A family has paid tribute to a ‘devoted’ family man who died in a motorcycle crash near Tuxford.
47-year-old Michael Chadwick died following a single-vehicle collision on the A6097 Ollerton Road, between Kirton and Tuxford, on October 28, 2025.
Emergency services were called at 12.55pm but Mr Chadwick was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the best efforts of people who stopped to help and first responders.
Mr Chadwick’s family, who are being supported by specialist family liaison officers, have released a statement paying tribute to him.
It reads: “Michael was a loveable and funny man, who never took anything for granted.
“He was a devoted family man and would do anything for anyone.
“He was loved very deeply by his wife, three daughters, his grandchildren and all his family. He will be deeply missed and sorrows run deep, he will never be forgotten.”
Officers from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for anyone with information about the incident or dashcam footage which could assist with inquiries to get in touch.
Detective Constable Andy Fawcett said: “Mr Chadwick’s family have been through a heartbreaking ordeal and we will continue to support them.
“We have already spoken to a number of witnesses. However, this collision took place on a major road in the middle of the day so there may be people with information and dashcam footage who have not yet been in touch.
“I’d encourage them to contact us without delay as our investigations continue.”
Anyone who can help should call 101, quoting incident number 304 of 28 October 2025, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A family has been left ‘distraught’ after their tortoise was stolen from its home in Beckingham.
The 35-year-old pet – named George – was taken from his home in Church Street, sometime between 25 October 25 and November 1.
George’s owner returned from holiday to find him missing, with his cage turned upside down.
Officers are now appealing to the public to help track him down.
Sergeant James Robinson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “George’s family are understandably distraught about losing their long-time pet.
“The victim had implemented various security measures to keep the tortoise safe, so to return home and find him missing was a big shock for them.
“Tortoises require specific care and knowledge to remain happy and healthy, and with hibernation time coming up, George’s family are understandably anxious to bring him home.”
If you have information that could be valuable to the investigation, please call 101 quoting occurrence 25000648550, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A homeless man who left a vulnerable woman with life-altering facial injuries after repeatedly punching her now faces a life behind bars.
Jason Dyer had been allowed by the victim to stay at her home in Harworth.
He responded to this kindness by carrying out the violent attack inside her home on October 18, 2024.
The victim, aged in her 70s, was left with multiple facial fractures and a bleed on the brain.
Dyer, aged 54, of no fixed abode, changed his plea to guilty as he was about to stand trial.
He has now been told he must serve a minimum of nine years and 241 days in jail before he can apply for parole during his sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (October 23).
Jason Dyer was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday
The victim’s daughter became concerned about her mother’s welfare during a phone call.
She asked the woman’s carer to check on her and she found the victim suffering from significant injuries inside her home.
Dyer was in the same room and admitted he had ‘hit her’.
The offender’s hands and knuckles were covered in blood and when officers arrived a short time later he was arrested.
Detective Constable Ryan Lambert, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Dyer was given a roof over his head by the victim and he responded with this despicable attack.
“She suffered some deeply unpleasant and lasting injuries and is still suffering from the after-effects.
“I hope she is able to take some comfort from the news Dyer is now behind bars.”
Young people in Harworth and Bircotes will be able to access more community sport sessions thanks to a £700 grant from two Bassetlaw District Councillors.
Active Communities CIC, which is based in the town, has provided inclusive and accessible sport, in addition to youth leadership programmes, across Bassetlaw for over two years.
Ward councillors for Harworth and Bircotes, Cllr Lynne Schuller and Cllr Joe Horrocks, have used some of their Councillor Grant to support community sport sessions that will help to reduce isolation and support mental wellbeing through structured activities.
Darren Huart, from Active Communities CIC, said: “We’d like to thank Cllr Schuller and Cllr Horrocks for their donation to Active Communities.
“This much-needed funding will contribute to ongoing facility hire costs, helping us deliver vital sport and wellbeing sessions for low or no cost in our communities.”
Throughout the year, Active Communities CIC deliver multi-sport sessions including football, cricket, basketball in addition to youth leadership and engagement programmes. So far, over 30 young people have earned qualifications through these sessions which have helped young people to gain employment.
Cllr Schuller said: “In providing sporting chances for our children and young people we raise their aspirations and allow them to succeed. The CIC results show the benefits of their work with so many receiving additional qualifications and preparation for work. We thank Active Communities for their investment into our children and young people and will continue to support them to improve the health and lives of those they engage with.”
For more information about Active Communities CIC visit: activecomms.co.uk
Each Bassetlaw District Councillor is allocated a small budget and has the discretion to award grants to activities that will benefit the community within their respective electoral ward areas. Councillors will consider grant applications for sports, culture and heritage, environment and sustainability, social welfare and community activities.
Inmates at HMP Ranby prison near Retford are living in ‘dilapidated’ conditions and a quarter have developed a drug problem after going inside.
The damning findings are in an HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on the conditions of HMP Ranby.
The report, released yesterday (May 19) follows the watchdog’s inspections at the site, near Retford, between February 10 to February 20 2025.
HMP Ranby is a category C training and resettlement prison for adult men. It had a population of 1,087 at the time of inspection.
The results highlight 14 key concerns, with six noted as priorities.
A sink in house block one. (PHOTO: HM Inspectorate of Prisons)Flooring in house block one (PHOTO: HM Inspectorate of Prisons)A cell in houseblock two. (PHOTO: HM Inspectorate of prisons)
Among the six is the fact almost a quarter (24 per cent) of men said they had developed a drug or alcohol problem while in the prison – rising to 38 per cent across three specific blocks – with 61 per cent of surveyed prisoners saying it was easy to get drugs.
The report also details “dilapidated and dirty” buildings, with damaged facilities, graffiti and mould.
Some prisoners were “struggling” to get basic necessities such as bedding, cleaning items and prison clothing, it adds.
Key concerns at the facility also surround the lack of promotion of positive behaviour, persistent rule breaking going unchallenged by officers and medicine administration taking too long.
A lack of support for prisoners developing their employability skills and communication about their resettlement arrangements was also observed.
Cleaner conditions in house block four cell – (PHOTO: HM Inspectorate of Prisons)House block 2 at HMP Ranby prison (PHOTO: HM Inspectorate of Prisons)
The 700 prisoners who live in houseblocks one to three and five “had a pretty bleak existence” according to inspectors.
The report says: “[They are] living in accommodation that was now badly dilapidated, and with many cells lacking basic furniture and almost no self-cook facilities.
“By every measure things were worse for these men, the regime was much more limited, cell bells took longer to be answered and there were more drugs available.”
However, the conditions in houseblocks four, six, seven and eight had cleaner facilities, with more activities for prisoners to do and better workshops and training on offer.
Around one third of men in the prison (300) were found to not be in purposeful activity and “were lucky if they got out of their cells for two hours a day”.
The report does note positive practice within the prison, such as the use of drones for insight into prisoner movement and illicit packages, good mental health support and leaders investing in a “proactive resettlement officer”.
It states since this role has been in place “[the officer] had made over 340 telephone or video calls to local authorities and community housing” since May 2024, with this leading to a reduction in the number of prisoners leaving the prison without any accommodation.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The Government inherited a prison system in crisis – overcrowded, with drugs and violence rife – and this report once again demonstrates that.
“We are investing £220 million in prison and probation service maintenance in 2024-2025 and up to £300 million in 2025-26 to improve conditions and keep prisons safe and secure.”
Bassetlaw’s neighbourhood policing team’s Inspector Robert Harrison has provided an update on how they have progressed on tackling crime across the district during and April and what the priorities will over the next three months.
Inspector Harrison said: “This is the first of a series of regular updates to inform residents about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and the impact we are having across our communities.
“I’ll also be highlighting some great work by your local officers and informing you about significant local trends and anything else I think you need to be aware of.
PICTURED: Inspector Robert Harrison
Current priorities in Bassetlaw
The inspector said: “I’d like to remind you about our key local policing priorities, which are agreed quarterly after consultation with the public and local partners.”
antisocial behaviour and crime in Worksop town centre
Rural crime in East Bassetlaw
Actions on our priorities
ASB and crime in Worksop town centre
Inspector Harrison said: “Over the past few months, I have received numerous complaints about antisocial behaviour and crime in the town centre.
“We’re talking here about things like shop thefts, public drinking and drug use, and the inevitable antisocial behaviour that comes with it.
“We know that many of these offences are being committed by a relatively small group of people living with some very complex needs like substance addiction and mental ill-health.
“Whilst we sympathise with people who are struggling and will continue to work with partners to ensure they are getting the help they need, we absolutely will not tolerate the kind of behaviour we have been seeing in the town centre.”
“I want Worksop to be a pleasant place to live in, work in, and visit, and will not allow a small number of people to damage the town in the way they have been,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve increased the number of local foot patrols over recent weeks and have been very assertive in the way we deal with these individuals.
“To this end we have made multiple arrests, returned prolific offenders to prison, and brought several suspects to court.”
Inspector Harrison said residents and retailers can expect to see an enhanced police presence going over the summer and want them to make contact if they see issues or behaviours of concern.
“I would ask them to contact us without delay,” he said.
“We are also working to secure criminal behaviour orders (CBOs) against some of our most prolific offenders. These orders allow us to prevent people from entering certain areas of the town and from doing certain things – such as entering shops in possession of bags. Any breaches are themselves a criminal offence and will quickly land offenders in prison and off he streets.
“These orders have been used to good effect elsewhere and we expect to see similarly positive results in Worksop.”
Drug supply
Drug dealing and drug related offending are major drivers for the anti-social behaviour issues I have updated on,” the inspector said.
“Many of the anti-social behaviour offenders are both using and selling illegal drugs on our streets. Most of those people are not major players in the drug market, but they are a public nuisance, and they are damaging our town.
“We have been disrupting that behaviour in exactly the same way we’ve been tackling anti social behaviour – with boots on the ground and a concerted effort to get up close and personal with offenders.
“Our council colleagues are also proving a great help with their comprehensive CCTV coverage, which is being shared in real time with officers on the ground. This approach recently led to the jailing of a prolific local offender who was caught in the act of dealing drugs.
“Local intelligence also led us to execute a warrant in Knanton Road on April 23, which uncovered a significant cannabis grow and has led to criminal charges for two suspects. A further warrant was executed at an address on Lincoln Street on April 24 where two suspects were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
“For obvious reasons I will not share the details here, but Bassetlaw Today readers can also expect to see a few more doors going in over the next few weeks as we execute more court warrants.”
Rural crime in East Bassetlaw
In his update, The Inspector said: “A huge part of Nottinghamshire’s rural community call Bassetlaw their home, and we have continuously welcomed an open dialogue with our farmers and residents so we can understand what issues they are facing, and what we can do as their local police team to crack down on rural crime.
“Some key problems we are working hard to target include off-road bikes and quads, theft and poaching. We want to reassure you all that we take rural crime extremely seriously, and we are working with other teams across the force – including our road bike team, drone team and roads policing – to run targeted cross border operations. We’ve also helped secure farmer’s sites recently.”
“I also want to take this time to highlight our rural crime and wildlife officers that you will find working hard in each of our neighbourhood policing teams. We are continuing to invest in training for them and we encourage anyone with any concerns or questions to get in touch.”
John Street explosion
“As you will all be aware, Worksop was the scene was a major incident last month when a house exploded in John Street, damaging several neighbouring properties and claiming the life of man who was later recovered from the wreckage.
PICTURED: The house on John Street after the explosion (PHOTO: Notts Police)
“As investigations into what happened continue, I would thank all the members of the neighbourhood policing team who worked so hard in the aftermath of this incident to identify witnesses and maintain the scene. That was very labour-intensive work and had a considerable impact on many of the other things we have wanted to do over the last few weeks.”
A group of travellers who set up an illegal caravan site over the bank holiday weekend near Tuxford have been told by council officers to leave the land.
On Friday, April 18, the group worked through the night to construct the unlawful development with tarmacadam roads, fences, and pitches created on land near the A1 without planning permission.
A large number of caravans and mobile homes have also been parked up on the site.
Legal action has now been taken, with Newark and Sherwood District Council serving an enforcement notice on the landowners and occupiers yesterday(April 24).
The notice means the site must be vacated and returned to its original state by May 30.
The enforcement notice means the occupiers must ‘Cease the use of the land as a caravan site and remove all caravans and mobile homes from the land’, and, in line with the minimum period legally required, will take effect 28 days after it was served.
In the case of failure to comply with an enforcement notice, the council can take direct action to enter the land in order to remedy the breach of planning control — and it is a criminal offence to contravene the notice.
A group in Rampton working to tackle social isolation and loneliness has received a funding boost from a local councillor.
The Rampton Friendship Group has been running in the village for just over a year and meets once a month on a Wednesday.
The group welcomes all residents of Rampton and Woodbeck to the meetings, with the aim of helping to restore a sense of community and wellbeing, as well as provide a warm space through the colder months.
The £200 Councillor Community Grant from Cllr Simon Richardson, Ward Member for Rampton, will help to fund the hire of the village hall, as well as buy new board games and jigsaws, and provide refreshments.
Secretary of Rampton Entertainment Group, Diana Flanagan, said: “We would like to thank Cllr Richardson for his donation towards the Friendship Group, which is a welcome hub for Rampton and Woodbeck residents.
“They enjoy the games on offer and the opportunity to spend quality time with old friends and get to know new ones. It is a vehicle for tackling loneliness and vulnerability by creating a warm, welcoming and safe space to enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Any donations to help sustain and develop the group go a long way.”
Cllr Simon Richardson said:“Groups such as the Friendship Group do incredible work in the community, giving isolated and vulnerable people a place to turn to for help, support and to enjoy themselves. Donating this grant, I hope will go a long way in supporting the group and see it thrive.”
Each Bassetlaw District Councillor is allocated a small budget and has the discretion to award grants to community activities that will benefit the community within their respective electoral ward areas.
Councillors will consider grant applications for sports; culture and heritage; environment and sustainability; social welfare; and community activities.
