Bassetlaw Today

Category: News

  • Council ban man from areas of Worksop for ‘persistent anti-social behaviour’

    Council ban man from areas of Worksop for ‘persistent anti-social behaviour’

    A man has been issued with an anti-social behaviour injunction for persistently being caught drinking alcohol, shouting and swearing on the streets of Worksop after action was taken by Bassetlaw District Council.

    Daniel Wilson, of Plantation Hill was issued with the injunction at Mansfield County Court on May 14 by a district judge following an application from the council, supported by Nottinghamshire Police to prevent him from committing further acts of anti-social behaviour in the town.

    The injunction will remain in force for two years until May 14, 2027 and a power of arrest was ordered, which means Wilson will be liable for arrest by the police if he is found to be in breach of the injunction.

    Daniel Wilson, of Plantation Hill was issued with the injunction at Mansfield County Court on May 14

    Cllr Darrell Pulk, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said: “We want to make sure our town centres are a place that people want to visit and increase the feelings of safety.

    “This latest prosecution sends a clear message we will target individuals whose behaviour is in breach of our Public Space Protection order and has a negative effect on residents and visitors alike.”

    In a separate case, Wilson was convicted in his absence at Nottingham Magistrates Court on 12th May 2025 for breaching the Town Centre’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) at least 11 times between September and December last year including shouting and swearing at the council’s Street Wardens.

    Wilson is due to be sentenced for this conviction on 7th July 2025 under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

    The Anti-social Behaviour Injunction prohibits Wilson from engaging in conduct which is capable of causing harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance and annoyance to any person going about their lawful business in Worksop Town Centre.

    He is restricted from shouting, swearing and using violence or making threats of violence and entering or remaining in Worksop Town Centre.

  • Police make arrest following Worksop flat fire

    Police make arrest following Worksop flat fire

    Officers were quick to make an arrest following what is believed to be an isolated flat fire.

    In the early hours of Friday (27), reports came in that a property on Church Walk, Worksop, was alight.

    Alongside Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue colleagues, the area was swiftly made safe, and police arrested a 23-year-old woman at the scene on suspicion of arson.

    Inspector Robert Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:  “We understand that this incident may cause concern for the Worksop community, but we want to reassure you all that this is being treated as an isolated incident and we’re not linking this to recent occurrences at this stage. 

    “Thankfully this fire was contained and no injuries were sustained, but there is always the potential for any fire to spiral out of control.

    “With six previous arrests after a series of arson incidents in May, we will continue to clamp down on those involved in such incidents.”

  • Police appeal after two Bassetlaw shops were targeted by thief in one day

    Police appeal after two Bassetlaw shops were targeted by thief in one day

    Police want to speak to this woman after two stores were targeted by a shoplifter in Bassetlaw on the same day.

    More than £500 worth of alcohol and other items were stolen during the separate incidents on June 12.

    The same unidentified individual helped themselves to stock after walking into two shops in north Nottinghamshire.

    Asda, in Vesuvius Way, Worksop, was targeted first, before Sainsbury’s, in High Grounds Road, Rhodesia, was as well.

    The respective offences are believed to have taken place on 2.15pm and 2.40pm the same day.

    Police investigating the two incidents can now release images of a woman they’d like to speak to in connection with the thefts.

    PC Lee Ryan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

    “Anyone who recognises this woman is asked to call us, as we have a few questions we’d like to ask her about these two thefts.

    “Likewise, if she sees this appeal, we’d request that she contacts us, as we believe she has information that could assist our inquiries.

    “Shoplifting is a serious offence that isn’t just unfair on the stores impacted, but also honest shoppers who follow the rules and spend their hard-earned cash on items.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 467 of 12 June 2025, while Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • Man released after being arrested on suspicion of murder following Worksop house explosion

    Man released after being arrested on suspicion of murder following Worksop house explosion

    A man arrested on suspicion of murder following a house explosion in Worksop has been released with no further action following a police investigation.

    Emergency services were called to John Street at 7.39pm on April 12 after an explosion inside a house and a major incident was declared.

    Officers recovered the body of a man from under debris following the blast.

    Despite the best efforts of the responding emergency services, 53-year-old David Howard died at the scene.

    Emergency workers at the scene in Worksop

    As part of their inquiries, a 43-year-old man was arrested and questioned on suspicion of murder. He has since been released with no further action after the police investigation found no evidence of any third-party involvement in Mr Howard’s death.

    The family of the victim have been informed and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.

    Detective Inspector Matt Scott, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

    “We’ve treated this incident with the utmost seriousness, to ensure we have done everything we can to understand what happened.

    “After detailed examination of the available information, we do not believe there is any evidence of criminal wrongdoing at this point.

    “As a result, the arrested man has been released with no further action and we will now be preparing a report for the coroner.

    “Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family at this very difficult time.”

  • Police appeal for witnesses after suspected hit and run in Worksop

    Police appeal for witnesses after suspected hit and run in Worksop

    Police investigating a road traffic collision in Worksop are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

    A man was struck by a car at about 2.30am on Sunday (15) in Eastgate.

    The victim, in his 30s, was treated in hospital for injuries sustained.

    A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

    Officers investigating the incident are now appealing for anyone who saw what happened, and who may have dash-cam or CCTV footage, to get in touch with them immediately.

    Detective Sergeant Joanne Eaton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We’re committed to getting to the bottom of what happened here, so we would like to hear from any witnesses who saw the incident or may have dash-cam or CCTV footage.

    “We believe that Eastgate would have been busy at the time of this collision, so we urge any members of the public who have any information to call 101 quoting incident number 25000346302 and Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

  • Residents invited to have say on Bassetlaw District Council car parks

    Residents invited to have say on Bassetlaw District Council car parks

    Bassetlaw District Council is inviting residents and businesses to help improve the overall parking experience at its car parks in Worksop and Retford.

    A Car Park Conversation is being launched on 9th June to get an understanding of how the Council car parks are viewed when it comes to areas including safety, accessibility, lighting, signage and EV charging.

    It is hoping to assess how well motorists’ needs are being met while also identifying areas for improvement to enhance parking in the two towns.

    Cllr Alan Rhodes, Cabinet Member for Corporate and Financial Services said: “We want to find out if our car parks in Worksop and Retford meet the needs of our residents, visitors and businesses.

    “We hope people will take the time to join the Car Park Conversation and provide their feedback which will help us make informed decisions on where any improvements could be made in the future.”

    The Council currently owns 13 car parks in Worksop Town Centre including Castle Hill, Memorial Avenue and Central Avenue, while it owns 7 car parks in Retford Town Centre, among them Carolgate, Churchgate Central and New Street.

    The Car Park Conversation launches on 9th June and runs for six weeks until 20th July 2025, with the Council inviting as many people as possible to share their feedback.

    Those who take part also have the chance to win one of six £25 Love2Shop vouchers.

    To join the conversation, visit: bit.ly/car-park-conversation

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  • Council invites housebuilders and landowners to suggest plots for future development as they issue ‘call for sites’

    Council invites housebuilders and landowners to suggest plots for future development as they issue ‘call for sites’

    A ‘call for sites’ has been issued by Bassetlaw District Council to help identify potential development plots in the future.

    Submissions can be for a range of new development including for all types of housing, businesses, renewable energy or nature recovery, community facilities and open space.

    The appeal will not affect or replace the council’s adopted Local Plan, which already sets out where housing and other developments are allowed to be built, and which areas should be protected in the district over the next 13 years.

    Cllr Steve Scotthorne, Cabinet Member for Identity, Planning and Place said: “The Call for Sites is a valuable tool to ensure that all possible sites across the district are assessed for their potential for development.

    “Anyone can suggest a site to us, and I would encourage everyone to get involved.”

    The Council will include all submitted sites in the Land Availability Assessment and will assess if they are suitable for development.

    The Call for Sites and site assessment process does not indicate that planning permission will be granted or suggest that sites are suitable for allocating in any future Local Plan.

    The 12-week engagement runs from June 12 to 4th September 4, 2025, using the Council’s new digital platform for which we have received Government funding https://cfs.bassetlaw.urbanintelligence.co.uk/, through the Council’s website https://www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/call-for-sites/ or email planningpolicy@bassetlaw.gov.uk.  

  • Pair arrested after Worksop brewery break-in

    Pair arrested after Worksop brewery break-in

    Police investigating a break-in at a Worksop brewery have arrested two suspects.

    Thousands of pounds worth of items were stolen during the overnight burglary at the business in Newcastle Avenue.

    Intruders forced open the doors and ransacked the premises during the break-in, which took place between 5pm on 29 May and 6.45am on 30 May.

    The items taken included cash, alcohol and sweets.

    Two men, aged 34 and 37, have now been arrested on suspicion of burglary.

    Sergeant Sarah Hagland, of the Bassetlaw neighbourhood policing team, said: “The business owner has gone into work to find his property has been broken into.

    “We understand how upsetting and disappointing this must be.

    “People don’t want to discover their place of work, or somewhere they enjoy visiting, has been damaged by intruders and items stolen.

    “Neighbourhood officers have been working hard on the investigation and I’m pleased these suspects have been arrested.

    “While it’s an important step, we still want to hear from anyone with any information which could assist.”

    Anyone with information, or relevant CCTV, dashcam, doorbell or mobile phone footage, should call police on 101, quoting incident number 80 of 30 May 2025.

  • Creswell man sentenced for using AI to generate hundreds of indecent images of children

    Creswell man sentenced for using AI to generate hundreds of indecent images of children

    A Creswell man who used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate hundreds of indecent still images of children has been handed a suspended sentence.

    Officers found more than 1,900 images on Thomas Rowley’s computer. Of those, 882 were graded as category A – depicting the most severe kinds of abuse.

    In addition, 532 category B and 557 category C images were discovered on his devices.

    The images recovered from Rowley’s two devices – his phone and computer – were a mix of images generated by AI based on Rowley’s prompts, and indecent images downloaded from the internet.

    Rowley went on to plead guilty to three counts of making indecent pseudo-photographs of children between 9 January 2021 and 9 January 2024.

    He also pleaded guilty to possessing 21 prohibited images of children when he was arrested on 9 January 2024.

    Rowley, of Old School Lane, Creswell, was handed a two-year suspended sentence when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (27 May).

    The 43-year-old was made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order that will tightly restrict his online activities and require the offender to register any devices he uses with the police. Rowley was also placed on the sex offender’s register for the next ten years.

    PC Summer Smith, of Nottinghamshire Police’s public protection team, said: “We take these types of crimes very seriously and will always do everything we can to protect vulnerable young people and ensure that individuals involved in this sort of criminality are brought to justice.

    “This depraved act involving the use of AI is treated just as severely as using actual photographs. Offenders who are thinking of engaging with this type of activity will be caught and face the full consequences of their actions.”

  • Nottinghamshire Police say public now wait less than a minute to reach control room and report non-emergency incidents

    Nottinghamshire Police say public now wait less than a minute to reach control room and report non-emergency incidents

    Members of the public will wait less than a minute to reach Nottinghamshire Police’s control room to report non-emergency incidents.

    The 101 number is used by the public for any non-emergency calls which can include passing on information about a current investigation or to report something suspicious in their area which might need police attendance.

    At the end of May, all police forces will be publishing their 101 call wait times and Nottinghamshire Police has one of the best records.

    When a member of the public in Nottinghamshire calls 101, they will be asked which police force they wish to be connected to.

    Once they choose the Nottinghamshire Police option to report new incidents or to update an incident, the average wait time is zero.

    Last year, the police service relaunched its non-emergency 101 service to ensure the public are immediately directed to the department who can answer their inquiry.

    By reducing the number of options for a caller to choose from when calling 101, callers can now spend less time waiting.

    The police service receives more than 400,000 calls a year through the 101 number.

    Superintendent Simon Allardice, responsible for Nottinghamshire Police’s contact management, said: “We have worked extremely hard as a police service to ensure that the public can reach us as quickly as possible.

    “Last year we made subtle but significant changes to improve people’s first impression when calling our non-emergency number.

    “The whole experience is much more user-friendly and ensures the public can speak to the right person who can answer their questions. It also offers a more personalised service.

    “The average wait time to reach our control room once dialling 101 is 58 seconds. Once you have chosen the option of Nottinghamshire Police, the average wait time is zero.

    “Of course, it is not a given that all calls will be answered immediately due to the demand on our control room during major incidents or if we are dealing with a high number of emergency calls.

    “However, we are delighted that overall callers won’t be waiting very long to speak to one of our operators who can help them immediately.”