I AM writing to inform you about the tram fine unfairly issued to me on Friday, June 27.

I had first intended to walk from Nottingham Trent University to Nottingham train station, however due to heavy rain I quickly boarded the tram with £5 in my hand, ready to purchase the ticket while on the tram.

At the tram stop in Market Square, when approached by a conductor, I asked for a single ticket to the train station.

However, I was told that as I had failed to present a ticket I would be issued with a £50 on-the-spot penalty fine – despite explaining that this was the first time I had travelled on the tram for at least three years, and as an irregular tram traveller I was not aware of the new rule for purchasing ticket.

As I was being escorted out, I felt humiliated, embarrassed and shocked that they treated me unfairly, especially when I had a £5 note in my hand ready to pay for my journey.

I made an appeal clearly explaining why I didn't present the ticket to the conductor, but this week I received a letter stating it was unsuccessful and I will have to pay a £50 fine within 14 days to avoid prosecution – which could mean paying up to £1,000 and getting a criminal record.

This is very stressful and I think it is daylight robbery.

Since then I have made an second appeal giving more reasons for why I should not be liable to pay the fine, but I am waiting for their response.

TAHMOOR MAQSOOD

Sneinton Dale

Sneinton

SCHOOLCHILDREN have been warned they could end up in court if they send explicit pictures of themselves via text messages and social media.

Nottinghamshire Police is sending letters to all schools in the city and county, saying it has "grave concerns" about "sexting".

It has asked the schools to pass on the letter to parents in the hope they can tell their children how serious sharing photos of themselves can be.

In one case, a girl sent an explicit photo to her boyfriend. After an argument, the boy sent the picture to his friends.

The girl and the boy were both committing an offence of distributing an indecent image of a child as they were under 18.

In another case, a boy took an intimate picture and sent it to friends as a joke.

In both cases the children were given a police caution, but Detective Sergeant Jan Rusdale said youngsters should be warned they could face having a criminal record and being placed on the sex offenders' register.

"They could end up on the register for a couple of years," she said. "When they come to getting a job this would then count against them.

"We just want to get the message out there that this is a very serious offence. We need parents and children to realise this."

The letter tells schools and parents that any child aged ten or over can be found guilty of the offence and that images will remain on the internet once they are uploaded.

Sexting means people sharing indecent images via a mobile phone or uploading them on a social networking site.

The administrators of these sites refer matters to police if an image shows someone under 18 because an offence may have been committed.

Students are taught about the dangers of sexting in school.

Sean Kelly, head of Top Valley Academy, said: "It is a big issue. We target it in a number of ways, including through sex education programmes and in our ICT curriculum.

"We try to make students realise the danger they put themselves in if they engage in this kind of activity and the problems that it can bring for them."

Mike McKeever, head teacher at Trinity School in Aspley, said they educate children on the issue from Year 7.

He said: "It is not an issue here but we make sure that children are aware of it. We also bring parents in for internet safety sessions so they know what they should be looking out for."

Nottinghamshire County Council anti-bullying co-ordinator Lorna Naylor said: "Most young people do not see sexting as a problem and are reluctant to talk to adults about it because they're afraid of being judged or having their phones taken away.

"It may feel awkward but, as a parent, it's important to explain to your child the risks of sexting, how to stay safe and that they can talk to you if something ever makes them feel scared or uncomfortable."

Nationally, children's charity ChildLine, which is part of the NSPCC, received one call a day on average mentioning sexting in 2012-13.

Gaynor Birnie, ChildLine service manager at the East Midlands base in Nottingham, said: "The sharing of self-generated sexually explicit images or videos by mobile phone or online is now commonplace amongst young people to the point that it is considered 'mundane'.

"Worryingly, in contrast to the scale of the problem, relatively few young people are calling ChildLine to talk about the issue, whether for fear of being judged or being reported to the authorities. Most common contacts to ChildLine are when the issue has escalated beyond their control."

Have you been a victim of sexting? Email newsdesk@nottinghampost.com

BRAVE Amy Howarth is "enjoying every single day" – a year after doctors gave her just six months to live.

Amy was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour last year.

Now she has thanked staff at a hospice that has helped her keep her independence.

Doctors told the 20-year-old she had an aggressive brain tumour in April 2013 and she has been visiting Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People ever since.

"I live for today and tomorrow is a bonus," said Amy. "I was independent and everything was fine. Then this happened and my world came crashing down. I was gutted. The hardest thing is knowing my mum and dad are upset.

"The hardest thing is seeing my mum and dad cry, knowing that I am not going to be there. I know I could go any time. I want to tell people to not take life for granted and enjoy every single day."

Amy put the initial symptoms down to clumsiness: "A week before my diagnosis, I was in my kitchen and I dropped my purse and couldn't pick it up," she explained. "Then I walked into a door. I thought I was just being clumsy but my mum said I had to go to the doctor."

Amy has glyoblastoma multiform wildtype grade 4, a brain tumour attached to her major nerves meaning that her spinal chord is inoperable. "It all happened so fast."

Amy says going to Rainbows Hospice allows her a chance to be herself and for her family to take a break from caring for her. "It's different scenery and I've become good friends with some of the staff. They are not just workers to me, they're so much more."

Staff at Rainbows take Amy shopping and to walk her six-month-old British bulldog Roxy.

"They've really kept me going," Amy said. "I have my independence there and that's so important to me. I just hope that I can spread the message of what they do so they can continue to help other people."

Amy's mum Jo, 53, said: "She can't go out on her own so Rainbows is brilliant for giving her that different environment.

"She goes shopping, swimming and does arts and crafts. Ever since the diagnosis we've tried to keep her active and Rainbows has really helped."

Amy has had intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. But medication drains her energy and she changed from a size 10 to a size 28 in months.

"When we got the diagnosis it really hit us for six," said Jo. "She's been fighting and fighting and we keep setting her goals."

Her nephew Ryan celebrates his third birthday on Monday and Amy hopes to go to the party and make her own 21st on September 11.

Amy said: "Rainbows is now my world and it is so important they get funding to help others like me.I would encourage people to donate if they can."

Delays have been reported in University Boulevard, Beeston, due to problems with the traffic lights.

Bus company Trent Barton tweeted that there was "chaos" on the road.

The indigo and skylink buses were caught up in the gridlock and commuters were told to allow more time for their journeys.

Have you been affected by the traffic light problems? Get in touch: newsdesk@nottinghampost.com

TRIALIST Sandicino Silva made a big impression as Nottingham Forest's under-21 side claimed a 4-1 win at Boston last night.
Silva, a winger or forward who has been made available after four years playing with Benfica B in Portugal, set up two goals and scored another.
The 20-year-old has not made a first team appearance for Benfica – but does have an international cap to his name.
Silva has played once for West African side Guinea-Bissau.
Forest triumphed as Jorge Grant netted twice, while Ilias Polimos also found the net.
Forest's recent signing Roger Riera (pictured), the former Barcelona defender, was handed his first start in a Forest shirt and completed the full 90 minutes.
Forest went ahead after half an hour when Grant's pace allowed him the space to lift a shot over the keeper.
Silva then made his mark for the first time when, after twice coming close, he finally slotted home from close range after good work from Otim.
After the break, Silva twice turned creator to help put the match beyond Boston.
Ten minutes into the half his speed took him into the penalty area, before he unselfishly laid on Grant's second with a decisive pass.
Silva's pass then saw Polimos race clear, before beating the keeper at his near post.
Stefan Galinski bagged a late consolation for the home side.

Forest: Durrant (Myles 62), Polimos, Gutmy, Royo (Todorov 62), Riera, Asare, Silva, Grant (Schoenecker 62), Walker (Demetriou 62), Blake, Otim (Gnahore 62).

RESIDENTS have reacted with anger at the confirmation of police station closures across the city.

Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping ended his consultation into the futures of Sneinton, The Meadows, Carlton and Arnold police stations yesterday and confirmed all four were shutting down.

The main reason behind the closures was to save money, with Notts Police facing cuts of £12.7 million this year, after having to find savings of £42 million in the past four years.

Police say they will sell off the buildings and find smaller bases, in shop units or shared offices, for neighbourhood policing teams to operate from. But residents are still angry at the decision to close the large police stations.

Rebecca Webster is the landlady of the Elwes Arms, in Oakdale Road, Carlton.

She was one of the signatories of a 2,000-strong petition in the area to keep Carlton Police Station.

Mr Tipping said he had listened to the residents' pleas and promised to keep the front desk open at Carlton until a site for a smaller base has been found.

But Ms Webster was still angry over the loss off Carlton Police Station.

"It is just typical of the police and the council that it doesn't matter what is said and done by us, they go ahead and do what they want anyway," she said. "It was talked about by everyone in the pub and now everyone has the same feeling about it. We pay more and more tax, but get less and less out of public services."

Baz Limachiya runs the Londis store, in Sneinton Dale, and is worried about the future of his business.

He said: "There is going to be more crime in the area. No police will mean more crime. My shop is right up by the police station. Who are they going to sell it too? It is a big building, so if a supermarket like Tesco buys it, it will mean the death of smaller business in the area."

Vernon Coaker, MP for Gedling has opposed the closures, but gave his support to Mr Tipping.

"I do understand the aim of protecting police numbers and a visible police presence in communities, despite hard financial challenges," he said.

"To safeguard police officer and PCSO strength, difficult decisions have to be taken about the future of police buildings. For the people of Gedling, however, I will continue to do all I can to maintain public access to police stations in our area."

HER Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has warned that the way Notts Police is organised is "unsustainable" in the face of future budget cuts.

The report from the independent organisation says it respects how the force is trying to protect frontline services by collaborating with other public services.

But failures to agree joint-working arrangements have led to "disappointing progress made on its savings strategy" – and it must change as soon as possible.

The report says: "Nottinghamshire Police must urgently implement an operating model to provide the people of Nottingham- shire with an effective and affordable service. Should it not do so it will face significant risks in the longer-term."

But senior police officers defended their record in protecting the public and helping the reduce crime levels in the county.

Deputy Chief Constable Sue Fish (pictured) said: "The financial imperative is clearly very important in delivering a sound future operating model but it is absolutely not the only driver.

"What remains at the heart of our plan is a real commitment from us to deliver the best possible service to the people of Nottinghamshire."

LEYTON Orient could bolster their Championship ambitions with moves for two strikers with Forest links.
New owner Francesco Becchetti has said he is willing to back former Notts County manager Russell Slade with money for new additions.
And the Orient boss is said to be ready to offer Ishmael Miller a lucrative deal to step down into League One.
Miller is a free agent after being released by the Reds in the summer, with new boss Stuart Pearce staging a mass clear out of those players who were out of contract.
The former West Brom front man, who cost more than £1.5m when he signed for Forest three years ago, has also held talks with Doncaster.
Orient are also reportedly keen on Reds striker Darius Henderson, who has a year left to run on his City Ground contract.
With Matty Fryatt and Lars Veldwijk having been signed over the past month and Simon Cox having looked sharp in pre-season, Henderson could find himself down the pecking order at Forest.
And the Reds may be open to the idea of letting the former Millwall man out on loan, if Orient do step up their interest.
*Former Forest midfielder Simon Gillett will get an extended opportunity to earn a contract with Yeovil.
Glovers boss Gary Johnson says he will not rush into making a decision over the ball playing former Doncaster and Bristol City man.
The 28-year-old was involved in the 1-1 draw against Reading last weekend, playing for 60 minutes.
"Simon hasn't played for a little while and has been training on his own. So he did well to last an hour or so. We were pleased with him," said Johnson.
"I know him well. I think there are parts of his game that I can help with, but he's a good footballer.
"We needed that type of player and so we gave him an opportunity to see what he could do.
"If he wants to stick around for a little while longer, then I'm sure he'll get that opportunity to keep impressing. We won't make that decision after a day-and-a-bit, as he's only trained once and played once.
"He's not a young lad, and he's been around and played against my teams many times, and he's still got something in there that can help someone – and that could be us."

ONGOING problems with mould has forced a care assistant to sleep on the floor of her living room.

Gemma Hemsley, 25, of Top Valley, alleges that landlord Nottingham City Homes has failed to deal with the issue despite her having made a complaint almost three months ago.

Miss Hemsley discovered the problem at the beginning of May while decorating her home in Heatherington Gardens.

Peeling away the chipboard on her walls, she discovered her bedroom was covered in black mould which extended across the floor.

She said: "It was so disgusting – I don't go in that room any more. My whole room is ruined, including my bed.

"As soon as I lifted the carpet off, the smell knocked me off my feet."

Ms Hemsley, who has lived at the home since 2010, has had surveyors in to inspect the house for mould in the past.

She said she had taken their advice to keep windows open and use dehumidifiers to reduce the extent of the problem. However, she believes this has not been enough.

Ms Hemsley claims to have made dozens of calls to Nottingham City Homes in an effort to resolve the problem.

She also contacted her local councillor, Brian Grocock, who wrote to NCH to make his own inquiries.

She added: "The whole experience has been very stressful. I still have to live in my living room. It's been awful, it's like I'm living in a bedsit. I have to lift my mattress out of my living room and into the hallway every day just so I can feel like I've got a normal home."

Ms Hemsley also claims that while she had been told on many occasions that someone would be touch, no-one has visited her home.

Her aunt, Lynsey Curtis, 33, of Nottingham, said the house had been left in an appalling condition.

She said: "The whole situation has been terrible, to be honest. The mould is horrible. I refuse to take my kids to visit – you don't know what it might be producing. What hurts Gemma is that she's such a clean person – she loves to have a tidy house."

A spokeswoman for Nottingham City Homes said: "We are aware of Ms Hemsley's situation and concerns and are looking into the situation to resolve it as quickly as possible."

Edwalton: A drink-driver has been granted bail until his next court appearance after pleading guilty to driving while over the legal limit.

Benjamin Ellis, 28, of Greenacre, Edwalton, was caught driving a Volkswagen Golf in Tollerton Lane, Tollerton, on July 6 with 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35. He will appear before Nottingham Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

Aspley: A man alleged to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis has been granted bail.

It is claimed that Andrew Rowley, 41, of Beckley Road, Aspley, was caught with the class B drug in Broxtowe on May 8. He will appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

St Ann's: A man was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison after being caught possessing weapons in a public place. Marek Bliznicki, 49, of Brewsters Road, St Ann's, first pleaded guilty to having two wooden chair legs and a metal stick at Central Police station on May 12. A day later he pleaded guilty to possessing three metal poles in Old Market Square.

He was sentenced by Nottingham Magistrates' Court to six weeks for the May 12 incident and nine weeks for the May 13 incident.

Newark: Mark Galley, 32, of Chatham Court, Newark, is to appear before Nottingham Magistrates' Court after being accused of assaulting a woman. Galley has pleaded not guilty to allegedly committing the offence on April 13 in Newark. He has been granted bail and will appear at court on Friday at 10am.

GOING down on one knee was not enough for romantic Pete Good, who organised a musical masterpiece to propose – which is now a YouTube hit.

The primary school teacher asked his friends and family, as well as those of his now-fiancee Jenny Sneller, to perform a dance to one of their favourite songs.

The proposal took place on Saturday, at the tunnel between Derby Road and The Park, Nottingham, to the song That's What's Up by Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros.

Jenny, 24, of Beeston, said: "I thought I was going with friends for a birthday lunch but when we got to Derby Road they blindfolded me, which I thought was a bit random.

"When I got told to take off the blindfold and sit on the back of a van, I knew something was happening.

"Pete sent me the song a few days ago and I instantly fell in love with it.

When my friends started dancing and that song started playing I realised that he had something to do with it.

"I thought the whole thing was amazing and it was all perfect.

"The fact that our parents were there was the most amazing thing about it, because to share the moment with friends and family meant a lot to us and sums us up as a couple.

"He did an amazing job and I could have never said no."

The pair met in September 2012 in Nottingham and the performance took Pete two months to plan.

The 31-year-old, of The Meadows, said: "Originally I was going to propose during our summer holiday in Seattle, which we will go on in a few days. I realised that she would be away from her parents and friends, who are the most important thing in the world to her, so that is why I decided to get as many of them involved as possible.

"It all went perfectly but was incredibly hard to keep a secret. So many people knew that it was going to happen for weeks and even though I was the one down on one knee, it was a team effort."

Miss Sneller celebrated her birthday yesterday and the video of the performance was made so that friends and family who could not make it on the day could see what happened.

Photographer Tom Frankenbury, 24, of The Meadows, said: "Pete did a lot of work towards it and he was extremely dedicated to getting it right.

"On the day it was so amazing and it went so smoothly. There were about 50 of us and it was so much fun. I am so happy for them because they are perfect together."

DRIVERS appealing against fines handed out for driving down Station Street are set to take their case to a tribunal today.

The Post understands that up to four drivers will have their cases heard by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal as they bid to overturn £60 fines handed to them by Nottingham City Council.

Thousands of drivers have paid more than £500,000 in fines since the restrictions were introduced in June last year.

One of them is Stephen Marsh, of St Helen's Grove, Burton Joyce, who appealed against his £60 fine – arguing that the traffic signs on the street were not clear enough – and won.

But he would like to see a definitive ruling on the legality of the signs.

Mr Marsh said: "There is a very bad smell about this and an awful lot of injustice going on here for the thousands of motorists caught by this thing. I'm after the city council and justice for all, not just my £60."

He claims the signs at Station Street are not compliant with the regulations and is hoping the Traffic Penalty Tribunal will make a ruling on them which could mean that other drivers caught by the "bus gate" could then appeal.

But the council has said: "The signs were compliant and this is not the reason why we decided not to pursue this case. The signs were always legal.

"We are still contesting cases on Station Street as a number of new cases have come to light and, having reviewed these individually, the authority is keen to represent itself and the stance previously held, that all signage is legally correct."

One driver who has also been caught at the Station Street bus gate is single parent Rob Northridge, who says he was left frightened after bailiffs went to his home to collect a fine he did not know he owed.

The 48-year-old was pulled over on July 27, 2013, for turning left into Station Street and was told that a fine would be sent to his home in Dale Road, Carlton, in the following weeks.

However, three days later he moved to Arnold from Carlton and he says that he forgot about the ticket and never received one at his new address.

To his shock, bailiffs turned up at his new home on Monday and demanded that he pay £428.34.

He said: "The next thing I know is that the bailiffs are at my door demanding I pay them hundred of pounds.

"They said that they had been to my old house four times and charged me every time, which isn't fair. I feel like I have been bullied because they said they would start taking the furniture."

Mr Northridge said that he never received any other notice before the bailiffs arrived at his door.

In cases like this, the £60 fine will be reduced to £30 if it is paid within two weeks.

After that, it rises to £90 and £140 before the council hands the debt over to bailiffs, who add their fee.

The city council also uses cameras to catch people turning into Station Street. A spokesman said: "When Mr Northridge moved house, he didn't inform the DVLA of his change of address, which meant enforcement notices were sent to his former property.

"In this case, the bailiffs spent more than five months tracking down Mr Northridge before writing to him at his new address on July 7.

"When they received no response to that letter, they visited him this week.

"Mr Northridge invited the bailiffs into his house and settled the bill in full."

Speaking about the restrictions, a city council spokesman said: "We use cameras to help improve safety and their use is never a money-making exercise, despite what some may think."

"Cyclists have also benefited from a reduction to through traffic, as the route has become less congested and hazardous."

Read tomorrow's Post and go online at nottinghampost.com today for updates on the hearings.

NOTTINGHAM Forest will carefully monitor their training ground and treatment room practices to ensure their promotion hopes are not derailed by another injury crisis.

The club last night completed the loan signing of Crystal Palace full back Jack Hunt as they look to address the lingering problems in the back-four, with five defenders in danger of missing the start of the new campaign.

The 23-year-old right-back (pictured), who cost £2m when he joined the Eagles from Huddersfield last summer, has joined Forest until January.

In the meantime, the Reds were last night still waiting for news on the severity of Henri Lansbury's knee injury.

The former Arsenal man could join an injury list that already includes Jack Hobbs (ankle), Chris Cohen (knee), Kelvin Wilson (calf), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Eric Lichaj (groin) and Dexter Blackstock (knee).

The majority of those problems were collected in the second half of last season – with Forest robbed of the services of 13 players at one point.

And the club are determined to do everything in their power to ensure they avoid similar problems this time around.

They have already staged an investigation into what was behind the problems.

And first team coach Brian Eastick revealed: "There has been some research on it. Any football club that collects that amount of injuries... if you don't look at it then there is something wrong.

"It is not a blame game, we are not looking to blame anyone.

"It is just a question of asking whether we are doing the right things in training, whether the rehab is right... we have looked at quite a few things.

"Sometimes luck just plays a part. Sometimes you just have bad luck.

"The Championship is a marathon, you play 46 games, often with runs of fixtures Saturday and Tuesday.

"You need a fairly big squad to handle that. Hopefully we will be more fortunate when it comes to those injuries.

"But we are going to need a squad that can deal with those demands."

Eastick says Forest will continue to keep an eye on how they work throughout the campaign.

"The process is still ongoing, so it would be wrong of me to say 'we will definitely do this or that'," he said. "It is something that the medical staff will continue to look at and discuss with Stuart (Pearce).

"If there is something we need to look at or adapt a little bit, we will do it. As I said, it is something that is ongoing."

Assistant manager Steve Wigley is also hoping for better fortunes on the injury front.

"When everyone is fit and if we add a few more players, we will be as competitive as anyone in this division," said Wigley.

"It is well documented the injuries the club had at the end of last season. In any sport, you are not going to win if you take your best players out of the equation.

"Some of those will be fit for the start of the season, some may be a little bit later.

"There is one thing I have been wary of, coming in, is the amount of people who were affected by what happened last year.

"We have to make sure, right at the start, that we are managing people within sessions.

"The situation last season was horrendous."

AN investigation has been launched after a prisoner at HMP Nottingham inflicted horrifying injuries on himself - which fellow inmates said was in protest at the sweltering conditions inside.

He is said to have "gouged his own eyes out" on Monday evening, just days before his release date, as a number of inmates allegedly protested against the temperature in their cells and poor conditions across the prison.

East Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed that it was called to the prison, in Perry Road, Sherwood, at 6.43pm to treat a male patient and a prison nurse was already attending. The ambulance then took him to the Queen's Medical Centre.

Police also confirmed they were called to HMP Nottingham at 8pm the same evening to a report of an injured man and, following inquiries, "it was established that no crime had taken place".

A source inside the jail told the Post: "Somebody cut their eyes out of their face. He was protesting.

"The heat is so high. Prisoners can't deal with it. They need to let some air in the room. It is only going to get worse."

Temperatures soared across Nottingham in recent days, with Monday's high hitting 24C.

A statement from the Ministry of Justice said: "A prisoner at HMP Nottingham was taken to hospital following an act of self-harm. Staff reacted quickly and paramedics attended. No other prisoners were involved.

"The prison is investigating the incident and police were informed as a matter of course."

The incident comes after a critical report of the Category B prison by the Independent Monitoring Board.

The organisation's annual review said a 25 per cent cut in budget had led to the loss of 140 officers, despite the capacity of the prison being upped in the same period.

The IMB said the changes in operations were "unsustainable" and would lead to "more prisoner disruption and a further reduction in already low staff morale" in the future. It said prisoners were being stopped from having showers, work and education programmes were being cancelled, prisoners with serious mental health problems were being kept in cells formerly used for solitary confinement and Muslim inmates' food had been contaminated with pork products.

Speaking to the Post earlier this week, a Prison Service spokesman said: "Staffing levels at HMP Nottingham are at an appropriate level to ensure the prison runs safely. Our approach to staffing levels has been agreed with the unions and puts prison officers back in frontline roles where they are most needed."

But a woman from Hucknall who has a friend in the prison said the conditions were "dreadful." She said: "It is disgusting. They hardly leave their cells, being in there at least 23 hours a day if not 24. They can have as little as one shower a week and exercise twice a week, which they are meant to have every day. That place is just horrible."

What are your experiences of the prison? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampost.com.

NOBODY nose what caused it but yesterday a strange smell wafting through Nottingham caused a stink among visitors to the city centre.

From around 10am on Tuesday morning, workers, shoppers and residents took to social media to complain about the terrible pong.

Rumours quickly spread that the whiff could have been caused by a cesspit.

Others suggested it may have been caused by ongoing building work near Old Market Square.

Becky Westram, 45, of West Bridgford, who works in Castle Gate, said: "We've been talking about it all day. It smelt a bit yesterday as well.

"We were all asking each other what it was – it was very stale."

Paul Armstrong, 24, of Lenton, said: "There was a sulphuric smell - I assume it has to be the drains."

Stylist Sean McGregor, of Jack Craggs, in St James's Street, said: "It smelt like a cesspit. There were power cuts earlier as well. We came out at about 10am to see if anyone else had been affected – it was very much like manure."

Laura Victoria, who also works in St James's Street, added: "When we opened about noon, there was a smell, which wasn't there for long. It smelt a lot like drains, manure, something like that."

Dozens took to Facebook and Twitter as well to offer their theories on the source.

On the Nottingham Post's Facebook page, Natalie Simpson said: "I smelt it in town earlier! Thought someone I was walking behind needed a good bath!"

Darryl Bastian added: "I said to my housemate it smells like I live in the country! Manure! Awful. WHAT IS IT?"

The smell faded away around 4pm.

A spokesman for Severn Trent Water it had no reports of a bad smell and no other incidents were reported to the firm.

Style boss Kelly Osbourne showed off her classic rock chick look last week when she attended an event in Los Angeles.

With her bold spiky lilac hair, which was messily styled using safety pins, the 29-year-old clashed the colours and prints for the red carpet.

The famous Osbourne, who is a presenter on brutal style show the Fashion Police, teamed a printed sweatshirt with a textured pink midi skirt. She made sure to add a lot of sparkle too by piling on the gold rings and cross-shaped earrings.

If you want to rock up your look for a night out, it couldn't be easier to steal a slice of Kelly's ensemble for a great price.

Head to high street favourite Topshop for a great range of midi skirts in a variety of colours and patterns.

Team with a clashing printed jersey top or sweatshirt for a look that will certainly make a statement.