Sitar Ali and Defrim Paci are locked up for mistreating and underpaying workers.

Heather Burman
BBC News

People are being urged to give blood in Leicester in memory of a local woman whose "life was extended after receiving blood transfusions".

A spokeswoman from the NHS Blood and Transplant service said it was experiencing "low fill rates of blood donations" at the Leicester Donor Centre.

Image source, NHS

"We’re encouraging donors in Leicestershire to donate in memory of Hayley Perks," she said.

"Hayley was diagnosed with Leukaemia and given 10 weeks to live without treatment, but after receiving 40 blood and platelet transfusions, Hayley’s life was prolonged by 32 weeks."

She said blood donations were vital for routine care and demand for blood was at pre-pandemic levels.

Dave Wade
BBC News

A roller disco has opened in a former clothes shop in Nottingham.

The Roller Room has installed a skating rink in what used to be Topshop in the city's Victoria Centre shopping mall.

It will be used for skating and silent discos, where skaters will be given headphones to listen to music while they roll.

It's free to use but visitors are invited to give a donation to the shopping centre's chosen charity, Rainbow's Hospice in Loughborough.

Phoebe Mavrommatis (pictured right), who plays for a roller derby team in the city, said "It's amazing. It's so much fun and it's something different to have in a city centre. I think it's going to go down really well."

Director of the shopping centre Nigel Wheatley said: “Rollerskating has become a huge trend again, with many people taking it up during lockdown, so we wanted to give visitors the chance to combine two great passions – shopping and skating."

He said the venue will be Covid-safe with limited numbers and hand sanitiser stations.

Leicester Tigers make Tongan back Hosea Saumaki their ninth signing ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

Nottingham is set to be the focus of the next series of a Channel 4 show that looks behind the scenes at emergency departments.

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust has said the entire series of 24 Hours in A&E is set to be filmed at the QMC's emergency department, with possible follow-up stories filmed at City Hospital.

A spokesman said the cameras were yet to be installed but the show was due to be filmed in the autumn and aired next summer.

The TV show, which launched in 2011, films at the hospital throughout the day, every day for a month.

Revealing the news, NUH tweeted: "We can't wait to show the world our amazing team and to showcase both ED and our other services that patients will move through on their pathway to recovery."

Rob Sissons
East Midlands Today Reporter

Health bosses in Nottinghamshire are urging people to get vaccinated as they say the majority of patients in the most critical condition in their hospitals have not had a coronavirus jab.

The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG said Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust had 122 Covid-19 patients, with 21 in the most serious condition in intensive care.

The CCG added figures revealed about 90% of Covid-19 patients in intensive care were unvaccinated, and just over half were aged under 44.

It said about 60% of all Covid patients in its hospitals have not been vaccinated, with a further 10% only having had the first dose.

Dr Dan Harvey, a consultant in critical care at the Queen's Medical Centre, said: "We've had to expand our intensive care unit again into the operating theatres to cope with the numbers of young patients who are critically ill with Covid.

"A dreadful thing to see again, particularly now we've got a vaccine. We're doing what we've done all the way through the pandemic which is trying to save as many lives as possible."

Image source, PA Media

Nottingham has one of the lowest uptakes of vaccines in the country - almost a third of adults have not had the first dose.

Thea De Beer, adult intensive care consultant and a clinical director at NUH, said: "It's very difficult for our staff to see otherwise young, healthy people requiring help with their breathing, and in some cases fighting for their life, due to a virus for which we have a safe and effective vaccine.

"As front-line critical care professionals our message couldn't be more clear – if you have not yet had the vaccine, please do so as soon as you can."

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

The stormy weather is set to return after a yellow weather warning has been issued for Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and most of Derbyshire.

The Met Office said heavy showers, thunderstorms and torrential downpours could cause some flooding and travel disruption in the East of England between 11:00 and 22:00 today.

Image source, Met Office

It said some torrential downpours were possible, with 20mm to 40mm rain falling in some places this afternoon and there could be more than 70mm of rain in some areas.

Lightning, gusty winds and hail could be "additional hazards" for some areas.

Heather Burman
BBC News

Nottingham Castle will reopen to the public later after a lighting issue forced its closure yesterday, castle bosses confirmed.

Sara Blair-Manning, chief executive officer at Nottingham Castle Trust, said: "The lighting problem that was identified in one of our galleries has been resolved so we can now welcome visitors into the castle once again.

“We would like to thank everyone for their continued patience, and once again apologise for any inconvenience that has been caused."

She said the castle would open from 10:00 until 18:00.

Image source, Tracey Whitefoot

Sonia Kataria
BBC News

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed at a bus stop in Mansfield.

Emergency services were called at about 21:40 to Jubilee Way South on Wednesday.

Nottinghamshire Police said the victim, 39, was attacked about 20 minutes earlier and then taken to hospital with serious injuries.

He is in a serious but stable condition in hospital, the force added.

The 40-year-old suspect remains in police custody.

Image source, Google

Det Insp Nick Hall said it was a "very serious assault" and appealed for information.

"We are working to understand exactly what happened in the minutes before, during and after the attack.

“We would particularly like to hear from two members of the public who came to the victim’s assistance," he said.

BBC Weather

The morning rain will gradually move eastward and parts of the region may even see some sunshine this afternoon.

But unfortunately the rain has not gone... more will follow. There will be scattered heavy showers, which could be thundery at times.

It will be a breezy day with temperatures between 14C to 17C (57F to 63F).

Image source, AbbeyDale

Worcestershire trounce Essex by a record 182 runs, Leicestershire lose to Warwickshire and Gloucestershire beat Durham with two balls to spare in the One-Day Cup.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

A green plaque has been unveiled in honour of a heavyweight boxer from Leicestershire who represented Great Britain at the 1948 London Olympics.

Jack Gardner, who was raised in Market Harborough, did not pick up a medal but went on to become British and European champion in the early 1950s before retiring to become a farmer.

The plaque has been placed on the side wall of the Market Harborough Building Society, near the town's Memorial Gardens, which was formerly a working men's club where Jack sparred.

Image source, Leicestershire County Council

He was nominated for a plaque by John Tillotson, the chairman of Market Harborough Civic Society, who said: "Jack's already honoured with a bench outside the old Grammar School and at the leisure centre - but we didn't think that sufficiently recognised his achievements. "People remember Jack - I certainly knew him in his role as a gentleman farmer. He was a grand chap and certainly a worthy recipient of the award."

His daughter, Jackalyn Bradford-Turner, who also lives in Market Harborough, said: “My father would take it as a huge compliment that more than 70 years after he was boxing, and more than 40 years after he died, that he's still remembered and that people wanted to honour him in this way."

Leicester City captain Holly Morgan retires from football to become a first-team coach with the club.

Campaigners say Derby City Council is failing to find enough local places for children in care.

The train is to be used to carry Toyota hybrid cars from Derbyshire to the continent.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Nottingham City Council has paid out more than £200,000 to victims of sexual abuse after a highly critical report into its failure to protect children.

In July 2019 the Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found both the city council failed in their duties to protect children from abuse.

The inquiry had examined the sexual and physical abuse of youngsters in several children’s homes and foster care from the 1960s onwards, including the former Beechwood Children’s Home in Mapperley.

Catherine Underwood, corporate director of people, told the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee earlier that since the inquiry the council had paid out £210,000 in damages as part of civil claims made against the authority.

The local authority says a further £374,368 will be used to support abuse survivors over the next three years, including offering therapy services.

Councillors at the meeting agreed the authority was addressing problems highlighted in the IICSA inquiry by reviewing its carers to ensure they pose no risk to children.

Newsbeat speaks to Bill Beswick, the psychologist behind the 26-year-old breaststroke star.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of violent disorder following a fight outside a car wash in Nottingham.

Image source, Google

The fight, which involved a large group of men, happened in Nottingham Road, Basford, at about 10:30 on Tuesday.

Det Sgt Nigel Malik, of Nottinghamshire Police, said it was "a significant disturbance".

The 27-year-old man remains in police custody.

Brody was just over 18 hours old when he died at Chesterfield Royal Hospital in 2019.

Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman will miss their five remaining One-Day Cup group matches because of injury.