Forty acres of the Sence Valley Forest Park near Ibstock caught light on Monday afternoon.

About 35 firefighters dealt with the blaze which started in four different areas.

Station Officer Steve Smith, from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue, says it was a difficult fire to put out.

Near-miss for motorway drivers

Police say two drivers have had a narrow escape after their vehicles were hit by objects thrown from road bridges in Leicestershire.

In one incident on Tuesday night youths were spotted dropping a piece of concrete from the M1 bridge north of Leicester Forest East Services.

A passing lorry was damaged but the driver was unhurt.

In another incident on Monday a driver's windscreen was damaged after stones were thrown.

Cultural rehabilitation for drivers

A new programme is being set up in Leicestershire and Rutland to stop Asian drink drivers from re-offending.

The course, organised by the probation service, tackles the issues of drinking and driving but with special relevance to cultural and religious beliefs.

It comes after a national survey of black and Asian offenders revealed many were not satisfied with current rehabilitation programmes.

French strike hits flights

Three bmibaby flights from East Midlands Airport have been cancelled because of strike action in France.

Two flights to Paris and one to Nice scheduled for Thursday 3 April will not now take off from the Castle Donnington base.

Up to 400 passengers are likely to be effected by the industrial action, and are advised to contact the airline to arrange passage on a later flight.

Canal wins top tourism award

A Leicestershire canal has won a prestigious national tourism award.

The restoration of Ashby canal at Moira was singled out for high praise over 180 other projects from around the country.

The canal links the Conkers Forest Discovery Park and the Moira Furnace, and includes two slipways, a reconstructed road bridge and two footbridges.