Burton Mail
£50k cameras plan to tackle ‘growing blight of fly-tipping’
A COUNCIL has been relying on broken “dummy” trail cameras in a bid to deter people from fly-tipping. South Derbyshire District Council, run by Labour, has explained in a new report that it has been using 12 trail cameras – typically used for...
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Developers set to ditch plans for GP surgery on estate with 950 homes
A PLANNED 950-home development in East Staffordshire will no longer include a doctors’ surgery as originally proposed, a new report has suggested. Instead, developers are being advised to make financial contributions to existing nearby medical...
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100 new jobs on offer in a recruitment drive by water bosses
WATER company bosses have launched one of their biggest ever recruitment drives to sign up 100 young people as apprentices. The roles at Severn Trent are open to anyone regardless of age or career experience, and include fields such as HR, water...
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School’s new £2.5m sports hall named in memory of PE teacher
A Multi-million pound sports hall has been opened and named after a former PE teacher at a special school in Staffordshire. Fountains High School, in Stretton, caters for teenagers with special needs and has now cut the ribbon on its £2.5 million...
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Prisoners’ art on show to boost rehabilitation
ART lovers are being invited to an exhibition in Burton showcasing award-winning artwork created by inmates at HMP Dovegate as part of the prison’s rehabilitation programme. The exhibition, titled Drawing Toward Tomorrow, will run for six weeks from...
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Chickenpox jabs added to childs’ vaccinations to help protect them
FAMILIES across Staffordshire can now get their children protected against chickenpox. The NHS added the jabs to the routine childhood vaccination programme from this month. Youngsters born on or after July 1, 2024, will be offered a combined...
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Airport freight plans to create 20k more jobs
Midlands Airport bosses say the huge growth in the lesser-known side of the Castle Donington operation has helped it overcome an “identity crisis” and could create 20,000 new jobs. The significant growth in cargo is now connecting the site with major...
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999 crews are called in after body found at nature reserve
EMERGENCY services were called out to a Burton-ontrent nature reserve following the discovery of a ‘human body in the water.’ The discovery was made at Branston Water Park, pictured, on Thursday, and comes as police are continuing to investigate the...
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125 new homes set to ‘encircle’ sewage works
MORE than 100 homes could encircle a sewage works under new plans submitted for a South Derbyshire village. The proposal, from Commercial Development Projects Limited, is for 125 homes to the west of Egginton Road in Etwall, encompassing a sewage...
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Ambulance Trust given 23 vehicles to help it improve response times
THE ambulance service trust that serves Staffordshire is to get an extra 23 vehicles to help improve response times. West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed it was receiving the funding for the new ambulances after an announcement by the Department...
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Thousands of illegal products seized in raids across county
ILLEGAL vapes, dangerous counterfeit children’s toys and thousands of pounds of illicit cigarettes were seized during raids in Staffordshire last year. The haul included more than 10,000 unsafe and non-compliant products, including 800-plus fake...
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NHS bosses in a bid to recruit more first responder volunteers
AMBULANCE service bosses have launched a new year recruitment drive for volunteer community first responders. The volunteer CFRS are members of the public who have received medical training from West Midlands Ambulance Service. They then respond –...
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Workforce rises to 59 as firm reveals best ever 12 months after ‘sales hit £22m in the past year’
A SOUTH Derbyshire manufacturer has posted its best ever year, with demand from customers for more automation and a boom in defence spending driving growth. Carfulan Group, which operates from a £3 million Advanced Innovation Centre in Foston, has...
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Tax increase proposed to pay for extra police and fire services
PEOPLE in Staffordshire are being asked whether they would support a small increase in council tax to help fund police and fire services. Ben Adams, the county’s commissioner for police, fire & rescue and crime, below, has launched a public...
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Shop raid in East Staffs reveals £20,000 worth of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes
TRADING Standards officers have launched an investigation following the seizure of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes worth almost £20,000 in East Staffordshire. Officers, supported by Staffordshire Police and specialist search dogs, made the discovery...
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Dealer involved in operating ‘AJ drug’ line in Burton jailed for over 5 years
A DRUG dealer has been jailed for supplying heroin and crack cocaine as part of the AJ drug line in Burton. Asher Douglas, 36, from Burton-ontrent, was convicted after he admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine at Stafford Crown...
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Criminal scaled fence as he fled an open prison before being spotted on A52
A CAREER criminal with 94 previous court appearances on his record ran off into a farmer’s field when he was being booked into an open prison in Derbyshire. In what Derby Crown Court was told was “a sheer moment of madness,” John Arnold fled after...
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Funding setback in bid to create a new brewery museum in Burton
COUNCIL chiefs are hoping to launch a partnership with the private sector after their bid to secure lottery funding to create the National Museum of Brewing in Burton was rejected. While East Staffordshire Borough Council has described failing to...
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Historic castle is now set to reopen in 2026 after teaming up with top hospitality group
A PIONEERING scheme helping shape the future of food is bidding for a gold award. Good Food Leicestershire, led by Leicestershire County Council, brings together 75 organisations to support local growing, encourage ‘farm to fork’ approaches and back...
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Work is set to start on scheme to make it easier to walk and cycle around Burton
A MAJOR scheme to extend the cycleway through Burton town centre will begin next month. It is aimed at making it easier and safer for people to walk or cycle around the town. The project, delivered by Staffordshire County Council, will see a new...
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Centre helping injured drivers remain on road is now to be axed
HUNDREDS of vulnerable motorists are facing an uncertain future when a specialist driving assessment service closes. The end of the road for Derby Drivability comes after University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) served...
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76 drink and drug drivers caught in 2 weeks by cops across the county
MORE than 70 suspected drink or drug drivers have been arrested in just over two weeks. Police have carried out more than 700 roadside tests as part of a major crackdown in Staffordshire. The operation, launched at the end of November, targets ‘those...
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Brewers want to create new fan zone at Pirelli Stadium
BURTON Albion Football Club has submitted plans for a new fan zone at its home ground. A car park at the Pirelli Stadium has been earmarked for the fan zone, which would also provide space for events and access to food and drink outlets, if plans are...
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Hospital trust gets £2m for cutting waits for patients
THE trust that runs the Burton and Royal Derby hospitals has been rewarded with £2 million for reducing waiting lists for planned care and improved access to treatment. The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) is one of...
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‘A DAY OF SHAME’ FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL:
OPPOSITION leaders have condemned a ‘day of shame’ for Staffordshire County Council as an anti-reform protest saw police called in. Tory leader Philip White said that the authority had been ‘dragged into a dark place’ following May’s elections when...
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Cars are towed away as drivers queued on a level crossing in village
CARS queuing on a level crossing in heavy traffic have prompted Network Rail to install temporary electronic signage nearby to warn motorists of the dangers and possible prosecution. Despite this, drivers are still stopping on the automatic Willington...
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Eight-month extension is approved for delayed bridge and bypass plan
AN extension for a delay-hit underconstruction Derbyshire bridge and bypass has been approved by councillors. At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting, they approved a further eight month extension for the completion of the £20 million Walton...
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Cash boost will take brewery ‘significant’ step forward
BREWERY bosses are celebrating after securing a grant to help fund expansion plans. Burton Bridge Brewery and Heritage Brewing have secured a People, Innovation and Place Programme (PIPP) grant to expand their production capabilities. It will see the...
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Store bosses urging customers to donate gifts for kids at Christmas
TESCO customers across Staffordshire are being encouraged to donate new toys to children in need this Christmas. The supermarket giant’s stores in Meir, Uttoxeter, Stafford and Lichfield have launched festive toy collections running until Monday,...
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People are urged to get checked out for lung cancer with return of mobile scanner
MORE people from East Staffordshire will benefit from early detection of lung cancer with the return of a high-tech mobile CT scanner to Burton. Staffordshire Lung Screening Programme, delivered by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust...
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Fire chief warns: ‘Climate change is now hitting us all year round’
FIREFIGHTERS were called out to an extra thousand incidents over the first half of the year – largely due to the hot, dry summer. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) responded to 5,409 calls between April and September, compared to 4,436 over...
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Council set to call for pause to allow more talks about shake-up
A STAFFORDSHIRE council could be set to write to the government asking for a pause in local government reorganisation. East Staffordshire Borough Council are set to debate a motion put forward by the Conservatives calling on councillors to unite...
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£1.1m for four new fire engines to help keep communities in county safe
FOUR new fire engines will be heading out to calls across Staffordshire as early as next year after spending was given the green light. Staffordshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams has approved the purchase of four new pulp rescue...
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New jobs up for grabs as firm secures £500m deal to run jail
NEW jobs are in the pipeline after the company running an East Staffordshire jail won a £500 million Government contract. Serco, the international provider of services to governments, has been running HMP Dovegate, near Uttoxeter, since...
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Green light for 103 homes on a site that will eventually see total of 2,500
THE final plans for 103 new homes near Burton have been given the green light. Proposals for the next phase of the Branston Locks Development will eventually see more than 2,000 homes developed in total. The Branston Locks sustainable urban extension...
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Joining forces for two day crackdown on the fly-tippers ‘blighting’ two Burton wards
YMCA Burton has completed its 17th Sleepout event - with more than 200 people taking part. Of those, 111 slept at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium, 49 braved St Modwen’s graveyard, 38 young people from Rolleston Scout group spent the night under the...
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Police are set to trial use of AI ‘agents’ to help cut call waiting times
STAFFORDSHIRE Police will deploy an AI system in its contact centre in a bid to cut call waiting times. The force is set to become the third in the country to take part in a pilot scheme trialling the use of artificial intelligence ‘agents’ for...
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Fire chiefs issue a warning as family is forced to escape home during blaze
FIREFIGHTERS from Burton were called to a house fire where an adult and two children were forced to evacuate their home through a window. They joined fire crews from Swadlincote at the semi-detached home on Harbury Close, Drakelow, after a 999 call in...
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Firm fined £16,000 after worker broke his arm when it got ‘caught in a lathe’
A SOUTH Derbyshire manufacturer has been fined £16,000 after an 18-yearold employee broke his arm when he became entangled in a machine. The un-named worker, based at Isoma Limited’s factory at George Holmes Business Park, Swadlincote, got caught in a...
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Drug dealer is jailed and has over £4,000 seized after cops raid his gran’s home
A DRUG dealer has been jailed and had thousands of pounds in cash seized. Sam Cox, 27, who lived with his grandmother, confessed all to police who raided her Ashby home. Cox was arrested as police seized about 6g of cocaine, about a gram of cannabis...
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‘County lines’ dealer admits to supplying crack and heroin in Burton
A COUNTY lines drug dealer from Burton-on-trent has pleaded guilty at court to supplying heroin and crack cocaine in Staffordshire. Asher Douglas, 36, was convicted after he admitted conspiring to supply a controlled drug of class A (heroin) and...
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9 years for man who attacked two women after targeting them at night in town centre
A MAN who attacked two women while armed with a bottle and then set fire to his own flat in Burton-on-trent has been jailed for almost a decade. Kyle Purcell, 21, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Stafford Crown Court on Monday, November...
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Kate in county to lay Armistice Day wreath as nation pays a silent tribute
THE Princess of Wales was in Staffordshire yesterday as she led the nation in a poignant two-minute silence in remembrance of the fallen on Armistice Day. Kate joined veterans in honouring the war dead at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National...
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Maternity services at hospital in town improve but CQC ‘still has concerns’
MATERNITY services at Derby and Burton’s hospitals have improved but concerns for patient safety remain, following a delayed inspection. The CQC has rated maternity services at Queen’s Hospital in Burton and Royal Derby Hospital as “requires...
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1,700 victims of ‘domestic abuse’ reached out for help in just three months
SHOCK figures have revealed that more than 1,700 victims of domestic abuse in Staffordshire needed help from a confidential support service in just three months. Between April and June of this year, the New Era Domestic Abuse Victim Service supported...
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‘I’m proud how communities always come together for Remembrance’
AS we approach Remembrance Day, I wanted to use my November column to shine a light on the extraordinary Armed Forces personnel from Burton and pay tribute to local veterans who gave so much. This time of year, we reflect, we remember, and we give...
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Production at tyre factory in Burton ‘resumes’ as firm planned
PRODUCTION has now resumed at Pirelli’s Burton-on-trent factory following a temporary six-day closure last month. The tyre manufacturer confirmed that work at the Derby Road site paused from October 24 to 29 before restarting ‘as planned.’ The...
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Public to have their say on council HQ and leisure centre plans at former pit
WORK on a planned £59 million leisure centre and a HQ for a Derbyshire council on a former mining site could start next September. South Derbyshire District Council officials say that a planning application for the developments on the former Cadley...
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PCSOS are ‘set to lose thousands’ in controversial shift change plan
CHANGES to PCSO shifts could see some lose thousands of pounds in pay, a union has claimed. Unison is calling on Staffordshire Police to reconsider the ‘ill-conceived’ proposals to change PCSO shift patterns, which would mean fewer being on patrol in...
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150-year-old beer brewed in Burton set to be revived
A BREWER is set to open one of the rarest beers in the world – a 150-yearold bottle once brewed for an Arctic expedition in Burton – to create a modern version of the historic ale. Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder and master brewer of Edinburgh-based Innis...
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DEFEND YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW.
Plans for licensed premises in your neighbourhood could be hidden from view if new government proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices get the green light.
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Key milestone in a ‘bold new chapter’ to transform the town’s centre
BURTON upon Trent has reached a ‘defining moment’ in its ongoing regeneration after planning approval was granted for the multiple projects forming the town’s High Street redevelopment. Collectively, these projects will now move forward under a new...
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£50m boost will see Trent & Dove deliver 200 new affordable homes
A HOUSING association has secured £50 million to deliver 200 new affordable homes. The Trent & Dove Housing properties will be built in East Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicester. It won the funding through the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme...
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Reform council leader brands cost of hotels for asylum seekers as a ‘disgrace’
THE leader of Staffordshire County Council has branded the spiralling cost of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers a ‘disgrace.’ A report by the Home Affairs Committee said ‘flawed contracts’ and ‘incompetent delivery’ left the Home Office relying...
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MP offers his support after production is ‘paused’ at tyre factory
THE MP for Burton and Uttoxeter is offering his support to tyre manufacturer Pirelli and its workforce after the company was forced to halt production. The company has confirmed it was pausing activity at its factory in Burton-on-trent – where 1,200...
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Lottery looks set to end as tickets sales are declining
COUNCILLORS in East Staffordshire are set to decide on whether to close a community lottery designed to help local good causes. East Staffordshire Borough Council says declining ticket sales and half of the good causes not receiving any support have...
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STUDENTS COOK UP A SOUL FOOD TREAT:
STUDENTS at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) were treated to a special soul food culinary workshop as part of Black History Month celebrations. Monica Holton, from Burton-based Datties Soul Food, worked alongside students to prepare and...
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Garden waste charge could rise in line with rest of county
THE garden waste charge across Burton and Uttoxeter could be about to increase as council leaders are set to receive a range of proposals on the future of the service. This follows a review of the first year of charging residents for garden waste...
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Upgrading 2 junctions on A50 would help to create 2,000 jobs and generate £116m locally
THE government has refused to commit to funding improvements to the A50/A500 corridor before 2031. Politicians and business leaders in Staffordshire have long been calling for upgrades to the route between junction 15 on the M6 and Uttoxeter, to...
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Have your say on masterplan set to reverse the ‘decline’ of town centre
MORE than 50 homes, a hotel or bowling alley, cafes and a play area could be built in a South Derbyshire town centre to help reverse years of decline. The district council has launched a public consultation on the Swadlincote town centre masterplan,...
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JCB’S investing £100m to mark 80 years and to safeguard jobs
DIGGER giant JCB is to invest £100 million in its Staffordshire global headquarters to help safeguard more than 8,000 jobs in the UK. The company says the announcement – on the eve of its 80th birthday – demonstrates the firm’s ‘long-term commitment’...
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42 play areas across East Staffordshire given a boost worth £500k
HALF a million pounds of work to improve play areas across East Staffordshire has been completed. The work, installing new inclusive equipment, repainting and introducing interactive elements for children of all ages to enjoy, has been carried out at...
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‘Significant risks and high costs’ of 2 unitary councils plan for county
PLANS to create two new unitary councils for East Staffordshire are taking their next steps – despite ‘significant risk and high cost.’ A Local Government Reorganisation proposal which could see the creation of two new councils – Staffordshire East...
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Family is left ‘heartbroken’ after being hit by arson attack
A FAMILY has been left ‘heartbroken’ after a devastating arson attack at their Burton home. Now police are investigating the deliberate blaze, which saw the flames from a fireball car spread to a property. A community group has urged witnesses to...
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Action taken on beggars in town centre after public concern
A Multi-agency approach to tackle begging in Burton town centre has been launched. Staffordshire Police community support officers (PCSOS) have recently been approached by members of the public worried about the issue. They have said that many of...
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‘Show of support’ for Remembrance Day yet again by college students
STUDENTS from Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) have been honouring Remembrance Day through a range of creative designs. The handcrafted and digitally produced items have been made by a group of 3D and Mixed Media Design students to raise...
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Major upgrade turns Burton’s Washlands into ‘vibrant destination’
BURTON Washlands has been given a major upgrade to transform it into a “vibrant destination”. The project – to connect the town centre to the riverbank – offering safe, accessible spaces for play, relaxation, and exploration, is part of Burton’s...
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Dad in bid to raise £1,000 as allotment is ransacked by intruders
A BURTON family are hoping to raise £1,000 after their allotment was ransacked by thieves. Adam French has launched the appeal following the break-in at his plot at Regatta Lane Allotments, just off Burton Road in Branston. The tool shed and the...
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90 arrests and fall in crime as £1m extra cop patrols pay-off
CRIME has fallen by 10 per cent and at least 90 people have been arrested as part of £1m worth of extra police patrols across Staffordshire. Officers have been carrying out extra shifts across 19 different locations as part of a strategy to reduce...
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County council staff in firing line following 784 attacks in three years
LEADERS at Staffordshire County Council say ‘no one deserves to be abused for just doing their job’ after new figures showed there were nearly 800 attacks on staff in the past three years. Workplace injury claim specialists Legal Expert obtained...
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Fresh attempt to steer kids in Staffordshire away from knife crime
A NEW comic book learning resource has been launched to educate children and young people in Staffordshire about knife crime. Commissioned by the Staffordshire Police Commissioner’s Office, the Panst afford shire Personal, Social, Health and Economic...
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Town’s historic former police station is to be sold at auction
AN historic former police station in Uttoxeter is going under the hammer, with an auction guide price of £400,000-plus. A Grade Ii-listed building, the former police station will be among 179 lots appearing in Bond Wolfe’s next auction, which is due...
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New plans will tackle decades of decline on county’s roads
A MAJOR new plan to tackle road repairs across Staffordshire has been launched by the county council. The new ‘Roadmap to a Better Network’ aims to tackle ‘decades of decline in the county’s roads and highways.’ It sets out how the council will fix...
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