A VAN driver died after his vehicle hit a barrier on the A38.

Police thought the man fell ill at the wheel, causing him to lose control of the Transit van, which then crashed into the central reservation.

Diversions were in place for 90 minutes and rush-hour traffic faced delays of up to 30 minutes.

The incident was reported at 7.55am on Tuesday and happened between junction 28 of the M1 and the Watchorn roundabout at Alfreton.

The southbound carriageway was closed until 10.10am.

A police spokesman said: "At this stage we suspect the victim may have fallen ill at the wheel. He was declared dead at the scene and no other vehicles were involved."

A NEW task force has been set up to tackle the problem of counterfeit and illegally smuggled cigarettes on the streets of Notts.

The county council has invested £91,000 of its public health funding into the initiative, which will pay for investigations to cut down on the supply and use of illegal tobacco products.

The team has already carried out its first raids in nine shops across Sutton-in-Ashfield, Hucknall, Mansfield, Stapleford and Netherfield, and two houses in Gedling.

They uncovered around 90,000 counterfeit cigarettes and 20kg of illegal tobacco with an estimated street value of £40,000.

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, chairman of the county council's community safety committee said that while the major progress had been made nationally in combating illegal tobacco products, there was still more work to be done.

He said: "Tackling the sale of illegal tobacco has been priority for the council and we have set up a dedicated team to focus our efforts on this persistent problem.

"Children and young people are often targeted by sellers of counterfeit cigarettes and illegal tobacco has strong links with organised crime, so we will come down hard on those caught selling these goods."

Anyone with information about people selling counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes in their area can call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06. People can also ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

MPs have been accused of being "sickeningly ill-informed" after voting through a Bill about the HS2 rail scheme.

The accusation comes after MPs voted to continue with plans for the controversial high-speed rail link between London and the north of England.

The HS2 Hybrid Bill was passed despite a rebellion by a few dozen Tories. HS2, which is costing £42.6 billion, will run from London to Birmingham and the split-off to Manchester and Leeds.

The Birmingham to Leeds leg will run through parts of Derbyshire, with a station planned at Toton to serve the East Midlands.

Speaking about the debate which preceded the vote, Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said: "The MPs who spoke for HS2 were sickeningly ill-informed and willing to spout anything they had been told to say.

"Everyone opposed to HS2 has to keep on fighting."

Despite the opposition, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who is also MP for Derbyshire Dales, said he expected to see "spades in the ground" on the HS2 project by 2017. The Bill covered the first phase of HS2, which is the stretch between Birmingham and London.

Speaking at the start of the debate, Mr McLoughlin said the concerns of critics of the project must be addressed.

He said there would be ''fair compensation" for those directly and indirectly affected by the scheme and the impact on the environment must be mitigated. But he said there was an urgent need for new rail capacity and the plan would deliver better connectivity and wider economic benefits.

Just been told they might have found an unexploded ww2 bomb in the tram works in beeston near tesco. #dontpanic no evac yet.

— Iaan Prentice (@iaanwasere) May 2, 2014

There is an incident in the Beeston Town Centre. Several roads have been closed. Please try and avoid the area #gridlock

— Beeston Police (@BeestonCops) May 2, 2014

More #Beeston traffic chaos for once not directly tram contractors fault - suspected #WW2#shell found near Middle St / Station Rd junction!

— Andy Robinson (@editor_roo) May 2, 2014

All buses to Beeston affected by road closures due to WW2 bomb being found. Please see our Facebook page for more detail.

— trentbarton (@trentbartonlive) May 2, 2014

Beeston at a standstill due to suspected WW2 bomb unearthed in the tram works on Middle Street

— Anna Soubry MP (@Anna_SoubryMP) May 2, 2014

We're advising people that Middle Street and Station Road in Beeston have been closed this afternoon/ evening due to a police incident.

— NET Phase Two (@NETPhaseTwo) May 2, 2014

Ww2 bomb found in beeston. Police cordon and traffic chaos.

— Sarah Sharples (@scsharples) May 2, 2014

1. Little Shop of Horrors: One of the longest-running off-Broadway shows of all time, this spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a worldwide hit over the years. Nottingham Arts Theatre, George Street, at 3pm and 7.30pm (also tomorrow at 3pm). Tickets £8-£12 from 0115 947 5925 or www.nottingham-theatre.co.uk.

2. Help for Heroes fun day: The Welbeck Club, in Elkesley Road, Meden Vale, hosts a fun day in aid of Help for Heroes tomorrow. Entertainment planned between noon and 6pm includes fairground games and a barbecue. Help for Heroes is the charity formed to help those who have been wounded in Britain's current conflicts.

3. Life of Pi: One of the best movies of recent years is being shown tonight at 7.30pm as part of the Gedling Film Festival, Bonington Theatre, Arnold. The film, based on Yann Martel's novel, tells the story of a young man who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. The festival is being run as a cinema club with screenings free to members of the club; to join up visit www.gedlingfilms.com/tickets.htm. It costs £6 a year for adults, £3 a year for OAPs and under-18s, and £15 for a family.

4. Permindar Kaur: Hiding Out: The Nottingham-born artist shows her first major exhibition of new work produced over the past decade, at the Djanogly Art Gallery at Lakeside Arts Centre. Permindar is a contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture/ installation. The exhibition runs from today until June 15 and admission is free.

5. Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra: Music from TV and film with a "space" theme at this charity concert this evening raising funds for reconstructive breast surgery. Expect themes from Doctor Who, Superman, ET, Star Trek, Star Wars and more. 7pm at Djanogly Recital Hall, University of Nottingham. Tickets £10 from Windblowers on Derby Road, or on the door at £12.

6. Minster Craft Fair: Head to Southwell Minster today for this tenth annual event, featuring 60 craftspeople showing a wide variety of work from vintage china to prehistoric gifts. Designers include Lis Greensmith and Dawn Burbidge. 10am to 4pm.

Residents expect councillors to be able to limit the spread of late-night (or early- morning) off licences in their areas; but councillors are frustrated by the limited powers they have.

Local residents – over 40 of them – whom I represent in and around Highbury Road, in Bulwell Forest Ward, contacted me before Christmas about one such case.

Some assisted me by appearing at the hearing, putting their views in a clear manner that a late-night licence until 2am would not be good for the area, nor would an opening time of 6am.

I was told lots of stories about urination, and worse, outside a block of flats; intimidating behaviour towards older people simply walking past; and real concern for those with alcohol problems in the area.

Our local experience showed up the inadequacy of the law. Could we prove that these incidents were caused by customers of the particular shop? Had the shop been approached?

It was even suggested in the run-up to the hearing that I was not in a position to judge as I had never been in the shop (I don't know how they would know this).

Perhaps incidents cannot be proven, beyond reasonable doubt, to emanate from one premise; but an overall increase in such late-night activity is so clearly disruptive to a neighbourhood. However, licensing legislation does not allow these factors to be taken into account.

Several residents genuinely feared that longer hours at one shop would lead to similar arrangements along the same road, with at least four other off-licences in walking distance.

Residents were not against there being some late-night or early-morning outlets, and quoted the large supermarkets as suitable, as they have larger premises away from residential premises (hence less domestic disturbance), and also have overt security and back-up arrangements.

Local people found the licensing regime a bitter blow after many years of work to cut down anti-social behaviour; they felt powerless against such a permissive regime and were genuinely shocked that their councillors shared their powerlessness.

I believe that licensing policy could and should be set at a local level, and that the nature of an area should make a significant difference to what is allowed. My experience showed that I am not alone in that view.

Volunteers worked against the clock to transform a dull bedroom into a dream hideaway for a teen with severe epilepsy.

Toy Story fan Ryan Lomas, 17, had the surprise of his life when his revamped room, complete with Woody and Buzz Lightyear mural, was revealed to him yesterday afternoon following his return from respite care.

Children's charity WellChild organised the makeover, which included taekwondo-style soft flooring and a new wardrobe to house all of Ryan's medication, with help from volunteers from Salesforce.

Diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy eight years ago, Ryan, who lives with his mum and two younger siblings in Orion Close, Bilborough, suffers daily seizures and often needs a wheelchair. The condition called Lennox Gastaut Syndrome means Ryan has severe learning difficulties.

His mum Susan Smith, 46, was delighted that Ryan now had a space which he could enjoy and call his own. She said: "When Ryan saw his new room he went really quiet, he was gob-smacked; he loves it.

"It's hard for him to explain his feelings but the shocked look on his face was amazing.

"The team finished with a few minutes to spare and they have all been brilliant, very polite and hard working. But it is nice to have my front room back because that's where Ryan's bed was before."

Aside from Pixar's most famous talking toys, Ryan also enjoys watching trams and trains, which he often does as part of his respite care with The Villas, near the City Hospital, which he attends every fortnight. Work began on the WellChild Helping Hands project at 9am on Thursday and the team finished at 4pm yesterday thanks to a steady supply of tea and tunes.

Helping Hands programme manager Lee Trunks hoped the redecorated room would bring sunshine into Ryan's life.

He said: "It was quite a dark room so this has really brightened the place up.

"Ryan spends a lot of time in his room watching TV on his specially-made bed so it's great we have made this place a space he can really call his own."

The room is part of a recent ground-floor extension which, due to a lack of soft flooring, was unsuitable for Ryan to stay in. Salesforce volunteer Jerry Haywood, 31, who described himself as a "DIY wannabe" had met with Ryan a few weeks earlier.

He said: "We met with Ryan to see what it was he wanted in his room and what sort of things he enjoyed.

"Toy Story is his big thing and we knew that he would be over the moon with the makeover considering how happy he was playing with his Toy Story toys when we first met him. We couldn't wait to see his reaction."

Are there any inspirational young people in your area? Get in touch: newsdesk@nottinghampost.com

Frustrated father-of-two Chris Browne says he is unable to get a job, due to a wait to find his National Insurance number.

The 38-year-old, who was born in the UK, has spent the past 20 years living and working in Sri Lanka.

But since returning to the UK last month, he has found it impossible to get work due to a delay in HM Revenue and Customs locating his records.

Mr Browne, of Exeter Road, Forest Fields, has been told it could be up to six weeks for his details to be found.

He said: "It's quicker for them to issue a new National Insurance number than to check on the old one but I cannot get a new one as I would be committing fraud.

"It's frustrating. I'm sitting and waiting around for the post every day.

"It's not really much fun and I cannot make any money until it's resolved."

Every UK national aged over the age of 16 is issued with a National Insurance number, which records their tax contributions and state pension entitlements.

Mr Browne was born in Scotland but has lived for most of his life out of the UK.

He did return to the UK in his teens to complete his education, and obtained a National Insurance number around that time.

But after finishing his studies, he moved to live with his parents in the Middle East and spent time in India, before settling in Sri Lanka.

Mr Browne, whose last visit to the UK was in 1999 for a friend's wedding, said: "I've been in Sri Lanka for 20 years.

"My last job there was in a boutique hotel restaurant near Galle, working in the kitchen. It was a consultancy job, improving systems and making the operations more efficient.

"Once the job finished over there, I couldn't find further employment, and I couldn't get a visa to stay. I've friends in Nottingham so thought we'd settle here."

Mr Browne, his wife and their two children returned to the UK on April 8.

He wrote to HM Revenue and Customs on April 11 requesting his National Insurance details and had a phone call four days later to say it could take four to six weeks to resolve.

Mr Browne said the delay had already cost him the chance of starting work.

"I had an interview for a job lined up but because I couldn't prove I had a bank account or National Insurance number, I couldn't be interviewed," he said.

"It's all catch-22 issues through the system. The longer I'm waiting, the longer it takes until I receive my first pay cheque.

"My wife's German and has also applied for a National Insurance number and that will take a month. We're both stuck."

Nottingham East MP Chris Leslie said he had been contacted by Mr Browne and was looking into the case.

He said: "It's quite important that we should be helping people get back to work if they are legitimately able to do so.

"There's no real excuse for a long, prolonged wait for an administrative reason like this.

"I will certainly be helping Mr Browne to try and push HMRC to speed this process up."

A spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases due to taxpayer confidentiality but we will look into this matter.

"If a taxpayer has lost their national insurance number or cannot remember it, we can provide that information. But this can only be done in writing in correspondence with the taxpayer."

Is red tape making your life a misery? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampost.com.

After ten months apart, a Carlton family is set to be reunited following a legal battle against immigration red tape.

US-born Herb Reagan and British wife Gill spent ten years as missionaries in South Africa before flying back to the UK to start a new life in Nottingham last July.

But Mr Reagan was refused entry into the country, despite having previously been granted indefinite leave to remain as he had lived in England for 12 years before the couple emigrated.

An immigration tribunal this week ruled that Mr Reagan could now be allowed back into the UK to be with his wife and their three children.

It came after Mark Lilley- Tams, an associate solicitor at Lace Market-based Paragon Law, took up their fight.

Mrs Reagan, of Highclere Drive, Carlton, said: "Working through the complexities of the immigration rules has been an ordeal for the family."

Mr and Mrs Reagan married in Nottingham in 1993 and lived in the UK before moving to South Africa for missionary work.

The couple had two appeals against the deportation turned down, and missed celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary together as a result.

At the time, Mrs Reagan told the Post: "Not spending our anniversary together was really hard.

"We are very happily married, so it has been really tough, especially as we have spent every day together for the last 20 years.

"It might get to the point where the whole family might move to another country to be together."

Last October, friends and well-wishers gathered at St Nicholas' Church, in Maid Marian Way, in a show of support for them.

The tribunal judge ruled on Wednesday that Mr Reagan's deportation was a breach of the couple's right to respect for family life.

Mr Reagan has not yet returned from the US, as more paperwork has to be completed.

Mr Lilley-Tams said: "As there were no rules that met their particular circumstances, they needed to rely upon their right to respect for family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.

"However, due to the listing times for appeals of this nature, the family had to wait over eight months from the original refusal for their hearing date.

"I'm extremely happy that common sense has prevailed and hope that the UK Border Agency will now implement the tribunal's decision so the family can finally be reunited together."

The UK Border Agency said it would not comment on individual cases.

Are border controls affecting your family's life? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampost.com.