A SOLDIER who lost both his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan has declared Armed Forces Day a time for celebration.

Nathan Cumberland, 28, from Newark, now gets around on prosthetic limbs after the blast in Helmand Province while on his third tour of duty in 2009.

After the trauma, the Guards lance-sergeant married his fiancee Rachael and the couple now have a son, two-year-old Harry.

Nathan won't be in Nottingham for the national event on June 29 as it coincides with his 300-mile fundraising bike ride to Paris in aid of military charities. But he will be there in spirit.

"It has to be a time of celebration," he said. "It is a big day to raise awareness of what the Armed Forces do."

Nathan was in the Army for ten years. As a soldier in the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, he took part in Trooping the Colour in celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday.

In Afghanistan he was injured after stepping on an explosive device while leading a reconnaissance patrol in Taliban territory.

Amidst enemy fire, he overcame excruciating pain to order his eight-man patrol to take cover and return fire. Once safe Nathan was airlifted to the Camp Bastion base for emergency surgery. He lost his left leg below the knee and right leg above the knee. So far he has had 21 operations on his legs and contracted MRSA seven times.

After treatment in Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, he stayed at Headley Court, a rehabilitation centre for injured Navy, Army and RAF personnel.

He said: "You can't keep feeling down about things – the military has been there for hundreds of years and you can't feel sorry for yourself.

"It's a time to celebrate – this is from an injured guy. I have this horrific injury but I'm not letting it beat me," added Nathan, who since leaving the Army has set up his own company buying and letting property.

"I was proud to serve – I don't regret anything."

A Concert for Courage is being staged at the Royal Concert Hall on Friday July 12 at 7.30pm.

The Opera Dudes – Tim Lole and Neil Allen, from Nottingham – will be performing and there will be performances from Carlton Male Voice Choir and Notts Band of the Royal Engineers.

The event is in aid of ABF The Soldiers' Charity. Tickets, £15, are available from the Concert Hall on 0115 989 5555 or www.trch.co.uk.

A MAKE-UP artist who got a ticking-off when police mistook his fake severed hand for the real thing has achieved internet stardom.

Patrick Plummer was left red-faced when the rubber hand attracted the attention of the police after he left it in St Paul's Avenue, Hyson Green, earlier this month.

He had put the prop in the road for a joke to amuse his nieces, but was shocked when police officers cordoned off the street after being alerted by neighbours.

His story has since made national and international news – and has even led to interest from a first aid training company looking for more realistic sessions.

Singleton Associates read about Patrick on the website of a national newspaper and left a comment for him on the Post website.

He is now in talks with the Lincoln-based firm about possibly helping them to create lifelike injuries for their courses.

Patrick, 34, said: "Although it's been a little strange, it's been a great experience.

"I'm really happy people are interested; I never really expected this sort of attention."

Police eventually saw the funny side and confiscated the hand.

Patrick makes severed limbs from casts, latex rubber, cotton wool and paint as a hobby at his home in Elton Close, near St Paul's Avenue.

He first became interested in how special effects and props work through his love of horror movies.

His story ended up in several national newspapers and websites, cropping up in the news as far away as Pakistan and America.

Singleton Associates office manager Glenda Minns said: "In our courses we have people learning how to treat fractures, burns and gashes and use productions to make it real – but sometimes you can't get very realistic ones from places like joke shops.

"Patrick is everywhere now and after we saw his story we thought we'd get in touch because the hand looked so lifelike."

Patrick added: "A lot of people I know have been talking about it and when I've been shopping in the supermarket people have been saying 'hey I saw you in the paper'.

"I'm happy people are interested. No film or TV work has come up yet though – that what would be really nice."

NOTTS police have seen nearly 100 reports of sightings of aliens, monsters, werewolves, zombies and witches over the last three years.

The most calls asking for police to attend reports of scary creatures come from St Ann's and Sneinton, with 24 reports in 2012, according to a Freedom of Information request.

In 2010 there were 17 supernatural alarm calls throughout the city and county, followed by 31 in 2011 and 49 last year.

Notts Police attended less than half of these calls last year - only responding to 13 incidents out of the 49 called in.

After St Ann's and Sneinton which have clocked up 43 'monster' calls over the last three years, the second most spooked area is Carlton and Netherfield, from where eight calls have been received by police over the last three years, followed by Canning Circus where seven calls were received.

Jessica Gladwin owns Dusk Till Dawn ghost-hunting company, which is based in Chilwell. It organises tours of haunted venues throughout the UK and people who go along regularly report that they have seen some sort of paranormal activity.

Mrs Gladwin said she thinks that people are becoming more and more open-minded about other-worldly beings.

She said: "I personally saw a ghost in 2010 on one of our tours at the Galleries of Justice.

"It was a man, with a horrible grimace on his face, just staring at me. Usually for a spirit there can be a horrible smell, like sewers, and that happened before he appeared.

"I have seen an increase in the number of people susceptible to seeing spirits because people seem to be coming more and more open minded. I'm not surprised that the police have seen an increase in reports."

Over the last three years no one has been charged with wasting police time in relation to any of the calls referring to other-worldly beings in Notts.

Inspector Andy Hyslop of Notts Police said: "Some of the figures could be misleading as they are without context. For example, there have been occasions where reports including the word 'witchcraft' have been made by a persistent caller who was suffering with mental health issues.

"Another caller who made two calls relating to the term UFO had alcohol and mental health issues.

"In another example, we had records of the word ghost being used but some of those were reporting burglaries in which the word related to a brand of perfume or bicycle which was taken."

He added that Notts Police made sure they were responding appropriately.

"It would not be safe to have a non-attendance policy for these types of incidents as some may be mental health related or genuine concerns from potentially vulnerable persons," he said.

"The National Standards of Incident Recording place a responsibility on the force control room to assess threat, risk, harm, identify repeat victims and vulnerable victims and we in turn then assess whether attendance is required and grade any response according to our Nottinghamshire Police Graded Response Policy."

Over the last three years no one has been charged with wasting police time in relation to any of the calls referring to other-worldly beings in Notts.

A THUG who bit off part of a doorman's lip during a gang attack on him and his colleagues had his sentence reduced by top judges.

Sean Pyatt, 22, bit through Meshach Small's lower lip as the doorman tried to restrain him during a frenzied brawl at Nottingham's Gatecrasher nightspot, London's Appeal Court heard yesterday.

Minutes earlier, Mr Small and a colleague had tried to eject Pyatt from the club following rising tensions between Pyatt and another club-goer, said Judge Neil Ford QC.

Pyatt and five others swarmed around Mr Small and a colleague, hurling punches and kicks in a vicious pack attack.

"Pyatt punched Mr Small and put him in a headlock," the judge told London's Appeal Court.

The doorman managed to break free but, at this point, Pyatt bit into his lower lip, said the judge, adding: "His teeth passed through the entire thickness of his lip and severed part of it."

The attackers finally fled – but were pursued and caught by the door staff, the court heard.

Surgeons later tried in vain to restore the missing section of Mr Small's lip.

Judge Ford said the doorman had been "badly affected" by the attack and was unable to return to his job.

Pyatt, of Stamford Street, Ilkeston, was jailed for six years at Nottingham Crown Court in October last year after admitting affray and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He challenged his jail term, saying it was excessive.

Judge Ford, sitting with Lord Justice Elias and Sir David Maddison, noted that biting effectively amounted to "using a weapon" and that the attack came close to the "gratuitous degradation of [the] victim".

But he concluded that six years was "manifestly excessive" in light of Pyatt's age and other factors. His sentence was cut to four and a half years.

PUPILS at Beeston Fields Primary School are now designer kids after Sir Paul Smith made their school tie.

The stripy "rainbow" tie was sketched by 11-year-old Margaret Metcalfe, after which Sir Paul added the finishing designer touches.

Margaret, a pupil in Year 6, said: "I did it because there are lots of different colours in school and people that come from different countries."

Margaret and her whole class went down to Paul Smith's offices in Covent Garden, London, to be personally presented with the tie by the fashion designer.

Sir Paul said: "Some of them had never left Nottingham before, let alone visited London, so we rented a coach for them and they came down to the studio."

Margaret said: "I was happy and speechless. I felt proud of myself. My mum was telling the whole street."

The Year 6 class decided they wanted a new tie last November and wrote to former pupil Sir Paul, who went to the school in Boundary Road in the 1950s and early 60s when it was a secondary modern for boys.

To the pupils' surprise, the globally renowned designer visited the school to help with the design process in March.

He chose four designs by Margaret Metcalfe, Cedrine Vashti, Jake Wakefield and Ruhana Thareen, all aged 11.

Teacher Caroline Milner explained: "He sent us eight designs with two mock-ups in different colourways for each design.

"We had a class debate and a vote to decide which one we wanted."

It turned out the chosen rainbow design was also Sir Paul's favourite. He said: "They thought a rainbow was appropriate as it touches on different people from different countries."

The winner is a vibrant orange, blue, red, yellow and purple stripy number.

Mrs Milner said: "It's the Paul Smith stripe but done in a childlike way. The children say it's the rainbow tie because our children are a rainbow of colour. They come from all around the world and 35 languages are spoken in the school."

The ties have been made by Stephen Walters & Sons, based in Suffolk, who make Sir Paul's designer ties.

He paid for the whole Year 6 class to visit his offices in London and also took them to nearby Somerset House.

Mrs Milner said: "Paul arranged for us to go up on to a balcony where the public aren't allowed."

Margaret, who now wants to be a fashion designer or a chef when she grows up, said: "He is really kind, giving and polite."

Fellow pupil Leah Haworth, 11, said: "Going to London was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

"I feel lucky to have my tie designed by him."

Mrs Milner believes that the tie project has taught the kids so much more than just how to make a tie.

She said: "It's now a relationship between the school and Paul. He sends pupils postcards from wherever he goes, they send him letters.

"They've been inspired and it's taught them that they can succeed. Paul has succeeded beyond wildest expectations and for the children to see him makes them realise what is possible in life."

REASSURANCES have been given over the discovery of a weed dubbed the "gardeners' plague" found on the roof of the Victoria Centre.

The Post reported on Monday how Japanese knotweed has been found on the Glasshouse Street side of the building.

The plant can grow by up to 10cm day and is notoriously difficult to kill.

Nottingham City Council says it has been found in the roof garden at the centre, and is now spending £30,000 to get rid of it.

Under lease agreements with the building's owners, Intu, the council is responsible for the roof garden and the block of flats above.

Intu said yesterday the problem had not affected the structure of the building.

A spokesman for the centre said: "The knotweed isn't causing any difficulties at Intu Victoria Centre as it is contained within planters on the roof of the building."

The weed is known to damage building foundations when it gets out of control as its root structure can span 21 cubic metres.

The city council originally put the planters on the roof to improve the area for residents, but says they have since become overgrown and unmanageable.

The weed was discovered in an inspection by a landscape architect.

A spokesman for the council said: "There are several planters with knotweed so they are being emptied out and the knotweed got rid of.

"We will consult with tenants about the best way to make the area look good.

"There are a few that have plants in them that are unaffected and these will remain."

The authority has contracted specialists TP Knotweed to remove the plant at a cost of £30,000.

John Kidger, secretary of Clifton Garden Holders' Association, said Japanese knotweed had been a problem at a number of allotments, including ones in Lenton, Sneinton, and Bulwell. He said: "Knotweed is the gardeners' plague. It's one of those things you really do not want. If there's a bit left it will be rampant again."

Stuart Dickinson, former chairman of the Windmill Gardens Allotment site in Bobber's Mill, said: "We had it here and it affected two plots. We had to evacuate the plots while they were treated. If you even tread on it, you can spread it."

Daniel Finegan, 49, who has lived in the Victoria Centre flats for 27 years, said he thought the work was a "waste of money" as the garden should have been better maintained.

BACK in the 1970s, thousands of lads coveted a Nottingham-made Raleigh Chopper.

It was their dream bicycle – and for some people, it still is.

Fan Chris Wimbledon has restored one to such a standard that it won a national award.

Chris won Britain's best Mk1 1972 Chopper at the Raleigh Chopper awards in Billing, Northamptonshire.

It was the second year running he had scooped the award.

The 19-year-old, who aims to be an Olympic BMX rider, restores old Raleigh cycles as a hobby – from rust heaps to their gleaming retro best.

He said: "The Choppers were tough because they were older and more specialised. They were four decades old and bought incomplete.

"Many folk would have left them for scrap but I knew I could repair and turn them into bright new things. It gives me a real buzz."

And the West Bridgford teenager, who works in a city centre cycle shop, is working at his BMX riding.

He said: "I have won many awards for racing BMXs. I keep training and competing so the Olympics are seriously in my sights."

Chris's dad Michael, who is a semi-retired civil servant, said: "There's a meeting every year and an awful lot of people who are into the Chopper gather and have an open day and run tours, rides and competitions.

"He renovated it to 'brand-new', if not better. He won the Gold Cup. It's the best Chopper in Britain.

"He's really up for going to the Olympics; he's always first out of the gates at races and he's noticed as being someone with potential."

Getting into bikes changed Chris's life. He broke his arm when starting Comprehensive school and did not attend.

Michael said: "There were issues with his medication and he lost his confidence but now he's got his job, he's winning races and he's recognised as someone with talent."

FIRE engines are set to be axed in two towns in a bid to save cash.

And the chief fire officer has said the cuts to West Bridgford and Arnold fire stations might not be the last this year.

Under the plans, the retained crew at Arnold and 12-hour appliance at West Bridgford will be cut as the service aims to find savings of £1.8 million.

People living in these areas told the Post they were worried the cuts could be dangerous.

Graphic artist Brian Maguire, 27, of Musters Road, West Bridgford, said: "I know there has to be cuts in the public sector, but they shouldn't affect frontline services.

"If we can't afford fire engines any more, then that's starting to get worrying. The last thing you want to happen is there not to be a fire engine when you need one."

And Mark Hammans, chairman of Arnold Business Forum, said: "I just hope they've done their homework and worked out the risk.

"It's a shame when it all comes down to is money. All it will take is one incident and people will think the wrong decision has been made."

The plans will see ten full-time equivalent staff leave West Bridgford – though these will not be compulsory redundancies – and 14 part-time retained firefighters axed.

Phil Coates, chairman of Notts Fire Brigade Union, said: "We're obviously disappointed – we've fought hard to save those pumps but the chief's hands are tied by the Government's cuts.