Category: Leicester

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.

Inspectors found staff gave one person their medicines in secret, with no assessment in place, which inspectors said represented a “serious breach of people’s rights and placed them at increased risk of harm”.It also found risk management was “not safe, not robust and did not protect people from harm” while care bosses did “not listen to or understand people’s needs, views and wishes” and were not “capable, compassionate or inclusive”.Staff told inspectors they did not “feel confident to speak up” adding that “issues were overlooked” which led to “ongoing risks and a failure to drive meaningful improvement”.A Lifeways spokesperson told the LDRS: “We recognise that support was not always to the high standard we expect and we no longer deliver services from this registration.”

All had pleaded guilty on the second day of trial.Galloway, 31, of Myrtle Road in Leicester, was given 11 and a half years in prison; Jahed, 30, of Coleman Close in Leicester, was sentenced to eight years and three months in jail; and Senior, 31, of Thorpe Field Drive, Leicester, was jailed for six years and three months.Leicestershire Police said Galloway and Jahed had each supplied at least 5kg of drugs, while Senior had handled 1kg of cocaine.In addition, Khusal’s partner, Saffron Franklin, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession of criminal property. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two and a half years, and handed 150 hours’ unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation programme.From their Hazeldene Road home, Khushal would buy cocaine and heroin from Lancashire in wholesale amounts, then split it to supply both drug dealers and users in Leicestershire.

Police have arrested four men and recovered valuable copper wire from a crashed car following a break-in at a solar farm.Officers were called to the site on Weston Road, Egmanton, near Tuxford, in the early hours of Thursday (14 May), when a security camera was activated.While enquiries were being conducted, a vehicle was seen travelling at speed and was followed.The car was found a short time later, crashed and abandoned at the junction of Weston Road and Moorhouse Road.A significant amount of copper wiring was discovered inside the vehicle.- Advertisement -Further investigations led to the arrest of a man who was seen walking along the nearby A1.Three further suspects were then located in a ditch near Weston and detained.Four men, aged 28, 45, 47 and 65, were arrested on suspicion of burglary.Following searches, suspected counterfeit banknotes and a quantity of cocaine were recovered, with the 47-year-old being further arrested on suspicion of possessing counterfeit currency and the 28-year-old held on suspicion of possession of a Class A drug.The 28-year-old has now additionally been arrested for two shop thefts, and the 65-year-old on suspicion of one shop theft.Detective Sergeant Andrea Brown, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:“The officers who attended worked efficiently during the night to piece together information from a number of calls into the control room.“They successfully detained four suspects, and detectives are now investigating the incident further.“Break-ins of this nature can be extremely costly for businesses and are taken very seriously by the force.“We’d like to hear from anyone with any information, or relevant dashcam, doorbell, CCTV or mobile phone footage, about the incident.”If you can assist, call 101 and quote incident 9 of 14 May 2026, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The cast of The Sound of Music at Curve, Leicester, photo by Marc Brenner
Opera North has announced complete casting for The Sound of Music, which opens in July.
The show will be led by the previously revealed Katie Bird alongside Edward Bennett, taking on the roles of Maria and Captain von Trapp respectively.
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical will run from 9 July to 1 August at Leeds Grand Theatre, with a press night scheduled for Thursday 9 July at 7pm.
The production is based on Curve’s staging, which premiered in Leicester at the end of 2025, and will feature the chorus and 40-piece orchestra of Opera North.
It is directed by Nikolai Foster, while the creative team also includes WhatsOnStage Award-nominated set and costume designer Michael Taylor, lighting designer Mark Henderson and choreographer Ebony Molina. Oliver Rundell serves as musical director, with Ollie Khurshid as associate director and Dale White as associate choreographer, with casting consultant Becky Paris.
Joining Bennett and Bird in the cast are Katherine Broderick as Mother Abbess, Abigail Sinclair and April Perrott sharing the role of Liesl von Trapp, Kamil Bień as Rolf Gruber, Amy Freston as Baroness Elsa Schraeder, Nicholas Butterfield as Max Detweiler, Molly Barker-Knowles as Sister Berthe, Hannah Mason as Sister Margaretta, Gillene Butterfield as Sister Sophia, Dean Robinson as Franz, Claire Pascoe as Frau Schmidt, Ivan Sharpe as Herr Zeller, Tim Ochala-Greenough as Admiral von Schreiber, Graham Russell as Baron Elberfeld and Helen Évora as Baroness Elberfeld.
Featuring music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, The Sound of Music premiered on Broadway in 1959 before being adapted into the Oscar-winning 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
Accessible performances during the Leeds run will include captioned, British Sign Language interpreted and audio described performances with touch tours.
Opera North is also offering £10 tickets for under-30s, alongside £22 tickets through the theatre’s Secret Seats scheme.

24/05/202685th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, Old Harbour of Chania, Crete, Greece29/05/2026English Riviera Airshow, Torbayhttps://englishrivieraairshow.co.uk30/05/2026English Riviera Airshow, Torbayhttps://englishrivieraairshow.co.uk30/05/2026Midlands Air Festivalhttps://www.midlandsairfestival.com31/05/2026Midlands Air Festivalhttps://www.midlandsairfestival.com04/06/2026Isle of Man TT Raceshttps://www.iomttraces.com/06/06/2026Gassed On Track, Silverstonehttps://gassedontrack.co.uk/13/06/2026HM The King’s Official Birthday Flypast, London – flypast14/06/2026RAF Cosford Airshowhttps://cosfordairshow.co.uk/27/06/2026Sail 250 Maryland & Airshow Baltimore, Maryland, United Stateshttps://www.sail250md.org/28/06/2026Sail 250 Maryland & Airshow Baltimore, Maryland, United Stateshttps://www.sail250md.org/04/07/2026International Aerial Review New York City, United States – flypasthttps://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/4380385/save-the-date-july-4-2026/05/07/2026FourLeaf Air Show, Jones Beach, New York, United Stateshttps://www.fourleafairshow.com/06/07/2026FourLeaf Air Show, Jones Beach, New York, United Stateshttps://www.fourleafairshow.com/11/07/2026Great State of Maine Airshow, Brunswick Executive Airport, Maine, United Stateshttps://www.greatmaineairshow.com/12/07/2026Great State of Maine Airshow, Brunswick Executive Airport, Maine, United Stateshttps://www.greatmaineairshow.com/17/07/2026Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United Stateshttps://thunderovermichigan.org/18/07/2026Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United Stateshttps://thunderovermichigan.org/19/07/2026Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United Stateshttps://thunderovermichigan.org/24/07/2026EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United Stateshttps://www.eaa.org/airventure25/07/2026EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United Stateshttps://www.eaa.org/airventure26/07/2026EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United Stateshttps://www.eaa.org/airventure14/08/2026Airbourne – Eastbourne International Airshowhttps://www.visiteastbourne.com/airshow15/08/2026Airbourne – Eastbourne International Airshowhttps://www.visiteastbourne.com/airshow15/08/2026Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – flypasthttps://www.edintattoo.co.uk/16/08/2026Airbourne – Eastbourne International Airshowhttps://www.visiteastbourne.com/airshow16/08/2026Lyme Regis RNLI Lifeboat Weekhttps://lovelymeregis.co.uk/events/lifeboat_week19/08/2026Cromer Carnival and Air Displayhttps://www.cromercarnival.co.uk/22/08/2026Swedish Air Force 100-Year Anniversary Show 2026, Linkoping, Swedenhttps://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/news-and-events/event/the-armed-forces-air-venture-2026/23/08/2026Swedish Air Force 100-Year Anniversary Show 2026, Linkoping, Swedenhttps://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/news-and-events/event/the-armed-forces-air-venture-2026/27/08/2026Clacton Airshowhttps://clactonairshow.com/28/08/2026Clacton Airshowhttps://clactonairshow.com/28/08/2026Sidmouth Regatta and Airshowhttps://sidmouth.gov.uk/29/08/2026Southport Airshowhttps://www.visitsouthport.com/whats-on/top-events/southport-airshow/30/08/2026Southport Airshowhttps://www.visitsouthport.com/whats-on/top-events/southport-airshow/04/09/2026International Ayr Show Festival of Flight, Ayrhttps://destinationsouthayrshire.co.uk/ayrshow/05/09/2026International Ayr Show Festival of Flight, Ayrhttps://destinationsouthayrshire.co.uk/ayrshow/09/09/2026Guernsey Air Displayhttps://www.guernseyairdisplay.com/10/09/2026Jersey International Air Displayhttp://www.jerseyairdisplay.org.uk/blog/12/09/2026IWM Duxford Battle of Britain Air Showhttps://www.iwm.org.uk/airshows/duxford-battle-of-britain-airshow13/09/2026Activity to be confirmed19/09/2026NATO Days in Ostrava, Czech Republichttps://www.natodays.cz/20/09/2026NATO Days in Ostrava, Czech Republichttps://www.natodays.cz/27/09/2026Le Touquet Airshow, Francehttps://airshowdisplay.fr/en/airshow/le-touquet-airshow-202604/10/2026IWM Duxford Flying Finalehttps://www.iwm.org.uk/airshows/events/duxford-flying-finale

Police say they’re following up several incidents across Rushcliffe. Rushcliffe police said;‘While officers follow up lines of enquiry after a number of burglaries across the Borough.‘Please try to ensure doors and windows are closed and locked overnight and when you are not in the room, car keys are stored away from doors and out of sight.‘The method of entry is unknown in several of the burglary offences , previous thefts across Rushcliffe have involved different methods of attacking locks as well as entering through unsecured doors.- Advertisement -‘For anyone with uPVC or composite doors fitted with Euro profile locks upgrading to British standard 1 or 3 star locks prevents common attack techniques of picking, snapping or drilling locks.‘The addition of metal door handles and a torch guard prevents the use of a blow torch to attack the lock to gain entry.‘The picture attached is a uPVC door with a torch guard fitted around a BS 3* lock.Following the Neighbourhood Watch WIDE(N) principles can reduce your chances of being the victim of a burglary.’

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 16 May 2026

Award-winning aerospace engineering company Barrett Aerospace, whose technology helped shape one of the world’s first all-electric passenger aircraft, has joined the innovation community at Space Park Leicester.

The Singapore-based SME, founded by British aerospace engineer and composites specialist Laurence Barrett, is internationally recognised for its advanced work in composite aircraft design, autonomous systems and next generation aerospace technologies. Built around a team of predominantly British professionals living and working across Asia, the company is focused on creating a collaborative bridge between the UK and Singapore, connecting expertise across aerospace, space and advanced engineering.

Its decision to join Space Park Leicester will help to strengthen collaboration between the UK and Singapore aerospace and space sectors, while supporting smaller companies navigating the technical, regulatory and commercial challenges of advanced engineering. Through its involvement with the University of Leicester’s £100 million space research and innovation hub, the company hopes to help international partners engage more closely with the UK space ecosystem while opening new opportunities for collaborative research and supply chain development.

Laurence Barrett said:

“Joining Space Park Leicester gives us an exciting opportunity to build new partnerships between the UK and Singapore, while contributing our expertise in advanced composites, simulation, autonomous systems and aerospace development. We are particularly passionate about helping innovative SMEs bridge the gap between concept development and real-world deployment.

“There is enormous potential for stronger collaboration between Singapore and the UK across aerospace, space and advanced manufacturing. Space Park Leicester provides an ideal environment to explore those opportunities while supporting companies developing the next generation of aerospace technologies.”

In 2020, Barrett Aerospace received a Global Business Award for “Leading Specialists in Cutting-Edge Aircraft Design”, recognising its growing reputation for solving some of the aerospace sector’s most complex engineering challenges.

Among the company’s most notable achievements was its involvement in the groundbreaking Alice programme — the world’s first all-electric nine-seat commuter aircraft developed by aerospace company Eviation. Designed to transform regional air travel through zero-emission aviation, Alice became one of the most talked about projects in the global aerospace industry, combining lightweight composite structures with electric propulsion to dramatically reduce operating costs and environmental impact.

Barrett Aerospace played a central role in the programme, designing, building and delivering the aircraft’s entire empennage tail assembly as part of a global supply chain involving partners across 21 countries. Working to exceptionally tight deadlines ahead of the aircraft’s public unveiling at the Paris Air Show in 2019, the company developed multiple design concepts within months while simultaneously refining manufacturing processes to ensure the aircraft could be produced efficiently and at scale.

The project showcased Barrett Aerospace’s expertise in advanced composite engineering and its ability to combine high-performance design with practical manufacturing solutions. The company’s specialist understanding of material science and load carrying composite structures has since become a defining feature of its wider work across aerospace, autonomous systems and space technologies.

Vinay Patel, Head of Commercial and Innovation, at Space Park Leicester said:

“Barrett Aerospace is an exciting addition to the Space Park Leicester community. Their involvement in pioneering programmes such as the Alice electric aircraft project demonstrates the calibre of engineering expertise they bring.

“The company’s international outlook, advanced technical capability and commitment to innovation align strongly with Space Park Leicester’s mission to support collaboration across space, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. We look forward to working together on future opportunities that connect industry, research and emerging technologies.”

Barrett Aerospace operates across a broad range of advanced engineering sectors, including recyclable aerospace materials, satellite communications integration, autonomous vehicle deployment systems and space launch technologies. The company supports the development and qualification of new aerospace materials and works closely with UK-based composites manufacturers and is particularly experienced in helping technologies progress through the critical engineering stages between Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3–6.

Its engineering activities include UAVs, unmanned ground and marine vehicle deployment systems, prototyping, modelling, full mechanical testing and aircraft manufacturing support. The company also delivers high-level nonlinear simulation and fatigue analysis for aerospace structures, modelling how materials and components behave under real-world operational stress over time.

Singaporean company Equatorial Space Systems (ESS) is another of Barrett Aerospace’s customers.  ESS aim to become Singapore’s first commercially designed vehicle to launch into Low Earth Orbit. Having already achieved lift-off of a Low Altitude Demonstrator over Perak, Malaysia in 2020.

Alongside its engineering capabilities, Barrett Aerospace combines technical, legal and commercial expertise, including in-house legal support for contracts and project delivery phases. The company also has access to trusted flight-testing capability in Queensland, Australia.

Barrett Aerospace is also supporting aerospace supply chain resilience through new cyber security initiatives aimed at helping SMEs strengthen compliance, operational security and certification readiness within increasingly demanding global aerospace markets. Working with specialist cyber security partners, the company is developing practical monitoring and compliance approaches aligned with industry standards such as NADCAP and Cyber Essentials, while also exploring opportunities to support Space Park Leicester companies through future cyber security awareness and resilience initiatives.

For further information about Barrett Aerospace, visit https://www.barrettaerospace.com

To explore Space Park Leicester partnerships, missions, residents, facilities, training programmes and innovation products, visit https://www.space-park.co.uk or to learn more about holding events at the venue, visit space-park.co.uk/venuehire. To learn more about the University of Leicester, visit https://le.ac.uk/.

Image: Laurence Barrett (pictured left)

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