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A youth club says it needs funding from local authorities as it struggles amid a "dramatic surge in demand" for its services.

The Pythian Club has run for 12 years in Nottingham, offering mentoring, community sports and other support for young people across the city.

Its founder and chief executive Ben Rosser – a former police officer – said with rising bills and more people in need of its help, the club hoped for funding from Nottingham City Council and the police and crime commissioner (PCC).

The council said while it recognised the work the club and other organisations like it were doing in the city, it was not currently in a position to provide direct financial support.

A spokesperson for the police and crime commissioner said they were unable to comment at this time.

Mr Rosser said he was grateful for local authorities' support "over the years" but securing financial support in the next few months would be "critical" to the club's future.

"We've seen a dramatic surge in demand for the work that we're doing across Nottingham when it comes to mentoring and supporting young people that have sometimes disengaged from the general, normal community practices and can sometimes get led down the wrong path," he said.

The club is currently funded by the schools it works with, sponsors and independent pots of funding that organisations like the club apply for.

Mr Rosser said he had been "heartened" that the PCC and council had contacted the club over the last few months to "understand and appreciate" the work it was doing but hoped financial support would follow.

Over the years, he added, the club had helped young people back into education, setting some on the path to employment and supporting young offenders after their release from prison.

"We've got young people that have come out of prison youth offending institutions and now leading the way," he said.

One young teenager joined the club following his release from a young offender institution.

"Instead of going down the road of county lines, he went down the lines of coaching [football]," Mr Rosser said.

He said the young man was now earning a living through football coaching.

Another, he said, had returned to the school he was expelled from four years earlier to run a summer mentoring programme for pupils.

He added: "We're seeing issues across our community with young people continually getting involved in things they don't need to be getting involved in. Knife crime is one of the main [problems] nationally."

Mr Rosser said a number of other smaller organisations carrying out similar work across the city also needed supporting "for us [Nottingham] to have any chance of getting out of the mess that we're in".

A city council spokesperson said: "Like many local authorities across the country, we are facing increasing demands on our services while having to work within tighter financial constraints.

"As a result, we are simply not in a position to provide the same level of funding support that we may have been able to in the past.

"We recognise the important work that organisations like the Pythian Club do in our communities and understand the challenges they are currently facing.

"While we're unable to provide direct financial support at this time, there are alternative funding streams available through central government and other bodies which we would encourage groups to explore."

Bus passengers have criticised a company's decision to put up fares, as it announced changes due to "increases in operating costs".

Dan Bassett, Ipswich Buses's managing director, said the company had "tried hard to maintain affordability and offer value for money" as labour costs and taxes rise.

Among the changes from 20 April are rising prices for single journeys and the scrapping of return tickets, but a reduction in day ticket fares.

One bus user told the BBC "it's going to get to the point where it's cheaper to get a cab", but some were also sympathetic due to the cost of living crisis.

Ipswich Buses introduced increases and changes to tickets last year too following a review.

This year, the company said it had carried out analysis of local and national operators' fares before making its decision.

Single fares are due to rise from £2 to £2.30 for an adult and from £1.40 to £1.70 for under-20s. The £2 National Bus Fare Cap for single journeys was raised to £3 by the government in its October Budget.

Return tickets are being withdrawn and replaced instead with a reduced day ticket, from £4.50 to £4.40 for an adult and £3.30 to £3 for under-20s.

The company said its app continued to offer a reduction in fares for family tickets and for those wanting to buy in bulk.

Other bus operators in the county have made similar changes.

First Bus, which operates across the county, introduced changes at the start of the year in response to the National Bus Fare Cap change.

Hedingham & Chambers buses, that operates in a small part of Suffolk as well as Essex and is due to rebrand later this year, has also brought in new fares.

'Keep the return ticket'

Regular bus user Darrell Dragon, 45, felt the changes by Ipswich Buses were not fair.

"They should keep the return ticket. By all means take it up, but to scrap it is just a joke," he said.

"I can understand the price increase, but to scrap one ticket is a joke and to take it up as much as they are for the day ticket is ridiculous.

"It puts me off [using the buses], but unfortunately I don't have a choice.

"It's going to get to the point where it's cheaper to get a cab than it is to get the bus."

'It inconveniences me'

Vakare Rimkute, 19, from Leiston, uses the buses regularly to get to Ipswich and said despite being small increases, they eventually add up.

"You think at the time it's not that much, but then when you add it up at the end of the month you think, 'Oh, a chunk of my money is gone'," she explained.

"It does make a difference, that extra little bit that you could save over a few weeks to buy yourself some lunch or something more useful."

Ms Rimkute said she understood the reasons behind the changes, but felt wages often did not match the cost of living.

Despite the changes, she said she would still need to use the service.

"It doesn't put me off it – it inconveniences me and makes me think," she added.

'People just can't afford it'

Megan Clarke, 35, is another regular bus user from Ipswich and said the changes would force her to "pick and choose" when she could go out or enjoy other things in her life.

"Sometimes it's weighing the option, so I must ensure I've got money for the bus, but I can't just use it frivolously because I might need it for something else," she said.

"For some of the buses they go really regularly, they're clean and the staff are really helpful and friendly, that's good value.

"But when buses are not as up-to-date, or they're not clean or they're not as regular, that feels a bit painful when you're paying so much for it.

"I think we might lose some bus services because people just can't afford it."

'Tried hard to maintain affordability'

Mr Bassett, from the bus company, said: "We understand the cost of living continues to be challenging for many people, and whilst we have had to make alterations to our fares, including increasing several prices, we have tried hard to maintain affordability and offer value for money for our customers.

"The removal of return tickets and adult transfer tickets, replacing them with discounted day tickets further simplify our fare structure, making ticketing easier to understand and buses easier to use.

"We will continue to offer 'on the day' bus fares which are the lowest and best value in the region, and some of the lowest and best value fares in the country."

A man has been sentenced to a hospital order after he stabbed his uncle to death in a Devon village.

Corin Harper-Davis, 37, of Hither Green, London, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court after he admitted the manslaughter of his uncle, Jonathan Harper, by diminished responsibility.

The 64-year old was found inside a property in Brampford Speke, near Exeter, on 31 July 2024 after he was stabbed with a knife.

The court heard Harper-Davis, who was the director of a video production business in London, believed his uncle had been kidnapped and replaced by an imposter who was going to cause him harm.

'Behaving oddly'

The court also heard Harper-Davis was suffering from a psychotic illness and an episode of paranoid schizophrenia.

He travelled down to Brampford Speke and stayed at his parents' home, where other family members had also gathered.

The court heard on the evening of the killing, Harper-Davis had been behaving oddly and his uncle remarked on this.

The victim died from a stab wound to the chest which penetrated his heart and lung.

'Truly tragic'

Judge Anna Richardson said Harper-Davis was suffering from "an extreme episode of mental health" and paranoid delusions.

She said the tragedy of the case was that his uncle was trying to offer support and protection but lost his life.

She sentenced Harper-Davis to a Section 37 and 41 hospital order, which is designed to protect the public because of a significant risk of relapse.

Senior investigating officer Det Insp Guy Biggar, from Devon and Cornwall Police's major crime investigation team, said it was a "truly tragic case".

"I would like to pass on my thanks and condolences to Jonathan's partner and son, both of whom have shown real bravery and compassion at an incredibly difficult time," he added.

Local government reorganisation plans will recognise Kent's importance as the UK's "gateway to Europe", councils involved in the process say.

Medway Council and Kent County Council (KCC) said they had received government feedback on their plans which would see the county's councils replaced with unitary authorities.

The authorities said Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government officials had "acknowledged the positive partnership work… to shape high-quality and sustainable services that best respond the needs of residents and provide better value for money".

Detailed plans for the major local government overhaul, the biggest of its kind for 50 years, must be submitted by 28 November.

Under the plans, two-tier authorities such as KCC, and district and borough councils would be replaced by unitary authorities which would take on all local government responsibilities.

The plans aim to simplify local services and make efficiencies, but some have argued they distance power away from the local level.

Government feedback on the plans provided to the councils is to be published later this week.

In January, Kent applied to be included in the fast-track scheme for the government plans, but was unsuccessful, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The fast-track scheme would have seen the reorganisation as well as the creation of a Kent-wide mayor with powers, including transportation and policing.

A man who fled to Spain after being charged with supplying cannabis has been jailed for more than three years.

Viktor Karavaqiri, 26, was the "right-hand man" of a gang being investigated for drug dealing in Northampton and Milton Keynes.

Five other men involved in the conspiracy were jailed last year.

The senior investigating officer said getting Karavaqiri back to the UK demonstrated "our determination to bring those responsible for the supply of illegal drugs to account".

Karavaqiri's conviction followed an investigation by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) into the supply of the Class B drug in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Essex.

EMSOU's senior investigating officer, Det Sgt Chris Sewell, said: "Our investigations into this criminal group uncovered a sizeable network of people facilitating the supply of cannabis, including Viktor Karavaqiri.

"Karavaqiri played a significant role in these illegal operations, with the evidence we painstakingly gathered showing how he acted as a right-hand man to the group's leader, acting as his deputy and overseeing sales himself as well as directing others in the group to make deliveries."

Det Sgt Sewell added that, after Karavaqiri fled the UK, police were able to secure his return with the co-operation of the Spanish authorities.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a Class B drug and was sentenced on 17 April at Northampton Crown Court to three years and four months in prison.

A forfeiture order was made for his Audi A4 car.

Five other men convicted of offences relating to the conspiracy, including the ringleader, Fjoraldo Lazaj, 26, were jailed for a total of more than 15 years at the same court last year.

Det Sgt Sewell said: "I hope this sentence and the wider case demonstrates our determination to bring those responsible for the sale and supply of illegal drugs to account."

A new sports and bowling venue has opened in Wolverhampton, creating 30 jobs.

The £2.4m Superbowl UK premises is based in the Mander Centre in the city centre, in an area recently pedestrianised and revamped, the council said.

The venue has 12 bowling lanes, interactive darts, video games, a soft play area and a bar and diner.

The development has "brought empty retail units back to life, further delivering on our ambitions for the city centre", council leader Stephen Simkins said.

Plans for the new site were revealed last year, making it the 15th branch for Superbowl UK in England and Wales.

Kate Quaintance, acquisitions director for Superbowl UK, said they were delighted to start welcoming customers.

Councillor Chris Burden added the authority wanted the opening to be "a catalyst for further investment" in the city while they work with the owners of the Mander Centre to attract new leisure and food and beverage businesses.

"Alongside Superbowl UK, the city centre will also be boosted by the opening of the new 4-screen Lockworks Cinema in the Chubb Building this summer and a new indoor climbing facility coming to the former Express & Star offices in Queen Street," he said.

"Various interested parties" have come forward after a pottery firm collapsed last month, its liquidator has said.

Moorcroft Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent ceased trading on 30 April and announced it was entering liquidation, with its 57 employees all made redundant.

Moore Recovery was appointed by the firm to handle the process and director Laura Pickering said Moorcroft would officially enter liquidation on 27 May.

She told BBC Radio Stoke an agent had put the company's assets up for sale, which included its name, online presence, factory and remaining retail stock.

"We're in touch with various interested parties who have come forward since the sad news reached the press and the local community," she said.

"We've got various people who are interested in potentially looking to take Moorcroft forward but at the moment, we don't have any deal agreed – we can't agree a deal until the company is in liquidation."

'Difficult industry'

Despite the expressions of interest, Ms Pickering said nobody has committed to purchasing the business as a whole.

She said the pottery sector was a "difficult industry" at the moment and getting someone to take on a sizeable firm was a "difficult sell".

Moorcroft, which had been trading for more than 100 years, was the third ceramics company to collapse since the start of the year, following Royal Stafford and Heraldic Pottery.

It sparked further concerns about the future of the industry in the face of rising energy prices and falling sales.

MPs, unions and workers have been calling on the government to support the sector, with meetings held with ministers.

David Williams, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, recently called on the government to "act now" to save the industry.

"What we can't have is any more of our pot banks going, it's part of what makes us a city. It's in our DNA," he said.

Fears have been raised that a proposed new quarry near Elgin could drive people away from a rural community.

Aberdeen-based firm Leiths (Scotland) Ltd has submitted a planning application to Moray Council for the sand and gravel quarry and cement works.

Residents have said the site near the village of Thomshill is less than a 330ft (100m) from some people's homes and the noise and dust would cause people to move away.

Leiths planning application said there would be no significant noise or dust impacts. BBC Scotland News has approached them for comment.

A motorcyclist died after colliding with a vehicle on a busy A-road, an inquest opening heard.

Gavin Kennedy was one of two men killed on the same stretch of the A120 in Bradwell, near Braintree, Essex on 16 April.

The 42-year-old from Earls Colne died at the scene from chest injuries, area coroner Michelle Brown said.

She suspended the inquest at Essex Coroner's Court so police could continue investigating the collision.

Officers arrested a 63-year-old man from Braintree on suspicion of causing Mr Kennedy's death by careless driving.

He was released under investigation on 17 April.

Opening Mr Kennedy's inquest, Ms Brown said: "This 42-year-old gentleman was riding his motorcycle along the A120 at Bradwell when he was involved in a road traffic collision with another vehicle.

"Sadly he was declared deceased at the scene by attending paramedics at 17:32."

A fundraiser launched to support Mr Kennedy's family has received more than £6,500 in donations since his death.

He was killed about two-and-a-half hours after another fatal incident on the same road in Bradwell.

Essex Police said a 20-year-old man died in the first collision, which happened at 15:00 BST.

The families of both of the deceased have been supported by specialist officers.

A main road into Bristol has reopened after a road crash involving a single vehicle.

Avon and Somerset Police said officers had shut Two Mile Hill Road in St George between the junctions with Brockhurst Gardens and Rodney Road at about 06:30 BST.

"One person has been taken to hospital with injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing," said a police spokesperson.

Emergency services attended the scene and the road "has since been reopened", they added.