Category: Leicester

A “serious” multi-vehicle crash has closed the M1 in Leicestershire in both directions.Emergency services were called to the northbound carriageway of the motorway, between junctions 23 and 23A, at about 19:30 BST on Tuesday.National Highways East Midlands described the crash as serious and added it had resulted in a vehicle fire.The northbound carriageway and one lane on the southbound carriageway were initially shut, but the motorway has now been closed completely in both directions.

Popular community pub, the Fox on 21 London road in Oadby will officially reopened on Wednesday 20th May following a transformational combined investment of £250,000 from experienced licensees, Neil Fowkes and Paul Wenman and Admiral Taverns, the UK’s leading community pub company.This refurbishment breathes a new lease of life into the Fox to elevate and modernise the overall look and feel of the pub — whilst still retaining it’s original, characterful features such as the open fireplace — ultimately enabling the licensees to further cement it as the go-to community hub for local residents.Internally, the pub has been completely transformed to include brand new fixtures, fittings and flooring throughout. This includes a brand new main bar, pool room, darts room and a cosy lounge area to elevate the Fox’s atmosphere and further expand its offering to ensure it welcomes everyone.Externally, the Fox has been completely revamped to include brand new lighting and signage to greet customers.Passionate licensees, Neil and Paul, bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the pub with 40 combined years’ experience between them. Going forward the licensees are committed to creating a family-friendly hub that brings people together and supports all aspects of community life.Neil and Paul, licensees at the Fox, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted with the results of the refurbishment and we were excited for the customers to see the updates been made.We have loved every minute of our time at the Fox so far and we would like to thank everyone, from our family and friends to our customers and of course the team at Admiral Taverns, for all their ongoing support. We look forward to everything the future holds for this fantastic community pub!”Going forward, Neil and Paul will be hosting a busy schedule of regular entertainment for the community to enjoy including regular performers to mark special occasions. In the future they hope to run weekly quiz and bingo nights too.As part of their mission to giving back to the local community, they will also be hosting regular fundraising events/community initiatives.Following the refurbishment, the pub will host an impressive range of drinks including an extensive portfolio of premium drinks such as Amstel, Cruzcampo, Moretti, Orchard Thieves, John Smiths Extra Smooth and Murphys Stout. The pub also offers a range of wines and spirits for customers to enjoy.The pub also plans to introduce a food menu in the future, which would include dishes such as fish and chips and burgers.The pub is owned by Admiral Taverns, the UK’s leading community pub company with c. 1,365 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.Jenna Trudgill, Business Development Manager at Admiral Taverns, added: “We are delighted to have Neil and Paul at the pub and we are confident they will continue to build a really strong, community-focused local that residents will enjoy.”On behalf of myself and everyone at Admiral Taverns, I wish Neil and Paul and the entire team at the Fox the best of luck in the future.”Admiral Taverns (“Admiral”) is the UK’s number one community pub group. Headquartered in Chester; the Group operates a national estate of c. 1,365 predominantly wet-led community pubs. Admiral’s unique operational approach has earnt industry recognition with the Group winning Best Community Pub Operator at the 2024 Publican Awards, whilst also being shortlisted for Best Partnership Pub Company (501+ Sites). In 2019, 2016 and 2013, Admiral Taverns won Best Leased and Tenanted Pub Company at the Publican Awards and ranked highly commended as Best Community Pub Operator in 2017. The Group has also been consistently highly rated by licensees in the industry’s independent annual Tenant Track survey, exceeding the scores of all its national peers.Polly Clarke/Amy Keane/Sarah PattonThird-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.

According to planning documents, 40% of homes on the 6.39-hectare (15.8-acre) site would be classed as affordable. A report submitted to the council by the developer said the scheme would be a “highly sustainable residential development”.”By approving the development proposed, a development will be brought forward which contributes towards sustaining and increasing the vitality and viability of the local services and facilities,” it added.The application will be subject to a Section 106 legal agreement in which the developer will pay towards services in the area, including £659,340 to improve Field Head roundabout, according to planning documents.

The proposals include raising the price of a season parking ticket at council-run country parks from £85 to £95 as well as £10 increases for some register office ceremony fees.The report also suggests the council could increase meal prices at its staff restaurant at County Hall in Glenfield to generate £80,000.Kevin Crook, deputy council leader and cabinet member for culture and heritage, said: “Our efficiency review is about gripping our budget and making every pound we spend work harder. “It’s a major project, leaving no stone unturned, and includes increasing fees where it makes sense to do so, with all money collected going back into running and improving our services, including country parks.”Deborah Taylor, leader of the council’s Conservative opposition group, said: “This is Reform putting up the costs of services.”It’s a political choice.”They chose to increase council tax by 2.99% and made a big point of that. “Then they have hidden taxes like these increases to make up the difference.”

The council said members will be able to use the facility by booking slots and paying a “small fee”, which will help maintain the courts. Locals will also be able to play for free during sessions run by the LTA. Haq said: “Parts of Oadby were recently found to be the least active area in Leicestershire, so I hope that this will help to change that and give people a chance to get moving and improve their physical and mental health.”I really encourage our residents to come along and give it a try, and to take advantage of these fantastic new courts. “Whether you’re a regular player or trying tennis for the first time, these new courts are here for the whole community to enjoy.”Scott Lloyd, LTA chief executive, added: “Park tennis courts are vital for providing people with opportunities to pick up a racket, and we want as many people as possible, of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, to enjoy playing tennis and being active.”

A joint police and fire service investigation has started after a house fire in Leicestershire.Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) was initially called to the property in Kent Crescent, in Wigston, at 15:28 BST on Friday. A spokesperson said seven crews and an aerial ladder platform were deployed to the scene at the height of the blaze. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, LFRS added.

Leicester is a sporting city.  
While Leicester City and the Tigers might dominate that landscape for most outsiders looking in, the city also boasts the oldest UK-based basketball team, the Leicester Lions and one of the 18 first-class county cricket clubs in the country. 
Jamie Merryfield and Craig Appleby (left) with Peter Částka, Jody Harris, Peter Wan and Marcus Patten
And for those in the know, a strong grassroots jiu-Jitsu scene. There was just one problem. 
Despite the number of clubs and talented athletes, anyone looking to compete in a tournament would have to go much further afield to test themselves. There was nothing in Leicester. 
“That always felt strange,” said Jamie Merryfield, the team leader for Digital Content and Media at DMU. “The clubs were here, the talent was here but the competitions weren’t. 
“Between us, we have over 30 year’s event experience and I think the penny dropped and we asked ‘wait, why aren’t we doing this?’” 
Together with Craig Appleby, a Digital Content and Media Instructor within the university, the pair launched the Leicester Open in March 2024, with The Venue proving to be the perfect spot to host.  
Having taken part in martial arts from an early age and trained in clubs all over the county, they were able to create a small army of volunteers from clubs to help support the first tournament.  

Craig said: “We knew there’d be an appetite for it. We said if there were around 100 competitors, we’d be really happy, and we surpassed that. 
“After that, it’s just grown and grown. We used to ask if anyone was free to help us set up and now we have a waiting list of both staff and competitors. 
“With the event growing, we felt it was time to drop the Leicester Open name because we wanted to expand to host invitationals. Open competitions are a specific format, with multiple bouts going on at one time.  
“The invitational looks more like a boxing card, with one match taking place at a time in front of an audience, so we switched it to Series so we can cover both events.” 
The pair rebranded to the Leicester Grappling Series, with the latest Open event in February attracting more than 300 competitors and drawing athletes from as far as Newcastle. 
BJJ is regarded as one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports with membership soaring from just 10,000 practitioners in 2016 to over 40,000 in 2025, according to the UK Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association (UKBJJA). 
The development of the Leicester Grappling Series also comes at a time when more women than ever are taking part in jiu-jitsu across the UK and Europe. 
Just 13 years ago, Yasmine Wilson became just the fourth woman in British history to achieve the rank of black belt. Now there are more than 100. 
With women’s participation rapidly increasing, demand for competitive environments is growing. 
Keen to supply that demand, Jamie and Craig’s latest Invitational event hosted a number of female bouts, including a women’s quintet tournament, with four teams of five competing – the largest of its kind in the UK.   

The teams, formed of women from different clubs and gyms from across the country, competed in back-to-back matches, with the winner staying on until only one team was left standing. 
“We were just trying to bring that opportunity in line with the opportunity that the men were getting,” Craig said. “To then find out that we were doing something that is essentially UK history is amazing, really. It just kind of justifies the work that we’re trying to put in. 
“Really, we just want to make jiu-jitsu more inclusive and increase the profile of the sport. It’s still in its infancy compared to other mainstream sports, so growing participation early is one of our key goals.  
Jamie added: “At our first competition we didn’t have a single woman compete. At the last one, we had over 50. 
“We’ve always pushed hard to get more women involved in the sport, so to have that many competing in one event was just fantastic.” 
As well as helping more competitors take part in competitions, the duo wanted to give DMU students an opportunity to capture the action and build up their portfolio.   
Viki Borisova, a third-year Media Production student, was among the students covering the events, filming and taking photos.  
Students have been involved since Jamie and Craig’s first event but the recent April event was Viki’s first exposure to the sport, and she loved every minute. 
Viki said: “It was the first time hearing about the sport, and I got to say I am not disappointed.  
“I had loads of fun, we had mics that we could all communicate with, we were cracking jokes, commenting on the fights through our views and making mini bets on who we wanted to win or how the fight would turn out, be it a draw or a win. 
“Honestly, it was so good to get behind the camera and remember all the terminology behind the camera angles we have learned about and putting them to use with new cameras was great.” 
Jamie and Craig’s next events are the ‘Summer Open’ on 6th June, with the next show ‘Invitational 4’ on the 26th of September. 
If you’re interested in taking part, or just finding out more about Jiu-Jitsu, you can contact info@leicestergrapplingseries.co.uk where Jamie or Craig can best advise gyms and clubs to help you get involved.
Posted on Friday 22 May 2026

An investigation is under way after piles of furniture were fly-tipped under a bridge in Leicester.Sofas, carpets, tables and a dirty mattress were left either side of Kent Street, under the railway bridge.Leicester City Council said the fly-tipping was reported on Wednesday evening by wardens.The site has now been cleared, the authority added, and the Local Democracy Reporting Service said an investigation had started.

A 19-year-old man died when a car crashed into a tree in Leicestershire.Leicestershire Police said emergency services were called to Station Road in Great Dalby just after 20:45 BST on Wednesday, following a report a white Vauxhall Corsa had left the road and hit a tree.The force said one of the passengers – a 19-year-old man – was pronounced dead at the scene. Police added the driver of the car, an 18-year-old man, was taken to hospital where he was receiving treatment for serious injuries. Two passengers in the back of the car were taken to hospital to be treated for injuries that police said were not life-threatening or life-changing.