Jersey Reds will host Premiership side Leicester Tigers in a pre-season match on Friday 27 August.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

The government is spending £125m on boosting the local economies of towns in the East Midlands.

Loughborough, Long Eaton, Ashfield and Stapleford have all secured a share of the Towns Fund, aimed at aiding economic recovery from the Covid pandemic.

The £600m project plans to reshape the look and feel of 26 towns in England.

Image source, Google

The cash boost is aimed at breathing new life into neglected areas or unused buildings and the government said it will also create thousands of jobs.

Ashfield, comprising Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield, has received £62.2m - the largest individual award in England.

Along with other additional funding, the district council said it is planning to invest in two new education centres, new sports facilities and a new Planetarium and Science Discovery Centre at Sherwood Observatory.

The gateway area around Kirkby railway station will also be developed to provide better access and there will be a new indoor market.

Martin Rigley, chair of the Discover Ashfield board said: "The Towns Fund announcement is brilliant news for Ashfield, we have exciting plans that will benefit the area as a whole and help to make the district a fantastic place to live, work, study and visit."

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

A man has been arrested after a report another man was attacked with a knife and held against his will for two days at a house in Worksop.

Nottinghamshire Police said the victim, who suffered head and facial injuries, reported he was held at an address in Cheapside, before he managed to escape last month.

A 35-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and false imprisonment.

Image source, Google

Det Sgt Matt Dumbrell said police inquiries were ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the "serious allegations".

"This was a self-contained incident and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it," he added.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

An investigation is under way after three cars were damaged by a fire in a suspected arson attack in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

The vehicles were burnt outside an address in Southwell Close at about 02:00 today.

Nottinghamshire Police believe one of the cars was initially targeted before flames spread to the cars at the front and back.

Image source, Google

Insp Mark Dickson, district commander for Ashfield, said: “This was a deliberate and reckless act carried out in close proximity to people’s homes.

"Thankfully nobody was hurt but this incident could have been a great deal worse."

He urged anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously before or after the attack to contact the force.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

The East Midlands could get an extra seat in Parliament following a review by the Boundary Commission.

Just under 10% of existing constituencies in England would remain unchanged in the first major overhaul of seat boundaries since 2010.

Image source, Gov.uk

The proposed changes - due to come into effect in 2023 - include:

• Melton and Syston to become a new seat in Leicestershire
• The return of Rutland and Stamford, previously a constituency back in 1983
• Erewash renamed as Ilkeston and Long Eaton
• Glenfield moved into Leicester West
• Kimberley added to Nottingham North
• South Leicestershire to become Blaby, Oadby and Wigston
• Charnwood renamed as Mid-Leicestershire

The aim of the shake-up is to make Parliament fairer by giving each MP a roughly similar number of voters, the Boundary Commission for England has said.

The proposals will now be subject to consultations, the first of which will run for eight weeks until 2 August.

New body planned to enforce workers' rights - with threat of harsher action if firms don't comply.

BBC Weather Watchers

Today is set to be dry with extensive spells of sunshine, along with light winds. There will be an opportunity to soak in some late evening sunshine too. Maximum temperatures between 20C (68F) and 23C (73F).

It was a beautiful sunrise this morning with the mist in Beeley, Derbyshire, captured by BBC Weather Watcher Villager Jim.

Image source, Villager Jim

Watch live coverage as third seed Donna Vekic plays Leonie Kung before GB's Johanna Konta takes on qualifier Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove on day three of the Nottingham Open.

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

A motorcyclist has been seriously injured in a crash with a van in Nottinghamshire.

Police said they were called to the collision at about 15:15 today.

The motorcyclist was being treated at the scene, the force added.

The A60 has been shut in both directions between the Redhill roundabout and at the bottom of Burntstump Hill and is "unlikely to be open for some time" as investigations continue.

Witnesses are asked to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101.

Image source, Google

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

A taxi driver who ran over and killed a woman has been jailed for two months.

Leicestershire Police said Anis Mohamed, 64, of Humberstone Drive, Leicester, had been driving his taxi on Coleman Road in the city just after 04:00 on 11 January last year when he hit Natasha Baker.

Miss Baker, 37, was taken to hospital with serious injuries but later died.

Police inquiries after the crash revealed Mohamed was behind another car in Coleman Road that had stopped due to Miss Baker standing in the road.

She had been out drinking that evening, the force said, and then laid down in the road near an entrance to Leicester General Hospital.

Police said the motorist in front of Mohamed then reversed and turned around to avoid Miss Baker, but Mohamed failed to see her and ran over her.

Today at Leicester Crown Court, he was sentenced to two months in prison and disqualified from driving for a year after admitting causing death by careless driving.

Image source, Google

Det Con Kasie Carter, from Leicestershire Police, said: "This was a tragic situation but if Mohamed had been more cautious in his driving, this could have allowed him more time to potentially identify Miss Baker lying in the road and take the necessary action."

After the sentencing, Miss Baker's family paid tribute to her, describing her as a "massive influence" in their lives.

Miss Baker's sister Gemma said: "The day I heard about what had happened to Tasha changed my world. I still have nightmares now about seeing her in that way and I can't get that image out of my head.

"Tasha was a massive influence in my life. She was meant to be the birthing partner for my son and it broke my heart her not being there. Instead of being happy at the birth of my son, all I could do was cry.

"Life without her is never going to be the same again... there is an emptiness in my heart that can never be filled again."

Miss Baker's father James, added: "The loss of Natasha has devastated our family. We have never gotten over her loss and I'm not sure that we ever will."

Watch live coverage from the second day of the Nottingham Open at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

A convicted sex offender who used a secret laptop to breach a court order and access the internet has been jailed, external.

Nottinghamshire Police said Justin Lawal, 39, of Manor Crescent, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was handed a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he was previously convicted for offences against teenage girls.

The order gave police the power to monitor Lawal's electronic devices and prohibited him from having any contact with girls under the age of 18.

After learning that he had been using an undeclared device, officers visited his home and found him in possession of the laptop and five additional mobile phones.

Image source, Google

Lawal, who admitted to two counts of breaching his SHPO at an earlier hearing, was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

He had recently been released from prison on licence for previous breaches of the order and drugs offences, the force added.

Det Con Donna Bartle said: “These court orders are put in place for a very good reason and we expect them to be obeyed.

"When we find that they are being flouted so brazenly we will take swift action. As Lawal has just found out there the subsequent punishments can be very severe indeed."

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

Another knitted postbox topper has gone on display in a Leicestershire town, this time celebrating the official birthday of The Queen.

It is the latest creation by the mysterious, anonymous knitter known locally as "Syston's Knitting Banksy".

Image source, Syston Town News

It depicts Her Majesty walking her famous corgi dogs while wearing a coat and head scarf

The Queen celebrated her 94th birthday in April, but it is officially - and publicly - celebrated on the second Saturday of June every year.

Previously the postbox in Syston has been decorated to mark Easter, VE Day and Leicester City winning the FA Cup.

Notts County boss Ian Burchnall says his side must refocus for their next play-off game against Torquay.

BBC Weather Watchers

The week will start with a warm day featuring a mix of sunshine and cloud. There's also the chance of the odd shower forming at times.

There will be light to gentle winds with maximum temperatures of between 18C (64F) and 21C (70F).

Image source, LindafromBelper