Forest Fields: Alan Brown, 42, of Birrell Road, was sent to prison for taking two cans of Red Bull. Magistrates in Nottingham heard he admitted stealing £2 worth of pop from Poundworld, Victoria Centre, Nottingham, on July 4. Brown took the cans from a display, hid them in a bag and left without paying. He was detained by staff outside. He was jailed for 28 days. He had a record of offending and continued to re-offend, the court heard.

Eastwood: Daniel Wright, 27, of Princes Street, allegedly dishonestly used £716.08 worth of electricity and produced six cannabis plants. Wright was bailed to attend Nottingham Magistrates' Court on August 27.

Newark: Tommy Allen, 19, of Devon Road, denied using threatening behaviour in the town on April 21. He was bailed to attend his trial at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on October 3.

Bestwood: Liam Clarke, 19, of Roseash Lane, denied assaulting a woman in Nottingham earlier this year. He has been bailed to attend his trial at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on October 21 at 10am.

Top Valley: Zoe Donegan, 29, of Lytham Gardens, pleaded guilty to stealing £230 worth of perfume from John Lewis on July 21. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, she was conditionally discharged for six months and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £40 costs.

Strelley: Laura Tones, 31, of Longfield Avenue, was fined £560 for drink-driving. JPs in Nottingham heard she was driving an Audi A4 in Canal Street, Nottingham, when she was caught on May 29. She had 88 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, over the limit of 80. Tones was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a £56 victim surcharge and costs of £84.

Sneinton: Jonathan Louth, 40, of Dale Street, denied assaulting a woman in Broxtowe on August 1. He was remanded in custody until September 8, when his case will be listed at Nottingham Magistrates' Court at 10am.

The Meadows: Stephanie Bird, 45, of Doncaster Terrace, has been ordered to attend Nottingham Magistrates' Court tomorrow for allegedly dropping a cigarette end. The offence is said to happened in Wilford Crescent West, The Meadows, on February 13.

Sutton-in-Ashfield: Kerry Bissett, 35, of High Oakham Close, has been sentenced for drink-driving. She was driving a Peugeot 307 in Edward Street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, when she was over the limit on July 26. At Mansfield Magistrates' Court, she was fined £110 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85. A driving ban of 20 months was imposed after she pleaded guilty.

A MAN who died in a crash in The Meadows on Saturday has been named.

Safet Husejnovic, 75, of Sneinton, died after the car he was travelling in hit a tree at Victoria Embankment.

A second man also travelling in the car remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital. A seven-year-old girl was also treated at hospital for minor injuries.

Police want to speak to anyone who saw a car enter Victoria Embankment from Queen's Drive/Riverside Way, travelling towards West Bridgford, at around 4.20am.

Call 101 and quote incident number 159 of 16 August.

A TEAM of Indian restaurants will fight for Nottingham to be crowned Curry Capital of Britain.

Four of the city's top curry houses have joined forces to form the Nottingham team, with the aim of showing judges we have the best Indian cuisine in the country.

The Curry Lounge, Cumin, Tamatanga and Mogal-e-Azam are fighting for the title, chosen by online votes from the public.

Peter Grove, organiser of the competition, said: "The voting public really seems to have the idea of what we are looking for.

"In the past, they may have given their vote frivolously. But now they are curry connoisseurs, with the result that the city teams are stronger than ever."

Sixteen cities are competing, including London, Leicester, Birmingham and Bradford – which has won the contest four times in a row.

Shelley Anand, executive chef at Cumin, in Maid Marian Way, is excited to be involved. He said: "The street we are on is Nottingham's curry mile. We have had some great highlights this year – cooking for the Indian cricket team and winning the best restaurant in the East Midlands.

"The way I look at it is we are authentic, have great flavours and fantastic cuisine.

"Put all of that together and I think the city has got a really good chance of winning."

Aman Kular, owner of Tamatanga, also believes Nottingham has more to offer than more traditional curry capitals.

"Nottingham has a different take on this type of food," he said.

"It is not about a late-night affair with 1950s curries, surrounded by flock wallpaper and thick red carpets.

"Instead it is innovative, different and offers new-age curries.

"With this different approach, I think the city has a real shot at earning that title."

The prize will be awarded in October to coincide with National Curry Week.

A GRADE II listed former coffee house which dates back to the 1800s has been sold.

Acting on behalf of GW Price Limited, commercial property specialist NG Chartered Surveyors has bought Ossington Coffee House, in Newark.

The majority of the building in Castle Gate is currently let to national restaurant chain Zizzi's on a long-term deal, along with nine residential units and a small shop, trading as Baxters – a gift and ladieswear shop.

Jonathon Seddon, of NG Chartered Surveyors, who brokered the deal, said: "Opportunities like this are few and far between and we're delighted to have completed this deal for GW Price, seeing off strong interest in the process.

"Newark's retail and restaurant scene is vibrant and is attracting serious investment, as we've recently seen with Topland's acquisition of the St Mark's Shopping Centre."

Ossington Coffee House dates back to 1881, when Charlotte, Viscountess Ossington, proposed a new coffee tavern in Newark.

The building has since been used as stables, a hotel and a base for military personnel during both world wars.

Michael Price, of GW Price, said: "Ossington Coffee House was attractive to us because of the long lease and financial strength of the tenant.

"It is now our intention to maintain this historically important building so that it can continue to be an attractive commercial proposition going forward.

"It is always a pleasure dealing with NG. They have been dealing with our company for more than 25 years."

MY arms look like they have been clad in a barbed-wire shirt, my hands stained in a deeply suspicious deep crimson.

The same bloody mess smears my mouth, while the rest of my visible skin shows the markings of the banquet attended earlier by the million billion midges and mosquitos who seem to have sucked the majority of the blood I kept on the inside, out.

Yet there is a huge, contented grin on my face. I feel bitten to death, covered with bloody scratches and in dire need of a shower. Once I soap up and towel off, I'll be in the kitchen with my gathered treasures ready to make a dessert of indescribable proportions. Yes. I have been blackberrying.

You might have tried it as a kid. Before the modern council fetish with brutally trimmed verges kicked in, brambles ran riot in urban areas and rewarded our braving thorns with luscious fruits for a few weeks each year. You possibly pick a few while wandering the paths of a country park, only to be told by your partner a dog has probably weed on them, to which you spit them out. Your future blackberry acquirements are then exclusively dealt with by supermarkets, or, in a moment of ethical righteousness, a local grocer. To pick a berry from the wild seems somewhat… well, Stone Age.

Call me Neanderthal, but I've never not picked berries. My gran got me into the habit, rolling cones of newspaper as receptacles on an impromptu forage. My attempts at cool in my teenage years came unstuck when I'd pass a particular laden patch and explain how the swollen orbs that make a berry are called druples, and then go on to explain the utterly bizarre way brambles spread.

My wife, when she first met me, kept a diary. She read some extracts to me this week. One mentioned that when she first met me, she drew up a "for" and "against" list.

Admitting I loved brambling was, incredibly, on the "for" list.

We've spent a long time since topping up Tupperware with berries: the tight tang of the piquant midsummer first arrivals; the classic late summer luscious ruby sweetness, through to the decadent swellings of the oozy, boozy purple-juiced floozies of autumn.

A few ground rules: pick only what you need; leave enough for wildlife to enjoy, never trample down anything that might home wildlife in a quest for that mystical multi-drupled berry you've spotted; consider long sleeves and insect repellent.

It doesn't matter if you make a crumble, a pie or merely forget about them then stick them on a compost heap. It's a meditative, quiet experience. A free experience where you truly feel a deep sense of connection with nature. So deep, in fact, you'll be bearing the scars from it for days after. Now, anyone got any Elastoplast/crumble mix?

A MAN has admitted killing his friend when he punched him to the ground during a "drunken argument".

Scott Humphrey, 26, of Bestwood Park, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Richard Rovetto yesterday.

Mr Rovetto, 29, died in hospital after being assaulted by Humphrey in Top Valley on Sunday, July 27.

Detectives say the pair had become embroiled in a "mindless" row after returning by taxi from a night out in Mansfield at about 2am.

Mr Rovetto, of Stanhope Crescent, Arnold, was punched and fell to the floor, suffering a serious head injury. The father-of-one later died at the Queen's Medical Centre.

Humphrey, of Queens Bower Road, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday, wearing a smart grey suit and tie, and was released on bail after a brief preliminary hearing.

Speaking after the hearing, Richard's uncle Steven Rovetto, of Bulwell, said he believed his nephew's death had been an accident.

The 53-year-old said: "I don't believe he [Humphrey] went out that evening with the intention of killing Richard, so personally I think a manslaughter charge was the right outcome.

"I believe what happened was an accident but that doesn't make it right – it's still death by violence.

"He will probably only get a couple of years in prison, while we've lost Richard forever."

But he said he was glad Humprey had admitted the charge and that the family would not have to endure a trial.

He added: "We want a conclusion to everything and we want to move forward.

"As a family, we've been in limbo, as the coroners have had his body and we've not been able to have his funeral.

"But now we can put it to bed and hopefully look to the future."

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Griffin, who led the investigation into the incident in Bestwood Park Drive, said: "This is yet another example of where violence has devastated the lives of many. Richard Rovetto has lost his life; while Scott Humphrey faces time in prison for a mindless act of violence.

"After his arrest, Humphrey admitted he had got into an argument with Richard, striking out and causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head. Humphrey left the scene, and Richard was taken to hospital where, sadly, the injury resulted in his death.

"An act of violence over in less than a minute has changed everything for all those involved. Richard's son will have to grow up without his father and his family and friends have been left broken.

"Humphrey has to live with the guilt of having taken his friend's life as a result of a drunken argument.

"Violence doesn't solve anything and this case now sees the family of both Richard Rovetto and Scott Humphrey having to deal with the tragic consequences of that night."

The full background will be heard when Humphrey is sentenced on October 3.

A city brewery took delivery of new equipment which will see its production treble in size.

The Navigation Brewery, run by local firm Great Northern Inns and based in Meadow Lane, is undergoing a £200,000 renovation, adding six new brewing tanks and three new members of staff.

The massive vessels, which will mean the brewery is the first in the city to produce its own keg beer, were delivered yesterday.

The expansion will allow the company to produce 55,000 pints per week, including three new keg beers. Negotiations are also ongoing to export to destinations including China, Africa and New Zealand.

Dom Flynn is a brewer at the company. He said: "It's massively exciting. For a brewery of our age it's really good. And it's diversification, it's not just cask ale, it's the new craft movement. It's a new challenge for me."

picture: angela ward

Firefighters have tackled a blaze which started after a TV caught alight.

Crews were called to Skeavingtons Lane in Cotmanhay, Ilkeston, at 10.05pm on Monday.

They spent about an hour at the scene.

All people inside the house managed to get out before they arrived.

Paramedics were called in to give treatment at the scene to one person suffering from smoke inhalation.

The fire is not believed to have caused much damage. 

Two people were arrested on suspicion of robbery after masked men stole cigarettes from a shop.

The One Stop shop, in Charlotte Street, Ilkeston was targeted at 10.50pm on Friday, August 15 by three men.

They threatened staff and customers and stole a large amount of cigarettes before driving off towards Nottingham.

Two people – a 33-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy – were arrested on suspicion of robbery and have been bailed pending further inquiries.

Anyone with information should call Derbyshire Police on 101.

SKIPPER Chris Cohen says there is now so much strength in depth at Nottingham Forest that he expects a real fight for his place when everyone is fit.

The left back or midfielder was always one of the first names on the team sheet over the last few seasons.

But, with Stuart Pearce having revamped his City Ground squad extensively over the summer, Cohen admits there will be no room for anyone at the club – even the captain – to be complacent about their place in the side.

"When everyone is fit I don't know if I will get a game," joked Cohen, ahead of tonight's game at Bournemouth. "Previously I would always be very confident that I would.

"That shows the balance and depth that we have now, quite seriously.

"We have always had good players. But the squad has got better and better.

"There is no room for anyone to rest on their laurels."

Cohen is particularly impressed with the attacking threat Pearce has added to the Forest ranks, with Britt Assombalonga, Matty Fryatt, Chris Burke and Michail Antonio all looking dangerous since signing in the summer.

"I can't remember us having this amount of dynamic, attacking players as we have now," said Cohen.

"The manager seems to see the problems that everyone spoke about for a long time – and has brought players in to fix those problems.

"There were always issues about left backs – but we have three now.

"There was always the suggestion that we lacked pace.

"I can't remember too many players who you would expect to pick up the ball and take players on.

"But you look now and we have Britt, Matty Fryatt, Michail Antonio, Chris Burke, Pato – there are five or six players who can run with the ball and go past people.

"We can play deeper and hit teams on the counter attack, which has not been an option for us before.

"I am very excited. It will take time and having the right players won't automatically bring success. We have to work hard for it still."

Henri Lansbury could be involved in the squad at Dean Court tonight, with the midfielder having returned to training over the last few days.

Forest hope the 23-year-old will mark his return from a knee injury by putting pen to paper on a new contract.

NOTTS County's crippling injury problems have forced boss Shaun Derry to register as a player and recruit former defender Mike Edwards on a short-term deal.

The Magpies could be without up to eight players for tonight's visit of Colchester United to Meadow Lane as they look to bounce back from Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Fleetwood.

Defender Haydn Hollis and Alan Smith are the latest casualties after picking up shoulder and ankle injuries respectively, while Liam Noble is also a doubt after suffering a nasty gash to the head.

Derry, who is already without five players, has responded to the crisis by registering as a player yesterday while Notts favourite Edwards has also joined having trained with the squad in pre-season.

Edwards' role is primarily as strength and conditioning coach, but he will also add cover to the defence.

Derry said: "Mike trained with us in pre-season to help him keep his fitness and he got to a level where you take stock of where we are in terms of squad depth and injuries.

"I've offered Mike a role with the staff first and foremost, but in the short term, he will give us cover because we are very light on numbers.

"I also registered as a player yesterday morning. I didn't have any intentions of doing so this season and I said it would only be on an emergency-case scenario.

"But we have reached the stage where if things go against us tomorrow then I may have to sit on the bench."

Derry's last competitive appearance as a player was back in November last year when he played for Millwall in a 2-2 draw against Burnley, although the 36-year-old (pictured) did play in a pre-season friendly for Notts against Rolls Royce.

Edwards, 34, who spent eight years at Meadow Lane from 2004 to 2012, has not kicked a ball competitively since last August when Carlisle were beaten 5-1 by Leyton Orient.

But he also figured in one of the Magpies' pre-season friendlies, playing 90 minutes in a 4-0 win at Carlton Town having spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

NOTTS County fans are invited to attend the funeral of the club's lifetime vice-president.

John Mounteney's funeral is being held at St Mary's Church in the Lace Market from 11am on Wednesday, August 27.

His family have told the club that supporters are welcome to attend and pay their respects.

Mr Mounteney died last Tuesday at the age of 79.

He was a lifelong Notts County fan, having first stood on the terraces at Meadow Lane in the 1940s.

A 29-year-old man has appeared in court charged with robbing a Netherfield bank.

Balal Jahangir, of Barnston Road, Sneinton, is accused of threatening staff at the TSB bank in Victoria Road.

No one was injured in the incident, which happened at just after 10.30am on Friday, August 1. 

Jahangir allegedly made off with a quantity of cash. 

He appeared before Nottingham magistrates on Tuesday. He has also been charged with possession of a Class A drug.

Magistrates remanded him in custody. Jahangir will appear at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, September 9.

DISABILITY groups have voiced their concerns after a group of teens were turned away from the Robin Hood marathon because organisers have failed to provide a course for the young wheelchair users.

Participants over 16 and using their chairs are allowed to enter the half marathon, but younger racers who want to take part in the mini-marathon have been told the provisions aren't in place.

Teenagers from across the country were hoping to take part, including the under-15s Sheffield Steelers wheelchair basketball team, but they have now been refused entry.

Sweatshop Events – which runs the Robin Hood Marathon – defended its decision on safety grounds, saying whilst a separate start was possible for the half marathon participants, the same flexibility was not possible on the shorter course.

Judith Manson, senior operations manager for the firm, said: "A separate wave was suggested for the Sheffield Steelers half marathon team to follow the Elite groups. Unfortunately however the Mini Marathon event does not allow the same flexibility for a separate wheelchair start, therefore when considering the suitability and accessibility of the Mini Marathon course – it is accessible but is not suitable.

"With 2,000 participants expected in this event, some as young as four years old, safety of all participants has shaped the entirety of our decision making. As the wheelchair team is likely to be faster than some of the mini marathon runners they will need to overtake children in a condensed, crowded course resulting in a high risk of accidents happening, an unacceptable risk."

But the decision has been criticised by local disability groups.

Simon Bernacki, development officer at Disability Nottinghamshire, said: "We're saddened to hear that there is no provision at the forthcoming Robin Hood marathon for young people who are essential wheelchair users.

"We very much hope that the organisers can rethink their approach to equality and inclusiveness, by accommodating for as many people as possible, from all sections of society."

The Post asked Nottingham City Council to comment on the situation but it declined.

The Robin Hood Marathon expects over 10,000 runners to pound the city's pavements for the half marathon and 2,000 for the full marathon when it takes place on Sunday, September 28. 

In January, Sweatshop Events announced the official charity for the run would be Scope - an organisation founded on ensuring disabled people and their families get the same opportunity as everyone else. 

A spokesperson for Scope said: "Scope work with all of its event organisers to ensure that disabled people are catered for wherever possible.

"The Ikano Robin Hood Marathon and Half Marathon, of which Scope is the official race partner, are fully accessible to disabled competitors.

"We have spoken to the event organisers and they have explained the safety concerns which led to their decision not to include wheelchair users in this year's Mini Marathon.

"We understand that after this year's event, the situation will be reviewed. We encourage all of our event partners to make their events inclusive for disabled competitors of all ages."

What do you think of the decision? Let us know in the comments below. 

THE wife of a man who died of pneumonia just an hour after being sent home from hospital says apologies from NHS bosses are not good enough.

Kim Sharp's husband Richard, 60, died in her arms after being sent home from Nottingham City Hospital in March last year.

And now Mrs Sharp is looking into taking legal action against the hospital.

"You can't put into words what effect that has on you," wife Kim said.

"You can't describe how it feels. You are just numb.

"It's not something I can ever forgive - apologies aren't enough.

"I'm in touch with my solicitor, it's in their hands for a medical negligence case."

Mr Sharp had been diagnosed with lung cancer at the start of 2013 and had been at a pre-operative clinic at the hospital when medics noticed symptoms of pneumonia.

Despite this though, the illness was not acted upon and he was discharged and sent home to Bilborough. Just over an hour later he collapsed in his wife's arms and was declared dead despite an ambulance being called.

Mrs Sharp – who was married to her husband for 19 and a half years – said his death has left a gaping hole.

She said: "Obviously I haven't got my best friend anymore. It's just so hard. Some mornings I can't even get up."

Bosses from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust have apologised to Mrs Sharp in a letter.

Peter Homa, Chief Executive, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We reiterate our unreserved apologies to the family for the failings in our care and for letting Mr Sharp down so badly.

"Abnormal results from a pre-operative assessment were not acted upon as they should have been which meant Mr Sharp was discharged from the clinic instead of being admitted as a medical emergency for urgent treatment.

"We have learnt from this tragic case and made changes to improve safety and outcomes for future patients.

"I appreciate that nothing can diminish the family's loss and our thoughts remain with them."

SEWAGE could be used to heat the city's homes if new scientific research proves a success.

Nottingham City Council has embarked on the project with Canadian company SHARC Energy Systems – which opened its new base in Nottingham in June this year – to see if its technology could provide a green alternative to heating houses.

The SHARC system takes waste hot water from large buildings, such as bath or laundry water, filters out any solids and passes it over heat pump systems, which convert the heat from the water into usable energy for buildings again.

It was tested in central areas of Nottingham throughout June and July, including around Sneinton Market and the Capital FM Arena, to give an indication of how effective the system could be in areas with big commercial buildings.

A pot of £40,000 was given to the City Council from the Department of Energy and Climate Change – specifically from the Low Carbon Pioneer Cities Fund designed to reduce carbon emissions.

And as well as testing the sustainability of the system, SHARC also undertook a geological analysis of the city centre's "bedrock" to check its suitability for such a system.

Russ Burton, CEO of SHARC, said: "From a SHARC perspective the study has gone extremely well. We have been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of our technology and how it would operate on individual buildings, as well as its effectiveness in supporting a heat network system.

"The Nottingham study has enabled us to capture some very valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges we might face in rolling out our system across the UK and we are very grateful to Nottingham City Council and Faithful and Gould for giving us this early opportunity."

"The next step will be to deliver a full installation in the city and we are now working with the council to identify a suitable building that could adopt the SHARC technology."

Gail Scholes, head of sustainability and climate change at the City Council, was unable to confirm if there would be an installation, but remained positive about the trials.

She said: "The City Council are keen for the city to maintain its reputation as being at the forefront of renewable energy technologies.

"We have a long history of operating large heat networks supplying hot water directly to the city's households and businesses, so the concept of using heat pump technology to extract usable heat from waste water could be a good fit for meeting some of the city's heating demand.

"It is something that is of great interest to us and we will continue to look at closely."

Environmental groups were also keen to see the results.

Nigel Lee from the Nottingham branch of Friends of the Earth said: "Friends of the Earth does welcome the research which the City Council is conducting on different ways of making more efficient use of energy.

"Using a heat pump to recover heat from waste water should be an efficient source of heat. We will be interested to see the results of this research."

The debate over pedestrianising part of Hucknall's High Street has been brought back to light as the town prepares for a one-day traffic free event.

The Hucknall Town Centre Improvement Scheme, put forward by Nottinghamshire County Council, was granted planning permission in December last year, and is likely to be complete by 2016.

It includes plans to pedestrianise the High Street between Baker Street and Watnall Road, and build a new a new road from Station Street/Ashgate Road to Baker Street/Annesley Road.

But some traders, who have shops just meters outside the pedestrian zone, are worried they could lose trade once the development is complete.

Stephen Sleigh, owner of Yummie Tummies, in High Street, said: "I think it will benefit businesses at the top of High Street because it is trying to congregate shoppers in a safe area, but there are other shops around. It is a bit of a blow."

Helen Plumb, owner of Vanilla Coffee House, in Titchffield Terrace, added: "I think it is a good idea but the issue for me is it is not going to be pedestrianised down here. I am not too worried about losing trade though because I have a loyal customer base."

The council has joined forces with Ashfield District Council and the I Love Hucknall group to create a fun day where people can get a taste of things to come.

It will take place in the planned pedestrian zone on Saturday and will include live music, craft stalls, children's activities and a chance to meet White Post Farm animals.

Edward Leverton, manager of H20 bar, in High Street, said he is in favour of the plans.

He said:"If it is done right I think it will be good. I think it will be good for the business because when it happens we can have a chunk on the front to put some tables and chairs."

The scheme is estimated to cost £12.4m with the majority of the funding coming from the Department for Transport and the remainder from Nottinghamshire County Council and Ashfield District Council.

Councillor Kevin Greaves, chairman of the County Council's transport and highways committee, said: "After many years of waiting, Hucknall's much-needed town centre improvement is within sight.

"In the meantime, however, this special Bonanza event will give people a real taste of how things will be once High Street has been pedestrianised."

The event will take place from 10am until 4pm.

What do you think of the plans? Tell us below.