Summary

  • British mountaineer assumed dead after failed rescue attempts

  • Industrial park evacuated following fire

  • Arrest over teenage girl stab death

  • Shrovetide football game continues

  • Teacher trains for penny farthing record

  • Updates for Wednesday 6 March 2019

  1. Behind the scenes as fire HQ tackles Blaby blazepublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    It's been a busy afternoon at Leicestershire Fire headquarters, as the service tackles a blaze at an industrial park in Blaby.

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  2. Hospital warned not to feed homelesspublished at 15:10 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    East Midlands Today

    Homeless people are going to a hospital's accident and emergency unit claiming they're ill so that they can get a cup of tea and a sandwich.

    Hospital

    Bosses at the Royal Derby Hospital are advising staff not to issue homeless people with food or drink unless it's medically essential.

    It's been revealed that 10 patients made almost 500 visits between them to the hospital last year.

  3. Explosions heard at industrial estate firepublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    David Pittam
    BBC News Online

    Eyewitness said they heard several explosions from inside a bed factory on an industrial estate in Blaby.

    David Swanson, 71, who lives nearby, noticed the fire when he saw the black smoke, which he says a friend six miles away could also see.

    He told the BBC: "It sounded like containers exploding, like shot guns. I can still see flames leaping out the roof, about four or five meters high."

    FireImage source, Dom Maisto

    Dom Maisto, 44, also lives nearby. He said: "I was amazed by how much smoke there was; it was clearly a big fire. When I first arrived the flames were coming out at least 10 metres high but it was hard to see through the smoke."

    Both said the firefighters seemed to be getting it under control.

  4. Warning to avoid industrial estate due to firepublished at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service have urged people to avoid the area near an industrial estate in Blaby due to a large fire this afternoon.

    Winchester Avenue and Foulds Lane in Blaby are currently blocked.

    BlabyImage source, LFRS
  5. Care home and library design revealedpublished at 14:37 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Eddie Bisknell
    Local Democracy Reporter

    A new image has been released of what the new care home and library destined for Belper's former Thorntons factory site would look like.

    Work is already under way on the project, which would cost £18.8m, with an estimated completion date of January 2020.

    New care home and library designImage source, Derbyshire County Council

    The site, in Derwent Street, would also be accompanied by a new £6m health centre, which will take on a range of facilities from Babington Hospital.

    The 40-bed care home would replace the current Ada Belfield Home for Older People in Field Lane. A replacement is in need due to a repair bill in the region of £850,000 required, with the facility not meeting modern standards.

    The current library, in Bridge Street, is being moved to allow easier access both to the site and to place it closer to town centre shops.

  6. Fire crews tackling industrial estate blazepublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    Firefighters are currently tackling the blaze at an industrial estate in Blaby.

    Winchester Avenue, through the business park, remains closed.

    There have been no reports of injuries and the ambulance service were not required to attend.

    A railway line runs behind the industrial estate but Network Rail have said the fire is not causing any operational problems.

    FireImage source, David Swanson
  7. Thieves cut hole in van to steal toolspublished at 14:29 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Amy Woodfield
    BBC News

    Tools have been stolen from a van in Oakthorpe after thieves cut a hole through one of the back doors.

    Van with hole cut into the backImage source, Tom Hardwick

    Leicestershire Police said the theft on Measham Road was reported this morning but no-one has yet been arrested.

    Meanwhile, police in Nottinghamshire have tweeted a warning about the "new technique" being used to get inside vans.

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  8. Fire sees industrial estate evacuated and road closedpublished at 14:12 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    An industrial park in Blaby has been evacuated following a fire this afternoon.

    The fire service were called at 12:55 today to an industrial unit on fire on Winchester Avenue.

    Eight appliances and specialist vehicles are at the scene and the road has been closed.

    A spokesman for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are trying to stop it spreading to the other units.

    "Network Rail has been informed as the train track runs behind it. We have requested a water boost in the area from Severn Trent."

    Winchester AvenueImage source, Google
  9. Winchester Road closed due to warehouse firepublished at 14:06 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

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  10. Large fire at industrial estatepublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    A large fire has broken out at an industrial estate in Blaby.

    Police and fire are in attendance on Winchester Avenue in the Blaby Industrial Park.

    More to follow.

    Winchester AvenueImage source, Dom Maisto
  11. Lampard proud after Rams end losing streakpublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    BBC Sport

    Derby County ended a five-game losing streak with a 2-1 win at home over Wigan Athletic at Pride Park last night.

    The victory left Derby boss Frank Lampard beaming in his post-match press conference.

    He said: "When you're in difficult form and things are going against you, it takes character and fight to get out of it. This is as proud as I've been this season.

    "We have a young, transitional team. People expect it to be rosy and that we'll win every week, but it doesn't work like that."

    The Rams were 1-0 down at the break following a Gavin Massey strike for the visitors, but a sublime volleyed equaliser from Mason Bennett and a Scott Malone strike were enough to turn it around in the second half.

    Derby CountyImage source, PA
  12. Murphy hopeful of Tuilagi decision next weekpublished at 13:45 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    BBC Leicester Sport

    Leicester Tigers coach Geordan Murphy says Manu Tuilagi's decision about his future is "into the eleventh hour".

    The Leicester and England centre is weighing up an offer from French side Racing 92 for a move after the Rugby World Cup.

    Speaking at a press conference today, Murphy said: "Discussions [are] ongoing.

    "Hopefully we will find out in the next week."

    Manu TuilagiImage source, PA
  13. Hard shoulder opened to ease M1 trafficpublished at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    The hard shoulder has been opened to ease delays on the M1 southbound after two lanes were closed by J23A to repair a large pothole.

    The J23A sliproad has also been closed.

    Traffic information site Inrix is reporting that delays are stretching back to J25 and expected travel time is 30 minutes.

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  14. Missing teenager found safe and wellpublished at 13:10 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    Teenager Sam Davies has been found safe and well this morning.

    The 18-year-old was last seen in the Humberstone area of Leicester on Saturday evening.

  15. Foxes manager's house broken intopublished at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Nick Smith
    BBC News Online

    Police are investigating a break-in at the Scottish home of Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers.

    Brendan RodgersImage source, AFP/Getty Images

    The former Celtic manager's home in East Dunbartonshire was entered at 01:55 yesterday morning and a number of items were stolen.

    Police are investigating and inquiries were ongoing.

  16. Pothole repairs cause M1 tailbackspublished at 12:37 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Two lanes were closed on the southbound carriageway, causing hours of delays.

    Read More
  17. Police seize £465k cash in van stoppublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    The money was found in the vehicle following a stop-check, Leicestershire Police says.

    Read More
  18. Long delays continue as motorway slip-road closedpublished at 12:32 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Amy Woodfield
    BBC News

    The southbound entry slip-road at J23A has been closed. This is in addition to the two motorway lanes that are already at the junction for emergency pothole repairs.

    M1 delaysImage source, Highways England

    Highways England is sending traffic down the A42 as part of a diversion.

    There are still long delays on the motorway with southbound travel time at about 70 minutes.

  19. Missing climbers assumed dead following avalanchepublished at 11:43 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    Amy Woodfield
    BBC News

    The search to find a British mountaineer and his Italian climbing partner has been called off and the pair have been assumed dead.

    Tom Ballard and Daniele NardiImage source, Daniele Nardi

    Rescuers in Pakistan have been trying to find Tom Ballard, from Derbyshire, and Daniele Nardi on Nanga Parbat.

    They were trying to reach the 8,000m peak of the notoriously dangerous mountain.

    The rescue team used drones to search the route taken by Mr Ballard and Mr Nardi but to no avail. Earlier searches by helicopter had also failed to find anything.

    Map of mountain and routeImage source, ISPR

    The men had attempted a particularly challenging new route in extreme cold of winter. By late February they'd reached an altitude of more than 6,000m but then contact was lost.

    It's thought they were hit by a huge avalanche during the night. The sound of the avalanche was apparently heard by villagers miles away.

    Mr Ballard is the son of Alison Hargreaves, who died descending from the summit of K2 in 1995 - the same year she became the first woman to conquer Everest unaided.

  20. Almost half of city's drivers successfully appeal finespublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 6 March 2019

    BBC Radio Derby

    Almost half of the drivers who took Derby City Council to tribunal over fines handed out for alleged offences on the road won their cases.

    Figures show 120 cases were taken to a tribunal, with drivers winning almost half of the appeals.

    In total, the council handed out more than 58,000 fines to drivers last year. The majority of the fines related to bus lane offences and many went unpaid.

    Parking ticket

    The council's planning a big increase in the number of officers dealing with parking offences in the city.