Burton Mail
Marina buoyed by top tourism Rose award
A DERBYSHIRE marina has been named one of the best places to stay in England after scooping a prestigious national tourism award for outstanding customer service and visitor experience. Mercia Marina, in Willington, has received a respected...
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Fears for future of last surviving Bass Brewery loco and coach
CONCERNS have been raised that a Staffordshire town could lose a unique part of its brewing history. Staffordshire County Council has loaned a Bass Brewery locomotive and director’s coach to the National Brewery Centre in Burton since 1978. But...
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Burton’s three links to Alice in Wonderland are revealed
A LOCAL historian says Burton-upon-trent has intriguing connections to Lewis Carroll’s famous Alice in Wonderland. The links centre largely on the Bass brewing family and their connections with other prominent families from across Britain. David said...
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22,000 potholes fixed in 4 months including 4,000 during August alone
HIGHWAYS crews in Staffordshire repaired more than 4,000 potholes in August as work continues at pace to improve roads across the county. Crews have continued to make the most of the summer conditions, using both established repair methods and newer...
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Burton hospital downgraded and told to improve after CQC visit
URGENT and emergency care at Queen’s Hospital in Burton has been downgraded to ‘requires improvement.’ Medical care at the site – run by University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust – has been rerated as good. Inspectors said they...
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Renovation works delay handover of an historic castle site in East Staffs
THE formal handover of Tutbury Castle to a hospitality firm will now take place later than originally planned while an extensive programme of maintenance, conservation and renovation works are completed, it has been revealed. The Duchy of Lancaster is...
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Ex-cop pleads guilty to charge of corruption
A FORMER officer who worked at Burton Police Station has pleaded guilty after being charged with corruption. Howard Bradley, 27, admitted the charge of corrupt or improper exercise of police powers and privileges by a constable at Stoke-on-trent Crown...
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Parents told walking to school will help kids ‘be healthier and improve concentration’
PARENTS and carers across Staffordshire are being encouraged to consider walking their children to school to improve health, reduce congestion and create safer communities. Staffordshire County Council’s School Travel team says that walking, cycling...
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Patients praise respect, compassion and kindness shown by hospital staff
PATIENTS receiving care at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) have praised the kindness, compassion and respect shown by staff, according to the national Adult Inpatient Survey. The survey gathered feedback from almost 500 patients who...
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Breakfast like royalty at prison cafe staffed by inmates doing porridge
I’M dining at His Majesty’s pleasure, but it’s not a royal banquet hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla. We’re here at the Secret Diner at HMP Sudbury. It’s not just somewhere for prisoners, their families and staff to eat. Members of the public...
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‘Our partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when charities work closely together’
A PAIR of charities are highlighting the strength of their long-standing partnership and the impact they continue to make across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire. For many years, YMCA Burton and South Derbyshire CVS have worked closely...
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Uncovered link is a ‘national treasure and a truly unique relic of Burton’
A NEWLY uncovered link between Burton Abbey and one of Britain’s most important Templar sites could provide clues to the town’s medieval connections with the Knights Templar. The claim follows the return of a 14th-century cross-legged knight effigy to...
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Hi-tech 4 way lights set to be installed at busy Burton junction
WORK to install a new signalled junction in Burton will begin next month along with measures to reduce the number of lorries travelling through residential areas. This highways improvement project, delivered by Staffordshire County Council, will see...
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Major overhaul of a key shopping centre is set to be sanctioned today
APPROVAL for the partial demolition and refurbishment of the Maltings shopping centre looks set to be granted today – with most of the site to be knocked down. The Uttoxeter shopping precinct has been earmarked for redevelopment since 2023, but the...
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Work starts in September on 2-year scheme to make bridge over A38 safer
WORK to improve the long-term safety and reliability of a bridge over the A38 in South Derbyshire is due to begin next month. National Highways will carry out essential maintenance on the A5132 Carriers Road bridge over the A38 in Willington. The...
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Residents now divided on dog classes at site of failed bid to build houses
PLANS for a dog agility course on a village field - subject to numerous attempted housing plans - have divided residents. Sarah Blackshaw has outlined plans to South Derbyshire District Council to convert an agricultural field in Fishpond Lane and...
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‘We could not be prouder of our students and their fantastic achievements’
PRINCIPAL Laura O’leary said that John Port Spencer Academy, in Etwall, was celebrating its best-ever GCSE results ‘with students achieving outstanding success across a wide range of subjects.’ This year’s cohort achieved a pass rate of over 80 per...
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Actor to feature in film alongside stars of stage, screen and sport
WEST End star Rob Madge, of South Derbyshire, is among 30 LGBTQ+ celebrities and high-profile allies appearing in a new film for charity The Proud Trust. Rob, raised in Swadlincote, stars in the #Deservebetter campaign film alongside the likes of pop...
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Town’s greatest treasure finally back in Burton after 40 years
NATIONAL pressures impacting waste sites across the country are continuing to affect Leicestershire. The temporary closures at four recycling and household waste sites have been extended until further notice at Bottesford, Lutterworth, Oadby and...
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£75 fines for drivers ‘that throw litter’ from vehicles
COUNCIL chiefs have introduced new penalties for drivers littering from their vehicles. The move comes amid an increase in rubbish being thrown from vehicles across East Staffordshire. Drivers caught littering from their vehicles will receive a £75...
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Town centre car park is set to be transferred to a new operator
AN agreement has been reached which will free East Staffordshire Borough Council from its responsibility for the upkeep of a Burton car park. The transfer was approved as the rooftop car park on Burton Place is viewed as posing a ‘significant longterm...
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Overnight work to resurface a busy town road starts next week
WORK to resurface the A5121 Derby Road in Burton will take place overnight from next week. This £2.3 million highway reconstruction scheme, delivered by Staffordshire County Council, involves resurfacing the route between the Derby Turn island and the...
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College students are celebrating their outstanding results
STUDENTS at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) were celebrating yesterday after receiving their Level 3 applied, technical, and vocational qualification results. These results mark an important milestone, with many now progressing to...
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Families support plan to reopen passenger trains on historic route
AS fresh hope rises for the return of a railway station in a part of Derbyshire reliant on buses and cars, residents next to the historic route have spoken out. It has been more than 50 years since the Ivanhoe Line from Burton through Castle Gresley...
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What an amazing FEET!
A WOMAN from Burton has been crowned Toe Wrestling Champion 2026 after winning the world title last month in Ashbourne. Abigail Beech, 26, who goes by the competing name ‘A-big-nail,’ won the women’s world title at the annual championships on...
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Agencies told to ‘do more’ to tackle child sex abuse in families
AGENCIES in Staffordshire have been told to do more to tackle child sex abuse in family environments. Inspectors found that organisations respond in a ‘timely and effective’ way to initial concerns over abuse within families, with practitioners being...
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600 call-outs for fire crews across county in one month just ‘shocking’
FIREFIGHTERS in Staffordshire have been called out to an average of 20 incidents a day as demand soared last month. Throughout July, crews were called out to roughly 600 outdoor fires. Now Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has branded the...
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Wildfires and droughts pose risk to wildlife across county
STAFFORDSHIRE’S wildlife is facing increasing pressure as drought conditions and a growing risk of wildfires take hold across the county. The warning comes from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust after the Environment Agency declared drought in the West...
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Have your say on local plan in borough for next 20 years
RESIDENTS across the region have been invited to help shape East Staffordshire’s future in a new Local Plan consultation. People living in East Staffordshire are being urged to have their say on how the borough should develop over the next two...
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Record high as 4,750 potholes filled in county during July
HIGHWAYS crews in Staffordshire filled in a record number of potholes last month. The county council says its workers have been making the most of the dry and fine weather to fill as many potholes as possible, “improving conditions and creating...
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‘Crossroads of doom’ now set to be upgraded in £200k scheme
SOUTH Derbyshire’s “crossroads of doom” are set for improvement as part of a wide range of upgrades to tackle some of the county’s biggest – and most notorious – roads. Funded by developers, Derbyshire County Council is set to “draw down” more than...
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Burton set to stage first celebration of culture over 9 days
BURTON’S diverse communities will take centre stage from this weekend as the town hosts its first-ever Cultural Celebration. The nine-day programme, running from August 8 to 16, has been shaped by local community organisations working alongside East...
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Shake-up will ensure social housing goes to those most in need
COUNCIL chiefs are set to slash the housing register by more than half - as demand for social housing continues to outstrip supply. East Staffordshire Borough Council will also make it harder to join the register. In June this year, 9,423 households...
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DISCOUNTS OF UP TO 75% OFF
4 DOOR OSAKA WARDROBE IN EITHER WHITE OR LIGHT OAK HIRST GLASS TOP TABLE WITH 4 CHAIRS
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Call for ‘roving’ collection in bid to help combat fly-tipping blighting 4 areas
A SENIOR councillor has called for a roving waste collection service to address the problem of fly-tipping. It comes as a review is set to suggest that the majority of waste dumping happens in a few areas of East Staffordshire with a high proportion...
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Shake-up at tip set to increase parking spots and ‘rubbish storage’
A SOUTH Derbyshire tip is being improved to allow more rubbish to be stored and to increase parking spaces for visitors. Derbyshire County Council is due to change the layout of the Bretby Household Waste Recycling Centre, off Main Street in Newhall,...
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ADAM WINS BRONZE
ADAM Ramsay-peaty broke down in tears after being forced to settle for a bronze medal in the men’s 100 metres breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 31-year-old was pipped by Australia’s Sam Williamson and 18-year-old Filip...
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Top honour for Molson Coors’ UK brewing HQ in Burton
A RESTORED former brewery workshops building that has become Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd’s new headquarters has received Burton Civic Society’s top architectural honour. The Horninglow Street headquarters, below, has been awarded an...
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Parkrun set to celebrate a milestone moment
A JUNIOR parkrun is preparing to celebrate its 500th event next month – marking 12 years of the free weekly 2km run/walk for children in the community. The anniversary event will be marked as part of the Swadlincote Junior Parkrun on Sunday, August 2,...
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Anger at litter blighting beauty spot in Burton
OVERFLOWING litter bins at Burton’s Washlands have prompted renewed calls for action from a regular visitor, who says the problem is persistent. Keith Butlin, who lives in the town, walks his dog at the councilowned park every day and said he has...
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Bike thief jailed after two-week crime spree
A MAN stole two bicycles, an e-scooter and an e-bike during a two-week spate of thefts in Burton-upon-trent. Michael Hughes admitted two counts of theft of a pedal cycle, two counts of theft of conveyance other than motor vehicle or pedal cycle, one...
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Cash boost to help stage a ‘cultural carnival’ in Burton
FIVE community organisations in East Staffordshire will receive grants to help stage cultural celebrations across Burton this year. The money is part of a pilot project to deliver an event or series of events during the celebrations. The five...
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New PCSO pay offer in a bid to avoid strike action
THE county’s police chief has backed an offer to support PCSOS who will lose pay due to controversial shift changes. Police community support officers voted in May to take industrial action over Staffordshire Police’s changes to their shifts, which...
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County force ‘inadequate’ in responding to public
INSPECTORS have found Staffordshire Police ‘inadequate’ in how it responds to the public. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the force was not attending priority incidents within its two-hour target...
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First responders celebrating their anniversary with a call-out milestone
A VOLUNTEER emergency response team is celebrating its first anniversary after reaching a remarkable milestone of 1,000 emergency call-outs in just 12 months. Burton Community First Responders marked its first year on Wednesday, July 15, having hit...
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250,000 extra appointments to see your GP every year
PATIENTS across Staffordshire are set to benefit from around 250,000 extra GP appointments each year following investment to modernise doctors’ surgeries. The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) said 19 GP practices have...
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Pre-school is among best in the country after Ofsted grading
A SOUTH Derbyshire pre-school has achieved one of the strongest Ofsted results in the country and is among the UK’S best after being rated ‘Exceptional’ in three areas of its provision. Woodville Preschool, near Swadlincote, is celebrating after being...
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Families urged to reduce water usage after a day of record demand
WATER company bosses are urging customers to reduce the amount of water they are using every day as demand hits record levels. Bosses at Severn Trent say they experienced the highest single day of demand for water ever recorded across its region on...
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Town park flagged up as one of country’s best
CLAYS Lane Park has been named one of the country’s best parks after winning the Green Flag Award for the bestmanaged parks and green spaces. The Branston-based park achieved the international quality mark for parks and green spaces as part of the...
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New ‘all-age’ special school in pipeline as part of major £28m plan for county
A NEW all-age special school could be built in Staffordshire - to help more children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities get support closer to home. Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve £28.6...
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250 local jobs safeguarded & more are in the pipeline after plan sanctioned
PLANS for a major £100 million distribution centre which will safeguard 250 jobs have been approved by councillors. They sanctioned an application, submitted by Prologis, to create a new national headquarters for Palletways, bringing together the...
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Rail travellers warned about delays as £5m scheme starts
PASSENGERS using rail services through Burton and the surrounding area are being warned to expect disruption over the next two weekends as a £5.1 million programme of railway improvements begins. Network Rail will carry out work at several locations...
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Mum hits out as delays leave 6-year-old son without school support
SEND delays are leaving children without vital support in mainstream education, a mum from Burton has claimed. Sarah Hall says long delays in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPS), poor communication and funding issues are affecting children with...
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Firm’s boxing clever!
A KING’S Award-winning Derbyshire manufacturer is expanding its defence work after delivering its first products supporting production of the new Boxer armoured vehicle for the British Army. Melbourne-based Acres Engineering has completed and...
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County council in vow to fix 40,000 potholes during the next 272 days
HIGHWAYS crews at Staffordshire County Council are looking to fix 40,000 potholes by the end of March 2027. The blitz will see defects across the county targeted by workers, including 14 new crews undertaking the crucial task of fixing the county’s...
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Rogue landlords fined more than £224k for having no licences for HMO
A LANDLORD has been ordered to pay more than £18,000 after losing an appeal against a financial penalty for operating an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Burton. East Staffordshire Borough Council’s HMO Licensing Team successfully...
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106 new houses locked in after Branston scheme gets the go-ahead
PLANS for 106 new homes on the Branston Locks development have been approved - despite concerns that some properties fall below national space standards. Councillors at East Staffordshire Borough Council unanimously approved the plans. The Branston...
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BOOM! Burton festival is set to expand with live music nights
SONIC Boom Festival is expanding beyond its annual free town centre event with two new live music nights celebrating Burton’s heritage. The festival returns to the town centre on Saturday, September 12, with indie band Pale Waves confirmed as...
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Burton-based solar firm set to take on 80 staff to meet demand
A BURTON-BASED solar firm is creating 80 new jobs across the UK as record demand for home installations is expected to continue throughout the summer. Bosses at Project Solar said most of the new roles will be in sales following a sharp rise in...
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Shock as firm has to appoint administrators
A STAFFORDSHIRE metal finishing specialist that has served UK industry for more than four decades has fallen into administration. Pym & Wildsmith (Metal Finishers) Limited – which traces its roots back to 1979 and operates from Bramshall Industrial...
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Teen Evie gives up her dream of seeing pop star to help animals in need
A BURTON teenager gave up her dream of seeing Billie Eilish after spending £160 she had saved for concert tickets on food and supplies for animals in need at the RSPCA instead. Evie Dyer, 15, had been saving for around six months to buy expensive...
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22 incidents of dumped waste uncovered in a day with joint ops
A JOINT day of action targeting fly-tipping and environmental crime in Shobnall uncovered 22 incidents of illegally dumped waste and dozens of other issues requiring further investigation. Officers from East Staffordshire Borough Council’s...
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Proposal for new forest school for kids – right behind their care home
BURTON could be home to a new forest school under plans submitted to East Staffordshire Borough Council. Bayleaf Care Ltd submitted the proposals, which, if approved, would see provision for six pupils. The school is set to be located on land behind...
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Student Ruth scoops award after ditching childcare to be a plumber
AN apprentice plumber at Trent & Dove has been named Adult Learner of the Year after being praised for her dedication, professionalism and resilience in a traditionally maledominated industry. Ruth Binks, 52, received the accolade at Burton and South...
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