Police are investigating an arson attack at a house in Derbyshire.

Officers said furniture outside a house in Burr Lane, in Ilkeston, was set alight.

The incident happened between 4.30am and 5.30am on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Derbyshire police said: "The flames spread to the front window, causing extensive damage. No one was in the house at the time.

"Anyone who was in the area at the time, or the car park at the Albion Centre, should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

A ROW over how much cash Derby City Council has in its reserves continued last night, with the authority's Labour leadership saying it has less in comparison to its overall budget than most other authorities.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said recently that Derby had reserves of £81 million that could be used to lessen the affects of austerity on its services.

But the council's Labour leadership said this was "pure fantasy" and that its total amount of unallocated reserves was £18 million.

Councillor Sarah Russell, city council cabinet member for housing, finance and welfare, said all other reserves held were for managing "ongoing costs and financial risk" and could not be used for another purpose.

At last night's city council cabinet meeting, she continued the counter-attack, saying Derby has "nowhere near as much as some councils do in reserve". She said that some councils hold reserves worth the same amount as 40% of their annual budget.

Derby City Council, she said, holds 4.1% while the national average for all councils is 7.9%.

Miss Russell said: "We have to maintain decent levels of reserves to safeguard against budget pressures. Maybe they [Eric Pickles and David Cameron] should look a bit closer at their own funding decisions before starting to criticise hard-working local councils."

CALLUM Guy has signed a professional contract with Derby County.

The 18-year-old central midfielder has impressed in both the under-18s and under-21s this season.

Guy is currently a second-year scholar.

He has signed an 18-month pro contract, with the option of a further year.

Guy joined Derby's Academy at nine, initially as a winger, and has progressed through the ranks.

Academy manager Darren Wassall said: "We are delighted with the progress that Callum has made, particularly this season.

"Regardless of what level he has been playing at, his attitude has been spot on and his performances have gone from strength-to-strength."

Can't wait to try the new @SlimmingWorld meals but every Iceland store has sold out :-(((((

— Soph☀️ (@Sophie_Belshaw) February 19, 2015

It's like Black Friday down in Iceland with the new slimming world meals being launched, my mam fleeced the place

— Kirsty Kelly (@KirstyK32) February 19, 2015

#slimmingworld food launched today in Iceland stores, already tried meatball pasta & chicken tikka, gooorrrgggeoouss! pic.twitter.com/Q4gwBY3ra4

— Nicola Martin (@nicostar27) February 18, 2015

@nicostar27@SlimmingWorld just had the sweet potato curry. Outstanding!!

— kevin jennings (@kevpj) February 18, 2015

A DERBYSHIRE dad is preparing to run the 2015 London Marathon to raise money for premature and sick babies.

Tom Nelson, 29, of Brockhall Rise, Heanor, will be running the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise money for Bliss, a special care baby charity.

Tom, a community sport development manager, is one of about 100 runners who are completing the 26-mile run on behalf of the charity on Sunday, April 26.

Tom lives with partner Toyah Abbott, 33, their five-year-old daughter, Grace, and their son, Joseph, two. Grace was born eight weeks premature in 2009, weighing 2lb 8oz. She stayed in the Derby Royal Neonatal Unit for the first seven weeks of her life.

Tom hopes to raise £2,500 for Bliss, because of the crucial support his family had during the time that Grace was in hospital. She is now happy and healthy and thriving at school.

Grace enjoys swimming at her local pool and is one of the strongest readers in her class.

Tom said: "After the ordeal that Toyah and I went through when Grace was born at 32 weeks, we decided that we would help raise some money for Bliss. We wanted to do something that would be a huge effort to show our gratitude for such a good charity.

"I've always hated running unless it involved a football and so a marathon, and the dedication to training that comes with it, seemed the best option.

We knew that the training would be tough but the challenge to raise £2,500 would be equally as difficult. I may have put all the training miles in but Toyah has been the main fund-raiser."

With help from Toyah, who is a hairdresser, Tom is getting closer to his target. They have organised a charity fun day and non-uniform day at Aldercar Community Language College, where Tom works, as well as a fashion show and hamper raffle.

Tom, along with his friend and trainer Phil Coker, have arranged a two-hour Impact Fitness Fit-a-thon.

The Fit-A-Thon will take place on Sunday, May 10, from 10.30am at the college.

It will cost £10 to take part and proceeds go to Bliss.

Caroline Davey, chief executive of Bliss, said: "The vital funds they raise will help us improve the lives of babies in the UK."

For more information or to sponsor Tom visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TomNelson1.

"Vision Express is proud to be part of the East Midlands business community, having based our nationwide support centre here since 1988, when the company was first established in the UK.

"The past year has seen Vision Express expand significantly, increasing our store network from 320 to around 400 outlets nationwide, with four stores across the county of Derbyshire. We've also recently moved into a new fit for purpose Store Support Centre in the region.

"As an ambitious and growing retailer, we believe it's important to celebrate success, so we're delighted to recognise Derbyshire businesses making an impact through innovative sales and marketing. We look forward to judging the entries in this competitive category. "

Neil McGowan, Retail Operations Director, Vision Express

SOME weeks ago, a large branch was hanging down from one of the trees in the grounds of the primary school in Monk Street.

A few days later a small council vehicle came and cut part of it down and left it and a few branches on the ground. Part of that tree is now hanging down. There are more trees nearby which might well need pruning. I wonder what plans the council have for dealing with this problem.

J R Noland

Spring Street

Derby

DERBYSHIRE captain Wayne Madsen has completed his residency in the United Kingdom and is now available for England selection.

The South Africa-born batsman joined Derbyshire in 2009 and has since featured in 193 games for the county in all competitions, scoring over 8,500 runs.

He was named Derbyshire captain in 2010 and signed a new contract ahead of the 2014 campaign, committing him to the county until the end of the 2016 season.

Madsen said: "It's a huge honour to become an England qualified cricketer. It will open up the opportunity to play international cricket and my focus now is to score heavy runs for Derbyshire

"Kyla and I are very settled here in Derbyshire. We love the county and it's a privilege to officially call Derbyshire and England my home."

Chief executive Simon Storey added: "Wayne has become a stalwart of this Club since he joined six years ago.

"He has committed himself to the English game and we are delighted for Wayne that his citizenship has now been rubber-stamped."

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A DERBYSHIRE town has been identified as a property "hot spot" after recording the second-highest number of house sales anywhere in England and Wales last year.

According to the latest Lloyds Bank property sales report, published today, Alfreton saw one of the highest increases in transactions in the first 10 months of 2014.

The report said that, compared to the same period in 2013, house sales grew by 53%. This was second only to Daventry, in Northamptonshire, where sales increased by 56%.

The Lloyds report tracks home sales movements across England and Wales. It is based on Land Registry data and covers 400 postal towns and London boroughs.

The report said: "Four towns recorded a 50% or more increase in sales between 2013 and 2014, with the biggest rises in Daventry (56%) and Alfreton (53%).

"Both towns are in the East Midlands, with the region accounting for four of the ten towns recording the largest sales rises."

Overall, Lloyds found that property sales across England and Wales were 21% higher in 2014 compared to the previous year – the highest since 2007, before the recession hit. All the regions saw rises, with the East Midlands leading the way with 26%, followed by the West Midlands at 25%.

Andy Hulme, mortgages director at Lloyds Bank, said: "The recovery in the housing market continued in 2014, with sales rising further in almost all areas of the country.

"Low interest rates, improvements in the UK economy and Government schemes such as Help to Buy, all appear to have contributed to the rise in home sales. Despite these improvements, sales both nationally and regionally are still significantly below their pre-recession levels."

Residential property expert Chris Brown, a director at Derby-based Sowter and Brown, said: "I have for some time thought that Alfreton is seriously underrated as a place to live.

"It is definitely a place on the up. Viewed by an outsider, the road communications are excellent, the town itself is more than adequate and the surrounding countryside is great for walking, with good stone-built Derbyshire pubs.

"Local schooling is good and employment is solid. In the Alfreton area you can buy a less expensive house offering larger accommodation at an affordable price – and that is why it's the place where more sales are going through."

Yesterday, Graham Penny Auctions held its first sale of the year at the iPro Stadium – with a number of Alfreton properties among the lots.

Director John Fearnehough said: "One property in the Alfreton area had a starting price of £65,000 and made £92,000. Another listed at £68,000 went for £94,000.

"There was a lot of interest in both and although they made good money, in comparison to other areas, they still represent good value. I think that is why Alfreton is proving so popular."

MORE than £6,800 has been raised for the Colin Bloomfield Melanoma Appeal.

The BBC Radio Derby presenter's appeal - which has a £45,000 target - has been set up to help educate children in Derbyshire and East Staffordshire about how to stay safe in the sun.

Colin has been battling stage four melanoma for the past 18 months and has agreed to give his name to the appeal, which is being supported by the Derby Telegraph. His condition is currently more stable than it has been for some time.

The appeal is being run in conjunction with Skcin, the national skin cancer charity, which operates the Sun Safe Schools project. 

MP Pauline Latham has thrown her support behind the campaign in memory of her brother who died of the disease 14 years ago.

Ashbrook Infant School, in Borrowash, and Morley Primary School, in Morley, have both supported the cause, as well as donations from various clubs and groups. 

WAYNE Thornhill says Gresley's upcoming double-header against Leek Town represents "possibly the side's biggest games of the season so far".

The Moatmen are at home to the Blues tomorrow (3pm) and could move into the play-off spots with a win, as, seven games, unbeaten, they are one place and two points shy of the play-offs.

Despite dropping two points in a draw with Romulus last weekend, they responded on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Stocksbridge Park Steels.

Thornhill said: "It goes to show how well we've done lately that we were disappointed to get a draw at home last week.

"It's a long season and it's going to happen but it shows the change in our mentality that a draw at home actually feels like a loss."

Thornhill is hoping centre-half Mitch Hanson will be fit after picking up a foot injury in the Stocksbridge win.

Jake Carlisle, also picked up a knock after replacing Hanson on Tuesday and will be given a late check.

Ryan King should return to the squad after being rested for the Stocksbridge win, while Luke Edwards, who missed Tuesday' s game with a migraine, is also in contention.

Sam Grice (groin) could train with the squad ahead of the game and may feature.

JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink says he will have no problems dropping one of his Burton Albion players when it comes time to give Mickael Antoine-Curier his full debut.

The 31-year-old striker comes into the squad for tomorrow's trip to Dagenham (3pm) and could start as Hasselbaink looks to inject some physicality into his front line.

However, it would leave the Brewers boss with a difficult decision to make – but it is one he relishes.

"It's not a hard decision – it is a decision that has to be made and that's it," he said.

"It was, for me, a harder decision to leave George (Taft) out of the last match – that was a hard decision for me to make.

"We will have a look how we will play against Dagenham and then we will fill the personnel in."

Hasselbaink is enjoying making tough calls – he dropped and then shipped out experienced duo Ian Sharps and Lee Bell – and will not shy away from another.

"I love difficult decisions and when players make it hard for me," he said.

"That means that the squad is doing well and that's what I want.

"That's why we want a competitive squad and people who are taking each other to the limit.

"I think that is part of the success so, hopefully, they give me that headache."

However, Adam McGurk, who has netted three goals in five games, is not under threat this weekend and nor is Stuart Beavon.

Both have impressed Hasselbaink, with McGurk also able to operate wide on the left, possibly to allow Antoine-Curier into the side, with Ivan Calero dropping down to the bench.

"At the moment Adam McGurk is playing really well and deserves his place and he's going to get his place," said the Burton boss.

"It's not only because he's scoring it's because of what else he is doing. That is as important, so he deserves to play, the same with Stuart (Beavon)."

Hasselbaink wants Beavon to start finding the net more regularly but respects the work he does outside the box so much that he is sticking with his number nine.

"He is not scoring as many as he would like but he is doing so much for the team," said the manager.

"Would I like him to get more shots at goal? Of course and he knows that and we are working on that to get him that but he gives so much to the team that's what makes it a good partnership.

"So at the moment Beavon and McGurk are the main strikers.

"Mickael is coming in because we needed to bring somebody in and it's not just anybody who is coming in, it's somebody who can take a place, somebody with the ability to make us better and that's what we want."

LAST week, the Prime Minister visited the Bombardier factory in Derby to lay out our plans to secure growth and prosperity for the Midlands. He and Chancellor George Osborne addressed issues such as employment, innovation and skills. Our long-term economic plan is helping the Midlands to reaffirm its manufacturing status

The Conservatives must win the general election to ensure we secure the additional £34 billion of funding in the Midlands by 2030, creating 300,000 more jobs in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

In South Derbyshire our unemployment is incredibly low and these extra, high-quality jobs will see us strengthen further and move closer to our goal of zero unemployment. Brilliant news for school leavers and workers alike.

This increase in funding will also aid our ongoing aim to "reshore". We have many businesses who use overseas suppliers because they cannot source their required products in the UK and we are looking to support local businesses to bring this manufacturing back to the UK and restore our historic industries.

We have such a dynamic range of businesses, covering the rail industry and its supply chain; motor manufacturing; supplies for the coal and energy industry; high-quality food-processing as well as many more specialist firms who could all benefit.

Bringing jobseekers with the right skills together with suitable vacancies is essential if our economy is to continue to be successful. We have made incredible progress already, and now need to do more, which is why we have introduced the new initiative with Local Enterprise Partnerships.

It is shortly to begin being trialled in Birmingham, where the LEP will make and operate a central database of all job vacancies and, with 100 new job coaches, help to train people and equip them with the necessary skills to fill these positions.

This will remove some of the many barriers job seekers regularly face.for work can find it much more easily. We are hoping to see the same scheme rolled out into Derbyshire soon, centred through our growing LEP, D2N2.

We are also supporting businesses from another angle; by investing £5.2 billion in the local infrastructure, improving road and rail networks across the Midlands, helping to speed up the movement of people and products. This is crucial for some of our local employers such as Toyota and JCB who are well-known for utilising the "just in time" manufacturing method.

Building on this expansion of local infrastructure, we are looking to take inspiration from Derbyshire's rail heritage and HS2 by creating a specialised local college in the Midlands so young people gain new and specific skills for working in the industry. The college will be a centre of excellence and the only one of its kind in the UK.

Innovation must be allowed to thrive, which is why we are encouraging local universities and colleges to partner businesses to research and develop new products or improve existing ones. We are also working on a new and exciting project bringing together local universities with the British Geological Survey to create a national hub for energy research, based in the Midlands.

All in all the Midlands is a great place to live, work and raise our children. Our long-term economic plan has already laid a firm foundation which the additional funding and projects can only build on. In May the choice is stark, choose our competence with the economy or return to chaos.

DARRAGH Lenihan can make it to the very top in football, says Burton Albion boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

The 20-year-old on-loan Blackburn Rovers prospect has made a big impression since he was signed by former boss Gary Rowett.

Hasselbaink gave the Irish Under-21 international his first start in a Brewers shirt – and he reckons Lenihan can go far in the game.

"I think he is a young man who can become whatever he wants to become in football," said the manager. "You have to be ambitious in football if you want to achieve something.

"Everybody dreams, you have to have dreams and goals in your life.

"Taking that away, he has certain qualities that a lot of players don't have and he's working at them as well.

"That's refreshing to see, a young man with his career ahead of him and a long way to go but I really believe this, not because he's playing in my team, he's got the qualities. It's just a case of understanding the game a little bit better."

As well as impressing on the pitch, Lenihan has also settled well into the club off it.

He has proved popular with his fellow players and has twice had his loan extended.

"I'm very pleased – he has come to us and enjoyed himself and also he is very well-liked in the group and well-respected," said Hasselbaink, who this week tied up a deal to keep Lenihan until March 15.

"He's done ever so well for us since he came in."

Albion would like to keep Lenihan at the Pirelli Stadium until the end of the League Two season but are having to make do with extending the loan month by month with Rovers still under a transfer embargo.

"We have asked the question, a while ago actually but Blackburn couldn't do that," said Hasselbaink.

"I'm just happy they've given us another month and really appreciate that.

"When the month is finished, we will talk again to extend it longer."

A DROP-IN event for would-be foster carers has been organised by Derbyshire County Council for next month.

People will get the chance to meet existing foster carers and staff from the county council fostering team on Monday, March 2, at County Hall, Smedley Street, Matlock, between 4.30pm and 7pm and no appointment is needed.

Councillor Kevin Gillott, county council cabinet member for children and young people, said: "We'd like to see anyone who thinks they can help a young person get the best start in life. We want to recruit at least 113 more approved foster carers."

The event builds on the county council's latest television and radio advertising campaign in which it has joined forces with other Midlands councils.

The adverts, which began on February 16 for two weeks, ask people if they have space for a child in their home.

The county council is looking to recruit, train, approve and support enough foster carers to meet the needs of the 607 children in its care – 440 of whom are in foster care with the local authority or an agency.

Call 0800 083 77 44 or 01629 533071, or visit derbyshire.gov.uk/adoption andfostering for details.

JUSTIN Freeman, 32, of Goodale Street, Derby, was jailed for 12 weeks, suspended for 24 months, and was ordered to pay a total of £150 compensation, £625 costs and an £80 victim surcharge for assault, harassment and resisting arrest in Derby on April 20.

LIAM Belcher, 22, of Woods Meadow, Thulston, was handed a 12-month conditional discharge, and was ordered to pay £85 compensation, £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge for stealing money from a named person in Ilkeston between December 31 and January 9.

CRAIG Dickens, 43, of Dovedale Circle, Ilkeston, was fined £37 and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge for driving while not wearing a seat belt in Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, on July 23.

THOMAS Clavin, 29, of Nettlefold Crescent, Melbourne, was handed a six-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £115.51 compensation for criminal damage in Etwall on August 9.

FRANCIS Morgan, 25, of City Road, Derby, was fined £200 and was ordered to pay £85 costs, a £20 victim surcharge and had his licence endorsed with three penalty points for driving while using a mobile phone in Harvey Road, Derby, on July 31.

ANTHONY Harvey, 44, of Wiltshire Road, Derby, was fined £600, and was ordered to pay £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge and had his licence endorsed with six penalty points for driving without insurance in Gary Close, Derby, on June 14.

JOHN Matchett, 46, of Queen Street, Long Eaton, was discharged conditionally for 12 months, ordered to pay £5 compensation and a £15 victim surcharge and £85 costs for stealing copper piping worth £5 on November 11.

GARY Parkin, 45, of Princes Street, Eastwood, was given three eight-week concurrent jail sentences and ordered to pay a £80 victim surcharge for stealing candles worth £107 from Clinton Cards in Heanor on November 25, stealing two beef joints from Asda in Langley Mill on January 10 and for stealing seven legs of lamb from Farmfoods at Heanor on January 16.

RANJIT Singh Olk, 51, of Birchover Rise, Chaddesden, was given a restraining order, fined £73, ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85 for being drunk and disorderly in public on January 6.

DERBY is the fourth worst in a list of 50 UK cities hit by cyber attacks, according to a new report.

And internet porn websites could be partly to blame.

Derby city residents are nearly three-and-a-half times more likely to get hacked than the national average.

Home to the nation's biggest population, London had the most computer infections last year with 1,928,098.

But, calculated per head, the capital ended up way behind first-placed Manchester with 280,905 infections – nine times the average rate.

Derby came fourth by that reckoning, with a total of 51,438 infections.

US-based anti-hacking specialists EnigmaSoftware.com analysed more than three million infections that hit British computers last year to come up with the statistics.

Patrick Morganelli, senior vice-president of technology at the firm, who are makers of anti-spyware products, said one of the most common means of cyber attacks is from web sites that contain infected content or that ask users to download infected files. Many times, those are adult websites.

Users are often asked to download updates to their web browser video players so they can watch adult videos. Instead of an update, the user downloads an infection.

Mr Morganelli said: "We're not saying that people in Manchester, Sheffield, Derby, and London are visiting more adult web sites than people in other cities.

"But that still is one of the biggest sources of the malware that our software detects."

Nonetheless he may be on to something. On Wednesday, the Derby Telegraph reported that therapists are seeing a significant rise in the number of Derby mean who are addicted to sex and internet porn.

Mr Morganelli said: "I wish there was an easy way to determine what makes people in one area more susceptible to malware infections.

"But there are so many different ways that infections can end up on computers that it's tough to make any generalisations about why certain people in certain cities seem to have more than others."

Another big source of infections is when people are tricked into clicking on links that either download malware or take them to a website that has malware on it.

Those links can come in the form of e-mails that look like something legitimate, or in social media messages that have been hijacked by hackers.

Mr Morganelli said: "Because of the growth in online communication – be it Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram – there are now more and more ways for bad guys to reach out to people and trick them into clicking on links."

Online shopping is another source of infections. People who click on links in e-mails promising great deals, or people who scour the internet looking for the best prices can sometimes end up clicking on a link that leads to infection.