An Arnold cat is causing a storm on social media thanks to his unique handlebar moustache.
The cat, who has been named the town’s most eligible Catchelor, has become something of a meme, with locals even photoshopping a monocle and top hat onto it.
The feline, which has not been seen wearing a collar has been a frequent visitor in Arnold gardens, with many people remembering him.
The cat has been posted on social media, causing quite a storm, with one user joking that he was “definitely” a lady’s man”.
Jaime Mott, who shared the original post in the group expressed her concern for the cat’s welfare, saying: “it wanders in” to her aunt’s house if a window is open, and “his head felt a bit dirty”.
A cat with distinctive handle bar moustache marking photographed in Arnold.
Jaime has appealed to find the cat’s owner to no avail.
Some users reported that they have made animal welfare charities aware of the cat’s apparent lack of ownership, with nobody being able to figure out who the distinguished gentleman belongs to.
Shameless fly-tippers dumped rubbish in the borough more than 25 times a week, government data reveals.
They show council staff dealt with 1,403 reports of fly-tipping costing tens of thousands in just one year.
Gedling Bororough Council says it investigates every report and tried to deal with every incident within 10 days.
The majority of the fly-tips are described as “highway incidents” and “household waste”.
But council staff had to deal with 16 incidents of abandoned asbestos and 44 piles of tyres.
The most recent figures cover the 2021-22 financial year.
The reckless rubbish dumps have left the borough’s residents frustrated.
Chris Cann, a retired library worker from Gedling Village, said: “It’s an issue, I do a lot of litter picking on a voluntary basis, mainly small bits of litter, but occasionally we do come across fly-tips that we can’t deal with.
“They are often in inaccessible places, which is really annoying.
“When it happens, it is just really horrible, it’s ugly and attracts rats and goodness knows what.
“Gedling Borough Council are normally very good, as much as they can do, obviously their hands are tied in what resources they have.
“These people that do it are just awful, because they may think that it’s a victimless crime, but we all suffer from it.
“We pay for it and the state of our countryside pays for it.”
Fly-tipping in Gedling borough. PHOTO: Jenny Hollingsworth.
The exact clean-up costs have not been included in the stats since 2016-17.
Based on the amount spent on cleaning incidents in those figures the 2021-22 cost would have been around £70,000.
It is likely with inflation and the recent increases in the cost of energy and materials the true figure is higher.
One local resident suggested more cameras in the borough might deter the dumpers.
Marie Green, 46, from Daisy Dogs and Kitty Cats in Mapperley, said: “I use a lot of Gedling parks and fields.
“As I’m on my little travels around, I’m picking dogs up and taking them to parks, I come across these fly-tips.
“The other week, I came onto a field and thought, what’s that awful smell, it’s like someone had been growing marijuana and dumped all their bags of soil and plants.
“Gedling has some nice little secret fields, little roads and dead ends.
“They know there are no cameras, so they are using them for dumping.”
Marie also feels council staff are quick to respond to new incidents,
She added: “The council comes, clears it away and a couple of days later, they have filled up the space again.
“People that do fly-tip, it would be nicer if got prosecuted a bit more.
“But then again, are we helping people, are there enough tips around?
“We’ve got Calverton tip, but if you go to Calverton, sometimes the road that leads to the actual tip, people dump rubbish on it.
“It is mind-boggling.”
Gedling Borough Council leader councillor John Clarke
Gedling Borough Council leader Councillor John Clarke explained the council’s approach to fly-tipping saying they investigate every reported incident.
He said: “Fly-tipping is a scourge on our society and a huge cost to taxpayers because of a small minority of people who dispose of their waste illegally.
“We investigate all reports of fly-tipping and will always take enforcement action where we can.
“We have increased the number of fixed penalty notices we have issued year on year and we clear 99 per cent of all incidents within 10 days of reporting.
“We rely on residents to report fly-tipping if they see it happening, so we urge them to contact us and we can investigate and catch the perpetrators.”
The council issued 31 fines over the incidents and took one case to court for prosecution.
Police are searching for two men after a victim was attacked and suffered fractures to his face in Arnold.
A man in his 30s was found unconscious on the ground in Front Street at 11.55pm on Sunday, April 16 with multiple injuries to his face.
The victim is recovering and did not receive any life-altering injuries but has been left shaken by the incident.
Nottinghamshire Police are now looking to speak with two men whose images have been released.
PC Emma White, leading the investigation for Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We’re now asking the public to come forward if they recognise these two people or were in the area at the time.
“This was a vicious attack that left the victim needing to be rushed to hospital and treated for a broken nose, bruises, and swelling to his face.
“We are continuing to carry out our investigations but need your help now – if you think you recognise the two people in these images please get in contact.
“We say it time and time again but violence like this will never be acceptable on our streets and we will always do everything in our power to understand who is responsible.”
Anyone who has any dashcam footage or information is asked to call 101, quoting incident number 33 of 17 April 2023, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Eighteen people lost their vote at the recent local elections in Gedling borough after the introduction of voter ID, new figures reveal.
Supporters of the move, such as Tom Randall MP, feel the change creates confidence in the electoral system but others argue it will deprive voters.
The local elections on May 4 were the first that required voters to show a form of photographic identification before being issued with a ballot paper.
The requirement was introduced to solve personation- the electoral crime of pretending to be someone else to use their vote – however, critics have argued that this is very rare.
Gedling’s MP, Tom Randall, said: “Prior to the new voter ID rules, electoral fraud was the easiest fraud to commit.
“You could just walk into any polling station, give someone’s name and address and then cast their vote.
“In a democracy, voters must have confidence in the electoral system.”
PICTURED: Gedling MP Tom Randall
The MP added that in the run-up to the elections in the borough, a large majority were aware of this demand.
Ernehale Labour councillor, David Ellis said: “One resident I spoke to had never been abroad, doesn’t drive and is not old enough for a bus pass.
“She didn’t get around to get voter ID or apply for a postal vote and was really annoyed that she lost her chance to vote.
“The numbers may be correct but I suspect a whole lot more didn’t turn up.”
Polling by Omnisis found that 27 percent of the 1216 participants asked felt the need to present photographic ID to vote was unfair.
Based on a combination of turnout from the 2019 elections and data from the local elections they estimate that two million people will be disenfranchised at the next general election.
In Gedling borough 80 residents attempted to vote with ID, of which 62 then return with the correct documents.
Based on turnout figures in the Gedling constituency from the 2019 general election around 200 people would be turned away from polling stations in 2025 if the figures were similar.
Trent Valley Conservative councillor Mike Adams said: “I didn’t speak to anybody who couldn’t vote because of identification.
“The thing that I got asked about the most was that it was so advertised.
“I think it’s like with anything important, you need ID.
“It’s the right move giving more validity to votes and hopefully more people will vote as they know that it is completely their own.”
These figures come after Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mog said earlier this week: “Parties that try and gerrymander end up finding their clever scheme comes back to bite them, as dare I say we found by insisting on voter ID for elections.”
Six months ago Cleo’s delicatessen, owned by couple Theo Solomon and Chloe Cross, opened in the AMP and since then it has received many great reviews.
Salad boxes are their top sellers, with them offering a variety of fresh meats, veg, pastas and sauces.
The deli bars are all prepped daily and salads can be purchased in small, medium or large.
Even though they may be a favourite, the healthy lunches are not all they do.
Cleo’s also sells sandwiches, which can be made to order as well as sweet treats and an array of cupboard essentials to take home to recreate their delights yourself.
And you can also get your hands on fresh homemade meals including lasagne, curries and cottage pies.
Even though we visited after the lunch rush the store was still busy.
The regular salad was very filling and you definitely get what you pay for, with the box being filled to the top and only £5.95.
As a slightly fussy eater when it comes to vegetables there was still a great variety of options to choose from and the customisation means you can walk away with exactly what you want.
The pesto pasta in the salad was a personal favourite of mine.
Co-owner Theo Soloman said: “Opening was a risk, but it seems to be paying off at the moment.”
The lunch spot seems to attract lots of regulars with many customers sharing their love for the deli on social media.
One said: “We have been reading about the new deli at AMP so decided to give it a try today.
“Wow, the salads are amazing.
“Worth the hype we thought.”
Cleo’s in Arnold
Another commented: “Cleo’s delicatessen at AMP did it again.
“We had meal deals from Cleo’s a few times but this was the first time with desert, omg it’s lush.
“If you haven’t tried it yet you are missing out.”
The shop is in Unit 5, The AMP, 9 market place, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 6ND.
They work closely with Taste First next door and provide tapas boards for their wine tastings.
It is open Tuesday to Friday 9 to 5pm and Saturday 9 to 4pm.
TV Licence holders across the borough are being issued a warning as the number of targeted email scams increases.
According to Action Fraud, which monitors cyber crime cases, there has been a huge increase in reports of fraudsters using the TV licence as the subject of their con attempt in the last few weeks.
The concern comes as those who have clicked on the links included in the scam emailhave seen their personal data and financial details stolen after being asked to input information such as credit card or bank details online.
The emails tell recipients that they are required to take urgent action to avoid being fined by the TV Licensing Board, causing alarm and meaning many click through and submit their details without a second thought.
Action Fraud explained: “The emails state that the recipient’s TV Licence is about to expire, or that there was an issue with their latest payment.
The links provided in the email lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal personal and financial details”, the cyber crime experts added.
They are urging anyone who receives such an email to take care and think before acting.
Official TV Licensing emails always include your name and/or part of your postcode, with messages missing this data likely to be a scam.
The team at Action Fraud have now issued advice on how to stay safe online and avoid becoming a victim of cyber crime.
They advise:
• If you have doubts about a message, contact the organisation directly.
• Don’t use the numbers or addresses in the message – use the details from their official website.
• Your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email.
The latest scams may be avoidable for some users in the future due to the upcoming Gmail upgrade. Google is planning to introduce Twitter-style blue ticks which will quickly show if a message has come from an account that’s verified.
Double gold medal-winning Paralympian, Richard Whitehead MBE, is asking people to join him for a run and raise money to help more young people with a disability get active.
Many readers will know Richard who hails from Burton Joyce and will have seen him regularly running in the borough.
One of the most-inclusive events of its type in the UK, Run with Rich is a friendly, fun, and welcoming event, which sees disabled and non-disabled people take part alongside each other.
Richard Whitehead MBE, who competes on prosthetics after being born with a double through-knee congenital amputation, won 200 metre gold at both the London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Paralympics during a stella athletics career which included becoming a World and European Champion on multiple occasions and saw him become one of the Britain’s most well-known disabled runners.
PHOTO: Courtesy of David Baird
Now he combines his time with helping disabled people overcome different challenges and help remove obstacles which may otherwise prevent them from achieving their potential. He launched his own charity, the Richard Whitehead Foundation, which provides people with mentoring, equipment, and support.
A big part of the foundation’s work is encouraging people to get active and on June 18 Richard will be at Holme Pierrepoint Country Park in Nottingham for the charity’s annual Run with Rich fundraising event.
There are two distance options: a one-mile route which includes sensory experiences and is perfect for families with small children, people with complex needs, or those who have just started running; and a 5km loop around the beautiful lake at Holme Pierrepoint.
Richard will be taking part in both runs, meaning anyone who signs up will be able to run alongside one of Britain’s most successful Para athletes.
PHOTO: Courtesy of David Baird
Entry is £15 for adults, £5 for juniors, and under-fives are free, with all the money raised helping support the Foundation’s work using sport and movement to help people with a disability achieve their life goals.
Paul Brackley, Project Manager for the charity, said:
“Our Run with Rich event is not only an important fundraising event for the foundation which will help us expand our work and help more people with a disability, but it is also a fantastic example of what we stand for as a charity.
“It is completely inclusive; anyone can take part their own way. Whether that means running, walking or rolling or going the distance with a running frame, wheelchair, or crutches – everyone is welcome to take part their way with Rich and be part of something very special.”
It bans vehicles over 7.5 tonnes from driving on these specific roads as they can use the new Gedling Access Road (Colliery Way) that opened last year.
Monitoring was carried out last month after complaints were made but residents say the lorries are still using the route.
A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’m just annoyed that some HGV drivers are ignoring the weight restriction that’s been put in place for over a year since Colliery Way was opened.
“Some may be delivering and that’s ok.
“But many are passing through and they should be fined in my opinion.
“These abuses have to stop, it’s putting lives at risk.
“The county council highways dept needs to crack down on this.”
Colliery Way was completed in 2022 at a cost of £49m to encourage HGVs to use the new route rather than go through the village.
Cllr Jenny Hollingsworth (Lab) added: “Councillor Pearson and I receive regular complaints about this issue and we have undertaken some direct Lorry Watch sessions.
“While residents recognise that some HGV’s have legitimate reasons for using this route we believe many are breaching the restriction.
“Nottinghamshire County Council is aware of the problem and has carried out monitoring of the route.
“We have directly contacted some companies to make them aware that their drivers may be breaching the weight restrictions, however the problem continues.
“We encourage residents to report apparent breaches to Nottinghamshire County Council so that investigations can be carried out and fines issued where appropriate.
“Councillor Pearson and I will continue to monitor the situation and take the necessary actions to resolve this for residents.”
Drivers breaching a weight restriction can be prosecuted and fined up to £1,000.
In a statement released last month, the county council said it was monitoring the roads and reminded residents lorries could use the road if accessing premises in the area.
A permanent drop-off point for people to discard unwanted knives has been set up in Arnold.
Amnesty bins have this week been placed at police stations across Nottinghamshire, including inside Oxclose Lane Station in Arnold, as part of anti-knife crime campaign ‘Operation Sceptre’.
This will allow anyone wanting to throw a knife away without fear of being prosecuted.
Nearly 200 knives were seized and destroyed after being dropped off across Nottinghamshire during the last ‘Operation Sceptre’ in November 2022.
In the wake of the number of knives being left in the bins, Nottinghamshire Police has decided to make some of those amnesty bins permanent, including the one in Oxclose Lane Station.
Superintendent Kathryn Craner, Nottinghamshire Police’s knife crime lead, said: “While stopping people from picking up a knife in the first place is our ultimate aim for tackling knife crime, it is also incredibly important that we do whatever we can to help take weapons off our streets.
“By setting up amnesty bins in different locations across our communities, we are trying to make it as easy as possible for people to discard any unwanted knives they have, so that they can be taken out of harm’s way.
“While I understand some people will have some concerns about going into a police station and using an amnesty bin, please rest assured that you won’t get in trouble if you do so – this is not a trick.
“There are lots of reasons why someone might want to visit one of our drop-off points, whether that’s to safely discard a blade they’ve just found, or to rid themselves of one that belongs to them.
“Certain offensive weapons, like zombie knives, knuckledusters and friction lock batons, are also now illegal to be kept in people’s homes – whereas they weren’t before – so the bins offer a way to safely hand those in too.
“This initiative has directly led to us seizing hundreds of unwanted blades in the past, so hopefully we’ll see similar results this time around.”
Two Aldi workers have been suspended after CCTV footage shared online appeared to show a suspected shoplifter being led down an alley and assaulted.
Police admit the footage was ‘distressing to watch’ and have warned the public not to take the law into their own hands.
The CCTV was apparently shot close to the Mapperley store on Woodborough Road at 9.20am on Saturday, May 13.
In the footage the workers, dressed in their Aldi uniform, lead a man down a busy street before moving out of sight and getting aggressive. They confront the individual after escorting him off Woodborough Road. One of the employees can then be seen to pin the man against a building before throwing a punch.
Nottinghamshire Police confirmed they were investigating a report of shoplifting and assault allegations.
Officers have interviewed a 61-year-old man about the incident.
Inspector Steve Dalby, District Commander for City South, said: “Officers are currently investigating an alleged assault after we were made aware of a reported shoplifting offence and social media video circulating online.
“The CCTV footage is distressing to watch, but I want to assure the community we are aware, and our officers are working hard to determine exactly what happened.
“A 61-year-old man has attended a voluntary interview in connection with the incident.
“I want to remind the public that it is our job to police and not to take matters into your own hands.
“If you are the victim of a crime or witness please contact the police either by calling 101, or in an emergency always dialling 999.
“This remains an ongoing investigation and anyone with any information is asked to call 101, quoting incident number 163 of 13 May 2023, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Aldi does not tolerate aggressive or violent behaviour, and both individuals have been suspended from work.”
