1. Lightning captured during thunderstormspublished at 09:35 British Summer Time 16 June 2020

    Sandish Shoker
    BBC News

    Here are some more striking photos of the thunderstorms across Leicestershire last night.

    They were taken in Ravenstone and Lutterworth during heavy rain.

    Lightning in Ravenstone, LeicestershireImage source, Rebecca Fox
    Lightning in LutterworthImage source, Jen Wren
  2. Today's weather for the East Midlandspublished at 08:18 British Summer Time 16 June 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    There will be some sunny intervals today, but it will also be partly cloudy with a few sharp showers or local thunderstorms, especially later this afternoon.

    Any thundery showers will fade in the evening. It will then be largely dry overnight.

    Today's Weather Watcher picture comes from Paul K, who captured the thunderstorms in Measham last night.

    Thunderstorm in Measham, north Leicestershire on Monday 15 June 2020Image source, Paul K
  3. Peregrine falcon eggs taken from three sitespublished at 07:11 British Summer Time 16 June 2020

    Derbyshire Police says the eggs were taken as part of a "black market trade".

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  4. TV reporter abuse accused sees trial date setpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Greig Watson
    Reporter, BBC News Online

    A man is due to stand trial accused of racially abusing a BBC reporter setting up a live TV interview.

    Sima Kotecha said she and her team faced "racist and abusive behaviour" as they set up for live interviews in Leicester city centre on 10 May.

    Appearing at Leicester Crown Court, Russell Rawlingson denied causing racially aggravated alarm or distress.

    Sima KotechaImage source, Sima Kotecha

    The 51-year-old, of Glenfield Road in Leicester, was bailed ahead of a trial in the same court on 7 September.

    Ms Kotecha was due to interview people live on BBC One following an announcement about coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

    The segment was cancelled.

  5. Mayor apologises for breaking lockdown rulespublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Leicester's Sir Peter Soulsby cites "an error of judgement" after visiting his partner twice.

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  6. Pushchairs found dumped in woodlandpublished at 15:47 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Sandish Shoker
    BBC News

    Mystery surrounds the dumping of about 70 pushchairs in woodland on Great Central Way, near Narborough Road in Leicester.

    The discovery was made by Eric Foulds more than six weeks ago.

    He said he took his son Mark for a look at the weekend - and they were still there.

    "It is very, very weird," he said. "I was just walking through the little bit of woods and came across that pile and couldn't believe it.

    "I thought I had gone to a different planet.

    "I'm still trying to work out how they got there as there's no roads nearby so someone must have carried them by hand here."

    Pushchairs in the woodsImage source, Mark Foulds

    Leicester City Council said the fly-tipping had not been reported to them, adding: "Now that we know about it, we will be sending a cleansing team to deal with it as soon as possible."

  7. Arrest after man hit with truncheonpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Liam Barnes
    BBC News

    A man in his 60s was taken to hospital after being hit with a truncheon.

    Nottinghamshire Police said officers arrived at Bartons Close in Newthorpe at about 16:00 on Sunday, shortly after the altercation took place.

    The victim was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham with "swelling and bruising", a force spokesman said, but has since been discharged.

    A 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, and remains in custody.

    Bartons Close NewthorpeImage source, Google
  8. Four arrests after more than 100 cannabis plants foundpublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Ethan Connolly-Forster
    BBC News

    Four men have been arrested after police found more than 100 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £100,000.

    Nottinghamshire Police said they were called to Cheltenham Street, Old Basford, at about 04:15 this morning following a report of four men fighting in the street with pieces of wood.

    Three men, two aged 23 and one aged 30, were arrested at the address, while a fourth was arrested shortly after fleeing the area.

    All four were arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis and affray and remain in custody.

    Cannabis plantsImage source, Nottinghamshire Police
  9. 'About 36' alien civilisations, study suggestspublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Liam Barnes
    BBC News

    More than 30 "intelligent civilisations" of aliens across the galaxy could be awaiting contact from the Earth, a new study says.

    The study, led by the University of Nottingham, builds on previous estimates that put the number anywhere between billions of potential planets and none at all.

    The project, which has been published in The Astrophysical Journal, external, worked from "the assumption that intelligent life forms on other planets in a similar way as it does on Earth", then examined other planets in the Milky Way and how long they've been around to find a rough estimate.

    Researchers found the number of civilisations "depends strongly on how long they are actively sending out signals of their existence into space", and after probing the data they determined "about 36 ongoing intelligent technical civilisations" sharing our warped and twisted galaxy.

    Anyone expecting a neighbourly nudge any time soon shouldn't hold their breath though - the average distance to these civilisations would be 17,000 light-years away.

    Milky WayImage source, Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library
    Quote Message

    Our new research suggests that searches for extraterrestrial intelligent civilisations not only reveals the existence of how life forms, but also gives us clues for how long our own civilisation will last. If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilisation could exist for much longer than a few hundred years, alternatively if we find that there are no active civilisations in our galaxy, it is a bad sign for our own long-term existence."

    Christopher Conselice, Professor of Astrophysics, the University of Nottingham

  10. 'Dangerous' man posed as teenage boy to groom girlpublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    A "dangerous" man who posed as a teenager to groom a 14-year-old girl online has been jailed for five years.

    Nottinghamshire Police said Neville Poole, formerly of Twitchell View, Sutton-in-Ashfield, befriended the girl online and made a profile of himself which included a picture of a teenage boy.

    Poole groomed her by sending her money, clothes as well as buying her jewellery and lingerie, the force added.

    After the pair had been talking for months, the 42-year-old confessed he had lied about his age, but told her he was 28.

    Police said the girl agreed to meet him and Poole travelled to her home town, where he paid for a hotel and they had sex.

    Afterwards, the girl travelled to Sutton-in-Ashfield on two occasions before Poole was reported to police following the discovery of his real age.

    Neville PooleImage source, Nottinghamshire Police

    Poole admitted 10 offences, committed between December 2018 and July, and was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court on 5 June.

    The charges included two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, meeting a girl following grooming, causing a child to watch a sexual act and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

    Det Con Emily Bucklow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said Poole was a "dangerous individual", who went to "extreme lengths to try and mask his identity".

    "Not only had he created a false persona to attract her, he then used gifts and money to manipulate her," she added.

  11. Coronavirus: Job losses at Nottinghamshire firmpublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    BBC Radio Nottingham

    More than 100 jobs are being cut at an Annesley firm which provides parts for Rolls-Royce engines, according to the trade union Unite.

    About 600 people work for Turbine Surface Technologies Limited (TSTL), and the union says the job losses are being connected to a downturn in trade caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The company has been approached for comment, but Unite says it's secured a "generous" voluntary redundancy package.

    Turbine Surface Technologies LimitedImage source, Google
    Quote Message

    TSTL was expanding and growing its workforce prior to March of this year. Without government support for the survival and recovery of the aerospace industry, SMEs [small and medium enterprises] like TSTL are at risk of falling like dominoes."

    Shaun Lee, Regional co-ordinating officer, Unite

  12. Drink-driver 'deliberately' crashed car into bridgepublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    A drink-driver who "deliberately" crashed his car into a concrete underpass injuring passengers, including a child, has been sentenced.

    Andrew Chettle, of Jackson Crescent, East Leake, who was three times over the alcohol limit, was driving "erratically" with a woman and two children inside the car on Barton Lane, Thrumpton, Nottinghamshire, on Boxing Day in 2018.

    Det Con Louise Donderici, of Nottinghamshire Police, said Chettle argued with the woman and said "I may as well write the car off then". He crashed the car injuring himself, the woman and one of the children.

    Chettle was treated in hospital for injuries to his feet, the woman suffered a broken wrist and fractured breastbone and the child sustained a minor head injury.

    The 41-year-old, who pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court on 10 June.

    He was also banned from driving for 30 months, ordered to take part in 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay a victim surcharge of £140.

    Car crashedImage source, Nottinghamshire Police
  13. Parents slam bus company over school transportpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Amy Orton
    Local Democracy Reporter

    Parents have accused a school bus company of "sticking two fingers up" at them after it said it won't refund them despite not running services during lockdown.

    Beaver Bus, which takes pupils to and from Beauchamp College, Gartree High School, Hinckley Academy, Lutterworth College, Lutterworth High School, Sir Frank Whittle Studio School, St Martin's Catholic Academy and Thomas Estley Academy, stopped running buses on 23 March.

    Services have resumed today for pupils who can attend school, but families are furious after the firm said it will not offer any refunds.

    A Beaver Bus spokesman said it "would not be able to continue to offer our services" if it gave out refunds, but the School Transport Policy Group said parents have paid for a service that hasn't been provided.

    School bus genericImage source, Getty Images

    A spokesman for the campaign group said: "If they'd written to parents and said these are difficult unprecedented times and offered even a partial refund or a discount for next year, that would have been something, but they have just told everyone to see the terms and conditions and the terms and conditions state that there are no refunds."

    Another parent told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "My gym is closed, so I'm not paying for it, holidays are cancelled, people are getting vouchers or refunds.

    "We'd boycott if we could but some parents have no choice."

  14. Charge as abusive message sent to Stan Collymorepublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    The former Liverpool, Forest and England striker shared images of messages on his Twitter account.

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  15. Men arrested after canisters left strewn across streetpublished at 11:27 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    Three men have been arrested after nitrous oxide canisters were left scattered across a street.

    Nottinghamshire Police said the men, aged 23, were arrested on 3 June as part of an operation to target nitrous oxide misuse after reports the canisters were dumped on Radford Street in Manton.

    The men were detained on suspicion with possession with intent to supply nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas" as it's informally known.

    They have since been released under investigation while inquiries continue.

    The force added the gas can be legally purchased, but supplying to others is illegal if likely to be used for its psychoactive effects.

    Nitrous Oxide canisters scattered on Radford Street in Manton, Worksop, NottinghamshireImage source, Nottinghamshire Police
  16. Attempted murder arrest after Mansfield stabbingpublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Liam Barnes
    BBC News

    A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed in Mansfield over the weekend.

    Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called to Kitchener Drive at about 17:40 on Sunday, where they found a 30-year-old man suffered a stab wound to the neck.

    The man was taken to hospital with injuries that are "believed to be life-threatening", a force spokesman said.

    A 22-year-old was arrested in Bulwell this morning and is currently being questioned.

    Det Insp Kim Binns said officers believe it was "an isolated incident", but confirmed patrols in the area have been increased to reassure residents and asked any witnesses to get in touch.

    Kitchener Drive MansfieldImage source, Google
  17. Hundreds queue for Primark in Nottinghampublished at 10:52 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Sandish Shoker
    BBC News

    There are currently huge queues for Primark in Nottingham.

    Hundreds of people have been waiting since 07:00 to get into the store, with the queue winding back into the nearby Market Square.

    The retailer has opened its stores across the UK for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown began.

    Queues in Old Market Square
    Old Market Square queues
  18. Shoppers queue up for Primark reopeningpublished at 08:46 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    Gavin Bevis
    BBC News

    Large queues formed outside Primark stores in Derby, Nottingham and Leicester this morning as they prepared to reopen after being closed for almost three months due to coronavirus.

    Markings were placed outside the shops to encourage people to stay socially distanced while they waited.

    Primark queue

    Shops around the country selling non-essential goods have been given the green light to welcome back customers from this morning.

    The prime minister has urged people to "shop with confidence".

    Primark is reopening all of its 153 stores in England but said there would not be any "special discounting".

    Nottingham Primark queueImage source, Stephen Turton
    Leicester Primark queue
  19. Today's weather for the East Midlandspublished at 08:04 British Summer Time 15 June 2020

    BBC Weather Watchers

    Once the mist has lifted this morning, there will be patchy clouds with sunny intervals.

    However, scattered showers are likely to break out, which could turn heavy and thundery.

    Today's Weather Watcher picture comes from Curly Claire, who has captured the ducks in the mist in West Bridgford.

    West BridgfordImage source, Curly Claire