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‘Erratic’ driver sentenced after police stop car in Arnold and find drugs

Gedling Eye Reporter
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‘Erratic’ driver sentenced after police stop car in Arnold and find drugs

Police officers discovered a man had been dealing drugs after stopping a car being driven erratically.

Officers became suspicious when they smelt cannabis after pulling over 31-year-old Joseph Williams in Bagnall Avenue, Arnold, in July 2018.

They found cannabis under the passenger seat along with cash, scales plastic bags and other drugs paraphernalia.

The officers had been patrolling the area as part of Operation Reacher which was set up to target drug offences in Bestwood and is currently being rolled out to all neighbourhoods across the county.

He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court

Williams, of Caunton Avenue in Mapperley Park, was charged with possession of cannabis, supply of cannabis and possession of criminal property.

He previously pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, June 5 and was sentenced to a 12 month community order and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Police Inspector Marcus Oldroyd who runs Operation Reacher said: “Clearly drivers who are seen behaving unusually will be stopped by us as we carry out our regular patrols and we will investigate anything that appears to be amiss as well as carry out all the regular vehicle checks.

“We’re glad we were able to prove that Williams had committed these drug offences as they will not be tolerated in Nottinghamshire.”

‘Relentless’ burglar jailed after spree of house break-ins around borough

Gedling Eye Reporter
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‘Relentless’ burglar jailed after spree of house break-ins around borough

A prolific thief who committed an aggravated burglary in Woodthorpe, burgled a house in Mapperley and tried to break into a house in Carlton has been locked up for eight years and three months.

Christian Lawson appeared at Nottingham Crown Court today (Friday 12 June) where he pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary, attempted burglary and two counts of handling stolen goods.

The 42-year-old, of Portland Road in Carlton, was discovered by a couple upstairs in their home in Woodthorpe on April 12, he threatened them with a knife and got away with £5.

He was arrested following a thorough investigation and further identified as the burglar who had got into a house in Elmhurst Avenue in Mapperley on 10 April and took two PS4s without the occupants knowledge.

PICTURED: Christian Lawson (IMAGE: Notts Police)

He was also found to be responsible for an attempted burglary in Glebe Road in Carlton after he was seen trying to get in, and damage to the rear door was discovered.

Officers found other items at Lawson’s address which have now been identified as stolen.

Lawson was sentenced to six years for aggravated burglary plus two years, three months for burglary. He received two years for the attempted burglary to run concurrently alongside nine months for handling stolen goods.

Detective Sergeant Andy Hall said: we were able to link these cases together having received multiple reports of burglary offences as a result of the forensics and evidence gained and this led to Lawson’s arrest and charge of multiple offences.

“He was relentless in his offending and so we are glad we have put a stop to it by ensuring he serves a lengthy sentence behind bars.

“It is completely unacceptable to invade someone’s home and take their personal belongings and can cause so much emotional stress and trauma to the victims. We hope they can now begin to recover from this ordeal.

Plucky pensioner, 65, is walking for 72 hours non-stop around Bestwood Village square to raise money for NHS and blind dog charity

David Bratton
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Plucky pensioner, 65, is walking for 72 hours non-stop around Bestwood Village square to raise money for NHS and blind dog charity

A plucky pensioner has vowed to walk around a village square for 72 hours non-stop to raise money for the NHS.

Ian West, who lives in Bestwood Village, began the epic challenge on Friday (June 12) at 10am and will continue walking around the square until 10am on Monday morning.

The 65-year-old said the only rest he’ll be having is during five-minute breaks he plans to take every four hours.

Mr West has taken up the challenge to help raise funds for the NHS and also Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Since starting he started his epic walk, residents in Bestwood Village have been lining the streets to cheer him on. They’ve also been bringing him drinks and sharing words of encouragement to spur him on.

Ian said he was very grateful for all their support.

He said: “The community spirit has been unbelievable. It’s been a wonderful experience. People have been out bringing me drinks, like coffee, and that’s wonderful.

“It’s unbelievable what people do and to come together as a village like this is wonderful”

He was videoed by resident Des Gibbons a few hours after starting the challenge and said he ‘was in good spirits’.

This isn’t the first challenge Mr West has completed to raise funds for charity.

Last year he raised enough cash to fund training for a guide dog puppy.

He said: “Last year, I finished a solo walk around the coast of the UK in aid of Guide Dogs.  I raised enough money to support a guide dog puppy in training, which I named Banjo.

“I know the difference that Banjo will make to someone in the future and wanted to ensure that the charity can continue to support people living with sight loss, to live the life that they choose.”

Ian’s brother, Simon, said the charity champion ‘has a heart of gold’.

He told Gedling Eye: “I don’t know how the hell we are related; I haven’t got stamina like him to do something like this and I’m 12 years younger.

“He’s has mad as a bottle of chips but he’s got an heart of gold will do anything for anybody.

“He spent 31 years in the Royal Navy, He’s cooked for admirals and his crowning glory is that he cooked for the Queen Mother.

“He’s an amazing person”

You can support Ian West’s challenge by visiting his JustGiving page for the charities he is supporting.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bestwoodguidedogs

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bestwoodnhswalk

Video: Aerial drone footage shows Gedling Access Road progress

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Video: Aerial drone footage shows Gedling Access Road progress

Drone footage filmed from above shows how the Gedling Access Road is taking shape

The video, created by Nottinghamshire County Council, starts at Burton Road, where works are now underway to construct a new traffic signalled junction with the A612.

Construction on the new 3.8km single carriageway road, which will provide a link between the B684 Mapperley Plains and the A612 Trent Valley Road, began in January 2020.

The video shows the progress made on the project in April and May.

A number of road closures will be in place while construction work is taking place on the £40m project.

Burton Road was closed to traffic several weeks ago and Lambley Lane in Gedling is now also out of bounds to motorists.

A daytime closure on Lambley Lane is now in place until February 2021. Earthworks are underway on site close to Lambley Lane, meaning the road must now be closed to allow for contractors to move the earth between different areas of the construction site.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire County Council said: “The closure will be in place between 7am and 6pm on weekdays and every effort has been made to ensure that residents and businesses are able to access their properties during these times. Businesses along Lambley Lane will remain open to customers, and if you are travelling in the area, a diversion via Mapperley Top is in place.”

New map reveals number of deaths due to Covid-19 across Gedling borough

Gedling Eye Reporter
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New map reveals number of deaths due to Covid-19 across Gedling borough

The number of deaths in the neighbourhoods within Gedling borough are revealed in a new map.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has updated its map showing mortality rates at postcode level and shows where some of the worst hit areas have been for the months of March, April and May.

The figures exclude the deaths of non-residents in the area and are included when COVID-19 was the underlying cause or was mentioned on the death certificate as a contributory factor.

ONS figures see some delays while information is filtered through to them.

People can enter their postcode to find figures for their area.

The data reveals area by area deaths in the period March to May where coronavirus was mentioned on a death certificate as a cause.

The map shows 114 deaths in Gedling borough.

One of the postcodes with the highest numbers is the Woodthorpe and Arvo Vale with 20, while Gedling South counted 18.

The breakdown for Gedling borough is:

Arnold Town – 6

Bestwood Village – 10

Burton Joyce & Lambley – 8

Calverton & Woodborough – 6

Carlton – 5

Carlton Hill – 4

Daybrook – 3

Gedling North – 13

Gedling South – 18

Mapperley and Porchester – 3

Netherfield & Colwick – 2

Plains Estate – 7

Ravenshead & Newstead 1

Redhill – 8

Woodthorpe and Arno Vale – 20

Face-covering reminder for borough bus passengers

Gedling Eye
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Face-covering reminder for borough bus passengers

Passengers in Gedling borough are being reminded that all face will be mandatory on all buses from Monday (June 15).

The plan to make masks mandatory was announced by the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP on June 4, to provide additional protection against the spread of coronavirus as passenger numbers start to slowly increase. 

The only exceptions are young children, people with breathing difficulties and people whose disabilities makes it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

Red 44 bus
PICTURED: Red 44 bus

Additional signage will be in place on buses from this weekend to reinforce the wearing of facial coverings and follows on board audio announcements and messages at bus stops throughout this week to raise awareness. 

The wearing of a facial covering remains optional for bus drivers when in their enclosed cab, which provides a physical barrier between customers and drivers. The ventilation holes in the driver screens have been covered for enhanced protection. 

Anthony Caver-Smith, NCT Marketing Manager said, “Travelling by bus is safe when you follow the Safer Travel Guidance and the government’s new mandatory requirement to wear a facial covering on public transport provides additional protection.

“Customers are responsible for sourcing their own facial covering and must wear it at all times on the bus, except if they are included on the list of government exemptions.

“Customers who are exempt should advise the driver upon boarding, either verbally or discreetly with one of our new Journey Assistance Cards”.

Housebuilder donates £1,000 to swimming club in Calverton

Gedling Eye
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Housebuilder donates £1,000 to swimming club in Calverton

Calverton and Bingham Swimming Club has secured a £1,000 donation from housebuilder Persimmon Homes. 

With more than 180 young members, the club will use the funding to help cover membership and sponsorship fees, which have been previously supported by local fundraising events. 

The swimming club, which attracts swimmers from Calverton, Bingham, Cotgrave, Southwell as well as Nottingham, was selected for the donation from Persimmon’s Building Futures scheme, which aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.

Kath Needham, from Calverton and Bingham Swimming Club, said: “We are delighted to have received this generous donation.

“Due to the pandemic many of our usual fundraising activities were cancelled. Persimmon Homes’ financial support will ensure that our members will be able to return to the sport, once the pandemic has eased.”

Building Futures will see £1million given away across Britain to regional charities, groups, sports clubs and schools to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.

In addition to hundreds of local donations of £1,000, 96 initiatives will go on to compete for top prizes of £100,000 through a national online public vote. The overall winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in October.

Neil Follows, managing director of Persimmon Homes Nottingham, said: “Building Futures is all about supporting and helping to develop the younger generation. We are very pleased to support Calverton and Bingham Swimming Club and their possible sporting stars of the future.”

In each of the Building Futures sectors – education & arts, health and sport – as well as a £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.

Colwick coffee shop stop could now have Costa wanted man his freedom

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Colwick coffee shop stop could now have Costa wanted man his freedom

A man wanted by police since the beginning of this year was arrested in Colwick – after stopping off to buy a coffee.

The 32-year-old man, who was wanted in connection with money laundering offences in Nottinghamshire and Kent, was suspected to have left the country.

But he was finally detained in Daleside Road, Colwick, at around 2.20pm on Wednesday (June 10) after stopping to buy a cup of coffee.

The arrest came after he was first spotted getting into a car in Mapperley Top by a keen-eyed officer.

Unbeknown to the occupants the car was being tracked by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras – allowing pursuing officers from Operation Reacher to keep their distance and plan their next move.

Police car siren
Police said they were glad they didn’t have to get involved in a high-speed pursuit

The man was finally surrounded and arrested when he left the vehicle to buy a drink. He has now been remanded in custody.

Operation Reacher, now being expanded across the county, is an ongoing and assertive police initiative to target people involved in organised criminality.

Detective Chief Inspector Rich Bull said: “This was terrific example of policing methods old and new combining to keep the public safe. Police officers have been keeping their eyes open for suspects since the earliest days of policing, but only recently have we been able to track vehicles so effectively on camera.

“The last thing we wanted in this case was a high speed pursuit, and thanks to modern technology we were able to avoid one. The suspect in this case had no idea we were on to him until he stepped out of the car to buy a drink.

“He had nowhere to run and had no option but to give himself up. All in all this was a terrific bit of police work by numerous officers and staff, aided by modern technology. It’s also a timely reminder that keeping our streets safe is a real team effort.”

Sausage rolls surge: Expect queues when ‘one of UK’s busiest’ Greggs in Arnold reopens doors

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Sausage rolls surge: Expect queues when ‘one of UK’s busiest’ Greggs in Arnold reopens doors

Expect queues in Arnold when one of the UK’s busiest Greggs stores opens its doors for the first time since lockdown.

The branch on Front Street is set to reopen on July 1 after two months and now new research has revealed the town’s store is one of the UK’s busiest – so expect big queues!

The new study has looked to pinpoint the areas of the UK which will be the busiest once doors open and given the social distancing measures that will still be in place, people can expect to see queues that stretch far and wide.

Using population data from across the UK and data from the Greggs store checker, the research was able to pinpoint the areas most at risk of a queue, assuming that people will rush for a sausage roll – similar to scenes seen at McDonald’s in recent weeks.

Greggs-vegan-sausage-roll
PICTURED: The new vegan-friendly sausage roll from Greggs (IMAGE: Greggs)

Set to experience one of the biggest surges of people is Greggs store on Front St in Arnold.

The top ten busiest Greggs across the UK can be found below, with the full top 20 here.

Postcode AreaSpecific LocationNumber of GreggsHow many people per restaurant
LE2Oadby – Leicester1119,026
E17Walthamstow – East London1103,129
LE3Westcotes – Leicester1100,913
N1Finsbury Park – North London191,056
NG5Arnold – Nottingham187,555
LE5Scraptoft – Leicester185,435
E14Poplar – East London182,638
ST5Stoke-on-Trent – Stoke-on-Trent182,400
SW16Streatham – South West London180,927
BN3Portslade – Brighton179,513

Nutritional therapist, Claudia le Feuvre explained why we may rush to buy fast food when the lockdown restrictions are lifted:

She said: “Fast foods are often formulated to achieve the ‘bliss point’, something we’ll be familiar with from having eaten this type of food before. This is the optimal blend of salt, sugar and fat which triggers the brain to produce feel-good endorphins and dopamine, a neurotransmitter that will keep us coming back for more, especially when the doors reopen.”

Patrick Tonks, creative director at Great Bean Bags which conducted the research, adds: 

“We believe that balance is key in life, while we of course want people to enjoy comfort at home and to relax on our products with their favourite food, we have also conducted a lot of work and research to highlight where people can make positive lifestyle changes.

“It’s interesting to see the data here where the queues are most expected and hopefully it will encourage people not to rush for fast food, maybe opt for a healthier alternative knowing the wait they’ll have if they give in to temptation!”

Gedling Borough Council offers extra help to council tax payers

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Households who are struggling to pay their council tax can now reach out for financial help from the council.

Gedling Borough Council said it has now written to over 3,800 households who have been identified as families who may be struggling to pay their council tax. The letter contains advice about how to apply for the local Council Tax Hardship Fund, as well as other options available to help them during the coronavirus crisis.

The council is also offering financial support to families who need help with a rent deposit or an advance when moving into a new property. 

All of the schemes are available at the council’s discretion and applicants must provide information to show their financial hardship. 

Civic Centre in Arnold
PICTURED: Civic Centre at Arnot Hill Park

More details about the schemes and how to apply are on the council’s website www.gedling.gov.uk/coronavirus under the ‘support for residents’ section. Alternatively, people can call the council’s Customer Services team on 0115 901 3901 and speak to a member of the team.

Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne said: “We want to make sure that our residents are getting all the help they can during this difficult time. Many of them may not be aware that there is this extra help available if they’re struggling to pay their council tax, so we are urging them to get in touch with us through our website or by calling our customer services teams. 

“We have written to 3,800 families to offer them reassurance that we know they may be struggling to pay their council tax bill and that we are here to help them, and everyone else in the borough, as much as we can.”

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