Crews from three counties went to Harrimans Lane in Nottingham to bring the blaze under control.

Luke Fletcher's career-best 6-24 sees Nottinghamshire bowl Essex out for 99 before skipper Steven Mullaney hits 63 not out.

Leicestershire's Sam Evans score his third County Championship century in as many matches as the Foxes dominated Surrey.

After initially closing for two days, the school will remain shut until after the weekend.

A mum believes her disabled son is being failed by the social care system.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Drivers in rural parts of Nottinghamshire have been urged to watch out for wildlife following a recent increase in crashes involving deer.

Police said extra care was needed during the month of May as deer often search for new territories.

Ch Insp Chris Sullivan said: "I have seen with my own eyes the aftermath of these incidents and they can be very distressing for officers to deal with."

Image source, Steve A

"Clearly accidents will happen when wild animals are forced to cross busy roads but there are things drivers can do to minimise the risks posed by deer," he added.

"So if you are driving in a rural area of the county, please do think about the possibility of deer emerging from the side of the road and lower your speed accordingly.

"This is especially important at night or wherever you see existing warning signs for deer."

Drivers who hit a deer are advised to pull over with their hazard lights on and call the police, giving as precise a location as possible.

They are also warned not to approach an injured deer in case it tries to flee and causes another crash.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Polling stations have opened in the East Midlands and across England, Scotland and Wales for this year's local elections.

Voting will continue until 22:00 but counting is expected to take longer than usual with social distancing measures in place. Some results are not expected until Sunday.

Image source, Reuters

Elections are being held for Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Leicestershire County Council and Amber Valley Borough Council.

Voters are also being asked to choose their preferred police and crime commissioner for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

And by-elections are being held for Leicester City Council (North Evington ward) and Erewash Borough Council (Hallam Fields and Nottingham Road wards).

Jeremy Ball
Social affairs correspondent, BBC East Midlands Today

More than 1,000 Covid fines have been issued across the East Midlands in the last five weeks.

The latest figures show that 298 fines were issued in Derbyshire, 279 in Leicestershire, and 509 fines were issued in Nottinghamshire.

The number amounts to nearly a sixth of the 6,720 fines issued across the region since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

The large number of fines issued in Nottinghamshire came after the easing of restrictions in late March, which saw hundreds of people flouting the so-called rule of six and descending on Nottingham green spaces, like the Arboretum.

The county's Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: "We saw a bit of a perfect storm.

"We saw a lot of warm weather that took place, we saw the easing of restrictions just on the horizon.

"Some of the offences we've enforced have involved hundreds of people. That sees a significant number of fines taking place in a short spell of time."

Steven Oscroft was driving his family home when he died in a rare collision, a coroner concludes.

The company says it is "extremely disappointed" by the timing of the decision.

Kate and Gerry McCann say they are hanging on to the hope of seeing their daughter again.

Gary Yates raises hundreds for charity by counting to 100 for the first time since his stroke.

The latest news, sport, travel and weather for the East Midlands.

Residents in Coalville, Leicestershire, highlight issues with bus services and social care.

Ian Cockbain and Tom Lace put on 224 as Gloucestershire chase down 348 to beat Leicestershire on an enthralling final day.

Police say the jumpers were not authorised to be on the Mission: Impossible film set.

Rain and bad light interrupts Leicestershire's bid to set up a run-chase against Gloucestershire.

Jennifer Chambers, 48, is urging anyone with unusual symptoms to get a second opinion if necessary.

Nottinghamshire beat Derbyshire by 310 runs to record their first County Championship win since June 2018.

Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett help put Nottinghamshire in a commanding position on day two at Derbyshire, who need 470 to win.