Subway replaces bacon in two Nottingham stores to make all meat halal
Nigel Farage to hit campaign trail in Nottingham
UKIP leader Nigel Farage will be in Nottingham later today as part of his European election campaign – after ruling out running for parliament in Newark.
Mr Farage cancelled a similar visit to Swansea yesterday amid security concerns. It is believed that reports of 'scuffles' in the city centre deterred Farage from his visit. Follow our live blog of the visit here:But Mr Farage said on Wednesday that he had no links with the East Midlands and thought it would be opportunistic for him to stand.
He added that he did not wish to risk Ukip's chances in the European parliamentary elections by standing for the seat.
Mr Mercer resigned from the Conservative Party last June after a BBC Panorama programme alleged he broke lobbying rules.
Under a law dating from 1624, an MP cannot resign – with only death or disqualification being acceptable reasons for vacating a seat.
Any MP who wishes to resign has to "accept a paid office of the Crown", which disqualifies them from sitting in the House of Commons.
Yesterday, Chancellor George Osborne appointed Mr Mercer Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern.
A date for the by-election has not yet been set.
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Call for more power over city's transport
A CALL has been made for cities outside of London to get the same powers and funding over their transport.
A new report says Transport for London has played a significant role in supporting growth in the capital, by offering "an expansive, regulated and user-friendly transport network" that residents can use with an Oyster card.
It believes this has led to huge impacts on the network, including bus passenger journeys increasing by 80 per cent between 2000 and 2012, despite bus usage across the rest of the country declining.
Now think tank Centre for Cities has asked the Government to give more cities "London-style" powers over their transport network, so as to allow for the better integration and coordination of services.
It also says Whitehall should supports all cities to use their existing revenue-raising powers – such as fees and parking regulations – to ensure that local transport services meet local needs.
Raiders break into shop and garage
THE same raiders are believed to be behind two smash-and- grab raids which have seen offenders force their way into closed shops in the early hours and steal cigarettes.
The latest incident took place at 3.05am yesterday in Derby Road, Sandiacre.
A police spokesman said a patrol car spotted a dark-coloured Vauxhall Vectra parked in the car park of the Co-op store and as he approached it the horn sounded twice.
A man came out of the shop, which was closed at the time, and the car sped off in the direction of Risley, followed by the police car.
When the officer returned to the store, the bottom glass panel of the locked front door was smashed and it has since been discovered that cigarettes were stolen.
Police are linking the offence to one that took place at 1am yesterday when masked raiders smashed the front door of a closed Jet garage on the A38, jumped over the counter and took cigarettes.
The break-in happened on the southbound A38 at Derby Road, Egginton, and a witness said two men, both white, fled in a Vauxhall Vectra in the direction of Willington.
A force spokesman said: "We are linking both incidents because of the method of break-in and the fact that cigarettes were stolen in both cases."
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.
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LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUP ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO GET SHARE OF £80.5K IN COMMUNITY FUNDING SCHEME
Local Community Group encourages others from Nottingham to get involved.
160 winning organisations in a great cash giveaway last year are encouraging more community groups around the UK to apply for funding and support in 2014.
Grassroots Giving was launched last year by one of the country's oldest mutuals, Skipton Building Society, to celebrate its 160th anniversary. And this year it is back by popular demand, now giving 161 groups the chance to win the funding, following overwhelming appetite from community groups, clubs and organisations across the UK last year.
Winning group, Daemon Diggers- supporting the children's library at Wollaton Library, was one of the lucky ones in 2013 to win. They have since spent their funding on developing the outdoor area at the children's library, with the purchase of gardening equipment and plants. The area is set to be used as the focus for activities over the school holidays, and will encourage children to take part in the 'Summer reading challenge.' The group also benefited from other free support offered by Skipton Building Society as part of the programme.
Elaine Dykes, Service Development Librarian at Wollaton Library said: "The £500 generously donated to Daemon Diggers has enabled us to purchase plants and gardening equipment for children as well as outdoor games and wall art. The area which is entered via the children's library is now an attractive and welcoming environment extending the opportunity for outdoor storytelling and activities." The group is now calling for others in the area to get involved this year.
Skipton Building Society spokesman Roy Prenton said: "We had an unbelievable number of applications for Grassroots Giving in 2013. We were overwhelmed by the number of community groups and projects which put themselves forward – in fact, more than 1,000 organisations applied. Even more encouraging was the number of votes cast for our shortlisted groups. Almost 20,000 people took the time to go online to support their favourite group. What a superb effort by these community-minded supporters!"
"Now it's time to tell the UK that Grassroots Giving is back and applications open in May. Skipton Building Society has set aside £80,500 to give to grassroots groups, clubs and organisations around the country - with the public deciding which causes win their share of the funds in November."
"Our 2013 applicants have all said how the programme has made a positive difference to their ongoing work, helping ensure they engage and reach out to more people, and provide sustainability for the future."
Tom White, branch manager at Skipton Building Society in Nottingham said: "It would be fantastic to have even more groups from Nottingham and the surrounding areas involved in this cause. There are some really hard working people out there, who give up hours of their own time to improve our communities. This is a great way to give them the recognition and support they truly deserve."
This year the Society is introducing a new dimension to Grassroots Giving by helping connect, promote and resource passionate people and their projects. It has a Grassroots Giving cluster on Project Dirt which can be found via : www.projectdirt.com/cluster/grassrootsgiving/. The aim of this hub is to connect all Grassroots Giving applicants from around the country, enabling them to promote events, knowledge share, recruit and manage volunteers, share best practice and gain access to funding and learning resources, amongst other things.
Project Dirt is a social network, set up specifically with the aim of helping community and voluntary groups from around the UK. This will act as a 'hub' for the Grassroots Giving groups where everyone has a common interest; getting stuck into local activity, helping resource projects, learning new skills which would benefit groups and most of all meeting new people and having fun. Being part of the Project Dirt community will allow Grassroots Giving groups to engage with a wider network of people local to them.
Another highlight of Skipton's Grassroots Giving programme is a series of comprehensive downloadable free resource packs. These resources offer help and guide grassroots organisations through challenges such as raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and project planning.
Roy added: "We're delighted to be bringing back Grassroots Giving and to engage with more community groups right across the country. Last year we had some fascinating stories to tell from the hundreds of groups who applied for funding and I am sure Grassroots Giving 2014 will unearth a host of other tales."
"The diversity of organisations which applied for Grassroots Giving last year was incredible, from music groups and allotment holders to sports clubs and woodland nature reserve groups. We want to help many more to further their dreams and ambitions in 2014."
The application process for 2014, which opens on 1 May, is easier than ever and now everything can be done online. Groups can simply log onto www.skiptongrg.co.uk and complete and submit the online application form. Applicants are simply asked to demonstrate how the £500 would make a difference to them, as the Society is keen to donate towards helping develop sustainable projects.
After the closing date for applications on 31 July 2014, a shortlist of entries will be drawn up and placed into regional groups. Each shortlisted application will be summarised and posted on the Grassroots Giving website in August - then it's over to the local communities across the UK to vote for who they'd like to see receive the 161 pots of support.
Progress of the campaign can also be followed via www.twitter.com/SkiptonBS_GrG