Helen Mccarthy

Sixteen-year-old Beckett from Leicestershire achieved nine GCSEs with grades 6 to 9 after helping care for his father Nick, a paediatric cardiac anaesthetist who died in February following a suspected diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy. Beckett credits his school's young carers club with helping him return to school and cope with bereavement, and hopes to pursue a medical career inspired by his father. He and his mother Tracey are calling for schools to identify and provide stronger support for young carers.

Historic posters, photographs, registers and a Victorian embroidered altar frontal have been salvaged from the 28 July fire that severely damaged St Andrew's Church in Leicester. The paper archive survived with little damage and will be catalogued by the Record Office for Leicester and Leicestershire, while the altar frontal is being kept in a specialist freezer by the Leicestershire Museums Service before restoration. The church remains unusable, repair costs have not yet been assessed, and worshippers have launched a fundraiser because the loss of rental income has significantly reduced the church's finances.

RMT members at East Midlands Railway are continuing strike action over safety and reliability concerns involving the new Class 810 Aurora fleet. The union claims some trains required full resets that disabled safety systems and cites faults involving toilets, air conditioning, communications and doors. EMR disputes the number of incidents and says no safety-critical faults prevent regulatory-compliant passenger service, while Hitachi Rail works on modifications and testing. Services have been reduced since July, with further timetable cuts and cancellations expected during the strikes and related action short of a strike; no date has been given for a return to normal service.

A new 50‑acre nature reserve in Great Bowden has opened in memory of James Adler after his father donated the land to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. Volunteers planted 22,000 trees as part of the project, which marks the first phase of a broader 500‑acre conservation effort involving the trust, Anglian Water and the local council. A second phase, including a bridge over the River Welland, is planned for 2026. Family members, project leaders and volunteers highlighted the reserve’s conservation value and its significance as a memorial.

Neighbours rescued an 87-year-old woman from a nighttime house fire in Wigston after her daughter alerted them through the home’s doorbell camera. They entered the smoke-filled property, located her upstairs and brought her to safety before fire crews arrived. The daughter praised their bravery, while fire officials confirmed the blaze was accidental and cautioned the public against entering burning buildings due to the dangers of smoke inhalation.