Family Tributes Paid to A1 Fatalities, Student Officer Drink Drives to Work, Update from Jo White, MP & More
Happy Friday readers, its nearly the end of July and the weekend is in sight!
I hope you have something nice planned for the weekend but until then .... grab a brew, a custard cream and have a read of today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas.
Todays thought for the day ... “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” – Michelle Obama
Enjoy the read and have a great weekend wherever you are reading this.
Justin Doddy, Editor
P.S. If someone forwarded you this newsletter, click here to sign up to get quality local journalism in your inbox.
Sons pay tribute to parents killed in A1 collision
Two sons have paid tribute to their parents after they were killed in a road traffic collision.
Emergency services were called to the A1 southbound at Tuxford, Bassetlaw, shortly after 3.30pm on Monday (20 July) following reports of a three-vehicle crash.
The collision involved a Harley Davidson Trike motorcycle, a Vauxhall Grandland and a Scania flatbed lorry.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, 66-year-old Mike Savings and his wife Shirley Savings, 64 – who were riding the Trike motorcycle – died at the scene.
The couple, who lived in Lichfield, had been riding around Scotland celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary by visiting a number of special locations including the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge, to pay respects to Mike's late father who fought at D-Day.
Paying tribute to Mike and Shirley, their sons said:
"It is with absolute heartbreak that we must announce that Mike and Shirley Savings were both killed on Monday 20 July after being involved in a road traffic incident.
"As those who were following their journey will know, they had spent the last week on an anniversary tour of Scotland on their trike and were on the final leg of their trip on the A1 in Nottinghamshire when they were involved in a road traffic incident of which they did not survive.
"They first met at a nightclub and after over 40 years of marriage and two children their love of life and each other was still strong. Their unique energies and perspectives will be cherished and missed greatly by all who knew them."
An investigation into the collision is ongoing. Any witnesses who have yet to speak to police are asked to call 101 quoting 26*429653.
A suspect in a Harworth shop robbery has been charged and has appeared before the courts.
An investigation has been ongoing ever since a Harworth store was targeted and a member of staff was injured.
This happened at Asda, in Scrooby Road, with a suspect reportedly taking meat products before assaulting a shopworker.
The victim sustained a split lip during the incident, which took place around 1.20pm on 4 July.
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.
Following extensive inquiries, police arrested suspect Jamie Morris on Monday (20 July) night, and he has since been charged with robbery.
Morris, of no fixed address, attended Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (22 July), where he was remanded into custody.
The 38-year-old is next due to appear before Nottingham Crown Court on 19 August.
Sergeant Rebecca Jepson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"Robbery – in all of its different guises – is an incredibly serious offence that can have lasting repercussions for anyone targeted. Whether it's from a financial, physical, or emotional standpoint, we know how much of an impact these types of offences can have on victims. We're therefore pleased to be able to share the news that a suspect has now been charged in connection with this incident."
A week of opportunity at the Bassetlaw Summer School
This month I hosted my annual Bassetlaw Summer School, bringing together 40 secondary school students from Bassetlaw to offer life-changing opportunities, lift aspirations and explore future career opportunities.
One of my priorities as our Member of Parliament is to raise the aspirations of our young people. Students in Bassetlaw have just as much talent as those growing up in London and other big cities, but they do not always have the same opportunities. I want to open doors for our students so that they have the confidence to aim high as they begin to think about their future careers.
The Summer School began here in Bassetlaw at DHL’s Manton Wood site, a major local business. Students toured the warehouse and saw the new lorries used to move goods across the country. At Clumber Park, they learned about the National Trust and helped with conservation work in the woodland.
The students then travelled to London and toured Parliament, visited the House of Lords and learned about the law and how it is made. A real highlight was visiting Speaker’s House to meet the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. He spoke about his journey into politics and answered intelligent and thoughtful questions from the students about his role in Parliament.
The students also met Kanishka Narayan MP, the Minister for AI and Online Safety. They heard about proposals to protect children online and discussed them with the Molly Rose Foundation and the NSPCC. Later, they visited the top law firm Clifford Chance, where solicitors explained their work and helped the students tackle legal case studies.
At online bank Revolut, the students learned how a small financial technology company grew into a major international business. They worked in teams to design a new banking product. At Amazon’s UK headquarters, they heard about the company’s work and received useful advice on writing a strong CV and making a good first impression.
On the final day, a treasure hunt helped the students explore London and become more confident using public transport. They met Deputy US Ambassador Robert Thomas, who spoke about his career in diplomacy. The programme ended with visits to Downing Street, where I presented the students with their certificates. They also met Rachel Blake MP, who explained her work at the Treasury.
The week showed what can happen when young people are given the chance to step outside their usual surroundings and try something new. It was not just about learning about different careers, but also about building independence, working as a team and discovering their own individual strengths.
I’m extremely grateful to all those who helped educate and inspire these pupils.
I was so impressed with the class of 2026, who were so enthusiastic, excited and motivated. They were superb representatives of their schools and Bassetlaw.
Our three interesting facts for today ....
The first public parks in the US were cemeteries
Only 30% of Hindus are vegetarian
The sun is closer to the Earth during the UK's winter, not the summer.
Misconduct hearing: Former student officer barred from policing after drink driving to work
A student police officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned after being caught drink driving.
PC Tyler Beard faced a gross misconduct hearing at Force HQ in Sherwood Lodge on Thursday 23 July.
The hearing was open to both the public and the media.
The hearing heard that on March 13, he was immediately prevented from continuing his police training at Force HQ when alcohol was smelt on his breath and he was arrested.
A specimen of breath was taken, and he blew 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
He was charged with driving whilst over the prescribed limit and suspended from the force.
He pleaded guilty to the offence at Derby Magistrates Court and was disqualified from driving for 14 months and was fined £400.
He was also ordered to pay £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £160 victim surcharge.
The one-day hearing heard that the former officer breached the following standard of professional behaviour – discreditable conduct.
The former officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned and will be placed on the police barred list.
Chief Constable Steve Cooper, who chaired the gross misconduct hearing, said:
"This behaviour is completely unacceptable.
"His cohort, made up of other student officers, were so concerned by the way he presented himself on March 13, they immediately informed a supervisor.
"Drink driving destroys lives and puts other road users at risk".
Town ban for man who plagued Newark with bad behaviour
A repeat antisocial behaviour offender has been banned from stepping foot in Newark.
The actions of James Murr have caused prolonged distress to the community for more than 18 months.
Reports of repeated nuisance behaviour, drug use and exploitation of vulnerable people have all been made against the 31-year-old.
That behaviour has also been compounded by Murr and accomplice Naomi Pugh contributing to the "cuckooing" of multiple properties across Newark.
Cuckooing is a practice whereby vulnerable people are manipulated by criminals into allowing their homes to be taken over and used for illegal activities.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has previously worked with Nottinghamshire Police to secure closure orders on multiple properties impacted by the actions of Murr and Pugh, both of no fixed address.
When these measures didn't curb their offending, a decision was made by the council and police to take further action against firstly Pugh – who received a two-year injunction order back in April – and now Murr.
He has also been served with an injunction, banning him from entering any part of Newark for the next two years, with the order also prohibiting him from engaging in any behaviour that causes – or is likely to cause – nuisance, alarm or distress to others.
Should he breach this order in any way, police will have the authority to arrest Murr there and then.
Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said:
"Knowing Murr will now be banned from Newark is great news for everyone who lives, works and visits here.
"He and his accomplice Naomi Pugh have been responsible for making people's lives a misery through their repeated nuisance behaviour for some time now.
"As well as their frequent examples of antisocial behaviour (ASB), they also contributed to the 'cuckooing' of vulnerable people at different properties across Newark.
"Those actions prompted the council to secure multiple closure orders on these addresses, while an injunction was secured against Pugh a few months ago too.
"We're therefore delighted to see that Murr has also now been served with an injunction, which we hope will give the local community some respite from him and his unpleasant behaviour."
Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, added:
"Everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and within their local community. For a prolonged period, the behaviour associated with these individuals caused considerable concern, distress and disruption for residents, as well as placing additional demands on local services and partner agencies.
"This injunction is an important step in protecting our communities and demonstrates our commitment to taking robust action where antisocial behaviour persistently affects the lives of local people. We will not hesitate to use the powers available to us when there is clear evidence that intervention is necessary to prevent further harm.
"We are grateful for the continued support of Nottinghamshire Police and partner agencies in helping us protect residents and respond to concerns raised by the community."
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.
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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
