Latest updates: East Midlands Live Wednesday 20 February

Summary

Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry leaves Conservative Party
Firefighter diagnosed with breast cancer dies
Controversial Leicester Cathedral extension approved
Police appeal after Peak District sheep shot
Coach fire causing delays on A52
Updates for Wednesday 20 February

Live Reporting

Nick Smith, Gavin Bevis and Amy Woodfield

Labour calls for Broxtowe by-electionpublished at 12:06 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
David Pittam
BBC News Online
The local branch of Labour has called for Anna Soubry to go back to the voters and face a by-election in her Broxtowe seat.
The MP, who announced her resignation from the Conservative Party this morning, has said she will sit with other independents but continue to work for her constituents.
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Former Tories sit with Independent Grouppublished at 12:06 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
It's all escalated rather quickly today...
The three Conservative MPs who resigned this morning have taken their seats in the House of Commons on the opposition benches with other members of the Independent Group.
Image source, HoC
Anna Soubry: 'Why I resigned'published at 12:02 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
David Pittam
BBC News Online
Anna Soubry said she resigned because the party has drifted to the right and her constituents feel neither Labour nor Conservatives represent them.
The MP for Broxtowe left the party this morning after 40 years of membership and has put out update on her weekly newsletter which is sent out by e-mail.
In it, she said she increasingly agreed more with fellow rebel MP for Nottingham East Chris Leslie, who left the Labour Party on Monday, than members of her own party.
She will sit with him and the other members of The Independent Group of MPs.
Image source, EPA
Quote Message
My decision will come as not much of a surprise to regular readers of this email newsletter. It is time to realign British politics and get back to the centre moderate ground."
Anna Soubry, MP for Broxtowe
McLoughlin: Three MPs had been 'distant'published at 11:44 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Chris Doidge
BBC Radio Derby, political reporter
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PM 'saddened' by Tory resignationspublished at 11:43 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
Theresa May has said she is "saddened" by the resignation of the three Conservative MPs today.
In a statement, she said: "I am determined that under my leadership the Conservative Party will always offer the decent, moderate and patriotic politics that the people of this country deserve."
Image source, Getty Images
Anna Soubry's name tweeted thousands of timespublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
David Pittam
BBC News Online
Anna Soubry is trending on Twitter, with more than 20,000 tweets just minutes after she announced her resignation from the Conservative Party.
She's the most tweeted about of the three MPs who have left the party today, but still lagging behind #LoveYourPetDay...
Image source, AFP
Soubry to sit with The Independent Grouppublished at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
The three Conservative MPs who resigned from the party this morning, including Anna Soubry, say they intend join the new Independent Group in the House of Commons.
In the letter, they said: "We intend to sit as independents alongside the Independent Group of MPs in the centre ground of British politics."
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Soubry: Party has 'abandoned' its principlespublished at 11:29 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
The three Conservative Party MPs who resigned today, including Broxtowe's Anna Soubry, said the party has "abandoned" its principles, in a letter to Theresa May.
In the letter, they said: "We voted for you as leader and Prime Minister because we believed you were committed to a moderate, open-hearted Conservative Party.
"Sadly, the Conservative party has increasingly abandoned these principles and values with a shift to the right of British politics."
It also blamed the handling of Brexit as reasons for their resignations.
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
MP Morgan regrets losing 'talented women' from partypublished at 11:24 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, has said she is "very sorry" about the resignation of Anna Soubry from the Conservative Party.
Along with South Cambridgeshire MP Heidi Allen and Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston, Ms Soubry tendered her resignation in a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May this morning.
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Anna Soubry leaves Conservative Partypublished at 11:13 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Breaking
David Pittam
BBC News Online
The MP for Broxtowe has left the Conservative Party "with a heavy heart".
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A52 lane 'to remain closed all day'published at 10:59 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
David Pittam
BBC News Online
One lane of the A52 is still closed because of the National Express coach fire - and is likely to stay that way until the evening.
Derbyshire Police have already warned this might affect traffic for this evening's Derby match against Millwall.
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Richard III cathedral plans approvedpublished at 10:24 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Historic England says the plans would cause harm to Leicester Cathedral, where Richard III was interred in 2015.
Read More
Village tradition 'stops trouts breeding'published at 10:20 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
David Pittam
BBC News Online
A rural summer tradition is stopping trout from reaching their breeding ground, the Environment Agency has said.
They have removed a rubble weir that they say children of the Nottinghamshire village of Church Warsop build across the River Meden every year.
They say it was stopping the fish "from completing their spawning migrations and from reaching deeper water" when the river was running low.
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Family appeal to help find escaped parrotpublished at 09:53 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
BBC Radio Leicester
A family is appealing for help finding their lost parrot.
Sky, owned by Devji and Manjula Tank, went missing from their home on Valentine's Day.
The couple, who were going on a short break, were taking the pet to stay with a family friend when the cage door fell open and it escaped.
The Grey African parrot has been with them for 15 years and they are offering a £500 reward to anyone who can help find it.
They've had reports of Sky being spotted in the Bellflower Road area of Hamilton, Leicester.
Firefighter diagnosed with breast cancer diespublished at 09:40 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
A Nottinghamshire firefighter who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer died yesterday.
Karen Land, 40, from Retford, was fundraising for life-lengthening immunotherapy treatment in Germany, after the cancer spread to her lungs and brain.
Ms Land said that if she died before being treated, her supporters could decide how the money raised was used.
On Facebook, her mother Susan Harvey posted: "I appreciate everything everyone has done for Karen in supporting her through her fight."
Image source, Karen Land
Police appeal after Peak District sheep shotpublished at 09:29 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
David Pittam
BBC News Online
A farmer's sheep "lost most of its jaw" after someone shot it in the face, police said.
It was reported to them yesterday after the farmer found it still alive but in pain near Totley Moss in the Peak District.
Police are now appealing for help to track down whoever did it.
Image source, Derbyshire Constabulary
Council approves £22m funding cutspublished at 08:54 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
Nottingham City Council's executive board yesterday approved proposals to make £22m of funding cuts.
The council says this is because funding from central government reduced from £127m in 2013 to £25m for the forthcoming year.
Council leader Jon Collins said: “The government is once again drastically reducing the amount of money it provides for council services in Nottingham, and expecting local people to contribute more through their council tax.
"We don’t want to increase council tax but the government has left us with no other option if we are going to continue providing vital local services, especially with 70% of our budget now going on adult social care and children’s services."
Final approval could take place at next month's full council meeting.
Grenade discovered in canalpublished at 08:37 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
An unexploded hand grenade was discovered in a canal yesterday.
Police were first called to the scene, just off Wistow Road, near Kibworth, at 12:15.
The road was closed and a cordon put in place.
A controlled explosion was carried out by the explosive ordnance division and the road was reopened by 17:30.
Image source, Google
Firefighters leave A52 coach firepublished at 08:27 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
Drivers have been told to continue avoiding the area.
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Richard III: £11.3m cathedral plans approvedpublished at 08:05 Greenwich Mean Time 20 February 2019
BBC News
Controversial plans to extend the cathedral where King Richard III was interred have been approved.
The £11.3m proposals at Leicester Cathedral include an extension for a learning centre to accommodate increasing visitor numbers.
Historic England said the plans did not make a "positive contribution to the local character" of the area.
However, the Dean of Leicester said the existing building was "far from adequate for demand".
Leicester City Council approved the proposals yesterday.
Image source, Van Heyningen/Haward Architects