Two would-be robbers threatened to "batter and bomb" shoppers in West Bridgford, a court heard.

Shardan Buchanan and Thomas Coyle struck as two men left Coop.

They believed they had cannabis because their hair was in dreadlocks.

But the men had been wrongly labelled as neither had the drug on them when asked by Buchanan for "ganja", another word for cannabis.

On December 4, Buchanan, 18, formerly of Covert Road, and Coyle, of Valley Road, West Bridgford, were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court for trying to rob them.

They admitted two charges of attempted robbery.

Buchanan, who had a leading role, received 12 months in custody, suspended for 12 months, and must go on a "thinking skills" course and do 100 hours of unpaid work.

Coyle was handed a community order of 18 months, a three-month curfew, between set hours, tagging and an order to get mental health treatment.

Sentencing them, Judge Michael Stokes QC said it was matter of concern to the court in the first place that they were looking for cannabis.

When the victims refused to give them the drug, he said Buchanan and Coyle spent the next 20 minutes following and threatening them.

"Buchanan, you hinted you were in possession of a knife," said Judge Stokes.

"You told them you knew where they lived and the windows would be broken."

Buchanan and Coyle threatened to batter and bomb them, which they understood to mean punish and beat them up.

Buchanan used the words "make you flow", taken as a threat to stab and make them bleed, and he was the one who threw two punches.

One of the men received a phone call from a friend during the attack, realised what was happening and called police.

Roger Wilson, mitigating for Buchanan, said the attempted robberies were spur of the moment at a time when his client was estranged from his family.

He is now in a flat and receiving Jobseeker's Allowance.

Nicola Hornby, for Coyle, said the two defendants knew each other from school but no longer associate.

THOUSANDS of pounds are being ploughed into a pub in Chilwell as part of a re-brand.

Pub chain Spirit Group are paying for a £120,000 revamp to the Charlton Arms, in High Road.

The pub closed on Monday and is set to re-open on December 12 following an extensive refurbishment.

General manager Mark Griffiths said they would be focussing more on higher quality food when the pub re-opens.

He said: "It's a brand change and there are quite a few pubs already in the area like this.

"We will be delivering a higher quality of food for people now, but will still be a community pub.

"We've got a great set of locals who come in most evenings and have football teams who come in on a Sunday, and we'll still be showing Sky Sports and BT Sport."

The refurbishment will see a completely revamped bar and a redecoration, including modern decor and a signature pieces of furntiure.

The food and drink will also change, with higher quality beers such as Bier Moretti being offered, while new dishes will include chicken and white wine pie and tomato and mascarpone risotto.

Mr Griffiths, who has been at he pub since February 2013, added: "We will still introducing some new drinks, such as Thatchers Gold, and we will still be selling our cask ales.

"That is something I have been trying to push more since I started here, and we have been working closely with Nottingham Breweries and they are brewing us our own beer, called Call To Arms."

Local restaurant owner Tony Rogers said he hopes the area can become a centre for people enjoying an evening out.

Mr Rogers, who runs Latinos Restaurant on High Road, said: "I think the more places there are for people to enjoy a night out the better.

"It would be much better if there are lots of people coming out so everyone can share the business instead of just one or two."

Anna Soubry, MP for Broxtowe, welcomed the redevelopment of the pub.

She said: "We've got some really brilliant pubs in the area, not just in Chilwell but all over Broxtowe, in Stapleford, Kimberley and Beeston too.

"So to have more money put into the Charlton Arms in Chilwell, where there are also so fantastic pubs, is really good news."

UNEXPECTEDLY thrust into the Nottingham Rugby starting XV this season, fly-half Will Maisey has got a taste for the action.

Eager for more, and with some stiff competition among his team-mates, he knows he must continue to make strides forward in order to feature on a regular basis.

And to do so, he will pick the brains of those players he is battling for a place with.

Maisey was thrown in at the deep end earlier this term when fellow No.10s Dan Mugford and Rory Lynn were sidelined.

He grasped the opportunity with both hands, putting in some impressive displays.

But he knows there is still room for improvement.

"I came in this season just training," said the 22-year-old, ahead of Sunday's British and Irish Cup clash with Moseley.

"I didn't expect much – maybe one or two B&I Cup games is what I was hoping for.

"But with the way it's gone for me, I've been so lucky. With the injuries at the start of the season, I've had to just put my hand up.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my opportunities, now I've just got to push on and try to get back into that starting spot.

"Both the other two No.10s have played at this level for the last three years or so, so they are helping me come on leaps and bounds.

"Different areas of my game where I've not been so strong previously, they are helping me improve them.

"We are definitely three very different players and I'm learning what they're best at to make myself improve as a player. Hopefully what I'm slightly better at, I can help them a little bit as well.

"I like to think I've got quite a good kicking game, whereas the other two are probably much better at taking the ball to the line and bringing players into play than I am.

"I'm just learning that from them and trying to improve that part of my game.

"At No.10, you've got to control the whole game, so that's one thing I think I've really done well in so far.

"There's still plenty to improve on and plenty of learning to do, so I'm just happy I've managed to get some game time."

The Championship is a step up from what the Leicester Lions player has been used to.

He admits looking at opposition team-sheets can sometimes be 'mindboggling', but he is confident of holding his own.

"Before, I was playing in National One – the standard was very tough there, but here you get a lot of big, physical men running down your channel, which isn't what you want really," he laughed.

"But I'm learning to deal with that and cope with that.

"There are so many quality players. You look at team sheets and you see players who you've been watching for years on the TV. It's mindboggling but it's great.

"When you're on the pitch, I don't think about it like that; it's more after the game when I think, 'oh God, I've just played against that player'.

"When I'm playing the game I'm just trying to focus on my game and the team, making sure Nottingham are playing well, as opposed to who's on the other team."

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE fans can expect some "special games" during the 2015 season when the county takes cricket out on the road to Welbeck.

This is the view of new Notts signing Will Gidman, who believes the 'Welbeck Weekend' in July has the potential to provide a "fantastic environment to play cricket in".

When next season's fixtures were announced last week, it was revealed the Notts Outlaws will host Warwickshire on Saturday, July 25, and then Glamorgan a day later at Welbeck Cricket Club in the One-Day Cup group stages.

It is a rare fixture for the club outside of their Trent Bridge home, but is something other counties have been doing successfully for years, building festivals around these dates.

Yorkshire go to Scarborough, Lancashire play in Liverpool, Sussex host matches at Arundel Castle, while Gloucestershire – Gidman's former club until his move – play in Cheltenham and Gloucester during the season away from the County Ground in Bristol.

The Cheltenham Cricket Festival, which takes place every July for two weeks, takes place at the famous Boys College in the town with a mixture of beer tents, hospitality marquees, spectator stands and stalls providing a different feel to a fixture than what can be created at bigger venues like Trent Bridge or Old Trafford.

And while Gidman is by no means saying festival grounds are better than Test venues to play in, he admits there is a different sort of atmosphere that comes with taking cricket to outposts in a county.

"I think the main benefits are for the fans really," the 29-year-old all-rounder told the Post. "It obviously means we as a club can target a different area of Nottinghamshire and you get supporters who can't often travel to Trent Bridge and so it's nice for them to be able to watch some first-class cricket in a different part of the county.

"It's great for us as well, it's nice to experience different venues and different surroundings, because that atmosphere is a bit different at festivals and the different fans you get create a different atmosphere, not better as Trent Bridge has its own great atmosphere, it's just something a bit different for everybody and nice for the supporters.

"If you embrace that different atmosphere and get amongst it, festival out-grounds can be a fantastic environment to play cricket in.

"It makes you want to play exciting cricket, better cricket and makes you want to win, as you want to put on a good show for those local supporters that have made such a big effort to welcome you at their ground.

"It brings about some special games and special memories for cricketers and supporters alike, really."

Gidman, a former Durham player, has been with his latest county for a few months now and is already loving life as a Notts player and can't wait to start his new "challenge".

"I'm thoroughly enjoying it," he said. "The lads and coaches have welcomed me into the group really well.

"It's some new outlooks and opinions on things which is good because that keeps you on your toes and gives you a bit of an extra nudge.

"I could have been guilty falling into a bit of a comfort zone at Gloucestershire, so it's nice to have those new challenges.

"It is the biggest challenge I've had so far in my career in terms of coming to a big club and playing a higher standard of cricket, if I can hopefully get in the team, so it's a challenge I can't wait to get cracking with."

NOTTS County under-16 girls have enjoyed a medal laden year and this was recognised at the Gedling Sports Awards where they were named junior team of the year.

The team (pictured), which was formed at the beginning of the 2013-14 season, were regional Futsal champions, League Cup finalists, County Shield semi-finalist and finished third in League One of the Notts Girls and Ladies League against established teams like Nottingham Forest, Sherwood, Vernon and Underwood Villa.

Club representative Andrew Eastwood said: "It was a season that we used to develop and challenge the players, never focusing too much on the results but more on how we played our football and the performance of the team and individual players.

"We like to think that this approach has improved the players performance which has reflected in the success that the team has achieved so far."

Meanwhile, the Notts County Ladies Development side won the Derbyshire Futsal Fives League by topping the table undefeated and scoring 34 goals and conceding just five.

Courtney Walters collected the league top goal scorer award.

The team beat quality opposition along the way in the likes of Derby County, Loughborough Students and Alfreton.

NOTTS County fans are running out of time to give their club a chance to win a £250,000 transfer fund to spend in January.

To be in with a chance of securing the season-changing sum of money for Shaun Derry's (pictured) Magpies, fans who gamble with Sky Bet will earn a token for every pound they spend.

The more tokens you collect, the higher the chances of the Magpies have of being among the shortlist of ten finalists which are drawn when the promotion closes on Monday, December 8.

The winner will then be announced on Sky Sports News and fans who have entered also have a chance to win themselves £5,000 in the process.

To get involved in the chance to win the six-figure windfall, all you need to do is visit SkyBet.com, click on the Transfer Fund and register your team as Notts County.

If you are going to put a bet on before a game, make sure you're on Sky Bet and you have selected Notts County as your club.

Log on to www.skybet.com/win for more information.

DEFENDER Ryan Tafazolli believes it will be 'a backward step' if Adam Murray isn't appointed permanent manager of Mansfield Town.

Since taking caretaker charge following the departure of Paul Cox last month, Murray has overseen two wins from three games with the Stags.

A more attractive style of play has also curried favour with fans and players alike.

Murray was one of several candidates to be interviewed for the job on Tuesday by chairman John Radford and the board of directors.

And an announcement will be made tomorrow on who gets the nod.

"It will be great if it's Muzz because of how far we've come on," said Tafazolli.

"I think it will be a shame if it isn't him because we've come such a long way in two weeks.

"I think it will be a backward step if he doesn't get it.

"But you never know. Whoever the manager is, we'll all try our best and work hard."

Although more used to lining up alongside Murray on the field, Tafazolli says it has been easy to adapt to having the midfielder in charge.

"I think he's surprised a few of us by how much of a good manager he actually is and how great he will become," said the centre-back.

"The transition of player to manager is always a difficult one, but the way Muzz has gone about it has been tremendous.

"What he's tried to implement with us has been so good. Hopefully from now on we can kick on.

"Muzz has been absolutely brilliant with us. He's just said, 'I want you to express yourselves and play with freedom'.

"It is like the shackles have been brought off us.

"It's been really good so far, we've come on leaps and bounds and hopefully now we're going to take it to another level."

Mansfield head into Saturday's FA Cup tie at Cambridge United looking to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat against Luton Town.

But Tafazolli says the signs were positive against the side sitting second in the League Two table.

"They've had two and a half years together, whereas under Muzz we've had two and a half weeks," he commented. "But I think we more than matched them at times.

"Who knows what we're going to be capable of in a month's time, six months' time or a year's time – we're going to take even bigger strides and prove to be an absolute force.

"I know Luton did beat us 3-0 but I don't think that scoreline reflected how we actually played. We did create some good chances and we kept the ball well at times.

"They are a very good side and have been together a long time.

"Hopefully, with time to come, we can become more like them.

"Hopefully, with more time under Muzz we can become a really well oiled machine and start picking up points and providing entertaining football for the fans – I think that's the main thing."

VOICEMAIL messages for a victim of a crash are played in a "haunting" new video to promote road safety.

The 90-second clip was made by Nottinghamshire County Council's Youth Arts team and centres around a young woman lying in the road.

Twelve students from Vision West Nottinghamshire College helped the council make the film, which will be shown at a national conference.

The Child Death Overview Panel will be attended by pediatricians, coroners, nurses, police and others involved in investigation child deaths.

Viewers of the short film are encouraged "pay attention when you cross the road".

Andy Dobb, from Vision West Nottinghamshire College said: "The students responded professionally to the brief set and the results are powerful. It's fantastic to see their work still making an impact almost a year after they first started the process."

Councillor Liz Plant, vice-chairman of the children and young people's committee at the council said: "It is a thought provoking film which helps to highlight the vital need to be vigilant when crossing the road."

THE not inconsiderable issue facing Stuart Pearce is how to fill the shoes of Britt Assombalonga.

The Nottingham Forest striker has netted 12 goals this season to lead the way in the scoring stakes and, while the manager has a number of potential options, filling Assombalonga's shoes remains a difficult task.

Pearce has hinted that Dexter Blackstock is likely to get the nod, with the experienced frontman having impressed in training and under-21 games recently.

The 28-year-old has proved his fitness following a serious knee injury last season and could slot straight in alongside Matty Fryatt.

Alternatively, 10-goal winger Michail Antonio could be pushed into a more advanced role, with Jamie Paterson or Tom Ince taking his place out on the flank.

A straight swap with Blackstock coming in for Assombalonga, who is suspended following his red card at Birmingham, would ensure that Pearce does not have to shuffle too many pieces around, in order to cope with the £5.5m man's absence.

Key battle in the game:

Michail Antonio v Nick Pope: With Britt Assombalonga suspended, Forest will hope the other half of their deadly duo, Antonio, can maintain his scoring form in his absence.

It remains unclear whether Antonio will play up front or continue to operate on the flank. Either way, it will be Pope, who has enjoyed a run in the Charlton goal, with Stephen Henderson injured, who will be looking to thwart his attempts.

The father of missing tourist Mia Reeves has spoken of his relief at hearing of his daughter safety.

Mia, 27, of Sherwood, failed to board her return flight from Tel Aviv, on Sunday November 30, following a two week cycling holiday in Israel, leaving her family back in Nuthall "extremely worried".

Dad Kevin Edwards, 61, told the Post that the news had put his family's life "on hold".

Nottinghamshire Police had been compiling a file for Interpol and The British Embassy in Tel Aviv were providing providing consular assistance

 After three tense days Mia contacted her family on Facebook, on Thursday December 4, before calling her mum Rosie and sister Paige.

She told her family she had missed her flight on Sunday because she had not left enough time to go through Israeli security.

Mia decided to go to the Israeli countryside with some friends she had met at her hostel when fighting broke out and was holed up for three days.

She contacted the family as soon as she could get to an internet cafe in Jerusalem.

Mr Edwards said: "She is now desperately trying to get a flight home. As soon as we know we will go and pick her up from the airport, and we will be locking the car doors."

UNCERTAINTY is blighting the planning stage of the controversial HS2 railway, it has been claimed.

A meeting was held on Thursday evening where a presentation was given to around 15 people, made up of councillors, MPs and those affected.

The presentation was an update on the possible routes the line could take and where a 'East Midlands Hub' would be based.

It was originally thought that the hub would be based in Toton, but the rail project's chairman, Sir David Higgins, said in a TV interview earlier this year that a station "near Breaston" was being considered.

But those who gathered at the meeting said the time frame it has taken to be pulled together is unfair on those whose lives will be affected by the proposed line.

Councillor Richard MacRae, who serves the Stapleford North ward on Broxtowe Borough Council, helped organise the meeting at The Old Cross in Stapleford.

He said: "I think it is the not knowing that people are most worried about.

"We would like to have the HS2 in Toton, and the people in Breaston don't want it so it's just about getting the route right.

"Some people don't know what is going to happen to their homes so they can't sell them or move, or change jobs. It's unfair."

The sentiment was echoed by parliamentary candidate for Erewash, Magie Throup.

She said: "It's impossible for people to move from their homes until they start building the track."

A presentation was made to the small crowd by Rachel Roberts, stake holder manager from HS2, and Natalie Kirkwood, a stake holder advisor.

Miss Roberts said: "We have been told to go through the consultation and have a deep look into what people have said.

"Everything that has been said we will take back and look at.

"But the decision will be made by the secretary of state, we are not the decision making body.

"This is a long-term plan and we want to make sure we make the right decision."

She told the crowd a decision would be made on the route "towards the end of 2015", and ensured them as soon as it had been made, they would hold similar presentations around the area.

Mis Roberts also said a strategy needed to be created and a group called Transport for the North had been set up.

MP for Broxtowe Anna Soubry attended the meeting, said she would like to see a similar thing in the East Midlands.

She said: "If there is a Transport for the North then why isn't there a Transport for the East Midlands?

"As the local MP, I am all for having the HS2 in Toton, but who is putting forward an alternative at East MidlandsAirport?

"I think there seems to be a really good argument for a hub at East Midlands Airport, so why is no one making a case for it?"

Councillor MacRae said after the meeting: "I thought it was very helpful that they came here and hopefully they have taken all our concerns on board and will take those back with them.

"We all want the HS2, none of us are against it, it's just about deciding the best route."

HE has been spotted on the MOBO stage, notched up over one million YouTube views on his videos and switched on the Canning Circus Christmas lights – and now, Nottingham grime star Gino has released his own clothing line.

Fans of the performer can pick up a onesie, £35, hat, £30, and t-shirt, £25, inspired by his debut single #OKAY in his new online store.

The 22-year-old, of Radford, said: "The song did really well and I wore the T-shirt in the video. So many people started asking me to do a clothing line, so I decided to branch out.

"Even if you can't speak English, everyone knows what okay means as it's such an iconic phrase."

#OK {Onesies} 4 These #Cold Early Mornings❄️ & 4 These #Cold late Nights⛄️ http://t.co/6iGdz7suJr✨��✨ {unisex} #OK�� pic.twitter.com/kucnUtTdp9

— #GI NA NA NO (@GinoGmanGi) December 5, 2014

The rapper will be bringing out more garments over the next few weeks including sunglasses, jumpers, phone cases and coffee mugs – all based around the message behind his song.

He continued: "I'll also be releasing similar items based on my other singles Turn It Up and Now That I'm Out – it's all for the fans."

View and buy Gino's clothing range at www.gmgoutfits.bigcartel.com.

STUART Pearce believes every Championship side are still battling to find their consistency.

And the Nottingham Forest manager believes the promotion race will be won by the team that finds their form first.

Pearce admits his frustration over the Reds' lack of consistency, after seeing them follow up a thumping win over Wolves with a disappointing defeat at Birmingham.

"There are 24 teams in this division who are striving for consistency," said Pearce. "There is not one team who can say, at this moment in time, that they have run away with things. Normally you think that an average of two points per game is going to be enough to win you promotion.

"But no team in this league has achieved that average, at the minute. Derby are top, but they are a few points shy of that points tally. Maybe the points tally this season will be slightly lower, when it comes to what is needed to win promotion.

"I have a feeling that, after Christmas, one or two teams will put a surge together. Who that will be is anyone's guess. But it adds to the excitement."

Pearce has frequently spoken about the unpredictability of the division.

"I don't think you know who will be a strong side and who will be a weak side, from start to finish," he said. "The top six, at one point earlier in the season, have now all slid down.

"Charlton, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday, ourselves – we have all slipped down the table and seen other teams take our place. This will happen through the season.

"We are frustrated, at Forest, because of that inconsistency. We got a good win against Norwich and a good win and a good performance against Wolves. But we failed to build on that against Birmingham. But, that is symptomatic of every team in this league, bar none.

"It will be wide open. At the back end of the season, I think there will be two leagues of 12. There will be the bottom half who fear going down and the top half who will be looking to get into the top six."

NOTTINGHAM Castle is launching a fundraising campaign to help raise the final £4 million towards their redevelopment.

The trust that runs the Castle is holding a celebration of the fine art collection housed there this evening to kick start the campaign.

The invite-only event will take place in the Long Gallery at the castle, with Desmond Shawe-Taylor LVO, the Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, speaking about some of the paintings in the collection.

The castle is to be redeveloped into a "world-class attraction" after securing Heritage Lottery Funding earlier this year.

Around £20 million has already been raised for the development through the grant, with Nottingham City Council putting £5million towards the project.

But the trust are now starting a campaign to raise the final £4 million so the development can go ahead

Heather Mayfield, acting chief executive of Nottingham Castle Trust, said: "We are privileged to have Desmond Shawe-Taylor LVO, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, as our guest speaker.

"Desmond will offer an insight into the Castle's prestigious collection which is a key focus of the redevelopment.

"We want to make this collection, which is of national and international importance, more accessible to more people in the future."

The project plans to double the number of visitors to the castle, and new features will include a Robin Hood and the Rebels gallery and a brand new visitor centre.

MOST people manage to get through a library book in the three week loan period and return it in good time.

But for the person that picked up a copy of David Tristram's Forget Me Knot at the start of the year, it seems the due date slipped their mind.

The 2011 comedy is the most overdue book in the city's library system, with more than 14,703 items currently over three months late.

Across the border in the county and the most overdue library book is the Phillips Guide to Stargazing, which was issued in April 2009 and still hasn't made its way back to the shelves.

Eleanor Watts, 34, of Chilwell, said she was surprised someone could forget about a library book for so long.

She said: "I know I've got fines before for bringing books back late but it's only ever a day or two.

"The libraries are usually pretty well stocked anyway. I've never been waiting for a book for too long."

And Fred Wilson, 59, of Wollaton, said: "I think the fines are fair. 20p a day isn't too much really, that means it's only a pound a week."

According to figures released by the city council under the Freedom of Information Act, more than £35,800 is owed in fines for overdue items.

And the county council said that around £105,000 is dished out in overdue fines every year, with this money reinvested into the library service.

Peter Gaw, group manager for libraries, archives, information and learning, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "We help customers by making it as easy as possible to renew items with an online and telephone service as well as them being able to return or renew an item in person at any county or city library.

"The total figure for overdue fines should be taken in context with the millions of items that are loaned from our libraries each year, and every penny generated from overdue charges is invested back into the library service to benefit all library users.

"Overdue charges are issued to a library user for the privilege of borrowing an item beyond the normal loan period which deprives others of loaning that item.

"We receive very few complaints from the public about overdue charges as people recognise this is the way that libraries operate in order to be fair to everyone."

NEW Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray has made his first signing as boss, awarding an 18-month professional deal to youth team striker Dan Fletcher.

The 17-year-old has been in tremendous form in recent weeks and scored a hat-trick in the club's 3-0 win over Northampton Town in the FA Youth Cup last month.

Fletcher scooped the prestigious Jack Retter Trophy, awarded to the youth team player of the year, last season.

He travelled with the first team squad to Kenilworth Road for last Saturday's League Two game with Luton Town and could travel again for tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Cambridge United.

Murray was unveiled as the new manager of Mansfield at a news conference today.

The 33-year-old, who becomes the youngest boss in the Football League, succeeds Paul Cox, who departed the club by mutual consent last month.

His first game as permanent manager will be tomorrow's FA Cup second round tie.

"After much thought and consideration, I feel the time is right for me to take this step into management," said Murray.

"I'm excited about this challenge and new adventure and I believe I have the knowledge, ability and contacts throughout the game to be successful."

He added: "This is the proudest day of my career to date."

PUTTING up her Christmas tree was extra special for Amy Hughes this year as seven months ago she feared for the lives of her unborn twin boys.

This is the first Christmas she will spend with her sons, Louie and Desmond, who were born 32 weeks premature following complications during pregnancy.

The Meadows resident, a customer representative at Nationwide Building Society, said: "We wanted to strip it all back this year and make Christmas very traditional and family orientated.

"We bought new decorations and ribbons including a Santa topper to add a bit of magic for the children."

The Post is running a competition to find Nottingham's best decorated Christmas tree, and offering the winner a £25 gift voucher for the intu Victoria Centre. 

Almost 60 readers have already sent us photos of their festive creations that have been lighting up their living rooms.

The 27-year-old, who is currently on maternity leave, continued: "This year is going to be more special than usual because we have two little miracles to share the festive season with.

"You wouldn't even guess they were premature now. They have fought and overcome everything that was thrown at them.

"They're currently fascinated with the lights and love shaking their advent calendars – although they're not too interested in the chocolate."

Nicola Shaw, of New Basford, took to the internet find inspiration for her creatively designed snowman shaped tree.

The 30-year-old said: "I created the tree as a surprise for my three boys when they returned home from school.

"It took me around three hours but they love it – they've even named him Frosty."

She continued: "I wanted to create something a little different this year and it was worthwhile because I got to see my three boys with happy and smiling faces."

Lisa Evans' colourful creation was inspired by her two daughters, Sophie, five, and Summer, eight, who both helped her decorate the tree.

The 35-year-old, who is a tyre sales advisor, used four sets of lights and over 200 baubles, which took three hours to put up.

The Bingham resident said: "I must thank my husband Andy for getting all the decorations out the loft and setting it up for us. It was very much a team effort, which is what Christmas is all about."

To be in with a chance of winning send your photos on Twitter, using #OurNottingham and @nottingham_post or on Facebook /NottinghamPostOnline.