Monday Edition - Police Unleash New ATV, Sheep Stealer for the Chop, Cake Wars Go National & More

Today's edition covers all things Bassetlaw including a new ATV unleashed by the Police on rural criminals ........ and of course - your daily puzzle fix.

Todays thought for the day ... “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you… never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe

Enjoy the read, please email us if you have a story for us and have a great day wherever you are in Bassetlaw.

Justin Doddy, Editor

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter here if you haven't already and remember to send us your pictures from around Bassetlaw, we may feature it on our newsletter.

Farmer sentenced for stealing hundreds of sheep during seven-year period

A farmer from Lincolnshire has been sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court [8 May 2026] after being found guilty of committing a long-running series of livestock thefts and animal welfare offences.

Peter Parker, aged 60, of The Clays, Brant Broughton, was found guilty of stealing hundreds of sheep from livestock markets across England. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison following a joint prosecution between Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards, West Mercia Police and Cumbria Police.

The court heard that between 2016 and 2023, Parker targeted Newark Livestock Market, Hereford Livestock Market and Penrith and District Farmers Mart. CCTV footage showed him arriving at the markets late at night with a lorry load of sheep, which he would swap for other sheep that were of a higher quality than his own. In some instances, Parker simply stole sheep from the livestock markets. At the Newark market alone, Parker was responsible for stealing almost 650 sheep worth at least £23,000 in the summer of 2017. He stole a further 50 sheep from Penrith and 23 from Hereford livestock markets. It was noted that Parker committed some of his offences while he was already subject to bail.

In addition to the livestock thefts, Parker pleaded guilty to two regulatory offences of failing to notify the relevant authorities of the movement or death of cattle, and not guilty to eight further offences under schedule 51 of Crime and Disorder Act 1988. These latter offences included failures to properly identify sheep and causing unnecessary suffering to sheep. Parker’s repeat offending was reported to have had a serious impact on livestock markets, farmers, and confidence in animal health and food safety systems.

Councillor Dawn Justice, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Our Trading Standards officers take animal welfare and disease control very seriously. For years Mr Parker’s offences have undermined animal welfare, disease control and trust in the livestock industry. Today’s sentencing is an excellent result and sends a strong message that we will not tolerate livestock theft or breaches of the legal requirements that are in place to protect animal and public health. Our Trading Standards officers will continue to work closely with market operators and enforcement partners to protect both farmers and the wider public.”

Martin Beck from the National Rural Crime Unit said: “Mr Parker was highly organised in stealing sheep from around the country over a significant period of time. Livestock theft is not a victimless crime, not only did he betray the trust of livestock auctioneers and fellow farmers, the impact of his crimes created a risk to public and animal health.

“Investigations into livestock theft often reveal that such crimes require specific agricultural knowledge, sometimes involving individuals close to the industry. Livestock theft is a serious issue. This conviction sends a clear message that the police and enforcement partners will pursue those who are involved rural crime.

“The National Rural Crime Unit would like to that thank Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards and Cumbria Police for dealing with this complex and lengthy investigation and bringing Mr Parker to Justice. Police and enforcement partners are working together to pursue those who steal livestock and target the farming industry. We will find you and we will prosecute you.”

Concerns about the welfare of livestock or farm animals can be reported to Trading Standards through the Citizens’ Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 2231133.

It only takes a small spark to cause a big incident.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service have advised that with the warmer, drier weather starting to appear, the risk of fires in rural areas increases — and it only takes a small spark to cause a big incident.

They further advise that whether you’re working the land, out walking, or just enjoying the countryside, a few simple steps can make all the difference:

Cut back dry grass and vegetation near buildings

Check machinery and avoid parking on dry grass

Keep access routes clear for emergency vehicles

Know your water supply and how to use it

Act early — fires spread quickly in rural areas

Let’s help keep our countryside and communities free of fire.

Young people celebrate opening of new space

A new dedicated space for young people to get together after school has officially opened in Retford after securing government funding.

The ‘Overflow Lounge’ behind The Well Baptist Church on Hospital Road has been created by the Retford Town Centre Partnership Board in partnership with The Well, The Elizabethan Academy and Retford Oaks Academy.

£25k has been spent on refurbishment works for the outbuilding including a new kitchen, layout, decoration, flooring, lighting and equipment following consultation with young people from both schools.

Rick Brand, Chair of the Retford Town Centre Partnership Board, said: "We have been working for some time towards delivering a safe after-school environment for young people to enjoy, and it is great to finally see it arrive.

“Many thanks go to Cllr Sue Shaw and Steve Walker, who have worked so hard to make this idea into a reality."

The Overflow Lounge will give young people the chance to relax, play games, enjoy snacks and socialise in a safe and welcoming environment, as well as getting involved in helping to run sessions with their own ideas and activities.

It has been supported by the Town Centre Streetscaping Fund funded by UK Government and allocated by Bassetlaw District Council.

Cllr Steve Scotthorne, Cabinet Member for Identity, Planning and Place said: “The Overflow Lounge gives young people a welcoming place of their own where they can connect, have fun and socialise.It builds on the provision that Retford’s Young People’s Centre offers.

“I am looking forward to seeing how this develops over the coming months and the difference it will make for young people in the town.”

Initially the Overflow Lounge will be welcoming students after school on a Wednesday with plans for more days in the future.

Have a Coffee with the Heroes at the Hospice

Every Thursday morning Bassetlaw Hospice holds a community coffee morning in the Support & Wellbeing Centre at the Hospice and you are invited.

For a small charge there’s always a lovely selection of cakes and tea & coffee available and a very friendly atmosphere.

The coffee morning runs from 10am till 12 noon and is open to everyone.

Our three interesting facts for today ....

There are a dozen pubs in the UK that claim to be 'Britain's oldest pub'

Postage was originally paid by the person receiving the letter, not the sender

The crowd that greeted Tony Blair when he first entered Downing Street had been bussed in.

The Great British Bake‑Off… Taxed?!

Pictured: A cake shed owned by Natalie Brook courtesy of BBC.

Robert Jenrick, MP has weighed in on the Bassetlaw Cake Shed dispute between Bassetlaw District Council and home bakers around Bassetlaw as the dispute hits the national media.

Mr Jenrick expresses his disbelief at Bassetlaw District Council now slapping a £1,007 charge on anyone selling homemade cakes, fresh eggs or other bits from an honesty box at the end of their drive. Yes — over a grand just to offer a few cupcakes or a box of eggs to neighbours.

The Newark MP ridicules the fact that the fine for not paying is £1,000 — so it’s literally cheaper to break the rule than follow it and that most people don’t even earn £1,007 a year doing this.

He has now written to Bassetlaw District Council to protest what he described as 'nonsense' that is killing a quintessentially English tradition.

New All‑Terrain Vehicle to Tackle Rural Crime

A brand‑new all‑terrain vehicle (ATV) will soon be hitting the tracks across Nottinghamshire to help police tackle rural crime and anti‑social behaviour. It’s the first of its kind in the region, built to handle tough landscapes and reach remote areas across Bassetlaw, Rushcliffe, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood.

Funded through the PCC’s Safer4All grants, the ATV will support officers alongside the existing fleet of 4x4s, quad bikes and off‑road bikes.

Chief Inspector Clive Collings says the new vehicle will boost efforts to prevent and detect rural crime, protect livestock and wildlife, and improve safety for rural communities.

If you’re a victim of rural crime, please report it by calling 101 or using the online reporting service. The more you report, the more action police can take.

MKM Buck the Trend

Building and construction suppliers, MKM have delivered another strong set of results for the year ending 30 September 2025, with revenue up 12% to £1.1bn – significantly outperforming the wider market.

One of the MKM's 139 branches is in Retford and have despite continued challenging trading conditions across the construction sector, MKM have grown their market share to 14.8%, well ahead of modest market growth of around 1.2%.

MKM have stated that this performance reflects the strength of their long‑term investment strategy, their customer‑first approach and their locally empowered branch model and that MKM remains well positioned for the future despite uncertainty in the external environment and wider geopolitical factors.

The group's customer offer continued to evolve, including the launch of shopping through the MKM app, building on existing account management functionality to make ordering easier and strengthen day‑to‑day engagement with our customers.

Kate Tinsley, CEO of MKM Building Supplies, said:

“MKM delivered a strong performance in 2025, continuing to outperform the market and growing both revenue and profitability despite ongoing challenging conditions. We opened seven new branches during the year and continued to invest in our network, our people and our customer offer, while maintaining the high levels of service and product availability that set MKM apart.”

Can you figure out today's puzzle?

First figure out the nine letter solution and then find as many words as you can in today's panagram that contain the letter B.

Our last panagram was EASEMENTS. Read our next newsletter for the solution to today's puzzle.

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