SCIENTISTS at the University of Nottingham have given new hope to sufferers of a rare genetic disease.

TNF Receptor Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS) was first identified in Nottingham more than 30 years ago and causes spontaneous flares of fever, rashes, muscle pains and other symptoms without any apparent cause.

Researchers have found a way to map the way the condition affects people's cells.

The study, also involving experts from Egypt, Germany, and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, means scientists can try to block the disease.

Dr Lucy Fairclough, of the university's School of Life Sciences said: "TRAPS has a serious effect on the lives of its sufferers — imagine having symptoms similar to flu, with those symptoms appearing every few weeks and possibly lasting several weeks."

A MAN who allegedly carried out an assault has been granted bail until his next court appearance.

Lee Barber, of Westward Avenue, Beeston, is accused of assaulting a man in Beeston on May 25.

The 34-year-old will appear before Nottingham Crown court on August 8.

RUSHCLIFFE MP Kenneth Clarke has warned the Prime Minister to focus on the economy and public service reform rather than immigration and Europe.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Clarke suggested that David Cameron was at risk of letting his party's agenda be set by opinion polls and news headlines.

He said: "21st-century politics now has an atmosphere of hysterical high-pressure campaigning, seven days a week, which dominates the life of the government."

"Every political leader has always known that simply cheering up your more hardline activists is no way to win an election."

INTERNET and phone lines in a North Notts village may be hit after thieves stole BT cabling.

The incident happened around 3.30am on Saturday in Beavercotes when metres of cabling were cut and taken.

A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft and bailed pending further enquiries.

BT is working to reconnect people in the area and has apologised for any inconvenience.

If you saw anything unusual in the area police are appealing for information on 101.

NOTTINGHAM Lace could soon have the same European protection as Melton Mowbray pork pies and champagne.

East Midlands MEP Emma McClarkin wants the label Nottingham Lace to only be given to lace fabrics crafted in this city.

It would give the same protection as currently enjoyed by the pork pies, which can only be made in the Leicestershire town, and the Champagne which has to come from north-east France.

Miss McClarkin is campaigning for lace from Nottingham to be given European Protected Geographical Indication – which is given to food traditionally made within the specific region which has unique properties.

Her bid would require a change in EU law so that non-food items could be considered too.

Laura Summerson, manager of Kula Tsurdiu bridal boutique in Hockley, said she thought the idea was "marvellous".

She added: "It's such a big part of the city's heritage so this is a really good thing to be doing.

"Nottingham Lace is such a big brand and people love it.

"We see people coming in from all over the country coming back to Nottingham for their wedding dresses which just shows how important lace made here is to people."

Nottingham was the lace capital of the world in the19th century – and at its peak, more than 40,000 people were employed in the industry.

The materials were exported to all four corners of the world at the height of the British Empire and the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited the lace factories of the city in 1955.

And recently the city's lace has been a hit on the catwalk with the likes of Alexa Chung, Suki Waterhouse and Paloma Faith all stepping out wearing the fabric.

It grew in popularity earlier this year when the CEO of Burberry Christopher Bailey chose to showcase it as part of the brand's catwalk collection.

Fashion fan Phoebe Harkin, 21, of Hyson Green, said: "I know that lace is a big part of the city so there's really nothing to lose by doing this and a lot to gain."

Conservative MEP Miss McClarkin said: "Nottingham remains a byword for quality lace in very beautiful patterns, produced to traditional methods which have stood the test of time.

"It is important for the city and for the reputation of the product that only lace made in the Nottingham area should be called Nottingham Lace."

Should Nottingham Lace be given special status? See Post comment, on P12.

NOTTINGHAM has the highest number of award-winning parks and open spaces in the East Midlands, according to a new set of awards.

The city's parks have been given 19 Green Flag awards – with two new sites getting the status this year.

Colwick Woods is among them and Richard Brown, Chair of the Friends of Colwick Woods, said he was delighted with the news.

"This is a remarkable achievement by the council and the Friends of Colwick Woods, who together have improved the site so much with limited resources," he said.

"With help from the community, the Friends of Colwick Woods have contributed for over a decade to upgrade and improve the site for the benefit of those who use it and its wildlife.

"We are really pleased that this work has been recognised and rewarded."

Colwick Woods was designated as a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1995 and listed as a Local Nature Reserve in 2004.

Dave Trimble, portfolio holder for leisure and culture at Nottingham City Council, said: "We are absolutely delighted Colwick Woods has been recognised by Keep Britain Tidy. "Park rangers, staff and volunteers work extremely hard to ensure that our green and open spaces are of the very highest quality."

The city council has not yet revealed which other park has been given a Green Flag for the first time.

1. MRH Wollaton Spar, Wollaton Vale, Wollaton, 126.9p

2. Asda Nottingham, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, 128.7p

3. Asda Hyson Green, Radford Road, Hyson Green, 128.7p

4. Sainsbury's Castle Boulevard, Castle Bridge Road, Castle Boulevard, 128.9

5. MRH Melton Road, Melton Road, West Bridgford, 128.9p

1. MRH Wollaton Spar, Wollaton Vale, Wollaton, 127.9p

2. Asda Nottingham, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, 131.7p

3. Asda Hyson Green, Radford Road, Hyson Green, 131.7p

4. Morrisons, Gamston District Centre, Gamston, 131.9p

5. Clifton Express, Clifton Lane, Clifton, 131.9p

A LORRY driver has been fined for driving his overweight truck across a bridge.

John Shaw, of Wirksworth Road, Ilkeston, was convicted in his absence of driving his Mans truck over the ancient Swarkestone Bridge, in South Derbyshire, on November 6 last year. It has a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes.

The 36-year-old was fined £600, ordered to pay costs of £80 and a £60 victim surcharge at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court.

Gotham: Police are warning residents after a theft from a shed in St Andrews Close. Thieves broke into the outbuilding overnight on Wednesday, July 23, and stole two bikes from inside.

Chilwell: Two laptops have been stolen from a property in Babington Court. Burglars climbed through an open ground-floor window and stole several items, including a handbag which has now been recovered, two laptops and a cash box. The cash box was found nearby. The incident took place between 10am on Saturday and 6.30am on yesterday.

Hucknall: A conservatory of a house in Rose Flower Grove was entered through an insecure window and a blue and yellow Raleigh Chimera bike was stolen on Saturday, July 19.

Mansfield: Trading standards officers have been alerted after a company cold-called a Mansfield resident at the door and told him he was entitled to a free boiler replacement under the Government's Green Deal initiative. The resident was asked to pay £299 for an energy assessment survey and told they would get this money back. The resident became suspicious after not being able to get through to the company and reported the matter to trading standards. You can find out if a trader you are dealing with is Green Deal-approved by calling the Energy Saving Advice Service on 0300 123 1234.

Hickling Pastures: Burglars stole jewellery from a house in Melton Road after smashing the front door. They then stole a light blue Mercedes 320 CLK. The incident took place between 6pm and 11.45pm on Saturday.

RESIDENTS are angry over a decision to scrap a bus service from their village to a city hospital.

And members of Ruddington's Parish Council have also criticised the move to cancel the 63 bus service running between East Leake and the Queen's Medical Centre.

However, Nottinghamshire County Council, which runs the service, has said it sent every parish the consultation documents last year, giving them the opportunity to have a say on changes.

Julie Coates, 52, from Ruddington, uses the service to get to her job as an auxiliary nurse at Nottingham City Hospital – connecting at the QMC.

She said: "It's a really good route for me as well as a lot of other health care workers in the village.

"Depending on how the traffic is now it could take me up to an hour-and-three-quarters to get to work."

Researcher Alison Ritchie, 53, also uses the bus every day and said: "Now I will have to take the bus into town and out to the QMC, which is going to increase my journey time six-fold.

"I work extra beyond my contract hours because I earn a little more; I won't be able to do that now because of the additional travel."

Nick Tegerdine, the parish council's chairman for environment and policy, said: "We feel the 63 route was not consulted on properly."

The 63 timetable and route will be completely revised and re-numbered 863, from August 4. The service to the QMC will cease.

A county council spokesman said: "This has been a difficult decision to make but the overall savings to the council are in the region of £200,000.

"Both East Leake and Ruddington have high-frequency services into Nottingham, where there are a number of connections to the QMC. In the near future the tram will be available as well.

"Consultation information was sent to every parish in Nottinghamshire during September and October last year.

"We will be monitoring all services, both new and existing ones, as part of our ongoing scrutiny process."

Bakersfield: Brian Tansey, 41, of Ferndale Road, Bakersfield, admitted driving a Ford while using his mobile in Notts on October 11 last year. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He was given three penalty points.

Beeston: Ian Ward, 50, of Lonsdale Drive, Beeston, pleaded guilty to driving an Audi while using a mobile phone last October. At Nottingham Magistrates' Court, he was fined £215 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85. He was given three penalty points.

Hucknall: Matthew Wass, 22, of Beauvale Road, Hucknall, pleaded guilty to driving a Ford vehicle while using a mobile phone last October. JPs in Nottingham fined him £140 and ordered he pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85. He was given three penalty points.

Clifton: Paul Greenhalge, 50, of Pieris Drive, Clifton, pleaded guilty to drink-driving. He was caught in Green Lane, Clifton, on June 19. He had 54 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, over the limit of 35, Nottingham magistrates heard. He was fined £380 and banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay a £38 victim surcharge and costs of £85.

St Ann's: O'Neil Mendez, 23, of Hudson Street, St Ann's, was fined £75 by magistrates in Nottingham. He admitted possessing cannabis in St Ann's on June 19. JPs ordered he pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85. The drugs will be destroyed.

City centre: A teenager has been fined £100 for using threatening behaviour in Angel Row, Nottingham. Korey Andrew, 19, of Croft Road, Keyworth, admitted the offence, which happened on April 4. Magistrates in Nottingham issued the fine and ordered he pay costs of £100 and a £20 victim surcharge.

Chilwell: A woman was fined £110 for stealing bottles of booze from Sunnyside Post Office, Chilwell. Kathleen Rooney, 21, of Great Hoggett Drive, Beeston, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court to taking £10-worth of alcohol on June 29. JPs ordered she pay £10 compensation and a £20 victim surcharge.

Sneinton Simon Watts, 36, of Magdala Road, Mapperley Park, was fined £600 for drink-driving. He was in a Fiat Punto in Bath Street, Sneinton, when he had 70 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, over the limit of 35, on June 30. He pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court and was banned for three years and ten months. He must pay a £60 victim surcharge and costs of £85.

Gedling: Conor Scott, 20, of Hereford Road, Gedling, pleaded guilty to driving Vauxhall without due care and attention in Stoke Lane, Stoke Bardolph, on February 23. He was fined £110 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He received seven penalty points.

Hucknall: Gareth Severn, 38, of Penhale Drive, Hucknall, was found guilty of driving an uninsured Vauxhall in Watnall Road, Watnall, on October 11 last year. Magistrates in Nottingham fined him £600 and ordered he pay a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs. he received six penalty points.

DRIVING licence fees are set to fall by up to 32 per cent under plans announced today by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Transport Minister Claire Perry.

The proposals are contained in a public consultation on driver licensing fees. The consultation sets out a proposed cut in licence fees of 32 per cent for digital transactions and 15 per cent for paper applications.

As part of the proposals, drivers who apply online for their first driving licence would see the fee drop from £50 to £34. Drivers who renew their licence after 10 years would see the fee drop from £20 to £14. All driver tachograph cards would fall from £38 to £32.

BURGLAR Ivan Green got more than he bargained for when a householder fought back and made a citizen's arrest.

Green, whose haul included an electronic toothbrush, cash and jewellery, was caught in a headlock by 61-year-old Alan Abrahams when he caught him in his West Bridgford home.

Mr Abrahams struggled with Green repeatedly but the offemder hit him in the ribs and both men crashed to the floor.

Green, who had a cut nose, escaped from the detached house in Balmoral Avenue, close to the River Trent, but was caught after he left his blood on Mr Abrahams' T-shirt and was traced by DNA from police records.

Green, already convicted five times for burglary, admitted burglary and common assault on Mr Abrahams on June 14 this year.

Recorder Jason MacAdam sent him to prison for three years and nine months on Friday.

Mr Abrahams returned home with his wife to find Green in the house at 11.15pm.

Mr MacAdam said: "They must have been horrified to find somebody in the house and immediately trying to leave the house," said the judge.

"You hit him [Mr Abrahams] in the ribcage on several occasions. He is a 61-year-old man. You are a 27-year-old. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

"It was extremely distressing for both of them. There are some psychological difficulties. This will continue, no doubt, for the rest of their lives. I consider it to be a very serious case."

After the burglary, Mr Abrahams suffered pain to his shoulder, after he fell on it in the struggle, and had pains in his pelvis, back and shoulders.

He lost £3,500 in wages for the three weeks he took off work.

Stephen Kemp, prosecuting, said: "Mr and Mrs Abrahams have suffered psychologically as a result of what took place – and particularly discovering this man in their home at night when they returned."

Green tried to break a pane of glass in the front door but was unsuccessful so he smashed glass in the double-glazed dining room door.

Mr Kemp said: "He entered the property and stole an electronic toothbrush and charger, Samsung mobile phone, a quantity of chargers, £500 in dollars, a £100 silver bracelet, a £300 ladies Armani watch and £60 silver earrings.

"The toothbrush and charger were recovered by police. He was identified because some blood was found on Mr Abrahams T-shirt and analysed for DNA and there was a link to this defendant."

Green, of Holgate Road, The Meadows, said after he was arrested that he was scared when confronted by Mr Abrahams in the kitchen and he just wanted to get away.

Mark Achurch, in mitigation, said that Green told police he committed the burglary because he was £3,000 in debt.

"He says he was being put under pressure to repay these debts and committed these offences."

THEY have seen generations making awkward small talk – but now the lifts in one of Nottingham's best-known buildings are being replaced.

The Council House in the Old Market Square is having improvements costing £880,000 over two years.

As well as replacing the lifts – which still have their original fittings from 1928 – the money will replace heating systems.

Norman Packer, who runs tours of thebuilding, welcomed the renovation work.

The historian added: "It's usually a case that one or the other of the lifts is broken down so it's good that work will be done on them.

"I'm really glad that more people are getting the chance to see the Council House, with weddings taking place here and the tours.

"People tell me they walk past the building every day and have never been in and that's such a shame."

The building has seen a large increase in numbers using it in recent years.

Nottingham Coroner's Court now holds inquests there and people can tie the knot at the building after the Register Office was moved there in 2011.

Councillor Graham Chapman, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, said he believed the lifts were similar to those used in the Empire State Building.

He said: "They're finished and have reached the end of their life. We need to replace them because a lot more people come into the Council House now and we need them to be reliable."

The city council says that, due to the heavy use of the building, the lifts are no longer fit for purpose.

Paperwork behind the decision said it is "essential" that the lifts are reliable and that they "require significant upgrade and refurbishment in order for them to be brought up to these standards".

The cars, which date from 1979, will be retained as part of the development work, which will cost £550,000.

Work on improving the heating system at the Council House will cost £330,000 and see an outdated system of radiant panels replaced with new radiators and convectors. The system failed in winter of 2012-13 with temporary radiators brought in while the fault was fixed.

NOTTINGHAM City Council will be collecting waste from hospitals after winning a contract with the NHS.

The agreement will involve the council collecting rubbish from the City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre, as well as Rampton Hospital, in north Notts.

Nicola Heaton, of the council, said the agreement was "fantastic news".

A WEST Bridgford man whose business was used to launder £10 million of ill-gotten gains from criminals has been banned from running a company for four years.

Rizvan Mian, 35, of Edward Road, was the owner of Imperial Escrow Ltd, in Nottingham.

He allowed cash to be transferred illegally between companies in the UK and overseas.

Any business dealing in large cash transactions has a responsibility to report those they consider suspicious to the National Crime Agency.

Mian pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court.

He was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to do 180 hours' unpaid work.

Stuart Taylor, assistant director, criminal investigation, HM Revenue and Customs , said after the case: "Mian ignored his legal obligations to conduct measures to identify potential risks that his business was being used to launder money by criminals, in an attempt to hide their criminal profits and avoid detection by law enforcement."

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NOTTINGHAM Forest Football Club is to be the official partner of a charity launched by a Chilwell couple in memory of their baby daughter.

Richard and Michelle Daniels set up the Forever Stars charity after daughter Emily was stillborn in December last year.

Their aim is to raise more than £50,000 to create a bereavement suite at the Queen's Medical Centre.

Following their own experiences, when they had to grieve in a room created for a new, happy family, the couple realised it was a facility the hospital desperately needed.

The Post is also backing their campaign.

Richard, 38, said: "I contacted Nottingham Forest when we first lost Emily to say we were looking at setting up a charity and would they be able to help in any way?

"They gave us three signed shirts straight away and also let us use the ground for a charity football match in May. We thought that would be the end of it but then we got a call from the club saying they had chosen us to be one of their charity partners for the 2014-15 season. We were delighted."

Lifelong Reds fan Richard said: "To have your boyhood club support you when there's something so massive happening in your life is incredible."

Michelle added: "This will undoubtedly raise the profile of the charity, which is brilliant."

The couple hope to create a soundproof "soft room" haven where parents can sit together .

They were astonished to raise more than £30,000 in just 23 weeks after launching the charity in January. They hope to continue fundraising after their target is reached, to help other hospitals across the country.

Representatives of Forever Stars will be at Stuart Pearce's first friendly match at home on August 2.

Club spokesman Ben White said: "We are absolutely thrilled to align ourselves with such a fantastic charity.

"Forever Stars is a familiar organisation to us and we are excited to welcome them on board in an official capacity."

Hucknall: A drink-driver has been ordered to pay £321 after being caught driving over the legal limit in Hyson Green. Ionut Puscas, of Portland Road, Hucknall, pleaded guilty to committing the offence while driving a BMW 318i in Radford Road on July 3.The 27-year-old had 63 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35. Puscas appeared before Nottingham Magistrates' Court where he was fined £215 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £21 and £85 Crown Prosecution Service costs. He has also been disqualified from driving for 17 months.

City: A man will appear before court after stealing a T-shirt from JD Sports. John Chattin, 26, of Mansfield Road, city centre, pleaded guilty to the theft in the Clumber Street store on June 4. The T-shirt was worth £12.50. Chattin is also accused of stealing a bike to the value of £50 in the city centre on June 9. He will appear before Nottingham Magistrates' court on August 11

St Ann's: Dale Jarrett, 42, of Paxton Gardens, St Ann's, denied harassing a woman. He allegedly contacted her by telephone on March 31 and attended her home address in Broxtowe on April 1. He has been bailed until his trial at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on September 19 at 2pm.

Beeston: Donna Mutanda, 33, of Audley Drive, Beeston, denied failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis in Forest Fields on March 2. She was bailed to attend Nottingham Magistrates' Court on September 17.

The Meadows: Charles Adewumi, 24, of Ryehill Close, The Meadows, was found guilty of assaulting a policeman in The Meadows on December 11 last year. He was bailed to be sentenced at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on August 7.

Hucknall: David Hartshorn, 23, of no fixed address, was sent to prison for four weeks by city magistrates. He pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour towards two men in Hucknall on June 30.

Bilborough: Daniel Laban, 23, of Orion Close, Bilborough, has been bailed to attend Nottingham Magistrates' Court on August 21. He is charged with possessing cannabis in Bulwell on July 2.

Bilborough: Glyn Simons, 54, of Fircroft Avenue, Bilborough, will appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court accused of drink-driving. He was allegedly behind the wheel of a Ford Escort in Denewood Crescent, Bilborough, when he was over the limit on June 30. He is on bail to attend court on August 4 at 2.15pm.

Netherfield: James McAlmont, 54, of Fenwick Close, Netherfield, is accused of producing cannabis in Broxtowe on June 3. He is bailed to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on August 1.