Five teenagers were arrested after police tracked down a stolen car in Colwick.
The Mercedes had been taken from outside a property in Gordon Road, St Ann’s, on Wednesday (27) afternoon.
The vehicle was detected several hours later and tracked as it made its way around Nottingham. It was pulled over shortly before 3.45am in Hotspur Drive, Colwick.
Several suspects fled from the car, sparking an immediate search of the local area.
Five boys, four aged 15 and one aged 16, were arrested on suspicion of theft.
The car has been recovered and will be further examined later today.
Inspector John Lees, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a great bit of work by officers and control room staff to locate this stolen car and bring it to a safe stop.
“We are still at the early stages of our investigation but would like to speak to anyone who saw any suspicious activity in Gordon Road, St Ann’s, yesterday afternoon between around 3pm and 6pm when the theft was first reported to us.
“Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting incident 578 of 27 October 2021.”
Gedling Borough Council‘s deputy leader Michael Payne has warned that hardworking families will be ‘hit hard’ by the latest budget and questioned the Chancellor’s Spending Review funding for local government.
Rishi Sunak announced a three-year, £4.8 billion package to increase local authorities’ spending power by the end of the current parliament, viewed as a “move in the right direction” by some councillors.
It will spread an additional £1.6 billion a year across councils between 2022 and 2025, used to shore up services and provide a three per cent boost after more than a decade of cuts.
It comes alongside the new Health and Social Care Levy, gained through a ringfenced 1.5 per cent National Insurance rise next spring.
For someone earning £30,000 a year, this rise will mean paying an additional £255 each year to specifically fund social care reforms.
The Government hopes the levy will allow councils to “continue to provide other local services” without relying on the existing social care council tax precept. This was introduced to support authorities funding the service.
In 2021/22, the precept equates to almost 10 per cent of Nottinghamshire County Council’s council tax bill – or £149.64 out of £1,580.85 for a Band D property.
This total does not factor in the precepts charged by district and borough councils, the fire authority and the Police and Crime Commissioner.
In total, the average Band D property in Nottinghamshire is paying £2,120.72 throughout 2021/22, Government figures show. This was £2,226 in Nottingham City.
But independent analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Government body which monitored Rishi Sunak’s plans prior to his Spending Review, expects precepts to hike further in the coming years.
The OBR’s report, published on Wednesday, suggests council tax receipts could rise by £2.2 billion nationwide by 2025 compared with 2019/20.
This, the OBR says, will be the result of authorities being allowed to further increase the social care precept by one per cent each year for the coming three years. Last year, councils were allowed to raise it by about almost three per cent.
Authorities will also be allowed to raise their standard precepts by a further two per cent until 2025, while Police and Crime Commissioners can raise annual bills by £10 per household, Budget documents reveal.
By 2026/27, the OBR predicts council tax nationwide could rise by 33 per cent to £12.1 billion compared with 2019/20, when estimated nationwide receipts were about £9.1 billion.
It means that, under the OBR assessment, council tax receipts nationwide could rise by about 24 per cent between 2019/20 and 2025.
Using Nottinghamshire averages for a Band D property in 2019/20, it means residents paying as much as £2,454.90 in 2025 compared with the £1,976.85 average two years ago.
In Nottingham City, precepts could reach about £2,530.83 in 2025, compared with the £2,038 bill in 2019/20.
It comes at a time when fuel, energy and supermarket prices are on the rise, and alongside the increase in National Insurance from April.
Petrol and diesel prices are currently at their highest rate since 2012, while millions of households are being urged not to swap energy providers after wholesale prices doubled in the past year.
The OBR is also forecasting inflation to average at about four per cent over the next year, more than the boost on offer to local authorities in the Spending Review.
PICTURED: Chancellor Rishi Sunak
Councillor Michael Payne (Lab), deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, believes this will all “hit people hard”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I didn’t hear anything in the budget that will alleviate the pressure on normal people.
“For me, it’s almost as much about what the Chancellor didn’t say than what he did. What he didn’t say is they’re going to force council tax up through both the standard and the social care precepts.
“This is on top of food prices going up, national insurance going up, energy prices going up and fuel prices going up.
“The Budget might sound really good, but at the end of the day, it’ll be paid for by hardworking families who are already feeling the squeeze. It’ll be the highest tax burden [as a percentage of GDP] since 1949.”
Concerns have also been raised by Cllr Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), leader of Ashfield District Council, who warned of raised council tax precepts next year despite welcoming the £4.8 billion boost.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “After 11 years of drastic cuts to councils like Ashfield and Nottinghamshire, this local government funding will still leave spending dramatically lower than 2010.
“The Chancellor announced he has increased spending on local government by the biggest amount in a decade – it’s an incredibly low bar.
“We’ve suffered austerity and cuts, year-on-year, by the Conservatives.”
He added: “This is a move in the right direction, but councils will continue to be on life support as you can’t overturn a decade of austerity by increasing spending by less than inflation.
“This may still lead to council tax increases.”
However, Cllr Ben Bradley MP (Con), leader of the county council and Mansfield MP, welcomed the budget and said it’s too early to tell what the announcement means for councils’ finances.
He said: “We don’t know what [this] means yet in practical terms or what it will look like, but I hope it will help us boost public services and balance the books at the county council.”
Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak added: “As well as funding to deliver the Prime Minister’s historic reforms to social care, we’re providing local government with new grant funding over the next three years of £4.8 billion.
“[This is] the largest increase in core funding for over a decade.”
The Chancellor also announced an extra £4.7 billion for schools by 2024/2025 and a cash increase for every child of £1,500.
This will bring education funding for local authorities back to around the 2010 levels over the next three years but does not cover the nine per cent fall in funding since 2009.
A Local Government Settlement, expected in the coming months, will likely provide further information on the future funding of local councils.
It is one of the first tasks of new local government secretary Michael Gove, who took over from Newark MP Robert Jenrick in the summer.
At present, local authority budgets are made up of slightly more than 30 per cent in Government grants and slightly more than 50 per cent is from council tax precepts.
The remainder is from retained business rates and borrowing.
But the Government anticipates that, overall, the annual £1.6 billion increase will raise councils’ core spending power by three per cent and prevent cuts to services.
This, a Treasury spokesperson says, represents the “largest increase in core funding in over a decade” following “real-terms year-on-year increases since 2019”.
The company said it will slash the prices on a range of drinks throughout November as it continues its efforts to attract more punters back to pubs following pandemic lockdowns, reports PA.
PICTURED: Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin
Wetherspoons said it will sell three alcoholic drinks for 99p each – a pint of Ruddles Best, a bottle of Beck’s and a 25ml measure of Bell’s whisky with a mixer.
All hot drinks will also cost 99p, with free refills, as part of its price cuts.
Chairman Tim Martin said: “Our pubs are known for their excellent choice of drinks at value-for-money prices at all times.
“Throughout November our customers will be able to choose from a great choice of drinks and save themselves some money too.”
The pub chain has continued to invest in keeping its prices lower despite VAT reductions being phased out, higher wages and rising energy bills at venues.
Police have arrested two men after overnight thefts from vehicles and have stepped up patrols in Colwick, Mapperley and Netherfield in response to reports.
The police action comes after reports of bank cards and other valuables being taken from vehicles in the village and towns this month.
A 24-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of two counts of theft from a motor vehicle, fraud by false representation and possession of an offensive weapon in connection with reported incidents in Colwick and Netherfield.
A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle and fraud by false representation over allegations of bank cards being taken from a car in Mapperley which were later used to buy items.
Police have stepped up patrols
A 39-year-old man has also been voluntarily interviewed by police in connection with this alleged offence.
Neighbourhood Inspector Chris Pearson, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Officers are continuing to work very hard to combat auto crime in hot-spot areas in Gedling and we are carrying out ongoing patrols in response to reports.
“I would like to reassure people that we will investigate reports, gather evidence and make arrests as part of our robust response to this crime type.
“I would also urge people to help us reduce offences by making sure they keep their vehicles locked and secure overnight, with any belongings removed.”
A leading Gedling borough councillor and the borough’s MP have aired their disappointment after the area was left out in the Government’s ‘Levelling Up Fund’ announcement.
Had it been successful, the council would have received as much as £20 million to invest in Netherfield’s connectivity, repurposing Gedling’s vacant and underused shops, and invested into a leisure and culture hub in Arnold.
But the council was hit with a hammer blow during Rishi Sunak’s Budget on Wednesday (October 27) when it was left out of the £1.7 billion pot.
It comes after the council also missed out on both the Future High Streets funding and the Towns Fund which, when put with the Levelling Up fund, could have seen tens of millions pumped into the borough.
Councillor Michael Payne (Lab), deputy leader of the council, described it as a “triple whammy” for Gedling.
PICTURED: Civic Centre (PHOTO: Gedling Eye)
“It’s just disgusting and absolutely shocking,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“If [the Government] is going to be serious about levelling up, then all we’re really asking for in Gedling is to be treated fairly, for a fair crack at the whip. ‘
“We’ve got communities in other parts of the country where money has been shovelled at them, and Gedling has been overlooked again.
“I think there are serious questions here about Gedling’s MP Tom Randall.
“In the last two years he hasn’t spoken up on the Towns Fund or the Future High Streets fund, now on the Levelling Up fund, and we’ve been overlooked on all three.”
Tom Randall MP (Con), who was elected in December 2019 after unseating Labour’s Vernon Coaker, now Lord Coaker, called on the Prime Minister to back Gedling’s bid when speaking in parliament in July.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he’s planning a meeting with ministers to find out why the bid was unsuccessful, and whether it means Gedling can re-apply for future rounds of the fund.
“I’m waiting for the detail at the moment but we’ve not been successful this time,” he added.
“It’s obviously disappointing from my perspective. The previous funding rounds were decided before I was an MP.
“I’ve had meetings with ministers and the council to understand why previous funding bids were unsuccessful, and to help the council with its bids.
“When this bid was put together I tried to do my bit to champion it, I even raised it in the Commons, and I’m naturally disappointed it hasn’t been successful this time.”
Councillor Payne called out Mr Randall over Twitter asking for a response following the budget announcement.
This is a triple whammy slap in the face to the people of Gedling borough who deserve better!
It’s time for Tom Randall MP to start being Gedling’s voice in Westminster, not Westminster’s apologist in Gedling.
— Michael Payne 🏴🇬🇧🏳️🌈 (@MichaelPayneUK) October 27, 2021
Payne posted: “It’s time for Tom Randall MP to start being Gedling’s voice in Westminster, not Westminster’s apologist in Gedling.
“Speak up Tom. Gedling at the back of the queue yet again as a result of your silence!”
Police have made an arrest and seized drugs during the first 48 hours of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Arnold town centre.
A dedicated operation was been put into place over the weekend to combat the rise.
The Gedling neighbourhood policing team joined forces with special constables and CCTV operators at Gedling Borough Council to combat a rise in criminal activity following concerns raised by the local community and businesses.
The ongoing proactive operation, which will be running all the way up to Christmas, was launched on Friday (October 22) and Saturday (23) and involved officers carrying out a mix of high-visibility and plain clothes patrols.
Dispersal powers were also used to deal with people causing issues, enabling police to order those people to leave the area and not return for up to 24 hours.
The operation resulted in the following action being taken:
One man arrested and subsequently charged with failing to leave as directed and criminal damage.
Five people being directed by police to leave the area.
Three people being stopped and searched by officers – with Class B drugs being recovered on one of these occasions.
Two vehicles seized by police after being driven in an antisocial manner around the town.
Neighbourhood Inspector Chris Pearson, of Nottinghamshire Police, was among those taking part in the crime-fighting action on Friday night.
He said: “This dedicated operation shows how we are listening to concerns raised by our local residents and businesses and taking robust action to tackle antisocial behaviour which causes so much misery to people’s lives.
“It is in response to a rise in antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related violence in Arnold which has included reports received of youths causing issues such as throwing items from a supermarket roof.
“We’re sending a strong message that if you are coming into Arnold town centre to commit a crime you are not welcome and you will be swiftly caught and dealt with.
Extra police patrols will be taking place in Arnold
“I want to reassure law-abiding people our officers are fully committed to preventing crime and keeping them safe and we will continue to relentlessly target those suspected of wrongdoing.
“This ongoing joint operation, which is also being bolstered by the force’s dedicated Operation Reacher team, demonstrates this commitment and our determination to make Arnold a hostile place for criminals.
“The Gedling Operation Reacher team also carried out an afternoon of engagement in Arnold on Friday where they gave advice and listened to the concerns of local residents and businesses.
“I hope our positive action shows people how seriously we treat antisocial behaviour and violence in our communities. We understand how these sort of crimes can have a lasting impact on neighbourhoods and communities and we remain determined to preventing this kind of disorder before it happens.
“We will continue to act on feedback and intelligence we receive from members of the community as well as working closely with our partners during this operation to reduce criminality even further.
“Regular policing patrols will carry on in the Arnold town centre are in the run up to Christmas as we work together to crack down even harder on antisocial behaviour and ensure people are kept safe.”
Gedling Borough Council wardens have also recently installed new high-visibility CCTV in operation signs in Arnold, as well as in other shopping areas in Gedling, as an added deterrent to criminals as well as providing additional reassurance to local residents and businesses.
Councillor John Clarke, leader of Gedling Borough Council, said: “I would like to thank Nottinghamshire Police for their ongoing work to reduce antisocial behaviour in our town centres and this operation has already been very successful and will reassure our residents that we are doing everything we can to make our streets safer.
We have invested in CCTV cameras, increased neighbourhood warden patrols and we will continue to work with our partners at the police on these operations to do everything we can to bring about a reduction in crime and promote safer communities.”
Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry, added: “Preventing crime is one of my three main priorities and I am doing exactly that in Gedling.
“By funding the CCTV signs, I am working with both Gedling Borough Council and neighbourhood inspector Chris Pearson so together we can design out crime and deter criminals.”
The deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council has called on the government to ‘level up’ the borough in today’s budget.
Councillor Michael Payne took to Twitter to remind the government of the council’s £20m bid recently made to their Levelling Up Fund.
The bid, submitted back in July, would see millions spent on helping improve parts of the borough.
The council said they would use the cash to create ‘A Sneinton Market vibe’ in Netherfield.
They would also create a new 3.5 kilometre greenway from Netherfield to Gedling Country Park on the former railway mineral line.
The council also want to create ‘a new leisure and culture hub’ near Arnold High Street which could include building a new leisure centre or refurbishing existing ones.
The Carlton Square redevelopment would also receive further investment.
Nothing short of full backing in today’s Budget for our £20m bid to improve Gedling’s town centres & high streets would be yet another slap in the face for hardworking Gedling residents. To be treated fairly is all we’re asking!#Budget2021
— Michael Payne 🏴🇬🇧🏳️🌈 (@MichaelPayneUK) October 27, 2021
Labour councillor Payne tweeted: “If the Conservative Government is serious about ‘levelling up’, in today’s Budget they’ll back Gedling Borough Council’s £20m bid to invest in our town centres & high streets across Gedling.
PICTURED: Chancellor Rishi Sunak
“The Conservative Government turned its back on Gedling’s communities when dishing out the Towns Fund to a swathe of Conservative-held & marginal constituencies. We didn’t get a penny from Future High Streets Fund either.
“Don’t make today a triple whammy on overlooking Gedling!”
“Year upon year of cuts by successive Conservative Govt’s has left Gedling as the worst affected council in the country in terms of reduction in Core Spending Power – the government’s own measure on funds available for local services.
“Nothing short of full backing in today’s Budget for our £20m bid to improve Gedling’s town centres and high streets would be yet another slap in the face for hardworking Gedling residents.
He added: “To be treated fairly is all we’re asking!”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil his budget later today (October 27).
He is expected to announce plans to spend an extra £14bn on healthcare and £6bn on schools and international aid, leaving around £36bn still up for grabs.
WhatsApp users across Gedling borough are being warned about a new scam doing the rounds which could lead to you losing money to fraudsters.
Nottinghamshire Trading Standards have issued the warning following reports of a scam message that appears to come from the potential victim’s son or daughter via WhatsApp.
The message asks for an urgent transfer of money because their phone is broken or they have changed number.
Trading Standards officers said the the message ‘is very convincing and plausible’.
A spokesman said: “If you receive a message like this, Trading Standards suggests speaking with your relative in person or over the telephone on their usual phone number to verify the story.
“We also advise that you don’t reply to the scam text message.”
One reader from Carlton contacted Gedling Eye after receiving the scam message.
She said: “It is very convincing. I decided to ring my daughter on her so-called old number to check if it was true. She answered and had no knowledge of the messages whatsoever.
“If you get a message like this then you should check it out first before sending any money.”
For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.
The public is encouraged to join Friends Against Scams, a National Trading Standards initiative that protects and prevents people from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.
The number of children in Nottinghamshire claiming free school meals has increased by 20 per cent during the pandemic.
Council figures show the number of children claiming free school meals in the county alone was 23,649 in April 2021.
In April 2020 it was 19,783, meaning the figure has risen by 19.5 per cent.
A total of 111,817 children across primary and secondary schools (excluding independent schools) were registered by the council this year.
Richard Ward, of Chilwell, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was not surprised by the figures.
Mr Ward is Chairman of the Phoenix Foundation, which set up a food bank during the pandemic, and is currently handing out around 120 parcels a week.
He said: “There was going to be an increase in the need for free school meals because they have taken away the £20 a week universal credit.
“It is taking food off people’s tables, people can’t feed their families.
“The issue is that now we are coming out of the pandemic and we are starting to live life again, people can’t afford what they could before.
“Prices are skyrocketing, it’s ridiculous.
“It puts more strain on food banks, there is more demand again for food parcels when there shouldn’t be.
“As a country, we are going backwards. We’ve got to take a big look at ourselves because we are ruining our children’s future.”
There was widespread criticism of the Government earlier this month after the Universal Credit uplift of £20 was stopped – but the Government responded by saying the uplift was always a temporary measure.
On Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is due to raise wages for millions of public sector workers in an attempt to counteract increasing pressure on household budgets.
“The economic impact and uncertainty of the virus meant we had to take the difficult decision to pause public sector pay,” he said.
“And now, with the economy firmly back on track, it’s right that nurses, teachers and all the other public sector workers who played their part during the pandemic see their wages rise.”
Overall around 19.8 per cent of primary and 18.2 per cent of secondary children are currently claiming free school meals in the county.
Five years previously the rate was 12.4 per cent for both primary and secondary children.
Children qualify for free school meals during term time if their household earns less than £7,400 per year.
The free school meals figures will be discussed during the Nottinghamshire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee on November 1.
Papers for the meeting state: “It is unclear however if these families were eligible for [free school meals] prior to the pandemic and chose not to claim previously.
“We cannot conclude from this data that levels of child poverty have increased in Nottinghamshire since the latest published data of 2018/19, or since the Covid-19 pandemic began; but we can say that more families are claiming entitlements such as free school meals.”
It comes as the number of Universal Credit claimants in the county has doubled since 2020 from 12,985 to 24,795.
During the meeting on Monday, councillors will vote on setting aside £2.3 million to provide free school meals for October half term, the Christmas holidays and February half term which will reach up to 27,500 children.
The Government extended free meals for eligible children into the holidays last year using a voucher system, and later extended this at Christmas following a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford.
Instead some councils including Nottinghamshire are planning to use their own budgets to fund meals for eligible children during school holidays.
Detectives are seeking the public’s help after two men were found with stab wounds after reports of a fight in Gedling.
Officers were called to Main Road after it was reported men were fighting with weapons outside the Gedling Inn pub at around 10pm on Friday (October 22, 2021).
A man received first aid inside the pub, aided by members of the public, before being taken to hospital. His injuries are not currently believed to be life-threatening.
Another man was also taken to hospital for treatment. His injuries are also not currently believed to be life-threatening.
Detectives are working hard to understand the circumstances of the incident and are appealing for anyone who saw what happened or who may have captured CCTV, dash-cam or mobile phone footage to please get in touch.
A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray in connection with the incident and has since been released on bail while detectives continue with their enquiries.
Detective Inspector Mike Ebbins, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are treating this incident extremely seriously and reassurance patrols have been stepped up in the area while we continue to progress with our lines of enquiry which include checking CCTV footage.
“Whenever weapons and violence are used in incidents there is always the potential for serious consequences which is why the force treats all reports of fighting with weapons with the utmost seriousness.
“To help us with our investigation we are now appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time who may have witnessed this incident to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”
Anyone with any information should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 780 of 22 October 2021, or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
