Burton Mail

Burton’s greatest treasure all set to return home after ‘major discovery’

A MEDIEVAL knight believed lost for almost a century has been rediscovered and is now set to return home to Burton with the blessing of the Duchy of Lancaster. The find has been described as the most important surviving relic from Burton Abbey and one...

Police issue an arrest warning after cop is abused on social media

PEOPLE could face arrest after a Derbyshire Police officer was abused on Facebook, the force has warned. The warning comes after dozens of comments were directed towards a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) on one of the force’s verified Facebook...

£3m project to transform land into affordable homes in town

A FORMER garage site in Burton will be transformed into a £3 million development of 14 new homes. Trent & Dove, a social housing provider which owns and manages more than 6,500 properties for rent and shared ownership across East Staffordshire, South...

Probe launched into fly-tipping as teams swarm town wards in a huge operation

COUNCIL chiefs have launched an investigation after a major operation identified fly-tipping in part of Burton. East Staffordshire Borough Council came across rubbish dumped in the Shobnall ward after teaming up with partner agencies. The council’s...

Army veteran Terry’s walking 200 miles in 5 days to highlight mental health plight of soldiers

A BURTON-ON-TRENT Army veteran is preparing to walk 200 miles in five days to raise awareness of the mental health struggles faced by former service personnel. Terry Carter, who served two tours of Afghanistan, will take part in a Veteran Suicide...

Burton bidding to become the UK’S Town of Culture 2028

BURTON upon Trent is bidding to make its mark on the national cultural stage. The town is entering the new UK Town of Culture competition – with a powerful story of brewing heritage, creative energy, and community spirit. Inspired by the success of...

New proposal is in place to secure the £10m needed for brewery museum

TALKS have begun to fund a £10 million flagship scheme to create a Museum of Brewing in Burton after initial plans were rejected by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. East Staffordshire Borough Council has confirmed it is now working with funding...

Chinese firm’s 700 A50 jobs bid ‘absolutely brilliant for area’

“ABSOLUTELY brilliant” plans for an apprentice training centre and warehouses for a major Chinese e-commerce firm, next to the A50, have been hailed as “huge for South Derbyshire”. At a meeting of the district council this week, plans for huge...

Ten-year ban on keeping pets as ‘neglected’ cat euthanized

A PET owner from Burton-upontrent has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after neglecting her underweight and injured cat. Two-year-old Buster was taken into a vet in a collapsed, emaciated state with multiple different wounds at different...

If it’s used in a safe way’

AI is having a bigger impact on all our lives, and for parents, it can be hard to keep up with the pace of change. Today is Safer Internet Day - and it comes at a time when families are increasingly having to help their kids navigate a digital world...

‘It’s a risk for the future that the government directs a police force’

STAFFORDSHIRE’S Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has raised concerns about future funding of services after major reforms to policing were announced by the Government. Ben Adams, below, described the proposals as a “death knell for Staffordshire...

‘She was let down by the people who should have cared for her’

A CARE home nurse from Burton has been fined £600 for wilful neglect after a disabled grandmother fell from a wheelchair and suffered injuries from which she never recovered. Derby Crown Court heard how 84-year-old Shirley Froggett, below, broke her...

Ring king Tyson’s county relative who once ‘sparred with Ali’

TYSON Fury is well known across the globe as a two-time world heavyweight champion. But what many might not realise is that he owes his fighting pedigree to a Staffordshire ancestor. And he’s still got a long way to go to match the fighting exploits...

War reenactments set to go off with a BANG!

THE Big Battle of Abbots Bromley will return this summer with a largescale living history spectacle bringing centuries of warfare and daily life to rural Staffordshire. The event will take place on Sunday, June 21, at High Ash Farm on Yeatsall Lane,...

Volunteers in a bid to raise funds to keep Banter going

Workers ‘supported, empowered and valued’ at rail firm

EAST Midlands Railway has secured its tenth consecutive UK Top Employer certification for 2026 from the Top Employers Institute. Operated by Transport UK, the award reflects a group-wide culture across EMR “where leaders are trusted and empowered to...

Plans unveiled for a new state of the art town leisure centre

A PLANNING application has been submitted for a new state-of–the-art leisure centre and open plan office building in Swadlincote. The facility will replace the current Green Bank Leisure Centre, which will be demolished as part of the redevelopment of...

Coffee factory welcomes MP as site marks anniversary

NESTLÉ has marked 125 years of its Tutbury factory by showcasing major sustainability investments during a visit by MP John Whitby. He toured the Tutbury site last week, one of Nestlé’s two specialist Nescafé factories in the UK and the home of the...

£15m plans to tackle pothole menace across roads in county

AN extra £15 million will be ploughed into fixing roads across the county including Burton and Uttoxeter - over the next two years as part of a new drive to tackle a ‘pothole backlog.’ Staffordshire County Council says it will be targeting...

Knife crime is down as cops on ‘overtime’ target hotspots

POLICE chiefs have revealed big reductions in knife crime and serious violence across Staffordshire after cops carried out 13,000 hours of overtime patrols. Since May last year, they have been on extra duties across 19 different hotspot locations in a...

School hopes new sports plan will be pitch perfect

LEADERS at a Burton school are looking to increase its sports offering to both pupils and the wider community. They have applied for planning permission to install a new 3G artificial grass pitch (AGP), along with a toilet and changing block at John...

‘Making sure customers feel cared for is at the heart of all our success’

HAYS Travel has been ranked among the top three organisations in the UK for customer satisfaction. The travel company placed third overall in its first-ever appearance in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, which ranks 272 online, retail and...

Rapist is locked up for 26 years after 17 sex offences against children

A RAPIST who was found guilty of 17 sexual offences against children has been jailed for 26 years. Andrew Robert Pope, 56, of Burton-on-trent, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Friday. The Burton Mail reported in June last year, inset, how a...

£50k cameras plan to tackle ‘growing blight of fly-tipping’

A COUNCIL has been relying on broken “dummy” trail cameras in a bid to deter people from fly-tipping. South Derbyshire District Council, run by Labour, has explained in a new report that it has been using 12 trail cameras – typically used for...

Developers set to ditch plans for GP surgery on estate with 950 homes

A PLANNED 950-home development in East Staffordshire will no longer include a doctors’ surgery as originally proposed, a new report has suggested. Instead, developers are being advised to make financial contributions to existing nearby medical...

100 new jobs on offer in a recruitment drive by water bosses

WATER company bosses have launched one of their biggest ever recruitment drives to sign up 100 young people as apprentices. The roles at Severn Trent are open to anyone regardless of age or career experience, and include fields such as HR, water...

School’s new £2.5m sports hall named in memory of PE teacher

A Multi-million pound sports hall has been opened and named after a former PE teacher at a special school in Staffordshire. Fountains High School, in Stretton, caters for teenagers with special needs and has now cut the ribbon on its £2.5 million...

Prisoners’ art on show to boost rehabilitation

ART lovers are being invited to an exhibition in Burton showcasing award-winning artwork created by inmates at HMP Dovegate as part of the prison’s rehabilitation programme. The exhibition, titled Drawing Toward Tomorrow, will run for six weeks from...

Chickenpox jabs added to childs’ vaccinations to help protect them

FAMILIES across Staffordshire can now get their children protected against chickenpox. The NHS added the jabs to the routine childhood vaccination programme from this month. Youngsters born on or after July 1, 2024, will be offered a combined...

Airport freight plans to create 20k more jobs

Midlands Airport bosses say the huge growth in the lesser-known side of the Castle Donington operation has helped it overcome an “identity crisis” and could create 20,000 new jobs. The significant growth in cargo is now connecting the site with major...

999 crews are called in after body found at nature reserve

EMERGENCY services were called out to a Burton-ontrent nature reserve following the discovery of a ‘human body in the water.’ The discovery was made at Branston Water Park, pictured, on Thursday, and comes as police are continuing to investigate the...

125 new homes set to ‘encircle’ sewage works

MORE than 100 homes could encircle a sewage works under new plans submitted for a South Derbyshire village. The proposal, from Commercial Development Projects Limited, is for 125 homes to the west of Egginton Road in Etwall, encompassing a sewage...

Ambulance Trust given 23 vehicles to help it improve response times

THE ambulance service trust that serves Staffordshire is to get an extra 23 vehicles to help improve response times. West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed it was receiving the funding for the new ambulances after an announcement by the Department...

Thousands of illegal products seized in raids across county

ILLEGAL vapes, dangerous counterfeit children’s toys and thousands of pounds of illicit cigarettes were seized during raids in Staffordshire last year. The haul included more than 10,000 unsafe and non-compliant products, including 800-plus fake...

NHS bosses in a bid to recruit more first responder volunteers

AMBULANCE service bosses have launched a new year recruitment drive for volunteer community first responders. The volunteer CFRS are members of the public who have received medical training from West Midlands Ambulance Service. They then respond –...

Workforce rises to 59 as firm reveals best ever 12 months after ‘sales hit £22m in the past year’

A SOUTH Derbyshire manufacturer has posted its best ever year, with demand from customers for more automation and a boom in defence spending driving growth. Carfulan Group, which operates from a £3 million Advanced Innovation Centre in Foston, has...

Tax increase proposed to pay for extra police and fire services

PEOPLE in Staffordshire are being asked whether they would support a small increase in council tax to help fund police and fire services. Ben Adams, the county’s commissioner for police, fire & rescue and crime, below, has launched a public...

Shop raid in East Staffs reveals £20,000 worth of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes

TRADING Standards officers have launched an investigation following the seizure of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes worth almost £20,000 in East Staffordshire. Officers, supported by Staffordshire Police and specialist search dogs, made the discovery...

Dealer involved in operating ‘AJ drug’ line in Burton jailed for over 5 years

A DRUG dealer has been jailed for supplying heroin and crack cocaine as part of the AJ drug line in Burton. Asher Douglas, 36, from Burton-ontrent, was convicted after he admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine at Stafford Crown...

Criminal scaled fence as he fled an open prison before being spotted on A52

A CAREER criminal with 94 previous court appearances on his record ran off into a farmer’s field when he was being booked into an open prison in Derbyshire. In what Derby Crown Court was told was “a sheer moment of madness,” John Arnold fled after...

Funding setback in bid to create a new brewery museum in Burton

COUNCIL chiefs are hoping to launch a partnership with the private sector after their bid to secure lottery funding to create the National Museum of Brewing in Burton was rejected. While East Staffordshire Borough Council has described failing to...

Historic castle is now set to reopen in 2026 after teaming up with top hospitality group

A PIONEERING scheme helping shape the future of food is bidding for a gold award. Good Food Leicestershire, led by Leicestershire County Council, brings together 75 organisations to support local growing, encourage ‘farm to fork’ approaches and back...

Work is set to start on scheme to make it easier to walk and cycle around Burton

A MAJOR scheme to extend the cycleway through Burton town centre will begin next month. It is aimed at making it easier and safer for people to walk or cycle around the town. The project, delivered by Staffordshire County Council, will see a new...

Centre helping injured drivers remain on road is now to be axed

HUNDREDS of vulnerable motorists are facing an uncertain future when a specialist driving assessment service closes. The end of the road for Derby Drivability comes after University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) served...

76 drink and drug drivers caught in 2 weeks by cops across the county

MORE than 70 suspected drink or drug drivers have been arrested in just over two weeks. Police have carried out more than 700 roadside tests as part of a major crackdown in Staffordshire. The operation, launched at the end of November, targets ‘those...

Brewers want to create new fan zone at Pirelli Stadium

BURTON Albion Football Club has submitted plans for a new fan zone at its home ground. A car park at the Pirelli Stadium has been earmarked for the fan zone, which would also provide space for events and access to food and drink outlets, if plans are...

Hospital trust gets £2m for cutting waits for patients

THE trust that runs the Burton and Royal Derby hospitals has been rewarded with £2 million for reducing waiting lists for planned care and improved access to treatment. The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) is one of...

‘A DAY OF SHAME’ FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL:

OPPOSITION leaders have condemned a ‘day of shame’ for Staffordshire County Council as an anti-reform protest saw police called in. Tory leader Philip White said that the authority had been ‘dragged into a dark place’ following May’s elections when...

Cars are towed away as drivers queued on a level crossing in village

CARS queuing on a level crossing in heavy traffic have prompted Network Rail to install temporary electronic signage nearby to warn motorists of the dangers and possible prosecution. Despite this, drivers are still stopping on the automatic Willington...

Eight-month extension is approved for delayed bridge and bypass plan

AN extension for a delay-hit underconstruction Derbyshire bridge and bypass has been approved by councillors. At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting, they approved a further eight month extension for the completion of the £20 million Walton...

Cash boost will take brewery ‘significant’ step forward

BREWERY bosses are celebrating after securing a grant to help fund expansion plans. Burton Bridge Brewery and Heritage Brewing have secured a People, Innovation and Place Programme (PIPP) grant to expand their production capabilities. It will see the...

Store bosses urging customers to donate gifts for kids at Christmas

TESCO customers across Staffordshire are being encouraged to donate new toys to children in need this Christmas. The supermarket giant’s stores in Meir, Uttoxeter, Stafford and Lichfield have launched festive toy collections running until Monday,...

People are urged to get checked out for lung cancer with return of mobile scanner

MORE people from East Staffordshire will benefit from early detection of lung cancer with the return of a high-tech mobile CT scanner to Burton. Staffordshire Lung Screening Programme, delivered by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust...

Fire chief warns: ‘Climate change is now hitting us all year round’

FIREFIGHTERS were called out to an extra thousand incidents over the first half of the year – largely due to the hot, dry summer. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) responded to 5,409 calls between April and September, compared to 4,436 over...

Council set to call for pause to allow more talks about shake-up

A STAFFORDSHIRE council could be set to write to the government asking for a pause in local government reorganisation. East Staffordshire Borough Council are set to debate a motion put forward by the Conservatives calling on councillors to unite...

£1.1m for four new fire engines to help keep communities in county safe

FOUR new fire engines will be heading out to calls across Staffordshire as early as next year after spending was given the green light. Staffordshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams has approved the purchase of four new pulp rescue...

New jobs up for grabs as firm secures £500m deal to run jail

NEW jobs are in the pipeline after the company running an East Staffordshire jail won a £500 million Government contract. Serco, the international provider of services to governments, has been running HMP Dovegate, near Uttoxeter, since...

Green light for 103 homes on a site that will eventually see total of 2,500

THE final plans for 103 new homes near Burton have been given the green light. Proposals for the next phase of the Branston Locks Development will eventually see more than 2,000 homes developed in total. The Branston Locks sustainable urban extension...

Joining forces for two day crackdown on the fly-tippers ‘blighting’ two Burton wards

YMCA Burton has completed its 17th Sleepout event - with more than 200 people taking part. Of those, 111 slept at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium, 49 braved St Modwen’s graveyard, 38 young people from Rolleston Scout group spent the night under the...

Police are set to trial use of AI ‘agents’ to help cut call waiting times

STAFFORDSHIRE Police will deploy an AI system in its contact centre in a bid to cut call waiting times. The force is set to become the third in the country to take part in a pilot scheme trialling the use of artificial intelligence ‘agents’ for...

Fire chiefs issue a warning as family is forced to escape home during blaze

FIREFIGHTERS from Burton were called to a house fire where an adult and two children were forced to evacuate their home through a window. They joined fire crews from Swadlincote at the semi-detached home on Harbury Close, Drakelow, after a 999 call in...

Firm fined £16,000 after worker broke his arm when it got ‘caught in a lathe’

A SOUTH Derbyshire manufacturer has been fined £16,000 after an 18-yearold employee broke his arm when he became entangled in a machine. The un-named worker, based at Isoma Limited’s factory at George Holmes Business Park, Swadlincote, got caught in a...

Drug dealer is jailed and has over £4,000 seized after cops raid his gran’s home

A DRUG dealer has been jailed and had thousands of pounds in cash seized. Sam Cox, 27, who lived with his grandmother, confessed all to police who raided her Ashby home. Cox was arrested as police seized about 6g of cocaine, about a gram of cannabis...

‘County lines’ dealer admits to supplying crack and heroin in Burton

A COUNTY lines drug dealer from Burton-on-trent has pleaded guilty at court to supplying heroin and crack cocaine in Staffordshire. Asher Douglas, 36, was convicted after he admitted conspiring to supply a controlled drug of class A (heroin) and...

9 years for man who attacked two women after targeting them at night in town centre

A MAN who attacked two women while armed with a bottle and then set fire to his own flat in Burton-on-trent has been jailed for almost a decade. Kyle Purcell, 21, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Stafford Crown Court on Monday, November...

Kate in county to lay Armistice Day wreath as nation pays a silent tribute

THE Princess of Wales was in Staffordshire yesterday as she led the nation in a poignant two-minute silence in remembrance of the fallen on Armistice Day. Kate joined veterans in honouring the war dead at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National...

Maternity services at hospital in town improve but CQC ‘still has concerns’

MATERNITY services at Derby and Burton’s hospitals have improved but concerns for patient safety remain, following a delayed inspection. The CQC has rated maternity services at Queen’s Hospital in Burton and Royal Derby Hospital as “requires...

1,700 victims of ‘domestic abuse’ reached out for help in just three months

SHOCK figures have revealed that more than 1,700 victims of domestic abuse in Staffordshire needed help from a confidential support service in just three months. Between April and June of this year, the New Era Domestic Abuse Victim Service supported...

‘I’m proud how communities always come together for Remembrance’

AS we approach Remembrance Day, I wanted to use my November column to shine a light on the extraordinary Armed Forces personnel from Burton and pay tribute to local veterans who gave so much. This time of year, we reflect, we remember, and we give...

Production at tyre factory in Burton ‘resumes’ as firm planned

PRODUCTION has now resumed at Pirelli’s Burton-on-trent factory following a temporary six-day closure last month. The tyre manufacturer confirmed that work at the Derby Road site paused from October 24 to 29 before restarting ‘as planned.’ The...

Public to have their say on council HQ and leisure centre plans at former pit

WORK on a planned £59 million leisure centre and a HQ for a Derbyshire council on a former mining site could start next September. South Derbyshire District Council officials say that a planning application for the developments on the former Cadley...