The A46 northbound between Owthorpe and Stagglethorpe is still closed follow a milk lorry blaze near Cotgrave.

The vehicle, thought to be carrying more than 9,000 litres of milk, has now been removed by the Highways Agency but road closures remain in place.

As some of the milk has entered a nearby water course environmental protection units are in use including gully suckers.

Fire crews were called out to the major fire at around 5.09am on Sunday October 12 along with environmental health officers and the police.

Travel delays are expected.

SHERWOOD MP Mark Spencer has said he will not be joining UKIP after internet speculation said he would defect.

The Conservative politician was featured on website Political Scrapbook with the question Is this the face of the Tories' next defector?

It was suggested that a narrow majority of 214 as well as sitting in a UKIP friendly seat would be reasons for Mr Spencer to look at changing party.

It follows the high profile defections of Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless from the Conservatives to UKIP.

However, speaking to the Post, Mr Spencer denied he would cross the floor, but said he had seen the "Twitter fun."

He added: "I'm not sure where it came from, but I haven't denied joining the Green Party, Liberal Democrats or any party, that's because I'm a member of the Conservative party and will be way beyond 2015."

Any bets on me joining UKIP, please make your cheques payable to Sherwood Conservative Association

— MarkSpencerMP (@MarkSpencerMP) October 6, 2014

The driver of a milk lorry - which burst into flames on the A46 near Cotgrave - is reported to be unharmed.

The burnt-out vehicle was removed by the Highways Agency at around noon on Sunday October 12 but due to the severity of the blaze, as well as the fuel and milk spillages, the road going northbound between Owthorpe and Stragglethorpe will not reopen until at least 5pm.

It is likely that the road will need to be resurfaced and if this is the case the road will be closed longer.

Fire crews were called to the scene just after 5am this morning along with environmental protection units and the police.

Mike Elliott, clerk at Bunny Parish Council, drove past the scene.

"It was totally, totally, burnt out," he said. "It looked a large lorry. All that was left of it was a shell of a vehicle – and a long one at that.

"Even if you saw the vehicle up close you couldn't see which company it belonged to."

Mr Elliott said he thought the fire could cause lasting damage to the road.

"I imagine the road underneath it was very badly damaged," he said. "The velocity of the fire must have been severe and would melt the road beneath.

"There were four fire engines and a couple of police cars as well as a big recovery vehicle waiting to remove what was left of the lorry."

The Highways Agency say that currently there are no significant delays in the area and the diversion route is coping well.

All vehicles are advised to leave the A46 northbound at the junction with A6006 and follow the

road westbound through Wymeswold. Take the A60 northbound through Costock and

Ruddington then the A52 northbound through Gamston. Finally take the A52 eastbound to rejoin the A46 at Saxondale.

The region's UKIP MEP Roger Helmer has asked for privacy in his private life after being spotted entering a massage parlour.

The married 70-year-old was seen going into Victoria House in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, on Friday October 10 after his party's by-election victory.

Hours earlier he had been campaigning with UKIP leader Nigel Farage before Douglas Carswell was voted in to earn the party's first seat in the House of commons for Clacton.

The East Midlands MEP has lived in Leicestershire for over 30 years. He came second in the Newark by-election in July, losing out to Conservative Robert Jenrick for the seat.

Victoria House's website features scantily-clad women and offers VIP rooms and services ranging from £40 to £100 per hour.

The parlour claims it has been 'Driving men wild since 1999' on its home page and its Twitter feed has many suggestive messages about its staff.

Mr Helmer was snapped going into the parlour by the Sun, which quoted him as saying: "MEPs are entitled to a private life.

"I work extremely hard and when I do occasionally have time off I enjoy a massage.

"I hope my constituents will agree people are entitled to enjoy their leisure as they please."

After the national newspaper broke the story, Mr Helmer said his personal life should be kept private.

He said: "What I do in my own time is of no concern to anyone but myself, especially not the Sun.

"I've always said people are welcome to ask me anything about my political life and political views, but my private life should be my own and is of no concern to anyone but me.

"The guy from the Sun spoke to me on the street and I said what I said, which I stand by, and to be fair the quote they put in was fairly accurate for once – which is rather rare because I'm usually quoted as saying things I have never said."

MORE than 1,400 speeding drivers got away with their crimes last year in Nottinghamshire as they were driving on foreign numberplates.

The worst offence was a driver caught going 83mph in a 50mph zone on the A1 in Elkesley.

The information was revealed by Nottinghamshire Police under the Freedom of Information Act following research from the Institute of Advances Motorists and showed that 1,423 drivers escaped fines in the county.

Road safety charity IAM also found that 23,295 drivers escaped fines nationally – the equivalent of £2.3 million worth of speeding tickets.

As foreign vehicles are not registered with the DVLA these speeding offences are not pursued.

IAM's director of policy and research, Neil Greig said: "The high numbers of overseas speeders on our roads show how important it is that the UK joins up with the rest of Europe to harmonise motoring offences and give the police extra powers to pursue dangerous drivers.

"Progress on this issue has been very slow and in the meantime thousands of drivers are avoiding fines and bans simply because their cars cannot be easily traced."

A teenager arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has been released on bail.

Police arrested the 19-year-old in connection with a stabbing in St Ann's Well Road, St Ann's, on Thursday October 9 at about 10.30pm.

An 18-year-old victim is recovering in hospital after the attack, which the force believe to have involved a fight between a group of men.

The victim was rushed to the Queen's Medical Centre where his condition was described as "serious".

The incident took place just yards from the Chase Neighbourhood Centre, where a memorial event was staged for murder victim Danielle Beccan.

She was killed ten years ago to the day on her way back from Goose Fair.

Detectives from Nottinghamshire Police would like to speak to anyone who saw the incident.

Nottinghamshire Police are asking anyone saw anything, call 101, quoting incident 896 of 9 October 2014.

NOTTS County Ladies cost Birmingham the inaugural Women's Super League title as they finished the season four games unbeaten.

The 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors' ground meant Liverpool, who started the final day in third, were champions after favourites Chelsea lost.

It was Notts who came flying out the blocks, taking the lead after just three minutes.

Aileen Whelan won a corner, Katie Hoyle swung the ball into the six yard box and Whelan planted a bullet header past Becky Spencer.

With 19 minutes gone the Lady Pies came close to doubling their lead, Whelan almost latching on to Fiona O'Sullivan's header, the defence just clearing.

A minute later Notts did get their second. Desiree Scott floated a cross in from the left and Laura-Jayne O'Neill headed it back across goal for Whelan.

Her miss-hit shot bobbled up to O'Sullivan, who finished neatly.

With ten minutes to go until half time the home side got a goal back.

Rachel Corsie did well to nip in and take the ball from Karen Carney. The defender laid the ball back to Carly Telford, but it held up.

Melissa Lawley rounded Telford and pulled the ball back to Kirsty Linnett.

The striker's first shot was well blocked by Amy Turner but the ball came back to Linnett, who finished into an empty net. With just three minutes to go until half time Birmingham had a golden chance to level the scores.

A scramble in the box saw the ball hit hard from close range against a defender, the referee immediately pointing to the spot for handball.

Carney drove the penalty to Telford's right, the England keeper making a fantastic save. However, the ball came back to Carney and with an open goal the striker hit her shot, but Telford came from nowhere to get two hands to it and prevent the equaliser.

Three minutes into the second half Birmingham levelled though. County's clearance deflected and fell fortuitously to Hannah Keryakoplis, the striker taking a touch before finishing past Telford.

That opened the game up, with Birmingham needing a third. It was the visitors who came close to taking the lead again though. Turner played a sublime cross field ball to Jess Clarke, who fired inches past the post on the angle.

Dunia Susi then clipped the bar for Notts as Birmingham chased the game.

Birmingham continued to come forward, Telford doing well to deny Linnett late on.

County had a big appeal for a penalty , Clarke appearing to be bundled over by Jess Carter, the referee blowing for full-time rather than the spot kick.

Unleaded

1.  Asda Hyson Green, Radford Road, 123.8p.

2. Sainbury's Castle Boulevard, Castle Bridge Road, 123.9p.

3. Asda West Bridgford, Loughborough Road, 123.9p.

4. Esso Clifton Express, Clifton Lane, Clifton, 123.9p.

5.  Sainsbury's Beeston, Cross Street, 123.9p.

Diesel

1.  Asda Hyson Green, Radford Road, 127.7p.

2.  Asda West Bridgford, Loughborough Road, 127.7p.

3. Sainsbury's Castle Boulevard, Castle Bridge Road, 127.9p.

4.  Esso Clifton Express, Clifton Lane, Clifton, 127.9p

5. Esso Basford Express, Valley Road, Basford, 128.9p.

After more than 12 hours the A46 northbound has reopened following a major lorry fire.

Thirty fire fighters were called to tackle the blaze near Cotgrave after a vehicle carrying more than 9,000 litres of milk burst into flames.

Police closed the road between Owthorpe and Stragglethorpe while the Highways Agency removed the burnt-out vehicle.

Crews worked hard to clear the road of the spilt milk and oil.

The driver of the lorry is believed to be unharmed and environmental protection units have used gully suckers to remove milk and oil from a nearby water course.

Fire crews and police were called to the scene just after 5am following reports that a lorry was on fire.

Find out where all the mobile speed cameras will be this week across Nottinghamshire.

A60 Nottingham Rd, Mansfield

A60 Nottingham Rd/Mansfield Rd, Ravenshead

New Mill Lane/ Sandlands Way, Mansfield Woodhouse

B6030 Sherwood Hall Rd/Clipstone Rd, Mansfield

B6023 Mansfield Rd, Sutton in Ashfield

A60 Leeming Lane North, Mansfield Woodhouse

A60 Carlton in Lindrick/Costhorpe

B6040 Retford Rd, Worksop 40 limit section

A616, Ompton

A17 Sleaford Road, Coddington

Raymoth and Thievesdale Lane, Worksop

A60 Bellar Gate - Woodthorpe Dr, Nottingham

A609 Ilkeston Rd/Wollaton Rd/Russell Drive/Trowell Rd, Nottingham

A611 Hucknall Rd, Nottingham

A6008 Canal Street, Nottingham

B682 Sherwood Rise through to Hucknall Lane, Nottingham

Bestwood Park Drive, Nottingham

Radford Boulevard / Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham

Nottingham Rd / Leake Rd, Gotham

B600 Nottingham Rd / Kimberley Rd, Nuthall

Spring Lane, Lambley

Clifton Road, Ruddington

IN their first game since announcing they will be moving to Lady Bay in the new year, Nottingham Rugby were beaten 26-19 by Worcester Warriors at Meadow Lane in the British and Irish Cup.

Despite leading from midway through the first half, a second period strewn with handling errors cost the Greens dear as last season's relegated Premiership side made them pay with a late try.

It was a closely fought contest that ebbed and flowed, with fly halfs Dan Mugford and Tiff Eden trading blows in a master class of kicking.

Nottingham started on the front foot, having made ten changes from the side that defeated Yorkshire Carnegie last Sunday in the Championship.

But after gifting the visitors possession on halfway, Worcester broke down the right, moving the ball well across to the left and with three players in open space, Dean Hammond continued unchallenged over the line to score.

Eden struck the ball beautifully to give his side a 7-0 lead inside three minutes.

Despite a frustrating ten minute period that saw a number of handling errors from Nottingham, the hosts were back in the game on 17 minutes thanks to a try from Matthew Everard.

The Greens had spent a sustained period deep in the Worcester 22 for the first time in the game and were well rewarded. As the Nottingham forwards pushed the maul, Everard was the one who forced the ball down for his first Greens try.

Mugford, hot on the heels of his match winning performance last weekend, made no mistake with the conversion to level the tie at 7-7.

Just two minutes had passed before Nottingham established the lead thanks to a stunning kick from Mugford. The Greens, being overseen by backs coach Ben Johnston, were awarded a penalty for a collapsed scrum and Nottingham's number 10 struck a drive from the halfway line.

His flat kick, from a short run up, cleared the posts to send the hosts into a 10-7 lead.

The boot of Mugford had the crowd on their feet once more just short of the half hour. This time, his penalty kick was a couple of yards inside Green territory, but like the previous one, he struck the ball like a dart to add three more points.

Worcester took advantage of their first penalty to reduce the arrears to just three. As added time at the end of the half ticked over, Mugford had a third penalty kick from halfway and true to form, he made no mistake to give his side a 16-10 lead at the break.

Barely a minute had registered inside the second period before Worcester made the score 16-13 after Eden scored his second penalty.

Play was paused for a lengthy period while Morgan Eames received medical treatment, however, the referee had already awarded the Greens a penalty for offside.

Mugford notched his fourth impressive kick to restore his side's six point lead.

The straight contest between the boot of Messrs Eden and Mugford continued as the former pulled his side to within three of Nottingham with another penalty. Warriors levelled the clash with nine minutes to go with Eden's fourth penalty after Tom Calladine was sin binned.

Then, despite having a scrum in Warrior's territory, the forwards stole the ball, they offloaded well through the centre and Perry Humphreys stormed away to score.

Naturally, Eden added the extras to make it 26-19.

When flash floods ruined a charity music festival, Nottingham's football legends of yesteryear came running to the rescue.

Retired star players from Forest and Notts County – including stalwart Steve Chettle and defender Michael Johnson – went head-to-head in a bid to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The friendly match at the Basford United FC ground on Sunday October 12 was organised by sisters Donna Jordan and Lisa Fox, who had reluctantly cancelled their fundraising music festival, CatFest, after the venue in a cattery in Newthorpe flooded in July.

Donna, 35, was moved to start fundraising for the charity after her friend's husband's brother died from brain cancer in January, and has also completed a sponsored walk of the Three Peaks challenge.

"It is fantastic that the players have given their time to support the charity. We have been so lucky with the weather and so many people have come out," said Donna, of Cottage Meadow, Colwick.

It was estimated that around 380 football fans attended the match in Greenwich Avenue which saw the Magpies narrowly snatch a 6 - 5 win against the Reds.

County fan Rob Keeton, 42, of Forest Road, Annesley Woodhouse, was enjoying the match with son Robbie, 11, and dad George Hales, 66.

He said: "We have all been lifelong Notts County fans and it is great to see the old boys still playing.

"The lads these days are too quick to fall over at the slightest touch – these guys were and are made of stronger stuff.

"Standing in the sunshine, drinking a beer, watching County with my dad and son, there really is nothing better - well, except for County winning, of course."

The match kicked off at 2pm with live commentary. There was also entertainment, including face-painting and music.

Speaking to the Post before kick-off, 1991 FA Cup final star and Forest legend Steve Chettle said: "It starts off pretty friendly but once you get on the pitch I think the competitiveness kicks in and old rivalries resurface – but it is all for a great cause and I'm glad I can help out."

Former County central defender Michael Johnson said: "You can't beat having a little kickabout with your mates on a Sunday afternoon.

"It is a great community round here which you can see by how many people have come out to support us and the charity."

Basford United FC chairman Chris Munroe added: "Hopefully we will see some of our rising stars doing this very thing in 20 or 30 years' time."

DRIVERS heading into Nottingham on a busy dual carriageway were diverted 13 miles for half a day after a milk lorry burst into flames.

More than 9,000 litres of milk were spilt along with 100 litres of Diesel - posing a threat to nearby streams and aquatic life.

The vehicle was travelling on the A46 near Cotgrave at around 5am on Sunday October 12 when it caught fire.

The severity of the blaze, alongside spillages of fuel and milk, meant Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue kept the northbound lanes closed between Owthorpe and Stragglethorpe until 5pm.

The Highways Agency said the road will have to be resurfaced after the incident, which caused delays of up to 30 minutes.

Mike Elliott, clerk at Bunny Parish Council, drove past the scene.

"It was totally, totally, burnt out," he said. "It looked a large lorry. All that was left of it was a shell of a vehicle – and a long one at that.

"Even if you saw the vehicle up close you couldn't see which company it belonged to."

Mr Elliott said he thought the fire could cause lasting damage to the road.

"I imagine the road underneath it was very badly damaged," he said. "The velocity of the fire must have been severe and would melt the road beneath.

"There were four fire engines and a couple of police cars as well as a big recovery vehicle waiting to remove what was left of the lorry."

The driver of the lorry had managed to detach the milk trailer from the front cab of his truck, and got away from the scene unscathed.

Robert Barton, crew manager at West Bridgford Fire Station, attended the scene.

He said: "The initial fire was dealt with quite quickly. The milk was more dangerous to the environment than the fire was. If it gets into the water course it can kill all fish life.

"When we tried to move he lorry it kept spilling more milk so we had to be really careful."

An environmental protection unit from Stockhill Fire Station were also called, and used pneumatic plugs which expanded inside the drains.

Meanwhile, the Highways Agency used gully suckers to help clear the road.

"We get various vehicle fires on the roads," explained crew manager Barton. "So we knew how to deal with it. The road is one of the major arteries going into Nottingham so we were asked to get it open quickly but we wanted to ensure it was completely safe."

Drivers heading towards Nottingham were diverted up the A6006 through Wymeswold and advised to take the A60 northbound through Costock and Ruddington.

They then took the A52 through Gamston and rejoined the A46 at Saxondale.

Peter Cousins, a councillor on Cotgrave Town Council, said the village might have struggled to cope with diverted traffic had the incident not taken place on a Sunday.

"We get a bottle neck on weekday morning as it's quite a busy route coming in to Nottingham," he said. "With the building work taking place on Hollygate Lane it probably stopped the traffic coming through. Otherwise, it would have been gridlocked I expect."

Paramedics are gearing up for a four-hour strike tomorrow morning in a row over pay.

Ambulance staff at East Midlands Ambulance Service are set to walk out from 7am until 11am on October 13 - responding only to "life-threatening" emergencies.

They will also refuse to work overtime until the end of Friday.

Alan Squires' 91-year-old mother May Squires had to wait two hours for paramedics when she suffered a head injury last month.

He said: "It is always difficult when public services go on strike because we expect them to be there regardless of anything," said Mr Squires, 67, of Edwards Lane, West Bridgford.

"Sometimes strike action is the only way they can draw attention to what they are doing.

"I know there are people calling for ambulances when they do not need them and it puts the service under a tremendous amount of strain."

Retired teacher Mr Squires said taking industrial action is a difficult choice which he opted against when his colleagues did.

"I don't know if they are being called out more or if there are less staff but the ambulance service is being stretched and we expect a lot of these people," he added.

Paramedics are striking over the one per cent pay rise that has only been offered to staff on the top pay band, denying the rise to 60 per cent of NHS staff.

The ambulance service said industrial action will cause a backlog of patients with less serious injuries and illnesses.

"The action will affect all non life-threatening emergency calls we receive and it is inevitable that we will face significant pressure both during and after the period of Industrial Action," said Sue Noyes, chief executive of EMAS. "The backlog may take some time to clear and patients may therefore experience some delays throughout Monday."

However, local union members defended the action.

Lee Goddard, EMAS representative for the Unison union, said: "We are not putting any lives in danger and we would like to make it clear we are striking against the government not the trust.

"We just want fair pay for a fair job."

A retired paramedic, who did not want to be named, said ambulance staff were undervalued.

"I think we are treated like those people who should deem it a privilege to be in the health profession," he said. "The people at the sharp end haven't had a pay rise for years now."

Joseph Craythorpe, 31, of Basford, supported the strike. "I think they do an important job and deserve more pay," he said.

Martin Draper, 42, of Bilborough added: "It's a difficult job that I think most people appreciate. But striking will put them under more pressure if anything serious happens."

Ian Alexander, 51, of Carlton said: "I haven't had a pay rise in five years so I think they should be grateful for what they've been offered."

After ten months of "hard graft" and more than £60,000 spent, Tiny Talkers nursery has opened the doors to its new premises in Musters Road, West Bridgford.

Owners Sarah and Steve Bond decided to move the nursery from the ROKO health club, in Wilford Lane, following high demand for places and a desire for a more "home-from-home" feel.

Mrs Bond, 49, who "didn't feel right" looking after more than 25 children at the old nursery will now cater for up to 41 little ones  during the day and 16 children at a before school, after school and holiday club.

She said: "Demand is definitely increasing, although we don't have a waiting list we are showing four parents around next week and have on average two or three showing a week."

The nursery opened at the ROKO health club three years ago and initially employed seven members of staff. There are now 13 people at the new nursery with Mrs Bond looking to hire more as the business finds its feet.

She said: "It is a bit like moving house and although me and Rosie were working really hard all through the weekend, of course there are still some unpacked boxes.

"In the long-term we would love to have maybe one more nursery, but I think we need to get settled in here first."

The premises in Musters Road had originally been used as offices but Mrs Bond says the Victorian town house had been vacant for the last two years and was in a derelict state when they scouted it.

She said: "I loved it straight away and could see what the end product would look like, but it was a lot of work getting there.

"Everything had to be redone, from the electrics to the plumbing.

"I think the biggest challenges were sorting out the outside space which was just an overgrown car park before and also installing the child-friendly bathrooms.

"I knew exactly what I wanted and I couldn't be happier with the end result - it really does feel like a home to home."

 Rosie Allen, 28, has managed Tiny Talkers nursery since it opened.

The Musters Road resident said: "Well it is certainly a lot closer than it used to be, I am only five minutes down the road now.

"There was a moment last night at around 10pm when I thought I just really want to go to bed now - but it was so exciting seeing it this morning and seeing all the parents' reactions - who were all very pleased.

"It has been a labour of love but it has been worth it."

HUNDREDS of NHS workers have taken to the picket lines, calling for pay rises across the health service.

Six unions took part in the industrial action on Monday morning, including paramedics and midwives who walked out for four hours in protest.

The members are demanding a one per cent rise in pay for all NHS staff, claiming two years of pay freezes have left their work undervalued.

But the move has been condemned by the Department of Health, which claims it cannot afford to make wages any higher.

Around 30 paramedics and technicians were manning the picket at the East Midlands Ambulance Service station on Beechdale Road - who said managers were taking care of priority emergency calls. 

Paramedic Satvir Shergill, of Bramcote, said: "It is important for us to stand up for what we believe in. It is about supporting our colleagues and thinking about our future.

The 28-year-old added: "We are only human, we all have bills to pay, just like everyone else, and the price of living is rising while our wages are frozen."

Trainee paramedic Ellen Hutchinson, of Underwood, is worried about her future in the profession.

The 23-year-old said: "The poor pay undermines the hard work we do. It is stressful and challenging, and the vast majority of people who do this work deserve better.

"I am scared about my future and pension in this job and I know it will put others off from joining the service."

Another picket was set up outside the front of the Queen's Medical Centre on Derby Road, with midwives and nurses waving banners and urging drivers to beep their horns in support - whilst outpatient appointments and home visits were also cancelled. 

Nikki Kacerovskis, the Nottingham union representative from the Royal College of Midwives, said: "We have a good recruitment rate for students but the retention is like a revolving door. Then people we do have are opting for early retirement because they are burnt out from all the extra hours and pressure on them.

"We are a regional referral unit at the QMC with expertise in neo-natal and we are proud of what we do. But we cannot continue like this."

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said it had worked closely with unions to minimise the impact on patient care during the strike.

Danny Mortimer, director of workforce and strategy at the Trust added that contingency plans were in place throughout the strike:

"We apologise to patients affected by changes and rearrangements we have had to make to our planned work, such as outpatient appointments and home visits, for the inconvenience this has caused."

But the Department of Health has taken a much stronger opposition to the action, claiming to have offered all it can to the workers.

A spokesman from the department said: "We are disappointed that trade unions are taking industrial action and have rejected our proposals to give NHS staff at least one per cent additional pay this year and at least a further one per cent next year.

"NHS staff are our greatest asset, and we've increased the NHS budget to pay for over 12,500 more clinical staff since 2010. We cannot afford a pay rise in addition to increments - which disproportionately reward the highest earners - without risking frontline jobs."

Local reaction to the strikes – which are taking place across the UK – has been mixed.

Mick Young posted on The Post's Facebook page, saying: "This is a political strike. There is an election in a few months. Get your well-deserved pay rise then."

But others who posted backed the strikes, such as Cath Connolly, who wrote: "They deserve every penny and more. I support them in their strike."

What do you think? Have you missed out on an appointment or not been able to get an ambulance? Or do you work for the NHS? Let us know in the comments below.