Category: Leicester

Residents in a quaint Leicestershire village fear that plans for a ‘horrific’ new industrial estate will leave them in a ‘vice grip’ of development.SEGRO, the developer behind the existing East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park, has unveiled proposals for an expansion on land between Diseworth and the M1, just south of East Midlands Airport.The proposed development, known as East Midlands Gateway 2, would cover around 252 acres – the size of around 150 football pitches – and deliver up to 326,500 square metres of ‘state-of-the-art’ employment space, as well as create 5,000 jobs.Ian Robertson, 83, said that Diseworth was a “lovely conservation village” and, if the plan went ahead, it would be a “complete disaster”.He added: “I’m 83, getting close to the end, and for those six years it’s being built, there’s going to be traffic, noise, and pollution.- Advertisement -“They’re talking about putting 4,500 houses near Isley Walton. We’re going to be surrounded and absolutely hemmed in.Ian Robertson“I think it’s bad news and I think it’s appalling.”Alan Leech, 86, said he believed there were “far better” brownfield sites on which to situate the planned development.He added: “We’re a very historical village and we’ve got a strong community, and we’re being threatened.Alan Leech“The people living here have no idea that this was going to happen to us. It happened to Lockington-Hemington. They’ve got sheds over there, and these sheds will be monstrous, high, and encroaching upon people’s lives and people’s property in the village.“The approach we’ve taken through Protect Diseworth is very strong indeed, and we have hopes of coming through it if we attack their plans on the infrastructure, which is nonsense.”Andy Foxall, 64, who sits on the committee of Protect Diseworth, said he felt the village was being put under a “vice grip” with the planned development.He said: “We’re absolutely not opposed to growth and development because we live in the United Kingdom and the country depends on growth and development.“But it has to be appropriate to the area, to what is already there, and to offer some benefits to those in the area. And, at the moment, it feels like the convenient dumping ground for huge logistics barn developments is in North West Leicestershire.“The village road network wasn’t designed for a massive amount of traffic to go through it. We’re okay with Download [Festival]. That’s fine – it produces a lot of traffic for a couple of days.“But what would another x-hundred goods vehicles a day do to that road?“It will be filled up with traffic.”The application is currently being examined by the Planning Inspectorate and will ultimately be decided by the relevant Secretary of State.Formal examination hearings began in March 2026 and are scheduled to continue until September.

Finds from archaeologists included the remains of a building called Gainsborough Chamber, a 16th Century civic building with its own “vile” dungeon.Also discovered during the excavations was evidence of the city’s medieval Shambles and Drapery, a 15th Century market hall that once housed butchers, drapers, shoemakers and other trades.Among the oldest finds was a small collection of prehistoric worked flints, including cutting tools characteristic of the Neolithic period, about 12,000 years ago.They also included a hoard of about 30 Roman coins, thought to be from the 4th Century, and several Roman buildings across the site, including evidence of early timber structures and rare pottery kilns.ULAS said it had also found the grave of a Roman infant beneath the floor of a timber building thought to be nearly 1,800 years old.”These discoveries are of considerable importance to the history and identity of Leicester – and provide valuable new insight into the city’s development through time,” Soulsby said.

A cat who suffered an horrific shoulder injury is on the mend thanks to the help of a Stamford animal welfare charity.Jinglebell, who is only around a year old, needed extensive surgery after being found by a member of the public, having likely been hit by a car.Jinglebell needed complex surgery to a bad shoulder injury. Photo: Cats Protection Stamford and DistrictWith no microchip and no way to trace an owner, she was handed in at a Peterborough vets who stabilised the joint and called in Cats Protection Stamford and District.They found a volunteer fosterer for Jinglebell, but the severe injury did not heal as expected so she was taken to an orthopaedic veterinary surgeon.Further surgery was recommended to reattach the shoulder blade which had become detached from the body wall.The one-year-old cat was found badly injured and taken to a vet. Photo: Cats Protection Stamford and DistrictThe complex surgery, for a very unusual injury, saw the shoulder blade attached to the rib cage to provide better stability.“This intensive surgery did come some with risk, but we wanted Jinglebell to live a happy, stable life and overcome this horrendous injury without being forced into a situation where she would be miserable, or potentially lose her leg all together,” said Griselda Winn, co-ordinator at Cats Protection Stamford and District. “Throughout her recovery she never lost her cheeky nature. We’re incredibly proud of her and so grateful she’s been given a second chance at life.”Jinglebell post surgery. Photo: Cats Protection Stamford and DistrictJinglebell is one of several cats recently admitted into the charity’s care needing costly surgeries to help them live pain-free lives.It has left a significant dent in funds and prompted the charity to launch a £2,500 fundraiser to help cover costs.Jinglebell never lost her cheeky nature despite her ordeal. Photo: Cats Protection Stamford and DistrictTo donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/cpstamford-jinglebell-second-chanceGriselda added: “We’re very grateful that the surgeon offered to do the surgery at a reduced cost, and the veterinary surgery has helped us as much as they can.Back in rude health. Photo: Cats Protection Stamford and District“We wouldn’t be able to care for cats like Jinglebell without the generosity of like-minded cat-lovers, and we are always grateful to our supporters.”

Fire crews are currently at the scene of a fire at a scrap yard in Nottingham.Large plumes of smoke and loud bangs were reported after Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to Gibbon Street, Dunkirk, at 2.10pm on Monday 15 June.Two fire appliances, from Highfields and West Bridgford, are in attendance.The fire service said the blaze involved a scrap yard containing vehicles, with a large plume of smoke visible from the site.- Advertisement -A Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Two appliances are in attendance, from Highfields and West Bridgford, at a fire on Gibbon Street, Dunkirk.“It was reported at 2.10pm. It appears to involve a scrap yard containing vehicles. There is a large plume of smoke coming from the site.” @westbridgfordwirenews Two fire appliances, from Highfields and West Bridgford, are in attendance. Large plumes of smoke and loud bangs were reported after Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to Gibbon Street, Dunkirk, at 2.10pm on Monday 15 June. #nottingham ♬ original sound – West Bridgford Wire News

Published: Mon 15th June, 2026

Fly-tipping is more than an eyesore — it harms the environment, risks public health and drains funding from vital local services. 
Councils across Leicestershire are joining forces through the Leicestershire Waste Partnership to support a two-week No Rubbish Excuses campaign, raising awareness of the issue and showing how easily it can be prevented. Partners include Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Leicester City, Melton, North West Leicestershire, and Oadby & Wigston councils. 
While most residents dispose of waste responsibly, illegal dumping by a minority — including rogue waste carriers — continues to impact communities. Clearing fly-tipping costs councils millions nationally each year and can lead to neglected areas that attract further waste and reduce community pride. 
Residents are urged to check waste carriers are licensed before handing over rubbish — failure to do so could result in enforcement action. 
There are simple, legal alternatives available, including bulky waste collections, garden waste schemes, big bin schemes, and reuse options such as charities or online platforms. 
All fly-tipping incidents are treated seriously and are fully investigated by the council’s enforcement teams. Where sufficient evidence is found, offenders can expect to face fines. With this campaign, councils across Leicestershire are reinforcing their commitment to stronger enforcement and tougher penalties for those responsible, sending a clear message that fly-tipping will not be tolerated in our communities.   
Cllr Beverley Gray, Charnwood Borough Council’s Lead Member for Climate Action and Net Zero for said: “Fly-tipping is not only illegal but creates an eyesore in communities and is completely unnecessary. 
“I am pleased we are working with other councils to raise awareness and highlight the impact of fly-tipping and how it can be prevented. This campaign will remind people that they have a responsibility to dispose of their waste safely and legally.
“If you are paying someone to dispose of your waste on your behalf, take the time to check if they are a registered waste carrier on the Environment Agency’s website.”
Residents have a responsibility to make sure their waste is disposed of properly and legally.  Always check that anyone taking your waste away is a registered waste carrier – you can check online by using the link on the Council’s website at charnwood.gov.uk/dutyofcare. 
You can also use a bulky items collection from the council for a small charge and more information can be found at charnwood.gov.uk/bulkywaste

Nottinghamshire County Council unveiled a number of the £66,000 machines in May when it started a 12-month trial.Reform Council leader Mick Barton said the Pothole Pro machines could fill “between 200m and 250m a day”.”These are the best bet on the market,” he said.”We have done our homework and been to see them in action.”I know they will work in Nottinghamshire.”Sam Smith, Conservative leader of the opposition on the county council, previously said the authority carried out a “formal trial” of the Pothole Pro machines in 2021, and officers reported back that it was not worthwhile.Lincolnshire County Council conducted a nine-week pilot of the Pothole Pro in 2021, before turning it down because engineers “found better tools”.However, its current Reform leader Sean Matthews authorised another trial in 2025 and in April the council confirmed the equipment would be maintained having “demonstrated clear benefits in efficiency, safety and service across the county’s road network”. A spokesperson for JCB said: “The JCB Pothole Pro has proven its worth in other council areas where it has been evaluated more fully, such as Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which has repaired seven years’ worth of potholes in 12 months, a statistic that unequivocally underlines the machine’s efficiency. “We hope Leicestershire County Council – in light of the recent surge in potholes across the county – will now think differently and undertake a proper, long-term trial and evaluation of the Pothole Pro across its road network. “Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians in Leicestershire deserve nothing less.”

The imaging also showed two faint lines of text at the base of the stone, which read “Affliction sore with patience bore, Physicians w{h}ere in vain.”The university said this was a variant of a popular 18th Century verse often found on the tombstones of those who had died after long illness.It added that the inscription appeared to omit a “he” in the first line and included a stray “h” in “were,” which it said reflected challenges faced by craftsmen before modern text-editing tools.The team, the university said, also identified a third, partially visible inscription on a shield above the main text, which is currently under further analysis.Masséglia said: “Spending your day in a graveyard might sound a bit morbid, but really it’s about putting the people back into the landscape that we’re excavating. “The Reeves were a well-known local family who, we can see from the parish records, were living in Loddington from at least the early 1600s.”Last year, we deciphered the neighbouring stone to Henry’s, and now we realise that it was his mother’s. “She died 20 years after her son and was buried right next to him, their headstones so close that they are touching. “We wouldn’t have understood what we were looking at without RTI. We’re combining traditional fieldwork with digital techniques so we can recover voices that would otherwise remain lost.”

“It’s disused and boarded up now, but Lee Circle has always been a problem,” the Green Party councillor said.”If the price is right, I think Leicester City Council should acquire the car park and then knock it down.”There has been some regeneration in the area, but that’s despite the Lee Circle car park. It attracts a lot of anti-social behaviour.”I’m nowhere near being on the fence with this. It would be better to get rid of it and have a good quality piece of public open space.”I know people say it’s an important piece of Brutalist architecture, but it’s actually not a very good example of the style and I don’t think it would be missed.”The city council has said there are no plans to acquire Lee Circle car park but that it was hopeful a new operator would be found for the site.PwC, administrators for NCP, said it did not wish to comment.

Leicester’s Curve theatre is to stage a new adaptation of Kes Gray’s Daisy and the Trouble With Christmas as one of its festive offerings for 2026. A co-production between Curve and Rebel Sparks, Daisy and the Trouble With Christmas is based on the book of the same name. It will be adapted for the stage by Derby writer Sarah Middleton and co-directed by former Curve resident creatives Hannah Stone and Ria Ashcroft, co-leaders of Rebel Sparks. The show will have new music and lyrics by Darren Clark who in 2024 composed the music and lyrics for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which ran at the Ambassadors Theatre. Clark and Mark Aspinall picked up an Olivier award for outstanding musical contribution. Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said, “it’s wonderful our incredibly talented former Curve resident creatives Hannah Stone and Ria Ashcroft are returning to Leicester, having shared this tremendous idea with us and developed it at Curve. “We’re incredibly grateful they’ve chosen Curve to present this beautiful show. It promises to be a brilliant and fun-filled Christmas adventure.” Daisy and the Trouble With Christmas will run in Curve’s studio from Monday 30 November until Sunday 3 January 2027.

Senior figures from health, education, policing, environmental management and the voluntary sector are among those from Nottinghamshire recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list.Professor Iain Moppett, of the University of Nottingham, has been awarded an OBE for services to perioperative care.Professor Moppett is Professor of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Nottingham and chair of the Centre for Research and Improvement at the Royal College of Anaesthetists.Professor Veronica Pickering, the Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, has also been recognised for voluntary service to the county.Other Nottinghamshire recipients include Lisa Pinney, former chief executive of the Mining Remediation Authority, who is recognised for services to the environment, and Ashfaq Ahmed Rahman, chief executive of Nova Education Trust in Nottingham, who is honoured for services to education.- Advertisement -Dr Mark Dale, principal and chief executive of Portland College, has been recognised for services to further education, while Pino De Rosa, managing director of Bridgeway Consulting Ltd, is honoured for services to the railway industry.Jane Dean, a volunteer member of the Nottingham Special Events Committee for Cancer Research UK, is recognised for services to charitable fundraising.Recipients of the British Empire Medal include Donna Hilton, youth services manager at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, for services to children and young people, and Paul Horton, trustee and volunteer at Mansfield Fire Station and Museum, for services to the community in Mansfield and Nottinghamshire.Hayley Crawford, lately an inspector with Nottinghamshire Police, has been awarded the King’s Police Medal.The honours recognise a range of public service, professional and voluntary contributions across Nottinghamshire.