Burton Mail

Child rapist jailed for 19 years

A RAPIST has been handed a 19-year prison sentence. Aaron Starmer, of Burton, pleaded guilty to child rape, the attempted rape of a child, three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, sexual activity with a...

Relocation a ‘major step forward’ for Burton firm

WOODWARD Group has invested in a new purpose-built, sustainable facility in Burton-upon-trent as part of its plans for continued growth. The Burton-based mechanical and electrical contractor has relocated to Shobnall Road, where the new site provides...

Rising fuel costs are threatening to derail finance plans of our ambulance trust

FUEL costs driven higher by the war in Iran and the continuing challenge of long waiting times outside hospitals are threatening to derail a regional ambulance trust’s financial plans. The board of West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) held a meeting...

Council agrees five year deal with firm to keep running its key sports facilities

COUNCIL leaders have agreed a fiveyear extension to their contract with Sports and Leisure Management Ltd, securing the management of key facilities. The company, which operates as Everyone Active, was originally awarded a ten-year contract from East...

Ancient carvings ‘lost for decades rediscovered’ at Tutbury Castle

ANCIENT stone carvings believed lost for decades have been rediscovered at Tutbury Castle to spark fresh debate about Burton’s early history. The two relics, originally from Burton Abbey, were found fixed to a café wall at the castle after...

£88m finance package will help to ‘support’ more affordable homes

A NEW £88 million finance package has been agreed between Lloyds Banking Group and Trent & Dove to support the delivery of affordable homes and community investment across the region. The deal will help Trent & Dove enhance, maintain and build more...

£923k boost to overhaul key buildings at college in Burton

BURTON and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) is set to receive nearly £1 million as part of a £42 million government investment to upgrade further education facilities across the West Midlands. The funding, announced by the Department for Education,...

Violent thug is jailed 15 years for brutal attack on girlfriend

A MAN who punched and kicked his girlfriend before holding her under water and then slamming her head in a car door has been jailed for more than 15 years. Liam Dawson, 34, from Burton-ontrent, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court to 15 years and...

‘Leisure retreat’ plan for England footballers at St George’s Park

PLANS have been lodged for a bespoke leisure retreat for national football teams at St George’s Park. The Burton retreat will house basketball and padel courts, as well as a golf driving range. The space will be used during training breaks for the 23...

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Funding shortfall threat to the vital services provided by charity

A SMALL independent charity in Uttoxeter is trying to raise £25,000 by the end of July as it faces a funding shortfall that could threaten its vital mental health services. YESS, originally established in 2011 as the Youth Emotional Support Service,...

End of year work to start vow on town’s shopping centre

EAST Staffordshire Borough Council has promised work on a major regeneration project in Uttoxeter will begin before the end of the year. The Maltings shopping centre has been set for regeneration since 2023, but has been faced by repeated delays. In...

Former pupil recalls chocolate pudding and green custard as school marks 60th birthday!

A TEACHING assistant who has worked for three decades at the school she also attended as a pupil is all set to take part in its 60th anniversary celebrations. Annette Batchelor has worked at Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy, in Burton, for 31...

150 arrests in 1 month as police target county’s drink-drivers

TRAFFIC police in Staffordshire arrested 150 suspected drink-drivers in just one month - after carrying out more breath tests than any other force in the UK. The huge operation during December came at the end of a year in which Staffordshire Police...

Go-ahead for demolition that will pave way for 1,100 jobs at Rolls-royce

ROLLS-ROYCE is set to demolish an industrial building on its Raynesway campus to make way for the planned redevelopment of the site. Planning permission has been granted by Derby City Council to demolish the STAR Micronics building just off the A5111...

Life sentence for ‘violent bully’ who murdered partner

A “VIOLENT BULLY” who subjected his vulnerable partner to abuse throughout their relationship before murdering her has been handed a life sentence. Dale Cole, 39, attacked Lisa Holland, also 39, inflicting serious internal injuries on her before...

£138m package of measures to help fix roads in county and boost bus services

COUNCIL chiefs have sanctioned a £138m package of measures to fix roads and improve bus services to help keep the highway network moving. Staffordshire County Council’s combined highways and transport capital programme brings road maintenance and...

‘She was an incredibly beautiful lady both inside and out’

A WOMAN murdered by her violent partner was a ‘beautiful lady, inside and out,’ her family has said. The loved-ones of Lisa Holland paid tribute to the 39-year-old after Dale Cole was convicted of murdering her at the end of a court case on...

‘Violent bully’ found guilty of murdering his partner at her home

A “VIOLENT bully” who subjected his vulnerable partner to “sustained and horrific abuse” before he killed her has been convicted of her murder. Dale Cole, 39, inflicted serious internal injuries on Lisa Holland, 39, at the home they shared in...

‘Women still feeling at risk on a night out is unacceptable’

POLICE are carrying out patrols to spot predatory behaviour around bars and clubs and poorly-lit spaces in a crackdown on violence against women and girls. Staffordshire Police are leading the month-long crackdown following £24,000 of Home Office...

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Two-bedroom home could be yours for just £20,000

A Semi-detached home in the South Derbyshire village of Newhall is going up for auction this month – with a guide price of just £20,000. Hillside, a two-bedroom property, is situated at number 24 Rose Tree Lane, in the historic village, conveniently...

Town centre will be lit up to help keep people safe in Burton LANTERNS AT CENOTAPH ARE SANCTIONED BY BOROUGH COUNCIL WITH AIM OF IMPROVING VISIBILITY AND SAFETY

NEW lanterns have been installed by East Staffordshire Borough Council in the Burton Cenotaph area in a bid to improve visibility and safety. The project, paid for through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s community safety funding, replaces ageing...

Go-ahead for new 299-home estate designed to be not like anything in East Staffordshire

THE first phase of a major housing development on the edge of Burton has been unanimously approved. The plans will see 299 new homes constructed, as well as an 81-bed care home on land between Tutbury Road, Rolleston Road, and Harehedge Lane. The...

Evie launches ‘safe space’ for women suffering from chronic condition

A WOMAN from Derbyshire has launched a support group in Burton and Ashby de la Zouch aiming to be a ‘safe space’ for people suffering from chronic gynaecological and hormonal health conditions. Evie Solomon, 23, founded H.E.R Circle to help women...

MP sings praises of the ‘everyday brilliance’ from women and girls across Burton and Uttoxeter

THIS weekend, we come together to celebrate the extraordinary women and girls across our country. Here in Burton and Uttoxeter, I see the contribution of women every day – those leading local organisations, running small businesses, raising families...

Big decrease in the number of students being ‘kicked out’ of county schools

THE number of pupils permanently excluded from Staffordshire schools dropped by almost 50 per cent last term compared to the previous year, councillors have been told. There were no children in care permanently excluded from school during the latest...

‘The loss of Sian has left a space that can never be filled’

THE FAMILY of a mum who died in a car crash say their loss has ‘left a space that can never be filled.’ Sian Sanghera, aged 33, was pronounced dead at the scene of a collision in Barton-under Needwood. Staffordshire Police had been called out at...

Road closures as next phase of town cycleway scheme begins

A £1.2m scheme to extend a cycleway through Burton town centre has restarted after a two-week pause. The Staffordshire County Council project will create a new two-way cycle track along Borough Road, linking Burton railway station directly with the...

MP in praise of volunteers who run food clubs in Burton and Uttoxeter

THE MP for Burton and Uttoxeter has praised comm.unity volunteers after visiting a local food club to see first-hand the impact of affordable meal support. Jacob Collier met volunteers and members at The Bread and Butter Thing food club – part of a...

Catering firm shuts as JCB decision wipes out its trade

OWNERS of a Uttoxeter catering business say it has been forced to shut after JCB ‘privatised’ its pitch and brought in its own food firm to feed workers. Heidi’s Kitchen operates a shop on Bradley Street, but also runs a mobile catering van, which...

Most cops since 2015 when force recruits 26 new officers in the county

THE number of police officers in Staffordshire is set to be the highest for 15 years – as 26 extra cops are being recruited. The new officers will be taken on over the next 12 months to help boost visibility by increasing patrols across the...

Brewer based in Burton is set to shut its Cornwall and Cardiff sites as 200 jobs at risk

MOLSON Coors, which has its headquarters in Burton, has revealed plans to shut Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall and its UK national contact centre in Cardiff by the end of the year – putting around 200 jobs at risk. The Carling brewer said the decision to...

Extra officers and new cops help cut shop thefts in towns

POLICE chiefs say that 13,000 hours of town centre and public space patrols have helped reduce shoplifting offences across the county. Staffordshire Police have also invested in 53 additional neighbourhood officers since May of last year. Now it has...

Burton man is on trial for the murder of his partner found with ’30 broken ribs’

AN “overbearing, controlling and abusive” man murdered his vulnerable partner in a fit of anger after a long period of abuse in which she had suffered at least 30 broken ribs, a court has heard. Dale Cole, 39, is said to have inflicted “very serious...

Dispute over failure to secure £10m to fund brewery quarter plan

THE failure to secure vital funding to Burton’s ‘once in a lifetime’ regeneration project has sparked a row over who is to blame. Late last year, East Staffordshire Borough Council announced it had failed to secure millions of pounds in lottery...

Burton’s greatest treasure all set to return home after ‘major discovery’

A MEDIEVAL knight believed lost for almost a century has been rediscovered and is now set to return home to Burton with the blessing of the Duchy of Lancaster. The find has been described as the most important surviving relic from Burton Abbey and one...

Police issue an arrest warning after cop is abused on social media

PEOPLE could face arrest after a Derbyshire Police officer was abused on Facebook, the force has warned. The warning comes after dozens of comments were directed towards a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) on one of the force’s verified Facebook...

£3m project to transform land into affordable homes in town

A FORMER garage site in Burton will be transformed into a £3 million development of 14 new homes. Trent & Dove, a social housing provider which owns and manages more than 6,500 properties for rent and shared ownership across East Staffordshire, South...

Probe launched into fly-tipping as teams swarm town wards in a huge operation

COUNCIL chiefs have launched an investigation after a major operation identified fly-tipping in part of Burton. East Staffordshire Borough Council came across rubbish dumped in the Shobnall ward after teaming up with partner agencies. The council’s...

Army veteran Terry’s walking 200 miles in 5 days to highlight mental health plight of soldiers

A BURTON-ON-TRENT Army veteran is preparing to walk 200 miles in five days to raise awareness of the mental health struggles faced by former service personnel. Terry Carter, who served two tours of Afghanistan, will take part in a Veteran Suicide...

Burton bidding to become the UK’S Town of Culture 2028

BURTON upon Trent is bidding to make its mark on the national cultural stage. The town is entering the new UK Town of Culture competition – with a powerful story of brewing heritage, creative energy, and community spirit. Inspired by the success of...

New proposal is in place to secure the £10m needed for brewery museum

TALKS have begun to fund a £10 million flagship scheme to create a Museum of Brewing in Burton after initial plans were rejected by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. East Staffordshire Borough Council has confirmed it is now working with funding...

Chinese firm’s 700 A50 jobs bid ‘absolutely brilliant for area’

“ABSOLUTELY brilliant” plans for an apprentice training centre and warehouses for a major Chinese e-commerce firm, next to the A50, have been hailed as “huge for South Derbyshire”. At a meeting of the district council this week, plans for huge...

Ten-year ban on keeping pets as ‘neglected’ cat euthanized

A PET owner from Burton-upontrent has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after neglecting her underweight and injured cat. Two-year-old Buster was taken into a vet in a collapsed, emaciated state with multiple different wounds at different...

If it’s used in a safe way’

AI is having a bigger impact on all our lives, and for parents, it can be hard to keep up with the pace of change. Today is Safer Internet Day - and it comes at a time when families are increasingly having to help their kids navigate a digital world...

‘It’s a risk for the future that the government directs a police force’

STAFFORDSHIRE’S Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has raised concerns about future funding of services after major reforms to policing were announced by the Government. Ben Adams, below, described the proposals as a “death knell for Staffordshire...

‘She was let down by the people who should have cared for her’

A CARE home nurse from Burton has been fined £600 for wilful neglect after a disabled grandmother fell from a wheelchair and suffered injuries from which she never recovered. Derby Crown Court heard how 84-year-old Shirley Froggett, below, broke her...

Ring king Tyson’s county relative who once ‘sparred with Ali’

TYSON Fury is well known across the globe as a two-time world heavyweight champion. But what many might not realise is that he owes his fighting pedigree to a Staffordshire ancestor. And he’s still got a long way to go to match the fighting exploits...

War reenactments set to go off with a BANG!

THE Big Battle of Abbots Bromley will return this summer with a largescale living history spectacle bringing centuries of warfare and daily life to rural Staffordshire. The event will take place on Sunday, June 21, at High Ash Farm on Yeatsall Lane,...

Volunteers in a bid to raise funds to keep Banter going

Workers ‘supported, empowered and valued’ at rail firm

EAST Midlands Railway has secured its tenth consecutive UK Top Employer certification for 2026 from the Top Employers Institute. Operated by Transport UK, the award reflects a group-wide culture across EMR “where leaders are trusted and empowered to...

Plans unveiled for a new state of the art town leisure centre

A PLANNING application has been submitted for a new state-of–the-art leisure centre and open plan office building in Swadlincote. The facility will replace the current Green Bank Leisure Centre, which will be demolished as part of the redevelopment of...

Coffee factory welcomes MP as site marks anniversary

NESTLÉ has marked 125 years of its Tutbury factory by showcasing major sustainability investments during a visit by MP John Whitby. He toured the Tutbury site last week, one of Nestlé’s two specialist Nescafé factories in the UK and the home of the...

£15m plans to tackle pothole menace across roads in county

AN extra £15 million will be ploughed into fixing roads across the county including Burton and Uttoxeter - over the next two years as part of a new drive to tackle a ‘pothole backlog.’ Staffordshire County Council says it will be targeting...

Knife crime is down as cops on ‘overtime’ target hotspots

POLICE chiefs have revealed big reductions in knife crime and serious violence across Staffordshire after cops carried out 13,000 hours of overtime patrols. Since May last year, they have been on extra duties across 19 different hotspot locations in a...

School hopes new sports plan will be pitch perfect

LEADERS at a Burton school are looking to increase its sports offering to both pupils and the wider community. They have applied for planning permission to install a new 3G artificial grass pitch (AGP), along with a toilet and changing block at John...

‘Making sure customers feel cared for is at the heart of all our success’

HAYS Travel has been ranked among the top three organisations in the UK for customer satisfaction. The travel company placed third overall in its first-ever appearance in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, which ranks 272 online, retail and...

Rapist is locked up for 26 years after 17 sex offences against children

A RAPIST who was found guilty of 17 sexual offences against children has been jailed for 26 years. Andrew Robert Pope, 56, of Burton-on-trent, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday. The Burton Mail reported in June last year, inset, how a...

£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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...