Changes to part of a Leicester housing estate have been proposed to help reduce crime, create more parking and improve the area for residents. Designs have been drawn up by Leicester City Council for Ottawa Road and the corner of Edmonton Road in St Matthews, which will see old brick garages and bin stores cleared away and replaced with new parking bays, new street lighting and railings installed, and the closure of an unsafe alleyway connecting the street to St Matthews Way. At nearby Lethbridge Close, improvements will be made to make a communal courtyard area more open and safer, along with raised flower beds and landscaping, and the removal of a partially-hidden pathway. Several brick garages and bin stores will be cleared away. Work will also be done on gardens facing onto St Matthews Way, including adding screening to the railings to reduce traffic noise and improve privacy, installing new sheds, clearing undergrowth and brambles and planting with bulbs, replacing washing lines and installing private patio areas outside ground-floor flats. The plans follow long-term work with the neighbourhood housing team, ward councillors and the local tenants’ and residents’ association to identify the problems they most want to see being addressed, such as fly-tipping, shortage of parking and safety issues. Architects A+G have been brought in to draft up designs for the area. People now have the chance to give their views on the proposals, in an online survey at Leicester City Council’s website. Leicester assistant city mayor for housing, Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, said: “We’ve been working with our local housing team and residents to look at where improvements could be made to communal areas and gardens, and also to address the shortage of parking spaces. “These designs have drawn up with those goals in mind, both to improve the look and feel of the area, and to create much-needed parking bays for residents. “The work will also improve safety by closing off a couple of pathways which don’t provide good visibility. “I’d urge local people to get involved and give us their views on these plans, by looking at the artist impressions and plans we’ve made available online, and telling us what they think of them. “We want to make sure these changes address local concerns and needs, so we need local input to help us do that.” In total, carrying out the work is expected to cost in the region of £850,000 and could get underway later this year or early 2022. People can see the designs and give their views from Monday, April 6, by visiting consultations.leicester.gov.uk. The closing date is Friday, April 30. Alternatively, the plans can be viewed at St Matthew’s Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) in Manitoba Road. Leicester City Council News - 06/04/21

Following a number of reports of anti-social behaviour in Northfield Park, Blaby, and the surrounding area yesterday afternoon and evening (Saturday), a Section 34 Dispersal Order was authorised covering the area of Blaby and Whetstone. The order, which was in place from 10pm yesterday evening (Saturday) until 7am this morning (Sunday), allowed officers the power to require people to leave the area to reduce the risk of causing harassment, alarm or distress to the local community and to also reduce the risk of any further public disorder. Calls received included reports of large groups of youths gathering in the park with anti-social behaviour being reported. Following police attendance, the youths left the area. No injuries were reported during the evening. Damage was caused to a police car during the evening including the wing mirror of the vehicle being broken. Sergeant Alex Goldsmith said: “With the order in place, we continued to monitor the area overnight. Our officers also continue to carry out proactive patrols in the area today and throughout the evening. “Thank you to members of the public who reported their concerns to us leading us to taking this action. We will continue to monitor the situation today and urge you to report any further concerns to us so the relevant action can be taken.”

A £4 Million project to create a new youth hub and help get young people into jobs, education and training is being launched in Leicester. The youth employment hub is being set up by Leicester City Council with local training and enterprise partners that specialise in working with young people and young adults. It will benefit from £2million in funding after successful city council bids to the European Social Fund (ESF), with the rest of the money coming from the city council (£1.1m) and partners. The project will offer tailored support and opportunities to young people in Leicester who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The former Visit Leicester tourist information store ­- in Gallowtree Gate in the city centre – will be transformed into a youth employment hub, which people will be able to visit to find out more about jobs, apprenticeships, training schemes and college courses. Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, assistant city mayor for education, said: “We know that young people have been hit hard by the pandemic. Nationally, youth unemployment stands at 9% and in Leicester it is at 6.9%. “We’re determined to prioritise young people for support and help them to achieve their ambitions – especially those who are not already in work, education or training. “We were absolutely delighted to get this very significant amount of funding for the youth hub project. It will help us to make a real and long-lasting difference to the lives of young people.” Cllr Danny Myers, assistant city mayor for jobs and skills, added: “Setting up a youth employment hub in a prominent city centre location signals our long-term commitment to providing opportunities for young people. “This will form an important part of our wider Leicester Employment Hub, which already works directly with employers and jobseekers of all ages and has a proven track record, having helped nearly 300 people into employment or apprenticeships. “In line with our Economic Action Plan, we want to encourage investment into the city and drive demand for a skilled workforce, so that local opportunities of all kinds are available for young people. This will help Leicester to make a strong recovery from the huge economic impact of the pandemic.” The project will be overseen by the city council’s Connexions service, which provides careers advice and support for 16-25 year olds. Three local training providers will also work on the project. They are Futures, which specialises in employability for 18-25 year-olds; the Youth Education Project; and Transform. All three have provided match-funding to be a part of the project, and all three will be able to provide more specialist training places and support for young people as a result of the ESF funding. As well as working on traditional skills such as interview techniques and CV writing, young people who engage with the youth employment hub can get extra support if they need it. This could include help with online applications, someone to accompany them to a job interview, confidence-building techniques and help to break down any barriers to work that they might be facing. The three-year programme plans to help more than 1,000 young people into employment, education or training. It will be open to all young people who are NEET, but it will particularly target groups of young people who are more likely to be NEET – such as young people leaving care, those with special educational needs and disabilities, or those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The coronavirus pandemic has led to more young people becoming NEET. In February 2020, the number of young people aged 16-19 who were not in education, employment or training was 515 – 5.7% of all local young people in that age bracket. By February 2021, this had risen to 659, or 7.2%. The youth hub is planning to open in mid-May, restrictions permitting. In the meantime, to find out more about employment and training opportunities locally, visit www.leicesteremploymenthub.co.uk

Businesses offering beauty treatments at home during lockdown are being warned they face fines, prosecution and possible police action after a rise in the number of reports of such work taking place despite the Covid-19 restrictions. Officers from Leicester City Council’s regulatory services team are investigating 13 separate reports of beauty businesses providing treatment at home, which is against the law under current lockdown measures. Customers receiving such services can be fined £1,000, as well as the businesses themselves. So far, five businesses have been given formal warning letters, with one issued a £1,000 fixed penalty notice. Two more beauty businesses have been fined by Leicestershire Police. The city council’s regulatory services team has made more than 2,500 visits to businesses across the city throughout the last 12 months, 439 of which also required further follow-up visits to ensure compliance with Covid regulations. While the vast majority of businesses act responsibly, five fixed penalty notices have been issued, including two to pubs, one to a gym and three to firms providing beauty treatments. Leicester City Council’s head of regulatory service, Nicola Preston, said: “While it is reasonably easy for our officers to establish whether premises which should be closed are admitting customers, it is much more difficult to spot those illegally offering treatments in customers’ own homes. “While it might be tempting to get a beauty treatment at home, it is still against the law under the national lockdown rules, because working so closely with someone else indoors carries a significant infection risk. “We’re investigating more than a dozen reports of beauty services being offered at home. Some have been given formal warnings, and one has been fined £1,000. “Customers can be fined £1,000 for breaching Covid-19 regulations, as well as the person carrying out the treatment. It just isn’t worth it – lockdown restrictions are being eased across the UK over the coming months, meaning people will be able to visit their usual salon lawfully no earlier than April 12. “We all want to return to normal life, but it is vital that people continue to observe the current restrictions in the meantime.” Once allowed to reopen, beauty businesses, including those operating from home, will still have to follow Government guidance to keep themselves, their employees and customers safe. Guidance for close contact services can be found here. Latest information for Leicester is available here. To report a local breach of the national lockdown restrictions, email C19business@leicester.gov.uk Leicester City Council News

Officers are appealing for information after a number of burglaries were reported in Anstey. Between 1am and 4am on Tuesday 30 March three burglaries and one attempted burglary were reported at properties on Cropston Road and further attempted burglaries were reported on Fairhaven Road and Pollards Road. Two push bikes, a laptop and three mobile phones were reported stolen from outbuildings, sheds and garages. Detective Constable Jim Chaplin said: “We believe a small group of young men are responsible for these burglaries and we are carrying out investigations to try and identify them. “We would like to hear from anyone with CCTV or dash cam footage in the area who may have captured a group of men. ”We also urge everyone to keep their property secure and take precautions such as installing motion-activated lighting.” Anyone with information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 21*175781. You can also visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/

Officers are appealing for information after a reported arson in Leicester on Saturday 6 March. It was reported that around 5pm a caravan was set alight on Oswin Road. No injuries were reported but all the contents of the caravan were destroyed. Two men were reportedly seen running away from the fire, both around 18 years old. One is described as mixed race with dreadlocks and wearing a shiny navy Adidas jacket with the hood up and dark blue bottoms. The other is described as white with blonde hair and wearing a black Adidas puffer jacket with the hood up, black Adidas trainers and black Adidas tracksuit bottoms. PC Sarah Lee said: “This incident happened when it was still light and traffic is likely to have been passing through the area. “We would like to speak to anyone who may have seen these men or anyone with dash cam footage that might have captured them.” Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference 21*129049. You can also report online at www.leics.police.uk

A music teacher who sexually abused a teenage girl more than 10 years ago has been jailed after admitting his crimes. Christopher Dunn was sentenced to 19 months imprisonment on Friday (26 March) at Leicester Crown Court. The 45-year-old, of Pulford Drive, Thurnby, committed the offences between 2004 and 2007. His victim, who is now an adult, contacted police to report matters in 2019. She told police she had attended a music school which Dunn taught at, where students were able to go on trips abroad. On one trip – when she was around 15 years old – Dunn touched her inappropriately. When they returned to the UK, their contact continued and Dunn carried out further acts of sexual abuse. His victim said he often made comments of an inappropriate nature towards her and bought her cigarettes, alcohol and a new mobile phone. In a Victim Personal Statement (VPS) provided to offices, she said Dunn hasn’t “just taken her childhood” – but had taken “most of the rest of her life as well”. She said what happened lives inside her head every day. At Leicester Crown Court on 20 November last year, Dunn pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust and one count of sexual activity with a child. Detective Constable Jamie Carr, the investigating officer, believes there may be other victims of Dunn who have not yet come forward. He said: “I hope the victim in this case can take some relief from the fact Dunn is now serving a custodial sentence, which may allow her to move on to some degree. “From my enquiries during this investigation, I believe that there may be other women out there who were sexually abused by Dunn. “I hope the fact he’s been convicted of these crimes – and is now serving a custodial sentence – could encourage those people to come forward. We have specially-trained officers who can offer support throughout an investigation.” There are a number of different agencies who are able to offer independent help and support to victims of sexual offences in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Further information on these services and details can be found by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/

A woman has today been sentenced after being found guilty a second time of the murder of her partner who was killed in 2016. Emma Magson was found guilty of the murder of James Knight in November 2016 and sentenced to life imprisonment ordering her to serve a minimum of 17 years. Following an appeal against her conviction at the Court of Appeal in December 2019, a retrial was ordered which concluded at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday 5 March after eight weeks. The jury in the second trial found Magson guilty of murder and she was sentenced today (Monday 29 March) to the same sentence - life imprisonment and to serve a minimum of 17 years. During the early hours of Sunday 27 March 2016, 27-year-old Magson stabbed James in the chest following an argument at her home in Sylvan Street, Leicester. Magson phoned for an ambulance, telling the call taker that James had returned home from a night out and ‘collapsed on her’. She failed to mention he had suffered a stab wound. However she later divulged to witnesses she had caused his injuries and was arrested by officers. A post mortem examination revealed James, who was 26, died from a single stab wound to the chest. Detective Inspector Kenny Henry, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “It has been very disappointing to have to be back in court four years on to see the case be heard before a jury once more. The evidence against Magson continued to be overwhelming and the fact she has been convicted a second time just confirms that. “Understandably James’ family found it incredibly difficult to sit through the first trial and hear her lies and deceit and how Magson effectively sat back and watched James die. It has been horrendous for this to be spoken about in court again. “They have done their best to come to terms with his death but to hear yet again that Magson insisted that James had just collapsed because he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol has been distressing for them. They have been reminded with the fact that it was only some time later that she called an ambulance, and even then, she failed to disclose to the call taker that he had sustained a stab wound, a stab wound which she later admitting causing. “They continue to struggle with the possibility had Magson called an ambulance sooner and told of them of his injury, he could have lived and they wouldn’t be mourning for James, a much loved son and brother.” DI Henry added: “Knife crime can have a devastating effect on families which is why it continues to remain an ongoing priority for the force. Our #LivesNotKnives campaign has been running for a number of years and continues to be committed to reducing knife crime offences. “Domestic abuse also remains a priority for us and as such we remain dedicated to investigating all received reports. We continue to work hard to raise awareness of domestic abuse, including working with partner agencies, to provide support and advice so victims feel able to reach out for help.” For further information about knife crime, visit https://www.leics.police.uk/police-forces/leicestershire-police/areas/leicestershire-force-content/c/campaigns/2019/knife-crime/ For further information about domestic abuse, visit https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/ Family issue tribute to "devoted father and loving son" The following statement has been issued on behalf of the family of James Knight: “James was only 26 years old when he was killed, a devoted father of two beautiful girls, a loving son, brother and uncle as well as a friend to so many. “We remember James as a very happy bouncy young man who made everyone's day brighter with a smile that was infectious, something no-one will ever be able to forget and something we will always treasure. “We continue, as a family, to relive what happened that night and our hearts will forever be broken to think of the pain that James suffered and how he was so cruelly taken away from us. Knowing that there is a possibility had Magson called an ambulance sooner and told of them of his injury, James could have lived, will always be with us and is something we remain struggling to deal with. “We would like to thank everyone who was involved in trying to save James’ life, whether it was at the house or at the hospital. We must also thank all those came to court to give evidence as witnesses again. “As a family we would like to thank Leicestershire Police for their support once more and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), in particular Mary Prior QC and Paul Prior. Everyone worked so hard to get the right result and ensure justice has been served again. “We are disappointed that Justice for Women felt there was enough evidence to support a re-trial bringing us back in court more than four years on. Their view to make her seem completely like the victim was wrong and unfair to James.” Leicestershire Police News 29/03/2021

People living in Leicester will see no changes to their household waste and recycling collections over Easter. Bins and orange recycling bags will be collected as normal – even on Good Friday (Friday 2 April). Residents are asked to place their bins and orange recycling bags outside their homes by 7am on their usual collection day. Leicester City Council is encouraging residents to recycle as much of their Easter waste as possible by using their orange recycling bags or communal recycling bins. Cardboard boxes from Easter eggs, as well as any plastic packaging, can be recycled – as can any foil wrappings. Foil should be scrunched into a ball and placed in orange bags for recycling. Large cardboard boxes can be flattened and placed underneath orange bags for recycling. A full list of all the items that can be recycled in Leicester is available at www.leicester.gov.uk/recycling. Garden waste collections will take place as scheduled on Easter Monday (Monday 5 April). Garden waste calendars are available at www.leicester.gov.uk/gardenwaste People can also book a free bulky waste collection of up to five items including black bags of refuse and up to 15 bags or bundles of garden waste at my.leicester.gov.uk Leicester’s two recycling centres are open from 8am to 6pm until 31 March, and from 8am to 8pm from 1 April, however the gates may be closed earlier than this in order to clear any existing queue and to sanitise the site. Due to social distancing measures in place long queues may form, especially on weekends, and site staff are not able to assist with unloading vehicles. Leicester City Council News

Restrictions on outdoor mixing will start to be eased across England from Monday (29 March), as the country takes its next careful step towards leaving lockdown. From Monday, six people, or two households, will be able to meet outdoors and in private gardens, allowing families and friends to see each other once again, while respecting social distancing guidance. Outdoor activities, such as tennis and golf, can resume – and formally-organised outdoor sports, such as grassroots football, can get under way again too. The city council’s golf course at Humberstone Heights will reopen at 8am on Monday, with outdoor gyms, tennis courts, ball courts and 3G pitches reopening too. But with coronavirus rates in Leicester still higher than the national average, people in the city are reminded to stay vigilant and continue to follow social distancing guidance – and to keep working from home, if they can. “The gradual easing of restrictions on outdoor mixing will be a real boost for people’s mental health, as families and friends are allowed to meet up again in private gardens, but we do need to exercise caution,” said Leicester’s director of public health, Professor Ivan Browne. “Having come so far, and sacrificed so much, we don’t want to undo all the good work by breaking the rules and allowing coronavirus to surge again. “Enjoy meeting your friends and families in the garden, remembering that people from different households will still need to socially distance from each other, but please don’t be tempted to invite people indoors. Coronavirus spreads easily in enclosed spaces, so mixing indoors with people you don’t live with is still not permitted – unless they’re in your support bubble. “And remember that even if you’ve been vaccinated, you must continue to follow the hands-face-space rules. “The vaccine is safe and effective, and it’s the best way we’ve got to beat the pandemic. If you haven’t had your vaccination yet, I would urge you to have it as soon as it’s offered to you.” From Monday, people are no longer legally required to stay at home, but people should continue to minimise travel and should not be staying away from home overnight. While it is still not possible to meet people from other households indoors, parent and child groups can take place outdoors from Monday with a limit of 15 attendees – with children under five not counting towards the attendee limit. More information about the Government’s roadmap to easing restrictions can be found here To help keep coronavirus out of the city’s schools and colleges, those with nursery or school-aged children at home are encouraged to take a Covid test twice a week. With one in three people with coronavirus showing no symptoms, regular testing is the best way to identify those who may be spreading the virus without realising it. Anyone can pop in to one of Leicester’s six rapid testing centres twice a week, as long as they have no symptoms. Free rapid tests are available seven days a week at the Adult Education College, Coleman Neighbourhood Centre, Eyres Monsell Community Centre, Fosse Neighbourhood Centre, Hamilton Library and the Tudor Centre. If you have symptoms of coronavirus, stay at home and call 119 to book a test. If you have symptoms, or you test positive, you and everyone you live with must stay at home for 10 days. Latest figures for Leicester show an infection rate of 111.8 per 100,000*, which compares with a national average of 55.3 per 100,000. With infection rates still high, everyone in the city should continue to: wear a face covering when required wash or sanitise their hands frequently follow social distancing rules work from home, if possible refrain from visiting anyone else’s home, unless they’re in a support bubble with them walk or cycle if possible – and avoid travelling on buses at peak times if possible (From Monday) follow the Rule of Six: that’s six people, or two households, outdoors stay at home and get a test at the first sign of coronavirus by calling 119 More information is available at www.leicester.gov.uk/coronavirus More information about the reopening of sports facilities in Leicester is available here *Leicester: Number of positive tests per 100,000 people in the seven days to 20 March 2021: 111.8 per 100,000 Leicester City Council News Published on Thursday, March 25, 2021

Investigations are continuing into the death of 32-year-old Smita Mistry at a Leicester property – with an image of Smita being released by police today (Friday). Following a call made to police at 8.07pm on Tuesday (23 March), Smita was found by officers inside a property in Gedge Way. It was confirmed Smita, who was also known as Samita Saunders, had sadly died. An investigation was launched into Smita’s death and following initial enquiries, a 36-year-old man, of Leicester, was arrested on suspicion of murder. He currently remains in police custody. It is believed that the man in custody was known to Smita. Enquiries have been continuing since Tuesday evening including checking CCTV, house to house and speaking with witnesses. Police have also been appealing for information from people who had any contact with Smita between Friday 19 March and Tuesday 23 March. This includes an appeal made earlier today to speak to a male driver of a light coloured, possibly silver, car which was seen parked in Gedge Way at around 8.20pm on Sunday evening (21 March). It is believed Smita may have spoken with the driver at the time. A CCTV image of the car has also been released by police. https://www.leics.police.uk/news/leicestershire/news/2021/march/appeal-to-speak-to-car-driver-following-death-of-woman-at-leicester-property/ A cordon remains in place at the property and specialist officers are providing full support to Smita’s family as our enquiries continue. Detective Inspector Nicole Main, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “We continue to appeal to people who have recently had contact with Smita to make contact with us. As part of this enquiry we have now been able to release an image of Smita. Throughout this investigation, specialist officers have been providing full support to Smita’s family as we continue to establish the full circumstances of this case. “Our appeal has been to anyone who had any contact with Smita between Friday (19 March) and the evening of Tuesday (23 March) to get in touch with us – no matter how insignificant the contact you had may seem. As part of this, we issued an appeal earlier today in relation to a male driver of a light-coloured car who we believe had contact with Smita on Sunday evening in Gedge Way. “Anyone who has been in the area of Gedge Way between Friday 19 March and the evening of Tuesday 23 March is also urged to think back to anything you have seen or heard which could assist our enquiries and to make contact with us, if you have not already done so. If you have any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area during this time, and have not yet made contact with us, then please get in touch. “Thank you to everyone who has been assisting us with our enquiries so far as well as to people in the community for your ongoing support and co-operation. Our team have been working tirelessly this week to investigate this case and we remain dedicated to getting the answers we need for Smita’s family.” Anyone with any information is urged to call 101 quoting incident 621 of 23 March. You can also upload information online to the public portal by visiting https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM21I96-PO1

A man who began sexually abusing a young girl when she was just six years old has been jailed for 10 years. Thirty-five-year-old Craig Townsend committed the offences in the Charnwood area across a number of years before 2018 when his victim contacted police and reported what had happened to her. A full investigation was undertaken by detectives from the force’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) and Townsend, of the Charnwood area, was charged with a number of offences. He denied his crimes, but following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, he was convicted of three counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13 and one count of causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and will also serve an additional year on licence. Detective Constable Matt Gibson, from the CAIU, was the officer in the case. He said: “The victim in this case was just six years old when Townsend began abusing her – she was an innocent child. “He clearly saw her as a way to fulfil his own sexual gratification and, believing that she wouldn’t tell anyone or that her allegations wouldn’t be seen as truthful, took advantage and continued to do so for a number of years. “But she showed courage to eventually speak out and I’m pleased that – despite denying anything had happened – he was convicted and is now serving a prison sentence for his actions. “I hope today’s outcome allows the victim a degree of closure and she can move on with her life.” There are a number of different agencies who are able to offer independent help and support to victims of sexual offences in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Further information on these services and details on who to contact if you have been a victim of a sexual offence can be found by visiting http://leics.police.uk Leicestershire Police News 26/03/2021