DERBY schoolboy Suhaib Saqib has issued a public plea for the world to unite against terrorism after last week's Paris outrages.

Suhaib won praise from local and national MPs eleven months ago when, aged 16, the Derby Moor Community Sports College pupil set up his own organisation, Movement For Peace.

Now he has written this letter, published in today's Derby Telegraph:

"MOVEMENT For Peace condemns the barbaric act of terror in Paris, at the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices, in which at least 12 people were killed.

"Movement For Peace stands in solidarity with the people of France at these challenging times.

"We call upon all stakeholders to observe this opportunity to join hands together to treat the menace of terrorism and violence. Let's all unite together, as unity is the need of the hour, to stop the bloodshed of our fellow human beings.

"We all may have differences that lie between us. However, the solution to these differences can never be violence. The way to solve all problems is to sit together, solve issues through getting to understand each other's thoughts and feelings.

"We also pray for the early recovery of the injured and offer our condolences to the families of the dead.

"We believe that it is time to stand up and stamp out. We all must come together to achieve this. Movement For Peace demands that all culprits of this attack must be brought to justice and to a court of law.

"We want to see a world where there is peace and harmony, where we can all live and express our thoughts and feelings without the fear of getting killed or attacked.

"Let's all work together to make this a true living reality.

Suhaib Saqib

Founder and chairman of Movement For Peace

HOW does Britain get a child from Chaddesden into Parliament?

The first step is by moving away from two-party politics.

Seven per cent of Britain's pupils attend independent schools, yet the percentage of MPs from independent schools is 33% – the disparity is wrong. Add grammar school educated MPs (25%) to this and the combined total of MPs from outside comprehensive education is close to 60% – the disparity then becomes shocking.

This pattern continues across the whole sphere of influence within Britain, from the judiciary through the armed forces, Whitehall, TV and media. And it hasn't changed much over the past 15 years.

A child from Chaddesden should have an equal opportunity to get ahead but clearly doesn't. This matters because there is a disconnect between the people who run the country and the rest of us. There becomes an elite "group think" of people whose lives are disconnected.

This elitism narrows further in other ways. Geographically, for example, 45% of cabinet members and 43% of shadow cabinet members attended schools in London or the South East.

Around half the people running our country were not comprehensively educated and went to school in or near London – and they most probably studied PPE (politics, philosophy and economics) at Oxbridge. It is fair to say their "real life" is not our "real lives".

You'd think that a child from Chaddesden when grown up could join a political party, work hard and get selected for a seat. But mainstream politics is somewhat weighted and dynastic. Boris Johnson doesn't have to contend an unsafe seat in the Midlands to get back into Parliament. Labour, too, has its "Red Princes" being given safe seats – the next generation of Kinnocks and Straws are lining up in the wings of the political stage.

If a child from Chaddesden wants to represent their country in Parliament after growing up and having worked a few years in Rolls-Royce or Toyota they have the unfair forces of elitism and nepotism pitched against them. It is clear that two-party politics remains unrepresentative of the nation as a whole.

There are other obstacles, to be sure, but breaking the two-party hold is primary to creating a fairer Britain and getting a child from Chaddesden into Parliament.

John Charlesworth

UK Independence Party

Parliamentary Candidate

Derby North

THE grief-stricken father of missing Derbyshire man Ricky Hill – whose body is believed to have been found – says "cannot come to terms" with the loss of his eldest son.

But Steven Hill has thanked those who helped in the countywide search for Ricky after he went missing from the Royal Derby Hospital in September.

Derbyshire police said they received a call from a member of the public on Saturday at 3.50pm, to report the discovery of a body of a man in a wooded area near to Balmoral Close, Littleover, which is close to the hospital.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the force said formal identification of the body was yet to take place but they believed it to be that of 30-year-old Ricky.

Steven, 52, of Alfreton, said he was in shock after hearing the news.

He said: "I cannot come to terms with what has happened.

"We all really miss him. He was close to all of our family and knew so many people.

"I want to thank my family and friends and everybody who helped search for Ricky over the last three months, as well as all of the Facebook followers.

"We have had so much support and I really appreciate it."

Ricky, 30, of Somercotes, went missing from the hospital, in Uttoxeter New Road, shortly after 8.30am on September 23.

He left the hospital to go out for a cigarette and never returned.

Huge search efforts were carried out in an attempt to find Ricky.

Thousands of people helped share appeals on social media as well as a poster appeal, which was launched back in October.

In November, Ricky's friends and family trekked 13 miles up the A38 from Derby to Alfreton in a search for clues to his whereabouts. And a group of private investigators also got onboard to try to help.

However, Steven said he was in the process of lodging a complaint to Derbyshire police because he believed that the woodland area where the body was found had been searched.

He said: "I was told that the surrounding area of the hospital had been searched and covered by police."

He also said he had filed a complaint to the Royal Derby Hospital.

He added: "If Ricky was supposed to be at high-risk, why was he allowed to go out for a cigarette?"

A spokesman for Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said last night: "While we are still awaiting the outcome of a formal identification of the body by police, we would like to express our sympathy to the family of Mr Hill at what must be a very difficult time."

And a spokeswoman for Derbyshire police said: "We will be carrying out a thorough review of all aspects of the original investigation of when Mr Hill went missing."

Ricky's family said he had been admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed as suffering from depression.

They said his bank account had not been touched since his disappearance, his phone was turned off and were worried about his state of mind.

Steven said: "Ricky was a very happy person until he started to suffer from depression.

"I didn't realise how serious the illness was until I started researching it. I was shocked.

"It's one of those illnesses that can get hold of people and can soon get out of hand."

Neighbours living near to where the body was found have paid tribute to the 30-year-old.

Andy Law, 59, of Owlers Lane, close to Balmoral Close, said: "I knew nothing about the incident but I would really like to send my condolences to his family, friends and relations.

"It is such a shame that this sort of thing can happen."

Another neighbour said: "How awful and to think he was only 30.

"I want to send all my wishes to his family." 

THE mother of a missing young diabetic Allenton woman has made an emotional public plea for her to return home.

Alisha Eaton was last seen on Thursday between 2pm and 3pm but has left with little or no medication for her Type 1 Diabetes.

Now her mother, Mandy Foote, has appealed to her daughter to come home.

The 45-year-old said: "All we want is for Alisha to come home. 

"She knows that she can ring me and if she doesn't have any money then she can reverse the charge. 

"She can come home any time, she can just get a taxi and we will sort it out.

"The whole family and can't sleep or eat. It's been a terrible few days. 

"All we want is for her to come home.

"Alisha is a Type 1 Diabetic and we don't believe that she has her medication with her. 

"If she does have any then she will be very low and if she doesn't have her medication then she can be very poorly."

Police say Alisha, 25, was last seen leaving a house in Marlborough Road, Allenton, and was believed to have been heading into the city.

She is white, with a pale complexion, and has red or pink dyed hair. She often wears wigs and may be wearing a long, dark-coloured one. She was wearing a woolly hat and leopard print ankle boots.

Mandy said: "If anybody has seen her or has any information then please, please contact the police."

Anyone with information should call Derbyshire police on 101, quoting incident 722 of January 8.

A FASCINATING "then and now" photographic look at some of Derby's most iconic street scenes is contained within the pages of a new book by historian Maxwell Craven.

Derby Through Time takes readers on a stroll through the streets of our city showing how some have changed out of all recognition while others retain a striking similarity to their appearance many decades ago.

Maxwell has chosen 90 street scenes from across the city, some dating back to 1765, to illustrate this 96-page paperback book. He explained the thinking behind the latest in an impressive list of history-themed publications.

"Derby is an exceptional and underrated city. It was an important centre of the Midlands Enlightenment, boasting Dr Erasmus Darwin and John Whitehurst among its 18th-Century residents. It produced an artist of international repute in Joseph Wright and has been a centre for the production of fine porcelain and fine clocks for almost three centuries.

"It was a county town for five centuries and was, in its Georgian heyday, much admired by writers such as Daniel Defoe. This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Derby has changed and developed over the last century.

"I have sought to combine views that seem to be unchanging, with examples of moderate change and, indeed, wholesale transformation. While none of us are against change, what tends to emerge is that, in Derby, it has been unnecessarily drastic; the replacement buildings have been of notably poor quality on the whole.

"Yet, despite the best endeavours of a peculiarly unappreciative and iconoclastic bunch of city fathers over the years, many of its fine Georgian and Regency features have managed to survive and Derby is still a city of which its citizens can be proud."

Derby Through Time, by Maxwell Craven, is published by Amberley Publishing (ISBN 978-1-4456-4052-5. It is priced £14.99 and is also available in iBook formats.

CHARLTON Athletic have sacked head coach Bob Peeters.
The 41-year-old Belgian was appointed at the Valley in May, on a 12-month deal.
But he has now parted company with the Addicks after only 25 lerague games in charge.
Peeters enjoyed a good start to his reign as Charlton went 11 Championship matches unbeaten at the start of the season.
The run included a 3-2 victory over Derby County.
However, Charlton have one only once in the league in their previous 12 outings, leaving them 14th in the table.
The club confirmed that the contracts of development coach Patrick Van Houdt and performance analyst Guy Kiala have also been terminated.

The Rams face Charlton at the iPro Stadium on Tuesday, February 24.

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Regular Bygones contributor Gwen Cooper, of Walton on Trent, recalls some amusing anecdotes about incidents and accidents in her first marital home.

IT'S always exciting looking for your first home. My husband Tony and I started looking in 1971.

In those days, only the man's wage was taken into account when taking out a mortgage, so the dream we had of owning a new-build was refused.

It was through a colleague that I got to hear about an end-terrace house in Shobnall Road, Burton, which was up for sale for £2,500.

We decided this definitely would fit the bill, being near enough for us to walk into town and to our work (what's a mile or two when you are young?) but, at the same time, being on the rather good No 10 Corporation bus route.

It would mean a two-bus journey to see my family every Saturday but I could live with that. There was a local shop and a post office and, on a weekend, Plesteds greengrocers opened up its doors.

It was almost like a village with its own village hall and church just over the road from us.

On first viewing the house, it was rather daunting. You had to be able to look through the orange and brown paint to get a vision of what it could look like.

We purchased the house without further ado, the mortgage being just affordable at £20 a month (no I haven't missed off any noughts!) and we booked our wedding for three months later.

This was barely enough time, as it happened, to get rid of the orange and brown and replace it with dark purple, turquoise and lime green – yes I know it sounds hideous but my colour palette was still in the psychedelic 60s.

My favourite colour was purple and, as I had got married in lilac, we painted the house in a rather nice shade of lilac, too.

The bathroom suite was already turquoise anyway, so that blended in nicely. However, the bathroom had once been the coal house. This was evident from the black patches which would come through the wallpaper in nasty black mouldy patches.

This room was just off the kitchen and the sliding-door access seemed to attract my small nephews and nieces, of which I had many. They would delight in sliding the door backwards and forwards, annoying all us grown-ups until one of them would trap their fingers and a hullabaloo would ensue. That would be the end of that particular game until their next visit.

In both reception rooms were tiled fireplaces. The living/dining room one was of particular importance during the three-day week (commencing in January 1974) when we would use it to boil a kettle or even do a fry-up, by candlelight.

Our kitchen was a tiny galley affair where there was only room for one person at a time. Someone had stuck on heavy plastic wall covering in mock-tile effect. We discovered this was a great source of damp so tried to get it off, resulting in half the plaster coming away with it.

Some years later, when funds allowed, we had it re-plastered and we had to have the floor replaced, too, as it was riddled with damp. It was, therefore, very inconvenient getting to the "convenience" at the other side of the kitchen, so we had to walk on a plank suspended on bricks for several days.

We somehow dragged the cooker just inside the door leading to the living room as far as the lead would allow, so we had about six inches to squeeze through – luckily we were both slim, but cooking on it in this position was definitely against all health and safety rules.

My memories of that house revolve quite a bit around the kitchen. There was the Christmas Eve when I was washing my hair in the bathroom.

I heard carol singers round the back door, which had frosted glass. I kept calling to Tony to go to the door as I wasn't suitably dressed but either he couldn't hear me above While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks or, more likely, didn't want to part with his money.

So, sporting my underwear and towel round my wet head, I went to tell him. It was then that I realised the blind hadn't been closed in the kitchen and the vicar, plus most of the congregation of St Aidan's, were able to see me.

I thought it a bit late then for false modesty so opened the door and gave them my offering. Suddenly the singing stopped. I am sure I heard shocked gasps, so I said a brief Merry Christmas and retreated quickly. As it happened, the carol had been rather appropriate.

Another time I had just had an automatic washing machine installed. My friend and colleague, Paul Ross, had given me instructions on how to work it when he plumbed it in, so I was horrified when I walked into the kitchen to be met by white soap suds up to my ankles.

As the machine got more agitated, the bubbles got higher and threatened to engulf the whole house. I flew to the phone to speak to Paul and he asked one simple question: "You did use the automatic powder, didn't you?"

Oh dear, I didn't know there was any difference so, of course, I hadn't. He found it all very amusing and said I would just have to let it take its course. Several hours later, I was still shovelling foam through the door on to the yard. My kitchen was sparkling afterwards but it's not a mistake you want to repeat.

We were given most of our furniture, the Hoover washing machine (pre-twin tub and later the Zanussi automatic) by Tony's mum who re-married a few days before us and moved in with her new husband. She also gave me her Flatley. This was a heated cabinet where you could dry your washing before the days of the tumble drier. It was a great boon to mothers of and working women who only had the weekend to wash.

In my case, washing on a Saturday became fraught with problems as there was a road which ran alongside our house belonging to Thomas Lowe builders, and they worked every day but Sunday.

At the back of us was a brickyard where they would take lorry-loads of unwanted hard-core. In the summer, the dust the lorries created would cover the washing and, in winter, the mud would splash it, so I had to break a golden rule of not washing on a Sunday.

It was something inbred in me from my mother and other older people that it was sort of irreverent.

One day, while typing away merrily at work, it struck me I had put the Flatley on to dry some towels and I couldn't remember turning it off. It would be another five hours before I left work, so I threw myself on the mercy of our maintenance manager, John Smith, and he ran me home just in time – the smell of scorching met me at the door.

Thank goodness I had remembered it in time to prevent a fire breaking out. I got rid of the Flatley after that to be on the safe side.

However, we did get a visit from the fire brigade some time later. It was well after midnight when we heard the distinctive drone of a fire engine coming up Shobnall Road.

It stopped outside our house, lights flashing wildly through the window into our bedroom. We flew downstairs thinking our house must be on fire just as they were about to break the glass on the kitchen door.

We quickly opened it and they shouted: "Where's the chip pan fire?"

We told them it wasn't ours and, of course, it turned out to be at Ivy's next door. It could well have been our house up in smoke when we saw what it had done to her kitchen.

The dramas didn't end there. One night, I looked through the bedroom window to see a body being carried out of the house opposite. We didn't know they had got an elderly relative staying with them, so it was even more of a shock wondering what had gone on there.

We did our share of entertaining in the "Purple House", as we called it, though it did become quite crowded at times for family gatherings at Christmas. In the 70s, everyone seemed to have Pippa Dee, make-up, jewellery or Tupperware parties and I was no exception. You could always muster up a good crowd from family and colleagues.

I was getting myself ready for a make-up party on one occasion and, thinking I must make the best of myself, decided to take a day's holiday to get the house and myself prepared. When the house was presentable, I decided to put on a face mask "to bring out the beauty in your skin" – well that's what it said on the sachet. It was the sort which turned clear into a plastic film, then you ripped it off, taking half your skin with it. At that moment, I heard a knock at the door. It was my brother-in-law Mick with a Christmas card.

I asked if he wanted to come in for coffee but he bid a hasty retreat. I wondered what I had done to offend him. It was many years later when my sister, Margaret, told me Mick had fled my house because he thought I was off work sick as I had looked so ill. We had a good laugh about my plastic face.

One of our neighbours was always interested in what plants you were putting in the garden and later I realised why. I came home from work one day and found a few large holes in the garden. On looking over to her garden, I found my lupins had miraculously jumped over the fence and replanted themselves in her garden. We never said anything.

One night, well after midnight, we heard an awful squeaking sound getting louder and louder. We looked through the window to find our neighbour pushing a wheelbarrow full of plants – I am not sure where they came from!

After 11 happy years at Shobnall, we decided to move on. A cottage came up for sale in Walton on Trent, a village very familiar to me from my school days. Selling our house, though, was not without moments of difficulty. One bitterly cold January evening, a couple came to look round and insisted on seeing the garden – normally it would have been pitch dark but it had snowed, so down the garden we all went.

I heard the distinctive snuffling of our neighbour's dog. I had encountered it in our garden before and had been bitten so I wasn't taking any chances. I ushered them into the safety of the house in time and had to explain. I thought we had said goodbye to them but an hour later they rang and offered to buy the house.

Our little purple house was changed dramatically over those 11 years yet, somehow, our possessions were few compared to how we live today. This was evident when we moved to Walton in 1982 with just one medium van load of goods. I dread the thought of moving house now – my books and DVD collection alone would need a small van.

The day after we moved, Tony went back to Shobnall to finish off a few things and found most of the plants had gone from the garden – I wonder where they went!

Do you have stories to share about your first home? Write to Bygones. Contact details are on Page 2.

A DERBY solicitor has seen a 300% increase for people wanting a divorce in just one month.

Moody and Woolley Solicitors in St Mary's Gate said January is the time when it sees the biggest increase in people coming forward wanting to separate.

Layla Babadi is a family law solicitor and partner at the firm and says one of the strangest reasons for a divorce was one clients wife's smelly feet.

Twenty people contacted the firm about wanting a divorce in December, and already that figure has reached 60 this month.

Mrs Babadi said: "January is easiest the busiest month for divorce lawyers for various reasons. It's the time when people think something should be done.

"From experience the clients want to have a happy Christmas and no animosity. But then they want a fresh start to the year and think a divorce is a good idea.

"I expect around 80 people to come forward by the end of the month and I think we would have instructed a divorce for around 40 of them. It will take longer for the rest of those.

"January is a time when it's time to do something about it. Also to start proceedings before Christmas would cause an atmosphere and would cause mixed messages in the family environment.

"People feel braver and New Year's resolutions could kick in. To have three times as many people coming to us is brilliant from our point of view but it's sad.

"I want to stress we will always talk to clients about resolutions and recollection, we don't just say get a divorce straight away."

She said after the first contact is made, around 90% of those couples go on and get a divorce and it's "quite rare" for proceedings to stop once they have contacted the firm.

Mrs Babadi said the firm offers more services than just as official solicitors.

She said: "We're here as a counselling service as well as a solicitor. Divorce and starting proceedings is such a huge thing for them to face alone.

"We expect February, March and April to be more stable months. But then in September it builds up again.

"This is because people want to start to sort things before the six weeks holidays. But they want the family to enjoy that time so won't start then.

"Children are one of the big deciding factors for when divorce proceedings are issued."

The reasons for a divorce being filed are split into different categories including unreasonable behaviour, adultery, two and five-year separation periods and desertion, which is when a partner has left without a good reason or agreement.

Mrs Babadi said 80% of the cases the company deals with are for unreasonable behaviour, and 10% each for adultery and a two-year separation period.

She said she vividly remembers one husband claiming the smell of his wife's feet was grounds for divorce a few years ago.

She said: "This man said his wife's smelly feet was a reason. It didn't go in the divorce petition but the divorce did go ahead." 

DERBY County are poised to sign former England left-back Stephen Warnock from Leeds United.
The 33-year-old ex-Liverpool defender is out of contract at Elland Road at the end of this season
It is understood he could complete his move to Derby as early as today.
Warnock, who has also played for Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers, would provide competition for Craig Forsyth.

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Almost 90 motorists breathalysed during a Derbyshire police crackdown on drink-driving in December gave a positive test, refused to take it or failed to provide a sample.

Throughout the month officers carried out 668 breath tests on motorists across Derbyshire. A total of 88 drivers nbsp;tested positive, failed to provide a sample or refused to take the test.

T/Superintendent Steve Wilson, head of roads policing, said: "The increase in the number of breath tests carried out over the festive period shows just how seriously we take this issue.

"Even having one driver who drinks too much and then gets behind the wheel is one too many.

"We will continue with these operations to bring the number down further and our focus on stopping drink-drivers doesn't end on December 31.

"It carries on all year round, so I'd urge anyone who has any information on a drink-driver to call police or Crimestoppers and help us keep our roads safe."

The 88 drivers providing positive tests this year is an increase compared to the 79 who tested positive in 2013, however, 130 more drivers were breath tested this year compared to last.

Of the total number of people breathalysed during December 2014, 146 were aged under 25. Twenty of those (13 per cent) failed to provide a sample, refused the test or tested positive.

T/Supt Wilson said: "The number of drivers under 25 who were stopped and either failed the test, refused it or gave a positive result was similar this year to what it was in 2013.

"Both of those years showed a significant drop compared to 2012 - where almost half of the 106 under 25 drivers tested gave a positive result but again, notwithstanding the continued reduction since 2012, the number is still too high.

"Young drivers need to be aware of the consequences of driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs, and we will continue to target those who put themselves and other road users at risk, regardless of their age."

There were fewer collisions reported this year (501) compared to 548 last year, with the same number of drivers (42) providing a positive test, failing or refusing to provide a test following a collision.

Eight drivers were arrested this year for driving whilst impaired though drugs, due to an increased police focus on combatting drug driving.

If you see a driver who you believe has had too much to drink and is about to get behind the wheel, call 999 and report them immediately. If you have non-urgent information, call 101.

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

BOSSES at Intu Derby are planning to launch five new restaurants at the centre this year.

General manager Dan Murphy said 10,000 sq ft of unused space to the right of the food court was being prepared for the new restaurants.

He said it was part of efforts to turn the shopping centre into a "leisure destination", where shoppers choose to spend an "entire day".

The space is behind a wall where the Sega gaming machines used to be.

It is not yet visible to the public.

Mr Murphy said the restaurants will open later this year and that it was an exciting time for the centre.

"We've just signed two new restaurants and we're fitting out those at the moment, and we're in talks with three or four more," he said.

"What we've found recently is people are more prepared to spend time here and go to a restaurant and we're looking to capitalise on that.

"We're more than confident there's a demand for five more restaurants. This is a tried and tested model that Intu has rolled out across the country."

It is expected the restaurants will create about 100 jobs.

Derby Telegraph readers gave their reaction on Facebook.

Kim Wright welcomed the news, saying: "I think a bit more variation in restaurants would be good."

Lauren Dobson wrote: "We need a John Lewis, not more food places."

And Nikita Rusko said: "I bet one is McDonald's. I'm really shocked they aren't already in there."

DERBY County chief operating officer John Vicars has apologised for comments he made on Twitter following the Rams' 1-0 win at Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Chris Martin scored the only goal of a tight game to send Derby joint-top of the league.

Mr Vicars – whose Twitter handle is @johnrvicars – referred to Ipswich Town's stadium as a "library" and appeared to criticise the Suffolk outfit's style of play.

He tweeted: "Proved today this team can play another way and actually quite amusing that we beat them at their own game #routeone."

He added: "From me and Sam (Rush, chief executive) thanks very much to the travelling 873 for making the trip and making some noise in the library, memorable and important win."

Mr Vicars later deleted the tweets.

In a statement later, he said: "Regarding comments I made on Twitter after Saturday's game at Portman Road these were meant to be lighthearted and aimed primarily at Derby County supporters.

"It was not my intention to cause offence to Ipswich supporters and I apologise to any home supporter who thought they might have been disrespectful to their club. Saturday was a magnificent advert for the Championship and both clubs more than played their part."

A 21-YEAR-OLD who stole £200 of cosmetics has been jailed for eight weeks, suspended for a year.

Laura Mitchell, of Hartington Street, Normanton, who pleaded guilty to committing theft from the BHS store in Derby on November 27, also admitted criminal damage of a toy on the same date and using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour on December 8. Mitchell was sentenced at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

FURTHER to the "Online Comments" section of the letters pages in the Derby Telegraph of December 12, most of us are probably agreed that the failure of the county highways department to act promptly on the forecast for snow on Boxing Day is unacceptable.

We were then left with treacherous conditions underfoot, which could have been avoided had the gritting service been mobilised sooner.

As far as I could tell, the main Tamworth Road (B6540) through Long Eaton was not treated until Sunday evening or the early hours of Monday, and the Wyvern Avenue and Meynell Road bus route was not treated at all.

The comment from Richard Cox seems to imply that he sympathises with the council because it has to prioritise with funding and that the cost of the gritting programme – labour, machines and salt – is "unsustainable".

In reply to Mr Cox, why does he suppose that we pay council tax if not to provide the finance for the highways department budget, part of which is allocated to cover the cost of the winter gritting programme, which has to be the major priority in these conditions?

Secondly, we were assured by councils weeks ago that they are well prepared for the winter, with more-than-sufficient stocks of grit and fleets of vehicles with which to deliver it.

They are even prepared to help each other in times of need, they said.

I would suggest to Mr Cox, in view of his perception of the council's apparent shortage of funds, that there is no better example of false economy and waste than to spend millions of pounds of taxpayers' money, which it must have done by the sound of it, on this equipment and then not use it.

Perhaps it was reluctant to deploy its pristine vehicles in these conditions for fear that they may get dirty or damaged.

Whoever's responsible for this fiasco should be shown the door and replaced by members of the Women's Institute or Women's Royal Voluntary Service.

They would, undoubtedly, introduce method and reliability into the operation.

Think of the hideous six-figure salaries and bonuses we would save.

We might even stretch to a small pay rise for the gritter drivers and be able reopen the libraries, the flower beds and anything else that has been closed or left derelict.

Before I go, the proud annual announcement that "there will be no increase in council tax this year" is another myth.

We have paid the same amount throughout these difficult financial times, with no reductions, and yet services have been cut.

This, effectively, is a year-on-year rise in people's council tax, is it not?

Steve Thornton

Meynell Road

Long Eaton

A BUS service that links The Wyvern, Pride Park's park and ride and Derby city centre would be scrapped if city council budget cuts go ahead as proposed.

But a director of Littles, the company which runs the Route 111, said he had offered the council an alternative which would see it saved but not running as often.

And a council spokeswoman said the authority was "working with partners with a view to retaining the service".

In 2014 there were more than 174,000 individual passenger journeys on the route, the council has said.

The authority has proposed to stop subsidising the service as part of a raft of "transport service" cuts aimed at saving £205,000 a year.

That would help towards the £22 million it needs to save in the year from April 1, due to cuts to its grants from Government, inflation and other pressures like new duties for looking after carers.

Steve Wells, a director at Littles, said the proposals, as they stood, would mean the service ending as it would not be commercially viable.

Mr Wells said: "I've had a couple of ladies from Pride Park organisations e-mailing me because they are worried about how workers will be able to get to work. [Elderly and disabled] people with Gold Cards use the service a lot as well."

He said that the bus company had presented the council with a proposal for a reduced service.

This would save the council £100,000 a year – less than a full scrapping of the subsidy would.

Instead of running every 10 minutes, from 7am to 6.30pm, it would operate every 20 at peak times and every 30 in the middle of the day, when it is not as well used.

Mr Wells said there were currently four drivers and three vehicles on the route, which would change to two and two if the proposal was accepted.

If the service was to stop, Mr Wells said the firm would try to find the drivers other work but that he was not sure if there was any.

The council spokeswoman said: "We have a huge amount of budget savings to make as a result of central government cuts and, unfortunately, this means we cannot continue to run services in the way they were previously.

"This is why options are being explored in regard to the subsidies for this service."

She said any changes to the service would not be made until "early in the 2015-16 financial year".

A patient at the Royal Derby Hospital has been tested for the deadly virus ebola, hospital bosses have revealed.

Although the results came back negative for the virus, medics at the hospital were able to try out their procedures for dealing with any suspected cases of the infection.

The Derby Telegraph reported last October how these included using protective suits and equipment, with an isolation room ready to hold any suspected case.

Hospital bosses said the incident happened in December.

Helen Forrest, lead infection control nurse for Derby's hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "We dealt with one suspected case of ebola in our A&E department.

"We were fully prepared for this possibility and immediately initiated our infectious disease procedures, with staff – wearing personal protective equipment – isolating the patient.

"Fortunately, tests showed a negative result. However, staff remain on alert for any possible case and are highly trained in dealing with infectious diseases."

A hospital spokesman said that due to patient confidentiality, it could not comment on what symptoms the patient had or whether they came from a country where ebola cases have been detected.

He said a sample from the patient would have been taken and sent away to a specialist laboratory, with the result coming back within 12 hours.

News of the Derby case came as the World Health Organisation said that almost 21,000 cases of ebola had been reported worldwide, resulting in 8,274 deaths.

Health experts said in the UK, the chances of developing the virus, which can not be transmitted via airborne infection, still remain low.

The exceptions are for those who have travelled to a known infected area and had direct contact with a person who has ebola and is showing symptoms, or had contact with an infected animal or contaminated objects.

Last month, nurse Pauline Cafferkey, of Glasgow, became the first person to be diagnosed with ebola on British soil after volunteering for the charity Save the Children in West Africa.

She had travelled home to Scotland via Casablanca, Morocco, and Heathrow Airport, in London.

Ms Cafferkey was placed in an isolation unit at Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital after becoming feverish, before being transferred to London's Royal Free Hospital, where her condition is improving and is no longer critical.

MISSING Alisha Eaton has been found safe and well.

The 25-year-old had been reported as missing from her home in Marlborough Road, Allenton, on Thursday, January 8.

But this morning a police spokesman said she has been found.

He said: "An appeal for information on her whereabouts was circulated by Derbyshire police and the 25-year-old she has now been found.

"Police would like to thank anyone who shared the appeal for information."

RESIDENTS say police went to an address in Allestree with dogs, vans and forensics teams.

A spokesman confirmed that an address was searched by officers carrying out work on behalf of Humberside Police but said would not give out any further details.

The raid took place in Birchover Way at around 10.30am yesterday.

One resident said: "Something big happening at a house in Birchover Way hill. Riot vans, two undercover cop cars and cops wearing blue gloves, no idea what's happening, maybe drugs?"

A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said: "We were asked at 8.30am to carry out a search of a property in Birchover Way, Derby, on behalf of Humberside Police which we went to at 10.30am."