MANSFIELD Town's match away at Southport tomorrow is likely to go ahead, Sandgrounders' officials have told the Stags this morning.

Ken Hilton, the Southport secretary, said he was 'very confident' that the match would be played. 

Mr Hilton said:  "I was on the pitch at 7.55am today and there was no snow on the pitch, it was soft on foot.  I'm very confident the match will go ahead.  

"We do have light snow now falling  but that should clear by mid-day.  

"We've had no frost in the last two nights and if we were playing today the match would be on," he added. 
  
Temperatures are expected to dip tonight, however, and as a precaution Southport have called an 8.30am pitch inspection before the Stags' team coach sets off tomorrow morning. 

Stags yesterday announced the transfer of midfielder Gary Roberts to Maltese club Floriana following international clearance, while striker Jake Speight looks set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. 

FOREST fans claim they are being discriminated against when they park their cars on the Victoria Embankment.

On match days Forest fans have to pay £5 to park on the embankment – while Notts County supporters park there for free.

Reds fans are angered that they have to pay, while their city rivals do not. Even some 'Pies fans think it's unfair.

Jon Lumby, of Strelley, paid £340 for his season ticket, but his outlay is increased significantly by the £5 parking charge.

"Why should Forest fans have to pay in the same place, when Notts fans don't?" he said. "It's not right."

The Embankment falls under the city council's parks and open spaces department.

On Forest match days, parking attendants collect payments from supporters. On average, 260 cars park along the embankment during Forest home matches – meaning the council brings in around £30,000 over the course of the season. The authority insists the main reason for the charge is to control the amount of cars using it for parking.

The council says it isn't financially viable to pay the attendants to collect money when Notts County play at home, as less cars use the site.

Eddie Curry, the council's head of parks and open spaces, said: "Car parking on the site is managed by parking attendants to make sure vehicles are parked in an orderly way and cause as little damage to the grassed area as possible so the public can enjoy other leisure pursuits."

 A FIFTH person has been arrested in connection with an attempted armed robbery at an Arnold bank.

The 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery.

He was being quizzed by detectives today.

Three people in masks threatened staff at the HSBC branch in Front Street with what was believed to be a handgun at about 10.55am on Thursday, January 10.

They fled empty-handed in what is believed to have been a Volkswagen Golf car.

No one was injured.

Two men - aged 25 and 24 - and a 57-year-old woman, who were also arrested in connection with the incident, were bailed pending further inquiries.

A 32-year-old man was today re-arrested and wa being questioned.

Anyone with any information should contact Notts Police on 101, quoting incident 202 of 10 January 2013, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

DAVID Rowson and Mandy Palmer had been together for five years when their wedding planning was interrupted by an unexpected surprise.

The couple, from Fraser Road, Carlton, found out that Mandy was pregnant so they decided to postpone the big day.

However, when their son Connah – who is now three – was born, he had a rare heart condition and needed a heart bypass at just 11-weeks-old.

Mandy, 30, said: "It was the worst feeling I could ever imagine. I pretty much just collapsed on the floor when he had his first operation.

"He's still got problems; he caught septicaemia. It leaves his arteries around his heart blocked."

She added: "It's so much for a couple to go through. We're very much stronger for it."

David, 47, who used to be in the Army and worked on an oil rig before settling as a builder, has also had a difficult time over the years.

"He's had three strokes and it's affected life quite a lot. He's not able to go out and work," Mandy said.

"A lot of long-term memory is forgotten. He doesn't always have the energy to run around with the kids, but we try our best."

Due to the illness in the family, Mandy can't work either.

She said: "I'm not working, I'm a carer for John and Connah. I used to work at a nursing home and did some training at the city hospital."

Mandy's belief that David was the right man for her was reinforced by his attitude to her two daughters from a previous relationship – Martine, 12 and Ehmma, 7.

She said: "They both call him Dad. They get on really well and he's taken them on as his own. It's lovely. He's there to praise them or wipe away the tears. It's one of the most important things for me."

The couple met for the first time five years ago.

Mandy said: "We met over the internet and started talking for a few months before we went on a date together.

"He took me to the cinema and then Goose Fair – it was freezing. We got on really well; we had a lot in common and we just clicked."

She added: "We love everything about each other. We do everything together and we're very open with each other."

The couple say that winning the competition would give them a chance to be a proper family.

Mandy said: "It'd be nice for all of us to be a proper family.

"We've tried once before, but then Connah came along with his complications. We would still get married but it will help us to have a special day that would be a dream.

"It's something completely out there that we wouldn't be able to afford."

There are still two days to enter the competition. To get involved, visit www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/winawedding

Entries close at 8am on Monday.

FOR more than a year before her death, Dr Suzanne Dow had been writing detailed and articulate letters of complaint about her neighbours.

The highly-respected lecturer in French at the University of Nottingham lived in Derby Street, Beeston, in a house she owned.

But it was next door to a property managed by Broxtowe Borough Council's housing department.

At the inquest into her death held last week, systemic failures in how the council dealt with those complaints – penned by Dr Dow and another neighbour – were revealed.

The household Dr Dow was complaining about was described in the inquest as a "crack den".

She had written letters to the council's housing department complaining about the tenants right up until her death in October 2011.

In them she detailed how she suffered severe verbal abuse, witnessed fights in the street involving knives, and regularly saw drug dealing and taking.

The council's housing department monitors problem households on a traffic light system: a green warning is issued for minor offences, amber for more serious misdemeanours, and red for the worst.

The council should have given the household a red light warning – meaning the tenants would be evicted if there were any more problems. But it failed to do this until seven weeks before Dr Dow's death.

At an inquest, Notts Coroner Mairin Casey said visits to the property from a housing officer had just been "idle, empty threats". She issued a Rule 43 report – done when action needs to be taken to prevent future deaths – which the council has to respond to.

The housing officer who dealt with the case, Alison Marshall, admitted the household should have been issued with a red warning in October 2010.

She said: "It should have been issued with a red warning. But it wasn't and I don't really know why it wasn't."

The council had received 11 complaints from Dr Dow and another neighbour about the property up to October 2011.

Dr Dow's mother, Maureen Dow, of Colchester, said after wards: "This had been going on for a long time. The housing department failed to act correctly and let her down.

"I was the one that told her about the council's traffic light system and encouraged her to complain. I remember her ringing me telling me they had told her they would issue a red warning – but they never did."

She added: "Suzie had so many friends and loved entertaining people. She wanted to help people and was very generous with her time and knowledge. I know she was my daughter and I'm bound to say it but she was so gifted – she was amazing. These last 15 months have been horrible and we'll never get over it."

A university spokesman said: "Suzanne Dow was a highly dedicated and gifted teacher, who was an inspiration to many of our students.

"She was an exceptionally gifted linguist, with a phenomenal command of the French language and an active dedication to translation work.

"Dr Dow's death has been a great loss to the department, university and the wider French Studies community. The loss is a personal as well as a professional one: we all miss her intelligence, her humour and her hospitality."

At the inquest the tenants in the house next door were named as Daryl Robinson, his twin-sister Gaynor Robinson, and her son Liam Peach.

Liam Peach, then 19, was sentenced to 28 days in a young offenders' institute in 2011 after admitting threatening behaviour following a complaint from Dr Dow. He also admitted an unrelated charge of theft.

The Post visited the house but did not get a response.

In one e-mail exchange between PC Sam Astle and Alison Marshall, the officer wrote of Dr Dow – after hearing she had written another letter – "you just can't win with some people can you?"

Miss Casey said this comment was "outrageous" and "appalling".

Inspector Craig Berry from Notts Police said afterwards: "The comments made in an email from a police officer who had been dealing with Dr Dow were regrettable. However, I am satisfied these were made without any intended malice. Both the officer and all staff have been reminded of the need for professionalism at all times, and in all forms of communication."

The inquest heard Dr Dow – who also had problems in her personal life and had suffered sexual abuse as a child – had taken an overdose of pills. The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.

A SPOKESMAN for Broxtowe Borough Council said: "First of all the council wishes to express its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Dr Suzanne Dow and assure them and the public that it has taken the coroner's comments and advice very seriously indeed.

"The public can also be assured that the council cares a great deal about its tenants and residents and it will review the findings of the case and learn any lessons it needs to learn.

"Prior to the inquest the council has taken action to introduce further measures to ensure that its tenants and residents can expect an efficient service and that it continues to give priority to resolve the issues of vulnerable people.

"The housing department's structure has been altered to give officers more time to concentrate on the identification of vulnerable cases. There has been training for housing officers to enable them to recognise vulnerable people using a new checking process.

"A review of the council's anti-social behaviour policy and procedures has taken place and a new recording system introduced. The coroner said she was pleased to hear of the action already taken and to learn that the head of housing at the council, Joh Bryant, would take full responsibility to oversee the improvements.

"This was a complex case and the council now knows all those involved were extremely vulnerable. An injunction was only one possible course of action and it was already working with those involved to try to avoid such action. In future, the council will use all the powers it has to bring such cases to a satisfactory conclusion, including the use of injunctions and has used this action for a case in Stapleford."

TEMPORARY warning lights will be installed on a rail crossing where a teenage girl was killed.

The illuminated signs will be placed at the site near Bestwood Village, where people cross tram and railway lines.

They will be in place by the end of February and stay there until a footbridge is built over the track, where 13-year-old Lindsey Inger died after being hit by a tram in November.

The move was revealed at a meeting between councillors and Network Rail.

Hucknall councillor Chris Baron said: "This is a very positive step forward."

Plans to develop the bridge are being worked on, with construction set to start this year.

In the meantime, Network Rail has agreed to install the warning lights.

They will be similar to speed warning signs used in built-up areas with 30mph limits. They will flash on when a pedestrian approaches, warning them to take care.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "Some of the onus has to be on the pedestrians to take care at the crossings.

"These signs will be in place in the next four to six weeks and will remain there until the footbridge is constructed and opened."

Lindsey died on November 28, leading to a plea for more safety measures.

The tragedy came nearly four years to the day after the deaths of Jean Hoggart and her seven-year-old grandson Michael Dawson, who were hit by a train at the same spot.

Ashfield district councillor Mr Baron added: "There is a desperate need for some safety measures there.

"A bridge is clearly what is needed, but the construction of this will take time. So I am pleased that we are going to get these warning lights to make people more aware of the dangers."

Network Rail said the bridge plans were "progressing at speed". They were talking to the council but had yet to decide if a full consultation period was needed.

"We are trying to go through this process as fast as possible," added the spokesman. "We can have a consultation but this would delay the process."

Do you think the plans go far enough? Email newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

PEOPLE were woken in their beds by the biggest earthquake to hit Notts since 2008.

Hundreds of people reported feeling the quake, which happened at about 5am yesterday.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) confirmed the quake was 2.9 on the Richter scale with an epicentre near Loughborough.

It is the biggest recorded in the region since February 2008, when a quake with its epicentre in Lincolnshire measured 5.2 on the Richter scale.

David Galloway, a seismologist at the British Geological Survey in Keyworth, said: "It was certainly one of the biggest in recent years.

"Overall we record more than 150 earthquakes every year in the UK – most go unnoticed by people.

"We get a few in this region, but there has been no increase in the amount. We don't expect any reports of any damage."

Mr Galloway also said that the nature of the tremor meant it was unlikely to be related to mining subsidence.

He said: "This was at a depth of 13km. Usually mining earthquakes are shallow, so this is a natural earthquake."

The news comes after two tremors were felt earlier in the week in Ollerton, Notts

A tremor of magnitude 1.4 on the Richter scale was first felt at about 4am on Saturday, January 12.

A second quake of 1.8 magnitude was then recorded in the town on Monday, January 14 at 10.09am.

Speaking about yesterday's quake, Alex Jeffery, of Heather Croft, Compton Acres, said: "I couldn't believe it. I was actually awake at the time and noticed slight vibrations.

"It was something that I have never felt before and I really didn't know what to make of it until I saw the news this morning. I just presumed it was a big lorry coming down the road, or something like that."

The 24-year-old added: "It just really isn't something you expect to happen in this country."

Peter Turner, 72, of Cator Lane, Chilwell, said: "I felt it at about 5.20am.

"I thought it was snow falling off the roof. I woke up just beforehand and heard a slight rumbling.

"My wife heard it too – she thought it was a tremor straight away."

The BGS has 100 recording instruments around the country, which they use to work out the epicentre, recording ground motion.

Susan Fuller, of Bramcote, was woken by the rumbling.

She said: "I woke up suddenly and heard the rumbling and slight vibration – I then looked at the time and it was 5.22am. My first thought was, 'what's that?' I then suspected it was an earth tremor."

Wendy Sheldon, of Havenwood Rise, Clifton, said: "I keep my mobile phone beside my bed on my dressing room table but this morning it was on the floor.

"The lid of my wicker basket was on the floor too."

A POLICE officer has warned motorists to drive to the conditions rather than the speed limit after two men were prosecuted over a crash on the M1.

Detective Constable Paul Jaycock, of Notts Crash Investigation Unit, said the case highlighted the dangers of driving in bad conditions.

The crash happened at 3.16am on March 15, 2012, on the northbound carriageway between junctions 25 and 26, close to Trowell service station.

An articulated lorry braked for a slower moving vehicle and was hit from behind by a tanker.

Another lorry ran into the back of the tanker and these vehicles were then hit by an Eddie Stobart truck.

The vehicles were not breaking the speed limit but the area was covered in dense fog.

One driver was seriously injured and two others suffered minor injuries.

Mr Jaycock said: "This incident is a strong reminder to drive to the road and weather conditions.

"These drivers were travelling too fast to stop in the distance they could see to be clear."

Tanker driver John Harland, 47, and Mark Dobb, 45, the driver of the Eddie Stobart lorry, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention,

Harland, of Scunthorpe, received five points on his licence and was fined £180.

Dobb, of Chesterfield, received four points on his licence, was fined £140 with court costs of £85 and a £15 victim surcharge.

A UNIVERSITY lecturer killed herself three weeks after warning a council she could no longer cope with living next to a drugs den.

Suzanne Dow had suffered months of abuse from the tenants of a house owned by Browtowe Borough Council.

Yet the council made only "idle, empty threats" to the tenants – despite a series of complaints stretching back more than a year.

Dr Dow, of Derby Street, Beeston, was 33 when she took her own life. She had complained about being verbally abused and threatened, but the council failed to treat her complaints seriously enough.

Dr Dow's mother said this – coupled with problems in her personal life – was too much for her gifted daughter.

She had also been sexually abused as a child and had love life problems.

Maureen Dow said: "She used to ring me in tears because she was too frightened to get to sleep. No one should have to live in that situation. They let her down."

The house next door was described as a "crack den" by Notts Coroner Mairin Casey during an inquest.

In her final letter to the council, Dr Dow, a French lecturer at the University of Nottingham, wrote how she could not sleep, and how she had reached the "limits of her tolerance".

The council said it had taken the coroner's comments "very seriously".

POLICE have been given new powers to break up groups of people hanging around in the Hockley and Sneinton areas.

The new 'dispersal order' has been set to tackle antisocial behaviour.

It means that police officers and community support officers will be able move on and separate groups of two or more people if they believe the group is harassing, intimidating, alarming or distressing anyone.

If those people return to the area within 24 hours they could be arrested.

The order covers an area that includes Bath Street, Southwell Street, Hockley, Belward Street, Barker Gate, Stoney Street and Beck Street. It will be in place for the next six months.

PC Gary Whitt, beat manager for the Lace Market, said: "The order was put in place to tackle antisocial behaviour caused by groups of two or more individuals in the Goosegate, Hockley and Sneinton Market areas.

"Residents and businesses in these areas reported issues with alcohol related antisocial behaviour caused by street drinkers and damage being caused to the new Sneinton Square by groups of skateboarders.

"The order aims to tackle the issue of street drinking and low level criminal damage, encourage businesses to stay in the area and hopefully encourage new business to move in."

Dawn Hartley, owner of independent cafe Hartley's in Carlton Street, welcomed the move.

She said: "Hockley has got such a lovely feel about it and it is an area that seems to be back on its way up.

"Anything like this that can help enhance and preserve it is a complete advantage, and it supports local shops, it encourages shoppers to come up.

"There are quite a lot of police around, we feel quite protected anyway.

"We have contact details of the local community police officers so if there are any problems we can contact them."

Notices have been placed in the area informing residents about the times and dates that the order will be in place.

Are you plagued by antisocial behaviour? E-mail our newsdesk at newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

FLIGHTS were cancelled, schools shut, bus services disrupted and events put on hold as the show arrived.

East Midlands Airport closed its runway at 2.40pm yesterday, and 11 flights were cancelled, including trips to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Edinburgh.

Airport officials said it was the first time this winter flights had been cancelled because of the weather.

Some bus services were also affected: Nottingham City Transport's Blue Line 42 between the city and St Ann's was missing out Brewsters Road, diverting along Ransom Road and The Wells Road; Local Link L9 was not stopping at Winchester Court.

Several schools were closed yesterday including Foxwood Foundation School and Technology College in Bramcote, Redgate Special School in Mansfield and Carlton Central Infant and Nursery School.

And Lady Bay Primary School was closed to years one, two and three because there was no heating in a building.

A city council budget consultation meeting has been cancelled. It was due to be held today in Sherwood, outside the Co-op in Mansfield Road, from 10.30am until noon.

And the Scouts have postponed their Notts Emergency Scout Support Team Challenge Events that were due to start this morning, near Ollerton.

Hyson Green Market will also be closed.

Rufford, Sherwood and Bestwood country parks were closed at 3.30pm yesterday. A decision on opening them will be made this morning and announced on Notts County Council's website.

The Met Office said up to 10cm fell in some parts of the county yesterday and flurries continued through the night.

A spokesman said: "Because there is a lot of cloud cover and snow over Notts things are not looking to heat up over the weekend. Temperatures won't rise much above freezing and won't vary much from -2 to 0 over the weekend."

He added that light snow was forecast for today, tomorrow afternoon and Monday.

The county council's gritting teams were out overnight. Since last Saturday they have been out 14 times, salting both main and snow routes.

Notts County Football Club's Meadow Lane pitch passed a pitch inspection at 1pm yesterday. The club have been clearing snow to get the pitch ready for their game against Sheffield United today.

Notts Police and the Highways Agency warned motorists to avoid unnecessary journeys.

East Midlands Trains are asking people to ring the station or check online that their train is still running.

AN ACTRESS has stepped back on to the stage after battles with her weight and a hip injury.

Clare Cunliffe-Saunders, 34, of Watnall, feared her showbiz days were over as she struggled to walk even short distances.

The mum-of-two was forced to stop her work in children's shows after she injured her hip when dancing.

But she has now launched her own kids' entertainment company, dressing as Disney and storybook characters for parties.

Mrs Cunliffe-Saunders, of Deeley Close, said: "I worked in children's theatre for years and played fairytale parts like Snow White, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and Rapunzel.

"But just after getting pregnant at the age of 29 I damaged my hip when I kicked too high in a dance.

"It was too painful to walk and I went from being in good shape to doing nothing and just eating in front of the telly."

Her then weight yo-yoed between nine and 14 stone as she gave birth to her two children – Rose, now five, and George, three.

To shed the pounds, she started using Weightwatchers and then went on the Dukan diet – a high protein, low fat, low carb diet which allows you to eat as much as you like of 100 set foods. She also kept fit with zumba classes, swimming and walking.

Within a year she had lost five stone and her weight was down to a healthy nine stone – and she could fit back into her costumes.

She said: "My weight shot up by five stone in just three months and I was more of a fairy blobmother than a beautiful princess.

"It went down again between my two children but by the time George was born I was back up to more than 14 stone.

"I was far too big to go back to what I'd been doing before – none of the costumes would fit me and none of the characters I had played are fat.

"Everything came to a head one night when I was catching the train back from a hen do and a group of football fans saw me on a station and started singing about me.

"They were drunk and just being stupid, but it was very hurtful and as soon as I met my husband I burst into tears.

"I said to myself 'enough's enough, I'm going to lose all this weight'. Within a year I was back to around nine stone and I'm very happy this way.

"People don't shout nasty things at me any more – and I look the part again for the children."

AS he talks about the prospect of facing Derby County, Chris Cohen cannot stop grinning.

This is not unusual for the Nottingham Forest midfielder, whose persona off the field is rather more friendly than his attitude on it.

But for Cohen, games against the Rams have held particular significance in recent seasons.

Cohen was badly injured, in controversial circumstances, when the two sides met in September 2011 – when Derby played on with Cohen stricken on the turf with his knee ligaments torn apart and scored through Jamie Ward.

And, just over 12 months later, he made his first league start in the same fixture, at the City Ground, in September of last year.

Now, as Forest look to end a run of three consecutive defeats against Nigel Clough's side, Cohen is hopeful that the game will prove to be a landmark moment again, for different reasons.

As they look to acclimatise to life under a new manager, in the form of Alex McLeish, Cohen knows that the result at Pride Park could take on extra significance.

And he hopes the fixture will therefor be memorable for all the right reasons.

"I don't personally have a point to prove because of what happened with the injury," said Cohen. "I don't think you can worry about things like that too much.

"It happened in a game against Derby but, at the same time, I made my comeback, my first league start, in a game against Derby.

"It was a bad injury, but it is something that has gone now and I don't really think about it.

"The most important thing is putting in a good performance and hopefully coming out of the game with three points.

"Hopefully it can be a third big game for me, but just because it ends with a Forest win."

Cohen concedes that there is an extra significance to the fixture for the players.

"They are always a bit special and, after the result we got at home, we will be looking for a little pay back," he said.

"We are very excited, we are hoping the game is on.

"People do tell you to treat it just like any other game – but it is not like any other game.

"It is different, they are special, there is an incredible atmosphere, there is a rivalry and an intensity.

"That can sometimes boil over, but hopefully there will be no red cards for us this time.

"There have been a lot of those in recent years, we just have to make sure we handle the situation better than they do.

"You need to believe that it is a big game and be prepared for a battle.

"No matter what happens by the end of the game, as long as you give everything you have got to the cause, there will be a good chance that it is your day.

"If we get 11 players doing that, we know we have the quality to beat a good Derby side."

A few weeks into his tenure, Cohen says McLeish is having a positive impact on the squad.

"I have always said that, when a manager comes in without having the benefit of a pre-season, it can be difficult for them to put their ideas across," said Cohen.

"The gaffer is trying to put his ideas across now, but he has only been here a few weeks.

"It is difficult, it will take time – but we are working hard.

"I am sure he will say himself that he might not get us playing the way he wants to play, to the best of our ability, until the start of next season.

"But that is not early enough. We need to start doing things straight away.

"So we have a quick-fire plan, which we are trying to put into place; we have changed the way we play a little bit.

"It is starting to work. After Peterborough, we feel as though we are on the right course.

"If we don't put a performance in against Derby, it will look like we are back in the inconsistent form that we have had this season under the previous manager.

"It is a massive game for us, but we are enjoying it under the new manager and we hope we can put a few of his ideas across, in the same way as we did last weekend.

"It would mean a lot to get two consecutive wins under the new manager."

Danny Collins is back from suspension and available for the game – but Cohen jokingly admits he hopes he does not get back in the side as, in the defender's absence, Cohen was handed the captain's armband last weekend.

"I really enjoyed it, but I am sure DC will be back involved against Derby," said Cohen. "We all like to have him as captain, but I would by lying if I said I did not enjoy it. To lead the team out is a massive honour."

But, whether he gets the armband again today, one thing is certain – if Forest do win, Cohen's grin will be wider than ever.