News

Two men jailed for repeated crimes at Long Eaton supermarkets

Two men who targeted staff at two Long Eaton supermarkets over the course of Summer 2026 have been jailed. Karl Whyatt and Tom Davis centred their criminal activity at Aldi and Farmfoods in the town over the course of late July and early August 2026. Trawls of CCTV quickly led to the two men being identified, arrested, charged and remanded to prison. Appearing at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates. the pair pleaded guilty to a number of offences. 20-year old Davis was […]

2 October 2026 7

Community Notices

Derbyshire County Council invests in future talent through apprenticeship programme

More than 30 new apprentices have started their careers with Derbyshire County Council, as part of the Apprenticeship Programme 2026. The 36 apprentices will support a wide range of council services, including highways, finance, business support and catering, while developing skills, gaining qualifications and building workplace experience. The new starters will follow nationally recognised training programmes, delivered by approved training providers, lasting between 15 months and three years. An induction event was held at County Hall, Matlock, for the apprentices […]

1 October 2026 12

News

Just 5% of people in the East Midlands have appointed a legal guardian for their children

Just 5% of people in the East Midlands have appointed a legal guardian for their children in their Will – despite having strong views about who they would not want to raise them. New research commissioned by national charity Will-writing campaign Will Aid found that just 11% of parents surveyed across the UK have appointed a legal guardian for their children, revealing a striking gap between parents’ wishes for their children and the steps they have taken to formally record […]

30 September 2026 22

Derby

Derby A&E mental health patients benefit from a new standalone 24/7 assessment centre]

Patients attending Royal Derby Hospital’s A&E due to a mental health crisis can now benefit from a new standalone 24/7 assessment centre. The new mental health urgent assessment centre is housed within the Radbourne Unit at Royal Derby Hospital, which already accommodates patients with significant mental health conditions. This centre involves refurbishments of existing space to form four assessment rooms, a clinical room, offices and a reception. It opened on Monday, September 28th, and forms one of 59 such centres […]

29 September 2026 14

Borrowash

Future unclear for former Borrowash pub site

The future of an historic Derbyshire pub that has been derelict for years remains unclear, following a fire and planning delays. After seven years derelict and four years after planning permission for its conversion into homes was granted, residents near the former Wilmot Arms pub in Derby Road, Borrowash, have lost faith. The former watering hole, dating back to the 1850s, had a complex history, with some residents remembering it fondly, whilst others say that a certain clientele in its […]

28 September 2026 16

Derby

Reform accuses Labour of ignoring legal warnings describing the party as “lawless”

Reform has criticised Derby City Council's Labour-led administration after it voted through a controversial motion proposed by former Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, despite legal warnings during the debate that councils have no power to investigate the private conduct of elected members and that a key provision of the motion could be outside the authority of the person expected to carry it out. The motion, debated at Full Council on 23rd September, sought to establish a process […]

27 September 2026 10

Derbyshire

Headbutts, crashes and lies – list of Derbyshire police sackings

Derbyshire police holds itself to the highest standards – but there are times when its own staff brings it to shame. The Local Democracy Reporting Service frequently covers police misconduct hearings where officers are questioned over allegations of gross misbehaviour. Here we take a look at some of the most serious misconduct hearings held within the past few years – which have seen officers dismissed with immediate effect. Officers have been dismissed for shocking assaults, trying to cover up serious […]

25 September 2026 53

An aerial view of the former Elvaston Castle caravan site. Image from Google.

Derbyshire

Former Derbyshire caravan site could come back into use after more than a decade

A former Derbyshire caravan site could come back into use after more than a decade. The four-acre former caravan site at Elvaston Castle, close to the historic estate’s main visitor car park, has been vacant and is becoming increasingly overgrown since its closure 14 years ago. Since the 60s locals and tourists had been making the trip to the estate’s caravan site, until it came to a close in 2012. An unsuccessful attempt to reopen the site was made in […]

25 September 2026 42

Scott Bradley (Credit: Derbyshire Police)

Borrowash

Speeding driver who killed woman in head-on crash is jailed

A speeding driver who killed a woman in a head-on collision in Borrowash has been jailed. Scott Bradley’s Vauxhall Astra was seen driving at speed and mounting the pavement just before it hit a Honda Jazz head on in Nottingham Road on 10th April 2024. Kathleen O’Neill, the driver of the Honda, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital. The 75-year-old died almost two weeks later on 23rd April. CCTV showed that just before the crash, Bradley was speeding […]

25 September 2026 7