DERBY'S Holocaust memorial events will be broadcast to the nation as part of the BBC's coverage of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Derby is one of just three events in England that will be picked out during the BBC2 programme on Tuesday night.

The city was chosen after national event organisers highlighted the unique way in which the city marks the day.

Derby's commemorations are organised by a group of volunteers from all walks of the city's life and supported by the Mayor's office.

January 27 is officially designated Holocaust Memorial Day and is the date on which the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust under Nazi persecution are remembered, as well as those who have died in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Anne Johns, speaking on behalf of the group, said: "The BBC contacted the national group who highlighted Derby as a place that had a unique story to tell.

"Unlike many places, we actually commemorate three different genocides: the Holocaust, Srebrenica and the Armenian genocide.

"It is very gratifying that the way the people in the city have come together from different ethnic and faith groups has been recognised.

"I think it shows that we are working in the right direction in Derby and that it will be great to have the city on a national stage."

The programme, on Tuesday evening, will see 200 survivors from the camp taking part in a special event to mark the date.

The filming in Derby will feature two members of the Bosnian community – Medina Salkic, a Bosnian woman who lost many male relatives in the Srebrenica massacre, and Bahrudin Muhic, who lost his father.

Originally a single day of events, Derby's Holocaust memorial commemorations now fill a whole week, including talks, films, meditation, stone-setting, a multi-faith cathedral service, concerts, exhibitions and more.

This year, 70 specially designed candles will be lit with Derby being chosen as one of the locations.

Artist Anish Kapoor was commissioned to design the candles, one of which will be paraded through the city during the keynote event in the week of remembrance.

Anne said: "The main focus is on January 27, the date of the liberation of Auschwitz, but this year we also mark in Derby the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre and the 100th of the Armenian Genocide.

"We are delighted to have been selected to be part of this nationwide commemoration.

"It is vital that we remember and reflect upon the horrors of the past as well as honouring those who survived.

"It is also serves as a reminder that we must be aware of how these tragedies began.

"It is crucial that we talk to one another and learn about the things that unite us and overcome differences.

"Our group of volunteers is full of people from different communities and faiths and seeing how that can help foster ties between those people is fantastic."

The Holocaust Memorial Day programme featuring Derby will be shown on BBC2 at 7pm on Tuesday.

LAST Saturday's frozen pitch at Christchurch Meadow added to the frustration for new Belper Town manager Jimmy Albans.

"We've not been able to get any continuity in our time here so far," he said.

"It's been very stop-start in terms of training and momentum.

"We appreciate that we are yet to get a result in three games but I can assure people we are seeing improvements every week, on the training field and the pitch, to suggest we will get results very soon.

"Things are certainly heading in the right direction.

"The players are training very hard and we're working on our game tactically, which will help us for the remainder of the season."

The Nailers – rock bottom and a worrying 13 points behind fifth-bottom Witton Albion with four to go down – are at Barwell tomorrow in Evo-Stik Premier Division action and could give debuts to two new faces.

Conor Marshall, a 21-year-old midfielder or defender has arrived for a month from Boston United, while Ben Turner, similarly versatile and a year older, comes in on a permanent transfer from Goole.

"We're excited to see the two new players in the squad," added Albans.

"We are also looking for a centre forward to add to the quality of Jon Froggatt and Rob Stevenson."

Two cars were involved in a collision at a set of traffic lights in Mickleover.

The cars crashed at the junction of Corden Avenue and Uttoxeter Road just after 5.30pm today.

A Derbyshire Police spokesman said there had been some delays as one of the cars could not be moved.

He said: The Highways Agency has just arrived to clean up the road.

"No-one in either of the cars was injured."

ILKESTON manager Kevin Wilson hopes to add an as yet unnamed striker in time for tomorrow's trip to Halesowen Town in the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

The canny former Derby County and Chelsea striker is seeking a little experience to help out his promotion-chasing youngsters, who are on a 15-game unbeaten run.

Wilson is in a good position to advise his players about the pressures of keeping up such a run.

"I got relegated with Chelsea in my first season and we started the next one with 13 points from 13 games – then went on a 28-game unbeaten run," he said.

"I certainly recall that time and it's really just a matter of making sure you keep doing the same things every game.

"You never really know what will happen, except that the run will end some time.

"But there's no problem with the mind-set of this team. They're a tight group and they keep on surprising me, week in, week out."

Ilkeston have maintained their push despite seeing a succession of players picked up by Football League clubs: former Robin Kieran Wallace provided another highlight on Wednesday night by coming off the bench for Sheffield United in their Capital One Cup semi-final against Spurs

"All the cream from the top has been milked," said Wilson.

"That's s ix or seven of them since we started the season – but the way the lads have reacted each time one of them leaves has been brilliant.

"They're just pleased to see the others do well and they know, if they do well, they could be next."

Ilkeston sit second, 10 points behind Skelmersdale United with seven games in hand. Managers usually say they would prefer the points to the games but Wilson differs.

"People ask me if I'd rather have the points and my answer is that, as long as we're on a run like this, I'll take the games," he said.

"We set out on this plan five years ago and we've probably exceeded expectations so far.

"That's a great credit to the players and the coaching staff but we all know there's still a lot to do."

PUPILS at a Derbyshire school are to stage a flashmob performing 'Let It Go' from the hit-film Frozen to raise money for disadvantaged children – and other schools are to follow their lead.

Youngsters at Firfield Primary School, in Sawley Road, Breaston, will take part in the event, which has been organised by parents Nikki Daniels and Lucy Stevenson, to support the 2015 Children in Need Appeal.

The children will sing, dance and play instruments at the beginning of next month to entertain parents and carers waiting in the playground.

There are plans to make the scene as wintry as possible and, if the weather doesn't oblige, a snow machine will be used.

Children will be sponsored to carry out this 'surprise' performance, which will also be filmed for social media, and viewers will be invited to make a donation if they have enjoyed watching the children's display.

Since the planning began, organisers of the event have received interest from other groups from across the UK who want to run their very own flashmobs with their school, dance group or choir to raise for the charity.

Organiser Nikki, whose six-year-old daughter, Sadie, is taking part, said: "A lot of children have been completely absorbed in Frozen – going around singing the songs – so we thought it would be good to use that energy in a positive way.

"The children are very excited and will be dressing up in their Frozen outfits and we plan to make the scene wintry.

"Making use of this magical song and giving the children the opportunity to perform it in public for the other pupils, teachers and parents is a great way to raise money for BBC Children in Need. Already, we are inspiring others to do the same and all the money raised should make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

"We are kicking off proceedings but with other events to follow we are calling the fund-raising campaign 'Frozen February'.

The flashmob can be sponsored via www.Justgiving.com/FrozenFebruary/ and details of where to watch the footage after the event will be made available via the Justgiving page.

For more information about the charity, fund-raising packs or to donate, please visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey.

DERBY County manager Steve McClaren has hinted that Spanish attacking midfielder Ivan Calero might be loaned to Burton Albion. 

Calero, 19, has been training with the Brewers recently and the possibility of the former Atletico Madrid player spending any time at Burton has begun to excite Albion supporters.

At his press conference today, McClaren said: "We are just giving him a change of environment. We said it might be interesting to go down for a day or two and train and see if he can develop from that.

"It is about under-21 players gaining experience. We have got Kwame Thomas and Alefe Santos out on loan at Notts County."

McClaren and Burton manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have a cordial relationship, Hasslebaink having spent some time as a guest at Derby's training ground, observing training methods, while he was seeking his first managerial role in English football. 

Calero, a regular in Derby's under-21 side, has appeared twice for the first team, scoring the only goal against Charlton Athletic in a Capital One Cup tie in August after replacing Simon Dawkins for the last 20 minutes.

He also came on for John Eustace for 12 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in September. 

A BELOVED teddy bear called Charlie Bear belonging to a three-year-old which went missing from the Royal Derby Hospital has been found.

Kirsten Holmes said her son lost Charlie Bear during an appointment at the hospital on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people shared a Derby Telegraph Facebook post asking them to keep an eye out for Ethan Mansfield's bear.

And today, Kirsten received a phone call to say the bear had been found at the hospital – after accidentally being sold in the hospital's shop.

Kirsten, of Hatton, said: "Apparently he was found and taken to a little shop at the hospital where they have a box of old teddies and toys.

"Somebody had put him in the box and the staff sold it to somebody without realising.

"Luckily, the person returned it after hearing about the appeal.

"When I told Ethan he was so happy. He just said wow.

"I am so grateful to everybody who shared the link."

The find comes just before Ethan is to undergo an operation to remove his tonsils today at the hospital. 

HE spent his teenage years in a children's home, lived in a tent in his twenties and knocked on the door of the YMCA twice.

Now 31-year-old John Tait can finally say he's happy.

"I've never been able to say this before but, for the first time ever, I honestly feel like everything is going right for me," he said.

John has a job, a flat, a girlfriend and a smile on his face. And he says it is all thanks to the support and help he received from staff at YMCA Derbyshire.

"Without the YMCA I do not know where I would be today," he said. "For as long as I can remember, I have struggled. Living in a children's home was not easy and when I left the care system, life got even more tough. Everything has been a fight for me but, right now, I could not be in a better place."

John turned up at the London Road Campus last year after finding himself homeless. Following a break-up with his girlfriend, he had nowhere to stay.

"When I was 18, I lived at the YMCA for two years," said John, who is a fully qualified chef. "I didn't really want to have to go back but I didn't know what else to do. I was welcomed by the staff and I was given a bed for the night."

John, who was trained at Buxton and Leek College, says he did not know how he was going to rebuild his life. Brokenhearted, he wanted a fresh start. But finding the right kind of support, he says, was impossible.

"I went to a homeless shelter and stayed there for a while," he said. "Then I was referred to the YMCA and that is when things started to change. My days were filled with nothing and I hated not having anything to do.

"When I got to the YMCA, I started volunteering in the campus restaurant and I loved it. Walking to town every day, with no money in your pocket, is the most boring thing in the world.

"I needed to get back on track and start thinking about my future."

After John started volunteering at YMCA Derbyshire, he was invited to enrol on an 18-week work experience programme with car manufacturer Toyota.

"I was offered a slot in the catering department and I grabbed the opportunity. It was the best thing I could do.

"Going to Toyota gave me the encouragement to get back into a kitchen and start cooking again. It was fantastic. I learned so much and it was just what I needed to help me get back into work. The team at Toyota were brilliant and I loved it."

Following his successful stint of work placement, staff at YMCA Derbyshire offered John a job.

They needed a chef to work in the charity's hospitality and catering kitchen, based at Handyside Court care home in Alvaston.

"I was over the moon," said John. "At first, I just got a few shifts but I really enjoyed it. I loved being back in the kitchen and the residents at the care home were so nice.

"I suppose because I'd thrown myself into everything that was going at the YMCA, staff saw that I wanted to rebuild my life. When they offered me a job, I was so happy."

This month, John has increased his hours to 32 a week. He has also moved from the London Road Campus to live in one of the YMCA's independent flats.

"I live in Wilmorton now," said John. "I've got my own place and my own job. As well as that, I've also got a girlfriend now too."

John says he does not need anything else to make his life happier. He has everything he could ever wish for – and more.

"I have to thank the team at the YMCA," he said.

"Without this place, I honestly don't know where I'd be today."

John spent his teenager years living in a children's home in Little Eaton, and when he left he moved to the YMCA until he was 18.

During his 20s, he spent four years living in a tent, travelling up and down the country volunteering in catering establishments like church lunch clubs.

He was never paid for his services but staff always ensured he got a hot meal before the kitchen closed.

"I've had no stability," he said. "I can't say life has treated me well.

"When things went wrong I always tried to pick myself up and carry on. But last year, I think I was beginning to run out of energy.

"I suppose there are only so many times you can pick yourself up and brush yourself down."

Gillian Sewell, chief executive of YMCA Derbyshire, said: "John should be very proud of what he has achieved. He is very busy catering for the residents at Handyside Court and he loves what he is doing.

David Finn, business development manager at YMCA Derbyshire, said: "The programme at Toyota has produced so many positive outcomes. For some, it has been the catalyst to move into learning, while for others it has focused them on a career path.

"We immediately saw the potential in John. As soon as he started getting involved at the YMCA, he knew he was going to succeed.

"Many of our young people have hugely troublesome backgrounds and some find it very hard to cope with their problems. John grabbed everything with both hands and we were delighted to help him."

EXPECT changes – and soon!

That was the message to Alfreton Town supporters from the club's new American director, Jonathan Collura, last night.

Collura used the Reds' Facebook page for a question and answer session with fans about the partnership with Legend Football Partners in the States.

The American company have invested in Alfreton and also have links with Texas side Fort Worth Vaqueros.

Fans of both clubs have already welcomed the link-up.

Collura pointed out that the American investment was about much more than just money – but began the discussion by talking about areas in which the initial financial investment may be spent.

"The investment money will be used to enhance infrastructure," he said.

"We need to examine the immediate needs that the club has (ie: training facility) and will address them.

"We will need a little time to address them all but you can expect to see changes.

"On our last visit, we discussed stadium enhancements and have plans to discuss these issues in the coming weeks.

"The goal is that in the coming seasons you will see the Impact begin to develop into a top-notch facility. We love the location and the feel but agree that there are some things that we can do."

Collura was asked if consideration had been given to better drainage for the Impact Arena pitch and replied: "This is one item that has been at the top of the list and we are looking at now.

"The climate in Alfreton is not helping us this January and as soon as we have a solution, we will announce it. We have a few ideas and just need to see if any could be feasible."

The director also hinted that enhancement of facilities was crucial if the club were to look at operating with a full-time playing staff again at some point in the future.

On the question of money, he said: "I have always found it interesting that an investment in an English club is typically judged by amount and if the money will continue.

"The investment we have made (and will continue to make) will not only be monetary but also in us helping to develop new corporate partners, talent on the pitch and enhancements in infrastructure.

"The club was financially stable and will continue to be. It did not need a quick fix investment. There is an opportunity to build something special."

Collura also stressed that the Americans were involved for the long haul.

"We have no intention of an exit any time soon and have fully committed to the club," he said,

"The involvement will not be affected by what happens on the pitch. When we made the investment, we wanted a club with stability and opportunity. We found both and believe that this is the ideal situation to build upon. This is not just an investment but a passion."

Alfreton, weather permitting, are due to resume their Vanarama Conference Premier relegation battle at home to Forest Green Rovers tomorrow.

The Reds now have seven home games to come from their next 11 fixtures.

TEARS have been shed in Derby city centre at the news that a popular car parking attendant is being made redundant.

Pete Carter has been doing his job at the car park beside Derby Cathedral for more than 21 years and says he "absolutely loves it".

But the 52-year-old, known as Car Park Pete, said that the car park had been sold and the new owners were planning to replace him with a ticket machine.

Pete, who lives in Mickleover, said: "I've been here for more than 21 years and I've got a good relationship with the people who use this car park. But I'm leaving in a few weeks.

"When I told one lady I was leaving, she burst into tears and was incredibly upset.

"I think she was heartbroken because I was leaving. Often car park attendants are not well liked but it seems I am.

"It was very sad to see her crying because I have really got to know a lot of people while I've been doing this job over the years.

"I've become quite well-known in the area and I think people like to see a personal touch when they are parking their car.

"You see people from all different kinds of walks of life here.

"They all really value what I do."

The life of a car parking attendant does not always scream out with excitement.

But Pete said his job had never been boring because he got to see the comings and goings of ordinary life, and had been paid for it at the same time.

The relationships he has formed with those people has sometimes come in handy.

He said: "I've seen a lot of people who have been shopping for birthday or Christmas presents and it's my job to keep that a secret.

"In a few days, I might see them with their partner, so I always remember never to say anything which is important."

Now Pete faces an uncertain future without a job.

He said: "I've worked outside all of my life and I love it, so I can't imagine working inside an office – I just don't think it's me.

"I've never got bored in this job but I might be if I was in an office.

"I don't know what I'll do now, I've not really given it much thought. I've never had to worry about it.

"But I think I'll be OK because I know so many people from doing this job over the years."

Lauren Nixon, granddaughter of Sandra Bainbridge said in a statement:

"AS hard as I've tried, there are no words to truly describe the pain and loss that my family has experienced since the brutal loss of my Gran.

Last November, we came together to celebrate her 70th birthday. It never occurred to us that we wouldn't be all there again to celebrate another ten or twenty more years. She wasn't an OAP, as she has been described, she was a woman with the best years of her life ahead of her, whom I never imagined would not be there with us as we progressed through our careers, bought our first homes, had children.

As a family, we have been robbed of our centre and I can't fully express what that feels like. Nothing and no-one can prepare you for what has happened to us. There's no past experience we could draw on to guide us, nothing for us to find solace in. It's shaken every foundation of our lives – how are we supposed to 'get back to normal' after such a thing?

We lie awake at night, tormented by thoughts of what she might have suffered, what passed through her mind. We ask ourselves questions we know we can never answer, obsessing over the "what ifs" and "if onlys".

Though the police have done their utmost by us, which we appreciate more than I can say, the events of the last nine months have been an immense strain.

It sounds cliché, but I honestly feel that my faith in humanity has been shaken. I feel suspicious of strangers, scared of people I pass in the street when it's dark, constantly anxious about my safety and the safety of my family and friends. Everyone wants to believe that their home is their own personal, secure space. What has happened to my Gran has destroyed that for us. There is no 'safety of my own home', that concept doesn't exist for me anymore.

I can't express how frustrating and infuriating it is to be made to feel so weak and so vulnerable, to have our lives shattered in such a way.

It's not the way she would have wanted us to be living – she was a brave woman. She worked so hard, faced and overcame so many trials and tribulations to provide and support our family. Each time she travelled, we were bought back books and photographs, to show us what was out there for us to experience and she passed such knowledge, wonder and insight on to us. To be so afraid and constantly anxious is just a terrible injustice to her memory.

The disruption to our work lives and careers seems insignificant in comparison, but having to telephone my boss to tell him what had happened, having to walk into that office again when I felt that everything had changed forever but I still had to continue the same, was awful and indeed still is.

Similarly, it feels wrong to compare the struggle I have experienced trying to continue with my postgraduate studies to the stresses and difficulties my mother and her sisters have had to face. But to have something so important to me, something my Gran was proud of and so encouraging of, damaged and disrupted in such a way has been a constant source of stress and upset. 

AS concerned Derek Joyner tried to find out why his partner, Sandra Bainbridge, was not answering his calls, he came face to face with her psychotic killer.

Derek called at Sandra's corner terraced cottage in Belper and was shocked to find no sign of her and a chaotic scene in the kitchen.

As he checked rooms upstairs, he was startled when a door opened a few feet away and a sinister woman, dressed all in black, looked out at him.

Stunned Derek, 70, then saw the woman lean back into the room and pick up a butcher's knife. He grabbed the door handle and pushed it shut but could feel the woman trying to turn the handle and was aware he was losing the battle to keep it closed.

A terrified Derek turned and fled down the steep cottage stairs, flung shut the door at the bottom behind him and ran out of the house. He was unaware Sandra had already been stabbed to death by the intruder and her body lay in the back yard.

Agonisingly, after police found the body, Derek was arrested as a suspect before the real killer, psychotic Andrea Cutler – who had by then fled – was tracked down. She has now been sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.

Derek  and Sandra had just got back from a week's holiday in Turkey. Derek, who lives in Milford, was unaware that Cutler had taken over Sandra's Belper home while they were away and had killed her when she returned.

Retired teacher Derek recalled the terrible moments in December 2013. He said: "Just the day before we were on the beach in Turkey being 17-year-old 70-year-olds, kissing for a photographer."

But sitting on a wooden bench in a cell at Derby's main police station, as Derek tried to make sense of the terrible events, he held his head in his hands and wept.

He had endured a full body examination and had his fingerprints taken. In three hours' time he was to be questioned under caution for the murder of the woman he loved. How could this be?

"I was in complete shock," said the grandfather. "I was thinking 'this isn't happening, this is crazy'.

"I said to the officer as I was handcuffed, 'this is unbelievable. I have just been round to Sandra's, because I was concerned about the woman I love, and then here I am accused of murder. I could have been stabbed to death myself.'"

When asked by officers if he would like anyone to be informed about his whereabouts, he said no.

"It seems silly now," said Derek, "but at the time I felt so ashamed for being arrested for murder. Also, I started to think 'how can I prove I am innocent? I have spent most of the day on my own.'"

Derek never did have to prove his innocence. At 9am that morning he was released without charge after Cutler – who had fled in Sandra's car – was arrested in Manchester.

Until two months ago, when Cutler pleaded guilty to manslaughter, Derek had not been allowed to talk to anyone about the details of that horrific night because he was a key witness in the case. He was also kept in the dark about what had happened in Sandra's house before he went over to check she was safe.

Sitting in his living room, Derek said: "That was quite difficult. It was very isolating."

Looking back on the events of December 10 he said: "That was the worst day of my life. There's never going to be anything that will be as bad as that. After it, I thought 'there's two ways you can go here – you can let this ruin your life or you can rebuild it'.

"Sandra was very good at looking at the positive side of things. She would say 'yes, I'm going through this, but I've got family and friends supporting me'. And so I took that view."

Among the pictures covering the walls of his living room are photos of Sandra, including one of them together, smiling, taken in Turkey the day before she died.

"That's how I remember her – smiling and laughing," he said looking up at her photographs.

"I cannot even picture what the attack would have been like. I'm glad I haven't got that visual insight and I'm glad I don't have any nightmares but I do wake up in the early hours thinking about the whole case."

Derek and Sandra had returned from Turkey at about 7pm on December 9, 2013. Sandra picked her car up from Derek's house and returned home to her cottage in Short Row, Belper. They had agreed to speak later the following day.

When Derek attempted to call her at 8pm on December 10, the number was not recognised.

Derek said: "I thought 'this is silly, I speak to her every night on the phone', and I then rang her mobile and left a message saying 'for God's sake ring me'."

He drove to her house, which was locked, but did not have her key on him, so he returned home.

After calling BT, he discovered Sandra's phone number had been changed and tried the new number but there was no answer.

"I was completely perplexed. I rang her mobile and said 'look Sandra, I'm getting really worried now. Please get in contact with me'.

"I was thinking 'why the hell would she change her telephone number?' I thought 'I'm not happy with this, I'm going there.'"

Having had a couple of glasses of wine, Derek chose not to drive but caught the bus and took the key. It was about 11pm. He knocked but there was no answer and so he let himself in.

"I saw the light on in the kitchen and thought 'she's working on the computer', and so I walked through the living room but when I got to the kitchen door I couldn't believe what I was looking at, because she's usually meticulous in the kitchen.

"It was chaotic – there were bin bags on the floor. There was a terracotta-coloured liquid covering the floor, with a few red patches in it. With hindsight I realise someone had made a very poor attempt at cleaning the floor and it was dried blood."

Some butcher's knives lay on the work surface.

"I think common sense should have told me at that point 'get the hell out of here and ring the police', but at the time I just thought she had had an accident."

Derek headed back through the living room and up the stairs, calling Sandra's name. As he did so, he noticed her suitcase was dumped at the bottom of the stairs.

"That should have sent alarm bells through my head as she was a meticulous woman, and would have taken a suitcase straight upstairs and unpacked."

Sandra's bedroom door was open and Derek looked in to find it "immaculate". He went into the bathroom, where there was a white towel hanging over the bath with fresh bloodstains on it. Then, just as he was heading out of the bathroom, the door to the spare bedroom opposite opened very slowly and through the gap he saw a woman, dressed all in black, standing there. "She looked very hard," he said. "At first, the thought going through my head was that a gang had broken into the house, taken it over and this woman is a front for them.

"The woman said 'Sandra has gone out'. My brain was saying 'you're in a very vulnerable position here'. I said 'who are you?', she said 'I'm a neighbour'.

"I know Sandra's neighbours. This woman looked so out of place, so creepy. I should have said 'okay, I'll try later' and just walked out but I just blurted out 'where is Sandra? What have you done with her?'.

"At that point, she turned slowly around and the door swung open a bit. She leant over the bed and then stood up and turned around and she had a butcher's dagger in her hand, and I can still picture how the light caught the blade, and I thought 'hell' and my brain went into automatic gear. Without even thinking about it, I slammed the door on her before she could get to me."

There was then a struggle, where they both pushed on the door handle from either side.

"I was thinking 'crikey, you're not holding this' and my brain was saying 'right, calm down. I've got to get down those stairs and have time to open the door at the bottom and shut it'. I knew there was rubbish at the bottom of the stairs and the stairs are very steep, and I knew if I slipped on the stairs with her behind me with the knife, I would have had it, especially knowing now how she had attacked Sandra – without a doubt I would have had it. There was nothing there that I could defend myself with.

"Andrea Cutler is not a big woman but my God she had some force behind her. Sandra wouldn't have stood a chance. I struggled, and I'm 13st and 5ft 11in."

Derek let go of the door handle and made a run for it.

He said: "I managed to get down the stairs and open the door and shut it. She came down behind me and was rattling the door handle. I was holding on for grim death. Then my brain suddenly said 'wait a minute the porch door opens into this door', so I managed to put my foot against the stairs door and open the porch door and push my weight against it and keep the stairs door closed."

He reached over and opened the front door and dashed out before turning around to hold on to the handle. The woman was right behind him – again struggling with the handle on the other side of the door. She eventually gave up and he watched as she walked back into the house shrugging her shoulders.

Derek then ran down the street opposite until he reached a well-lit area and called the police. He was told to wait where he was until a van with two officers arrived. Five minutes later, a group of armed officers arrived to search the house.

He said: "I was in shock. I couldn't believe what had happened because this was the stuff you see in movies, not real life. The police told me to get into the van because they were concerned I was getting cold.

"I then heard a message come across the police radio saying a woman's body had been found in the garden. What crossed my mind was that either the woman had committed suicide or the body was Sandra's. I think it was then that the officers decided to take me to Ripley police station, to get me out of the way.

"When I first got out of the house, I felt guilty because I hadn't seen Sandra and thought 'what if she is tied up in the bedroom and all you're worried about is saving your own skin'. I didn't know she had been dead for a day.

"The emotions I went through that night are indescribable. It must have been about midnight when we got to Ripley. We were there for at least an hour when a detective came in and said he was arresting me on suspicion of the murder of an unidentified woman and I was handcuffed."

But some hours later, before he was interviewed, he was told his story had been checked out and police had arrested a woman in Manchester in Sandra's car and he was to be released without charge.

He was taken home so he could change his clothes and then returned to the police station for a video interview.

Derek said: "I hadn't eaten for hours, I had had no sleep and I was mentally exhausted but I was determined that I was going to do what I could to make sure she was convicted. This woman is very dangerous. She needs putting away for a long time. The impression I got at the time was of a nasty, ruthless, calculating person. I was lucky to get away.

"I think that what happened to me reinforces the case that this woman is unsafe with a knife in her hands."

At 6.30pm on December 10, Derek was dropped off by police at his daughter's house. "I just broke down and wept," he said.

Derek, a retired teacher, met Sandra at a real ale group, which is part of Belper's University of the Third Age, in October 2009.

He says: "Sandra was funny and we just hit it off, although initially I thought 'what kind of woman drinks pints of ale?' and she thought I was a bit odd. We were as different as chalk and cheese. She was outgoing and I was an introvert but we just sort of played off each other.

"Sandra was a natural comedian, she would come out with these one-liners. She was a very intelligent woman and also very popular."

The pair visited art exhibitions, classical concerts and the cinema, played cards together and also spent time travelling. In 2013 they went to America for a month as well their holiday in Turkey.

"We were booked to go on holiday to Mexico in January last year. It was going to be the holiday of a lifetime. We had arranged for individual guides to look after us and take us round historic sites.

"On the day we should have departed, January 31, it was her funeral."

Derek feels angry that Cutler had caused so much devastation to so many people.

He says: "Sandra was a unique person. She brought joy to people's lives. And she got killed in her own home. It's crazy."

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

BURTON Albion remain tight-lipped over their transfer targets but aim to do some business next week.

The Brewers have so far made only one signing in the January transfer window, bringing in Serbian-Dutch centre-half Stefan Maletic on a free transfer.

They still hope to bring in another player or two – but are making sure they get the right characters before sealing any deals.

"There are none I can talk specifically about now," said assistant manager David Oldfield.

"But you never know what's around the corner.

"There are opportunities for the manager to bring people in but he wants to make sure that they're the right characters, first and foremost, and will fit in with the group and obviously are good players."

Meanwhile, Albion are still waiting for acceptable bids for transfer-listed duo Ian Sharps and Lee Bell.

They remain at the Pirelli Stadium and continue to train hard to stay in good shape.

"Both have shown good professionalism, both have trained very well and both are good people," said Oldfield. "We'll see what the rest of January will bring."

HOMEOWNERS in Derby are being told they can take a cut of the £1.4 million the city council generates from parking charges and fines – by renting out their driveways.

This week, the Derby Telegraph revealed the local authority raked in the cash during its last financial year from a combination of parking fees and fines.

The city councilsaid that the money was all ploughed back into improving car parks and roads.

But it has come in for criticism from the motoring organisation, the AA, which claimed that parking was "a service, not an alternative form of local tax".

In some cities, entrepreneurial homeowners have taken advantage of situations where there is either limited parking or the charges are deemed to be extortionately high.

Over the last few years, there has been a growing phenomenon of property owners renting out their driveways and parking spaces to people from outside the city.

As a result, a number of online booking businesses have emerged, who advertise spaces on behalf of homeowners who have registered with them.

One such company is JustPark. According to the firm, "dozens" of Derby homeowners have registered with the site, offering people the chance to rent their drives.

A spokesman for JustPark said: "Driveway rental is a rapidly growing trend in Derby and across the UK.

"This provides affordable and convenient parking in high-demand locations and puts money back into the pockets of local people in Derby at the same time. What's more the people parking there do not face the risk of receiving a parking ticket or having to pay extortionate fines."

The authority generated the £1.4 million through charges and fines at its city centre cars parks at the Assembly Rooms, Parksafe Bold Lane, the Council House, Ford Street, Little City Sovereign, Wilmot Street, Abbey Street East, Drewry Lane and Darwin Place.

On-street parking charges also contributed to its coffers.

In some council car parks, parking for more than five hours can cost in excess of £9.

According to JustPark, some Derby homeowners are renting out their drives for as little as £1.30 a day.

One visitor to Derby who has taken advantage of the service is Stephen Monk, of Southport

Earlier this year, the Southport FC fan travelled to Derby with his family to watch his team play Derby County in the FA Cup - a game which the Rams won 1-0.

He parked on the drive of a property in Atlantic Way, near to Pride Park, which cost him £5 for the whole day.

The 58-year-old civil servant said: "We were unsure where the safest place to park in Derby was so we decided to park on someone's drive, after booking it on the website, because we felt it would be safer.

"Of course, in hindsight, we need not have worried about safety because Derby and its people were so friendly and welcoming. We had a great day, apart from the result.

"It worked out a lot cheaper to park this way and the car was absolutely fine."

As well as the city centre, a place which suffers from parking issues is the Royal Derby Hospital – and a number of online booking sites offer spaces to rent at residential properties in the area.

Not long after the super-hospital opened, the Mallard pub, which is opposite the site, starting renting out spaces in its car park for £40 a month.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

AN arsonist was told that his drunken antics could have caused a "horrendous" blaze in a 12-storey block of Derby flats.

The warning came after city magistrates heard that jobless Richard Highman posted burning paper through the letterbox of a fellow tenant of Rivermead House on Bass Street.

Highman and the other man, who has mobility problems, were drinkers who often loaned money to each other, said Chris Evans, in mitigation.

When the man refused to hand over cash, Highman sent him two notes asking: "Why are you not doing it this time?"

Mr Evans said: "The third was more stroppy, saying 'why are you not helping?' Even then it was signed 'love, Ricky'."

A final note was lit and caused minor damage to the letterbox before going out.

Highman could not recall doing this but Mr Evans said: "He does see it as a reckless act whilst drunk. He can't understand why he would have done it. He said he had no intention of causing any harm or danger."

The incident took place on November 26.

Highman, 50, admitted arson and was given a 13-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was put on probation and must wear an electronic tag to ensure he obeys a curfew for three months at his father's home in Ford Lane, Allestree.

Presiding magistrate Philip Hickson told him: "Think of the other house fires which have taken place in this city.

"Think what the consequences might be in this 12-storey block of flats. If it had caught light, we dread to think what the consequences might have been.

"It might have been horrendous," added Mr Hickson, who was sitting with two other magistrates.

Highman must pay £85 prosecution costs, a £80 government surcharge and attend a course to improve his thinking.

Peter Bettany, prosecuting, described the victim as "a particularly vulnerable person who has medical problems which effectively limit his mobility".

He lived in the flat immediately below Highman's apartment and contacted a housing support worker to report problems between them.

"He said he had put lit paper through but didn't want the police involved. But they were and the fire service came too.

"There was ash in the letterbox and on the floor inside the flat. Other papers were left at the scene and the defendant's fingerprints were found on the back," said Mr Bettany.

There was no claim towards the cost of repairs because the only damage was "a singed letterbox", he told magistrates.

The court was told that Highman risked eviction from the flats. But the owners were expected to be awaiting the outcome of the case before making a decision.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

A DERBYSHIRE village is going under the Antiques Road Trip spotlight next week.

Two experts from the BBC1 TV show visited Eyam as part of their journey to seek out hidden gems in antique shops before selling them at auction to see which of them makes the most profit.

In the show to be broadcast next Tuesday, Anita Manning and Paul Laidlaw arrive at Eyam Parish Church in a 1957 Morris Minor Traveller.

Churchwarden Lynn Jackson said: "I went to meet Anita and Paul when they arrived and I got the church ready for filming.

"I stayed out of the way when they were filming but I came back a bit later.

"Paul stayed behind in the church for quite some time to look around and talk to me when the crew had gone off filming outside.

"He said he'd had a really lovely time in Eyam and he asked me all about the church and the congregation. He is a really nice, lovely man."

Eyam was filmed as part of the road trip because of its rich history and its setting in the Derbyshire Peak District. The village is famous for placing itself under quarantine during the Great Plague of 1665 to prevent the deadly infection spreading to surrounding towns.

The bubonic plague arrived in Eyam after a tailor from the village ordered a bale of cloth from London, where the infection was rife. The fabric was infested with plague-carrying fleas and within a week the tailor's assistant was dead.

A total of 260 people from the village died during the subsequent outbreak.

Between the first death and the last, the people of Eyam sealed off the village from the surrounding areas to prevent the disease from spreading.

Lynn said: "People have asked me if it's morbid living here because of the plague but I tell them that it's not, it's a celebration of heroism. People died in order to save others.

"If they hadn't stayed in the village then many more people would have lost their lives."

Eyam attracts many visitors and school parties because of its plague history and attractive buildings.

And as well as the Antiques Road Trip experts, Lynne recalls visits from other TV personalities.

She said: "We have had quite a few famous faces here over the years. Ade Edmondson came to film here a couple of years ago, and we've had John Sergeant here as well. Everybody who comes says what a lovely place it is.

"It's nice that it's an area of interest for so many people.

"It is also the 350th anniversary of the start of the plague this year, so we have a lot of events coming up."

Eyam features on Tuesday's episode of the Antiques Road Trip, which is aired at 4.30pm on BBC1.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

THE following people were charged with using a vehicle without insurance:

DANIEL Borde, 24, of Raynesway, Derby, was fined £250, banned from driving for six months, and told to pay £35 costs and a £25 victim surcharge, for an offence on June 25.

DAMIAN Winter, 36, of Verbana Drive, Littleover, was fined £400, given six penalty points and ordered to pay £35 costs and a £40 surcharge for an offence on May 27.

DARREN Day, 37, of Welshpool Road, Chaddesden, was fined £150, banned from driving for six months and told to pay £150 costs and a £20 surcharge for an offence on September 27.

JOHNATHON Fearn, 40, of The Crescent, Breaston, was fined £110, told to pay a surcharge of £20, costs of £85 and given six points for driving a vehicle while disqualified and with no insurance on December 2, 2014.

HOLOCAUST Memorial Day is to be commemorated in South Derbyshire with the planting of a tree.

South Derbyshire District Council chairman Pat Murray will continue what has become a traditional tribute in the district by planting a yew at Rosliston Forestry Centre at 11am on Tuesday, January 27.

The ceremony will align South Derbyshire with communities across the UK keen to unite to remember the millions of people killed in the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Mr Murray said: "January 27 marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, and we should never forget the atrocities that went on.

"The planting of a tree is a symbol of life and hope, and I would urge members of the public to join me on Tuesday to pause for a moment and remember all affected by genocide."

Between 1941 and 1945, the Nazis attempted to annihilate all of Europe's Jews – this is known as the Holocaust.

By the end of the Second World War six million Jewish men, women and children had perished in ghettos, mass shootings, concentration camps and extermination camps.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is the charity that promotes and supports Holocaust Memorial Day.

IN her letter "Rereading this speech hasn't changed my view" (January 14), Joginder Bains infers that UKIP is a racist party that is insular and anti-working class.

This is patently not the case. Joginder Bains might try reading the present UKIP manifesto and might discover it is not against selective immigration but is opposed to mass immigration.

England is Europe's most densely populated major country. Many hospitals and schools are becoming overwhelmed, whilst social services, housing, traffic and infrastructure arc reaching breaking point.

Under these circumstances, mass immigration has no benefit to this country and, more importantly, it has no benefit for past immigrants who have made their home here. Controlling immigration has nothing to do with racism, it is simply common sense.

As for the claim that UKIP is insular and anti-working class: this is another allegation that does not stand up to scrutiny.

UKIP's policy is to cast off the shackles of the EU and trade with the entire world. How can trading with the world be an insular outlook?

The other parties are happy to flood the market with cheap foreign labour, so driving down wages. Does this benefit the British working man?

UKIP has pledged to increase personal allowances at the lower end and review the thousands of new laws and regulations imposed by the EU which strangle new businesses.

Joginder Bains advises voters to "analyse UKIP to its core". Excellent advice. When voters read the UKIP manifesto they will learn it is dedicated to reasserting the sovereignty of Parliament so the UK can become a self-governing country and not a puppet of the European Union.

The next election will be the most interesting in living memory. Whatever the result, politicians will ignore the aspirations of the British people at their peril.

Bill Holmes

Idridgehay