DERBY was the second-choice option for a High Speed 2 rail station in the East Midlands.

According to a report released by the Department for Transport, the city was one of two shortlisted candidates considered as the location for the station.

But it decided against Derby – because it would be "less able to serve wider East Midlands region" – and chose Toton Sidings, a goods yard near Junction 25 of the M1.

The report shows that HS2 Ltd, the company responsible for delivering the £32 billion project to create a line capable of carrying trains travelling at speeds up to 225mph, had considered Derby, Nottingham and Leicester for the location of the station, before opting for Toton.

Leicester was dismissed because it would have resulted in a longer, more expensive route. Nottingham was ruled out because of cost, disruption and "sustainability" concerns.

The report reveals HS2 Ltd had considered putting its station on the same site as the existing Derby Midland railway station.

The report says: "This option would require the entire reconfiguration of the existing station, including the tracks, platforms, concourse and forecourt.

"This would deliver a modernised and efficient station, with enhanced public transport connectivity, and would facilitate easy interchange between HS2 and conventional rail services.

"A city centre location in Derby would also bring further benefits in terms of existing public transport connectivity and relative proximity to where passengers begin and end their journeys."

But it adds that the "complex construction" in Derby would last several years, with inevitable disruption, and the station would be less able to serve the region as a whole.

It says: "Journey times from key areas of demand are better for Toton, particularly given that Nottingham is the much larger source of demand. The East Midlands hub station option at Toton is forecast to attract over 20% more total demand than the central Derby station."

Some politicians and business leaders in Derby have questioned the plan to site the station at Toton.

Before the Government announced its preferred route, city leaders had presented a business case to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, which claimed a station in Derby would reap the greatest economic benefits.

According to a report compiled by engineering consultancy Arup on behalf of Derby City Council, siting the HS2 station in Derby would deliver £440 million of benefits and create up to 12,000 jobs, compared with £410 million of benefits for a Nottingham station and £330 million for the Toton option, with the creation of 600 jobs.

Councillor Paul Bayliss, leader of the Labour-controlled city council, has vowed to continue the campaign to have the HS2 station in Derby, and seek assurances that some HS2 manufacturing work would be carried out by Derby rail companies.

But Tory group leader councillor Philip Hickson has dismissed the plan to campaign for the station to be sited in Derby as "absurd".

A consultation period will now follow. A final decision on the route will be made by Mr McLoughlin next year.

FORMER EastEnders star Dean Gaffney, who was injured in a car crash in Derby, is "recovering well" according to his family.

The 34-year-old had been performing in Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced at Derby Theatre.

He was on his way back to a friend's house after the show on Wednesday night when the Mini he was driving hit the central reservation of the southbound A38.

Mr Gaffney, who has twin daughters, was taken to the Royal Derby Hospital after the accident, which happened at 10.45pm.

He was playing the role of Patrick but since the collision understudy Mark Martin has substituted for him in the show. Last night, Mr Martin was unable for comment.

But a spokeswoman from Derby Theatre said MrMartin was "extremely well received" by the audience and was expected to continue to stand in for Dean for the remaining performances taking place today.

A statement from Dean and partner Sarah said: "Dean and his family would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and can confirm that he is recovering well."

The final performances of the show are taking place this afternoon and this evening.

Support for the former EastEnders star has been shown through social networking site Twitter.

BBC EastEnders tweeted: "Everyone here at Albert Sq sending our best wishes to EE legend Dean Gaffney after his car crash."

Fans have also tweeted their best wishes on Twitter.

Stacey 'Tinker' Hughes posted: "Hope Dean Gaffney will be ok – thoughts with him and his family."

Dan Waldren posted "Get well soon" while @bronson said: "Good luck to Dean Gaffney hope he is better soon."

Mr Gaffney, who lives in Dorking, Surrey, first joined the EastEnders cast in 1993, playing Robbie Jackson.

His character was written out of the soap in 2003 but he made a brief appearance in 2010.

In 2006, he took part in the ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here where he undertook bush-tucker trials in the Australian jungle alongside fellow camp mates including Matt Willis, from the band Busted, and singer and actor Jason Donovan.

Mr Gaffney's agent, Dave Read, said after the crash: "He's got some nasty head injuries but the good news is that he's going to be OK.

"It was a bad crash and we are grateful it wasn't any worse."

KEITH and Debbie Brampton were so frustrated their children had no youth club to go they set up their own.

And in only two-and-a-half years, youngsters have made an amazing total of 7,500 visits to the premises.

Now daughter Siobhan, 14, who was one of the first to visit the Chellaston club, is a volunteer helping to run it.

About 80 children are regulars at the Friday night club at Chellaston Community Centre in Barley Croft.

For Keith and Debbie, the youth club is a passion – and they dedicate all their free time to it. They want to help keep the youngsters off the streets and give them somewhere to go.

Siobhan, a Chellaston Academy pupil, said: "I love going to the youth club and without it I'd just be at home watching television.

"My mum and dad came up with the idea because there was nothing like this in Chellaston for us to go or anything to do."

Keith, 50, said: "We just opened it to nine, ten and 11-year-olds to start with, but extended it as we grew and grew."

For Keith and Debbie, the youth club is a passion – as well as being a lot of fun – and that is clear to see.

Keith works full-time as part of the major incident team for Derbyshire police but still dedicates every spare minute to the club.

The 49-year-old used to work as a manager at the Salvation Army in a rehab centre.

He said: "It really puts everything into perspective and I wanted to work with youngsters to catch them early and show them the right way.

"Having the youth club here gives all the young people in the area – and beyond – somewhere to come, just for a couple of hours each week, to let off some steam, somewhere safe.

"They're not on the street, hanging around at bus stops or outside shops causing trouble because they're bored.

"If we can save a couple of youngsters that might be tempted to go down the wrong path, then all the hard work will have paid off."

All the equipment – a pool table, table tennis, badminton nets – has been donated by well-wishers.

Keith said: "We have music systems and a smoke machine and all the kids just get on and have a great time.

"There's never any problems with behaviour. Everyone is here to have fun."

Far from just spending their time playing pool and painting their nails, the youngsters take part in regular litter picks, help members of the community, plant flowers and fund-raise to better the community.

Paige Kilner, 13, brings along all her nail varnish and nail-art equipment to decorate everyone's nails.

She said: "I love that youth club is on a Friday night when everyone's been at school all week and needs to chill out.

"A lot of my friends from school come but there's a lot of people I wouldn't know if it wasn't for youth club.

"I love doing my own nails. I always have some bright colour on them so I wanted to share it with everyone."

Ten-year-old Jack Spencer lives in Duffield but travels every Friday night to come to youth club.

He said: "I used to live in Chellaston and go to Chellaston Juniors but we moved to Duffield.

"I go to Duffield Meadows Primary School now but I love coming back each week as I can see my friends.

"I love playing pool with everyone and just have fun, rather than being stuck at home."

In the next year, the club wants to raise enough money – about £2,000 – to buy a defibrillator for the community.

Keith said: "Hopefully it'll never be used, but it will be there to save lives if we need it.

"It'll be kept in a locked cabinet, locked by a code which is given by the emergency services when someone calls.

"It talks the user through everything step-by-step.

"That's the next challenge we are all taking on."

A TEENAGE care assistant has been found guilty of possessing a sawn-off shotgun and hiding it for a gang member.

The weapon was found in the cellar of Shannki Steadman's home in Eden Street, Alvaston, on April 6.

The gun was placed there the previous night by Luke Hewitt-Hall, 21, who pleaded guilty to being in possession of the gun.

Steadman, 18, denied knowing that something had been put in the cellar by Hewitt-Hall, but she was convicted of possessing a firearm after a three-day trial.

She told Derby Crown Court that Hewitt-Hall, a member of the notorious Allenton-based A1 gang, contacted her and asked to leave "something minor" at her house. She said she told him she did not want anything that would get the attention of the police at her home.

Robert Underwood, prosecuting, said that at about 10pm, Steadman, who was 17 at the time, texted her friend, Hewitt-Hall, saying it was getting late.

He then turned up at her house, which she shared with housemate Tamara Davies, also 17.

Miss Davies told the trial she let Hewitt-Hall in. She said: "I knew of Luke and knew Shannki was friends with him so I let him in. He was walking with a limp. There was something down his trousers.

"I thought he went up stairs, to Shannki's room. But I went into the kitchen minutes later and he was coming out of the cellar door.

"He went upstairs then and I heard Shannki say "what are you doing here?"

It was the following day that Miss Davies found the shot gun.

She said nobody in the house usually went down the cellar because it was "scary and dark" but that earlier that day, she did. She said: "The gun wasn't there then." She told the court: "I went down again on April 6 because the electricity tripped and I had to switch it back on. That's when I found it. I was very shook up."

Police were called in and Steadman was arrested.

Harry Bowyer, for Steadman, said text messages from Hewitt-Hall were found on her phone from earlier that day asking if anyone would look in the basement.

Steadman, who now lives in Cotton Lane, Derby, said that it was then that "alarm bells" started ringing about what Hewitt-Hall had left.

Giving evidence, Steadman said she had asked what the package was and he told her "something minor".

After the case, DC Matt Meyers, from Operation Redshank, which tackles gun crime, said: "Luke Hewitt-Hall is the main culprit in this incident but involved Shannki by taking it into her home. He is a prolific member of the A1 gang."

The pair will be sentenced on February 22.

DETECTIVES have charged three people in connection with the murder of Michael Moss in Ilkeston.
 
One man, aged 26, has been charged with murder while a 26-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman have been charged with conspiracy to commit GBH.
 
They are due to appear before magistrates in Derby today.
 
A 24-year-old man questioned in connection with the murder has been released without charge.

Mr Moss, 48, was found injured at a house in Canal Street at 9pm on Wednesday.
 
He was treated by paramedics but later died.
 
A post mortem examination has revealed that he died from injuries suffered during an assault.
 

DETECTIVES in Derby have arrested a 36-year-old man wanted in connection with a number of serious assaults that have taken place in the city.

The man was arrested in Derby this morning and is being questioned about the attacks which took place in the Peartree and Normanton areas over the last 48 hours.

Earlier this morning police had issued an appeal for information about his whereabouts and asked the public not to approach him.

The details of the attacks or how many there were have not been revealed.

FIREFIGHTERS were called to put out a blaze in a refuse shed at a block of flats in Derby.

Crews from three separate stations spent 30 minutes tackling the flames outside Cavendish Court after being called there at 4am today.

Police and the ambulance services were also called but no-one was reported as hurt, a fire service spokesman said.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known.

MYSTERY surrounds how thousands of feathers appeared on a canal towpath in Long Eaton over the weekend.

Wendy Harrison, who regularly walks by the canal in Tamworth Road, fears they may have come from three swans that lived there.

Wendy, 74, of Fair Lea Close, Long Eaton, said: "Near the feathers were piles of corn. I think they've been tempted out and then plucked.

"I'm fairly certain they were swan feathers as some were brown and white, the same colour as the cygnet."

Councillor Roland Hosker, for the Nottingham Road ward, believes the swans were taken for their meat.

He said: "There were three piles of corn that looked like they had been used to lure them out.

"It is hard to believe that someone has had them for dinner.

"Families' finances are not good and, if it is leading to this, it's awful."

The discovery in Long Eaton comes a year after six swans were decapitated and had their breast meat cut from them in Alvaston Park.

It is a criminal offence to kill swans, which legally belong to the Queen.

Police and the RSPCA were unable to act on the most recent discovery due to no bodies being discovered.

Anyone who can help police should call 101.

MANUFACTURING in Derbyshire has been given a major boost after Rolls-Royce secured an order worth hundreds of millions of pounds – while a supplier to car-maker Toyota has announced an overseas order which will create new jobs.

Rolls-Royce is to supply engines to aircraft leasing firm Air Lease Corporation, which will help secure the future of its 12,000-strong workforce in Derby. The deal is worth £700 million.

Meanwhile, Futaba, which supplies parts to Toyota's Burnaston plant, has completed work on a multi-million-pound production line at its Dove Valley Park factory, at Foston, and signed a seven-figure deal to supply components to a factory belonging to the Japanese manufacturer in Turkey.

Thanks to the increase in activity, Futaba is now looking to extend its factory. It is recruiting a further 50 people to add to its workforce of 185.

Rolls-Royce's order is for Trent XWB (extra wide body) engines to power a fleet of up to 25 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft.

Twenty of the aircraft will be the A350-900 variant and five will be the A350-1000 variant, which is powered by a higher-thrust version of the Trent XWB.

Air Lease Corporation, which is based in the US, also has an option to buy a further five A350-1000 aircraft.

Mark King, Rolls-Royce's president of aerospace, said: "We are delighted that Air Lease Corporation has become a significant new customer for the latest version of our world-leading Trent engine technology.

"The Trent XWB is already proving itself to be the most efficient large civil aircraft engine in the world."

The Trent XWB, specifically designed for the Airbus A350 XWB, is the fastest selling Trent engine ever, with more than 1,200 already sold.

It has been designed and developed at Rolls-Royce's civil aerospace division in Sinfin.

Steven Udvar-Hazy, chief executive of Air Lease Corporation, said: "This is our first selection of Trent XWB technology.

"We look forward to receiving these engines, which are demonstrating excellent operational performance and environmental efficiency and will help deliver real advantages to our customers."

At Futaba, company bosses are celebrating their latest contract win with Toyota.

Last year, the firm announced that it had won the work to produce fuel inlet pipes from a Japanese firm that supplies Toyota's Burnaston plant.

Futaba has now struck a deal to manufacture the same part for a Toyota factory in the Sakarya province of north-west Turkey.

Combined, the deals to supply Burnaston and Turkey mean that, once the new production line is at full capacity this spring, the Foston plant will be producing 350,000 inlet pipes per year.

Large-scale investment has also been made in a paint plant, to coat components.

It is the first step towards the firm's plan to double the size of its premises.

This would increase capacity further and, it is hoped, help bring more manufacturing work and employment opportunities to the area.

Managing director Paul Heard said: "The fuel tank filler pipes that Toyota at Burnaston had been purchasing from Japan will now all be manufactured here and we have won a very significant amount of work from Toyota in Turkey.

"To win this work, we had to compete with other plants in Europe, as well as Asia, which means that we are in a very good position in what is a very competitive global marketplace."

The contract wins are welcome news for the county's manufacturing sector. Last month, the Derby Telegraph reported that Autosplice Brittanic, a car components business in Heanor, was to close its factory with the loss of 85 jobs and transfer operations to Germany.

A WOMAN who gave birth in her bathroom has spoken of her shock at having her baby at home.

Gemma Blackham's husband Caine had to be talked through the early stages of the delivery by a 999 operator before paramedics arrived.

Earlier in the day, the couple, of Waldorf Avenue, Alvaston, had actually been in Royal Derby Hospital but were given the all-clear to go home.

Mrs Blackham had had a routine appointment with her midwife, who advised her to go in because a heart monitor had a low reading.

Mr Blackham said: "They put Gemma on the monitor but everything seemed okay.

"At that point, she was having three pains every 10 minutes but didn't think they were contractions.

"They said it was okay for us to go home as Gemma wasn't in full labour yet.

"When we got home, she was having them every five minutes but we were told not to go back to the hospital until they were a minute long every five minutes."

Mrs Blackham, 31, said: "I had a 20-hour labour with my second son and thought it would be a long night, so I had a rest.

"I got out of bed and it started to happen. I went into labour. The pains were horrific and I had no pain relief. Caine started getting ready to go into hospital but the contractions were telling me to push and I knew I wouldn't make it into hospital. I went into the bathroom so there wouldn't be a mess."

Mr Blackham, 36, rang for an ambulance and was told by the operator what to do for his wife.

He said: "It was daunting. I couldn't accept it was going to happen at home.

"The 999 lady was shouting at me, she was just doing her job, and I was shouting at Gemma, trying to get her to lie down.

"It was all a bit mad! Then I saw the baby's head, it kept coming out a bit and going back in again and I was worried he was in distress.

"Before I knew it, I could hear the sirens but they seemed to go on for ever.

"I was so worried about the stress to both of them.

"The paramedics came into deliver him and he was absolutely fine and so was Gemma."

The baby, Oliver Ellis, weighed 6lb 10oz, exactly the same birth weight as their other two sons, Dylan, nine, and Zack, five.

Mrs Blackham said, although the experience was scary, it was nice to give birth in her own home.

She said: "The paramedics gave me a gas cylinder and, after I had four puffs, he was born.

"Because I had a bad labour with my second son, I was worried about this birth but it was lovely.

"A few hours after he was born and the midwives had visited us, we were able to go to sleep in our own bed."