The Scottish referendum has drawn to a close and to commemorate the occasion we have searched Twitter to find the funniest tweets that are guaranteed to make you laugh.

The No Campaign managed to secure 55% of the final vote meaning that Scotland has said no to independence.

Guys, the KFC chicken was wrong. #indyrefpic.twitter.com/RHOgo2gPgJ

— BuzzFeed UK (@BuzzFeedUK) September 19, 2014

Nicely done @Channel4News#indyrefpic.twitter.com/PEI8tvGhwV

— Darragh Doyle (@darraghdoyle) September 19, 2014

A reader, Alan Turner, saw this cloud over Hampshire. Would it justify a visit to William Hill? pic.twitter.com/CG5MIKOe6W

— Telegraph Letters (@LettersDesk) September 18, 2014

We can be united.#scottishindependence#nothanks#novote#Scotland#legopic.twitter.com/B8p8DWgMMi

— Lego Museums (@LegoMuseums) September 18, 2014

Meanwhile at CNN, no maths.#VoteYesScotlandpic.twitter.com/NP1LvM2ldd

— South Africa Trivia (@SA_Trivia) September 19, 2014

William Wallace is not amused... pic.twitter.com/4chgQauovE

— Hitch's Hat (@HitchsHat) September 19, 2014

Dear Scotland…... #lolpic.twitter.com/LjWM56ucYE

— Timmy Alexis Ward (@Timsley) September 18, 2014

The Voice Of Reason ... "@sketch_a_etch: Tony Blair enters into the Scottish independence debate!#indyref#VoteYespic.twitter.com/Yfcky2jOJp"

— pete wylie (@petewylie) September 11, 2014

Great poster spotted in Edinburgh today. #indyref (h/t @LizzyBuchan) pic.twitter.com/6Pm1jStGmU

— Alan Roden (@AlanRoden) September 18, 2014

Will we wake up to a warmer UK tomorrow? #indyrefhttp://t.co/KNUfvaLGdtpic.twitter.com/Lt7XfnKzX5

— Ampp3d (@ampp3d) September 18, 2014

And of course, a few extras from our local Nottinghamshire people:

A small part of me wanted Scotland to vote 'yes' so we could sing the other verses of the national anthem proudly again

— Chris Hardwick (@c_hardwick) September 19, 2014

#Scotland decides NO after all that...should we take them back after their little tantrum?

— Ben Cheetham (@BMCheetham) September 19, 2014

What's the funniest tweet that you've seen throughout the referendum? Let us know in the comments below...

The recent Scottish referendum saw 16 and 17 year olds voting for the first time in history.

The Electoral Commission reported that more than 109,000 young people registered to have their say on Scotland and Britain's future.

Despite many 16 and 17 year old voters showing enthusiasm, they will be banned from voting in next year's general election.

This is because under current legislation a person must be 18 or over to vote.

Do you think the voting age should be lowered to 16 in future elections, allowing younger people a say in politics? 

Vote in poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

You all enjoyed our nostalgic video of Nottingham buses in 1994 so much that we searched the archives and found another.

This clip shows Nottingham's buses circling the Tollhouse Hill roundabout in 1990.

It is not just the buses that have had a makeover over the years... the local area and buildings have too.

What are your fondest memories of the buses in Nottingham? Tweet us and let us know.

A gang have been sentenced to more than 33 years after a woman was held by her throat and threatened with a claw hammer in her home.

Four defendants were locked up after a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, September 19.

They targeted a couple's home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield for no clear reason in the morning of Monday, March 24.

One of the defendants gave an explanation of collecting a debt from the husband but he was not even there at the time of the burglary.

Defendant Shiero Marquis was given ten years after he went into the house and found just the wife waiting for the morning shopping delivery.

He grabbed her around the throat, pushed her in to her bedroom and repeatedly threatened her with the hammer, trying to force her to reveal where money and jewellery would be.

The woman, who we have chosen not to identify, was not injured but remains traumatised.

She shook during her evidence at the trial of Marquis and co-accused Aaron Adams.

Marquis, 24, of Alfreton Road, Radford, and Adams, 28, of Ransom Road, St Ann's, were found guilty of aggravated burglary after a trial this month.

Adams received 11 years in prison after he was the "prime mover", said the judge, and the most intelligent member of the gang.

Adams had waited outside with another man, who was the getaway driver, and will be sentenced next week.

Defendant Tramaine Morley, 21, of Lathkill Close, Bulwell, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years, and accomplice Kaylum Danachie, 17, of Bilborough Road, Nottingham, got five years. 

Judge Stokes praised neighbours who helped catch the gang, awarding them each large cash rewards, and complimented police who prepared the case.

"No doubt you all thought you had got away it," the judge told the four.

"But two householders living in the same street as the victim had seen you rushing back to the car.

"One of them noted, almost 100 percent accurately, the registration number of the car.

"Within a few minutes you were being following by PC Bradshaw and PC Coffin in their unmarked Land Recovery Discovery."

The leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond has resigned.

Speaking in Edinburgh on September 19, Mr Salmond said: "For me as leader my time is nearly over but for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die.

"I am immensely proud of the campaign that Yes Scotland fought and particularly of the 1.6m voters who rallied to that cause."

He added: "We lost the referendum vote but Scotland can still carry the political initiative.

"Scotland can still emerge as the real winner. My time is nearly over.

"The party will benefit from new leadership. The dream shall never die. The real guardians of change are not politicians at Westminster but the people of Scotland."

The First Minister said he has 'no intention' of retiring from Scottish politics.

He said: "There are a large number of things you are able to do when you're not first minister or leader of a political party."

Mr Salmond's resignation follows the Yes Campaign losing in the Scottish referendum.

Although 45% of the Scottish population voted in favour of independence they were beaten by 55% behind keeping the UK together.

The 59-year-old has spent seven years as Scotland's First Minister and will step down from his position at the party conference on November 13.

More to follow.

NOTTINGHAM Forest must work to ensure that, when Chris Cohen returns to action, it is as a Premier League player, according to manager Stuart Pearce.

The Reds boss has no doubt that skipper Cohen will return successfully from a third cruciate ligament injury and the second in his right knee.

And Pearce also revealed that, in the nine months Cohen is likely to be out, he will look to keep him involved at the City Ground by asking him to scout matches.

"We are massively disappointed to have lost him for the length of time he is going to be out. But we are going to focus on the positives," said Pearce. "Our focus, as a club, has to be to make sure that he comes back as a player as a Premier League player.

"It is heartbreaking for him, because I know how much he puts into his profession. He is one of the most dedicated professionals I have ever worked with, as a player or manager.But if anyone can fight back from this, it is Chris. He will play again.

"He is a great influence for the club. We will expect him to carry on as captain, we will ask him to look at matches and players for us. Andy Reid is going to look at matches for us, he will watch Louis Laing at Notts County for us.

"Senior players who have a good eye for the game – that is something we will utilise. For their football education it will be helpful. They will understand things from a different angle, perhaps. They will understand where we are coming from, as a manager or coach."

Pearce's own experience as a player makes him believe Cohen can bounce back.

"At the back end of my career, when I was 37, I broke my shin. Then I broke it again, after I had come back and I thought the end of the world had come. But I came back from that and played more games than ever, for another two or three years," he said. "Chris, being the professional he is, will give himself the best opportunity. There I no doubt in my mind that he will be back. No doubt."

In the meantime, ahead of tomorrow's game at Millwall, Pearce had positive news about striker Dexter Blackstock – who could make his return from a serious knee injury against Spurs in the Capital One Cup next week.

"We will not send him out on loan, he is close to a return for us," said Pearce. "He has played a 45 minute spell of a game, a 60 and a 90. We have a feeling he will feature, in some way, on Wednesday at Tottenham.

"It is always a big boost to get somebody back who has been out for such a long period of time. He will give us another option up front."

Forest have also had positive news on Andy Reid (groin) – although Jack Hobbs (ankle) and Matty Fryatt (groin) are a little further away from a return.

"This weekend will be too soon for Andy, but he will be back next week," said Pearce. "Jack, we are waiting for a scan to have a look at his ankle, once we get that we will know a little more. It is the same ankle, it is not as acute, but we do not want to take any chances.

"Matty is the same, we are waiting on a scan. Neither, we feel, are going to be a long term problem, but we want to make sure they are right."

ALEX Salmond is stepping down as Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader after his country voted against independence.

Mr Salmond announced his resignation as David Cameron promised new powers for Scotland – and a shake-up of the UK, Sky News reported.

Fifty-five per cent of Scots chose to stay part of the UK in the referendum on independence while 45 per cent were in favour of going it alone.

Mr Salmond said: "My time as leader is nearly over but for Scotland... the dream shall never die."

The first minister said now was the "opportunity to hold Westminster's feet to the fire on the vow they have made to further meaningful power to Scotland".

He said he had spoken to the Prime Minister, who had "reiterated his intention to proceed as he outlined".

"But he would not commit to a second reading vote by March 27 on a new Scotland bill", which he said was a clear promise set out by Gordon Brown in the campaign.

Mr Salmond said some people would be "incandescent" if they saw "slippage" from a timetable clearly set out just a few days ago.

Speaking before Mr Salmond's announcement, Mr Cameron reiterated his promise of new powers for Scotland.

But he also warned that it was time the "millions of voices of England" were heard as he unveiled a substantial shake-up for the whole of the UK, with new powers for Wales and Northern Ireland and greater influence for England's MPs over English law.

The Prime Minister said the new powers he, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband had promised Scotland in the dying days of campaigning would be "honoured in full".

And he said work would start on a "full and fair settlement for all of the UK" in what appeared to be a shift towards a more federalist UK.

Labour dismissed Mr Cameron's plans as "knee-jerk" and Mr Miliband set out his own proposal for a constitutional convention and political reform of Westminster.

POLICE are searching for a man after a raft of burglaries in Keyworth.

All four burglaries took place over lunchtime on Monday and involved two men.

They walked in through unlocked front doors in Brook View Drive and Normanton Lane, but when they were challenged by the person inside, they were left empty-handed.

The men claimed they worked for Virgin Media and spoke with foreign accents.

Detective Sergeant Pete Hammond said: "In all four cases these men were able to get into people's homes by simply opening the front door.

"Burglars are always looking for the easiest opportunities to steal. Don't give them any help."

A 29-year-old man has been charged with burglary with intent to steal in relation to the incidents. He has been remanded into custody.

Anyone with information is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

FEW of us put much thought into a tweet when we send it off into the Twittersphere.

But just 140 characters can cause quote a stir, as local girl Holly Brockwell found out.

As the Scots took to the polls on Thursday, the 28-year-old copywriter from West Bridgford logged on to her social networks to peruse the breaking news.

She said: "I saw the picture of the ballot paper on Facebook and thought it looked funny, because with a cross in it, it resembles the Scottish flag."

Miss Brockwell took to Twitter to share her amusement and thought nothing of it, until her feed went wild.

She said: "I just thought it was something quite innocuous and that no one would care, but everybody started re-tweeting it and it went crazy!"

On Friday, the re-tweet number broke 2,200 and popular tweeters, such as Buzzfeed and Danny Wallace continued to share her observation.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "You never know with Twitter. You can post something convinced that it will go viral and no one will pick it up, then you post something like this and it is really popular!

"I have got an extra 250 followers from it as well."

Miss Brockwell wasn't sure which way the result would go, but despite not being much of a gambler, decided to take her chances.

She said: "With all the tweets I saw, I was convinced it was going to be a 'yes' so put down my first ever bet of £10.

"Then I heard the 'no' vote was going to win, so I put another £10 down!

"Overall I won £4, so I am feeling nice and flush now," she joked.

Thirteen chairs found in a dusty church basement may have been part of a replacement set for Coventry Cathedral – after the original building and all its contents were razed to the ground during the Blitz.

Businessman Stephen Brealey, 43, of Sandon Street, Basford, has now put his rare hoard of oak Gordon Russell chairs up for auction.

He said: "I do a lot of clearances and normally when I find something I think, oh that is probably worth a few bob, but I dropped the ball on this one.

"Of course I am hoping they will make a fortune but I will be happy if they fetch £130 really - I thought the whole lot was only worth about £50 at first."

Mr Brealey found the chairs in the cellar of St Augustine's Church, in Sandon Street, Basford. He had bought the vacant building in 2004 with the intention of turning it into a community centre under the guidance of his mum, Victoria Joyce Brealey.

However, when she died, at the age of 62, in 2008, Mr Brealey postponed his plans and the chairs remained undiscovered in the depths of the basement for another six years, among a plethora of other treasures including, alters, pews and Royal Dalton pottery.

Mr Brealey said: "It had been six years so I thought the time was right to pull my finger out and get things sorted.

"I've put a few planning applications in to turn the church into houses and flats so I went down into the basement to start clearing it out and found the chairs.

"I thought nothing of them but took them to the Cattle Market and they got quite excited and said they may have been from Coventry Cathedral. "They don't come on the market much so we have no idea what they will go for."

The chairs were due to be auctioned off at Arthur Johnson and Sons Auctioneers, in Meadow Lane on Saturday September 20 at 10am with a guide price of between £130 to £180 for five.

Director of the auction house Phil Poyser has never seen a Gordon Russell chair go under the hammer.

He said: "We can't say they are rare because 2,000 were made for Coventry Cathedral but it is rare that they come up for auction.

"The top rail is missing from all the chairs and it is a bit of mystery why they would have been taken off, if they were complete they would be worth around £70 each.

David Timson, archive volunteer at the Gordon Russell design museum in Broadway, Worcestershire, said: "They are quite iconic chairs and of historic value." and at the time they were very innovative as they were made entirely out of wood but they stacked.

"In 1962 when they were made, that was quite unusual."

NOTTINGHAM Forest must continue to expect the unexpected in the Championship.

First team coach Brian Eastick warns that the Reds must be 100 per cent prepared for every game they face this season, whether it be a side at the top of the table or one struggling at the wrong end.

Millwall, who have battled relegation in recent years, had made a bright start under Ian Holloway, prior to tough away defeats at Ipswich and Reading.

But Eastick (pictured) says that, regardless of the opposition, every game will be a challenge in the second tier.

"We keep saying about this league... that it is unpredictable," he said.

"Who would have expected Wolves not to win against Blackpool last weekend? You just can't predict results.

"The bottom side in this division are capable of winning matches, which is why you have to be on the money in your approach to the game. If you dip below 100 per cent you will have a problem against any side in this division."

As well as requiring the right mentality, Eastick feels a successful Championship club will need depth in their ranks.

"It is unrelenting, with the games coming thick and fast, so you will pick up injuries, you will pick up yellow cards – it is a tough division to get out of," he said.

"The amount of time you spend coaching players is limited. But we have a good squad, we are in a decent place – let's make sure that continues.

"It is inevitable that you will pick up injuries as you go through the season, that it is why you look to have depth in the squad."

Forest have been struck by injury problems, with Chris Cohen and Andy Reid currently sidelined.

But, while Eastick has sympathy for Cohen, he says his misfortune has to be an opportunity for others to shine.

"One or two players have come back from injury and want to show the manager what they can do – this could be their opportunity," he said. "There are people who have been on the bench who are hungry to come in and I am sure Stuart will rotate the squad, to some extent, with so many games coming up.

"Competition for places is imperative."

Two players who have impressed in the absence of Cohen and fellow injury victim Andy Reid are Robert Tesche and Ben Osborn.

"We know Ben well, he is a young player who is improving all the time. He is an energetic player. Robert has done very well in training and was very quick to win the respect of the other players," said Eastick.

"He is very good in possession and rarely gives the ball away.

"Michael Mancienne knew him very well and Stuart also did his homework on him. He has come in and done very well. He copes very well with the tempo of English football."

DESPITE Jack Hobbs' continued injury problems, Stuart Pearce will still have a serious selection headache in the centre of defence today.

Even with an influential figure like Hobbs missing – and the club wait to find out what the issue is with his ankle/foot problem – the Reds boss must decide whether to play Kelvin Wilson, Jamaal Lascelles or Danny Fox alongside Michael Mancienne in the heart of the back four.

Wilson (pictured) came off the bench in the second half to help shore up a Forest defence that was uncharacteristically porous on Wednesday night, amid the 5-3 win over Fulham.

And he is relishing the fight for places, which is in stark contrast to last season, when Forest often struggled to scrape together a back four.

"It is good. Last season we were struggling to find a central defender, because we were all injured," he said. "This time, the gaffer has covered that situation (with the players he has signed).

"It is always healthy to have so many players available in every position.

"Maybe it will be tougher for the gaffer to keep every player happy, come Christmas time, if everyone is fit and is wanting to play football.

"But I am sure the gaffer has looked at that. It is only good for the club and, at the end of the day, if you are winning, everyone is happy.

"Obviously you want to play in every game, as a player.

"But, if you are winning, then you are all part of the same goal, which is to earn a place in the Premier League."

"As long as you are winning, you are happy for the side," he added.

And Wilson believes the Forest squad generally is far stronger than it has been for some time - partly because that is what other players in football are telling him.

"You can see that the squad is far stronger, just by being part of it," he said.

"But I speak to a lot of mates who play football.

"When they come and play Forest or if we go and play them, they always talk about our squad and how strong it is.

"That says it all. It is a strong group of players."

THIS walk is along the Trent Hills, with lofty views over the Trent Valley and distant views of the Belvoir Ridge.

On your walk look out for the East Bridgford Windmill at Mill Farm. This has now been converted to a private dwelling, but still retains much of its original structure.

Despite the fact that the sails are long gone, the building still manages to look impressive.

From the Reindeer Inn in Kneeton Road, East Bridgford, walk out of the village along Kneeton Road.

Ignore the first footpath sign, but on reaching a track on left enter this. Immediately on right go into field and aim for Old Hill Farm.

Go left of the farm and follow clear track to reach another right of way/track near Top Field Farm, seen on your right.

Turn left then turn right and follow headland path; eventually the path goes through hedge to carry on along the other side of hedge on headland path. There are excellent views of the Trent Valley from here.

Carry on reaching a wide track at The Old Vicarage. Walk along this track to reach St Helen's Church, which is worth a visit.

Turn left at next junction and walk, with care, down a steep path to reach an open field next to the River Trent. Note on other side of river the former Ferry Boat Inn, now a care home.

Turn left and take a line along the middle of the field with Ewan's Wood and Trent Hill ridge now on your left. Follow this path for ¾ of a mile when you will reach a hedge. Ignore first footpath sign but walk uphill to reach a track.

You are now on Oldhill Lane. Climb up steep hill to eventually find the track level out to provide more excellent views of the Trent Valley.

After ¾ mile you reach a junction. Turn left and walk to road. This is Kneeton Road. Turn right and walk back into East Bridgford and the starting point.

One particular place of interest in East Bridgford is St Peter's Church, which is known to have been plundered by the Danes in the 9th century while on their way up the River Trent. The church was rebuilt almost immediately.

Chris Thompson, Ramblers' Association, Notts Area

Teenager Nicholas Moss has been sentenced to eight years in prison after stabbing and robbing two men.

Moss,17,  of Portland Road, appeared before Nottingham Crown Court on September 19 after pleading guilty to several offences at an earlier hearing.

Corey Mayes, 17, of Western Boulevard, appeared alongside him having already pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, of which he was convicted and given a Youth Rehabilitation Order.

The court heard that on Sunday 26 January 2014 a 20-year-old man had met Mayes outside the Crown pub, in Radford Bridge Road, Wollaton, after he told the victim he'd found his bike which had been stolen the week before, and they walked to a nearby park area.

There the victim was then surrounded by Moss and three other youths, one thought to be as young as 12, who threatened him with a knife and demanded his mobile phone - he was then stabbed in the chest and handed over his phone.

While the victim was taken to Queen's Medical Centre, where he received stitches for a three centimetre wound, the phone was exchanged for £30 and a bottle of brandy.

The following day at about 6.45pm, a 23-year-old man was attacked along a pathway which leads to Charnock Avenue.

The victim was walking towards Derby Road when he was surrounded by three youths who threatened him with a replica firearm.

The gang took his watch, mobile phone and wallet and when the victim protested he was stabbed in the leg.

The thieves run away but the victim gives chase and managed to retrieve his phone, albeit sustaining further 12 stab wounds in the process he was treated for ten separate woulds which required 12 stitches.

Detectives used CCTV and forensic analysis to link Moss and Mayes to the incidents.

They, along with two others aged 12 and 16, were arrested but the 12 and 16-year-olds were released without charge. 

DC Chris Taylor said: "These were extremely serious incidents where not only were the victims robbed of their valuables they were injured and had to seek hospital treatment.

"By good fortune alone the organs of the victims were not struck by the knife during any of the stabbings otherwise we could be looking at a more tragic outcome. An appeal to the public at the time of the incidents was particularly useful in identifying the group responsible and I would thank those members of the public who came forward to us either directly, or through Crimestoppers.

"There is never a good reason to arm yourself with a knife or an imitation weapon and seek to commit violent offences in our towns and cities.

"I am pleased that the court has taken a strong approach to dealing with Moss and Mayes - so seriously that it has agreed to lift the anonymity usually granted to those under 18. I hope that this sends out a message that the Force takes incidents of violence and robbery extremely seriously and will seek to prosecute offenders where possible."

STUART Pearce says any Premier League clubs eyeing up Nottingham Forest's prize assets are wasting their time, insisting: "None of our players are for sale."

The flying start Britt Assombalonga has made to life in the Championship, by firing eight goals in his first seven league games, has catapulted the 21-year-old into the national spotlight.

Forest paid £5.5m to sign the striker from Peterborough in the summer, but there is already speculation that several top flight clubs may be preparing to test the Reds' resolve with a January bid for the Congo-born player.

But Pearce (pictured), whose side will be looking to retain top spot at Millwall today, has told them not to bother, saying: "I have a chairman who has the financial clout to resist anything that comes our way, for any of our players, without even looking at individuals.

"None of our players are for sale, because the dream of this chairman and the club, along with the fans, is to get into the Premier League.

"The only way to do that is to keep your best players. If people are interested in him, I would say that we are interested in other players too ourselves and we want to add to our squad, we want to bring them here, to complement our best stars.

"We already felt he was good value for money, after working with him for a short space of time. If we can keep working with him and he can keep improving, he will only go up in value and he will be a massive asset to this club over the next five years and longer.

"We will keep pushing him and pushing him. He will only get better."

Assombalonga and fellow new signing Michail Antonio have bagged 13 goals between them already – and Pearce says it was vital that Forest added firepower to their team.

"If you don't have goals in your side, you have to go out and buy that. That is exactly what we did. We also knew that Reidy, Paterson and Lansbury, along with one or two others, could contribute goals as well.

"Both Britt and Michail have started the season well, but we think there is more to come, without a doubt," he said.

"Both are fantastic individuals to work with. They come in with smiles on their faces, they are team players and they work hard. If they have scored goals at the end of the game, then great. But they give us team performances as well."

Despite being unbeaten and top of the table, Pearce says there is also far more to come from Forest as a team.

"It is a message that I have been giving the players for some time and I do not say it out of some misguided attempt to motivate them to carry on. We are a team with the ability to score goals but, consistently, over 90 minutes, we have not nailed games as I believe we can do," he said.

"Look at Derby. They have had the same manager for a period of time, they have had a consistent squad, a lot of whom were put together by Nigel Clough, before Steve McClaren took over. They have had a chance to build. If you looked at our team on Sunday, there were a lot of newbies, a lot of fresh faces and we are growing this club, we are only nine games in now. It is a short space of time.

"It is encouraging, because I don't believe we are anywhere near the finished article."

SAFETY experts are investigating whether the blaze which ripped through a £20m university building was caused by "unsafe working practices on the construction site."

The Health and Safety Executive says it is looking the cause of the fire at the University of Nottingham's Jubilee Campus. Police and fire service investigators are also continuing their inquiries.

Twelve fire engines and dozens of firefighters battled through the night as flames tore through the university's new Carbon Neutral Laboratory at around 8.45pm last Friday.

The empty timber structure, which was near completion, was being built by construction company Morgan Sindall.

A spokesperson for HSE said: "The HSE is working with police and fire services to investigate the cause of the fire at the Nottingham University campus.

"HSE's involvement will be to establish whether the fire was caused by unsafe working practices on a construction site, and to consider adequacy of the fire precautions in place."

A spokesperson for Morgan Sindall said the company was "greatly saddened" to see the devastation caused by the fire.

They said: "Everyone on the project team has been working hard to deliver this state-of-the-art low carbon laboratory for the university and we are, of course, greatly saddened.

"We are supporting the fire service investigation into the cause of the incident and thank its officers for their efforts to tackle and contain the blaze."

The building was being part-funded by a £12m donation from pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.

A University of Nottingham spokesperson said: "Our commitment to sustainability remains as strong as ever, as we begin to work with partners on plans for the future – although it is still early days.

"We are also working with Nottinghamshire Police and await the outcome of their investigation into the cause of the fire.

"In the meantime, it is business as usual at the university and we are looking forward to welcoming our new first-year students this weekend."

Notts Police added: "We have concluded our examination of the site, which is now subject to the Health and Safety Executive, but our investigation continues into establishing the cause of the fire."

I'VE been back to Lidl.

The supermarket's new premium wine range is now in its second week and, judging by the number of empty crates, it is going down well with customers.

It's certainly going down well with me.

Dubbed the 'claret offensive' because Lidl has bought up large volumes of Bordeaux wine, the selection is based largely on French appellations.

The scale of the operation allows the store to offer low prices to get the middle classes in.

Not surprisingly, well-known names such as Pouilly Fume (white wine from the Loire just across the river from Sancerre) and Chablis were cleared by thirsty shoppers in my local store within 10 days.

And the sell-out reds at Lidl in Beeston included a claret, Château Barthez, recommended in the Post last week.

However, despite shoppers' appetite for the cut-price offers in Lidl, some wine writers still appear just a little bit sniffy.

One implied that Lidl may have gone for good names but lesser vintages. Another questioned whether the wine really was cheaper than that on offer elsewhere, although conceded that where prices are similar, rivals usually require a minimum purchase of six bottles, whereas Lidl is knocking them out one by one. And another concluded that it may still be better to stick with the usual high street outlets.

That seems harsh.

In my view the quality and value of wine on offer at some mainstream supermarkets has declined significantly in recent years (with notable exceptions such as Waitrose and Aldi), so Lidl is a welcome addition, giving a little taste of something that is often unaffordable.

Lidl's Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AOP de marcilly 2011 is delicious and brilliant value at £7.99. It has a little tropical fruit and butter on the nose, and a zesty, lemon butter taste. I had some with a crab salad and it was delightful.

Domaine du Gourget Rochegude 2013 Côtes de Rhône Villages is a big, juicy red with a little bit of pepper, which goes down well with a steak or a week-day dish of pasta and is value for money at £5.99.

And if you like Rhône wines and want to push the boat out a bit further, Serabel Vacqueyras 2012 Rhône, France is £8.99 and is a mouthful of ripe berries and spice, which will be perfect with a hearty stew as the cold nights draw in.

A BEESTON pensioner has been banned from the roads for 12 months after he drove dangerously in a Skoda Fabia.

Peter Siddall, 74, of North Street, was caught driving dangerously in Foster Avenue, Beeston, on July 29.

At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he pleaded guilty and was given a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Siddall must pay £100 compensation, a victim surcharge of £85 and £85 costs.