Liam Barnes
BBC News

Mansfield no longer has the highest coronavirus infection rate in England, latest figures have shown.

In the week up to 11 April the town's seven-day infection rate was 87.8 per 100,000 people, down from 91.5 the previous week and now lower than the rates in Bradford, Corby and Luton.

Leicester's rate has dropped from 87.2 to 75.1 over the same period, which means it currently has the eighth-highest infection rate.

James Fox's mother Joanna was attacked and the family dog Minnie was taken from her while walking.

PA Media

Assessing the "garlic-breath distance" can indicate whether people are close enough for coronavirus transmission to occur, a consultant virologist has said.

Dr Julian Tang, from the Leicester Royal Infirmary and author of a new study published in the British Medical Journal, has urged governments and health leaders to "focus their efforts on airborne transmission".

Speaking to Sky News, he said the previous focus on hand washing and sanitising was "wrong".

"So the message 'hands, face, space', we think should be really 'space, space, hands'," he said.

"The way this virus transmits is really through conversational distance, within one metre."

Image source, Getty Images

"When you're talking to a friend or sharing the same air as you're listening to your friend talking, we call it the garlic-breath distance," added Dr Tang.

"So if you can smell your friend's lunch you're inhaling some of that air as well as any virus that's inhaled with it.

"And this is why we say that masking is fine, social distancing is fine, but the indoor airborne environment needs to be improved and that can be done with ventilation."

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

Syston's secret knitter has struck again, this time paying tribute to Leicester City FC who play in their first FA Cup semi-final in almost 40 years at the weekend.

The Foxes face Southampton at Wembley.

Image source, Syston Town Council

Other Leicestershire knitters have been inspired too, creating these spring-themed toppers.

This week an Easter crocheted scene appeared in Melton Mowbray and a garden-themed topper appeared in Loughborough.

Patricia Brinck who took the photo in Loughborough said: "I don't know who, but it's adorable. For sure lifted my mood."

Image source, Brian Cushion

Image source, Patricia Brinck

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

The family of a man who was found with fatal injuries in a car stopped by police have been paying tribute to him.

Two men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after Anand Parmar died from multiple injuries in Leicester on Monday.

In a statement, Mr Parmar's family said they were "completely heartbroken" and "struggling come to terms with [their] loss".

Image source, Family photo

“The moment we were contacted by officers and told what happened will live with us forever," the statement said.

"It’s difficult to put into words the feeling that hearing such shocking news gives you.

“He was our son, our brother, our dad and we miss him greatly. He was a very funny man, who got on with everyone. He was able to make friends with all types of people and enjoyed the company of others."

They appealed for anyone with information on Mr Parmar's death to contact Leicestershire Police, external.

BBC Weather

After a chilly and bright start, it should stay dry throughout with some patchy cloud building up by this afternoon.

It will be another cool day, with highs of 11C, and some sunshine through the early part of this evening.

Overnight, lows of -1C are expected and the skies will remain clear with a chance of a few patches of mist or fog forming by dawn.

Image source, Athreya

Liam Barnes
BBC News

A man who carried out "a horrendous and calculating catalogue of offences" against two young girls has been jailed for 25 years.

Nottinghamshire Police said Kevin Knott was arrested in 2019 after victims came forward with allegations of sexual abuse, which took place in Devon and Nottingham in the 1970s and 1980s.

The 70-year-old, of Staverton Road in Bilborough, was found guilty of two counts of having sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, 15 counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14, and two counts of gross indecency with a child under 14.

He was also disqualified from working with children for life, and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Image source, Nottinghamshire Police

Det Con Richard Robertson, who led the police investigation, said Knott "would have gone unpunished without the bravery of his victims, who showed remarkable courage and stoicism in explaining so clearly what [he] put them through".

Two-year-old dachshund Minnie was handed in to a vet "safe and unharmed", police say.

A year on from the peak of the pandemic, nursing associate Damian Mann reflects on what happened in Wren Hall Nursing home in Nottinghamshire.

A year on from the peak of the pandemic, care home staff recall how the death rate almost trebled.

Gordon and Mary Davis, both 89, had been separated after he fell ill.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

Bar staff were punched in the face in an assault on the second day of pubs reopening as part of relaxed Covid rules, police have said.

Officers were called to The Crown Inn, on Church Street in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, at about 18:20 BST on Tuesday after a report of the attack outside the premises.

Nottinghamshire Police said it was reported a man became "very aggressive and started to verbally abuse staff".

Two employees were then assaulted, the force added, with one victim suffering a ripped shirt before a man was restrained on the floor until officers arrived.

A 59-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and public order. He remains in custody.

Image source, Google

Insp Simon Riley said: "This must have been a distressing incident for the victims who had only just returned to work this week.

"Thankfully neither victim suffered serious injuries.

"This has been very much an isolated incident. It's good to hear that a large majority of people have behaved responsibly."

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

Cannabis plants with an estimated value of more than £200,000 have been found by police at a Nottinghamshire flat.

Officers said they raided a flat above a commercial property in South Street, Eastwood, at 10:15 yesterday, discovering 350 plants along with "sophisticated growing and filtering equipment".

No-one has yet been arrested in connection with the discovery.

Image source, Google

Insp Simon Riley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This was a large and sophisticated cannabis grow with very significant financial value. Investigations are ongoing and the drugs will now be destroyed."

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Three men came to a woman's rescue after her car entered the River Trent yesterday, external.

Nottinghamshire Police said the trio swam to the car and pulled the driver out after her car entered the water in Dunham-on-Trent at about 15:45.

The woman received medical treatment but is not thought to have suffered any serious injuries.

Image source, Google

Insp Paul Shott said: "I’d like to praise the members of the public for making a quick and brave decision which helped save the woman’s life.

“We’re very grateful to these men for their actions and in the true traditions of the police service we will be seeking to acknowledge them for their bravery."

Investigations into how the car entered the river are under way and Nottinghamshire Police have appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Liam Barnes
BBC News

Police in Nottinghamshire are appealing for information after a 23-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted in Selston.

The woman said she was walking along the Nottingham Road area at about 06:00 on Monday when she was approached by a man who pushed her into a nearby bush and assaulted her.

A dog walker then disturbed the incident, a Nottinghamshire Police statement said.

The suspect is said to be white, about 5ft 10ins and with thick eyebrows, and is believed to have been wearing a black hooded zip-up jacket, a snood, and black trousers and trainers.

BBC Weather

It's a misty and foggy start for some parts of the region but that will lift to leave a dry day with sunny spells and highs of 10C.

There might be some patchy cloud later, perhaps bringing the chance of an odd light shower.

This evening, any lingering showers will ease to leave a largely dry, clear night but a few showers may develop towards dawn with a light breeze and lows of -2C.

Image source, Scrappy

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

People who came to the aid of a motorcyclist and his passenger when they crashed in Ilkeston are being sought by police.

The pair were on board a Honda bike when it was involved in a crash with a Vauxhall Corsa in Cotmanhay Road and then hit a lamp-post at 12:45 on 2 April.

Image source, Google

Derbyshire Police said one suffered "very serious" leg injuries while the other injured his back and pelvis.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact the force, external.

Hugh Casswell
Political reporter, BBC Radio Nottingham

Half of the Covid cases in Mansfield in the last week are among under-18s, Nottinghamshire's director of public health has said.

The town currently has an infection rate of 104.3 in the week up to 8 April - the highest infection rate in England and a rise of 14% on the previous week.

Jonathan Gribbin said many cases are "associated with a couple of schools in the district", with most of the other half involving working-age people, some with links to the schools.

He said the increase in Mansfield is "a powerful reminder that Covid-19 is still circulating widely in Nottinghamshire".

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

The owner of a Nottinghamshire firm has said being named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list is "an accolade for hard work and success".

James Whiting, who has turned 30 since the list was compiled, launched the low or zero sugar food company Skinny Food Co in 2018 with co-founder Wayne Starkey, and £3,000 between them.

"I'm a very hard working person and believe if you work hard you will achieve good things," he said.

"It just shows that you don't need to have a lot of money to have success.

"Even through a global pandemic there are businesses that have achieved and strived."

Image source, Skinny Food Co

Mr Whiting said the firm's turnover had doubled in the last year and it was now sending out 50,000 online orders from its Arnold warehouse each month.

"I didn't think the business would grow this quick so soon, but I'm not surprised it's going well," he added.

"I'm very confident in our products and very passionate about what we do."

The Forbes 30 Under 30 is a list which recognises young talent and is released every year by the US publication.

Cars with a combined value of about £700,000 were taken during almost 40 burglaries, say police.