A MAINTENANCE firm has been fined £11,000 after an employee was injured when he fell 11ft through a roof.

Stephen Bassford, 58, from Nottingham, fractured his pelvis, wrenched his shoulder and suffered severe gashes to his face and left elbow in the incident on July 4, 2012.

He required extensive physiotherapy and stitches and was unable to work for four months.

Data Contracts Specialist Maintenance Ltd, based in Walsall, was prosecuted yesterday by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation into the fall identified safety failings.

Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Bassford was working alone for the company at the former Shepherd Special School, in Harvey Road, Bilborough.

He was boarding over broken rooflights on the main building as well as a fragile roof canopy that covered part of the playground.

Heavy rain caused Mr Bassford to stop work and, as he was collecting his tools, he slipped and fell through the fragile perspex roof canopy and plunged to the concrete floor below.

HSE found that Data Contracts Specialist Maintenance Ltd failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment or properly plan or supervise the work.

The firm had highlighted the need for a scaffold and harness system in its quotation for the work, but neither was put in place.

Mr Bassford had worked for the company for 18 years but had never received any instruction for working safely at height.

Data Contracts Specialist Maintenance Ltd, of Green Lane, Walsall, was fined £11,000 and ordered to pay £9,732 in costs after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

A HUNT for a missing 14-year-old boy has been launched.

Ciaran Sweeny was reported missing from his home on the Oak Tree estate in Mansfield on Saturday morning.

He was last seen at roughly 6pm on Sunday, near The Heathers, but did not return home.

Sergeant Jamie Bower, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "We are extremely concerned for Ciaran's welfare and we are doing everything we can to help try and find him.

"Ciaran, if you or your friends read this, please contact us and let us know where you are. I know you think you might be in trouble but your mum is extremely worried and just wants you safe at home."

Ciaran is white, 5ft 2ins tall and has brown short hair and a slim build. He was last seen wearing a black coat with a hooded top, tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

People are urging people to check gardens and sheds in case he is using them for shelter. If anyone has any information they should call 101, incident number 000274-14092013.

ONE of the more controversial savings plans adopted by the Tories while they ran Notts County Council involved turning off and dimming street lights.

The plans were meant to save around £1.25 million a year once they had been fully implemented, but the new council has put the brakes on the plans.

The council voted yesterday to switch lights back on where people want them, and will look at introducing LED lighting to replace traditional street lamps in a bid to save money.

Labour has said this will save approximately £700,000 by 2016-17.

Kevin Greaves, chairman of the transport and highways committee, said: "It was wrong to switch the lights off, so we are turning them back on where people want them.

"Advances in LED technology will also mean we can make savings here."

Richard Jackson, Conservative spokesman for transport and highways, said: "The scheme wasn't as unpopular as Labour made out – it was supported by residents as a way of saving money.

"Where people wanted them switched back on, we listened and we did that."

A NOTTS school has been congratulated for its performance by Schools Minister David Laws.

Archbishop Cranmer Primary, in Aslockton, near Bingham, was among 161 schools which received a letter from the minister.

They were sent to schools based on their performance in new "similar schools tables", which rank schools with near-identical intakes of children.

Mr Laws said: "For the first time this measure lets parents identify the schools that are getting the best from children – while giving coasting schools nowhere to hide.

"The schools I have written to show fantastic results can be achieved even with a challenging intake of pupils.

"I have asked them to work closely with other head teachers so every child has the chance to go to a school as good as theirs."

A POLICE community support officer can lay claim to having the most unusual of off-duty hobbies – driving monster trucks.

During the week, Karen Shutler can be seen pounding the streets of Aspley for Notts Police.

But come the weekend, the 26-year-old takes on her alter ego as what is thought to be the only female driver of the huge vehicles in Britain.

Karen, based at Broxtowe Police Station, developed a passion for the massive vehicles after seeing them at a show in Derby four years ago.

She is now driving them herself at displays around the country after a company specialising in them took her under its wing

Karen said: "I love everything about it. I love the team that own and run them and love learning about the trucks themselves.

"Then there's the atmosphere at the shows – it's just an adrenalin rush."

Driving a seven-tonne-plus truck known as Grim Reaper, Karen completes stunts including crushing and jumping over scrap cars for Big Pete Limited in Yorkshire.

She added: "I don't get frightened, which I suppose in a way is concerning. Even if I've got to hit some scrap cars in a jump, it doesn't really bother me."

Karen, born in Toton, has worked as a police community support officer (PCSO) for Notts Police for four years.

She added: "I've not really had any hairy moments in a truck yet, although more recently I've been doing bigger jumps.

"It would be quite hilarious to drive round Aspley in it. I think my street cred would go up and kids would love it."

However, her dream of bringing the 7.5-litre-engined Grim Reaper to the mean streets of Notts is never likely to be realised. The monster trucks are not road-legal and can only be used on private land or in shows.

Karen's first live demonstration for Big Pete was in May in Sussex, and she has since completed around 15 more shows around the country.

She added: "When people think of monster trucks they think of big American chaps. I suppose that it's quite a manly scene.

"You look at people in the crowd at shows and some go 'oh it's a girl' but the reception is mainly a good one – particularly from the women.

"People have said it's inspirational and good to see a woman doing it.

"At work, people were at first like 'you're mad' but now it's just seen as normal."

Big Pete company owner Michael Murty said Karen turned out to be a natural behind the wheel after first volunteering to help with maintaining the vehicles.

He said: "To be a monster truck driver you've either got it, or you haven't – and Karen's got it. You need to have a certain lack of self preservation."

Karen added: "I think I am the luckiest girl in the world. And being the only female in the UK is something special. It's just a shame my normal car is a little Vauxhall Astra."

A FLY-PAST over Newark Cemetery will take place as part of a celebration of the town's heritage.

A Dakota plane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight team will pass over the cemetery three times from 2pm on Saturday.

It is part of an open day at the cemetery which will see guided tours held between 10am and 4pm

Volunteers will be help visitors locate any relatives' graves at the cemetery.

There will also be a Commonwealth War Graves tour at 2.30pm, led by Pete Stevens, of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The event marks the conclusion of the Newark Heritage Festival, which started on September 12 and was organised by Newark Heritage Group.

It has seen a series of talks and tours of buildings, including Newark Town Hall and the Palace Theatre.

PLANS for 750 homes have been turned down for a site in Essex owned by a pension fund that is managed by Notts County Council.

The Nottinghamshire Pension Fund, which has more than 100 contributing organisations, including local colleges and the city and district councils, is managed by the authority.

The fund bought 130 acres of land at Little Chalvedon Hall, in Bowers Gifford, in January 2011.

There were plans to build 750 homes, a health centre and primary school, but these were refused by Basildon Borough Council on Tuesday night.

There was a petition of 5,169 residents against the plans.

ESTATE agent Simon Kelsey has joined the team at Marble Property Services in Castle Donington.

Simon takes up the role of senior branch manager and brings with him a wealth of experience – he has previously worked at Halifax Property Services and Ashley Adams in Melbourne and Castle Donington. Both roles involved him marketing a variety of properties in each location and the surrounding villages.

He said: "I was delighted when Steven Thrower, (co-director of the firm) offered me the opportunity to work for Marble Property Services because Castle Donington is an area I have always enjoyed working in.

"I also believe there is going to be strong growth in the marketplace here as both residential and commercial development continues."

Mr Thrower added: "Simon has an extensive knowledge of all property-related matters following a career spanning 25 years in the industry.

"We have had a really successful year due to hard work and a number of new initiatives, so we are delighted to be in a position to take on a new member of staff with a proven track record to consolidate the team and take Marble to the next level".

Since launching in 2005, the firm has become an established estate and lettings agents in the East Midlands.

Mr Thrower commented: "There have been more transactions in the first six months of this year, than there were for the whole of last year, so now is a good time to buy and sell."

FIRST-time buyers accounted for a quarter of all sales last month, according to figures from the National Association of Estate Agents – a figure not reached since July 2010.

Figures from the association's August Housing Market Report showed encouraging growth, with the average number of FTBs increasing from 22 per cent in July to 26 per cent in August, suggesting the impact of looser lending restrictions and uptake of Help to Buy are beginning to be felt.

Members also reported an increase of nearly a third in the average number of house hunters per branch, up from 250 in July to 322 in August. Members also reported a slight increase in the average sales agreed per branch in August.

However, supply levels saw a slight decrease over the month, meaning buyers face rising competition for the best homes.

CHRISTMAS comes but once a year but for some businesses it is an all-year event.

Despite only just coming to terms with the end of the summer, a festive tree has appeared on the roof of a popular restaurant.

The Riverbank Restaurant and Bar, Trent Bridge, West Bridgford, put up its first artificial Christmas tree on Tuesday afternoon.

Marketing manager Francesca Barberton said: "We were going to put up a banner but thought we would go the whole way and put up a tree.

"For us, it feels like it has been Christmas forever because we have been taking bookings since May.

"We started making our preparations at the start of the month and we think we are the first bar and restaurant to get a tree up.

"Our handyman is away for two weeks and we thought that if we left it, it would be a bit late because everyone starts thinking about it now."

For some businesses, Christmas time is key and planning and promoting the festive season early can make all the difference.

Chief executive of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, George Cowcher, said: "Businesses have to plan early for all seasons and events and there is an old adage about early birds catching worms.

"Clothing collections in stores are planned at least a year in advance and put on shelves weeks before the season arrives.

"The Christmas party season will get under way in earnest in seven or eight weeks.

"No business can afford to leave seasonal planning to the last minute so the question really is does the public want to start thinking about Christmas in September?

"The only risk a business might face is if the public reacts badly to early seasonal promotion – but that's not very likely in these commercialised times."

Although artificial trees are going up across the city, experts are advising people not to seek out real trees because they may not last.

Outdoor manager Terry Need from Wheatcroft Garden Centre, West Bridgford said: "We usually start selling our Christmas trees in the last weekend of November.

"If you had a tree now it would have to have roots and be planted in a pot and regularly watered. We wouldn't recommend it."

John Lewis in the Victoria Centre will be installing its Christmas Shop at the end of the month and decorations will go up shortly after.

Do you think Christmas has come too early? Email opinion@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk.

Tony Crump, 81, was nine when he started at the former boys' school. It was September 16, 1941, and just weeks after the area was targeted by Luftwaffe bombers.

Now the school is being transformed into the new Ruddington Place development by housebuilder Taylor Wimpey.

Tony remembers how 100 windows at the school were blown out in the blitz on the city, which killed 159 people on the night of May 8, and left a swathe of damage from Beeston to West Bridgford.

Mr Crump, who still lives close to the site of the old school in Wilford, says: "I remember the blitz well. The school was lucky, it was only the windows that were damaged and everyone was surprised. But across the road, on the corner of Wilford Lane, I remember the Rolfe family were all killed in the air raid."

Becket School opened in 1929 when the Bishop of Nottingham decided there was a need for a boys' school in the area. It was founded by Father Aiden Kenny, who Mr Crump remembers well from his school days.

He says: "Father Kenny was a charming man – a little bit eccentric but certainly charming. He could be very strict, he once told me off for something in the playground. Those were the days of corporal punishment and I was on the receiving end of that a few times."

Taylor Wimpey is honouring the historical significance of the old school by naming a street at Ruddington Place Kenny Avenue after Father Kenny, and another after former deputy head teacher Father Bede Horwood.

When new headmaster Father Andrew Beck joined the school in 1944, the shortened timetable of the war years was restored to a traditional school day, recalls Mr Crump.

"He really took the school forward. He was already well-known. He had been on the radio because he was a historian and he had written a book or two. I remember him well. He was strict but fair, a very fine sportsman and cricketer and an excellent teacher.

"He really got the school going."

Father Beck, who went on to become the Archbishop of Liverpool, was succeeded by Father Bernard Rickett in 1948, after which Becket School became the official boys' Catholic grammar school for Nottingham.

Mr Crump says: "It was a superb school, one of the best in the country. I was never a star pupil but I kept in touch with the old order during my working life and I often popped in to see my old teachers.

"When I left school at 15 I was advised to join my father's business but they did say they would miss me on the football field and that meant the world to me!"

Taylor Wimpey's new houses on the site of the old school will offer a selection of three, four and five-bedroom detached and semi-detached homes, with prices starting from £199,995.

Prospective buyers can visit the sales centre, located off Ruddington Lane, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7DL, open daily from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Alternatively, the sales executive can be contacted on 0115 896 2267.

IT'S been the Nottingham office's biggest auction since the firm opened its doors in the city in January 2012.

In front of a packed auction room at Nottingham Racecourse, 60 lots were offered in Graham Penny's auction last week, including a plot of land fronting the River Trent in East Bridgford which sold for £20,500.

Prior to the auction, the team had sold ten of the properties in the sale proving, it says, that the property market is once again thriving, especially for investors.

Graham Penny, auctioneer and director, said: "We had a packed viewing diary in the weeks running up to the auction with some properties receiving so much interest that purchasers wanted to buy before the auction to secure them."

Some of the properties which sold in the auction room include:

Lot 1: 72 Hazelwood Road, Nottingham – a traditional mid-terraced property. Guide price: £40,000+. Sold price: £60,000.

Lot 8: 17 Clipstone Drive, Forest Town, Mansfield – a three-bed semi. Guide price: £59,000+. Sold price: £67,000.

Lot 14: 16 Bridge Street, Long Eaton – a traditional two-bed Victorian semi. Guide price: £55,000+. Sold price: £68,000.

Lot 18: 41 Augustine Gardens, Top Valley – a three-bed townhouse. Guide price: £48,000+. Sold price: £55,000.

Lot 40: 23 St. Patricks Road, Nuthall – a three-bed semi. Guide price: £80,000+. Sold Price: £91,500.

Lot 41: 5 St Patricks Road, Nuthall – an extended three-bed semi. Guide price: £85,000+. Sold Price: £101,000.

Graham added: "The properties which sold prior to the auction definitely helped us generate more interest on our remaining lots in the auction room.

"We saw a number of bidding battles taking place for some of the properties – and several buyers who were new to auctions."

Entries are now being invited for the firm's next auction on Tuesday, November 5, also being held at Nottingham Racecourse. And straight after the November auction, the team will be heading down to London for the Negotiator Awards where they hope the fireworks will continue as they have been shortlisted in the Auction House of the Year and Rising Star of the Year categories.

IS now the time to downsize your home? Asks Lawrence Hall of property website Zoopla.co.uk

When you are nearing retirement, there will be any manner of things you want to see and do but have been unable to do for the years you were working.

Whether it is to take up a hobby or see some famous sights overseas, many will be looking for ways to finance their retirement.

Of course, for others it will simply be the case that they want the chance to top up their income and ensure they do not fall into financial difficulty in their latter years.

For whatever reason though, people consider downsizing their property. Is this something you should consider though?

According to findings published by Prudential, it is an option that more than a quarter of Brits are considering in order to make their life easier in some way.

The survey found that 73 per cent of retired people in the UK are also homeowners, although with many still living in the homes that they raised their families in, which they no longer need, often it can be easier to move and make a substantial saving.

Of those 26 per cent who are looking to sell, some 81 per cent said that they will be buying another home, with 73 per cent doing so because they will be downsizing rather than buying something of an equivalent or larger size.

British retirees taking this route expect to raise an average £62,000 from the downsizing of their home, with many reasons for doing so.

The majority (23 per cent) said they were selling in order to boost their income, while 13 per cent want to pay off debts and eight per cent would like to simply have more for everyday costs.

Stan Russell, retirement expert at Prudential, said: "Housing wealth is potentially a significant source of additional retirement income for pensioners who own their own home. This is why so many of Britain's pensioners are planning to become last-time buyers.

"However, it is dangerous for people to assume that housing wealth can make up for a lack of retirement planning.

"To ensure a comfortable retirement, it is important to start saving as much as possible as early as possible, and to seek professional financial advice on the best retirement income options."

MALT Cross, perhaps best known for its trendy city centre bar, is a Christian charity set up to support a number of good causes, including a team of street pastors

Patrolling the streets of Nottingham during the weekend, they provide support to those who have drunk beyond their limits.

The team, which consists of over 100 volunteers, provides a number of services working alongside the police.

Over the past year they have helped over 500 people get home safely, as well as offering first aid, advice and bottles of water to members of the public.

In addition, Malt Cross provides a "safe space" on St James Street where people can relax and sober up before heading home.

The service currently costs the charity around £40,000 a year and is funded through the Malt Cross Bar, events and donations.

THE official opening of a new MRI scanner in Nottingham was attended by the Nobel Prize winner who invented the idea 40 years ago.

Sir Peter Mansfield was the special guest at the official opening of the GEM Scanner at BMI Park Hospital, in Arnold, which can handle larger patients and aids those suffering with claustrophobia.

Now a professor at the University of Nottingham, Sir Peter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003.

He recalled being called crazy in 1972 when he first came up with the idea.

He said: "It's good to say, as The Park introduces the latest step in MRI technology, that they were very wrong."

Sarah Nicholson, diagnostic imaging manager at the hospital, said: "It's going to be a massive benefit to clinicians and patients."

Executive director of the hospital Kenneth Hay expressed delight at welcoming Sir Peter.

He said: "It was an honour to hear how he came up with the idea that improved medicine for millions."

The new scanner is part of a continuing development including a cancer ward and brand new critical care unit.

A CONTROVERSIAL wind turbine proposal has been rubber-stamped by councillors.

Severn Trent Water has been given permission to build the 100-metre turbine at its sewage works in Stoke Bardolph.

Members of Gedling Borough Council's planning committee approved the move last night in spite of huge opposition from some committee members, residents of Stoke Bardolph and other nearby villages, and parish councils.

A total of 615 letters of objection had been sent to the borough council – with just nine letters backing it.

Objectors included the Gedling Sports Forum, the Gunn and Moore South Nottinghamshire Cricket League and Nottinghamshire Cricket Board Ltd.

After the 50-minute debate, one woman from nearby Woodborough said: "It's disgraceful. We are supposed to have a public voice. All of those people voiced their opinion. But it has gone unheard."

Burton Joyce parish councillor Steve Cluff, who spoke against the proposal during the meeting, refused to rule out seeking a judicial review to overturn the committee's decision.

He told the Post: "We will study the decision and see what, if anything, can be done."

During the meeting he claimed the proposal was not different enough from a previous application by Severn Trent, which was rejected by the borough council.

That one included two turbines rather than one, which would both have been higher at 132 metres.

But Mr Cluff told the meeting: "We have one less [turbine] and at a reduced height. But this is still huge – higher than the Victoria Centre flats. This is unacceptable."

The water company says it will operate the turbine at Stoke Lane for the next 25 years. It predicts it will provide enough electricity to power 1,526 homes.

Ahead of the debate, a representative of Severn Trent told councillors the firm has also pledged to donate £25,000 for community facilities.

But that wasn't enough to persuade Councillor Chris Barnfather, who was among three members who voted against it, pointing to the number of objectors and the fact it was on green-belt land.

He said: "This is a huge structure on a flat flood plain. This is an application on the same site. We have some variations but this should not alter the decision made 18 months ago."

But the majority of councillors did favour the plan.

Councillor Marje Paling rubbished green-belt-related concerns, adding: "It will protect the green belt from other development."

Councillor Peter Barnes said: "I think that the application is more acceptable than last time. I don't see any problem with it."

After the meeting, Roger Steele, of the Nottingham Pro-Wind Alliance, said: "We are delighted with the decision that has been made."

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

BURGLARY has soared in Notts, with crooks taking advantage of hot summer weather to sneak into homes through unlocked doors and windows.

Notts Police say break-ins are up 24 per cent in the five months between April and August compared with the same period last year.

It means this summer there were 1,786 victims of burglary during the period, 347 more than last year. Police estimate one third of thefts have occurred where residents have failed to lock their homes.

The rise in burglary has brought misery to householders and is a disappointment to Notts Police, which has helped to deliver a dramatic fall in the number of thefts from homes in recent years.

But burglars have hit back, targeting areas including Hucknall, West Bridgford, Carlton, Wollaton and Beeston.

In Forest Fields, police believe thieves may be painting ticks on homes earmarked for burglary.

One victim of the burglars, Rachel Hurst, of Heather Rise, Wollaton, arrived home from a holiday in Greece last night to assess the damage after she was burgled twice while she was away. In one raid, heartless thieves stole jewellery belonging to her late father and mother, including wedding and engagement rings.

Incredibly, brazen villains targeted her home on a second occasion and nicked her Mercedes car, while she celebrated her daughter's 21st birthday in Rhodes.

Ms Hurst said: "The jewellery can't be replaced. I am sure they took it to melt down but it is priceless to me. I just want it back. It is not about how much it's worth, it is all I have left of my parents."

Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said he was "concerned" by the rise in burglaries, which he has discussed with senior officers this week. Mr Tipping said he had also spoken about the issue with Tom Winsor, the new HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary – the national police watchdog – yesterday.

He told the Post: "I have been on to the force consistently over recent months saying 'what are you doing about it?' and they have got a plan in place, and the level of burglary is coming down [again]."

Notts Police have had significant success before this summer in tackling burglary. According to the force, between December 2009 and December 2012, house burglaries fell by more than 50 per cent from 8,266 offences to 4,019.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Jupp said the rises came after a "fantastic" performance, when the force recorded its lowest crime level for decades.

Mr Jupp said: "We are comparing year-on-year data with the lowest levels ever, which does make it difficult to maintain such large reductions. Burglary remains a force priority.

"While the overall percentage increase may at first view seem high, the overall numbers are far lower than they have been historically.

"We are starting to see results heading in the right direction, and our latest figures show that August is showing a similar number of offences this year compared to last.

"We will continue to place our focus and resources in this area, to lock up the bad people and protect the law-abiding majority."

Notts Police are running several specialist operations in the county to tackle burglary and are warning householders to secure their properties.

In Forest Fields, beat manager PC Mark Tindall has written to residents warning of the green tick and cross marks that have appeared on window sills.

He said: "Whilst this may well be childish graffiti, I am also aware that criminals have used such markings in the past to highlight addresses that they are interested in."

He added: "This summer, Forest Fields has suffered from a seasonal increase in dwelling [home] burglaries. It would appear that thieves are taking advantage of the warm weather as residents leave their ground floor windows open."

Meanwhile, Ms Hurst has asked for the public's help to find her parents' jewellery. The items stolen include her late mother's wedding and engagement ring, a gold aquamarine ring, a gold watch, a diamond and sapphire ring and several gold necklaces. Her late father's gold sapphire ring and gold watch were also taken.

Two men, aged 31 and 24, have been arrested in connection with the initial burglary at Ms Hurst's home. They have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Anyone with information about burglaries in their area is asked to contact Notts Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous, on 0800 555111.

Have you been the victim of a burglary? Email newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

AS councillors voted to scrap a scheme that allows pupils free travel to a county school from outside the catchment area, Tory Philip Owen (pictured) cried "shame".

The policy was Mr Owen's brainchild when he was responsible for children and young people at the county council.

But Labour decided to shelve the scheme yesterday, a move which would save £1.7 million by 2017-18.

Mr Owen, who represents Nuthall on the authority, said: "This is mean, vindictive and spiteful. We introduced this policy to increase parental choice."

A consultation was carried out on the plans over the summer, with 91.3 per cent of respondents against the axing of the scheme.

Mr Owen said: "You can say you are listening, but you're not hearing."

Currently, 863 children in Years 8 and 9 use the scheme. Around 400 children who started Year 7 this September are also likely to use it.

The axe would fall from September 2014, although children already using the scheme would continue to do so until they reach the end of Year 11.

John Peck, chairman for children and young people, said the policy was an example of "largesse" and that there were "fairer ways" of spending the money.

GONALSTON Farm shop is runner-up in the Great Taste Shop of the Year award.

Announced at the Great Taste Golden Forks dinner in London, the award is based on nominations from award-winning speciality food producers rather than consumer votes.

Producers were asked to name the best shops. The highest ranking delis, farm shops and food halls then received unannounced visits from retail expert.

Gonalston Farm Shop was recognised both for its customer service and for the quality of its fresh produce and meat.

The Great Taste awards are linked to the Guild of Fine Food which has run various initiatives over the past 20 years to honour the best food shops in Britain.

RESEARCHERS have discovered a new way of diagnosing and tracking Parkinson's disease.

Scientists at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust have found a measurable trait on the brain which could be used to diagnose the condition and track progression.

Parkinson's develops when certain nerve cells in the brain die. Current diagnostic imaging tests are costly and cannot be used to monitor disease progression.

In a paper published in the journal Neurology, the Nottingham researchers, led by Penny Gowland, professor of physics, reveal that their discovery could lead to a new diagnostic test.

The researchers will now take their findings and look into how they can be translated into standard MRI scans used in most hospitals.

Dr Nin Bajaj, associate honorary clinical professor in neurology at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "By using highly accurate and sensitive brain imaging techniques for Parkinson's we are able to get an insight into the mechanism that causes the disease for the first time.

"We have been trying to find a biological marker for Parkinson's for many years and the reason is that we need a tool to measure change in the disease in clinical trials in a very sensitive way.

"This discovery is a step change in Parkinson's disease, it's a game changer as they say and the implications are potentially huge."