COUNCILLORS have objected to plans by university halls of residence to allow off-sales of booze to students.

Three halls at the University of Nottingham want to be able to sell alcohol for drinking off the premises.

But city councillors Sam Webster and Sally Longford claim the plans will have "no benefit to student health or welfare" if they get the green light.

They point to fears about students buying alcohol to drink before a night out – called pre-loading – but students have said they can make sensible decisions.

Tom Polak, a 21 year-old student from Dunkirk, said the objections didn't make sense.

The politics and American studies student added: "I think students know how to deal with drink and what is right and wrong.

"Even if the halls don't get the licence, there are plenty of shops a few minutes walk away that sell alcohol, so preventing halls from selling it will change nothing.

"Labour have a history of blaming students in the city for all sorts of problems and I don't think that's fair."

The three halls of residence – Willoughby Hall, Lenton and Wortley Hall, on University Park, and Newark Hall, on Jubilee Campus – are already able to sell alcohol at each of their bars from 11am to 1am Monday to Saturday and 11am to 12.30am on Sundays.

They now want to be able to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises at these times as well, with the final decision set to be made by the Licensing Panel at the city council on August 13.

Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey councillors have opposed the move on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder, public safety and preventing public nuisance. Writing to the panel, Councillor Webster said: "I am surprised the university is seeking to sell alcohol to students for consumption outside the designated bar area.

"There can be no benefit to student health or welfare from this move and it can only lead to negative effects in terms of antisocial behaviour and health issues.

"The welfare, health and safety of students should be the first priority of the university, not selling them alcohol to consume without supervision. If students wish to purchase alcohol to drink in their room, it will do them no harm at all to have to walk to the nearest shop and might make them think twice about over-indulgence."

Councillor Longford added: "Reducing the availability of alcohol to buy in off-sales on either campus would be beneficial in reducing harm to students themselves and also have a positive impact on antisocial behaviour in the city as a whole."

A university spokesman said it did not wish to comment ahead of the meeting.

MORE than 600 extra primary school places will be created in Notts.

The city and county councils are spending a total of £5.5 million to provide more room at schools.

The largest slice of cash is the £4 million being spent on Heathfield Primary in the city to create 420 extra places.

This will take its capacity to 700, making it the biggest primary in Notts.

A new Heathfield building will be constructed on the site of the old Henry Mellish School in Highbury Road, Bulwell.

Parent Louise Wilson, 26, who lives near the existing Heathfeld site in Scotland Road, Basford, believes the move will help her two-year-old daughter.

She said: "I think that this is a great idea. There's lots of parents who struggle to get their kids into a good school, so this will really help."

A consultation into the Heathfield plans will be launched later this year.

The council wants the new site to open in September 2015. The two buildings will be just over a mile apart.

Henry Mellish was one of two schools which joined together to create Bulwell Academy. Students moved out in the summer of 2010. The building has since been demolished.

Several other city primaries have already been enlarged to alleviate huge pressure for places, including Forest Fields Primary and Welbeck Primary, in The Meadows.

But this will be the largest increase to date.

Heathfield had 40 places available in reception but received 132 applications, leaving many parents disappointed.

Its overall capacity is 280 but it has 313 children on roll.

One parent of a boy at the school, who didn't want to be named, said: "It all sounds good but my only concern will be the size of the classes. I hope they bring enough staff."

But the council has pledged that sufficient extra staff, including teachers and teaching assistants, will be brought in.

Councillor David Mellen, portfolio holder for children's services at the city council, said: "There is considerable demand for school places in the Basford, Highbury Vale and Bulwell areas.

"We would be facing a large shortfall in places for reception year entry over the next four years without this funding. This site is a great place for the school and has playing field space.

"We are aware there will be local concerns about traffic in the area and when we consult with the local community in the autumn term, we will include traffic priorities as part of this."

The money is coming from the Government's Targeted Basic Need Programme to provide more places in areas where parents struggle to get their children a school place. It is top-up funding to other cash given to councils earlier this year for the same reason.

The county council is receiving £1.5 million from the pot to create 200 extra places by September next year.

The money will be shared between Bramcote Hills Primary, John Clifford Primary, in Beeston, and Newstead Primary.

Councillor Liz Plant, deputy committee chairman for children and young people's services at County Hall, said: "Without it, we wouldn't have enough funding to allow us to build all the additional places we need.

"And although we haven't been advised of the exact sum we'll receive yet, we expect it to equate to nearly £1.5 million, given the number of extra school places the successful bid relates to."

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

NOTTINGHAM'S hospitals have come up trumps in a national patient satisfaction survey.

Over the last three months, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust scored an average rating of 76.1 from inpatients and 67.9 from accident and emergency patients.

The stats are based on whether people would recommend the service to friends and family, with -100 the worst possible score and 100 the best.

A score greater than zero means patients would recommend the hospital.

Robert Newman was recently treated for a heart attack at the Queen's Medical Centre.

The 88-year-old from Wollaton said: "I've had very good experiences.

"They gave a really good level of care. It couldn't be better.

"It's great to have a hospital that you can be proud of. We are very lucky."

Mr Farrar from Bulwell agreed.

The 77-year-old said: "When I go in, it's the city hospital and it's one of the best around.

"The way they look after you is brilliant and the nursing staff are really good."

Patients leaving the QMC and Nottingham City Hospital were asked, either on the day of discharge or within 24 hours, to give feedback.

Jenny Leggott, nursing and midwifery director at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "The 'friends and family' test is enriching our understanding of how our patients feel about their care. This invaluable feedback is used with other extensive sources, including patient surveys, compliments, complaints and feedback received via social media and websites such as NHS Choices and Patient Opinion, to further improve services for patients, their relatives and carers."

Tim Kelsey, NHS England's national director for patients and information, said: "The test is a major step forward for patients and for the quality of their care. Direct patient and citizen feedback is vital to improving the services the NHS provides."

The new survey will be conducted monthly and has been backed by David Cameron.

Dr Kelsey added: "This is the boldest move yet to promote real openness in the NHS and to concentrate on improvement in care."

Sara Gorton, deputy head of health at public-service trade union Unison, said: "It is heartening that the vast majority of patients do have a good experience in the NHS. The 'friends and family' test can act as a litmus test on what is happening in a hospital, but it must be part of a rigorous and wider inspection regime."

AN artist has taken to turning old car windscreens and windows into unique pieces of art.

Brian Smallwood, 53, of Woodthorpe, came up with the idea eight months ago following a daydream while sitting in a car park.

Mr Smallwood said: "I was picking up my wife, Jane, from work at the City Hospital.

"I was in the car park, looking around at the reflections in the car windscreens and windows, and it struck me that it would be fun to try and paint those scenes directly onto the windscreen glass.

"It has taken me lots of time and experiments to get the paint to stick to the glass."

Mr Smallwood now has between 30 and 40 spare car windscreens and windows stored at his home ready to be transformed.

"I get the windscreens from scrapyards or eBay," he said.

"I love to create something that relates to the car it came from."

He uses his background in digital art to design the artwork on his computer before taking the cleaned pieces of glass up to the attic studio at his home in Breckhill Road to be painted.

Mr Smallwood said: "I use masking film to outline the image and airbrush the glass using acrylic paint.

"I start with my signature – it's like painting in reverse. I build up the detail and the last thing I paint is the background.

"When I started, I painted with my hands and I'd come down from the attic covered in paint. Now I'm a bit tidier with the airbrush."

Completing an artwork can take three or four days on a smaller window, to a few weeks on a windscreen.

His finished pieces so far include a front windscreen from a 1968 VW Beetle, a sliding window from a classic Mini and a beach scene depicted on a 1968 VW Camper Van.

Another of Formula 1 driver Kimi Räikkönen painted on an old Lotus Esprit windscreen has received admiration from the driver himself.

Mr Smallwood said: "Kimi re-tweeted it on his Twitter account before he raced in the German Grand Prix earlier this month.

"He liked it and showed it to all of his fans. I would love to meet him."

His latest project is a royal-themed one.

It depicts the Queen driving with her corgis and Prince Harry as passengers.

It is planned to be painted onto a Series 3 Land Rover windscreen.

As for future ideas?

"I would like a New York taxi cab windscreen as it's so iconic," he said.

"I'm happy to look at any car though – every one has a history. I would also love to do boat or aeroplane windows."

For more details about Mr Smallwood's work, visit www.windscreenart.com

PLANS for 67 new homes in Radford have gone on display for the first time.

The 18 houses and 49 flats would be built on the site of the Old Radford Mill, off Norton Street.

Residents had the chance to air their views on the proposals last night at the John Carroll Leisure Centre, in nearby Denman Street Central.

Ian Ross, 35, from Sherwood, said: "It's brilliant – it's much nicer looking than most social housing.

"We need to move away from the high rises, because they're not that popular any more."

Matin Mohammad, 28, from Radford, said he thought the new properties looked "lovely".

He added: "It's a clear change from what was there before and it's the sort of housing this area needs.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product."

Neil Dodsworth, 50, from Toton, said he thought replacing high rises with terraces was the right idea.

He said: "It looks modern, and we need more social housing anyway. No one wants to live in high rises any more."

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.

In total, there will be 39 one-bedroom flats, 10 two-bedroom flats, eight two-bedroom houses, eight three-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom houses. They will all be let as social housing with low rents.

The proposals have also been given a boost by the Homes and Community Agency, which has approved a grant of £536,000 towards the scheme and have said they will guarantee £4.5 million of loans as well.

Nottingham City Council is working in partnership with Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) on the scheme, and a planning application was submitted in July.

City council deputy leader Graham Chapman said: "The city council is committed to improving this neighbourhood."

It cost the council about £400,000 to pull down the building which stood derelict for a decade before the wrecking ball came in last year.

The council had planned to demolish it in 2008, but English Heritage carried out a check of the building to see if it did qualified for listed status.

NOTTINGHAM'S first Boys' Brigade company is returning to the city after a 12-year absence.

The Boys' Brigade was set up in Glasgow in 1883 and the first brigade in Nottingham was set up in 1888.

The 1st Nottingham Boys' Brigade ran for more than a century until 1999, when it closed due to lack of numbers.

But now it is restarting again along with a Girls' Association section, thanks to renewed interest.

Brigade captain Ruth Lancastle said: "We decided that we needed to get some youth work going and that it would be a good opportunity to restart, and bring in both boys and girls.

"We'll be having a marching band and I think we've got quite a bit of excitement among the children already."

The brigade is being recreated in the year of the 125th anniversary of the Boys' Brigade in Notts.

The company will be running from St Andrew's Community Hall, in Chestnut Grove, off Mapperley Road, Nottingham, on Monday nights, with three sections for different age groups.

Derek Richardson, 81, joined the company when he was 15 and went on to become an officer and only left when the organisation disbanded. Mr Richardson, of Leonard Avenue, Sherwood, said: "It helps youngsters to be brought up into the world, to teach them different sports and organisations and to listen to other people.

"In those days it kept quite a lot of youngsters off the streets because most nights there was something that we organised and we regularly paraded to church once a month."

Mr Richardson described playing football, cricket and a similar game called puddocks, as well as several memorable boys' camps.

He said: "It was a good experience. We were at a camp at Sutton-on-Sea in the 50s when they the gales came.

"All our tents were flattened and we were put up in the school. The next morning we went back to put the tents up again and one of the senior boys' tents had moved two feet and his feet were still sticking out of the end – he'd slept right through it!"

Nikola Voce, secretary and leader of the youngest section, the Anchors, said: "We're certainly planning to do residentials and day trips.

"We just want children to come along and have a look at us – you don't have to commit, so you can come and try us out."

Two children who are already excited about joining are ten-year-old Emily Clarkson Webb and her sister Hannah, eight.

Hannah, who attends Carrington Primary School with her sister, said: "I definitely want to play the drums in the marching band.

"I'll be enjoying having fun, playing games, going on residential trips, and sports."

Organisers are appealing for any old photos of the 1st Nottingham Boys' Brigade (St Andrew's) – do you have any? Send them in to newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk.

BURGLARS stole eight laptops from police, which contained sensitive information on 4,500 criminals.

The computers were taken from an office used by a team called the East Midlands Collaborative Unit, which shares intelligence and plans resources across police forces.

The burglars and the laptops have never been traced

All of the laptops were password protected and on six of them the data files were encrypted. However, two computers contained sensitive files which were not encrypted.

Inspectors at data watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) say the incident has "implications on a national scale" for similar police projects.

The ICO revealed the theft this week when they issued the chief constables of three forces involved with the programme, including Chris Eyre at Notts Police, with orders to improve procedures.

Thieves took the laptops from a Newark office being used by the unit in August 2010 but the break-in was not made public until this week.

The ICO launched an investigation and has now said a lack of planning of the setup of the unit at the time was "concerning".

Notts Police and other East Midlands' forces have improved collaboration since 2008 to better share intelligence and resources and save cash as Government cuts bite.

But the ICO now says it is raising the Newark incident with the Association of Chief Police Officers because of similar risks elsewhere.

Meagan Mirza, ICO Group Manager, said: "Our investigation found that there was no formal basis for the sharing of personal data within the unit and no apparent recognition that the police forces remained responsible for the data they were processing.

"In many cases it wasn't clear why the information was needed in the first place and this was compounded by the fact that there was no clear identified purpose for the unit.

"While many of these issues have now been addressed, the lack of planning around the setup of the unit is concerning."

The laptops were stolen when burglars smashed a glass panel in a door at the offices in Stephenson Court, off Stephenson Way, Newark on Saturday, August 14, 2010.

The offices are not used by the unit any more.

Afterwards the East Midlands Police Collaboration Programme (EMPCP), as it is now known, voluntarily referred the incident to the ICO.

The ICO said the laptops held prison records and "offender details" relating to about 4,500 people from across the East Midlands.

Neither the EMPCP not the ICO would further discuss what was on the computers.

The resulting ICO 'enforcement notices' have been issued to Chris Eyre, Derbyshire chief Mick Creedon and Leicestershire chief Simon Cole because they are the 'data controllers' of their organisations under information rules.

Mr Eyre's notice requires him to give the ICO assurances on four points within 35 days.

These include that personal data is only shared under collaborative projects after an official has made security and data checks.

In the notice, David Smith, Deputy Information Commissioner said: "The individuals whose sensitive personal data has been stolen are likely to have suffered worry and anxiety on account of the risk that their data will come into the possession of unauthorised individuals.

"Whilst there is no evidence that damage has been caused there was a significant risk that it could have been."

A spokesman for the EMPCP said: "Each of the four recommended actions had already been addressed prior to the publication of the enforcement notice and that is progressing.

"It should be also noted that the data held on the computers would not have been readily accessible to third parties because of password protection.

"Nevertheless, we have conducted a thorough review of our information handling procedures.

"The EMPCP will now review the Enforcement Notice in conjunction with the East Midlands forces."

What do you think about this story? Let us know your views by emailing us at newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

THERE are various outside influences that can affect house prices – and it's not always bad news. Additional building on our doorstep which changes our view may not be welcome but when a beauty spot is being created from an eyesore, it's a whole different matter.

Householders in Toton are bound to have concerns about the impact of High Speed 2 on their property. So we asked Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors spokesman Edward Briggs, who advises clients throughout the process of compulsory purchase, to addresses concerns surrounding the impact of the Toton High Speed 2 stop on the local housing market. Here's what he said...

There are many who now believe that High Speed 2 will add "commuter value" to the region's property market. Indeed, savvy investors are buying affected properties now with a view to benefiting from capital growth in the long term post-scheme.

There is no doubt this will be the case for many locations, particularly those with good accessibility to the terminal. However, others will be badly affected and will consider the compensation on offer meagre at best. Those involved in the politics of either supporting or objecting to the scheme will promote their arguments firmly from both of these opposite poles. Whilst, as a property professional, I can understand both sides' positions, I have become increasingly frustrated by this politicisation which clouds the real issue, which surely must be economic benefit in the medium term.

Whether you are a supporter or not, the fact is that this much-maligned scheme will connect eight of our ten largest cities, bringing inevitable economic benefits. The hope is that there will be improved mobility with a larger pool of employees for local businesses, leading to an increase in productivity and greater access to jobs. Whilst time will tell, this must be likely as we become more and more mobile as a nation.

Take Cambridge as an example: here, the addition of a direct line to King's Cross revolutionised the area's accessibility and business influence. Consider also that the East Midlands already enjoys firm business ties with London. Ashford has also seen significant benefits and the area of Ebbs Fleet, in north Kent, is now also seeing the benefits of its high-speed terminal. Simply put, there seems no reason to believe that a high-speed train would damage the region's desirability as a business destination or a place to live and work.

The political consternation stems from the impact on communities and the equitability of compensation schemes, not the economic arguments.This is justified of course, but, unfortunately, this, coupled with the long period of uncertainty and concern about the unknown, reverberates across the property and land markets and has a major initial affect on values, particularly the local residential property market.

We have seen this happen in the first phase of the scheme. My experience of this has reaffirmed my opinion that our role of as property professional is, in the first instance, to provide measured and impartial advice to clients who are so affected.

Home owners now face the uncertainty of not knowing the exact route of the Toton plans. What's more, with work not expected to start for at least a decade, the impact on selling an affected home is likely to be weighing heavily on people's minds.

Detail contained in the draft environmental statement for Phase 1 now for the first time sets out the full impact of the scheme on properties close by or in the way of the line. Letters are being sent out by HS2 confirming properties are to be acquired for demolition and proposals for relocating roads and other linear obstacles crossing the line are now becoming clear. In some cases, these proposals are affecting properties far more than the line itself. Thankfully, it is gradually becoming clear that the structure of the compensation scheme will be more beneficial to property owners than the existing compulsory purchase framework.

As this dust settles, it is becoming apparent that negative affects on house prices are mostly limited to those homes either directly affected by the new path of the train or within close proximity to it. Many properties stand close to major roads and railways and experience has shown that the housing market very quickly finds its feet when there is more certainty about what is proposed and construction begins. Speculating about a supposed negative impact on the area's desirability is, therefore, ill-thought- through and has no regard to the medium/long term.

It will not be long before buyers will start to see the new route close to a station as a real benefit to them. There simply is no need, therefore, to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Despite this, buyers will, of course, seek assurances about the impact of the Toton link on the value of their purchase in the years ahead and will require specialist advice about the strategies to adopt and what decisions to make.

Uncertainty and fear of the unknown are the biggest concern for home owners in Toton. It is advised that those affected speak to a professional versed in compulsory purchase. A chartered surveyor ought to be able to outline compensations available in light of the path of the new High Speed 2 line. Armed with this knowledge, they will then be able to advise buyers on any cause for concern and make the justifiable case that this new line ought to add commuter value to their property in the years to come.

CURRENT prostate cancer tests are largely unreliable. Accuracy rates for blood tests for the condition can be as low as 30 per cent.

It means some men are told they have the disease when they don't.

And worse still, those who are given the all clear may have the illness – leading to long and in some cases life-threatening delays.

But scientists at the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre at Nottingham Trent University are hoping to come up with a new, much more accurate test.

They are aiming to identify new molecules in blood and urine samples which will hold the key to improving the diagnosis.

They are one-third of the way through a joint study which is testing samples from 200 men who have been sent to Leicester General Hospital because they might have prostate cancer.

The aim of the study is to find features in the blood which can more accurately indicate the presence of prostate cancer and its severity.

The current prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood tests are unable to check the whole prostate, whereas it is hoped the new tests will.

A team of eight scientists are spending most of their working time on the three-year study, which Professor Robert Rees hopes will have huge implications.

They are also looking to develop a vaccine to help treat and prolong the lives of patients with advanced forms of the disease.

Mr Rees said: "It is essential that we generate new insights into prostate cancer and in order to do that we need to determine new bio-markers.

"Current tests cannot check the whole of the prostate gland. Right now we have not got the ability to sample all of the prostate.

"People can go to a clinic with the more advanced disease and be told there is nothing wrong with them.

"More accurate evidence will result in more informed diagnosis, earlier and more appropriate treatment, and more efficient use of NHS resources.

"Our ultimate aim is to save the lives of patients by getting them treated earlier."

The study, partly funded by the Healthcare and Bioscience iNET project run by the European Regional Development Fund, is costing £1.1 million.

Speaking about the blood and urine tests, Mr Rees said: "This will be a very accurate diagnosis. But it is very early days at the moment."

Currently in Notts, 172 men die each year from prostate cancer.

Stewart Robinson, chairman of the Nottingham Prostate Cancer Support Group, who has suffered from the disease himself, said: "Any research into improving the diagnosis is to be welcomed.

"If it leads to an accurate test then it can potentially save thousands of lives as there are really good survival rates among people who have been diagnosed early on."

Work on a new vaccine at the centre is also progressing to a second trial stage.

It is hoped this will help people at advanced stage of the disease, like Hugh Gunn.

Mr Gunn, of the Prostate Cancer Support Federation, said: "The research being carried out by the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre is of great value to patients.

"The need for vaccine and immuno-therapy treatments that are affordable, unlike those currently available, is huge, especially to advanced prostate cancer patients.

"As biopsies carry a significant risk of infection, so there is also a big need for alternative diagnostic methods, which could also recognise between aggressive and non-aggressive cancers."

NEW plans to let drivers park on double yellow lines have divided opinion.

The city council has labelled the idea "a recipe for disaster" but business leaders have welcomed it as a "great idea".

Under the plans, people would be allowed to park on a double yellow line for 15 minutes if they were just popping into a shop.

The Government claims that such a move would help boost the health of the high street.

And the Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) has said the plans are similar to those members suggested last year.

Jeff Allen, chairman of the BID, said: "We think it is a great idea in principle but it will be interesting to see how it will be managed and policed.

"Historically, councils have been rewarded for milking the motorist cash cow, be it through overzealous parking wardens or illogical box junction enforcements.

"It will therefore need legislation from central government to make councils embrace these much-needed policy changes which would clearly be of benefit to the high street.

"If we are serious about arresting the drain of retail to out-of-town shopping centres, then this is exactly the sort of policy that needs to be implemented.

"Making our city centre and our retailers accessible is a key element in making Nottingham attractive and appealing to shoppers and visitors."

But transport chiefs at both Notts County and Nottingham City councils have said the plans are unworkable and could be dangerous.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for transportation at the city council, said: "Double yellow lines are usually there for safety and traffic flow reasons. They are often there at the request of local people and communities to make sure their road is safe and accessible.

"To disregard this seems a potential recipe for disaster."

And Councillor Kevin Greaves, chairman of the county council's Transport and Highways Committee, said: "If this goes ahead, there will be serious consequences, and yet the Government seems to be ploughing along with a policy which is unworkable, impossible to monitor and will be expensive to introduce.

"Allowing people to park on double yellow lines will mean the flow of traffic is disrupted and it will seriously jeopardise the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

"This is another hastily made policy by the Communities Secretary which is doomed for failure."

Edmund King, President of the AA, said: "Rather than just allow drivers to park on double yellow lines, a thorough review of the lines would be more effective.

"Many double lines are there for historical reasons and could be lifted. There is plenty of opportunity to ease back on the signs and lines in many places, giving drivers short-term waiting bays."

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

SOLDIERS used a Second World War landing craft to help Sea Scouts rebuild their boat house.

The boat, used in the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 and in Steven Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan, transported equipment to the 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts' camp on Barton Island, Beeston.

Fifteen reserves from the 73 Engineer Regiment are offering their expertise to build a new boat house, bunk houses and upgrade toilet facilities for the scouts, who have £3,000 to pay for the improvements from grants and fundraising.

Sea Scout Callum Bottomley, 14, said: "It felt a bit strange going in the boat because it had been used in the war so long ago."

The Sea Scouts use the secluded island camp as a base to learn boating and navigation as well as skills such as fire making, tenting and gutting fish.

William Woodall, 13, of Beeston Rylands, said: "Going out on the water makes you feel free. When we were in the craft it crashed!"

Beeston Marina owns the landing craft and was approached by the Army about helping them transport a digger and lifting equipment to the island, home to the scouts since the late1960s.

Darren Winter, WO2(MPF), from the 73 Engineers Regiment, said: "We've been meaning to help this project for a while, but it was just a case of finding the time."

He said that they were pleased to offer their expertise, but it was also a useful exercise to keep the reserves, of which six are serving in Germany, on their toes.

"The more things we can do that replicate combat engineering the better," he added.

Sea Scouts' leader Paul Boss was thrilled with the military help.

"Even though we are Sea Scouts it just shows all the services are part of the community together. In fact, a lot of the Sea Scouts go on to join the Army and do well.

"They will reap the benefits of the work that's being done. It's a good chance for kids their age to learn about self-reliance and thinking for themselves."

The 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts are one of 103 scout groups acknowledged by the Royal Navy.

Lieutenant Commander David Gray was inspecting the Sea Scouts and travelled from Portsmouth to see the work being done.

He said: "There are a lot of shared values between the Navy and the Army so it's good to see the collaboration."

THE idea of your home having subsidence is pretty scary, and dry spells like the one we've bee having make it even more likely. The good news, though, is that it won't necessarily be as difficult to remedy as you might think.

Subsidence is the shrinking and lowering of the earth that your home is built on, which results in the foundations moving and cracks appearing in the building. It's more of a problem with certain types of soil and with period properties, as they often have shallow foundations.

There are several causes of subsidence but one of the most common is trees. Tree roots can cause movement by growing under the foundations, but even if they're not that invasive, the roots extract moisture from the soil, causing the ground to contract. Consumer group Which? estimates that around 70% of subsidence is caused by tree roots, which is why you may want to think twice before planting a tree near your home or buying somewhere with a sizeable tree close to it. Pruning or removing the tree is often the solution, but it can sometimes make the problem worse.

Clay soil is another common cause of subsidence. It usually holds a lot of water but when the water table drops during dry weather, the clay starts to shrink.

Hidden mine shafts or bell mines, culverts and pipework, or sandy or gravelly soil can also cause subsidence. Defective drains also mean that leaking water can wash away unstable soil from around a building's foundations.

If you do see cracks in plaster or brickwork, they're not necessarily a sign of subsidence – cracks can be caused by all sorts of things, and are often nothing to worry about.

However, new or expanding cracks wider than 3mm may be caused by subsidence, especially during a dry spell. Cracks that are wider at the top than the bottom and that run diagonally, particularly from window and door frames, can be a sign of subsidence too. A crack that's on both the interior and exterior of a wall, plus rippling wallpaper can also be evidence of subsidence. If your doors and windows start to stick, it may mean that the building's moving due to subsidence, although it's often just harmless seasonal movement.

If you think your home is suffering from subsidence, tell your buildings insurer, as they should get an expert to check it out. It's often a case of monitoring the situation, which can be a lengthy process lasting months or even years, and drain and geological surveys may be necessary.

If you don't have insurance, or don't want to involve the insurance company straight away, get a chartered surveyor to assess the problem. In the worst cases, a structural engineer will also be needed.

Assuming it does prove to be subsidence, the insurance should pay for the remedial work (less any excess, of course). Relatively easy solutions can often be found, such as fixing the defective drain or water pipe. If a more radical remedy is required, metal piles can be used to shore up the foundations, but only if the foundations are strong enough.

Jet grouting can be used in some situations too. This means injecting chemicals underground to fill gaps and make unstable soil solid. It works well with gravelly soil, for example, but not clay.

Underpinning is only necessary in a small proportion of cases – which is just as well because it's a slow and expensive process. Underpinning basically involves digging pits under the foundations and filling them with concrete, so while it's a pain to do, your home should be a lot sturdier for it.

A MENTALLY ill man is expected to be detained under the Mental Health Act today after he was found guilty of killing his father.

Vito Difina stabbed Giuseppe Difina at least twice after his father drove him home in his Mitsubishi car.

Yesterday, Vito, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was convicted of his father's manslaughter, and was due to return to Nottingham Crown Court this morning to be sentenced.

The court heard yesterday that a hospital order was recommended for 40-year-old Vito.

He showed no emotion as the jury returned a unanimous verdict on the charge. Judge Jonathan Teare told the jury: "He remains in hospital now, with a further restriction on his activities, which means either the Secretary of State or Mental Health Tribunal will have to determine eventually if and when he will be released and, if so, with what conditions."

Vito had threatened to stab or kill his father on several occasions before his words became reality.

Last August he had called police to make a complaint about his 68-year-old father, the court heard. He said unless they did something about it he would kill him.

He had even been overheard by a neighbour at his home in Cavendish Road, Carlton, saying he wanted to stab his dad.

Two days before the killing he told friend Mark Lancaster he was angry with his father for not giving him money.

He said he wanted to stab his father and showed Mr Lancaster a lock knife he had in his pocket, the court heard.

Mr Lancaster saw Vito the following day and said he was uptight and agitated about not being given money.

On the day of the killing last September, Vito had visited his parents' home at about 7pm because he wanted money to buy cigarettes.

His father gave him money and took him home via a local newsagent to buy the cigarettes.

Within a couple of hours Vito decided he wanted more money and returned to his parent's home in Cliff Road, Carlton, at 9.35pm.

His father was out and his mother, Maria Difina, in bed.

With his own key, Vito let himself into the house and helped himself to a small amount of money and left to buy more cigarettes and a can of beer, the court heard.

Then he went back to his parents' home.

Giuseppe arrived shortly afterwards and argued with his son, before he went inside and could be heard by his wife saying he had been stabbed.

He told a 999 operator his son had stabbed him in the chest and said to a paramedic his son had taken the knife with him.

He was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Queen's Medical Centre, and said to a doctor that his son had done it, the court heard.

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

Experts said Vito's condition may have substantially impaired his ability to understand what he was doing and his judgement to exercise self-control.

A PROFESSIONAL Britney Spears lookalike from Ilkeston has made an appearance on live TV down under.

Michaela Weeks appeared by satellite on Australia's Channel 9 show Mornings, where she talked about her career impersonating the pop queen.

The 25-year-old was filmed in a BBC studio in Nottingham at midnight UK time.

Despite the long night, Michaela said she was thrilled to be interviewed for her first piece of live television.

She said: "I was very nervous because I was looking into a blank screen so couldn't see their reaction to what I was saying."

During the interview, the hosts asked her how she became a lookalike and how she formed her career.

Michaela has previously appeared on the BBC3 show Don't Tell The Bride, where she was booked by a groom for his wedding despite his partner not knowing.

She also featured in a music video for band the Kaiser Chiefs for their song The Kinda Girl You Are.

She has now got a taste for live television: "I'd love to appear on a breakfast show here in the UK, or any live television all over the world," she added.

"I've had a lot of friends and family who have since watched it on the internet and thought it went really well."

NOTTINGHAM estate agency Your Move has partnered with Graham Penny Auctions to extend its property sales services to include selling by auction.

The partnership will see customers of the three Your Move offices in Kimberley, Beeston and Wollaton offered auction sales through Graham Penny's bi-monthly auctions at Nottingham Racecourse, in addition to the existing estate agency services.

Daniel Wagstaff, director at Your Move in Kimberley, said: "Our aim is to offer an unrivalled level of service to sellers and landlords within the area and our new partnership with Graham Penny Auctions allows us to follow the latest market trends and provide an additional sales solution for our customers."

Graham Penny director Andrew Parker said: "The first half of 2013 has seen a rise in the number of properties being sold by auction, demonstrating that it is an increasingly popular and effective way of selling a property. It's a straightforward and transparent selling process which often achieves prices rivaling those secured through a private treaty sale in a much shorter timescale."

The next auction is on September 12. Daniel said: "We've already seen significant interest from our customers in selling their property by auction, so we're hoping to have a few entries into the September auction."

WEST Bridgford lettings agent Slater & Brandley has launched a residential sales arm.

The company says it has expanded its lettings business by 140 per cent over the past year. It has now created two part-time sales roles with its latest expansion.

It joins the estate agency market as property prices continue to rise. National house prices have grown 1.9 per cent since June 2012, making the average house price now £168,941, according to the Nationwide House Price Index.

Managing director Garry Slater said: "All of the leading authorities, including mortgage lenders Halifax and Nationwide, have confirmed a rise in house prices in recent months.

"The Government's recently-launched Help to Buy scheme is helping home buyers make the next step up the property ladder and first-time buyers can now enter the market with as little as five per cent deposit, helping make property affordable once again.

"Long recognised as an essential ingredient in property chains, first-time buyers play an important role in supporting the general housing market.

"These conditions have helped to underpin our recent decision to establish a sales arm at a time when the property market in West Bridgford and, indeed, many areas of Nottingham is improving.

"The summer is traditionally the busiest time of the year for sales and we expect 2013 to be a good year on the whole."

Mr Slater said the company's focus for residential sales would be on its core values of communication, service and trust.

The firm is offering no estate agency fees to the first 25 home owners who instruct it to sell their home.

TRENT Bridge has broken its own record for the most spectators visiting the ground in one month.

More than 125,000 fans flocked to the famous arena to watch cricket during July. Attendances at the Friends Life Twenty-20 matches were up by 49 per cent year-on-year, with a combined total of more than 40,000 visitors across the five group matches.

All five days of England's Ashes Test against Australia attracted capacity crowds of 17,007. More than 7,000 of the fans each day watching the Test matches were from Australia.

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club chief executive Lisa Pursehouse, said: "Cricket in Notts is very well supported and the commitment of our members and supporters to making regular trips to Trent Bridge is something of which we're immensely proud.

"Our membership prices are amongst the lowest in county cricket and we made a commitment to offer tickets at £20 for under 21s and £10 for under 16s throughout our Ashes Test which proved to be exceptionally popular."

"Playing in front of big crowds is great for the players.

"Trent Bridge is the real home of cricket and the support we've had at home this season has been phenomenal," Twenty-20 captain David Hussey said. "There's a genuine big-match atmosphere here on Twenty-20 game days and we always back ourselves to perform when we have a big home crowd behind us.

"Playing at home is a big advantage and we're very lucky to have such dedicated support in Notts."

On Monday the Post reported that an extra 55,000 visitors had been to some of Nottingham's best-loved attractions in the first six months of the year. Trent Bridge has worked in partnership with Notts County Council, Nottingham City Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council and tourism organisation Experience Nottinghamshire to maximise the benefits of staging major matches for the regional economy.

Experience Nottinghamshire chief executive Jennifer Spencer said the cricket events at Trent Bridge provide a major boost to the local economy, with businesses around the city and county benefiting from the impact of thousands of cricket visitors.

Trent Bridge bosses believe they can play a big role in attracting people to Notts. "We serve a lot of ticket buyers who live outside of Notts and the positive impact for hotels, restaurants and local businesses is particularly pleasing," Ms Pursehouse said.

The bumper summer at Trent Bridge seems set to continue with Notts assured of a home Twenty-20 quarter-final, on top of three home County Championship matches, two Yorkshire Bank 40 group games, a fixture against Bangladesh A and an under 19s international triangular final – all set to be staged in Notts in August and September.

Ms Pursehouse added: "There is certainly an element of Ashes fever at the moment and we're also benefiting from warm weather.

"There is still a lot of cricket to be played but I'm sure that 2013 will go down as a memorable year for Trent Bridge and cricket in general."

THIEVES stole a sports wheelchair from a Paralympic gold medallist while he was out presenting sports awards to children.

James Rawson is a five-time Team GB Paralympian in table tennis, winning five medals across a 25-year career.

But the Toton man was left shocked when the specially-adapted chair he uses to compete was stolen from outside his house.

He is now appealing for the thieves to return the £1,200 chair.

Police called the theft "lower than low" and believe it may have been taken by a man posing as a scrap collector.

Under current prices the £1,200 aluminium chair would fetch about £7.50 as scrap.

It happened while James, 47, was out presenting children with sports awards at Ellis Guilford School, in Basford.

He said: "It's sad that this is what they feel they've got to do. It obviously wasn't out for rubbish. I was shocked when I came back and found it gone."

James uses a regular wheelchair normally but the adapted one is for practice and competing. He had left the distinctive chair behind a closed gate and hidden by bins at the side of his house.

James was paralysed from the chest down after being hit by a car in Newark, aged eight.

The accident severed his spinal cord, but he fought back and went on to win gold in the 92 Barcelona Paralympics, silver in 2000 in Sydney and two bronze medals in Athens in 2004.

He also competed in Seoul 1998 and Beijing 2008.

He added: "That chair has gone all over the world with me and it would cost me much more to replace than whatever someone would get for it for scrap."

To replace the wheelchair today would cost around £3,500.

James, of Seaburn Road, is currently out of action and missed London 2012 due to a nerve injury.

The chair was taken between 6pm and 8.10pm on Thursday and police say they believed it may have been taken by a man seen in the area who was collecting scrap.

A Notts Police spokesman said: "In this case the wheelchair was accessed from behind a gate. It was clearly not for the taking. To steal someone's wheelchair really is lower than low and has caused great distress to the owner. If you know of its whereabouts please call us."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Notts Police on 101 quoting incident 918 of July 18.

A MOVE to stop the RMT trade union taking part in industrial action on East Midlands Trains has been rejected in the High Court.

Station staff and conductors in the RMT are working to rule, claiming there was not enough consultation over the closure of Nottingham Station.

The union said the action had led to timetable changes and cancellations last weekend, but the company maintained that the cancellation of the East Midlands Parkway-to-Liverpool services was due to driver shortages and not related to the RMT action.

East Midlands Trains described the dispute as "invented" and said it had been forced to start legal proceedings to prevent the union from causing disruption to passengers.

The case was heard yesterday.

RMT leader Bob Crow said: "It's a shame that East Midlands Trains have wasted time and money dragging RMT into court under the cloak of the anti-union laws when they should have been sitting round the table resolving this dispute which is all about treating RMT members on this franchise with dignity and respect in light of the planned engineering works around Nottingham."

An East Midlands Trains spokesman said: "Our priority in taking this serious step to commence legal action was to try to protect our customers from unnecessary disruption by the RMT and we continue to believe the union is encouraging its members to take unlawful strike action. We shall be considering our further options.

"While there is no substance to the claims made by the union, we have always remained open to discussions with the RMT and we are pleased that the union has now agreed to talks this week."

NOTTINGHAM experts are leading the way in finding a more accurate diagnosis for prostate cancer – which could save thousands of lives.

They are also confident of finding a new vaccine which could prolong the lives of patients with advanced forms of the disease.

Eight scientists are working on research in labs at the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre at Nottingham Trent University's Clifton campus.

Their work, which is costing £1.1 million, could slash the disease's death rate. It currently kills 172 men a year in Notts.

The research is in its early stages but Professor Robert Rees, director of the centre, is hoping for significant breakthroughs.

He said: "Current tests are not accurate enough. It means some people are told they may have cancer and don't, while others are being told they are fine when they may have cancer.

"We are aiming to save lives from this. An earlier and accurate diagnosis can help with this."

Currently patients showing symptoms of the disease are given a prostate specific antigen test, which has an accuracy of only around 30 per cent. Those who are believed to have cancer then go for a biopsy, even though they may not have the disease.

The new tests being developed at Nottingham Trent will test cells in blood and urine which should give much more accurate readings.

Around 200 people are expected to have taken part in the trials by the time they end in two years.

Trials for the new vaccine are also progressing, said Mr Rees.

He said: "We want to be able to prolong the lives of people who are at an advanced stage."

Hugh Gunn, of the Prostate Cancer Support Federation, has the disease himself.

"The value of the work that is being done here cannot be underestimated," he said.

What do you think? Let us know. Email newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk