Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A renowned Nottinghamshire-born singer will be honoured with a blue plaque tomorrow as part of BBC Music Day 2017.

Constance Shacklock OBE began her career at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham with the Nottingham Operatic Society.

After more than a decade of performances with the Covent Garden Opera Company, she spent six years playing Mother Superior in the original production of the Sound of Music in London's West End.

BBC Nottingham asked people to vote for their favourite Nottinghamshire musicians or music venues that deserved a blue plaque in their honour.

Floods of nominations were made for the late singer, who died in 1999 aged 86.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

You might have spotted this lot riding through Leicester yesterday - they're midway through a 700km cycle through seven cities in five days to raise awareness about diabetes.

The group - named Team Novo - says there are about 1,000 new cases of diabetes diagnosed in Leicester each year.

Their route also includes Derby, Sheffield, Leeds, Coventry, Birmingham and Oxford.

Image source, Team Novo

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A man was threatened with a knife in an attempted robbery as he walked along the canal in Leicester's Abbey Park.

The victim was approached by a man on a bike on Sunday late afternoon who stopped and asked him for a lighter. As he handed it back, the cyclist produced a knife and demanded his wallet, Leicestershire Police , externalsaid.

The victim managed to flee without anything being stolen.

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough says he wants to sign Ross County and Northern Ireland striker Liam Boyce.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Influential Derby musician Kevin Coyne is to be honoured with a blue plaque tomorrow as part of BBC Music Day 2017.

The prolific singer-songwriter, who was born in Normanton in 1944 and died in 2004, has been cited as an influence by many well-known musicians including Sting and John Lydon.

As well as his intense bluesy vocals and unorthodox guitar style, Coyne was also an accomplished artist and produced the artwork for many of his own album covers.

Image source, Getty Images

He's among more than 40 legendary artists, groups and venues being honoured following a vote by BBC local radio stations.

Coyne's blue plaque will be installed at a yet-to-be-disclosed location in Derby tomorrow morning.

Image source, So Let's Go Running Bexley

This summer, London is hosting the biggest global sporting events of the year - the 2017 World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships - and the organisers have launched a scheme to get people involved in athletics right around the country.

It's called Team Personal Best and the idea is that local sports clubs or community groups across the UK sign up and put on events with an athletics theme.

It doesn't have to be a track-and-field meet - it can be a fun run, family sports day, even an event screening or bake sale with activities. There's a list of suggestions on the TeamPB submission page, here., external

Event participants are then encouraged to share their athletic achievements - no matter how big or small - with the hashtag #TeamPersonalBest to build a nationwide buzz around the championships.

You can find events near you here, external and if you want more information about how to get started in athletics, check out our Get Inspired guide.

Facebook

We've had a few comments on Facebook, external after Leicester City learned they will face Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool in the first few weeks of the new season.

Dave Howard wrote: "Need to make sure beat Brighton and Huddersfield then anything else will be a bonus."

Philosophical Andy Spooner posted: "Gotta play them at some point."

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

BBC Radio Derby's political reporter took this photo at Derby Silk Mill a little earlier - looks like the Weeping Window display is still proving a major draw.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Soon-to-retire UKIP MEP Roger Helmer has given his response to newspaper claims of financial rule-breaking in a lengthy blog post, external.

Mr Helmer said he had complied with a request by the European Parliament to provide details on the work of two of his staff members but had not heard anything since.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament told us it didn't comment on individual cases but gave us a statement on how it investigates the work of MEPs' assistants.

It said: "MEPs' assistants are paid out of the European Parliament budget for work that is strictly related to the exercise of the mandate of a member of the European Parliament.

"Whenever the financial administration have serious questions about the actual work performed by a MEP assistant (i.e. if the work performed is really related to the European mandate), they will ask the MEP concerned for clarifications and justifications.

"In cases where these justifications are not forthcoming, the assistant's contract may be suspended.

"Should clarifications still not be forthcoming, the administration may reclaim the funds for which no justification of work has been provided."

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A dog walker said she heard an explosion as she passed the burning house in Bilsthorpe yesterday evening.

Jo Power saw flames leap from the home in the fire which damaged two properties and three vehicles in Highfield Drive.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

UKIP's Roger Helmer told BBC East Midlands Today his decision to stand down as East Midlands MEP was nothing to do with claims in the Guardian that he is being investigated by the European Parliament for breaking financial rules.

Mr Helmer has denied the allegation.

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A controversial workplace parking levy in Nottingham has won an award for helping to improve the city's air quality.

Businesses with more than 11 car parking spaces have to pay £387 per place to the council which funds public transport in the city.

Image source, Nottingham City Council

Matthew Boam, director at Print 4 in Bulwell, has praised the city for the award, but said the annual £6,579 he pays does hurt profits.

"The cost of living is rising all the time, it would be very unfair to pass that on [to staff] and it affects us directly as a business. It comes off the bottom line."

But Stephen Joseph, chief executive for Campaign for Better Transport, says the scheme is "critical for tackling air pollution".

Since it was introduced in April 2012, there are an extra five million journeys a year on public transport, Nottingham City Council said.

The scheme, which also aims to reduce the number of cars coming into the city, was awarded the 2017 Ashden Award for Clean Air in Towns and Cities.

Roger Helmer, MEP for the East Midlands, said his decision to retire was made "many months ago".

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

The MP for Nottingham South has said the London tower block fire has prompted a review of fire safety procedures across all council-owned homes across the city.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

The councillor responsible for protecting children in Derby has insisted they are still "safe" despite a new report saying the authority could be doing more, external.

Ofsted's report marked Derby City Council's child safeguarding services as "requiring improvement", although it gave the whole department an overall rating of "good".

It said: "The strategic and operational response to children missing from home, care or education, or at risk of child sexual exploitation is effective.

"However, the quality of return home interviews needs to improve. The quality of assessments is variable, and many lack in-depth analysis and recommendations, which in turn means that planning is weaker than it could be."

Sara Bolton told BBC Radio Derby: "All our children are safe in Derby - and I'm sure all your listeners will be most positive about that. This is a good news story.

"We did a self-assessment last autumn and what Ofsted were most impressed with was that we know ourselves - we know our strengths and our weaknesses."

Owen Bradley
BBC Radio Derby Sport

One of the stars of the Derby County team that reached the Championship Play-Off final three years ago looks like he's on his way back to the club.

It's being reported a fee has already been agreed with Liverpool for defender Andre Wisdom, though Derby tell us talks are still ongoing.

Image source, Getty Images

The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg and would be Gary Rowett's second signing of the summer.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Next season's Premier League fixtures are out - and the Foxes will start their campaign at Arsenal.

Craig Shakespeare's side will then host newly-promoted Brighton before travelling to Manchester United.

On Boxing Day it's Watford away and the season will conclude with a trip to Spurs.

Image source, Getty Images

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A man in his 80s used a hosepipe to try and tackle the fire last night which severely damaged two houses in Bilsthorpe.

Neighbours pulled back Rob Waldron as he tried to tackle the blaze in Highfield Drive as it tore through the buildings and a campervan.

These dramatic pictures show the extent of the damage. Thankfully nobody was injured.

Image source, Other

Image source, Other

An appeal has now been launched on Facebook to collect clothes, toys, shoes and blankets for the young familiy who lived in one of the houses.

Find out your club's full fixture list for the 2017-18 Premier League season.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

De Montfort University has confirmed it is considering whether to strip disgraced BBC broadcaster Tony Wadsworth of an honorary degree given to him five years ago,

Wadsworth and his wife Julie were jailed for five years on Friday after being found guilty of a string of indecent assaults on under-age boys.

Image source, PA

A spokesperson for the university said: "Following news of the verdict in this case, the university is now reviewing its award of an honorary degree made in 2012, in accordance with its procedures."

The pair, who lived in Broughton Astley, worked for more than 20 years for BBC local radio in Leicester and Birmingham.