The charges relate to the kidnapping and false imprisonment of a man, from 22nd to the 25th June. All 4, who live in Norwich, appeared before Judge Jacobs at Norwich Crown Court today, and pleaded not guilty to the charges of kidnap and false imprisonment. 2 of the men, John Burton of Womersley Road and Andrew Wirt of Ladbrooke Place also pleaded not guilty to charges of grievous bodily harm with intent. John Burton, Andrew Wirt and 20 year old Robbie Carter of Temple Road were remanded in custody. Andrew Moreton from the Pilling Park area was granted bail.

A trial date has been set for 13th December 2010.

The debate, aired live on Sky, came from the former Barclays bank building on Bank Plain. It gave south Norwich voters a chance to hear firsthand where the candidates stand on key issues, such as how Labour comes back as a credible alternative to the coalition.

Unlike the general election, in this debate there were no strict rules. The audience could applaud, or groan, if they wanted to. The questions, taken from the audience as well as Sky viewers in advance, ranged from the thorny election issue of immigration to graduate tax, raised by Catriona Milne, a governor at Recreation Road Infants School. Afterwards she said: “I came away with plenty of food for thought. I think Labour is in quite a good state – with 5 good candidates. They were all eloquent, spoke well and were convincing.”

Norwich was chosen before the local elections were called, after the Labour party suggested a hustings in the East to the Sky producers. It was a co-incidence, according to host Adam Boulton, that one of the hopefuls, Ed Balls, comes from here. They picked Open, partly because of the unusual building but also because it could cope with requirements for hosting a live debate. Simon Bucks, associate editor at Sky News said: “It was the right mix of an interesting place. An old building but with a modern interior.”

It’s the first time the venue has been used to host a live TV debate but Christine Beveridge, Head of Operations at Open said: ” We have been approached by other TV companies and the venus is available for commercial hire.”

The 5 Labour leadership contenders, Ed Miliband, his brother David, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and Diane Abbott join a string of big names to arrive in Norwich this week. Simon Hughes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Harriet Harman, Labour’s Deputy Leader, and Caroline Lucas, the country’s first Green MP all made appearances ahead of Thursday’s election. 

Time Team’s involvement.

Channel 4’s Time Team are filming a documentary about the Caistor Project at the Roman town, due to be screened next year. 

For the man leading the dig at Caistor St Edmund, a professor who trained in south Norwich at the UEA, it’s a chance to uncover evidence of an even earlier time.

For Time Team it’s an opportunity to tell the wider story about the Iceni. They’re taking a bit of a risk, as they don’t know if any significant finds will be uncovered during the 3 week dig. Karen Walsh, producer and director of the documentary said: “What we want to find out is whether the Roman town was built on top of an existing Iron Age settlement.”

What you’ll find.

The Caistor Project lasts until Saturday September 11th. Around 2000 people visited the dig in the first 10 days. A Finds Tent shows you some of the items the archeologists have uncovered so far, as well as giving you background to the site itself. Two trenches are currently being excavated. Volunteers from the charity The Caistor Roman Project are helping excavate the site.

Heading from Norwich, you’ll spot signs to a make-shift car park, just after Caistor Hall. From there it’s a short walk to the dig itself.

Venta Icenorum is a scheduled ancient monument, owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust. The only previous large-scale excavations at Caistor were carried out between 1929 and 1935. No major excavation work has been carried out in more than 70 years, until now.

The dig.

Leading the dig at the Roman town of Venta Icenorum is Will Bowden, an Associate Professor of Roman Archeology at the University of Nottingham. When studying for his PhD at the University of East Anglia (UEA), he often pondered the site’s history. Now he has a research grant to uncover what lies beneath the Roman town.

The question he really wants to answer is whether Caistor was an important Iron Age settlement before the Romans arrived, in Boudicca’s day. Using a sophisticated geophysical survey, his team have mapped out the entire site, and are digging where circular anomalies appear in the street pattern of the roman town.

Professor Bowden said: “One of the big mysteries about the site is why is it here. Is it founded on a virgin site, or was there earlier occupation?” “Coin evidence points to there being an Iron Age mint somewhere near here.”

Get involved.

One of the aims of the Caistor project is to understand the role of the town in the wider landscape. A team of volunteers are carrying out an extensive field survey across 25 parishes surrounding the Roman town. This involves walking across ploughed fields, picking up any trace of past human activity, such as pottery or worked flint. Volunteers are welcome and no prior experience is necessary. Find out more via their website.

Blog.

You can follow regular updates from the dig by reading Professor Bowden’s blog. It has some insights into life at the dig, working alongside Time Team (such as Tony Robinson being asked to sign Blackadder dvds). There’s praise too for a group of local ladies who arrived armed with enough cake to feed a Roman army.

Officers in Norwich are seeking witnesses following a number of incidents of criminal damage around 7pm on Sunday 29th August. 12 cars parked on Essex Street were damaged.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incidents and released on police bail.

Anyone with information should contact PC Lloyd Keddo at Bethel Street Police Station on 0845 456 4567 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Over in our Opinion section read how parents’ school run habits may be forced to change. As it stands, the future of a local school is uncertain.

A long-running dispute in south Norwich has taken an interesting twist, which puts the future of a local school in jeopardy.

The row is between local residents and parents who drop their children off at two private schools near Newmarket Road. Last week, councillors took the bold step of rejecting a planning application, because they felt the balance had swayed too far in favour of the families in 4×4s.

With schools starting back on Monday, residents in the Ablemarle Road area will return to what they describe as the “sheer bedlam” of term time. Over a thousand staff and pupils at Norwich High School for Girls, combined with parents dropping off at nearby Stretton School, converge on the narrow streets.

The latest twist, in a row that’s been on-going for years, centres on a planning application from Stretton School. Set up 41 years ago, the independent nursery and preparatory school caters for over 100 children aged 1-8. But permission to run a nursery from the residential property came with a condition. The school’s planning permission only runs for the lifetime of the headmistress. And it was this clause that Stretton School was seeking to lift.

Councillors took the unusual step of turning down the application. Parents who drop off their children at the schools were described as “aggressive”, “arrogant” and “rude”, by residents who attended the planning meeting, often obstructing the road and parking illegally. The councillors decided to send a strong message to the school that it must work harder to be a good neighbour. 

Stella Maynard, a representative for The Cedars Sheltered Housing Scheme on Ablemarle Road said: “The cars are often backed up 2 or 3 abreast. They block the entrance to The Cedars. Carers can’t get in –  they are often delayed by about 10 minutes before they can gain access. At times, doctors and health visitors also need to gain access first thing in the morning.”

She added, while the Stretton School parents contribute, it’s parents of pupils at the High School who are also to blame: “We at The Cedars would like to put a direct question to any parent of a pupil at the High School. Why do they have to drive their children right to the door?”

Yvonne Barnett, headmistress and founder of Stretton School says they will appeal. She feels the problem has been compounded by the city council itself, who’ve granted planning permission to allow the schools to expand. She said: “Many of these people [objecting] have moved in in the past 10 years. I think people who’ve come to live in this road, came to live here knowing there were two schools on it. We can’t do any more. We’ve been here 41 years, the High School has been here 130 years.” She added that Stretton School has a travel plan, encouraging parents to lift share and to use the Park and Ride.

City councillors have chosen to back the local community to try to bring about a change in attitude. Residents who live in the area believe neither school will put pressure on parents to park further away, because they are fee-paying. But with term starting next week, the time may finally have come for the schools to concede a change is needed. Unless the situation improves, the future of Stretton School is uncertain.

Norwich High School for Girls were unable to comment, as staff don’t return until Monday. We hope we can add their views on the situation once the autumn term begins.

In south Norwich, the proposals mean one fire engine will go, along with 24 firefighter posts, when Bethel Street closes next year.

Hear from one local firefighter on why these cuts could put lives at risk, written in our Opinion section.

Managers claim that reduced call volumes mean that the risk from fire is reduced. However, the volume of calls to incidents which pose a risk to life and property has not decreased significantly and the community risk profile of Norwich has, if anything, changed for the worse. Consequently, the risk to the public remains high and at least the current level of emergency cover is required to keep the public safe.

Managers also claim that the predicted low workload of the 2^nd appliance at Carrow justifies its removal. However, this ignores the activities which fire crews take part in when not responding to emergencies, such as fitting smoke alarms in peoples’ homes and offering safety advice.

This reduction in fire cover will result in a delay in the provision of sufficient resources to safely resolve incidents across Norwich. This means that the lives of the public and of firefighters will be put at greater risk. Homes, businesses and heritage buildings will more likely be significantly damaged in the event of fire.

Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service already provides very good value for money. This proposed saving will come at the cost of a reduction in safety for the residents of Norwich.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union are campaigning against the changes to emergency provision in Norfolk. If you share our concern, let the Fire Service know by contacting the Chief Fire Officer or your local County Councilor. There will be a lobby of County Hall from 08:30 on 7^th September when the proposals are presented to the council.

Article submitted by Stefan Rider, who represents the Norwich branch of the Fire Brigades Union

Over last weekend, on Friday 27th and bank holiday Monday, 2 fires were started in a communal area, as rubbish bags and a bike were set alight.

PC Amanda Lewis said: “We are taking these two incidents very seriously and urge anyone with information to contact us.” West Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) is working closely with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service to investigate the incidents. Police have carried out reassurance visits in the community and have stepped up patrols in the area.

Anyone with information should contact PC Amanda Lewis on 0845 456 4567 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.