Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Blossom trees are to be planted at two sites in Nottingham as part of a national scheme being led by the National Trust.

Artist impressions of the new blossom gardens, which are due to be created at Highfields Park in Lenton (pictured top) and St Mary's Rest Garden, off Bath Street, (below) have been released.

They are aimed at helping people living in the city "connect to nature".

Image source, National Trust

Dave Trimble, from Nottingham City Council, said: "Alongside fighting climate change and pollution, nature and being able to socialise in open spaces is known to aid feelings of wellbeing and is great for the overall look and feel of the community, as well as attracting wildlife."

Image source, National Trust

London, Newcastle and Plymouth are also involved in the project.

The National Trust said it hoped to begin planting in the autumn.

BBC Weather Watchers

It will be dry and bright with the odd patch of cloud, but there will be plenty of sunshine throughout the day.

Into the evening, it will remain mild for the time of year but another chilly night is ahead.

Image source, Abbeydale

A Syrian refugee mother is offered a place on the same British university course as her teenage son.

It is the second time this month that HMP Stocken has been blamed for a rise in Rutland's cases.

Leicester are dumped out of the Europa League in a shock home defeat by Slavia Prague.

The company says the pandemic has "changed consumer behaviours forever" and that it must adapt.

Oxford United midfielder Marcus McGuane will miss the rest of the season after a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury.

The charge relates to an arrest in Nottingham city centre, the police watchdog says.

Wasps' England prop Kieran Brookes and Leicester's South African pair Jasper Wiese and Hanro Liebenberg all receive bans.

Police say the four found in the hot tub were fined £200 each for breaching coronavirus rules.

Alex Regan
BBC News

Prints of the early 19th Century's "heaviest man" have been discovered by an auction house.

Leicester-born Daniel Lambert weighed more than 50 stone and gained the accolade of "the heaviest man in history" in 1805, Hansons Auctioneers said.

Mr Lambert refused to be weighed, but was tricked into it by his friends.

Image source, Hansons

The stout man was driven to a cock fight in a carriage, which was driven on to scales, and after the weight of the carriage was deducted his friends discovered his true size, the auction house said.

The shy man eventually put himself on display when he was in need of money and moved to London.

He returned to Leicester a wealthy man, but died in 1809 in Stamford, on a tour of East Anglia.

His coffin was said to be so big that the wall of his flat had to be demolished and it took 20 men almost 30 minutes to wheel the casket to the grave.

The engraved pictures are being sold as part of an archive of prints in five boxes in March, which is expected to fetch up to £880.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Colleagues of an NHS staff member who died with Covid-19 lined the route of her funeral procession as it passed through the grounds of the hospital where she had worked.

Jenny Stone, who died on 6 February, spent almost 30 years as part of the facilities team at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

The hospital trust said it had been her wish, supported by her family, to pay one last visit to the site.

Image source, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust

As well as being applauded by her former colleagues, an NHS rainbow flag was also flown at half mast in tribute to the "bubbly and positive" 60-year-old.

The trust described it as "an emotional but proud morning" and said it hoped Ms Stone's children would take comfort from seeing how much she meant to her former "work family".

Image source, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust

The covering was introduced by police in the southern hemisphere to encourage more Muslim women to join.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

A second dachshund from a group of eight stolen from a home in Swadlincote has been reunited with his owners.

Percy was taken along with seven others on 10 February but was handed in to vets in Northamptonshire yesterday.

Lisa Dean, a volunteer who is helping to find the dogs, said he had some minor physical injuries and was "tired, frightened and smelly" but was now safely home.

Image source, Charlotte Lee

Another one of the dogs was found in Cambridgeshire last week but two males and four females remain missing.

Derbyshire Police, which has shared footage related to the theft, external, said inquiries were ongoing.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

A major search operation took place last night following reports four young people in a canoe were in trouble on the fishing lake at Holme Pierrepont.

Nottinghamshire Police requested assistance from a coastguard helicopter to find the group following the call at about 19:20 but nothing was found.

Image source, Google

Sgt Iain Blackstock said: “We take reports of people getting into trouble in water very seriously and will always work to bring such incidents to a safe conclusion.

“It would appear that the group had left the area by the time emergency services arrived but I would ask that anyone who has any information about what happened to get in touch with police as soon as possible."

Amy Orton
Local Democracy Reporter

A woman experiencing a miscarriage has said she was "appalled" after staff outside an A&E told her to go "home and take a paracetamol".

The 26-year-old, who wanted to remain anonymous, went to Leicester Royal Infirmary in September when she suffered bleeding.

She was seen by a clinician as part of a system which screens patients before they can access the emergency department.

Image source, PA Media

The mum, who lives in Braunstone and has a two-year-old son, said: "I was scared and in pain. I was so worried about losing my baby.

"I went to A&E and was seen in a room outside, I was in and out in five minutes with no checks, no blood pressure, no scan offered.

"I just wanted to know what was happening and if my baby was OK.

"I was just told there was nothing they could do and that I should call my midwife the next day."

The woman has complained to DHU Health Care, which runs the screening service.

"I was appalled at the way I'd been treated. I was losing my unborn child and was told that I should go home and take paracetamol," she said.

A spokesperson for DHU Health Care said they had reviewed the complaint and responded and also offered to meet the woman to discuss the issue further.

BBC Weather Watchers

After a cloudy start, sunny spells should develop into the afternoon, but with a scattering of showers.

Mild for the time of year but with a colder night than of late.

Image source, Stuart

Alex Regan
BBC News

A volunteer said he was "shocked" and "upset" after food for the homeless and vulnerable families was stolen from his delivery van in Nottingham.

Nadeem Shahzad was due to deliver food parcels, clothes and toiletries to people in need on Saturday, but discovered his van had been stolen.

He said when it was found a day later, all of the goods had been taken.

Nottinghamshire Police said the theft had left "the victim devastated and the vulnerable without supplies".

Image source, Nadeem Shahzad

The vehicle was stolen in Hucknall Road at about 13:00 GMT on Saturday, and was later recovered in Oxengate, Arnold, on Sunday.

Mr Shahzad said: "The community's in complete shock, the families we help have small children."

Insp Amy English said: "The victims were trying to do some fantastic work in the local community, during a very difficult time for people and it's so sad to see people stealing food parcels for the homeless.

"Incidents like this cause considerable upset and inconvenience for charities."

Anyone with information has been urged to contact the force.

Image source, Nadeem Shahzad

Samantha Noble
BBC News Online

A goose with a serious injury caused by a fishing line has been captured after 20 attempts.

The RSPCA said the domestic bird, possibly an escapee from a small holding, has been living at Braunstone Park lake with the injury for some time after becoming tangled up.

Michelle Hare, from the RSPCA, said: “We had tried to catch this poor bird more than 20 times, but unfortunately at every attempt, he would just fly off or swim away."

Image source, RSPCA

Ms Hare said he was finally captured, with the "expert help of firefighters", yesterday.

“With an iced up lake, it was difficult for the goose to swim or fly away, and the specialist fire and rescue team was able to encourage him across the ice back to the bank, where I was finally able to contain him," she said.

He was taken to the vets for treatment before being handed to a wildlife centre, where "his leg is healing up nicely”, said Ms Hare.

She added: "We strongly urge those who enjoy fishing to be extra careful to ensure nothing is left behind. Most anglers are very responsible when disposing of their litter, but it only takes one careless person to endanger the life of an animal."

Image source, RSPCA

The moped was found "loaded on top" of the children in the back of a Vauxhall Zafira, police said.