DRUNK DRIVER CRASHES THROUGH WALL

A motorist who ploughed through a brick wall in his girlfriend's Saab was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Police say the man took the dark-coloured car without his girlfriend's consent at 11.10pm on April 8th before crashing through the wall in Risley near the Risley Hall Country House Hotel.

Officers attended the scene in Derby Road and the 31-year-old man from Stapleford was subsequently arrested after providing a breath test. He was later arrested on suspicion of driving without a licence or insurance and taking a vehicle without consent. The driver who hurt his leg in the collision was taken to Royal Derby Hospital for treatment. He was later released pending further investigation.

NEW BUTCHERS

A new butchers is to open on the High Street in Long Eaton. Willowtree Family Butchers are set to hold an opening ceremony on Saturday April 7th. Mary Hopkinson, the Mayor of Erewash will conduct the ceremony at 9am. Owner Reece Thornton said, “Come and give us a go, we are going to be a great asset to the community.”

Following the opening the first 75 customers will receive a free gift.

 

MAN ROBS LONG EATON HAIRDRESSER

An armed man has robbed a hairdresser in Long Eaton. At around 5.45pm on Monday, March 26th, a man walked into The Green Hairdressing Salon, Nottingham Road, and produced a knife. He demanded cash from the till and stole money before walking off along Conway Street. No one was injured. The robber is white, slim, about 5ft 5ins tall and in his mid-20s. He wore a royal blue hooded top with the hood up.

Witnesses or anyone with information should call DS Dan Burns on 101, quoting reference 18000137775. Alternatively, send him a message online by visiting the Contact Us section of our website. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS ARE CUT

On Tuesday March 13th Tory and DUP MPs voted for cuts to free school meals. In England Families on universal credit will see the income threshold for free school meals cut to £7,400 per year. Catherine Atkinson, Labour’s candidate for Erewash in the next general election had written to Maggie Throup urging her to put Derbyshire’s poorest children before Party loyalty, by voting against the Government plans. The appeal fell on deaf ears as Maggie Throup toed the party line and the sweeping cuts were waved through by 312 votes to 254. Speaking about the Government plans before the vote, Catherine said:

 

“The Tories are trying to leave over a million children without access to free school meals, that’s potentially 14,000 in our area alone. If Maggie Throup votes to literally take hot dinners away from the children of her constituents, I don’t know how she will be able to hold her head high in our towns.”

PARKING CHARGES FROZEN

Car parking charges in Erewash have been frozen for this year and the popular free one hour parking in town centre car parks will continue.

Erewash Borough Council has confirmed that there will be no increase in parking rates in its car parks following its budget setting meeting this month. The move comes despite many local authorities across the country announcing a hike in parking rates as councils continue to find ways to deal with budget shortfalls in these financially challenging times. Councillor Michael Powell, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, says:

“Our message is clear – there is no increase in parking charges in Erewash and our free one hour parking scheme continues. We firmly believe this is important in the continued drive to bring people into our town centres which is why we worked hard within our budget to ensure we could freeze the parking rates and still offer the free parking.”

WHERES LULU

COD’S SCALLOPS

In case you have completely missed it, the cod’s Scallops have cast its net to opening a new store in Long Eaton’s town centre. Formally the Fulton’s freezer store, the fish and chip shop is the third branch to open, following the success at Wollaton and Carrington. Following years of great recommendations and boasting the support of National fish and chip awards it was time for me to see what all the fuss was about.

The restaurant opens at 9.30am and as we headed in around 10.30 we were told that frying doesn’t commence till 11.30, the option of sitting in and having a cuppa while we waited would have been an hour’s long look at the menu while staring at the clock willing it to move, we opted for a walk around town. Getting back just after opening the tables had already been taken up, there was still space though and we sat admiring the seaside themed pictures and decorations.

While my mum opted for the Lunchtime meal deal of mini cod, chips and a cuppa for £6 (Monday to sat 1130-2) I went for lemon and pepper squid rings a side of chips and a mug of coffee. The staff seemed friendly and very eager to make the plaice (see what i did there?) the best experience possible. As soon as 12 hit there seemed to be an explosion of people hurriedly coming in for take away lunches, again the staff worked hard and barely stopped to ensure that the queue went down as quick as possible. The food itself was amazing; the fluffy chips (cooked in beef dripping) were to die for, smothered in the restaurants branded ketchup, the squid rings were lovely and served in a shell. The whole experience was fantastic, while a little more expensive than local chippy's, owner John Molnar has put all his energies into creating a fantastic eatery from his 30 years experience as a chef and has created a perfect chippy to go to for a treat with a wide choice available even a fishmonger friend of mine was impressed!

LIFE FOR WEST PARK COURT MURDERER

Alcoholic Jeffery Beers has been jailed for life after stabbing his friend with a bread knife. He will serve a minimum of 15 years. A jury had unanimously found the 46-year-old guilty. He was sentenced on Tuesday, February 27th at Derby Crown Court.

Police were called to West Park Court, Broad Street, Long Eaton, on August 29th, 2017, after reports that a man had been injured. When officers arrived, a man was found with fatal injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The post-mortem examination indicated that the victim had been stabbed. Jeffery Beers of West Park Court was arrested and later charged with the murder of Nigel McGurk.

Detective Inspector Steve Shaw who led the investigation said: “Both Beers and Mr McGurk were friends and had what people described as a futile relationship. I would like to praise the police officers and medical staff who attended the scene who tried to save Nigel. This was a sad and tragic end to a life and hopefully this sentence will bring some comfort to Mr McGurk’s family, knowing that justice has been served.”  

LITTER CULPRITS BE WARNED

Litterbugs and pet owners who fail to pick up after their dogs are being warned they will be prosecuted if they are caught offending and then fail to pay the Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) fine. The hard-hitting message comes from Erewash Borough Council as it continues its crackdown on environmental crime and follows three successful prosecutions last month – while a further three court cases are due to take place over the next couple of weeks. 

Two local residents have been taken to court by the council after they failed to pay their fines when they were spotted throwing their cigarette ends onto the pavement – while a third was also prosecuted for non-payment of his fine for failing to pick up after his two dogs. All three were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices when they were seen by Neighbourhood Wardens and must now pay court fines and costs totalling hundreds of pounds. All three cases were heard at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court: 

· Kirsty Taylor, of Balmoral Road, Borrowash, dropped a cigarette end and left it on the pavement on Derby Road, Long Eaton. No FPN payment was received and the court fined her　£220, with a victim surcharge of £30 and ordered her to pay the council’s full costs of £127 – a total bill of £377.

· James Whitworth (32), of Critchley Street, Ilkeston, dropped and left his cigarette end on Bath Street, Ilkeston.　He failed to pay his FPN and was fined £220 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and the council’s full costs of £127.50 – a total bill of £377.50.

· Isaac Stack (20), of Blackwell Close, Ilkeston, was issued with two FPNs when he failed to pick up after his two dogs fouled land at Cotmanhay Pavilion Open Space. No payment was received and he must now pay a total court bill of £597.50 – a fine of £220 for each offence, a victim surcharge of £30 and the council’s full costs of £127.50.　 Councillor Garry Hickton, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environment, says:

 
“These cases show that we won’t hesitate to take action against offenders. They may have hoped to avoid punishment, but the fines and costs awarded demonstrate the court’s support for our work. If people don’t want to be out of pocket, the solution is simple – dispose of waste responsibly. Littering of any kind is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. It brings down the appeal of our towns and local communities and is dangerous and unhealthy. Much of the waste carelessly thrown out, particularly cigarette ends, does not rot down for a very long time. Clean-up costs, of course, are met through Council Tax so dropping litter, fly-tipping or leaving dog mess makes no sense at all and is a mindless thing to do. We need the public to take a responsible approach to disposing of their waste.” 

Over the last quarter, the council issued an increased number of 44 FPNs for litter offences compared to 31 in the same period last year. In the year to date there have been 170 issued compared to 109 at the same point in 2016. Fly-tipping cases have dropped in the year to date, with 116 instances compared to 208 in the same period last year. The council appeals to the public to help the crackdown on environmental crime by reporting offenders and supplying information through the council’s confidential PRIDE-line number 0115 850 8383 or email prideline@erewash.gov.uk

COME DINE WITH ME

The Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Mary Hopkinson, is inviting local residents to join her at the annual Charity Civic Dinner. The prestigious dinner is one of the major fundraising events in the civic calendar and residents and local businesses are once again invited to join the Mayor for the event, which this year will be held at the Erewash Valley Golf Club at Stanton by Dale on Friday 20th April.

The main entertainment will be provided by Acoustic Union, a four piece band from the East Midlands who perform acoustic arrangements of pop and rock classics along with their own material of bluegrass, instrumentals and traditional songs. The evening will begin with a wine reception at 7.15pm followed by dinner at 8pm, with the dress code of cocktail or long evening dresses for the ladies and dinner jackets or lounge suits for the men. Tickets are on sale now, with money raised going to the Mayor’s chosen charities - Sight Support Derbyshire, Alzheimer’s charities, Ben’s Den and the Canaan Trust - at the end of her year in office. The Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Mary Hopkinson, says: 

“I look forward to welcoming guests to this year’s dinner which will be a wonderful occasion to enjoy with residents, colleagues, friends and family. It is a civic tradition and I do hope that local people will support this event and help raise as much money as possible for well-deserving charities which are close to my heart.”

Tickets are £35 each for the four course meal, welcome drink and entertainment and are available from the Civic Office at Ilkeston Town Hall. For more details, please contact Sue Dunkley, Civic Support Officer - email sue.dunkley@erewash.gov.uk or telephone 0115 9071115.

CARE HOME WILL REMAIN OPEN

Derbyshire County Council’s ruling Conservative administration has revealed that Hazelwood Care Home in Cotmanhay will remain open until a brand new facility is built in the community to replace it. At a meeting on 22nd February, Conservative Councillors are due to consider a report which recommends that Hazelwood care home remains open with essential work carried out to ensure it remains safe in the meantime.

 

Catherine Atkinson, Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash, who has been campaigning to keep the Home open said:

“Whether we were campaigning on street stalls or taking the petition door to door, everyone we spoke to locally opposed the Council’s plans to close Hazelwood. But time and time again we were also told we were wasting our time because the Council had already made up its mind. The family and friends of residents demonstrated incredible courage and determination. The families did not believe or accept the inflated costs of keeping Hazelwood open alleged by the Council, costs which have now been exposed as nonsense. I couldn’t be happier that the Council have been forced to listen to the community. The recommendations have come as a huge relief and cause for celebration. However, given the emotional toll on the residents and their families, questions need to be asked about why this exercise was allowed to happen.”

On 6th December 2017 Catherine Atkinson along with families and campaigners attended a meeting at County Hall. A petition signed by 3813 people was presented and questions were asked from the public gallery. Catherine Atkinson, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Erewash told the Council: “You can’t do this to vulnerable elderly people at Christmas. Today the Cabinet member ignored our specific questions and just gave a vague answer, it was totally unsatisfactory. I can’t decide whether the way the Tory Council are handling this is incompetent or cruel.”

 

The day after the petition was presented Derbyshire County Council extended the consultation period on the future of the Cotmanhay care home. On Wednesday 20th December residents of Hazelwood care home were visited by campaigners fighting to keep it open. Families of the residents, and Catherine Atkinson also used the visit to call on Council leaders to look again at the cost of keeping Hazelwood open, in the light of evidence they may have grossly over-estimated repair bills. Catherine Atkinson said: “The fact remains that the Conservatives made a manifesto commitment not to close a care home without building a new one. They will stop at nothing to try to justify breaking their election promise.”