Nottingham: The city council meets this afternoon to consider the approval, among other issues, of the Late Night Levy scheme.

The levy, if approved, would allow the licensing authority to charge venues for selling alcohol after midnight.

The money would be used to help support the licensing authority and the police.

Other items include the consideration of a report from the deputy leader on Treasury management and a report from the leader on decisions taken under urgency procedures.

The meeting takes place in the Council Chamber, Council House in Old Market Square at 2pm.

Broxtowe: The cabinet will meet on Tuesday to discuss matters including an update on the future of Eastwood Cemetery Chapel, which was gutted in a fire earlier this year. The council will also be looking at the approval for the location of the borough's World War One centenary fields. The meeting takes place at 6pm at the New Council Chamber, Town Hall in Beeston.

Gedling: Councillors meet on Wednesday to look at budget carry forwards and the treasury activity report.

It will also consider changes to outside body appointments and receive questions and comments from members concerning any matters dealt with by the executive, committee or sub-committee. The meeting takes place in the Council Chamber, Gedling Civic Centre at 6pm.

Nottingham: The city council's schools forum meets on Thursday to assess several reports from the corporate director for children and adults. Items will include block funding and early assessment for children in school. The meeting takes place in the Ground Floor Committee Room, Loxley House in Station Street from 1.45pm.

Rushcliffe: The council's community development group meets on Tuesday to look through matters including reports from executive managers on encouraging economic prosperity in the borough, other annual reports and work programmes. The meeting takes place at Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Pavilion road, West Bridgford at 7pm.

Broxtowe: The development control committee is meeting on Wednesday to look at several planning applications in the borough. These include an outline application to build 20 new homes on land south of 50 Pinfold Road, Newthorpe, change of use of a ground-floor property in Derby Road, Stapleford, to a drinking establishment, and the retention of use of land for trade sales of caravans and similar vehicles at Gin Close Way in Awsworth. The meeting takes place at the New Council Chamber in Town Hall, Beeston at 7pm.

JEROME Eugene Bergan was only 27 years old when he died from a single stab wound to the neck just yards from his home in Strelley in December 2002.

Aaron Oliver, 21, was charged with murder but a jury found him unfit to plead to the charge.

A second jury found him responsible for Mr Bergan's death, despite not having pleaded. He was sent indefinitely to a secure hospital in November, 2004.

But his mental health improved and at Nottingham Crown Court in October 2006 he pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

He was then jailed for life in December of that year.

Judge Michael Stokes, QC, said at the time of sentencing that Oliver would be recalled to prison if his illness returned or he fell back into the lifestyle he was leading at the time of the killing.

Nottingham Crown Court heard the case in 2006, and the jury were told how Oliver had also attacked an inmate at a young offenders' institution, and a nurse at a secure hospital while he was being detained.

An inquest into Mr Bergan's death heard that moments before he died, he phoned his mother to say he was almost home.

FOOTBALL legends and music stars gathered to remember young people lost to knife and gun crime.

Taken Too Soon is organised by Real United FC founder Roger Henry as a memorial for those who have died, as well as the lasting struggle faced by their families.

Yesterday's event, held in Stoke Bardolph, opened with two matches from Notts County under 14s and Notts County under 18s, followed by a star-studded game of Notts Legends vs The Mercedes Benz of Nottingham All Stars.

Players included former Notts County striker Lawrie Dudfield and former Nottingham Forest defender Des Walker for the Legends team, while British band Rudimental, Mario Falcone from TV show The Only Way is Essex and BBC Radio One's DJ Friction laced up their boots for the All Stars side.

But emotions ran highest when a mourning mother made a speech to the crowd to urge them to stop gun and knife crime within their communities.

Trish Bergan is the mother of Jerome Eugene Bergan. The 27-year-old was stabbed yards from his home in Strelley back in December 2002 and died from a single wound to the neck.

She said: "I lost my son 11 years ago when he was stabbed to death with a 10-inch hunting knife.

"The perpetrator robbed my son, his mobile phone, his jewellery, his money, but that wasn't enough. They took out a knife and plunged it into my son's neck.

"No mother should ever have to bury a child. He is never going to come back. I miss him very much.

"To those of you today who are mourning loved ones, my heart goes out to you. It is the most tragic and devastating thing that can happen."

Councillor Merlita Bryan, ambassador of Real United FC, said events like this were key to tackling the problem.

She said: "This is a very important day. We shouldn't have to have it, but we do.

"We must remember the young lives that have been taken and show respect to them and their families that are left to cope."

Other stars of music and television attended the event, including TV presenter Alison Hammond, Emmerdale's Lucy Pargeter and BBC Radio One DJ Scott Mills.

The High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Graham Cartledge, also attended the event to show his support.

He said: "This event symbolises all that is good about our county. It shows the footballing heritage that we have, but also the hard work of our communities.

"I truly believe through sport we can improve the lives of deprived children and get them to a better place."

For more information about the club, visit www.therealunitedfc.co.uk/.

WORKS to build new pedestrian refuges will start today on University Boulevard.

Lane restrictions will be in use between 9.30am and 3.30pm as the phase two of the tram works continues.

Temporary traffic lights will continue to be in use at the T -junction during the next stage of the works and motorists have been asked to allow extra time when travelling through this area.

The works will take place between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday, until the end of the summer.

A spokesman from NET said: "We apologise in advance for any inconvenience these works may cause you, and would like to assure you we will do all that we can to keep disruption to a minimum."

PARAMEDICS were called to a three-car crash on Sunday morning.

The incident, which was reported at around 11.50am, took place in Hucknall Road, Bulwell, near Longford Crescent.

It involved a Renault Megane, a Toyota Avensis and a Peugeot.

A number of the vehicles' occupants are believed to have sustained minor injuries, one of whom was taken to hospital.

The road was closed while the scene was cleared and reopened at 1.45pm.

SUMMER holiday pool parties have been organised across the school break.

The family events are at:

West Park Leisure Centre, Long Eaton on Saturday, July 26, and Saturday, August 23. Both sessions between 3.30pm-5pm

Victoria Park Leisure Centre, on Saturday, August 9 and Saturday, August 30. Party sessions between 3.30pm-4.15pm and 4.30pm-5.15pm on both days.

Entry is £2.15 for juniors (£1.65 with a leisure card) and £3.60 for adults (£3.10) with a leisure card.

Parties are free to junior summer swim members.

A TEENAGER awoke to her boyfriend dragging her out of bed, hitting her, forcing her to eat a cigarette butt and demanding she undress before chasing her outside.

Her boyfriend, Jordan Binder, eventually ended the assault, ordering her to remain in the corner of the bathroom, before turning off the light and leaving the flat – locking the door behind him.

The girl, who suffered a black eye, tenderness to her face and a cut lip, called the police and Binder, 19, was arrested.

It was the second time he had attacked her in two days.

At Derby Crown Court Binder, of Binder Street, Long Eaton, admitted two offences of assault causing actual bodily harm, although he did not accept he attacked his girlfriend to the extent she said or that she was naked when she went outside. He said she was wearing a dressing gown. Binder also admitted an offence of criminal damage.

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said: "It was a sustained assault on both occasions."

"On the first occasion, she said she was woken by him at 9am and he appeared to be in a bad mood with her and slapped her (repeatedly)."

The girl told police Binder had then grabbed her by the jaw and hit her head against a door and pulled at her eyelids.

"She said it went on all day until his cousin came round in the evening," said Miss Slater.

The court heard that two days later she had been asleep when Binder arrived home drunk with a friend and she was woken by her boyfriend dragging her out of bed.

Miss Slater said: "He dragged her around the bedroom, smashed her head against the door, forced her to eat the remnants of a cigarette and slapped her across the face causing bleeding in her mouth."

Binder's friend tried to stop him from assaulting her but he continued and when she tried to get up, knocked her to the floor again.

Handing Binder a nine-month custodial sentence suspended for 18 months, Judge Ebrahim Mooncey said: "I would not have passed this sentence had you not spent time in custody already."

Binder will be supervised by the probation service.

POLICE are looking for information following two burglaries in Rushcliffe borough this week.

The first incident took place during the daytime on Friday at a home in North Road, West Bridgford.

The thief smashed a rear window and took a pair of tablets from inside.

Another incident took place between 10.30pm on Wednesday, July 9, and 7.30pm on Thursday, July 10, from a detached garage in Paddock Court, Stanford-on-Soar.

A red and white specialised road bike was stolen from the premises.

If you have any information contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101.

THIS year's Trent Bridge Test match may be over, but there is much more international cricket on its way to Nottingham.

Next summer, the Australians return for the Ashes for the second time in three years, with Trent Bridge hosting the fourth Test match from August 6 to 10.

Tickets for that clash go on sale in the autumn.

New Zealand will also be heading to Nottingham in 2015, for a one-day international on June 17.

And there will be more to come as Trent Bridge plays host to further 50-over internationals in 2016, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Beyond that the summer schedule is unknown, but bids are soon to be prepared to stage international cricket from 2017 to 2019, with announcements likely by the end of this year.

Among the matches up for grabs in the packages on offer will be India's next Test series in England as well as the 2019 Ashes series.

India do return to Nottingham later this year, for a one-day international on Saturday, August 30. This match is already a sell-out.

INTERNATIONAL cricket can be used to bring in more crowds for domestic matches at Trent Bridge, according to Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club chief executive Lisa Pursehouse.

Crowds have increased at Nottinghamshire games, particularly T20 matches, this summer. Ms Pursehouse said that among the reasons for the increased interest was last year's Ashes Test. She expects last week's match between England and India to have a similar impact, starting with the home team's match with Leicestershire on Sunday.

She said: "Last year on the final day we found out, through questions asked of staff around the ground, there were a lot of people here for the first time. These people come back having enjoyed the cricket."

Ms Pursehouse said that last week's match had gone "exceptionally well", despite the pitch prepared by head groundsman Steve Birks coming in for heavy criticism because it was believed it favoured batsmen too much.

The match attracted tens of thousands of fans, though the crowd was much lower yesterday with the game petering out into a draw. Just 4,500 tickets had been sold in advance, though a further 3,000 paid on the gate.

Ms Pursehouse added: "From our perspective we feel we have done everything we can to make this a success and provide the fans with a terrific experience."

TEST matches at Trent Bridge attract cricket fans in their tens of thousands – and this week was no different.

And with those cricket fans comes huge opportunity for businesses within reach of the famous old ground. Whether they are a pub, a takeaway or a convenience shop, they have raked it in over the course of the five-day clash.

The Larwood and Voce pub and restaurant in Fox Road took as much money during the match as it does in the whole of December. Fans packed in for breakfast before play started on each day with many heading back at the lunch-break and then after the last ball of the day.

In between those times, staff opened a little hatch in the cellar from which fans in the ground could buy drink and snacks.

General manager Dan Cramp said: "The Test match is great for us, it always is. Over the course of the five days we do as much trade as we do over the Christmas period, which is the whole of December."

The Trent Bridge Inn has also seen a huge rise in takings.

Management ordered in 400 barrels of beer in preparation for the week – well above the usual weekly order of around 50.

To maximise profits, they made the most of the fact the rear bar backs on to the concourse behind the stands by opening it up, allowing supporters to buy drinks from there.

Naiomi Haywood, of the management team, said: "Whenever the cricket is on we get busy but the Test match really brings in the crowds. It is a great experience.

"We have to bring in staff from other Wetherspoons in the city."

Ali Aslam, who runs the Radcliffe Convenience Store, in Radcliffe Road, said their takings were double what they would usually expect from any normal Wednesday to Sunday.

He said: "People come in before and after play, and even during it for drinks and snacks. Everyone is always in good spirits. We welcome them all."

POLICE are on the lookout for three men following an attempted robbery at a business.

The incident took place at around 5pm in Rolleston Drive, Arnold, on Thursday.

The suspects, who were only described as black, entered the address, threatened the occupants and demanded cash.

They left empty-handed and drove off from the scene in a silver Audi A3.

The vehicle was seen parked in Jacob's Court, Brook Avenue, shortly afterwards.

Police are appealing for witnesses. If you have information call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting 000766- 10072014.

IT was the chance of a lifetime last night for 46-year-old cameraman Bo Baraniak from Carlton who was in Brazil to help capture the final for broadcast across the globe.

Mr Baraniak has worked as a steadicam operator for several broadcast companies including Sky and the BBC.

Although he has covered the 2002 World Cup in Japan, last night was the first time he had covered the competition's final.

Speaking last night, he said: "The atmosphere here is electric, I've had a walk along Copacabana beach, with a sea of fans happily chanting their nations songs. All very much in the carnival spirit.

"This is a big job where pressure is high on such a massive global event, nearly as high as filming Forest v Derby!"

FIREFIGHTERS were called out to a car blaze following a crash in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The vehicle caught fire following a collision with a trailer on Beechdale Road in Beechdale.

One crew from Stockhill station attended the scene at just after midnight on Saturday.

A woman involved in the incident had left the vehicle before emergency services arrived. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and left the scene at around 00.40am.

WORK will start on building a new sixth-form block in West Bridgford when the summer holidays begin next week.

The centre is to be built at Rushcliffe School's Boundary Road site, costing £3 million, and is expected to open in September next year.

It will include 12 classrooms and a common room.

In a message to parents, head teacher Phil Crompton said there would be no disruption to students' education during construction next year.

He has also asked parents to not take children to school by car where possible because some of the construction work will take place there.

Mr Crompton said the addition of the common room would be particularly beneficial for students.

TABLE tennis enthusiasts will be able to show off their skills when more than 20 ping-pong tables spring up across Nottingham city centre later this month.

The tables will be popping up in various locations, from Smithy Row to the Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham Castle and even Nottingham train station, between July 21 and August 31.

They are free for everyone to play on, including novices and more experienced players, and bats and balls are provided.

The project, called Ping! Nottingham, will launch with a ping-pong bonanza on Smithy Row, just off the Old Market Square, on July 21 from 12.30-4pm.

There will be exhibition matches featuring England international players, as well a chance to beat the table tennis robot, other games and plenty of giveaways.

Ping! Nottingham has been organised by Nottingham City Council Sports and Leisure in partnership with Sport England and Table Tennis England.

Nottingham is one of 16 regions that have been selected to be part of the scheme.

For more details visit www.pingnottingham.co.uk.

DRIVERS in Nottingham are being warned to expect minor delays on Thursday due to a slow-moving funeral procession.

A horse-drawn hearse will leave Malton Road in New Basford at 11am and will travel through Sherwood Rise to Mansfield Road Baptist Church.

After the service, the cortege will leave the church at about 12.30pm and will then travel through the city to Wilford Hill Cemetery.

The procession is due to arrive at the cemetery between 1.30pm and 2pm.

Nottingham City Council says traffic may build up during these times.

PARALYMPIC champion Richard Whitehead will officially open a city secondary school's new building today.

Farnborough School, in Clifton, has undergone a £17 million reconstruction.

It is the final city school to benefit from the now-defunct Building Schools for the Future programme.

As well as new classrooms, there will be a multi-use games area, sports pitches and adult education facilities.

Executive head teacher Phil Crompton said: "This event signals a real statement of intent.

"Education matters. It can be a gateway to success and this wonderful new building will make an enormous impact upon the lives of the people of Clifton and the surrounding area.

"It's hard to believe how quickly the site was transformed – and now we must make sure it's put to good use."

PAPPLEWICK Pumping Station museum has joined Keyworth Village Café and Bistro and the Radisson Blu Hotel, near East Midlands Airport, among the county's best-rated tourist spots.

The Victorian steam engines in Rigg Lane, Ravenshead, which used to supply water to central Nottingham, are run by volunteers and are open on six weekends in 2014.

And the museum has now been awarded review website TripAdvisor's certificate of excellence.

When selecting certificate winners, TripAdvisor uses an algorithm which takes into account the number of ratings, how recent they are and the attraction's overall score.

Museum director Ashley Smart said: "We'd like to thank all of our past visitors who took the time to complete a review. There is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by one's customers.

"The accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to the museum and our continued commitment to excellence."