09/08/2013 East Midlands Today

Dominic Heale and me, Anne Davies. Stroke Tonight ,the Government tells

councils to get tough on travellers. A costly clean-up after the

travellers move on but what can be done to stop illegal camps? Peep

hole will not be able to play football on it for a long while.

Also tonight: A former beauty queen goes on type -- trial for illegally

selling gun parts. And the builder who created theme

park for kids. It was a lank piece of ground and nobody had been here

since the war. And brightening up the bridges, a

new sponsorship appeal to give Trent Bridge a spectacular new night-time

programme. Tonight, a massive clean-up operation has been going on

all day after a group of travellers camped on a local recreation ground

for almost two weeks. Almost a dozen caravans were parked on land in

Gedling, near Nottingham. Councillors say it'll cost thousands

of pounds to tidy up. This comes on the day that the Government urged

local authorities to get tough in tackling illegal travellers' sites.

They say they're simply reminding councils of their existing powers

such as: using temporary stop notices to stop and remove

unauthorised caravans. Pre-emptive injunctions that protect vulnerable

land. And possession orders to remove trespassers.

They can take immediate action if somebody is developing something

which is illegal in the first place. The police also have powers to move

people on and we want people to understand that those powers exist

and they can be used so there is no long-term damage. The council does

not then get caught up in a protracted legal at all. I do not

think it is as much of a problem as the government is making out. A lot

of people get on well with the gypsy community. They are not outside

people's boundaries. They are people they know. There needs to be more

site provision and less of an end is on the negative. In the East

Midlands there are a number of legal, authorised sites for

travellers, run by a mix of private operators and local councils. There

are just over 100 of them. The vast majority are in just two counties,

Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The number of illegal sites is much

smaller, just ten. But councils admit that this figure can be very

fluid, and that the sites are difficult to monitor. Well this

morning, our Chief News Reporter Quentin Rayner joined council

workers as they began clearing one of these illegal sites, on Lambley

Lane in Gedling. Last night, the evicted travellers

moved a few miles down the road to another illegal site, having left

their mark on where they have just been. A small army moved on to

Lambley Lane recreation ground in Gedling to clear up their mess. The

open space is popular with footballers and dog walkers. Ten

days of illegal occupation left 14 tonnes of garden waste for the

council to remove, dumped after tree cutting jobs in the area. A large

amount of human excrement was also left behind. The area behind the

tape is littered with toilet paper. There is a strong smell in the area.

The council says it will take until October 's to fully decontaminate

this land. It is the excrement that is left everywhere, needles. There

are no words to describe it. It is terrible. They break in, cut the

bolt off and then run their business of Lambley Lane car park.

council leader is facing a bill of �30,000 to clear both sites in the

borough. I cannot believe the amount of rubbish that has been left ear

and illegally dumped. It is very frustrating. I have to deal with the

cost of clearing this up, the public pay for it and it is making me

really angry. For the second year in a row, the travellers are back on

Teal close, another recreation area in Gedling. The council has served a

48-hour eviction notice but they know it will be at least a week

until anyone is moved. The leader says councils need stronger powers

than those granted by the government. We need one day and we

will clear them. We will bring bailiffs in and get them off very

quickly. Give us the power from government to a local level and we

will implement that. The clean-up team will return on Monday to finish

the job. Next tonight, a former Miss

Nottingham finalist has appeared in court accused of selling gun parts

illegally. 27-year-old Rebecca Draper runs a shop that sells air

weapons. Our social affairs correspondent, Jeremy Ball, reports.

This is Draper 's airgun Centre, a well-established field sport

supplier. A family business has been here in Radford for nearly 40 years.

But now the managing director has been accused of selling weapons

parts illegally. Rebecca Draper appeared at Nottingham Crown Court

to face for firearms charges, charges she denied. The charges

involve components for prohibited handguns which cannot be owned

without a licence. She is accused of selling or transferring four firing

pins without lawful authority. The charges relate to components for

Luca handguns and Glock pistols, weapons which are commonly used by

police forces. The allegations against Rebecca Draper will not be

set out in detail until she goes on trial. The judge said that case will

take place in December. Still to come: Britain's most wanted

tax fugitives. Two of the latest to join the list are from this region.

Here they are. And we'll tell you more about them, later.

A gang which used children to courier drugs between the East

Midlands and London have been jailed for a total of more than 30 years.

Officers from the Special Operations Unit have told this programme they

exploited teenagers to avoid the police as they bought and sold crack

cocaine worth around half a million pounds. Eleanor Garnier reports.

Behind bars for their parts in a criminal conspiracy worth hundreds

of thousands of pounds, bringing crack cocaine from London to the

East Midlands, to sell on the streets of our towns and cities.

Officers say the drugs run from Leicestershire to the capital

happened at least 18 times. To keep a low profile and try and avoid the

police, the drugs gang used children as young as 14 to career the crack

cocaine. These type of people will exploit anyone and they have

demonstrated that on this occasion by exploiting children to fetch the

drugs so they can stay out of the handling and the transportation of

the drugs. The four men have all been sentenced at Leicester Crown

Court. The gang leader Ruben Crawshaw was given 13 years after

being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine. The three others or

from Leicester will serve between seven and 5.5 years.

There's been a massive surge in the number of private ambulances used

for 999 callouts in the East Midlands. Three years ago just 12

emergency journeys were handled by private vehicles, but this jumped to

246 last year. The cost to East Midlands Ambulance Service also rose

from �638,000 to 3.5 million. EMAS has blamed increasing demand, but

says it's now investing more than �4 million in its own vehicles and

extra staff. The driver of a digger who backed

his vehicle into a lorry, crushing and killing its driver, has been

given a suspended prison sentence. Mark Nayland who was 24 and from

Sutton-in-Ashfield died from multiple injuries at a landfill site

in Cambridgeshire last year. Kenneth Miller from Linton admitted

breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Today, the government added two more names to a list of wanted tax

evaders. Several of them are on the run owing millions of pounds.

The Treasury's most wanted. These are the men and women who are

getting away with millions of pounds they should have been paying in tax.

New to the list, two from the East Midlands. He is alleged to have cost

the taxpayer �3 million but he failed to appear in court.

In 2002, this woman failed to turn up to Leicester Crown Court where

she was accused of her part in a tax fraud. She is thought to be on the

run in Pakistan. They join Wayne Hardy from Nottinghamshire who was

on last year's list. He is wanted for his part in a major counterfeit

plot. Today, the Chancellor was visiting tax investigators training

in arrest techniques. He says the evaders must pay up. We are

publishing the names of ten of our most wanted tax evaders who are

costing the country millions of pounds and this comes on top of the

support and investment we are giving to the men and women here who go out

there on the street on our behalf to raise the money that is due to pay

for our public services. The message to people who evade their taxes is

very clear, we are coming to get you and we will catch you. It is the

second time the government has tried this naming and shaming. HMRC

insists the idea works but so far, only one of the top 20 most wanted

has been caught. It is hoping to increase that arrest rate here in

the East Midlands. One of the country's best known

bridges, Trent Bridge in Nottingham, is to get a light show

transformation. The idea is to make it as iconic at night as Brooklyn

Bridge in New York or London's Tower Bridge. Nottingham City Council

believes the new night-time look will be popular, so it's looking for

sponsors to help meet the costs. Let's find out more from our

Political Editor John Hess, who's where you'd expect him to be on this

story. Good evening, John. Good evening. Two figures to conjure

with: 920.That's the date the first bridge was built here over the River

Trent. The second figure: 38,500. That's the total of vehicles each

day that go into and out of Nottingham over this bridge. But I

wonder how many of those drivers have ever thought about what the

bridge looks underneath the arches, especially at night.

Cricket fans crossing Trent Bridge last night after the 2020 match,

with the ground's eye-catching flood lights blazing in the dark. What

fails to catch the eye at night of the historic bridge itself. At

night, Trent Bridge is almost lost in the dark. Today, and I idea to

illuminate Trent Bridge and make it one of the most eye-catching bridges

in Britain. The council's deputy leader and the senior lighting

engineer were looking at lighting designs which could lift the bridge

out of the gloom at night. It will cost �150,000 but with finances

squeezed, it is looking to the business and public for sponsorship.

We are looking for somebody to sponsor the under lighting which

will look amazing and we are also looking at somebody to sponsor the

columns. Some of the bridge's lights are suffering wear and tear. Forest

are playing one evening, we could change it to read if we wish, or

leave it white for County. nearby suspension bridge owned by

Severn Trent Water had its own lighting make over a couple of years

ago. As for Lady Bay Bridge, its owners, Nottinghamshire county

council, are being urged to consider something similar. When you consider

the number of people who come over this bridge for football matches and

cricket, international cricket, you will get many many people and it

will be impressive. It is an iconic symbol and need some special

treatment. There will be some test lighting in the autumn to try it out

and if that and the sponsorship goes well, Trent Bridge could have a

whole new spectacular night-time look.

And Dominic and Anne, if you were wondering about the daily running

costs of powering up all that light, I was told today it will be

equivalent of switching on three electrical kettles. That does not

seem very much. Is that like switching them on and they go for

keeping them on all might? We do not know!

Now it's one of the most successful, family-run visitor attractions in

the region, and this year it's celebrating its 35th birthday. We're

talking about Gulliver's Kingdom, the children's theme park at Matlock

Bath. But when Ray Phillips bought the site in the '70s, a theme park

was not what he had in mind at all. James Roberson explains.

Screaming, music to the ears of theme park owners. It means

customers are in and enjoying the rides. Ray Phillips and his son,

Nick, also like to hear it at Gulliver 's kingdom. The steep site

was owned to aid -- home to a dance hall in the 19th century. When Ray

bought it, it was a dense woodland. It was soon home to a model village.

We soon saw that the children wanted to do something. The first terrorist

had a little train which went from one end to the other and that was

the first mobile typewriter that we had. And then we have grown from

there. 35 years on and Ray's children have taken on the

business. It spread from Matlock Bath to Warrington and Milton Keynes

which include superior camping facilities which the staff make in

Derbyshire. We are creating other attractions inside the park and

outside so we are extending our season. A lot of attractions like

the spy school here at Matlock are in Dorset they can operate all year

round. -- they operate in doors. original site is popular, including

with those who came when they were children. You go back to where you

went as a kid. It is close and it is a nice day out. We come every year.

The kids enjoyed it. It is a good family day out. Mum and dad are

there in the background. They are ready to step in and give advice but

we are taking the business forward. A third generation is coming but Ray

recalls his kids growing up as the Park did as well. They said why

don't other kids have theme parks they can go and play in

after-school? They had a lot of friends coming to play in it and now

it is their children coming. , here never return. They said he was not

for sale. But tonight Kelvin Wilson is back home and a Nottingham Forest

player. We broke the story three weeks ago that he was coming to

Nottingham. And we were there today as Kelvin completed a three year

deal from Celtic to Forest, for a fee of �2.5million.

The hero returns, welcome back to Forest. In a real statement of

intent, Forest have paid �2.5 million for defender Kelvin Wilson

on a three-year deal. You walked away from champions league football

to come here, so why? You are playing with international players

week in, week out, playing Champions League football. But I am coming to

Nottingham Forest. This is not a small club. It is a massive club

with massive ambition and great players. You said when you went to

Scotland it was hard for you to leave your family and child behind,

has that been a deciding factor for you? It was one of the main

reasons, my daughter, but it was not the case of me just coming back and

signing for anyone close to Nottingham. It had to be the right

club. He had a medical last night, trained today and admitted Celtic

did not want to let him go. They did not want to let me go but they

respected my decision. Forest is perfect for me. His time at Celtic

was a very good time for him and very educational for him. He had the

pressure of playing European games involved with Celtic. I think we are

getting a player who is at a very good agent we are very fortunate to

have him here. Kelvin, who is 27, left Forest for Scotland 2.5 years

ago. They said he he left after a dispute with Davis. Did you fall out

with him? This is the first time I have played with Preston and I have

never fallen out with him once. Billy Davies and his coaching staff

now have their back five. They are still looking for some in midfield

and upfront. Forest say they expect three more new faces before the end

of the transfer window. A new face too at Leicester City,

they've signed Spanish starlet Ignasi Miquel. The 20-year-old

defender has agreed a year long loan deal from Arsenal and as Angela

found out he has quite a footballing pedigree.

He signed up to the season, brought up the Barcelona way, but now Ignasi

Miquel is set to prove his worth for the Foxes. I know the competition at

Leicester is hard. I think I can get in the team. I fight for it and that

is it. That is why I am here. teenager in Spain's youth squad,

both Manchester United and Arsenal were after his services. The gunners

won that battle. But his desire for first-team football says he -- means

he is happy to call this the stadium home for now. I think Leicester has

given me a big chance so that is why I am here. He is a welcome new

edition on what has been a quiet transfer summer for the Foxes.

was very enthusiastic and looking forward to being here. That is a big

part of players having a successful loan spell. He may have to wait to

make his debut but make no mistake, he is a man eager to make his mark.

Derby County can complete a really solid week's work with an away win

at Brighton tomorrow. Last season the Rams form away from Pride Park

failed to match their home record. Manager Nigel Clough says they can,

and should, do better this season. It might balance itself up a bit

more this season. On Tuesday night we will do well, a good clean game.

The Brighton away game last season probably epitomised our away form.

We gave two soft goals away. Also in action, Notts County at home to

Peterborough and Mansfield have their first home Football League

match in some while when they host Exeter. You can follow all the

action on your BBC Local Radio station.

For the third time running, a very disappointing night for Cricket's

Notts Outlaws in the quarter finals of the T20 Cup. And for three overs

the Outlaws looked up to the job with some big hitting of their own.

But the wickets just would not stop falling and Notts lost by 47 runs.

There are lots of things which have not gone our way and that is the

bottom line. Apart from David Hussey and Alex Hales, we have not played

well enough. We have not been good enough.

Staying with Cricket, the men may have already retained the Ashes, but

the women's campaign is only just about to get underway. The squad

includes two Notts players, Jenny Gunn and Danielle Wyatt, plus a

whole group with Loughborough connections including the likes of

Lauren Winfield and Anya Shrubsole. They play a combination of T20s,

one-dayers and a single test which starts on Sunday.

Good luck to them, and all our best wishes to Loughborough Sprinter

James Dasaolu. Earlier this year he went under ten seconds for the 100

metres. This weekend he faces Usain Bolt at the World Athletics

Championships. Every hope of a medal.

Now, a special weekend of wildlife's getting underway at one of our

longest established nature reserves. The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

hopes the event, at Attenborough near Nottingham ,will help identify

dozens of new species, both insect and mammalian. It comes as the Trust

celebrates its 50th anniversary, this year. I popped along this

morning to see how they're getting To celebrate their birthday, the

trust has organised what they are calling the big 50, that is 50 hours

where they will try and find 50 new species at the Attenborough nature

reserve. One of the activities on offer is adult pond dipping. Nothing

to do with budgie smugglers or bath towels, but a lot to do with finding

new species of bugs. The technique is simple, scoop up a net full of

water, weed and silks, tipped everything into a bowl and then look

through one of these magnifiers. People use pond life as a

disparaging term but resume ugly you find it interesting? It is

fascinating. The smaller species are eaten by the bigger ones and they

are eaten by bigger things still and eventually by the fish. It all began

50 years ago so entirely appropriate that there are these big

celebrations this weekend? This started because of a fight to save

the wildlife that Attenborough. We want to save the hidden wildlife

that people do not see from the far corners of the reserve. Yes, because

90% of the reserve is not accessible to the public and I know you have

your eye on another reserve. Absolutely. We want to create a

wonderful new wetland reserve, 50 years on, wonderful parallel.

big 50 started this morning and continues until Sunday at noon. Pop

down and have a look. And bring your wellies and a jam jar.

And if you want to get involved then the BBC has a special website with

loads of wildlife tips. Just go to bbc.co.uk/summer of wildlife.

You were well protected from the sun with your big sun hat. Yes, I can

take no chances at my age. Less coverage than they used to be!

we need hats and factor 20 at the that moved through last night. It

gave a sprinkling to the gardens. We have a little ridge of high pressure

building for the weekend. It is not looking too bad at all. It will be

dried tomorrow. Just the small chance of a shower. The winds will

be a lot lighter for us. It should feel warmer. Here is today's

satellite picture. We did see a lot of clout today. That is starting to

melt away. The winds are starting to ease down. Lots of lovely sunshine

for the next couple of hours or so. The cloud will start to increase

from the West. It will be nippy once again. Tomorrow morning, NEP start

to the weekend. Some sunshine to start off with. That cloud will

build up. Cloudy at times but some decent spells of sunshine between

the clouds. A small chance of showers which will fade away later

in the day. Not a bad day tomorrow, the winds are a lot lighter. For

Saturday night into Sunday, we have these weather fronts converging

across us. It looks as if there is a greater chance of us catching a

shower on Sunday, particularly on Sunday morning. These should be