Animal Abuser Jailed, Trent Bridge Improvements, Tesco Free Kids Meals & More
Happy Monday to you all and I hope you had a great weekend. Its getting slightly cooler and we are definitely not complaining!
Its time to grab a brew, open the digestives, put the phone on silent and kick back for 10 - here is today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas.
Todays thought for the day ... "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." –Abraham Lincoln
Have a great Monday wherever you are reading this.
Justin Doddy, Editor
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter if you haven't already and please forward the newsletter to a friend that you think may like it.
Duo charged and remanded for drugs supply offences after Newark raids
Two suspects have been charged with drugs supply offences following simultaneous police raids in Newark.
Officers investigating the supply of heroin and crack cocaine across the region executed warrants in Friars Crescent and Philip Road.
Police entered properties on the neighbouring streets at the same time on Tuesday (16 June), following reports they could have links to drugs supply.Four suspects were located inside the addresses and arrested – including Tyler Green, 18, and Kieran Lane-Fox, who have both since been charged with various offences.
Green, of Friars Crescent, Newark, and Lane-Fox, of Philip Road, Newark, have both been charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, and possessing Class B drugs.Lane-Fox, 22, has additionally been charged with breaching a criminal behaviour order.
Both suspects attended Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 17 June, where they were remanded into custody.
They are next due to appear before Nottingham Crown Court on 15 July.Two further suspects – a 36-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy – arrested for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs have been released on bail with strict conditions.
PC Abbie Osborne, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"Class A drugs cause devastating damage to people's lives, which is why tackling drugs supply remains a priority for this police force.
"We're pleased to see two suspects have now been charged and remanded in connection with this investigation, while two more have been arrested and conditionally bailed as our inquiries continue."
Harworth & Bircotes residents are being invited to get active, meet new people and discover local opportunities at a free community wellbeing event this summer.
Active Communities CIC, based in Harworth and Bircotes, is hosting its Wellbeing Weekender at Harworth Colliery Football Club on Saturday 11 July, from 12pm to 3pm, thanks to a £950 Councillor Community Grant from Bassetlaw District Councillors.
The free event will feature a range of activities including football, darts, wheelchair basketball, archery and the chance to meet local health and wellbeing organisations.
As Harworth and Bircotes continues to grow, the event aims to bring residents together, encourage healthier lifestyles and strengthen community connections.
Darren Huart, Director of Active Communities CIC, said:
"We're really looking forward to bringing the community together for this wellbeing event. It's all about giving people the chance to try something new, meet others and see what support and opportunities are available locally in a relaxed, welcoming setting.
"We're incredibly grateful to the councillors for their support through this grant, which has helped make the day possible. Their backing allows us to reach more people and create a safe, inclusive environment where everyone feels able to get involved."
Ward Members for Harworth and Bircotes, Cllr Lynne Schuller, Cllr Joe Horrocks and Cllr June Evans, said:
"We're really pleased, alongside our fellow councillors, to support Active Communities CIC in delivering this wellbeing event for Harworth and Bircotes. It's a fantastic opportunity for residents of all ages to come together, get active and connect with local groups and services in a friendly and inclusive environment.
"As our community continues to grow, events like this play an important role in bringing people together and helping residents feel part of something positive. We're proud to support initiatives like this through the Councillor Community Grant and look forward to seeing the event make a real difference locally."
The event has also received support from Cllr David Challinor and Cllr Simon Richardson through the Bassetlaw District Council Community Grant Scheme.
Entry is free and everyone is welcome.Content and Image courtesy of BDC
‘She should have had a better life’: former midwife’s daughter with life-changing brain injury let down by the trust she worked at
By: Lauren Monaghan, LDRS
A former Nottingham midwife’s daughter was left with a serious brain injury after “days” of missed and delayed care by the trust she used to work at.
Four-and-a-half-year-old Caitlin was born under Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH) in 2021, to Carlton parents Emily Stringer, 36, and Darryl Gwinnett, 38.
Born prematurely, she was transferred to the neonatal unit to continue growing in an incubator, but her parents say she was a “completely healthy” baby.
Caitlin’s devastating case started at just a few weeks old, when her parents noticed her abdomen had become very swollen, she became lethargic and was struggling with her feeds and the oxygen she was on.
Necrotising Enterocolitis was her condition, the symptoms of which were initially ignored by staff on the unit, despite Caitlin’s parents raising concerns for “days”.
The life-threatening illness is the most common surgical emergency in newborn babies, particularly those born premature, and is where tissues in the intestine become inflamed and start to die. If not treated swiftly, it can lead to a dangerous infection.
Now, the four-year-old is living with a life-changing brain injury from the complications of missed and delayed intervention and is not expected to survive childhood.
Emily Stringer said:
“We were taking photos of her increasingly swollen abdomen, and they were all addressed in isolation – no one took a step back and thought ‘hang on, these parents are right, this is a deteriorating baby’.”
“Ultimately we were right, Caitlin’s bowel ruptured and then she collapsed”, Ms Stringer continued, adding her daughter was not given antibiotics until 17 hours after an X-ray had confirmed the problem – the national standard is within one hour.
Ms Stringer worked as a midwife at NUH until resigning in 2018 after not having the “strength” to deal with the toxic “sink or swim” culture within the trust’s maternity service – it was some of her former colleagues who were responsible for Caitlin’s care after she was born.
She said:
“I was told to be a mum, not a midwife, essentially shut down as a professional.
“Having worked at the trust I knew the issues the maternity service was facing and I thought my knowledge would be enough to keep me and Caitlin safe.
“To some extent I feel quite protective of the midwives there, because there are some truly great ones doing their absolute best in dire circumstances.”
Her partner, Darryl Gwinnett, said:
“[Emily] had the knowledge to ask the right questions and that still wasn’t enough, but on the days she wasn’t there and it was me, someone with no healthcare background, I was just constantly lied to and dismissed.
“If someone with Emily’s background can’t even steer the staff into the right outcome, what chance has anyone else got?”
Today, Caitlin cannot walk, cannot hold her head up, is non-verbal and is fed via a tube into her stomach because she cannot safely swallow.
Mr Gwinnett said “despite all of that, she is the happiest little girl you can imagine, she’s a little daredevil”, with Ms Stringer adding: “She thinks she’s got the best life ever.”
Caitlin and her parents are part of Donna Ockenden’s independent maternity review, the largest review in NHS history, which has unveiled the harrowing maternity care failings leading to the harm and death of 2,430 mothers and babies.
The nearly four-year review was published on Wednesday (June 24), examining 2,505 cases of death and serious harm, including 838 current or former staff giving evidence.
Of the cases, 612 related to severe maternal harm, 505 related to stillbirths, 329 related to neonatal deaths – within the first 28 days of life – 297 related to brain injuries at birth, 24 related to maternal deaths and 535 related to additional maternity experiences.
Distressing details from the report include 156 babies could have survived had better care been provided by NUH, over a period of 13 years and relating to 94 stillbirths and 62 neonatal deaths.
It also found 105 potentially avoidable severe brain injuries inflicted on babies and disturbing events including one deceased baby being placed by a portering staff member into a mortuary space already occupied by an unrelated deceased adult and another early gestational baby being “inadvertently” disposed of as clinical waste.
In her statement, expert midwife Ms Ockenden said a “toxic culture” was able to take hold across NUH maternity services, where a “small number of powerful leaders infected the unit”.
She said bullying was normalised, speaking up was dangerous and junior staff were afraid to escalate concerns.
Mr Gwinnett continued:
“I think the most heartbreaking thing is just knowing [Caitlin] should have had a better life and it’s kind of bittersweet that she doesn’t understand what her life should have been like.
“We’ve left her today [Wednesday, June 24] in intensive care, because she’s back in there… every time she’s ill we have to trust the same organisation that harmed her.”
NUH’s board meets on Thursday (June 25) with families in attendance, where Nick Carver, NUH chair, said he and the chief executive, Anthony May, have agreed with impacted families to work with them on a “full and meaningful apology” once the whole report had been considered, but said the board was “sincerely sorry” for the families’ harm.
He said NUH was ‘absolutely committed’ to ongoing improvements, openness and transparency and long-term engagement with families.
Mr May, speaking on Wednesday, said improvements across NUH’s maternity service are already apparent. He said:
“Against the 10 safety recommendations which we’re all judged against in maternity, when I joined [the trust, in 2022], we met five of them – we now meet 10 – so that’s more than words, that’s action.
“When I joined there were 126 vacancies for midwives, now we’ve got about 15 – we’re still trying to recruit more doctors, that’s more difficult.”
In Thursday’s board meeting, the trust announced Sherwood Forest MP, Michelle Welsh (Lab) – who suffered her own traumatic birth story under NUH with her son in 2020 – would be chairing its learning and improvement board to oversee changes to its maternity service.
Okenden’s report includes eight “immediate” and “essential ” actions NUH must work on.
These are: improvements in listening to women and families, workforce planning and safe staffing, training and multi-professional learning, risk assessment throughout pregnancy, incident investigation and family involvement, governance and board accountability, culture, teamwork and psychological safety, mothers who have died and post-death care.
Impacted families are calling on the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to set up a public inquiry into national maternity services “without delay”.
Our three interesting facts for today ....
In 2013, a stolen prosthetic arm was found in a second-hand shop in Bournemouth
The research that led to the founding of Google was funded by grants from the CIA
In 2018, the University of Miami appointed the US's first professor of atheism
Introducing your BRAND NEW local history and nostalgia group for Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw Today has listened to our readers who asked for a Bassetlaw focused history and nostalgia group.
They asked for a platform to share stories and pictures of long gone Bassetlaw pubs and local landmarks they remember from their youth, our remarkable Bassetlaw history through the ages and any other Bassetlaw related photos they would like to share with a story.
They group will also accept history from our nearby neighbours in surrounding areas as our history is so intertwined.
If it's only Bassetlaw history and nostalgia that you want then that is all you'll get in the group.
Join Now and share your memories 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1912785046097884
One for the Animal Lovers - A Warsop man who was banned from keeping or even looking after animals has been jailed after causing serious injuries to a dog.
David Pogmore, aged 34, was issued with the ban in 2012.
He was reported to the Nottinghamshire Police after an incident in December 2024 when a dog he was looking after suffered a broken leg and a contusion to her head.
Expert testimony from an independent veterinary surgeon suggested that the dog – a Pug called Betsy – had likely been kicked with sufficient force to propel her into a hard object or surface.
During his initial police interview Pogmore admitted to breaching his court order by being alone with the injured animal and another he had previously agreed to care for.
However, he denied causing the injury to Betsy.
Faced with the evidence against him, Pogmore later pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, and to three counts of breaching his court order.
The third count relates to an incident while still on bail where he stayed in a house where pets were present.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday 17 June Pogmore, of Meden Avenue, Warsop, was jailed for two years and two months and given an indefinite Animal Disqualification Order.
Police Staff Investigator Claire Celino said:
“Pogmore poses a clear danger to animals, which is why he was banned from being alone with them in 2012.
“I am pleased he has now been held to account not only for the repeated flouting of this order, but also for the appalling injuries he inflicted on a much-loved family pet.
“Sadly, that animal has been left with life-changing injuries and is clearly traumatised by what happened to her in the time she spent with Pogmore.
“As he begins his sentence, I hope this case serves as a warning to others about the potential consequences of this kind of cruelty towards animals.”
Tesco Worksop extends Kids Eat Free scheme to weekends this summer, offering extra support for families
Tesco Worksop extends Kids Eat Free scheme to weekends this summer, offering extra support for families
Tesco has announced that its popular Kids Eat Free scheme has been extended to include weekends for the first time, giving families even more opportunities to save during the school summer holidays.
Running from 25 June to 1 September, the offer is available in more than 330 participating Tesco Cafés and Coffee Shops, including the Tesco Café at the Gateford Road store in Worksop, providing welcome support for families across Bassetlaw.
With the purchase of any full-price adult meal or drink using a Tesco Clubcard, children can enjoy a free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick 'n' Mix meal.
There is no minimum spend on the adult purchase and no limit to the number of children's meals that can be claimed, making the scheme accessible for families of all sizes.
Tesco is also reducing the price of children's meals throughout the summer and will once again be offering free apples for children at checkouts in more than 800 Tesco stores between 20 July and 30 August as part of its Free Fruit for Kids initiative.
Claire De Silva, Tesco's Head of Communities, said:
"We know that household budgets can be really stretched, especially over the long summer holiday, so offering free meals to children during this time is just one of the ways we can support families."
The initiative forms part of Tesco's wider commitment to supporting children and families, alongside its continued Free Fruit and Veg for Schools programme.
For many families across Bassetlaw, this expanded scheme could provide some welcome help with the cost of the summer holidays while offering children a healthy meal when visiting the Tesco Café in Worksop.
West Lindsey/Notts: Trent Bridge improvements
By: Jamie Waller, LDRS
Cross-county talks are underway on how to improve a bridge which has been labelled as a “bottleneck” and a “nightmare” for commuters.
The Trent Bridge at Gainsborough is a key route between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, but often has traffic queuing to cross it.
Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns commissioned a feasibility study earlier this year into options, including widening it or an entirely new bridge.
The authority is now speaking with Nottinghamshire County Council, East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward and the STEP fusion project about the possibility of joint funding.
“The combined authority is aware of the issues with the bridge serving Gainsborough,” Ms Jenkyns told a meeting of the mayoral authority on Wednesday, June 24.
“I’ve sat in the traffic myself so many times. You’re talking half an hour for the last mile, it’s a nightmare.
“We’ve had the feasibility study done and have spoken to the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, and are going to progress meetings with the East Midlands Mayor and STEP.
“We need the new bridge. I think we all ought to work together and fund it as it equally benefits the East Midlands and STEP. I want to ensure it finally happens.”
The bridge was built in 1791 and was last widened more than 60 years ago, according to a plaque on it.
A Gainsborough couple told the LDRS:
“You often see the bridge backed up for a long way – often all the way past the pub on the other side.
“It’s a bottleneck, and you have so many tourists coming from the Sheffield area which have to pass over the bridge to get to Skegness.
“The problem is there are so few crossings over the Trent. You’ve got the Lincoln bridge miles in one direction, and you have to go all the way up to Keadby [in North Lincolnshire] in the other way.
“Ideally, they’d improve the traffic lights and roundabout near this bridge to help the traffic flow better.”
The STEP fusion project at the former West Burton power station is expected to become a major employer for the area in future, highlighting the need for stronger transport links.
Thanks so much for reading our local newsletter and for supporting us. We’re committed to providing Bassetlaw with the quality local news service it deserves, but sustaining this work may come with some challenges. Our team is currently discussing how to make Bassetlaw Today financially viable in the long term, and one option we’re considering is introducing a subscription model to help cover our costs.
We want to be open with you about these conversations so you’re aware that a fee may need to be introduced in the future. If that happens, we hope you’ll continue to stand with us and support the publication.
Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.
Justin Doddy, Editor
Bassetlaw Today
P.S. Your feedback about this newsletter is important to me. You can email me your feedback to news@bassettlawtoday.co.uk
