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Arnold man jailed over £8k benefit fraud

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Arnold man jailed over £8k benefit fraud

An Arnold man has been jailed for four months after illegally pocketing more than £8,000 in benefits.

Timothy Wood, 53, of Darlton Drive, Arnold, had been claiming housing and council tax benefits on and off since 2011 while failing to declare at any point that he was in employment or when circumstances changed.

He was yesterday given a four month custodial sentence at Nottingham Magistrates Court for falsely claiming £8979.71 of benefits from Gedling Borough Council and the Department of Work and Pensions across six false claim forms since November 2011.

Information from Gedling Borough Council’s taxi licensing department revealed that Mr Wood had renewed his taxi license in 2011, 2012 and 2013 but had not informed the council or the DWP of his employment. Further investigation found that Mr Wood in fact worked as a mini bus driver for Arrow Specialised Transport, who confirmed that he had been working on a self-employed basis at the business and had received wages since April 2011.

As well as the housing and council tax benefits, Mr Wood received money through Carer’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance fraudulently, as he was working and did not declare multiple changes in his circumstances.

Mr Wood has a previous conviction for failing to declare a change of circumstances earlier in 2011, for which he received a conditional discharge of 12 months.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “Reports of benefit overpayment by councils partly due to fraud have been highlighted recently so I’m pleased that another offender has been caught. These individuals are the reason for many of those overpayments. Anyone who thinks they can fraudulently claim benefits should take this sentence as a warning of the consequences. When you’re caught you could end up in prison.”

CCTV released of attempted robbery in Colwick

Gedling Eye
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CCTV released of attempted robbery in Colwick

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Police have released CCTV footage of an attempted armed robbery at a car sales business in Colwick in an effort to identify and find the man responsible.

The footage shows the man entering NG Car Sales in Colwick on Saturday, July 11 2015, carrying what appeared to be a silver handgun.

The man threatened the business manager who was able to flee out of a back door.

The robber then left the scene empty handed.

The gun was never used and nobody was injured in the incident.

Two customers were at the business at the time of the incident and, despite numerous efforts, they have so far never been traced. Officers are particularly keen to speak with them as they may have vital information.

PC James Primrose said: “The customers are believed to be an Asian family – a man and possibly his wife or adult daughter – who had been at the business premises for around one hour prior to the offence.

“They were sat in the office at the time the offender entered but left the scene before police arrived.

“We would like these witnesses to come forward as they may be able to offer more information about the incident and the offender.”

The offender is described as white, around 6ft 3ins to 6ft 5ins tall, with gaunt features and a prominent nose. He is believed to be aged in his early 30s and was wearing a black beanie hat, a black jacket and black bottoms.

PC James Primrose added: “At this stage we do not know if the handgun was genuine or not. Whatever the case, the incident left the manager of the business extremely shaken.

“It is vital we trace this man as soon as possible and we would appeal to anyone in the community who thinks they may have any information at all which could assist to get in touch.”

If you think you can help please contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 710 of 11 July, 2015, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Foster carers wanted in Gedling for Syrian refugee children

Gedling Eye
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Foster carers wanted in Gedling for Syrian refugee children

FOSTER carers across Gedling are being asked to help find homes for Syrian refugee children arriving in the city over the next few months.

More foster families are being sought to help care for unaccompanied children arriving here after fleeing Syria.

Three million people have so far been displaced from Syria in a bid to escape civil war and the exodus is thought to be one of the largest forced migrations since the Second World War.

The UK is likely to see up to 20,000 refugees from Syria come in to the country over the next five years, with priority being given to vulnerable children and orphans.

No figures have been set for Nottingham so far but the City has always played a full part in accommodating refugees fleeing violence and persecution and works closely with voluntary sector organisations to achieve this, such as the Refugee Forum and Nottingham Citizens’ group.

http://gty.im/457979272

Nottingham City Council is keen to find foster carers across the borough who will provide the children arriving in the area with long-term support and the opportunity to be part of a family in the UK.

Cllr David Mellen, Portfolio Holder for Early Help and Early Intervention, said: “The Syrian refugee situation is a massive humanitarian crisis and many people in the UK and in Nottingham will be touched by the personal stories of those involved and will want to do their bit to help.

“If Nottingham wants to do its share to help, we need to prepare ourselves now by recruiting and training sufficient approved foster families who will be able to meet the demand.”

The process of becoming a fully approved foster carer can take from six to eight months and includes medical and family references and vetting. This process is essential to meet the safeguarding needs of vulnerable children and foster families. So we need to accelerate our recruitment of foster carers so that we are ready to welcome children over the next few months.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer for Nottingham City Council, please call 0115 876 3335 or visit http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/foster where you will be able to book onto one of our regular information evenings.

http://gty.im/457979272

Heartache for 10-man Millers

Gedling Eye
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Heartache for 10-man Millers

Carlton Town put in a barnstorming 2nd half performance but could not force the ball over the line to gain the point their performance deserved.

Added misery was also piled on Carlton after Millers keeper Curtis McDonald was sent off early in the game for handball outside his box.

Academy keeper Jack Steggles was forced to step in between the posts and did a sterling job but could do little against the impressive Balls rasping close finish in the 36th minute.

Captain Romaine Graham joined Romella Nangle upfront in the second half and Josh Rae took the challenge to Gresley on the right hand side and Gresley were on the rack for good periods but defended superbly to keep out the Millers.

Nangle should have levelled with the last kick of the game from only three yards out but miskicked when it looked easier to score.

Nangles miss summed up Wayne Scott’s luck; he lost impressive youngster Davie to injury last week, and two defenders who did so well for him during the last match were also unavailable.

The Millers have now lost five games this season by an odd goal and are already deep in the mire near the bottom of Evostick Division one South.

Carlton’s defeat was somewhat overshadowed by the news that iconic former player and captain Martin Ball has retired from the game and Millers’ chairman Mick Garton was keen to pay tribute to the former Stoke Lane legend

Garton said: “Martin is one of the finest players to have ever worn The Millers shirt and I am proud to have worked with him over many years.

“He was outstanding for our academy under Ian Spencer and Daryl Claypole and when we achieved so much under Tommy Brookebanks and it was no surprise that Les Mcjannet made him captain in his 3rd spell with us”

“It was a shame he was injured for the Senior Cup final when we retained it in 2014 and he was a big part of another great season for us that year which also saw us reach the Semi Final of the league Cup”

“He told me he had one last challenge left in him and Nick had sold him the dream at Dunkirk in hopefully helping them achieve something this season and it was fitting they pulled off that superb win at Belper in the FA Cup after Martin’s announcement “

“He holds legendary player status at our club along with the likes of Ian White, Grant Brindley and David Jepson among others who all played for the club to a high standard for many years”

He added: “A great guy, a fine player and a true winner”

Real United see off Beeston in style

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Real United see off Beeston in style

Real United 9-0 Beeston

Real United won at a canter for the third Saturday in succession as they comfortably saw off lowly Beeston at the Inspire Stadium.

Real followed up last weekend’s 5-0 thumping of Newark Flowserve and the week previous 8-0 victory at Sandhurst to achieve their fourth clean sheet in a row and another huge win as they look to mount a serious challenge for honours in the NSL this year.

Ryan Bowen was first on the scoresheet after good work allowed him to poke a shot into the corner of the net for his first goal in four games. Glodi Bange made it two with a thunderbolt strike into the top corner from the edge of the area and Kwassi Ofushine ran through to cooly slot home a third before Austin Wallace drove in low and hard to make it four. Jamie Spiers made it five from the spot after the goalkeeper brought down Tim Hopkinson through on goal with the Referee sympathetically deciding not to send him off.

Beeston, who had a managerial change in the week used three substitutes before half time and were never a match for Real who made easy work of their opponents who had previously only beaten Sandhurst in the league.

Jamie Spiers grabbed his second five minutes after half time before Real made two early changes in the second half with the game clearly won, one of those changes Will Heath imposing a classy lob from 35 yards out for number seven. There was still time for Tim Hopkinson to grab a couple of goals to his already impressive collection but it should have been more as the front pair paved chance after chance on the Beeston goal.

The away side did register one attempt when racing through one on one the striker lobbed over the bar and late on they scuffed a chance wide which frustrated the Real management.

Another clean sheet however is as satisfying as the goals scored with Tobias Richardson looking a classy acquisition at centre half, and with high quality players like Theo Brown, Aaron Large and Ryan Tittensor still to come back, the competition for places looks to be at its strongest yet.

Real United (4-1-3-2): Luke Wigley, George Paling, Grant Walton (Umberto Caoduro 81), Tobias Richardson, Jonathon Hart, Austin Wallace (Chris Rhodes 54), Kuwesi Ofushine, Jamie Spiers (c), Ryan Bowen, Glodi Bange (Will Heath 54), Tim Hopkinson.  Not used: Steven Venables, Jack Charlton.

Goalscorers: Bowen 12, Bange 19, Ofushine 23, Wallace 29, Spiers 40, 51, Heath 67, Hopkinson 74, 84

 

 

Coffee at night turns body clock back an hour

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Coffee at night turns body clock back an hour

Researchers have found that drinking the equivalent of a double espresso three hours before going to sleep can turn back our body clock by around an hour.

Researchers from the  MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biologyopens in new window and the University of Coloradoopens in new window have, for the first time, shown that caffeine directly affects the body clock by delaying a rise in the level of the hormone melatonin, the main sleep hormone released by the body to make us feel sleepy.

To discover the effect caffeine has on the body clock, the US scientists from the University of Colorado studied five people to see when melatonin starts to appear in saliva. Each person lived in the lab for 49 days without a clock or any knowledge of external light to tell them if it was night or day.

They were then given caffeine, the equivalent of a double espresso, or a placebo three hours before they went to sleep and were exposed to dim or bright light (the bright light acted as a control as it also delays the human circadian clock) to find out when the surge in melatonin occurred.

In those who were given the caffeine, their melatonin levels rose around 40 minutes later than those given the placebo.

To understand the mechanisms underpinning this change, the UK based researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology added caffeine to human cells in the lab and found that it also delayed their built-in circadian rhythm. They found that caffeine affects adenosine receptors which are found in all cells, and by reducing the levels of this protein on the cell surface it minimised the delay that caffeine would normally produce.

Dr John O’Neill, joint lead researcher at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said: “The effect of caffeine on sleep and wakefulness has been long established, but its impact on the underlying body clock has remained unknown. These findings could have important implications for people with circadian sleep disorders, where their normal 24 hour body clock doesn’t work properly, or even help with getting over jet lag.

“Our findings also provide a more complete explanation for why it’s harder for some people to sleep if they’ve had a coffee in the evening – because their internal clockwork thinks that they’re an hour further west. By understanding the effect caffeinated drinks have on our body clock, right down to the level of individual cells, gives greater insight into how we can influence our natural 24 hour cycle – for better or for worse.”

The body clock, or circadian rhythm, operates in every single cell in the body, turning genes on and off at different times of the day to allow us to adapt to the external cycle of night and day. Disruption of this, from shift work or regular jet lag, can increase the risk of various cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

The study was funded by the MRC and the Wellcome Trustopens in new window and is published in Science Translational Medicine.

E-cigarettes stubbed out for under-18s

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E-cigarettes stubbed out for under-18s

A ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes to under-18s will come into force from the beginning of next month, Nottingham City Council has revealed

From October 1, retailers in England will face prosecution if they attempt to sell electronic cigarettes to children under the age of 18; it will also become a criminal offence to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes on behalf of under-18s.

Community Protection’s Nottingham City Trading Standards Service is working with local e-cigarette retailers to ensure that they are ready for the changes by providing advice on how to comply with the new rules.

After the start of the age restriction, Nottingham City Trading Standards Service will carry out test purchases around Nottingham to check that businesses are not selling e-cigarettes to under-18s. Businesses found selling e-cigarettes to children under 18 could face fines of up to £2500.

E-cigarettes are used by an estimated 1.3 million people in the UK. A recent Public Health England report estimates that e-cigarettes are around 95% safer than smoking and the majority of users are ex-smokers or smokers who are trying to quit.

Councillor Nicola Heaton, Portfolio holder Community Services said: “Protecting the health and well-being of young people is a high priority for Nottingham City Trading Standards Service which is why we welcome the new legislation. It will make it an offence to sell to under 18s and also for an adult to buy or attempt to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes for any young person under the age of 18.

“There is little to show that young people are using e-cigarettes as a gateway into smoking, but it is vital that we take all possible steps to protect children and young people from the harmful effects of smoking. Smoking is an addiction of childhood with the majority of smokers taking up the habit before the age of 18.”

Businesses across Gedling selling e-cigarettes and tobacco products can gain advice from Trading Standards by calling 0115 8445018.

Rugby fans warned about counterfeit tournament tickets

Gedling Eye
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Rugby fans warned about counterfeit tournament tickets

Rugby fans in Gedling are being warned to make sure they only use official outlets when planning to attend Rugby World Cup games, following the discovery of counterfeit tickets in circulation.

Action Fraud, together with the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and the City of London Police, are working in partnership with Rugby World Cup 2015 organisers to crack down on suppliers of bogus tickets to what will be the biggest ever rugby championship event, held from September 18 to October 31.

A spokesman from Action Fraud said: “We would like rugby fans and the general public to be aware that they should only purchase tickets from official sources and avoid being scammed.”

Where can you buy official match tickets? 

Tickets for the general public may only be purchased from ER2015 via official website at: https://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com

Where can you buy Official ticket-inclusive hospitality packages?

These can only be purchased through the official hospitality programme, operated by Rugby Travel & Hospitality Ltd (“RTH”) at www.rugbyworldcup.com/hospitality.

Where can you buy Official ticket-inclusive Supporter Tours (i.e. travel packages)?

RTH has appointed a number of Official Travel Agents (“OTAs”) from across the globe to provide official Rugby World Cup ticket-inclusive supporter tours and a list of such OTAs is available at: http://supportertours.rugbyworldcup.com/travel_agents_list.aspx).

How do you ensure that you are buying Rugby World Cup 2015 match tickets, supporter tours or hospitality packages from an official channel?

To check whether a company or a certain website is an official Rugby World Cup 2015 channel, use the ‘Official Checker’ tool which is located at www.rugbyworldcup/buyofficial.

Can you buy official Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets, supporter tours or hospitality packages elsewhere, other than as outlined above?

There is no guarantee that Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets (and/or ticket inclusive packages) purchased from any source other than RWCL, ER2015, RTH  (or those listed above) are genuine tickets (and/or ticket-inclusive packages).

Fans who purchase tickets and/or ticket-inclusive packages from unauthorised sellers run the risk of paying over the odds for a non-existent ticket, ending up disappointed by not getting to see the match they paid to see, and risk having their personal and credit card details stolen for use in other crimes.

Grimsby grabs late winner against Arnold Town Ladies

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Grimsby grabs late winner against Arnold Town Ladies

A late penalty and last-minute goal ensured that Grimsby Borough Ladies took all three points on Saturday despite being on the back foot for most of this tie against Arnold Town Ladies.

Having dominated the first half, it was surprising that Arnold only managed to take a 1-0 lead into the second half. Laura Coulthard starting her first game as a striker calmly slotted the ball past the keeper within the first 20 minutes of the game.

As the match went on, Arnold began to tire and allowed the home team back into the game. Defensive resilience was only broken in the 87th minute when the referee gave a controversial penalty which was duly scored. The home side now had the upper hand and made it count in the 95th minute when they scored their winner.

A cruel blow for Arnold but a massive improvement in performance in which their efforts deserved more.

Arnold Town 2nd team played their first home game of the season against a strong Clifton Ladies side. A good performance was  unrewarded with a lack of cutting edge in front of goal costing  them. Clifton the eventual winners by 2 goals to nil.

Carlton woman sentenced for benefit fraud after arrest warrant issued

Gedling Eye
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Carlton woman sentenced for benefit fraud after arrest warrant issued

A woman from Carlton who failed to attend two court appearances was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid community service and must repay £3,666.22 of fraudulently claimed benefits to Gedling Borough Council.

Donna Wilde, 31, of Cavendish Road, had been claiming housing and council tax benefits as a single parent by failing to declare changes in her circumstances. Ms Wilde did not inform Gedling Borough Council that her partner Timothy Lawson had moved in with her and was in paid employment, nor did she declare that she had started paid employment and had begun to receive more tax credits.

Gedling Borough Council wrote to Ms Wilde asking her to attend an interview under caution and offered three appointment dates. She explained to the council that she could not attend one of the dates, but did not attend an agreed alternative interview date.

Ms Wilde then failed to attend her initial hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court on 14 August and a second hearing on 28 August 2015, after which Magistrates ordered a warrant for her arrest.

On appearing before the court on September 8, Ms Wilde was sentenced to a community order for 12 months with an unpaid work requirement of 100 hours and ordered to pay £480 costs. The total civil debt of £3,666.22 must also be repaid.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “We are pleased that the court issued an arrest warrant in this case. Hopefully it will act as a warning to people that if you do not attend your appointments or court, a warrant could be issued for your arrest. Ignoring the situation will not fix it.”

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