With the 2017 county season here, keep up to date with the latest signings, departures and rumours ahead of next season.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

A 17-year-old boy has denied the rape and attempted murder of a woman who was found in Leicester's Victoria Park with life-threatening injuries.

The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, will face trial in December after pleading not guilty to two counts of rape and one count of attempted murder at Leicester Crown Court.

He also denied robbing the woman on 3 July.

The victim, who had suffered severe head injuries, was found near recycling bins in Leicester's Victoria Park in the early hours of 4 July.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC remanded the boy in custody until a pre-trial hearing in November.

The trial, due to last for seven days, is expected to begin on 4 December and be presided over by a High Court judge.

East Midlands Today

As Theresa May prepares to make a landmark speech on Brexit, an East Midlands organisation that employs dozens of European workers has demanded a swift decision on what life will be like after leaving the EU.

The British Geological Survey, based in Keyworth, says 50 of its 630 staff are European and need to know their future is secure in this country.

The company also receives around 5% of its funding from European grants.

Listen to BBC local radio commentary from Saturday's rugby union action in the Premiership and Championship.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Plans for a fire service shake-up that would see two Notts fire stations lose their full-time night staff are to be put out to a public consultation.

The money-saving move would see two of three stations in Ashfield, Retford and Worksop move to a new staffing system in which they're covered by on-call retained firefighters through the evening and overnight.

The proposals were given the green light for a wider consultation at a meeting of the city and county's fire authority earlier.

Notts Fire and Rescue Service needs to find savings of £3.4m over the next three years. The staffing switch would save each station an estimated £500,000 each year.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Ever heard of rock painting? It's an increasingly popular pastime which involves people painting pictures and positive messages on stones and leaving them in parks for others to discover.

BBC Radio Derby's Heidi Booth painted a couple of her own and left them in Hilton's Memorial Park along with a cheery message asking whoever found them to post them on Facebook.

And that's exactly what Hannah Tipping did when the rocks were found by her young daughter Georgina.

You can find out more on the local rock painting scene at the Derbyshire Rocks Facebook page, external.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

A Derby teenager who was handed a scholarship at a top private school after taking part in a television documentary is to stay on for another two years.

Brett Riley swapped state-run The Bemrose School in Derby for Warminster School in Wiltshire for the ITV programme School Swap: The Class Divide in 2015.

He impressed school staff so much during his time there, he was awarded a full scholarship.

Two years on, the 16-year-old has signed up for the school's sixth form after recording a decent set of GCSE results.

Image source, Penguin PR

His place will be funded by an education foundation that awards grants to worthy individuals.

The rugby enthusiast said: “Derby will always be my home and I miss my family and girlfriend. But I know I’m so lucky to have been given this chance.

"I often think about being picked for the TV programme and I know it was a life-changing moment.”

Liam Barnes
BBC News Online

It's that time of year again with students coming into halls and returning to their studies, and for Nottingham Trent University there's another cause for celebration.

The institution has been named as the modern university of the year in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018.

It's also moved up to 47th place in the guide's ranking of the UK's best universities.

Loughborough University, which has climbed to be rated seventh-best nationally, was runner-up to Lancaster University for the title of University of the Year and comes top in the East Midlands, while the University of Nottingham is ranked 18th across the UK.

Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said Nottingham Trent had had an "exceptional year", and received "outstanding scores" in the National Student Survey.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Derby County manager Gary Rowett says the Rams had plenty of competition to clinch the signing of midfielder Joe Ledley earlier this week.

You can listen to his pre-match interview ahead of tomorrow's Birmingham City game below.

Rory Kleinveldt has match figures of 13-98 as Northants throw the promotion race wide open with a 124-run win over Notts.

Liam Barnes
BBC News Online

Two roads in Mansfield Woodhouse have been closed after a crash described by police as "serious" this morning.

Nottinghamshire Police said they were called to Peafield Lane at about 07:50.

One car was involved, and Peafield Lane and Forest Road remain closed in both directions.

Image source, Google

Facebook

One of our Facebook followers was unhappy about the choice of Rebekah Vardy to cut the ribbon on The Bridge's new homeless centre in Leicester.

Hugh Williamson posted: "Couldn't they get someone who actually means something?"

Anish Patel responded: "It's not about who you are, it's about what you do and Rebekah does a fair bit for charity, so see no reason why she wouldn't be chosen to open this home."

Join the debate here, external.

Image source, The Bridge

BBC Sport

Leicester finally got their season off the ground last weekend with a win against Gloucester, and the Tigers should have their tails up for the trip to London to play Harlequins tomorrow.

They've just announced their line-up to play at The Stoop, which doesn't feature any of their trio of new signings.

Victim's ex-partner got "appropriate treatment" but families should have been involved, report says.

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Derby City Council is scrapping mandatory English, maths and IT tests for taxi drivers following complaints they were too difficult.

Labour councillor Shiraz Khan said: "They do a knowledge test, they do a driving test. We might as well tell them you need a degree from Oxford to become a taxi driver.

"It just makes a mockery of what we're trying to do."

Image source, Google

However, Conservative councillor Chris Poulter argued there was a case for retaining the tests, which were introduced by the Labour-led authority in November to improve public safety.

He said: "They may have been driving for years, they may have had no concerns raised against them, but I still think it's appropriate for a driver to be able to speak, communicate, add up and find their way around."

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

Say goodbye to Braunstone Hall and hello to Winstanley House.

The 18th Century building, which lay empty for 20 years after closing as a school in 1996, has been given a refurbishment by its new owners and is due to reopen as a luxury wedding venue later this year.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's not quite warm enough to call it an Indian summer, but the weather's definitely a lot brighter and lighter as we come to the end of the week.

Image source, David e

David e took this lovely shot of the mist disappearing into the sun in Budby this morning, and it was a similar picture for Wendy Scott over in Hathersage.

Image source, Wendy Scott

Cup Cake Steve's also been out and about in the sun, taking this photo of a colourful Abbey Park in Leicester.

Image source, Cup Cake Steve

Gavin Bevis
BBC Local Live

A report into the care given to a man who murdered his pregnant ex-partner and their two-year old son in Derbyshire has found mental health services could not have predicted or prevented their deaths.

Andrew Cairns stabbed Rachael Slack and their son Auden to death at their home in Holbrook in 2010 before killing himself.

The independent investigation report, commissioned by NHS England, said Mr Cairns had made threats to kill Rachael and was known to be suffering from depression and a potential personality disorder.

Image source, Family photo

It said services should have worked closer together and it could have been predicted Mr Cairns would harm himself "in the throes of a crisis" but stops short of suggesting health workers could have known he would attack Ms Slack.

A serious case review in 2014 also concluded authorities could not have prevented the killings.

Robert Tyrko "went flying" in the air after the explosion at Bio Dynamic in Colwick, his son says.

Listen to BBC local radio commentary as Derbyshire host Kent in County Championship Division Two.