Hooligans who wreak havoc in Gedling borough’s towns and neighbourhoods could now face up to two years in jail for breaching so-called respect orders as the Government looks to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
Failing to comply with the orders will be a criminal offence.
As well as a prison sentence, courts could hand out unlimited fines and order those who flout the rules to carry out unpaid work or abide by a curfew, the Home Office said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the orders as “a modernised version” of anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) aimed at toughening action against repeat offenders.
The measures would make sure the “most serious offenders are dealt with before their behaviour can escalate and cause further harm”, the Government department said as Ms Cooper unveiled details on how the orders would work on Friday.
Too many town centres and neighbourhoods were being “plagued by anti-social behaviour” and this “chips away at communities’ sense of confidence and pride, undermines local businesses and can have a devastating impact on victims”, she said, adding: “This cannot be allowed to continue
“Respect orders will give police and councils the powers they need to crack down on repeated anti-social behaviour, keeping our communities safe and ensuring repeat offenders face the consequences of their actions.
“These new powers alongside thousands more neighbourhood officers and PCSOs will help this Government deliver on our mission to take back our streets.”
Police and councils will be handed powers to ban persistent offenders from town centres or from drinking in public places such as high streets and parks, with officers able to arrest anyone breaching their order.
Perpetrators could also be told to take anger management courses or attend rehabilitation treatment for drug and alcohol problems to address the causes of their behaviour under the plans.
Police will also no longer have to issue a warning before seizing vehicles, allowing forces to tackle the “scourge of off-road bikes in parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements, street racing and cruising” quicker as well as disperse car meets which can sometimes attract hundreds of cars and lead to “loud aggressive engine revving and intimidating music”, the Home Office said.
The move signals the return of rules similar to anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) which were previously in force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are still used in Scotland.
Detectives are re-investigating the execution-style murder of a taxi driver in Gedling with charity Crimestoppers offering up to £50,000 for information which leads to a conviction.
Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, aged 26, of Sherwood Rise, known to his friends and family as Shami, was shot dead in his taxi on Tuesday, November 22, 1994.
He was found by a milkman at 4.30am at Lambley Lane Playing Fields with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel.
He had been shot in what has been described by police as “an execution.”
Already the father of a five-year-old son, Shami was killed just five months before his baby daughter was born.
Now on the 30th anniversary of his murder, a dedicated team of detectives have been re-investigating the crime.
Shami pictured with his family (PHOTO: Notts Police)Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor was found shot at Lambley Lane Playing Fields (PIC: Gedling Eye)The taxi belonging to Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor was found discovered at Lambley Lane Playing Fields
They are hoping to provide his family with the answers they desperately need and ensure justice is finally served.
Shami had been working as a taxi driver in the city on the night he was killed and was well-known among his colleagues.
The last known sighting of Shami was at 2.40am in Carlton Square where he was seen with three Asian men in his black and white Ford Sierra.
The location his body was found was secluded especially at night and not a location usually used for taxi pick-ups or drop-offs.
The weapon used to take his life has never been recovered.
However, due to major developments in forensic science, a number of items have been examined from the scene of the crime which is providing detectives with new opportunities.
A number of people were arrested at the time of Shami’s murder but no one has ever been convicted of this horrific crime.
Detectives believe the answer to his murder lies within the community and are appealing for those who have any information, no matter how small, to please come forward.
Crimestoppers, a charity which is independent of the police, is supporting this investigation by offering a reward of up to £50,000 for information that they exclusively receive that leads to a conviction.
‘Horrific crime’
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said:“This was a dreadful murder of a young man, a soon-to-be-dad, who was executed in his own taxi in a secluded area of Nottinghamshire.
“At the heart of this horrific crime is a family; a family that have waited 30 years for answers, 30 years for justice, 30 years for the closure they rightfully deserve.
“Shami’s mum never got that closure. She died never knowing why her eldest son’s life was taken so cruelly from her.
“Shami’s daughter was born without a dad, forced to live with other people’s anecdotes of him, never having any of her own.
“Shami’s brothers and sisters, who have shown immense bravery and are supporting our appeal, live with the pain and loss of their brother’s death every day.
“We stand beside them and want exactly the same – to ensure those who took his life are found and put behind bars. I would ask the community to do the same. To put themselves in Shami’s family’s shoes.
“Shami’s family can never move on with their lives without answers and you could be sitting on the very answers they require.
“We know that there will be people out there that know what happened, that have that information.
“We know that Shami was probably associating with some members of the criminal fraternity. I don’t think he was involved in organised crime, but I do think he got himself involved with people who were and probably found himself out of his depth. This is why I think he was killed.
“We know that loyalties change over the years, and this is exactly what we are relying on. We are hoping that people that felt they were not able to speak out all that time ago will feel differently now and feel able to come forward.
“Now is the time to act, to pick up the phone, anonymously, if need be, and provide us with information.
“Crimestoppers is offering up to £50,000 reward as an extra incentive. This is a huge reward for information that leads to conviction. I would like to personally thank Crimestoppers for their help and wanting to support us in ensuring justice is served.
“While a number of reviews of this terrible crime have been carried out over the last 30 years, unfortunately his killer or killers have never been caught.
“We have been working closely with Shami’s family over the last 18 months, during which time I have personally met with them several times. I have explained to them why we have put together a new team of senior detectives, a fresh pair of eyes, to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that all new and existing avenues are explored.
“We are now calling on the community for their help and assistance to ensure that this crime does not go unsolved.”
The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on the February 22, 2025.
They are appealing to the public to contact them anonymously if they have any information.
The new energy price cap has been announced for January by regulator Ofgem.
It will rise to £1,738 from the current level of £1,717 – an increase of 1.2%.
Every three months Ofgem revises the cap based on wholesale costs.
Bills for a typical household will rise by £21 a year from January.
It means someone paying by direct debit and using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,738 a year, which remains high compared with pre-Covid norms.
Prices rose in October and with a similar level now confirmed for the rest of the winter, charities are warning many will struggle to cope with bills or choose to go without heating at the coldest time of year.
The new cap will be 1.2% higher than current levels, and means a household bill will typically rise by £1.75 a month.
It is also 10% down on the same period last year, but Ofgem said many billpayers would still be stretched.
“We understand that the cost of energy remains a challenge for too many households,” said Tim Jarvis, from the regulator.
“However, with more tariffs coming into the market, there are ways for customers to bring their bill down so please shop around and look at all the options.”
Help in place
While the cost of each unit of gas and electricity is capped, the total bill is not. So, a long, cold winter could see higher energy use and high bills.
Energy companies say they have put extra support in place to help customers cope with the situation, such as emergency credit, hardship funds or striking off some debts or standing charges.
However a period of high prices – which analysts say is likely to continue – means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.
The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas.
The charity National Energy Action said many people were already “rationing their energy use” or building up debt to try to keep warm.
To estimate the effect on an individual’s annual costs, billpayers can add 1.2% to their current bill.
A decision is due on plans to convert a redundant baptist church in Arnold town centre into new apartments.
Plans submitted to Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee reveal that the former religious building will contain nine apartments and a further 14 will be constructed within the grounds.
The church building was last used as a place of worship in September 2020 and has been unused since then. The building has since been vandalised multiple times by young people who have broken inside.
The scheme proposes the retention of the existing church building and the attached Victorian school room which will be converted into residential apartment accommodation consisting six one-bedroomed units and three two-bedroomed units arranged across 2.5 storeys.
The Baptist Church on Cross Street in Arnold pictured while in use back in 2017A decision on the proposals will be taken by Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee when they meet at the civic centre in Arnot Hill Park next Wednesday
The new building proposed to be erected within the existing grounds will house 14 one-bedroom apartments.
The Nottinghamshire County Council Archaeology team said they welcomed the revised proposal to retain the Baptist Church. But warned that in 2017 human remains had been found in the burial ground that had been missed when it was cleared at an earlier date.
In a reporty to the planners they wrote: “It is likely that other burials remain within the site boundary. Disturbance and removal of human remains without the necessary licences in place and in line with an approved scheme of works is a criminal offence and it will be essential that the developer accounts for this in their plans.”
They recommended that further archaeological work takes place at the site ‘to mitigate the impact of the development’.
Planning officers have recommended that permission is granted if developers entered into a legal agreement with the Borough Council as the Local Planning Authority and the County Council to secure an affordable housing financial contribution.
In a report to the planning committee they wrote: “The design, scale and layout of the proposal is acceptable and does not have an unacceptable impact on the character or visual amenity of the area or on the non-designated heritage asset and will not increase flood risk in the area”
Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee are expected to make a decision at a meeting next Wednesday (27).
Tesco has announced it has cut prices of more than 200 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores -including two in Gedling borough.
Milk, bread, pasta and coffee are among 222 household essentials that have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10%.
From this week, customers can get their hands on a four-pint bottle of milk for £1.45 at the supermarket giant’s convenience stores while 300g chicken breast portions are down 25p to £2.25 and a 200g jar of Tesco Gold Instant Coffee costs 25p less at £2.25.
Among the branded products cut are Warburtons White Sliced Sandwich Rolls, with the price of a six-pack cut by 10p to £1.20, while Domestos Original bleach is £1.19 following an 11p reduction.
There are Tesco Express stores on Carlton Hill and on Mansfield Road in Woodthorpe.
Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said: “Today’s round of price cuts on more than 200 lines in our Express stores underlines our commitment to offering great value to Tesco customers.
“Whether you are picking up coffee and milk for the office or a loaf of bread and a tin of soup on the way home, our Express stores offer both convenience and great value.”
New state-of-the-art technology installed at Gedling Crematorium will offer families the chance to say goodbye in their own way to a loved one.
The crematorium on Catfoot Lane can now offer a ‘funeral of the future’ allowing loved ones to uniquely personalise services using the projections of dynamic backgrounds in the chapel which are accompanied by co-ordinated soundscapes and lighting.
The innovative experience is the result of a partnership between Westerleigh Group, who own the crematorium, and the UK’s leading audio-visual provider to the bereavement industry, Obitus.
Families can start their remembrance as they gather in the waiting room prior to the service by viewing the Gallery – a collection of 25 digital frames uploaded with images of their loved one.
Families can personalise services using the projections of dynamic backgrounds in the chapel which are accompanied by co-ordinated soundscapes and lightingThe ‘funerals of the future’ are being offered at Gedling Crematorium and are a world first
Inside the chapel, the Canvas service allows personalised visual tributes to be projected onto the front wall, making it part of the theming that surrounds the wider wall space, creating a thoroughly immersive visual and audible experience. The Canvas transforms the whole area around the coffin into a themed backdrop.
High-spec audio equipment and customisable lighting enables the team and families to uniquely tailor the chapel, waiting room and entrance areas to reflect the life of the loved one being remembered.
To begin with, there will be a choice of ten dynamic backgrounds, from Country Hills and Waterfall to a Gentle Glimmer and a Football Stadium, but over time, the background options available will increase.
Debbie Smith, chief executive officer at Westerleigh Group, said: “We’ve always been committed to making the services we host as uniquely personal as possible, which is also an ambition of our partners at Obitus.
“We’re extremely excited to be able to offer the funerals of the future, today, transforming the way the bereaved say their final farewells.
“This offers the opportunity for family members and friends to come together, not only to mourn and grieve but to become fully immersed in celebrating the lives of their loved ones in a way that nobody else in the world can do.
“Some families have already experienced the new technology and the initial feedback has been extremely encouraging, with people telling us they have been able to give their loved one a memorable send-off they would have loved.
“We would like to thank all the Funeral Directors and celebrants who have supported us and bereaved families through the introduction of this exciting development.”
James Crossland, the founder of Obitus, said: “We launched this project in response to the growing public demand for more personalisation at funerals.
“It’s taken several years to get to the stage where we’re ready to start using this, but even so, we’ve only scratched the surface of what is possible, and this is something that will continue to evolve and expand.
“While there are ten backgrounds at present, what we’ve got here is a essentially a blank canvas with almost endless opportunities moving forward. The system is extremely flexible and adaptable.
Local people are being invited to have their say on a proposal to create a new parish council for the Bestwood Lodge and Deer Park area.
The Bestwood Lodge and Deer Park area is currently part of St Albans Parish.
Gedling Borough Council is now holding the first stage of a consultation of the Community Governance Review (CGR) and it will run until January 6, 2025.
The review follows a petition signed by 211 residents requesting the formation of a separate council for the area. The petition suggests that a new parish council could better address the unique needs of residents in Bestwood Lodge and Deer Park.
It also proposes that the new council retains the name “St Albans Parish Council” and seeks a 40% share of the existing council’s financial reserves.
The council said it will consider all feedback before deciding whether to make changes.
Options include keeping the existing arrangements, altering council boundaries, or creating a new parish council. A second round of consultation on the councils recommendations will take place between February 21 – May 2, 2025.
The findings from this consultation will be reviewed by Gedling Borough councillors, with final decisions expected in July 2025.
A ‘dismal’ vacuum cleaner and and a pram that failed safety tests are among some of this year’s Black Friday deals that consumers in Gedling borough are being urged to avoid.
Which? tests thousands of products every year to recommend the best products to buy and what to avoid.
These are some of the duds they found – with a better alternative.
Philips 43PUS8108/12 (sale price – £369)
Experts at Which? said this tv offers a smeared picture and shoddy sound. They said the 43-inch 4K TV has real issues with motion, as moving objects tend to streak across the screen. One wrote: “Even still images would look poor, as its shoddy contrast and unnatural colours leave every scene drab and grey. There’s also not enough bass in the sound, so everything sounds tinny and underwhelming. “
Which? experts described it as “one of the worst TVs of 2023, or any year for that matter”.
Better avoid then!
They advised bargain hunters to pick up the LG 43NANO766QA for £399 in the sales instead, which they said is the same size and has a much better picture.
Experts said the higher temperatures on these hair straightness risk damaging your hair and style retention is poor.
They wrote: “Although these hair straighteners did a good job of straightening hair, with strong results in terms of frizz control and providing shine, our panel of testers found their style retention wasn’t great. Frizz or curls re-emerged within a day of using them.
“The large plates make it tricky to get close to your roots, and the higher heat settings on this straightener could damage your hair.”
“The level of damage that our laboratory observed being caused by these hair straighteners when set to the highest temperature was twice as bad as the next-worse model.”
Those hoping to find hair straighteners at a bargain price were urged to pick up Beauty Works X Molly Mae Straightener Kit that cost about the same at full price, is easier to use and is significantly less likely to damage your hair.
Haier HW90-B14959S8U1 (sale price – £429)
Which? experts said that although it washes synthetics well, this freestanding washing machine did a terrible job at getting rid of dirt and stains from cottons.
They wrote: “Electricity running costs are about average for machines of a similar capacity, but it uses a lot more water than most. The programs are also incredibly short – too short perhaps, considering how poorly they clean.”
Bargain hunters were instead urged to buy the Zanussi ZWF942E3PW – which will cost you less – both upfront and over a lifetime – as it’s more efficient with both electricity and water. It’s of equal capacity and it’s better at washing cottons.
Hoover H-Free 100 HF122GH (sale price – £99)
The experts at Which? described this vac as ‘abysmal’.
The savagely wrote: “Five hours of charging time grants you 20 minutes of battery life with this vacuum, which may not sound like a lot, but it will be plenty of time to demonstrate its poor performance.
“It only sucked up a measly 34% of the dust in our test carpets, and it struggled to pick up debris from cracks and crevices.
“It’s nothing short of a failure.”
Consumers on the hunt for a bargain were urged to pick up the Tineco A10 Hero, which is also in the sales, and it cleans well on carpets and hard floors, as well as leaving crevices dirt-free.
Hisense RB327N4WB1 (sale price – £399)
Which? experts say this fridge-freezer has a terrible and inaccurate fridge that will also increase your energy bills.
They said: “The freezer part of this fridge-freezer is decent – it works quietly and it freezes quickly. But the fridge… the fridge is diabolical. It takes ages to chill foods, and its temperature will swing up and down with the temperature in your kitchen.
“It’s also very inefficient for its size, so won’t be doing your energy bills any favours either; not to mention the extra money you’ll have to spend on food when this unreliable fridge fails to keep things fresh.
“This is among the worst fridge-freezers we’ve seen.”
Experts told bargain hunters not to write off Hisense completely – its RB440N4WWF model can be found at a similar price in the sales, will chill and freeze your food without any issues, and it can cope with the temperature fluctuations in your kitchen.
Some of Gedling borough’s pubs have some really interesting names so we decided to explore their origins.
This week we have uncovered the history of a number of watering holes in Carlton, some still with us, others long gone, and found out how they came to get their titles.
BLACK’S HEAD – Burton Road, Carlton
A pub of this name has stood on this site for at least one hundred and sixty years – but many believe it was probably longer.
Originally the sign of the ‘Blacks Head’ or ‘Black Boy’ was used by tobacconists.
Historians believe the ‘Black Boy’ used on inn and tobacconists signs was a reference to Charles II – a nickname given to the King because of his dark complexion, and was displayed to defy Oliver Cromwell by referring to their exiled leader.
Another possibility is that the sign of the ‘Black’s Head’ is, in fact, as old as the Crusades, and is thus door of the Soracen’s Head’ (as at Southwell).
The pub’s name and sign was been changed and the pub is called Beacon Hill in a nod to the town’s historic roots as a beacon signalling point in the 17th century.
CAVENDISH – Cavendish Road
The pub sign displayed has a portrait of William Cavendish (1592-1676), the first Duke of Newscastle-upon-Tyne and was a relative of the Duke of Portland who lived at Welbeck Abbey.
Cavendish was a dedicated Royalist and became known as the ‘Loyal Duke of Newcastle’ and commanded the Royalist forces in the north during the outbreak of the Civil War.
EARL OF CHESTERFIELD – Carton Hill
The Bruno pictured after closure back in 2017 (PHOTO: Gedling Eye)
An Earl of Chesterfield pub is thought to have occupied this site for over three hundred years and is thought to have been the haunt of highwaymen at one time.
The pub appears in the 1853 directory as the ‘Earl of Chesterfield Arms – but the ‘Arms’ most likely disappeared when the later building was constructed on the old site around l905.
The pub was known locally by its nickname ‘the Bruno because they held bear bating there.
The story goes that the Earl of Chesterfield was very fond of bear-baiting and spent much of his time here drinking with friends, leaving his favourite bear tethered in the stables outside but on occasions would bring the bear into the bar, where it soon acquired a taste for the landlord’s fine ale and downed many pints.
ELWES ARMS – Oakdale Road
The Elwes Arms was opened on June 8, 1962 by the late Sir Richard Elwes, a former High Court judge. The pub was named after his family to commemorate their long connections with Nottinghamshire. Known as the lawyer poet’ Sir Richard, the son of an opera singer, the late Gervase Elwes, and a brother of the portrait painter Simon Elwes, was called to the Bar of the inner Temple in 1925. He retired in 1965 due to ill-health. His daughter, Polly Elwes, once a BBC television personality, was married to BBC sports presenter Peter Dimmock and was voted TV woman personality of the year in 1959.
The coat of arms of the Elwes family, whose motto is ‘Deo non fortun’ (Through God, not by chance), are reproduced on the signboard outside this pub.
Back in June I983 the ‘Elwes Arns’ temporarily changed its name to The Lodge,’ before reverting back to its present sign in 1992.
INN FOR A PENNY – Burton Road
The pub appeared in White’s Directory of 1832 and was listed as the ‘Royal Oak’.
The Oak changed its name to the Inn For A Penny’ in 1984.
When the pub changed its name, some cheeky locals spread the word that that this unusual new name derives from the fact that visitors to nearby playing fields would often drop into the pub just to ‘spend a penny!’ The brewery confirmed this was ‘nonsense’ and said the name was thought up in their office when they decided to make it a fun-pub’ and has no significant meaning.
OLD VOLUNTEER – Burton Road
The existence of this pub is recorded in White’s Directory of 1832 as the Volunteer. During the English Civil War many inns served as recruiting offices. The premises were visited by mostly local men, eager to volunteer their services to whichever cause they supported.
The name here may be a reference to the Old Contemptibles, a nickname of the British Expeditionary Force which fought at Mons (France) in 1914.The name was adapted by the soldiers themselves after they learned that the German Kaiser had supposedly referred to them as General French’s contemptible little army’
The sign outside the pub now depicts a soldier in full battledress, but used to show an ‘Old Contemptible’ wearing a chest full of medals.
PUNCH BOWL – Porchester Road
The pub was converted from a private house and opened in October 1961.
It’s believed the word ‘punch’ may derive from the Hindi word pac: meaning ‘five’ suggesting five ingredients are used to make up this alcoholic beverage (water, sugar, lemon-juice, spice and spirits).
It may also be a shortened form of “puncheon” which was a large cask containing over one hundred gallons. Either way, punch is usually ladled from a bowl – hence the name.
THE NEW ENGINE HOUSE – Carlton Hill
When it opened in December 1969 as the ‘Engine House, this pub had one of the most unusual inn-signs of al time – a full-sized horizontal steam engine.
The engine, made by ‘Tangyes’ of Birmingham in l850, was first used at a colliery in Nottingham before being purchased by the Notingham Patent Brick Company in 1867 for £659.
Near to what is now the site of this pub, it used to drive mills and agitators, processing and working raw clay into a suitable consistency to make bricks -helping to produce 450 million of them (using 225,000 tons of coal in the process), before it was retired in 1966 and donated to Shipstones Brewery.
The engine was incorporated in the design of the pub and housed in a long glass-fronted lounge.
When the premises were refurbished in June 1982, the brewery decided to donate the engine to the City of Nottingham Industrial Museum at Wollaton Park and, due to its immense size and weight, the lounge roof had to be removed to allow it to be hoisted out. It was at this time that the pub changed its name to the Steam Engine.’
In 1989 the brewery decided to rename the pub, yet again, and ran a ‘name-a-pub competition. The winning selection was the Thorn Bush’ – after the plant that once grew profusely round about this area.
It has now been renamed the New Engine House.
TOBY JUG – Carlton Hill
Opened in June 1958, this pub is probably named after the jug of the same name.
The jugs, also known as Toby fill-pots, are traditionally formed in the shape of a stout old man wearing 18th- century costume, comprising a long, full-skirted coat and a three-cornered hat – an example of which was portrayed on this pub’s colourful sign.
The name of the jug itself derives from a poem written in 176l about a certain Toby Philpot upon whom a popular drinking-song was based: ‘A thirsty old soul as e’er drank a bottle or fathom’d a bowl…”
Bus services across the East Midlands are set to receive a funding boost, with the Government announcing £88 million in cash to enhance and protect public transport in the region.
The East Midlands Combined Authority (EMCA), which includes Gedling borough, has been allocated £40.6 million – the largest share of the funding. Other receivers include Leicestershire, which will receive a total of £17.7 million, alongside additional support for Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and other areas.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “For far too long, the East Midlands has been suffering from unreliable services. This funding kickstarts the bus revolution to drive economic growth and make sure people have proper access to jobs and opportunities.”
Bus routes serving rural communities will get priority fundingEast Midlands Mayor Claire Ward said improving bus services is about more than just getting people from A to B – it’s about transforming lives and communities
The priority will be to use the investment to safeguard rural routes, improve punctuality, and increase bus use for shopping, socialising, and commuting.
The cash also supports the extension of the £3 bus fare cap, which will run until December 2025. This will keep travel costs low, saving passengers up to 80% on some routes.
Buses remain the most used form of public transport in the UK, serving as a lifeline between towns, hospitals, and key employment areas. The investment will ensure that patients can continue to access vital hospital appointments as part of the Government’s broader plans to reform the NHS.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said, “Improving our bus services is about more than just getting people from A to B – it’s about transforming lives and communities.”
