Dating site predator Jason Lawrance has been jailed for a minimum of 12.5 years for raping five women.

Yesterday 50-year-old Lawrance, originally from Hinckley, was found guilty of five rapes, one attempted rape and a sex assault.

Today, judge Gregory Dickinson told the packed Derby Crown courtroom: "There is a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm occasioned by the commission of further offences. That is the conclusion I have reached in this case, the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment for life is fully justified.

"You have left behind a trail of agony. You have shown no remorse, frankly zero application of the seriousness of these offences, of the pain you have inflicted on these ladies, their families and friends."

Eight of the 12 jurors - but none of the victims - returned for the sentencing.

Shaun Smith QC, prosecuting, said: "Each of the victims spoke eloquently in terms of how this affected their trust in men and their loss of confidence. Many of them feel anxiety and tearfulness. Some of them, who were attacked in their own homes, continue to suffer fear in those homes. Others are aware he knows where they live and continue to fear that he might still try to contact them."

Tracey Ayling QC, for Lawrance, now of Arundel Close, Passfield, Liphook, Hampshire, said:"Before this he was a man of previous good character with a loving family. His father turns 75 this year and he and his wife celebrate 50 years of very happy marriage this year. This conviction of their son has devastated them and his three children and as comes as a great shock to all of them. It may be that Mr Lawrance may never see his sons again short of prison visits. His wife stands by him but had not been present during this case at all."

But despite four of the seven victims reporting him to Match.com, the site still did not remove his dating profile.

Lawrance, from Hampshire, was today sentenced for his crimes, which included three Derbyshire victims.

He had denied all of the charges - forcing all seven of his victims to give their evidence against him.

It took a jury of six women and six men nine hours to find Jason Lawrance guilty of all the sex attacks.

A spokesman for Match said: "We are very sorry for those affected and appalled by these terrible acts. We commend these individuals for their courage in coming forward which resulted in a conviction.

"Our policy has always been to encourage our members to communicate with others within our site/app, where we can offer a degree of protection. When people move beyond what we are able to see, it is very difficult for us to adjudicate on what might have happened.

"At the time of this offence, we therefore took the view that we could only act on events which we could verify, such as written messages.

"Our customer service team would encourage members to report an incident to the police and we would remove people once the police had asked us to do so."

The manager of a local football team wept in the dock after being cleared by a jury of attacking a linesman during a match.

Joshua Dixon, 23, accepted he had punched 57-year-old Jim Hawkes unconscious but said it was in self-defence, fearing he was about to be assaulted.

The jury accepted his account and, as the not guilty verdict was announced, his father leapt to his feet saying "Yes, come on."

The incident happened following an unpopular offside ruling by Mr Hawkes, against Mr Dixon's team, Phoenix United, who were playing at home against Oadby Owls, in a Leicester Sunday Alliance League match, on March 15 last year.

Mr Dixon's barrister, John Hallissey said after the hearing: "He has maintained from the outset that he was innocent of this charge.

"He's delighted the jury have reached the verdict they have and all he wants to do is put it behind him and get on with his life."

Mr Dixon said: "It's been a year of hell.

"I just want to move on."

His father, Andrew Dixon said: "We're very very pleased with this verdict.

"He's a good lad; he's never been in trouble before."

The Leicester Crown Court jury of 11 (one was discharged during the case) consisted of nine women and two men, who deliberated for five hours and 23 minutes.

During the trial the court heard that Mr Hawkes was knocked out with a single blow from the defendant, causing a sore jaw.

Mr Dixon, of Woodbank Glen Parva, told the jury that Mr Hawkes dropped his flag before making the controversial decision, in the second half.

It resulted in shouting and swearing from some Phoenix Utd players and supporters, who accused Mr Hawkes of being a ******* cheat.

Each team provided a linesman for the game and Mr Hawke's was there on behalf of the Oadby Owls.

The match was held at the Kingfisher Youth Centre, Saffron Lane, Leicester.

Mr Dixon told the jury his father confronted Mr Hawkes about his swearing after play resumed and "they puffed their chests out."

He claimed that Mr Hawkes' son Richard, who played for Oadby, ran off the pitch and punched his (Dixon's) father on the head.

The defendant added: "It sparked a fight of around 30 people; players and supporters from both sides."

Mr Dixon claimed that Mr Hawkes - an assistant referee for 13 years – then tried to influence the referee by pointing out Phoenix players who had thrown punches.

He said he went over to speak to the referee to urge him to continue with the match.

Dixon added: "James started threatening me, saying 'I'm going to ******* get you.' "

"I honestly thought he was going to hit me.

"I hit him first.

"I thought I was in danger in that split second.

"I'm not a fighter; I just threw a punch."

The prosecution alleged that Mr Dixon was the main aggressor and struck Mr Hawkes from behind.

Dixon disagreed saying they were face-to-face.

He has a degree in Sports Science and currently works as a behaviour mentor at a primary school, supporting vulnerable and challenging children, as well as coaching football and other after school activities.

Dixon became manager of Phoenix Utd in 2013, during which time the team rose from the third division to the first division.

A paedophile who sexually abused two children, raping one of them, has been jailed for 18 years and nine months.

Ian Stokes, of Chettle Road, New Parks, Leicester, carried out the attacks on the two girls, then aged 10 to 14, between 1999 and 2003.

He was jailed at Aylesbury Crown Court on Wednesday, after pleading guilty in December to raping one of the children on numerous occasions, six counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual activity with a child.

The 50-year-old committed the offences as he moved between homes in Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and, most recently, Leicester.

After the hearing, the mother of one of the victims said Stokes's manipulative personality meant she did not at first believe her daughter when she said Stokes had abused her.

The mum, who cannot be named in order to protect her daughter's identity, said she believed Stokes befriended her in 2001 in order to get access to her daughter.

At the time, she said, there were rumours about his sexual interest in children, but Stokes was quick to offer apparently plausible explanations.

"When I first met him he told me his ex-partner was spreading rumours about him and that they were untrue," she said.

"It was as if he was establishing a cover story.

"When my daughter told me what he had done to her, I have to say I didn't believe her at first.

"He always seemed to come up with a plausible explanation and I'd believe him.

"He is a manipulator.

"Living with that - all that time I didn't believe what my daughter was telling me - is still a struggle for me.

"He is an extremely dangerous man.

"The judge in the case called him a predator and that's exactly what he is.

"I said to the judge that as long as this man is capable of doing anything for himself, he will still be capable of manipulating people.

"I am more than happy with the long sentence – I couldn't have asked for more.

"My daughter is a strong person and she is happy he has been locked up."

Det Con Tejinder Sidhu, of the Thames Valley Police child abuse investigation unit, said: "Firstly, I would like to thank the two victims and recognise their bravery throughout this investigation.

"I know it has been difficult for them, but I hope that the successful outcome of this case will give them some comfort and allow them to move forward.

"Offenders like Stokes destroy lives, and within the Child Abuse Investigation Unit at Thames Valley Police we work tirelessly to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of these terrible crimes, while supporting the victims."

After the hearing, Adrian Foster, chief crown prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Ian Stokes took advantage of his circumstances to sexually abuse the girls for his own sexual gratification.

"It is only due to the great courage of the victims that the despicable behaviour of this man has been exposed.

"I would like to pay tribute to them for their strength and tenacity in coming forward.

"Stokes went 'no comment' during his police interview, but in December 2015, at Aylesbury Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to rape, sexual activity with a child, and six counts of indecent assault. His pleas prevented his victims from having the added trauma of re-living their horrific abuse and giving evidence during a trial.

"The convictions and sentence serve as an important message to people who have been the victim of crimes such as these, or those that know such crimes are being committed, that they should come forward, and that time is no barrier to justice.

"The emotional impact on the victims of the abhorrent actions of this man is impossible to quantify.

"I hope the convictions and sentence give some small comfort to them.

"Our thoughts are very much with them both."

A Leicestershire Police officer has been sacked after he failed a drugs test and did not report that someone he knew was committing criminal offences.

The detective inspector – whose identity has not been made public – was dismissed on Tuesday after a misconduct hearing at force headquarters, in Enderby.

The hearing was held in private, despite a recent Government ruling that misconduct hearings should, in most cases, be open to the press and public.

The force said it was entitled to hold the hearing as a private session under national police misconduct proceedings regulations, but did not explain why.

However, it made the outcome public in a brief statement.

It confirmed the officer, who was holding the rank of detective inspector temporarily, had been found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked on the spot.

The statement said the officer had breached standards by:

• failing to report an association with a person convicted of an offence
• failing to report information that an associate was committing criminal offences
• provided false information on a vetting application
• purchased, had possession of, and tested positive for, steroids, a class C drug

Detective Superintendent Martyn Ball, of the force's professional standards department, said: "Every member of the force is expected to act with the utmost professionalism and integrity both on and off duty.

"The police service has to be the home of the highest standards of behaviour and decision making.

"The public expects nothing less and their confidence in us depends on our staff acting in a way that is honest, open and beyond reproach.

"This officer's actions were at serious odds with these standards and this has resulted in the Chief Constable's decision to dismiss him with immediate effect.

"I hope this result sends out a clear message to the public, our officers and staff that we take such misconduct very seriously and we will fully and robustly investigate such allegations."

In December last year, a constable became the first Leicestershire officer to be the subject of misconduct proceedings open to the public.

She was dismissed after a panel of senior officers agreed she had lied about the behaviour of a member of the public who had filmed her on his phone while she and colleagues were dealing with a complaint he was drunk and disorderly.

Announcing the decision to hold sessions in public, Home Secretary Theresa May said last year:"The public needs to have confidence that the complaints system is fair and effective and that the disciplinary system effectively holds corrupt officers, or those who are guilty of misconduct, to account for their actions."

Police have launched a campaign to warn people of the dangers of street robbers who snatch gold chains from their victims' necks.

Officers believe the warmer, brighter weather coming over the next few months will see people shedding their winter coats – meaning gold necklaces will be visible to street robbers.

Where possible, police are urging people to not wear gold chains when they are out and about or to cover them with scarves.

East Leicester Police, who cover areas such as Belgrave, Highfields and Spinney Hills, ran a similar campaign last year and officers believe it helped cut the number of crimes committed.

Sgt Nigel Baraclough said: "Chain snatches are often crimes that involve violence or threats of violence.

"This can be very distressing to the victim, not only have they been a victim they have probably lost a valuable and sentimental piece of jewellery.

"Having your phone stolen is a hassle too. It's not just the handset you lose, it's the numbers, messages and photos.

"Thieves are opportunists, so we are asking everyone to be vigilant and prevent being an easy target.

"Our advice to you is to be discreet with your belongings.

"Displaying expensive jewellery or mobile phones could attract unwanted attention. Help us to keep these offences down."

Officers have teamed up with probation officials to hand out scarves made by ex-offenders, using material donated by local companies.

The number of mobile phone snatches, carried out by thieves on bikes or on foot, also tends to increase at this time of year.

Officers are visiting schools to speak to children about how they can stay safe.

Police said the crimes of thefts from a person have fallen by a third in the past year, while robberies have fallen by a quarter across the East Leicester area.

Other police crime prevention advice includes:

• if you are carrying a bag, try to have it across your chest and keep your hand over the fastening
• only take out your purse or wallet when you need to
• make sure your phone is hidden away and keep it in your front pocket or inside a bag
• if you have to have to use your phone in public try to find an area that's well lit
• be aware of your surroundings and stay alert to what's going on around you
• if you feel unsafe change direction
• use well lit, busy streets and a route you are familiar with

A pub landlord who witnessed a father-of-five being "punched and kicked" outside his premises has a told a jury the incident happened after a row turned into a "mass brawl".

Kristian Carter was the boss of the Durham Ox pub, in Belgrave, Leicester, on June 6 last year, when Steve McKinnon suffered severe head injuries.

Mr McKinnon, of Uppingham Road, Leicester, died in hospital two days later, having failed to regain consciousness.

Eugene Bell (29), of Helmsley Road, Leicester, Ross Lowndes (27), of Windley Road, Leicester, Gurdev Sangha (24), of Overdale Avenue, Glenfield, and Phillip Merry (28), of Pinewood Avenue, Thurmaston, are on trial at Nottingham Crown Court accused of Mr McKinnon's murder.

They all deny the charge.

The court has previously heard that Mr McKinnon and his family were guests at a party at the pub being thrown by friends who were moving abroad.

Giving evidence via video link yesterday, Mr Carter said a "big argument" had broken out between Mr McKinnon's step-son, Cortney Hughes-Smith, and Ross Lowndes, who was working as a doorman at the pub, after Mr Hughes-Smith was accused of stealing drinks from the bar.

Mr Carter said the argument moved outside, where Mr McKinnon "got in between the two men".

He said: "He was trying to be the peacemaker."

Mr Carter said Lowndes left the premises shortly afterwards, and later returned with Bell, Merry and Sangha in a 4x4 Mercedes.

The jury was shown CCTV footage which apparently showed the men arguing with Mr Hughes-Smith, and someone was seen to hit him.

Mr Carter said: "Cortney went straight down on the first punch that hit him."

He said Mr McKinnon again tried to act as peacemaker.

Mr Carter told the court: "He said, 'Woah, leave it', and put his hands up as if he was going to stop it. But he was then down himself."

Mr Carter said the situation then turned into a "mass brawl", and Mr McKinnon "was hit about four times and kicked four or five times" while he was on the floor.

He said: "Eugene was kicking and Ross kicked him once as well.

"They were very powerful kicks to the face and to the ribs. Each kick shifted him at least a foot.

"He moved about seven feet, so he ended up on the kerb.

"He wasn't moving.

"One more kick was then made and it was to his face and to the top of his chest."

Mr Carter said the men then left, and he went to assist Mr McKinnon.

"As I leant down, I touched the back of his head and saw how much blood there was," he said.

Mr Carter said that in the wake of the incident, he had moved away from Leicester.

Under cross examination, it was put to Mr Carter that his recollection of the incident was flawed, as some of the information he had given to the court differed to the statement he had given to police.

Mr Carter said: "When I did the statement, I had not been to sleep since 4 o'clock the night before. I was not going to remember everything. I was going to remember as much as I could."

The trial continues.

Cases heard before Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

Edmond Davies (32), of Outwood Close, Braunstone, Leicester, pleaded guilty to speeding in London Road, Leicester, on July 12.

He was fined £60 and given three penalty points on his licence.

Davies also pleaded guilty to a similar offence at the same place on July 14. He was, again, fined £60 and given three more penalty points on his licence.

Darren Bullimore (48), of Thorpe Road, Melton, was proved guilty in absence of speeding in Norman Way, Melton, on May 4. He was fined £220, with three points on his driving licence.

Alexander Cluley (33), of Speers Road, Leicester, was proved guilty in absence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving in Granville Road, Leicester, on September 18.

He was fined £220, with three points on his driving licence.

Ryan David Martin (33), of Aysgarth Road, Beaumont Leys, pleaded guilty to assault by beating on December 28, 2015.

He was given a community order including taking part in an accredited building a better relationship programme for 30 days, a rehabilitation activity requirement to attend appointments or take part in activities when required for up to 10 days. Martin was ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

He was fined £100 for an offence of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, committed on May 13, 2015.

Andrew Moreton (46), of Cowdall Road, Braunstone, pleaded guilty to assault by beating. He was given a community order including 30 days on an accredited building a better relationship programme and a rehabilitation activity requirement to attend appointments or participate in activities when required for up to 20 days. Moreton was ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

A tenant who set fire to his council flat when drunk and depressed has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Leicester Crown Court was told Levi Mason used a lighter to torch some curtains and clothing before leaving the flat, in a block of four, in Wreford Crescent, Thurnby Lodge, on December 28.

He then had second thoughts and returned to extinguish the flames before calling the police; telling them what he had done and saying "I need help."

Mason, 23, then walked into Leicester's Keyham Lane police station and handed himself in, at 6.15pm.

He pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether neighbours lives would be endangered.

Karen Davenport-Coles, prosecuting, said that no-one was hurt and the fire service found the clothing smouldering when they arrived - and it was possible Mason had extinguished the flames himself.

The court heard that £2,060 of damage resulted, mainly caused by smoke.

No other flats were affected and no residents were evacuated.

In interview Mason said he consumed five bottles and two cans of lager and described himself as "drunk and depressed."

He set fire to the curtains and clothing, but did not use any accelerant, intending to harm himself and no-one else.

Ms Davenport-Coles said: "He said he then left the flat and went to see some friends and when he realised others might be harmed he returned to put it out."

Judge Simon Hammond said he was able to give Mason a reduction in his sentence because he rang the police to confess, put the fire out and handed himself in.

He told the defendant: "This must never happen again.

"There's huge concern about this type of offence.

"The gravity was the risk to other residents and potential risk to the fire service who had to go in and ensure no-one was trapped."

Michael Garvey, mitigating, said his client suffered from mental health problems but was not assessed, in a psychiatric report, as requiring hospital treatment.

He said: "He was feeling very down as a result of his job situation when he had been hoping to make progress.

"He was very low because he hadn't got a job and it was Christmas time and he was getting into debt.

"He wasn't drunk to oblivion, he knew what he was doing and he decided to harm himself.

"There was no pre-planning other than putting clothes in a pile.

"He's under no illusions about the outcome of this matter."

Police are looking to reunite a number of items of stolen jewellery, recovered from a property in Leicester, with their owners.

They include Pandora bracelets and stone rings.

The items are thought to be stolen and may relate to a number burglaries across the city.

Officers now want to reunite these items of jewellery with their rightful owners.

If you recognise them, contact PC 4494 Becky Stevenson on 101.

The detective who used DNA technology to catch child killer Colin Pitchfork has backed a collaboration between police forces and universities to make new breakthroughs in crime-fighting.

Ex-Detective Chief Superintendent David Baker spoke as Leicestershire Police teamed up four other East Midlands forces and the region's universities.

Together, officers and academics hope to find new ways of tackling issues such as organised crime and cyber fraud.

Mr Baker was in charge of the investigation which caught Pitchfork, who was later given two life sentences for raping and murdering 15-year-old Lynda Mann, in Narborough, in 1983, and Dawn Ashworth, also 15, three years later.

The girls' families are currently fighting the killer's bid for release from prison.

Their petition can be found here.

Mr Baker had read an article in the Leicester Mercury about the work of a young University of Leicester scientist called Alec Jeffreys, whose pioneering work on DNA profiling was initially used to solve a complicated paternity case.

However, Mr Baker spotted the potential for its use in murder investigations.

He said: "The technology told us one man was responsible for both girls' murders.

"We had a lad in custody who was admitting to one, not both.

"The DNA exonerated him and eventually led us to Colin Pitchfork, who admitted everything as soon as he was arrested.

"There are important challenges for the police in the modern world.

"If a young man can hack into the White House computer from his bedroom or fraudsters can take money from people's bank accounts, perhaps the police need help.

"I am sure that somewhere in one of our universities there are researchers who are going to make important breakthroughs which will help the police."

The East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration, (Empac), was launched last Thursday.

It is funded by the College of Policing, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Home Office.

Leicestershire's Assistant Chief Constable Phil Kay said: "This is a great opportunity for us to work with the regional universities and police forces.

"The funding will enable us to undertake research and adopt evidence-based practice so we can better protect communities.

Empac programme director Dave Hill, said: "Each of the organisations involved brings valuable expertise that will lead to improvements in policing practice."

Leicestershire's police and crime commissioner Sir Clive Loader is also supporting the project.

Police have arrested 26 drug-impaired drivers thanks to new roadside testing kits which were issued to them late last year.

The hand-held devices, which have been in use in Leicestershire since mid-November, can instantly detect the presence in saliva of even small traces of cocaine or cannabis.

Previously, officers who suspected a driver had used drugs told them to complete a number of 'field impairment tests', such as walking in a straight line, before taking them into custody for testing.

The force said officers have stopped and tested 49 drivers on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs.

Of those, 26 tested positive for cannabis or cocaine, Leicestershire Police said.

The cases are progressing through the courts, although some have already been dealt with, resulting in the drivers being banned from the road.

The force's road safety officer, Graham Compton said: "We are in a much better position now to determine whether a driver is under the influence of drugs.

"This is a significant increase on previous arrest figures and it's going to keep increasing as more officers are trained to use the roadside kits."

The Government introduced strict drug driving laws in March last year, prompting a growing number of forces to begin using the test kits.

Last week, the Department for Transport said forces across the country were reporting large increase in the number of offenders brought to justice.

Its ongoing road safety campaign, called Think!, is highlighting the risks of drug-impaired driving in a new advertising campaign.

Road Safety Minister Andrew Jones said: "The Government will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with police as they work tirelessly to protect the public, while recognising enforcement alone is not the answer.

"We need to educate and influence behaviour change which is why we are pushing on with our Think! campaign, which has helped change attitudes towards drink-driving and ultimately save lives."

Alice Bailey, of road safety charity Brake, said: "Different drugs have different effects, some slowing reaction times, others making drivers over confident and more likely to take risks, but they all have the potential to make drivers a danger to themselves and all other road users."

The penalties for drug-impaired driving include a minimum one year driving ban, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.

A 73-year-old man charged with stabbing his partner to death is too mentally ill to stand trial for murder.

Norman Dacosta Forde, of Frederick Avenue, in Hinckley, is alleged to have killed Aileen Bell, 60, on April 17.

They had been together for 26 years.

Emergency services were called to their home at 6pm that day, following a report a woman had been injured.

Ms Bell was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem examination concluded she died from stab wounds.

At Leicester Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said he was satisfied that Forde was unfit to stand trial – although there would be a hearing in his absence for a jury to hear the facts of the case and to decide if he committed "the act" of killing her.

If convicted of carrying out "the act" he faces being given a hospital order without limit of time.

Judge Dean made the ruling Forde was unfit to stand trial for murder or manslaughter, under the Insanity Act 1964, after reading three psychiatric reports.

Giving evidence, consultant psychiatrist Dr Nicholas Taylor, of Leicester's Arnold Lodge psychiatric hospital, said that Forde was suffering from a dementing illness (dementia) "which is expected to gradually worsen."

He added that at the time of the alleged incident Forde was also suffering from a "severe depressive episode with psychotic features, which has been treated." .

Judge Dean said: "He's charged with the murder of his long term partner.

"The allegation is that on April 17 Mr Forde killed Aileen Bell in circumstances that would otherwise amount to an offence of murder.

"It's clear at the time he was suffering from deteriorating dementing illness.

"Mr Forde would not be able to follow the proceedings in court or give evidence in his defence.

"The overall conclusion is that he's mentally ill and it constitutes a bar to being tried.

"The prosecution would have accepted a plea to manslaughter.

"The psychiatrists say he would be fit to plead guilty to an offence of manslaughter but not fit to stand trial for murder or manslaughter.

"If not unfit to plead, he would be entitled to rely on the defence of diminished responsibility because of what he's suffering from."

Forde, who is currently at Arnold Lodge medium secure unit, did not appear in the dock but remained in the court cells, at the request of his barrister, Philip Gibbs.

The judge excused his attendance at the jury trial later this month, which will establish whether or not he committed "the act."

Mary Loram, prosecuting, said it was only right there should be a trial of the facts, adding: "After all, someone did kill somebody else."

Judge Dean said the family and friends of the deceased "need some explanation of the facts."

A wife was left heartbroken when a burglar stole her cherished engagement, wedding and eternity rings, representing 37 years of marriage, a court heard.

The thief, Wayne Newell, who stole the valuables from the victim's family home in Burbage, near Hinckley, was jailed for a total of three-and-a-half years.

Newell (41) pleaded guilty to burglary and theft of jewellery and other items, plus £200 in cash, on December 18 last year.

He also admitted handling stolen goods, a Pandora charm bracelet worth £500, after it was stolen by unknown persons from a house in Grange Drive, Burbage, on the same day.

Kate Plummer, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court that the police searched the defendant's home on December 23.

Officers found the Pandora bracelet, as well as a watch and an earring taken from the woman's address.

The missing rings were not recovered.

Miss Plummer said that a car parked outside Newell's address in Armfield Street, Coventry, was identified by automatic number plate recognition cameras as being in the area of the offences on the days leading up, and including, the offences.

Miss Plummer said it indicated the defendant was carrying out advance reconnaissance of the area.

Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "The goods (bracelet) you handled came from a house burglary and it had a profound effect upon the family who lived there.

"Handling stolen goods encourages others to burgle.

"More serious is the burglary you've pleaded guilty to.

"One only has to read the words of Mrs Dawn White who spoke about the loss of her jewellery, saying 'How does one value items such as wedding, engagement and eternity rings from a marriage of 37 years?'

"The value of those items to her is invaluable.

"You're responsible of depriving her of those much loved items, which exemplifies how serious this is.

"You're a third strike burglar liable to a minimum three year sentence.

"If you commit house burglaries in the future, the sentences will get ever longer."

Sarah Cornish, mitigating, said: "He's thoroughly ashamed of his actions.

"He'd been out of trouble since 2010 and made every effort to turn his life around.

"He says it's the biggest mistake of his life."

She said that Newell felt he had let down his fiancée and their children, aged six and 10, as well as his 18-year-old twins from a former relationship.

A father and son tried to extort £29,500 from an 82-year-old man, after carrying out repairs at his home.

Charlie Gaskin (31) and Leonard Gaskin (59) had already been paid a fair price of £2,000 – but tried to bully him into giving them more.

They also dumped a pile of rubble on his drive and then returned to destroy their original work, removing fascias and soffits they had earlier fitted.

Leicester Crown Court was told the "vulnerable victim," from Markfield, was left feeling "worried, bewildered, frightened and very alone."

Judge Nicholas Dean QC said the defendants should be "thoroughly ashamed."

They admitted fraudulently misrepresenting the value of work carried out, between last May and June, as well as criminal damage to the house, on June 12.

The defendants, of Bowers Caravan Site, Olney Lane, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, were each given 12 month jail sentences, suspended for two years, for the fraud and four months jail, suspended for two years, for the damage.

Charlie Gaskin was also ordered to attend a thinking skills course and placed on a six month alcohol treatment programme with a 10 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

They will each have to pay the victim £1,000 compensation.

James Thomas, prosecuting, said the defendants approached the elderly homeowner and he agreed to have some work done to the exterior of his premises, which they quoted £1,300 for.

They then asked for £3,000 and the victim went to the bank to withdraw the cash, but the staff refused to give him the money, suspecting fraud.

He gave them a cheque for £2,000 which was paid into Charlie Gaskin's account.

Mr Thomas said: "They then asked for 29,500 and he issued a cheque for that amount but the bank refused to pay it and it bounced.

"The defendants asked for a cheque for £11,000 which also bounced.

"They became angry with him and dumped a pile of rubble on his driveway and threatened to take down the work they had done."

The victim reported the matter to the police on May 28.

On June 12 the two returned with ladders and ripped off the fascias and soffits causing damage.

A building expert estimated the value of the work the two men originally carried out was £1,800 – the same cost as the damage they caused.

When arrested the defendants denied trying to rip the pensioner off.

Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "I don't know how you can live with yourselves; treating an elderly man in the way you did.

"It was a blatant attempt at fraud, attempting to exploit him by a combination of dishonesty and bullying behaviour.

"You two should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.

"Neither have particularly bad criminal records and that saves you from going to prison today.

"As it was, the loss to the victim was £2,000 although you tried your best to extract much more than that from him, close to £30,000.

"The harm isn't measured in financial loss but by the distress caused and that distress was considerable.

"This behaviour is utterly unacceptable; against a vulnerable man over whom you had an element of power."

Sarah Cornish, mitigating for the Gaskins, said their relatives were in court to support them.

She said both men had already served a 19-week curfew period as a bail condition between July and November.

Miss Cornish said that Charlie Gaskin found himself "spiralling into gambling and alcohol addiction which gave rise to these events."

"He's been given an ultimatum by his wife to sort himself out," she added.

A child arrives at school in a dirty uniform and complaining of hunger.

He confides to a teacher that he has not eaten breakfast that morning, nor a meal the night before.

A mum believes an older boy is pestering her teenage daughter on Facebook, putting her under pressure to send photographs of herself to him.

She fears his ultimate motive is to ask her for indecent photographs.

An anonymous caller reports heavy drinking and drug taking at the house next door – where a small child lives.

These are just some of the types of concern reported every day to child protection social workers manning the 24/7 First Response helpline at Leicestershire County Council.

Based at County Hall, Glenfield, the team receives more than 20,000 calls and 30,000 e-mails a year.

The reports are submitted by worried relatives, neighbours and professionals such as police officers, teachers and GPs.

The team's job is to look into each report and quickly establish whether there is an innocent explanation - or something darker is going on.

The mum's belief her daughter has an online pursuer might be wide of the mark, while the neighbour's confident declaration could well have been motivated by spite.

The school's decision to raise the alarm about the hungry and disheveled pupil could result in a struggling parent receiving the help they need to better tackle the tough job of raising a child.

But some of the reports are the first indications that a child is in danger, either through neglect or physical or sexual abuse.

The team has decided to speak publicly about its work because despite the huge volume of information already being passed to it, it believes there are many stories of children at risk of harm still to be told.

The dedicated social workers who comprise the team hope their decision to open up will result in even more calls and messages, potentially uncovering more children who are at risk.

Dawn Ballard, a child protection social worker, loves her job but readily admits it can be harrowing.

"Children don't come along with a text book," she said.

"If a child is coming into school saying they haven't had any breakfast that morning, or no dinner the night before, we would be asking the school to start asking some questions.

"It may be this is a parent who needs help and support, but it could also be part of a wider picture of neglect."

She said parents of all descriptions could find themselves struggling.

"Every type of family comes through our door, from professional middle class people to those living in poverty and have no prospect of employment," said Dawn.

"If you want to raise a concern about the welfare of a child, or you're a mum who needs support with your own family, you come through us.

"Some of the people we encounter may have experienced poor parenting themselves as children.

"There may be mental health, alcohol or drug issues, or domestic violence. They are common factors in what we deal with.

"It might be that the parent is isolated and doesn't have much in the way of a supportive family.

"These are all barriers to effective parenting."

Situations the team has to deal with can be harrowing.

Dawn said: "This can be an extremely difficult job at times. We are a close-knit team and we all support each other if one of us is struggling with something that has come through to the helpline."

She added: "We want all children to achieve their full potential. If we really focussed on that as a society we wouldn't go far wrong."

The Department for Education is encouraging people to report concerns about child abuse to their local council.

In Leicestershire, the First Response team is ready to deal with every one that comes in.

Walter McCulloch, assistant director of children's services at the county council, said: "Our First Response team are like paramedics.

"They are called in for all kinds of 'bumps and bruises' people might have.

"In some cases, it's very straight forward and all that is required is some advice and guidance, while in others much more urgent action is needed.

"Day in and day out, they are making these kinds of judgements and decisions around the welfare of children.

"The whole concept of early help is to ensure problems don't escalate to the point where children are harmed and the work is increasingly successful."

June Gregory manages the First Response team.

She said: "All information is received by trained officers and concerns are prioritised by a team manager to determine the next steps.

"Calls of concern are referred straight away to social workers.

"After talking to teachers, health visitors and others, they assess the situation and take a decision about what services are required.

"In more severe cases, an assessment will require a social worker to visit the family - serious incidents will involve a joint visit with the police.

"Where families need help, either our 'early help' teams will provide tailored support to prevent problems growing, or advice is provided by the call handler.

"The team is committed to supporting and safeguarding children. While the work can be stressful, the rewards are getting it right."

Ivan Ould, the county council's cabinet member for children and families, (pictured) said: "Keeping children safe is our priority.

"That's why we have one, single point of contact, making it easy for anyone with concerns to get in touch.

"This approach means we can take immediate action where required, prioritise cases and provide the right support to children and families at the right time."

Anyone who thinks a child is at significant risk of being neglected, physically abused or sexually abused should contact the First Response team on 0116 305 0005.

Find out more about how the council keeps children safe, here

A strip club which was refused a new licence because its strippers touched and fondled customers may be sold.

The future of Angels, in New Park Street, off Braunstone Gate, remains in doubt after Leicester City Council declined to grant it a sexual entertainment licence.

The club's owners have lodged an appeal against the council's decision.

The matter went to Leicester Magistrates' Court on Friday for an initial hearing, where it was decided the full case would be heard in July.

The club can continue to operate until the legal matters are concluded but owner KN Leisure Ltd has suggested it may off-load it.

A council spokesman said: "Friday's hearing was held to set a date for the club's appeal, which is due to take place in July. In the meantime, the club can continue to operate.

"During the hearing, the owners' legal representatives said they'd been contacted by a firm which had expressed an interest in taking over ownership of the club.

"Any application to take over the club would have to be considered in the usual way by the city council's licensing department and at this stage doesn't affect the current legal proceedings."

Councillors refused Angels' licence in January after viewing CCTV footage obtained by police during a raid on the club last year.

Officers and council officials searched the venue and took a hard drive with CCTV recordings.

Council licensing manager Bobby Smiljanic said: "I was shown CCTV by the police which showed performers and members of the public clearly touching and fondling in an intimate and sexual manner."

Council rules – for all strip clubs in the city – forbid any physical contact between the strippers and the customers.

Mrs Smiljanic said the footage also showed strippers straddling customers – another disallowed practice.

The club was also found to have breached a condition to carry out identity checks on its strippers to ensure they were legally entitled to work and aged 18 or over.

The hearing was told the council carried out an inspection at Angels on October 9.

There were 19 performers working at the time, but the club management was unable to provide documentation.

Documents for 10 of the 19 were later e-mailed to the council, but no information has been provided for the other nine.

The council further decided Angels had breached a condition requiring it to hold 28 days of CCTV recording.

The police found only 18 days on a hard drive.

Cases at Leicester Magistrates' Court include:

Kurtis Benham (21), of Wilberforce Road, Leicester, was found guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm in Leicester on September 7. He was given a community order including 200 hours of unpaid work to be carried out within the next 12 months.

A restraining order was made prohibiting Benham from communicating with a named person by any means and he was ordered to pay £500 compensation and £250 costs.

Lilli-Mae Hubbard (19), of Peel Drive, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to using or threatening unlawful violence towards another person, and conduct which would cause a person to fear for their personal safety, in Loughborough on June 24. She was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to take part in a rehabilitation activity requirement to attend appointments or participate in activities for up to 15 days. A restraining order was made to prevent Hubbard from entering a named place in Loughborough and she was ordered to pay £200 compensation.

Emma Louise Thomas (36), of Lawnswood, Hinckley, pleaded guilty to stealing three bottles of Southern Comfort, two of Jack Daniels, a T-shirt and packs of Walkers crisps, worth £142, from Sainsbury's, Rugby Road, Hinckley, on January 29.

She was jailed for two weeks, suspended for 12 months.

Thomas also pleaded guilty to stealing three bottles of Moët champagne and a bottle of vodka, worth £101, from Asda, Barwell Lane, Hinckley, on December 19, and five bottles of alcohol, worth £169.55, from Asda, Barwell Lane, Hinckley, on February 5.

For both she was jailed for two weeks, suspended for 12 months.

Haci Koz (42), of Allenwood Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to selling Marlboro cigarettes to a 16-year-old on August 25.

He was fined £140 with £150 costs.

Keval Soni (26), of Chestnut Drive, Oadby, pleaded guilty to travelling by rail between Chesterfield and Leicester on September 18 without a valid ticket. He was fined £145, with £34.90 compensation and £110 costs.

Leah Walker (30), of The Pingle, Barlestone, was proved guilty of travelling by rail between Leicester and Loughborough without a valid ticket on September 3. She was fined £220, with £5.60 compensation and £135 costs.

A footballer who had trials with Leicester City has been caught dealing cocaine.

Charlin Deugoue was caught when a maintenance man at his student halls in Liverpool stumbled upon his stash.

At Liverpool Crown Court the footballer - who had also had trials for and Stoke, Huddersfield and Rochdale - was described as an impressive young man.

But the 20-year-old, who moved to England from Cameroon at the age of nine, was secretly selling cocaine and ketamine to his fellow students.

The court heard how the sports degree student's drugs dropped out of a cooker hood at his accommodation in Skelhorne Street, Liverpool, on March 4 last year. He was living there while he studied at Liverpool John Moores University.

Charles Lander, defending, said his client had shown great ambition after moving to the UK and worked hard at Myerscough College to earn himself a place at Liverpool John Moores.

However, he said Deugoue's use and dealing of cocaine led to him being suspended by the university.

Mr Lander added: "The defendant was a footballer of some talent. He had trials at a number of clubs including ironically, for who knows where he would be if he had stayed there, Leicester City, and Stoke, Huddersfield and Rochdale.

"But education was the way he wanted to go and there he was at university, with everything ahead of him.

"He knows through his own stupidity he has thrown that all away."

Mr Lander urged the judge to impose a suspended sentence, so Deugoue - stood sobbing in the dock - could finish his studies.

However, Recorder Pratt said cocaine ruined people's lives and handed him two years and four months behind bars.

Deugoue, now of Caryl Street, Toxteth, admitted possession with intent to supply Class A and Class C drugs. He has no previous convictions.

Prosecutor Peter Hussey said the matter came to light in somewhat unusual circumstances.

"Unluckily for the defendant, some maintenance work was commenced by an engineer in the student premises that he shared with other students at these halls.

"The engineer was setting about removing a cooker hood and as he did so, two plastic bags fell from the ducting above the hood.

"One contained eight rolled-up £20 notes, £160 altogether, and the other contained a number of wraps of white powder."

The engineer reported the find to the student accommodation office.

Staff asked the defendant whether the drugs were his, to which he replied "yes, but I'm not selling any".

Mr Hussey said there were six packages of cocaine, weighing 1.64g with a street value of up to £80, plus one large 9.16g package and 10 smaller packages of ketamine, weighing 4.18g, worth up to £400.

A woman who stole £4,400 from a village nursery run by a charity has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Joanne New's dishonesty led to the arrest of her innocent husband, who was a voluntary treasurer at the nursery.

The 36-year-old mother-of-two, who worked at the nursery, forged her husband's signature on 15 of its cheques and paid them into her own bank account.

She produced bogus invoices and made false entries on the cheque stubs to cover her tracks.

New stole the funds to conceal having run into debt from her unsuspecting husband, who had already previously paid off debts on her behalf.

At Leicester Crown Court, New, of Nuneaton Lane, Higham on the Hill, near Hinckley, admitted theft of £4,409 from Higham on the Hill Preschool, which relies on fundraising and goodwill.

She was given a six month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work.

New was ordered to re-pay all the stolen cash, which has already been lodged with her solicitor, plus £350 costs.

Judge Robert Brown said: "She's used her husband's name, and her children have been put under pressure; the community has turned against them."

He praised Mr New for standing by his wife and arranging for the money to be repaid.

As his wife sobbed in the dock, Mr New, a project manager for a utilities company, said from the public gallery: "That's why you get married isn't it?"

Judge Brown replied: "Well done for saying that."

The judge told the defendant: "Despite his best efforts to help you to reimburse the money, the community has understandably taken a strong view against you.

"You've accepted full responsibility and shown genuine remorse.

"If I sent you to prison I'd be adding more punishment to your husband and children who deserve none of it at all."

The court heard that the New family are moving to a new area to start afresh.

Karen Davenport-Coles, prosecuting, said that from 2009 the defendant had a paid post as a pre-school leader at the nursery, and her husband helped out as a voluntary treasurer between April 2014 and July 2015.

He was authorised to sign cheques on behalf of the charity.

When Beth Stevens took over as chairman at the preschool, the accounts were checked and discrepancies appeared.

An audit was carried out and initially Mr New was arrested and questioned, but no charges were brought against him.

His wife's handwriting was detected on the cheques, and she had forged his signature.

In an interview, New said she had "panicked" after running up debts with catalogue companies, and was worried it would affect her relationship with her husband.

Andrew Bolc, mitigating, said: "Mr New is an honourable man, standing by his wife and arranging to pay it back.

Judge Brown said: "It was deception of a charity and her husband as well."

Mr Bolc said: "She desisted before these matters came to light."

After the hearing, Mrs Stevens said the defendant had left the nursery and was working as a teaching assistant at the primary school next door when the matters came to light.

She said: "The theft has left our charity in a very precarious financial situation and caused a great deal of distress to the staff, volunteers and parents.

"It's shocked many of the residents in our very small community.

"A lot of parents were angry when it came to light."

A former scout leader who sexually abused young boys during trips and visits to his home was jailed for five years and four months.

Michael Medhurst subjected the cubs and scouts, aged between eight and 13, to a catalogue of indecency, often in tents in Leicestershire, when they went on trips to Mallory Park and Castle Donington race tracks.

Katya Saudek, prosecuting, said: "He made full admissions in interview, saying he was using his role as a cub and scout leader so he could abuse them.

"He befriended those who had a common interest, such as motorbikes.

"He befriended parents to allow himself more access to the children.

"He abused boys on a frequent and multiple basis, at their homes, at his home or when away on trips.

"It's strongly suspected there are many more victims."

Medhurst, 62, of Coney Green Drive, Birmingham, admitted 10 offences of indecent assault on boys under 16 and one count of gross indecency on a boy under 14, between September 1981 and September 1987.

The court heard that in 1991 he was jailed for six years for 18 offences of gross indecency and indecent assaults upon other scouts and cubs during the same period.

In 2011 he was prosecuted for downloading more than 3,000 indecent images of children.

One of the four victims, in the latest case, campaigned to get the case re-opened against Medhurst and went into the witness box to read his victim impact statement.

Looking at the defendant, who stared straight ahead with his arms folded, he branded him a "calculating predatory paedophile with no concern for his victims" and urged others who may have suffered at his hands to come forward.

The victim was among three who attended court; but all four claimed to have been robbed of their childhood innocence and "haunted" by his abuse, which had completely ruined their lives. Some were suicidal at times and all suffered from depression and had nightmares about being molested in their sleeping bags at night.

One said: "I now realise he was grooming my parents."

The cub and scout groups were in the Birmingham area; where the victims herald from.

Medhurst told the police last year: "It's all a bit of a blur; it's difficult to differentiate between boys.

"I don't know how many because I abused so many."

Miss Saudek said he would gain the parents' trust so he could abuse their children, often many miles away from home, including in bed and breakfast accommodation.

Children were allowed to visit his home after cubs and play on his computer, have trips on his motorbike, and he would give some of them alcohol, money and gifts.

Others would avoid him and he was generally nicknamed "Bummer Mick " amongst cubs and scouts, said Miss Saudek.

Medhurst, who represented himself saying he had been refused Legal Aid and could not afford a barrister, said from the dock: "At the time I didn't understand the seriousness of the offences or the harm caused to the victims.

"I do understand since my release from prison - and I've done my best to avoid circumstances where I could be tempted to offend again.

"I wish I could turn the clock back and undo what I did, but I can't.

Turning to his victims, he said: "I'm deeply sorry, I wish there was something I could do to put it right."

Judge Robert Brown said: "We've heard of the lasting impact and real and deep hurt you've caused to these four men.

"You abused the trust that they and their parents put in you by sexually abusing them at every opportunity you could find when they were with you.

"You took them to sporting events, camping trips and engineered opportunities where you could take advantage of them.

"You've admitted, in the pre-sentence report, your behaviour was manipulative and systematic.

"These victims weren't included in the original investigation.

"They've been shackled by the memory of the abuse which still haunts them.

"I'm not sure if you understand the extent of the harm you've caused, but it lives with them every day."

Afterwards, investigating officer, DC Jamie Carr, said: "Medhurst abused his victims over many years, befriending them and building up trusting relationships with them and their families - using his position of trust as a scout leader to do so.

"This has been an emotional time for the victims in this case, who have been dealing with the abuse secretly and the conclusion hopefully offers some comfort. "The victims in the case have shown incredible bravery in coming forward to talk to us and report what Medhurst subjected them to."

If you have been a victim of indecent assault, contact police on 101, asking to speak with the Child Abuse Investigation Unit.