BURTON Albion boss Gary Rowett says striker Billy Kee was ready for a new challenge in his career.

The 23-year-old was sold to League One new boys Scunthorpe United for an undisclosed fee yesterday, signing a two-year deal with the Iron.

He dug the Brewers out of a hole on Saturday as he scored twice coming off the bench to beat Dagenham.

But Rowett says the time was right for the fans' favourite to seek pastures new.

"Billy's ready for a new challenge," said the Albion boss. "He's done well for us, but he's got a great opportunity to play higher.

"He was in the last year of his contract and I got the feeling he wasn't going to be happy coming in and out of the side.

"When he heard about the interest, he was keen to pursue it."

Rowett admits the timing was not ideal for the sale just over a week into the new season, but is confident about life after Kee.

"It's not something in an ideal world you would be looking to do," said the manager. "But when a player's keen to further their own ambitions it's very hard to stand in their way.

"He's been an integral part of the team in the last three or four seasons and we've got to accept his wishes.

"I just sensed this year Billy in himself was ready for that new challenge."

As for the Brewers, Rowett is keen to bring in one or two new signings to replace the departed frontman.

However, they may not be like-for-like replacements – with a wide player a possibility.

"We will replace the body lost within the squad," he said. "Whether we move right at this moment I don't know.

"We've got Lucas (Akins), who can play up there and Marcus Harness can play an attacking role too.

"We'll get one or two more bodies in these areas.

"Whether we have a direct replacement, we'll have to see.

"I wouldn't have sold Billy if I felt it would have a devastating effect on the squad.

"We've brought some good players in this summer.

"And as you can see, Billy didn't start the first few games.

"We think we can cope and get stronger at the same time."

NO player is ever irreplaceable – even the best of them.

There is always someone who can come in and do the same job as the departed star – or better.

But it is safe to say the sale of Billy Kee to Scunthorpe has come as a big shock to many Burton Albion fans.

There is something of a Roy of the Rovers about the striker, who etched himself into Brewers folklore with that hat-trick at Barnet almost three years ago.

And he kept on scoring goals.

Kee's record for the Brewers is impressive.

He made 99 league appearances, 70 of them starts, and scored 39 goals, many of them crackers.

In all competitions he made 117 appearances, scoring 42 times.

However, despite these naked statistics, Kee has fallen down the pecking order at the Pirelli Stadium.

Gary Rowett wants a mobile, athletic striking force – and this is not really Kee.

He is an old-fashioned goalscorer and at League Two level is very good at it.

There's also no reason why he can't do it in League One with Scunthorpe.

Rowett, though, demands more than this and in Stuart Beavon, the Albion manager has what he feels is the complete striker at League Two level.

There is a sense he has moved on a touch from having a 'fox in the box' type of player, who plays best alongside a target man.

However, scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in football and as Kee showed on Saturday, he can turn a game in a split second.

Without him, Albion would surely have struggled to beat Dagenham and Redbridge in the dying minutes.

Despite this, it was difficult to see the 23-year-old being the first choice striker at the Pirelli – something he craves.

Injuries, though no fault of his own, have not helped his cause either.

The past three pre-seasons have seen Kee battling back to fitness rather than building up a reserve of stamina for the season. It is the worst time to be injured.

In the last year of his contract, it was likely he would walk away for free in the summer after a season spent in and out of the starting line-up to get the first-team football he wants.

While he will be difficult to replace, it was probably the correct decision from the club as they look at the long-term future.The money raised by the sale can be used to bring in another striker who fits the mould Rowett has created and Kee, although a very decent striker, did not quite fit in 2014 the way he did in 2011.

Will it be the right decision for the club to sell Kee? Only time will tell.

For Kee, it is a great opportunity to step up a level and get a fresh start at a club looking to find its feet in League One. Don't bet against him appearing on the goalscoring charts very soon.

JAKE Buxton is fit to face Charlton Athletic tonight.

The Derby County defender is having to manage a hip-flexor problem.

He played in the two Championship fixtures against Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday but he was rested for the Capital One Cup tie at Carlisle inbetween.

Buxton completed the full game at Hillsborough on Saturday and is ready to go again at Charlton.

"Jake will be OK," said first-team coach Paul Simpson. "He did the recovery session with the rest of the players on Sunday morning and trained yesterday.

"It is a case of managing the problem.

"We have looked at the games coming up and we hope we can get him through the next few weeks. Then we have an international break when we can reassess and look at it again.

"Hopefully, it should be OK. There are no injury problems from the weekend and so we go to Charlton with a fully-fit squad and a squad that is looking forward to the challenge.

"We are going to Charlton at a good time of the season because the pitch there last season was awful.

"We are also going to face a Charlton side that has had a good start to the season and so we know it will be a tough test."

Charlton, like Derby, have collected four points from two League games.

They drew 1-1 at Brentford on the opening day and beat Wigan Athletic 2-1 at home on Saturday.

RADIO Derby presenter Sally Pepper has been amazed at the amount of savoury food she has had to steer clear of – as she tries to reduce her sugar intake.

Sally had originally planned to cut sugar out completely, in a bid to see how it would affect her diet and health.

But, following world health expert advice that some sugar is needed in a balanced diet, she instead halved it to about five to six teaspoons a day.

And the 39-year-old presenter said it was a "real eye-opener" for her, as she discovered just how much sugar can be found in different foods.

She was surprised to find large amounts of sugar in jars of sauces, ready meals and even tinned tomatoes.

Sally, who finished her challenge earlier this month, will present the findings of her experiment on the BBC TV current affairs show programme Inside Out on September 1. She said: "I couldn't believe how much sugar was in some items and how difficult certain meals became because of it.

"I tend to cook all my meals from scratch so the sugar you find in ready meals and jar sauces wasn't really a problem for me – although, again, it's an eye-opener about how much sugar is in them.

"But it was things like bananas – which had more sugar than I was allowed – and cordials and squashes, which my children have, which I was finding were also crammed full of sugar."

Sally, who presents Radio Derby's mid-morning show, said the most difficult meal of the day during her experiment was breakfast.

She said: "Because I start work early, I usually eat there rather than at home and I often have granola with yoghurt. Again, it seems healthy but it is stuffed with sugar. I didn't think it would be practical to start poaching an egg at work and bread is not really an option, unless you make your own, so I ended up making my own sugar-free granola.

"It smelled good, it looked good – but I reckon it tasted like the stuff you get at the bottom of a hamster cage. It had no flavour at all."

Sally – who said she had her "worst night's sleep in weeks" the first evening after introducing sugar back into her diet – added: "We face an obesity and diabetes crisis and there are hidden sugars in a lot of things. And the changes I made to my diet could have an amazing impact on someone who is, say, a potential diabetic. I guess it's about moderation in all things."

A BOY who was diagnosed with diabetes four years ago has been selected to represent the UK at a World Cup-style football tournament.

Josh Mather will be among 11 youngsters travelling to the Netherlands for the three-day Junior Cup Diabetes event, which is held every other year.

It aims to raise awareness of type-one diabetes – a condition where the body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin – and show that it should not stop children playing sports.

Josh, 11, was chosen to play for the UK from more than 100 who applied. His side will compete against 11 other countries for the title.

His mother, Nicola, 34, of Pearl Close, Oakwood, said her son – a Derby County fan and member of Alvo Boys Football Club – was looking forward to the event, which runs from August 22 until August 24.

She said: "Josh can't wait – he's really excited. There's not many advantages to being diabetic but Josh loves football and this is a great opportunity for him. When he was diagnosed with diabetes, he accepted it really well.

"It is a constant balancing act and he work out what he eats and so on but, generally, it doesn't stop him doing what he wants to do."

The tournament will take place at the National Sports Centre Papendal, in the city of Arnhem. Teams will compete in seven-a-side matches and play round-robin matches before moving to the knockout stages. It is organised by medical technology firm Medtronic.

Nicola said: "We've had a schedule for the tournament and it looks like it's going to be busy. He will be playing non-stop and every hour is being accounted for, though he really will enjoy it."

Josh – who lives with Nicola, dad Jon, 34, and siblings Callum, 10, and Kaila, seven – was diagnosed with diabetes in April 2010, when he was seven.

Nicola said her son, who has just finished at Morley Primary School and is about to start at Landau Forte College, in Derby, did not have any of the classic signs of the condition.

Symptoms of type-one diabetes – the rarer variant of the condition – include increased thirst, extreme tiredness, unexplained weight loss, slow healing of cuts and blurred vision. He started out with insulin injections but now uses a pump, which works by delivering a varied dose of insulin through the day and night at a rate pre-set to his own needs.

Nicola said: "It was a spur of the moment thing to take Josh to see the doctor – we just thought he looked a little thin and he was drinking a lot – and we just wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

"We were lucky because it meant the condition was picked up before he became desperately ill, which happens to a lot of children.

"Josh doesn't have it easy – he tests his blood numerous times a day, has to calculate everything he eats and drinks and has a permanent cannula attached to his body, as well as a sensor. But he still goes about his life, especially his love of football, the best he can."

PHONE companies will be able to erect a mast in Derby despite a 75-signature petition against it gathered by two schools.

The 25-metre structure will be built at London Road Community Hospital and provide 4G mobile coverage for Vodafone and 02.

The petition came from Rosehill Infant and St James Junior Schools, which are around the corner from where the mast will now be erected.

A report from council officers states that the petitioners objected on the basis of the "impact on the well-being of individuals".

It goes on: "The possible health implications of the proposed development are clearly an issue of concern as reflected with the petition."

But it adds that councils "assess telecommunications proposals on siting and visual amenity grounds only".

The report says that the mast would mix "reasonably well" into the environment of the hospital buildings around it.

It adds that the structure would be visible along Keeble Close and Osmaston Road but the lower sections would be "obscured seasonally by perimeter deciduous trees".

In 2012, an independent report on mobile phone masts found no convincing evidence that they cause health problems.

DERBY city councillors will be holding these surgeries:

ARBORETUM: Fareed Hussain on Friday, August 29, at 44 Breedon Hill Road, from 6pm to 7pm.

BOULTON: Barbara Jackson and Alison Martin on Saturday, August 30, at St Martin's Methodist Church, Flint Street, Allenton, from 10.30am to 11.30am.

MACKWORTH: Lisa Higginbottom on Saturday, August 30, outside the Co-op, Prince Charles Avenue, from 10am to 11am, and the Lonny Wilsoncroft Centre, Stepping Lane, from 11.15am to 12.15pm.

SINFIN: Karen Hillier, Baggy Shanker and Robin Turner, on Wednesday, August 27, at Oscar Resource Centre, Addison Road, 5pm to 6pm.

The August Bank Holiday is nearly upon us and we need to know where the best beach in the UK is.

Do you know where the sand is just right for making perfect sand castles? Where the fish is the freshest it can be? Let us know in the comments below.

You can let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook or on Twitter.

UNIONS have warned that Derby rail commuters face the prospect of an "eye-watering" hike in rail fares next year.

The Trade Union Congress, along with rail unions, have raised concerns that passengers will be hit by another inflation-busting fare increase in 2015.

At the start of next year, regulated fares, which include season tickets, are set to go up by inflation – as measured by the retail prices index, which stands at 2.6% – plus 1%, giving a grand total of 3.6%. At the start of this year, fares increased by 4.1% and a year before that by 4%.

The unions have analysed season ticket prices for popular commuter routes across the Midlands, including routes to and from Derby, and applied the 3.6% increase.

They claim increases in prices on some of the routes are "eye-watering".

A season ticket from Derby to Nottingham would increase by £49 to £1,421 a year. And a season ticket from Derby to Chesterfield would be £75 more expensive at £2,155. The TUC said if the 2015 rises come into force, it would mean that, over the past five years, rail fares will have increased by almost 25%.

It claims that, over the same period, wage increases have failed to keep pace, rising by just 10.7%. Midlands TUC regional secretary Lee Barron said: "Yet again, rail commuters are going to suffer from inflation-busting rail fare rises for the coming year. This is all happening at a time while wages are continuing to fall in real terms. It's clear that privatisation of the rail network has led to higher prices year-on-year.

"We need to see immediate action to get fares under control and to build a rail network that works for ordinary people rather than the privateers who are bleeding commuters dry."

Rail operators, including Derby-based East Midlands Trains, have previously defended the hike in fares. The firm runs services between Derby and London, as well as a number of local routes.

In December, before prices went up at the start of this year, its managing director, David Horne, pledged that extra money generated from the fare increases would be reinvested to improve services.

He also said that the average increase across all of its fares was 2.6%, which worked out at an extra 36p on a single journey. Fares on 17% of its routes were frozen.

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), of which East Midlands Trains is a member, and the Government, has said the increases were necessary.

ATOC has claimed that continued investment in the railways was "helping to drive passenger satisfaction to near record levels".

But the TUC believes the rises are unsustainable.

DERBYSHIRE'S new Assistant Chief Constable has vowed to "protect the vulnerable in our society".

Martyn Bates said he also wanted to "carry on improving the excellent force" he feels serves the county.

And he said he also believes his 27 years' service in South Yorkshire will enable him to pass on vital experience to younger officers as they start their careers in the police.

Mr Bates has been in his new role for just over a month and is directly answerable to the Chief Constable, Mick Creedon.

The 48-year-old said: "Although I was born in Sheffield I moved to Derbyshire when I was six years old and was raised in the county.

"This is the first time in my 27 years' service that I will have served in the county that I call home and I am hugely excited to be doing that at this stage in my career.

"The top and the bottom of it is that policing is about protecting the population and providing a gold standard public service to them.

"Derbyshire already has an excellent reputation for doing that and I am looking forward to being part of that and working on improving it further."

Mr Bates grew up in Dronfield and studied at Chesterfield College before leaving for London.

Within a year he had applied to join the force and landed his first role in Sheffield. He worked his way up, passing his sergeant exam in 1995 and becoming an inspector a few years afterwards.

He headed the covert unit team which worked undercover on surveillance and working with police informants.

Mr Bates said: "The majority of my career has been in criminal investigation, which is a hugely fulfilling role when you get the results and see those responsible for really serious crimes brought to justice.

"I became head of crime in South Yorkshire and led on some high-profile cases."

Mr Bates said he fronted the investigation into the gangland murder of a taxi driver in 2008 that saw two brothers jailed for 33 and 31 years.

And he also fronted the investigation into the shooting of 16-year-old Jonathan Matondo, who died during a feud between rival gangs in Sheffield. He said: "When I look back on my career that second case will go down with me as the one that caused me the most angst, because we charged someone with the killing but two court cases saw him cleared."

Mr Bates' new role in Derbyshire sees him head up the teams that investigates crime and territorial policing, public protection and intelligence services.

He said: "One of the primary focuses will be protecting the vulnerable in our society and I have to deliver that 24/7 to the best of my ability.

"A key message that I want to pass on to young cops starting their career is that this is the heartbeat of what we need to be achieving.

"It could be holding the hand of a motorcyclist injured in a crash for 20 minutes, providing that reassurance until medics arrive, or it could be comforting an elderly victim of, for example, a distraction burglary or a street robbery.

"There are no league tables or crime statistics that those types of jobs will show up on but getting that public confidence is always at the front of my mind and I want to pass that message on to everyone who works under me."

Mr Bates said in the first month of his job he has been out in the county meeting partner agencies such as the health services, fire and rescue service and community safety partnerships.

He said: "I want to get my teeth into ensuring that Derbyshire police operates as efficiently as possible in the face of austerity forced upon all forces by Government cuts, but at the same time making sure the public has that confidence that we will handle things in the appropriate manner.''

DERBY County's search to further bolster the squad has seen them ask Stoke City about taking Ryan Shotton on loan.

The 25-year-old, out of the first-team picture at Stoke, can play right-back, centre-back and in midfield.

But the Premier League club are not keen on letting the player out on loan. They would prefer to sell him.

Shotton has fallen down the pecking order at Stoke and spent the first half of last season on loan at Wigan Athletic, where he played 14 games and scored one goal.

His last appearance for Stoke was in a draw against Southampton 15 months ago.

A number of Championship clubs are thought to be interested in Shotton, including Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Bournemouth.

He has a year to run on his contract.

Derby are close to signing young German midfielder Tom Koblenz.

He has been training with the Rams and played for the under-21s against Middlesbrough on Friday night.

Koblenz, who plays in the holding role in midfield, won the Under-19 Bundesliga title last season with Hoffenheim.

The 19-year-old is seen as one for the future and would join the Rams' development squad.

JAKE Buxton may be hampered by injury but the defender is determined to keep hold of his place in the Derby County side.

Buxton has managed to come through the Rams' opening two League games of the season, despite a hip flexor problem.

The centre-back was rested for the Capital One Cup tie at Carlisle, where his place was taken by Zak Whitbread.

Buxton knows Whitbread will be battling hard for his position, having joined the club on a permanent basis over the summer.

He does not intend to give it up without a fight and expects to be fit to face Charlton Athletic at The Valley tonight (7.45pm).

"The Carlisle game was a chance to give Zak a well-deserved opportunity – and he did well," said Buxton.

"I know I've got to be on my toes and give everything I've got, because I know he will be fighting hard for a place in the team.

"I don't want to lose my place in the side.

"I'm very grateful to be here and I want to stay in the side as long as possible."

Buxton picked up two player of the year awards for his displays last term as Derby reached the Championship play-off final.

But he is taking nothing for granted as Steve McClaren's men go for promotion again.

"There will be competition for places throughout the side for the whole season," said Buxton.

"Zak's a good lad. He's been so professional for all the time he's been here.

"He's never once spat the dummy out while I was in the side last season. He's waited for his opportunity every week.

"He'll obviously have to bide his time until my performances dip or I get injured but, as it stands, he's done everything he can do to get that shirt.

"I'm coming off a half-decent season last season and the manager doesn't like to change it up too much.

"He believes in what we did last season."

Former Leicester City defender Whitbread, along with the likes of midfielder John Eustace and recent loan striker Leon Best, have been waiting in the wings for their chance to impress.

"Zak has been a phenomenal pro, as has Conor Sammon before he moved on (to Ipswich on loan).

"There are three or four lads in the same boat – John Eustace is another.

"They've been outstanding and that is what a good squad is made of.

"The lads know this is a good side and anyone who gets in will have deserved their place.

"Besty is another who will have to wait for his opportunity. Chris Martin is a great player and has done really well.

"Besty wants an opportunity – so all the lads are chomping at the bit. It's up to us in the side to keep the shirt."

Buxton, who was recently rewarded with a new deal, has grown back his bushy beard for the start of this season.

"I shaved it off for when I signed my contract and have left it to grow since then," he added.

"I think I'll keep it going – fans seem to like it and my little lad loves it!"

IF Derby County are to persevere with wide attackers in a 4-3-3 system – and there is no reason not to for now – then those players need to provide more goals.

Head coach Steve McClaren made a point of mentioning Jamie Ward's current goal drought after the player signed a new two-year deal last week.

Ward was in hot form last October, November and December, when he found the net seven times in 11 matches, but he has not scored since the home victory over Doncaster Rovers on December 21.

He has gone 25 games without a goal but others have also dried up.

Simon Dawkins scored in the final League fixture of last season, a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road, but that is his only goal in his last 23 appearances.

Johnny Russell endured a stop-start season in 2013-14 due to injuries and he did well to finish the campaign with nine goals, although five of them came in his first dozen games for the club.

He suffered a setback when he broke a leg in McClaren's first game in charge following the sacking of Nigel Clough and then shattered a cheekbone playing against Wigan Athletic on New Year's Day.

Russell has been in and out of the starting 11 since and has managed only four goals in his last 34 games.

He had two good chances to improve those figures in Saturday's goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday only to be denied by goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

Chris Martin top scored last season with 25 goals and midfielder Craig Bryson contributed 16.

Between them, they hit 41 of Derby's 98 goals in all competitions.

There is a huge responsibility on their shoulders again this season but others need to chip in on a more regular basis.

CONOR Sammon remained on the bench for Derby County's first two games of this season, having been a substitute for the majority of last season.

His opportunities to contribute dwindled further when Derby brought in striker Leon Best on a season-long loan from Blackburn Rovers as back-up and competition for Chris Martin.

Best's arrival put a question mark over Sammon and so seeing him depart on loan to Ipswich Town was no surprise.

Sammon has made almost as many substitute appearances as he has starts (40 compared with 49) since he arrived from Wigan Athletic two years ago.

Derby had chased him 18 months earlier when he would have cost around £600,000. The fact they had to splash out twice as much to land him never really helped the player's cause at Derby.

When a striker arrives for £1m-plus there is an expectation he will provide goals, although that size of fee these days is almost spare change when you consider some of the fees paid for strikers this summer.

Sammon scored 25 goals in 76 appearances for Kilmarnock – a strike rate of one every three matches – but he struggled badly for games and goals at Wigan.

Twenty-four of his 34 games for Wigan were as a substitute but he managed only one goal. With a record like that, he was unlikely to suddenly become prolific in a Derby shirt.

He hit nine goals in 47 appearances (43 starts) in his first season – a goal every five games.

His tally now is 13 goals in 89 games – one every seven matches – a strike-rate in need of improvement although it is not easy for a striker, or any player, to come off the bench as often as he did last season.

Consistency comes with playing regularly and Sammon needs a run of starts.

It is also important to understand his strengths.

His game is based on unselfish hard work for the team and unsettling defenders. He is marauding and more comfortable running channels or in behind defences than he is in the box.

Rightly or wrongly, the bottom line is that strikers are judged on goals and Sammon's first touch and finishing needs work.

He is a top lad to deal with, a genuinely nice guy, and he deserves a break or two.

I hope he does well at Ipswich.

ANOTHER clean sheet tonight will see Derby County create a slice of club history.

The Rams head to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic (kick off 7.45pm) having shut out the opposition in all three of their matches this season.

They beat Rotherham United 1-0, Carlisle United 2-0 in the Capital One Cup and drew 0-0 against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Saturday.

Only once before have a Derby team not conceded in their first three games of a season.

The last time was 41 years ago, at the start of the 1973-74 season when the Rams beat Chelsea and Manchester City 1-0 at the Baseball Ground before drawing 0-0 away to Birmingham City.

Derby lost 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in their fourth fixture in 1973-74 and so a fourth consecutive clean sheet from the start of the campaign for Steve McClaren's side tonight would be a first in the club's 130-year history.

McClaren has been full of praise for Derby's defensive qualities, especially those of the back four and goalkeeper Lee Grant.

"We didn't play enough football against Wednesday on Saturday but I'll tell you something, we dug in and we defended magnificently. Clean sheets are absolutely vital," said McClaren after Saturday's game.

Derby managed only one clean sheet in their final 10 matches of last season, including the play-off final at Wembley, where they lost 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers.

In total, the Rams managed 13 clean sheets in 46 League games.

Leicester City and Burnley, the sides to win automatic promotion, kept 18 and 19 respectively. QPR, play-off final winners, kept 17.

snicholson@derbytelegraph.co.uk

A FATHER battling cancer claims he managed to cure himself of the disease – with cannabis.

Trevor Smith said his world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2012.

Doctors told Trevor, 54, without immediate surgery to remove his bladder, prostate and lymph nodes – and intensive chemotherapy – he would be dead in two years.

But fears over the quality of his life after surgery prompted the father-of-three, originally from Derby, to battle his cancer by using alternative therapies instead.

Trevor – a manager in the gas and oil industry – and his wife, Carol, 55, initially began using alternative medicines such as Essiac tea and vitamin supplements to treat the disease. While it was successful in improving Trevor's overall health, the cancer continued to spread.

It was then that they resorted to using cannabis oil to treat his cancer and risked prison by possessing large quantities of the drug.

The couple were frantically researching new ways to treat the disease when they came across a film called Run From The Cure – which claimed the class B drug could be used as a cure.

The couple, who now live in Dubai, contacted a legal manufacturer of cannabis oil in the USA – where it is reportedly legal in 23 states – who agreed to supply them.

The couple arranged to pick up 60 grams of cannabinoid, an edible compound of the plant containing 65% tetrahydrocannabinol – the psychoactive compound in marijuana – in the UK, where the drug is still outlawed.

Trevor said: "It wasn't a case of I had no respect for the law, I was fighting to save my life. At that point, I would have risked everything to beat the cancer."

The couple, who have been married for 33 years, planned to carry out the treatment – which included feeding Trevor 60 grams of cannabis oil, over a period of 10 weeks.

Tests then revealed that, while the tumour in Trevor's bladder remained, metastasis – the spread of cancer from one organ to another – had been prevented.

Doctors were then able to eliminate his tumour through laser therapy.

Trevor has been cancer-free for more than a year. He said: "It felt like I was going into the unknown but the cannabis oil changed things for the better.

"When doctors told me I had gone into remission, I was lost for words."

Cancer Research UK is currently funding clinical trials of cannabinoids.

Dr Kat Arney, science communications manager for the charity, said: "At the moment, there isn't good evidence from clinical trials to prove that they can safely and effectively treat cancer in patients."

THIS man is being sought in connection with an attack on a bus passenger in Derby.

The victim was on an Arriva bus at Derby Bus Station when he was approached by a man who hit him in the face.

The man then left the bus and made off towards the River Gardens.

He was described as white, approximately 30 years old, with short dark hair and a beard.

He was wearing a light-coloured, short sleeved t-shirt with the logo 'Tokyo' on the front, dark coloured trousers, was carrying a blue rucksack and had a distinctive dragon tattoo on his left forearm.

The assault took place on Monday, July 28, at 6.55pm and anyone with information is asked to contact PC Lucy Irwin at St Mary's Wharf police station on 101.

A 16-YEAR-OLD with a broken leg was allegedly attacked with his own crutches by a gang in Derby.

The victim was walking in the River Gardens, close to the back entrance to the bus station, when the alleged assault took place.

A police spokesman said that two girls, who were part of a larger group, allegedly started punching and kicking him before grabbing his crutches and attacking him with them.

Two 16-year-girls from Sinfin and a 15-year-old girl from Mickleover were arrested on suspicion of assault and have been questioned and bailed pending further investigations.

The alleged attack took place between 5.30pm and 5.45pm on Friday (15) and a similar attack on a friend of the first boy took place in the same location at roughly the same time.

A force spokesman said: "The second attack involved a group of youths who attacked a 22-year-old man while he was riding his bike in Derby's River Gardens between the skateboard park and the bus station.

"As he rode a BMX under an underpass he was pulled off the bike by the group who then punched and kicked him while he was on the floor several times.

"We remain looking for that group who have been described as black and aged 16 to 18 and who stole the BMX bike."

One of the youths was 5ft 8ins tall wearing blue jeans a grey hoodie.

The victim told police his hair was shaved in a similar style to "Mr T from the A-Team".

A second youth was slim with short hair.

Anyone with information should call 101.

THIEVES stole £15,000 of lights from a Derby school after police were alerted to intruders but said they could not send anyone.

Trespassers were spotted just before 8pm on Sunday night by a high-tech security system.

CCTV was triggered after offenders broke into the grounds of Osmaston Primary School.

An automated voice sent a recorded loudspeaker message to the offenders that they had been caught on camera and police had been called. Watch the CCTV here: object id="flashObj" width="480" height="270" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0">

A security firm remotely monitoring the site alerted police but was told no officers were available to go out.

The building site manager at the school – which is having a £5 million refurbishment – then arrived at 6am to discover the theft.

The manager, Wayne Mears, said: "If the police had responded to the first call then this break-in would never have happened, the lights would not have been taken and now we are faced with the potential prospect of putting the works schedule back while we get replacement lights expressly delivered to us.

"The police's response has been very disappointing."

Mr Mears said the CCTV was triggered at 7.50pm on Sunday by "two or three kids" coming on to the site.

He said despite the speaker warning they stayed inside the site throwing stones, which police confirmed led to calls from local residents to reports of anti-social behaviour.

Then, yesterday morning, Mr Mears discovered the break-in as he went around the site. He said: "I called the police to tell them what happened but they still didn't send anyone round straight away.

"I even told them I had CCTV of the trespassers.

"I don't know if the same people who broke in the first time were responsible for stealing the lights, but I still think that if the police had been able to send someone round when they were initially called then the break-in would never have happened."

Mr Mears is the building manager for Willmot Dixon Construction Limited, refurbishing the school, in Amber Street.

One school governor, who did not want to be named, said: "I am very disappointed by the police's response to this and agree with Mr Mears that this could have been avoided had an officer or officers gone out at the time they were alerted to this.

"The lights that were stolen were new LED stainless steel ones that were due to be placed in the new reception."

Two police community support officers finally visited the school at 3pm yesterday.

A Derbyshire police spokesman said the initial call was to reports of trespassers on the site, which would usually be dealt with by a safer neighbourhood team, none of whom were available.

He said: "It has since been reported that valuable items were later stolen from the site and an officer has now been assigned to investigate." 

THERE are only hours to go before more than 11,000 teenagers in Derbyshire discover how well they have fared with their year's GCSE results.

But while they will be wondering what they have achieved, education experts are warning of significant grade drops due to changes in the exam system – beyond pupils' control.

It is also predicted that there will be a rise in the number of appeals – both for GCSE and A-level exams – as pupils and schools struggle to understand the apparent dips in form.

Grades fell last year following the introduction of harder science papers and the raising of grade boundaries, making it harder to achieve top marks. Exam boards told schools that GCSE results this year may be "volatile" and appealed to governors not to sack head teachers over disappointing grades.

The major changes, which could make a difference, include: no chance for pupils to re-sit exams in January and March to improve grades because only the first-attempt grade will count; marks scrapped for teacher-assessed speaking and listening in English; tougher geography exams; and more emphasis on languages.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said: "Schools used many props in the past to get pupils to a C grade and many of those props are no longer available. That may well make it more difficult for those pupils to reach the sorts of grades they would have achieved in the past."

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We believe it is right that changes are made as soon as possible to benefit most young people. We are confident that all the reforms can be implemented in our planned time frame which is a testament to the dedication of our high-quality teaching profession."

Littleover Community School pupils Simran Dinas, Edna Kachisi and Jessica Martin, all aged 16, hope that when they open their envelopes tomorrow they have the grades for which they hope.

Many pupils will stay on in sixth forms while others will swap to post-16 education at other schools or at Derby College.

Jessica said: "We're just hoping that we'll have done well. But we are nervous waiting."

Schools will be handing out results from about 8.30am, such as at Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, through to 11am at Landau Forte College in Derby.

Councillor Kevin Gillott, Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for children and young people, said: "It is a nervous time but I hope pupils are rewarded for their efforts. Whatever their results, help is available.''

See tomorrow's paper for a round-up of school performances and an eight-page Which Way Now further education and training supplement.