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UK drone laws made stricter following Gatwick and Heathrow chaos. Starting this Wednesday, March 13th, it will be illegal to fly a drone within Three miles (5km) of an airport in the UK, up from the 0.6-mile limit that’s currently in effect. The rule changes, which were first announced last month, more than quadruple the radius of each airport’s drone restricted airspace. The new laws are in response to drone activity that effectively shut down the UK’s second largest airport Gatwick for over a day in the run-up to Christmas last year. However, despite the incident affecting over 1,000 flights and as many as 140,000 passengers, police still don’t know who was responsible. We are lucky in Leicester to have a specialist like Leicester Drones that will give you Free advice and will demonstrate the best Drones available in today marker place. Christian Smith also runs a drone club in Leicester. so if your interested In buying a drone and would like to try a fly and meet other drone users contact Chris for more details. Chris with his extensive knowledge has always promoted Safe use and best practices for the Industry in Leicester. he has on a number of occasions defended the use of drones. In UK Drones rapidly expanding to commercial, scientific, recreational, agricultural, and other applications, such as policing including searching and surveillance, product deliveries, aerial photography, news reporting ,agriculture, and drone racing. Recreational and private use of a drone you don’t legally require to have insurance to fly one, but if you are negligent or cause damage you could be personally liable. Most commercial drone operators must have public liability £1-3 million cover. It was also announced that from November 30, 2019, it will be a legal requirement for all owners of drones weighing 250 grams or more to register their drone with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and complete an online safety test. Drone pilots who fail to register or sit the tests will face fines of up to £1,000. Increasing police powers New legislation will give police officers the additional power to land drones and require users to produce the proper documentation. The police will have the power to search premises and seize drones — including electronic data stored within the device — where a serious offence has been committed and a warrant is secured. The police will also be able to issue fixed-penalty notices for minor drone offences to ensure immediate and effective enforcement of vital rules. Fines of up to £100 could be given for offences such as failing to comply with a police officer when instructed to land a drone, or not showing your registration to operate a drone. The Government is finalising a Draft Drones Bill which will give the police these powers and intends to bring this Bill forward sometime in 2019 THE DRONECODE When you fly a drone in the UK it is your responsibility to be aware of the rules that are in place to keep everyone safe. Follow these simple steps to make sure you are flying safely and legally. Don’t fly near airports or airfields Remember to stay below 400ft (120m) Observe your drone at all times Stay 150ft (50m) away from people and property Never fly near aircraft Enjoy responsibly Leicester Drones have posted the following information. Leicester Drones advise all drone users to follow the new no-fly zones, and the drone code. Chris have released the following statement “From tomorrow the drone code has some changes, mainly the No Fly Zones around airports have been increased in size and well as an additional 5km area from the end of the runway. It's quite simple really - just check where you are flying and keep away from airports” The only airport in Leicester is Gartree Road, Leicester LE2 2FG To find out more about the Drone Club www.leicesterdrones.com Join the Leicester Drones Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/leicesterdrones/ By Craig Thorpe for Leicester Media

Leicester city council has appointed five more homeless prevention officers to join its existing team of 13, to meet the increased demand on its services Based at the council’s Customer Service Centre on Granby Street, the homeless prevention team is able to give advice to city residents who are worried they may lose their home. This may include advice on what benefits are available, help with budgeting or dealing with debts, or supporting people in speaking to their landlord or dealing with eviction notices. If officers can’t help someone to stay in their existing home, they will try to help them find alternative accommodation. Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “We have a wide range of services to help people who are homeless, but preventing homelessness in the first place is one our main priorities. I’m very pleased to welcome these new officers who will be providing a much-needed service to the people of Leicester.” Cllr Andy Connelly, asst city mayor for housing said: “Like other cities we are trying to cope with the effects of benefit changes, high private-sector rents, and a lack of affordable housing. All of these factors, and the Government’s Right to Buy scheme mean that more people than ever before are facing homelessness. “It’s very important that people contact us at the earliest opportunity, if they think they may need help to avoid losing their homes. The sooner they speak to us, the more chance we have of helping them.” Since 2014/15 the number of households asking for help from the city council when they are homeless, or to prevent them from losing their homes has increased every year, up from 2,163 households in 2014/15 to 4053 in 2017/18. In 2017/18 the council was able to prevent homelessness for 3,632 of the households that approached it. It's estimated that by the end of March a total of 4,800 households will have asked the council for help during 2018/19. More information on how the council can help people facing homelessness, and what their rights are, is available on the council’s website at leicester.gov.uk - type homelessness in the search bar. City residents needing advice can also contact the housing options team by calling the Customer Service line on 0116 454 1008, or by visiting the Customer Service Centre at 90 Granby Street. The city council spends more than £5 million a year on homelessness services. Funding for the new staff came from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in recognition of the additional burden placed on councils because of new laws around the duty of councils to prevent homelessness.

The owner of the dogs have put up £1000 reward. for the safe return of Dinky and Doris, stolen from owners car parked at Sainsbury’s in Hinckley on Wednesday Police are appealing for help in trying to find the two dogs pictured after they were stolen in Hinckley. The dogs, which are Chihuahuas, had been left in the boot of a car – a Mercedes CLS 220 - by their owner while it was parked in a supermarket car park in Rugby Road, yesterday (Wednesday 13 March). The owner went into the supermarket at around 4.30pm and when she returned at 6.30pm, discovered that the dogs – named Dinky and Doris - had been taken. Both are microchipped. Chris Kyte, from Leicestershire Police’s crime bureau, said: “Were you in the supermarket yesterday evening? Did you see the dogs pictured or anyone acting in a suspicious manner in the car park? “We would ask anyone who has information as to their whereabouts to get in touch. Have you seen them listed for sale? Their owner is understandably very upset and is desperate for them to be returned safe and well.” Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting crime number 19*130137.

Firefighters confirm suspected cause was unattended candles. House Fire on Peverel Road in Braunstone. The fire was reported just after 5pm tonight. Watch the Fire service tackle the Flames and smoke coming out of the front bedroom window. No reports of any persons injured. EMAS East Midlands ambulance service was standing by at the time of the Fire. 🔴 Updated 18:30 Leicestershire Fire Service made the following statement. Candles may appeared to have caused the blaze. A dog has been rescued from within the property, the bedroom is severely damaged with smoke damage to other parts of the property. Nobody was in the house at the time of the fire. Pictures by Leicester Media ©2019 NEWS Report. Date of incident 14/03/19 17:00

Incident number: 19*122409 Leicestershire Police are appealing for public help after two reports of knife point robberies that happened at the weekend in Abbey Park, Leicester. The first incident happened at around 10.10pm on Saturday night (9 March) when a man was walking through the park. As he was close to the car park he was approached by three men who threatened him with a knife before stealing his car keys. They subsequently stole his silver Vauxhall Astra which was parked in the car park. The stolen car has been since been found abandoned on Gipsy Lane, Leicester after it failed to stop for police. The second incident happened at around 10.15pm when a man had left his car in the car park to walk and collect a friend. He was approached nearby by three men who threatened him with a knife before he managed to get back into his car and drive off unharmed. Two Leicester men aged 26 and 28 have been arrested in connection with the incident and have been released on police bail pending further enquiries. Detective Constable Simon Clarke, the investigating officer, said: “I would like to appeal directly to anyone that may have been close to St Margaret’s pastures car park around the time of the incidents and seen either of the incidents taking place. “We are aware that other vehicles were parked in the car park when the offences took place and I’d like to appeal to anyone who may have any information regarding what happened or know the people responsible to please get in touch. Evidence such as dash cam footage may also be of assistance to our investigation.” Anyone with information is asked to contact DC 1613 Clarke on 101 quoting 19*122409. If you have information in response to this appeal please contact us on 101. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Your personal details won't be taken, information isn't traced or recorded and you will not be required to go to court.

Issued on 13/3/19 at 3:25 p.m. Detectives are re-appealing for witnesses to a serious assault on Christmas Day – which left the victim blind in one eye. Sujan Pal was working as a taxi driver in the early hours of 25 December, 2018 when he was approached by a man outside of the Rose and Crown pub in Uppingham Road, Houghton on the Hill. After refusing the man access to the vehicle, 39-year-old Sujan was punched in the face, causing serious damage to his left eye socket. He has been left completely blind in the eye and has had to leave his job as a taxi driver as a result of his horrific injury. Officers believe a number of people were in the area at the time but despite an appeal shortly after it happened many people who may have witnessed it have still not come forward. The victim, Sujan Pal, said: “All I want is to see out of my eye again. I am very worried about what the future holds. I need my vision to work and support my family. I have been a taxi driver for 12 years in Leicester, London and Vienna, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. “I know that people saw what happened to me and I would ask that they please co-operate with the police and do the right thing so that this does not happen to anyone else.” DC Mike Archer, who is investigating the incident, said: “This was a very nasty and unprovoked attack on a man who was out working during the busy Christmas period. “A single punch to the face has left Sujan with life changing injuries and he is now unable to work and provide for his family. “We are aware that there were people around that night and specifically information has been received about the incident from some witnesses who for whatever reason are reluctant to provide written statements. “We would like to reassure anyone who witnessed the incident that the information they provide will be treated in the strictest confidence and the details they can provide could help us secure a successful prosecution for this callous assault. “If you are one of these people please get in touch. Any information you have, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could help us with our enquiries. If you do not want to speak to police you can also pass on information to Crimestoppers anonymously.” A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and released pending further enquiries. Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC 535 Archer on 101 quoting crime number 18*624154.

Police gained entry through 3rd Floor window at Vestry house after a stand-off to help a injured man who had barricaded himself inside tonight. Police had to gain entry to a flat via a 3rd floor window tonight at Vestry House on Humberstone Gate in Leicester, with the help from the Fire Service aerial platform. The incident happened around 4.30pm, Humberstone Gate was closed to all traffic and buses, for about a hour during the incident. The bus services near to the incident had to be diverted and temporary bus stops was put in place on Charles Street. The two police officers had to be assisted by Leicestershire fire & rescue service, the police had to wear fall protection safety harnesses and be securely attach to the platform cage. after kitting up and safety checks by the fire service the two Police Officers was lifted up to the open window and gained entry to 3rd Floor flat. East Midlands ambulance was also in attendance. Pictures by Leicester Media online On lookers said "why can't they use the front door of the flat. This Justed Released 21:00 On a tweet from Leicestershire Police, they confirmed officers attended the address after concerns from ambulance service for a man inside the flat. "Police were called at 4.30pm today by the ambulance service concerned for a man inside an address. Officers entered and found a man injured inside. He was taken to hospital for treatment. Part of Humberstone Gate was closed while incident was ongoing" Full statement released by Police Concern for the welfare of man in Vestry House Issued on 13/3/19 at 8:08 p.m. At around 4.30pm this afternoon (Wednesday 13 March) police were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service reporting concern for the welfare of a man inside an address in the city centre. Officers attended the flat in Vestry House, where a man, in his 40s, had barricaded himself inside. With the assistance of the fire service, officers were able to enter the property where they found the sole occupant of the address with injuries to his hands and neck. The man was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary for treatment. Humberstone Gate at the junctions of Charles Street and Wharf Street North was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident – the closure has since been lifted. Officers would like to thank the public for their patience while the incident was ongoing.

PARTS of Leicester will be transformed into a giant game this spring, as thousands of residents compete to see if their school, community or business can walk, run or cycle further than its rivals. Running from 13 March to 24 April, Beat the Street is a free, fun challenge where people are rewarded with points and prizes for exploring their neighbourhood on foot or by bicycle. Sixty special sensors called ‘Beat Boxes’ will soon appear across central and north-west Leicester, stretching from Leicester city centre to Belgrave, Dane Hills and Beaumont Leys. Those taking part in the six-week challenge will tap the Beat Boxes with special cards and fobs to track their journey – and the more Beat Boxes they swipe, the more points they’ll earn for their team. Schools and community groups across Leicester will be competing against each other to see who can travel the furthest and climb the leaderboards – with hundreds of pounds worth of sport and fitness equipment up for grabs for the winners. Families are encouraged to play for their local school, while the wider community can create their own teams by emailing team.leicester@beatthestreet.me If players have no team to support, they can help support a local charity when registering – players can support The Laura Centre, which provides bereavement support for parents, Baby Basics, which support new mums, and Prostaid, which cares for local people living with prostate cancer. At the end of the game, the charity whose supporters have scored the most points will receive £500. In addition to the leaderboard prizes, registered players can also win weekly ‘Lucky Tap’ prizes for playing along – including sports and fitness vouchers and experience days. To get involved with Beat the Street, residents can pick up free Beat the Street cards and maps at Beaumont Leys Library, Fosse Library, New Parks Library, Rushey Mead Library, Abbey Lane Asda and Beaumont Leys Health Centre. Cards and fobs will also be distributed via participating primary schools in the area. Dr William Bird, CEO Intelligent Health said: “We are incredibly excited to be bringing Beat the Street to Leicester and can’t wait to see how far everyone is able to walk, run, cycle and scoot during the challenge. “Anyone living, working or studying in the area is able to get involved in Beat the Street – it’s completely free to play and is a great opportunity to go outdoors, spend time with your friends and family and get moving. Watch out for Beat Boxes popping up in Leicester soon, pick up a card and get involved.” Councillor Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor with responsibility for the environment, public health and health integration said: “Around a third of children in Leicester do less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day, which is why it’s so important that we find new ways to make exercise fun. “By bringing Beat the Street to Leicester, we hope we can encourage thousands of people of all ages to incorporate more walking, cycling and physical activity into their daily lives.” Beat the Street Leicester is delivered by Intelligent Health and supported by Leicester City Council. It’s one of 59 Beat the Street games that will be set up across the South West and East Midlands using a new £3.3 million National Lottery funding grant from Sport England. More than 900,000 people have played Beat the Street to date with previous games taking place in London, Dublin and Belfast. More information about Beat the Street is available at beatthestreet.me/leicester To start playing visit https://beatthestreet.me/leicester

Leicestershire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have presented a cheque for £4000 to a Leicestershire children’s charity ‘Wishes 4 Kids’. The fundraising was prompted by Caroline Neal, a Human Resource Manager at Leicestershire Police, whose own daughter, Hope, was granted a wish from the charity. The money was raised at a charity ball last November which raised £2000 – a sum which was matched by Lord Bach, the Police and Crime Commissioner, from The Police Property Fund bringing the total to £4000. Proceeds raised from the sale of recovered and stolen property is sold at auction if, after a period of time, it hasn’t been claimed or returned to its rightful owner. All awards from the Police Property fund must be used for charitable purposes. Wishes 4 kids (W4K) is a local charity which provides wishes to poorly children living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who are either life limited, terminally ill, have experienced life-changing physical or emotional traumas. Founded in 2002, the charity provides experiences such as a three day VIP trip to Euro Disney or meeting a celebrity. The average wish costs the charity around £700 and they rely solely on public donations. Caroline’s daughter, Hope, is now fourteen-years old. She was the first person in the UK to be diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer called Nephroblastomastis when she was one. Hope spent two years in hospital fighting her cancer battle through regular sessions of chemotherapy. She is now a healthy and happy teenager and has been inspired from her experience with the charity and time in hospital to become a child’s cancer nurse. In 2008, Hope’s wish to meet a Disney princess came true thanks to W4K. Hope and Caroline were collected in a limousine and flew to Euro Disney in Paris. They were made to feel special from start to finish with amazing attention to detail like meals that included Hope’s favourite food. Caroline said, “I am the lucky one, I walked out of the hospital with my daughter. W4K gave me happiness in a world where there is sometimes no happy ending. "I am very grateful to the force and the PCC for supporting Wishes for Kids and making such a considerable contribution to their fundraising. They will be able to help many more children like my daughter." Caroline is running twenty miles in the ‘Ashby 20’ on Sunday 24 March to raise even more money to add to her already outstanding figure of £30,000. Caroline has set up a donation page for people who would like to contribute to her charity run. www.wishes4kids.co.uk Wishes 4 Kids 67 Regent Road Leicester LE1 6YF Telephone: 0116 2543491 Facsimile: 0116 2543492 Email: info@wishes4kids.co.uk

Final touches are being made to a £15.8 million expansion of a city secondary school, in time for pupils to start using the new facilities next term. Fullhurst Community College, in Imperial Avenue, Braunstone, has expanded onto the 5,000sqm site formerly occupied by Ellesmere College. Work on the new campus began in January 2018 and has included the refurbishment and extension of the existing building, as well as the building of a new teaching block to the rear of the site. From August 2019, the new teaching block will act as a base for the school’s year seven and eight pupils, with just year seven using it next academic year. The expansion will allow the school to continue to increase its capacity from 900 to 1,500 pupils. The new teaching accommodation, which has been constructed by Willmott Dixon, includes 21 new classrooms, three science labs, a music room, food and design technology workshops, and drama studio. Outdoor areas have been landscaped, with car parking and new play areas, and a new courtyard with outdoor dining facilities has been created. The flat roof of the new classroom block has been fitted with 274 photovoltaic panels. The clean energy produced will help the school cut its CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 33,000 kg per year. The new panels will also help the school significantly reduce its energy bills and the £130,000 system is expected to have paid for itself in about eight to ten years. Steve Piggot, Principal of Fullhurst Community College, said: “Our aim as a school is to provide the highest quality education for every student, helping them to thrive in a supportive and inspiring environment. The learning environment is a vital part of that. “This new state of the art teaching block will bring huge benefits for students and staff. It will allow us to welcome more new students to our school and help us continue to raise standards.” City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Our ambitious school expansion programme represents a huge investment in the city’s future prosperity. “With over £90milllion earmarked for new school buildings, this is the single biggest area of capital investment that the council is making. The new learning block at Fullhurst is an example of what can be achieved. It has created a first rate new facility for pupils at the school and helped make excellent use of a building that was previously standing empty. “The project team has done an excellent job and should be congratulated.” Cllr Sarah Russell, deputy city mayor and lead on children and young people’s services, said: “Fullhurst is a popular and successful school that continues to go from strength to strength. This has been reflected in the number of families that now apply for places there" “This new expansion will mean that the school can accommodate more of those pupils in coming years and will play a really important role in helping us achieve our ambitious expansion targets over the next five years.” The multi-million pound project is part of Leicester City Council’s ambitious plans to invest up to £90 million in a major programme of school expansion. This will provide more than 3,000 new pupil places across all secondary school year groups over the next five years, with an additional 600 year seven places by 2019/20. The work is partly funded by the city council’s Basic Need allocation from the Department for Education, which is intended to ensure that there are enough school places to meet demand. Visit the college web site https://www.fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

Canteen for its 2nd birthday brought together some of the best traders in the UK for a weekend of awesome food and drink and some entertainment. Friday 8th March and Saturday 9th March at NEW MARKET SQUARE Leicester Canteen for its 2nd birthday brought together some of the best traders in the UK for a weekend of awesome food and drink and some entertainment. The canteen was on the New Market Square Leicester. near the market place the home of Alice Hawkins, The square looked so inviting with the smells of freshly cooked street foods from all around the world, there was something for everybody’s taste. If you missed tonights not to worry, it’s on again tomorrow Saturday 9th March 12 to 11pm Visit the Facebook event page for more details https://m.facebook.com/events/394556121373157?ti=icl Fancy this awesome twist on a chip butty? The Vada Pav from Goody Gujarati will be available today. With their very special coriander & tamarind chutney, peanut crunch, dry coconut sambol with a sprinkle of Bombay onions and crunchy battered crisps this is an explosion of flavours. The potato vada is coated in a spicy chilli batter that packs just the right amount heat for a true expression of Indian flavours! Entry was free before 7pm and then just £1 afterwards. Under 14s was free. By Craig Thorpe #leicestermarkets #streetfood #canteen

A police officer from Leicestershire has won a national award for delivering outstanding neighbourhood policing to the community he serves in the West End of Leicester. Chief Constable Simon Cole presents award PC Matt Eld Image courtesy of Leicestershire Police PC Matthew Eld, known to many as Matt, is the beat officer for the Westcotes neighbourhood in Leicester. He has won the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s ‘Community Police Officer of the Year Award’ after being nominated by his sergeant. Matt received his award last night (Tuesday 5 March) at Hinckley Island Hotel with the other winners from across the country and celebrated with a dinner. Matt said: “I am honoured to receive this national award and very grateful for the recognition. “I thoroughly enjoy my job and look forward to many more years on the beat in the West End of Leicester. Thank you!” This isn’t the first time Matt has been noticed for his hard work. Only a few months ago Matt was nominated by the public for ‘Beat Bobby of the Year’ award. Matt’s work goes beyond policing, he identifies ‘wider’ issues affecting his beat, including working with internal and external partners and is known for taking personal ownership in seeing things through to conclusion. Most importantly, Matt is learning Polish in his own free time to assist in improved communication with his community members. Learning Polish has enabled Matt to build a strong network with ‘Project Polska’, a community organisation which works towards improving social and cohesion and wellbeing of the Polish community in Leicestershire. Breaking down barriers within the community has enabled Matt to earn the trust of local businesses and residents. Sergeant Spencer Dyer, who nominated him, said: “Matt consistently demonstrates exceptional enthusiasm and passion as a neighbourhood officer. He has an excellent relationship with key members of his community and is always willing to support colleagues and provide valuable advice. Inspector Rob Randell, who endorsed the nomination, said: “All police officers are expected to have an understanding of diverse communities and Matt has gone above and beyond this. “He understands the demographic by becoming part of the community and has successfully demonstrated positive Simon Cole the chief constable of Leicestershire Police said. “Matthew is a fantastic example of how local neighbourhood officers can make a difference to their communities. The force is extremely proud of his achievement and it is thoroughly deserved.” More awards Neighbourhood officers honoured at inaugural Local Policing Awards ceremony The efforts of response teams, call handlers, PCSOs and Special Constables across the country were recognised at the first ever National Local Policing Awards. Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole, who presented the awards as part of the National Police Chiefs ‘Council’s conference on local policing, said they were: “an opportunity to celebrate the innovative and valuable work that is undertaken daily throughout Local Policing to ensure that our communities are safe from harm.” Officers from Essex Police won the award for Response Team of the Year for their work on a number of high profile, serious, and emotionally challenging incidents, as well as targeting and tackling gang activity. The officers from Chelmsford Local Policing Team’s C Shift were the first on scene following the murder of John Pordage in August 2017 while two members of the team were injured by a woman with a knife found to be in mental health crisis in December of the same year. Sergeant Kiersten Knott of West Yorkshire Police won Response Officer of the Year for having demonstrated great leadership, strength and resilience that resulted in the arrest and conviction of a male for abduction and assault of a child. PC Matthew Eld, beat officer for the Westcotes neighbourhood in Leicester, won the Community Police Officer of the Year Award. He was recognised for going above and beyond to identify ‘wider’ issues affecting his beat, including working with internal and external partners. He has even begun learning Polish to improve his links with part of the local community. Other categories included Outstanding Contribution to Child Centred Policing; Innovation in Community Policing, PCSO of the Year and Call Handler of the Year. #leicesterpolice #leicspolice #nationalpoliceawards