A third person has been arrested in connection with the murder of a man in the Evington Road area of the city. The 32-year-old, of Leicester, was arrested today (28 December) and is currently in police custody. The victim, a man in his 40s, was found injured in Evington Road, near to the junction with Hamilton Road. He had injuries consistent with a stab wound and was taken to hospital where he later died. Formal identification has not yet taken place. Senior Investigating Officer DI Nicole Main from East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) said: “We are making progress in this investigation, with three people in custody. “But we still want to hear from anyone who saw, or knows, what happened in the early hours of Monday morning; what happened that lead to this man’s death. Two other men, aged 33 and 35, were arrested on Monday evening (27 December) on suspicion of murder. They remain in police custody and are assisting with our enquiries.

As we approach the Christmas weekend Leicestershire Police have already arrested 106 drink drug drivers this month including 67 drink, 31 drug and 8 failed to provide, there were 132 arrests during the whole of December 2020. Drivers are being detained across the Police force area with around half in the Leicester conurbation and significant numbers in our towns and villages, including 9 drink and 4 drug in North West Leicestershire, 9 drink in the Hinckley and Bosworth borough, 7 drink and 1 drug in the Harborough district and 4 drug and 2 drink in the Melton borough. One driver “blew” 130 during a roadside breath test, that’s nearly four times the legal limit, and eighteen of the arrests have been made following collisions with stationary vehicles, roadside furniture, trees and ditches. While the vast majority of those drivers who have been stopped have been male eight female drivers have also been arrested and just over a quarter of those people found unfit behind the wheel have been aged 24 or under. If you see someone who appears to be a drink or drug driver enter a vehicle to drive away, make a note of the registration plate and the direction of travel and call your local police on 101 or make a make a free and anonymous call to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

Christmas dinners, social activities and warm and friendly places to meet are being offered to people who are homeless or rough sleeping in the city, and other vulnerable people, over the Christmas holiday. Local charities, faith groups, the city council and other organisations will be providing a wide range of services throughout the festive period, to ensure that people can still get the support they need, and also get some Christmas cheer at a difficult time in their lives. Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, asst mayor for housing said: “Our emergency hostel the Dawn Centre is open every day of the year including Christmas day and our aim is that no-one needs to sleep rough in Leicester at any time of year. “Local charities and faith groups in Leicester provide amazing support all year round, and at Christmas they go the extra mile to make sure the most vulnerable people in the city can have a Christmas meal, some good company and the basic necessities that we all take for granted. “We’re very grateful for the work they do, which makes a huge difference to people’s lives, and is needed more than ever at this time of year.” Services on offer over the Christmas period include: Christmas day dinner, no referral needed, Robert Hall Memorial Baptist Church, Narborough Road Hot festive vegetarian dinner, pudding and mince pies to take away from the Midland Langa Seva Society, St Peter’s Highfields Church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Christmas day dinner at the Bridge Homelessness to Hope (referrals only). Breakfast & lunch served daily, shower and clothes washing facilities and social activities also available Christmas meal at the Holy Trinity Church on Friday 17 December. Gifts and food hampers also available. Food available every Friday including Dec 24 and 31. Christmas Eve hot food takeaway available, also on New Year's Eve and every Friday evening, from Help the Homeless, Abbey Street. Full details of all services available over the next two weeks, including opening times and addresses are available on the council’s website at: www.leicester.gov.uk/homelessservices. The council’s homeless outreach team is currently out in the city centre in the early hours of every weekday, looking for rough sleepers to offer them a bed and other support. The council commissions local charity Help the Homeless to provide the same service at the weekend. They will be making people aware of the services on offer, which will also be promoted by other professionals working with vulnerable people in the city. The council’s Dawn Centre is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week including Christmas day to provide an emergency bed and day centre activities. Staff there can be contacted on 0116 221 2770 in an emergency.

The best children’s arts festival in the world Leicester is the home to so many extraordinary things. A Pork Pie library, world renowned sports teams and food, stunning countryside, a multi-cultured city, medical breakthroughs - the list goes on. Leicester is far from ordinary. In most areas you will find out something extraordinary. The Spark Festival will take place in Leicester from 7-13 February 2022, live and online. Children and families can take part in schools, libraries, their homes, their communities and in well-known venues across the city. To find out the full programme including a weekend packed with family activities across the city please visit The Spark Festival website: click here

Guide price: £20,000+ (plus fees) It’s a terrace property on Myrtle Road which needs a little bit more than just some TLC and is being sold in a National Property Auction next Friday. The property is in need of complete renovation and currently has three bedrooms, two kitchen spaces, a living room, upstairs bathroom, open attic and a basement. It would be suitable to purchase as a project, a buy to let investment, a family home or an opportunity to develop into an HMO (subject to appropriate planning). https://www.sdlauctions.co.uk/property/33146/terraced-house-for-auction-leicester/ You can view the auction live here next Friday (17thDecember) at 10:00am - https://www.eigpropertyauctions.co.uk/live-stream/auction/sdl-property-auctions-national UPDATED NEWS Sold at Auction for £179,000 wow how much is your house worth....

Residents planning to visit a recycling and household waste site over Christmas and New Year are being urged to check opening hours before heading out. The 14 waste sites, operated by Leicestershire County Council, will not open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, in addition to their normal closure days. The days following Boxing Day and heading into the New Year can be extremely busy at all sites and potential site visitors are urged to bear this in mind before setting out. “We’re approaching the busiest time of the year at our waste sites, at a time when our staff numbers are being affected by Covid and other external factors. “While we are doing everything we possibly can to make sure that opening hours aren’t affected outside the usual seasonal closures, we’d encourage visitors to check our website and social media for updates and be patient if they do visit a site.” Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet lead member for the environment and the green agenda For more information about what can be taken to the waste sites, opening times – including Market Harborough which is temporarily open seven-days-a-week - and to find your nearest site, please visit www.leicestershire.gov.uk/waste Our Christmas tips for reducing, reusing and recycling can be found online at www.lesswaste.org.uk These will also be shared on the council’s social media accounts and the Leicestershire Recycling Facebook page. Also, please check with your district/borough council to see if recycling and refuse collection days change over the festive season. Leicestershire County Council News Release Friday, 17 December, 2021

'Please think about who you meet up with' says public health boss as omicron cases surge in Leicestershire Public health bosses are urging people to think about who they mix with after a ten-fold rise in Omicron cases in Leicestershire this week. County council director of public health Mike Sandys said the latest data shows there are ten times as many more cases of the variant in the county at the end of this week than there were at the start. Though there are not legal restrictions limiting mixing over Christmas, Mr Sandys is reminding people if they catch the new highly infectious Covid-19 strain, or the Delta variant, while socialising they would be required to self-isolate which might lead to them not being able to see their nearest and dearest over Christmas. He said: “The increasing rate of cases of the Omicron variant we are seeing now is really worrying. “In order to try to slow the spread of this highly infectious virus I’d ask people to think long and hard about who they mix with over the coming weeks. “I know this is difficult. “Not mixing more than we have to and prioritising the gatherings that are most important to us will help hold back the wave of infection that is happening right now. “Everyone wants to see their families at this time of year and the best way to do that is to limit how much you mix with others and reduce your chance of getting infected.” Mr Sandys added: “It’s also extremely important that people follow the Government advice and start working from home if they can.” “Please also get vaccinated, if you have not already done so. “Many people are getting infected and the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from becoming very ill.” “We want everybody to have a happy Christmas and New Year but also a healthy one. “The new variant’s arrival puts us all in a position we hoped not to be in so we are again asking people to be careful and sensible and do their upmost to try to avoid being infected. “I’d ask people to do what they can to protect themselves, their friends and family and the NHS.” Council cabinet lead member for public health councillor Louise Richardson

Leicestershire Police are reminding van owners to make sure their belongings are secure at all times. It follows a spate of thefts from vans across the force area where tools have been stolen from vehicles parked at residential addresses. A small number of vans in hotel and store car parks have also been targeted. In November there were 68 thefts compared to 49 in October, with another 25 during the first two weeks in December. Van owners should ensure their vehicle is locked at all times, even when leaving it for less than a minute. Where possible park it in a secure garage overnight. If this isn’t possible, park it in a well-lit place or install security lights or visible cameras to deter potential thieves. If you can, park as close to another vehicle or building to prevent access to doors. Security mark all tools and remove them from the vehicle overnight. If this can’t be done, keep them in a lock-up inside the vehicle. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, from the Force Intelligence Bureau, said: “It takes seconds to steal a vehicle or tools inside which can be worth thousands of pounds. Never leave your keys in the ignition or the doors unlocked while you’re away because replacing these items can be costly and the business lost substantial. “There are steps van owners can take to help prevent themselves from becoming victims of this crime. We would always advise security marking any tools. If in the unfortunate event they are stolen this will make them much easier to trace. When possible, remove all valuables from your vehicle. “I’d encourage everyone to follow the tips we’ve outlined above and if they see any suspicious activity, to report it immediately by calling 101 in a non-emergency. Always call 999 in an emergency. To report online go to www.leics.police.uk and choose the Report button on our home page.”

People are being asked to give their views in a public consultation over a proposed Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) which could help fund a radical overhaul and long-term modernisation of the city’s public transport, cycling and walking networks. Over the summer Leicester City Council carried out initial consultations into a possible scheme, and now more detailed plans for the WPL have been published. An extensive 12-week public consultation has now been launched, giving people and employers the chance to find out more details about the proposed WPL and how it would work, and to comment on the scheme. It runs from December 16, 2021 until March 13, 2022. The WPL would be citywide and would play a vital role in bringing forward a comprehensive programme of transport improvements across Leicester. The improvements are key to meeting tough environmental and air quality targets set by both the Government and the city council itself, as well as dealing with congestion and connecting new housing developments with sustainable transport. Under the WPL, most employers with more than 10 spaces would pay £550 per space per year for a licence to provide car parking for their employees. The high number of small businesses in Leicester means that around nine out of 10 are too small to have to pay. The income from a WPL could be around £95million over the first 10 years, and would enable the city council to match-fund with other grants to invest up to £450million. It would mean the council could plan for long-term transport investment rather than just relying on uncertain Government funds. The WPL is designed to encourage people who travel into the city regularly for work to use alternatives to cars for their daily commute, while financing the improvements needed to ensure the city’s public transport, cycling and walking networks provide realistic alternatives to car travel. Plans for a WPL were featured as part of the Council’s Draft Leicester Transport Plan 2021-2036, published in the summer, which sets out priorities in meeting the city’s transport needs over the next 15 years. Transport priorities a WPL would help fund include: Over 400 high-quality electric tram-like buses by 2030, running on 25 Mainline services across city neighbourhoods, and five express Greenline commuter services linking six park and ride sites. Giving buses priority on key routes to ensure they run regularly and frequently, using tickets which can be used across different bus services, and featuring real-time bus information. Affordable bus fares with discounts for elderly, disabled, young and unemployed people and the ability for all travellers to get the ‘best fare’ on any journeys across the city. A comprehensive network of cycleways linking existing city centre routes to local neighbourhoods. Investment in the railway station to ensure good regional and national connections and to build on the £22m of funding recently secured to revamp the station. A WPL has been operating successfully in Nottingham for nearly 10 years, and Leicester City Council has been working closely with both Nottingham City Council, and Leicester’s De Montfort University, to assess the economic, environmental, transport and health impacts of such a scheme in Leicester. The scheme would require Government approval, after which the scheme could start in early 2023. The city council would work closely with local employers well in advance to prepare them for its introduction. Between 450 and 600 larger businesses across the city are likely to be eligible under the scheme. Leicester deputy city mayor leading on transport and the environment, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “A Workplace Parking Levy has been a consideration for some time in terms of addressing the city’s present and future transport needs, and it is clear it could play a major role in financing the kind of improvements set out in the draft Leicester Transport Plan, which are vital if we are to meet both the city’s transport needs and its environmental obligations. “Nottingham City Council has valuable experience of a WPL over the last 10 years or so, which is why we’ve been working closely with them in designing a scheme for our own city. “The benefits of reducing traffic in the city are easy to see – anyone commuting during the school holidays can see how much difference even a 10 per cent drop in vehicle numbers makes. “Of course, people need to know there’s a reliable, convenient public transport system available if they are to be persuaded to leave their cars at home, and the money raised by a WPL would enable us to make huge steps forward in delivering that over the coming years. “We are encouraged by the initial feedback we received over the summer and now really want to hear from people across the city to know what they want from such a scheme, and how to make it work as best as it can for Leicester. “The Government would have to give us approval to bring in a scheme, but the more people take part in this consultation, the better chance we have of ensuring it can address local needs.” The WPL proposals are the latest stage of work to address the city’s transport needs. Last month, the city council published its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), setting out ambitious plans which would vastly improve bus services, vehicles and routes across Leicester in a 10-year project involving the city council and local bus operators. While £95million has already been secured for the plans in the BSIP from a range of sources, and further bids are being submitted for a share of nearly £3 billion of national funding, income from a WPL would be a key source of the finance package needed. The BSIP includes bringing in over 200 fully electric buses, improving reliability and frequency of services, automated digital ticketing, as well as introducing bus lane and signal measures to give priority to public transport. It would establish a formal partnership between the council and bus companies to bring the measures into effect by 2025. Leicester City Council also recently clinched £19million from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, towards a £47million programme that will see the introduction of almost 100 new electric buses. To take part in the WPL consultation visit here.

Plans outlined for major improvement scheme on Saffron Lane Improvements are planned for Leicester’s busy Saffron Lane as part of a major Government-backed programme of investment in sustainable travel across the city. Leicester City Council is planning to invest over £970,000 on improvements to Saffron Lane to help encourage more people to make the shift to walking and cycling. The planned scheme will see a new permanent cycle track created on a busy stretch of Saffron Lane, between Heathcott Road and its new junction with Putney Road. The new 3metre wide cycle lane will run in both directions, cutting across Aylestone Recreation Ground, where a new track will be created alongside the existing tree-lined footpath through the park. Footpaths along the route will also be widened up to 2metres wherever possible and re-laid in high-quality block paving. Some modifications will be required to side roads where they join Saffron Lane to provide safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. The first phase of the planned scheme – between Putney Road and Hawkins Road and the route through Aylestone Recreation Ground – will be funded through the Transforming Cities Fund following the city council’s successful bids for £40 million to help fund improvements to local public transport and support more cycling and walking routes into city neighbourhoods and the city centre. The remaining sections are awaiting further Government funding to be confirmed through the Active Travel Fund. Deputy Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “These proposals represent an important expansion of the city’s growing network of safe and attractive routes for cyclists and pedestrians. The plans for Saffron Lane will help us to further extend the multi-million-pound investment we have made in and around the city centre out into the Leicester’s busy neighbourhoods. “It is vital that we continue to provide healthier, greener streets to accommodate future growth of the city and its economy, all of which supports our commitments to address the climate emergency and to reduce air pollution. We need to be radical and ambitious to meet these challenges. "The scheme will be complemented by the introduction of Santander Cycles ebike docking facilities, due to be introduced in the area early next year." The proposals for Saffron Lane are due to be considered by members of the council’s Economic Development, Transport and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Commission on Wednesday 15 December. Work is expected to begin early in the new year. Letters will be sent to residents and businesses close to the proposed schemes before work begins.Plans will also be available to view online at www.leicester.gov.uk/TransformingCitiesFund The Transforming Cities Fund is a major £80million citywide programme of investment in sustainable transport, backed by £40 million of Government cash from the Department for Transport. The ambitious package of works will focus on major sustainable transport improvements to provide attractive choices for people to get to work, education, shops and other local facilities to help support the city’s growth and deliver on the council’s climate emergency, air quality and health living commitments. The programme includes the development of new bus priority corridors linking the city centre to local neighbourhoods and suburbs along with the continued development of a network of high-quality cycling and walking routes throughout the city, building on the success of the Connecting Leicester programme. It has also seen the introduction of electric buses onto the Park and Ride service and a new citywide electric bike hire scheme in partnership with Santander.

Dozens of council buildings set to benefit from £24m carbon cutting programme An ambitious programme to cut the carbon cost of dozens of council buildings in Leicester has reached a milestone. Earlier this year, Leicester City Council was successful in its bid for over £24million of Government funding through the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The new funding – provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – will support an ambitious programme of works to improve the energy efficiency and cut the carbon footprint of over 90 city council-owned buildings, including 55 schools. After a busy summer installing new energy saving LED lighting in over 50 buildings, work has now been completed on the first installations of new solar photo-voltaic panels on school buildings. Wyvern Primary School, in Rushey Mead, is one of the first schools to benefit. Work is now complete on the installation of a 45-panel photo voltaic array on its main roof. The school has also seen all 880 of its light fittings upgraded to energy efficient LEDs. These two measures will help the school cut its own carbon footprint by almost 20 tonnes per year, and make an estimated annual energy saving of around £12,500. Solar panels are due to be fitted on 60 buildings as part of the city council’s Salix funded programme, with work now complete at three schools. It is estimated that the overall programme will see around 2,800 new solar panels installed in total – enough to cover 18 championship courts at Wimbledon. Over 50 buildings are already benefitting from new LED lighting, and twenty more will see their lighting upgraded in the coming months. In addition, the programme will see over 12,000 square meters of replacement double glazed window installed across 40 buildings, and 35 sites are set to benefit from new air source heat pumps to replace gas boilers. Along with works to 55 schools, improvements will also be made to council-run leisure centres, libraries, community centres and offices. In total, 37 non-school buildings will benefit from the programme, including De Montfort Hall which will see its stage and auditorium lighting replaced with energy efficient LEDs. It’s estimated the combined energy efficiency improvements being funded through the programme will result in an overall carbon saving of around 3,000tCO2e – equivalent to the average emissions produced by over 900 standard homes. Deputy City Mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “The need to retrofit older buildings to make them energy efficient is among the many challenges presented by the climate emergency. “This new funding was a huge boost to our low carbon ambitions as a council, and it is great to see the progress being made to help cut the carbon cost of our schools, libraries, leisure centres and other buildings. “It is an ambitious programme of investment that will help us dramatically cut carbon emissions from our buildings and save hundreds of thousands of pounds in energy costs – something that is very welcome in these challenging times. “It also just one part of a major, multi-million programme of investment in the city that will help us make an important step forward in our citywide response to the climate emergency. “Now, more than ever, it is vital that we work with local partners to maintain this momentum and continue to urge central Government to support Leicester’s vision to be carbon neutral by 2030.” Cutting the carbon footprint of the city’s buildings is a key action resulting from the first Leicester Climate Emergency Strategy. The strategy sets out an ambitious vision for how the city needs to change to move towards becoming carbon-neutral and adapting to the effects of global heating by 2030, or sooner. To find out more visit www.leicester.gov.uk/ClimateEmergency

Groups of colleagues from Sytner Group’s Head Office attended local charity, Toys on the Table, to help wrap presents for children in Leicester who might otherwise not receive anything. Toys on the Table provides new toys and gifts during the festive season for children all across Leicestershire. Colleagues from Sytner Group’s Leicester-based Head Office, attended the local charity to help wrap presents that have been donated, to be delivered to the community. Ben Scholes, Senior Brand Manager at Sytner Group, said: “It was fantastic to see the charity and give something back at this time of year, especially after the tough couple of years that we have just seen. “Toys on the Table is a great charity close to home for us and so it was great to be able to get involved and offer our support. The work the team do really is incredible, and after seeing the scale of the operation I can truly appreciate why volunteer support is so valuable to them.” Each year, Sytner Group supports a range of charities in numerous ways and this Christmas is no different. Colleagues are getting stuck in, supporting local charities in any way they can. As well as Christmas wrapping with Toys on the Table, Sytner Group has launched a Collect 4 Christmas campaign. This campaign encourages colleagues to donate food items and gifts to Leicestershire Cares, who will hand out gift boxes to the most vulnerable before Christmas, to lift spirits and spread a little joy to those facing a challenging time. Many of the people who receive items are from poorer backgrounds, with no friends or family and have been isolated during the pandemic. Even the smallest contribution helps to play a part in turning isolation to companionship, sadness into joy and despair into hope. Francesca Summers, Human Resources Project Manager, said: “Throughout the year we support a range of wonderful charities but at Christmas we really come into our own at Sytner Group. “As well as donating items and time, we’re asking teams to go out into the community, covid-safe, and complete festive challenges. This could include anything from decorating areas used by people with disabilities or even carol-singing to bring festive cheer to the local area. “Following the pandemic we really want to make Christmas a good time of year for everyone in the community. I would like to thank all of the colleagues who have already volunteered and are planning to, as your time and efforts will really make Christmas for those in need this year.” To find out more about Toys on the Table visit the website and to learn more about the year-round fundraising from Leicestershire Cares