The last two airworthy Lancaster bombers in the world flew over Derbyshire this weekend. The planes soared over Derwent Dam, in the Peak District, echoing the practice runs made for the famous Dambusters raid 70 years ago. One of the Lancasters is normally based in Canada, but has been reunited with her Lincolnshire sister for a series of events in the UK. The Derwent flypast, on Sunday, was partly a tribute to the Canadian men who gave their lives in the Second World War. The Dambusters raid took place in May 1943 to destroy three German dams in the Ruhr.

A ROLLS-ROYCE worker from Iraq, whose parents have been forced from their home by terrorist group Islamic State, has told of his relief at finally hearing they are okay.

Now David Sleman says he is hoping to bring them, and other members of his family, out of Iraq to the UK in a bid to protect them.

He says their position is still dire – trapped on a mountainside with few supplies and no power.

Mr Sleman and his family are followers of the Yazidi faith, which is regarded as heretical by Islamic State, which aspires to control all the world's Muslim regions and has begun by taking over parts of Iraq and Syria.

It has been reported that Islamic State has been massacring Yazidis in the north of the country.

Mr Sleman had managed to get through to his parents before but the line was so bad he couldn't hear what they were saying.

He said: "They said the situation is still dangerous. Lives are being lost every day, especially the young and the old, and there are still thousands of families there.

"They can't get much food there. There is no medicine, electricity.

"The first few weeks my family were just living between bushes.

"I'm not sure what the situation is now. I think there may be a tent."

Mr Sleman, 40, of Swadlincote, left Iraq a decade ago due to the persecution he suffered as a Yazidi. He said: "I'm trying now to bring my family here."

MORRISONS

Old El Paso Smokey BBQ Fajita Dinner Kit 500g

was £3.22 now £1.61

ALDI

Two-pack Gammon Steaks

was £1.49 now 99P

SAINSBURY'S

Grand Reserve Bergerac Sauvignon Blanc 75cl

was £9 now £6

LIDL

Daz Citrus Splash washing powder

was £5.70 now £4

ILKESTON FC say they may struggle to hang on to talented teenager Che Adams after the midfielder was fast-tracked into the England C training camp at St George's Park at the weekend.

A posse of scouts watched 18-year-old Adams score one goal and make another when his cross was turned in for an own goal as the Robins went down 4-2 at home to Ramsbottom United on Saturday.

Adams had not been named in the original England C squad, or the standby group, in which his captain, Jamie Maguire, was named. 

Ilkeston chairman Dave Mantle said: "Che is one of a number of players who have emerged from our Academy to win regular places in our Evo-Stik League Premier Division team but he's the one who is attracting most interest.

"That's hardly surprising because he's been in brilliant form and has been a major force in our promising start to the season. We think he's a really talented all-round player - an exceptional prospect at our level of the game.

"We're an ambitious club, keen to get to Conference North as quickly as possible, and Che is key to our chances of achieving that this season.

"But we have to be sensible and it would be wrong of us to stand in his way if a good opportunity arises for him to move to a higher level.

"We wouldn't do that - but I'm very aware that I also have to be fair to our supporters and do what's right for the club. I'm adamant that Che Adams will only leave Ilkeston when the time is right for him and for us."

Been selected for England C, Very very proud ⚽️❤️

— Ché Adams (@Che11Adams) September 20, 2014

A DERBY software firm has made a big splash with its latest game which has been played by more than a million people in its first week of release.

Scuba Dupa, an underwater adventure designed by Ashbourne Road business Eight Pixels Square, has hit the top ten in the iPad and iPhone charts in more than 50 countries.

The aim of the game is to steer diver Helmut through the depths while gathering pearls and avoiding a giant killer squid hell bent on consigning our hero to Davy Jones' Locker.

Available on iPhones, iPods and iPads, it has proved particularly popular in Germany, Italy, China, Russia and Brazil.

It was a result of what is known as a "gamejam" week, during which the 40-strong Eight Pixels Square team were asked to come up with and develop their own ideas.

The thinking was that the best ideas would be put into production and the Helmut character made the cut.

It is a considerable departure from Lawless, the company's first release in which players staged robberies and killings.

Scuba Dupa is a simple family-friendly game designed with children in mind.

It is free to play but those players who enjoy the game can buy a more sophisticated version from the App store for $2.99.

The business was founded in early 2013 by former directors of

Eurocom, the Derby company responsible for designing Harry Potter, James Bond and Pirates of the Caribbean games. That business went into administration in December 2012 after contract work with large games publishers ceased.

Eight Pixels Square published Scuba Dupa itself rather than use a third party, meaning that it can keep a greater proportion of any profits made.

It was a means of testing the water in order to gain greater expertise about the publishing process.

Eight Pixels Square director Mat Sneap said: "It is a small, fun game that we thought people would enjoy and the finished product has done a lot better than we thought it would – it has been number one in a few countries and reached number two in China."

Derby is known as having given the world Tomb Raider heroine Lara Croft but within the games industry itself, Eurocom put the city on the map, employing more than 250 people at its busiest and working on dozens of high-profile projects. The company is now working on a more ambitious, top secret, project aimed at older teenagers and adults.

A FORMER gang member has gone on trial for the murder of 15-year-old Kadeem Blackwood.

Michael-Paul Hamblett-Sewell, 25, is accused of being "a party" to the shooting dead of the teenager in Caxton Park in Sunnyhill. Hamblett-Sewell, of Marlborough Road, Allenton, denies murder.

A jury was sworn-in this morning at Nottingham Crown Court. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Kadeem was shot in the chest in Caxton Street Recreation Ground, on November 11, 2008.

Callum Campbell, who was 19 at the time, has already admitted shooting the teenager.

DEFENDER Richard Keogh has signed a new Derby County contract.

The Rams' skipper has put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal which will run until the summer of 2017.

The 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international has made 106 appearances since joining the Rams over two years ago.

The centre-back is the ninth player to sign a new deal at the Rams since the start of pre-season training at the end of June, following in the footsteps of Jeff Hendrick, Craig Forsyth, Will Hughes, Jake Buxton, Craig Bryson, Mason Bennett, Jamie Ward and Chris Martin.

DERBY County Under-21s beat Aston Villa U21s 3-2 at Moor Farm.

Ivan Calero scored the Rams' first and was joined on the scoresheet by Tom Koblenz in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League fixture.

Alefe Santos scored the Rams' third from the penalty spot.

SHADOW Chancellor Ed Balls said today that Labour would force ministers to take a pay cut if they take charge following next year's General Election.

The annual salary of a cabinet minister is currently £134,565.

Ministers salaries were cut by 5% when the Coalition came to power and left at that level for the whole Parliament, in the aftermath of the expenses scandal.

Labour is now promising to repeat the exercise, slashing a further 5% from the take-home pay of its top team - reducing a cabinet minister's salary by almost £7,000 to about £127,800.

In his speech at the Labour Party Conference today, Mr Balls said: "If we win the election, on day one of the next Labour government the pay of every government minister will immediately be cut by 5%.

"Ministerial pay will then be frozen each year until we have achieved our promise to balance the nation's books.

"Because we are all clear that everybody in the next Labour government will be fully focused on that vital task of getting the deficit down."

What do you reckon? Should the pay of ministers be cut and are our politicians paid too much?

A DERBYSHIRE mother-of-two has scooped a top hairdressing award.

Jo Hallas, of Kilburn, won the Gold Salon title at the Great Lengths Awards 2014, which honour the crème de la crème of hairdressing talent.

The 34-year-old runs Hallas Hair, a mobile hairdressers that has clients across Derbyshire.

Speaking after the awards ceremony in Leeds, Jo – who sources human hair extensions from India – said: "When they read my name out my heart just jumped. I couldn't believe it.

"It's unbelievable to think that there were salons attending the awards who have long lists of celebrity clients.

"The awards ceremony was very glam and glitzy. To win the second biggest award of the entire night was so exciting."

The judging panel included celebrity stylists Paul Falltrick, Leo Bancroft and Jamie Stevens, as well as Cassie Steer, Beauty Director at InStyle magazine.

The judges praised Jo for her "impressive approach" and "sincere commitment and passion".

Jo was a finalist in two categories, the other being best newcomer.

She is among hundreds of hairdressers trained by Great Lengths, which specialises in hair extensions.

Jo said: "Hair extensions are very much in demand I have had a very successful two years with Great Lengths."

Over 200 salons from across the UK entered the awards ceremony.

More information about Jo and Hallas Hair can be found at www.facebook.com/jo.h.hallas.

DERBY County head coach Steve McClaren is thrilled to get all the Rams' "top players" on long-term contracts after Republic of Ireland international defender Richard Keogh signed a three-year deal.

 McClaren said: "It's fantastic news that Richard Keogh has signed a new contract; he's our leader and a fine player.

"He was the only one left to sign new terms and the future is bright for this Football Club.

"We have got all our top players, and top young players, on long contracts and that's pleasing.

"This team can only improve and can only get better, and with time, it will do."

Rams' President & Chief Executive Sam Rush added: "Richard Keogh's time at Derby County has seen him earn international honours and he is a highly respected leader within the dressing room and the club as a whole, so we're delighted that he has put pen-to-paper on a new contract.

"The Ownership Group has provided tremendous support to the club in ensuring last year's successful team has stayed together and with all our squad under long-term contracts and committed to the club; we have a very exciting future ahead."

SIX men forced their way into a house in Derby and stole cash and tobacco.

A 21-year-old woman was at home in Langley Street when the incident happened at about 5pm on Saturday, September 13.

Two men knocked on the door and when the victim opened it, they forced their way inside and were followed in by four other offenders.

The burglars then searched the house and made off with a small amount of cash and tobacco.

One of the men who knocked on the door was white, aged about 23, 5ft 4ins, with blue eyes. He wore a hat, grey jogging bottoms, a white top and black shoes.

The second man was black, aged about 25, of tall, medium build, and was wearing dark clothing. There was no description of the four other offenders.

After the burglary, the group ran up Langley Street in the direction of Stanley Street. The woman was not hurt.

Police want to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity or a group of men in the area, or who might know the people responsible.

Anyone with information should call Derbyshire police on 101, quoting crime reference 38599/14.

You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

HUNDREDS of people have been evacuated from three roads in Derby after a suspected chemical incident.

Police were called to Nuns Street at 5.30pm today to an incident at a business premises.

Nunnery Court, in Nuns Street, houses University of Derby students from across the country - who have only just moved in to start the new term.

They were asked to leave the building while police investigated a suspicious incident.

A police spokesman said: "Police received a call to Nuns Street at 5.30pm today to an incident at a business premises.

"Officers are currently at the scene with the fire and ambulance service and are working to evacuate people from their homes on Mill Street, Bridge Street and Nuns Street.

"Anyone that is currently still in their home is asked to go outside and beyond the police cordon. The cordon may be in place for some time whilst the area is made safe.

"Students living in the area should make their way to St Christopher's on Ashbourne Road or Peak Court on Lodge Lane."

A University spokeswoman said two halls had been evacuated and they were making plans to accommodate them in another student residence.

Students evacuating nunnery court halls due to chemical spillage on nuns street #ooherrpic.twitter.com/xxTy6Bbk7T

— Uod Men's Hockey (@DerbyStags) September 22, 2014

Mill Street and Bridge Street were then also evacuated and police said they were treating the incident as serious. 

A DERBYSHIRE Tory MP says he would "soften the edges" of the so-called bedroom tax after Labour pledged to get rid of it at its party conference.

Amber Valley's Nigel Mills was speaking after Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls today set out his priorities for a first Labour Budget if they win next May's General Election.

Mr Balls also said he would cut ministers' pay by 5%, raise the minimum wage to £7 an hour, cut business rates and bring in a 20-month freeze on energy prices.

And he said child benefit payments would not rise in line with inflation but by a fixed rate of 1% per year until 2017 in a bid to save cash.

He said Labour was serious about "balancing the books" in the next Parliament and would not "make any promises it cannot keep or afford".

The Government has said the "bedroom tax", which it calls the removal of the spare room subsidy, is aimed at encouraging people to downsize and freeing up empty bedrooms, as well as tackling the nation's huge benefits bill.

People in social housing lose 14% of their weekly housing benefit for having one spare room and 25% for two or more.

But critics say there are not enough smaller homes for people to move into and that it has unfairly penalised disabled people.

Mr Mills said the subsidy should not be removed completely as the principle of it was correct and it had been in place for 18 months.

But he said he would "soften the edges" of the subsidy, calling it "a bit crazy" to move disabled people from properties that have been adapted to their needs at a cost of thousands of pounds.

The Government says that it is providing councils with cash for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to help vulnerable people unable to cover their rent.

But Mr Mills said: "I always believe we should get the rules right in the first place rather than trying to soften the rules with DHPs after they are in place."

Mr Balls said Labour would maintain the cap on national benefits pay-outs, aiming to increase child tax benefits to match inflation from 2017, but capping the rise at 1% until then.

He said his party would also tackle the deficit by reversing tax cuts for hedge funds, levying a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2 million, and scrapping George Osborne's "shares for rights" scheme.

This involves employees forfeiting certain employment rights in return for shares in the companies they work for.

In yesterday's speech, Mr Balls also promised to reduce the annual salary of Cabinet ministers, who currently earn £134,565 a year.

They were cut by 5% when the Coalition came to power and left at that level for the whole Parliament, in the aftermath of the expenses scandal.

Mr Balls said he would slash a further 5% from the take-home pay of its top team – almost £7,000.

Mr Mills said: "£135,000 is a lot of money. I wouldn't have any objection to that being cut.

"When we [the Conservatives] went into the last election we wanted to cut the number of MPs to 600 so I think there are plenty of savings that can be made in politics."

He said his party had already promised an above-inflation minimum wage and said he was concerned that the energy prices freeze could see the cost to the consumer going up in advance.

Mr Mills said: "It would have been better if there hadn't been far too few energy companies in the country when Labour left power.

"It [the high cost of energy] is something that needs to be fixed by more competition."

THREE drug dealers who ran an operation from a Derby flat and were caught in a police sting have been jailed for a total of more than 11 years.

Raymone Gordon, his father, Riasat Hussain, and Sinead Clarke were all arrested after they supplied class A drugs to an undercover police officer.

Gordon, the ringleader, on occasions supplied the officer with heroin and crack cocaine.

At other times he told the officer to go to a property in Sydney Road where Hussain, who was often in bed and on dialysis, lived with Clarke – and she handed over drugs.

Jailing the trio, who admitted supplying class A drugs between May and July last year, Judge Stuart Rafferty said they should understand the effects of class A drugs, as using them had scarred all their lives.

He said: "In your case, Raymone, I'm asked to take account of your own children but what about all the children of the people you sold drugs to? What about the children who may have come into possession of the drugs you sold?

"I do take into account that your children will miss you but your five-year-old was alive the first time you were caught peddling drugs.

"There has to be a price paid for peddling drugs."

Gordon, of Sidney Street, Derby, was jailed for five years and four months, Hussain, of the same address, was given three years and nine months and Clarke, of Grove Street, Normanton, was sent to prison for two years and three months.

When police searched the Sidney Street address, £310 worth of heroin and crack cocaine was found. Money was seized from all the defendants.

Simon Williams, for Gordon, said: "He accepts he used his father's house in order to carry out this enterprise. He is remorseful."

Justin Ablott, for Hussain, said his client had had a 20-year addiction to heroin but his last conviction for the supply of class A drugs had been nine years ago.

Brett Wilson, for Clarke, said: "Her role was a lesser role in this case."

BRITISH Transport Police wish to speak to this man following an alleged sexual assault on a train.

Detectives believe the man has connections to Derby and have issued his picture in the hope that anyone who recognises him will come forward.

The incident took place on a train from Leeds to Sheffield on Saturday, August 23, but police have only now released the images.

PC Lee Marshall, who is investigating the offence, said: "A 19-year-old woman from Sheffield boarded the train at Leeds.

"As she took her seat, a man sat close to her and tried to engage her in conversation. He then moved seats to sit opposite the victim and began to make suggestive comments to her, while rubbing his foot up and down her leg.

"Noticing the woman looked upset, a member of rail staff asked her to come with them to a different carriage."

The victim explained she was not with the man and took a seat in another carriage.

PC Marshall said: "The woman got off the train at Sheffield and walked over a footbridge.

"The man followed her off the train, grabbed her by the shoulders and made another suggestive remark. The victim then reported the incident to us, but the man had already left the station.

"We believe he may have travelled to Sheffield from Huddersfield. It is also possible he may have connections to the Derby area.

"I believe the man in the image we are issuing can help with our investigation. If you recognise him please contact us."

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference PSUB/B7 of 19/09/2014.