Doorman stabbed
A doorman was stabbed outside a Derbyshire pub after he refused entry to four men in the early hours of Sunday. A fight broke out at around 12.40am after the 29-year-old doorman refused to let the group in to the Litton Tree in Long Eaton. The doorman was taken to the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary and discharged two hours later. Jail for yob who bit Sgt A man who bit the ear of a police officer during a violent incident at a Lincolnshire pub has been jailed for 21 months. Jason Courtman, 25, left Sgt Mark Hillson with permanent scars following the incident at the King's Head in Spalding in December. Lincoln Crown Court was told Courtman and his friend, Andrew Searle, 33, were involved in a dispute with a couple during a karaoke night at the pub. The officer restrained Searle then tried to arrest Courtman, but Courtman smashed bottles from the bar and dragged Hillson to the floor, where he bit the officer's ear. Courtman admitted three charges of assault causing actual bodily harm. Searle was given 12 months after admitting affray and common assault for punching Hillson twice while he was on the floor. Death of blaze hero A man who suffered 50% burns while rescuing five children from a blazing pub six weeks ago has died from his injuries. Ronnie Springer tried to save the children as they slept abovethe Prince of Wales pub in Stoke Newington, North London. The pub had been set alight in an arson attack. Police believe the fire was started near the pub's front door. Two of the children Christopher Knight, 10, and his five-year-old half-brother Charlie died of injuries sustained during the fire. But Springer managed to rescue three-year-old Joe Knight, eight-year-old Vicky Chaundy and 11-year-old Denise Worrell. The 35-year-old was downstairs in the bar area when the fire started at around 5am on 27 July and ran upstairs to save the children. He was forced to jump from a window as he escaped and suffered more injuries in the fall. Springer died at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital on Thursday. The Metropolitan Police have launched a murder inquiry. Campaign cuts crime A "zero tolerance" police campaign aimed at cutting alcohol-fuelled violence in three Suffolk towns has been hailed a success on its first weekend. Only five people were arrested for public order offences in Newmarket, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds "significantly down" on normal figures, say police. As part of the campaign, licensees have been giving information to officers about potential trouble-makers. They have also been extra vigilant about refusing to serve people who appear drunk. Extra officers were drafted in for the month-long operation. Police have also been using a helicopter to spot trouble from the sky, and have distributed leaflets advising revellers to keep safe. Man dies after attack A 54-year-old man has died two months after suffering serious injuries during a disturbance in a West Midlands pub. Peter Brookes suffered a punctured lung and fractured ribs at the Beeches in Oldbury in the weekend of 28 to 29 June. He was kept in hospital for treatment for more than a week after the attack. He died on 1 September and an examination is to be carried out to establish whether the incident caused Brookes' death. Two men aged 29 and 40 and a 17-year-old youth have been charged with violent disorder in relation to the incident. Police have urged witnesses to call them on 0121 626 6079 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Clampdown on burglars Police in Warwickshire are targeting pubs in Leamington in a bidto stop burglars selling stolen goods. Officers say stolen items mainly video recorders, DVD players, laptop computers and camcorders are openly being sold in pubs in the town. Chief Inspector Mike Slemensek, commander for Warwick district, has appealed for licensees to contact them if they discover such activities in their pubs.
