IT'S that time of year again in schools and academies.

For year 11s in Nottingham and Notts, all those years of schooling come down to the next four weeks.

And those weeks will probably be the most stressful they have experienced yet.

It is all about being able to cope with the pressure of sitting exams in numerous subjects and then facing the wait until results day in August.

Students at Toot Hill School in Bingham have found a variety of ways of coping.

Tom Ballaam, 16, said he is managing to cope so far.

He said: "I'm not feeling too stressed out by it all. I don't really have a revision technique as such, I just manage to prioritise what I need to revise and when to do it.

"The exams can be pretty tough, but hopefully I can get through it well and come out with good results."

Tom hopes to go into the academy's sixth form to do A-levels, including maths and further maths.

He added: "I enjoy doing maths, it's one of my strongest subjects, unlike English. I want to do well in that so I can eventually study it at university. But obviously other subjects are important."

Jake Booth, 16, is equally calm about his exams. He even started a week early, sitting an art exam last Wednesday and Thursday.

He said: "I really like art so hopefully I have done well in that.

"The biggest thing for me is that I need to prioritise subjects in a way that I am giving a bit more time to those exams I have first. Then I can turn to others in more detail."

He added: "I want to go on to do art and design, staying in the sixth form at Toot Hill."

Emily Hover, 16, has memorised her exam timetable.

She is also prioritising the exams which are first on the list, including RE and French, which she will sit today.

She said: "It is quite a stressful time and I do worry about it, but I've been working really hard. I have got 14 exams up to June 14. I am concentrating a bit more on the exams that are earliest then when they are out of the way I can look at the others."

The traditional study leave – where students finish school early to spend days at home revising – is a thing of the past at Toot Hill and many other schools and academies.

Students go to lessons in the subjects they still have exams to sit.

But it isn't just the students who feel the stress of exam season.

Sandra Paley, deputy head teacher at Toot Hill, said staff had been busy making sure pupils are prepared.

She said: "We give different levels of support, depending on the student.

"We have been offering lunchtime and after-school revision sessions and also some one-to-one support.

"It's about making sure they are organised and know what they need to do and when."

IT had been 16 years. That's 16 long years – or half of my life in fact – since I had sat a GCSE maths paper.

So imagine my fear when I sat down with a copy of one of last summer's exams.

I did so with the knowledge that I gained a C grade way back in 1997. Surely I could manage to get the same again. Or could I?

I turned the paper over and, to my surprise, I was confronted with what I found to be a fairly simple question.

It was a pictogram showing how different people prefer certain modes of transport. I quickly answered questions relating to it, including how many people travelled by car and how many more people use a bus than a tram.

In fact I sailed through the first few questions, though I didn't obtain full marks with my bar chart, more through carelessness than anything else.

Among the other questions was a table showing the number of cakes sold by a shop over five weekdays. I successful worked out the mean number, as well as the amount of profit made from the supplied information.

Then I began to come unstuck on a question about the most suitable data collection methods for finding out how many people preferred a new road route in a hypothetical situation. It was a case of over-complicating things as the answers were an interview or a questionnaire. Perhaps as a journalist I should have known better.

All in all, I felt perfectly capable of doing the exam. I had gone into it knowing the maximum mark for that paper was a C, and that's exactly what I managed.

We asked ten people to answer the following question:

Here are six numbers: 14, 14, 15, 18, 21, 24. Why is 14 the mode?

Of the ten, eight provided the right answer - that 14 is the most common number.

THE respiratory service at Nottingham Children's Hospital provides a service for a wide range of respiratory conditions.

We provide services for the East Midlands and care for a range of complex respiratory conditions.

Our team consists of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists, social workers, school teachers and play specialists – all of whom provide a unified and comprehensive service based on high standards of care for the children and young people.

We see children with a variety of conditions such as a chronic cough, asthma, cystic fibrosis and sleep-disordered breathing.

An important part of the work we do focuses on health education – specifically smoking. We will often have discussions with parents and young people, using a non-judgemental approach, about the effects of smoking.

While we respect that everyone has a right to privacy and to make their own choices, all children, in particular children with respiratory conditions, should not be exposed to cigarette smoke.

Since the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places, a study in Scotland has shown a reduction in hospital admissions for children.

There is strong evidence to support that smoking in pregnancy is associated with wheezing in pre-school children. Smoking can also cause children to be prone to ear infections and they are more likely to have allergies.

If you need help and support to give up smoking there are many services available to you, such as the free confidential NHS service New Leaf which operates across Nottinghamshire.

You can also contact your local GP who can provide help and further advice. However, some useful tips that we give are:

If you do smoke, do not smoke in the house.

Be honest and open with your doctors and nurses if you do smoke because they can provide you with advice and information to get some help.

Teenagers with asthma or any other respiratory condition who may smoke can also get the appropriate help. However it is important for young people and parents to discuss this with a health care professional.

If you have a child on long-term oxygen it is dangerous for anyone to smoke in the house or anywhere near the oxygen.

A HEROIN addict burglar, who turned to crime at 12, has been jailed for breaking in the house of a man while he was at home.

Adam Haywood took a PlayStation 3 computer and three games from a house in Collison Street, Hyson Green, on April 6.

He fled, abandoning a flat-screen TV set, when he realised there was someone home. The occupier was in bed watching television at 12.15am.

Hearing a loud bang downstairs, he went to investigate, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

His was shocked to discover his back door open and his television in the kitchen.

Jim Metcalf, prosecuting, said: "A neighbour came round and said he saw a man run off in the direction of Birkin Avenue. Police went to the address and searched it and found a PlayStation and some computer games in Adam Haywood's room."

Haywood, 23, of Birkin Avenue, was arrested the following Wednesday, April 10, and admitted the offence, saying he committed it to pay for drugs.

The PlayStation and three games were returned to the owner.

At court, he pleaded guilty to the burglary and asked for two other burglaries, in Player Street, Radford, and Oldknow Street, Hyson Green, to be taken in to consideration. Recorder Mark Wall QC sentenced him to three years in jail, of which he will serve half and spend the rest on licence.

He told Haywood: "You have pleaded guilty to an offence of burglary in April this year and admitted two other offences you ask me to take into consideration.

"The burglary is a serious burglary, as you are well aware. It happened at night time, with the occupier in bed, who was disturbed by the sound of you moving about downstairs. Fortunately, the item you stole were recovered afterwards.

"You have a large number of previous convictions and, in particular, you are a prolific dwelling house burglar."

Haywood qualified for a minimum three-year custodial sentence under the Government's "three strikes and you're out" policy because he already has three burglary convictions.

He also has convictions for violence and burglaries.

Emma Coverley, for Haywood, said his first five convictions happened when he was aged 12 or 13. He was also expelled from school when he was 13.

"Something has clearly gone substantially wrong in his life if, as a child, he is appearing before the court on several occasions," she said.

YOU can see it from miles around and, along with the Market Square, it is an icon that sums up the city.

It transcends politics, and can justifiably claim to be a symbol of struggles for freedom. More than any council chamber, it should be for the people .

It isn't for the people at the Heritage Lottery Fund, though. Not yet, anyway.

The panel of the great and the good who sit and deliberate over applications for lottery funding have decided that a bid for more than £15 million to help drag Nottingham Castle into tourism's 21st century isn't an immediate priority.

Which is a pity, considering the shabby state the Castle is, and has been, in for years.

It's a question probably destined to remain unanswered, but you do wonder why what ought to be an historic tourism magnet and a proud symbol of ancient freedoms fought and won has been neglected for so long.

You wonder, too, whether it might have fared better under different stewardship.

Along with the likes of Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey, it is owned by Nottingham City Council.

The logic of the joint ownership of these cultural jewels is that they can be looked after by a public body and promoted under one marketing strategy.

Easier said than done, of course, when that public body is under pressure to tackle festering sores like deprivation and educational under-achievement.

Spending a few million on re-gilting an ancient ceiling or re-plastering intricate cornices doesn't really do much for poor school results.

And to be blunt, there are few votes to be had showering financial blessings on Newstead Abbey, which isn't even in Nottingham.

Would it not have been better if these historic monuments had been passed on to the likes of English Heritage or the National Trust?

These options have been explored in the past, but the scale of the work needed to bring some of them up to scratch means it would probably have been a sale where we paid them, rather than the other way round.

Which leaves the Castle Working Party beating a path to the door of the Heritage Lottery Fund. So, one set of the great and the good trying to convince another.

The HLF's great and good probably take some convincing. They include several ex-BBC executives, people with service on the Arts Council, English Heritage, the National Trust, several consultants, a former investment banker, even a professor of conflict and culture (who ought to be interested in the Castle).

While you wouldn't necessarily expect the HLF's trustees to cover every corner of this sceptred isle, the usual regional suspects are in there: London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Yorkshire, West Midlands.

Still, this shouldn't stand in the way of a good bid – the HLF has an East Midlands regional committee (which, ironically, has its offices on Castle Gate).

And the Castle Working Party is led by people who know the way this particular world works.

We don't know for sure why the bid was rejected by the HLF this time round, though there were mutterings of too many bids, not enough money to go round, do call again.

But for an application to stand any chance it has to be given a high priority by the regional committee – without that, those great and good trustees are unlikely to give it a second glance.

It will be November before the Castle Working Party can submit another bid, and on the positive side, the HLF has at least asked them to do so. We'll get a useful indication of which way the decision might go when the HLF publishes the detailed minutes of the meeting at which it decided to reject the bid, as it usually indicates how much priority it will give an application in the future.

Whatever happens, it will be this time next year before we find out whether the Castle has got the funding it so desperately needs.

Another year may be small beer for a landmark which has stood sentinel for centuries. But it has taken too long to sort the Castle out, far too long.

Having to pay to get in to a symbol of popular freedoms seems both ironic and ambitious (though I'd happily make voluntary donations), and the story it currently tells is a pale shadow of the rich and significant history it has been witness to.

Which is why rejection is not something the proposed City of Rebels should be comfortable with. When the Castle Working Party submits its bid again in November, I'd suggest it encloses a taut bow and sharpened arrow. With, of course, the very best regards from Nottingham…

JOB-SEEKERS are being warned of a scam offer of work which could leave them out of pocket. It comes after one unemployed man phoned to inquire about what seemed to be a genuine advertisement for a bar job in Nottingham. Instead, Christopher Murphy found he was calling a premium phone line, racked up a £57 bill and had his phone cut off for being unable to pay it.

It might seem like a small scale fraud against a few people but it all adds up to one big fraud.

mof_gedling

I concur. It's all very well "warning" us about all of these scams; it would be a great deal more helpful if the authorities traced those responsible and took action to prevent them from doing it again. The various law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system are tasked with holding people accountable for their unlawful or criminal behaviour, not simply issuing a warning to potential victims and turning their collective backs.

Copperjohn3

Some people are living in difficult situations and unfortunately there are people out there who will exploit this via modern technology, eg online registrations, job websites, online applications, organisations selling training courses, etc

roundabout

Bit of useful info: Beware. Watch out for 070 codes. They look like mobile phone numbers, but can cost up to 50p a minute; 070 phone numbers are intended to act as a forwarding service – known as personal numbers; they divert calls to the owner's location. However, because they are easy to mistake for mobile phone numbers, some criminals use them to try to con you into calling them and making money out of it. If you receive a missed call from an 070 number, do not call it back.

sicofit

NEWLY-PROMOTED Cardiff City are looking to make Lewis McGugan one of their first signings of the summer. The talismanic midfielder is out of contract in the summer and, while Billy Davies is keen to keep him at Nottingham Forest, he is set to be offered the chance to test himself in the Premier League.

"I think McGugan would benefit from a move. He has never consistently showed the form needed to be a top player, he does it in fits and starts and you never know which player you are going to get on the day. I know he's a lot of people's favourite, but he either changes his attitude or moves on.

corbymac

Deputy Leader: JOYCE BOSNJAK

Seat: Mansfield North

Biography: Councillor Bosnjak served as deputy leader of the opposition for the Labour party since 2009. She has previously been cabinet member for Children and Young People's Services, Grant Aid review committee, and community safety when Labour were in control of the council.

Personnel Committee Chair: SHEILA PLACE

Seat: Blyth and Harworth

Biography: Councillor Place was first elected to the council in 1997 and was a full-time carer before this. She has also been a governor at Langold Dyscarr and Serlby Park schools and has chaired Safer Neighbourhood committees in Bassetlaw.

Pensions Committee Chair: STELLA SMEDLEY

Seat: Ollerton

Biography: Councillor Smedley is one of the longest serving county councillors having represented Ollerton since 1977 and was given an MBE for her services to Local Government in June 2010. She has previously served as shadow portfolio holder for Transport and Highways.

Adult Social Care Committee Chair: MURIEL WEISZ

Seat: Arnold South

Biography: Councillor Weisz was elected to the council in the 2013 election and has previously worked as a director of Nottingham Family Care and for the Nottingham Arthritis Self Help Group. She is also a Gedling Borough councillor for the Porchester ward in Mapperley.

Children and Young People Committee Chair: JOHN PECK

Seat: Rufford

Biography: Councillor Peck was elected to Notts County Council in a by-election in September 2012 and has a background in education.

Environment and Sustainability Committee Chair: JIM CREAMER

Seat: Carlton West

Biography: Councillor Creamer also sits on Gedling Borough Council for Carlton Hill and is cabinet member for the environment there. He previously served as the shadow portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability, as well as sitting on the Communities and Environment Standing Committee.

Finance and Property Committee Chair: DAVID KIRKHAM

Seat: Sutton in Ashfield Central

Biography: Councillor Kirkham was first elected to the council in 1989 and was the leader of the authority until 2009 when he lost his seat. He took over as leader in 2005 after previous leader Mick Warner was deselected by the Labour party. He was reelected in 2013 when he won the Sutton-in-Ashfield Central seat.

Transport and Highways Committee Chair: KEVIN GREAVES

Seat: Worksop West

Biography: Councillor Greaves was first elected to the council in 2010 at a by-election in Worksop West which saw Labour gain the seat from the Conservative party. He has been the opposition spokesman on Transport and Highways for the past couple of years. He also owns two businesses in the Worksop area.

Economic Development Committee Chair: DIANA MEALE

Seat: Mansfield West

Biography: Councillor Meale is married to Mansfield MP Sir Alan Meale. She is a governor at Vision West Nottinghamshire and the University of Lincoln and previously led the regeneration function of the East Midlands Development Agency and has worked in regeneration within the private sector.

Culture Committee Chair: JOHN KNIGHT

Seat: Kirkby in Ashfield North

Biography: Councillor Knight is the current leader of Ashfield District Council and was formerly the Shadow Portfolio holder for Culture and Community. During the last four years, he has sat on the Communities and Environment committee.

Community Safety Committee Chair: GLYNN GILFOYLE

Seat: Worksop East

Biography: Councillor Gilfoyle has served as a county councillor since 1997 and has served as the shadow portfolio holder for Finance and Property and also served as the vice-chair for the Nottinghamshire Police Authority. Before this, Glynn was cabinet member for Community Safety and during this time he oversaw the council working with community groups, police and other external providers.

Health Scrutiny Committee Chair: KATE FOALE

Seat: Beeston South and Attenborough

Biography: Councillor Foale has served as a school governor for 20 years and as an adult education lecturer, a voluntary sector manager and a business support officer. Until 2006, she was a development officer in the regeneration division of Notts County Council.

A NOTTINGHAM cinema company has outlined a vision to expand its operations.

Savoy Cinemas, which currently runs three cinemas across Notts and Lincolnshire, including the historic Savoy in Derby Road, Lenton, wants to grow its portfolio to up to 12 outlets.

It has now enlisted the help of chartered surveyors to identify potential sites for new cinemas.

James Collington, managing director of Savoy Cinemas Ltd, said: "Ultimately we would love to have a dozen or so venues, but each potential opportunity will be judged on an individual basis as we go along.

"Quality is the key factor. We are specifically looking for town and city centre sites within a 100-miles radius of Nottingham, although suitable edge of town sites may be considered.

"Now is an opportune time. The industry has fared very well recently and we want to push the pace of our expansion."

He added: "Each cinema typically needs a team of about 20 people, so we will also be investing in jobs."

The independent cinema company currently runs the Savoy Cinema in Lenton, as well as other cinemas in Worksop and Boston, Lincolnshire.

No details of potential new cinema sites have yet been identified.

Savoy Cinemas Ltd, however, told the Post last December that it had started investigating whether a new cinema could be opened up at the Giltbrook Retail Park.

Richard Robinson, who is Broxtowe borough councillor for Kimberley and Cossall, has been campaigning for the idea to become reality.

He has collected around 2,000 signatures in favour of the plan in the last six months, and is hoping to meet with cinema and retail park bosses next month to discuss the plan further.

Mr Robinson said: "There's an overwhelming desire for a cinema there, with people saying they want it.

"Adding a cinema would give a whole new dimension."

It is believed any cinema plan at Giltbrook Retail Park would have to be created within the Decathlon store.

A spokesperson for the retail park has previously told the Post there are no plans to add a cinema there.

Lincoln-based chartered surveyor Banks Long and Co has been asked to identify suitable sites for expansion of Savoy Cinemas' business.

Director Tim Bradford said: "We work well with Savoy and

have a clear understanding of Mr Collington's requirements.

"The time is right for him to actively expand the company into locations which have immediate catchment populations of over 40,000 people.

"We are looking for regeneration sites throughout the Midlands and Northern England."

THE police and fire service are set to move out of their city centre stations.

The emergency services are looking to leave their city centre stations in Shakespeare Street, with a new fire station to be built elsewhere in the city.

The police are looking to find a new building they can share with the council – similar to the hub that has been set up in West Bridgford.

It will mean the end of the Central Police Station and Central Fire Station which have been standing since the early 1940s.

The reason for the sale of the old buildings is that they have become too expensive to maintain and are in need of extensive refurbishment which would cost millions of pounds.

Head of procurement and estates for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service Ian Pritchard said: "The sale of this prime city centre site would avoid the need of an expensive refurbishment of the current building and helps pay for a new purpose-built fire station designed to meet the latest operational needs of the fire service."

The Post has previously reported that the new fire station could be built off London Road.

Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said he was keen to see a police presence in the city and is looking at sites with the city council.

He added: "While Central Police Station has been a landmark building for many years, it is now outdated and no longer financially viable.

"We are currently considering a number of city centre locations and working with the city council to try to identify a property suitable for running an integrated service centre which will be easy for the public to access.

"Given the financial situation, we need to ensure the most effective solution."

Following the sale, the buildings will be demolished and redeveloped.

Nottingham City Council's deputy leader Graham Chapman said: "We have a long-held aspiration to see the site redeveloped alongside our plans for the Guildhall.

"New developments on this prime city centre site will bring jobs during construction and in the long term which is one of the city council's top priorities."

The area around the police and fire station has undergone significant redevelopment, with offices being built for energy company E.on.

Discussions are also taking place about the redevelopment of the Guildhall, which was formerly used by the city council and housed the city's magistrates courts.

AN ACADEMY is to build a £3.5 million teaching block to help it cope with increasing student numbers.

Toot Hill School in Bingham is already oversubscribed by nearly 100 students.

And with more homes being built around the town in the coming years, bosses say it is vital more room is created.

The new block, which has been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council, will have 22 classrooms and catering facilities.

Rob Whiteley, senior deputy head teacher, said: "This is a very important move for us.

"We are already over capacity, so this new building will have a big impact on life at the school. It is a very positive move."

The academy's capacity is currently 1,588. It has 1,670 on the roll, which is likely to increase in September.

The rise in pupil numbers is partly because more families from the Newark area are choosing to send their children there.

"We have a policy not to turn any student away," added Mr Whiteley.

The academy is currently deciding which contractor will build the block, with work set to start in the summer.

Students will move in there by September next year.

It will be built on a field alongside Bingham Leisure Centre, which backs on to the existing academy building.

It hasn't yet been decided what subject areas will move in there, but it won't be any that need specialist classrooms like the sciences.

The academy is receiving £3 million from the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund for the work, with the remaining £500,000 coming from the coffers of the Torch Academy Gateway Trust which runs it.

The fund is run by the Department for Education and academies looking for building work must apply for money.

Mr Whiteley said: "We will have 22 classrooms and a catering area.

"This is a very exciting time for us."

Barrie Thomas, chairman of the Torch Academy Gateway Trust said: "The new building is an exciting opportunity for Toot Hill School.

"With new state-of-the-art facilities, we can continue to offer outstanding education to our children for the future."

Alan Marshall, 68, who lives in Bingham, said the move will be good news for the town.

He said: "It is a good school and people in the area need to be able to send their kids there.

"This is the only way they can make sure that happens."

Bingham county councillor Martin Suthers said: "We are delighted with this news. It will be great for people in Bingham. It is a very good school."

JAMIE Starbuck travelled to more than 70 countries and cities using his dead wife's money in just two-and-a-half years.

His killed his wife, Debbie Starbuck, on April 24, 2010, and then rapidly began making arrangements to go around the world.

In one e-mail he lied as he wrote: "My wife and I are going travelling and looking at ways of holding our mail".

Within 48 hours of killing Debbie, Starbuck was making the arrangements to flee the country, booking himself a one-way flight to Amsterdam.

He sent e-mails purporting to be from his wife and enclosed wedding photos to friends. He even cancelled an appointment she had made the following week with her counsellor.

He arranged for mail to be redirected from their address and sold their Citroen car, before catching his flight to Amsterdam on May 25.

He began travelling around Europe, going from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, in Holland, Antwerp in Belgium, and on to Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Alicante and back to Barcelona.

From there he went to Catania, located on the eastern coast of Sicily at the foot of Mount Etna, and into Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, then Greece and parts of Turkey, before a long-haul flight to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

By November the following year he had travelled from the north to the south of India, flown to Bangkok, Singapore and then to Cape Town and Johannesburg.

He travelled from South Africa to New York and Mexico, through central America and the Caribbean to Cambodia, where he visited the famous Buddhist temple of Angkor Wat, and to Peru, where he stopped off at the Machu Picchu, a 15th-Century Inca site located 2,430 metres above sea level.

He left there earlier this year on a flight bound for Heathrow where police were waiting.

A CHARTERED accountant who fraudulently claimed £153,000 has been locked up for 18 months.

Ronald Moncrieff claimed fictitious expenses in his own tax returns as well as falsifying returns on behalf of his wife and son.

He also claimed expenses for work he said was done by sub contractors.

But when he was investigated it was found that he never employed any.

The 65-year-old was snared when HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) did a routine check on his claims and realised there were irregularities.

When they asked him for the details of the sub-contractors who he claimed had been working for him, he never responded.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of completing false tax returns at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday .

The court heard he claimed £153,000 over a period of seven years before he was caught in October last year.

Jailing him yesterday, Judge John Milmo said: "It wasn't an isolated incident. You have carried out the fraud over [seven] years and only have yourself to blame.

"I would be doing the taxpayer an injustice if I didn't impose an immediate custodial sentence."

When suspicions were raised, HMRC officials raided Moncrieff's home in Freda Close, Carlton.

During the raid, documents were uncovered which proved he had overstated his expenses and understated his sales to reduce his tax liability.

Gary Lampon, assistant director of investigation for HMRC, said: "Moncrieff abused his position of trust as a chartered accountant and exploited his family by using their names in a bid to conceal the fraud.

"He may have thought that his professional knowledge made his criminal activity undetectable, but he was wrong."

The court heard Moncrieff has repaid £65,000 from the proceeds of his crime.

Confiscation proceedings are ongoing to reclaim the remaining £88,000 as well as £18,000 in interest.

THE police and fire service are set to move out of their city centre stations.

The emergency services are looking to leave their city centre stations in Shakespeare Street, with a new fire station to be built elsewhere in the city.

The police are looking to find a new building they can share with the council – similar to the hub that has been set up in West Bridgford.

It will mean the end of the Central Police Station and Central Fire Station which have been standing since the early 1940s.

The reason for the sale of the old buildings is that they have become too expensive to maintain and are in need of extensive refurbishment which would cost millions of pounds.

Head of procurement and estates for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service Ian Pritchard said: "The sale of this prime city centre site would avoid the need of an expensive refurbishment of the current building and helps pay for a new purpose-built fire station designed to meet the latest operational needs of the fire service."

The Post has previously reported that the new fire station could be built off London Road.

Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said he was keen to see a police presence in the city and is looking at sites with the city council.

He added: "While Central Police Station has been a landmark building for many years, it is now outdated and no longer financially viable.

"We are currently considering a number of city centre locations and working with the city council to try to identify a property suitable for running an integrated service centre which will be easy for the public to access.

"Given the financial situation, we need to ensure the most effective solution."

Following the sale, the buildings will be demolished and redeveloped.

Nottingham City Council's deputy leader Graham Chapman said: "We have a long-held aspiration to see the site redeveloped alongside our plans for the Guildhall.

"New developments on this prime city centre site will bring jobs during construction and in the long term which is one of the city council's top priorities."

The area around the police and fire station has undergone significant redevelopment, with offices being built for energy company E.on.

Discussions are also taking place about the redevelopment of the Guildhall, which was formerly used by the city council and housed the city's magistrates courts.

RADCLIFFE Olympic Ladies football club drew 2-2 against the Paralympic GB deaf women's squad in a well-attended friendly yesterday.

The Radcliffe team, which was set up in 1999 and coached since Christmas by Sam Winch, is aiming for promotion next season.

Head coach Mr Winch said women's football was now the third biggest sport in the country after men's football and men's cricket.

Speaking before the game, which was held at Bilborough College yesterday afternoon, he said: "Our season has just finished and we thought what a great way to raise awareness about our squad than to hold a high profile match against the Paralympic GB deaf team.

"Women's football is massively on the rise in this country with more and more people getting involved, both playing and watching.

"But the issue for us is that we don't have any financial backing from the FA or big sponsors at the moment because we aren't yet in the premier league.

"Our big aim is to get promoted, but in the mean time we want to raise as much awareness as possible and get as many sponsors on board as we can."

Radcliffe Olympic LFC is currently in the Midlands Combination league with the likes of Stoke City and Leicester City – but is aiming to gain promotion to the premier league for women, the division above their current one.

Sam added: "We have a great mixture of youth and experience on our team, ranging from 16-year-old growing stars to early 30s ladies.

"Our aim is ambitious. But we recently played Forest ladies who are in the league above us and we only lost 2-0, showing we aren't miles apart. And I have hopes to raise the training sessions from once to twice a week which will help us more."

The match between the Paralympic team and Radcliffe came about after one of the players, Sarah Green, who used to coach the squad, was contacted by the GB team's head coach who suggested a friendly.

Sam added: "The GB squad has no association with the FA either, so they don't get any funding from there. Any publicity for either team is great."

CHILDREN, parents and pensioners are mourning the loss of a community centre set to be sold off by Nottingham City Council.

The Sixways centre, in Denton Green, Broxtowe, was managed by Broxtowe Partnership Trust.

But the trust dissolved at the end of March and now the council plans to transfer the centre's ownership and management to another organisation.

The centre, which has been closed since March, has played host to a range of events for all ages over the years, including youth clubs, football training sessions and summer holiday activities.

It also hosted popular events like the annual Broxtowe's Got Talent contest and an Easter parade.

Among the groups that used the centre were Young at Heart, a group for pensioners who came together to eat lunch and socialise together. The group has now had to move to the Hope Centre, in Woodfield Road, after three years at the Sixways centre. One member, who did not want to be named, said: "We do miss it. We so enjoyed it.

"There were some people from this community that don't get out otherwise. I think it's a good building and it could be put to so much good use."

A mum who lives in nearby Lindfield Road had been sending her seven-year-old daughter to play at the centre in the holidays since she started school. She said: "I'd have to find another playgroup if that one went. It was good. It was near to my house and it was free."

On Friday, an event was held at the centre to explain the tendering process to interested parties.

Councillor Graham Chapman, deputy leader of the city council, said: "I'm fairly anxious to get things going. We're looking for people with some local links and local involvement that understand the area. We're looking for somebody that's going to reanimate the centre."

Mr Chapman also said that the council wanted to find groups to run activities in the centre over the summer while the tendering process was taking place.

Mark Bowyer, Broxtowe Partnership Trust's former manager, declined to comment.

A BUS company has donated more than £3,000 to a football club to help its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Nottingham City Transport gave the money to Clifton All Whites to cover the costs of a charity cycle ride from Paris to Nottingham to boost the club's floodlight appeal.

The All Whites have historically been one of the most successful clubs in the country, nurturing stars such as Andy Cole, Darren Huckerby, Jermaine Jenas and Viv Anderson.

The £3,375 donated by NCT covered the costs of the charity ride, including hotels, insurance, support vehicle and ferry crossings – which would otherwise have had to be paid for by the club and might have jeopardised the whole event.

"It's great news that Nottingham City Transport has continued to show its support for the club," said club manager Martyn Cheatle.

"It's not just Clifton All Whites that will benefit from this event but a number of other charities that we are a riding for, and without this funding I don't think this ride would take place."

Nottingham City Transport has been serving the Clifton area for more than 60 years.

The company commemorated the anniversary last year with a special diamond jubilee bus, with 69-year-old local litter-picking hero Michael Chandley pictured on the back.

Marketing manager Anthony Carver-Smith said: "NCT has sponsored the Clifton All Whites for a couple of years, as we recognise the important role they play in the community."

"It's fantastic to see the club raising funds in such an inspiring way as this amazing cycle ride and we were happy play a part."

The club is celebrating throughout July and is throwing a big party on July 13, with a Clifton All Whites v Forest Legends football match the following day.

The festivities will begin on July 13 at 2pm and, as part of the celebrations, the team of ten riders will be arriving back at the event, having completed the last leg of their epic ride from Paris.

NCT will be presenting a special 50th anniversary year bus to the club in July to mark its birthday and will be attending the celebrations on both days.

To find out more about the charity bike ride from Paris to Nottingham and discover how to donate, log on to www.kismet.org.uk

BEESTON'S weekly market is returning after a break of more than a year.

The former Willoughby Street market shut down at the start of May last year because of the site's poor condition.

From next Monday, a mixture of craft, food and retail stalls will be in the town square from 9am to 5pm each week, excluding bank holidays.

The market will be run by a not-for-profit organisation called Stall-it, which hopes to bring new people into the town and help independent retailers reach a wider audience.

Director Carly Collingwood said: "This is the perfect solution because the market that was being held 12 months ago on Willoughby Street was not suitable because a lot of work and money needed to be invested to bring it up to the required standard. It is obvious to many people in Beeston that we need a market and I have spent the last year trying to get this one off the ground.

"There were restrictions about using the main square but we managed to get these lifted by working with Broxtowe Borough Council.

"This will be a big fixture for the town and it will bring a great atmosphere to the area and, in time, we hope that we can expand it out. We have at least 20 stalls already signed up and we accept any business apart from those selling alcohol."

The market has been set up to be as cost-effective as possible for the businesses taking part.

Companies will have to provide their own stalls and it will cost £10 for a 10ft by 10ft pitch for the day.

Chocolatier Emma Ward, of Emma Lauren Chocolates, said "I have just started my business up and this is the perfect opportunity for me.

"Having a weekly market is a fantastic idea and the location is a really big pulling factor.

"I am hoping that I will get a lot of passing trade."

Card maker Tracy Francis, of Beeston, said: "It is really important to try and keep independent businesses going.

"This is a fantastic idea and I am looking forward to seeing it. Once the tram is up and running, that will hopefully bring more people to a proper established market."

Beeston Business Improvement District manager Stephanie Wilkinson said: "We want this market to complement the existing businesses in the town and provide something extra.

"In the past, our craft shows and farming markets have gone down well and we hope that this weekly market will bring people into the area.

"When our previous market vanished a year ago, it was a real shame but a lot of people will welcome this new one in a more central location."

NURSING on Loxley Ward at the City Hospital can be challenging.

The ward deals mostly with women's cancers and for Terri Campion, an auxillary nurse from Bestwood, the relationships formed with patients can be amazing.

The 26-year-old said: "It is really rewarding here. I enjoy talking to the ladies and some of them have really good conversations with you. Some of the ladies even come in and see you after.

"It's great when you send them on their way. We have had some really young people in with ovarian cancer and to see how relieved they are after is quite incredible."

Sarah Whyley is the acting ward sister at Loxley.

The Hucknall nurse has been working at the hospital for 22 years.

She said: "It is absolutely great to give some recognition for the work that nurses do.

"It is quite nice to say we actually do a great job – it is a really good opportunity to show what we do.

She said the cake was "a lovely big surprise" that had given the Saturday morning shift a lift. "The team are absolutely fantastic.

"Shifts can be really difficult but we pull together to help everyone out."

Isabel Colton has been on the ward for seven weeks. The 45-year-old had her second ovarian cancer removed successfully.

She said: "I've got nothing but praise. The care is excellent and the staff are wonderful. I've been here for seven weeks and I feel at home. It is great seeing them recognised for their work."