Police have arrested a man in Arnold after a taxi driver was allegedly threatened with a knife when a passenger refused to pay.
Officers were called to Cross Street in Arnold shortly after 12.30am this morning (June 19) following reports of a disturbance.
Police officers were told a passenger had pulled out a knife after refusing to pay a taxi fare up front.
A scuffle ensued but no-one was hurt.
A 22-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of a bladed article.
Superintendent Mike Allen, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “If you carry a knife in a public place without a lawful excuse you are breaking the law and anyone doing so will inevitably find themselves in police custody.
“The taxi driver was in a state of shock when officers arrived and I am pleased that an arrest was swiftly made.
“The 22-year-old man is now being questioned in connection with the incident but I would ask that anyone who witnessed what happened to get in touch with us as soon as possible.
“I’d also like to reassure local residents that the force takes all reports of knife-related offences extremely seriously and to the taxi drivers working in our communities, the force will deal robustly within anyone who puts your safety in jeopardy.
“We understand that incidents like this can be concerning for communities and if you have any concerns please do not hesitate to speak to one of our local officers in the area.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call 101 quoting incident number 39 of 19 June.
A GP surgery in Arnold has put in place a number of measures to help improve services following complaints from patients.
Those using Highcroft Surgery on High Street had voiced concerns to local councillor Henry Wheeler and also Gedling MP Tom Randall about lack of appointments and the telephone system.
Cllr Wheeler represents the borough on Nottinghamshire County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board. He last month raised concerns from patients with Joe Lunn, who is the Associate Director of Primary Care NHS Nottinghamshire and Nottingham CCG.
Now GPs running the surgery have met with Councillor Wheeler and also local MP Tom Randall to outline measures being put in place to boost services.
They say they have carried out a review of the prescription management process and have now employed additional staff to handle prescriptions.
They plan to introduce a new phone system in the next few weeks that will help prevent calls from dropping out of the queue
They are now offering both face-to-face and telephone appointments
Highcroft Surgery is now offering a 24/7 online service allowing patients to contact their GP for help and advice. Patients can access eConsult here: https://highcroftsurgery.webgp.com/
Mr Randall said he was pleased measures are now in place to improve services for patients.
He said: “We are pleased Highcroft Surgery has been taking steps to address patient concerns.
“We will continue to monitor feedback at the surgery closely and will be joining the Patient Participation Group as observerers to better understand the patient experience.
“Gedling Borough Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board representative Cllr Henry Wheeler and I will both be meeting regularly with the Highcroft’s Practice Manager going forward.
When raising issues last month, Councillor Wheeler called for a rescue plan to boost services being offered by GPs in the borough.
Mr Wheeler said: “In order to sort patient care issues out locally, we need an NHS rescue plan that sees patient care prioritised locally in the recovery from the Covid Pandemic, so people don’t have to wait weeks and in some cases months before getting an appointment”.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) has confirmed it is slashing its regional services from today (June 19).
The firm run rail services from Burton Joyce, Carlton, Netherfield and Newstead stations.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) said on their website that their new timetable, introduced last month, was “not performing as well as we, or our customers, expect”.
It said this had led to “short notice cancellations and difficult journeys” and new changes meant it could “fix underlying issues”.
EMR said in a statement on their website: “Everyone at EMR is immensely disappointed but we have introduced a dedicated team to fix these issues and reinstate these services as swiftly as possible. We are working to understand the detailed reasons behind those areas which are not working well.”
EMR will now run a reduced timetable from today (June 19) until further notice.
They the reduced timetable will allow them ‘to protect key services’ and routes such as those to Skegness – as well as ensuring they have sufficient capacity across the network.
They added: “We will still run 85% of our normal timetable, which equates to over 460-trains per day. This reduction will help to reduce short notice cancellations and short forming which we know are immensely frustrating for our customers.”
Changes include 12 fewer weekday services on the Liverpool to Nottingham line and 13 fewer on the Newark to Derby route.
Services affected…
Newark Castle – Derby/Crewe
Weekdays 05.53 Nottingham to Crewe 07.36 Newark Castle to Crewe 10.43 Newark Castle to Crewe 12.43 Newark Castle to Crewe 15.37 Newark Castle to Crewe 17.36 Newark Castle to Crewe
06.50 Nottingham to Newark Castle 08.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 10.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 13.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 15.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 18.09 Crewe to Nottingham 20.09 Crewe to Nottingham
Weekends 06.43 Derby to Crewe 07.36 Newark Castle to Crewe 10.43 Newark Castle to Crewe 12.43 Newark Castle to Crewe 15.37 Newark Castle to Crewe 17.36 Newark Castle to Crewe
06.50 Nottingham to Newark Castle 08.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 10.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 13.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 15.08 Crewe to Newark Castle 18.08 Crewe to Nottingham 20.08 Crewe to Nottingham
Leicester – Nottingham/Lincoln/Grimsby
Weekdays 04.58 Lincoln to Cleethorpes 05.01 Nottingham to Sleaford 06.50 Nottingham to Newark Castle 08.42 Leicester to Lincoln 14.38 Leicester to Lincoln 18.43 Leicester to Lincoln
05.00 Cleethorpes to Lincoln 07.27 Nottingham to Leicester 12.37 Lincoln to Leicester 16.34 Lincoln to Leicester 21.31 Lincoln to Nottingham
Saturdays 05.33 Nottingham to Leicester 06.59 Loughborough to Leicester 12.35 Lincoln to Leicester 16.36 Lincoln to Leicester
06.33 Leicester to Loughborough 06.50 Nottingham to Newark Castle 07.36 Leicester to Lincoln 14.42 Leicester to Lincoln 18.42 Leicester to Lincoln
Liverpool Nottingham/Norwich
Weekdays 06.42 Sheffield to Nottingham 07.41 Nottingham to Norwich 06.47 Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich 10.51 Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich 16.51 Liverpool Lime Street to Nottingham 18.51 Liverpool Lime Street to Nottingham 21.41 Manchester Piccadilly to Nottingham
07.47 Nottingham to Liverpool Lime Street 10.57 Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street 12.57 Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street 16.56 Norwich to Manchester Piccadilly 18.56 Norwich to Sheffield
Residents in Gedling borough are being warned to ignore door-to-door callers, with summer being a heightened time for harassment.
Nottinghamshire Trading Standards has issued the warning as an increased number of cold callers prepare to hit the streets and approach communities to sell services or products.
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Trading Standards said: “Do not buy from the door to an unannounced cold caller. Say no and shut the door. If they are genuine, they will allow you the time to make an informed decision and will never force you into a contract with them.
“We advise you to explore your options if you do wish to have work doing, ask a friend or relative if they know someone, always get a least three quotes and remember in most circumstances you have 14 days in order to change your mind and cancel. No trader should start work before that time unless you have asked them to do so in writing.
“Stay vigilant and make sure to check on your neighbours and relatives who may be isolated during these times.”
Useful contact information –
If you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it to Action Fraud via their website Actionfraud.police.uk, or by calling them on 0300 123 2040.
You can also report a trader to Trading Standards or obtain consumer advice by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 11 33.
Are you concerned about a neighbour, friend or relative on answering their doors to cold callers? The Nominated Neighbour Scheme could help with this concern. Call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 11 33 to find out more.
Police have arrested a 34-year-old man after residents reported screaming and shouting to Nottinghamshire Police.
Officers attended the incident in The Wells Road at around 11.30pm on Sunday (June 13) and the force’s public protection team launched an investigation.
A man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of engaging in coerceive and controlling behaviour.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Jackson said: “It can be extremely concerning for members of the public to hear cries of distress and we will always take these reports seriously.
“We’ve been carrying out thorough enquiries and the investigation has now led to a man being arrested.
“We won’t tolerate abuse and violence in Nottinghamshire.”
The number of stalking incidents reported last year in Nottinghamshire was ten times the figure recorded in 2015, data has shown.
There were 649 stalking incidents recorded last year from April to December.
In 2015 there were 64 reported stalking incidents across the county.
This is according to data from a BBC Local News Partnerships Scheme investigation.
More than half of all other police forces sawstalking incidents double over the same period, with two seeing an increase of more than 500 per cent.
In comparison incidents in Nottinghamshire grew by two per cent from 2019-20.
In England and Wales 59,950 incidents were recorded, which was almost double the annual number for the year endingMarch 2020.
Lisa King, communications director at domestic violence charity Refuge, said: “When we’ve been locked in the use of technology to stalk and frighten and harass – particularly young women – has seen a huge increase in numbers.
649 incidents were reported last year from April to December
“We’ve seen people having track trackers on their phones, where their information is mirrored onto another person’s device. We see spyware being downloaded, trackers in cars, but also kind of a monitoring of social media profiles.
“And not just to the victim themselves, but beyond to friends and family members whose details have been followed and tracked, and as a result kind of tracking the victim down and harassment to those parties also.”
The figures also showed that Nottinghamshire Police’s charge rates for stalking were the sixth best in England and Wales.
The national charge rate for stalking offences is at its lowest point for five years, falling from 23 per cent in 2015/16 to just six per cent.
In comparison Nottinghamshire Police had a charge rate of ten per cent.
At the start of last year Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) became available to police forces in England and Wales.
These are designed to allow police to act early and can restrict stalkers from entering certain locations or contacting victims.
They also allow bans on referencing victims on social media, recording images of them, making applications to civil court referencing them, and using the internet.
But there are concerns that these new powers are not being used enough, as only 294 orders have been granted so far.
Suky Bhaker, CEO of stalking charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said:
“If we look at the figures from the crime survey of England and Wales, we know that approximately 1.5 million people will experience stalking in any given year.
“So in proportion, that figure is incredibly low in comparison to the number of individuals we know who would potentially require that protection.”
In Nottinghamshire all the 13 SPOs asked for were granted.
Four police forces have not applied for a single SPO since January 2020.
She added: It’s absolutely imperative that when those orders are breached, the full force of law is used and offenders are prosecuted otherwise it sends a message that perpetrators can act with impunity, that there’s not going to be repercussions for those actions.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Stalking Protection Orders stop perpetrators in their tracks and prevent them contacting victims. We expect police forces to make full use of them.
“The Home Office and College of Policing have worked closely with forces to produce guidance on issuing them.
“Next week, Home Office officials will meet with the police and other stakeholders who work to tackle stalking to set out our findings on how effectively police forces have been using SPOs and discuss how to improve this.”
Decisions on a number of construction projects are expected next week when Gedling Borough Council‘s planning committee meet.
A new-build residential care home in Woodthorpe for 40 residents with associated gardens and parking is one of the schemes hoping for the green light.
This application relates to the site of an extended former 2/3 storey care home with a number of outbuildings and garden areas and a habitat area which has been vacant for some time.
Full planning permission is sought for the erection of a new care home on the site.
Planning permission is wanted to change the layout of the car park at Carlton Square Shopping Centre.
The council will meet at the Civic Centre in Arnold next week
Those seeking planning permission want to alter the northern car park and access to the site. On the Burton Road frontage alterations are proposed to the access in that a separate access is proposed for the delivery vehicles and one for the customers.
A sports club is seeking permission to make alterations to their sports ground in Arnold.
They are proposing to extend the existing clubhouse at the Ron Rossin Ground on Burntstump Hill. The extension would provide improved changing room facilities, function room, 1st floor terrace, visitor toilets, entrance and fire escape.
The committee will also be asked if they approve enforcement action being taken to demolish a bungalow and fence that was erected in Papplewick without the necessary planning permission.
A man from Arnold who amassed a collection of more than 400,000 child sexual abuse images has been jailed.
Scot Fox, 46, was arrested when police uncovered evidence linking him to the online purchase of indecent material.
An investigation was started and Fox was arrested at this home address in September last year.
Officers seized a number of electronic devices and later uncovered a total of 402,017 photographs and videos – mainly stored on a single computer.
More than 7,500 of those images were rated as category A, depicting the most serious acts of sexual abuse that can be committed against children.
Fox, of Catlow Walk, immediately admitted his offending to officers and said he’d been collecting the images for around 20 years.
He later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. The charges relate to the act of saving and storing the material.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday he was jailed for two years. In addition he was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years, and also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will tightly restrict his on-line activity when he is released from jail.
Detective Constable Tom Nuttall, of Nottinghamshire Police’s paedophile online investigation team, said: “This was one of the largest collections of child sexual abuse images we have seen for a long time.
“In total our digital forensic investigators had to review and categorise more than half a million images in this case so I would like to thank all those involved for their hard work and professionalism. I would also like to thank my colleagues in our financial investigation unit who originally alerted us to Fox’s suspicious online behaviour.
“People who download and view this kind of material may not believe they are doing any harm, but in reality they are helping to fuel a depraved cycle of abuse that causes immense physical and emotional harm to children all over the world.
“That’s why we dedicate so many resources to finding and punishing the people who are consuming this material in our communities.”
Gedling MP Tom Randall has spent time with Openreach engineers in Arnold to witness first-hand the engineering techniques being used to deliver the next generation of broadband across his constituency.
He was given a socially-distanced tour of the work, which has already reached more than 20,000 homes and businesses across Gedling borough.
Meeting with the MP and a local broadband champion, the Openreach team were also able to explain how the build in city areas is happening alongside rural work.
Gedling MP Tom Randall said: “I enjoyed meeting Openreach engineers in Arnold to learn more about the challenges they face installing ultrafast broadband after being contacted by a constituent who was experiencing broadband connection issues.
“The extension of full fibre broadband to large parts of Gedling borough, Nottingham and the wider county is very positive news. I am determined to do what I can to ensure as many residents as possible have access to fast, reliable broadband, no matter where they live.”
The visit was hosted by Kasam Hussain, regional partnership director for Openreach in the Midlands, who said: “We welcomed the opportunity to give Tom a step-by-step demonstration of our technology. Our engineers work hard every day to keep communities across Nottinghamshire and the wider region connected, and it was great to be able to share the challenges and realities of delivering this technology.”
Openreach offers download speeds of 1 Gbps – which is up to 10 times faster than the average home broadband connection.
The company’s updated build plan will be fundamental to the UK Government achieving its target of delivering ‘gigabit capable broadband’ to 85 per cent of UK by 2025.
