A FORMER Nottingham Forest player has been fined £2,000 for careless driving after he "dozed off" at the wheel of his BMW and crashed after not sleeping for almost a day.

Westley Morgan, known to fans as Wes, was found guilty yesterday at Nottingham Magistrates' Court.

District Judge Morris Cooper ruled there was no case to answer on a second charge of driving whilst unfit through drink, which Morgan had denied.

Morgan, 29, a father-of-two, of Brooklands Drive, Gedling, had appeared in court in April on both charges and returned yesterday for the remainder of the evidence to be heard.

However the second part of the trial did not resume after his defence lawyer, Phillip Lucas, put forward a succession of arguments against the driving whilst unfit charge, winning his lengthy submission there was no case to answer.

Despite having four brandy and cokes – two at an awards function and two at a club – there was no evidence what effect they'd had on Morgan, his lawyer said.

At the scene of the accident there was a slight smell of alcohol, but he was steady on his feet.

The Leicester City captain told police he dozed off at the wheel, woke up and was swerving on the road.

The accident happened on May 1 last year, the court had heard, after 5am on the A46 in Bingham, on a bridge over the A52.

The BMW appeared to have collided with a barrier on the bridge.

Sergeant Dan Skoraczewski had told the court he thought the car was a write-off when he attended the scene. Morgan was in an ambulance and appeared "fine" and "slightly dazed".

"I could smell alcohol on him," he had told the earlier trial. "It was only weak. It was noticeable but it wasn't overpowering.

"I asked him if he'd been drinking and he told me he had some brandy and coke, and had been driving.

"He appeared fine. He appeared normal."

Mr Lucas said there was an accident but no damage was caused to other vehicles or property.

The likely cause of the accident was the defendant's own submission that he had not slept for more than 22 hours before driving, he added.

"The likely cause of this is the defendant nodded off briefly, went briefly on to the grass, and over corrected and lost control."

"He was tired but he did not feel sleep was overtaking him until it did and that was, unfortunately, the time when the accident occurred.

"He is a respectable, hardworking person."

As well as the fine, Morgan must pay a £15 victim surcharge and court costs. He will have five penalty points added to six points he already has on his licence for two speeding offences.

PETER Richardson, the chairman of the D2N2 local enterprise partnership, does well to remind us that Notts and Derbyshire were at the heart of the first industrial revolution.

The reminder is there in Arkwright Street before Sir Richard Arkwright took off to Derbyshire to make use of water for his mills.

Today, we see the first strategy document from D2N2 which seeks to create the climate for 55,000 new jobs over the next ten years.

Yes, it is ambitious especially with the prospect of a weak world economy until 2020.

The D2N2 Growth Plan is right to concentrate on specific industry sectors such as manufacturing, medical and healthcare and transport manufacturing.

The East Midlands region is still at the heart of UK industry and shows that it can still be innovative with companies such as Alliance Boots, Experiand Rolls-Royce – plus many small companies in the supply chain.

Precisely where these new jobs will come from is an almost impossible question to answer.

Some will undoubtedly come from growing companies, some of which were identified in the Grant Thornton CBI research which we reported in Business Post last week.

But the chief executive of D2N2, David Ralph, says inward investment will come from overseas such as China and India.

That means we shall have to set our stall out in Notts and Derbyshire and be ready when potential investors come knocking on our door.

In other words, we must be ready to sell ourselves and build meaningful relationships.

The Growth Plan is a blueprint full of common sense. We have to raise the skills levels to be attractive.

Secondly, we must have accessible sites for investors that are "oven ready" – in other words, ready to go.

Finally, we must keep up the pressure for faster rail links to London. In September, the new Midland Mainline timetable will be published.

There must be significant reductions in journey times showing Network Rail, the Department for Transport and East Midlands Trains are buying into these ambitions, especially after the weeks of disruption at Midland Station shortly to descend on us.

And this should be accompanied by reassurance that electrification of the mainline to London will begin sooner rather than later.

How would you describe what you do to a Martian?

I own my own business Luisa Young Photography and it is my job to capture moments in time, called photos, with a very clever machine with a glass lens. Once I've captured the photo I use software to enhance the image to its fullest.

If you weren't what you are what would you be?

An interior designer – it would be a fantastic avenue for my creativity.

Who inspires you most and why?

Audrey Hepburn. She epitomised beauty and elegance from the inside out.

What do you wish you'd invented?

The iPad, or anything by Apple!

What would you do differently?

Nothing, I've learned through life and a few tragic events that life is too short for regrets.

What I'm watching and listening to...

Watching Nashville, The Good Wife and The Americans. Listening to Alicia Keys.

My advice to the Government is...

You need to do more to help support start-up businesses. With the loss of Business Link and Emda there is a huge gap that needs to be filled quickly.

If I wasn't doing business in Nottingham, I'd go to...

New York.

I'd be lost without my...

Family.

Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter?

Facebook.

What I'd really like to say to the banks is...

Lending money to small businesses shouldn't just be based on a computer credit score.

Friends would say I'm...

Loyal, loving, honest and I'd hope they'd also say I have great creative flair!

My indulgence is...

Tiffany jewellery.

One thing in the world I'd change right now...

I'd love to wipe out poverty. It especially makes me sad to think of children without anything.

The best place to eat and drink is...

Harts and World Service.

I drive a...

Vauxhall Corsa.

My most important set of numbers is...

The dates of birth for my children.

My last holiday was to...

New York to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday. It was just the two of us and we both had an amazing time.

I am currently reading...

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.

The one thing I've learned...

To live every day to its fullest and never look back.

MORE details have been released on the work to improve Nottingham's ring road.

The scheme, which started this month, is costing £16.2 million.

The first phase, already underway, will see a pedestrian and cyclist crossing facility installed between the junctions with Mansfield Road and Hucknall Road.

It is likely to cause delays until the work finishes on Sunday, July 21.

The rest of the work will be as follows:

July 22 to November 4: Northbound road between Nuthall Road and Beechdale Road increased to three lanes. Aspley Lane junction converted to traffic lights. Improved pedestrian crossings.

October 7, to August 17 next year: Carriageway widening at Hucknall Road roundabout.

January 1, 2014, to July 12, 2015: Reconstruction and widening of Crown Island.

January 13, 2014, to June 8, 2014: Improvement of pedestrian and cycle crossings between Nottingham Road and Wilkinson Street.

April 1, 2014, to July 25, 2015: Southbound carriageway increased to three lanes between Crown Island roundabout and Derby Road.

June 9, 2014, to August 17, 2014: Pedestrian crossing installed between Wilkinson Street and Nuthall Road.

August 18, 2014, to October 26, 2014: Improvement of pedestrian and cyclist crossing facilities between Hucknall Road and Nottingham Road junctions.

July 13, 2015, to November 1, 2015: Northbound carriageway increased to three lanes between Beechdale Road and Southwold Drive.

TOTON remains the best option for a high-speed rail station serving the East Midlands, it is claimed.

The leaders of both Nottingham City Council and Notts County Council have reiterated their desire for the proposed new High Speed 2 (HS2) line to stop at Toton Sidings.

It comes after Derby City Council revealed it was drawing up an alternative plan for the line to pass through Derby instead.

The Government picked Toton Sidings over Derby as its preferred site for the region's high-speed rail station when it announced a provisional route earlier this year.

Nottingham City Council leader, Councillor Jon Collins, said the proposed station at Toton was still the best location for the whole region.

He added: "It makes sense for HS2 to serve Nottingham as the area's only core city and, although earlier in the process we were looking for it to come to the city centre, we recognise and accept the constraints on this.

"With the right connections, the station at Toton will be just 12 minutes from Nottingham and 15 minutes from Derby."

Councillor Jane Urquhart, the city council's portfolio holder for planning and transport, was today due to address ministers in support of the new rail line and the choice of Toton as the station for the East Midlands.

Nottingham City Council and Notts County Council have also agreed to spend £35,000 investigating the economic boost of bringing the new line to Toton.

County council leader, Councillor Alan Rhodes, said: "The council is fully committed, 100 per cent, to Toton as that will serve both Nottingham and Derby.

"Bringing HS2 to Toton, combined with dualling of the A453 and the much-needed improvements to the Midland mainline will help make our county a place where businesses can flourish."

Derby City Council leader, Councillor Paul Bayliss, said his authority is to draw up plans for an alternative HS2 route via Derby as part of the Government's consultation into the plans.

Mr Bayliss said he hopes it will convince the Department for Transport to change its mind, adding that it would be cheaper, create more jobs, and make more money for the local area.

The new high-speed line is intended to link London to Birmingham by 2026, with branches to Manchester and Leeds planned by 2032.

When built the line will carry 250mph trains and reduce journey times between Nottingham and London to 68 minutes. It currently takes around 105 minutes.

George Cowcher, chief executive of the Derbyshire and Notts Chamber of Commerce, said: "Although providing value for money is extremely important, it is not the only criteria which should be taken into account when reaching a decision on where to site the proposed new HS2 station for the East Midlands.

"There is also the environmental impact to consider, but ultimately, it's all about which site provides the best connectivity for businesses and other passengers."

THE COUNTY is gearing up for one of the biggest sporting events on the global calendar, and one that is expected to pump £20 million into the local economy.

The Ashes are coming to town tomorrow, with a five-day festival of international cricket attracting more than 15,000 people to Trent Bridge every day.

With flats on neighbouring West Bridgford roads letting out for prices of up to £1,000 for the week, local business looks set to boom.

And as weather conditions are expected to be among the hottest of the year, West Bridgford pubs are expecting to do a roaring trade.

General manager of the Riverbank bar and restaurant, David Hage said he is expecting a phenomenal week.

He added: "We're expecting our busiest week ever.

"We've recruited extra staff, we're doubling our orders and we're open for breakfast every day. We're probably going to do 500 meals every day.

"We've done a huge campaign of planning for the event – it's the biggest we've done. We've planned for several months.

"It's fantastic for us. It's weeks like this that help the business thrive, with the good weather too. We're so excited about the event and the carnival atmosphere it creates.

"We're excited it's coming to Nottingham and it's great that we have recruited an extra 15 people for the week. Hopefully we'll stuff the Aussies too."

Another of the businesses preparing for the influx of visitors looking for somewhere to eat and drink is the Stratford Haven pub, in Stratford Road – just two minutes walk from the ground.

The pub is catering for fans with a special outside bar, extra beers from a variety of breweries and breakfast every day.

Colin Wilde, managing director of Castle Rock – the brewery that owns the pub, as well as the Poppy and Pint in nearby Lady Bay and the Vat and Fiddle near the train station – added: "The Ashes is a great event for Nottingham and a brilliant opportunity to show off our local beers and pubs to visitors from all over the world.

"It has been many months in the planning and at times it will literally be all hands to the pumps.

"We are sincerely grateful to our staff who lift their game when the Test Match is in town. We wish England and in particular the Notts players all the very best of luck."

With such a huge influx of people coming from outside of the county, many of the city's hotel rooms have been booked up for months.

Marcus Wright is the manager of the Acorn Hotel in Radcliffe Road, which is the closest place to stay to the ground.

He said: "Being situated next door, we're completely full up. People book yearly in advance, there's such a high demand.

"We have a lot of regular clients who come for Test Matches every year and because it's the Ashes people book well in advance. It's great."

And the leader of the county council has spoken of his pride and excitement as Notts gets ready to host the world's biggest cricket series.

Councillor John Allin, chairman of Notts County Council, said: "When the first ball is bowled, the eyes of the sporting world will be focused on Nottinghamshire.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase what the county has to offer, not only in terms of our fantastic sporting facilities, but also our heritage, culture, tourism and commerce.

"It will give me huge pride to welcome our visitors from Australia and cricket fans throughout the UK to Nottinghamshire."

D2N2 – the UK's Most Inspirational Postcode" declares the cover to the local enterprise partnership's Growth Plan.

The leaders of the four main local authorities have signed it alongside the vice chancellor of Derby University, Prof John Coyne, property developer Peter Gadsby, public relations expert Richard Horsley and Tevor Fletcher, of Hardstaff Transport.

Mr Ralph who joined D2N2 in March is an energetic leader. He gives the impression he is not someone who will wait for things to happen.

"Our vision is long term and it will not be a quick fix," he said.

In the short term, D2N2 will prioritise investment and infrastructure – roads, and rail links – to accelerate economic recovery. But development of skills for young people and the region's workforce is critical. So is growing key sectors.

"Data demonstrates that, in order to close the gap with the UK average and achieve our vision, the D2N2 economy needs to deliver a step change in employment," added Mr Ralph.

"D2N2 is ready for that challenge."

Mr Ralph makes it plain that the local enterprise partnership will be very focused on growth areas, concentrating on areas with the potential to have a positive impact.

What is clear is that little if any job creation will come from the public sector as the Government seeks to re-balance the economy towards the private sector.

Although Government cash is in short supply, there European Structural and Investment funds will be "crucial fuel in the tank" for delivery of the plan, said Mr Ralph.

"It is highly ambitious, with a very ambitious target plan delivering a step change in the number of jobs, a step change in skills and a step change in growth.

"This is a deal with Government and Government expects us to show leadership and coherence. This is a first step. D2N2 is setting out our deal to Government.

"The real growth is around accelerating fast-growing companies.

"We have a weak business base so we need to start, then grow more companies. A minimum of 25 per cent of the jobs will come from the key sectors.

"We are trying to demonstrate that we will deliver this change from a reliance on public sector jobs to private-sector jobs, a re-balancing of the economy, making things and selling them, sometimes internationally."

Mr Ralph said that, unless the right skills are generated for local communities, the jobs that are available will largely be met by inward arrivals.

"It is a global market place and companies will go for talent. Derby already delivers the highest wages in the country outside the South East. Some of that is about unmet demand.

"Some of our existing companies will grow further and that is important. But we need to grow small companies within those supply chains."

The Nottingham Enterprise Zone on the Boots site and the University of Nottingham's Innovation Park, where GSK is planning new sustainable laboratories, are expected to attract moves from firms in the bio-science sector.

IN the space of ten years Notts and Derbyshire lost nearly 70,000 manufacturing job. These were valuable jobs in the heartland of UK manufacturing. The number of in the sector fell from nearly 20% of the economy to fewer than 15% between 1998 and 2008

These were jobs in industries such as textiles, jobs exported to countries where labour is cheaper.

Some companies, such as Boots, are working hard to reverse the trend and are committed to manufacturing in Nottingham.

There are signs that manufacturers are investing in sophisticated machinery which, yes, may mean fewer jobs, but the profitability and margins improve.

Today, the local enterprise partnership for Notts and Derbyshire, D2N2, publishes its growth plan with the ambitious target of delivering 55,000 new jobs to the two counties by 2023.

Some will come by encouraging and helping existing firms to grow. Others may be generated by investment from countries such as China and India, possibly looking to manufacture in the UK.

In that case, it will be imperative workers have high skill levels.

The growth plan was being unveiled today by D2N2 in front of 200 businesses and stakeholders.

At its core are four strategic priorities for supporting enterprises. They are: business skills, innovation, finance and infrastructure.

And D2N2 is putting its weight behind six priority sectors: transport equipment manufacturing, medical and bio-science, food and drink manufacturing, construction, the visitor economy and low carbon goods and services.

The Growth Plan with provide the framework for the a "growth deal" it agrees with the Government, with a submission to ministers expected at the end of the summer.

D2N2 chief executive David Ralph said: "Our commitment to growth is reflected in the ambitious targets that we have set. We will support firms to innovate, invest, export, grow and create sustainable jobs.

"We will inspire and initiate action to make D2N2 the most competitive, sustainable and innovative business location in the UK. Our vision is transformational, long term and will not be a quick fix.

"We are already prioritising investments and infrastructure to accelerate economic recovery, but we will also focus on the development of the skills of our young people and workforce to ensure our long-term growth and prosperity.

"However, by itself, catalysing the resources of partners within the D2N2 area will not be enough to hit our targets.

"To realise the full potential of our area, we will ask the Government to devolve further resources for direction by D2N2."

Chairman Peter Richardson said Notts and Derbyshire had "a proud history of industry and innovation – making things and innovation is in our economic DNA."

He continued: "The D2N2 area was home to the world's first factory, the Silk Mill in Derby and the area was the heartland of the world's first Industrial Revolution.

"Our world-class universities, competitiveness and dynamic and diverse business base with excellence in high-tech manufacturing, particularly in transport, bioscience and construction means that we can also lead the next. D2N2 is a partnership with the sole purpose of delivering economic growth.

"As a partnership we are committed, in the long term, to taking a prioritised and focused approach to creating the conditions for our businesses to thrive.

"This Growth Plan sets out our priorities for action but it will not, by itself, create growth.

"We will inspire growth by implementing the plan, by securing the investment and inspiring action to support business to invest, sell, employ and train.

"While we will continue to review, refine and improve our plan through being agile in realising emerging growth opportunities, our focus will be on the delivery and creation of new jobs for our communities."

THE Notts and Derbyshire economy is a varied economy employing nearly 900,000 with a gross value added – or GVA, the value of goods and services produced in an area – of close to £40 billion.

It saw disappointing employment growth figures during the last growth period of 2000 to 2008 but proved relatively resilient during the economic downturn.

Overall employment has remained relatively similar over the past decade but, while manufacturing remains a continuing strength of the area, one third of its employment base was lost during the period 1998 to 2008.

Notts and Derbyshire has one of the largest industrial bases in the UK, and the area has strengths in export related to industries such as Boots and Rolls-Royce.

While some of this employment has been replaced by private sector service-based jobs, public sector employment accounted for much of the area's growth during this period.

D2N2's priority sectors, excluding low carbon, account for nearly one fifth of the employment base, employing more than 150,000 people.

Of these, the visitor economy is the largest while the highest level of growth during the period 1998 to 2008 was the construction sector with its quarries and gravel extraction, although it has faced more challenging times over the past five years.

More recently there has been significant growth in the health and bioscience sector.

The business base in the two counties fell following a period of growth during 2004-2008 which was above the national average. The area has a low business density with just 314 businesses per 10,000 population, compared to 399 nationally.

The labour market has lower than average skill levels and a lack of professional occupations, although the skills base has been improving.

The area also has significant higher education and research strengths.

And the advanced manufacturing sector grew at 4.3% between 2008/10 creating 2,300 job.

The tow counties continue to have a relatively high unemployment rate and economic inactivity rate, although employment rates have grown higher than the national average during the period 2004-2012. The predominantly rural local authority areas have performed well over recent years.

Features of the regional economy include:

A diverse area, including two major cities, smaller centres serving rural hinterlands and a strong rural economy;

A central location with, affordable business land, excellent infrastructure, competitive wage rates and a high quality of life;

Home to some world renowned visitor destinations and tourism assets (he Peak District, Sherwood Forest)

A smaller than average and declining private sector base, particularly the private service sector

Lower than average population growth.

THE key sectors of the economy D2N2 is hoping to develop:

Transport equipment manufacturing

Largely aimed at Rolls-Royce, Toyota, Bombardier and their suppliers in Derbyshire.

Medical/bio-science.

This covers firms that supply goods and services related to human health and medical care such as Alliance Boots, MediCity and other developments on its site at Beeston, BioCity a nationally important buisness centre for growing science firms where Sygnature Discovery has demonstrated rapid growth.

These will be nurtured by attracting talent and investment from London and the south east, bringing the MediPark site next to the Queen's Medical Centre, into use for private sector-businesses which need to be next to a major research hospital.

Food and drink manufacturing

A sector important to Newark and Sherwood, Bassetlaw and Amber Valley districts. The sector accounts for 3.8 % of gross value added (GVA).

Construction

It accounts for 8.7% of GVA in the D2N2 area, as well as large construction firms, the sector includes quarries and gravel extraction.

Visitor economy

This covers activities directly associated with tourism such as hotels and restaurants. D2N2 has commissioned a report to assess the viability, economic impact and financial delivery options for a long list of new and proposed "anchor attractions". D2N2 will work with Experience Nottinghamshire and others to promote a coordinated major events programme.

Low-carbon goods/services

The sector accounted for a third of total economic growth in the UK in 2011/12. Worth £122 billion nationally and growing at four to five per cent a year throughout the downturn in the economy. A further 400,000 jobs are expected to be created nationally by 2020.

About 800 could be created in Nottingham over the next four years and another 1,480 between 2017-2021.

With firms such as Changan, Chinnock Sciences, Strawson Energy, Alkane Energy and Lindhurst Innovation Engineers, D2N2 believes low-carbon is a priority sector.

AS the dawning of one of the greatest spectacles in sport looms closer, it is not just the fans who are preparing for the event.

Behind the scenes at Trent Bridge, the preparations have been put into action, with hundreds of people, from board members to burger sellers having a role to play.

Paul Harrison from West Bridgford has been involved in the ground in a number of roles now and said the atmosphere is "buzzing".

He added: "I started off in the club shop and have worked in the winter nets and on reception and security."

And Paul has formed a close relationship with the players too.

He said: "I've also worked in the dressing room. At Notts we have two dressing room attendants and they look after the players' needs – it's basically making sure they've got refreshments and clean towels.

"You get the odd autograph and I went on a pre-season tour to Barbados a couple of years ago. We get on really well. If you are into cricket like me, being near the players is where to be."

For Paul, there is something truly special about Trent Bridge.

He said: "I grew up around here. When I was made redundant from my previous job I wanted to work here so I kept pestering them.

"It's a special place to be with a nice atmosphere and for big occasions like this it's great."

Preparations for the influx of visitors are in full swing and Paul will be on the front line.

He said: "I'll be in the shop during the Ashes – it's going to be busy. We've been putting up marquees for the outside shops and I'll be re-stocking as fast as we can sell it.

"It's organised chaos – everything is coming together around the ground. All the catering units and the bars have been coming for the last week or so and in the shop we've got a lot more lines than we would usually have. I've been making sure everything is right over the last week."

Even though Paul is working, he can't wait for the first ball to be bowled.

He said: "It's amazing and it's always good having a Test Match here, but having the first Ashes Test is something really special.

"We've got the world's media focused on us – it's a buzz around the ground. We've been elated since we won the package, but now it's happening it's absolutely unbelievable."

NURSE Gloria Ndema stole drugs from City Hospital to try to save her dying brother.

She was sacked after being found with a plastic bag full of antibiotics, laxatives and iron tablets taken from a ward.

The former staff nurse planned to send them to her seriously-ill brother in Malawi, but he died before they could be posted.

Miss Ndema appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council last week after ten boxes of the drugs were found at her home in Hilcot Drive, Aspley.

The council heard that she stole the drugs after her sister, who lives in Malawi, described their brother's symptoms.

Speaking at the hearing, Miss Ndema – who admitted she had taken the drugs without authorisation – said she "decided to take the medicine to send to my brother to help him." She was "faced with a very difficult situation" and said that taking the drugs was "the only choice" as her family could not afford to buy them in Africa.

Miss Ndema accepted it was dangerous to send medicines without diagnosis.

The council heard that she was "ashamed" of her actions and felt she had let her children down by stealing.

Representing the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Jessica Holmes told the panel that Miss Ndema's behaviour constituted misconduct and that her fitness to practise was impaired.

Miss Holmes also said that trust, honesty and integrity were cornerstones of nursing.

Despite finding Miss Ndema's fitness to practise impaired, the panel said there were mitigating factors – that the drugs had been for her dying brother, that she was under stress, and that patients were not put at risk. The panel gave her a five-year caution, which does not prevent her from working – she now practises as an agency nurse,

Miss Ndema, who worked in adult critical care, was suspended on February 9 last year, two days after the drugs had been found in her home. She was dismissed from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in May 2012.

Daniel Mortimer, director of workforce and strategy at the trust, said: "We take any case of theft from our hospitals extremely seriously. We are satisfied the trust took appropriate action in a timely way."

What do you think? Let us know by e-mailing newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

MARCUS Tudgay has revealed he was told he would get another year at Nottingham Forest when Billy Davies first came back for a second spell at the club.

It had looked as though the 30-year-old striker's future lied away from the City Ground after a season when he was out of favour with the previous two managers or injured.

But the former Sheffield Wednesday and Derby frontman, who broke his collarbone while out on loan at Barnsley during the 2012/13 campaign, has now been handed a one-year contract extension by the Reds.

It was Scotsman Davies who first brought Tudgay to Forest on loan from the Owls back in November 2010, before making his move a permanent one during the January transfer window in 2011 – paying £500,000 for him.

Tudgay said: "The previous two managers (Sean O'Driscoll and Alex McLeish) basically told me my time was over at Forest.

"But football's a funny game – Davies came back and on day one he said 'you've had a rubbish season with injury and I want you to have another year'.

"I'm delighted and thankful for the offer. It's now up to me to reward the gaffer for sticking by me and to show the Forest fans that I can still hold a place here.

"There are quality strikers at the club and everyone is going to want that slot come the start of the season.

"As individuals it's all about showing what we can do – the gaffer will pick who he thinks best."

Tudgay's confirmation he is staying for another year takes Davies' striking options to five, along with Dexter Blackstock, Simon Cox, Darius Henderson and Ishmael Miller, who could have a future at the club after scoring in a pre-season friendly with Hibs.

POLICE are urging residents to be vigilant in the sunny weather after a town was hit by spate of burglaries last week.

There were nine break-ins between July 3 and 4 in the Hucknall area, most at homes that had been left unlocked.

Now police are urging people to lock their doors and windows in the hot weather.

Sergeant Simon Scales said : "Sometimes we get burglars who take advantage of the victim's weaknesses. You become more relaxed in the summer months and maybe not so security conscious.

"Keep your front door locked and do not keep your car keys in your vehicle. Do not promote to everyone you are going away.

"It is all about doing the right things to prevent burglaries. You have to be switched on and protect your possessions."

Officers urged residents not to leave anything in obvious places which would tempt thieves, and to fit security lights and burglar alarms.

Hucknall resident Carole Terzza praised the police for their fast response after an attempted break-in at her home in March.

She said: "I was in the house at the time. The police response was brilliant – they were here in minutes.

"I am more cautious now. In this type of weather it is easy access for them. They do take opportunities. People do have to have windows and doors open but you have to be careful and vigilant."

Detective Inspector Rich Monk, of Ashfield CID, said: "Some of the victims were asleep in their houses at the time. We are working hard to catch these criminals but we also need your help to prevent these crimes.

"Make sure that you close your downstairs windows before going to sleep. This is something people often forget to do during the hot summer months. If you see anyone acting unusually in your area please call us. Many of these crimes take place overnight."

He added: "Call us on 101 or call 999 if you see a crime in progress."

PUPILS from primary schools across Nottingham watched themselves on the big screen in a film they created with the help of a professional film-maker.

The Paul Smith Suite at the Broadway Cinema, in Broad Street, screened Tomorrow, a half-hour film to show what pupils can miss out on if they skip school.

The Year 5 children were thrilled to see their names in lights and the film they created will go on show at each of the 12 participating schools, from September.

The four main actresses – Carol Pinto, 9, of Welbeck Primary School, in The Meadows, Manar El Said, 10, of Mellers Primary School, in Radford, Umaiya Hraziq, 10, of Edna G Olds Academy, in Lenton, and Solange Sebastian, 10, from Forest Fields Primary School – said they enjoyed their starring roles but that the message was more important.

"We got to be out of school but not get into trouble," said Manar. "I'm glad I got to play one of the good characters."

Carol added: "It was awesome. I got to dance to Gangnam style. When I was up there I just went crazy."

The girls, who have not done much acting before, took their inspiration from movie stars such as Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise and Madeleine Stowe.

Umaiya added: "It was really fun and I would like to be an actress."

The day saw film-maker Adam Pepper show the pupils some examples of movie posters and by the end of the day they had created their own for Tomorrow.

Shida Sattar, a teaching assistant at Edna G Olds Academy, said: "The children were chosen for their confidence and acting skills but also for their good attendance. It was hard for Umaiya to play a truant because she would never miss a day of school."

Miss Sattar said that primary schools don't have a problem with truancy, but Year 5 is a good time to reinforce the message before they head to secondary school.

"School is the place to be – not just for learning but for fun," added Miss Sattar.

"And doing things like this is a good way for them to interact with kids from other schools, although some of them were friends before."

Film-maker Adam Pepper, who runs the Silver Screen Primary Education Project, added: "The children should take all the credit.

"I helped them through it from a practical point of view, but the ideas and inspiration came from them."

Mr Pepper, a former primary teacher who works with around 50 schools in Notts after starting the company two years ago, added: "We wanted to make the film realistic.

"It wasn't to try and scare them, but show that you can have a great time at school whereas when you're not at school it can actually be quite boring."

THE badge of Notts Police was once worn with pride because other forces saw you as "tough" – thanks to its high crime rates.

Tearing up that notion has been a long, hard fight, its new Deputy Chief Constable says.

While Notts will probably never have crime rates as low as some rural areas, Sue Fish says, its badge is now more likely to be worn with pride because crime is falling.

Mrs Fish took up her post on June 14, having first joined the Notts force as a police constable in 1986.

Now second only to the Chief Constable, she has spoken of how the force has changed over more than a quarter of a century – and says it will still cut crime in the face of substantial budget cuts.

Mrs Fish worked in a number of detective and uniformed roles and was made an Assistant Chief Constable for Notts in 2003 after returning from four years with West Midlands Police.

She arrived back in Notts around the time it was gaining a national reputation for serious crime and fatal shootings.

"Those first couple of years were incredibly tough to work in and at the same time we were being pilloried for violent crime," she said.

While the force had now come through this "almost perfect storm" there will "always" be a threat from organised crime.

"What having to deal with it did do was give us knowledge of these crime groups and an understanding of the risks," she says.

Since then the force has faced another major challenge – delivering £43 million in budget cuts, with more to come.

Planned Government reform will see changes to the police pension scheme, a reduction in the starting salary for PCs and the possibility of direct entry appointments – meaning those qualified enough can start in the higher ranks instead of beginning as a beat bobby.

Mrs Fish said that, despite reform, the main job of a police officer was "still the same" – arresting criminals and getting convictions.

"It's not just in policing that there are changes being made to terms and conditions," she said. "We know the pension is still going to be the best in the public sector.

"Whereas some aspects have changed since I walked the beat we have got different kit – I was issued a handbag and a small truncheon as opposed to a stab vest, and women weren't allowed to wear trousers.

"Some of the powers we can use have also changed and we now have Blackberrys and Tetra Tab laptops in police cars.

"But a burglary is still a burglary – rape is still rape, we have victims and offenders."

"The responsibility for keeping a million people in Notts safe is a huge one – but if there's a reason for getting out of bed in the morning that is it.

"There's so much more we can do on top of the changes we've made over the last eight to ten years.

"We need to keep working in partnership as austerity hits other organisations – we use the phrase 'shrinking together not shrinking apart'.

She added: "We used to have a reputation as a tough police force because of our high crime rate, but you sit there and think 'that's not right'."

JOSEPHINE Lakin's story is deeply upsetting for all concerned, most especially for her family.

I would like to reaffirm our commitment to reducing falls in our hospitals, and our recent progress in this priority area.

Falls take a terrible toll on our patients and their loved ones.

Every fall has a cost: in physical injuries, in lost confidence, and in fear of further falls. Each of these factors reduces the likelihood that a patient will retain or regain their independence.

Falls are not inevitable and most can be prevented by timely interventions. We have an extensive programme across our hospitals – as part of our trust-wide patient safety programme – to understand which patients fall, and why.

This allows us to identify those patients most at risk of falling and to take preventative measures for and with them.

Our multi-disciplinary Falls Prevention Team and Falls Champions support our nurses across our wards, notably on those where we care for patients who are especially frail or confused, who are at highest risk of falling.

Central to this work is "Caring around the Clock" – which ensures patients, especially those at high risk of falls, receive regular checks.

Our Stop Falls! Act Now campaign reinforces to all colleagues how we can each prevent falls by paying attention to poor footwear, multiple medications, poor vision and confusion.

Last year we challenged ourselves to reduce falls in our hospitals by 10 per cent. We achieved eight per cent overall and 35 per cent for falls causing the most serious harms.

I'm personally involved in our comprehensive patient safety programme, including our falls reduction work.

Each month I chair the Falls Operational Group of clinical colleagues. This discusses individual falls, and shares learning and best practice, with the aim of continuously reducing the harm from falls experienced by patients in our hospitals.

We have more work to do, but we are committed to ensuring patients are ever-safer in our care. Making year-on-year progress is one of our key priorities for 2013/14.

We closely monitor and share our progress throughout the year with our patients, staff and local community at our public board meetings.