News in Coalville

Coalville councillor Dr Terri Eynon says the upcoming County Council elections are important because they 'make a genuine difference to people's lives'.

In just under a fortnight's time, Leicestershire voters will go to the polls.

The Model Railway Show comes to the Marlene Reid Centre in Coalville this September.

Coalville, the home of Snibston Collies opened by George and Robert Stephenson in 1831, will now be hosting Rocket Railways' very first model railway.

Members of Coalville Foodbank will be out in the area on Saturday dressed a huge food packages.

The reason? They are fundraising for a new warehouse for the Foodbank.

The family of a man who was nicknamed Miracle Mick after collapsing in Coalville's Belvoir Shopping Centre have raised over £2,000 for the Air Ambulance Service who helped save his life.

They say it was the rapid arrival of the helicopter that helped Mick Bishop, 72, survive.

North West Leicestershire District Council has a new Covid-19 compliance officer called Jane.

The council says she will mostly be out in Coalville and the district's southern parishes providing advice and support to local businesses to make sure everyone is playing their part to stay safe.

The next week or so will be 'critical' in showing how recent lockdown rule changes impact local Covid rates, according to Leicestershire's top public health boss.

Mike Sandys, director of public health at Leicestershire County Council, said that he expects to see the numbers start to reflect April 12 relaxations – that have seen beer gardens, hairdressers, non-essential retail and gyms re-opening – towards the end of this week.

Leicestershire Police say a number of drug finds have been made in the Coalville area.

This follows a week of action where search warrants were executed by officers in North-West Leicestershire under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A family-run bingo hall in Coalville is ready to re-open again next month after surviving two lockdowns - with three generations at the helm.

Palace Bingo in Jackson Street will be operating again from May 17 after having to shut down twice over the past year.

The Ellistown Ward at Coalville Community Hospital has been nominated as one of the winners of the Team of the Year Award at the NHS Leicestershire Celebrating Excellence 2020 event.

In a 'virtual' event, the Coalville team was praised in the Community Health Services section by National Health England for its work during the pandemic.

Charged with providing vital public services and with a multi-million budget to do so a question often asked is what happens to taxpayers' cash paid into the Leicestershire County Council kitty.

Those who noticed that council tax had increased by around £5 a month for the average county home when demand notices dropped through letterboxes last month might have wondered what the extra fiver a month goes towards.