Police have arrested a burglar who broke into a sports shop in Arnold and stole footwear and sports clothing.
Owners of the store in Arnold Business Centre informed Nottinghamshire Police that they had been notified of a break-in through their security system.
Numerous Police units travelled to the location, including dog officers, shortly after receiving the report at around 2.50pm on 6 April 2021.
A van was located at the scene and the occupant, Liam Butler, initially told officers to: “Get back!” before surrendering himself.
The 38-year-old, of Codrington Gardens, Bestwood was arrested and charged with burglary.
He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2021 and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment suspended for two years at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday May 12, 2021.
Detective constable Chris Black said it was ‘absolutely despicable’ to target a local business in this way
He said: “it’s beyond belief that Butler thought he could get away with it when he’d been captured on CCTV and other devices.
“We’re glad that all of the stolen items were recovered and swiftly returned to the owners so they didn’t suffer any financial loss.
“This case highlights the importance of having a good security system in place which enabled us to act quickly, arrest the offender at the scene and gain all the evidence required to bring Butler before the courts.”
A popular cafe in Gedling Country Park has pulled out all the stops to create an impressive outdoor seating area.
A new, covered outdoor seating area is now open for customers at Café 1899, which has only been operating a take away service via the hatch since last year, due to restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The take away service will be continuing, but visitors can also eat and drink on the new decking outside the café.
Tables will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and will be allocated by the café team. Customers should visit the hatch to request a table and will be shown to their allocated table by a member of staff. Food and drink orders will be taken at the hatch and then diners will be called to collect their order when it is ready.
Safety measures in place at the café include a one way system and regular cleaning of tables and chairs, which have been positioned to enable social distancing and help ensure the safety of all customers and staff.
Both the café hatch and the country park have been very popular with visitors during the pandemic. The park has provided a safe place for people to exercise outdoors and when restrictions allowed, to meet up with others. Visitors have been able to enjoy the park and its views, especially from the two recently opened viewing platforms which offer views as far as Lincoln Cathedral, Newark and Belvoir Castle.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “We are really pleased that once again people can visit this wonderful park and enjoy meeting friends and family over food and drink at the fabulous café.
The new decking area is wonderful and anyone will be able to enjoy delicious breakfasts, lunches or just a coffee and cake from here, come rain or shine, while enjoying some of the most beautiful views in the area.”
The café is open from 9am – 4pm on weekdays and 9am – 4.30pm at weekends. Toilets are open during these hours and the car parks are open from 8am until 9pm. For more information about the park and the café, visit www.gedling.gov.uk/gedlingcountrypark or call the cafe team on 0115 926 1388.
After facing the elements outside for weeks, Gedling borough residents took advantage to go inside local pubs and cafes on Monday for the first time in months.
As part of the latest lockdown easing venues were able to reopen inside from yesterday (May 17), and many customers did not wait around making sure they were among the first to take advantage.
Becki Windsor was among those to enjoy a lunchtime drink in the Ernehale pub in Arnold with her friends, and said she had been waiting for this day for a while.
I’ve really enjoyed being able to be inside a pub again,” she said.
“It has been a nice day and we could have sat outside, but we wanted to go inside.
“I’ll feel better when I’ve had the vaccine so that I can feel a lot more comfortable doing stuff like this.”
Bill Shenton, who was enjoying a pint at The Willowbrook, said: “It is nice to be back.
“I have no reservations about coming in. Life needs to go on, we need to get back to normal.”
Punters packed into It’s Inn The Bank in Netherfield, who opened their doors for the first time in nearly seven months.
PICTURED: The Brown Bird Bakery in Arnold (PHOTO: Rob McCleary)PICTURED: Staff at It’s Inn The Bank in Netherfield
The Brown Bird Bakery in Arnold opened their doors for the first time and proved really popular with locals looking for somewhere new to eat.
Zeke Martin was one of the punters who visited The Free Man in Carlton and said: “It has been really busy, it is great to be able to sit down inside for the first time in five months. A lot of people in.
“It is great to see my friends again, and there have been a lot of new people.
“People are over moon to be able to sit in again.”
From today, people in Gedling borough can again drink inside a pub, eat a meal in a restaurant and meet up in larger groups both indoors and outdoors.
Venues such as Bonington Cinema in Arnold and the Haunted Museum in Mapperley can now open their doors, while a ban on holidays has been lifted.
Secondary school pupils in borough schools will no longer be told to wear face masks in class and communal areas.
The “stay in the UK” restriction has been lifted and people will be able to travel to “green list” countries without having to quarantine, provided they take one post-arrival test.
We’ve put together a guide on everything you need to know about the rule changes in places from today.
Social gatherings of up to 30 permitted
The rules around social gatherings are changing again – just in time for summer.
Outside, social gatherings of up to 30 people are now allowed – but gatherings of more than 30 people is still be banned.
Indoors, people can now meet socially in a group of six, or with one other household.
Overnight stays at other people’s homes are now allowed – in groups of up to six people or two households.
Support groups or parent and child groups are allowed to take place with 30 people – and this limit does not include children under five.
You can now hugging loved ones – if you choose to
From today, it’s up to you whether or not you socially distance from close friends and family from different households.
People should exercise their own personal judgement when it comes to things like hugging and holding hands with others, and are being encouraged to remember that some people are more vulnerable to severe illness from Covid-19 than others.
The government has said that wider social distancing rules will remain in place in adult social care, medical, retail, hospitality and business settings.
Return of international holidays
A ban on international leisure travel for people in Gedling borough has now been lifted.
Countries have been categorised as green, amber or red, depending on their level of risk.
The new traffic-light system determines the level of restrictions on testing and quarantine on return to the UK.
People returning to England from a green list country will not have to quarantine when they get home, provided they get a negative test result.
Restaurants and pubs to serve inside and other venues back open
From today indoor hospitality, entertainment and accommodation returns.
Pubs, bars and restaurants are allowed to serve indoors as well as outdoors, while entertainment venues, such as museums, cinemas and children’s play areas, are allowed to reopen their doors to customers.
Return of theatre, sports and conferences – but with a limit on crowd numbers
Large events, including conferences, theatre and concert performances and sports events, will be permitted from today – but with limits on capacity.
Controlled indoor events of up to 1,000 people or 50 per cent of a venue’s capacity, whichever is lower, will be permitted, as will outdoor events with a capacity of either 50 per cent or 4,000 people, whichever is lower.
The government will also make a special provision for large, outdoor, seated venues where crowds can be safely distributed, allowing up to 10,000 people or 25 per cent of total seated capacity, whichever is lower.
PICTURED: The Bonington in Arnold (IMAGE: Gedling Eye)
Care home residents allowed more visitors
Care home rules are changing to allow residents to have more visitors as lockdown rules are eased.
The government has announced that people living in care homes in England are now allowed additional named visitors.
Up to five named visitors will be allowed – up from the current limit of two.
Under the new rules, two of those five visitors are allowed to attend at the same time, provided they take a lateral flow test beforehand, wear PPE provided by the home, and follow infection control measures.
The government has also said that residents will be given greater freedoms to leave their homes.
Residents can now go to medical appointments, a workplace, educational setting and day centres without having to self-isolate on their return.
Changes to weddings, funerals and other life events
Weddings, receptions and other commemorative events including wakes can go ahead with up to 30 attendees.
A cap on the number of people attending funerals has also be lifted.
Capacity limits for funerals will apply depending on how many people can be safely accommodated at the venue.
A broader range of stand-alone life events will also be permitted at this step, including bar mitzvahs and christenings.
No more face coverings in schools and universities return to face-to-face teaching
In secondary schools and colleges, pupils will no longer be recommended to wear face coverings in classrooms or in communal areas.
All remaining university students will be eligible to return to in-person teaching and learning from today.
Regular twice-weekly coronavirus testing in all education setting will remain in place.
Police have made an arrest after receiving reports that a man was in possession of a knife outside Asda in Arnold town centre.
Police were called after men were seen acting suspiciously outside of the Asda in Front Street, Arnold at around 7pm last night (Friday 14).
When officers attended, a man was reported to have attempted to run from officers.
Police gave chase and quickly detained a 24-year-old man in connection with the incident.
He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article after officers recovered a knife at the scene.
Inspector Nick Butler has praised officers for their quick work.
Insp Butler said: “Officers did a great job to arrive at the scene and quickly arrest a suspect following a brief foot chase.
“Recovering a knife is also very positive as it means one less dangerous weapon on the streets.
“We take knife crime very seriously and will always investigate incidents thoroughly with a view to taking appropriate action against offenders.
“I’d like to reassure residents in the area that these incidents are rare but when they do happen, police are quick to respond and will always look to take action against those who are responsible.
“Officers are now working to establish the circumstances of this incident and I would ask anyone who has any information on what happened to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that could aid police in their investigation should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 868 of 14 May 2021.
Arnold historian Bob Massey is renowned for his local talks on history from around the borough but due to the pandemic had been forced to cancel these popular events.
But Mr Massey still had stories to share so instead of recounting these tales face-to-face, he recorded a series of videos chronicling the borough’s history to help keep people entertained during the recent lockdowns.
In this video Bob shares the story of Mapperley’s tiger, which gripped the local community back in 1827.
A travelling zoo, known as Wombwell’s Menagerie, renowned for touring with wild and strange animals, was making its way through Mapperley as part of the journey to Worksop, where they had a show booked.
But only a dirt track existed taking travellers through Mapperley.
The track was in a poor state – full of potholes, tree stumps and rocks. The zoo cages struggled across the rough terrain, forcing one cage door open allowing the caged beast within to escape.
What happens next? You’ll have to watch to find out…
Gedling borough is to get a share of a £203 million pot to help get rough sleepers off the streets.
The borough council is being handed £25k from the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative fund which they can use to help get rough sleepers into safe accommodation.
The cash will also be used to support vital projects such as shelters, specialist mental health and addiction services in the borough.
This funding is one part of an unprecedented £750 million investment this year to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping – part of a government’s drive to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.
The Government said the number of people sleeping rough across England had fallen for the third year in a row, and by 37% in the last year alone.
FUNDING: Extra cash is to be given to help tackle homeless problem across the borough
Housing secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: “At the beginning of the pandemic we took swift and decisive action to bring rough sleepers in from the streets and settled them into longer-term accommodation in record numbers. That work continues, the results are clear and are a huge credit to all involved.
“We are making the biggest ever investment under the Rough Sleeping Initiative to provide vital services to those who need it most, as part of our drive to end rough sleeping for good.
Minister for rough sleeping, Eddie Hughes MP said: “Across the country, there are staff and volunteers working tirelessly to make a real difference to the lives of rough sleepers.
“From providing bed spaces and night shelters, to funding dedicated support staff and medical treatment, today’s funding will mean that crucial work to help people off the streets can continue.
“This is part of an unprecedented £750 million of government investment this year to help us reach our goal of ending rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.”
A pub landlord in Netherfield has managed to overturn a ‘ridiculous’ £160 parking charge after battling a car park firm.
David Murphy, landlord of It’s Inn The Bank, on Victoria Road, received a letter on January 28 notifying him of an initial £100 fine.
Excel Parking services had claimed this was because he had stayed at the East Point Retail Park in Nottingham for eight hours which was more than the allotted time.
As a caterer Murphy goes to Aldi at the retail park up to four times a day, with him claiming that the car park’s APNR system had missed him leaving in-between multiple visits.
Excel Parking denied his appeal a week later stating the time limits were visible on signs, but Murphy argued that he was not there for the time they claimed.
He was then sent a letter that said any further wait or appeal would raise the fine to £160 and warned that he may be taken to County court.
He said: “I wrote them a letter saying I would definitely go to court with them, and I would want a day’s pay for going to court.
“My wife wanted to pay this bill but I wasn’t prepared to. I wanted my day in court.
“It was ludicrous, they stated that I went in at eight in the morning and then sat in their car park all day.”
Murphy said that previously he had willingly paid various parking fines picked up while catering but refused to pay for something he believed was down to a flaw in the system.
“If somebody who isn’t working or can’t work appeals and gets one of the bullying and aggressive letters it could tip people over the edge.
A later letter from Excel Parking had dismissed discussing the issue further and told Mr Murphy he was in the debt recovery phase.
This has left him unable to provide evidence such as receipts from his trips to Aldi and with worries about this debt.
Mr Murphy said: “The last thing I wanted was bailiffs turning up to my house, but I wasn’t going to pay a fine for something I hadn’t done.
“It’s obviously a flaw in the system and it’s like I was sending letters to robots there’s no customer service, I don’t believe they even checked the system.”
The demands of Excel Parking according to Murphy were especially frustrating at the time because of the crippling affect that lockdown had had on his livelihood.
“The first lockdown was the most stressful period of my life.
“When your business has been closed for most of a year, we’re watching every penny we have.
“We also run a catering company and we had 120 jobs cancelled within three months.”
The pub landlord was irritated that this trouble had come at a time where his business was preparing to reopen.
He said: “This has taken up four or five days of my time so far not sleeping properly, thinking that I could be opening the pub and trying to recover and there might a bailiff coming to my door.
“It’s been a really terrible time; we couldn’t open because we’ve only got two benches outside and now there’s the trepidation of opening again.
“And on top of that I had a robot sending me letters about car parking for something I haven’t done.”
Excel Parking Services has a registered office is in Sheffield.
When Gedling Eye got in contact this week about Mr Murphy’s plight, the firm kindly agreed to waive the charge and also make a donation to charity.
A representative for Excel Parking Services Ltd said: “After a thorough review of Mr Murphy’s parking charge we have found that there was an administrative oversight when dealing with his appeal as we should have cancelled the parking charge at that time.
“When we first responded to Mr Murphy’s appeal, he was given the option to have his case reviewed by the Independent Appeals Service (the IAS) although he did not seek this option.
“As well as conveying our sincere apologies to Mr Murphy we will also donate the value of the parking charge (£100) to a charity of his choice, as gesture of goodwill. We will also be contacting Mr Murphy to confirm.”
People in Gedling borough are being warned about a new PayPal scam doing the rounds.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has received evidence of texts claiming to be from the online payment platform PayPal.
The texts mimic official messages informing the recipient that someone has logged into their account. It then asks the recipient to tap a link to a bogus website to report if this was not them. The website requests the account’s login details supposedly for verification and “(to) secure your PayPal account”, but the page sends the information to scammers, who may gain access to the PayPal account.
PICTURED: A screen capture showing the scam text doing the rounds
The CTSI say the popular payment platform, which has over 377 million users globally, is being targeted at a time when eCommerce and online payments have grown significantly due in part to COVID-19 measures.
CTSI lead officer, Katherine Hart, said: “Many millions of people now use PayPal as a payment method and the surge in online shopping due to COVID-19 restrictions make this scam particularly dangerous in its potential impact
“The public should verify with PayPal directly before engaging with any message, and they should forward scam texts to 7726, a free reporting service run by Ofcom. The public should reports scams such as this so that authorities can get a complete picture of the scale of this problem.
“So many people are bombarded by scam messages at this time, and we must inform our friends, family and social groups about this to mitigate the impact of these scams.”
A 63-year-old man asked an Arnold salon to cut around 12 inches of his hair off to benefit a charity that makes wigs for children living with cancer.
Brave Bob Dunlop (63) has been growing his hair for four years so he could donate to the Little Princes charity after losing his sister, Fiona, to cancer when she was aged just 50.
The charity provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment and other conditions.
Bob chose KH Hair on High Street to carry out the chop.
“I felt a bit nervous when I arrived at the salon,” he said.
“But salon director, Dawn, and the team were so welcoming and friendly, I really had a lovely time. I certainly looked very different when I walked back out of the door!”
A CUT ABOVE: Salon director Dawn Bramhill with Bob Dunlop
As well as providing real hair wigs, The Little Princess Trust supports the development of less aggressive and less toxic cancer treatments through fundraising. Bob’s friends and family have, so far, donated over £1,000 for the charity in support of his hair cut.
“When I told people I was growing my hair just so I could donate it, I don’t think they believed me,” he said.
“They just thought I was an old hippy! Now, I’ve had some really positive comments and people have said I look much younger, which is a compliment I’m happy to take.
KH Hair salon director, Dawn Bramhall, who carried out the cut free of charge, said she was very happy to help.
“It’s such a worthy cause,” she said.
“And Bob has done a wonderful thing, both for the charity and in memory of his much-loved sister. Well done Bob!”
“I really want to raise as much money as I can for these lovely little kids.” Bob added.
“And I know Fiona (Figgy) will be looking down and having a real good laugh at my before and after photos!”
