This week Leicestershire Police are reinforcing the message that people must follow the Coronavirus rules – or they risk being fined In the last two weeks 37 fines have been issued to the total value of £23,500. Two of these fines were £10,000 fines for holding gatherings for more than 30 people, as below: On 12 December, two people from Leicester were issued with £10,000 fines for holding a gathering of over 60 people at a private residence in King Street, Leicester. Other fines issues relate to the following: Two fines issued for failure to comply with reasonable instruction Two fines issued for participating in indoor gathering Two fines issued under Tier 3 - holding gathering of more than 30 persons in a private dwelling in Tier 3 area - £10,000 (as above) Two fines issued under Tier 3 - gathering of two or more people in other public outdoor place in Tier 3 area 23 fines issued under Tier 3 - gathering of two or more people in private dwelling/indoors in a Tier 3 area Four fines issued under Tier 3 - Person from a Tier 3 area participating in gathering of two or more people in other public outdoor place outside the area Four fines issued for failing to self-isolate In addition, 26 businesses were visited to check on Covid compliance and to offer advice. Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham said: “The party in King Street is a perfect example of how some people are deliberately making the choice to ignore the rules. As we are now so near to the Christmas and New Year holidays we cannot tolerate this minority who are blatantly putting the safety of our communities at risk. “The majority of the public have been and continue to be amazing and making the right choices throughout this pandemic. To have a small minority put so many people at risk is something we will continue to tackle and to use the legislation available to us. “We have taken thousands of calls throughout this pandemic about breaches of the regulations. We will continue to respond to these incidents over the festive period. Our priority is to protect public safety. If people breach the regulations and put others at needless risk, they can expect to be fined.”

Restrictions in Leicester are to continue at the highest level, after a review of the coronavirus situation in the city. The Government announced today (Thursday 17 December) that Leicester, like much of the country, will remain in Tier 3 – the category for areas with the highest levels of infection and where the most stringent restrictions are required. Despite Leicester’s infection rate falling from 525 per 100,000 in mid November to 256 per 100,000 in the seven days to 11 December, the prevalence of coronavirus in the city is still high – and numbers are slowly starting to rise again. Leicester’s director of public health Professor Ivan Browne said: “There are a number of areas of concern – particularly the level of infections in people aged 60 and over, who are more likely to have a serious disease than younger people. “We are also very concerned about the recent sharp rise in hospital admissions, which is putting our local hospitals under severe pressure. “Sadly, despite Christmas being on the horizon, this is no time for complacency – and no one must think that the development of a vaccine means they can be less vigilant. “Despite the relaxation measures set out by the Government, I would urge everyone to think very carefully about their Christmas plans. “Perhaps consider postponing your family get-togethers until the spring – particularly if you have elderly or vulnerable people in your family – and find other ways to show that you care. “No one wants the new year to start with a spike in covid cases, so it’s in all our interests to act with caution over the coming days and weeks.” Under Tier 3 restrictions, mixing in any indoor setting with people you don’t live with – unless you are in a support bubble with them – is not permitted. Meetings in parks or other public outdoor places are permitted, as long as no more than six people are present and social distancing is observed. All pubs, cafes and restaurants will remain closed while Leicester is in Tier 3, and museums, cinemas, theatres and hotels – with some exceptions – are amongst the facilities that must also remain closed. Take-away services can continue. Non-essential shops, hairdressers, beauty salons, gyms and leisure centres can remain open, although indoor group exercise classes are not permitted. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “People in Leicester have lived with these restrictions for so long, and I thank them for it, but I would urge everyone in the city to stay strong and keep going during the difficult days ahead. “The new vaccine is a chink of light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s a long way to go before all our most vulnerable people are protected. In the meantime, we need to continue to track the virus down – and we’ll be doing that by increasing our community testing in areas of the city with the highest levels of infection. “If we offer you a test, please take it – and if you get symptoms of coronavirus, please stay at home and book a test straight away by calling 119.” Leicester City Council News Release

Coronavirus tests that give a result within an hour will start to be offered to asymptomatic people in Leicester from today (Wednesday). The city council plans to target areas with the highest infection rates, in a bid to find the virus and stop it spreading among families and communities. The rapid testing programme, using the new lateral flow tests, will begin in the Fosse/Westcotes area, where a new testing unit has been set up at the Fosse Neighbourhood Centre on Mantle Road. Starting today, council staff will be knocking on doors in the area to invite residents – even those without symptoms – to walk in for an instant test, and to offer advice on self-isolation and support that’s available to them if needed. Today, homes in the Battenberg Road/Tudor Road area will be visited – with the teams planning to be in the Newport Street/Oban Street area tomorrow (Thursday). Although streets in Fosse/Westcotes are being targeted initially, anyone in Leicester who has no symptoms and wants to be tested can simply walk in to the new testing unit and request the instant test. The Fosse Neighbourhood Centre testing unit will be open every day throughout December, apart from the Christmas and New Year period (24-28 December and January 1). Opening hours are 9am to 8pm from Monday to Friday, and from 10am until 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Anyone who gets a positive result from the new rapid tests will also need to take the standard, more accurate, PCR test to get their result confirmed. This PCR confirmatory test will be provided to anyone who gets a positive result. People with symptoms of coronavirus should not wait for a knock at the door but should get themselves tested as quickly as possible by calling 119. Tests – using the more accurate PCR testing kits – can be booked at one of the city’s existing testing sites, which will be open every day over the Christmas holidays, including all Bank Holidays. Leicester’s director of public health Professor Ivan Browne said: “The rapid tests are another tool for us in our bid to search out the virus and stop it spreading. Being able to identify people who have no symptoms but may be unknowingly passing the virus on to others – in less than an hour – will be a big help in stopping the spread and will ultimately save lives. “Of course it’s still vital that we all continue to follow the rules, wash our hands regularly, observe social distancing and wear a face covering when required.” The city has so far received 36,000 lateral flow tests from the Government and will receive up to 30,000 tests each week, depending on take-up. Further lateral flow testing units will be set up in other hotspot areas of the city from January onwards. In addition, the council’s CityReach teams are still going door to door, offering the standard PCR tests – which give a result in around 48 hours – to people without symptoms in areas of the city with higher levels of infection. This will continue until the supply of PCR test kits ends, which is expected to be early in the new year. Leicester is one of a number of cities to trial the use of rapid lateral flow tests in communities. They have already been used in the city at De Montfort University, while some care homes in the city are also using the tests to enable residents to have visitors. The roll-out of the rapid testing programme follows last week’s announcement that Leicester has become the first local authority in the country to be given responsibility for tracing people who test positive for coronavirus but who prove to be difficult to contact. The city council is now empowered to trace anyone in Leicester who tests positive for the virus, if they fail to respond to an automated message within eight hours. Coronavirus cases are still higher than the national average in Leicester, with latest figures showing a 7-day rate of 256 per 100,000 (to 10 December). Leicester City Council News Release

Leicester’s outdoor gyms have now fully reopened across the city. The gyms – which can be found at 32 city sites, in various parks and green spaces – had been closed off, in line with national guidance, to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The gyms feature equipment such as rowers, ski machines and chest presses. The aim is to aid aerobic, muscle-toning and strength-building activities for everyone – from exercise novices to committed gym users. Signs are in place to remind people to practise social distancing while they use the equipment. You must also wipe down equipment before and after use, as you would in any gym, and ensure that only one person uses any piece of equipment at any one time. Whilst the gyms will be routinely cleaned, it is recommended that users wash or sanitise their hands before and after use. Full rules for safe usage are online at leicester.gov.uk/outdoorgyms Assistant city mayor for public health Cllr Vi Dempster said: “We know how important it is to encourage people to keep fit and active – now more than ever. We get good feedback from our outdoor gyms because people like to exercise outdoors - there’s good evidence that it can help to boost your mood as well as getting you fit. “It’s also an easy way to build some physical activity into a simple, regular routine, without the need for a gym membership.” Director of public health Professor Ivan Browne added: “If anyone is feeling cautious about returning to the gym, a visit to our outdoor facilities could be a good stepping stone. “Keeping fit and healthy will help us all to fight coronavirus. Obviously people need to be sensible using the equipment and maintaining social distance, but with this in mind, I’m pleased that people will be able to enjoy using these facilities again.” More information and videos of example workout routines can be found at leicester.gov.uk/outdoorgyms Leicester City Council News Release

Leicestershire Police ‎this morning ran 3 hour FATAL4 operation, targeting speeding, not wearing seatbelts, using mobile phones and drink/drug driving, in Leicester The Police had plain-clothes officers who acted as spotters out on Abbey Park Road and surrounding area’s looking for Motor-vehicle offences and drivers were directed into the Abbey Park car park, and were detained by Police officers and checks were carried out on the drivers and vehicles. Several cars were seized for having no insurance and 1 car which was not registered in the UK, was also seized. The police are pleased to report that no drink/drug drivers were detected in this mornings operation. With the December Drink Drug Drive campaign currently in full swing any suspected driver will be subjected to a roadside test. Already this month over 50 drivers have been arrested across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, including 33 drink, 17 drug and 4 failing to provide, while these numbers are similar to mid December 2019 it is concerning as Leicester and Leicestershire’s pubs, bars and restaurants are currently subject to COVID tier 3 lockdown restrictions.

More than two dozen giant trees, some well over a century old and which characterise a Leicester suburb, are being given protection under a new strategy by Leicester City Council. Pine Tree Avenue in Humberstone is home to 26 huge trees including 21 giant redwoods, a cedar, a pine, a beech, a chestnut tree and a lime tree, some of which are believed to be about 150 years old. They once formed a tree-lined drive to the former Humberstone Hall, which was demolished many years ago, and have since grown into towering specimens which give the residential street its distinctive appearance. The redwood trees, which are native to California, can grow to more than 200ft (61m) high with three metre-wide trunks. While the specimens in Pine Tree Avenue have not yet reached maturity, the species is among the biggest on Earth, with the oldest examples living for more 3,000 years. Back in 2001, tree preservation orders were made to cover the trees, some of which are owned by city council, others which are jointly owned and some which are entirely privately owned. Now the city council has prepared a broader Tree Preservation Strategy, recognising their importance to the city’s environment, air quality and the character of the area, and supporting that in planning guidance. It will apply to all 26 of the trees, whether private or council-owned. The Pine Tree Avenue Tree Preservation Strategy is due to be published this week setting out how these vast, mature trees can be protected for future generations. It builds on the work of the city council’s Tree Strategy which was launched in November 2018. The five-year strategy sets out guidelines for sustaining and increasing the city’s tree stock, improving the quality of the city’s trees and promoting the importance of trees in maintaining a high-quality city environment, reducing air pollution and contributing to flood risk management. Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The trees at Pine Tree Avenue are hugely important both in the distinctive character of the area, and as part of the city’s local heritage and history. “Rather like the city’s historic buildings, they are reminders of Leicester’s past, and pre-date the city’s modern layout, and which need careful work to preserve for future generations. “By making Pine Tree Avenue’s trees subject to this strategy, we are showing that we are serious about protecting them and preserving their place in the community for years to come.” There are currently about 150,000 trees and 107 hectares of woodland in the council’s ownership - 57,000 of these trees have been planted since the 1980s. There are over 500 Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) in place in the city. The city council also has a policy of planting more than one replacement tree for any tree that is felled. For more details on the city council’s Tree Strategy, visit here. Information on tree protection in Leicester, including the Pine Tree Avenue strategy, is available here. Leicester City Council News 16/12/20

Officers are appealing for witnesses after a woman was injured in a collision on Narborough Road in Leicester. It happened at around 7.30pm today (Tuesday 15 December) near the junction with Upperton Road and involved a car and a pedestrian. Colleagues from the East Midlands Ambulance Service attended the scene and a woman in her 40s was taken to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment – her condition is described as potentially life-changing. The car, believed to be a light coloured BMW – possibly a 1 series – had been travelling county bound along Narborough Road. After the collision the driver fled turning left onto Upperton Road and away from the area. Roads in the immediate area have been closed to allow for an investigation of the scene. Detective Sergeant Paul Hawkins said: “A woman has been seriously injured in a collision where the driver has failed to stop at the scene. “We want to find this vehicle and would like to hear from anyone who may have information about where it is or who it belongs to. “There will be damage to the front of the car and possibly to the windscreen as well. “Equally we would like to speak to anyone who was in the area and recalls seeing the vehicle being driven beforehand or the collision itself. “If you have a dashcam installed in your vehicle and captured what happened please get in touch.” Anyone with information can call 101 quoting incident 519 of 15 December. Updated News 16/11/20 Leicestershire Police said: Her injuries are no longer deemed life-threatening or life-changing. The car, believed to be a light coloured BMW – possibly a 1 series – had been travelling county bound along Narborough Road. #LeicsPolice #narboroughroad #HitandRun

A young police super-fan, who adores and idolises the work of Leicestershire Police’s uniformed officers received a special home visit to be hand delivered the force’s first Christmas card, which he designed. Jay, eight, opened his front door yesterday (Tuesday 15 December) to see Chief Constable, Simon Cole at his doorstep thanking him personally for his first official police mission in designing this year’s Christmas card, being sent out to many this festive season. The young boy, from Market Harborough, had been asked by the team at Leicestershire Police for his help after becoming noticed on social media for being in admiration of his ‘real life superheroes’. The wonderful design, hand-drawn by Jay himself, sees a police officer wearing a face covering and a police dog standing by a Christmas tree, a very relevant take on this year’s situation. Jay said: “I had so much fun drawing the 2020 Leicestershire Police Christmas card and meeting Simon Cole again. The first time I met him was on my tour of the force HQ last year. Things are a bit different now but I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year.” As the son of one of the force’s response officers, Jay was inspired by his dad’s job and began voluntarily patrolling his home town streets. He helped with litter picking in the winter months last year, and soon became noticed by the town’s Inspector, Siobhan Gorman. Jay’s mum, Hayley said: “It was soon after Jay was patrolling the streets back in 2019, we made him a Twitter account which I manage. From there, Jay really started to get recognised and it took off. “His account under his preferred title ‘Chief Inspector Jay’ now has nearly four thousand online Twitter followers from all over the world. Many of which coming from Canada and America, but also as far as Russia too! “We’ve been fortunate enough to have received amazing collectables from these people such as police patches, pins, challenge coins and hat badges. This has helped Jay create a collectors wall at home full of items sent from his online supporters. “It’s been absolutely amazing to make people smile through sharing Jay’s passion for policing. We never thought it would become such an uplift for other officers and for us as his parents as well. After the year we’ve had, it’s just lovely to share our story and provide a little Christmas community spirit through Jay designing the 2020 Christmas card.”

Join Leicestershire County Council on Facebook to find out more People across the East Midlands are invited to attend a virtual information event and find out how they can help offer refugees a new start in life. The event will take place at 10am on Wednesday, January 6 on the project’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/homeeastmidlandsOpens another website in new window ) and is for anyone considering helping by becoming a foster carer or supported lodgings provider. The video will remain available to view. The event will include details of the rewarding nature of fostering, the application process and the training and support available, as well as the payments and allowances carers receive. Regis (17) arrived in the East Midlands from Albania when he was fifteen years old and was placed with a foster carer. He features in the virtual event talking about the difference fostering has made to him and his desire to be part of a happy family, just like his foster carers, when he grows up. Pat (65) is a foster carer for unaccompanied young refugees and currently has two young people staying with her. She said: “It’s opened up a whole different world to me. There are challenges but nothing is impossible to overcome, and we get by. “Through getting involved in the local refugee forum with the first young person I fostered, I’m now a volunteer there with the youth group and have had fantastic times with all these young people from all over the world who come along and you just see them settle and blossom. It’s just great, it really is.” Led by Leicestershire County Council, Place to Call Home is a partnership between councils across the East Midlands which works to recruit foster carers and supported lodgings providers for young people arriving in the region without their parents or a trusted adult. Deborah Taylor, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families said; "It’s incredibly important that we find kind-hearted individuals and families to support these young people; provide safety, security and a much-needed family environment to help them settle into a new life and improve their lives and futures I would encourage anyone who feels they have the necessary skills or experience to foster to register an interest and attend the virtual event in January or get in touch with the team to find out more." For more information about fostering young refugees, visit www.placetocallhome.org.uk

The windscreen was damaged and could not repaired putting lives at risk A group of vandals have broken the windscreen of a Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service fire engine after crews were called to an incident at Braunstone Park on Tuesday evening. Crews from Western Fire Station were responding to the incident where a motorbike was on fire, the second related incident of the night, when vandals threw a bottle at the fire appliance, causing a bullseye in the windscreen. Thankfully, no one was injured but the fire engine has been taken off the road as it was deemed unsafe to drive and it is currently being assessed by a duty mechanic. Matthew Cane, Area Manager Operational Response, said: “This is a horrifying crime which caused an emergency fire appliance to be taken off the road, an appliance that could have otherwise been out responding to incidents and helping our community. This incident also put our crew in danger.” The original caller stated they saw five or six people running off and a description of the vandals has been given to the police. Anyone who has any information about the incident should contact Leicestershire Police on 101 or visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ stating reference number 671.

Legislation to tackle problem street drinking and use of so-called ‘legal highs’ in public places across Leicester have been extended for another three years. The city council ran a public consultation from September to November asking whether people wanted the use of a Public Spaces Protection Order to address issues such as antisocial behaviour caused by street drinking or the use of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) anywhere within Leicester. The order was introduced in 2017 and needs to be reviewed every three years. It gives the police the powers to confiscate alcohol or substances from people who are causing a nuisance in a public place, under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Of those who responded to the consultation, 94 percent supported an extension to the measures. They cited the city centre, the area around the railway station, and parks, in particular Spinney Hill Park, as particular areas where they were concerned about antisocial behaviour linked to the use of NPSs and alcohol. Commanders of the city’s four Neighbourhood Policing Teams and Leicestershire Police’s chief constable also supported the continued use of the powers. Leicester deputy city mayor for regulatory services, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: “I’m very pleased that these pwers will continue to be used to tackle antisocial behaviour and other problems linked to the public use of alcohol and psychoactive drugs. “The PSPO gives the police a much easier and more direct way of deal with such issues, and the response from the public consultation shows an overwhelming level of support from those who took part.” A new order extending the PSPO will be made shortly. The PSPO covers the whole city, including areas of parks that cross over into the county. Police can request a person not to drink or take a NPS in public, can confiscate and dispose of it, and arrest the person if they fail to comply with the request. Breaching the PSPO can result in fines of up to £500 for public drinking, or up to £1,000 for using new psychoactive substances. Figures show that between January 2018 and January 2020, police in central Leicester alone used PSPOs to tackle alcohol or substance-fuelled antisocial behaviour on 573 occasions – 419 of them in the area around the Clock Tower and adjacent streets. Leicester City Council Press Release

Police and council officers have carried out a series of visits to check compliance with national coronavirus safety measures at shops in Leicester. Officers from Leicester City Council’s regulatory services team carried out the operations on Wednesday, December 9, and Friday, December 11, at stores in Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre and in Leicester city centre, in order to see whether the correct measures were in place to enable social distancing and wearing of face coverings. Under the current Government rules, face coverings must be worn inside shops and supermarkets, and also within shopping malls and centres. Premises where face coverings are required are expected to take reasonable steps to ensure people comply with the law. The city council is responsible for working with business to ensure they have suitable regulations in place to ensure customers’ safety within the coronavirus regulations. The police can take action against members of the public who do not comply with this law without a valid exemption, including enforcement powers involving fines of up to £200 for the first offence. While Wednesday’s visit focused on stores and shoppers at Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre, Friday’s work concentrated on city centre streets including Belgrave Gate, Churchgate, High Street, Loseby Lane, Gallowtree Gate, Humberstone Gate and Granby Street. Joint visits by police and officers from the city council’s food safety and public safety teams were made to a total of 64 businesses, including hair, beauty, retail and food outlets. In all, 45 required additional posters stating the need for face coverings, and follow-up visits and additional advice due to be made to eight of them. At the 26 food outlets which were visited, officers dealt with 18 instances of staff not correctly wearing face coverings, and seven cases of customers not wearing face coverings correctly. Police also advised numerous shoppers not wearing face coverings of the importance of doing so. Covid-19 guidance for businesses, and posters highlighting the need for face coverings were handed out to 12 businesses. No fines were handed out during these operations, but further visits are due to be carried out elsewhere in the city during the coming weeks as part of ongoing work to help drive down the Covid-19 infection rate in the city and county, which are both currently subject to Tier 3 restrictions – meaning Very High Alert. Leicester City Council’s head of regulatory services, Nicola Preston, said: “The run-up to Christmas is always a very busy time for businesses of all sorts, and it is vital that they continue to observe the national Covid-19 regulations such as wearing of face coverings, to put the safety of staff and customers first. “I’m glad to say that for the most part, people and businesses are complying with the regulations and many businesses have good measures in place to keep people safe. “Our officers gave advice to several businesses who needed to improve their arrangements to ensure customer and staff safety, and we will be making follow-up visits to some of these to ensure they are meeting the standards expected of them.” Leicestershire Police’s Central Leicester Commander, Inspector Adam Archer, added: “This is a great example of the partnership work we are undertaking during the pandemic. We work closely with the council and this works really well. “Although we did not give any fines out in these instances, this was because people responded to advice in the right way. “We are all working together to beat this virus and we all have to take personal responsibility for our safety by following the rules and guidelines. We are doing this work to help keep people safe and protect livelihoods – it is really important we all do our bit.” For further information on the national coronavirus regulations, visit here. Latest advice and information for Leicester is available here. Leicester City Council Press Release