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Many of you have been commenting on the story about Shane Sharkey, who helped a homeless man in Melton Mowbray find a home and a job, on Facebook, external.

Neil Andfred O'connell said: "I am happy for him that he got the help he needed to turn his life around. Stay strong please."

Benjamin Peter wrote: "So good to see somebody do something so good and help somebody out in need, we need more heroes like this."

Shannon Kitty Byers-warner added: "Wow amazing. God bless you buddy. That's all it takes one act of kindness."

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A poppy tin has been stolen from a convenience store in Southwell.

Nottinghamshire Police said a man and a woman distracted staff at McColl's in Leeway Road before taking the tin.

Image source, PA

The theft occurred on Sunday at about 17:40.

Officers are warning businesses who display charity tins to be aware of "offenders trying to distract staff as these people obviously have no morals".

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

A World War Two pistol, a replica Carbine assault rifle and a pump-action shotgun are just some of the 25 firearms that have been handed in to Derbyshire Police so far as part of a national firearms surrender.

Image source, Derbyshire Police

During the surrender, people handing in guns can remain anonymous.

Image source, Derbyshire Police

The surrender is running until Sunday, November 26. People can hand over their firearms at:

• St Mary’s Wharf and Pear Tree police station in Derby
• Chesterfield police station
• Buxton police station

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

There are delays on the M1 on the junction 28 roundabout near Alfreton following an accident.

Highways England said one lane is open but traffic is moving slowly.

Image source, Highways England

Liam Barnes
BBC News Online

A rough sleeper has been given a job after a stranger posted a Facebook plea asking businesses to offer him a break.

Shane Sharkey was on a night out when he got chatting to Michael Peaks, who was sleeping in a doorway in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

Mr Sharkey said he "felt guilty that everyone was enjoying their Friday night", so decided to try and help.

Within 20 hours of Friday's post, Mr Peaks was offered a room in someone's home and a job at a garage.

Mr Peaks, who had been homeless since leaving prison five months ago, said it was "like something you'd see in a film".

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A homeless charity in Derby has been working with council staff to find out how many people are sleeping rough.

The Padley Centre, which has been providing support since it was founded in 1985, does the count each year to assess whether the problem is getting worse or better.

The results of last night's survey haven't been released but the number is expected to have risen.

Larry Waller, chief executive of the centre, said the number is not the only figure that matters.

He added: "It is a very difficult group to establish and measure and get a sense of because there is a lot of hidden rough sleeping."

David McKenna
Reporter, BBC News Online

Ex-home secretary David Blunkett has spoken of being heartbroken by the sudden death of his guide dog Cosby.

The Labrador-cross was put down on Friday after vets discovered an inoperable liver tumour.

The former Sheffield MP, who lives in the Derbyshire Peak District, described taking the decision to put the "big, lovable and endearing" dog to sleep as "heartbreaking".

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Blunkett said: "Such a moment would be upsetting for any dog owner, but even for a hard-bitten ex-home secretary, this was a deeply harrowing decision, made more traumatic by the speed at which events unfolded."

Seven-year-old Cosby was Lord Blunkett's sixth guide dog since 1969.

Greig Watson
Reporter, BBC News Online

Shop fronts, railway lines and derelict land have been photographed by homeless people for an exhibition focusing on their experiences.

Working with support charities, a group of students handed out disposable cameras to 14 people in Nottingham.

Charles Kerr said: "We wanted to help show the perspective of people who are often ignored or criticised, to show they have stories to tell."

The Stories of the Streets exhibition features all 213 submitted images.

Image source, Stories of the street

Mr Kerr, a third year management student in the organising group, said: "I did worry that we would not get anything but one of the first people I spoke to asked for two cameras, saying 'I have loads of ideas'.

"We felt it would be a good way to shine a light on homelessness in a positive way and perhaps to change perceptions."

Image source, Stories of the street

The exhibition, which is raising money to buy essential items for the homeless, will open in the Broadmarsh shopping centre on Friday.

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

Jonny May will join three of his Leicester Tigers team-mates in starting for England this weekend in their Old Mutual Wealth Series match against Australia.

Image source, Getty Images

May will replace Antony Watson on the wing after Watson was moved to full-back to cover for the injured Mike Brown.

Other Tigers players in the starting 15 are George Ford, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs.

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

Two men will be sentenced today for the murder of a 20-year-old who was stabbed in broad daylight.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

In April last year, Isaac Williams was walking along in Main Street in the Humberstone area of Leicester when he was forced into a car by Reuben Stretton and Devan Garner.

Inside the car, Isaac was stabbed by 21-year-old Stretton. Isaac managed to call for an ambulance and he was taken to hospital but he died three days later as a result of multiple organ failure caused by blood loss from a single stab wound to his thigh.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

The blue Peugeot used by Stretton and Garner was found burnt-out in a field in Billesdon.

Four days after the stabbing, 20-year-old Garner, from Octon Close in Leicester, was arrested. Stretton, of no fixed address, fled to Belgium but was arrested by British Transport Police in London.

A jury found both men guilty of murder at Leicester Crown Court yesterday.

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

The Travelers' Century Club contains some of the world's most-travelled people.

Of the 1,400 members, 23 have been to every country and territory on the TCC list - that's 325 places.

Terry Wharton, from Derbyshire - who has lived in the US since 1963 - is not far off joining them - he's been to 312 places.

He said: "When I'm doing new countries, I get a real thrill. I think: 'I made it'."

Image source, Terry Wharton

The 13 places left on Terry's list include Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago 220 miles off the coast of Brazil, the Juan Fernandez Islands, 400 miles off Chile, and the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

Sadly for Terry, unless you're in the military, the BIOT - a base for American forces - is almost impossible to reach.

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A hotel chain has released a list of the odd requests it has received over the past year at its branches in Nottinghamshire.

Travelodge says their staff have heard things like:

• "Can I borrow your suit for a job interview?"
• "What time does the 24-hour reception close?"
• "Do chips contain potatoes?"

Image source, Google

Amy Derrick, from the Lace Market Hotel in Nottingham, said her staff also get some strange requests.

She said: "We had a man asking for a Sky box to be installed for just one day and we have always had people asking about the bell ringers."

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

A cookbook designed by BBC Radio Leicester to raise money for Children in Need will go on sale tomorrow.

The books are nearly ready for the shelves - the final few were at the finishers in Wigston this morning.

Some of the 2,000 "Do Your Food Friday Thing" books have already arrived. Inside are recipes from chefs across Leicestershire.

Here's where you can get a copy of the book, which is priced at £7.50:

• BBC Radio Leicester reception (weekdays only)
• Delilah's Fine Foods in Leicester
• Charnwood Brewery in Loughborough
• North Deli in Rothley
• Melton Sports in Melton Mowbray
• Farndon Fields Farm Shop in Market Harborough
• El Café in Wigston
• The Art Café in Hinckley
• The Great Syston Card Shop in Syston

Amy Woodfield
BBC Local Live

A 76-year-old man has been charged with two counts of rape.

It's alleged the rapes occurred in 1975 in Littleover and in 1984 in Allestree, when the girls were 17 years old.

John Storer, from Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire, is due to appear before magistrates today.

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

Nearly £9m of taxpayers' money has been used to set up a housebuilding company.

Mansfield District Council has established Mansfield Homes Ltd to develop and sell properties on the open market.

A loan of £8.8m from their existing funds has been used to help fund the new company.

Image source, Google

The authority says it will help to meet housing needs and expects to raise £900,000 from its first project, but residents have mixed reviews about it.

Some said the money should have been spent on the healthcare and emergency services, while others said there were enough houses in the town.

Chris Doidge
BBC Radio Derby, political reporter

Derby City Council is starting a public consultation, external into the future of the Assembly Rooms.

The council's preferred option seems to be the one that will effectively make it most similar to Derby Arena.

Comedians like John Bishop and Jimmy Carr are making money for the Arena but they'd move to the new Assembly Rooms. This does raise further questions about how the Arena's going to become profitable.

Image source, Derby City Council

The council said the two venues' business plans are being developed alongside each other but I asked the council yesterday about what effect there'd be on the Arena and it said: "At this point any comment may influence the outcome of the consultation."

So basically, they're not going to tell us how much the Arena could be affected by this new venue until after you've had your say.

The Lyric Theatre option wouldn't compete with the Arena. It would host touring shows from the West End, opera, ballet and maybe circuses. Comedy would stay at the Arena.

BBC Nottingham Sport

The Nottingham Panthers are back at the top of the Elite League table after a 5-4 win over Belfast Giants last night.

They secured victory during the last minutes of sudden death play with Dan Spang getting the winner.

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

Comedian Peter Kay is making a return to the stage with his first new live stand-up tour in eight years.

As part of the tour, he will be visiting Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on 23 and 24 January 2019.

Tickets will go on sale 10:00 on Sunday.

Maryam Qaiser
BBC Local Live

A cyclist was treated for minor injuries after being hit by a tram this morning in Beeston.

Nottinghamshire Police said they were called to Chilwell Road just after 08:00.

The tram service is now running as normal, police added.

Image source, Google

Navtej Johal
East Midlands Today reporter

A Derbyshire cricketer has been found guilty of exposing himself to two women on a housing estate.

Shiv Thakor, 24, was arrested in July over two offences near Mackworth, Derbyshire, on 12 and 19 June.

He exposed himself to one woman as she bent down to pick paper up from a printer, Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard.

Thakor, of Richardson Way, Derby, was convicted of two sexual exposure charges.

After the trial, I tried to speak to Thakor to see if he wanted to apologise to his victims, but he gave no comment.

He'll be sentenced at the same court next Friday.

After the verdict, a Derbyshire County Cricket Club spokesman said: "Following the conclusion of the legal proceedings, the club will now review the case.

"In consultation with the player’s representatives, the player remains suspended on full pay and suspended from all cricket activity by the ECB."