AN anonymous benefactor has given a grandmother from Belper £40 after she had cash stolen from her handbag while suffering an epileptic fit.

Louise Warman was found by staff from a nearby chemist after collapsing in Green Lane, Belper, on Friday, July 28.

They say she had been placed in the recovery position but there was nobody else around.

She was taken to the Royal Derby Hospital and when she came round nearly ten hours later she realised her shopping money was missing from her purse.

Now an anonymous person has sent £40 to the 44-year-old grandmother.

The money was posted to the Derby Telegraph and was passed on to Mrs Warman who said she burst into tears when she received the cash.

Mrs Warman said: "It is very emotional to think that somebody has gone to all that hard work and thought to send this.

"I actually cried after I was given it."

And former colleagues at hosiery company Aristoc, where Mrs Warman worked before she was forced to stop due to her epilepsy, also raised cash for her.

Mrs Warman, of Albert Street, said: "My mum still works there and when she told them what happened they had a collection and gave me £30.

"Words can't explain how I feel about how kind people have been.

"I want to say thank-you to everyone at Aristoc and whoever it was that sent me the money.

"It really shows that there are kind people in this world."

Mrs Warman said that everyone who had heard about what happened has said how shocked they are that it occurred just off the town's busy shopping area, King Street.

Mrs Warman was walking into the centre of the town to do her weekly shopping when she collapsed. She also suffers from schizophrenia, which means she has trouble in large crowds, and says this has knocked her confidence.

She said: "I was out with my family and they all mentioned how I have started keeping my hand on my bag.

"I never used to do it so I think it is something in my mind that I feel I have to watch out for now.

"I just hope that whoever took the money reads this and feels lower than low."

AN army of litter pickers took to the streets of Derby yesterday.

Firms in the St Peter's Quarter joined in the tidy-up as part of the business improvement district's efforts to improve the area.

They joined rangers and Derby City Council's Street Pride team for the litter pick.

This was followed by chewing gum removal and deep cleaning of pavements by Street Pride.

The quarterly event is organised to bring businesses together.

Among them was Evans, in St Peter's Street, whose staff are constantly on the lookout for rubbish in and around their entrance.

Staff member Laura Goodband said: "We have always made an effort to keep our area clean and tidy.

"But being part of the St Peter's Quarter business improvement district means we now have a collective focus and have the contacts both with Street Pride through the rangers and with neighbouring businesses to be able to sort out problems if they occur.

"Litter and chewing gum at the entrance is bad for business.

"People often judge a restaurant by the cleanliness of the toilets and the same goes for retailers.

"If outside is dirty, it puts off customers coming in.

"Going outside to clean the pavements and shop fronts at regular times during the day doesn't take long and, since having the business improvement district, which has raised the profile of the importance of street cleanliness, I have noticed that standards have definitely improved."

This was echoed by Carol Bentley at the nearby Ann Summers store. "You wouldn't tolerate rubbish lying around at home, so why would you want it at work?" she asked.

"It's everybody's responsibility to do their bit to keep the areas around their businesses clean and tidy."

And Leah Button, manager at the Body Shop, also in St Peter's Street, added: "The tidy-up is great to remind everyone of the importance of keeping this area looking good.

"Footfall is increasing but it's no good having more visitors if they are then met by litter on the streets.

"As a beauty business, it is vital that we present the right image to our customers, so we make cleanliness outside as much of a priority as we do inside the shop."

CONTROVERSIAL plans for 99 homes have been approved in Smalley despite concerns over a "dangerous and busy" road.

The Peveril Homes development will see the homes build to the south of Heanor Road near the village.

At consultation, about 100 letters of objection were submitted to Amber Valley Borough Council but the plans were recommended for approval by officers.

Steve Bower, chairman of Smalley Parish Council, said: "The main reservation people in Smalley had against this development was access.

"The access road leads out on to a very busy and dangerous main road. Heanor Gate School is just down the road, so there may be parking issues.

"There is also the Adale Road development entrance a few hundred yards away and the opencast mine has lorries moving to and from it.

"There could be three vehicles per household on the new estate and 99 houses which could cause a problem."

Mr Bower said although Smalley has been the site for two housing developments and an extension to its opencast mine, people in the village would "get on with it".

He said: "UK Coal has been managing the opencast mine very well and when it comes down to it, people just get on with it.

"It's not good but there are housing developments springing up all over the place at the moment."

The development, by Peveril Homes, will be built on greenfield land over 5.86 hectares.

Amber Valley Borough Council officers recommended the plans for approval at the latest planning board meeting.

Councillors approved them – but with some restrictions.

The councillors amended their approval to include a review mechanism where the council can periodically review the development as it is happening.

Also at the planning meeting, proposals for two 32-metre wind turbines in Denby were rejected.

The machines would have been used for power by a farm on the land and other buildings nearby.

A FORMER tutor of Holby City star Tom Chambers said he is astonished the actor was turned down for Downton Abbey because he "wasn't posh enough".

Tom, 36, from Parwich and who was educated at expensive Repton School, auditioned for the part in Downton to play the new love interest of widowed Lady Mary Crawley, played by Michelle Dockery.

But he was rejected by the show's bosses because he would not have fitted in with the upper-class characters.

He said: "I was told I didn't have enough blue blood in me to join the series.

"I was extremely eager to get the role, so it was disappointing but you have to become very thick-skinned about the things that don't come your way."

Michael Moore, deputy head of The Guildford School of Acting, where Tom trained, said he was astonished at his audition failure.

Mr Moore said: "We spend a long time teaching people received pronunciation and anyone speaking to Tom wouldn't doubt it.

"Maybe our RP lessons haven't done him much good if he's not up to Downton!"

However, Tom is pleased he was turned down for Downton because he would not have landed the lead role in the BBC One drama Father Brown otherwise.

He told the Birmingham Mail: "If I had got the job, I wouldn't have been able to do this, so it wasn't so bad in the end.

"I'm delighted to be joining such an exciting series."

The fourth series of the show, which starts in September, will tell the story of Mary who is struggling to manage as a single parent with a baby after her husband, Matthew Crawley, was killed in a car crash in the Christmas Day special of the hit programme.

Tom should not be too downcast at the snub as he is also set to star alongside Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent in a BBC drama about the Great Train Robbery later this year.

He appear in the second part of the drama, called A Coppers' Tale, which also stars Robert Glenister, Tim Pigott-Smith and James Fox.

A Copper's Tale tells the story of Tommy Butler, played by Jim Broadbent, and the crack team of detectives he assembled in his quest to bring the robbers to justice.

No date has been set for when the drama will be broadcast but this August marks 50 years since the heist.

As well as his roles in hit TV dramas Holby City and Waterloo Road, Tom won the 2009 series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Camilla Dallerup.

NIGEL Clough was delighted by the way Derby County fought back against Port Vale last night but the manager was not happy with the defending in the first half.

Clough watched his team – which included three youngsters in the back four – concede three goals after Michael Jacobs had put Derby ahead with an early penalty.

Two of the goals conceded came from set pieces as League One Vale built a 3-1 lead by the interval.

Second-half goals from Michael Hoganson, Jeff Hendrick, and substitutes Johnny Russell and Craig Forsyth, gave Derby a 5-3 win in the friendly at Vale Park.

The team that finished the game was notably stronger than the one that started.

"It is a bit unfortunate when you split the team, as we did," said Clough.

"We split it evenly in Ireland at the weekend but the team that came on against Port Vale was a bit stronger and we will reverse it onFriday night at Bristol Rovers.

"I thought we came back well, it was just our inability to deal with the ball in the box in the first half.

"We expect our centre-halves to head the ball, that is their job, but when you have no Richard Keogh, no Jake Buxton, no John Brayford, no Mark O'Brien, no Shaun Barker, no Craig Forsyth and no Chris Martin out there we are going to be a bit vulnerable."

Derby started with a back four of Kieron Freeman, Valentin Gjokaj, James O'Connor and Hoganson.

A BURST water main in Derby city centre caused traffic chaos on Tuesday.

The incident happened on London Road bridge at around 4am on Tuesday and resulted in water gushing into the street.

The bridge remained closed on Tuesday night while emergency repairs continued.

No Severn Trent Water customers were left without a water supply while the problem was being fixed.

A spokeswoman for Severn Trent said: "We would like to apologise to customers and motorists who may have been affected.

"Just after 4am, we received a call reporting the burst pipe and went out to investigate soon after.

"We then worked with the local authority to organise the necessary road closure, so that repair to the damaged pipe could begin.

"The temporary traffic lights will remain in place while we complete this repair and return the road back to a safe condition.

"Our customers' water supply in the area has not been affected by the burst pipe or the repair to fix this."

GREEN-FINGERED couple Fred and Carol Whaley have turned their modest semi into an explosion of colour by covering it in hanging baskets.

The amazing display at their Spondon home takes Fred, 69, and Carol, 67, half an hour a day to water.

The retired builder and his wife, who is also retired and previously worked in the catering industry, live on Willowcroft Road.

They have 10 hanging baskets, five barrels and a pig trough full of flowers to maintain at the front of their home. They have calculated there are an astonishing 1,000 flowers in bloom.

And with over 15 floral varieties to maintain and the hot weather wreaking havoc with the fuchsias, taking care of this garden is no easy task.

Mrs Whaley said: "There are a lot of flowers to look after but it's not a problem because we love doing it. Both myself and Fred tackle the watering together after teatime."

She added: "The weather does affect the flowers and in particular it burns the fuchsias and the begonias."

The garden boasts an array of beautiful flowers such as lilies and acers and often attracts spectators.

Carol said: "We always get a nice reaction from people that see the garden. We often see people pointing at the flowers or commenting on them.

"I remember a few years back we got a card through the door thanking us for putting out such a lovely demonstration. The person who wrote it said that it always cheered them up when they were on their way to work. We thought that was lovely."

So what are Carol's three top tips for the perfect hanging basket?

She chuckled: "They are just like people – keep them well-fed; keep them well-watered; keep them dead-headed!"

The Whaleys are not set to be spared their watering duties as the latest forecast predicts strong temperatures and sunshine are set to continue throughout the week.

Today, will see highs of 26C and will be bright and sunny all day, although not the hottest day of the year, as forecasters originally said.

Thursday will boast highs of 27C and although clouds may creep in, the weather will remain mostly sunny.

Friday will be sunny all day at 26C, Saturday will see a more mild temperature of 23C.

Meanwhile, Lee Millington and Shrene Hussain, both from Derby, made the most of yesterday's hot weather by going along to Derby's River Gardens and taking a dip in the water.

Shrene said: "It a nice place to come when the sun's out. We needed to cool off so we thought why not?"

Lewis Walker, 22, and Stanislava Dimova, 22, from Chaddesden Park Road, also went along to the River Gardens and tucked into a picnic.

TEACHERS at a Derbyshire school have created a dance video as part of the year 11 leavers' celebrations – for the third year in a row.

This time, it is the turn of chart hit Gangnam Style to get the Mill Hill School treatment and it has already had 6,000 hits on the internet.

The original video is the most-watched and most-liked video of all time on YouTube.

More than 40 staff from the Ripley school were involved in the video, with teacher Huw Lloyd taking the lead role as singer Psy.

It is now established tradition for teachers at the school to create a lasting memory for pupils of their time at the school.

Last year, 18 teachers danced to Run DMC's It's Like That. The previous year, the school re-enacted Peter Kay's version of Is This The Way To Amarillo.

Mr Lloyd, who is the school's key stage four director of learning, has taken a key role in all the films.

He said this year's was the biggest and best video yet.

He added: "It took a lot of planning and we had a sixth former, Michael Hawley, who did the editing. It looks very professional.

"We started thinking about what we could do this year as soon as we finished last year's video.

"We were thinking about doing the Harlem Shake but, because Gangnam Style was so big, we thought it would be great to re-enact it.

"There were between 40 and 50 staff involved and even a couple of staff members who had left the school came back and got involved with the filming."

Mr Lloyd said all the footage was shot after school and in the teachers' own time.

He said: "We keep it a secret from the pupils who are leaving, so we had to make sure it was all filmed when they wouldn't be in school.

"We showed it to the students in the leavers' assembly and they absolutely loved it.

"They were in fits of laughter.

"It's a great way of saying goodbye to the students and shows them that teachers are human."

Mr Lloyd said he was thrilled with the reaction to the film but that a change of role meant he would not be in charge of making next year's.

He said: "It's definitely been the biggest and best yet but my role changes next year and I won't be in charge of year 11.

"I am passing on the baton to the head of year for next year and look forward to seeing what they produce for their year group. I'm sure it will be equally as entertaining and funny."

CAR owners in a part of Derby are leaving their vehicles unlocked and valuable items on display for thieves, police have said.

A spike in crime has seen 16 vehicles targeted in Chaddesden in the past week.

Inspector Paul Cannon said in the "vast majority of cases" the cars have been left insecure and items such as an iPads, games consoles and sat navs have been on display. He said undercover and uniformed patrols have been upped as the force bids to catch those responsible.

But he has also asked car owners to follow safety measures that will prevent them from becoming victims of crime.

The incidents have mainly taken place in Marjorie Road and Hornsea Road.

Insp Cannon said: "In the vast majority of cases the vehicles are being left insecure and as part of our investigations we have seized CCTV of a man walking down one of the roads literally trying the doors of every car until he finds one unlocked.

"I would urge people not to leave their cars insecure and certainly not to leave anything easily stealable on show. Take items of value inside the house and keep them out of view and lock your cars when you park up."

Insp Cannon said the latest reported thefts happened on Monday night in Marjorie Road.

He said: "We are determined to bring those responsible to justice but would ask people living in the area not to make it easy for them."

A 27-YEAR-OLD returned from holiday with flesh-eating maggots "writhing" inside her head – a horrifying ordeal that almost paralysed her face.

Rochelle Harris burst into tears when doctors told her the noises in her head were caused by tiny bugs that had chewed a 12mm hole in her ear canal.

Stunned medics at the Royal Derby Hospital raced against time to extract the maggots before they could eat their way through a facial nerve.

Ear, nose and throat specialist Steve Emmett performed surgery that lasted over an hour to get the maggots out.

He said it was a "big shock" when he uncovered the infestation.

"It's extremely rare to find maggots living inside a patient's head," Mr Emmett said. "The extent of it was very usual. When I looked closely using a speculum, I could see a massive wiggling of tiny white critters.

"The stakes were relatively high – where they had drilled their little hole was close to a facial nerve. If that had gone she would have lost control of all the muscles on that side of her face."

Miss Harris's ordeal began when she developed excruciating headaches and face pain on the flight home from a holiday in Peru. She also started hearing noises in her head and the next morning woke to a pillow soaked with fluid from her ear.

Miss Harris, of Swanwick, went to A&E at the Royal Derby Hospital, where medics initially believed she had a minor ear infection.

But closer inspection revealed a New World Army Screw Worm fly had laid eggs in her ear – and that soon led to a family of eight maggots roaming around in her head.

Miss Harris – who was accompanied by her mother at the Royal Derby Hospital – said she was horrified to learn the source of her headaches.

She said: "My mum asked the doctor 'Can you see what it is?' and she said 'If you don't mind I'd prefer to speak to the registrar before I tell you anything'.

"My mum said 'please tell us' and that's when the doctor said 'you've got maggots in your ear'. I burst into tears instantly."

Doctors tried to get the maggots out but the more they delved into her ear, the more the larvae retreated into Miss Harris's head.

Miss Harris said: "I was very scared. I wondered if they were in my brain. I thought to myself 'This could be very, very serious'."

Doctors ordered an emergency brain scan. Luckily, it showed that no damage had been done to Miss Harris's eardrum, blood vessels or facial nerve.

They then tried to drown the maggots by flooding the ear canal with olive oil.

"I had to wait overnight to see if the treatment worked," said Miss Harris. "It was the longest few hours of my life.

"I just wanted them out of me and now I knew what was causing the sensations and sounds it made it all the worse."

Miss Harris was given an MRI scan to see if the maggots had migrated to her brain but luckily they had not got very far. She said the wait for minor surgery to remove the maggots was the longest few hours of her life.

The next day, doctors checked her ear and, astonishingly, the maggots were still alive. They managed to remove two, but were concerned there might be one more left inside her.

Miss Harris was sedated and surgeons explored her ear using a microscope. As they pushed further inside, they found what they described as a "writhing mass of maggots". The two that had been extracted were not alone. Further examination revealed Miss Harris was in fact hosting a family of eight large maggots.

She said she remembered walking through a swarm of flies in Peru and one had got inside her ear. But once she had shooed it away she thought nothing more of it.

Her ordeal features in a new Discovery Channel documentary, called Bugs, Bites and Parasites, that will be aired on Sunday at 10pm.

A BUILDING society clerk who laundered proceeds from a £17 million tax fraud by selling luxury cars and paying off her mortgage has walked free from court.

Mortgage adviser Ranjit Sanghera, 43, accepted nearly £140,000 into her bank account from her brother, Harbinder Singh Samra, despite suspecting it came from crooked business dealings, a court heard.

Samra, 42, was the mastermind of a mobile phone VAT fraud, swindling more than £17 million from taxpayers for non-existent exports.

Profits from the so-called "carousel fraud", described as "in the premier division of their type", were then funnelled to members of Samra's extended family to be laundered.

Sanghera, who worked for Derby Building Society and then Nationwide, and her husband, Kamelljit, 48, accepted cash from the sales of a Mercedes Benz, a Porsche, and a Range Rover, as well as £60,000 to pay off their mortgage in Derby.

Judge Michael Gledhill QC said Sanghera had "turned a blind eye" to the source of the money, but spared her a jail sentence as she is the carer for her infirm mother and father-in-law.

She also has to look after her 15-year-old son, who is allergic to some foods.

He said neither Ranjit or her husband asked questions as to where the money was coming from because they "didn't want to know".

The judge suspended Ranjit's 21-month jail sentence for two years, but jailed her husband for 21 months.

Ranjit was ordered to do 150 hours' community service and put under a six-month supervision order.

The pair, of Gorsehill Grove, Littleover, admitted acquiring, using, or possessing criminal property.

The fraud was orchestrated by Samra through a Birmingham-based electronic equipment firm, claiming VAT repayments on shipments of mobile phones, DVD players, USB memory sticks and LCD screens that did not exist, London's Southwark Crown Court heard. He and five other men have already been jailed for a total of 15 years.

PROTESTERS shouted, horns sounded and there were cries of "rubbish" as Planning Minister Nick Boles faced public questions in Derbyshire yesterday.

Mr Boles – who has caused controversy with plans to build on 2% to 3% of the UK's undeveloped land – told people at Waingroves Methodist Hall he did not "want development at any price".

He suggested how campaign groups could get more protection for their cherished green areas.

But his views were mostly rejected by the crowd of more than 40 Amber Valley residents who came to quiz him.

Amber Valley, where Waingroves lies, is a hotbed of planning controversy, with the borough council aiming for 9,400 homes to be built between 2008 and 2028.

Permission was recently granted for up to 360 homes at Coppice Farm, Waingroves, which campaigners say would double the size of the village.

Some accuse the Tory-led council of political bias by giving the go-ahead to more homes in traditional Labour areas to the east of the borough.

As cars honked approval for the protest outside, Mr Boles suggested ways people could affect the planning process, including asking for areas of land to be designated as green space.

He also called for more parish and town councils to draw up "neighbourhood plans" to say what they would like to happen to land in their communities.

But local campaigners rubbished his points. George Soudah, an independent Swanwick parish councillor, said green space designation would need to offer more "robust" protection before he believed it would work.

He said: "The land between Swanwick, Alfreton and Somercotes was designated protected open land but that was overturned by a planning inspector and a crematorium was built."

Asked outside the meeting if people would have to accept building on green space, Mr Boles said: "In the whole of the country, 8.9% of land is developed and 91% isn't.

"We can do a lot with brownfield sites but there will need to be some undeveloped land used for house-building. The most important thing is for local people to get involved with helping the local authority to produce its local plan and then, if possible, for neighbourhood plans to be drawn up."

Protester Rachel Brown, 40, of Codnor, was outside with signs saying things like "Waingroves, Murdered by AVBC, 2013, R.I.P."

She said: "90% of drivers who passed by sounded their horn in support."

Council leader Stuart Bradford said the authority was "not unfair" to the east of the borough. He said: "We give planning permission where houses are needed. In the recent past, that has included 600 homes in Mackworth."

A KEEN cyclist battled his way across 50km of the Tour de France route this week to raise money for the National Autistic Society.

Trevor Wright completed the ride up the Alpe D'Huez, tackling 21 hairpin bends and a 14.5km climb – just a couple of days before the Tour follows that stretch of the route.

Trevor, 56, said they were due to attempt the feat on Wednesday, but had to bring it forward a day because of the weather in France.

He said: "We decided to get on with the rise as soon as we got there on Tuesday because there was a storm forecast for Wednesday, when we had originally planned to do it.

"It rained a lot on Wednesday so I'm glad we did it sooner. It would have been so tough in the rain."

Trevor, of Darley Abbey, often spends his Sundays cycling to Carsington Water.

He said: "It might seem a long way but it's hardly anything compared to the distance of the Tour de France, or even the distance of the small section of it that I covered.

"Cycling is something I enjoy doing but it's more of a hobby, really.

"But when the chance came up to do this, and raise money for a charity that's in need of some more help, then I couldn't say no."

Trevor was at a meeting of the Derby and District National Autistic Society when the opportunity came to take part in the ride.

He said: "I was going to France to watch the Tour anyway so it was just an added thing to do while I was here.

"I love cycling and always look forward to watching the Tour de France."

The Derby City Council employee said that it was hard work but that he would do it again – just not in a hurry.

He said: "I had about four weeks to train for the event and, around working, it was a challenge to step up my training and time to dedicate to getting my cycling practice in.

"I would do it again in the future but I would do lots more training and get fitter before taking on the challenge."

After completing the task, Trevor spent his time relaxing and recovering, waiting for the Tour de France to pass through, on the journey he completed.

Trevor said: "The professionals make it all look so easy and like it's the most natural thing in the world to them – which it probably is – but now I know just how hard it is and how much strength they need to be able to complete every part of the Tour."

Sponsor Trevor by visiting www.justgiving.com/Trevor -Wright2 or find out more about the challenge at www.autism.org.uk/clubs challenge.

It's going to be another scorching weekend – how do families keep the kids happy? Derby is miles from the coast but there are five beaches less than two-and-a-half hours drive away. Here is our guide to where to get sand in your sandwiches.

IF the little'uns have broken up from school and there are six long weeks ahead to keep them busy, why not take a trip to the beach this weekend?

Land-locked Derby is noted for being furthest from the sea in England, but a day trip to the coast is not unthinkable.

Five famous beaches are within two-and-a-half hours' drive, according to the AA route planner:

Skegness is two hours 15 minutes away, or three hours on the train, from Derby, with a change at Nottingham.

Skegness beach has a fantastic long pier, with fantastic rides at Fantasy Island just next to the beach, as well as a seal sanctuary and an indoor butterfly conservatory at Natureland – fun for all the family.

The sea is clear enough to swim in and – if you're feeling brave – the surfing and body boarding is good when the wind is up a little. There is a lifeguard there between June and September to keep everyone safe.

Mablethorpe beach is two hours and 20 minutes away by car.

The Lincolnshire resort has sandy dunes, surrounded by grassy banks – perfect for games of hide and seek.

Rhyl, on the north coast of Wales, is two hours and 15 minutes away in the car and just under three on the train, with changes at Crewe and Chester.

But it is worth the trip, with six miles of golden sands and donkey rides or the opportunity to take a boat trip into the bay.

Llandudno is also about two-and-a-half hours away, with it taking three on the train, with changes at Crewe and Chester.

The Irish Sea resort offers the chance to windsurf and sail on the calm water, or just a relaxing walk on the promenade, where there is a paddling pool.

Bridlington is two hours and 20 minutes away by road.

There are two beaches to enjoy in the East Yorkshire resort.

One is a shingle beach – which might not be as desirable for sand castles; the other one offers miles of sand, spreading right along the county's coastline.

IF you still can not face time on busy roads, there are some "beach" alternatives closer to home...

Denby Pottery visitor centre has set up a beach in its grounds. It's free to use and open every day until Sunday, September 8, with free entertainment throughout August.

Foremark Reservoir, in the heart of the National Forest, has a sandy bank where you can lie and soak up the sun.

From today, a sandy beach will be set up in Nottingham Old Market Square as it is transformed into a giant seaside resort in a bid lure visitors.

A HISTORIC hotel which has lain disused for years is to undergo a £750,000 transformation into a pub and restaurant.

The Kedleston Hotel, in Quarndon, has become the latest acquisition for the Derby Brewing Company, which is known both for its beers and its chain of pubs.

The firm has pledged to spend £750,000 on a renovation of the 25-year-old property, creating a pub and restaurant within the premises.

Part of the project will see five rooms restored as accommodation.

Trevor Harris, head brewer with the firm, said: "The Kedleston Hotel is a beautiful building and I remember it back in its heyday.

"It has been a real shame to have seen its deterioration over the years.

"We are really looking forward to bringing it back to an exciting venue for the local residents and people of Derby to enjoy once again."

Mr Harris, and his son, Paul, have so far opened three pubs: The Brewery Tap, in Derwent Street; The Greyhound, in Friar Gate; and The Queen's Head, in Alfreton Road, Little Eaton.

Mr Harris said he hoped the company's fourth venture would be open by next spring.

The Kedleston Hotel building dates back to 1761.

The build was overseen by famous Georgian architect Robert Adam. The building was later listed in February 1967 and opened as a hotel in 1970. It closed in 2010 due to rising overheads and a drop in customer spending.

Mr Harris said: "Our plans would include reworking the layout to include an upmarket drinking area, with something of a country house-meets-pub feel, with numerous original open fires.

"We are planning a fantastic drinks selection including real ales, beers, wines and spirits and a new extended landscaped garden area overlooking the estate.

"There will also be a separate restaurant area, making the most of the classic Georgian dinning room's original features and offering a gastro-style menu, featuring locally-sourced modern British food with a twist.

"And there will be a scaled-back hotel operation with just five luxury bedrooms."

Paul Harris, director of Derby Brewing Company, said: "We are delighted to have finally secured the Kedleston Hotel.

"We have pursued the premises for nearly two-and-a-half years and have always believed and been very excited about our vision for this project and what the hotel can be once again."

CHATSWORTH House is set to appear in a BBC drama, following in the footsteps of the successful production of The Village.

The house, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, has been chosen to appear in the BBC production of Death Comes to Pemberley, a sequel to Pride and Prejudice.

The news comes after Derbyshire was used as the prime location on The Village, a BBC One production that was filmed in the Peak District. The Village was a huge success, watched by over five million viewers.

Paul Hayes, 35, visitor service manager at Chatsworth, said: "It is well known that Chatsworth House was the original inspiration for Pemberley in the Jane Austen novel. I think its natural that the producers wanted to use Chatsworth House and, as soon as they saw it, they just fell in love with it."

The filming, which began on Monday, will end today.

Mr Hayes said: "It has been a wonderful week. It's been a treat for visitors who have watched the filming.

"There have been horses, carriages and actors in full period costume. The view of the house has been particularly stunning and the excitement of the filming has put a smile on everybody's face."

The experience was made even more interesting by the surprise arrival of PD James, author of the best-selling novel.

Mr Hayes said: "It was fantastic to see PD James here. She came on Tuesday to see how filming was going. She was very friendly and signed some merchandise. The cast and crew have all been very welcoming. I think they feel at home here."

Chatsworth has featured in the television productions of the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, The Wolf Man and The Duchess.

Mr Hayes said: "I'm not surprised that the scenery in Derbyshire is being used for dramas like The Village and Death Comes to Pemberley. Derbyshire is a beautiful place and has some great locations."

He hopes that the drama will attract more visitors. He said: "Chatsworth House was part of a documentary last year on the BBC and the impact on tourism was enormous. I can't imagine that after seeing how beautiful Chatsworth is, people would not want to visit here."

The seasonal period drama, starring Matthew Rhys, Anna Maxwell Martin and Matthew Goode, will be on BBC One at Christmas.

A MOTHER sobbed in court as she told magistrates she was sorry for dishonestly claiming £21,000 in benefits.

Anna Bailey claimed the money in housing and council tax benefits while she was living in a house she actually jointly owned with her former partner.

Bailey, who is 32 weeks pregnant, told Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court: "I'm sorry for what I've done. If I could go back and change it, I would. I can't, so the only thing I can do is face the consequences."

Magistrate Jean Flintham said that, because of Bailey's personal circumstances, the court had decided to suspend her four-month jail sentence for two years. She was ordered to pay £550 costs.

The court was told Bailey, 29, had been convicted of benefit fraud in 2011 and, at that time, she had not come clean about dishonestly claiming housing and council tax benefit between 2005 and 2008.

In 2011, she was given a six-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work for failing to report changes in her income that led to an overpayment of £7,237.

Moira Bell, prosecuting for South Derbyshire District Council, said Bailey had made a claim for housing and council tax benefit in 2005. She said she was unemployed and rented her home in South Drive, Newhall, from a private landlord.

An investigation was launched after Bailey's former partner, Daniel Hardy, made a similar claim for the same property in 2012. The landlord named in both of their applications was Hardy's mother. The investigation revealed that Bailey and Hardy actually jointly owned the property.

Bailey, of Stoneydale Close, Newhall, admitted five offences of dishonestly making false representation which amounted to an overpayment to her of £21,167. She said she was paying back the money at a rate of £100 a month.

She said: "I cannot believe how stupid or dishonest I was. I'm so ashamed. I've let my children down and I've let my son down before he has even been born."

A 47-YEAR-OLD man who died after being struck by a train is expected to be named today.

British Transport Police said they were yesterday trying to contact his next of kin before releasing his name.

The Coroner's office in Derby said it had been made aware of the death and that an inquest would be opened in due course. Officers were called to the incident, at Long Eaton railway station, at 11.15am on Wednesday.

A force spokesman said the case was not being treated as suspicious. He said: "East Midlands Ambulance Service also attended but the man, believed to be from Nottingham, was pronounced dead at the scene."

Lynne Brighouse discovers what is on offer in Quad's line-up of live screening events.

WORLD-CLASS musicians and actors are the focus of a number of one-off cinema events and live screenings coming up at Quad over the next four weeks, featuring Kenneth Branagh, Helen Mirren, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen.

Quad's cinema programmer, Adam Marsh, said that Quad annually tries to source some interesting film events over the summer to offer adults an alternative to their school holiday summer activities.

"We are lucky that a perfect storm of events have come up this year which offer some really exciting one-off opportunities," he said.

Tomorrow night, visitors will have the opportunity to see a live screening of Manchester International Festival's production of Macbeth, with Kenneth Branagh in his first Shakespeare performance in over a decade.

He will take the role of Macbeth, with Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, ER) as Lady Macbeth. Directed by Rob Ashford and Branagh, this electrifying new production of Shakespeare's tragic tale of ambition and treachery unfolds within the walls of an intimate de-consecrated Manchester church.

An encore performance will be screened on Monday, August 5, 2pm and 6.30pm.

On Monday, August 12, at 2pm and 7pm there will be a final chance to see the encore show of the National Theatre's live broadcast of The Audience.

The production reunites The Queen writer Peter Morgan with Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren as she reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth II.

On Monday, for one day only, cinemas nationwide have the chance to screen Springsteen and I – a film celebration of two anniversaries for rock star Bruce Springsteen.

This year is both the 40th anniversary of his debut performance and the 30th anniversary of the seminal Born in The USA album.

Springsteen and I documents his career as well as containing a bonus 30 minutes of footage from Bruce's 2012 UK tour. There will be two screenings at Quad at 12.30pm and 6.45pm.

Another giant of the music industry, David Bowie, will have his career successes featured in Live at The V&A, another one-off countrywide cinema event, on Tuesday, August 13, at 6.45pm

The V&A museum in London will presents this unique event, screened live in cinemas across the UK, as the finalé to their enormously successful exhibition David Bowie Is, before it goes on international tour.

The film will be introduced by exhibition curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh.

It will feature special guests offering an insight into the stories behind some of the 300 objects from the David Bowie Archive, many of which have never before been displayed in public.

David Bowie Is Happening Now will be directed by Bafta-winning director Hamish Hamilton, who directed the live TV coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Quad say tickets for all four shows are selling fast.

For more show details and ticket prices, call 01332 290606 or visit www.derbyquad.co. uk