AROUND 40 per cent more students gained the benchmark GCSE results in the city and county last year than in 2008, Department of Education figures have revealed.

Of students who sat last year's exams in county schools, 60.6 per cent gained at least five A* to C grades including English and maths.

This was up from 43.3 per cent four years earlier.

Meanwhile, the city saw a rise from 34.7 per cent in 2008 to 49.6 per cent last year.

The rise in the county has been put down to the worst-performing schools being matched up with stronger schools.

Councillor Philip Owen, Notts County Council committee chairman for children and young people's services, has challenged schools to improve further.

He said: "Whilst these results are exceptionally good, we need to look forward now. I believe Nottinghamshire schools can achieve even greater things in the immediate future.

"If the rate of progress continues at this pace, over the next two years I'd like to see 70 per cent of our pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades."

The county figure was above the national average of 59.4 per cent, placing it 56th out of the 151 local education authorities.

The top-performing school in the county was Orchard School in Retford, where 96 per cent of its 25 students gained at least five A* to C grades with English and maths.

The next best was West Bridgford, with 88 per cent of 221 students, followed by Minster School in Southwell, with 85 per cent of 237 students reaching the benchmark.

Some schools which had previously struggled saw significant rises in performance, such as Meden School in Mansfield, where the proportion reaching the benchmark rose from 53 per cent to 67 per cent.

The school is overseen by Torch Academy Gateway Trust, which also sponsors Toot Hill in Bingham.

John Tomasevic, head at the trust, said: "It's been a terrific rise from the situation the school was in. We have made significant changes."

In spite of the improvements in the city, more than half of students didn't reach the expected grades.

Councillor David Mellen, portfolio holder for children's services, said: "We have seen a big rise in recent years. Hopefully we can continue to do so. The council works with the schools and has a good partnership with those which have become academies."

AFTER a remarkable 40 years for one employer, Mick Byrne can also make an unusual claim to success in the workplace.

He has literally helped to keep Notts afloat.

The 57-year-old has spent his entire career working for the city council's leisure centres – and the number of Notts people he has taught to swim is believed to be in the tens of thousands.

He celebrated the 40-year milestone on Tuesday, but is modest about his incredible dedication to his work.

"There are fantastic staff that are very supportive of me," he said.

"Like everyone else they just get on with the job – and for me just doing the job is enough to keep me happy.

"The recognition should be for the council really," he added.

Mick, of Gotham, started out as a 16-year-old pool attendant and swimming enthusiast at Clifton Leisure Centre in 1973.

He said: "I first started because I was just interested in activities and sports. I thought it would be a short term job – but it wasn't. I thought it was going to be for about a year or so.

"I started to get more and more interested in it and spent 25 years at Clifton."

He moved to an office management job in the leisure department and ended up settling at Portland Leisure Centre, in Muskham Street, The Meadows, in around 1998, where he has stayed ever since.

He is now manager at the centre.

Although he doesn't teach regularly any more, he maintains an interest in swimming.

He added: "When you think of the people I've taught to swim over that time – the school groups, everything – there must be tens of thousands.

"I've loved doing the job because it gives you the opportunity to make a difference and make sure people have a good experience and fulfil their ambitions.

"You get some children who are nervous about getting into the pool and learning to swim you can make a difference to their confidence."

The dad-of-three and grandfather-of-one says it will soon be time to hang up the floats, though.

"I plan to take early retirement in two or three months," he added.

"There comes a time when you think 'there's more to life than being at work'."

There was no particular fuss on Tuesday to mark his 40 years, he added.

Instead he just reflected on the driving force which has kept him loving the job.

"My philosophy? You need to learn something every day about yourself," he added.

PLANS to turn a vehicle repair garage in Sneinton into a community centre and mosque have been put on hold by councillors.

Nottingham City Council's planning committee was expected to make a decision about the Sneinton Dale site at a meeting on Wednesday.

Officers at the council had previously recommended the plans went ahead. However, councillors decided to defer the decision so they could get more information.

Councillor Cat Arnold, member of the planning committee and Basford ward councillor, said: "It was deferred for more background – more feedback was wanted from local people."

She added that there had been some concerns raised over parking problems the development could cause.

If the plans are given the go ahead, the building would become the new home for a charitable group called Dar-us-Salaam, which is based in a semi-detached converted Victorian house in Sneinton.

The organisation works closely with the Muslim community in the area, but Aurangzeb Khan, who submitted the application, said they also aim to create better links between members of different faiths.

The two-storey building would have three levels with a prayer hall that could hold up to 210 people, a second hall for up to 70 as well as classrooms and an information point.

NOTTINGHAM'S shops should have had a better Christmas in 2012 than they did the year before, new figures suggest.

An analysis of shopper numbers carried out on behalf of Nottingham's retail Business Improvement District (BID) showed there were four per cent more people walking the city's streets during December than in the same month a year previously.

The rise follows an even bigger leap in November, when footfall was up nearly nine per cent on the same month in 2011.

Nottingham's figures come despite the rise in online shopping, with the BID suggesting the rise reflects the lengths to which the city went to give visitors a full-on Christmas experience.

Neil Fincham, a director of the BID and manager of the Exchange Arcade, under the Council House, says the figures were even more impressive when poor weather was taken into account.

He said: "The Nottingham BID is working hard to attract visitors and shoppers to the city centre to enjoy what the city has to offer.

"In the past year, the Nottingham BID spearheaded a number of initiatives, including the Food and Drink Festival, the 48 Hours of Fashion event, an initiative to promote Nottingham's independent businesses and a Christmas campaign, all with the aim of attracting more people to the city centre in order to help businesses increase sales.

"These events are due to be repeated and expanded upon for 2013, with various other activities and campaigns also planned."

Nottingham's December footfall rise contrasts with figures for the wider East Midlands, which show a 1.2 per cent decline for all towns and cities.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council's portfolio holder for planning and transportation, said the figures illustrated the continuing efforts the city was making to turn Nottingham into a year-round destination.

"It's really encouraging that, despite the recession, significantly more people came into the city centre over the Christmas period compared to last year," she said.

"Christmas is a vital time for retailers. The council has been working closely with the Nottingham BID to promote Nottingham as a great place to shop with improved pricing for car parking and public transport offers."

She added: "Nottingham has a great range of independent shops and anchor stores but part of the reason people come into the city centre is because there's so much else to do while you're here – from theatre, arts and heritage to great restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars."

The figures come at a time when the high street has been hit by a series of high-profile retail failures, with names like electrical chain Comet, entertainment retailer HMV and photographic specialist Jessops all hitting trouble and closing stores.

George Cowcher, chief executive of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "We've seen high street and city centre retailers come under intense pressure in recent years from a combination of falling customer footfall and a boom in online spending, so it's extremely encouraging to see that shoppers came to Nottingham in their droves in the run-up to Christmas.

"Nottingham remains one of the region's top shopping destinations, with a great retail and leisure proposition, and these figures show that it continues to be a strong draw for shoppers and other visitors."

Creative hands went to work on the forecourt of Nottingham Yamaha dealers CMC during this week's dump of snow. Unlike the thousands of snowmen that flourished in Nottinghamshire over the last few days, this one came astride a powerful "snowtorbike".

TOP Valley School recorded one of the biggest improvements in results across the country.

While barely a third – 35 per cent – of students gained five A* to C grades including English and maths in 2011, this climbed to 57 per cent last summer, to the delight of head teacher Peter Brown.

He said: "They were a great set of results, which we were very proud of here. They really reflected the progression that has been made in teaching and learning here.

"Considering where we have come from as a school, it has been a fantastic rise in attainment and one which we feel we can celebrate.

"Our students worked very hard and it was terrific to see them get the results they deserved in August."

Mr Brown has overseen the school's recent transformation into an academy.

In spite of his delight over last year's results, he is refusing to be complacent about the GCSE exams in the coming year.

He said: "We have to continue to work hard. We won't be sitting back with our feet on the desk.

"We want our students who sit exams this year to be just as successful."

The city's top two schools were the boys' and girls' High Schools, both of which saw 99 per cent of students reach the benchmark.

Susan Gorham, head teacher at the Girls' High School, said: "Excellent results are always the product of hard work and effort."

The best-performing non-fee-paying school was Bluecoat Academy in Aspley, where 71 per cent reached the benchmark.

NOTTS County boss Keith Curle has told Enoch Showunmi: "It's payback time."

The big striker has finally scored his first league goal for the Magpies five long months after arriving at Meadow Lane as the club's new No.9 – and Curle says he owes them more goals now.

Showunmi got off the mark in their last game against Oldham Athletic, tapping in from two yards in the first half to fire Notts to a 1-0 win, which was their first home league victory in two months.

He now looks set to start at Leyton Orient tomorrow, with Francois Zoko still suspended, and Curle said: "He has got to come to the fore now.

"He has got to follow up that goal – that's the challenge for him.

"He has shown he can be a goal threat and the key thing is he's starting to believe that he is going to score goals and belief is massive.

"He's had a frustrating time this season, but that goal will have done him the world of good – and it will be even better if he gets two in two."

Showunmi's winner against the Latics has lifted Notts back into the top-half of League One ahead of their trip to London, after they had slipped down to 14th.

It also followed a 1-1 draw against big boys Sheffield United last Saturday, in which they fought back from going 1-0 down after just 67 seconds and down to ten men midway through the first half when Zoko was sent off.

Alan Judge struck a late leveller and after picking up four points in four days, the Magpies look to be getting their promotion challenge back on track after a blip at the end of last year.

With games in-hand on every team above them, Curle is confident Notts can quickly rise back the table, saying his side were back to their best at times against Oldham.

"The football we played in the first half was exceptional," he said.

"We kept our shape well, got the ball into the right areas very quickly and gave them a lot of problems.

"We could easily have scored a few more goals.

"We could have put the game out of sight and I don't think they could have had any complaints.

"It became a different game in the second half because of their aggressive style of play, but we stood up to the test and didn't go onto the back foot.

"The only disappointing thing is we didn't play as much football as we wanted to, but you have to give them credit for stopping us doing that.

"It was a complete performance – we played good football and then defended well when we needed to."

Showunmi was the match-winning hero, but Gary Liddle saved Notts in the second half with a super goal-line clearance to deny Oldham an equaliser – and Curle says it shows just how much his players want success.

"Every player was ready to give that little bit extra to stop them and make sure we won – like Gary Liddle, who can spot danger a mile off and make sure he's in the right place at the right time to make an important clearance," he said.

"It's not the first time he's done it this season and I'm sure it won't be the last.

"At 1-0 there was a bit of nervousness because of our recent home record, but the players showed a lot of character and we got the win we deserved.

"The move for the goal was excellent. It was the pass of the season from Andre (Boucaud), who is good enough to play higher than this.

"It was a killer pass, made even better by the run and movement of Jamal (Campbell-Ryce).

"Once he gets on a run he's hard to stop and then Enoch finished it off."

The Magpies are also hard to stop away from Meadow Lane.

They have still not lost a game on the road since Curle took charge almost a year ago and are on a club record run of 22 games unbeaten.

They will be confident of extending it to 23 games against Orient, who are three places below them in 15th.

"We needed to build on the performance against Sheffield United with a win against Oldham – and we did," said Curle. "We were excellent and we would have given any team in this division a run for their money.

"We have to do it again against Orient now."

A PHOTOGRAPHER used a miniature helicopter to take a panoramic picture of Nottingham in the snow.

Chris Wilkinson took the photo 100 metres above Mapperley Park, looking south, on Tuesday morning.

Mr Wilkinson, 33, of Mapperley Park, said: "It was a clear morning and there was just a small window of sunshine before it clouded over.

"Because of the cold the flight time was reduced to five minutes. I didn't have long to get the shot."

Mr Wilkinson, who runs Upper Cut Productions, used a Canon 5D Mk III camera to take the photograph.

He added: "You don't really get to see the city like this very often. I love the way the sun bursts over the city, silhouetting some of the main landmarks."

The picture is the latest panoramic image captured on Chris's camera.

Last year he took panoramic shots in the Old Market Square during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee visit and Olympic Torch Relay celebrations.

The Met Office is warning of more fresh snow today.

The organisation is predicting that between 4cm to 8cm of fresh snow could fall in Nottingham.

Temperatures will be around -4°C during the morning rush-hour, with snow forecast at 9am.

Further snowfall is expected throughout the day.

To see the panoramic picture in full, visit www.thisisnottingham.co.uk.

The Post is running a competition to find Notts' best snowman. Pictures will be printed in next week's Post and the winner will receive £25. Send your pictures, along with your full name, contact number and details of where and when the snowman was built to newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk

A NEW tenants' and residents' association aims to revitalise Robin Hood Chase, in St Ann's, and protest against plans for new housing there.

The St Ann's Tenants and Residents Association – Central met on Monday at Mellor's Lodge, in the Chase, to discuss its plans and appoint a committee.

The chairman will be Gisella Sobarasua, the secretary will be Richard Pearson and the treasurer Kate Burn.

Ms Sobarasua said: "I just think it's needed. St Ann's is a big area and it is supposed to represent everyone.

"Hopefully we'll be able to get more people involved for different streets and areas of St Ann's.

"The main project is going to be the issue with building houses on the Chase precinct.

"We're going to continue to collect signatures protesting against it. You do find a lot of people who don't know what is happening. We will work with other groups to make the area better."

The catchment area for the new group has still to be agreed. However, the group want it to include Ransom Road, Cromer Road, St Ann's Valley, and the area north of Robin Hood Chase.

They also want to include the Stonebridge Park Estate, Kelverdon and Nugent Gardens, along with Bellevue Court and Westgate Street.

Mrs Burn, 61, said: "It's a new group so it is quite lively. We are going to concentrate on the Chase area which is central to St Ann's.

"Initially we hope to revitalise the Chase, but we'll represent anything."

The group initially consists of 12 residents from Cromer Road, St Ann's Valley and Bellevue Court.

Councillor Dave Liversidge said: "We need people to be active so I'm pleased something has started. We did have one but it collapsed about a year ago.

"It gives tenants a better voice in their area, as a group of people they can challenge Nottingham City Homes and the city council on issues."

The residents attending Monday's meeting agreed to approach a number of high street stores, including Iceland and the Pound Shop, to see if they would be interested in taking over the former Co-op store that closed down in November.

The next meeting of St Ann's Tenants and Residents Association – Central will be on Monday, February 25 ,from 7pm at Mellor's Lodge, in Robin Hood Chase.

SOME schools and colleges saw improvements in their A-level performance while others had a drop from 2011.

Trinity School in Aspley was among the best performers in the city, with its average point score per student being 762.9, up from 759.1 in the previous year. It had 115 students sitting A-level exams.

Deputy head teacher John Dexter said they were delighted with their results.

He said: "The students work very hard in all subjects and that is shown by the results they have received.

"We are very pleased with the position we are in. League tables like this aren't the be-all and end-all, but it is a positive sign to know students are leaving here at the end of the sixth-form with good grades."

As in previous years, West Bridgford School was at the top end of county performers, with an average point score per student of 986.1, a slight drop from 1,002.1 in 2011.

Head teacher Rob McDonough questioned the relevance of ranking schools according to the students' average point score, instead claiming the average marks for each exam entry was a better indication.

He added: "We are delighted once again with what our students have achieved. Looking at league tables, we have been one of the best-performing schools for a number of years now.

"We add significant value to the education of the children here. This means that we are doing very well."

He added that it may prove difficult for many schools to keep up their impressive results if proposed reforms to A-levels – which would see students judged on exams at the end of two-year courses alone – go ahead.

"We are looking to keep it up," he added. "But schools are going to be facing severe challenges."

CARE home inspectors found a resident lying in bed with blue lips and hands because staff had left bedroom windows wide open in sub zero temperatures.

It was one of several failings inspectors discovered when they visited the Arden Lea Nursing Home in Mayo Road, Sherwood.

They had to prompt staff to call an ambulance for a resident who appeared very breathless and was suffering from dehydration.

There were also records of incidents regarding the misuse of alcohol and illegal substances.

The team, which arrived unannounced, works for the Government watchdog the Care Quality Commission and published its findings yesterday.

The CQC has formally warned the care home to improve or face further action.

Nottingham City Council and NHS Nottingham have stopped sending people to the care home until changes are made.

Dennis Andrews, chairman of the Nottingham Elders Forum, a group which campaigns for the rights of the elderly, said: "These instances are appalling and quite disgusting. Standards need to be raised.

"Whether it is taxpayers paying for the care or the residents themselves, this is not value for money. It's a lack of basic standards and people deserve better."

Andrea Gordon, of CQC, said: "These warnings send a clear message that Arden Lea Nursing Home needs to address these issues or face further consequences.

"We will return in the near future and if we find that the required progress is not made we won't hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who use this service."

A Nottingham City Council spokesman said: "We are working with the commission and the proprietor of Arden Lea to implement a comprehensive improvement plan."

A spokesman for the care home said: "We at Arden Lea Nursing Home confirm that we have received a notice in the terms specified by CQC.

"This notice came about as a result of an inspection which took place in December 2012 and as a result of that inspection a considerable number of changes in the operational structure of Arden Lea have taken place.

"The steps we have now taken will ensure that the issues highlighted in inspection have been corrected and will not reoccur.

"We have already notified the people living at the home and their relatives of the difficulties and changes which have been taking place and all have been reassured that the wellbeing and welfare of the residents is of the highest priority.

Other failings which were found at the home include:

There was no assessment in place for a resident who was deemed at risk from falling.

There was no evidence new staff had received any supervision, appraisal or assessment of their competence to work with vulnerable people.

Thorough recruitment procedures were not followed – some staff had unexplained employment gaps or had not given two references and proof of qualifications.

There were no instructions available to staff on how to manage a resident who was verbally aggressive and prone to self harm and violence.

POLICE were today waiting to search remote countryside near Calverton in a new twist in a murder probe.

Officers have cordoned off an area of woodland, off Whinbush Lane, in connection with the death of Debbie Starbuck, 44, who was last been seen around April 27, 2010.

Her husband, Jamie Starbuck, 36, of no fixed address, was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Saturday.

He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court yesterday morning charged with her murder and was due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court today. He has also been charged with theft.

Police have carried out a wide-ranging investigation but Mrs Starbuck's body has never been found.

Mrs Starbuck, formerly known as Debbie Cooper, had previously been living in Desford Close, Old Basford.

BUS and coach operator, Premiere Travel, has stopped operating as of 5pm today (Friday) following an unsuccessful sale of the business by an appointed administrator.Premiere Travel currently runs a mixture of commercial, supported local bus and school transport services and undertakes work for Notts County Council to the value of approximately £2m per annum.
Following a meeting with Premiere, the county council's transport and travel services staff have made arrangements to secure replacement school transport services to operate from Monday, January 28 and have informed all schools affected by the changes.
The county council said other local bus services are currently being considered and prioritised. Arrangements will be made to replace services or part services in accordance with identified priorities, such as those routes supporting access to employment and other essential services.There are alternative journeys on other services for some existing routes therefore no replacements will be considered for these.
A list of Premiere Travel's existing services and routes showing what, if any, replacement services have been arranged, and what other alternative services are available will be on the County Council's website at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/buses.
Information is also available from the County Council's customer services centre on 0300 500 80 80.

WHILE the Environment Agency's call for the public to build snowmen to slow the thaw (Post, January 24) has been much derided in the media, there is sense behind the suggestion.

This risk of flooding may be particularly pertinent in urban areas, where human activities increase the rate of snow melting and older drainage provisions are incapable of managing high volumes of water.

The fallen snow acts as a reservoir of water simply waiting to discharge to local watercourses and drains.

However, sudden and rapid thawing can potentially increase river levels or overwhelm drainage systems resulting in flooding.

Larger volumes of packed snow will maintain a lower core temperature and thaw over a longer period of time, therefore melting and releasing water over a longer duration, reducing the peak discharge rate sewers and watercourses are required to handle.

While the number of snowmen required to make a significant difference to the peak flow rate may be debatable, certainly any reduction in melted snow may help reduce the demand on local drains and subsequent risk of flooding.

BEN FURLONG Environmental Consultant Argyll Environmental,

Brighton

I LEFT work on Tuesday at 5.30pm and did not get home until 6.40pm (and I was probably one of the lucky ones!). I have never seen anything like it.

Everything in the city centre was gridlocked and so badly organised.

I do not understand why all the buses are diverted to South Sherwood Street when some of them could go from the Victoria Centre.

I just hope the works on Milton Street are finished sooner than later.

YOLANDE GLOVER

Lambert Smith Hampton

Hounds Gate, Nottingham

THE item on BBC1's Inside Out programme on Monday night (January 21) expressed many of my own fears about what is happening to our National Health Service, both its fragmentation and its marketisation.

What was most worrying of all, however, was the clear indication that the relationship between patients and GPs will be changed, but not for the better. The trust between patient and doctor, which has surely been the bedrock of the NHS since its inception, could be fatally undermined. Is there no way we can stop this happening?

HILARY HILLIER

Holmfield Road

Chilwell

New figures suggest Nottingham's shops should have had a better Christmas in 2012 than they did the year before, with four per cent more people on the city's streets during December than in the same month a year previously. (January 25)

It's not so important as to how many people visited the city centre in any given time, but how much they spent while they were there.

You could have a million people visit in a week, but if they were all window shopping, it would be useless.

But if you had just a few thousand people in a day each spending hundreds or thousands of pounds across a variety of shops then that would obviously be better for city centre businesses.

As with so much in life, it's not the quantity, it's the quality that matters.

the-crossed

A number of city centre car parks offered reduced prices leading up to Christmas (Victoria Centre was free during some periods) and footfall was up… surely a coincidence? ;)

by kevinward76

And yet in November, when there weren't free parking initiatives, there was a bigger rise. So it looks as if reduced-price parking puts people off coming into the city, and clearly the council should be charging more. See, I can do silly things with statistics, too."

FormerlyW

Dunkirk Fire Station, which closed four years ago, could be transformed into a science and technology academy for 860 teenagers. (January 23)

Sorry to be negative, but this would be a REALLY bad site for an academy. In the shadow of the Dunkirk flyover, and potentially very hazardous for 14 to 16-year-olds. Traffic round this part of the city in the evening can be a nightmare!

altheboss

A really poor location for a school but a an excellent one for a fire station: right by the ring road.

Nick2812

Surely the site isn't big enough and the extra traffic will cause gridlock?

ian_bridgford

Which dimwit thought it would be a great idea to stick an academy teaching 600 14-16-year-olds within spitting distance of a major route into and out of Nottingham?

It is already a traffic hotspot; any further demands on the road network nearby will bring it to a grinding halt.

Beany

OH Anna Soubry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe, we wait ages for one of your morsels of wisdom and then suddenly, you treat us to second helpings.

Why, Minister, you are truly spoiling us!

Fork up this nugget for starters: Ms Soubry says obesity in deprived areas is a "heartbreaking fact". Or, to serve it up in short rations: poor folk are fat.

I don't actually think she could have made a more sweeping statement, or been more insulting if she tried. No well-upholstered sorts in Westminster, are there, eh Anna?

In the world of Soubry, the under-privileged are overweight because of the "abundance of bad food" available. Tut, tut, you naughty food, how dare you be all that some can afford?

While you're chewing that choice titbit over, do leave room for further relish.

Now, for your main, may I tempt you with a Soubry special? Eating lunch at your work desk is "disgusting".

Soubry, the Minister for Health says we should "take time out to have a meal... enjoy what you're eating."

I'm afraid the party's over, no more troughing a butty and a jumbo bag of Monster Munch at your workstation.

Well done, Anna, you've virtually completed the smooth transition of this nanny state into a spoon-fed one too.

No matter if your workload is colossal or you've got things to do on your lunch break. You silly thing, you should be sitting down and savouring something gourmet. No eating on the hoof allowed (and I don't mean horse-burgers).

Meanwhile, Ms Soubry's endearingly Enid Blytonesque concept of lashings of spiffing stuff for lunch has gone off the boil.

Time is money and lunch ain't cheap. Which brings us back to the first point: Anna and her propensity of obese, socially deprived people. To anyone who scoffs, saying it's inexpensive to eat healthily – that's food fighting talk.

Constantly chasing reduced items and rigorous meal-planning is a skill not everyone has. The only thing being consumed is time, making healthy eating the antithesis of convenience meals.

And Soubry's half-baked concept has all the common sense of a Pot Noodle.

In my day, I've been spectacularly poor and I know when you're down to your last few coins that health goes out the window. Food for a fortnight? Or just the one healthy meal? Which would you and your family rather have?

I suggest Ms Soubry gnaws on a big, dollop of realism. Yes, obesity needs tackling, but it can't be categorised by class alone. Poverty is the issue here. And Soubry's attitude is altogether unappetising.

Her theory looses weight with this observance: Mid-week, I was out and about in one of Nottingham's most affluent areas when who did I spot? A great, big rotund fellow, revelling in his corpulent girth right there in one of the poshest homes and gardens I've seen for a long time.

Here was a great big fatty, yet, confusingly, he had a healthy carrot on the go. Admittedly, it was for his nose, and yes, he was a snowman, however, you've got to admire his cheek in getting one over on the MP – revenge is after all, a dish best served cold.