Leicester Headlines on One News Page [United Kingdom]

This is Leicestershire --

A retail veteran has claimed his bid to buy Jessops and secure its future was thrown out by the troubled camera chain's biggest shareholder.

The Leicester-based group, which has 192 stores, went into administration on Wednesday, putting 2,000 jobs in jeopardy.

David Adams, a former executive chairman of Jessops, who left in February, said he approached HSBC with the private equity-backed offer last summer.

Mr Adams, who is a non-executive director of both Halfords and HMV, said: "After I left, I put together an approach to buy the business, that would have left the banks at par, backed by private equity.

"They were not interested in any discussions as they felt there was equity value to be realised in the future.

"Now, six months on, the business is in administration."

David Adams was parachuted into Jessops in 2007 as it struggled under a mountain of debt following a disastrous expansion programme.

In 2009, he secured a deal with HSBC, which left the bank with a 47 per cent stake in Jessops.

However, a spokesman for HSBC said: "HSBC has not received any credible approach to purchase its debt and/or equity positions in Jessops."

Mr Adams said he would now consider making a bid to buy the business from the administrators.

Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers said HSBC had put in extra funding to Jessops, but had been hit by a "credit squeeze" by suppliers. It has been reported the business has debts of about £28 million. Administrators said a "significant" deterioration in trading in the run-up to Christmas exacerbated these financial problems.

Speaking about the company's fall into administration, Mr Adams said: "It was avoidable. I'm quite angry about it. The bank pulled the plug. They may be blaming suppliers, but it's them who have called it.

"We had positive growth in market share month-on-month for 24 months during my time at Jessops. I feel there were options to explore before administration."

The group, founded in Leicester in 1935, employs about 150 people at its headquarters in Scudamore Road, Braunstone Frith, and stores in Gallowtree Gate, Leicester and Loughborough. All stores continued to trade yesterday, but an announcement about shop closures and redundancies is expected either today or Monday.

Jessops will no longer honour customer vouchers or accept returned goods.

*Business Editor's blog:* Jessops: the camera never lies: http://mercurybusinesseditor.blogspot.co.uk/ ext

Reported by This is 9 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire -- A computer animation has been created to try to give people an impression of the proposed £7 million revamp of Leicester market.
The city council has produced the two minute clip to show what off the modern new fish and meat hall it intends to build at the side of the 19th century Corn Exchange.
As previously reported in the Leicester Mercury, the council wants to demolish the existing 1970s indoor market which city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has described as dank and squalid and develop a new public square in its place.
Today the council has launched a six week consultation on its scheme.
Sir Peter said: "I hope people will be excited by what we hope to do to improve the market which is a vital part of the city centre economy.
"It can be hard to visualise plans from drawings so we have done this short walk-through to better demonstrate what we have in mind."
Sir Peter said there would be room to tweak the designs following consultation, but said he wanted to press ahead and have the new hall built and open by Christmas.
After that, the old building would be flattened and the square created over the following 12 months.
Officials will be holding a number of sessions at the Corn Exchange over the next few weeks to explain the proposal to shoppers. Reported by This is 8 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

Bristol City have received an injury boost ahead of the visit of Leicester to Ashton Gate with striker Sam Baldock declaring himself fully fit.

The in-form former MK Dons striker missed their FA Cup defeat to Blackburn last weekend with a knee injury he sustained in training but after making a full recovery he is back in training with his team-mates.

But manager Derek McInnes does have a question mark over the fitness of right-back Richard Foster who has missed their last two matches with a slight hamstring tear. He is set for a return to training in the build-up to the clash with Nigel Pearson's side.

Midfielder Liam Kelly signed on Thursday and the 22-year-old could feature against the Tigers if he gains international clearance.

Two players who will not feature for the Robins are midfielder Marvin Elliott, who has a groin injury, while star man Albert Adomah is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.

Joe Bryan has recovered from his hip problem and could feature as the npower Championship strugglers look to cut the three-point gap between themselves and safety.

Jamie Vardy could return to the Leicester squad.

Absent since limping out of the home defeat to Cardiff on December 22 with a heel injury, Vardy got 45 minutes under his belt in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week and has now resumed full training.

The striker's fitness is being monitored to see if he is fit enough to be involved at Ashton Gate.

"Jamie played part in a game that we had here (at the training ground) the other day, came through it ok and will be training with us today (Thursday)," Pearson said.

"We'll have to see how it goes. I'm not ruling him out, but we'll see how he is."

Vardy is not the only one making progress from the treatment room, with defenders Sean St. Ledger (hamstring) and Zak Whitbread (calf) and midfielder Richie Wellens all taking steps towards a return to full fitness.

"St. Ledger is making some progress and Zak should be available before too long," said Pearson. "Richie Wellens is on his way back too so, for the most part we're not too bad."

Leading scorer David Nugent could return to the starting line up after the 12-goal striker began on the bench against Burton last weekend in the FA Cup.

French winger Anthony Knockaert, also a substitute for the third-round tie, is another player with a strong case for a recall. Reported by This is 6 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire -- Up to 47 children in Leicester are waiting to be adopted, according to a new map published today by the Government. The map, available on the Department for Education website ext

shows the number of children in each local authority waiting for a family to adopt them. It allows would-be adopters to see how many youngsters in their area and elsewhere are waiting for an adoptive family. Areas on the map have been split into four categories ranging from those with 17 or fewer children waiting to be adopted, to those with 48 or more. According to the map, between 28 and 47 children in Leicester are waiting to be adopted, while between 18 and 27 in Leicestershire are awaiting a family. This means up to 74 children in the region are awaiting adoption. Adoption scorecards, from which the map data was taken, also show how long on average children have to wait before moving in with their adoptive family. On average, between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2011, children in the Leicester City authority spent 640 days in care before moving in with their adoptive family. This was above the England three-year average of 625 days. Meanwhile children in Leicestershire spent 590 days in care. This compares to 558 in nearby Warwickshire and 540 in Lincolnshire. In addition to the map a new telephone information and advice service staffed by adopters has been launched today. The service, contactable on 0300 222 0022, aims to help potential adopters navigate the process of adopting a child. The information line, operated by First4Adoption, is funded by the Department for Education and will allow all prospective adopters to access an authoritative source of advice on adoption in one place. Potential adopters can obtain information about the entitlements to adoption support, and will be pointed in the direction of suitable adoption agencies. The map and telephone service are part of a set of measures aimed at speeding up the adoption process, and increasing the number of adoptions. Last month Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to help children find adoptive parents, and to make the system more robust. The Government said it will look at ways to give adopters a more active role in the process, and offer support to those already adopting children who have been in care. It has also pledged to give adopters the same rights to pay and leave as birth parents. Edward Timpson, Children and Families Minster, said: "Today we are providing potential adopters with the tools they need to find children who need adopting right across the country. "Together the telephone 'infoline' and the new 'Hotspots' map will arm would-be adopters with the information they need to approach any local area. "We know many potential adopters out there can provide children with loving, stable homes but simply don't know where to start. These new tools will give many more people support in taking the first steps to adopting a child and giving them the chance to succeed in life." Hugh Thornbery, Adoption UK Chief Executive, said: "We hope the adoption 'map', which indicates the number of children awaiting adoption in different areas across England, will help prospective adopters have a clearer idea as to which agencies to contact to inquire about becoming an adoptive parent. "However, the Government, agencies and the adoption sector must remember that for adoption placements to succeed they must be well supported. "Adoption UK would urge the Government to continue the important job of improving the adoption system but acknowledge that this must go hand-in-hand with appropriate and timely support packages that help adoptive families parent some of the most vulnerable children in our society." A National Gateway for Adoption website, due to launch later this year, will provide an online service for the first stages of the adoption process. The website will be run by Adoption UK in partnership with Coram and Coram Children's Legal Centre. Mr Thornbery said it will provide "a transparent, comprehensive and supportive resource to anyone who is thinking of adopting". He added: "We hope this transparency will help address the shortage of prospective adopters in England and reduce the growing number of children in care who are waiting for a stable, permanent and secure home in the form of an adoptive placement. "We hope the launch of First4Adoption will encourage more people to come forward and find out more about the adoption process." Reported by This is 6 hours ago.

This is South Wales --

KAHN Fotuali'i will skipper the Ospreys in their Heineken Cup clash with Leicester on Sunday.
The Samoan will line up alongside Dan Biggar at half-back as the Ospreys look to keep alive their European dream.
Head coach Steve Tandy said: "It's a massive game and is one that we can't afford any slip-ups in.
"We've got to be absolutely spot-on in everything we do — our preparation, our attitude and our attention to detail — if we are going to get anything from the match.
"We've done well over the last few weeks to put ourselves in contention in the Pro12 and in Europe, but we realise that we'll need to go up another level this weekend in terms of performance if we want to get the result we need to stay in the competition."
Ospreys: R. Fussell; R. Jones, T. Isaacs, A. Bishop, E. Walker; D. Biggar, K. Fotuali'i (capt); R. Bevington, R. Hibbard, A. Jones, I. Gough, J. King, R. Jones, J. Bearman, J. Tipuric. Reps: S. Baldwin, D. Jones, C. Johnstone, L. Peers, S. Lewis or J. Thomas, R. Webb, M. Morgan, J. Spratt.
Leicester: M. Tait; N. Morris, M. Tuilagi, A. Allen, A. Thompstone; T. Flood, B. Youngs; M. Ayerza, T. Youngs, D. Cole, L. Deacon (capt), G. Parling, S. Mafi, J. Crane, J. Salvi. Reps: R. Hawkins, L. Mulipola, M. Castrogiovanni, E. Slater, T. Waldrom, S. Harrison, G. Ford, M. Smith. Reported by This is 4 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire -- Troubled camera chain Jessops today closed all of its 187 stores with the loss of 1,370 jobs.
The announcement comes two days after the Leicester-based group plunged into administration after hitting major financial problems.
The job losses include 27 staff at stores in Gallowtree Gate, Leicester and Cattle Market, Loughborough. Another 150 jobs are also set to go at the group's headquarters in Scudamore Road, Braunstone Frith.
Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) blamed a "significant" drop in trade in recent months for the cash crisis.
They today announced the business, which has debts of around £28 million, did not have a viable future.
Edward Williams, joint administrator and partner at PwC, said: "Since my appointment, we have reviewed the position of the business and held extensive discussions with suppliers around their support for ongoing trading.
"It is apparent that we cannot continue to trade and as a result we have had to make the difficult decision to begin the closure of all 187 Jessops stores at the close of business today.
"Regrettably, this will result in around 1370 job losses across the stores with further job losses likely, in due course, at the head office in Leicester.
"The stock will be collected over the coming days and returned to a central warehouse. It will be returned to suppliers if they are entitled to it. As a consequence of the closure, Jessops is no longer able to accept returned product from customers.
"This is an extremely sad day for Jessops and its employees. We are very grateful for the support we have received since our appointment and we will continue to ensure that employees are paid as they assist us during the closure."
The announcement comes after former Jessops executive chairman David Adams yesterday said he made a bid to save the business last summer but it was rejected by HSBC, which has controlled the company since 2009.
Jessops was founded in Leicester in 1935 by Frank Jessop after he set up a store in Newarke Street.
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --
The Rugby Football Union has warned Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill about his future conduct following his outspoken comments after the controversial Aviva Premiership clash with Gloucester.

Cockerill was incensed by a series of decision from match referee Andrew Small in the game at Welford Road that Tigers won 17-12 on December 29.

"Enough is enough. It has to end," said Cockerill angry at the official's interpretations of a set-piece, which saw the visitors penalised 10 times. Cockerill claimed that Small "didn't understand the game" and that he was "guessing" on a number of crucial calls.

The RFU has now written to the Leicester boss warning him about his future comments.

A similiar letter has also gone to Harlequins director of rugby Conor O'Shea over comments he made about the referee after their game with London Welsh.

In a statement from the RFU this afternoon, they said: "We have urged both Directors of Rugby to use the existing agreed feedback process and reminded them that questioning the integrity of referees in future may lead to their being charged with bringing the game into disrepute under RFU Rule 5.12." Reported by This is 2 hours ago.

• Leicester make eight changes in pursuit of Pool 2 summit
• Chris Ashton starts for Saracens against Racing Métro

**Harlequins v Connacht**

Saturday 1.35pm, Twickenham Stoop, SS1

Ugo Monye and Mike Brown return in the back three for Quins as part of seven changes from last week. Connacht make three changes, including Matthew Jarvis in at fly-half for the injured Dan Parks.

*Match pointers *Quins are aiming for a record fifth consecutive win in the Heineken Cup; Connacht lost the reverse fixture in October.

**Zebre v Biarritz**

Saturday 1.35pm, Stadio XXV Aprile, SS1 (red button)

Mauro Bergamasco starts for Zebre after being excluded from Italy's Six Nations squad, and Josh Sole moves from second-row to No8. For Biarritz Takudzwa Ngewnya makes way for former England international Iain Balshaw on the wing.

*Match pointers *Zebre are seeking a first Heineken Cup win; Biarritz last won back-to-back games in Europe in 2010

**Toulon v Cardiff Blues**

Saturday 1.35pm, Stade Felix Mayol, SS1 (red button)

Xavier Chiocci starts at loosehead in the absence of Gethin Jenkins and Andrew Sheridan, with Mathieu Bastareaud in the centre for Toulon. Leigh Halfpenny is one of four changes for the Blues.

*Match pointers *Toulon are one of three unbeaten sides left in the competition. Cardiff are looking to reverse their form after three successive losses.

**Racing Métro v Saracens**

Saturday 3.40pm, Stade la Beaujoire, SS1

Chris Ashton, Richard Wigglesworth, Mouritz Botha and Rhys Gill all return to Saracens' starting XV. Juan Martin Hernández ousts Olly Barkley to start at fly-half as one of three Racing changes.

*Match pointers *Saracens have beaten Racing twice in three Heineken Cup meetings. Racing were the first team to beat Toulon in the Top 14 last week.

**Leinster v Scarlets**

Saturday 6pm, RDS, SS1

Fergus McFadden and Isa Nacewa return to Leinster's starting line-up among four changes. Brian O'Driscoll is on the bench. Scarlets make six changes, including centre Scott Williams for Jonathan Davies.

*Match pointers *Scarlets have lost seven out of eight Heineken Cup games, and to Leinster in their past three meetings.

**Clermont Auvergne v Exeter**

Saturday 6pm, Stade Marcel-Michelin, SS1 (red button)

Captain Tom Hayes returns for the visitors who make four changes in total. Regan King and Jamie Cudmore return to Clermont's starting XV, at centre and lock respectively.

*Match pointers *Clermont and Exeter come into the game off the back of consecutive wins in Europe, against Leinster and Scarlets respectively.

**Edinburgh Rugby v Munster**

Sunday 12.45pm, Murrayfield, SS2

Richie Rees, Ben Cairns and Steven Lawrie are back for Edinburgh, with Scotland international Greg Laidlaw starting at fly-half. Keith Earls starts for Munster at outside-centre.

*Match pointers *Edinburgh have yet to record a win in Europe; Munster have beaten them twice this season.

**Ospreys v Leicester**

Sunday 3pm, Liberty Stadium, SS2

Leicester make eight changes from their win at Worcester last week while Toby Flood avoided a ban to make the game. Flanker Justin Tipuric is fit for Ospreys, centre Andrew Bishop also returns.

*Match pointers *Leicester have lost two of their seven Heineken Cup meetings against the Ospreys.

**Toulouse v Treviso**

Sunday 3pm, Stade Ernest Wallon, SS2 (red button)

Toulouse rest flanker Thierry Dusautoir, but Yannick Jauzion starts in midfield. Treviso retain just three players from the XV defeated by Glasgow last weekend.

*Match pointers *Toulouse boast an 85% win record at home in Europe; Treviso have five wins out of 31 v French teams. * * Reported by guardian.co.uk 23 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

Bristol City boss Derek McInnes knows only too well who Leicester City's dangerman will be at Ashton Gate this afternoon.

New City striker Chris Wood started his career at the King Power Stadium in fantastic form, scoring three times in his first two games. That has come as no surprise to McInnes, who had the New Zealand international on loan from West Bromwich Albion last season.

Wood scored three times in 19 appearances for the Robins, but has scored 14 so far this season and McInnes knows he is a player his side must keep an eye on today.

"Because of his frame, everyone thinks he is a target man, but he is a lot more than that," said McInnes.

"He is also a very good scorer of goals and we always thought he would do that in a forward-thinking team that was going well.

"He scored some important goals for us last season and he always got himself in positions to do that.

"Obviously, he started this campaign brilliantly, scoring goals for Millwall.

"Now he has earned himself a very good move to Leicester, who will be in the shake-up for promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season.

"His movement is good, he can cause problems in and around the box and he will have a good partner in David Nugent.

"Leicester have a few players we will need to concentrate fully on and Chris is certainly someone we will have to be aware of."

McInnes believes City are one of the strongest sides in the Championship but hopes his relegation battlers can still cause an upset this afternoon.

"I said when we played Leicester earlier in the season that they were as good as anything in this league," he added.

"They already had a good squad of players under Sven-Goran Eriksson, and Nigel Pearson has come in and added to that.

"They have a good mixture of youth and experience, know-how and pace, and we saw the way they dispatched Huddersfield (6-1) the other week.

"If they get their tails up, Leicester can be a formidable team. But they are also a team we feel we can cause problems and beat." Reported by This is 11 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

Leicester Tigers have their big guns primed as they head into their most important match of the season to date.

Richard Cockerill's men face the Ospreys in a massive Heineken Cup pool two clash at Swansea's Liberty Stadium tomorrow.

The side Tigers have named to face the Welshmen bears little resemblance to the XV which started the narrow Aviva Premiership win at Worcester nine days ago.

England men Dan Cole, Tom Youngs and Geoff Parling are all recalled to the pack, while Ben Youngs starts at scrum-half and another England international, Manu Tuilagi, is named in the centres alongside Anthony Allen.

Also starting in south Wales are prop Marcos Ayerza, back-row forward Julian Salvi and Jordan Crane, who is named ahead of Thomas Waldrom at No.8.

Waldrom is on the replacements bench as is Ed Slater, who was named in the England Saxons squad this week.

Matt Smith is also among the replacements offering versatility at either centre or wing.

Ospreys have named flanker Justin Tipuric in their side after he recovered from a shoulder injury. However, centre Ashley Beck has been ruled out with an ankle problem.

Tigers head the group as they prepare to travel west, but the Ospreys gave themselves a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals when they beat Toulouse 17-6, in Wales, before Christmas.

Cockerill, Tigers' director of rugby, knows just how tough an assignment his side are facing against a team they saw off 39-22 when the pair met at Welford Road, in October.

"We go there trying to earn the right to be the best team," he said. "It was very tight at Welford Road before we ran away with it.

"We have a huge amount of respect for them. They are well coached. They have a good half-back pairing and are dangerous in the channels. Their back five is practically the Welsh back five and there is a lot to respect in that. Dan Biggar is a good goal-kicker and we have to be very disciplined."

Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy described it as a "massive" game.

He said: "Leicester will come down here confident after some good results of their own lately and we know that we are going to have to match them physically." Reported by This is 12 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

Are you one of the lucky few who managed to bag a ticket to see Gary Barlow at De Montfort Hall tomorrow night?

If so, we want your reviews of the show!

The Take That star, X Factor judge and national treasure created quite a buzz in Leicester when he announced in November he would be performing in the city.

De Montfort Hall's website crashed and its box office phone line was jammed as thousands battled to get tickets, which sold out within a couple of hours.

About 2,000 fans will watch the show tomorrow night, and bosses are expecting those with standing tickets to be queuing throughout the day.

We want to feature readers' reviews in the paper next week, so if you are going and would like to see your words in print, see the panel opposite for information on how to submit your piece.

While we're on the subject of one of the biggest stars in the country coming to Leicester, we thought we should quiz De Montfort Hall general manager Antony Flint on how staff were preparing for the visit.

Mr Flint told the Mercury: "The hall's got a great tradition of having big artists and it's nice they want to come here.

"We work with all sorts of artists all year round so it's relatively ordinary for staff to be meeting people in the public eye, although not always artists as big as Gary Barlow."

He's certainly a big name to kick-off 2013 – the venue's centenary year.

"I'll be around in the day, as I like to be there to make sure people are looked after, but I don't always meet the artists," he said.

Mr Flint conceded "there may be some truth" the female staff were just a little bit more excited about the star's arrival.

And fans who have got their hands on tickets are pretty fired up too.

"We've had a lot of interest and a lot of people writing in," said Mr Flint. "Lots of people have been asking if they can meet him.

"Ultimately, that's down to the artists and their management. We've passed all the requests on so it's down to them now."

Most artists who play at the hall apparently tend to arrive not long before the start of their show.

But maybe Gary might like to see the lights of Leicestershire beforehand, for example, the space centre, Bradgate Park or King Power Stadium?

"Who knows? There are some great places to go in Leicester."

And finally: Gary's rider requests?

"There's nothing unusual on it, I can tell you that. Apparently he's a very nice guy." Reported by This is 12 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

A city MP has declared war on thugs after a man was attacked and robbed by a gang just yards from his home.

Keith Vaz spoke out after 47-year-old Rajesh Devaliya was ambushed by four young men as he stepped into a lift in the housing block in St Mark's, Leicester, where he lives with his elderly father.

Mr Devaliya said he thought he was going to die as the men repeatedly punched and kicked him as he lay on the floor of the lift during the attack, in Southey Close, at 4pm on Monday.

Mr Vaz, who stepped into the still blood-spattered lift yesterday during a visit to Mr Devaliya's home, said: "Enough is enough. This is a line drawn in the sand. I am declaring war on thugs. We have to unite against them and protect our citizens."

Mr Devaliya, who came to Britain 10 years ago from the Gujurat area of India and does not speak English, recalled the attack with the aid of an interpreter.

"As I went through the main door to the building two young men came in after me," he said. "When I got into the lift, there were two other young men already in it.

"Before I knew what was happening they all started attacking me.

"I was knocked to the floor but they kept on punching and kicking me.

"I thought I was going to die. They took my wallet with £40 in and ripped a gold chain from around my neck which my mother had given me."

Following the attack, Mr Devaliya, bleeding heavily from a gaping head wound, staggered to the door of his apartment.

His 87-year-old father called Mr Devaliya's brother, Ashok, who lives nearby. He raced round and dialled 999.

Ashok, 50, said: "It was like the scene from a horror movie. There was blood everywhere – outside the lift, in the lift along the corridor and into my father's apartment.

"My brother was covered in his own blood and was lucky to survive. If it had been our father, I am sure he would have been dead."

The victim's head wound needed five stitches.

Leicester East member Mr Vaz said the Home Affairs Select Committee, of which he is chairman, had this week begun an inquiry into anti-social behaviour in Britain.

He said: "This attack is not just an attack on Mr Devaliya, it is an attack on all law-abiding members of our society. We must fight back and ensure the perpetrators of this terrible crime – and crimes like this – are caught and brought to justice.

"I want everyone who thinks they may have information about this crime – and any other crime – to contact the police immediately."

As well as visiting the victim yesterday, Mr Vaz spoke to residents on the estate.

Many said there was a lot of anti-social behaviour in the area, and some said they were afraid to go out at night.

The MP, whose constituency includes St Mark's, told council housing officials, who were also there for the visit, that they had 28 days to move the entrance intercom from the secluded rear of Mr Devaliya's housing block to the front, which is more public.

Mr Vaz also asked the housing officials to see if other residents in other council complexes in the city were facing similar problems.

He said: "It must be a city-wide problem and I want all of these people protected and their concerns listened to."

John Thomson, area housing manager for the city council, said: "We will speak to all the residents of this block to see if they want the intercom system moved."

Detective Constable Kaushik Pattani, said: "This was an unprovoked and nasty assault that has left the victim very shaken and upset by the ordeal.

"We have been carrying inquiries and looking at CCTV, but we are hoping that the public may be able to assist our investigation."

The attackers are about 5ft 6in. One is of slim build and the others are of medium build. All four men were wearing hats, gloves and had their faces covered. They were also wearing cream jogging bottoms and tops.

Inspector Edward McBryde-Wilding said the victim was not able to describe the attackers further because their faces were covered.

He said police were aware of a 20-strong group of youths who were known to congregate in the area.

The officer said police were applying for a dispersal order to allow them to move the group on and keep them out of St Mark's.

Anyone with information about the attackers can call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Reported by This is 12 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

One of Leicester's most famous companies, Jessops, has closed all of its 187 stores with the loss of 1,370 jobs after administrators said the troubled camera chain could not be saved.

Yesterday's announcement came on a black day for Leicestershire, as it emerged 420 jobs faced the axe at the Waitrose distribution centre in Bardon, and the county council said it was looking to shed 1,100 of its posts over the next four years.

The news about Jessops came as a shock to both shoppers and business leaders, who had speculated that some stores would stay open.

It brought an end to 88 years of trading for the Leicester group, and means about 150 jobs are set to go at its headquarters in Scudamore Road, Braunstone Frith, which will close in the next few days.

Yesterday's job cuts include 27 posts at stores in Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, and Cattle Market, Loughborough.

The rest of the jobs are at shops around the UK.

Administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were brought in on Wednesday to see if the struggling business had a future, but they concluded it did not after finding a "significant" drop in trade in recent months had caused major financial problems.

Martin Traynor, chief executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: "Obviously, it's a huge shock and a bitter blow for Leicestershire, but clearly the state of the finances of the business have meant that PwC have had to act quickly in order to protect the interests of creditors.

"January and February are particularly quiet trading months for retail and, with the position as it was for Jessops, things could only get worse."

Professor Jim Saker, retail lecturer at Loughborough University, said the firm had been caught between trying to be a high street chain and a specialist camera supplier.

"This is basically a result of them losing the cheaper end of their market to the internet and supermarkets and the business being too big to survive as a specialist camera outlet," he said.

The administrators said that the biggest shareholder, HSBC, had put in extra funding to Jessops, but the group had been hit by a "credit squeeze" by suppliers.

It has debts of about £28 million.

Speaking yesterday, Edward Williams, joint administrator and partner at PwC, said: "Since my appointment, we have reviewed the position of the business and held extensive discussions with suppliers around their support for ongoing trading.

"It is apparent that we cannot continue to trade and, as a result, we have had to make the difficult decision to begin the closure of all 187 Jessops stores at the close of business today. This is an extremely sad day for Jessops and its employees."

Earlier this week, former Jessops executive chairman David Adams said he made a bid to save the business last summer but it was rejected by HSBC, which has controlled the company since 2009. It took a 47 per cent stake in the business after securing a deal to reduce Jessops' huge debts.

The company grew to about 300 stores after floating on the London Stock Exchange in 2004, when it was valued at £160 million.

However, demand for specialist knowledge about digital photography waned and it was forced to shut more than 100 of its stores.

It had a turnover of £236 million in the year to December 31, which had fallen from the £304 million it turned over two years previously.

Jessops was founded in Leicester in 1935 by Frank Jessop after he set up a store in Newarke Street. Reported by This is 9 hours ago.

This is Bristol --

Chris Wood returned to Ashton Gate to plunge Bristol City deeper into relegation trouble.

Leicester's new £2m signing from West Brom helped himself to a hat-trick inside 29 minutes in the first half to take his tally for the season to 17.

Wood helped the Robins avoid the drop during a loan spell in the West last season, but returned to The Hawthorns In May.

He scored 11 goals in 18 starts for Millwall to earn a big-money move to the King Power Stadium on New Year's Day, since when he has carried on where he left off.

The big striker overpowered his former team-mates as Leicester reaffirmed their promotion credentials.

This was as poor a performance as City fans have seen all season and the Ashton Gate crowd were quick to make their feelings known, booing their team at half-time and again at the final whistle.

Up against a porous defence that had conceded 50 goals in 25 games previously and still to keep a clean sheet this season, the Foxes needed just 12 minutes to forge a lead.

Ben Marshall picked out Wood's run in the left channel and the in-form striker cut inside James Wilson before beating Robins keeper Dean Gerken at his near post with a low shot from 12 yards out.

And the New Zealand striker added a second just six minutes later to put the visitors firmly in the driving seat.

Gerken flapped at a corner from Marshall, the ball bounced off Liam Fontaine and Wood was on hand to net his fifth goal in three games from close range.

French midfielder Anthony Knockaert failed to recover from a hefty challenge by Cole Skuse and was replaced by Lloyd Dyer on 20 minutes, but the change did nothing to hinder Leicester's progress and Marshall saw a shot deflected just wide.

City's best chance of a goal appeared to come from set-pieces and substitute Dyer was forced to clear an in-swinging Greg Cunningham corner off the line midway through the first half.

But that was as near as the Robins came to making a game of it and it came as no surprise when Wood completed his hat-trick four minutes before the interval.

New signing Liam Kelly stood off the big striker, whose low shot from the edge of the penalty area went through Gerken's hands and into the net to signal the end of the game as a meaningful contest before half time.

Robins boss McInnes made two changes at the start of the second period, sending on Paul Anderson and teenage debutant Wes Burns for James Wilson and Jon Stead, but without any noticeable effect.

Leicester continued to boss the game and Matty James, confronted by a back-pedaling defence in the 51st minute, smashed in a fourth goal from 22 yards out to heap further misery on the home fans.

Although many fans left early, those who remained greeted their team's first shot on target with ironic cheers in the 72nd minute, Kasper Schmeichel dropping to his right to gather in Anderson's effort.

City never gave up, but were comfortably kept at bay by opponents who were simply superior in every department.

CIty (3-5-2): Gerken; J Wilson (Burns 46), Fontaine, McManus; Foster, Kelly (80 mins), Skuse, Pearson, Cunningham; Stead (Anderson 46), Davies.

Leicester (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Da Laet, Morgan, Keane, Konchesky; Drinkwater, James, Marshall (Gallagher 74), Knockaert (Dyer 20); Nugent, Wood (Waghorn 63).

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)

Attendance: 13,078 Reported by This is 3 hours ago.

Chris Wood scored a first-half hat-trick against the club he was formerly loaned to as Leicester secured an easy win at Ashton Gate which sent Bristol City to the foot of the Championship table. Wood thus took his total of goals to nine in the last five games since joining Leicester on loan from Millwall.

Most of the damage was done before the break, inflicted by a combination of Ben Marshall, home goalkeeper Dean Gerken and the unstoppable Wood. Marshall set up the first two goals, though Gerken will have to shoulder the blame for the second as he flapped at an 18th-minute corner.

And Gerken looked culpable again when Wood's long-range shot crept under his body four minutes before the interval, taking the striker's tally for the season to 17.

Matty James added the fourth to compound the woes of Derek McInnes, whose side now prop up the table following Barnsley's victory over Leeds. Nigel Pearson's team, however, move up to third and boast a goal difference of plus 25.

It took just 11 minutes for the visitors to get off the mark. Marshall played a precise pass down the left flank, Wood controlled, cut inside and drove home.

The visitors forced a corner seven minutes later and capitalised on some poor goalkeeping from Gerken, who tried to punch it clear but failed to make sufficient contact, and Wood tapped in the loose ball.

McInnes' shell-shocked side struggled to muster any meaningful response as Pearson's men continued to control proceedings. And they were rewarded with a third goal just before half-time. Wood unleashed a shot from 20 yards and though Gerken got across his goal to cover it, the ball squirmed under his body.

Things got even worse for the hosts early in the second half. They conceded possession inside their own half andJames took full advantage, advancing to within striking distance to pick out the bottom-right corner for his first goal since August.

Greg Cunningham shot just wide from distance in a rare Robins attack but the home crowd's warmest applause met the substitution of Wood minutes later, an acknowledgement of his superb display and also their relief at the fact he would not be able to add to his tally.

The hosts slowly stirred into life in the final 20 minutes, aided in no small part by Leicester's decision to sit on their four-goal advantage and secure an 11th clean sheet of the Championship campaign.

Paul Anderson's powerful shot forced a good save from Kasper Schmeichel, who then showed a safe pair of hands to keep out debutant Liam Kelly's effort.

But that was as close as City came to a consolation goal as Leicester completed their third consecutive victory. Reported by guardian.co.uk 3 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

Chris Wood fired in a first-half hat-trick as Leicester secured an easy 4-0 win at Ashton Gate to send Bristol City to the foot of the npower Championship.

The former Robins loanee made it nine from his last five games and six in three since joining the Foxes from West Brom.

Most of the damage was done before the break, inflicted by a combination of Ben Marshall, home goalkeeper Dean Gerken and the unstoppable Wood.

Marshall provided the ammunition for the first two goals, though Gerken will have to shoulder the blame for the second as he flapped at an 18th-minute corner.

And Gerken looked culpable again when Wood's long-range shot crept under his body four minutes before the interval, taking the striker's tally for the season to 17.

Matty James added the fourth to compound the woes of Derek McInnes, whose side now prop up the pile following Barnsley's victory over Leeds.

Nigel Pearson's charges, however, move up to third and boast a goal difference of plus 25.

It took just 11 minutes for the visitors to get off the mark. Marshall played a precise pass down the left flank, Wood controlled, cut inside and drove home.

The visitors forced a corner seven minutes later and capitalised on some poor goalkeeping from Gerken, who tried to punch it clear but failed to make sufficient contact, and Wood tapped in the loose ball.

McInnes' shellshocked side struggled to muster any meaningful response as Pearson's men continued to control proceedings.

And they were rewarded with a third goal just before half-time. Wood unleashed a shot from 20 yards and though Gerken got across his goal to cover it, the ball squirmed under his body.

Things got even worse for the hosts early in the second half. They sloppily conceded possession inside their own half, James took full advantage, advancing to within striking distance to pick out the bottom-right corner for his first goal since August.

Greg Cunningham shot just wide from distance in a rare Robins attack but the home crowd's warmest applause met the substitution of Wood minutes later, an acknowledgement of his superb display and also their relief at the fact he would not be able to add to his tally.

The hosts slowly stirred into life in the final 20 minutes, aided in no small part by Leicester's decision to sit on their four-goal advantage, eager to secure an 11th clean sheet of the Championship campaign.

Paul Anderson's powerful shot forced a good save from Kasper Schmeichel, who then showed a safe pair of hands to keep out debutant Liam Kelly's effort.

But that was as close as they came to grabbing a consolation as Leicester made it three wins on the bounce. Reported by This is 2 hours ago.

This is Leicestershire --

Campaigners have reacted furiously to an announcement that plans for two permanent travellers' sites have been given the go-ahead by the city council.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby yesterday confirmed plans for one site of up to 10 pitches at Red Hill Way, Mowmacre Hill, and another of up to six pitches at Greengate Lane, Beaumont Leys.

Work on the project, which will cost more than £1.5 million, could start before the end of the year, subject to planning permission being granted.

Protestors – who were among thousands of people to oppose the plans – have vowed to keep fighting the decision, describing the move as "very sad for democracy".

Sir Peter said it was "a very hard decision which was never going to be popular".

The total number of pitches at the sites has been reduced from 30 to 16. However, the council needs to find space for 40 pitches in total.

One site which had previously been considered, at Beaumont Way, in Beaumont Leys, was ruled out as unsuitable.

However, Sir Peter said two additional sites – at Hoods Close, Mowmacre Hill, and Ratby Lane, Braunstone Frith – were now being considered.

"This is a start," he said. "We need to find 40 pitches, so this is not a solution.

"We've looked long and hard at the issues people have raised. We've agreed to limit the size of the Greengate Lane site to minimise the impact on nearby residents.

"We're also not planning to allow these sites to expand beyond the planned number of pitches.

"Over the next three months, I want further discussions with the county and district councils to ensure they are playing their part, as well as looking again at the potential offered by privately-owned sites across the city which might be capable of providing small developments.

"I also want members of the travelling community to be involved in discussions about how they could help develop and manage sites."

The Red Hill Way, Greengate Lane and Beaumont Way sites were put forward as part of an extensive consultation early last year.

Yesterday, Sir Peter ruled out the Beaumont Way site, saying it was too exposed and road access was inadequate.

Planning applications are expected to be submitted for the Greengate Lane and Red Hill Way sites by the spring.

The public consultation on the plans ran from February to July last year. More than 1,500 people gave their views online, by letter or by e-mail, in addition to the hundreds of people who attended public meetings on the proposals.

Thousands also signed petitions opposing the plans.

Campaigner Roy Rollings, chairman of the LE4 Action Group, claimed residents had been ignored.

"This is a very sad day for democracy," he said.

"The reasonable objections of thousands of people have been ignored. We shall be opposing the sites when the applications are brought forward.

"There are very serious traffic risks affecting both sites. They are also on greenfield sites and we believe brownfield sites in Leicester should be developed first."

Birstall parish councillor Stuart Jones, who lives near the Greengate Lane site, said: "Birstall Parish Council is very disappointed with this decision. It believes that the original objections on the Greengate Lane site are still valid."

MP Stephen Dorrell, who represents the Birstall area, said he was "very disappointed at Sir Peter's cynical decision".

He said: "This decision rides roughshod over the opinions of the vast majority of people who will be directly affected by these proposals. They are my constituents, rather than voters in Leicester."

The city council initially considered 350 potential sites, which were assessed and narrowed down to three.

City council officers are now working on designs for the two sites that have been chosen.

A council spokesman said: "Our work so far has indicated the cost of a pitch can range between about £60,000 and £100,000, depending on the extent of work involved, the facilities needed and the numbers being provided on site."

A spokesman for County Hall said: "The provision of travellers' sites is the responsibility of district councils, but we'd be prepared to talk to the city mayor on the subject should he wish to approach us." Reported by This is 6 days ago.

This is Leicestershire --

There are just four days left to enter the Leicester Mercury Business Awards 2013, a showcase of the cream of Leicestershire's thriving enterprise culture.

The event, open to companies of all sizes and sectors, aims to highlight the number and range of successful businesses in the county.

We feel the passion, determination, tireless energy and skill which goes into running a top-performing business needs to be recognised.

Not only does winning a business award mean recognition for the management team, it is a major morale boost for employees at all levels.

Leicestershire is the perfect place to run a business, according to two of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs.

Building tycoon David Wilson and Dunelm founder Bill Adderley – who between them are worth more than £1 billion – have turned small, fledgling firms into nationally-recognised companies from bases in the county.

These captains of industry may be exceptional, but Leicestershire is full of fantastic, cutting-edge and fast-growing enterprises which aim to reach the same heights.

It is these companies – whether small, medium or large – that the Leicester Mercury Business Awards 2013 wants to celebrate.

Business leaders say scooping a prize at a major event can even be a more effective shot in the arm for the workforce than paying out bonuses.

Organisers of similar-sized awards events have estimated that awards finalists have benefited from a total promotional package worth £100,000. Some winners have even claimed scooping such an award could be worth up to £1 million to a company during its lifetime.

Fourteen sponsors are supporting 12 different categories at the awards, which take place on March 21. All their names appear elsewhere on this page.

See the panel on the right side of this page for category details and how to enter.

Headline sponsors are De Montfort University, Freeth Cartwright and RSM Tenon.

The event is being held in association with Champions (UK).

The Leicester Mercury Business Awards have replaced the annual Leicestershire Business Awards after an agreement between the organisers and the Leicester Mercury.

David Simms, Leicester Mercury publisher, said: "We are honoured and delighted to be running, in conjunction with Champions (UK) plc, such a prestigious event, which recognises the fantastic and world leading businesses in the city and county."

Martin Traynor, chief executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: "It is important to recognise success in business, particularly in Leicester and Leicestershire, which has such a strong entrepreneurial culture."

To nominate entries, see the column on the right.

To book seats/tables, then please call Nikki Kandola at the Leicester Mercury on 0116 222 4310 or e-mail:

nikkikandola@ leicestemercury.co.uk Reported by This is 5 days ago.

This is Leicestershire -- THOUSANDS of people will visit Leicester University tonight as it hosts the BBC's Stargazing Live show.

All tickets have now gone for the free gathering which will take place from 5.30pm to 9pm.

Organised by BBC Learning and the University of Leicester it is one of a number of events being held up and down the country bringing together

astronomical societies, museums and discovery centres, country parks and local authorities.
Around 113,000 people took part in Stargazing LIVE events around the UK last year.

Professor Mark Lester, head of the department of physics and astronomy at Leicester University, said: "We are incredibly excited to be working with BBC

Learning to put on a fantastic event for all the family in celebration of Stargazing Live 2013".
The TV series, which returns to BBC TWO on January 8, 9 and 10 , will be hosted by professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain with over three days of live

stargazing featuring epic images from observatories around the globe.
Professor Cox said: "During the last series amateur stargazers were hunting for planets and this year we will be hunting for asteroids and strange 'spider'

like features on mars. Everyone can get involved and you never know what we will find – there are so many possibilities out there. "
To accompany the TV series and the events, BBC Learning is producing a number of free resources including a Star Guide and a special Star Party pack

so that people can get involved by planning their own star party at home.
They are available to download at bbc.co.uk/stargazing Reported by This is 5 days ago.

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Don't miss the BBC's Stargazing Live tonight from Leicester University