloaded and spread on to a canal-side farmer’s field near Far Coton the Ashby Canal is lock-free which makes it popular with novice boaters and people hiring holiday boats Dredging is an important part of the Canal & River Trust’s ongoing work to keep the canal open and boats moving Nationwide the charity spends around £7million per year removing tens of thousands of tonnes of sediment from the bottom of its canals said: “Dredging is just one part of the vital ongoing programme of maintenance we carry out to make sure that our historic canals are navigable for boaters and so that they are available to benefit wildlife and for local people to use and enjoy “Originally built over 200 years ago to transport coal to the Midlands and South the Ashby Canal remains really important to the local economy by attracting boaters and those enjoying boating holidays These works will address some of the known problem areas for boaters on the canal and help to ensure that it’s ready for the summer period when it will be busy with people getting out on the water “With time and climate change taking their toll on the nation’s ageing waterways our charity is grateful for the public support we receive to help us carry out projects like this and ensure we keep our canals alive for future generations.” •  Home births landmark marks International Day of the Midwife at Nottingham Hospitals Jason Zadrozny has lost his Ashfield seat to Reform UK with candidate Alan Bite beating him by more than 600 votes Conservative cabinet member loses seat to Reform Tories hold Newstead by single vote Nottinghamshire County Council has 66 seats in total, so the number to form a majority is 34 A by-election for the Mansfield North division has been delayed and is set to take place in June and the rooms at County Hall emptied once more After a dramatic day with the balance of power tilting away from the established parties towards Reform UK Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe results in fullpublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 2 May17:40 BST 2 MayIsaac AsheBBC News having been elected in 40 seats across Nottinghamshire The Conservatives form the largest opposition group Labour collected enough votes in four areas while three other parties - the Ashfield Independents the Broxtowe Alliance and the Broxtowe Independent Group - are represented by a sole councillor There remain two seats still to be decided which will take place in a by-election in June Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Sensational day' for Reformpublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 2 May17:36 BST 2 MayPete SaullPolitical correspondent A turquoise tide has swept across the East Midlands Local politicians of all parties expected Reform to do well but few thought the results would be this emphatic Nigel Farage’s party now has big working majorities in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – and is also comfortably the largest party in Leicestershire where at times it’s felt like a wake – because only Conservative councillors have made it in to the central results hub “Nigel Farage can’t lead all of these councils from London.” The party still doesn’t have local group leaders and it’s unclear what the process will be In Leicestershire a deal may have to be struck with the Conservatives to get things done Remember these new administrations inherit the same problems; increasing demand for social care and special educational needs provision Other parties point out that few of those elected today have any experience as councillors Reform UK will have a record in office to defend Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Staggering result' says Reform's first county councillorpublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 2 May17:24 BST 2 MayIsaac AsheBBC News Reform had only ever been represented by one councillor in Nottinghamshire a former Conservative who switched allegiances in January this year is part of the ruling party at County Hall He's told the BBC that he "had to see it with his own eyes" the support he was getting on the campaign trail He said: "I think the results are quite staggering I had to pinch myself a lot at the time when I was out campaigning." Dr Doddy said despite any perceived inexperience Reform was ready to take the reins of a council He said: "We recognise the things we've got to do we're just going to do them differently "We're looking at how to use the taxpayers' money better and that's what people say to me - they don't understand where all the money is going and their services are going down and the money they're paying is going up and they can't put that together "That's where the common sense come in." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFinal ward declared as Reform takes two seatspublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 2 May17:20 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News Reform takes the two final seats in Arnold North Preceding councillors Michael Payne and Pauline Allen - both Labour - were elected in 2021 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform takes seats from Labour in Carlton Westpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 2 May17:15 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News Two wins for Reform in Carlton West - a ward which previously was held by Labour Party members Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform wins more seats in Mansfieldpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 2 May17:12 BST 2 MayDan HuntBBC News Reform UK has gained two seats from the Conservatives in Mansfield East with the party receiving over 7000 votes in the ward Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform UK takes two seats in Mansfield Westpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 2 May17:00 BST 2 MayDan HuntBBC News Reform UK has gained both seats in Mansfield West from Labour and the Conservatives respectively receiving over 56% of the vote share in the process Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBy-election to take place in Junepublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 2 May16:54 BST 2 MayHugh CasswellPolitical reporter A reminder that we have not received the full set of results for Nottinghamshire today The election for the Mansfield North division has been delayed after the death of candidate Karen Seymour A by-election for the division’s two seats is set to be held on 12 June with the outcome revealed the following day Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform take two more wardspublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 2 May16:53 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News Reform win two further seats in Stapleford and Broxtowe Central John Doddy was expelled from the Conservatives in 2024 and then joined Reform making him the only incumbent Reform councillor on the council Former councillor Maggie McGrath quit Labour in early 2025 as part of mass defections she stood for Broxtowe Alliance and lost her seat Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTwo Labour members keep seats in Arnold Southpublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 2 May16:34 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMore wins in Mansfield South for Reformpublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 2 May16:28 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News Two more wins in Mansfield South for Reform The seats were previously held by Tory Andre Camilleri and independent Steve Garner Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe result that saw Reform gain controlpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 2 May16:20 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News This was the moment Reform reached the magic 34 seats for a majority Labour won despite its vote share going down by 18.5% Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCabinet member loses seatpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 2 May16:14 BST 2 MayDan HuntBBC News The cabinet member for communities and public health has lost the Sherwood Forest seat to Reform UK's James Gamble Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTories hold Carlton Eastpublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 2 May16:03 BST 2 MayDan HuntBBC News The Conservative party has held the Carlton East seat beating competition from the Green Party Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnother victory for Reform in Calvertonpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 2 May16:01 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News who finishes in third spot behind independent candidate Andy Meads Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTory hold ward in Newark & Sherwood districtpublished at 15:58 British Summer Time 2 May15:58 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News The Tory deputy leader keeps his seat in Muskham and Farnsfield Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Capital of common sense'published at 15:55 British Summer Time 2 May15:55 BST 2 MayIsaac AsheBBC News Reform has seen a clean sweep of wins - seven seats for what the area's Reform MP Lee Anderson is calling "The Magnificent Seven" Taking to social media he said: "I could not be prouder of our new councillors "The capital of common sense has spoken." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform take Sutton North wardpublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 2 May15:51 BST 2 MayTom OakleyBBC News where the ward was previously held by the Ashfield Independents Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform make gains in Leake and Ruddingtonpublished at 15:50 British Summer Time 2 May15:50 BST 2 MayDan HuntBBC News The Tories and Reform UK have won one seat each in Leake and Ruddington Previously the Conservatives held both seats in the ward Three Ukrainian surgeons have visited Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust (NUH) this week to learn vital surgical skills from experienced NUH colleagues visited NUH to continue their laparoscopic and robotic surgical training They were invited to extend their training after three NUH surgeons visit them in Ukraine last year where they trained medics to perform keyhole surgery said: “Laparoscopic surgery allows us to use less invasive methods “It’s very important for us to share techniques and we’ve had a lot of tips so it’s great Ukrainian Colorectal Surgeon and Combat Paramedic said: “It’s a very nice experience because they have a different view on some cases but they basically operate laparoscopically and robotically A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between NUH and the Ukrainian doctors to facilitate the visit and made NUH the first hospital in the UK to formally sign an MOU with a unit in Ukraine visited Ukraine last year with colleagues JJ Reilly Shane MacSweeney and Elisa Lenzi and said: “I think the thing we’d all take away from the visit is the resilience that they have this drive to prevail succeed we don’t have a supervisor when we are teaching laparoscopic surgery But when the first time a British surgeon came to us and we have a lot of good results for our patients.” said: “To hear the environment that they’ll happen to work in the limited resources that they’ve got and yet are doing amazing things that is just truly inspirational “It’s fantastic that NUH is able to help in their small way.” •  Fire Service promotes ‘Be Water Aware Week’ following fatal incident The weather forecast for Tuesday 6 May in Nottinghamshire. Nottingham city planned roadworks this week commencing Monday 5 May The incident was reported on Saturday 3 May on the M1 motorway Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: we were mobilised to an RTC on the M1 southbound between Loughborough and Coalville at approximately 9:40 am crews were met with cars still trying to drive past this incident despite the arrival of emergency services ‘Crews immediately fended off and closed all lanes to ensure the safety of those working in the right-hand lane ‘We urge all motorists to follow the instructions of emergency service personnel and not to overtake an emergency service vehicle when it is on blue lights ‘Firefighters from Loughborough carefully removed a woman from the driver’s seat and assisted her to an ambulance where she was assessed by a land ambulance doctor and EMAS paramedics ‘The car was then recovered by Crouch and the M1 shortly after was reopened to the public.’ Delays are building and advice is to avoid the area ‘The A46 has re-opened in both directions between the A606 and the A52 near Nottingham ‘We’re pleased to advised that the farm animals returned safely to their original enclosure.’ The A46 in Nottinghamshire is currently closed in both directions between the A606 and the A52 at Cotgrave and Stragglethorpe This is due to farm animals that have escaped a nearby enclosure Nottinghamshire Police and National Highways Service Providers are at scene managing the incident ‘The A46 is closed in both directions between the A606 and the A52 near Nottingham ‘This is due to large animals that have escaped their enclosure and entered the network A diversion route to follow shortly.’ Partially blocked and queueing traffic due to animals on road on A46 Northbound from A606 Melton Road to Owthorpe Road Two suspects have been arrested and charged with theft offences after board games were stolen from a Nottingham store Police were called to The Dice Cup in Mansfield Road on Tuesday 29 April at 3.40pm after thieves entered the premises and stole two board games worth £100 Two men have then attempted to sell the board games at second-hand exchange store CEX of Thurman Street were both arrested and charged with theft from a shop from the neighbourhood policing team in Nottingham city centre “We take all reports of retail crime extremely seriously in the city centre We know the impact these types of crimes have on our business community “Our stores are joined up and thanks to these close links we could trace exactly where the items ended up “Hopefully this sends out a strong warning to those who think they can steal from our city shops and businesses and try and cash in at second-hand stores “We have quickly arrested and charged two suspects in connection with this incident •  Arrest on suspicion of rape after Nottingham car park assault •  Taxi driver jailed for sexually assaulting teenage girls Residents in Rushcliffe have sent a strong message that they do not wish to join a new Nottingham City Council is the view of West Bridgford South Cllr Jonathan Wheeler Cllr Wheeler who was one of eight Conservative Councillors to be elected in Rushcliffe on Thursday for Nottinghamshire County Council Against a national trend of Conservative Councillors losing their seats the Conservatives retained the same number they finished the last Council term on and a key pledge of their manifesto was to campaign to stay out of Nottingham City Council something which Cllr Wheeler says with the number one issue on the doorstep ‘After knocking on thousands of doors in the last few months I can tell you the overwhelming majority of people do not want to join a new Nottingham City Council and see Rushcliffe Borough Council ‘The election results are a clear message and mandate and it is time the Government listened and scrapped this ridiculous idea ‘We will continue to fight any plans to join the city and will call on the new Reform administration to reject any attempts to join a new city council be to join or calls for a public referendum on the issue ‘Finally I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for Local Conservatives in the election we will continue to stand up for residents and hold the new Reform administration to account on delivering  the promises they made to the electorate.’ A teenage knife carrier who brandished a machete during a street altercation has been jailed Dante Shakespeare, aged 18, was among a small group who became involved in an argument with a van driver in Bulwell The driver pursued the group in the van before Shakespeare was seen on CCTV footage in Muriel Street producing a machete and running after the vehicle An officer was able to identify Shakespeare following a trawl of CCTV in the area pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a knife in a public place He was jailed for 10 months when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Thursday (1 May 2025) “Shakespeare’s decision to arm himself with a machete and brandish it in the street was extremely reckless “Much of this incident took place on a residential street and it must have been alarming for any witnesses to see no one was hurt and an officer was quickly able to identify Shakespeare “The case shows the value of Nottingham’s extensive CCTV system and how it covers areas outside of the city centre “If you produce a knife in public you are highly likely to be caught on camera and end up before the courts “While Shakespeare may not have intended to get into a violent confrontation that day his decision to carry a knife greatly increased the gravity of what happened and could easily have resulted in either him or others coming to harm “We’d still like to speak to the other people involved in this incident so anyone with information should call us without delay.” •  Warning after scam calls from bogus police officers in Nottinghamshire •  Nottingham City Transport bus service disruption next week Fraud investigators have issued a warning after a series of scam calls from people claiming to be police officers all of who are elderly and living in the Retford area have been contacted by a person claiming to be a police officer That person has then engaged the victims in conversation before asking for money and / or financial details A police investigation is currently ongoing and any additional victims or their relatives are asked to contact officers without delay “No genuine officer would ever ask for financial details for money over the phone so anyone receiving such a call from contact us without delay “Our investigation into these incidents is ongoing and we will leave no stone unturned as we seek to identify the person or people responsible “As always our priority is to protect the public from harm which is why we are now issuing this public warning.” Anyone with relevant information should call 101 quoting incident 675 of 24 April 2025 •  Nottinghamshire weather forecast for Sunday 4 May •  Plain clothes police arrest suspect after laundry products stolen The weather forecast for Monday 5 May in Nottinghamshire. Reform UK have taken control of Nottinghamshire County Council in a sweeping victory that has been replicated across the wider Midlands clear of the 34 required to take overall control of the authority which had been in control of the council with a slim majority Both Labour and the Ashfield Independents suffered significant losses while the Ashfield Independents – who had been the main opposition – have been almost entirely wiped off the map with but one seat remaining One of the Ashfield Independents’ main casualties was that of the group’s leader Jason Zadrozny who was unseated by Reform’s Alan Bite by more than 600 votes In Broxtowe the sheer number of new groups – independent of the main parties – only seemed to contribute further to Reform’s gains and led to the unseating of the Labour Group’s leader Kate Foale who beat the Broxtowe Alliance’s Milan Radulovic and Labour’s Will Mee to the Eastwood seat said the group would be holding a meeting on Sunday to discuss the position of leader and cabinet members “We are not fully experienced county councillors but we have good leadership around us,” he said Cllr John Doddy has got fantastic experience “I understand there are national issues that are at the forefront of people’s thinking at the moment “I understand that we don’t have any impact over that and drawing attention to issues in a straight way how we are going to tackle some of the issues people voted for But at least in the long term we will be closer the leader of the Nottinghamshire Conservatives and former leader of the authority was one of few Tories to have kept their seat “I’m absolutely gutted to have lost so many outstanding councillors,” he added “They have sadly not been re-elected today it is a national swing from Conservative and Labour to Reform “But if you look at what’s happened across the country we are actually the biggest Conservative Group left in the country and I’m the only Conservative leader to retain their seat in the Midlands as well but if you compare us we have actually done pretty well here “The incoming Reform administration have a good council to take forward I still am unclear on their local priorities and their local issues they wish to focus on “They received letters from Nigel Farage saying vote reform and get the boats stopped Reform won’t even be able to stop the boats coming down the Trent here in Nottinghamshire.” Mr Zadrozny added: “I’m really disappointed “I’ve been on the County Council 18 years and I tried my best to do a good job Sometimes the big political parties take a tsunami and that’s what’s been happening across the country.” In 2017 the Conservatives won the most seats – but fell short of gaining a controlling majority They partnered with councillors from the Mansfield Independent Forum to form an administration at the time the Conservatives capitalised on a better run from the party  nationally just about securing enough seats – 37 – for a majority Following years of turbulence for the Conservative Party and Party Gate turmoil under former leader and Prime Minister Boris Johnson their performance in the polls has collapsed The Labour Party has been struggling under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership battling troubling economic conditions and global conflicts following a sweeping victory in the 2024 General Election but decisions over winter fuel payments and inheritance tax have only muddied the waters for Labour with its older and more rural voters The troubles between the two leading parties have given rise to Reform UK’s success under its leader Nigel Farage The re-branded Brexit Party’s success began to become apparent overnight in Lincolnshire with the election of Andrea Jenkyns as mayor as well as a win in a by-election in Labour’s Runcorn Things only got better for the party on May 2 having taken control of councils in Derbyshire and Lincolnshire county councils to name but a few The last time Nottinghamshire County Council had any hint of Mr Farage’s politics was in 2009 when Rev Tom Irvine was elected to the Hucknall division under the UKIP banner are yet to be decided following the recent death of Trade Union and Socialist Coalition candidate A by-election is expected to take place there on June 12 •  Live updates ; Rushcliffe: Nottinghamshire County Council Election results as they happen •  Broxtowe: Reform UK win six seats •  Ashfield Election Results: Reform UK take over winning 9 out of 10 seats •  Extra urgent dental appointments now available in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire These disruptions may affect your travel on Nottingham City Transport services next week Witnesses of traumatic events are now being given trauma support cards providing them with help and advice – thanks to a new joint initiative Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service have teamed up with NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies to create and issue the double-sided credit card sized advice cards They will be given to members of the public who have witnessed distressing incidents and been exposed to trauma – such as serious violence The cards direct people to Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies – a free and confidential NHS service designed to help with common mental health problems such as stress and depression – as well as advising on self-help resources and how people can get urgent help and support if it is needed said: “These new cards will help us deliver an even better service to well-intentioned members of the public who are often first on scene of many of our traumatic incidents and who report incidents to us despite being exposed to trauma “I want to thank those individuals who do the right thing by summoning help or often seeking to engage with those individuals experiencing a crisis pending the arrival of the emergency services “We noticed there was limited advice our response control room and Operational Support teams could provide to witnesses of traumatic incidents so we’re excited to deliver this new initiative alongside our partners when officers are present at a traumatic incident with witnesses still on scene they can provide this advice card to them directly “If a 999 caller comes through our force control room and is not present on scene we can send them similar advice via a text message or email “We want to spread these cards far and wide Even if just one person gets the support they need after receiving one of our cards then it will be worth it.”  Head of Community Safety and Engagement from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We’re really pleased to be able to work with Notts Talk and Nottinghamshire Police to bring this extra support to people who witness traumatic events in our communities “We often attend incidents where a local community member has called 999 administered first aid or witnessed something difficult such as a fire “Having someone to talk to in confidence about how this has impacted them will really help “We understand the impact this can have and provide debriefs and mental health first aid to our staff who attend such incidents so we are pleased to be able to support the public in this way working with Notts Talk.” NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies added: “We’re incredibly proud to work with Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service on this project ensuring that Nottingham’s local communities are offered more access to mental health support “We want to ensure that Talking Therapies can be accessed by everyone and make sure no-one struggles alone.” The cards also include a unique QR code so that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies can monitor how many people access their website page and see how successfully these cards are being engaged with For more information about NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies and how they can help visit https://notts-talk.co.uk A suspect has been arrested following reports of a sexual assault in Nuthall Police were called to a car park in Upminster Drive around 3.30am today (2 May) They received reports a woman had just been assaulted there Police have since arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of rape while a police cordon set up at the scene is still in place “The victim is currently being supported by specially trained officers while we continue to investigate all lines of inquiry “A suspect has been arrested in connection with what we believe to be an isolated incident “We appreciate this incident will cause some concern to the public but I want to reassure them just how seriously we treat all reports of this nature “I’d also ask anyone who witnessed what happened or has any information that could assist this ongoing investigation to please come forward “This can be reported to the police on 101 or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.” •  Police name Newark stabbing victim as suspect charged The weather forecast for Sunday 4 May in Nottinghamshire. South Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and those with dashcam footage to get in touch following a fatal road traffic collision on the M1 in Barnsley we were called to reports of a road traffic collision between Junction 36 and 37 on the M1 southbound ‘It is understood that a grey Volvo XC40 hit the central barrier of the motorway and left the carriageway a 71-year-old woman sadly died at the scene ‘A 71-year-old man has been taken to hospital with injuries that are serious but not believed to be life-threatening ‘The family of the man and the woman has been informed and is being supported ‘The M1 was closed in both directions between junction 36 and 37 and has since reopened ‘Officers are investigating the circumstances of the collision or any other information that could help with enquiries via live chat or by calling 101 quoting incident number 234 of 1 May 2025.’ You can share footage here: https://unitedkingdom1cpp-portal.digital-policing.co.uk/en-GB/southyorks/appeal/appeal-for-witnesses-and-dashcam-footage-following-fatal-collision-on-the-m1 A taxi driver who tried to bribe and pay off one of two teenagers he’d sexually assaulted has been jailed was convicted in February this year of assaulting two young women who had been passengers in his taxi he had earlier pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice for trying to sabotage the case against him After finding out the phone number of a key witness Hussain attempted to bribe her and the victim with £6,000 each to change their accounts Not only was this illegal approach rejected but it was also recorded and later passed on to the police Detectives later retrieved CCTV footage showing a man matching Hussain’s description waiting over a number of days the exact location he’d suggested for a meeting Hussain first came to police attention after assaulting a young woman on 23 April 2022 After picking her up from Nottingham City Centre he offered her a cigarette before placing his hand up her skirt and stroking the inside of her thigh he was interviewed under caution and later released Hussain continued to drive his taxi and struck again around eight months later On that occasion he began by asking his victim a series of highly inappropriate sexual questions before pulling over and subjecting her to even more serious assaults After pleading not guilty to all the charges against him Hussain was convicted in February after a retrial at Nottingham Crown Court of three counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration He was cleared of another count of sexual assault against a third young woman Hussain claimed that his victims – who were both sat in the front seat as he assaulted them but had no prior knowledge of each other – were making up the allegations against him When confronted with damning DNA evidence proving sexual contact with the second victim he had initially claimed the victim had actually made a sexual advance towards him Appearing at the same venue today (Friday) Hussain was given an extended 16 year sentence – 11 years to be served in custody and five on extended license He was also handed a restraining order banning further contact with his victims and also regretted his decision to put his victims through a crown court trial “This was predatory and calculating behaviour from a man who appeared to believe he could do what he liked to these young women without any consequences “Even after his earlier interaction with the police he upped the level of his offending and subjected another young woman to an even more serious sexual assaults “His victims were extremely vulnerable when they had the misfortune to find themselves alone in Hussain’s taxi “After trusting him to get them home safely he abused that trust in a way I know will horrify his hard-working fellow drivers “His earlier suggestion that two strangers with no prior knowledge of each other would make very similar but false allegations was always remote “But Hussain’s claim that his second victim actually made advances towards him was little short of fanciful “As he begins this very significant jail sentence I would like to place on record my thanks to those victims for the determination and bravery they have shown in order to bring this man to justice and safeguard other potential victims.” Plain-clothed police officers followed and arrested a suspected shoplifter as he removed laundry products from the shelves The officers were on routine patrol in Mansfield town centre on Wednesday afternoon when they spotted the man acting suspiciously After following him into a store in West Gate shortly before 3.15pm they soon announced their presence and detained him A 33-year-old man was then arrested on suspicion of theft “Reducing shop theft is a key local priority for us “So as well as mounting regular highly visible uniformed patrols in and around the town centre to deter offenders we also run regular plain-clothed operations that allow us to follow suspects more closely “On Wednesday that approach paid off and a suspect was detained as a result.” “We will be continuing this work throughout the summer so offenders shouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves coming face-to-face with police officer.” A suspect in a fatal stabbing in Newark has been charged – while police have now named the man who died Detectives launched a murder investigation after a 40-year-old man was found unresponsive in Castle Gate, Newark. The victim – who can now be named as James Cook – sustained stab wounds during an assault at 11.53pm on Wednesday (30 April) Despite the best efforts of emergency services Twenty-two-year-old Brandon Byrne was arrested a few hours later and has today (2 May) been charged with Mr Cook’s murder remains in custody and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (3 May) “We have been trying to determine the full circumstances around this tragic incident since it happened but can now confirm we’ve charged a suspect our thoughts remain with Mr Cook’s family and friends who are still trying to process this devastating news “They are currently being supported by specially trained officers and have requested privacy at this difficult time I would like to thank the investigation team which includes specialists from across to force “They have worked around the clock on this investigation to build up a clearer picture of what happened.” •  Murder investigation launched after man found collapsed in street Family have paid tribute to a 16-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty whilst swimming at Colwick Country Park. has been described as a “well loved” son and brother to his three sisters and baby brother Emergency services were called to Colwick Country Park at 5.20pm on Wednesday (30 April) after Valentine got into difficulty whilst swimming in the lake A multi-agency rescue operation was launched involving a police underwater search team assisted by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service “He was a Nottingham College student and was well-liked amongst his friends Words cannot describe what we are going through right now “We would kindly request for privacy so that we can grieve as a family and try to come to terms with what has happened to our Valentine Detective Inspector Gail Routledge said: “Valentine’s family are being supported by specially trained officers following this incident “This was a tragedy where a young boy has lost his life Our thoughts remain with Valentine’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time “While work continues to understand how Valentine came into difficulty I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the devastating consequences of entering open water – regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently.” Valentine’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the Coroner Extra appointments are now available for people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire who need urgent dental care The urgent appointments are part of the 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments being rolled out across the country The appointments are for urgent conditions including: People can get an urgent appointment by visiting NHS111 or phoning 111 Chief Executive from NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire said: “We know how important it is to local people that they can get urgent dental care when they need it so we’re pleased to be offering these extra appointments The appointments are for urgent dental care only so please check our website for a list of eligible conditions “We’re also working hard to improve access to non-urgent NHS dental care We’ve carried out a review of dental services in the East Midlands to find out where there are gaps so we can develop a plan to improve dental care There is also work happening nationally to improve dental workforce recruitment “You can also phone one of the dental practices offering additional urgent appointments below You do not need to be registered with the dental practice but you must contact them in advance: dental practices offering additional urgent appointments Detectives have released images of a man they wish to trace after an indecent incident inside a pub The incident happened at The Tap and Run pub in Main Road in Upper Broughton at around 2.30pm on Saturday 28 December A man has entered the pub and exposed himself to a woman before committing a sex act Extensive lines of inquiry including Automatic Number Plate Recognition has been used in an attempt to track down the person involved Officers have now released an image of a man that could help them further their investigation and are calling on the public’s help to identify him I would like to reassure the public we have carried out an extensive investigation to track down the person responsible for this crime all lines of inquiry have not resulted in any arrests for this incident “While this incident happened some time ago we are still committed to ensuring the person responsible is caught “We have released images of a man that could help us with our inquiries “We are hoping that the public can help us identify him Anyone with information can call 101 quoting incident number 0201 of the 8th January 2025 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 •  Live updates – Rushcliffe: Nottinghamshire County Council Election results as they happen Results are starting to come in from Rushcliffe Arena as the votes are counted Read more: Reform UK make majority on Nottinghamshire County Council Only 64 of the 66 seats will be declared today The vote for the Mansfield North Division will complete the election result once that vote takes place at a later date Reform UK now have the 34 seats required to have a majority There are eight more seats to be announced today ( Friday 2 May ) A further two seats in Mansfield North will be announced at a later date which is still to be confirmed. This has been rearranged due to the death of a candidate. • See results of Rushcliffe councillors who sit on Nottinghamshire County Council here The weather forecast for Saturday 3 May in Nottinghamshire. Two-thirds of Broxtowe’s councillors at Nottinghamshire County Council are now Reform UK – one division saw both its seats taken by Reform The results of Nottinghamshire County Council’s 2025 election were revealed today (May 2) marking a dramatic twist for the previously Conservative-led county authority Reform UK will now control the council with a 40 members The Conservatives now form the main opposition with 17 seats Broxtowe at the County Council was represented by three Conservatives The area has seen some political shift since January when 18 Labour councillors at Broxtowe Borough Council defected to form the new  independent Broxtowe Alliance group – the group had candidates running for six of the nine County Council seats Broxtowe now has six Reform UK councillors one Broxtowe Independent councillor and one Broxtowe Alliance councillor at county level Beeston Central & Rylands division – Broxtowe Alliance GAIN Leader of the Labour Group at the County Council with 1,008 votes compared to Broxtowe Alliance’s Teresa Ann Cullen’s 1,035 votes Reform’s James Donovan Adrian Walker-Gurley took the Eastwood seat with 1,326 votes The Broxtowe Alliance candidate followed with 898 votes Bramcote and Beeston North division – Independent GAIN Councillor Steve Carr was previously elected to this seat as a Lib Dem He stood down from the party in July 2024 and has now been re-elected but as a Broxtowe Independent with 2,104 votes Cllr Carr said he is “absolutely over the moon” but had concerns He said: “It looks as though the council is going to be run by a party that’s never run a council before Greasley and Brinsley division – Reform UK GAIN This seat was previously held by Independent councillor Elizabeth Williamson who decided not to rerun Reform’s Glyn Pepper took the seat with 1,679 votes – the Conservative candidate was runner-up with 690 votes Nuthall and Kimberley division – Reform UK GAIN Conservative councillor Philip Owen had held this seat for 20 years but today was defeated by Reform’s James Rawson He said: “I’m upset about but I’m afraid that’s politics and you have to live with that It’s democracy in process and the people have had their say.” Stapleford and Broxtowe Central division – Both Reform UK GAIN (two seats) Councillor John Doddy has been elected as one of Reform’s candidates with 2,372 votes Cllr Doddy defected to Reform in January after sitting as an Independent Jan Goold was the division’s second Reform candidate to be elected with 2,059 votes He said: “This is a seismic shift in politics “The most hopeless place to be as a politician is in the opposition I’m looking forward to the opportunity of looking after and running County Hall for the people of Nottinghamshire.” Chilwell and Attenborough division – Labour and Reform UK GAIN This division was previously Conservative-held in two seats and Reform’s Richard Gordon Lowe taking the other with 1,807 votes Conservative Richard Jackson lost his seat after serving as a County Councillor since 2002 Mr Jackson said: “There’s been a big national swing I came here thinking this might have been on the cards- 23 years on and time to move on and do something different.” Reform UK won all Nottinghamshire County Coucil seats in Ashfield bar one – the only area retained by the Ashfield Independents The results were key to Reform winning a total of 40 seats – and overall control  of the council with a wide 23 seat majority The Conservatives won 17 seats and Labour won four Although they retain control of Ashfield District Council – which was not part of Thursday’s poll – all but one of their 10 County Council seats went to Reform UK Nottinghamshire residents headed to the polls on Thursday May 1 to vote for local councillors in 66 seats across 55 divisions Votes in Ashfield were counted at Kirkby Leisure Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield John Wilmott Anthony Wilmott (Ash Ind) won the group’s solitary Hucknall North seat with 1,231 votes – 230 more than Sean Richard Neale (Reform UK) who stood at 1,001 votes and former Notts County Council opposition leader lost his seat to Reform after 18 years of being on the County Council “Sometimes the big political parties take a tsunami – and that’s what’s been happening across the country.” Ashfield’s Reform MP Lee Anderson said it was an “unbelievable feeling” seeing his party win over the district He said: “We’ve been building our branch up they want a little bit of honesty in politics “It’s democracy – the best people have won on the day.” It is likely the last-ever Nottinghamshire County Council election in its current format due to ongoing local government reform which could see councils overhauled and new “strategic authorities” and combined councils created between 2027 and 2028 Christine Jennifer Self (Conservatives) 78 Kevin Thomas Rostance (Local Conservatives) 510 Rachel Elizabeth Kotze (Local Conservatives) 277 John Morton Anthony Wilmott (Ash Ind) 1,231 (E) Ethan Tyler Revill (Labour and Co-operative) 293 Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) is collaborating with Nottinghamshire County Council to invest part of RBC’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation in upgrading seating, planters, and street furniture along West Bridgford’s Central Avenue. and local businesses will experience minimal disruption as there are no planned road or footpath closures “It’s fantastic to see this project underway delivering visible improvements to West Bridgford town centre “Small enhancements like these can make a significant difference and we hope they will encourage more people to visit and enjoy the area “Supporting Rushcliffe’s retail areas and local businesses is a key priority and this initiative is one way we’re fulfilling that commitment.” A body was found during a search for a boy who went missing after entering a lake at Colwick Country Park earlier this week Emergency services were called to the incident at around 5:15pm on Wednesday 30 April and firefighters from Newark as well as the technical rescue unit to help with an on-water search Area Manager Tom Archer said: “Despite the brave and tireless efforts of all the emergency services involved we are deeply saddened to confirm that the body of a 16-year-old boy has been recovered at Colwick Country Park I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the boy’s friends and family during this incredibly difficult time “This tragic incident serves a reminder of the hidden dangers of open water. We urge everyone to take care around lakes, rivers, and other natural bodies of water. Please take on board the safety messages available on our website and below to keep yourselves safe in and around water.” Cold Water Shock – Even on the hottest of days Cold water shock can impact normal breathing and your ability to swim or float What’s Beneath The Surface – Submerged objects or plants and rocks can be sharp or can get caught around limbs Float To Live – Fight the urge to swim and try to stay calm Make sure you lie back and keep your airways clear push your stomach up and extend your limbs moving your hands and feet to help you float Try to control your gasping reflex from the cold water shock What To Do In An Emergency – Can 999 for help if someone is in trouble in the water tell them to float on their back and throw them something that floats Never Go In – Never enter the water to attempt a rescue Encourage The Casualty To Float – Instinct will naturally tell people to swim but even the strongest swimmers can be overcome by currents in the water such as a throw line or lifebuoy – if these aren’t available Midwives working at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) will be marking the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May by reflecting on their rewarding jobs which give them the chance to support families in some of the most important moments of their lives One team who have particular reason to recognise the day is the NUH Home Birth Team who delivered their 100th home birth recently the Home Birth team have now supported more than 100 home births across Nottinghamshire in just over a year helping to create supportive and relaxing environments for families who wish to give birth at home who was the 100th baby born via the service welcomed him into the world at their home at 23.34pm on 16 April supported by a team of midwives during the day and night Mikaela said: “The team were fantastic and so supportive they were able to create such a calm environment They listened to everything I wanted and followed my birth plan perfectly to help us welcome Isaac into the world I’d like to thank them for their kindness and support and for helping us to create just the right atmosphere.” who worked the night shift during Isaac’s birth has worked as a midwife for six years across most areas of maternity care including both labour suites and sanctuary birth centres at City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre as well as serving the women and families of Nottingham as a community midwife She said: “We are so lucky to have such a special job that lets us into people’s lives during some of the most intimate and vulnerable times of their lives being part of the 100th home birth and supporting Mikaela was really special “I found my passion whilst working in the sanctuary birth centre providing individualised care and supporting women to ‘birth their way’ I also loved the continuity of care and building the lovely relationships with families The home birth team has allowed me to incorporate my two main passions and I feel very lucky every day to have the privilege of being surrounded by such amazing women.” who also supported Mikaela during the night shift having worked the past 6 years in Nottingham and was based at Nottingham City Hospital until she joined the home birth team She said: “There are so many parts of my job that I enjoy and am passionate about I love capturing photos of families for them to look back on especially the ones that show their raw emotions and power that comes from childbirth I also love making sure that families who have risk factors feel safe and supported A home birth offers women the choice to labour and give birth to their baby in a familiar They receive one-to-one care from a midwife in their own home and have two midwives present for the birth Research shows that planning a home birth means you are more likely to have a birth without interventions even if you need to be transferred into hospital You are particularly suitable for a home birth if you have no medical conditions did not experience complications in any previous labours and labour starts spontaneously after 37 weeks Director of Midwifery for NUH said: “It is brilliant that our home birth team has achieved such a milestone of 100 births congratulations and well done to everyone involved Mothers told us that this was an important service for them and I am pleased that we have been able to achieve this level of service as part of our Maternity Improvement Programme “I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all of our maternity teams across NUH a happy International Day of the Midwife Thank you for your continued hard work and support.” •  Ukrainian doctors visit Nottingham hospitals arranged in the silhouette of a Lancaster Bomber has been unveiled at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincoln ahead of the 80 anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on 8 May created by Lithuanian artist Darius Sirmulevicius who now lives in Lincolnshire will serve as a summer-long tribute to the millions of people across the UK and Commonwealth who served in the Second World War will be available for sale with proceeds going towards the IBCC Wooden Spoon Rugby Charity and British West India Regiments Heritage Trust IBCC CEO Nicky van der Drift said: “During WWII more than a million men and women served in or supported Bomber Command and Lincolnshire housed over a third of all the RAF Bomber Command stations the red poppy is the national symbol of remembrance Despite the devastation and horrific loss of life in war-torn Europe poppies flourished and grew on battlefields and this spectacular display in the shape of a Lancaster Bomber is a fitting tribute to their sacrifice a reminder of the cost of war and an education piece for all ages which is at the heart of everything we do here.” The unveiling also marks the launch of VE80 Lincoln – the final stage of the Rugby & World War Two Project designed to honour the 80th anniversary of D-Day (6 June which began in Normandy and continued through Nijmegen and Arnhem will culminate in Lincoln on VE Day with a series of events at locations across Lincolnshire from 8th to 11th May 2025 Over 280 young male and female rugby players from U18 teams in the UK the Netherlands and Jamacia will take part in the events including an international VE80 Rugby Festival hosted by Lincoln Rugby Club on Saturday 10th May Other VE80 Lincoln commemorative events will include: the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) Director of Sage Blue and Co-Chair of VE80 Lincoln Sue Liburd MBE DL said: “The 80th anniversary of VE Day provides a unique opportunity to honour the sacrifices made by millions and educate future generations about the enduring importance of peace and freedom and what better way to do this than through sport which involves young people from across the Europe and the Commonwealth courage and unity remain relevant and inspiring for years to come “The commemorations are more than just a reflection on history they are an investment in future generations.” A man who joined in on an unprovoked attack that left a victim with a metal plate in his jaw has been jailed and his friends assaulted the man in the early hours of 22 August 2021 As a fight broke out between Wilson and his friends and another group of men the victim – a bystander to the incident – filmed the altercation on his mobile phone Wilson and the group were caught on CCTV in the Lace Market turning their attention to the victim after they saw him recording them forcing him to the floor as they kicked and stamped on his head and body The victim was left with a fractured jaw in two places which required him to undergo surgery where a metal plate was fitted Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on 25 April was jailed for a total of 27 months after pleading guilty to affray and being found guilty of occasioning grievous bodily harm without intent Other suspects involved in the attack previously faced the courts in April 2024 and were sentenced “Otis Wilson and the group launched a vicious and unprovoked attack on a man who was simply enjoying the night with his friends “This kind of violence is unacceptable and I hope this sentence sends out a very clear message to others who think they can behave in a similar way that we will do everything to ensure they face the courts.” •  20,000 ceramic poppies arranged as Lancaster Bomber for VE80 Polling stations are now open until 10pm for the Nottinghamshire County Council election Elections for all 66 county councillors in Nottinghamshire will take place on Thursday 1 May 2025 Rushcliffe Borough Council will administer elections for the 10 county council seats in the Borough of Rushcliffe Nottinghamshire County Council elections are being held this year and residents can vote on the representative they want for their area county councils are responsible for functions such as roads Nottinghamshire County Council currently has a single-party Conservative majority County Councillors are elected by the people of Nottinghamshire every four years Each councillor represents a particular area of the county: Councillors are often members of political parties but they can also be independent Nottinghamshire County Council is currently governed by the Conservative Party  The current composition of the County Council is: All 21 county councils were due to hold elections in May 2025 the government told councils they could request to postpone their elections “where this will help the area to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe”  This included councils wishing to join the government’s devolution priority programme to have their first mayoral elections in May 2026 or “who need reorganisation to unlock devolution” 16 county councils and two unitary authorities requested their elections be postponed the government announced that elections would be postponed to May 2026 in nine areas (Norfolk *This list reflects all nominated candidates as of the document’s deadline publication date of 4 pm 3 April 2025 Note: “English-Independence HANG-MURDERERS” was marked as invalid ‘Severn Trent Water are undertaking repairs on Central Avenue in West Bridgford between 19:00 on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2025 and 06:00 on Tuesday 6th May 2025 9 will divert along Bridgford Road (behind the shops) in both directions.’ •  West Bridgford Central Avenue improvements ongoing Eleven suspects have been charged with drug offences after a series of warrants were executed Officers acting on intelligence carried out searches at addresses in Arnold, Bingham, Carlton, Pinxton, St Ann’s and West Bridgford on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 March Police teams also attended properties in Bolton and Cheshire The suspects appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 19 and 20 March for their first hearing Lau and Hayley Price have also been charged with conspiracy to smuggle Class B and Class C drugs into prison Angela Price and Yeboah have faced further charges for the conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class A and Class B drug Hayley Price and Stones have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery Lau has been charged with the alleged failure to comply with a serious crime prevention order Waheed and Jones were remanded in custody until their next court appearance Ibrahim and Dawes remain on conditional bail The group are due to appear in Nottingham Crown Court on 16 April “Drugs have a detrimental impact on lives and communities and we are dedicated to disrupting their supply “I would like to thank all of our police teams who worked diligently across our investigation to put eleven suspects before the court.” Nottingham Outlaws travelled to Birmingham Bulldogs on Saturday to kick off their 2025 Midlands Premier League campaign against the team they beat in last year’s semi-final play-off the Outlaws saw a healthy first-half lead disappear in a second-half battle for survival but they hung on to record a hard-earned 26-22 victory The Outlaws went into the game once again led by captain Coryn Ward and a squad boasting three league debutants: Michael Adeyemi any early-season optimism was soon put to the test when the Outlaws lost the ball after receiving the kick-off they conceded a try to trail 6-0 with the new season less than a minute old the Outlaws remained unfazed and began to put together their sets in assured fashion They opened their account on ten minutes when Michael Adeyemi scored with his first touch of the ball picking up a Birmingham fumble to go over in the corner and peg the deficit back to 6-4 With the Outlaws playing at a whirlwind pace the Bulldogs were struggling to keep up with the speed of the Outlaws’ play-the-ball and it came as no surprise when Coryn Ward grabbed the Outlaws’ second try from ten metres out despite the attention of three home defenders and the Outlaws edged ahead 10-6 at the thirty-minute mark It was a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game The Bulldogs were now starting to wilt in the face of an Outlaws attack firing on all cylinders and in the final ten minutes of the first half the visitors scorched in for three quick-fire tries The first try in this spell came from Luke Wadding who finished off a fine move down the line to plant the ball down without a hand laid on him A riposte by the Bulldogs pegged the score back to 16-12 but it was soon cancelled out by a second of the game for Michael Adeyemi who dived over from short range after Clarke Squires was held up just shy of the line Harry Hemmingway opened his account with the last play of the half latching onto a long-range pass to scoot in at the corner Whitfield nudged two out of three over the bar and the half ended with the Outlaws firmly in command at 26-12 The coaching staff used the interval to make several changes as Butler and Burgin joined the fray to add fresh legs to the side The second half started brightly for the Outlaws they dominated field position and territory setting up camp in the Bulldogs’ red zone and hammering away at the home line a combination of missed chances and some scrambling home defence prevented the Outlaws from adding to their score their failure to capitalise on opportunities was punished In their first foray into the Outlaws’ half moving the ball crisply down the line to touch down from a well-worked overlap they crossed again with a short-range effort to reduce the deficit to 26-22 nerves were jangling amongst the travelling faithful in a game that appeared to be slipping away from a stunned Outlaws side the Outlaws stiffened their resolve and slowly wrested back control of the game with some fine defending and strong carries from the forwards who had a superb game both in attack and defence there were visible signs of relief on the faces of the Outlaws players coaching staff and supporters—thankful for an opening victory that almost slipped through their fingers The Outlaws’ 2025 home campaign starts on Friday with a game under the lights at Lenton Lane against local rivals Sherwood Wolf Hunt (kick-off 8.00pm) Costa Coffee closed their West Bridgford shop on Bridgford Road in 2023 Costa Coffee has submitted plans to Rushcliffe Borough Council for a temporary pavement seating license outside 32 Central Avenue in West Bridgford The former Vision Express premises – before the optician’s move to Tudor Square – is the location for the application Based in West Bridgford for some years the business left the town in September 2023 ‘There is no final decision on whether or not the business will seek another unit in the town •  Nottingham city on-street parking charges increase by 22% average •  Barrierless drop off parking launches next week at East Midlands Airport A man has died following an explosion in Worksop. Emergency services were called to John Street at 7.39pm after an explosion inside a house The terraced home was destroyed and significant damage was also caused to neighbouring properties Despite the best efforts of the responding emergency services said: “This is an extremely serious incident that has led to a man’s untimely death “The man’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers “I have no doubt that this incident will have come as a shock to the community in Worksop.” Multiple residents from in and around John Street were evacuated as emergency services worked at the scene and are being supported by our colleagues from Nottinghamshire County Council An investigation is ongoing to establish the cause of the explosion and anyone who may have been in the area at the time is now accounted for Chief Inspector Clive Collings added: “It is likely that the cordon and road closures will remain in place for some time as we carry out our investigations “I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation of local residents and thank them for their patience “Officers will remain in the area to carry out enquiries relating to the investigation and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak with an on-duty officer “It is an offence to fly a drone over or near to an ongoing emergency response without permission and I would ask that people refrain from doing that including our emergency services colleagues at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service who have worked throughout the night in response to this incident.” Anyone who has any additional information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 612 of 12 April 2025 •  Major incident after gas explosion in Worksop operated by The Rock Church at Lutterell Hall will close next month ‘It is with great regret that we announce the closure of our coffee shop at Lutterell Hall – Thraves Lounge & Bar ‘We have loved being able to offer this space to the community and have built wonderful friendships over the two years of its operation—especially with our lovely regulars the squeeze—to the point where the business is no longer financially viable Lutterell Hall has always been willing to subsidise the coffee shop to some extent as it helped us achieve important community objectives the current cost-of-living crisis and the resultant increase in the living wage have left us with no alternative and our regulars are now receiving this very difficult news we continue to offer all our usual excellent services—clubs and more (with Thraves still available as part of our hire packages) closing Thraves allows us to focus even more on our core business ensuring we maintain the high standards that make Lutterell Hall a valued hub for the people of West Bridgford and beyond.’ •  Brand new coffee shop to open in West Bridgford Rushcliffe Arena’s count starts in the Nottinghamshire County Council local election The verification of votes in the Rushcliffe wards of the Nottinghamshire County Council election has started at Rushcliffe Arena It followed a welcome to candidates and agents by Returning Officer Adam Hill Results will be reported later as they come in Two suspected burglars have appeared in court after a car was stolen following a Keyworth break-in Detectives launched an investigation after a property in High View Avenue, Keyworth was targeted on 17 March 2025 around 5.30am Car keys were taken and the vehicle was driven to the West Midlands area Investigations led to the arrests of two men after detectives carried out CCTV analysis and other inquiries appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (30 April) charged with burglary They were remanded in custody until their next appearance at Nottingham Crown Court on 28 May 2025 “Any burglary is an upsetting experience for the victim which can leave them feeling unsafe in their own home “We also know how upsetting and inconvenient it can be to discover your car missing from the driveway “I hope the village community is reassured by our response which has now seen these suspects placed before magistrates.” •  Updates: M1 closed with ways J36 serious collision After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend with cooler weather and isolated showers on the way for some After some isolated thundery showers in parts of southern and eastern England on Friday afternoon and evening Saturday will see a further drop in temperatures with more frequent cloud and some showers in parts of eastern Scotland as well as the far south coast of England with temperatures on Saturday likely peaking at 22C in southern and central England which is lower than those experienced for many in recent days though any rain is still likely to be fairly light in nature Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson explained: “The recent very warm weather for the time of year is subsiding over the weekend as a weak cold front moves over the UK We expect cooler temperatures as the front pushes south This cooler air will also help introduce isolated showers across eastern parts “Sunday will feel much cooler compared to recent days with temperatures falling slightly below average for the time of year We can expect mid-to-low double figures for many and even single figures for those further north.” It’s a similar theme for the Bank Holiday Monday the cloudiest conditions are expected in the south and east with further scattered showers possible at times Temperatures on Monday may be a touch higher than Sunday but still below average and feeling chilly Tony continued: “We reach our coldest temperatures on Sunday and Monday Then from Tuesday onwards we’re likely to see a very gradual increase in temperatures day on day though not to the levels of warmth we’ve seen recently High pressure will continue to dominate the UK weather next week bringing largely dry weather and variable cloud amounts.” Organised by Shires Plant Fairs and offering a range of seasonal plants the event returns to the Croquet Lawn this year The Shires Plant Fair returns to the Croquet Lawn and Central Avenue in West Bridgford The fair is on from approximately 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on the following dates: West Bridgford Plant Fair returns for 2025 A police officer has been thanked after helping to save a man’s life while off-duty at a community running event Police Constable Tom Packer was supporting his wife at the Newark Parkrun held at Sconce and Devon Park on 22 March PC Packer became aware of a man who was with two children and complaining about feeling unwell and light-headed who was aged in his 40s and had completed the run of the Gedling neighbourhood policing team “It was at this point I suspected the man was having a heart attack and knew from my training that speed was of the essence in helping him “I dragged him onto the floor and began CPR My wife had finished the run by this point and she supported the man’s children while I continued with the first aid and told other people who had gathered to call for an ambulance and find a defibrillator “Another member of the public also helped by assisting with the breaths while I carried out compressions “I was soon handed a defibrillator and again my police training helped me in knowing how to use the machine and apply pads to the man “After administering a shock to him and further CPR “Police officers from Newark had now arrived at the scene along with paramedics and the man was taken to hospital by air ambulance.” PC Packer was relieved to receive a message from the man’s wife a few days later thanking him “It was confirmed he had suffered a heart attack and required surgery but is now thankfully recovering “I’m grateful for the message and it’s brilliant news he is on the mend I had to think quickly and I’m pleased my police first aid training was able to help save this man’s life “I did nothing that any other officer wouldn’t have done I was just at the right place at the right time “I’d also like to thank the other members of the public who stopped to help and the paramedics and other responders.” Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was fatally injured Officers were called at 11.53pm last night (30 April) after a man was found collapsed in Castle Gate, Newark. A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody A scene remains in place while investigations continue Stodman Street and Middle Street are closed and drivers are asked to find alternative routes “What happened in Newark overnight is tragic and has resulted in the death of a man “His family have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time “Our officers were at the scene quickly and “A team of detectives are working at pace to progress this investigation and we are urging anyone who saw what happened or anyone who may have recorded CCTV dash-cam or mobile phone footage which could help us with our investigation to please get in touch “We understand this incident is likely to cause concern locally but we would like to provide reassurance that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident at this time “Officers will be carrying out additional patrols in the area and residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while our inquiries continue.” Anyone with information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Nottinghamshire Police have today confirmed that a 16-year-old boy died after entering the water at Colwick Country Park yesterday evening the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Carbon Reduction said: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the young person who has sadly died We will be working with Notts Police and Notts Fire and Rescue Service to understand the full circumstances of what happened but we join with them in highlighting the extreme dangers that open water such as lakes “As the current warm spell continues and as we approach the summer season we urge people to follow the guidance at Colwick park and other sites and not enter the water unless as part of properly supervised open water swimming sessions.” There are many hidden dangers in open water: •  Body found in lake at Colwick Country Park in search for 16-year-old boy A by-election for the Gedling Borough Council ward of Porchester was held yesterday and the results are as follows Pauline Allan of the Labour Party was elected The turnout for the election was 37.73% (2,438 ballot papers issued) •  Reform UK on “knife edge” of securing a majority on Lincolnshire County Council •  Reform UK’s Dame Andrea Jenkyns becomes first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire •  Elections: Counting starts at Rushcliffe for Nottinghamshire County Council vote