Latest updates: East Midlands Live Thursday 5 April

Summary

Hostel murders accused 'of unsound mind'
Ex-PC avoids jail in fraud case
Visitors queue 'for hours' outside zoo
Shopkeeper admits child sex offences
Male PC choir changes name under pressure
Police investigate woman's 'sudden death'
Missing tortoise found after nine months
Updates on Thursday 5 April 2018

Live Reporting

Sandish Shoker and Calum McKenzie

Businesses where women are paid morepublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
Not all East Midlands businesses have released figures suggesting men are earning more than women.
One name bucking the trend is fashion label Paul Smith, which has its headquarters in Lenton, Nottingham. Here women are earning 9% MORE than men, based on the median percentage.
Image source, Getty Images
Female employees at the Toyota factory in Burnaston, Derbyshire, are also reported to be earning 6% more than men.
The manufacturer said it's continuing to find ways to encourage more women into the industry.
Riverside wetland scheme to reduce floodingpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Calum McKenzie
BBC News
A £100,000 scheme to create two new wetlands has got under way.
Image source, Getty Images
It is hoped the habitats, on the banks of the River Soar in Leicester, will support wildlife and reduce the risk of flooding.
One of the wetlands, close to Ellis Meadows Park, will store any water that runs off Loughborough Road.
A series of ponds at Cardinal's Meadow will also hold water after heavy rain.
Pay gaps in East Midlands businesses revealedpublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Tony Roe
BBC East Midlands political editor
The region's businesses have been revealing the pay differences between male and female employees in order to meet the midnight deadline.
Walgreens Boots Alliance - the owners of Boots UK, which has its headquarters in Nottingham - showed, on average, women are paid 33% less than men, based on the median figures.
In a statement, Boots said the figures are, "an important step" as society works towards creating gender equality.
Nottinghamshire-based Wilko (6%) and Next from Leicestershire (2%) are both much closer to pay equality.
You can find out the figures for any organisation here.
Council steps up efforts to tackle potholespublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Calum McKenzie
BBC News
A county council is asking some staff to work at weekends in order to deal with potholes.
Derbyshire County Council said the freezing weather means there are currently 2,500 potholes awaiting repair.
The authority added it is also hiring extra staff, buying new machinery and increasing highways inspections in order to deal with the problem.
Football: City loanee set for Arsenal testpublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Calum McKenzie
BBC News
Leicester fans may have half an eye on the Europa League quarter-final between Arsenal and CSKA Moscow tonight.
Image source, Getty Images
The Russians have City loanee Ahmed Musa in their squad. Could the Nigerian be the man to wreck the Gunners' hopes of silverware?
Man 'stuck up to waist' in mudpublished at 10:53 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
BBC Radio Derby
A man has been taken to hospital after getting stuck up to his waist in mud last night.
Image source, Google
Fire crews attended Hepthorne Lane, in North Wingfield, near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, at around 20:00 to rescue him.
Inflatables were used to reach him before he was taken to hospital.
Boys arrested over gun and knife-point robberypublished at 10:44 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
Two boys, aged 11 and 15, have been arrested after a gun and knife-point robbery in Nottingham yesterday afternoon.
Officers, who were called to reports of three boys having mobile phones stolen, found a loaded gas-powered BB gun near a retail park off Mansfield Road just after 15:00.
The boys remain in police custody.
Image source, Google
Forest defender Fox signs new contractpublished at 10:43 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Versatile defender Danny Fox signs a new one-year contract with Championship side Nottingham Forest.
Read More
MP launches petition against library changespublished at 10:31 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Eddie Bisknell
Local Democracy Reporter
A Derbyshire MP has launched a petition over proposed changes to the county's library service.
The county council has revealed plans to hand over the running of 20 of its 45 libraries to volunteers, as well as reviewing opening times and staffing, to help them save £1.6 million.
Ruth George, Labour MP for High Peak, said: "People are clearly very concerned by the prospect of local libraries being handed over to community groups and about the cuts to library opening hours.
Image source, Getty Images
However, council leader Barry Lewis said there are no plans to close libraries.
The plans are set to be discussed by councillors today.
Cat caught in trap has leg amputatedpublished at 10:24 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Calum McKenzie
BBC News
A cat which got its leg caught in a metal spring trap has had to have its leg amputated.
Image source, RSPCA
Workers at the Grange Business Park, Whetstone, Leicestershire, spotted the animal with its leg caught in the trap's metal jaws.
Sharon Knight, from the RSPCA, said: "After examining the cat, the vet decided that to save her life, the only option was to amputate her front left leg."
The cat, which was not chipped, is now being cared for by the animal charity in Leicester.
The use of gin traps has been illegal in the UK since the 1950s.
Water 'still deep' on rural roadspublished at 10:15 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Helen McCarthy
BBC Radio Leicester Reporter
It's beautiful this morning but the water is still 4ft (1.2m) deep on Watergate Lane in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire.
Missing tortoise found after nine months - just metres awaypublished at 10:09 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
The owner of a missing tortoise thought she would never see her pet again after she disappeared from their home in Bircotes, Nottinghamshire, last year.
But nine months later, they've been reunited.
The pet, named Pippa, was found 50 metres away in woods near their house and was spotted by a walker who had seen a Facebook appeal by the owners.
Image source, Laura Tissington
"It's still a shock," said owner Laura Tissington. "For two months after she disappeared we were outside every day looking for her, asking the neighbours.
"We came to the conclusion she had been stolen."
Flood water levels 'starting to fall'published at 09:44 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
The Environment Agency says flood water levels in Leicestershire are starting to fall.
Flood warnings in the county are no longer in force but alerts remain in place for the Lower River Soar and the River Wreake.
Image source, Lee Barrett
Knife crime is 'regular problem' at hospitalpublished at 09:24 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
A doctor has said knife crime is a "regular problem" at a Nottingham hospital.
Faisal Faroqui, a consultant in the emergency department at the Queen's Medical Centre, said: "We see a couple of patients each week with knife injuries.
"We had a gunshot injury last week and two weeks ago we had six or seven stabbings in one day - all unrelated."
Charity Redthread is due to work with victims in the hospital and said it will focus its efforts on young people aged between 11 and 24.
Flood warnings remain in Leicestershirepublished at 09:11 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
Two flood warnings remain in place in Leicestershire this morning. It follows days of heavy rain and the wettest March the county has experienced since 1947.
Matt Gable from the Environment Agency advised people not to drive through floodwater.
Yesterday 18 horses had to be rescued from this field in Mountsorrel by the fire service after they became stranded.
Image source, Lee Barrett
Charity to work with crime victims in hospitalspublished at 08:50 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
A scheme which sees youth workers go into hospitals to speak to young people who have been victims of violent crime is launching in Nottingham.
Charity Redthread has already pioneered the scheme in London and will be based at the QMC to help people who have have been stabbed or assaulted.
Hannah Robertson from the charity said they were contacted by the hospital because they had seen an increase in young people coming in with these kinds of injuries.
Quote Message
In order to tackle this devastating issue of violence in our community, we need to start to think in a different way. We need to see violence as a public health issue in the same way we would look at a disease... so we can support our city and community to live in a better way."
Hannah Robertson, Redthread
Police investigate woman's 'sudden death'published at 08:20 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Neil Heath
BBC News Online
A man has been arrested after a woman's body was found by police at a house in Beaumont Leys, Leicester, on Tuesday morning.
Officers were called to the house in Ipswich Close at about 11:20 following reports a woman had died.
Leicestershire Police said the 51-year-old's death was being treated as suspicious.
Image source, Google
A 59-year-old man from Leicester was arrested yesterday in connection with the woman's death and is helping officers with their investigation.
Male PC choir changes name 'under pressure to be more PC'published at 08:17 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
A male police choir is changing its name and distancing itself from the force after being told it was incompatible with equal opportunity polices.
The Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir was asked by the chief constable Peter Goodman to become a mixed-voice group last year, but chairman Kevin Griffiths said it would be "difficult" to hire the 50 women needed to balance the sound.
Image source, Kevin Griffiths
The choir is made up of about 35 ex-officers and has raised £750,000 for charity since it was founded. Mr Griffiths said no women had asked to become choir members.
It will now be known as the Derbyshire Community Male Voice Choir.
Watch: Today's weather forecastpublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter
Plenty of sunshine and blue skies to enjoy today...
Good morning: Thursday's updates for the East Midlandspublished at 07:58 British Summer Time 5 April 2018
Sandish Shoker
BBC News
Good morning. It's a lovely sunny start to the day.
Calum McKenzie will be joining me to bring you all the latest news, sport, weather and travel for our region.
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