Just as we suspected. You didn't fool us Rushcliffe Council!

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

Police forces in England and Wales are to train an extra 1,500 firearms officers to help protect the public from terrorism.  

The move will reverse a drop in the number of firearms officers from nearly 7,000 in 2009/10 to 5,875 in 2013/14.

Image source, AP

Nottinghamshire saw one of the biggest drops in England and Wales with the number of firearms officer more than 40% lower in 2013/14 than it had been in 2008/09.

Last year, police chiefs warned the home secretary about the shortage of 24/7 armed police cover outside London, saying it left regional cities vulnerable to attack.

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

Yep. We made it up. The Market Square lions are going nowhere.

The observant among you may have noticed that Flair Polo - the Italian town where the lions were supposedly created - is an anagram of April Fool.

And Isese Diot, mayor of said fictional town, can be abbreviated to I. Diot. Get it?

Sorry for "lion" about it. We won't do it again (until next year).

• An Italian town which gave the Market Square lion statues to Nottingham after World War One says it wants them back
• A Mapperley man has had his bank account cleared by a SIM card scam
• Nottingham Rugby play their penultimate home game of the season tonight against Ealing

East Midlands Today

A new attraction has opened at the National Civil War Centre in Newark featuring items from battlefield surgery.

The exhibition called Battle-Scarred hopes to help boost visitor numbers following the successful first season at the centre, which opened last May.

Councillor Johno Lee, who lost his right leg while on patrol in Afghanistan, has lent his spare prosthetic limb to the exhibition.    

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

Bearing in mind today's date, I'm not entirely convinced by this.

But if you do happen to have lost your alpaca, give the council a call.

BBC Sport

Nottingham's Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland claimed a career-best seventh at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston. 

The ice dance duo, now based in Novi, Michigan, scored 173.17 to eclipse their ninth-place finish in 2014.

Image source, AFP

Nottingham Post

Driver Darren Jones hit the roof when his £400 car was impounded by police and he was told it would cost £364 to get it back, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard yesterday., external

Neil Heath
BBC News Online

Despite the lack of fountains at the moment, these chaps were in the Market Square this morning...

BBC Nottingham Sport

Nottingham Rugby play their penultimate home game of the season tonight against bottom-of-the-table Ealing.

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

The deputy leader of Nottingham City Council said dragons could replace the lions in the Old Market Square.

Nottingham's Chinese twin town Ningbo has sent the city a dragon statue as a gift, he said.

Image source, Nottingham City Council

"We've got very good relationships with Ningbo and there have been discussions over whether to put a dragon there or even two," he said.

Last year two Chinese lions were gifted to the University of Nottingham.

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

Here are the top stories this morning:

• Could Nottingham's lions disappear from the Old Market Square?
• A Mapperley man had his bank account cleared by a new SIM card scam
• Sport: Lansbury and Assombalonga are back from injury and may play for Forest this weekend

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

Chris Sims, who fell victim to a SIM card scam that left his bank account cleared out, said it's put him off using internet banking. 

"I'd just like to know how the SIM had been sent out, who it was sent to, what address it was sent to - those details haven't been sent out yet. It's very concerning," he said,.

His mobile phone provider EE says it "takes fraud very seriously" and is "investigating as a matter of priority".

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

Chris Sims, from Mapperley, had his bank account cleaned out after being a victim of a mobile phone scam known as SIM-swap-fraud. 

Conmen ordered a new SIM card in his name and then gained access to his bank account. 

Within an hour, they withdrew more than £1,000 and took out an £8,000 loan in his name. 

Although the money's been refunded by his bank, Chris says he's still left with questions.

BBC Nottingham Sport

Nottingham Forest could have midfielder Henri Lansbury (pictured) back in their midfield tomorrow when they play Brentford at the City Ground. 

Lansbury's been out for almost three months with an ankle injury. 

Image source, Empics

Manager Paul Williams says striker Britt Assombalonga's knee is now "100% fine" and so may play a part this weekend.  

Facebook

You've been having your say on Facebook , externalabout the news that the lions are on their way home to Italy after 80 years standing guard at the Council House.

Phil Beckwith wrote: "oh no, can we not have two Robin Hood statues there instead?"

Lee Hutton simply said: "No way"

Here's what the square could look like without its famous lions...

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

The Italian stonemasons who created the lions included a "tiny clause" in the contract the council signed with them over 80 years ago, which means they have to hand them back, the city council said.

Here's what the city council has said about the lions returning to their native Italy

Dave Wade
BBC Local Live

First this morning, some shocking news: Nottingham's iconic lions are leaving, the BBC can reveal.

The Market Square statues were given to the city by Italy after World War One.

Isese Diot, Mayor of Flair Polo, where they were created, said he wants them back where they belong.

He claims to have a document stating the lions were never a gift but just a loan and has consulted property lawyers.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

Here's how it's looking today...

BBC Travel

The county's roads are looking clear this morning. Look out for some slow traffic on the A610 at the Nuthall Island and the A453 at Kegworth