BBC Business News

Investment firm Flacks Group says it is in the early stages of evaluating a bid for struggling retailer Laura Ashley.

The Miami-based group said in a statement it was in the "very preliminary" stages of considering a £20m bid for the chain, which has outlets in Nottingham, Giltbrook, Mansfield and Chesterfield.

Image source, Getty Images

However, the firm's current owner has said it has no plans to sell the brand.

Nick Smith
BBC News Online

A Derby County fan who was abused for wearing his team's shirt in Nottingham will lead the teams out at tonight's East Midlands derby.

A video showed Charlie Harrison, 23, being taunted by a Nottingham Forest supporter for wearing a Derby County shirt.

The video, which Charlie's father Stuart said appeared to have been made more than a year ago, was circulated on social media ahead of the reverse fixture in December.

Image source, Nottingham Forest

About £1,000 was raised for Charlie after the video was condemned by both Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

Mr Harrison previously said he would buy a football kit for his son and would also be donating some of the money raised for Charlie to Derby charity Umbrella, which looks after Charlie when he is not at college.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

An elderly woman is in hospital with multiple fractures to her face after being punched in a burglary at her home last night.

Police said the woman, who lives on Ashby Road in Ibstock, had gone upstairs to investigate a noise when she found three men in the property.

Image source, Google

One of the men took her into a room where she was punched.

The others searched the house but it’s not clear what, if anything, was stolen.

Det Con Jack Thomas, of Leicestershire Police, said: "This was a vicious attack on an elderly woman in her home and we will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice."

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

A man who caused a crash where a car to flipped on to its roof - leaving a woman and an 18-month-old child trapped inside - has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Firefighters had to rescue the pair after the crash on Tamworth Road in Long Eaton last month.

Liam Swinfield fled the scene and was found by police in a nearby canal.

Image source, Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit

The 25-year-old, of Marriott Avenue, Chilwell, previously admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, and driving without a licence and insurance.

At Derby Crown Court, he also received a two-year driving disqualification from the date of his release and will be required to take an extended retest.

Judge Simon King said: "It is difficult to imagine a more dangerous course of driving, which thankfully did not result in death or serious injury."

Regarding the sentence, he said: "In my view, every day of that is richly deserved."

Swinfield had been out on licence at the time of the crash after being convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud in April 2017.

Investigators found the company "lacked transparency" and failed to produce books and records.

Leicester City's players did not let down sacked manager Claude Puel, says Foxes first-team coach Mike Stowell.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

An MP has won "substantial" damages from a newspaper that published false claims he had sexually assaulted three women.

The Sunday Times reported Dan Poulter had put his hand up the skirts of three female MPs based on claims made by North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen.

The newspaper told the High Court there was "no truth" in the claims, offering "sincere and genuine apologies".

Mr Poulter, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, said it had been "a horrendous episode" and that the allegations had led to some "very dark moments".

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

One of Leicester City's interim coaches has said former manager Claude Puel's coaching and football knowledge was "excellent”.

Mike Stowell was speaking ahead of the side's match against Brighton & Hove Albion tomorrow. He and coach Adam Sadler will be in charge following the sacking of Puel.

Image source, AFP

Stowell said: "Every manager has a different personality, what you got with Claude was what you saw.

"The players are disappointed with the results and are angry with the performances. They're not angry with the boss."

Image source, Getty Images

Stowell has confirmed Ben Chilwell is fit for the Brighton match - every other player came through the weekend without any knocks. Only Daniel Amartey and Marc Albrighton remain long-term casualties.

BBC News

A £235m contract to maintain the nuclear engines of the UK's fleet of submarines has been confirmed.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson made the announcement while visiting Rolls-Royce's Raynesway plant in Derby.

The deal covers systems on the Trafalgar, Vanguard and Astute class subs until 2022, securing about 500 jobs, mostly in Derby.

Mr Williams also revealed the third of the new generation Trident submarines will be called HMS Warspite.

Image source, PA

Press Association

Interim Leicester City coach Mike Stowell has challenged the squad to get themselves back in contention for a top-seven finish.

The coach has been placed in temporary charge, along with fellow first-team coach Adam Sadler, following Claude Puel's dismissal.

Image source, Plumb Images / Leicester City FC

"I've spoken to the players and told them how good they are and reminded them that they are a top-seven team. That's where we should be and that's where we should be aiming to get back to," said Stowell at his pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday's home game against Brighton.

Asked if he thought the players needed reminding because he thought they had let Puel down, Stowell said: "It's always sad when a manager loses his job but I wouldn't say that the players let him down.

"Our performances have been good. We outplayed Tottenham at Wembley and outplayed Manchester United here, I thought.

"We just didn't get the rub of the green sometimes and when mistakes happen they are not made deliberately."

Press Association

Claude Puel has spoken of his "honour" to have been given the opportunity to manage Leicester City following his sacking on Sunday.

The 57-year-old Frenchman's 16-month reign came to end after Saturday's 4-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace.

Puel said in a statement released through the League Managers Association: "I would like to thank everyone that I worked with at Leicester City Football Club.

Image source, AFP/Getty images

"It was a privilege to work with the players, the staff and the management.

"It was my honour to work for the late and much-loved Khun Vichai, who gave me the fantastic opportunity to manage his club and share some great moments with him.

"My mission at Leicester City Football Club ends here but I will continue to follow the performances of the team and wish the club all the best for the future."

BBC Weather Watchers

Today is the hottest February day on record for the UK - and the East Midlands is basking in sunshine and temperatures as high as 17C.

Does anything say spring more than a bank of daffodils? These were snapped in Skegby by one of our Weather Watchers.

Image source, SunnySid85

A Weather Watcher walking around Wingerworth, Derbyshire, also captured some stunning sunny scenes.

Image source, Janice Dyson

But in case you've forgotten, winter is not actually over, as this misty start in Edmondthorpe, Leicestershire, reminds us.

Image source, Estelle

Chris Doidge
BBC Radio Derby, political reporter

Derbyshire's NHS commissioners have spelled out the savings they'll need to make in future years.

They said their funding is going up by just 0.16% in real terms from April 2019, and claim it'll be a "very challenging year".

Image source, PA

The CCGs have said: "The level of savings required in 2019/20 means that we can no longer afford to commission all current services at the same level and we need to ensure that there is enough money to maintain the essential health care services for our local population."

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

New tributes have been placed on Hinckley Road in Leicester to mark the one-year anniversary of the explosion which killed five people.

On 25 February, three men blew up a Polish store on the street in bid to claim a £300,000 insurance payout.

Mary Ragoobar died alongside her two sons Shane and Sean. Her third and youngest son Scotty survived after being pulled from the rubble.

Shane's 18-year-old girlfriend Leah Reek also died.

Shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva, who is thought to have been involved in the insurance plot, died too.

Last month, the three men who caused the blast - Aram Kurd, Hawkar Hassan and Arkan Ali - were jailed for life after being found guilty of murder.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

Leicester City's goalkeeping coach is to hold a press conference just a day after he was put in charge of the side.

We'll have more on what Mike Stowell says later.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

Derby County face Nottingham Forest in a sold out match at the City Ground this evening.

There's more than bragging rights at stake for the Rams in this East Midlands derby - a victory will see them move back into the play-off places ahead of Bristol City.

Image source, Getty Images

Ahead of the game, both clubs say they are making a united stand against "obscene, abusive and hate-filled social media posts and singing".

This relates to two topics in particular - the death of former Forest owner Nigel Doughty and the Derby house fire in which six children died.

Workers were told to stop cutting down trees "immediately" according to the local authority.

Charlie Slater
BBC Radio Nottingham sports reporter

There are reports of "serious financial concerns" at Paragon - the company of which Notts County boss Alan Hardy is the chairman, according to the BBC's Charlie Slater.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

Buxton Mountain Rescue has said it's become the first mountain rescue team in England and Wales to be granted approval to use drones to search for missing people.

The Derbyshire team secured approval from the Civil Aviation Authority and now has eight trained pilots, known as the Drone Team.

Neil Carruthers, who is on the team, told the BBC: "What we've done is we've passed our driving test on a drone.

"Now we've got to learn to use the drone effectively to search. It's a new tool. It's something nobody else has done the way we're doing it. We're learning but we're learning very quickly."

David Pittam
BBC News Online

Luxury watches, Louboutin boots and antique spoons are among the 7,000 items Leicestershire Police has sold online in the last ten years.

Some were found during police investigations and never claimed, and some were confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), but they have all helped raise more than £1.7m for the force.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

It was the first in the country to use eBay to auction property in this way back in 2008.

Police say the money from POCA items is sent to the Home Office, which then gives them back a percentage to be shared between the police, victims, courts and the criminal justice system.

For context, this year's budget for the force has been set at £176m.