David Pittam
BBC News Online

A former police officer admitted making indecent images of children and attempting to engage a child in sexual communications.

Lee Bowditch, 49, of Radcliffe on Trent, appeared at Leicester Crown Court today and was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

He had previously pleaded guilty to four child sex offence charges.

The former Newark officer was also given a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Image source, Google

A car was reversed into the Flannels shop window and thousands of pounds worth of clothes were stolen.

Chloe Wilkinson went into labour at 24 weeks while travelling back to the UK from Australia.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's not just rain and high winds causing trouble today - there's still quite a bit of snow on the ground in north Derbyshire.

This is how things look in Flash and Buxton this afternoon.

Image source, Videoman

Image source, Annan

The punk duo Sleaford Mods talk about Brexit, austerity and modern disillusionment with politics.

David Pittam
BBC News Online

A woman in her 60s has been left with "life-threatening injuries" after she was hit by a bus, police said.

They were called at 12:30 to reports of the crash on the junction of Abbots Road North and Main Street in Humberstone in Leicester, outside a local junior school. The school confirmed none of its pupils were affected.

Police tweeted shortly before 13:00 to say Steins Lane from the junction with Hungarton Boulevard, Scraptoft Lane on to Vicarage Lane and Lower Ketham Lane to Main Street are closed.

Image source, Google

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Two women have been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, external following a ram-raid at a clothes shop in Leicester yesterday.

Five thieves reversed a Suzuki 4x4 into Flannels in Halford Street on Sunday night and left with thousands of pounds of clothes.

The Suzuki has since been recovered and a large quantity of clothing, believed to be from the store, was found during a raid at an address in Aikmen Avenue.

The women, aged 29 and 30, remain in custody. Police are appealing for information as they hunt down the thieves.

Boots pharmacists have voted "overwhelmingly" for a new union to have recognition.

David Pittam
BBC News Online

A "police incident" means the roads around a Leicester junior school are shut.

The nature of the incident is not currently clear but police tweeted to say Steins Lane from the junction with Hungarton Boulevard, Scraptoft Lane on to Vicarage Lane and Lower Ketham Lane to Main Street are closed.

These are all the roads that lead to Humberstone Junior Academy.

Image source, Google

David Pittam
BBC News Online

Police are looking for a group of three men and five women after "a large amount of cash" was stolen from a village shop.

The group went in to the store on Main Street in Scraptoft, Leicestershire, and started asking staff questions in what police believe was an attempt to distract them while one of them snuck upstairs.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

Once they had gone, staff realised cash had been stolen from a room above the shop and from behind the counter.

It happened on 13 February but police released the images of people they would like to speak to today.

Briton Tom Ballard and Italian Daniele Nardi died climbing a mountain in Pakistan.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Almost 30,000 people have signed a petition calling for highland cattle to be allowed to roam Baslow Edge.

Last week a farmer said he'd been forced to sell and slaughter his herd after a dog walker complained about a confrontation between their pet and the cattle.

A Health and Safety Executive investigation was told of three further incidents in which people had been injured and the farmer was told to get rid.

Image source, Tom Schofield

Justin Cowell, who started the petition, told BBC Radio Sheffield: "There was a lot of public opinion on Facebook and social media that was disgusted with the decision by HSE.

"I set up the petition expecting about 100 signatures but now we're nearly at 29,000 and it's fantastic."

A HSE spokesman said: "We have worked with the owner of the cattle and the matter has been satisfactorily resolved."

David Pittam
BBC News Online

Today's bad weather - including snow - means Snake Pass has had to close again.

Other high roads in the area are also difficult to drive on and the gritters are back out.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Leicestershire's fire service says water has risen to the 2ft mark, external at the famous Watery Gate Lane ford in Thurlaston.

The ford - shown below during a previous flood - is one of the most notorious in the country for cars getting stuck there.

The service said it had already had to pull one car out of the water this morning and warned other drivers to avoid suffering the same fate.

Nick Smith
BBC News Online

Notts County's game away to Carlisle United looks set to go ahead this evening, despite heavy rain in Cumbria overnight.

Nick Smith
BBC News Online

Filing this under things I didn't expect to see this morning...

Wrestling legend Mick Foley has joined former Forest forward Billy Sharp at his house for breakfast.

Foley is due to attend Sheffield United's game against Brentford tonight at Bramall Lane this evening, after Sharp unveiled his 'Mr Socko' celebration - a tribute to the three-time WWE champion's finishing move - after scoring in United's 2-2 draw with Norwich City in January.

Image source, Getty Images

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

A former police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct, external after allegedly using a police computer to look up the personal details of a business owner he was involved in a dispute with.

A hearing at Nottinghamshire Police's headquarters concluded Russell Shellam used the information for his own personal gain after identifying himself as a police officer, use his warrant card inappropriately and send inappropriate text messages to the business owner.

Mr Shellam, who was based at Riverside Police Station in Nottingham but resigned from the force after the alleged breach in August, denied all the allegations against him.

Image source, Google

The hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Craig Guildford, concluded on the balance of probability that the former officer had breached standards of professional behaviour.

Mr Guildford said if the officer had still been serving he would have been dismissed. He will now be placed on the College of Policing's Barred List.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind in the East Midlands from 12:00 today to 15:00 tomorrow.

It says gusts of up to 55mph have the potential to cause disruption for public transport and power supplies.

Image source, Janice Dyson

The child hid knives from his home "under bushes and bricks" in case he got "bullied" while playing.

Nick Smith
BBC News Online

Motorists are being urged to avoid snake pass this morning as snow is causing chaos on the road.

Image source, @itsnoel

Ben Hayes tweeted: "Snake pass is currently open but the top is impassable with lorries stuck on both sides."

He added that lots of cars have had to turn around.