Police are searching for a stray dog on the M1.
Nottinghamshire Police's Notts Roads Policing Twitter account uploaded a picture of the rain-sodden motorway as it looked for the animal near junction 26.
It said: "Searching north of Junction 26 for a stray dog running about on the M1. Murky weather, bad dog."
Searching north of Junction 26 for a stray dog running about on the M1. Murky weather, bad dog. pic.twitter.com/JdB2NeBVqG
— Notts Roads Policing (@NottsRPU) January 3, 2015
"New year, new you" goes the saying - with many people expected to join gyms to mark a new beginning in 2015.
But while new members may be tempted to get straight into action to burn off pounds amassed over Christmas , instructors have warned not to push themselves too hard, too soon.
Kathy Bobkowska, 45, a customer advisor from Sneinton, had not been in a gym for a year and a half before she joined Formula One Gym in Nottingham's Victoria Street on Saturday.
She said: "I just want to get back in shape after letting it go while I moved house and settled in. After all the extensive partying in December it encouraged me to put that behind me and start afresh.
"Sometimes we forget about the importance of our health but it's never too late. I'm going to pace myself because the main danger is I'll exhaust myself."
City centre resident Carleen Bentley, 42, a hypnotherapist, has been going to the gym for three-and-half years and often sees new members join in January.
The mum-of-one said: "It's fantastic to get a big influx of new people who really go for it with different attitudes and sizes. But you do see a drop off after the first few weeks so that's the negative side of New Year's resolutions.
"People put on a stone over Christmas and think they're going to burn it off in a week but they have to be realistic - it's a gradual process."
Marc Lawrence, 20, from Clifton, joined the gym in the New Year two years ago and is now a personal trainer.
He said: "I came as a skinny guy and I did feel quite intimidated but I enjoyed it and I've gone from 67kg to 94kg.
"For a lot of people the New Year brings a temporary drive but if you can feed off that then it's good for longer term motivation."
Personal trainer Karolina Malinowska, 21, from the city centre, said many new members usually quit within a month.
She said: "Everyone has this 'new year, new me' motto but you shouldn't really have to wait until the New Year to make a change. Many people overdo it - they aren't in the right mind frame and quit."
Formula One Gym manager Chris Hillyer said at least 13 people had joined since the start of the year but he also warned them to take it easy at the start.
He said: "Most people haven't broken into a run in God knows how long so it's very easy to get sore. That's what puts people off so it's important they have a routine to follow."
Personal trainer Karolina Malinowska, 21, from Nottingham city centre, gives her tips on how to make sure a New Year's resolution to go to the gym lasts for longer:
1. Start with an easy programme rather than doing what friends are doing - if you start something too challenging then people are likely to quit.
2. Always tretch before you do anything and drink plenty of water before a workout. Also don't train on an empty stomach and make sure you eat no later than half an hour before exercise.
3. Do a combination of cardio and weights. Many women think they'll get really bulky if they do weights but it's a myth - it takes a lot to get to that stage.
4. Don't train everyday and make sure you have a rest day. If you're aiming to go to a gym four times a week then make sure there are rest days in between because your body needs time to recover.
5. Don't give up if you don't see results in the first few weeks. It takes at least eight to 12 weeks to see a difference in yourself. You will feel better sooner than that but in terms of seeing muscle tone or inches dropping off it will take longer so stick it out.
BABIES, fitness fanatics and people making new year's resolutions were all part of Nottingham's contribution to a simultaneous workout world record bid.
Eleven participants ran from behind the council house in Old Market Square in Saturday's rain for a 5km run which took them past Nottingham Castle and along the River Trent.
They joined thousands of people who set off at noon in 11 different countries for the event, organised by US marketing firm ViSalus.
Nottingham organiser James Winsoar said he was hopeful the efforts would make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.
"I've been doing a weight loss challenge since April and now I want to help other people get fit," said internet marketer James, 38, of Jacksdale. "Being part of a world record has hopefully encouraged people to come along."
That was certainly the temptation for Beeston mum Charlotte Wardley, who brought along her one-year-old Reeva-Mai Dudley to walk the route.
"After having Reeva I want to get back into fitness, said Charlotte, 36. "With it being the new year, I thought something like this would be a great way to start. I'd love for us to be part of a world record. How many one-year-olds can say that?"
Personal trainer Patrick Watterson, of Bestwood, said group activities were a great way to encourage people to get involved in sport.
"I wanted to make my name part of a world record," said the 27-year-old. "But I'm also hoping to reduce my body fat from 12 per cent to six per cent by March for my wedding, which is in Cuba.
"I do more weight lifting. Group work - and being part of a world record - has convinced me to come down."
For every participant that signs up, ViSalus will donate 30 free meals to deprived children through its Project 10 programme.
"The charity aspect drew me in," said credit control worker Sally Kirkham, who came with her Experian colleague Lisa Woodward.
"We run together anyway, but being part of a world record is amazing," said Sally, 38, or Arnold.
"It's also a new year's resolution to lose a bit of weight," said Lisa, 28, of the Meadows. "I haven't set a target but running with other people always spurs me on."
Organiser James Winsoar added: "If we break the record, which we'll find out next week, I'm hoping to release a video to go with it. That will show off some of Nottingham's great sights to people all over the world."
ViSalus launched the event in 11 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, USA, Canada and Germany.
The company also holds the world record for a simultaneous flash mob.
Nottingham Forest were sent tumbling out of the FA Cup by League One Rochdale, as Keith Hill's side battled their way to a 1-0 win at Spotland.
Stuart Pearce's side piled on the pressure in the second half, but could not find a goal to cancel out the first half penalty from Peter Vincenti, which was enough to propel the home side into the fourth round.
The result promoted emotional scenes in Lancashire, but will only pile more pressure on the Reds, who saw their struggle for form maintained in frustrating fashion.
Forest had been far better in the second half but simply lacked the cutting edge to make long spells of pressure count.
They will ask if they should have had a penalty in the first half, shortly before Dale were handed a spot kick of their own. But this was another afternoon where their own lack of ruthlessness cost them badly.
Forest boss Pearce made six changes to his starting line-up, but this was no weakened side at Spotland.
Jack Hobbs made his return from an ankle injury in the centre of defence, while Lars Veldwijk was handed a rare start up front. Kelvin Wilson was also brought into a back four, in front of Dutch keeper Dorus de Vries.
David Vaughan had an opportunity to impress in midfield, with winger Chris Burke the last of the changes, wide on the right side.
It was down the left that Forest threatened for the first time, with Michail Antonio latching onto a pass from Vaughan and forcing a corner with a powerful run, to immediately put the Rochdale defence under pressure – but the home side were able to clear the danger.
Forest wanted a penalty when Burke carried the ball the length of the pitch, only to be felled right on the very edge of the Rochdale box. Burke felt it had been inside the area, but referee Gary Sutton gave a free kick, virtually on the line. Vaughan's free kick forced a fine save from Josh Lillis, as he angled in a shot.
But, just a few minutes later, there was a spot kick awarded, but it was to the home side, as Joe Rafferty skipped into the box from the right and went down as Antonio dangled out a leg.
Vincenti stepped up to take the penalty – and duly fired confidently beyond de Vries, sending the keeper the wrong way.
The goal came in the 12th minute and, two minutes later, Rochdale should have been 2-0 up, but Vincenti this time failed to show the same composure, when he fired a great chance wide of the post.
Forest appealed for a penalty again when a Veldwijk flick set Britt Assombalonga racing into the box. The striker seemed to be pulled back as he attempted a lob – sending his effort wide – but his appeals fell on deaf ears, much to the frustration of the Forest fans.
Another Vaughan free kick, this time a looping cross-shot, forced another save from Lillis. When Burke challenged for a high ball into the box, the keeper then seemed to be felled by a collision with one of his own players, in Ashley Eastham. Both players needed extensive treatment, but were able to continue.
Forest pressured again with Veldwijk forcing a corner and, when Vaughan tested Lillis' nerve, following his injury, by bending the corner right at the keeper, Antonio beat him to make contract with a header, but sent his effort over.
Rochdale missed another golden chance to make it 2-0 when Matthew Done rounded de Vries, who got a hand to the ball, with Jamie Allen then hesitating when presented with the chance to shoot, allowing Forest to clear the danger, through Fox, when a goal seemed almost certain.
Keeper de Vries also had to make a routine save to hold an Allen header, in first half injury time – but would have had a problem had the Rochdale man made proper contact.
Forest began the second half with a promising moment as Lichaj whipped in a cross from the right, which was a whisker away from picking out Assombalonga.
And Veldwijk came even closer when Burke beat his man down the right, before delivering a brilliant cross, which the big striker flicked the wrong side of the post, with a glancing header.
Forest were piling on the pressure and, when a slip in midfield from Rochdale allowed the ball to run through to Assombalonga, his pace carried him into the box, only for Lillis to save bravely at the striker's feet.
This was the best period of the game for Forest, with Vaughan and Burke both looking to make things happen in midfield, although the winger could have done better with a low shot that he drove well wide of the post.
Good play from Burke, Veldwijk and Assombalonga then forced another desperate clearance from Rochdale, at the expense of a corner. But Forest were winning a flurry of flag kicks, without really making the pressure count.
Forest brought Stephen McLaughlin off the bench with 16 minutes to play, as they looked to find a goal. It was Burke who continued to prod and probe for an opening, with the winger seeing another shot blocked. While Assombalonga saw a close range shot charged down.
Antonio forced yet another corner, following good work from Tesche, but still Forest could not carve out the clear opening they craved.
Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, Bennett, Eastham, Lancashire, Vincenti, Done, Tanser, Allen, Logan (Bunney 70), Camps (Cywka 83). Subs: Andrew, Hery, Musangu, Rose, Cannon.
Forest: de Vries, Lichaj, Wilson, Assombalonga, Fox (McLaughlin 74), Veldwijk, Antonio, Vaughan, Hobbs, Chris Burke (Paterson 89), Tesche. Subs: Darlow, Lascelles, Laing, Oliver Burke, Osborn.
Referee: Gary Sutton
Plans have been submitted for a 100m wind turbine in a Nottinghamshire village.
Developers of the proposed turbine, which would be built by the railway line off Tilford Road, Newstead, say it would supply enough renewable energy for more than 774 homes.
Designs suggest a blade diameter of 77 metres would help the turbine convert wind power into electricity.
With an external transformer and connection building, hardstanding area, access and cables, the planned turbine would take up 0.6 hectares of land.
No landscaping work is planned.
Designers Stillwind Ltd have submitted plans to Gedling Borough Council on behalf of Redpath Energy Ltd.
In the design and access statement, the firm says: "The proposed development is to enable the production of electricity from renewable energy. This includes the wind turbine as the generator and the supporting infrastructure necessary for its function.
"Current land use would not be affected by the installation of the proposal."
No environmental impact assessment has yet been made.
A Labour MP is to call on the Government to stop taxi drivers from charging more for carrying disabled passengers.
The Post reported in November the story of Fiona Reid who visited Nottingham for her sister's hen party and was shocked to find she had been charged three times the amount of her friends for a taxi from the Hilton hotel in Milton Street to Bistro Live in Barker Gate.
Miss Reid said she felt discriminated against after she was charged £15 by Trent Cars. But a spokesman for DG Cars, which runs Trent Cars, said the extra charge was an industry standard.
Charlotte Throssel, services manager at Disability Direct Nottingham, said taxi firms often charge more for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. She said: "We come across this issue a lot.
"Most taxi firms do charge extra for vehicles that are wheelchair-accessible, so we would advise people who can get out of their wheelchairs to do so."
Dudley MP Ian Austin has written to the Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan asking the Government to enforce the Equalities Act.
Speaking to ITV, he said: "I'm disappointed to hear some taxis are putting up their prices for passengers with a wheelchair.
"The fare for a larger cab should be the same for everyone, so I'm pressing the government to strengthen the law."
Winners of tonight's double rollover Lotto jackpot will be sharing a cash prize of £9,200,000
This week's winning balls are 10, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 31. The bonus ball is 24.
Fifty people will also pocket £20,000 in the Lotto raffle.
If the top prize is not won, the money will rollover to Wednesday, January 7.
The winning Thunderball numbers are 1, 11, 15, 25 and 35. The Thunderball is 6.
The top prize is £50,000.
Were you a big winner on tonight's lottery draw? Email newsdesk@nottinghampost.com
Making a case for keeping the status quo at Nottingham Forest is becoming more and more difficult with each passing game.
Especially as each game seems to go by with more and more disappointment.
The dissenting voices are shouting a little bit louder, sure they are, but my spirit remains unbroken.
I looked back on a defeat against Birmingham City last Sunday with an element of hope. Purely in the sense that Forest, bar a ten minute spell, where they conceded three genuinely bad goals, actually played relatively well.
Certainly when you compare it to the performance at Middlesbrough 48 hours earlier.
Fast forward to Spotland and a game against League One side Rochdale in the third round of the FA Cup. Surely a chance to build some confidence ahead of a tough month with a game at Derby County sandwiched in the middle.
Well, no.
It didn't quite go to plan, did it?
The less than complementary words from 2,500 supporters who had made the journey across the Pennines at the end of the game said it all. Especially when barely any players came over to front up to the inevitable flak heading their way.
Forest are in a hole. Make no mistake about it.
But what do we do about it?
The Reds haven't won a game in six, and have won just two in 19 in all competitions. That's a dramatic turnaround from a side who threatened so much more back in August.
The club have changed their manager pretty much every year for the goodness knows how long and that tactic simply hasn't worked, has it?
In truth, chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi has dismissed managers for a lot less since he took the helm on the banks of the Trent.
The Kuwaiti seems to have finally understood that changing managers on a regular basis has severely hampered progress at Forest.
I'll acknowledge, for sure, that performances have been far below the standard that we should be expecting, but to change a manager again, now, whilst under a transfer embargo, with Pearce barely half a season into his contract won't suddenly give Forest the promotion they crave.
I've said it before, sometimes you have to give a manager some serious time to try and implement his ideas, his philosophy.
He needs to build a club, not just a team. Generally, that just doesn't happen overnight.
He took over a club in disarray back in the summer and we would shouldn't forget that.
This was never going to be an overnight transformation, despite an encouraging start.
Football has changed so much that the only way fans (and some owners) see a way forward is to sack a manager when things get a little hairy.
Forest have been down that road before, hit a dead end, and have always ended up in a right pickle.
If you do want a change, may I ask you to look at the alternatives and then ask yourself if you would like any of them in the hot seat at the City Ground.
Nigel Adkins? Recently sacked by Reading.
Neil Warnock? Dismissed by Crystal Palace because he couldn't inspire his players?
Uwe Rosler, who did relatively well at Brentford, but then removed by Wigan Athletic.
Forgive me if I pass on those and the other usual names who are trotted out every time a manager loses his job.
Forest, I believe, have to stick with Stuart Pearce.
Sometimes in football, it doesn't always go your way. You have no divine right to be successful, you have to earn that right through hard work.
Pearce and his players aren't earning that right at the minute and it's them, and only them, who can turn that around.
As a group of supporters, we have to back the manager and his players.
This is a tough time, of that there is no doubt, but it has been tougher. I believe Forest will come good, they have the talent, but the time to start showing it is now. Starting against Sheffield Wednesday at the City Ground on Saturday.
STUART Pearce will face some tough questions about his management of Nottingham Forest next week – but his job is not thought to be under immediate threat.
The Reds boss retains the support of influential members of the hierarchy at the club, with chief executive Paul Faulkner and club ambassador John McGovern both understood to appreciate the importance of stability, with Pearce the sixth man to take charge of the team in little more than two-and-a-half years.
The final decision over Pearce's future will ultimately rest in the hands of one man, in the form of owner Fawaz Al Hasawi, who is not a man known for his patience, when it comes to making changes.
The club's Kuwaiti chairman has been out of the country over Christmas, but is set to return at the end of the week, when he will have questions to ask over Forest's recent poor form, which culminated in their 1-0 defeat by League One Rochdale in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Forest have now won only two of their last 19 games in all competitions, seeing them bow out of both cup competitions, with their promotion challenge in the Championship having also faded badly during that run and Pearce will need to engineer a turnaround in form if he is not to become the next managerial casualty at the City Ground.
But the Post understands that senior figures at the club continue to urge Al Hasawi to give Pearce the time in which to stamp his influence on the side, as he seeks to rebuild the infrastructure of the club on and off the field, after taking on the job following the departure of Billy Davies. For now, while speculation grows – unless Al Hasawi has a sudden change of heart - it is likely that Pearce will get that time.
There is no mistaking the fact that Pearce finds himself under growing pressure, and upcoming games against Sheffield Wednesday and, more specifically, fierce rivals Derby County, over the next few weeks, could well prove to be decisive, when it comes to his future.
But, while small sections of fans continue to make their frustrations known on social media sites, Pearce does retain the backing of supporters who actually attend games. The 2,700 or so fans who made the journey to Spotland were still chanting his name during a game in which, after a disappointing first half display, Forest were unlucky not to find an equaliser, following a flurry of second half pressure.
Pearce's standing as a legendary figure as a Forest player should buy him more time in the short-term – along with the fact that the club hierarchy know they have a man in place who is genuinely passionate about making Forest a success. His work in the transfer market has also hugely strengthened the Forest squad, even if they are currently badly under-achieving.
A few positive results could yet change the mood completely, just as they did when Norwich and Wolves were beaten in back-to-back games in November. Presuming he is given the opportunity, the challenge remains for Pearce to inspire a return to the kind of form Forest began the season with, as they surged to the top of the table.
But, while Al Hasawi will be as desperate as anyone to see Pearce turn things around, his patience is not likely to be infinite, if results continue as they are.
GIVEN the endless list of TV channels on offer these days, it takes a lot for a programme to cause a real commotion. But Broadchurch managed that – and more – when it became a national obsession in 2013.
Almost 10 million people tuned in to the final episode when the killer of 11-year-old Danny Latimer was revealed – but the drama hadn't debuted to such a huge fanfare.
"We started life as a little show that nobody had heard of.
"Then, after a few Monday nights, we started being talked about all over the place.
"It's been a whirlwind," says the writer and creator Chris Chibnall, who adds that he and the team's focus has always been on "what happens next".
"In the time we've been off air, we've never stopped working on the show's return," says the playwright and TV writer, known for his work on the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.
"I knew from the start there was another story to tell in the world of Broadchurch: so much so that I'd pitched it to Peter Fincham, director of television at ITV, in our very first meeting when he green-lit the first series of the show."
And that, he says, is the story viewers will see when the second series begins on Monday. Production has been shrouded in secrecy, and all Chibnall will say is that series two is a "different journey".
"It has a different shape and energy, a different rhythm.
"It's a new story, and there's a different engine under the bonnet this year.
"Some characters from series one return, others don't. And there's a set of new characters for you to get to know," he continues, referring to the likes of Charlotte Rampling, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Eve Myles, Meera Syal and James D'Arcy.
Among the original cast members returning (including Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan as Danny's parents, Arthur Darvill as the vicar Paul Coates and Carolyn Pickles as newspaper editor Maggie Radcliffe), is David Tennant.
He reprises his role as DI Alec Hardy, who arrived in Broadchurch still haunted by the collapse of a previous murder case and, despite the Latimer murder mystery being resolved, hasn't left the Dorset seaside town when series two opens.
"It's a very different type of story," notes the former Doctor Who actor, who recently appeared (to lesser success) in the American version of Broadchurch, titled Gracepoint.
"We all found it hard to predict where Chris was going to go, and how he was going to tell a story faithful to season one, without underselling the veracity of it. It would have been ludicrous and a bit disappointing to discover another body on the beach and begin another eight episodes of whodunnit...
He absolutely doesn't do that. Tonally, it's the same show, but structurally, it's completely different."
The father of two says he "loved" being back in Dorset, where the familiar beach scenes are shot.
"West Bay is the location everyone recognises, and the Jurassic cliffs [where Danny was found in series one] still feature prominently in season two," he says. "We always enjoy coming back here – this is where Chris lives, so he writes to his locale."
As the investigation into Danny's murder escalated, many townspeople came under suspicion, and it was only after numerous twists and turns that the killer was identified as Joe Miller, the husband of DS Ellie Miller, played by Olivia Colman.
Fortunately for Tennant, he has no problem keeping a secret. "I think it frustrates those around you, but I am well practised at not giving anything away; withholding everything," says the 43-year-old. "I quite like being the holder of secrets. I get frustrated if I'm the one that doesn't know them, but happy to be in the slightly superior position of knowing what comes next..."
His co-star Colman, who resumes her role as DS Ellie Miller, also enjoyed keeping schtum. "We had each other if we needed to talk about it," says the 40-year-old.
"I did get a lot of texts and emails from close friends and family, asking me who did it, and I quite enjoyed the power of saying no to them all!"
She might have been in on the secret, but the mother-of-two was as keen to tune in as anyone else. "I was gripped! I hadn't seen everybody else's scenes and it was the way the cast and crew really kept the secret – it made it special," she reveals.
"We all loved it when we were filming and the scripts were brilliant, so you hope people are going to get that, but as the audience built, it was incredibly flattering that people loved it as much as we did. It's great if people enjoy what you do."
Despite her huge success (aside from her win for Broadchurch, Colman's received two Baftas for Twenty Twelve and Accused), the actress confesses she was nervous about meeting Charlotte Rampling on set.
"She's a proper legend but she's so sweet, and brought everybody a box of chocolates on her last day."
And as for Myles: "She's told me some of the worst jokes I have ever heard, yet still, I think about them in the middle of the night and laugh."
A third series has yet to be commissioned, but it'd be surprising if Tennant and Colman didn't sign up to another.
"Broadchurch is the best job; an absolute treat," says Colman. "It was a long job, but there wasn't one day when I wasn't excited about getting up and going to work."
Broadchurch returns to ITV on Monday at 9pm.
Sunday morning drivers are scraping their windscreens after a layer of frost swept over Nottinghamshire overnight.
Temperatures dropped to below freezing, with lows of -2C in the early hours of the morning.
Morning motorists and walkers will also be up against a cloud of mist which has developed.
As the day goes on, temperatures are likely to rise but the Met Office expects highs of just 3C today as the sun peaks through the clouds.
A spokesman for the Met Office said: "We expect a frosty start with some freezing fog patches. These may be slow to clear in places but most parts will see spells of sunshine. Perhaps turning cloudier during the afternoon from the southwest. Winds remain light."
Monday is expected to be overcast, but are predicted to heat up slightly, with highs of 8C as the working week commences.
Have you taken any pictures of the frost this morning? Send them to newsdesk@nottinghampost.com.
SONGS from Frozen and Beauty and the Beast could lead a Nottingham singer to international success.
Shaneen Angeles has been selected to spend two weeks in Hollywood at the World Championship of Performing Arts.
The 21-year-old of Kelso Gardens, The Meadows, will perform against others from all over the world for a chance to win a scholarship worth $30,000.
The mother of one said: "When I left the first audition in London a few weeks ago I was feeling very sad because I thought that I could have done better but the next day they said that I had got through and I couldn't believe it.
"At first I was a bit sceptical but when I did more research into I got more and more excited because even if you don't win there is a chance you can get signed by a record label.
"I will be representing the UK in the singing category in an international competition which will be judged by people in the music industry.
"I really want to be a professional singer and my dream is to be on Broadway.
"When people see me they think that I am going to be another Rihanna or Beyoncé but actually when I sing they are shocked because I am more theatrical and Disney themed and sing songs from Frozen, Tangled and Beauty and the Beast.
"I can't wait to get out there."
The two week competition will take place in July and during the first few days Shaneen will be asked to perform three one minute long songs.
If the judges select her to go through to the next round she will have to sing again before making it into the final where contestants will be asked to perform one full length song.
Shaneen has had no formal training but has been singing since she was 14-years-old with support from her mum Delia.
The 50-year-old f Beechdale Road, said: "I am very proud of her and I still remember the day she decided she wanted to become a singer.
"I have been giving her encouragement since then and it has all gone from there.
"She is really fantastic at what she does and it was an accomplishment to get to the audition stage nevermind the final.
"I wanted to be a singer but I did not have the support behind me to do it so I have wanted to do what I can for Shaneen.
"She is not just representing herself but the whole of the country and I know she will do well."
To make it to the competition with other members of the UK team it will cost more than £2,000, including entry, flights and accommodation.
Shaneen's daughter Miranda has been helping the singer practice.
The three-year-old said: "I really like mummy's singing.
"She is really good and should not worry.
"She has a beautiful voice and I like singing too."
NEARLY 100,000 people in Nottinghamshire could miss out the chance to vote at elections in the future.
It comes after changes to the way people register to vote – with a campaign set to be launched to get more people signed up to have their say at the ballot box.
A new version of the electoral register is being drawn up, but instead of households registering to vote, people have to sign up individually.
People who have stayed at the same address won't need to re-register.
But areas with high proportions of students like Nottingham are most likely not to have been transferred automatically, and to date only 80 per cent of people will be able to vote in elections past 2015.
To tackle the issue of students not being registered to vote, universities and colleges in Nottingham are joining forces to get thousands of students on the register.
Christian Weaver, head of the politics society at Nottingham Trent University, said: "It's not even a case of getting young people actually voting – it's about them registering so their views are counted.
"It's easy for young people to be ignored because they are portrayed as apathetic. Even these changes to the voting system went through without people being asked about them."
To combat the problem of perceived apathy, Nottingham's universities will be working on getting people registered to vote.
Josh Eloi, vice president for communities at Nottingham Trent Student Union, said: "We will be doing a lot in the New Year encouraging people to get voting, including working with the University of Nottingham, NCN and Vision West Notts colleges."
And young people have said they want to have their say at the ballot box.
Daniel Harrington, 22, of Dunkirk, a student at the University of Nottingham, said he could understand why registering to vote could slip people's minds.
He said: "When you start at university, you've got so many things to be thinking about like bills, books and everything.
"I wasn't registered when I first started. It is important though because all the decisions that Government make could effect us in one way or another.
"Things like HS2 are being planned which will open when I'm in my late 30s, it's important the views of the youth are represented too."
James Rosenberg, 21, of Lenton, added: "I think it's a massive shame that so many people aren't registered to vote. Even spoiling your vote is having your say."
Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: "For students to make a difference, they must register to vote, turn out to vote and live in marginal constituencies.
"The shift to Individual Electoral Registration threatens the influence of students because it does not match their lives well. Some universities have worked hard, in conjunction with their local authorities, to ensure students are registered to vote. Others have done less.
"Students have as much right to be on the electoral roll as everyone else and it would be a tragedy if the new registration system weakened their voice to a whisper."
A statement from the Electoral Commission said: "It's important that those people not currently registered to vote are targeted to ensure the registers are as accurate and complete as possible.
"To support the local activity that is happening, we are running a national, mass media public awareness campaign and are already working with a range of partners to help get people, including students, registered before the April 20 deadline."
MORE than 40 shops across Ilkeston and Long Eaton have been given state-of-the-art security equipment worth in excess of £25,000 as part of a new scheme.
High street stores including big names and independents have been provided the equipment in an effort to combat crime and anti-social behaviour.
The radios are equipped with communication measures including text messaging, an emergency alert button as well as an enhanced digital radio signal.
The scheme, organised by local business group Erewash Partnership, was originally set up in 1999 and involves shops, the police and town centre wardens.
It is linked into CCTV across both towns and regular meetings are held for those taking part to share information.
The new technology was supplied by Zycomm Electronics and was funded by Erewash Partnership and Erewash Borough Council.
Erewash Partnership chief executive Ian Viles said town centre crime was an ongoing concern for Long Eaton and Ilkeston business owners.
He added: "We've been saving up the money to update it for a number of months - the old technology was starting to degrade.
"It's absolutely crucial - you don't want any profit disappearing - this is a big help for them."
From April 1 2014 to November 30, Derbyshire Police recorded 216 incidents of shoplifting in Ilkeston and 300 in Long Eaton.
This was an increase from 191 and 219 respectively in the same period the previous year.
Charlotte Bucknall is the assistant manager of Peacocks in Long Eaton, one of the shops who are using the new equipment.
She said: "We're quite happy with the scheme at the moment as long as everyone keeps talking to each other over it - it's really helpful."
Councillor Chris Corbett, leader of Erewash Borough Council added: "We feel that the system makes a real difference to the viability of the shops in the town centre by helping fight crime and anti-social behaviour."
"We want people to feel safe so that they are willing to shop locally."
Frost that has hit Nottinghamshire drivers this morning has failed to leave any serious traffic build up.
Roadworks on the A453, A1 and M1 are all ongoing, but no serious congestion has been seen on our county's roads.
Some drivers approaching the M1 motorway in Bolsover have been delayed by 2 minutes as traffic is slowed near junction 29a. Cars are moving at around 11mph.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists is encouraging drivers to stay safe in the winter.
IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: "Power and acceleration are no good without control. This is especially true when drivers are faced with cold, wet and slippery conditions."
Mobile phone companies could be forced to cut off the signal to customers phones when they are in prison.
HMP Nottingham, in Perry Road, Sherwood, along with other prison services across the country, will be able to apply to a court to have phone disconnected if new legislation is passed.
About five mobile phones were confiscated from prisoners in Nottinghamshire every week last year.
In Nottinghamshire, 269 phones and sim cards were taken from prisoners in 2013. This included 16 at HMP Nottingham, 24 at HMP Lowdham Grange and 229 at HMP Ranby.
Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said 7,451 mobile phones or sim cards were found in jails across the country last year, up from 7,301 in 2012.
It is illegal for inmates to have mobile phones or sim cards while serving a custodial sentence.
MPs will debate the new law in the House of Commons on Monday, January 5.
The plan is set to be introduced in an amendment the Serious Crime Bill.
In 2013, more than 7,400 handsets were confiscated from prisoners, who are banned from using mobile phones while inside.
It is believed that some prisoners use their mobile phones to continue their illegal activity, such as drug dealing, while behind bars.
Pictures have appeared on social media sites of prisoners posing in their underpants and joking with each other.
Concerns have been raised that offenders are widely flouting the blanket ban on using mobile phones.
Laws passed in 2012 gave prison governors the power to identify and locate mobile phones in use inside prisons.
The new proposal will see networks ordered to block phones and SIM cards by the courts if they are being used in prisons.
The amendment will implement cutting-edge detection equipment that is now available to prison staff to find unauthorised mobile phones.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has defended the rise in rail fares which will see £38.5 billion pumped into the rail network in the next five years.
Regulated fares, including season ticket, will increase by up to 2.5 per cent - with the average rise 2.2 per cent.
East Midlands Trains has decided to increase ticket prices by 1.3 per cent, meaning single journey prices will rise by an average of 17p.
Passengers outside Nottingham Station on Friday described the hikes as "steep" and "disgusting".
But Mr McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, said the rises were regrettable but necessary.
"The truth is we're seeing the largest investment we've seen in the railways. Over the next five years Network Rail will invest over £38.5bn," he told the BBC.
"I accept that 2.5% is more than the passenger wants to pay. Any increase is regrettable but it is a fact that we're investing record amounts into the industry so that we get better train services."
East Midlands Trains defended its 1.3 per cent price rise, which the firm said was a cut in "real terms" because inflation is currently 2.3 per cent.
Its season tickets have increased in price by around a quarter in the past five years.
Commuters travelling between Nottingham and Birmingham will now have to pay £3,720 - a rise of £728 since 2010.
Annual tickets from Nottingham to Derby have risen by 27 per cent to £1,404, and passengers travelling from the city to Lincoln will now pay £2,208 - a £416 rise.
Stuart Pearce felt Nottingham Forest's inability to take chances cost them in their FA Cup humbling at Rochdale.
The Reds were beaten 1-0 by the League One side at Spotland, after failing to make the most of their openings.
Forest had been slow out of the blocks and could have few complaints about being behind at half time, following a Peter Vincenti penalty.
They produced a more lively second half display, but failed to find the killer touch in the final third, allowing the side from the third-tier to secure their place in the fourth round.
The obvious turning point was the penalty conceded by Michail Antonio, but Forest still had several opportunities to get back into the game, with Britt Assombalonga and Lars Veldwijk both spurning golden chances. Although they were also grateful to see Vincenti miss a fine chance to make it 2-0 in the first half.
"We have gifted the opposition a soft goal and a soft penalty and our decision making under pressure has cost us in that respect. Apart from that, we have dominated the game. We had a host of efforts on goal, particularly in the second half," said Pearce.
"We just could not carve out a goal from that. The players are showing endeavour, but if you make elementary mistakes in your own box and give a penalty away, as we did, it is going to be costly.
"I do not want to take anything away from Rochdale, because I have played in the FA Cup as a non-league player, against League opposition and you take whatever you can get. It was one of those games where we could not get a clear opportunity – or at least take one – to get ourselves back in the game.
"Credit to Rochdale, they are in the next round and good luck to them. The effort that the players put in, particularly in the second half, was enough for us to deserve something from the game. But that is where we are at the minute, we are not getting the rub of the green at the minute."
