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Vaccine service at Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton to close just after it opened to deliver booster jabs

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Vaccine service at Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton to close just after it opened to deliver booster jabs

A council leader has expressed his frustration over plans to close a booster vaccination centre in Carlton just weeks after it was opened to deliver jabs.

Cllr John Clarke (Lab), leader of Gedling Borough Council, says he is concerned the closure is a mistake while case numbers of the Omicron variant remain “rampant” in Notts.

A vaccine centre initially opened at the Richard Herrod Centre in Foxhill Road during the pandemic but was closed by the NHS on October 25.

However, after the rising numbers of Omicron cases, a service was opened at the centre again on December 20 to deliver boosters.

But it is due to close again on January 14 – meaning it will have been open for only four weeks.

Figures show in the seven days to January 4, there were 2,655 new cases of coronavirus in Gedling, with a rate of infection of 2245.5 per 100,000 people. This is above England’s current rate, which stands at 1924.4

And in some parts of Gedling borough, up to January 8, just over half of people have had their booster jabs – Arnold (55.3 per cent), Carlton (56.3 per cent), Netherfield and Colwick (54 per cent).

Cllr Clarke said it was “frustrating” the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had decided to close the vaccine service at the centre again.

“We did not want them to close it in the first place,” he said. “We were not expecting this. The centre was not only serving Gedling but also Rushcliffe and the city.

John Clarke Gedling
PICTURED: Cllr Jon Clarke, leader of Gedling Borough Council

“If we can work with someone else to keep it open, we will. I am not a health professional, but Covid is still rampant in the community.

“You can’t keep using a public building – opening it one minute and then closing it the next. It is like the Chuckle Brothers – a ‘to me to you’ job. Richard Herrod Centre is ideally suited for vaccines.

“We will continue to negotiate with other people such as a pharmacy to carry the vaccine programme on there.”

The CCG said it keeps sites under “constant review” in response to “footfall, uptake levels and convenience to the public”.

A spokeswoman said: “It is important that our vaccination staff are utilised in the most efficient way to deliver as many vaccinations as possible.

“In Gedling, 68.5 per cent of over-18s have now received the booster vaccination and we would encourage anyone who has not yet received their jab to walk into the pop-up Richard Herrod vaccination site.”

Speaking at a Public Health briefing on Friday, January 7, Louise Lester, from Public Health Nottinghamshire, said: “In the most recent seven days our [Nottinghamshire-wide] rate was at 1,865 per 100,000.

“That is 15,000 people across Nottinghamshire who have tested positive in the last seven days.

“They are high across all our districts and boroughs at the moment – highest in Gedling and Ashfield and lowest in Rushcliffe.

“All very high and driven by the working age population – 18 to 59-year-olds have got the highest rates and we do not know what this New Year will bring.”

Morrisons in Netherfield is scrapping use-by dates on milk in favour of a ‘sniff test’

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Morrisons in Netherfield is scrapping use-by dates on milk in favour of a ‘sniff test’

A supermarket in Netherfield will remove “use-by” dates from milk packaging by the end of January in an attempt to save pints from being wasted.

Morrisons is now advising customers to carry out a simple sniff test to work out whether or not the cow’s milk is off or still usable.

The retailer said it will replace ‘use-by’ dates with ‘best before’ dates on 90% of its own-brand milk 

Milk is the third-most wasted food or drink product in the UK, with 85 million pints poured away due to consumers following the ‘use by’ date alone, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) charity.

Ian Goode, senior milk buyer at Morrisons, said the changes would reduce impact on the environment.

He said: “Wasted milk means wasted effort by our farmers and unnecessary carbon being released into the atmosphere.

“Good quality well-kept milk has a good few days life after normal ‘use by’ dates – and we think it should be consumed, not tipped down the sink.

Morrisons

“So, we’re taking a bold step today and asking customers to decide whether their milk is still good to drink.

“Generations before us have always used the sniff test – and I believe we can too.”

Experts warn consumers not to drink milk with an obvious unpleasant odour.

In cases when it’s difficult to difficult to gauge by scent, the milk can be examined for lumps or slight yellowing.

Excessive souring can also be detected by either microwaving a glassful for 30-60 or adding a splash to hot water, then swirling it and checking whether it goes lumpy or gooey.

According to Wrap, 490 million pints of milk are wasted every year while an estimated 85 million pints may be wasted due to customers following ‘use by’ labels.

Despite this, research shows that milk can still be used after the ‘use by’ date.

Marcus Gover, of Wrap, said: “I am delighted that Morrisons is the first UK supermarket to take this important step to help reduce household food waste – it shows real leadership and we look forward to more retailers reviewing date labels on their products and taking action.”

‘There will be nothing left’: Concern over loss of green space in Gedling as 28-home development bid is submitted

Gedling Eye Reporter
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‘There will be nothing left’: Concern over loss of green space in Gedling as 28-home development bid is submitted

Concerns have been raised about a loss of greenspace and wildlife in relation to plans for an 28-home development in Gedling.

WFW Developments have submitted plans for a new development on land at the bottom of Grange View Road.

The developer wants to build 28 new four-bedroomed homes on the site along with creating an access road.

Letters have been sent to local residents informing of them of the new plans and also inviting them to have their say.

The chosen land is part of the Willow Farm site which has been under threat before.

Back in 2017, plans for 110 new homes were submitted for the site and and met with anger from local residents. The Willow Farm Action Group was then formed to fight off plans from developers and have so far been successful.

Local resident Maureen Stewart yesterday voiced her concerns about the development to Gedling Eye.

She said: “We are really worried about this. We have concerns for the local wildlife. Where are they going to go? There will be no green space left for them soon.

The site is located at the bottom of Grange View Road in Gedling

“I really hope the planners see sense and stop this from going through and save our wildlife.”

Ron Disney’s mother lives in the area and he fears that local infrastructure will soon be unable to cope.

He said: “There are lots of new houses going up but how many new schools and doctor surgeries do we see?

“It’s fine bunging up all these new homes but you need to think about how the area will cope. It seems like it is all just about money.

“My mother is elderly and struggles to get to see her GP as it is and soon 28 new families could be also trying to get an appointment with them. It is a worry. She may have to move.”

One local resident who didn’t wish to be named told our reporter: “We hear these local councils go on about their green policies but they are prepared to let this happen.”

Members of the Willow Farm Action Group voiced their anger over plans on Facebook.

Margaret McKeon wrote: “We are running out of space. They are buying up all the land. This is very important for our kids and grandkids we will not get this land back again.

“What’s the point of issuing farmers with subsidies to wildlife when we are just selling our wildlife down the river.”

The plans can be viewed in full HERE

Road closures and diversions will be in place when Surgeys Lane resurfacing works begins in Arnold on Monday

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Road closures and diversions will be in place when Surgeys Lane resurfacing works begins in Arnold on Monday

Roads will close and diversions will be put into place when resurfacing works begin on Surgeys Lane in Arnold on Monday (10).

Works are expected to last until Friday, January 21.

The road will be closed between 7.30am and 5pm on weekdays during the fortnight while it is resurfaced.

Nottingham City Transport has said that their 58 bus service will be diverted during this time.

A spokesman said: “From 7:30am until 17:00pm on each day – except Sunday, January 16 – Lime 58 will divert via Coppice Road and Beechwood Road in both directions. Where possible, these journeys will show ’58X'”

PICTURED: Map showing bus diversions during the Surgeys Lane resurfacing works

Residents have been calling for the resurfacing of the road in Arnold for the past few years.

In response, local councillor Michael Payne created and gathered signatures on a petition which was handed to Nottinghamshire County Council caling for works to take place.

He said: “I’m delighted to have secured full resurfacing of Surgeys Lane.

“I’ve been campaigning to have Surgeys Lane resurfaced for a number of years and last February I organised a petition of local residents, which I presented to Nottinghamshire County Council calling for a full resurface of the road.

“The initial response from the County Council to our petition was disappointing but I pursued the issue with highways officers and persuaded them to agree to our request for a full resurfacing of the road and for it to be carried out this financial year.

I’m pleased work is now about to start on this much-needed and long-overdue scheme.

He added: “As ever, I will continue to campaign for further road and pavement improvements for all the communities I represent and am actively pursuing improvement works elsewhere in our community, including but not exclusive to the junction at Coppice Road, Howbeck Road and Rolleston Drive.”

New images released as search for missing Arnold woman continues

Gedling Eye
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New images released as search for missing Arnold woman continues

A new photograph of a missing Arnold woman has been released as the search goes on.

Victoria Bone was reported missing from the town on Thursday (January 6).

She is described as stocky build, 5 foot 8 tall with short black hair – which police say is shorter than in the image.

Victoria was last seen wearing a beige coloured fleece hoody, black trousers and black shoes and was carrying a red TK Maxx shopping bag.

If you have seen Victoria or know where she might be, please call us on 101, quoting incident number 396 of 6 January 2022. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Drivers busted as police crack down on speeding in parts of Gedling borough

Gedling Eye
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Drivers busted as police crack down on speeding in parts of Gedling borough

Six drivers were issued with speeding tickets and many others warned during a day of action around speeding across parts of Gedling borough.

Police were by roadsides in Colwick, Burton Joyce and Carlton hoping to snare speeding motorists on roads identified as speeding hotspots by residents.

Officers targeted Vale Road in Colwick, Southdale Road in Carlton and the A612 at Burton Joyce.

Police

A police spokesman said: “Approximately 25 motorists were warned with regards to their speed who didn’t meet the threshold for a Traffic Offence Report.

“Six drivers that met the threshold were reported and issued a Traffic Offence Report.

They added: “Please be considerate when driving and remember to respect the speed limits.”

Notts criminals jailed for role in £165m cocaine operation

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Notts criminals jailed for role in £165m cocaine operation

Two Notts criminals who played a part in a mammoth drugs operation that made £400,000 a day have been jailed.

Vast amounts of high purity cocaine, as well as thousands of pounds in cash, were moved around the country in just over a year that the gang operated in.

The 21-strong group used encrypted phones in the hope that the operation – which involved importing multiple kilos of the drug from Dubai – would not be discovered.

The gang’s total earnings over the 408-day conspiracy is estimated to have been a staggering £165 million.

Among the defendants sentenced yesterday (January 7) were Nottinghamshire criminals Michael Karim and Kelly Williamson, who were described as “wholesale customers” in the conspiracy.

Williamson, 57, of Mansfield Road, Papplewick, was jailed for five years and three months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Karim, 36, of Standard Hill, Nottingham, was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine; conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property; possession of false identity documents; and possession of a smoke grenade.

Prosecutors told the jury Karim – a married father-of-two – was responsible for at least 9kg of high purity cocaine and that a police search of his flat found a deactivated pump action shotgun, numerous weighing scales with powder on, jewellery worth upwards of £250,000 and an illegal military issue smoke grenade. Six fake identification cards were also found in his flat.

Meanwhile Williamson, also a father-of-two, was found to have received two packages of high purity cocaine after being placed under police surveillance.

The drugs gang was led by Paldip Mahngar, who organised in the region of 100kg of high-purity cocaine to be moved all over the country. 

The 45-year-old used an encrypted EncroChat phone to order multiple kilos of the drug from contacts in Dubai – which was then distributed across the country by Jaswant Kajla.

Kelly Williamson
PICTURED: Kelly Williamson of Papplewick

From his home in Bluebird Drive, Coventry, Kajla organised the logistics of moving the drugs, along with the collecting of money from the gang’s customers.

The 41-year-old ensured that those delivering the cocaine had well-rehearsed cover stories as couriers who could deny their knowledge of the drugs they were delivering.

The money collected was dealt with by Manraj Johal – the gang’s accountant. The 32-year-old kept detailed Excel spreadsheets that showed the incomings, outgoings, and expenses of the gang.

Using another encrypted phone Johal, of Turnpike Drive, Luton, would then contact the upstream suppliers of the drugs to update them about how much money was being made.

The gang had two “offices” in Luton and Derby where millions of pounds flowed through from their cocaine sales – with an estimated £18.6m being made by the gang between 16 March and 30 April 2020, a daily total of £400,000 which officers used to estimate the gang’s total earnings over the 408-day conspiracy to be a staggering £165,208,208.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Walters, who lead the investigation by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), said: “This was a massive undertaking by a very skilled and determined investigation team to dismantle a gang which was responsible for the industrial scale wholesale supply of cocaine across the country, along with the movement of millions of pounds in criminal cash each week.

“While the gang’s use of a ‘token’ system to monitor their cash flow and the encrypted Encrochat handsets to coordinate their business showed a level of sophistication, they merely acted as a breadcrumb trail for us to see the scale of the ‘business’, and identify each member of the organised crime group, as well as every sale they had made.

“The hefty sentences given today are not only a testament to an impressive regional investigation, but also to the power of collaborative law enforcement on a national and international scale. 

“And we’ve not finished yet. Through the Proceeds of Crime Act we will now seek to identify and seize any assets amounted from the running of this illicit enterprise, to ensure those responsible are not only stripped of their freedom, but also of any profits made through their criminal activities.”

NHS: 74 per cent of people in critical care at Notts hospitals are completely unvaccinated

Gedling Eye Reporter
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NHS: 74 per cent of people in critical care at Notts hospitals are completely unvaccinated

Seventy-four per cent of patients in critical care at Nottingham’s two main hospitals are completely unvaccinated, according to the NHS.

And all of Nottinghamshire’s hospitals – including the Queen’s Medical Centre and the Nottingham City Hospital – are not under ‘high alert’ but are operating under “increasing pressure.”

Amanda Sullivan, from NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group, described the situation in a Covid briefing on Friday, January 7.

She said: “The NHS is operating under increasing pressure and this is caused by the rise in coronavirus admissions we are seeing, work force absence due to Omicron and other causes and other winter pressures and illnesses.”

On January 4, Nottinghamshire hospitals had 443 people with coronavirus, a higher figure than in the April or November peaks in 2020.

In the week up to January 2, there were 362 admissions compared to 213 admissions the week before, showing “a significant rise week-on-week,” she added. There were also 25 deaths.

“The numbers are continuing to rise, and we do anticipate they will continue to rise in view of the very high community transmission rates. Omicron is as serious as Delta if you are unvaccinated.

“On the intensive care unit at the City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre, 74 per cent of the people who are needing the critical care – the most seriously ill – are completely unvaccinated.

QMC
PICTURED: Queen’s Medical Centre

“We do sometimes see people who are partially vaccinated and have underlying health conditions – they may also become seriously ill as well and need that intensive care.

“We don’t have the Nottinghamshire figures for unvaccinated people and deaths, but the evidence is clear now across the whole country that vaccines do have a protective effect against death.

“If you are boosted that reduces your chances of hospitalisation by 83 per cent. It has even a further effect of people dying.”

She said more people are “changing their minds” and coming forward to get their first and second jabs, which is “thousands each week.”

Lucy Hubber, Public Health Director for Nottingham, said: “The situation in Nottingham is we are seeing very high case rates of 1,600 per 100,000 people – that’s a rapid increase on where we were a month ago.

“We are also seeing a positivity rate – number of people testing positive at PCR – at 40 per cent – and that is really high. There is a lot of Covid circulating in our community.

“That figure will continue to increase. We hear in the media that Omicron is a mild disease – I am not sure I would agree with that.

“What I would say is what we are seeing is Omicron is not as severe for people who are vaccinated but it is not fair to say Covid is a mild disease.”

Louise Lester, from Public Health Nottinghamshire, added: “In the most recent seven days our rate was at 1,865 per 100,000. This is currently above the England average.

“That is 15,000 people across Nottinghamshire who have tested positive in the last seven days.

“They are high across all our districts and boroughs at the moment – highest in Gedling and Ashfield and lowest in Rushcliffe.

“All very high and driven by the working age population – 18 to 59-year-olds have got the highest rates and we do not know what this New Year will bring.”

Concern grows for missing woman, 51, last seen in Arnold

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Concern grows for missing woman, 51, last seen in Arnold

Police have launched an urgent appeal to trace a missing woman from Arnold.

Officers say they are concerned about the welfare of Victoria Bone.

Victoria was reported missing from the Arnold area yesterday (January 6).

She is described as stocky build, 5 foot 8 tall with short black hair – which police say is shorter than in the image.

PICTURED: Victoria Bone

Victoria was last seen wearing a brown teddy bear fleece hoody, black trousers and black shoes and was carrying a red TK Maxx shopping bag.

If you have seen Victoria or know where she might be, please call us on 101, quoting incident number 396 of 6 January 2022. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Bird flu cases at Colwick Country Park sparks council warning to public

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Bird flu cases at Colwick Country Park sparks council warning to public

A warning has been issued after Nottingham City Council confirmed there are currently positive cases of bird flu at Colwick Country Park.

The UK is currently facing its largest ever outbreak of bird flu with cases confirmed across the country since the start of November.

Colwick Country Park currently has positive cases of bird flu on site in wild birds.

The public is advised not to touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that they find at the site. If anyone finds dead swans, geese or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, they should report them to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. 

Councillor Neghat Khan, the city council’s portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion, said: “We need to be clear that these are preventative measures and there is no immediate risk to human health.

“Signage has been erected at Colwick Country Park to warn visitors of the presence of bird flu at the site.”

Although the risk to human health from the virus is very low, people can catch bird flu via direct contact with a live or dead bird carrying the virus or via direct contact with bird faeces from a bird carrying the virus.

Humans cannot catch bird flu via airborne particles.

The council say avian influenza is in no way connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is not carried in poultry or captive birds.

Colwick_Country_Park
Colwick Country Park

To help stop the spread of disease, the Government introduced new housing measures last month which means that anyone keeping chickens, ducks, geese or any other birds is now legally required to keep them indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures. If people do not do this, the disease could kill their birds and they could be fined.

Nottingham City Council is also contacting all farm visitor attractions in the city to remind them of the order.

Key advice for poultry keepers includes to:

  • House or net all poultry and captive birds to keep them separate from wild birds
  • Cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
  • Reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products, and use effective vermin control
  • Thoroughly cleanse and disinfect housing on a continuous basis
  • Keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points
  • Minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds.

Bird keepers should report suspicion of disease in England to Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Keepers should familiarise themselves with avian flu advice which can be found on the gov.uk website.

This order is a legal requirement so anyone in possession of poultry or captive birds – whether it be a couple of chickens in a garden coop or a poultry farm – must follow its conditions.

Although it is optional for people with less than 50 poultry or captive birds to register their birds with Defra, we are advising people to register so they get regular updates on this order.

For further information search “avian influenza” at GOV.UK and to register poultry visit www.gov.uk/guidance/poultry-registration. 

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