Sandish Shoker
BBC News

The Department for Health and Social Care said there had been improvements in some areas, but overall, case rates remained very high across the East Midlands. It provided the following figures:

• Derbyshire - 275 per 100,000 people and 220 per 100,000 in over 60s
• Leicestershire - 355 per 100,000 people and 250 per 100,000 in over 60s
• Nottinghamshire - 244 per 100,000 people and at 211 per 100,000 in over 60s

Image source, PA Media

The department said the pressures on the NHS in these areas remained high.

In Notttingamshire, it said the proportion of hospital beds taken up by Covid-19 patients in the county was still high but appeared to be falling.

It's better news in Rutland where the case rate is lower, at 125 per 100,000 and at 118 per 100,000 for the over 60s.

Two East Midlands MPs have voiced their concerns over the strict Covid measures being introduced across much of the region.

Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, called his area being put into tier three "disastrous" and a "nightmare".

He tweeted: "Matt Hancock celebrating that mass testing has helped Liverpool drive down the R rate and move into tier two. Exactly. That is what every area should have had for months."

High Peak's Conservative MP Robert Largan said he was "disappointed" all of Derbyshire was in tier three.

He said: "These restrictions will be reviewed every 14 days and if cases continue to come down then I hope that we can get restrictions eased as soon as possible."

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

The new tier allocations will put some areas under significantly tighter restrictions than before the second national lockdown started.

Places like Market Harborough and Lutterworth have managed to remain in tier one since the system was first introduced.

However, they will go into tier three next month, along with the rest of Leicestershire.

Image source, Harborough District Council

Alberto Costa, the MP for South Leicestershire, said the rate of infection in the area had shown "good, encouraging signs" in recent weeks.

Those rates however are still well above the national average.

Mr Costa said: "We need to all continue doing our part, and most importantly, ensure that we all stay safe and look out for the safety of others."

Reacting to the news that Leicestershire will move into tier 3, the county's director of public health Mike Sandys said: "Over the past few days, rates have started to fall and we've made some progress. But it's important to put this into perspective.

"Figures are over 20% down compared to this time last week but they're still worse than the day we went into lockdown.

"Leicestershire's average is significantly higher than the national level so there is still work to do."

Image source, PA Media

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

The Labour MP for Chesterfield has criticised a "suggestion" by the Health Secretary that some areas have been more responsibly adhering to Covid restrictions.

The Derbyshire town currently has an infection rate of 178.3 per 100,000 people.

That's lower than the 208.7 average for England.

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced in Parliament the level of restrictions each county will face from next week.

"These actions are not easy but they are necessary," he said. "We have listened to the experts and used the best health advice."

He said they had looked not just at geographical areas to make the decisions, but also "human geography", as well as examining how the virus spreads.

The full list of restrictions by area can be found here, external.

"To keep people safe and to keep the gains that are being made, more areas than before will be in the top two tiers," added Mr Hancock.

"This is necessary to protect the NHS and keep the virus under control."

He said all areas in tier 3 would now be subject to a community testing programme, which was piloted in Liverpool, in order to help them bring cases down and move into tier 2.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

The MP for Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood, said it was "incredibly disappointing" the city will be under tier three coronavirus restrictions once the national lockdown has ended.

On Twitter, she said she was waiting to hear the rationale and an explanation of criteria for coming out of the top tier when it's reviewed in 14 days' time.

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

The whole of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire will be placed under the highest level of restrictions - Tier 3 - once the national lockdown ends on 2 December.

Rutland will go into Tier 2.

You can use the Government's postcode checker, external to find the restrictions for your area, though some people are experiencing technical difficulties

Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

A "ridiculous" heap of beer cans left dumped in a residential street in Leicester has been highlighted by police.

The Belgrave and Rushey Mead team took to social media, external after finding hundreds of cans in a small grassed area near Weymouth Street.

Their Facebook post said: "Who thinks it's acceptable to drop litter??? Dropping 1 piece of litter is disgusting and lazy, however this is ridiculous.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

"The residents near Weymouth Street do not need this sort of litter on their doorstep."

Officers pointed out that while the council will clear the area, this will take them away from other duties.

They added that police "have been and will continue to" patrol the area to deal with the issue.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

A 19-year-old man is in a critical condition after being stabbed in Leicester.

Police said they received a call from East Midlands Ambulance Service just before 18:30 yesterday following a report of a stabbing in the Braunstone Frith area.

Image source, Google

The man was found with "a serious stab wound" at the junction of Elsworthy Walk and Cuffling Drive and was taken to hospital.

A police cordon has been put up and officers are speaking to local residents.

Anyone who witnessed the assault or the events leading up to it has been asked to contact the Leicestershire force.

BBC Weather

Today will be a little chillier than recently with a frosty start.

However, it will be dry with any patchy fog gradually dispersing to leave periods of sunshine, staying dry and chilly into the evening.

Image source, Jo

Co-caretaker boss Liam Rosenior describes Derby's display in the 3-0 defeat against Middlesbrough as "unacceptable".

The "notch" from the large knife was found embedded in part of Graham Snell's body, a court hears.

Police found revellers hiding in a kitchen at the student accommodation block in Nottingham.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

A 14-year-old girl was seriously injured and two other girls taken to hospital following an incident at Derby College, police have said.

The teenager suffered abdomen injuries at the college's Hudson Building in Pride Park at about 13:00 on Tuesday and is in a stable condition.

Another 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl were taken to A&E.

Image source, Google

Derbyshire Police said three 16-year-old girls and a 15-year-old girl had been arrested.

The force said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident but has appealed for witnesses.

A Derby College spokeswoman said: "We understand this is an isolated incident and are also carrying out a full investigation to determine the circumstances."

BBC Politics

The Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire has said she won't support the government's new Covid tier system.

The government is set to announce tomorrow which areas will go into which set of restrictions, but Pauline Latham told the House of Commons the system is "totally illogical" and will force "too many people to stay holed up at home".

Announcing she would also not support Chancellor Rishi Sunak's statement on the government's Spending Review, she highlighted the impact on hospitality businesses, which she said "will fold in their tens of thousands".

Ms Latham - who also objected to plans to cut the overseas aid budget - did however praise Mr Sunak for "thinking outside of the box with brilliant innovative solutions" to the financial pressures brought about by the pandemic.

Image source, UK Parliament

Mr Sunak said the government planned to spend £280bn this year "to get our country through coronavirus" but added the "economic emergency" caused by Covid-19 had "only just begun".

PA Media

The case of convicted murderer Colin Pitchfork has been raised in Parliament ahead of a review on whether he can be released from prison.

Pitchfork was sentenced in 1988 to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of two 15-year-old girls in Leicestershire.

Lynda Mann was raped and strangled in Narborough on 21 November 1983, and three years later Dawn Ashworth was attacked in Enderby.

Pitchfork was denied parole in 2016 and in 2018, but was moved to an open prison three years ago.

Raising the issue during a Westminster Hall debate, South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa said the Parole Board must have all resources necessary to arrive at a correct judgement, but said the murders "continue to live long in the memory of my constituents" and questioned any potential release.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Footage has been released showing the moment a drug dealer lost control of his car during a police chase and ploughed into traffic.

Ricardo Cotteral, 32, had been trying to escape officers who had spotted him speeding shortly before the crash in Alfreton Road on 22 May, police said.

After hitting three cars near the Gregory Boulevard junction, leaving one driver with minor injuries, he ran from the scene but was arrested nearby.

When Cotteral's car was searched by police, officers said they discovered a large quantity of cocaine near the passenger seat.

The 32-year-old, of Selborne Gardens, St Ann's, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drug offences at Nottingham Crown Court.

He was jailed for three-and-a-half years and given a driving ban at the same court on Friday.

Image source, Nottinghamshire Police

BBC Radio Nottingham

A Nottingham infectious diseases expert has said setting up specialist centres for mass Covid-19 vaccinations could be "difficult".

Keith Neal, an emeritus professor at the University of Nottingham, said there was a "potential risk of transmission" if centres were used - for example, on public transport.

However he added immunising care home residents and staff would be straightforward, if a vaccine was approved by regulators.

Local health bosses have provisionally scheduled 9 December as the start date for the mass roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Image source, Getty Images

David Pittam
BBC News Online

The death of a man whose body has been found in a home in Leicester is being treated as "unexplained", police have said.

Leicestershire Police said they were called to Abbey Court Road in Leicester just after 21:00 yesterday evening.

They have cordoned off the house and are still trying to establish what happened.

Image source, Google