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

County champions Essex bounce back from two defeats and claim an innings victory against Derbyshire.

Eighty years after its first flight, historians ask if the engine could have changed World War Two.

Nigel says he struggled with illness and depression and over time his property became neglected.

Simon Harmer takes a career-best 9-80 on a dominant day for Essex in their County Championship match against Derbyshire.

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries have been housed at the V&A Museum since the 1950s.

The team's first FA Cup final in years will be emotional for those with tickets and those without.

Staff reminisce about the Mansfield branch of Debenhams, which closed this week, after five decades.

Centuries from captain Tom Westley and England batsman Dan Lawrence see Essex declare on 412-3 against Derbyshire.

One woman claims she was prescribed a drug that wrecked her marriage.

The couple met in HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire in 2015 but have been barred from meeting.

Nottinghamshire and former England seamer Harry Gurney retires from cricket because of a shoulder injury.

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

A father has said he wants to make sure his children still have a memory of Leicester City's first FA Cup final appearance since 1969 on Saturday - despite not being able to attend the game.

Brendan Rodgers's men are to set to face Chelsea, and are looking to win the competition for the first time, with their last final appearance in the 1960s ending in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

David McClelland, from Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire, said: "My children wouldn't have been able to go anyway [due to the age restriction on tickets] so at least now we will see it as a family now.

"We are going to make it a big occasion."

The 44-year-old said they planned to have their shirts on, scarves and flags out, snacks ready and bake blue, Leicester-themed cakes.

"I wasn't born before the 1969 final but I have seen the archive footage," he said.

"It was almost like a street party celebration and all of Leicester came out to make a big fuss about it.

"So although we won't be at Wembley, I want to make it a big deal at home.

"We will just do whatever we can to try and make it as memorable for the kids as possible because who knows? It might be another 50-plus years before Leicester City are in the final again."

Image source, David McClelland

Alex Regan
BBC News

A mural to King Richard III has been painted in Leicester in a bid to attract shoppers as the UK comes out of lockdown.

Leicester City Council has spent £17,000 on the artwork, which depicts the monarch at the Battle of Bosworth, and several vinyls for shop shutters in King Richards Road.

The painting, created in a collaboration with local artist MONO and art collective GraffWerk, is on the side of Bazaar Mart.

Image source, Leicester City Council

Bazaar Mart owner Emmalese Johnson said: "I am so thrilled with the way the mural has turned out and so proud to have it on the side of our shop.

"It has already attracted people to the area who stop and have a look."

The shutter vinyls are set to be installed across the street next week, the city council said.

King Richard III's bones were found in a car park in Leicester in 2012.

Cheltenham and South Derbyshire are the first places to launch coffee pod kerbside collections.

BBC Weather

It's a cloudy start with some occasional light showers, but it may brighten up in the afternoon.

The weekend is looking equally patchy, with a mixture of cloud, light rain and some sunny spells, and temperatures reaching no higher than 14C (57F).

For Leicester City fans at the FA Cup final on Saturday - some light showers and highs of 13C (55F) are expected at Wembley at kick-off.

Image source, Richard B

The cone-shaped clouds become tornadoes if they reach the ground.

The opening day of Essex's County Championship fixture against Derbyshire is washed out at Chelmsford.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

The window for Leicester City fans to take their Covid tests before travelling to Wembley for the FA Cup final will open at 14:15 today.

More than 6,000 Foxes fans have tickets for Saturday's final but will not be allowed entry without confirmation of a negative lateral flow test carried out at a community testing site.

Image source, PA Media

Leicestershire County Council said it was making more rapid result tests available to accommodate the extra demand over the next 48 hours.

Mike Sandys, the county's director of public health, said: "There's just one final step for fans to secure their spot at Wembley - and that's a negative lateral flow test.

"We've made additional slots available and are working with the city council to make sure fans have easy access to a test."

The final will see Leicester City take on Chelsea at 17:15 on Saturday with about 22,000 spectators inside the stadium.

Alex Regan
BBC News

Firefighters from three counties worked together to put out a boat fire in Derbyshire.

Crews were called to Sawley Marina at 09:53 on Wednesday after a fire broke out on a moored boat.

Teams from Long Eaton, Leicestershire's Castle Donington, and Nottinghamshire's Highfields fire station worked together to put out the blaze.

Image source, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service

One observer credited the firefighters with stopping the flames from spreading to other boats.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

Image source, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service