This lockdown is perhaps the most serious that Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland have experienced. The new strain of Coronavirus is putting huge strain on our NHS and the death toll is rising each day. Therefore it is shocking that a small number of people are choosing to ignore the rules and guidance set out by the government. By these acts of defiance they are directly putting themselves and others at risk. Last Friday, the leaders of Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland held a press conference where their message very clear urging residents to stay in as much as possible and to follow the rules. Police in particular wanted to stress that it is important that you have a permitted excuse and that you stay near to home as possible. However over this weekend officers issued a total of 142 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to the value of £57,800. Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith said: “Over the weekend we dealt with a number incidents where people had no excuse for their behaviour. Some of the reasons for being outside were ridiculous and this is what officers are having to deal with. “We cannot be clearer about how this is the only way to stop the spread of the virus. Stay at home, protect the NHS. “There really is no excuse this far into the pandemic for people to be taking these risks” The following outlines some of the breaches this weekend (8/9/10th Jan) to show where police are giving out FPN’s. Many of the fines handed out are of men travelling in the same vehicle but not being from the same households. Here are the most outstanding examples from this weekend. 37 fines were issued at Castle Donnington where people gathered for a car event (Car Cruise). Many had travelled from out of county and had no reason to be there. (10 Jan) A couple from Huddersfield were fined as they were stopped in their vehicle. They stated they were visiting a cousin. (8 Jan) Police were called to a private address in Stretton where six men were claiming to be having a business meeting over beer and food. All were from different households and none were bubbled together. (8 Jan) Officers spotted a number of people entering an address in Alfred Place, Leicester City Centre, wearing party attire. When they made enquiries there were 30+ people at the address who were dispersed and the organisers fined. (9 Jan) Vehicle stopped at McDonald’s Wigston found to contain 4 males from different households (9 Jan) A man was fined after police found he was still taking customers in his nail bar in Stockwell. Head. Two women who were waiting to have their nails done were also spoken to. (9 Jan) Man and woman from Bradford fined once vehicle stopped in Leicester – no reasonable excuse given. (9 Jan) A man from Bradgate Drive, Coalville was fined after he said he didn’t believe in the pandemic and that it was fine that his brother came to visit him from Manchester. (9 Jan) Officers attended an address on Avenue Road Extension where a birthday party of around 11 people from different households had taken place. The household was fined. (10 Jan) Vehicle stopped with two men inside, one of which had travelled from Coventry to spend the night with his cousin. (10 Jan) Officers attended Belgrave Gate in the early hours of Sunday morning after a group of 20 people were seen in 4/5 cars, hugging and dancing in the street on CCTV. (10 Jan) Leicestershire Police News 17:00 12/01/2021

Parents and carers of children who will be starting full-time school in Leicester this autumn are being reminded to apply for a place before Friday’s deadline. Applications for a place at an infant or primary school for children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 must be made before midnight on Friday 15 January. People are reminded that starting at school isn’t an automatic process and children don’t automatically move from nursery to school – parents must ensure they have applied for a school place for their child. Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, assistant city mayor responsible for education, said: “Applying on time gives you the best chance of getting your child in to one of your preferred schools, so it’s very important that families apply before the deadline. “All applications must be made online, and all the information needed to apply can be found on our website – but help is available for anyone who’s having difficulty with their application.” Parents are advised to use all four preferences when applying for a place to maximise their chances of securing a place at one of their preferred schools. Anyone needing help with their application can contact the Choice Advice Service on 0116 482 0862. This is an independent service that can guide parents through the admissions process. People can also ask for assistance by contacting the city council’s admissions team on 0116 454 1009 (option 1) or by email at admissions.online@leicester.gov.uk To apply for a place at an infant or primary school, and for full information about the admissions process, go to www.leicester.gov.uk/admissions Leicester City Council News Published on Tuesday, January 12, 2021

A youth has been sentenced after an officer was left with horrific injuries during an assault. The 24-year old officer was punched to the nose by the youth in September last year. The injuries left the officer (pictured) needing emergency surgery and stitches and she was forced to take sick leave from work for three months as a result. She is still awaiting further surgery now as the injuries have left her struggling to breathe properly through her nose. Yesterday (Monday) at Leicester Magistrates’ Court , the 16-year-old boy, of Swadlincote, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to a 12 month community service order and ordered to pay £600 compensation. At an earlier hearing he had pleaded guilty to Grievous Bodily Harm of a person namely a police constable. The officer was taken to Queens Hospital Burton where it was found she had suffered from a broken nose, a broken septum, a deep laceration and tear to the left side of her nose and nostril, significant swelling and bruising. She had to undergo emergency surgery to try and fix her nose and also had to have six internal stitches and 11 external stitches to the nose. Three months on and she is now awaiting further surgery as she is unable to breathe through her right nostril and has limited breathing through her left nostril. She also has exposed cartilage in her nostrils as a result of the injuries caused. NPA Commander for North West Leicestershire, Inspector Rich Jackson said: ““This was a shocking and vicious attack on an officer doing her job to protect others. The photographs of our officer’s awful injuries chilled all who saw them. We acknowledge the court’s decision of a community order but we strongly hope the young man, who pleaded guilty, will chose to do more to atone for his crime and start over. Attacks on police officers are simply not acceptable. We must protect our protectors.” “Full support has been and remains in place for the Police Officer who has bravely shared her story to raise awareness of an issue which needs to be stopped. “It is not acceptable for anyone to be attacked and assaulted in their job and we will not tolerate this happening to our officers. Action will be taken and we will ensure anyone who commits this offence is brought before the courts.” Leicestershire Police News 12/01/2021

An international study has shown that treating critically ill Covid-19 patients with medicines typically used for arthritis may significantly improve survival. Patients, researchers and clinicians at Leicester’s Hospitals contributed important data to the REMAP-CAP trial which evaluates the effect of treatments on survival rates and the length of time patients need support in an intensive care unit (ICU). Leicester’s Hospitals are in the top three centres for recruitment in the UK, with over 100 patients in Leicester joining this urgent public health study. Initial findings reported back in November by Imperial College London and the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) showed that tocilizumab, a drug usually used to treat arthritis, was likely to improve outcomes for patients critically ill with Covid-19. However, the impact on patient survival and length of time on organ support in ICU was not yet clear. The latest analysis* shows that tocilizumab and a second drug called sarilumab have a significant impact on patient survival, reducing the relative risk of death by 24 per cent, when administered to patients within 24 hours of entering intensive care. Furthermore, the treatment also improved recovery so that, on average, patients were able to be discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) about a week earlier. The government has welcomed the findings and asked that all NHS trusts begin to prescribe tocilizumab and sarilumab as standard care within 24 hours of a patient being admitted to ICU with COVID-19, with immediate effect. Dr Hafiz Qureshi, a consultant haematologist and co-principal investigator for the REMAP-CAP clinical trial at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “This finding is great news for our sickest patients with Covid-19 who require breathing support in intensive care units, as treatment with tocilizumab and sarilumab can improve their chances of survival and recovery. “Together with the earlier finding that dexamethasone increases survival rate in patients with COVID-19, and the roll out of vaccines to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, it is another step towards overcoming this disease.” Dr Hakeem Yusuff, a consultant in intensive care medicine and co-principal investigator for the REMAP-CAP clinical trial at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “Tocilizumab and sarilumab are medicines used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. They work by ‘dampening’ an over-reactive immune system, which is something we are often seeing in patients hospitalised with COVID-19. The trial showed that patients receiving either tocilizumab or sarilumab were more likely to spend less time on organ support, such as on a ventilator, compared to patients who did not receive either medicine.” Dr Neil Flint, a consultant in intensive care medicine and co-investigator for the REMAP-CAP clinical trial at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “It really is very exciting to see such positive results and I would like to thank all the patients and their families who agreed to participate in the trial. Their help means we can potentially save more lives.” In total, over 4,100 patients in 15 countries have been enrolled into the REMAP-CAP trial at more than 290 hospitals worldwide. Over 3,100 of these were recruited in the UK. The REMAP-CAP trial is supported in the UK by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). UHL News released dated 12/01/21

Officers investigating a number of incidents of fraud have issued a warning to others after an elderly couple were among the victims. Between October last year and to date the force has received 11 reports relating to offences commonly known as courier fraud. Courier fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victims by telephone claiming to be a police officer or bank official. The caller sounds plausible and may confirm the victim’s name and address, basic information which could be obtained easily. In some instances, after trust has been gained, the fraudster will claim money has been withdrawn from the victim’s account by staff within the bank. They persuade them to go their local branch and take out a large sum of money from their account. The fraudsters then send someone to collect the money from the victim’s home address. This was the case for an elderly couple in Kilby, Leicestershire, who were contacted in this way on New Year’s Eve (31 December). Following a call from someone claiming to be a police officer from the Metropolitan Police the victim was persuaded to withdraw £5,500 from their bank account which was later collected by a courier. Nicole McIntyre from the force’s economic crime unit, said: “Luckily in six of the 11 cases the fraud was prevented by either a third party or the victims themselves who became suspicious. “This type of offence is of great concern to us. Suspects are targeting elderly or vulnerable people. They sound genuine and gain the trust of the victims. “The police or banks would not contact people in this way. If you get a call like this hang up. If you need to contact your bank to check wait five minutes as fraudsters can stay on the line even after you have hung up, or use a different line altogether. Your bank cards are yours and never let them be used by others. “We are asking people to remain vigilant. If you have elderly neighbours or relatives who don’t access our website or social media sites please advise them of these incidents. “Telephone companies can assist with call blocking technology to help restrict these types of calls. We would recommend that people talk this through with their vulnerable or elderly family and friends to help prevent this activity. “At times the fraudsters use local taxi firms to transport potential victims to their banks. We would ask taxi companies to be mindful of this and if they have any suspicions to contact the police immediately. “Further advice about the scam can be found on the Action Fraud website https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/courier-fraud and the steps people can take to protect themselves.”

Today, (8 January), the first doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca were administered to patients and staff from a new ‘hospital hub’ at Glenfield Hospital. It is the second vaccine hub to be opened at the Trust following the opening of the Leicester General Hospital vaccine site on December 12. Leicester’s Hospitals chief executive Rebecca Brown said: “We’ve got through a large amount of high risk staff and patients over 80 at our Leicester General Hospital site and now with our Glenfield Hub we will be focused on vaccinating as many of frontline health and social care staff as possible.” The news follows a renewed national emphasis on ensuring vital local NHS and social care staff are offered the vaccine as soon as possible, in line with the JCVI guidance on priority groups. The first person to be vaccinated at the new hub was Jane Andrews, a cardiology clinic coordinator at Leicester’s Hospitals. She said: “I had the flu vaccine a couple of weeks ago and it was just like that. I would definitely advise everybody to get the vaccine. “I had Covid in November and it was horrible. I had all the symptoms – breathing problems, fever, loss of taste and smell, and feeling tired all the time. I couldn’t walk from the front room to the bathroom without getting breathless. I was off work for 4 weeks in total. “My husband has had the vaccine as he is high-risk. My mum worked for the NHS for 37 years, so all family will be taking up the opportunity to get vaccinated.” The Trust hopes to have a further site open at Leicester Royal Infirmary this month. UHL News Release 8th January 2021

Stark warning as county rates top national average Chiefs across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland say the national lockdown has been brought in ‘just in time’ for our area – and it could be the last chance to prevent a catastrophic peak in cases. Senior council, health and police figures have today called on local residents to do the right thing so that the lockdown works - and supports the efforts being made to roll-out the vaccine in the battle to defeat COVID-19. Leads also set out messages around ensuring that vulnerable children, and those of critical workers, are able to get a place in our schools, if needed, as well as ensuring that children and staff are safe in their environment. This call comes just seven weeks after their first united appearance last November where they made an unprecedented plea for people to drive down a local spike in rates. Residents responded and rates did come down. But now, they’re rising again and the national lockdown has been brought in just in time to help stem the tide of the new strain of COVID-19 which is being seen across the city, county and Rutland. The prominent figures included the county council leader, Leicester's City Mayor, Leicestershire’s assistant chief constable, a local doctor and a director of children’s services. Cases in Leicestershire are now rising faster than the national average, having shot up by 62 per cent in the past seven days and stand at 374 per 100,000 people. In Leicester, the rate is 490 and in Rutland it is 242. Crucially, this time, the pressure on the NHS is at a tipping point with hospital admissions well above what was seen during the first peak in April. "We haven’t seen the explosion in cases like they have in London yet – but it’s just around the corner if we don’t act now. The lockdown has come just in time – let’s not waste it. Whatever the type of variant, the message remains the same – keep your distance, do your hand washing and wear a face covering." Nick Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has issued a similar plea: “Leicester has been under some sort of restrictions for a long time, but with the virus spreading so rapidly, a tighter lockdown seems to be the only way to contain it. "I would urge everyone to continue to follow the rules for as long as is necessary, to save lives and to give our health service time to deliver the vaccine to the most vulnerable in our community." Mike Sandys, Leicestershire County Council director of public health, said: “The figures make it clear that we’ve seen rates rocket. And this rise is across all ages and particularly acute in Oadby, Wigston and Harborough. "The new strain is now the dominant strain across the county and that’s adding to existing pressures so people do need to stay at home or we’ll be in real trouble. “The hope is that the lockdown has come in fast enough to choke off the worst of the increase, but it will take a while for that to be reflected in the figures – rates will continue to rise over the next few days.” Leicestershire Police are leading the emergency response across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith said: “We know that this is a challenging time and for some it is increasingly difficult. Our teams will continue to engage with our communities but the messages have been very clear - stay in and stay safe. "We need people to use common sense and take personal responsibility for keeping informed. You need to have a permitted reason to leave your house or you may face a fine. "We will deal with those who blatantly ignore these rules as they are putting everyone’s safety at further risk. Working together we can tackle this virus and keep our families safe.” Prof Aruna Garcea, a GP in Leicester representing the NHS clinical commissioning groups, has also stressed the importance of "everyone in the community" continuing in doing their bit to defeat COVID-19. She said: "The vaccination programme is a huge leap forward in tackling the terrible impact of COVID-19 but it will take time to have an effect. "We must continue to stay safe and protect each other by following the public health advice. We will do all we can to keep you well in the meantime." People with symptoms are being urged to get a test. They must book an appointment by calling 119 or at http://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-testOpens another website in new window Government advice on the national lockdown is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-homeOpens another website in new window Leicester Council Council News Friday, 8 January, 2021

The team charged with tracking down people who test positive for coronavirus, but who fail to respond to an automated message, has seen a huge surge in its workload. As further evidence that coronavirus infections in Leicester are rising again, 170 cases were passed to the city council’s tracing team on New Year’s Day alone – with the team facing a race against time to track down these individuals, and gather information about their close contacts, before they pass the virus on. The essential work to trace those who test positive, and make sure that they and their close contacts self-isolate, is being hampered by people who are not providing the information they’re required to give to the authorities. Now, public health experts in Leicester are urging those who test positive to respond immediately to the messages they receive from the national test and trace service – and to fill out the online form they’re asked to complete so that their contacts can be swiftly traced and asked to self-isolate too. “What we’re seeing is a growing number of people who are failing to respond to an automated message which asks them to provide details of the people they have been in contact with,” said Professor Ivan Browne, director of public health at Leicester City Council. “This means that we don’t know if they’ve seen the automated message – and therefore don’t know that they’ve tested positive and need to self-isolate. “But if they’re not completing the online form, and providing details of their contacts and their movements, the track and trace process can’t continue – and that means that the virus is allowed to spread unchecked. “Our team is spending far too much time contacting these individuals and gathering information about the people they’ve been in close contact with, when that time could be better spent helping those who are genuinely unable to complete an online form. “I’d like to take this opportunity to remind people that if you test positive for coronavirus, you are breaking the law if you don’t stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days – and it’s your duty to share information about the people you may have infected with the virus. Tracing your contacts, and getting them to self-isolate too, is essential, if we are to stop the spread of the virus.” Of the 170 cases referred to the team on New Year’s Day, 166 have been traced, given guidance about the support that’s available, and asked to self-isolate. Information about their close contacts has been passed back to Public Health England, which is responsible for contact tracing. Between 7 December 2020, when the pilot scheme began, and 4 January 2021, 1,849 out of 2,023 cases referred to the team have been traced – that’s a success rate of more than 90%. Since 7 December, the city council has been empowered to contact anyone in Leicester who tests positive for the virus, if they fail to respond to an automated message within eight hours. Leicester City Council was the first local authority in the country to be given access to this data by Public Health England. Previously, cases would only be referred to the council after the national NHS Test & Trace service had spent up to four days trying to locate them – a time delay that increases the risk of the virus being passed on. The pilot scheme is demonstrating that the most effective way to trace hard-to-reach people who test positive – and stop them from spreading the virus – is to use local teams equipped with local knowledge. People prove difficult to contact for a variety of reasons, including: a phone number provided is incorrect the infected person is a child, and its parent must be informed requests for information about contacts have not been responded to a whole family has been tested, but only one member has responded to the contact tracers. Leicester City Council’s tracing team will attempt to contact individuals remotely – by phone or by email – over a period of 24-48 hours. If this is unsuccessful, members of the ground team, in full PPE, will call at their home address. The city council’s contact tracers are all council employees who normally work in customer-facing roles, such as in libraries and sports centres. The team works closely with the local PHE health protection team, who provide expert advice and follow up any issues related to workplaces or other venues where the virus might have spread. Leicester City Council Press release Published on Friday, January 8, 2021

Officers are appealing for information after report of a burglary at a farm near Melton Mowbray on Thursday 24 November. Between 1am and 4.30am a number of tools were stolen from an outbuilding at a farm on Broughton Lane, Long Clawson. Two chainsaws, a strimmer and hedgcutter, three drills, an impact driver and a circular saw were all stolen. PC Melissa Stapleton would like to hear from anyone who has any information in relation to the incident. She said: “It is likely a vehicle was used to leave the farm and may have driven past CCTV cameras in the area. “We would urge people to review their CCTV for the night of 24 November and please get in touch with anything that may help us identify a vehicle. “Please also make contact with us if you have seen or heard of any of the stolen items being offered for sale.” Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 20*621491. You can also visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/.

Police have released the following figures. 132 arrests made during the 32 day campaign compared with 150 in 2019. This includes 104 for excess alcohol plus 28 for failing the drug screening test. 120 of the detainees were male. Arrests were made across the Force area and around the 24/7 clock. 25 drivers were arrested following a collision Whilst the arrest rate is marginally down on 2019 it is well above the Force average monthly arrest rate and is most concerning bearing in mind the Covid-19 lockdown during December including the closure of licensed premises, and the reduced traffic on the network. The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership continues to strive to reduce the dangerous incidence of drink/drug-driving throughout the year and is most disappointed by the road safety implications posed by the ongoing flouting of law regarding the misuse of both alcohol and drugs whilst driving a vehicle on our roads. Graham Compton, Senior Traffic Management Officer, Leicestershire Police said, ‘Despite the Road Safety Partnership working tirelessly to dissuade drivers from using the highway when under the influence of drink or drugs owing to the very real road safety implications, far too many drivers are ignoring all the advice and taking to the road thereby putting themselves and more importantly innocent road users at risk of injury’. He went on to say, ‘ Leicestershire Police will continue to screen drivers following a collision or when dealing with a moving traffic offence, with a view to removing dangerous drivers from our roads’ All drivers convicted of drink/drug-driving will incur at the very least a 12 month driving ban thereby in many cases putting their livelihood at risk.

GMB union members at British Gas in Leicester has began 5 days of industrial action, following a 89% vote in favour of strike action. British Gas is a major employer in Leicester, and the city is home to their Aylestone road centre which employs hundreds of local gas workers. This decision has been made in response to the refusal of British Gas CEO, Chris O’Seah, to take fire and re-hire off the table in pay negotiations with British Gas workers. Pay talks kicked off last year with British Gas parent company, Centrica, threatening to dismiss the entire workforce if they didn’t accept management proposals, including worse terms and conditions. 140 MPs (including Leicester’s Jon Ashworth and Claudia Webbe) wrote to British Gas in December demanding fire and re-hire tactics are taken off the table. Government guidance has allowed for the picketing of workplaces during lockdown. GMB petition on fire and re-hire - https://www.gmb.org.uk/campaign/i-back-british-gas-workers Prime Minister agrees with GMB Union fire and rehire is an exploitative negotiation tactic and one which has caused real anger and hurt A cross-party group has written to Centrica boss Chris O’Shea to call on him to withdraw threats to fire and rehire the entire British Gas field workforce of engineers. In the strongly worded missive, the MPs say the company’s actions have “tarnished the reputation of a great British company.” The Prime Minister today agreed that fire and rehire is an exploitative negotiation tactic and one which has caused real anger and hurt. The letter, whose signatories include the SNP’s Gavin Newlands MP, Lib Dem Wera Hobhouse MP and Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds MP, calls on the company to reach a negotiated agreement with the union.

The first people will receive the Oxford University/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine today (4 January 2021) as the NHS rapidly expands COVID-19 vaccination programmes across the UK. The NHS is the first health service in the world to deploy the life-saving jab, which has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after meeting strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. It is the only approved vaccine which can be stored at fridge temperatures. The government has secured access to 100 million doses of the vaccine on behalf of the whole of the UK, crown dependencies and overseas territories. More than half a million doses are available today, with tens of millions more to be delivered in the coming weeks and months once batches have been quality checked by the MHRA. More than 730 vaccination sites have already been established across the UK and hundreds more are opening this week to take the total to over 1,000, helping those who are most at risk from COVID-19 to access vaccines for free, regardless of where they live. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: I am delighted that today we are rolling out the Oxford vaccine – a testament to British science. This is a pivotal moment in our fight against this awful virus and I hope it provides renewed hope to everybody that the end of this pandemic is in sight. Through its vaccine delivery plan the NHS is doing everything it can to vaccinate those most at risk as quickly as possible and we will rapidly accelerate our vaccination programme. While the most vulnerable are immunised, I urge everybody to continue following the restrictions so we can keep cases down and protect our loved ones. The first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccinations will be delivered at hospitals for the first few days, as is standard practice, before the bulk of supplies are sent to hundreds of GP-led services and care homes later in the week. More than a million people in the UK have already been vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and its roll out will continue at pace. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures, between two to eight degrees, making it easier to distribute to care homes and other locations across the UK. The vaccines will be deployed through: hospital hubs for NHS and care staff and older patients to get vaccinated local community services with local teams and GPs already signing up to take part in the programme vaccination centres across the country, ensuring people can access a vaccine regardless of where they live An army of current and former NHS staff have applied to become vaccinators, with tens of thousands having already completed their online training. These are being processed as quickly as possible and volunteer vaccinators will be deployed as more vaccine supplies become available. GPs and local vaccination services have been asked to ensure every care home resident in their local area is vaccinated by the end of January. The MHRA, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the 4 UK chief medical officers agreed to delay the gap between the first and second dose of vaccines to protect the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time. In line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be rolled out to the priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.