Damaged Gallery Art, Drug Dealer Convicted, Planning Approved Despite Objections & More
Happy Monday to you all and I hope you had a great weekend.
It's Monday morning, it's time to grab a brew, open the pink wafers, put the phone on silent and kick back for 10 - enjoy a read of today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas. A lot of Police content today including officers seeking your help to locate individuals to help them with their enquiries.
Todays thought for the day ... "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James
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, especially those that may not be on social media.
CCTV appeal after paintings damaged at gallery
Police are appealing for help to identify the person pictured in these images after paintings were damaged at an art gallery.
Officers have been investigating after damage to three artworks was reported at Worksop's Harley Gallery.
They have now identified a man they would like to speak to who visited the gallery with two other people on Thursday 16 April.
PC Mark Holland, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"These were inexplicable acts that caused damage to priceless works of art.
"Hundreds of hours of CCTV footage have been analysed in an effort to establish how and when this damage was caused.
"We would now like to speak to the person pictured in these images.
"He was identified several weeks after the incident and we are appealing to anyone who knows him to come forward."
Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 26000289339.
Drug Dealer Jailed After Cannabis Grow Discovered at Ollerton Flat
A drug dealer who operated a cannabis grow from his flat in Ollerton and was later arrested in Newark after fleeing to Scotland has been jailed for three years.
Craig Dickman was pulled over by officers when the Ford S-Max car he was driving triggered ANPR cameras on 19 May 2025.
The Gedling Central neighbourhood policing team were alerted that the vehicle could be involved in drug supply and stopped it in Daybrook around 8pm.
During a roadside search, they found a knife in the glove box, a large amount of cannabis in a lunch box in the boot and a bag full of cash.
Notebooks were also found containing deal lists and money owed by customers.
Mobile phones were seized and analysed, revealing evidence Dickman was heavily involved in the supply of Class A drugs.
He was arrested and officers then travelled to his home address, in Markham Close, Ollerton, where they were immediately struck by an overpowering smell of cannabis wafting from the property.
The remnants of a cannabis grow were discovered inside the sparsely decorated one-bedroom flat.
Cropped cannabis plants were found in the living room, with fans and lighting equipment in the bedroom.
Dickman was charged with a number of offences but fled to Scotland after being bailed by the court.
After being located at an address in Newark, the 48-year-old went on to plead guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, possession with intent to supply cannabis, cannabis production, possession of a knife in public, possession of criminal property and a Bail Act offence.
At Nottingham Crown Court on Monday (13 July) Dickman was jailed for a total of three years.
Police Constable Michael Callan, of the Gedling neighbourhood policing team, said:
“This outcome in court is all thanks to the alertness and determination of the officers who initially spotted and pulled over the vehicle.
"The car stop and arrest allowed us to seize a phone which showed Dickman's involvement in the supply of very harmful Class A drugs.
"By searching his home, we also discovered the remains of a cannabis grow which could easily have become active again.
"Cannabis grows within residential areas create a host of issues for neighbouring properties who are put at risk from people trying to steal the crop and from the fire hazards they create."
80-Home Fairygrove Development Approved in Retford Despite Overdevelopment Concerns
By: Joe Locker, LDRS
Plans for an 80-home housing development off Grove Road in Retford have been approved by Bassetlaw District Council, despite ongoing concerns from local residents about potential overdevelopment of the area.
The Fairygrove scheme, proposed by Keepmoat Homes, was originally submitted for up to 95 homes before being reduced to 80.
However, the site had initially been allocated for just 61 homes, prompting objections from dozens of nearby residents.
Residents argued that even the revised plans represent overdevelopment, raising concerns about increased traffic, pressure on local services, environmental impacts, and the effect on the character of the area.
The site sits within a conservation area between the East Coast Main Line and London Road, on land currently made up of agricultural fields and a former horticultural nursery.
The application had previously been delayed after councillors raised questions over flood risk, highways, and infrastructure contributions. Nottinghamshire County Council also highlighted concerns about the proposed transport design and sought improvements to walking and cycling connections before approval was granted.
The development forms part of Retford’s wider housing growth strategy, with the town expected to accommodate a significant share of the new homes planned across Bassetlaw by 2037.
WANTED: Nottinghamshire Police are looking for the man in this picture after he was identified as a suspect in a robbery.
A wanted appeal has now been issued to try and trace Jamie Morris – who Officers believe robbed a shop.
That incident took place in Asda, Scrooby Road, Harworth, after a thief was spotted taking meat products without paying.
When a staff member then confronted the thief as they tried to leave, they were duly assaulted inside the shop – causing a split lip.Any shop theft involving violence or where violence is threatened is now classified as a robbery in the UK, following changes to counting rules nationwide.
Nottinghamshire Police have been investigating the robbery since it happened – around 1.20pm on 4 July – and have identified 38-year-old Jamie Morris as a suspect.
Morris, who is also wanted on recall to prison, is of no fixed address but is known to have links to Harworth and Bircotes, so may be staying in those areas.
He is also known to use a bicycle to move around.Any member of the public who sees Morris is asked to call 999 immediately, so that Officers can arrest him.
Sergeant Rebecca Jepson said:
"Due to this individual's living situation, he has proven quite difficult for us to locate, so we are now appealing for the public's assistance in recalling him to prison.
"Robbery is an incredibly serious offence that can really impact people's lives, so having identified Morris as a suspect in a recent incident, we're keen to speak to him about that as soon as possible.
"As such, we'd ask that anybody who has any information about his whereabouts doesn't approach him but instead shares this with the police via 101 or by calling 999 in an emergency.
"You can also report anything you know anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
Our three interesting facts for today ....
Before he became a billionaire Roman Abramovich ran a company that made plastic ducks
Piggy Banks got their name from the Old English 'pygg', meaning 'clay'
A group of Pandas is called an 'embarrassment'
Nottinghamshire Police rated one of best forces in country
Nottinghamshire Police has been independently graded by national inspectors as one of the best forces in the country.
Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden has spoken of his pride at today's announcement by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) that Nottinghamshire Police is now rated at Level One – the highest possible rating in the Policing Performance System.
He said:
"I am absolutely delighted with this announcement which means Nottinghamshire Police is seen by national inspectors as one of the best performing forces in the country.
"Having come from being placed in enhanced monitoring status by HMICFRS in March 2024 to being the very top status of Level One in July 2026 is absolutely incredible and the force deserves huge recognition for the remarkable turnaround which has involved delivering a really focussed and sustained improvement programme.
"As the person elected to hold Nottinghamshire Police to account on behalf of the public, I'm really proud of how the force has risen to this challenge and improved the service it delivers to the people of Nottinghamshire.
"I am determined to ensure that this performance is maintained and that Nottinghamshire Police remains one of the country's best police forces."
Over the last two years, Nottinghamshire Police has implemented a huge programme of change which has seen rapid improvements to its leadership and oversight and the quality of its investigations.
A new neighbourhood policing model has also been rolled out during this time, along with an abstraction policy to ensure officers remain in their specific communities as much as possible. This has seen the force's neighbourhood policing footprint become one of the highest of all 43 police forces across the country.
Nottinghamshire Police's Chief Constable Steve Cooper also welcomed today's announcement from HMICFRS.
He said:
"This represents a significant step in the force's ongoing improvement journey to better serve our communities across Nottinghamshire.
"Back in March 2024, HMICFRS identified three areas where we needed to improve.
"These related to how we deliver neighbourhood policing and crime prevention, our governance and how we manage performance, and the effectiveness of investigations.
"We have worked incredibly hard as an organisation to ensure all three areas of concern were lifted by the HMICFRS at their last inspection.
“We are now delivering a much better service to victims of crime and our communities, which has been acknowledged by HMICFRS.
"This week we were assigned as a Level One force.
"This certainly does not mean that our work is done. We are determined to deliver an outstanding service for all of our local communities."
The Policing Performance System is a joint approach between the policing sector and government to assess, support and improve police performance across England and Wales. It provides transparent, consistent assessment and enables earlier support where improvement is needed, helping forces achieve better outcomes for communities.
HMICFRS assign forces to one of four performance levels, with Level One being the highest. Each level has associated degrees of support and intervention. The level that assigned to a force reflects its current performance, the extent of support required, and the expected level of interaction with the support and intervention process.
For more information, visit Latest police performance levels - His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Gainsborough waste problems
Councillors have clashed over the description of a Lincolnshire neighbourhood as a ‘third world country’.
One councillor says it ‘demoralises’ residents, while another says it’s a realistic assessment of the challenges the area faces.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Trevor Young described the waste problems in his Gainsborough South West ward in a West Lindsey District Council meeting earlier this week.
“It’s like living in a third world country on Wednesdays and Thursday,” he told the Thriving Places Committee on Tuesday, July 14.
“It’s a very impoverished area with waste up to your knees in those ten-foot [alley] areas.”
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he wasn’t criticising residents, but highlighting what they experienced.
“At least three days a week, parts of the South West ward in Gainsborough become extremely unsightly due to large amounts of waste being left in the ten-foot areas.
“Residents regularly raise these concerns with me, and I believe it is important that we are honest about the scale of the problem rather than pretend it does not exist.
“The conditions in some of these locations are unacceptable. In my view, they resemble the neglected slum areas seen in the 1960s, and the people who live there deserve far better.
“My comments were made because I want to see meaningful improvements, not because I wish to talk the area down.”
He said that one of the top priorities for the £20million Pride in Place funding which Gainsborough has secured should be dealing with waste and recycling problems.
His comments were criticised by Councillor Jeanette McGhee, who also represents the ward as an Independent.
“This kind of talk is demoralising to residents and council officers,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“I’m not blind to the problems and there is an issue with waste, but we won’t get anywhere by talking the area down.
“The ward is an amazing place which is going through a fantastic regeneration.
“We know people are unhappy with recycling options, and can’t don’t drive to get to the tip.
“The council’s looking at permanent measures to deal with this.
“As an interim measure, large purple bins will be placed in public areas around Gainsborough to allow residents to recycle paper and cardboard, which currently aren’t collected.”
It’s not too late to apply for a share of £1.2 million worth of community-boosting funding
Nottinghamshire groups and charities are being reminded the latest round of community funding is open until Friday 24 July.
The new-look Local Communities Fund is all part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s continued commitment to encourage healthy and sustainable communities by financially supporting community groups and charities via a two-year programme (2026-28)
Eligible community groups can still apply for a range of grants, including a new pot of money aimed at supporting new or recently set-up grassroot organisations.
These grants are:
• Small revenue grants of up to £5,000 to help towards vital running costs such as energy bills and staff costs.
• Capital grants of up to £20,000. These are designed to support improvements to local facilities which have match-funding.
• A one-off foundation grant is targeted at new or recently set up organisations. These groups can apply for up to £1,000 to help them get more established.
• A building financial resilience grant of up to £5,000 aimed at projects that address the root causes of financial crisis and help people build longer-term financial resilience, as part of a new government funding package.
Councillor Jody Stoll, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health reminded groups that there was still time to apply for grants. He said:
“We hope there’s a fund to suit all groups, and rest assured when an eligible community or voluntary group successfully applies for this funding, we’ll assess behind the scenes which pot of money is best suited.”
Community groups up and down the county are already benefiting from previous funding rounds. One charity is the Helpful Bureau, based in Stapleford which helps people to live safely and independently at home, offering day trips and activities, a befriending service and a community transport scheme to help reduce isolation and loneliness in for those living in the Broxtowe area.
A LCF grant of £13,240 went towards the recent purchase of a new accessible minibus (pictured). This minibus has easy access steps and a tail lift for wheelchair users.
Charity manager Alison Mcguire said:
“The new minibus will open the opportunity for more of our community to enjoy our day trips and activities.
“A big shout out to our staff, volunteers, clients and trustees for their unwavering passion and commitment that helps our small charity deliver such special impact.
“A huge thank you to our minibus funders and the public that made our minibus purchase possible, which includes the Local Communities Fund.”
Sutton Cum Lound Village Hall, based near Retford, were also successful in a previous round of capital funding, receiving £6,428 of match funding towards building an undercover seating area at the village hall and purchasing new outdoor furniture.
Paula Graham, a trustee. said that the funding has helped them transform the village hall into an even more welcoming place. She said:
"Our village hall is at the heart of our community and this upgrade, thanks to the Local Community Fund and other funding, has really helped make it an even better community hub for people of all ages.”
She added,
" Anyone in the area who can spare a few hours a week to volunteer at the village hall to help out we'd love to hear from you. Contact us by emailing suttonloundvillagehall@gmail.com"
Zephyr's is a charity which supports local families following pregnancy loss, or the death of a baby or child. It previously received a small revenue grant worth £3,500 to support a project called ‘Into the woods’.
Carly Williams is founder and CEO of Zephyr's, the charity she set up with partner Martin in memory of their son Zephyr. Carly said:
"Into the woods is a monthly forest school event in Tollerton for children who have experienced the death of a sibling, and their families. We are so grateful for the Local Communities Fund grant which has helped to sustain this important project for 12 months. It is dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and mental health of bereaved children and families; helping them understand, experience and express emotion and grief, whilst having the freedom for play in nature."
The revised Local Communities Fund will be a two-year programme to help plan for local government reorganisation. The improvements to the fund include:
- To help those organisations that have previously been unable to meet the funding criteria, a new foundation grant will be available for new or recently set-up groups to help them get established and help position them for more funding opportunities in the near future. This is in addition to getting general support from the council’s communities’ team.
- To speed up the application process for capital grants, groups will be able to apply without having their match-funding finalised but will need to provide evidence if and when they are successful in their application.
- To free up more funding towards projects which offer community resilience, the Local Communities Fund will no longer fund projects such as village or gateway signs.
For more details on the Local Communities Fund and how community groups can apply, go to: The Local Communities Fund (LCF) | Nottinghamshire County Council
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
