Police in Chesterfield are appealing for information after a series of deliberate fires in the Boythorpe area.

Several fires targeting trees and bushes in gardens in the area were reported to police and the fire service between Thursday, June 13 and Sunday, June 16.

Three fires were deliberately started on Grindlow Avenue between 7pm on Saturday, June 15 and 11pm on Sunday, June 16.

A tree, fencing and hedges were set on fire during these incidents. One of the fires caused damage to several windows of the house and the homeowner’s car.

Witnesses saw two teenage boys on bicycles in the area around the time of the fires. One is described as around 13-years-old, with dark, straight hair riding a two-tone mountain bike.  The other had light coloured hair and was around 16-years-old.

At around 1.30am on Sunday, June 16 a conifer was set on fire in the garden of a house on Hucklow Avenue. Damage was caused to the tree and the paintwork on the house.

A hedge was set on fire on Hunloke Avenue sometime between 4pm on June 13 and 4.30pm on June 16. The damage was noticed by the victim after the fire had extinguished itself.

No one has been injured in any of the incidents.

Sergeant Mark Church, who is responsible for neighbourhood policing in the area, said: "Whoever started the fires might think it is a bit of fun but the fires could easily have spread and people could have been injured or worse.

"My officers are making every effort to find those responsible for setting the fires and action will be taken against anyone found to be involved.

"I would urge members of the community with any information to contact police.”

Anyone with information should contact Chesterfield South Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Alfreton Town manager Nicky Law has declared himself more than happy with the way things are progressing with his new-look squad.

The Reds boss announced his third new signing at the end of last week when former Cambridge United captain and England C international defender Michael Wylde penned a one year deal.

Law has since followed up by signing a proven Conference Premier Division midfield player on a pre-contract and his signing will be confirmed and announced once his deal with his current club ends on June 30.

"I am delighted with the two latest new boys. They are both of a good young age and yet have good experience at the level we are at” said the long-serving Reds manager.

"We fought off good opposition for both players and they have come to play football. It wasn’t all about finance which is very pleasing and quite refreshing. It has been a long pre-season waiting to be able to make signings, but things are evolving well and coming together nicely now.”

Several of last season's key players have already agreed new deals and with highly-rated former Grimsby Town right back Bradley Wood and ex Burton Albion utility player Kristian Ramsey-Dickson also moving to the Impact Arena in recent weeks, Law thinks his squad already has a very good core.

"We have a good squad nucleus and strength and we now need to continue to build on the players that we have.

There are lots and lots of deals still in the melting pot and I would like to think that we are talking to the right kind of players. We are not chasing people because we are desperate for them, I think that can be seen in the calibre of our signings so far.”

One player who won’t be part of Law’s plans for next season is central defender Leigh Franks who has opted not to take up Alfreton’s offer of re-engagement and dropped down a division to join Conference North club Harrogate Town.

The Reds have agreed an undisclosed fee with Harrogate for the services of Franks under the Bosman ruling as he former Huddersfield Town player is under 24 years of age.

A Bolsover man has been charged with fraud in connection with charity clothing bins which were advertised to be collecting for an armed forces charity.

Daniel McAllister (48) has been charged with fraud by false representation and will appear before magistrates in Chesterfield on Monday, July 22.

He was arrested in April after a search was carried out at his house in Carr Vale, Bolsover.

The 40 clothing bins were advertised as collecting on behalf of ‘Help our Fallen Heroes’ which was not a registered charity. 

It is alleged that money made from weighing in clothing deposited in the bins was not donated to a registered charity.

The clothing bins were located across Chesterfield, Sheffield, Mansfield and Amber Valley.

A second man, aged 53, who was also arrested as part of the investigation was given a police caution for drugs offences and released without charge in connection with the fraud.

McAllister was charged with a second offence of fraud in connection with a mortgage application made to Santander bank in 2008.

The University and College Union (UCU) has demanded Chesterfield College come clean with its future plans following reports that the apparently cash-strapped college is looking for new buildings in the town centre.

The college announced plans to make 70 staff redundant, despite losing over 100 staff in the last two years, which led to the strike action. It cited financial problems as the reason for the job losses. However, at a meeting of the Local Schools Learning Partnership on Wednesday, Chesterfield College Trevor Clay suggested the college was seeking a site in the town to deliver courses for 14-19 year olds.

Members of UCU and the NASUWT trade unions are on strike today and another strike is planned for Thursday. An emergency governors’ meeting is taking place at the college today and UCU said the governors need to confirm exactly what is happening at the beleaguered college.

The action follows on from the previous day of strikes held on the 6^th of June.

UCU regional official, Anne O’Sullivan, said: "Staff and students at Chesterfield College have a right to know what is going on at their college. In meetings with us the college never mentioned any secret plans to buy new buildings to run courses for 14-19 year olds. It stuck to the story that it needed to sack staff to save money.

"Another 70 staff at the college are threatened with the sack, despite over 100 leaving in the past two years, and now there are rumours the college wants to buy new buildings. The whole situation is a mess and urgently needs clearing up.”

Principal of Chesterfield College Trevor Clay told Peak FM this morning that students should be largely unaffected while the strikes take place:

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The Spireites have been drawn away against Leeds United in the first round of the Capital One Cup.

Paul Cook's men travel to Elland Road to pit their wits against Championship opposition in the shape of Brian McDermot's Whites.

The game could be a first appearance for a number of new faces as the Chesterfield boss looks to reshape his squad following a number of departures during the summer.

The game will be played the week commencing August 5.

Alfreton Town manager Nicky Law has made his second new signing of the summer with Kristian Ramsey-Dickson joining the Reds on a one-year contract.

Dickson, 23, is a powerful and versatile player who has also played in central defence, but it is as a striker that the Reds have signed him for and his strength and exceptional pace could be a key factor.

He had a trial spell with Chesterfield FC at the back end of last season and is understood to have been offered a deal for the 2013/14 season with the Blues but Kristian has opted to stay with his full-time job and to join the Reds.

Burton Albion plucked Dickson from non league football when they signed him from Midlands Football Combination side Continental Star in November 2011 but he could not to make the breakthrough into the first team at the Pirelli Stadium and was sent out on loan to Mickleover Sports. He has also played for Sutton Coldfield Town in the Northern Premier League First Division South.

Reds boss Nicky Law commented: "I think Kristian has loads of potential, he is something different for us and he can make a big impact in this division."

A talented all-round sportsman, Kristian has previously played basketball for Great Britain and has run the 100 metres in 10.3 seconds. 

A man has died following a collision on the A632 at Slack Hill. 

The collision, which involved three cars, took place shortly before 1.45pm today (Wednesday, June 12) on the A632 at Slack Hill, near the junction with the B5057.

Police, paramedics and the air ambulance attended.

The driver of one of the cars, a 64-year-old man from Chesterfield, was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been told.

Part of the road remains closed while collision investigators carry out initial enquiries. Derbyshire police thank motorists for their patience.

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to call the Collision Investigation Unit on 101. 

Two men have been jailed for their part in a large scale international fraud which targeted pensioners and conned them out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Kevin Neal (51) and Anthony Fisher (65) pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property at an earlier hearing following a lengthy investigation by Derbyshire police.

They were both jailed for two years at Derby Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday, June 11).

The men received more than £320,000 from a Spanish company called CGI who had cold-called people in the UK asking them to invest in businesses and lying about potential financial gains.

At least 37 investors, many of them pensioners handed over money to the company which was then passed to Neal and Fisher who suspected it had been obtained fraudulently.

The men intended to use it to set up a legitimate company advertising house sales.

In August 2009 a Derbyshire man contacted police to say he had been called by CGI asking him to invest. He was suspicious and believed it to be fraudulent and did not invest.   

An investigation by the East Midlands Fraud and Financial Investigation Unit led officers to Neal and Fisher who were arrested in 2010. They were both living in Spain in a small town called Javea.

Derbyshire police continue to investigate this case and other people involved in the fraud are being sought by detectives.

Detectives investigating a robbery which took place in a house in Ripley are appealing for information.

Sometime between 10.30am and 11am on Monday, June 10 three men forced their way into a house on Cedar Avenue after the woman occupant opened the door.

The men threatened the woman and searched the part of the property before leaving without taking anything of value.

The men are described as white, in their early 30s, wearing gardening type clothing, specifically green tops and trousers with hi-visibility jackets. All three had their hoods up and one was wearing a baseball cap.

The men are thought to have driven off in a small white van.

Police are appealing for any information or witnesses to this incident to contact Ripley CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police have released CCTV pictures of a man they would like to speak to in connection with an alleged assault in Sheffield.

On Friday, 19 April, 2013, a 22-year-old woman was on a night out in Sheffield, drinking in a bar believed to be on Carver Street.

It is believed she met the man in a bar, before travelling in a taxi to Matilda Street, where they have walked around the corner to Matilda Way and towards the entrance to the NCP Car Park. The man and woman have then departed in a taxi from Eyre Street.

The man is described as light skinned, short cropped dark hair, with stubble growth on his chin, around 5ft 10ins to 6ft tall and well built. He was wearing a light grey short sleeved polo shirt with red piping around the collar and the bottom of the sleeves.

Police in Chesterfield are appealing for witnesses after three women were inappropriately touched in separate incidents near the town centre.

The incidents all took place in the Saltergate area of the town between 10.20am and 10.50am on Friday, June 7.

The women, aged 24, 29 and 34-years-old, were all inappropriately touched by a man who appeared to be alone. The man touched the bottoms of all three women as they walked along the road.

One victim, a 34-year-old-woman who was pushing her child in a pram, was walking with a woman she had struck up a conversation with when the incident took place. 

Officers are keen to trace this woman who was walking with the victim on the corner of Tennyson Avenue and Cross Street. The witness is a white woman, in her early 40s. 

A 17-year-old male was arrested in connection with the assaults and has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

If you saw any of these incidents or have any information about them contact Derbyshire police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

Investment in England's enterprise zones is to be increased by £100 million on a number of infrastructure projects, such as in Sheffield, including new roads and car parks.

A total of 13 zones, set up to attract businesses and create new jobs, will receive money for 18 projects, announced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

The zones have already created 3,000 new jobs and secured more than £220 million of extra private sector investment.

The infrastructure projects are across the country, including Birmingham, Newquay, Sheffield and Dover.

Police have launched an inquiry into the death of an 85-year-old woman in Chesterfield.

Derbyshire Police said a cordon had been placed around a property in the town after the pensioner's body was discovered at about 12.20pm on Wednesday.

The inquiry is at an early stage, a police spokesman said, and it is not yet known if the circumstances of the death are suspicious.

Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area around the address in Blandford Drive over the last couple of days is urged to contact Derbyshire Constabulary on 101.

Lord Justice Goldring announced the decision at a pre-inquest hearing in London.

The judge has already ruled that the inquests, to be held early next year, will take place in the North West.

Some families favoured London as a venue, but the judge has said it should be in the North West, though no location has been identified yet.

Britain's worst sporting disaster happened at Sheffield's Hillsborough stadium on April 15 1989 during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest as thousands of fans were crushed on the ground's Leppings Lane terrace.

Eight hundred tonnes of compressed paper is on fire at Goyt Side Road in Chesterfield.

The site is behind the Morrisons supermarket on Chatsworth road. 

Firefighters from Chesterfield, Staveley, Clay Cross, Dronfield, Bolsover, Alfreton, Matlock, Ripley and South Yorkshire are all fighting the major blaze this afternoon with 12 fire engines and water carriers at the scene. 

A spokesman for Derbyshire fire service said the blaze had spread to nearby trees on Wall grave road.

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: "People that can see smoke to keep their windows closed. The smoke is dispersing well but is heading towards Holymoorside and Walton Dam. 

SCA who own the paper mill had this statement:

"Chesterfield Fire Service is attending a fire which broke out in a yard at the SCA paper mill on Goytside Road, Chesterfield on Tuesday morning.

The site was safely evacuated of all employees and some homes around will be monitored as a precautionary measure while the fire is being dealt with.

SCA would like to apologise to local residents for any concern this may have caused them. A full investigation will be carried out into the cause of the fire."

Police are appealing for information after two dogs were stolen from a house in Chesterfield.

At around 1.40pm on Tuesday, May 28 five Chihuahua dogs were stolen from the back garden of a house on Shakespeare Street, Holmewood.

Three of the dogs apparently escaped and went back to the house but a 12-week-old puppy, that is cream in colour, and a three-year-old white and black dog are still missing.

3 Year old Poppy- a long haired Chihuahua. 

Two men wearing grey tracksuits were seen running away from the house in the direction of Shelley Street.

Vicky Winfield owns the house and the older dog that was stolen, the puppy belongs to her daughter. 

She was very distressed when she spoke to Peak FM and said: "Just please bring them home, they are part of the family. 

Officers would like to speak to anyone with information about the incident or who knows the whereabouts of the dogs.

Contact PC Matt Rodda of the Holmewood, Grassmoor, Calow and Arkwright Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Boss Nicky pronounced himself ‘delighted’ with both signings as he continues to build for the 2013/14 season.

Son Josh’s decision to take up the club’s offer of re-engagement left father Nicky extremely happy. "He had an outstanding 2012/13 season. There had been interest from a couple of clubs for him recently and but I am pleased he has decided to stay with us” said the Reds boss.

"Despite him being just 23 he seems to have been at Alfreton for ever but he falls very firmly into my plans for the club. The younger players are what we are all about. We need so many of them and then need to mix the experience in” added Law senior.

Only Nathan Arnold with 52 appearances managed more than Josh for the Reds last season, the latter finishing only one behind in what was a remarkably consistent campaign.

He will now be heading into a seventh consecutive season with Alfreton having joined originally on loan from Chesterfield way back in October 2007.

Josh, who has now incredibly made over 260 appearances for the club, also netted one of Alfreton’s goals of the 2012/13 season with a stunning 27^th minute 20 yard direct free kick strike putting the Reds a goal ahead in an eventual 1-1 draw at home to Cambridge United a week before Christmas 2012.

Meanwhile, manager Nicky Law is predicting a bright future for 21-year-old Alastair Taylor despite the former Barnsley man being restricted to just 13 appearances with Alfreton last season.

"He is another definitely a major asset who I think everyone at the club is delighted to have on board again. Last season he was somewhat frustrated at not being able to show what he could do due to lack of opportunities.

"But I remember him playing at Barrow early in the campaign and thinking ‘This lad can really play’. Unfortunately, he became a victim of circumstance when we had to change from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 system, and it is difficult with a small squad to give players chances when there is always so much at stake, particularly when you are trying to stay in the division.

"Credit to Ally though, because he hung in and trained hard throughout and showed again at the back end of the season that he can definitely play at this level, especially in the final league game against Forest Green Rovers where he was outstanding.

"I firmly believe he is another one for the future for the club and that he will gain a lot more appearances for the club next season” ended the Reds chief.

Masked intruders Martin Gaffoor, 36, and Lee Whormsley, 37, burst into the house in Walkley as the students slept, bound them with shoelaces, gagged them with socks and rifled through rooms for valuables, South Yorkshire Police said.

Gaffoor pointed a gun at the 20-year-olds and Whormsley carried a stun gun, South Yorkshire Police said after the pair from Shiregreen in Sheffield were jailed for 11 years and nine years respectively at the city's crown court.

Toni Slinn, 30, from Shiregreen, who accompanied the two men, was sentenced to five years in prison for her role in the robbery in November last year.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Shortly before 8am, one of the students was woken by two men, Gaffoor and Whormsley, entering his room. They asked questions about the student's other housemates and whether he had a car.

"The men took his debit card and demanded his PIN. Gaffoor instructed Whormsley to tie up the student using electrical cable. All three made their way upstairs to the second student's bedroom.

"Gaffoor pointed the gun at the student and directed Whormsley to search the bedroom for his debit card.

"Again, they demanded the PIN. Whormsley was then instructed to tie up the second student, which he did using shoelaces."

The victims were taken downstairs and told to lie on the first student's bed together, the spokesman said, adding that Gaffoor told Whormsley to find a bag and begin collecting items.

"Both students had socks stuffed into their mouths and were sprayed with a fire extinguisher, in a bid to remove forensic evidence," the force added.

After freeing themselves when the intruders left, the students called police and discovered a number of items had been stolen and money had been withdrawn from their bank accounts.

A police investigation identified Gaffoor and Whormsley, and then further identified Slinn, who used the bank cards to withdraw money while the students were tied up in their house.

All three pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and were sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on May 21.

Gaffoor and Whormsley also pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing a firearm.

Detective Constable Chris Lewis, who led the investigation, said: "I am extremely satisfied with the sentences imposed, and feel that they reflect the seriousness of the offences.

"The victims suffered an extremely traumatic experience at the hands of Gaffoor and Whormsley, while Slinn waited and took possession of stolen property.

"Hopefully this outcome will go some way with helping them recover from this ordeal."

The church was cordoned off following the incident which happened sometime between 12.30am and 12.50am on Saturday.

The suspect is described as being a white man, in his late teens or early 20s, at least 5ft 9ins maybe taller, with dark brown hair and a Chesterfield accent.

A Derbyshire police spokesman said: "We’re still making inquiries and treating this incident very seriously. There is CCTV from various sources in the town centre which we are looking at as part of our investigation.

"Officers would like to speak to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and saw any suspicious behaviour.

"In particular, officers are keen to speak with two possible witnesses who were in the churchyard at 12.44am and who may be able to assist the enquiry – one of them was on a mobile phone.

"We would like to reassure people that indications suggest this to be an isolated incident and we would like to thank the public for their co-operation at this time.”

Anyone with information should call Chesterfield CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Duane Langford (34), from Sutton-in-Ashfield, has been charged with robbery and has appeared before magistrates in Chesterfield today (Tuesday, May 21).

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday, June 4.

Just after 2am on Sunday (May 19) police were called to the Shell Service Station on Alfreton Road after a staff member reported a robbery.

A man approached the kiosk at around 2am and demanded money, which was handed over by the staff member.

No one was injured during the incident.

Peter Stead, 50, claimed he was a man called Danny Kay and the brother of the well-known Bolton comic when he offered to put on comedy nights, it is alleged.

Derbyshire Police said he has been charged with five offences of fraud - three in Derby, one in Nottinghamshire and one in Northamptonshire.

Police launched an investigation in 2009 after several landlords in Derby reported that a man had tricked them out of money by pretending to be Danny Kay.

A force spokeswoman said the man offered to put on comedy nights to raise money for the Lewis Mighty Fund, a charity raising money for a young boy in Nottingham, who died from neuroblastoma last year.

The man was given cash by the landlords to secure the booking but failed to deliver, it is alleged.

The force spokeswoman said Stead, from Mackworth in Derbyshire, appeared before magistrates last week and was remanded in custody to appear at Derby Crown Court on May 31.

New research by the charity has found that Derbyshire officers took swabs from 875 boys and girls aged 17 or under during 2011.

They included 32 primary school-age children – eight 10-year-olds and 24 11-year-olds.

Across England and Wales, police took swabs from almost 54,000 boys and girls aged 17 or under during 2011.

They included at least 368 10-year-olds and 1,030 11-year-olds, meaning that on average officers took samples from 27 primary school-age children every week.

Many of the children required to give a sample will not have been charged with a criminal offence.

Under current rules, police can retain indefinitely the DNA of anyone they arrest for a recordable offence. A new law, imposing tighter restrictions on DNA retention, is expected to come into force later this year.

In 2010, officers took almost 70,000 DNA samples from under-18s, including four from children who were younger than 10 – the age of criminal responsibility.

Thames Valley Police took samples from a seven-year-old and a two-year-old; Avon and Somerset Police took a sample from a five-year-old; and Gloucestershire Police took a sample from a baby who was younger than 12 months.

About 30 per cent of the child DNA samples taken by police come from girls.

Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "When public money is tight and police forces are shrinking, it is disappointing to see valuable crime-fighting resources being wasted on taking DNA samples from thousands of innocent children while serious offences go undetected.

"Children who get into trouble with the police are usually just up to mischief. Treating so many like hardened criminals by taking their DNA seems excessive.

"We welcome the government’s decision to stop storing innocent people’s DNA indefinitely, but it remains unclear how this will affect the number of children having their DNA taken needlessly.”

Last December, the Howard League published data which showed that the total number of children arrested by police had fallen by a third between 2008 and 2011.

In total, more than one million child arrests have been made in England and Wales since 2008.

Seven weeks after his heart stopped on the pitch at Spurs, and he was effectively dead for 78 minutes, Bolton's Fabrice Muamba has made an emotional return to his club, after his miraculous recovery.

He appeared on the pitch at the Reebok Stadium last night, and burst into tears a number of times, as he waved to both sets of fans, to say thank you.

Everyone in the stadium gave him a standing ovation

To hear Fabrice's interview, click on the link above..