A CALL-IN for Derby City Council's cabinet to reconsider its decision on community budgets failed at a scrutiny commission meeting last night.

It was decided last month that the money neighbourhood boards receive would be "based on need" rather than all 17 wards receiving the same amount.

In the 2012-13 budget, all wards received £36,000 but the council's Labour leadership agreed to change the sums based on need.

And last night, at a call-in from Conservative councillors Frank Harwood, Robin Wood and leader, Philip Hickson, the decision was upheld.

The Liberal Democrats were also in favour of the call-in and wanted the decision to be sent back to the cabinet.

Mr Harwood represents Oakwood, which is losing £20,404 of its budget.

He said: "I don't think anyone here would argue that there are not areas of the city that need more help than others because they are more deprived. But the way in which the changes are being brought about is uncaring.

"Projects that have been ongoing and planned for the future in Oakwood – like putting lighting in around the park – will have to be cancelled because we will not have the funds to carry out such schemes."

Neighbourhood boards are made up of community leaders, councillors and local service providers, like Derby Homes and police, and spend their budgets on projects to benefit the communities.

The council says the level of need is decided based on household income, crime, anti-social behaviour, housing standards and child poverty.

At the meeting, Ranjit Banwait, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and Streetpride, said the way that the figures were arrived at was the same formula central Government used to implement the cuts nationwide.

He said: "The cuts made to many of the boards across the city is justified.

"There are many areas like Normanton and Arboretum which have been devastated by the Government cuts and they are in need of extra funding from the council to help.

"More money needs to be given to those areas to redress the balance."

But Mr Hickson, the leader of the Conservative group, said that without the community funding in Allestree, the youth service would come to an end.

He said: "Extra funding for the poorest areas of the city will not do anything.

"The neighbourhood boards are working incredibly well in the areas that are receiving the harshest cuts.

"People volunteer and give up their time to work with the neighbourhood boards and with the cuts, they're likely to think "what's the point"."

FUNDING cuts and a restructuring programme at Derby College could lead to the loss of up to 30 jobs.

Consultation has started with staff and unions at the college over the possible reduction in posts.

Chief executive Mandie Stravino said the changes were needed because of the different roles the college is starting to undertake.

She said: "Although some posts may be lost in this process we anticipate that the new strategic direction will greatly benefit the college's students, the local community and economy.

"Our focus is on continuous improvement in order to give all those who we welcome to Derby College the best experience and opportunities possible.

"It will also enable us to better support businesses that require our input throughout the year and not just during the traditional term times."

Ms Stravino said the college's funding had been cut by the Department for Education. She said: "This represents around 4% of the college's Government income.

"The organisational transformation means realigning the education and training offered by the college, which will result in a modernised workforce and new course delivery options."

Historically, the college has had a relatively weak underlying financial position but the governors say they plan to radically improve its finances over the next two years.

The restructuring programme began with Ms Stravino appointing a new leadership team.

She said: "We are responding to the Government's priorities, local communities and the needs of businesses.

"As well as remodelling the curriculum, there has been a review of all processes and quality measures.

"Early signs of success of changes made this year are already being seen, as applications received for September 2013 are indicating a 12% increase against last year's numbers."

The college opened Merrill Academy in January 2013 and embarked upon a programme of improvement to support around 1,000 11 to 18-year- olds.

It is also due to launch a digital studio school in Heanor in September 2014 for 300 14 to 18-year-olds and is currently working with Rolls-Royce, Toyota, the University of Derby and Derby City Council to open a University Technology College in September 2014.

A SLOVAKIAN is accused of setting fire to a brothel in Normanton after a prostitute refused to have sex with him for £3.

Jan Koperdak is alleged to have posted a burning piece of paper inside a plastic bottle through the letterbox of the terraced house in Portland street, while two women were inside.

At the time police were carrying out a covert operation of the property, filming those who entered and left the brothel.

CCTV footage showed a man posting something through the letterbox at 10.15pm on August 18.

A jury at Derby Crown Court was told yesterday the same man was filmed going inside the property that afternoon. The two prostitutes who lived inside the house identified the man in the footage to be Koperdak.

Mark Knowles, prosecuting, said one of the women had previously had sex with him.

The other woman told the court that Koperdak, 45, had come to the house that afternoon but she did not have sex with him because he only had £3 on him and was "a little bit tipsy".

She said that he had then sworn at her and called her names. After identifying Koperdak as the man in the footage, the women told police they had both been to his house and pointed out the approximate address to officers.

But Koperdak, of Goodale Street, Derby, denies committing arson with intent to endanger life. He claims he is not the man in the footage.

The women saw flames and smoke shortly after the fire was set and escaped from the house. They were helped by neighbours to extinguish the blaze, the court heard.

Mr Knowles said: "Entry to the property is through the front door straight into the living room, which the Crown says this defendant would be abundantly aware of.

"You can see that the consequences could have been far worse than they turned out to be."

James Horne, defending, asked the woman giving evidence yesterday if she could have been mistaken when she identified Koperdak as the man in the CCTV footage.

The woman, who is in her 20s, said "no". "I didn't think I was making a mistake," she told the jury.

She agreed with Mr Horne they had previously had trouble with a group of males shouting abuse at them, telling them they were not welcome in the area, and another incident where eggs had been thrown at their house. She conceded that at the time she had thought it was a group of Pakistani males who had been responsible for setting the fire.

The trial continues.

A MAN who tried to resuscitate a party-goer after he collapsed during a friend's birthday celebration said the time spent trying to save him "felt like a lifetime".

Darren Walters attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on baker Jason Dance when he started to turn blue and stopped breathing – but the 33-year-old was later pronounced dead.

An inquest into his death had already heard from witnesses how an ambulance was called when Mr Dance was taken ill at the party, in Griffin Close, Alvaston, in August 2010.

He had been drinking before attending the party and, while there, drank absinthe.

During the inquest yesterday at Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court, fellow party-goer Mr Walters said he seemed all right when he arrived but "looked like he'd had a drink".

But he said he had a "gut feeling" after Mr Dance, of Bingham Street, Allenton, had been drinking at the party that "something was not right".

And asked about what the ambulance crew – comprising Ian Wilson and his colleague Louise Stanley – did to help, Mr Walters said: "I remember they came over to the decking area and checked his pulse and his airways.

"They said: 'He's drunk, he'll sleep it off.'

Coroner Dr Robert Hunter asked Mr Walters – who has first-aid training – when he realised after the ambulance crew left Mr Dance had stopped breathing.

He said: "Somebody shouted: 'He's gone blue', so I got out of my chair, went over and checked his pulse. I tilted his head back to clear the airway and started giving him the kiss of life."

When asked how long he spent trying to resuscitate him, Mr Walters said: "It felt like a lifetime."

Paul Topliff, also at the party, said there was a "period of time" before anyone became concerned about his condition after he collapsed and he was the first to be worried. He phoned 999.

When asked what the ambulance crew did when they arrived, Mr Topliff said: "They didn't seem to do an awful lot."

He said there was a "lot of urgency" when the ambulance staff came back but that "urgency was not apparent on the first occasion."

The inquest continues.

A YOUNG mum carrying her five-year-old son ran by a blazing door during a double arson attack in Derby.

Terrified Pamela Crews clutched her son Kenzie while partner Richard Knapton screamed at them to get out of the house.

Mr Knapton said he used saucepans of water to douse the flames as they engulfed the front door of the family home in Allenton.

Less than 45 minutes later, a garage and shed were gutted at the back of an empty property less than a mile away.

At that incident, in Baker Street, Alvaston, Nicola Halstead spoke of her terror when she saw flames rising more than 50ft at her neighbour's home yards away from her house, where her 20-month-old son Leo was asleep.

Police are linking the incidents and treating both as arson. Detectives are working with the fire service to find out how they were started. A 26-year-old local man has been arrested and was last night being held in custody for questioning.

Mr Knapton said that the drama unfolded at his home in Kettlewell Close, close to Harvey Road, at 3.15am yesterday. The 24-year-old and Miss Crews were woken by the smoke alarm.

He said: "It was terrifying, the most horrible thing in the world to see. There were flames shooting through the letterbox.

"Pamela grabbed Kenzie and started coming down the stairs, she was petrified, screaming. I ran into the kitchen and filled a saucepan with water which I threw at the door handle to cool it.

"I grabbed and opened the door and told Pamela to run out with Kenzie while I carried on putting the fire out. The whole of the front door on the outside was alight and they had to run past it.''

Mr Knapton said he put out the flames as fire engines arrived. Around 45 minutes later the second property was targeted by arsonists.

Miss Halstead, 25, said she, partner Simon Tooth and her son Leo were in their house when she awoke at 4am.

She said: "I walked into Leo's room and I could see flames coming from next door. The garage was alight and it had started to spread to the neighbouring shed, trees and fences. I grabbed Leo and shouted for my partner.

"I was so scared it would spread to our house."

Mr Tooth, 34, said the rented property where the fire happened was empty.

Detective Sergeant Steve Shaw, of Pear Tree CID, said: "Our investigations lead us to believe that whoever is responsible made a concerted effort to start both fires deliberately. A 26-year-old local man has been arrested in suspicion of arson. We are linking both incidents.''

GARDEN Cottage has fascinating features by the bucketload, which is what attracted owner Kathryn Bowler to it six years ago.

The former gardener's cottage has been sympathetically converted by knocking through to the adjoining barn, which makes for an interesting property with lots of nooks and crannies.

Kathryn explains: "It's a very quirky house. It's kind of a back-to-front house, with the main features at the back, which makes it feel very private and quiet.

"When I saw it, I just liked the character of it. It has lovely old beams and the lounge is quite spectacular."

It is, indeed, spectacular, having an impressive staircase which leads to a galleried office and then up to an upper sitting area, with dormer window. From here you can look down on the main lounge and admire the original exposed ceiling trusses with their wooden hooks.

Back down the stairs, the main lounge has an attractive fireplace with hand-crafted solid oak surround and open fire grate for cosy winter evenings.

On warmer days, throw open the French windows and step out onto the small balcony, which looks over the cottage garden and Derbyshire countryside beyond.

There are more French windows looking out into the back garden in the ground floor dining room, which also has a beamed ceiling and a feature fireplace, this time fitted with multi-fuel stove.

"The stove is very good because it heats the core of the house. It's at the gardener's cottage end and the chimney goes up between two bedrooms so it warms the wardrobe, airing cupboard and even the rooms," says Kathryn.

The breakfast kitchen is very spacious and features a beamed ceiling, limestone flooring, birch-effect units and a polished granite-effect rolled-edge work surface.

The cottage has four bedrooms, two of which are on the ground floor and are served by a walk-in shower room with twin shower heads. A second staircase leads to two first-floor bedrooms and a bathroom.

There is a pretty cottage garden, which has been designed for low maintenance and has lots of interesting features, including a natural stone rockery, pergola, mature trees, well-stocked borders and a split-level koi carp pond.

"It backs on to open fields and it's nice and private," says Kathryn. "There are beautiful views in both directions, and you can just see Alport Heights."

Kathryn enjoys the peace and tranquillity of village life, while knowing that all the necessary amenities are not too far away.

She says: "Idridgehay is in the countryside but it's very convenient for Derby, Ashbourne, Wirksworth, the Peak District and Matlock; they're all commutable."

She now intends to move nearer to family, who live in Cheshire, but has no plans to leave the county.

"It's a lovely house and I like living here but it's not for me any more," she says. "But I'm Derbyshire born and bred, so I'd quite like to stay in the county."

WHERE: Garden Cottage, Wirksworth Road, Idridgehay

TYPE: Four-bedroomed semi-detached cottage with secluded garden

PRICE: £450,000

AGENT: Scargill Mann

PHONE: 01332 207720

BROWN and blue bin collections should be stopped in part of Derby because of problems caused mainly by students not recycling properly, a councillor has said.

Councillor Paul Pegg, who represents Mackworth, spoke out after it was revealed that Derby City Council was considering stopping collections in 138 streets to make it easier for some households to deal with waste.

Brown and blue bin collection services could be withdrawn from the roads the council describes as "not best suited" to recycling.

Rubbish would go into black bins, which would be collected weekly instead of fortnightly.

The move, from the Labour-led authority, would be aimed at cutting fly-tipping, missed collections due to rubbish going in the wrong bins and litter in the streets.

If given the green light, it would take place in parts of the Abbey, Arboretum, Mackworth and Normanton wards. However, the idea would not be considered anywhere else.

Mr Pegg, a Labour councillor, said: "Part of the problem is that there isn't a universal recycling scheme across the country.

"Students from other parts of the country could very well be contaminating the bins but they are doing it (recycling) as they would do where they are originally from."

Mr Pegg said it was sometimes not possible to collect contaminated bins "for months" so they would overflow with rubbish going onto the street.

He said students weren't the only ones not to recycle properly, but that the council had tried and failed to educate some of them with leaflets and freshers' day visits. He said stopping recycling collections in the 20 Mackworth roads affected was "the only option".

A University of Derby spokesperson said that it, and its Student Union, "actively encourage the community of students and staff to recycle."

They said: "Our efforts to do so have been recognised. We are currently rated First Class by the People and Planet Green League, and the union received an award from the NUS for environmental achievements."

Environmental group Derby Climate Coalition had expressed concern that no extra recycling "bring" sites would be created in the four affected areas.

But councillor Ranjit Banwait, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and Streetpride, has now said this would happen if the changes went ahead.

He said this would mean that people who did want to recycle could still do so.

The council will now consult with neighbourhood boards to decide whether the plans should go ahead.

chris.mallett@derbytelegraph.co.uk

IMAGES have been released showing how Derby's former magistrates' court and its surroundings would look if it has a £3 million revamp.

The project would see the Full Street building, opposite the city's Council House, turned into offices, meeting rooms and a café.

The images are part of developer Wilson Bowden's planning application which has now been made to Derby City Council.

If granted permission by the authority's planning committee, the scheme will be paid for out of the council's £10 million regeneration fund to stimulate city centre developments.

The Full Street site has been empty since 2004, the year Wilson Bowden bought the freehold of the magistrates' court and adjoining former police station.

Since then both buildings have fallen into disrepair with windows smashed and boarded up. A planning application for the site of the police station will be made separately.

Council leader Paul Bayliss said the revamp would "vastly improve the view towards the Silk Mill".

The developer's application says the revamp would restore "redundant buildings" which currently present "a poor face to this important frontage to Derby city centre and the riverside".

It says the grade II-listed neo-Georgian building, originally built in the 1930s, will have its front on the River Derwent.

Full Street would be restored, "enhancing the appearance and character of these spaces and routes in the city".

The application says there would be more than 27,000 sq ft of office space with "all existing entrances and staircases retained".

The intention is for the office accommodation to be suitable for a number of small businesses rather than one or two large occupiers.

The café would have a new paved area outside in restored Derwent Street gardens.

Metal railings would be reinstated to the outside of the building.

And the local studies library, relocated from its St Mary's Street site, would cover nearly 13,000 sq ft.

The application adds: "This proposal seeks to raise the benchmark of the immediate area, and complements and enhances the council's own refurbishment of the neighbouring Council House, as well as the wider city centre."

A public consultation on the application has begun with May 20 the final date for comments. The council's planning committee is due to make a decision on June 11.

Stephen Pedrick-Moyle, development director at Wilson Bowden, said that, if the planning application was successful, work would begin on the revamp "later this year".

In 2012, Derby North MP Chris Williamson said the site – ironically, opposite the Tourist Information Centre – gave visitors the wrong impression of the city.

CORONATION Street actor Bill Roache has said he is "astounded and deeply horrified" at allegations he raped a 15-year-old girl in 1967.

The Ilkeston-born star, who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of two counts of rape and later bailed after being charged, said he intended to fight to prove his innocence.

"I am astounded and deeply horrified by the extraordinary events of the last 24 hours," he said in a statement.

"I strenuously deny the allegations and will now focus my full attention on fighting to preserve my innocence in the challenging times ahead.

"I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all those people who have offered me their support and good wishes at this difficult time."

Roache, 81, who plays Ken Barlow in the ITV1 soap, was arrested by Lancashire police at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, on Wednesday morning on suspicion of offences involving a 15-year-old girl in 1967.

He is the world's longest-serving soap actor, having appeared in Coronation Street since its first episode on December 9, 1960. Roache, who was appointed an MBE for services to TV drama, will not appear in the soap while the case is on-going, posing a complex challenge for producers to edit his character out of several storylines.

Detectives searched the actor's house and took him to be interviewed at an undisclosed police station in Lancashire.

Lancashire constabulary said the offences are alleged to have been committed in Haslingden, near Accrington, Lancashire, between April and July 1967.

Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service North West, said: "We have carefully considered all the evidence gathered by Lancashire police in relation to William Roache following allegations of rape. Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Roache to be charged with two offences of rape relating to a girl, aged 15, in 1967."

Roache will appear at Preston magistrates' court on May 14.

ROLLS-ROYCE has declined to reveal details of why the boss of its aerospace division has suddenly decided to quit the firm.

Yesterday, in a trading statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, the firm, which has its civil aerospace and nuclear divisions in Derby, announced that Mark King had decided to resign from the company.

Mr King, who was the company's president of aerospace, will leave Rolls-Royce at the end of June and will be replaced by Tony Wood, who is currently head of the firm's marine division.

Rolls-Royce, which is Derby's largest private sector employer with around 13,000 staff, has declined to go into the details of why Mr King is leaving the business.

The firm told the Derby Telegraph that it was "a personal decision".

Profits at the company have been rising for the last 10 years – driven largely by the performance of the aerospace division.

Mr King joined Rolls-Royce in 1986 and was appointed president of aerospace in January. Prior to that, he was president of civil aerospace.

His replacement, Mr Wood, has worked for Rolls-Royce for 12 years and has experience in both the firm's civil and defence aerospace divisions.

Mr Wood's former role will be taken by Lawrie Haynes, currently president of the firm's nuclear division. He will be appointed to the new position of president of marine and nuclear.

In its trading statement, Rolls-Royce said: "Tony Wood will take up his new role on May 13. He replaces Mark King, who has decided to resign from the company at the end of June."

Rolls-Royce also issued an update on its performance so far in 2013.

The firm, which held its annual meeting in London yesterday, said it expected to achieve "modest growth" in sales and "good growth" in profits this year.

Among the highlights since the company's annual results in February, has been a £1 billion order from British Airways owner International Airlines Group for Trent XWB engines to power a fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft.

The Trent XWB has been designed and developed in Derby.

Rolls-Royce also started construction on a state-of-the-art Core Manufacturing Facility at its nuclear site in Raynesway, which will make reactor cores for the UK's current and future submarines.

The firm is due to report half-year results on July 25.

A PETITION to save a landmark Derbyshire pub from being knocked down has been signed by 500 people.

The White Post, in Stanley Common, is set to be demolished to make way for proposed new homes.

But residents say they are "gutted" and have slammed the plan, calling it "ridiculous".

Alan Walker, 61, said he had been a regular at the pub, in Belper Road, for 25 years and the news came as a huge shock.

He said: "Nobody told us officially, I just heard it in the pub that it was closing on June 29.

"Apparently, the pub was sold in April 2012 but we knew nothing about it," he added.

Mr Walker, of Glendon Street, in Stanley Common, set up a committee and started a petition which has more than 500 signatures. "It was my idea to object to the whole lot," he said.

"There is no good reason for the site to be sold to a developer.

"It's a vibrant pub and a popular place where people go. Records say it had a landlord in 1886.

"Some people have signed the petition who don't even live in Stanley Common but they have visited and do not want to see it go.

"It's unbelievable. We're all gutted. It is something that we are going to lose and we don't want that.

"Not too long ago we lost the social club, in The Crescent, to developers.

"We don't need any more houses in Stanley Common.

"It's wrong when some faceless people who live 50 miles away can waltz in and try to take our amenities away from us."

Vic Wilde, who was landlord at the pub for 17 years, said he was saddened to hear the news.

Mr Wilde, 69, of Glebe Crescent, Stanley Common, said: "I think it's a shame.

"I ran the pub from 1990 to 2007. I only came out of it because I was ready for retirement.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the pub. The company of the regulars was great."

An application has been submitted to Erewash Borough Council by Walton Homes Ltd for prior notification of the proposed demolition.

Kenny Dhillon, planning officer at Erewash, said planning permission was not required to demolish the pub.

The pub has been run by Paul Hancock and his partner, Lyn Green, for several years. The couple, who are the leaseholders, said they will cease trading on June 29, due to the lease expiring and increased rents.

Mr Hancock said he had run the pub for five and a half years. "It's sad that the community will lose this," he said. "It is a hub in the community."

WORK has begun to prepare two busy Derby roundabouts for multi-million-pound schemes to cut congestion, the Transport Secretary has announced in Parliament.

A total of £6.7 million of Government cash will be spent at the Little Eaton and Markeaton roundabouts.

Now Transport Secretary and Derbyshire Dales MP Patrick McLoughlin has announced that "work has already started on preparing the sites".

The Highways Agency has confirmed it expects to start work on both sites in July and that it will last for 16 weeks. New lanes, traffic lights and streetlights will be added to the roundabouts.

Mr McLoughlin made his comment after Mid-Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham said traffic at the roundabouts was causing "misery for her constituents".

Mrs Latham, who lives in Little Eaton, said she faced delays of 10 to 15 minutes at Little Eaton Island during the morning and evening rush hours.

She said: "The schemes will mean we won't have the traffic congestion so people can get into and out of Derby more easily. It will also improve air quality because there won't be standing traffic at the junctions choking us with their fumes."

An agency statement said: "The A38 through Derby suffers from heavy peak-time traffic, particularly at Little Eaton and Markeaton Roundabouts. The congestion conflicts with numerous turning and crossing movements at these junctions."

No details of how the changes will affect traffic have yet been announced. The Highways Agency said it could not provide any further details while the local elections were taking place.

It said the Little Eaton work will cost £2.7 million and Markeaton scheme £4 million, with the cash coming from the Department for Transport.

The agency previously said that the Little Eaton Island traffic lights would run full-time as a result of the work and that lanes to the A38 northbound will be widened, along with the northbound section of the roundabout. The A61 will also be widened where it approaches and leaves the junction.

The southbound carriageway of the A38 will be widened as it approaches Markeaton Island.

Work taking place to prepare the two sites includes clearing the ground and safety surveys.

DERBYSHIRE actor Tom Chambers will star alongside Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent in a BBC drama about the Great Train Robbery.

The Waterloo Road star, who is from Parwich and went to Repton School, will 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.

As well as his Waterloo Road role, Chambers won the 2009 series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Camilla Dallerup.

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

THE first phase of a long-awaited £7 million scheme to build a retail and restaurant complex next to Derby County's Pride Park Stadium is to be unveiled to the club's supporters.

The development – called The Plaza @ Pride Park – will be announced to fans at the last game of the season against Millwall tomorrow.

The Plaza will be at the North East Corner of the stadium, close to the DCFC megastore, and the initial phase will provide a mixture of retail and restaurant units totalling 7,000sq ft.

Once completed, the scheme could create dozens of new jobs.

The development is being undertaken jointly by the club and Derby-based developer Cedar House Investments, which is part of Peter Gadsby's Ark Capital Group.

They hope that The Plaza will benefit from another major development being built nearby – the £27.5 million multi-sports arena.

Work on the arena started last month and, once completed, it will feature a 250-metre cycling track, a 12-court sports hall, a gym, multi-function rooms, a spinning room and a cafe.

The arena will also double up into a concert venue for 5,000 spectators.

John Vicars, chief operating officer at Derby County, has welcomed the launch of The Plaza.

He said: "We see this development attracting perhaps a convenience retailer and a restaurant to complement the facilities already available on Pride Park and to provide a greater choice.

"With the opening of the new multi-use sports arena and velodrome adjacent to the club, there will be even greater demand for these facilities."

The units at the development will be marketed to potential occupiers by Derby-based commercial agents FHP.

Mr Gadsby, who himself is a former chairman of Derby County, said: "The area is already a proven destination for leading occupiers including Greggs, Frankie and Benny's, Subway and Starbucks.

"I'm particularly keen that this scheme will add to the success of Pride Park and provide further amenities for the 10,000 people who are working in the area. It is good news that this development will create a further 25 jobs."

Mr Gadsby said that the second phase of The Plaza would be considered once the multi-sports arena had opened.

The Plaza has been a number of years in the planning. Proposals to develop the land were first revealed in 2007.

It was going to be called Pride Plaza but the proposals were mothballed after the American owners took over Derby County.

But, in October 2011, the club revealed that it was to go ahead with the development, albeit a scaled-back version.

The project's cost has fallen from £20 million to £7 million and there will no longer be a hotel but it will include five new cafes and restaurants, along with two new bars to offer more options for fans and Pride Park staff.

The scheme is designed to include two new convenience stores and more than 2,000 square metres of office space.

Derby County have said that money raised from the Plaza would be reinvested into "all operations" of the football club.

Derby City Council granted planning permission for The Plaza at a meeting in January 2012 but, due to councillors' concerns about parking, the development had to wait until a travel plan was produced.

This has now been agreed and plans finalised but no date has yet been set for work to start.

POLICE have this morning named a man whose body was found inside the chimney of a Derby solicitors' firm as Kevin Gough. It is thought that the 42-year-old was a would-be burglar.

Police said they believed the body of Mr Gough had been inside the chimney at Moody & Woolley Solicitors, in St Mary's Gate, for about four weeks.

Staff had noticed a bad smell but thought it was a pigeon that was blocking the chimney.

But, when pest control workers were called, it turned out to be the body of a man.

Police said they were keeping an "open mind" as to circumstances surrounding the death.

However, the force did confirm the investigation was focusing on the theory that the man died following an attempted burglary that went horrifically wrong.

Last night, senior partner at Moody & Woolley, Julie Marson, said that it appeared to be an "awful" tragedy.

She said: "It's such a dreadful way for anybody to die, regardless of what the chap was trying to do.

"We really, sincerely hope it does put people off doing this kind of thing. This seems to have been a very dedicated attempt to break into the building and it's had the most awful ending."

The body was found at lunchtime on Wednesday.

Last night, Ms Marson admitted she was still trying to get her head around the discovery.

"It's just been absolutely bizarre, quite frankly," she said.

"We had noticed over the last week or so a smell first thing in the morning. We opened the window and the smell disappeared.

"But, on Monday morning, we decided to get a builder in.

"He opened up the side of the chimney to have a look and, when he got up on to the roof to look down, he could see something was blocking it. We thought it may have been a pigeon so we got a pest control guy to come and that's when we realised it looked like it might be a human body.

"That's when we called the police.

"A couple of officers came round and they confirmed it was a body."

Ms Marson admitted she felt horrified.

"To think that poor chap could have been there for days," she said. "It's an awful thought. We just hope he passed away quickly.

"You wouldn't wish this on your worst enemy.

"The message we would like to get over is that all our fire places are sealed off, so please don't try to break in via the chimney because you won't be able to get out again.

"We hope this puts people off trying this sort of thing."

Ms Marson praised the response of the firm's staff.

She said: "It's been a shock for them but they've been very good. We operate from two buildings so we moved staff away from the chimney."

One worker at neighbouring firm Simpson Jones said: "I saw one police car outside the building yesterday but I did not know a body was found. It's awful."

HEAD teachers in Derby are "making a stand" against the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove over the introduction of a revised curriculum in schools.

Grave concerns about the "damage" the changes could do to primary pupils have been expressed by the heads.

And they have taken the unusual step of writing a group letter to the Secretary of State stating that the latest revisions to children's learning are a step too far.

Simon Emsley, of Lakeside Community Primary School, and Julie Carter, of Oakwood Infant School, have penned the letter on behalf of several Derby schools.

Mr Emsley said: "This retrograde curriculum will neither improve standards nor will it engage the young people of the 21st century.

"This curriculum is suited to a bygone age and was, in fact, discarded. I am rarely moved to write to politicians but was charged with the task by fellow head teachers because of our concerns.

"But it is time to make a stand to protect the education of young people that so many of us have dedicated their lives to."

Mr Gove aims to boost standards by introducing tougher concepts earlier in children's school lives.

Teachers worry that the new content-driven approach will be less fun and, therefore, less engaging for younger children.

Changes include children being expected to do long division in primary school.

A final version of the new National Curriculum will be available in autumn 2013 for first teaching in schools from September 2014.

Mr Emsley said: "It is claimed teachers will have more flexibility but it is not true because the new one is unduly and heavily content driven. Where will the time come from to teach all of this content?

"Ministers need to realise the increasing numbers of children entering the education system who have little or no language and at the age of three we have children with no spoken language skills.

"They will often be still wearing nappies and unable to feed or dress themselves and this becomes an issue for schools trying to teach a curriculum."

Mr Emsley was anxious to point out that the teachers are not afraid of change.

He said: "In fact, change is the excitement and driver for much learning.

"Throwing an apparently random change at schools will neither improve standards nor engage young people of the 21st century."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "The consultation on the draft national curriculum has now closed and we are in the process of analysing and considering responses, to which we will reply shortly.

"We will consider all arguments put forward before we finalise the content and design of the new national curriculum later this year."

A SEX worker has told a jury there was "no way" she made a mistake when she said that a man captured on CCTV footage setting fire to her house was one of her clients.

The woman, who is in her 20s, was giving evidence yesterday at Derby Crown Court on the second day of the trial of Jan Koperdak.

The 45-year-old Slovakian is accused of setting fire to the brothel in Portland Street by posting a lit piece of paper inside a bottle through the letterbox when two women were in the property.

It is alleged that Koperdak, of Baker Street, did this just hours after he was abusive to one of the women living in the house after she refused to have sex with him for £3 on August 18.

The arson attack was caught on CCTV as, by coincidence, police were carrying out covert surveillance at the time of the comings and goings at the brothel.

Koperdak denies arson with intent to endanger life. He claims he is not the man in the footage.

The sex worker told the court yesterday that she had met Koperdak on two occasions – once when she went to his house and had sex with him and on the day of the fire, when he had come to her home in Portland Street and offered her housemate £3 for sex.

Referring to the CCTV footage, defence lawyer James Horne asked the woman: "Is it possible you were mistaken when you say he was a previous client and he just looked like someone?"

She replied: "There's no way I could mistake."

Mr Horne asked the woman why she had not told police but had told the jury about having seen the man on the afternoon of the fire.

She replied: "Because I was answering the questions the police were asking me."

Mr Horne asked whether the woman was saying he had come on the afternoon of the fire because that is what her house-mate, who gave evidence on Wednesday, had told her. She replied: "No."

Mr Horne said: "You're repeating what she told you, aren't you?"

The woman replied: "I have no reason to lie to you – it wouldn't help me in any way."

Mr Horne pointed out that the woman had told police she thought the man she had sex with was Polish, whereas Koperdak speaks Slovakian.

The trial continues.

A HOSTEL for the homeless that faced closure after losing its council funding will stay open for another year thanks to public donations.

The Padley Homeless Hostel, in Becket Street, Derby, had been getting more than £100,000 a year from Derby City Council.

But it was one of several organisations affected by the authority's decision to cut its "housing-related support budget" from the last financial year's £6,675,000 to £3,675,000 for 2013-14.

This was part of the council's plans to save £62 million over the next three years in the face of cuts to its grants from Government.

The Padley Group launched a campaign aimed at keeping the 10-bed hostel open. It called for 4,000 people to donate £2 each every month.

Now group chairman Pat Zadora has said that people's "stunning generosity" so far has meant she can announce the hostel will stay open for another year.

Mrs Zadora said that 766 people had agreed to the regular donations but that many had offered more than £2 a month and there had also been lump-sum donations.

She said: "We are talking just 11 or 12 weeks since we launched the campaign and it's been absolutely marvellous.

"People have just been so outraged by what's happened that they have responded and the residents are very relieved. The regular donations people have agreed to are anything from £2 to £40 a month."

Mrs Zadora said the centre provided a bed for more than 100 homeless people a year so it meant "one hundred lives could be rebuilt".

But she said she was "going on faith" in deciding to make the announcement as the Padley Group still needs about another 700 people to sign up to regular donations in the coming months.

She said: "It is absolutely critical that people keep signing up to donate."

Councillor Fareed Hussain, cabinet member for adults and health, responsible for tackling homelessness, said that he was delighted the hostel had "attracted this level of funding from the public".

He said: "They (the Padley Group) have been providing a service in an excellent manner.

"It's not that we didn't value the service, it's just that we didn't have the money to fund it through council funding.

"The council was forced into this situation," added Councillor Hussain.

People can find out more details about becoming one of the "Padley 4,000" by calling Derby 774480, or e-mailing admin@padleygroup.com.

chris.mallett@derbytelegraph.co.uk

FORMER Derby County skipper Robbie Savage is in the running for a national radio award.

Savage, who played 137 games for the Rams, is one of a number of presenters chasing the inaugural Sony Golden Headphones award.

Presenters across the country have been galvanising their fans to vote for them.

Savage hosts BBC Radio 5 Live's 606 phone-in programme and he won the Sony DAB Rising Star Award in 2011.

If Rams fans want to vote for Savage they can do so by going to: www.sonygoldenheadphones.com

Voting will close at 5pm on Friday, May 10.