Global Trade

Three years on since Birmingham hosted the Commonwealth Games, an interactive fairy tale-style experience has been installed to bring the games back to life.

United By 2022, the legacy charity of the Games, will host The Next Chapter at New Street Station from Wednesday until Friday.

Maureen Levermore, featured as one of the 50 ball chain women in the opening ceremony and said she still cherished the opportunity to be involved.

"As of today us 50 ball chain women are all still friends and it's important to know that from volunteering you can make great friendship groups," she said.

Charity CEO Nicola Turner said the exhibition told stories from volunteers, young people and local communities across the West Midlands on what the Games did for them.

She said: "The beautiful thing about this legacy is it's touched 279 places all around the West Midlands.

"We hope the public can touch and feel the impact from the Commonwealth Games.

"Come and sit on the throne of legacy or maybe come and stand on our bridge of possibilities."

The project also features a wish book for members of the public to say what they want for the future of the city.

"We hope this unique event helps to shine a light on the brilliant legacy of the Games, the vital work of our volunteers," Ms Turner added.

A football team has been denied a chance of promotion after being disqualified from its league's play-off match.

Stockton Town FC had been set to play in the Northern Premier League (NPL) Premier Division play-off final, but was stopped after fielding captain Adam Nicholson in an earlier game when he should have been banned.

The club appealed the decision, however the NPL upheld its ruling at a disciplinary meeting on Sunday.

In a statement, the club said it was "disappointed" by the outcome and was considering further appeals.

"We are currently reviewing the decision and will assess our position before determining next steps regarding the appeal process," it said.

"We would like to thank our players, staff, volunteers, and especially our supporters for your understanding and unwavering backing throughout this time.

"We remain committed to transparency and will provide further updates when appropriate."

'Exception circumstances'

The breach occurred during the Premier Division semi-final game against Guiseley AFC, which Nicholson played in despite being sent off on the final day of the regular season.

In normal circumstances, a ban from playing would have kicked in seven days after the offence. However, the delay only applies during the regular season, meaning the ban also covered the semi-final.

Stockton were fined and Guiseley were given the play-off spot.

The NPL said: "The club admitted the charge but cited what it believed to be exceptional circumstances leading to the ineligibility.

"However, the panel found unanimously that the circumstances put forward by the club were not exceptional."

The Premier Division play-off final between Worksop Town and Guiseley kicks off at 15:00 BST.

Celebrations are to take place across Lincolnshire to mark Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

On 8 May 1945, people around the world celebrated Germany's surrender, which had been agreed the previous day.

Victory in Europe (VE Day) comes ahead of Victory in Japan Day (VJ Day) on 15 August, which commemorates the end of the 1939 – 1945 conflict.

Here is a selection of events being held across the county to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

A thanksgiving service will be held at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) , The Spire, Lincoln on 11 May at 10:30 BST.

The IBCC is dedicated to the 58,000 men and women who lost their lives serving or supporting Bomber Command during World War Two.

Skegness flypast

Events in Skegness include a ukulele band, a standards parade, flags raised and thanksgiving speech from the mayor between 10:00 to 12.30 BST on 8 May.

On 10 May, The Skegness Branch of the Royal British Legion and Skegness Carnival are hosting an event which includes vintage military vehicles, stalls, 1940s music and local choirs from 10:00 to 16:00 BST.

Both events will be held at Tower Gardens in Skegness, include a Battle of Britain Memorial flypast and are free of charge.

Boston events

Organised events include The Haven VE Day Celebrations at White House Lane in Boston from 10:30 to 18:00 BST on 8 May.

A spokesperson from Boston Borough Council said: "We're inviting everyone to come together for the Great British Food Festival for a day of fun, food, and to honour the veterans who ensured we could live peacefully today."

Grantham celebrations

On 8 May, military exhibits will be on display at Wyndham Park's visitor centre, alongside music and dance from Grantham School of Dance, followed by a beacon lighting at 21:30 BST.

South Kesteven District Council Cabinet member for Armed Forces, Councillor Phil Dilks, said: "It's vital that we never forget the sacrifices of so many who fought for our freedoms."

Beacon lighting

In Burgh le Marsh, celebrations begin with a service at the parish church from 16:30 BST on 8 May, followed by a BBQ, games and a school choir performance at Windmill restaurant. The event will conclude with the lighting of the town's beacon at 21:00.

In Wellingore, there will be a beacon lighting event on 8 May at 21:30 followed by a VE Day anniversary evening at Wellingore Memorial Hall on 10 May, featuring a 16-piece big band.

Waltham picnic

A 1940s themed picnic will be held at Waltham Windmill on the 10 May from 11:00 to 15:00 BST. The free event includes face painting, food stalls, evacuation train rides, a quiz and balloon-modelling. Live music and dancing will top off the event and a prize for the best 1940s outfit.

South Holland events

Veterans will be in attendance when South Holland District Council raises the flag outside its council offices on Priory Road, Spalding, at 11:00 BST on 8 May.

In Carters Park in Holbeach lamps of peace will be lit, food stalls, music and the lighting of the beacon will take place on 8 May from 17:00 to 22:00 BST.

Branston vehicles

Food, music and games will kick off events at Branston and Mere Village Hall from 12:00 to 18:00 BST on 10 May. A range of vehicles from the 1940s and military will also be on display.

Dambusters hotel event

Blind Veterans UK charity is holding a day-long event at the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa on 8 May.

The building was the headquarters of the 617 Dambusters RAF squadron in World War Two.

Around 50 blind veterans will attend the event which features a parade of military vehicles, readings from local schoolchildren, food and music.

The Battle of Britain memorial flight fly over the hotel with Spitfires and Hurricanes.

Events start at 11:00 BST with the military convoy and the flypast is scheduled at 16:00.

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

A report has been launched to highlight key issues Guernsey's business community believes the next government should address.

The Voice of Guernsey Business Report aims to bring together the views of businesses across 20 industries and represent more than 20,000 employees.

The report, developed by the G8, identified housing, education, economic development, tourism, government delivery and public spending as the "most pressing challenges" facing the island.

A G8 spokesperson said it would take "courage, collaboration and commitment" to unlock Guernsey's potential.

'Credible, deliverable policies'

The report said 80% of the 400 respondents surveyed found housing impacted their ability to attract or retain talent, while 65% found air or sea services had negatively impacted the prosperity of their organisation.

More than 65% also supported tax incentives as a method of helping businesses on the island.

The report has called for all candidates to address each of the six themes in their manifestos and to set out "credible, deliverable policies".

Key calls to action include:

• Appointing a housing champion to accelerate delivery and co-ordinate cross-committee action
• Launching a review of Guernsey's Air Policy by the end of 2025 to improve affordability and reliability
• Establishing a Skills for Guernsey Agency, co-designed with the industry, by the end of 2026
• Prioritising efficient, transparent public spending to rebuild trust and drive long-term investment
• Committing to a Shared Strategic Vision for the States term (2025–2029), backed by streamlined processes and digital transformation

'Move forward'

A spokesperson said the report wasn't "just a list of challenges".

They said: "Our system relies on deputies who work constructively, respect differing perspectives, and build consensus to move forward.

"It's a roadmap for action – and sends a direct message to candidates. Don't ignore the challenges, be the deputy who delivers results."

A public panel event hosted by the G8 is set to take place on Friday, 23 May, where candidates will engage directly with business and community leaders.

Detectives have revealed how they uncovered a makeshift factory that produced lethal "assassination kits" for organised crime groups.

Armed police arrested Ronald Knowles as he tried to burn a "treasure trove" of evidence in his back garden in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

The 64-year-old, who is now awaiting sentence, converted at least 33 replica pistols, and had enough bullets for a further 80 kits that were packaged with silencers and latex gloves.

The kits were sold by a notorious "drugs general" called Gary Hardy, from his home in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire.

The makeshift factory was discovered as part of an investigation into Hardy by Nottinghamshire Police and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU).

Its details have now been released by the force after the conclusion of Hardy's trial.

Det Ch Insp Mark Adas said officers moved in to make arrests after stopping a van in Measham, Leicestershire, in August 2023.

They seized a box containing four "lethal" self-loading pistols, each individually packaged with a silencer, blue nitrile gloves and 10 rounds of live ammunition.

"The bullets had been converted from blank firing to live. If discharged they would effectively expand on impact," he said.

"These were lethal assassination kits. I call them that because they were individually packaged. The firearms were designed to kill. It is highly concerning."

As armed officers moved into Knowles's garden in Milton Avenue, drone footage captured the moment he emerged from an outbuilding with his hands up before being handcuffed in front of his bonfire.

Det Ch Insp Adas says that outbuilding contained lathes and a drill that the weapons collector used to make the silencers and convert the pistols and ammunition.

Police also seized throwing stars, machetes, crossbows and air weapons, and almost 1,000 rounds.

"With the amount of ammunition that we found, that was in our belief destined for conversion, another 80 assassination kits could have been converted," said Det Ch Insp Adas.

"It was a significant find for us. This is the largest firearms manufacturing operation that I have ever seen, and to my knowledge one of the biggest we've seen in the East Midlands, if not wider."

Knowles admitted serious firearms offences, and details can now be reported following the convictions of Hardy and two other men at Nottingham Crown Court.

Det Ch Insp Adas says Hardy, 61, was "very, very dangerous" and led an operation that supplied lethal weapons to organised crime groups in the West Midlands and Essex.

"He was living in a nice address in Ravenshead, he had nice cars, he was leading a nice lifestyle but did not have any form of genuine employment to our knowledge," the detective said.

"We will never know the true scale of how many lives have been saved as a result of us dismantling this operation, but it is significant."

Hardy first made headlines in September 2008 when he received a 20-year sentence in a major drugs trial at Nottingham Crown Court that had to be guarded by armed police.

That jury heard Hardy was one of three "drugs generals" in Nottinghamshire, and supplied heroin and amphetamines to dealers in Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield.

He had a fleet of luxury cars and owned more than 40 properties as part of a string of businesses that made his earnings appear to be legitimate.

The court heard Hardy's heroin supplies were smuggled into the UK in lorry tyres, and the profits were split with another Nottinghamshire "drugs general", John Dawes, and his brother, Robert.

Robert Dawes was an international drug trafficker who was eventually arrested in Spain and has now been jailed in the Netherlands for ordering a hitman to kill an innocent teacher.

Now Hardy is due to be sentenced again at a date yet to be set, along with Knowles and two other men who were convicted of firearms offences at Nottingham Crown Court last month.

One of those men is a 23-year-old drug dealer called Jason Hill.

Hill is already serving a life sentence for the "brutal and cold-blooded" murder of Owen Fairclough, whose body was found in Breaston, Derbyshire, in June 2023.

Six days after the discovery, officers searched Hill's back garden in Derby Road, Risley, and found a hidden safe containing two guns, two silencers and two dozen 9mm bullets.

Nottinghamshire Police believe Hill obtained those weapons from Stephen Houston, 64, who lived in Corley, Warwickshire.

The force says Houston was supplying Hardy's assassination kits to members of the criminal underworld.

Knowles, Hardy, Houston and Hill will all be sentenced for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Knowles, Hardy and Houston will also be sentenced for conspiracy to convert a blank-firing gun into a firearm, and conspiracy to sell or transfer a firearm.

Construction work is set to start on the second phase of a major flood defence scheme for Derby.

A new flood wall and floodgates are set to be constructed as part of the Derby Riverside scheme, which aims to protect properties along the east bank of the River Derwent from Causey Bridge to Derwent Bridge.

Workers are also set to demolish riverside office blocks in Stuart Street to create a new riverside green area which Derby City Council says will create more space for flood water to pass through the city in "a controlled corridor".

Preparatory work has already started on the site, with contractors set to start demolition and construction in June, the authority said.

A number of trees will be chopped down along the route, which the council says is necessary to allow the defences to be built and to make sure there are no obstructions in the riverside park which is designed to let flood water flow away.

The Derby Riverside scheme aims to protect Breadsall, Darley Abbey Mills Bridge, the area between North Riverside and Meadow Lane, and sites at Derby Junction Railway Bridge, Pride Park, Ambaston and Shardlow from floods.

It is part of the wider three-phase Our City Our River project, which aims to protect an area between Alfreton Road Industrial Estate and Alvaston Park.

The river burst its banks in 2023 and caused widespread flooding along the eastern bank of the Derwent following Storm Babet.

Councillor Carmel Swan, cabinet member for climate change, transport and sustainability, said: "These works are crucial as we continue to future proof the city against extreme weather and unlock the potential for regeneration along the river.

"We can now look forward to seeing work begin on site in the near future."

The boss of Marks & Spencer has told customers the retailer is "working day and night" to manage the cyber attack that has forced it to temporarily shut down its online operations.

Stuart Machin said he was "really sorry" for the disruption to services, but did not say when normal business would resume.

M&S's problems began over the Easter weekend, and last week it confirmed it was dealing with a "cyber incident" and paused online orders on its website and apps.

The Co-op and luxury department store Harrods have also been targeted and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has urged retailers to be vigilant.

In his message, Mr Machin said: "We are working day and night to manage the current cyber incident and get things back to normal for you as quickly as possible."

He also thanked customers for "all the support you have shown us".

The cyber attack has already had a significant impact on the retailer, as online transactions account for about a third of its clothing and home sales. On average, £3.8m is spent on clothing and home products on its website and apps every day.

There have also been gaps on the food shelves in some stores after the firm took some of its systems offline in an attempt to manage the attack, while its loyalty scheme and gift card payments have been disrupted too.

Analysts have pointed out that M&S risks losing out to rivals, as online shoppers can quickly switch to other retailers' websites.

The problems have also coincided with a period of warmer weather, when people are likely to want to buy new summer clothes.

M&S shares dropped almost 2% on Friday morning, and are now down about 5% from the point when the company first disclosed its IT systems had been disrupted.

A community group hopes it can take ownership of a threatened church by the end of the year.

Billingham's parish applied to close the town's 1,000-year-old St Cuthbert's Church last year due to rising costs and falling attendance.

Friends of St Cuthbert's Church was formed to save it and is now in negotiations with the parish and the Diocese of Durham to officially take ownership.

But a member of the group, Charles Wellington, said the funding problems the Grade I-listed church is facing will not be simply "magicked away" if the move is given the go-ahead.

Following negotiations, which are expected to conclude in June, there will be a public consultation for the local community to have its say on the change.

"It's hoped the transfer will go through by the end of the year," Mr Wellington said.

"It's pretty close, we're in pretty detailed negotiations to try and make this scheme run because if it doesn't the church will simply close and that will be very sad for Billingham."

Declining congregations

If the plans progress, the parish would relinquish responsibility for the ancient church and close it, before immediately transferring it to the friends group, acting in its capacity as a charitable community body.

Under the new plans, regular worship, weddings, funerals and baptisms would continue but the restored St Cuthbert's would be opened more widely to the community.

Mr Wellington said the issues faced by the church affect "all churches of every denomination throughout the country".

"Congregations are declining or getting older and all churches depend on their congregations to fund not only the church, but the clergy who work there."

Transferring ownership to the community group will not solve the church's financial problems but will allow funds to be sourced elsewhere.

"We, the Friends, will have exactly the same challenge," Mr Wellington said.

"We just hope we're in a position to cast our net wider and also offer a much wider range of events and fundraising possibilities."

Water sports enthusiasts could be asked not to use part of a Scottish loch under proposals to protect a rare species of bird.

They could be discouraged from using the east end of Loch Ruthven – near Farr, south of Inverness – between March and August to help boost Slavonian Grebe numbers.

A significant rise in the likes of canoeing, paddleboarding and swimming has led to more bird disturbances, according to RSPB Scotland which manages the site.

Highland Council is asking for feedback on planned guidance aimed at strengthening the bird population.

Declining numbers

The entire UK population of breeding Slavonian Grebes is found within 30 miles (50km) of Inverness.

Numbers peaked at between 70 and 80 breeding pairs in the early 1990s.

However, pairs at Loch Ruthven fell from a long-term average of 13 to just three last year.

The birds swim to find food, but noise or movement can disturb them, block nests, or separate adults from their young.

RSPB Scotland controls access to the loch and, since 2021, the charity has employed rangers to monitor bird sightings and incidents of disturbance.

It hopes guidance to reduce noise and movement could support more successful breeding seasons.

Highland Council said the guidance being proposed would be advisory but stressed it was already illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981 to intentionally disturb the birds during breeding season.

The public consultation runs until 16 May.