Responding to the report published today (6 July) from the Police Leadership Commission, Rupert Matthews, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said: "The report's call for a fundamental overhaul of police leadership is right, but it is far from a new observation. For years, I have argued for a return to the Peelian principles and for stronger, more accountable leadership. "I welcome the focus on developing future leaders and believe we should also recruit more expertise from outside policing to broaden the talent pool and bring fresh perspectives. "My concern is that, while the report identifies long-standing problems, it offers few immediate solutions. Frontline officers need strong leadership, support and direction now, not after more boards and working groups have been established at a time to be decided by the very leaders affected. "Policing needs to be fair, transparent and ethical, but also robust, respected and effective. If we are serious about rebuilding public trust, a healthy dose of common sense would help too."

Work to replace a cracked glazed panel that covers the original burial site of King Richard III is to get under way on Wednesday (8 July). The king’s grave – formerly located in the choir of the long-gone Greyfriars Priory – is now part of Leicester’s award-winning King Richard III Visitor Centre and has been glazed over since the centre opened in 2014. A specialist team of contractors will remove the damaged glass and replace it with a new triple-glazed panel, working carefully to ensure that the archaeology of the site is protected and that the integrity of the scheduled ancient monument is preserved. While work is under way, visitors will not be able to visit the grave site, while parts of the courtyard will also be unavailable. The rest of the visitor centre will be open as normal. Works will take three days to complete, with the grave site fully reopening to visitors on Saturday (11 July). Assistant city mayor Cllr Vi Dempster said: “We apologise to visitors for the inconvenience, but these essential works will ensure that the historic grave site of King Richard III continues to be protected to the very highest standards, while allowing visitors to experience this globally important heritage site.” The glazed panel was accidentally damaged in 2024, with an insurance claim covering most of the £29,830 repair costs. UPDATE 10/07/2026 We're pleased to let everyone know that the work at the King Richard III gravesite has now been completed. The gravesite is fully open once again, and open to visitors. Thank you for your patience while the work was carried out. We look forward to welcoming you back. LCC News - Published on Monday, July 6, 2026

Plans to build a new electricity substation on a council-owned site in Leicester city centre have taken an important step forward. National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) has agreed to purchase land and property at 52-58 Oxford Street from the city council. The purchase forms part of the energy company’s wider £5.3m investment to reinforce the city’s electricity network. The site has been earmarked for the development of a new primary substation site that will strengthen the network to meet new and future energy demand, providing resilience to the supply for the next 20 years. It will also help support the city’s future development and economic growth including that needed for the Leicester Royal Infirmary, De Montfort University and Leicester City Football Club. The proposed development of the site by NGED will support a drive towards electrification and help reduce citywide carbon emissions. Purchase of the land is conditional on planning permission being awarded. If approved, it is hoped that construction of the new primary substation will get under way next year The half-acre site currently houses four commercial industrial units which the city council has agreed relocation options with the tenants. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “We have been in discussion with National Grid to identify a suitable site for the development of a new primary substation for the city. “We’re very happy to support this essential expansion of National Grid’s local infrastructure which will support the city’s development and growth, and provide energy security, for many years to come. “The proposed sale of this land would also provide a very useful capital receipt which will be reinvested in projects to support the city’s regeneration and economic prosperity.” James Bradley, team manager in NGED’s Major Projects team, said: “This investment is about giving Leicester the power it needs to grow. By strengthening the network, we’re making sure homes and businesses can rely on a resilient supply as the city develops. It’s a big step in supporting future projects and keeping Leicester moving forward - helping to unlock economic growth across the city.” A formal decision on the sale of the city council-owned land and property at 52-58 Oxford Street is due to be confirmed later this month. LCC News - Published on Monday, July 6, 2026

Front garden walls on a row of houses in a Leicester neighbourhood are to be repaired and rebuilt as part of a neighbourhood improvement scheme. Leicester City Council is working with householders along a busy stretch of Welford Road to improve or reinstate damaged or missing front garden boundary walls. It’s the latest phase of a citywide programme of investment that has seen similar schemes completed on Evington Road, Green Lane Road and Narborough Road over the last seven years. In this fourth scheme, many of the terraced houses have missing or damaged front walls, where they have been removed or fallen into disrepair over time. The city council has now entered into legal agreements with the owners of 38 properties to carry out work to replace missing or damaged front walls with a new one-metre-high boundary wall and metal gate. Householders will contribute a nominal sum of £1 as part of the legal agreement. Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for highways and environment, said: “This new investment will really help improve the appearance of a busy neighbourhood street and major gateway into the city. “By replacing damaged and missing front walls and gates, which are making some parts of Welford Road look quite shabby, we can give the road a real boost. “The work will build on similar, successful schemes in other parts of the city and we’re confident that it will have a positive impact on safety and help improve the look and feel on this important route.” Work gets underway this week (w/c Monday 6 July) and will be carried out in phases to help minimise disruption along the well-used route. The scheme is expected to be complete within six months. The city council is working with Leicester-based Oliveti Construction which will carry out the improvements. LCC News Published on Monday, July 6, 2026

Dozens of householders in Loughborough and surrounding areas are to be offered state-of-the art security devices to protect their homes from burglars thanks to PCC funding. As part of an ongoing programme of Prevent and Protect events, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC has designated £20k to improve home security for vulnerable homes within the Charnwood district where data shows properties are at increased risk of burglary. Eligible residents are invited to one of two events where they can collect free home security devices such as video doorbells, a CCTV camera or solar security light. The first event is set to take place at Gorse Covert Centre in Loughborough on Friday, August 28th from 10.30am until 5pm and will be available for residents whose postcodes begin: LE11 4 or LE11 5. A second event will be held at Elizabeth Sports Community Centre from 10.30am until 5pm on Friday, 4th September and will cover the Syston and Thurmaston areas, specifically for postcodes: LE4 8 and LE7 2. Residents are required to bring photo ID with their address to either event to prove they reside within the postcode along with a utility bill or council tax letter with their name and details on it. Security items will be distributed on a first come first served basis. Mr Matthews said:“Prevention is everything. The more we focus on stopping crime before it happens, ensuring people are well-protected and more vigilant, the safer our communities will be and feel, bringing far-reaching benefits to us all. “Burglary is a traumatic and distressing crime that feels deeply personal. Such intrusions shatter confidence and leave victims feeling isolated, fearful and anxious. This is why I am determined to invest in resources that alleviate future stress and harm by preventing these crimes at all costs. “As I’ve said before, building safer and more prosperous communities requires teamwork, not just with professional agencies, but residents and businesses alike. We can all play a dynamic role to make our communities stronger, safer and more prosperous and so I call on all eligible residents to take up these opportunities and play their part.” Neighbourhood Crime is a key priority in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan, with the Commissioner committed to investing funding into local communities for crime prevention activity. More information can be found on the website: https://www.leics.pcc.police.uk/what-we-do/community-action-programme/prevent-and-protect/.

Police have launched an investigation after the body of a man was found in the water at Watermead Country Park this afternoon. A Leicestershire Police spokesperson said: “Police received a call at 2.28pm today (Saturday 4 July) regarding a report of a body in the water at Watermead Country Park. “Officers attended at the location and the body of a man was removed a short time after. “Colleagues from East Midlands Ambulance also attended and the man was later pronounced deceased at the scene. “The death is being treated as unexplained as enquiries continue.” Police Update Sunday 5th July. Further enquiries have been carried out and the death is not suspicious. A file will be prepared for HM Coroner. Identification of the deceased is a matter for the coroner. Pictures by Leicester Media Online

A new gamma camera has been installed at the Glenfield Hospital, as part of an ongoing project to improve nuclear medicine services at UHL. The new GE HealthCare Aurora SPECT/CT camera will help doctors to assess the function of their patients’ organs, combining this with a structural scan. It will increase the capacity of UHL’s nuclear medicine service, which currently sees around 5,000 patients annually, adding up to 1,000 more appointments per year. Nuclear medicine is one of the most highly regulated and technically specialised areas of hospital care. It involves using small, safe amounts of radiopharmaceuticals, together with advanced imaging technology, to diagnose, monitor and treat a range of conditions including cancer, heart disease, and some neurological disorders. After a patient is administered with a small amount of a radiopharmaceutical, chosen to target the relevant part of the body, UHL’s gamma cameras – including the new Aurora model – show where the radiopharmaceutical has gone, creating a picture of the distribution of radiation in the body to help clinicians as they investigate how organs are functioning. The GE Aurora can also perform a CT scan, giving an improvement in image quality, along with anatomical mapping to further aid diagnosis. The installation of the new camera is part of a wider refurbishment of the nuclear medicine facility at the Glenfield Hospital, which now serves as the main base for UHL’s diagnostic nuclear medicine work. A hub for the growing field of molecular radiotherapy and ‘theranostics’ is also being developed at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Martyn Farmer, Interim Group Head of Nuclear Medicine at UHL and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group, said: “Installing this new camera and the refurbishment of our base at the Glenfield Hospital are the next steps towards an exciting future for nuclear medicine at UHL. “These developments will help our department and the services we offer to patients to go from strength to strength.” The gamma camera installation was delivered through a managed equipment service, in strategic partnership with Ergéa UK. John Muolo, Executive Vice President and Director of Strategic Relationships at Ergéa UK and Ireland said: “Enabling access to the latest healthcare technologies has always been a key focus of the UHL and Ergéa partnership. Through close collaboration and a shared commitment to innovation, our teams work together to advance patient care, improve service delivery, and support better outcomes for patients.” As part of our Group Clinical Strategy work, colleagues across UHN and UHL have started working towards a shared group‑wide nuclear medicine model. The emerging model aims to introduce a single management structure, a shared governance system, increased digital integration, plus a unified booking process over the longer term. The aim is to benefit patients by providing a single, consistent pathway, with faster access to appointments through shared capacity. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust News - 29 June 2026

Sports clubs and parks across Charnwood have been supported with over £580,000 worth of funding to improve facilities. Funding has been awarded to 10 projects in the past year which was secured through Section 106 funding (S106). Left to right: Harry Scoble, Community Youth, Sport & Physical Activity Development Officer, Chris Preston, Clubhouse Manager at Sileby Town Cricket Club and Cllr Birgitta Worrall, Lead Member for Planning and S106 Agreements The investment includes an improved clubhouse and changing rooms at Sileby Cricket Club and upgraded facilities at Sileby Tennis Club, both totalling £150,000 each. A BMX track has been refurbished in Shepshed, and a children’s skate park has also been installed in Anstey through the funding. S106 contributions were also used in match funding to install a Cruyff Court at Southfields Park in Loughborough. S106 agreements are secured by the borough council from housing developers to ensure that funding is available to improve public services in the local area. In the past two years, over £2 million of S106 funding has been secured by the borough council and allocated to services such as healthcare, the police, sports clubs and spent on affordable housing. Cllr Birgitta Worrall, the Council’s Lead Member for Planning and S106 Agreements, said: “The Council is committed to ensuring that Section 106 funding is secured and spent to improve local facilities for residents across the borough. “These projects, which have been supported over the past year, offer vital facilities to people of all ages, encouraging them to get active. I am really pleased that we have been able to support them and to see the positive impact the funding has had.” The sports projects to receive S106 funding in the past year are: Quorn Cricket Club to invest in new practice nets - £32,418 Sileby Tennis club to improve tennis facilities including courts and clubhouse - £150,000 Sileby Town Football Club to buy a football storage container - £5,296. Sileby Town Cricket Club to improve clubhouse - £150,000 Sileby Bowls Club to improve clubhouse, and toilet provisions - £23,260.00 Anstey Skate Park for young children - £44,978 Shepshed BMX Track refurbishment - £64,643 Burton on the Wolds Parish Council to improve grass pitches at Towles Field - £12,800 Quorn Bowls Club for new changing facilities - £20,000. Cruyff Court installed at Southfields Park in Loughborough - £80,000. Chris Preston, Clubhouse Manager at Sileby Town Cricket Club, said: “The funding that we have received has made a huge difference to our players and visitors to the cricket club. “We are all so happy with the improved clubhouse which will be used for decades to come and it would not have been possible without access to this funding. “I am really pleased to see many local clubs and projects being supported as it helps keep these fantastic facilities on offer for all residents to enjoy.” Funding for the clubhouse at Sileby Town Cricket Club was also provided through a Charnwood Community Facilities Grant, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), match funding and Leicestershire Cricket. Find out more about Sileby Town Cricket Club. Read more about S106 contributions. Published: Tue 30th June, 2026 Charnwood Borough Council News

Troon Way in Leicester is currently closed between the junctions of Melton Road and Nicklaus Road due to an ongoing incident. East Midlands Ambulance Service, along with Leicestershire Police, are in attendance. It has also been reported that the Air Ambulance attended the scene. We have contacted Leicestershire police for more information on this ongoing incident. Updates will be appear here: 14:10 Troon Way has now reopened. 14:15 Police have now released a statement. A spokesperson from Leicestershire Police said: “Police were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service following a report a man had taken ill in public. He sadly died at the scene. The road closure will be lifted shortly.” Pictures by Leicester Media Online

Multiple emergency services are currently attending an incident in Loughborough this morning. Police and Fire Service, along with East Midlands Ambulance, are attending this incident, which is concentrated on the bridge over the train line on Terry Yardley Way near the new Meadowbrook Chase housing development. The air ambulance service has landed in a nearby field. We have contacted Leicestershire police for more information. UPDATE 12:00 CLICK LINK BELOW TO READ A woman sustained serious injuries after falling off a bridge in Loughborough Pictures by Leicester Media Online

A motorcyclist has died following a road traffic collision in Shepshed. Police were called at 8.49am this morning (Sunday 5 July) regarding a single vehicle collision on Charley Road. The collision involved a red Yamaha MT07 motorcycle. The rider - a man in his eighties - sustained fatal injuries and was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene. Charley Road was closed between Oaks Road and Abbey Road while emergency services respond at the scene. It has since been reopened. Detective Sergeant Jack Cornick from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) said: “At the time of the collision, the vehicle was travelling towards Copt Oak. “If there is anyone who witnessed the collision, saw the rider beforehand or the circumstances leading up to it, we ask that you please make contact with us. “Anyone who may also have dashcam footage which captured anything relating to the collision is also asked to get in touch.” You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ and quoting reference 26*394176. Alternatively call 101. Leicestershire Police News - Published: 15:19 05/07/2026

Multiple emergency services including the air ambulance service attended this incident in Loughborough early this morning on Terry Yardley Way. A spokesperson from Leicestershire said: Police received a call at 7.42am this morning (Sunday 5 July) that a woman was on the wrong side of the railway bridge on Terry Yardley Way, Loughborough. Officers attended the location and a short time later, the woman fell from the bridge. She has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. The road was closed while emergency services were in attendance, and it has since been reopened Pictures by Leicester Media Online