Search Results

Leicestershire fire service attended a flat fire in Mountsorrel tonight (Saturday 13th July) on Market place They was called around 7.30pm to a fire with persons reported inside the building. 2 people jumped out of 3rd floor window after Flat fire takes hold in Mountsorrel tonight. Number of calls reporting flats involved. Incident treated as Persons reported. Assistance message to Make Pumps 5 & Aerial ladder platform in use. 3 floor building involved. Fire located on the 2nd floor and into the roof space 4 breathing apparatus 2 hose reel 2 main jets in use. All persons accounted for, 2 casualties being treated by EMAS East Midlands ambulance service. Bystanders said that 5 ambulances and the air ambulance attended the incident. We have no details on any injuries at this time. Updated Sunday 14th July 2019 - Video the morning after the fire 🔴 Update 22:00 Incident scaled down to 2 fire appliances. Fire investigations will take place in the morning. Join our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/644428992410357/posts/1881289885390922?sfns=xmwa #FireMountsorrel #Mountsorrel #LFRS

Detectives are in the very early stages of their investigations after a JCB telehandler was used to enter a cash machine in Scraptoft. Police were called to Main Street just before 4.20am today (Sunday 14 July) after the JCB was driven into the front of the Co-op shop and significant damage was caused to the building. It’s believed cassettes from the cash machine containing cash were stolen during the incident. From enquiries conducted so far possibly three vehicles were used by the suspects, including the JCB. The JCB and a white Toyota Hilux 4x4 was left at the scene. The suspects may have made off in a white or grey large Audi car, possibly a S4 or S5. It’s believed the JCB may have been stolen from the Barkbythorpe area prior to the incident. A part of Main Street has been closed while emergency services deal with the incident. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident and hasn’t yet spoken to officers is asked to contact the police, also if anyone saw the vehicles arriving or leaving the scene they are asked to come forward. Join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/644428992410357/posts/1881618258691418?sfns=xmwa Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC 2854 Matthew Garside on 101, quoting crime number 19*366780.

A Man‘s body was found at the disused Black Boy Public house here in Leicester. Police were called to Albion Street in Leicester, just before 10.45am this morning (Saturday 13 July) after a body of a man was found inside a disused building. The death is being treated as unexplained at this time and enquiries continue at the scene. Police remain at the scene, 3 large evidence bags taken was away. 🔴 Updated News 15:00 Leicestershire fire service is now using an aerial platform at the Disused Black boy public house this afternoon after a man’s body was found this morning. The fire service attended around 14:15 and the surrounding streets have been closed by police. #LeicPolice #BodyFound Updates will follow here

Camera enforcement of bus lanes is set to be used in four more areas of the city in a bid to improve bus journey times and reduce carbon emissions. The proposal follows traffic surveys which have revealed that up to 56,000 drivers are illegally using the bus lanes each month. The cameras will be installed on inbound and outbound lanes on Duns Lane, Humberstone Road outbound, Narborough Road inbound near Fullhurst Avenue, and south of Marsden Lane, inbound on Lutterworth Road. Cllr Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor for environment, said: “Surveys show that drivers are persistently using these bus lanes, causing buses to stop and start, increasing pollution and increasing journey times. “It’s important the council does all it can to encourage people to take the bus, not least because transport is responsible for a quarter of our city’s carbon emissions. Ensuring buses are reliable and have priority will help us to address the climate emergency declared last February.” Traffic surveys carried out for 24 hours over seven days indicate that drivers are contravening the bus lanes at the rate of around 48,500 a month on Duns Lane outbound; more than 56,000 a month on Narborough Road; and almost 27,500 on Lutterworth Road. The inbound and outbound bus lanes between Dysart Way and Forest Road were reviewed following a petition to the council in September 2018 raising concerns about road safety. Counts taken here indicated around 7,400 contraventions taking place each month. The cost of buying and installing the cameras, maintaining them for three years and putting in the signage required at the five sites would be around £207,000. The cameras would operate for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cameras will be self-financing, with any surplus cash being spent on highway and transport improvements in the city. This is one of a number of actions being carried out by the city council to tackle the climate crisis. Experts now predict that unless drastic action is taken, we are less than 12 years away from global heating becoming irreversible, with catastrophic results. In response , Leicester City Council declared a climate emergency in February 2019. Local initiatives such as creating more cycle lanes in the city, improving bus services, setting up a renewable energy company, installing more solar panels on council buildings and promoting take-up of electric vehicles are already under way. The council also plans to consult on charging employers with parking spaces and investing this income in schemes to further reduce transport emissions. With Government support, the city council could be on track to be carbon neutral before 2030. Source : Leicester City Council News

Huge decorated chariot will make its way through the city centre this weekend as part of colourful celebrations of the Hare Krishna festival of Rathayatra. The event, on Sunday, July 14, will see a procession travelling from the Hare Krishna Temple in Granby Street to Cossington Park in Belgrave. The celebrations begin at 9.30am, with a traditional dance at the ISKCON Temple, after which the procession itself leaves from outside Visit Leicester at 11.30am, and will travel along Gallowtree Gate, Haymarket, Belgrave Gate and Belgrave Road to Cossington Park for about 2pm. There will be road closures along the route, and parking will be suspended. Rathayatra is one of the major events for followers of the Hare Krishna faith, and the event is being organised by the International Society for Krisha Consciousness (ISKCON), which has been present in the city since the 1970s. The events at Cossington Park will feature live entertainment, dancing, music, meditation and exhibitions, as well as serving vegetarian food. Rathayatra Festival of Chariots celebrates ISKCON’s 50th anniversary in Leicester Sunday 14 July 2019 Procession starts outside ISKCON Leicester, 31 Granby Street, to Cossington Park in Belgrave Welcome ceremony 9.30am, Procession starts 11.30am on Granby Street, Leicester City Centre. Arrives Cossington Park 2.00pm for free festival for all. The Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots returns to our City once again on Sunday 14 July 2019, this year, celebrating the monumental 50th anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in the UK. One of the biggest processions in the Midlands, the vibrant festival will begin at ISKCON Leicester, 31 Granby Street with a tumultuous welcome ceremony called a pahandi, while the inauguration will commence at 11.30am in the presence of the Cllr Manjula Sood, and community leaders. Festival-goers from all over the country will hand-pull the 40ft chariot carrying the magnificent Deities of Lord Jagannatha (Krishna), his sister Subhadra, and Lord Balarama through the City Centre accompanied by music, singing, and dancing. The lively procession, with spiritual sounds and instruments from all over the globe, will travel from the City Centre along the Golden Mile and into Cossington Park. At Cossington Park, there will be a variety of experiences for all the family, including mantra meditation, children’s fun activities, a special exhibition on 50 years of ISKCON in the UK, and a free vegetarian meal. “This one day of the year when the Lord comes out of the temple to glance upon all people of the City is very special,” says President of ISKCON Leicester, Pradyumna Das. “It gives us all an opportunity to recognise our true identity spirit souls in connection to God and go beyond colour, nationality and even religion. Our essence is spiritual and Rathayatra celebrates that by inviting and including everyone, sharing food and experiencing the Hare Krishna chanting.” History The traditional Jagannatha Rathayatra is a celebration over 5000 years-old, observed in the ancient holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India, making it the oldest street festival in the world. Devotees believe that if they get the honour of pulling the ropes of the giant chariot, carrying Lord Krishna, known as Jagannatha – Lord of the Universe, then at the end of this life, they will be granted a place in the spiritual world. Rathayatra in Puri attracts crowds of of over 15 million people. East meets West This ancient festival was first brought to Western shores in 1967 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Since then, this festival has become a popular cultural event in major cities around the world. Leicester is proud to host the second largest such celebration in Europe. You can see highlights of Rathayatra in Leicester on the video below. #leicesterfestivals

Major highway maintenance scheme is set to begin on one of the busiest shopping streets in Leicester city centre. The city council will begin work on Monday 8 July to repair and revamp the central strip of pavement running along the full length of High Street. The existing granite slabs will be removed and replaced with a mix of high-quality materials reflecting recently completely improvements in the historic Old Town area, most closely matching the finish of Peacock Lane by Cathedral Gardens. Seating, trees and the existing smaller-sized granite paving along each side of High Street will be retained. Remedial work is now urgently required as the central section which is regularly used by vehicles. It is now in such poor condition that effective maintenance is no longer viable and large sections of paving have been replaced with a temporary tarmac surface to prevent tripping. The scheme is expected to take about 12 weeks to complete. The work will be carried out at no cost to the council following a legal dispute between the authority and the original contractors. This was settled in favour of the council in 2016, without admission of liability from the contractors. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “High Street is an important shopping street with stores that help attract people into the city centre to shop. “Unfortunately, the street itself is not looking its best due to granite sets that have failed to live up to the demands of this busy area. “It is essential that we now put this right in a way that will provide a long-term solution, revamp the look and feel of this important street and minimise the disruption to businesses in the area.” Work will be carried out in small sections with pedestrian access maintained throughout the works. Businesses will remain open throughout the works, and marshals will be on hand to assist with deliveries within normal permitted times. A future phase of work will also see the area around the Clock Tower and up to East Gates repaved in high quality porphyry. Source : Leicester City Council #HighStreet #LeicesterCityCouncil

Seven local charities were presented with cheques during a presentation afternoon at Central Fire and Rescue Station, yesterday (Wednesday 10 July). A total of £8,889.43 was raised by Rudolph, and has been split between the following local charities; • Adapt • Friends of Sycamore Court • Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association • Leicestershire Down’s Syndrome Group • Leicester Children’s Holidays, • Vista • When You Wish Upon a Star Each year Rudolph hits the streets at Christmas time with the help of firefighters and volunteers, to raise money for charity. The charities were invited, by the Rudolph Fund Committee, to attend a presentation afternoon, where they were each presented with a cheque from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and offered light refreshments. Rick Taylor, Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, said: “The Rudolph collection has been going since 1949 and has become a huge part of our service, successfully raising huge amounts of money for many, many years. We continue to be amazed by the generosity of our communities. “The help these charities provide is greatly appreciated and we hope the money we have raised will enable them to continue the vital work they do.” Parvez Bhatty, Chair of Leicester Children’s Holidays, said: “Everyone knows our charity has been going for 120 years now, but what people forget is, it’s organisations like Rudolph that enables us to send so many children on a well-deserved holiday. “People connect our name with Rudolph as one of the same, but in reality it’s you that enables us to do this. Thank you.” Rudolph will be back on the roads again this December, after he’s had his summer holiday and recovered from last year. Keep a look out for him again in 2019. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter (@LFRSRudolph) and be the first to know when he plans to be back. Pictures by Leicester Media Online © 2018

More buses on Leicester’s busiest routes are set to be adapted to make them cleaner to run as part of the city’s efforts to cut air pollution. The Department for Transport has awarded the city council £980,000 from the Clean Bus Technology Fund to help it extend work to clean up exhaust fumes and cut harmful emissions from buses in Leicester. The city council is already working with local bus companies to fit the pollution filters to 158 diesel buses operating on the city’s main routes. This latest funding will see the council work with local operators First and Kinch Bus to see filtering technology retrofitted to 53 more buses. It means that an ambitious bid to create a city centre clean air zone for buses – where all vehicles must meet the highest Euro VI standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions – will be delivered in early 2020, around nine months earlier than promised. Cllr Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor and lead on environment and transportation, said: “Tackling emissions from diesel vehicles is a vital part of our work to improve air quality across the city. “Our local bus operators have already made huge investment in cleaning up the emissions and reducing pollution from their vehicles. This latest funding will allow us to accelerate that work and fit clean air technology to over 50 more local buses. “It means that we are meeting the highest European clean air standard for buses across the city and that we are on track to meet our pledge to deliver a citywide clean air zone for buses early in 2020. “While this is really good news, we know more needs to be done and we remain committed to moving the city’s bus fleet towards zero emissions over the next ten years, with plans already underway to introduce the first electric buses onto our Park and Ride services from next year.” Sue Blount, general manager at Kinchbus, said “Kinchbus is a locally owned independent company, meaning every decision we make is made by those with an interest in the well-being of the local community and the efficiency of the local transport system. “We are doing what we can to improve the air we breathe in the communities we serve. This funding will complement our ongoing investment in cleaner, greener buses.” Nigel Eggleton, Managing Director of First Midlands commented “We’re delighted that in partnership with Leicester City Council we’ve been granted funding to substantially upgrade many of our fleet of buses based here in Leicester. “Together with our existing vehicles already achieving the highest Euro VI standards of emissions, this new funding will ensure that more local residents across our network will be served by buses with excellent environmental credentials – all the more reason to consider using the bus” The Euro emissions standards for buses is are a technical measure defined by engine energy output in grams per kilowatt hour (g/kWh). The Euro VI standard for nitrogen dioxide is just 0.4g/kWh. As part of its successful bid for £8milllion of Government cash from the Transforming Cities Fund, Leicester City Council has also secured £1.6million to help replace diesel vehicles with ultra-low emission electric buses on the Park and Ride service between Birstall and the city centre. The project – which is expected to be delivered by autumn 2020 – will help further cut air pollution on the busy A6 corridor into the city centre. Improving local bus services is one of a range of actions being carried out by the city council to tackle the climate crisis. Experts now predict that unless drastic action is taken, we are less than 12 years away from global heating becoming irreversible, with catastrophic results. In response, Leicester City Council declared a climate emergency in February 2019. Local initiatives such as creating more cycle tracks in the city, promoting sustainable transport, setting up a renewable energy company, installing more solar panels on council buildings and promoting take-up of electric vehicles are already under way. The council also plans to consult on charging employers with parking spaces and investing this income in schemes to further reduce transport emissions. With Government support, the city council could be on track to be carbon neutral before 2030. Source : Leicester City Council News

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service was called by distress members of staff at Tesco Narborough Road superstore after a cat had got trapped in a car engine compartment this evening around 6.10pm Reports are that a cat had been hit by a car in the car park and was hiding under a staff members car. Fire service from Western Station, soon rushed into action after the caring staff tried to get the cat out by shaking a bag of well known cat treats ‘Dreamies’. The poor cat was well and truly trapped, the fire service stabilised the car and removed the wheel and started to release the cat. The cat was soon released and placed in a waiting cardboard box, and passed to the care of the Tesco staff, they are now awaiting for the RSPCA. A happy ending thanks to the staff at Tesco and our Fire service. We have contacted the RSPCA for a update on the cats injuries and see if it’s been reunited with its owners. We will update this story when we get the information. #NotJustFires #LRFS #Tesco

Leicester City Council is to loan almost £1m to Leicester Cathedral to help enable it to create a new Heritage Learning Centre. The cathedral has raised more than £9million of the £11.3m it needs to carry out the ambitious Leicester Cathedral Revealed project, which in addition to repairs to the historic fabric, will create a new heritage centre beside the main building with exhibition, interpretation and learning spaces telling the story of the 2,000-year-old site. Since the reinternment of King Richard III, the cathedral and the city have experienced a sharp rise in visitor numbers, and the project is designed to provide an improved visitor experience while protecting the historic setting of the cathedral and Cathedral Gardens. Leicester City Council has therefore agreed to make up to £950k available as a loan to the cathedral, to ensure the work can begin in 2020 and continue on schedule and on budget, with the aim of completing the entire project by 2022. The city council is proposing making the money available to the cathedral from its reserves, at a rate of four percent interest per annum, to be repaid in 2024. After taking into account other repayments, the loan will produce £14k a year surplus for the city council. The loan comes under the city council’s Investment Strategy, which was set out in February 2019, and includes property investments and other loans to third parties where doing so would promote economic development and benefit the city. Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Leicester Cathedral is at the heart of both the city and county, and the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project will benefit not only Cathedral Gardens and the surrounding public realm, but also build further on the tourism boom the city has experienced following the King Richard III story. “It makes sense for us to make this loan available, to ensure the cashflow is there when the cathedral needs it. It also means we get a better return on our investment than we would do by relying on the tiny levels of interest accumulated by leaving this money in our reserves, which we are otherwise obliged to do. “I’m very pleased that we are in the position to make this investment in one of the city’s best known landmark buildings and resting place of King Richard III.” In welcoming the council’s support, the Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of Leicester, added: “It’s very important to both cathedral and city that this project succeeds and I cannot overstate the importance of having the funding available to allow us to start work. We don’t expect to make use of this loan facility until 2021. “In fact, we will be making every effort to ensure we don’t need to use it at all because we are doing everything we can to raise the final £2.3m before then.” Leicester Cathedral secured National Lottery Heritage Funding (NLHF) back in 2017 to enable the project design, development and to kick-start a wider fund-raising strategy, resulting in a £3.3m NLHF grant. A total of £9million has now been secured by the cathedral. Source : Leicester City Council News #leicesterCityCouncil #LeicesterCathedral

2 Boys punched in the face and robbed of Jewellery and a mountain bike on Western Park, both boys were taken to hospital for treatment. The Police are now appealing for witnesses. Extra patrols are being carried out in Western Park, Leicester following a report of robbery yesterday (Tuesday 25 June). It happened at the skate park between 5.30pm and 5.45pm – and officers investigating the incident are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Two boys were approached by two other teenagers – believed to be 16 or 17 years old – who demanded money from them. When one of the boys said he did not have anything, he was punched in the face and his watch, bracelet and necklace were taken. When the other boy tried to intervene, he too was punched in the face and his BMX was taken. Both boys were taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary to be treated for minor injuries. PC Gemma Stevens, the investigating officer, said: “Were you passing through Western Park – close to the skate park – yesterday evening? Were you making your way to or from work, were you out for a walk or maybe out running? Did you see what happened? “If you have any information that could help with my investigation, but you’ve not yet spoken to police, then please get in touch. Sergeant Mark Brennan, deputy neighbourhood policing area (NPA) commander for West Leicester, said: “Over the coming days, the Western/New Parks team will step up patrols to offer reassurance to the public. “We also have a dedicated PCSO, 6094 Sally Morgan, for Western Park, who the community know has a regular presence in the area. If you have any concerns, then please speak to her.” Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting crime reference 19*329054.

Proposals include direct Leicester to Coventry service County council leader Nick Rushton has today welcomed Midlands Connect's announcement of the most ambitious upgrade of the region's rail network for a generation. Nick Rushton said: “Crucially, for Leicestershire, the plans outline an additional 24 extra trains per hour on the rail network which will increase capacity and reduce journey times with, for example, up to six trains per hour in each direction between Leicester and Hinckley. “We’re continuing to work closely with Midlands Connect as a direct service between Coventry and Leicester remains a top priority for the county as it can provide a boost to employment and housing growth in the ‘golden triangle’ between the M1, M69 and M6.” “Combined with our joint work on other priority rail projects, it will ensure the county is well placed to benefit from the future modern rail network.” Nick Rushton has also welcomed the recent DfT confirmation of electrification of the Midland Mainline from Kettering to Market Harborough, as an important step in achieving incremental electrification for the main line. #Trains #railnetwork