Support is available to help ease financial hardship being experienced by people who are affected by Coronavirus. Anyone having difficulty paying council tax or rent can get support and advice from Leicester City Council. Trained staff will be available to provide telephone and online support to anyone who lives in Leicester and is facing financial hardship due to the current Coronavirus situation. New claims will be prioritised to help ensure that anyone affected by Coronavirus is not left without the means to pay council tax or rent. Advice on entitlement to housing benefit, Universal Credit and council tax support will be available and support provided as appropriate. This could include temporary adjustments to household council tax bills and council rent. In addition, no recovery action will be taken to pursue council tax or rent linked to Coronavirus or to evict people from council homes where the impact of the virus has left people unable to pay their rent. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “I understand that many people will be fearful and anxious in the difficult circumstances that we now face as a result of this unprecedented pandemic. “Many individuals and families will be worried about financial hardship caused by this crisis but the council has a range of support in place to help. “We have committed to using our uncapped hardship fund to provide discretionary housing support and council tax relief, as well as emergency support grants to those worst affected. “There will be no pursuit of council tax arrears and no evictions from our council properties due to a lack of income clearly caused by the Coronavirus crisis. “There will undoubtedly be some very difficult times ahead, but be assured that the city will be supported by the council throughout this crisis.” The Government has also announced that every household of working age in receipt of council tax support will receive an additional £150 credit towards their council tax bill for next year (2020/21). Revised council tax bills will be issued as soon as possible. While these changes are put into place, households that receive council tax support should continue to pay as normal. Any overpayments will then be refunded. Anyone who requires support with their council tax can contact the team on 0116 454 1005 or email council.tax@leicester.gov.uk For housing benefits advice, call 0116 454 1006, or email housingbenefits@leicester.gov.uk Help is also available for people who are experiencing financial crisis that has left them without funds for utility bills or food. To make a claim for crisis support, people should email their name and contact number to C19support@leicester.gov.uk A member of council staff will then call back between 9.30am and 4pm Monday to Friday and the application will be completed over the phone. For more information on the range of benefits available visit www.leicester.gov.uk/your-community/benefits-and-support Advice on Universal Credit is available on the Government’s website at www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk

The Defence Secretary announces new measures to put service personnel and Reservists on standby to support public services in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will put an additional 10,000 military personnel at a higher readiness and place Reserves on standby to support public services as part of a new “COVID Support Force”, the Defence Secretary has announced. These measures are part of prudent contingency planning to respond in a timely way to any request from other governments departments or civil authorities for support during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the military have assisted with repatriation flights from China and Japan. They are also providing specialist military planners to Local Resilience Forums who are providing support to public services, local authorities and emergency services in preparing their response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Today, the MOD can announce further preparation ready to support public services if required: up to 10,000 personnel will be placed at a higher readiness, so they are able to assist with supporting public services. This is on top of the 10,000 already held at higher readiness.150 military personnel will be trained to drive oxygen tankers in order to support the NHS if required. They will begin training on Monday measures have been taken to enable the call out of Reservists, should they be required to join the response effort scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) are supporting Public Health England’s effort to understand the virus and tackle the spread. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: The men and women of our armed forces stand ready to protect Britain and her citizens from all threats, including COVID-19. The unique flexibility and dedication of the services means that we are able to provide assistance across the whole of society in this time of need.From me downwards the entirety of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces are dedicated to getting the nation through this global pandemic. There are well-rehearsed mechanisms in place for the military to provide support to civil authorities in times of need. Most recently the military has been called on to support the government’s response to flooding. Defence is fully engaged with other government departments, the devolved administrations and local authorities to establish how best it can support over the coming weeks and months. The Standing Joint Command will be the Command and Control Structure for the COVID Support Force, which represents the MOD’s contribution to the government response. Major General Charlie Stickland Assistance Chief of the Defence Staff Operations and Commitments said: Putting more personnel at a higher state of readiness and having our Reserves on standby gives us greater flexibility to support public services as and when they require our assistance.The COVID Support Force, potentially drawing upon our highly skilled scientists at Defence Science and Technology and Laboratory or oxygen tanker drivers, will form part of a whole force effort to support the country during its time of need. Our servicemen and women are committed to maintain our operational output and delivering any support the government requires.

Central England Co-op is urging communities to come together and support one and other as it outlines a range of measures to help those whose lives have been affected by the Coronavirus. The retailer, which has over 240 stores across 16 counties, is looking to help vulnerable people such as the elderly and those on lower incomes at this difficult time. The Society is launching an urgent food bank appeal to support its charity partners after they reported a major fall in donations at the same time as a spike in demand. It is also looking a mass recruitment drive for Customer Service Advisors in many of its stores to ensure the community continues to be served. The retailer has also made a donation to boost their partnership with FareShare Midlands, paying for vital extra transport and staffing costs to make sure that more emergency food packages continue to be delivered. A dedicated online hub has also been launched to provide regular updates on the Society response to the Coronavirus, exact details on its work to help those in need in the local community and hints and tips for people affected. Central England Co-op Chief Executive Debbie Robinson said: “As a co-operative retailer, we want to make sure we are leading the way for our communities during this difficult time. “We are launching an urgent food bank appeal and we are asking people to show their co-operative spirit and donate an item or two so our food bank partners can provide emergency food and support to individuals and families. “We have also arranged a donation to our food redistribution partners FareShare Midlands to pay for extra deliveries of vital food packages across the region. “We also wanted to say we are working hard with our suppliers to make sure that shelves areregularly re-stocked, as a community retailer we know how important it is for everyone to have access to good quality food and vital essentials. “To make sure that there are enough items for everyone, we have placed a temporary limit of two of every product in our stores to help maintain stock levels. We are asking our customers and members to be considerate to others at this uncertain time and shop responsibly. “We hope that these measures and the work of our colleagues, members and customers allows us to come together for our communities during this uncertain time.” Items needed for the food bank appeal include cereal, tinned food and fruit, tea bags, dried pasta, rice, long life milk, sugar, biscuits, fruit juice and squash, pasta sauce and instant coffee. Donations will be collected up from Central England Co-op stores and used to create food parcels, which contain around 11 items and will provide at least three days’ worth of meals for those in need. The temporary roles on offer will include serving customers and replenishing stock. Three month rolling contracts are on offer and people must be flexible with shift patterns and locations. Ask in store for more details. People can keep up to date with how Central England Co-op is responding to the Coronavirus by visiting www.centralengland.coop/updates

Restricted visiting now in place Leicester’s Hospitals. The restrictions, designed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), come into force from today (Sunday 15 March) across the Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital and Leicester General Hospital. Please DO NOT visit our hospitals if you have cold or flu-like symptoms or if you have had sickness or diarrhoea in the last 48 hours. Appointments If you have an appointment at our hospitals you should continue to attend this unless you are advised otherwise by us or you have a new continuous cough or a high temperature, in which case you should phone the number given in your appointment letter to check if you should attend. If you are coming for an outpatient appointment or to the Emergency Department/ Clinical Decisions Unit, please do not bring more than one person to accompany you and where possible please do not bring children with you. Visiting loved ones The following restrictions are now in place: Visiting between 6pm-8pm onlyNo more than 1-2 visitors per patient. Please do not bring children under 16 to visit Please wash your hands well and often. For Neonatal, Maternity and Intensive Care visiting arrangements please contact the units directly. We understand these arrangements will be difficult for some. Discretion will be used for main carers and in exceptional circumstances including compassionate grounds. Please speak to a member of staff if this applies to you. Thank you for helping us to protect your loved ones, visitors and our staff. Finding help The UK’s Chief Medical Officer has announced that the country is now in the ‘Delay’ stage of the response to coronavirus. The new advice issued by the Chief Medical Officer is: Stay at home for 7 days if you have either: a high temperature a new continuous cough. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home. Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service Only call 111 if you cannot get help online. Stay At Home advice can be found here What else can you do? Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands. Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to: Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.Avoid close contact with people who are unwell. Thank you for your support and co-operation as we do all we can to protect your loved ones, visitors and our staff.

A new approach to the way policing is delivered across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will result in more officers based in neighbourhoods and quicker response times. From March 11 Leicestershire Police will be introducing its new Target Operating Model (TOM) across the force area. It will result in more officers being based locally meaning quicker response times and more resilience and capability in neighbourhoods. Currently there are eight Neighbourhood Policing Areas (NPAs) across the city, county and Rutland. This will increase to nine under the changes. These will be: North West Leicestershire Charnwood Melton and Rutland (newly created area) Harborough and Wigston (newly created area) Hinckley and Blaby West Leicester East Leicester South Leicester (some boundary changes) Central Leicester Each area will be led by a commander and have the capability for patrol, incident response, investigation, problem-solving and community engagement. NPAs will have their own area CID team, headed up by a Detective Inspector, meaning a dedicated resource in neighbourhoods for investigating more serious offences locally. A new role of Neighbourhood Patrol Officer (NPOs) is being introduced. These officers will respond to incidents, carry out pro-active patrol and investigate volume crime such as burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage. They will be overseen by additional locally based sergeants. They will work alongside existing Dedicated Neighbourhood Officers and teams who work to address local issues and priorities with partners. All newly trained police officers joining the force will become an NPO and be allocated to a neighbourhood policing area. The force is recruiting additional police officers this year paid for from local council tax payers and from the Government’s Uplift programme. Deputy Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “This new way of organising how we deliver our services will ultimately put more police officers directly into neighbourhoods where the public want us to. “In the first few months people may not see any major changes but over time they should start to see more officers in and around their communities. “It will mean more crime being investigated locally by dedicated officers from initial allocation through to arrest and preparation for court or resolution. This means better ownership of issues and the ability to build trust and confidence with the public. “The model is very much based on detailed analysis we have done over time and feedback from officers on the frontline on how best we can deliver 24/7 response. We want to remove some of those boundaries that currently exist that creates silo working, to ensure a greater level of team working. “With more officers based at local level it will mean stronger local knowledge and intelligence and quicker response times. “This will take time to embed, particularly as we will be busy recruiting and training officers for the frontline throughout the year.” Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach has been travelling round a number of police stations in the city and county talking to officers to find out what they think about the new model. He said: “The reaction is very positive. I think officers like the idea that now they will usually handle an incident or crime from start to finish, and I know that residents will find that appealing. “Personally, I like its localism, it’s a good thing. Officers in the heart of communities, dealing with the problems in that community. That’s just what people have told me, over and over, that they want to see. I promised to increase the number of frontline officers tackling local issues and now people are seeing the proof of that. “The aim is to also use our resources to better meet the demand on our services. I think that this new model of service delivery will achieve that and I’m proud to have been involved.”

The search for an artist to design and produce a statue of the legendary Leicester playwright, Joe Orton, in his hometown has been launched today (9thMarch) with the issue of an artist’s design brief. The search following a successful, high profile crowd funding campaign which received celebrity backing and donations from the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Stephen Fry, Sir Matthew Bourne, Pet Shop Boys, Alison Steadman, Kenneth Cranham, Sheila Hancock, Adam Kay, Patrick Gayle, Jake Arnott, Graham Fellows and The Connor Brothers. The Joe Orton Statue Appeal CIC (Community Interest Company) are inviting an artist to develop a permanent work of three-dimensional public art to memorialise Joe Orton in Leicester’s Orton Square, outside Curve theatre. The desire is to make the ‘Joe Orton Statue’ a destination artwork and one which enhances the local resident and visitor experience of Orton Square, Leicester. It is envisaged that the artwork will be thought provoking, outward looking and make a major contribution to the community, enhancing the lives of passers-by. Leonie Orton, sister of the late playwright and administrator of the Joe Orton Estate said: “I hope that the statue will become a memorable and exciting addition to Leicester’s cultural landscape that raises awareness whilst celebrating his life, work and legacy.It is not a ‘statue’ that people should be in awe of, rather something they want to interact with and associate with.” This will be the first statue of a self-identified working-class homosexual man in Britain. It’s positioning at the heart of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter, within the square that bears his name, should reinforce Leicester’s reputation for diversity and inclusivity, celebrating the city as a home to all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. This is a unique opportunity to rethink memorialisation and to create something which salutes individuality, represents inclusivity and reflects our diverse society. Tanya Brittain, CEO of the Public Monuments and Statues Association said: “PMSA is always happy to support the commissioning of quality works of public sculpture. The Joe Orton Statue campaign has, from its very conception, attracted public attention and provoked lively discussion. There are figurative bronzes in city centres all over the world reminding us how society has changed in a relatively short space of time. I really hope the finished artwork will educate, enlighten and invite cultural evolution – which is exactly what public sculpture should do.” Artists are asked to submit ‘Expressions of Interest’ by the 31st May 2020 which includes their CV and examples of their previous work, a covering letter stating why they are interested in the commission, information on how their design fulfils the Brief along with a visual interpretation of their proposed design. Submissions will be reviewed and longlisted by an Advisory Group made up of local people who work in the arts and culture industries, the Orton family, members of the Saffron Lane estate and the Leicester LGBTQ community before being displayed at a public exhibition this Summer. Public opinion and general feedback from the exhibition will be carefully considered before a Selection Panel that includes representatives of Leicester City Council, Curve, The Orton Estate, University of Leicester, Public Monuments and Statues Association as well as Orton enthusiast, the , the artist, author and singer songwriter, Holly Johnson. From this, three artists will be invited to submit detailed proposals including maquettes that will be exhibited at New Walk Museum this Autumn before the final design is chosen. Selection Committee member, the artist, author and singer songwriter Holly Johnson said: ‘Joe Orton challenged hypocrisy with his barbed humour, always swinging the other way in the Swinging Sixties. It’s an honour to be asked to help select the statue that will commemorate this working-class hero who was an antidote to the stiff upper lip British establishment’ A copy of the full Design Brief can be downloaded here. Artists wishing to apply must make their submission by 31st May 2020.

Busy retail area and main route into Leicester is being spruced up in a £145,000 improvement scheme focusing on pavement repairs, better street furniture and new bollards. Work is due to begin on Narborough Road on Monday, March 16, in the first phase of a series of planned improvements along the busy shopping and residential area. It will include pavement maintenance to replace broken slabs, improved drainage, resurfacing work, and also installing new bollards, benches and cycle racks. Damage to the footways has been caused by underground tree roots cracking or distorting paving slabs, or vehicles parking on pavements. The works will be carried out in phases over the next 14 weeks in the area between Narborough Road’s junctions with Upperton Road and Equity Road. It is the first stage of a series of improvements planned along the road, which will take place in gradual phases to avoid disrupting businesses. Leicester deputy city mayor and Westcotes ward councillor, Sarah Russell, said: “Narborough Road is a thriving retail and residential area, with a bustling community of shops, restaurants and bars, as well as being one of the key gateways into the city. “We are carrying out these improvements to help make it a more attractive, pleasant environment for people to live and shop. “In several places, old pavement slabs have become cracked, sunken or displaced by wear and tear, careless pavement parking and even underground tree roots. “The work we’ll be doing will sort out these damaged pavements, and also install bollards in areas to prevent pavement parking in future. We’ll also be installing new cycle racks, benches and other street furniture to help the area for everyone who uses it. “We are mindful that this is a very busy street, with scores of small businesses, so we’ll carry out this work over time to ensure it doesn’t cause too much disruption to businesses, residents and road users in the area.” The work is being funded through a combination of Leicester City Council’s highway maintenance capital fund, and Section 106 contributions earmarked for helping retail areas of the city, paid for by developers extending Fosse Park’s shopping centre. The road will remain open to traffic during the majority of the works. However, Upperton Road will be closed on occasional Sundays and at off-peak hours when work is being done around the traffic light junctions. Road diversion signs will be placed on the days the road is closed. There will be some cones and barriers preventing vehicles stopping in certain areas when work is taking place. As part of the work, a tree which has badly damaged pavements is due to be removed from outside 129-133 Narborough Road, and replaced with a more suitable one. Letters have been sent to residents and businesses in the area where the works are being carried out to let them know about the works. Access to premises will be maintained wherever possible, with works will be carried out between 7.30am and 3.30pm on Monday to Friday, plus occasional Sundays. Pictures by Leicester Media

Events will be taking place around the world on Sunday (8 March) to mark International Women’s Day. In Leicester, commemorative events start on Saturday (7 March), when the Adult Education College on Belvoir Street hosts a free talk entitled Celebrating International Women’s Day with friends from Afghanistan. The talk – which runs from 2pm-4pm – is part of an exhibition on Afghanistan that’s been organised by Leicester CND. The exhibition,Afghanistan: Hidden Voices From A Forgotten War continues until 31 March. On Sunday, members of local churches will call for equality for women in the world and in the church by meeting at the Alice Hawkins statue to say prayers and sing songs, before walking to the Holy Cross Church. The event gets under way at 11am. Rounding off International Women’s Day events on Sunday is the chance to find out more about the hard-fought campaign that finally led to women having the same right to vote as men. At a spoken word show at the city’s Guildhall, the great-grandson of the Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins will talk about her life and her struggle for equality. Peter Barratt will bring Alice’s story to life with the help of some of her possessions – including her suffragette sash and her hunger strike medal – and with the assistance of actor Ruth Pownall, who will play the part of the Leicester suffragette in the show. Alice Hawkins: Suffragette takes place at 2pm on Sunday 8 March. Tickets are £4.50 and are available from the Guildhall. Curve theatre and Leicester College have teamed up to celebrate the achievements and diversity of women in Leicester and Leicestershire on Monday (9 March) and Tuesday (10 March). The college's Freemen's Park Campus hosts an International Women's Day Market from 10am-2pm on Monday, while there's an International Women's Day Showcase at Curve on Tuesday from 7pm. More information about these and other events at Leicester College is available at leicestercollege.ac.uk International Women's Day is held on 8 March each year to celebrate women's achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.

Permit scheme that allows people to use large vehicles to bring household waste to a Leicester recycling centre is set to change next week. Currently, anyone living in the city can request a paper permit to bring household waste by van or trailer to the city council-run Gypsum Close recycling centre. This service is free of charge. However, changes to the scheme are due to come into effect from Wednesday 11 March. This will include applications being processed faster, with most permits being approved by email within a few minutes of applying. Instead of bringing a paper permit to the site the permits will be processed digitally, with the site staff using tablets to access the permit records. Permit holders will be required to show valid photo ID, such as a driving licence. Some residents with older permits may be asked to reapply. The scheme will also be extended to include pick-up vehicles. The permits will still be free of charge to anyone living in the city and full permits are valid for 12 visits to the site over 12 months. Car users will be unaffected by the changes. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “Our household recycling centres provide an important service for people who live in the city, allowing them to dispose of waste from their own homes safely and responsibly. “The waste permit scheme is a popular service and we want to make it as easy to use as possible. “Unfortunately, despite the excellent trade waste facilities on offer at Gypsum Close, some businesses do try to exploit the household waste permit scheme to dispose of their commercial waste. These changes will help us to crackdown on that.” Permit vehicles can only use Gypsum Close Recycling Centre and are not permitted to use Freemen’s Common. For more information visit www.leicester.gov.uk/recyclingcentres

A Leicester woman is celebrating her 20th anniversary in the Shared Lives scheme. Lynne Jones, 64, from Leicester, has been living with her Shared Lives carers, Carol and Rick Wright, for 20 years. Shared Lives is a scheme run by Leicester City Council where adults with learning disabilities live with carers who support them as ‘part of the family’. Many, like Lynne, do this as a long-term arrangement, but others may simply spend a respite break with a Shared Lives carer, or visit regularly but live elsewhere. Lynne moved into Carol and Rick’s Aylestone home on 4 January 2000. Before that, she lived in a few temporary Shared Lives placements, and with family members. Carol and Rick have supported Lynne in lots of ways since she moved in. They helped her to attend night school, where she learned to read and write, so that she can now enjoy reading books before bed. Lynne also works in a local charity shop, attends a disco once a week, and has been on lots of holidays with her carers. Carol said: Lynne is part of our family and we’re delighted that she’s been with us for 20 years. She’s a very special person. She wanted to celebrate her 20th anniversary by going bowling and for a meal, so that is what we arranged, and the whole family had a wonderful day. “As anyone who offers care and support in their home will know, it can be demanding, but it’s also hugely rewarding and can be great fun. We all have our own support workers in the Shared Lives scheme and they offer excellent support, as well as ensuring we have appropriate training so that everyone in the scheme gets the best out of it. “We are very glad to be a part of Shared Lives. We feel that we’ve offered Lynne so many varied opportunities she wouldn’t have had if she had moved to residential care.” Deputy city mayor Cllr Sarah Russell, who leads on social care, said: “Being in a Shared Lives placement means Lynne can be an active member of the community, but she also has the security of knowing there is someone there at home if she ever feels anxious or needs help. “I’d like to congratulate Lynne on reaching this milestone, and thank Carol and Rick for being such great carers. It’s fantastic to see our Shared Lives scheme working so well for people.” Shared Lives currently has around 22 adults in long-term placements, with seven more in day care or respite placements. They are supported by 34 caring households. As well as adults with learning disabilities, Shared Lives also supports people with dementia or mental health issues, and older people. Carers are paid and have ongoing training. Regular contact and support is given by the Shared Lives team. To find out more about the scheme and how to become a Shared Lives carer, visit: www.leicester.gov.uk/sharedlives

Leicester city centre will be lit up with some extraordinary illuminated artworks next week as part of a brand new international festival. Light Up Leicester will offer a digital take on traditional light festivals, with each of the seven large-scale installations interacting with people through sound or sensors, reacting to light, temperature or humidity levels, or responding to data, thanks to an internet connection. Four of the artworks that will be installed in Leicester city centre from Thursday (5 March) have already enjoyed success in the UK and elsewhere, but three new pieces have been specially commissioned for the festival and will be shown in Leicester for the first time. Shadowdance ­ - an interactive installation in Green Dragon Square - will transform people’s shadows into gigantic colourful silhouettes, Unexpected Connection will bring people together in an interactive LED tunnel in Jubilee Square, while Leicester-based Mateus Domingo has created a matrix of lights for Leicester Market. Called Traces, the artwork will capture visitors’ ‘traces’, allowing them to leave their own mark on the illuminations. Also confirmed for the Leicester festival is Wave-Field, which will bring eight illuminated see-saws that are activated when people play on them to Humbersone Gate, while Youth Culture – a 3-metre high interactive sculpture – will be installed in Orton Square. Silver Street will host Shoefiti – a playful display of dangling LED trainers – while St Peter’s Square at Highcross will be transformed with 500 points of lights and 500 voices as part of an immersive artwork called Wave (pictured). Together, the seven installations will create a stunning night-time spectacle in Leicester city centre that will be free for everyone to enjoy. Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “Light Up Leicester will bring together acclaimed works by international artists with three brand new installations that will be shown for the first time here in Leicester. “Each of the pieces will encourage people to interact with them – and each of these illuminated works will help transform the night-time ambience in Leicester city centre during the four days of the festival. “We’re very grateful to Arts Council England and BID Leicester for supporting this event, and we look forward to working with our partners to deliver what should be a very special festival for Leicester.” Simon Jenner, director of Leicester’s Business Improvement District, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to bring this festival to the city. “This is the first event of its kind in Leicester, and we’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to spend time in the city and enjoy this free, four-day festival.” Sam Javid, executive producer at ArtReach - the Leicester-based arts organisation that’s working with the city council and partners to deliver the festival - said: "As producers, it’s our job to bring artists and organisations together to create memorable and magical experiences. This new festival does just that – anyone in the city centre from 5-8 March will know something truly exceptional is happening." Pictures by Leicester Media Light Up Leicester runs from Thursday 5 March until Sunday 8 March. The festival is supported by funding from Arts Council England, Leicester City Council and BID Leicester. More information about Light Up Leicester is available at www.lightupleicester.com Leicester City Council News Published on Thursday, February 27, 2020

Four new bespoke aeroplanes are being added to the existing national fleet of police helicopters to deliver a more responsive service to the 43 police forces of England and Wales. Flying out of a custom-built base at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, the fleet of new planes will travel the length and breadth of England and Wales and respond to the same range of tasks as the helicopters. With faster flying speeds and greater endurance times, the planes will increase attendance rates to some of the more remote areas of the country and help to keep more people safe from the air. Two of the four planes are already certificated to fly on task and have responded to 100 tasks across the UK inthe last two months. Doncaster Sheffield Airport is home to one of 14 National Police Air Service (NPAS) air bases offering support to all police forces across England and Walesas part of a unique national policing collaboration. From these bases, NPAS responds to 20,000 incidents every year. Ian Vause, Assistant Operations Director for the National Police Air Service said: “Providing a unique aerial view to police officers on the ground, the addition of aeroplanes to the National Police Air Service helicopter fleet has already boosted our ability to respond to policing needs across the UK. “Supporting the location of suspects and vehicles, ofvulnerable missing people and the policing ‘command and control’ of large public gatherings, such as sports matches and other events, air support is a vital tool in combatting crime and disorder and keeping people safe. “We save local police time when it really matters and I am delighted to be able to do this more often and in more locations through the addition of this new arm to our fleet.” The National Police Air Service (NPAS) www.npas.police.uk