A NOTTS inventor has developed a PIN (personal identification number) system designed to protect people from cash machine fraud.

Graphic designer Glynn Reynolds, 35, came up with the idea after £7 was taken from his bank account.

Although he managed to cancel his card before too much was stolen, his friend, who lost £200 in a similar incident, was not so lucky.

He said: "It is too easy for people to steal money from you. You don't have to be a sophisticated criminal to steal money from the bank.

"I thought there has got to be a way of stopping this."

Unlike the current system, where users put in their numerical pin code, Glynn's system, called Tri-Pin, has three symbols on each button – a number, colour and a shape.

Their pin code is then made up of a combination of these symbols – for example pink, triangle, nine, diamond.

Each time the user reinserts their card into a machine the shapes and colours get shuffled, meaning that even if anyone saw you enter your pin it would be almost impossible to do it again using the same keys.

Glynn, of Sandringham Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, said: "It would take a bit of getting used to, but if people did it would be as quick as the current system.

"There are thousands and thousands of combinations, so it's unlikely the symbols will be in the same position next time."

Mr Reynolds submitted his idea to the Royal Bank of Scotland, which said that while it would achieve its purpose, it could have other vulnerabilities.

In an email to Mr Reynolds, head of ATM security Ben Birtwhistle said: "Whilst it could happen and generate a secure "peace of mind" for the user, the back-end systems would actually be much more susceptible to attack and the PIN itself more vulnerable. The crime of skimming would likely displace from physical devices at an ATM to that of a systems hack."

Mr Birtwhistle suggested that Glynn's Tri-Pin may have more success in the portable technology industry.

The system is now being integrated into a new One Safe app, which helps secure confidential information such as passwords and bank account details.

Matt Dixon, 36, a colleague of Glynn's at Grapevine Publishing, said: "It seems like quite a good idea. It is so simple that it is almost unbelievable that no one has thought of it before.

"I think it will be really popular."

Mr Reynolds added that if Tri-Pin takes off he would be "immensely proud." He said: "It would be one of the biggest achievements in my life."

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WITHIN five minutes of taking position where Fletcher Gate meets Victoria Street, I spied a black sports car taking a right turn into Carlton Street.

The driver appeared to know where he was going, but what he may not have known is that more than 10,000 people were fined for driving into Carlton Street last year.

And this street only accounts for three in ten of the fines handed out across the city last year, with more than 36,000 handed out in total.

Meanwhile across the border in the county, bus lanes are not enforced and there are no plans to clamp down on those driving in them. The amount the city council gathered in fines from the 36,786 people caught driving in bus and tram lanes is not available, but is more than £1 million if all fines were paid at the minimum of £30.

Graphic artist Brian Maguire, 27, of Musters Road, West Bridgford, said the figures brought in from fines seemed high.

He added: "You hear councils saying that bus lanes aren't money-making exercises, but £1 million a year isn't a small sum.

"I think some bus lanes are useful – like up Mansfield Road – but in other places you just wonder why they are there."

As well as Carlton Street, other places where motorists tend to stray into bus lanes last year included Goldsmith Street, where 9,043 tickets were handed out, and Milton Street, where 6,110 drivers were caught.

The number of drivers caught has also increased year-on-year, from 30,922 in 2010-11, to 35,249 in 2011-12 and 36,786 in 2012-13.

Bus firm Nottingham City Transport has said that bus lanes have helped to reduce the length of journey times on their routes. NCT marketing manager Anthony Carver-Smith said: "Bus lanes are one of a number of factors that keep NCT buses running efficiently and they undoubtedly play an important part in ensuring our network stays on time, particularly at peak times.

"We have also been able to reduce the length of some bus journeys as a direct result of bus priority measures."

And Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for transport at Nottingham City Council, said the message of not driving in bus lanes was getting through, despite an increase in motorists getting caught.

She said: "New cameras coming online will sometimes cause a brief spike in he figures, but these quickly come back down once driver behaviour changes."

But Keith Peat, East Midlands coordinator of the Alliance of British Drivers, said the organisation had issues with bus lanes.

He said: "Bus lanes are incredibly anti-car as they create bottlenecks and congestion and increase journey times unnecessarily.

"Cutting the amount of road available for cars by half is just not a wise way of dealing with traffic problems."

"I can remember when there was a bus strike in London and the bus lanes were open and it was just like Sunday morning driving.

"The roads were clear and it was fantastic."

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A SKELETON in a church graveyard is to be dug up and moved because of tram construction works.

Contractors have given notice that they intend to exhume a woman's remains at Beeston Parish Church.

The move is needed so utilities can be rerouted for the new tram line between Nottingham and Chilwell as it passes through Beeston town centre.

The skeleton, which dates back to Victorian times, was discovered buried at the churchyard's boundary with the former Wilkinson store. The empty shop will be demolished to make way for the tram.

The Rev Wayne Plimmer, vicar at Beeston Parish Church, said: "What has been discovered is the remains of a Victorian burial.

"Because it's a full skeleton the contractors have to get the Ministry of Justice's permission to exhume the remains. Part of that process is ascertaining if there are any living relatives.

"As long as the remains are treated with decency I'm philosophical about it.

"From time to time developments take place around churchyards. The burial site is at the edge of the churchyard and the contractors are taking extra care to ensure that demolition work doesn't interfere. Any kind of activity around this body will be undertaken with dignity."

The churchyard was closed for burials in the late 19th century, while gravestones were moved to from plots to the sides of the graveyard in the mid 1950s.

Church warden Ray Stevenson said the remains were discovered after contractors removed some leylandii in the church grounds.

He said: "When they were taking the roots out they disturbed a grave."

The church is currently undergoing restoration work.

Mr Stevenson added: "We are a thriving church. The churchyard is a feature of Beeston and when the tram comes it will be a focal point."

Tram contractors Taylor Woodrow Alstom have given two months' notice of their intention to move the body. The work could take place in mid-August.

In a public notice outlining their intention, the contractors state: "Notice is hereby given that Taylor Woodrow Alstom... intends to exhume remains of various persons interred at the burial ground of Beeston Parish Church."

The remains will be reinterred, subject to the following conditions:

The removal is done with due care and attention to decency.

The grounds are screened from the public.

Disinfectant is to be sprinkled over any coffins exhumed and the soil, if necessary.

The remains to be removed prior to the start of any building works.

A NET Phase Two project spokesperson said: "We recognise that this is a sensitive situation. Therefore we are following the correct statutory procedures to relocate the remains and are making enquiries in an attempt to identify any family connections."

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A PROJECT to restore the historic Highfields Park has moved a step closer.

Nottingham City Council has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund for its plans to restore and improve the park.

The project aims to fully restore the park, build upon its heritage and create a community facility for the 21st century.

The plans have been given a first-round pass, which means it meets criteria for funding and judges believe it has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money.

Development funding of £280,500 has been awarded to help the council progress its plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.

The restoration project, expected to cost over £4.2 million in total, will involve the refurbishment and repair of historic buildings on the site including the pavilions and ticket office; the rehabilitation of the lake; new features including adventure golf; vegetation and arboriculture work; and improvements to footpaths and hard surfacing.

The Grade II-listed Park provides 121 acres of public space alongside the University of Nottingham campus, off University Boulevard, and features a large boating lake, landscaped gardens and a children's play area. It was first laid out in 1920 on the initiative of Sir Jesse Boot and fully opened to the public in 1926.

Councillor Dave Trimble, city council's portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said: "Nottingham boasts some beautiful public spaces and Highfields Park is one of our most historically important and popular.

"We're delighted that thanks to this initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund we can begin the process of restoring the Park to its former glory and introducing some new features which will ensure it can continue to be enjoyed by generations of Nottingham people in the decades to come."

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A MOTHER blown up in a gas explosion in Newark could be identified only through her DNA, an inquest heard.

Pathologists were able to confirm the identity of Jeanette Rourke only through DNA matches with her mother and daughter, the court heard.

The Coroner for Notts, Mairin Casey, yesterday opened her investigation into the deaths of Jeanette, 40, and her father-in-law Leslie Rourke, 71, who died in the blast in Wright Street in May.

Ms Casey said that the cause of death for Leslie, a company director, was preliminarily recorded as smoke inhalation pending further tests, and his identity was confirmed by his son Robert Rourke.

Meanwhile, a cause of death for Jeanette has not yet been recorded by the pathologist, who was "awaiting further test results".

At the hearing in the Council House, Ms Casey said: "Jeanette was identified following DNA analysis from DNA taken from her mother and daughter."

The explosion, at around 5pm on Sunday, May 19, destroyed the terrace house and neighbouring properties, forcing more than 100 people in and around Wright Street to be evacuated from their homes for more than 48 hours.

The tragedy made national news. As well as claiming the lives of Jeanette and Leslie, the blast also severely injured Jeanette's husband Nicholas, 42, who was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre.

Firefighters found Leslie's body first.

But they had to dismantle the wreckage brick by brick before Jeanette's body could be removed.

As police investigated the cause of the blast it emerged that one of the lines of inquiry was whether members of the Rourke household had been carrying out DIY work to replace their central heating system in the moments before the blast.

No date has been set for when the inquest will resume.

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A 19-YEAR-OLD from Arnold has been given one more chance by a judge after he stole Nike shorts when subject to a court order.

Jordan Brewin, of Bentwell Avenue, stole shorts worth £16.99 from Sports Direct, Nottingham, when he was subject to a suspended sentence.

He triggered the store's security alarm when he left with the shorts inside a JD Sports bag at 12.20pm on May 29, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to theft and failing to comply with the suspended sentence.

Recorder Tina Landale, yesterday gave him a two-month curfew for the breach, a community order and an additional two-month curfew, to run between 8pm and 6am, for the new offence.

Edie Leonard said in mitigation that Brewin was not a sophisticated offender.

"He lives with his mum and stepdad. His family are all here today. He is doing his level best to try and get employment. He and his mother are making 20 to 30 job applications weekly for anything they can think of."

The judge told Brewin: "You have been given plenty of chances by judges who have listened to explanations, no doubt, quite similar to that provided by Miss Leonard, asking for yet another chance, yet another chance, yet another chance.

"Finally, you come before me for the fourth breach of the order and have failed to comply with the requirements and committed another offence."

THE topic of whistleblowing has hit the headlines again with the case of Edward Snowden, a National Security Agency contractor.

This is timely as, from June 25, the UK whistleblowing law changed under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. Ewan Carr, an employment solicitor at Fraser Brown, explains these changes:

Workers must now reasonably believe that their disclosures are made in the public interest before obtaining any protection from dismissal. Therefore, the disclosure does not necessarily have to be in the public interest; the worker simply has to have a reasonable belief that it is.

No guidance has been given regarding what exactly "in the public interest" will mean. This will be left to individual employment tribunals to interpret. As to the definition of "worker", this has been amended slightly by the new legislation.

Further, the requirement for disclosures to be made in good faith has been removed. It is thought that if it is in the public interest, then the motivation for making the claim is not as relevant. However, this may lead to situations of disclosures being made in bad faith, that is, purely out of malice or with the intention of personal gain.

However, if the claimant is successful at tribunal but the tribunal think the disclosure has been made in bad faith, they can reduce compensation awarded by up to 25%.

For more information, contact Fraser Brown's employment team on 0115 9888 777 or visit www.fraserbrown.com

A NOTTINGHAM mother jailed for biting, pinching and spanking her son in front of nursery staff has failed to convince top judges she did not receive a fair trial.

The woman, in her 30s, who cannot be named, denied subjecting her three-year-old to excessive discipline and accused the nursery of trying to hide its own abuse.

But her counter-allegations were rejected and she was convicted of two counts of child cruelty.

She was given a 20-week sentence, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court in June, 2010.

Yesterday, three of the country's most senior judges rebuffed a bid by the mother at London's Court of Appeal to have her record wiped clean, saying her convictions were "safe".

Lord Justice Elias said the woman was spotted assaulting her son by nursery staff, "pinching his arm and, whilst doing so, twisting her fingers and then biting his arm over his jumper".

The next month nursery staff spotted her spanking the boy with clothes and then her hand, prompting the manager to report the abuse to child protection services.

Lord Justice Elias said the boy was found to have bruises on his right upper-flank and his left upper arm, as well as bite marks, when he was examined by care professionals.

Questioned by police, the mother denied assaulting the boy but accepted she "shook his shoulders" or tapped his face to calm him down from time to time.

Furthermore, she alleged that the nursery had concocted the accusations to mask its own abuse of the boy. Her contentions were, however, firmly rejected by the jury.

On appeal, the woman's lawyers argued that the trial judge had failed to properly sum up the defence's case and to explain that the mother was of previous good character before sending out the jury.

But Lord Justice Elias said the woman's former counsel made the "reasonable decision" not to mention her good character during the trial because of a pending criminal charge she was to face.

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NOTTINGHAM was on the list of target cities identified by Germany at the outset of the Second World War.

Twelve industrial targets were picked out for destruction by Luftwaffe bombers.

They included the Boots complex at Beeston, Wilford Power Station, LMS railway works and the Ordnance Factory at Ruddington.

But, despite dropping hundreds of bombs on Nottingham, the raiders failed to destroy any of the important facilities.

The worst attack on the city was on the night of May 8, 1941.

The German bombers were originally heading to Derby to attack the Rolls-Royce factory but became confused after distraction fires were lit in the Vale of Belvoir.

Ninety-five German bombers took part in the raid and emergency services tackled 97 fires.

In all, 159 people were killed, 49 of them at the Co-op bakery in Meadow Lane.

Beeston, West Bridgford, Stapleford and Mapperley Park were all hit but it was Sneinton and The Meadows which sustained the worst damage.

Areas around London Road, Colwick Road and Carlton Road were obliterated. In the city, the Moot Hall in Friar Lane was ripped apart and in Shakespeare Street, part of University College and the Esplanade were destroyed.

On the same night, St Christopher's Church in Colwick Road and St John the Baptist Church, Leenside, were destroyed.

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STUDENTS at West Bridgford School are to take part in a dig to discover Second World War air raid shelters.

It is thought that four of 12 shelters which were included on the site when the school was built in 1938 may still exist.

The dig will take place in October – just over 75 years since the Loughborough Road school opened.

"I'm really excited about this," said Fiona Garrahan, 17, one of 20 sixth-form students who will help out.

"We learn all about history in the classroom, but this really brings it to life. It is a great opportunity."

The students have been assembled by history teacher Ailish D'Arcy.

She only found out about the shelters when she was looking through old school photos and found an aerial shot of the site.

On the black and white image, dating from the late 1960s, the shelters can be seen around the edges of the rear of the school.

Most of the shelters were destroyed when the school was expanded in the 1970s.

But it is believed four may have survived.

Ms D'Arcy said: "Walking along the hedge it is possible to see lumps and bumps in the landscape which seem to correspond to the four shelters.

"We hope to find the footprint of the shelters and learn a little more about what it might have been like to be a student in the school when the air raid sirens went.

"It may just be the footprint we find, but it is a very exciting discovery. And the dig will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the opening of the site.

"We will look to conserve at least one and it will become a valuable resource not just for our school but for the area."

The school was founded in 1895 in Musters Road, near Trent Bridge cricket ground.

It moved to its current site 43 years later when England was on the verge of war, hence why it was felt the shelters were required.

The site is barely three miles from Rushcliffe Country Park, where the Ruddington Ordnance Factory was based during the war. The factory produced 500lb and 1000lb bombs for the RAF and was viewed as a target for German bombers.

The school, which has now converted to academy status, has called in county council archaeologists to help out.

They will run a training day for those taking part in the dig on October 2. The dig itself will be done during the October half-term break.

Ms D'Arcy added: "I hope our students can learn from this project how their history skills of dealing with documentary evidence can be supplemented by practical field archaeology to really bring the past alive, and in the process celebrate a significant point in the school's history."

Student John Maple, 17, will also take part.

He said: "My grandparents came to this school around the war time so I'll be able to see a bit of their experiences for myself."

Head teacher Rob McDonough said: "It is always great when you can bring history alive in this way and rediscover a bit of the school's own history is very exciting.

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RESIDENTS have criticised the latest plans to build a large housing estate on greenbelt land.

Proposals for the development at the site bordering Sharphill Wood in Edwalton have been discussed for some time, with 1,200 homes initially planned.

But Rushcliffe Borough Council recently announced plans for another 550 homes – a 45 per cent increase on the previous figure.

And at a consultation event for the plans yesterday, at Edwalton Golf Club, residents voiced their concerns.

Philip Hodges, who lives in Edwalton, said: "There are several things I'm concerned about.

"There are many people who have come out of Nottingham to live in West Bridgford as it is nationally known as a good place to be – if this increases, it all brings the property prices down.

"There are issues with the infrastructure too. There are plenty of houses – do we need another 550?"

A resident of 40 years, who lives in Selby Road, West Bridgford, and did not want to be named, added: "We're just trying to get our voices heard. The big issue is infrastructure. It is not going to work."

In June, the Post reported that inspectors said the borough council's plan for 9,600 new homes over the next 15 years was not enough and that an additional 3,500 homes needed to be built in Rushcliffe.

The areas outlined for development are Clifton, Sharphill Wood in Edwalton, and Gamston.

As a result, planners have had to find room for the additional 550 houses in the Sharphill Wood area by increasing both density and the area covered.

Satish Beri, of Longlands Drive, Edwalton, said: "It just seems difficult to imagine where all these people are going to go.

"West Bridgford and Edwalton are already very busy and adding so many homes would be a real strain."

The 24-year-old, who has lived in the area for several years, added: "I oppose the plans and that seems to be the general feeling around here too."

Paul Randle is leading the local plan for Rushcliffe Borough Council and said that plans for school places, health requirements and traffic infrastructure would have to be looked at.

He added: "The planning process requires the infrastructure to be fully and properly considered."

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DRIVERS caught in bus and tram lanes are paying out more than £1 million to the city council each year.

More than 100 tickets are dished out across the city every day with nearly three in ten at one street in Hockley.

The top three sites accounted for more than 71 per cent of all tickets handed out.

In the 2012-13 financial year, 36,786 fines were handed to motorists – this compares with 35,249 in 2011-12 and 30,922 the year before that.

The top three spots last year were in Carlton Street, where there were 11,151 fines, then Goldsmith Street, where 9,043 were given out, and Milton Street, where 6,110 people were caught flouting the rules. Wollaton Road was a hot spot for fines in previous years, but didn't make the top three last year.

The penalty is £60 if drivers enter a bus lane or tram lane. This is reduced to £30 if they pay within 14 days.

Although Community Protection could not say how much it made in fines, even if all 36,786 fines were paid at the lower rate of £30, it would still mean £1,103,580 went into city coffers last year.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for transport at Nottingham City Council, said the message about not driving in bus lanes was getting through.

She added: "Reliability of bus services is very important to passengers and enforcing bus lanes helps us to ensure that buses get to passengers on time."

Ms Urquhart added that the increase in numbers of tickets is down to new cameras being removed or repaired.

Anthony Carver-Smith, marketing manager of bus firm Nottingham City Transport (NCT), said enforcement of bus lanes was important and added: "Bus lanes are one of a number of factors that keep NCT buses running efficiently."

But Keith Peat, East Midlands co-ordinator of the Alliance of British Drivers, said: "Anyone who suggests that traffic flow is improved by cutting half the road off to regular drivers must be mad.

"It's unbelievable the amount of money that councils get from bus lane fines. It's essentially using public money to ensure private bus firms provide a good service."

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AN AMATEUR runner is fundraising in this year's Robin Hood half marathon after her family was hit by cancer.

She'll be taking on the 13-mile race for Maggie's, a cancer support centre at the city Hospital, which has helped her mother through treatment.

Debbie Stone, 30, of Hayes Close, Ilkeston, is taking part in the run in September and has been training since April.

After taking part in a 10km circuit last year, Debbie said she was ready to take the step up to a half-marathon.

She said: "The 10k run was just to see if we were capable of doing it.

"I'm really looking forward to it but it's daunting. 13 miles is a long, long way to go. It's a challenge but I'm still looking forward to it."

She decided to raise money for Maggie's, who have supported her mum in her breast cancer treatment over the past three years.

Debbie was also unfortunate to also see both her aunt and one of her closest friends succumb to the disease.

She said: "I suppose my way of dealing with it is that I pretend like it's not there.

"You know it's there it's not going away, I just don't like to think about it.

"My mum is just so brave, she's never been depressed even though often there's little she can do about it."

Her running partner, service advisor Laura Sykes, 29 of Cotgrave, said she was excited to be a part of a race and supporting a group like Maggie's.

She said: "I work alongside Debbie, so I know her circumstances and what she's been going through.

"It's something nice for us both to do together.

"There's always days where one of us, needs that bounce of the other to get us going and it's nice to get together and help each other out."

Debbie's mum, Meryl Smith, 55, of Glen Avenue, Eastwood, said Debbie's support and efforts had been astounding. She said: "It's absolutely brilliant what she's doing.

"It's fantastic for Maggie's, and nice that she's raising money for something so useful as that for hundreds of people.

"Maggie's definitely helped me. It's just very relaxed, it definitely helps to have a place like it even if it's just coming in for a drink."

"I'm so proud of Debbie, she's putting her training in. I'd say give it your best, to both her and Laura."

To sponsor Debbie and Laura head to .justgiving.com/Laura-SykesDebbie-Stone. The Ikano Robin Hood Marathon and Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, September 29.

As well as the marathon and half marathon, there will be Mini Marathon and Schools Challenge of 1.5 miles and a Sweatshop Relay challenge for business teams to take part in.

The half marathon and marathon both finish and start on the Victoria Embankment. The full marathon lasts 26 miles.

For more information about the event and to learn how to take part head to robinhoodhalfmarathon.co.uk

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A CINEMA has had a change of heart after a mum accused them of "age discrimination" when they wouldn't allow her baby in.

Gil Bailey was in Nottingham with her two children – Byron, seven, and Scarlett, five months – during a visit to their grandparents in West Bridgford.

After spending a day shopping in the city she took the children to the Broadway Cinema, in Hockley, for a screening of U-certificate film My Neighbour Totoro – but they were refused entry to the auditorium.

Mrs Bailey said: "I was stunned to be told it was their policy to not allow babies under one-year-old in to the cinema except for baby screening sessions.

"My son was devastated and it spoilt our day."

Mrs Bailey, a procurement and contracts manager, said: "In terms of behaviour there is very little difference between a baby under one and a toddler.

"In, fact most parents would say that a toddler's behaviour is harder to manage in quieter settings. Not allowing babies under the age of one into your cinemas for a U-certificate movie is quite simply age discrimination."

The cinema, in Broad Street, said it had received complaints about noise made by young children and had put on special screenings every other Tuesday for parents with babies.

But they have also said that since this incident they will now let babies in to all family-oriented screenings in the mornings and the afternoon.

Usual certification rules still apply.

Broadway operations manager David Horton said the cinema wanted to be as inclusive as possible.

He said: "We're trying to direct people to come and experience cinema with us, especially during holiday times.

"Having a toddler and a baby could be quite common. We realised that and changed."

The cinema apologised in a statement, which said: "It is never our intention to upset or frustrate any of our valued customers, young or old.

"Please be assured that we never intentionally wish for any of our customers to leave Broadway less than satisfied."

Mrs Bailey has since been informed and was delighted to hear the news.

She said: "That's more like it! We're happy now and will go and test it on our next visit to Nottingham."

The only person who is still disappointed is seven-year-old Byron.

He said: "We're only going back if they're showing the same movie we missed."

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A NOTTINGHAM-based study is turning figures into facts to solve the age-old problem of inconsistency in dress sizes.

The project, Size Nottingham, is scanning 360 people as part of the study into the changing shape of Britain.

It has been taking place at the Designer Forum, a creative collective of independent designers in Lower Parliament Street, since Friday.

The 3D scanner takes more than 100 measurements – of everything from the waist girth to the elbow girth – using 16 infrared Xbox games console Kinect sensors.

Gemma Sewell, 33, an IT support worker from Hucknall, volunteered to have her body scanned.

She said: "I'm about a size eight but as I'm 5ft tall everything has to be taken up a few inches.

"I used to shop in Next where I was a 6 and then suddenly the size changed.

"It would be a lot easier if the sizes were all the same."

Friend Chloe Brooks, 36, an office manager from West Bridgford, added: "The sizing is inconsistent in all shops and ordering online is difficult. I need to order two sizes and send one back.

"If I knew that if I was a 12 in one shop and also a 12 in another then shopping would be easier."

Statistics collated by Manchester Metropolitan University show how different sizing can be within the major retailers.

For example a size 8 in Topshop is the same as a size 10 in Next.

Other ladies' brands that come up big are New Look, Coast and George at Asda, while brands that come up small are Oasis, Monsoon and Lipsy.

Many brands do something called "vanity sizing" which means that people are flattered into buying after getting into a smaller size.

Size Nottingham is being undertaken by Manchester Metropolitan University and will be used by local lingerie brands Charnos and Courtaulds and fashion company ASOS.

Long Eaton-based Charnos is carrying out a special study of 30 plus-sized women to perfect a new range of hosiery.

Alison Baines, brand manager at Charnos Hosiery, said: "Consumers taking part in the scanning have all stressed just how difficult it is to find hosiery that fits them, with the majority saying there isn't any hosiery brand that makes tights to fit larger women, and our aim is to change that."

Online brand ASOS is going to use the size information to ensure its sizing is consistent with the modern woman and man.

Pamela McCrone, senior garment technologist for ASOS, said: "A lot of retailers use the British standard taken back in the 1950s but, across the board, all of the retailers' sizes are different. People's shapes are changing so much – people are taller, they've got wider waists and bigger hips and there are different ethnic shapes in the UK."

The analysed data will be available to the Designer Forum and retailers taking part in a month's time.

Unusually it's also going to be made public in some form.

Simeon Gill, senior lecturer in fashion technology at Manchester Metropolitan University, who's undertaking the study said: "It offers so much information about the body.

"Size UK in 2001/02 was the last major survey but it's not publicly available. I hope to have a summary of the data made available to the public."

Nina Faresin, creative manager for the Designer Forum, said: "This is the first time that data like this is going to be widely available.

"Previously it's been done by large brands who have kept it to themselves.

"We hope it's going to be the first of lots of studies where the data is shared out."

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I DOUBT if I'd have passed muster on Britain's Army parade grounds – and never mind dodging bullets on the battlefields of our post-colonial history.

My military CV: a few terms in B Company of my school's Army Cadet Force, shouldering the small arms that won the Second World War – well-seasoned Lee Enfield 303s and, if you were singularly unlucky on field exercises, the much heavier Bren gun.

When I helped to get half my platoon lost on the unforgiving war zone that is the Weald of Sussex it was clear that the laurels of Marlborough and Montgomery were never going to sit on my sweaty brows.

And when we were inspected by a general – a real general from the real Army – he took one look at my Brasso-smudged webbing, arched an eyebrow as if surveying Wellington's "scum of the earth", and strutted grandly onwards.

Notwithstanding this somewhat inglorious calling to the colours, I've often been within earshot of a sergeant-major's yelp.

In fact my maternal grandfather was a sergeant-major who was gassed in Flanders and coughed, spluttered and wheezed for half a century before he died in the late 1960s.

A brother serves in the Army and his mother swears she never slept during his six-month tour in Afghanistan.

A nephew begins officer training in the autumn.

For these reasons I tend to follow the fortunes of our armed services and last Saturday I would have turned out for Armed Forces Day but for a kind prior invitation to the splendidly-presented Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fair at Widmerpool – where folk looked into sunny skies to see military aircraft heading for Nottingham (as well as the usual fly-pasts by Ryanair jets bound for nearby EMA).

By all accounts Armed Forces Day was a triumph for Nottingham and for the various contingents representing the services.

They say you know you are getting old when the policemen look young.

The same could be said of other uniformed officials – perhaps our bank managerettes but certainly our service personnel.

Looking at television coverage of Armed Forces Day on Saturday evening I was struck by the freshness of the faces under the berets, bearskins and forage caps.

A staged withdrawal from Afghanistan over the coming months prompts hopes of fewer sleepless nights for mothers – but also thoughts of what the politicians might next have in store for these young men and women.

Experience tells us that politicians are simply not to be trusted with our armed forces.

How on earth did the clots contrive the construction of two monstrous new aircraft carriers yet not the procurement of the warplanes that should be flying from them?

In times of retrenchment we must accept cuts to our armed services.

I don't have a problem in principle with the Royal Navy, apart from two upcoming and temporarily useless aircraft carriers, being reduced to the point where it could be floated in Trent Lock.

I don't have a problem with the Army being cut to just 80,000 – a size perhaps suitable for defending the Weald of Sussex.

The question is, will successive Governments accept that the services be asked to do no more than those tasks?

In other words, that they will match foreign policy to our capability to intervene?

With all the right clothing, equipment and back-up?

Or will a misguided sense of adventure and an unrealistic sense of our potency lead us into more ill-defined follies of Afghanistan proportions?

Watching those pictures of Armed Forces Day I was touched by our pride in the professionalism and brilliance of our service personnel.

Will they ever get the politicians they deserve?

THERE'LL be some situations that everyone has an opinion on, and what we pay MPs is near the top of the list.

These are people who are paid significantly above the average wage and there have been too many examples of MPs doing a lot for themselves, a lot for their party and not a lot for the people who elected them.

One of the reasons why MPs are paid above average is that they do a job whose demands are also above average. The reality of an MP's day-to-day life can be punishing. They have at least three masters – public, party and Parliament – the hours are antisocial, and family life is hard to maintain. Our expectations are extremely high.

So they should be – these are people who are expected to develop an in-depth understanding of all sorts of complex issues and the decisions they take can affect us all. To do this kind of job properly, you need to be well-qualified and well-supported. And 100 per cent committed.

The strains that have appeared in the public's relationship with MPs – the expenses scandals, the cash-for-questions exposés – are signs that not all MPs can measure up to those demands. Which is why, in the end, it's right that their salaries should move up to the level of our expectations. You get what you pay for and parliamentary democracy should not be done on the cheap.

AN AMBULANCE parked outside your local fire station is a sight set to become commonplace in Notts.

As part of controversial restructuring plans, East Midlands Ambulance Service has asked Notts Fire and Rescue Service if it can use fire stations as bases to park up and wait for 999 calls to attend.

The fire service is expected to allow the request on the proviso that the ambulance service pay them a small amount of rent.

A pilot scheme is due to be trialed at three fire stations in the coming months – at West Bridgford, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Stapleford.

The Notts Fire Authority is due to meet on Friday to discuss the plans.

Lester White, watch manager at West Bridgford Fire Station, said: "We have been told that our station is included in the first trial.

"Apparently all the ambulance service need is a space to park their ambulance and to be able to use the toilets and make a cup of tea.

"We don't envisage seeing the ambulance crews very often because they receive an awful lot more calls than us."

Mr White said that ambulances would not block the access for the fire engines.

If the pilot scheme is successful then the idea is expected to be rolled out to a "sizeable number" of the 24 fire stations in the county.

East Midlands Ambulance Service's plans to co-locate are part of the service's "Being the Best" programme, which is reducing the number of ambulance stations in the East Midlands from 65 to 28.

The new structure will create nine "super hubs" across the East Midlands and 19 smaller ambulance stations, plus 108 community points, where ambulance staff will be based between calls.

In Notts there will be one "super hub" – in Nottingham – and the county will retain six stations and gain a further 25 community standby points.

A spokesperson for the East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "When we launched our Being the Best change proposals in 2012, we said the ambulance service would explore opportunities to share premises with other branches of the NHS, as well as organisations such as the police and fire service.

"We have had discussions with colleagues from these organisations to identify the options which may be available in Nottinghamshire."

"So far, no decisions have been made."

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A NOTTS County Council social worker has received a prestigious national award for her support of people with mental health problems.

Veronica Bell was presented with the Dignity in Care Award by TV personality Fiona Philips and Glen Mason from the Department of health at the Great British Home Care Awards, which was recently held at London's Marriott Park Lane Hotel.

The awards are organised and supported by the Department of Health and are part of a series of regional awards which celebrates excellence in social care and pay tribute to those who work in the sector throughout England.

Veronica was the regional winner of the Great East Midlands Care Award for Dignity held in November 2012.

Veronica, from Nottingham, started work as a social worker at the county council in 1984. She has worked with people with mental health problems in the Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe area and is now a social worker with the Physical Disability Team, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe, based at Sir John Robinson Way. Veronica said: "It's such a great honour to be recognised."

Chris Harwood, from a south Nottinghamshire village, has been supported by Veronica. He said: "My social worker Veronica – I call her my archangel – saved my life. She supported me by organising helpers to come in and help me get my life back."

MORE than 50 people have signed up for a bike ride to raise money for a bronze statue of Notts County's legendary managerial duo.

Fans have been trying for three years to raise £75,000 so a bronze statue of Jimmy Sirrel and Jack Wheeler can be put in place outside Meadow Lane.

The 37-mile bike ride will be from Meadow Lane to Derby County's Pride Park stadium on Sunday, July 14, as previously reported in the Post.

The organisers say the take up of places has been good and they now hope to raise £15,000 at the event. Notts' record goalscorer Les Bradd will be taking part in the ride. Mr Bradd, who is now an ambassador at the club, said: "It will be fantastic to reach the target. We were very hopeful of reaching it by the fifth anniversary of Jimmy's death in September, but now the target is to reach the target by the end of the 2013-14 season.

"There's a big push planned. The ride will give us the chance to talk with fans about the old times with Jimmy and Jack."

Other former players set to take part in the ride include Tommy Johnson, Dave McVay and Mark Draper.

The statue fund currently stands at more than £40,000.

For more information about the fund-raising appeal, visit www.jimmyandjackstatuefund.co.uk.

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