A COUNCIL investigation concluded there had been neglect in Mrs Rock's case, but said it could not hold anyone to account because of conflicting evidence given by the two employees involved.

The council agreed to provide refresher training on recognising and responding to strokes, display posters throughout their homes and changed the procedure for calling the emergency services.

It also wrote to the family to apologise for 'the worry and upset this situation caused you and your family members'.

The Local Government Ombudsman found the council's explanation for not holding anyone to account 'lacked credibility'.

Local Government Ombudsman doctor Jane Martin said: "This is a deeply concerning case, compounded all the more by the fact that staff at the home had recently received stroke awareness training.

"The care home's neglect to call the ambulance service jeopardised the woman's health and fundamentally compromised her dignity. This delay denied the woman the vital specialist medical treatment she so obviously needed.

"This case serves as a stark warning to councils and other care providers that the correct systems should be in place to deal with serious incidents such as these to ensure that this does not happen in future."

A copy of the report has been sent to the Care Quality Commission to ensure it is made aware of the ombudsman's concerns.

A PUBLIC inquiry into a controversial housing development has been ordered.

Broxtowe Borough Council gave permission in April for Westerman Homes to build 450 homes on green-belt land at Field Farm, Ilkeston Road, Stapleford.

This came after the council had earmarked the site for development to help it meet Government targets for 6,150 new homes in the borough by 2028.

An inquiry will be held after Secretary of State Eric Pickles "called in" the development because the plans "may conflict with national policies" such as the use of green-belt land.

The planning application and decision will be referred to his office, much to the delight of Stapleford and Trowell Rural Action Group (STRAG) which has been campaigning to save the site.

STRAG member Richard MacRae said: "I am not surprised that Eric Pickles has made this decision.

"We are all over the moon with this result and we will keep working to save the land.

"STRAG is a large group that needs to be taken seriously and we are starting to see that happen now.

"We have done a lot of protesting and petitioning to get to this stage. There will now be a STRAG meeting to see how we can take our cause further."

In April, Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry condemned the plans, calling them out of step with local feeling. Ms Soubry added: "I had a meeting with Eric Pickles after Broxtowe's decision and specifically asked him to call it in.

"What this means is that, very unusually, the Secretary of State has ordered a public inquiry into the future of the land.

"This decision is a result of the efforts of myself and other campaigners to save Field Farm and I would very much like to pay considerable tribute to them.

"This does not mean we have won the battle but we have at least persuaded the Secretary of State that it should be subject to a full public inquiry and not just nodded through as we very much feared."

Councillor David Watts, Broxtowe Borough Council portfolio holder for economy and regeneration, believes the decision goes against localism. The leader of the Liberal Democrat group said: "If it's what needs to be done, it's what needs to be done.

"It does go against the idea of localism, where local councillors make the decisions, if someone from outside the borough has the final say.

"The borough approved the plans in April and it will be a while before an inquiry is held and a final decision made."

Rachael Pipkin, spokeswoman for Mr Pickles, said: "The Secretary of State's policy is to be very selective about calling in planning applications.

"He will, in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved.

"The Secretary of State is of the opinion that the application is one that ought to be decided by himself because the proposal may conflict with national policies."

No one from Westerman Homes was available for comment.

TWO Notts councils have raked in more than £8 million in parking fines over the past three years.

Nottingham City and Notts County councils made more than £2.6 million last year from fining motorists – the equivalent of £7,123 a day. This compares with £2 million in fines handed out in Leicestershire during the same period.

Driver Phillip Greaves, 72, of Wimbledon Road, Sherwood, said: "All it takes is to go a little over the time and they're outside your car taking a photo.

"I've been caught a couple of times – either I've got bad luck or they wait for the moment the clock goes."

The Post can reveal that the places where most tickets were handed out in the city were Wollaton Street, Park Row and North Sherwood Street. In the rest of the county it was Grove Street, Retford.

The figures, provided under the Freedom of Information Act, show that almost 60,000 tickets were issued in the city last year, bringing in £1.65 million.

The county handed out 31,383 tickets in the same period, earning £1,005,361.

The city council says it now deals with enforcement, rather than using a private contractor, and the number of tickets is down 14%.

Des Storey, team leader in parking enforcement, said: "We have a reputation of sneaking around trying to catch people parking illegally, but that isn't the case.

"If there is someone physically sitting in the car, we always point out alternative places to park."

The county council said: "The purpose is not to raise money for councils. The aim is to reduce congestion, improve road safety and ensure spaces for drivers with disabilities and local residents are used by the right people."

THE LEADER of a council has praised a local group for their efforts in transforming a park over the last decade.

Councillor Chris Baron, leader of Ashfield District Council, said that without the Friends of Hucknall Titchfield Park, the green area would not have transformed into the "jewel in the crown" that it is today.

He said: "The park is absolutely marvellous. From what it was a decade ago it is now a fantastic place for the family.

"The group is concerned about the park and wanted it to be a jewel in the crown for Hucknall. I want to thank the group for their hard work and dedication for the benefit of everyone."

The Friends of Hucknall Titchfield Park Group was formed in 2003 to work alongside Ashfield District Council to improve the park.

Some of the group's successes include getting the war memorial restored and cleaned in 2005, securing funding for the bowling and cricket pavilions in 2006, and establishing the new café in 2011.

A state-of-the-art skate park, youth shelter and play area for children was added two years ago.

The group's treasurer, Betty Kujawinski, who helps secure funding for new equipment in the park, said Titchfield has been completely transformed.

She said: "The equipment was old and it was run down. There wasn't a cricket or bowls pavilion and stuff was vandalised.

"Over the last ten years I have seen it progress and change. I feel very pleased now – it is not a no-go area any more."

The park, which has been awarded the Green Flag each year since 2009, has hosted an array of events including the recent Hucknall Fake Festival.

But instead of taking time out to celebrate, the group is plunging straight into its next project, creating new signage for the café and resurfacing the paths.

Judy Gow, 72, joined the group after helping to create Titchfield's Bee Garden, which is full of roses, geraniums, foxgloves and a range of herbs.

She said: "The Bee Garden is colourful and it smells nice. The park is stunning and it is a place for all the family to go."

FIVE years ago, when Recreation moved into the West End Arcade, things were a bit different to how they are now.

"It was almost derelict," said shop owner Alan Martin, 35. "There was just one other shop at this end."

He co-owns the trendy shop, selling vintage electronics, record players and curiosities with friend Carl Niemz and they are optimistic about the arcade's future.

"It's doing really well," he said. "At this end of the arcade we were at 100 per cent capacity for a while until the Music Exchange went to Hockley, but that's because they were doing so well. The creperie next door brings in new people all of the time."

Latest figures show that the arcade currently has five empty units – an improvement on nine this time last year.

Mr Martin believes that the key to success in the arcade is landlords being realistic about rent.

He said: "Our landlord gave us a rent-free period and that gave us the opportunity to build the business up.

"If landlords really want to fill shops they will. But they need to be realistic and less greedy. They could charge a lot in the 1990s and early 2000s, but it's a bit different now."

One of the most testing times for the arcade was when the escalator was closed.

In March 2012, a man lost his toe on the escalator that connects the upper and lower sections of the arcade. The escalator had to be shut down and access from the lower level to Upper Parliament Street was cut off. An investigation is still ongoing and it took until January this year for the escalator to be replaced with a staircase.

David Rose, 58, owns the Music Inn on the upper level, which has been in the arcade for 20 years.

He said: "People thought I'd gone out of business. Now it's open people are starting to come through again."

The business has been in the family since 1919 when his grandfather opened a music shop in Alfreton Road, known as The Sanders Papworth Music Co.

Mr Rose said he felt there had been a recent lift in the arcade.

"It's quite optimistic at the moment," he added. "It's been very hard in this corner of town but there seem to be signs of life. It's a bit of a neglected corner of Nottingham. There are a lot of restaurants and bars, which is OK in the evening, but it has an adverse effect on retail."

One of the biggest attractions of the West End arcade is the cheap rent – some units are let for as little as £350 a month.

"It's cheap and cheerful; it's pure economics," said Mark Walker, of Hand Signed Autographs. But Mr Walker was exasperated by the escalator being closed down and the thoroughfare cut off for so long. He says he lost business because if it.

He added: "The stairs are definitely better than it was but it's a pity it took nearly a year to do it."

Lincoln-based Hodgson Elkington, which manages West End Arcade, said the escalator was replaced as quickly as possible.

Partner Tim Shaw said: "Removing an old escalator from a building is not a simple task. It had to be removed piece by piece. The works were carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Mr Shaw also said that vacant units are actively promoted to prospective tenants.

"They are marketed on our website and boards are erected at the premises. We proactively attend every viewing and can sign people up quickly. We are working hard to ensure the remaining vacant units are let as quickly as possible."

One of the newest tenants to move in is Andy Marzec, 44, from Chilwell, who opened The Neverland Music Company, selling rock and metal merchandise, three months ago. He's had the business since 2005 but normally sells at festivals and on the internet, so this is the first time he's had a retail base.

He said: "Trade is not a patch on when we were setting up. Town is really busy but nobody is walking through."

He's also annoyed that the city council produced a map of the city centre, which is available at the Tourist Information Centre, and missed the arcade off.

It points out all of the key shopping areas but does not even have a street name for the arcade – it's just an unidentified white line.

Andy says: "The map doesn't help – if they can't even be bothered to put it on it then it doesn't help us."

A spokesperson for the city council said: "West End Arcade, along with some other smaller side streets, is marked but not named on some city centre maps currently in circulation. This could be reviewed when new maps are due to be printed."

West End Arcade is currently being addressed as part of the city council's £230,000 project to tackle high vacancy rates.

The money includes £100,000 which came from the Mary Portas High Street Innovation Fund.

The council's regeneration team is finding solutions for vacant units in the area.

Councillor Nick McDonald, portfolio holder for jobs and growth, said: "The current work will reduce vacancy and will help ensure that West End Arcade is an improved offer in that area of the city centre. In the long-term, however, there is a fundamental question about the quality of the arcade, which needs addressing.

"Most people would agree that the arcade is not of sufficiently high quality for a city like Nottingham. That is ultimately something we will need to resolve."

THREE friends are to tackle a 90-mile bike ride in one day to raise awareness of the need for stem cell donation.

Jasper Haywood, 47, of Coppice Road, Arnold, plans to ride from Skegness to the Old Volunteer pub, in Carlton, on Saturday, August 10, with friends Micky Haw and Dave Hunter.

The ride is in memory of Jasper's wife's son, Liam Doherty, who died, aged eight, on New Year's Day 2008 after a three-year battle with leukaemia.

The trio aim to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Foundation, which campaigns for people aged 16 to 30 to sign the stem cell donation register to maximise the chances of finding a match for people who need stem cell transplants.

Mr Haywood said: "We decided to do something for charity and picking Anthony Nolan just seemed obvious, because of Liam.

"Raising money's great but personally it's about awareness, because they need people on the register.

"If we could just get ten more people on the register, that's ten more people who could be a match for someone."

In Liam's case, a stem cell transplant might have helped to destroy the leukaemia cells in his body and replace them with healthy cells.

The Nottingham Post launched a Line Up For Liam campaign in 2007, encouraging donors to sign up in an effort to find a match.

Although a match was found , it was too late – the cancer had returned and Liam was too ill to undergo the operation.

His mum, Julie Haywood, – who has married Jasper since her son's death – continues to encouraged people to sign the register.

She said: "It's massively important.

" If Liam had found a match earlier, he probably would have survived.

"Since Liam died, I've been wanting to raise awareness and it's all these little events that achieve that.

"For Jasper and his friends – who, let's be honest, are three middle-aged fat men – the pain and sweat and tears that's gone into it is all just trying to raise some awareness."

All it takes to join the Anthony Nolan register is to fill in an online application form and provide a spit sample.

Micky Haw, 42, of Valley Road, Carlton, set the Skegness marathon ball rolling by texting Jasper with the idea.

He said: "Julie's made us quite aware of Anthony Nolan."

To donate to the trio, visit www.justgiving.com/jasperhaywood. For more about joining the stem cell register, visit www.anthonynolan.org.

I AM four different kinds of commuter. Depending on the weather, my itinerary and general mood I will drive into work, or catch the bus, or cycle into town or cover the three miles on shoe-leather.

Perhaps that should be composition sole. Leather soles are fine for boulevarding between cafés and a turn in the ballroom but not for a six-mile work-out on the hot pavements of Nottingham. You'd spend more at the cobbler's than at the fuel station.

My attitude to other road users depends on the day's mode of movement.

If I'm driving I despair at the school pupils who dawdle over crossings. However, if I'm walking I raise my eyebrow at drivers who gun throttles during my stately progress.

When cycling I'll look for any advantage on the bike-unfriendly streets of Nottingham – yet I have to curb the blasphemy when driving and halting at a red light to see cyclists whizzing by as if the law did not apply to them.

As a bus passenger I am happy that cars in Sneinton Dale must wait behind me while other passengers are picked up.

Yet when I, as car driver, am forced to wait behind a No 43 while boarders dither with their change, I am frustrated at the imbecilic decision to remove the lay-by stops that would have allowed overtaking and kept the traffic flowing.

My point is that drivers and cyclists, pedestrians and bus passengers all have different agendas and different prejudices – which they are all too ready to change if they alter their mode of transport.

So it is more with irritation than fury that I absorb the news that over three years the city and county councils plundered £8m in parking fines.

My own contribution was £25 for failing to display a ticket in Broad Street – this was not long after the city's avaricious extension of on-street charging beyond 6pm.

I can understand the cynicism of those who coughed the remaining £7,999,975, but personally I do not buy the urban myths that parking attendants have must-hit targets and that they hide round corners if it helps erring parkers believe they are not about to be stiffed.

The amount of yellow stickers you see on windscreens in NG1 suggests parking attendants hardly have to hunt for custom. And on a personal note I find them a lot more reasonable than the toothbrush-moustached traffic wardens of yore – the strutting Yellow Peril, in their buttercup epaulettes and hat bands.

The only thing that worries me is that today's attendants are often deployed in pairs. That does not seem to be the most efficient use of manpower. Presumably we don't have two city treasurers scribing at twin lecterns in the same counting house?

In spite of the protestations of County Hall that "the purpose is not to raise money for councils" I do believe that public authorities – and not just in Nottinghamshire – regard the motoring community as a profit centre.

The stricken private driver gets savaged by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, fuel companies, insurance spivs, car park owners and motorway caterers – and all for the pleasure of using Britain's rapidly crumbling highways.

Presumably public authorities feel they also have the right to elbow their way into the feeding frenzy.

The critics might feel better if councils demonstrate, once the double-teamed attendants are paid for, precisely how the surplus is spent in the promised pursuit of road safety and congestion reduction.

How much safer are the roads for my £25? And if congestion has been reduced, would somebody tell me where in Nottingham that might be?

A JURY trying a man accused of the manslaughter of his father will not have to deliberate on a second charge of murder.

Judge Jonathan Teare discharged jurors on giving a verdict on the murder charge in the case against Vito Difina, who denies killing his father, Italian Giuseppe Difina, in Carlton.

Giuseppe was allegedly stabbed twice by his son after an argument outside the family home in Cliff Road, Carlton, last September.

Vito, 40, of Cavendish Road, Carlton, suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, the trial at Nottingham Crown Court has heard.

Experts have said in evidence that his condition may have substantially impaired his ability to understand what he was doing and his judgement to exercise self-control.

"That reduces murder to manslaughter," said the judge yesterday as he discharged the jury on deliberating on the murder charge.

On the night of the alleged killing, a neighbour heard Vito say he wanted his father to take him home, followed by an argument, shouting and bangs.

After this, Giuseppe, also known as Joe, was found by his wife in their kitchen, injured.

Giuseppe told a 999 operator his son had stabbed him in the chest, it was alleged, and told a paramedic his son had taken the knife with him.

Giuseppe was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Queen's Medical Centre.

There he said to a doctor that his son had done it, the court heard.

Giuseppe allegedly told the doctor: "He came behind me. I just never did anything to him. He just came and attacked me."

Prosecutor Paul Mann, QC, said in his closing speech yesterday: "It's not often in cases of this kind that the victim, who was stabbed and died, manages to tell someone who has done it."

Giuseppe was stabbed at least twice shortly after he arrived home in his Mitsubishi car on September 10, 2012.

There were no eyewitnesses to the killing, so the prosecution is unable to say precisely where the 68-year-old was when he was stabbed.

Mr Mann told the jury: "The real issue is this – not who Joe said stabbed him but whether the identification of his attacker was correct."

The defence have effectively had to present two cases to the jury – that Vito is not responsible for the stabbing but, if he is, that it is a case of diminished responsibility.

The trial continues.

MANSFIELD Town midfielder Lee Stevenson has added his support to an appeal to raise funds for a new dog rescue centre in north Notts.

Jerry Green Dog Rescue, in Blidworth, is aiming to raise £250,000 to help pay for the redevelopment of the centre, which will allow the charity to re-home more dogs and look after them in more comfortable surroundings.

Footballer Stevenson paid a visit to the centre's annual open day in Blidworth and met Jimmy, the Patterdale terrier who is the face of the fund-raising appeal – Stepping Stone to a New Home.

"I love dogs and my partner and I are thinking of adopting one," said Lee, who is hoping to play an important role in Mansfield Town's first season back in the Football League.

"There are so many abandoned and unwanted dogs that people really should consider adopting a rescue dog."

The centre can currently only cater for ten dogs and the kennels and associated facilities are outdated and in a poor state of repair.

The new purpose-built facility will provide accommodation for 30 dogs as well as offices, a training barn and an intake block to receive dogs when they are first brought into the centre. To make your donation, visit www.justgiving.com/NottsBuildAppeal.

TRADERS have called on councillors to clean up their act over a market now dominated by dead rats, rubbish and burglaries.

Angry shop owners in Sneinton Market say the area has been in freefall since going into receivership 18 months ago and are pleading for the council to step in and help to clean up and provide security.

The avenues that make up the market are covered in rubbish and dead rats and traders claim security is inadequate.

Barry Hayman, who has had a printing shop in the market for a decade, said: "It's going to rack and ruin. It's incredibly stressful – it's a real concern.

"The bins are left out and there are dead rats – we all feel helpless. It's really difficult.

"And there's been two burglaries here recently.

"The fire hazards are my main concern – there have been two fires here previously with so much rubbish left lying around."

Mr Hayman added: "Businesses here are really struggling – no one wants to come here with all of this happening. "We want the council to take over the site.We just don't know what to do. We want someone to step up to the plate and take responsibility and say let's have some CCTV – that's what we want."

Jodie Hankey, who runs Target property management in the market area, said: "We're all in limbo – something needs to happen. We need the council to get something done. We've been like this for two years now. The rats are my biggest problem – and some tenants use it as a dumping ground. "

And David Beckwith, who runs the PC Doctor shop, said: "It's a problem. I've been here on the site for about 15 years and gradually over time it's got rundown.

"People don't come to this area of the city."

"We are worried about security. We are going to get some grates fitted to the windows but it does not help the place look attractive."

A Nottingham City Council spokesman said: "We have been made aware of this issue and we will work with local businesses to identify the offenders. Once the offenders are identified, we will consider the options available to us, which include prosecution.

"We would remind people that flytipping is an offence that can lead to an unlimited fine and, in some cases, up to five years' imprisonment."

A NEW construction training centre could be built at a city college campus.

The £2.3 million Sustainable Construction Innovation and Enterprise Centre would also include office space for new businesses.

It would be built at New College Nottingham's Basford Hall site off Stockhill Lane.

£1.4 million has been received from the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The remainder has been put in by the college.

Planning permission has yet to be applied for but city council deputy leader Councillor Graham Chapman believes it would be a major bonus for Nottingham.

He said: "This is a top priority, as it will provide training and jobs, particularly for people living in this area.

"We know that in construction, green technology is going to get more and more sophisticated and if we are going to keep ahead of the game we need people that can do more than bricklaying and plastering but understand technology."

The site, likely to be open in two years' time, will include 12 units for new construction businesses and a shared workshop space.

Announcing the funding, Communities Minister Baroness Hanham said: "Helping new businesses to set up and support them at their earliest stages in exploring possible markets and growth is vital to their success.

"Prosperity of the local area is a priority and this project will provide a basis for that. It will see the creation of an exciting enterprise-led centre, turning derelict land into a facility that will provide many benefits for years to come.

"I am delighted that we have been able to provide support to this worthwhile and interesting project that will lead to the creation of new businesses."

The centre would be built on derelict land at the site and would be eco-friendly.

Paul Jones, 36, who lives near the site in Basford, said: "It will be great to have something like this in the area.

"There is a lot of people out of work around here. It will give them training. It is also great that new businesses will be able to start up around here."

New College Nottingham principal Amarjit Basi said: "All the evidence tells us that renewable energy and low-carbon industries will be a key driver for growth in Nottingham and the wider East Midlands area, so it's vital we are at the forefront of supporting the future growth creators as they take their first steps into the industry."

A GROUP of employees from energy company E.ON have worked a total of 70 hours to help clear an area of land at Holgate School, in Hucknall.

Limited resources and funding had meant it had been difficult to clear the area by the school entrance.

But with support from ten E.ON volunteers, the area has now been cleared of debris and litter and the railings repainted, making the area surrounding the school entrance more attractive and a more habitable spot for wildlife.

The project was facilitated by Business in the Community, one of the Prince of Wales' charities, as part of the national day of employee volunteering called Give and Gain Day.

The E.ON volunteers were joined by other volunteers from Shoosmiths LLP and Thomson Reuters, the school's site manager, Dave Sharard, and the Waste and Environment Service at Ashfield District Council.

Tony Goodwin, a team manager at E.ON, said: "The day was a fantastic opportunity for us to work together as a team whilst supporting Holgate School. The team really enjoyed working with the other companies and contributing to the maintenance of the school grounds. The team's support allowed us to complete tasks that would have otherwise taken considerable time and resource and we're happy to have been able to help."

A £536,000 grant and loan guarantees of £4.5million has been approved for 67 new homes.

A planning application has already been submitted for 49 flats and 18 houses on the former Radford Mill site, in Norton Street, by Nottingham City Council with Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA).

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has now approved the grant application for the scheme.

Councillor Graham Chapman, the council's deputy leader and lead on neighbourhood regeneration, said: "The Radford Mill development is part of the council's policy to improve housing conditions, for example by decommissioning Highurst, Highcross and Clifford Court, and replacing these low-quality units with good quality sustainable housing."

According to the submitted plans, the new housing will consist of three-storey semi-detached villas along Garden Street.

A four-storey block of flats will be built on Norton Street, with the building dropping down to three storeys towards Denman Street Central.

Two and three-storey flats will be built on the corners of the site on Denman Street Central, while two-storey houses will front the street.

Steve Walker, NCHA's director of development, added: "We are particularly pleased to be working with our long-term partner, Nottingham City Council, on this very important regeneration scheme, and we look forward to the opening in 2014-15."

People still have time to have their say on the plans. A consultation event will be held at the John Carroll Leisure Centre from 5pm to 7pm today.

Officers from the council and NCHA will be available to answers questions and detailed plans will be on display.

AS Lynne Morgan visits Woodborough Cemetery today, memories of events from a decade ago will be hard to bear.

A family holiday took the most tragic of turns when her 11-year-old daughter Laura drowned on a sailing trip in Greece on July 31, 2003.

Ten years on, the family still has the spectre of a tenth court case relating to Laura's death looming over them.

Mrs Morgan, 58, of Smalls Croft, Woodborough, said: "It's unbelievable that it's ten years and I'm still fighting the cause.

"I try to carry on with life as best I can, and I do. But it's been like opening a Pandora's Box of grief when I face the thought of what life should be like now.

"We should have been celebrating her graduation – it's been very hard watching her peers do the same."

Laura was sailing with two friends at the Club Vounaki resort, Paleros Bay, when the Hobie 15 catamaran she was on capsized.

The Nottingham Girls' High School pupil was trapped under water, unable to release her harness.

Two employees from trip organisers Sunsail, hotel manager William James Hutton and assistant manager Kevin Michael Jones, were found guilty of negligence and received 10-month jail sentences, suspended for three years.

Sunsail lodged a number of appeals against the criminal proceedings, including two Greek Supreme Court hearings.

A Greek civil court also held Sunsail liable for Laura's death and the family was awarded a six-figure sum in 2011.

But Sunsail lodged an appeal last summer against the decision and the family has only received 20 per cent of the compensation.

The appeal was heard in Greece in April but Mrs Morgan has been told it could take up to eight months for a ruling to be made.

The family has been told this ruling will be final.

Mrs Morgan said the appeal cost £6,000 in legal fees to challenge, while the ten-year battle has probably cost £50,000 to contest.

By far the hardest court appearance was the inquest into Laura's death, which was held in Nottingham last year.

Mrs Morgan said: "Physically the other court appearances and appeals were difficult, but the inquest was hardest.

"I knew I was going to be confronting or seeing all the people that had been involved in the incident, and I hadn't seen them ever."

If the appeal fails and Sunsail has to pay the full compensation, Mrs Morgan said they would donate some of the money to the Laura Rose Memorial Trust.

The trust has raised around £20,000 over the last decade.

Mrs Morgan said: "We'll wait until the outcome and if this money is awarded, my ex said he would give a lot to the trust so maybe we can really go for a bigger project."

After Laura's death, Sunsail made a number of changes to its procedures.

These included parental consent forms for under-16s involved in activities and checking the previous experience and competence of children sailing and using equipment.

A Sunsail spokesman said: "Laura's untimely death ten years ago remains a tragedy. The thoughts of everyone in the company are with her family and friends at this time.

"Sunsail has previously confirmed there is a pending appeal in the on-going civil proceedings related to Laura's death.

"While we are waiting to receive the decision from the court, we do not feel it is appropriate to comment further at this time except to confirm that Sunsail has, to date, complied fully with its obligations under any court rulings."

INVENTORS have come up with what they claim is a world first – an eco-friendly coffin made of straw.

School friends Dale Bywater and Laurie Smith, of Eco Rest, Sawley Marina, Long Eaton, came up with the idea to build a green alternative to traditional coffins.

Laurie, who has been marketing the product, said more and more people were becoming conscious of the impact they had on the planet, even as they went into the ground.

He said: "People are very aware of all things environmental. There are on average 600,000 coffins manufactured a year in the UK.

"Why should we be making coffins from trees when we've got an alternative that leaves trees firmly planted in the ground?"

According to Laurie, the eco-coffin market currently makes up around 5 per cent of total sales.

While there are already a number of similar products available, Laurie said they often required a chipboard frame to keep completely stable.

He said their coffin doesn't need any other material apart from resin to keep it performing under pressure.

He said: "Most of the other products are lined with chipboard to keep them strong enough when carried.

"We did a lot of road testing with ours and they are fit for purpose. If you looked at ours, you would say it looks like a regular chipboard model."

Laurie said they had already had a great deal of interest and were in the stages of negotiating a deal with a major funeral home.

He added: "People have been saying things like, 'Put me down for one of those.'

"My mother says she's down for one."

Managing director Dale Bywater said that neither he or Laurie had ever been involved in the end-of-life industry prior to this.

He said they had been inspired following the death of Laurie's father.

"After his dad died and he had gone through the bereavement process, he was going through the eco-coffins and a lot of them didn't look like proper coffins.

"We are 100 per cent committed to this product and we see it as a genuine alternative to any eco-coffin on the market.

"If you'd said to me this time last year that I would be making straw coffins, I think I would have laughed at you and told you to have a word with a therapist."

What do you think? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

A GUINEA pig sanctuary has been left without money to feed its animals after a thief stole £300 of donations.

Two hundred guinea pigs are supported by the Avalon Guinea Pig Sanctuary in Wollaton and the money would have meant up to a month's worth of food.

The cash was stolen on Friday evening when the cash tin was raided.

Sanctuary founder Shaz Kelly said: "We think it was somebody that came to adopt a guinea pig from us and we left the cash tin under the table.

"I was out of the room for five minutes and I found out at teatime when I went to get the money out to buy food that all the money had gone."

The sanctuary started up in 2006 to care for unwanted guinea pigs and is volunteer-run, with its income dependent on donations.

The centre also offers "boarding" for people to leave their guinea pigs when they go on holiday.

Carolyn O'Callaghan adopted four guinea pigs – Sponge, Squash, Sherbet and Splash – from the centre and regularly leaves them there.

She said: "Shaz just loves these creatures to pieces and she relies wholly on those donations. It's just really awful to happen to such a nice person and all she's trying to do is look after those animals."

Mrs Kelly, who runs the centre with Leanne Mitchell, said: "People were giving nice donations and then it's just whipped out of our hands.

"I'd only just said to my husband the night before that we were doing well and now we're back to square one again – it's going to take a while to build all that back up."

Mrs Kelly added: "The farm we get the feed from, Spring Farm at Trowell, is absolutely lovely. They let us have it and pay them back when we get the money. But we'll still need to pay them back at some point."

The farm's shop manager, Joy Foulkes, said: "To raise that money is such hard work and they've worked tirelessly for it and just to have someone just steal it is horrible. People are struggling and charity donations are going down as it is."

The farm raises money and donates hampers to several animal causes every year, and Joy said they were hoping to raise even more to donate to the guinea pig centre.

Police confirmed they were investigating the incident.

FRIENDLY residents and close-knit communities are among the reasons why Nottingham is one of the friendliest places in the country.

A recent poll put the city's residents as the fifth nicest in the country and many seem to agree with the ranking.

Nottingham came behind Belfast and Norwich in the polls but ahead of Sheffield and London.

Many of those who spoke to the Post yesterday agreed that Nottingham had a strong sense of community and that people were friendly.

Steven Atkinson, 24, of Forest Fields, said people had a strong sense of identity in Nottingham, which made them nice to be around.

He added: "Nottingham's just the right size really – it's not too big so things are impersonal and it's not too small so that everyone knows everyone else's business.

"And people tend to stick around here – you know your neighbours, the people on your street.

"There's just little things that make you more Nottingham, like calling people 'duck', which must make it seem more friendly."

Other people pointed to the sense of community as being a key part of Nottingham seeming like a friendly place.

Carl Towner, chief executive of the Lenton Centre, said that he thought the city's people were friendly because it was on the right place on the North-South divide.

He added: "It's not like the stereotypical southern city where everyone just looks after themselves, there's a real community vibe that's strong in the city.

"And there's a real focus on local things – we have small leisure centres that are in communities, not one big impersonal one."

Meanwhile, Tony Bates, whose campaign to get people talking about what they love about the city on Twitter as part of the Get Nottingham Trending campaign, said the city had a lot to shout about.

He added: "I could rattle on all day about all the things I love about Nottingham but at the top of the list has to be the people.

"Wherever you are in the city you're never far from a friendly face. I always love to see tourists in the city, and there seem to be more coming each day, and how eager locals are to give directions or advice.

"I've been in Old Market Square late on a Saturday night and watched the exchanges between groups of students, dressed in all sorts of outfits, mixing happily with the locals, all very good natured.

"I also love hanging about in the Square on a sunny afternoon and people-watching, with a huge range of people from all walks of life converging on the centre."

The results were based on factors including the average length of a friendship in the area and the number of people locals kept in their close social groups.

Top of the poll was Belfast, with Edinburgh and Glasgow in second and third.

PLANS for an additional £1.5m to develop a Nottingham sports park have met a positive response from people living nearby.

As revealed in yesterday's Post, Harvey Hadden Sports Park is putting in a bid for cash from Sport England to further improve facilities.

Ideas include a 1,500m cycle track, upgraded football pitches, three squash courts and a wildlife pond.

The £1.5m would be in addition to a secured £13.5m from Nottingham City Council, with work set to begin in September.

Members of the public are being consulted for the next four weeks about how they would like to see the potential windfall spent.

The Post visited Birchover Road Community Centre, in Bilborough, which was staging a Health Awareness Day yesterday, to ask residents what they thought of the plans.

Childminder Donna Owuso, 49, of Brindley Road, Bilborough, said she was pleased the council was asking local people what they thought and made some suggestions of her own.

She said: "It's a really, really good idea. I like the ideas they have for the complex, like the outdoor gym and the wildlife centre.

"I would like to see some childcare facilities there. Lack of them does stop people from going. Because I'm a childminder it would make a lot of difference to me. I'd like to see a bit more for the under-fives as well."

Full-time mum, Kayleigh Stanley, 26, of Honinton Road, Broxtowe, also said she was glad the council was taking the time to get residents' views together. She said: "That's better; they're asking what we think rather than just develop on the site. It's better that they're getting public opinion.

"I like the idea of the cycle track.

"My garden's not big enough to teach my kids and the street is too dangerous."

"The facilities we have at the park near my house aren't good enough either."

Nottingham City Council neighbourhood development manager Julianne Christou, said the council wanted to make sure the new complex was built to suit the community's needs.

She said: "We don't want the building to be empty, with no one using it. The more we listen to local people, the more investment local people will have in these projects."

The consultation continues until Saturday, August 24.

Information and forms can be found at Beechdale Swimming Centre and Bilborough Library.

Contribute views online at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/transformation.

A NEW smartphone app and website has been launched which aims to help people with mobility impairments get around.

And now the team behind Access Advisr is looking for people to test the system.

The service has been developed to make difficult journeys easier by providing information on the accessibility of travel facilities.

The software also allows people to share comments, photos and ratings on how easy-to-access different places are.

Access Advisr wants people from Nottingham who experience mobility difficulties when travelling to help with their user testing activities.

The team would like to hear from people who have tried using the website – www.accessadvisr.net – or the iPhone and Android smartphone apps in order to understand how well the tools work, and how they can be improved to better meet the needs of local people.

Nottingham City Council's Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transport, Councillor Jane Urquhart, said: "We are pleased to be working with Access Advisr Ltd to improve information about access to key destinations across Nottingham for people with mobility issues.

"The tools complement existing services provided by the Council and we hope will make it easier for residents and visitors to the city to move around."

Anyone interested in getting more involved in the Access Advisr project is asked to contact Ciaran Meyers by calling 0115 988 6903 or e-mailing meyers@accessadvisr.net.

A LEGAL challenge to overturn benefit changes that have hit more than 5,000 Nottingham households has failed.

The changes mean that people who are classed as under-occupying a council home, and are claiming housing benefit, have seen their benefit cut between £11 and £15 a week.

The Post revealed back in March that 5,500 households would be affected by the changes in the city.

Lawyers acting for disabled people took the Government to court and claimed that the changes unlawfully discriminated against disabled people in social housing.

The appeal was dismissed at London's High Court.

The legal teams said they would fight on after losing the main aim of their challenge – to block the controversial housing benefit regulations that came into force on April 1.

Speaking on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice, Richard Stein, of solicitors Leigh Day, said: "Our clients are bitterly disappointed with today's decision..

"We, along with the other lawyers acting on behalf of adults with disabilities, will appeal this judgment."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "Reform of housing benefit in the social sector is essential, so the taxpayer does not pay for people's extra bedrooms. But we have ensured extra discretionary housing support is in place to help those who need it and today we have announced a further £35 million of funding to councils to help aid residents."