Leicestershire’s biggest news stories of 2020 which had NOTHING to do with coronavirus

The year has been dominated by one thing alone and it’s not surprising most our biggest stories were about the pandemic.

But other things did happen and these are some of the most-viewed stories on LeicestershireLive this year that didn’t involve lockdowns, coronavirus or the resulting economic meltdown.

Among the most-read stories at the beginning of the year was the news that a young woman had been found dead at her home in Belgrave, Leicester.

Bhavini Pravin was killed by 24-year-old Jigukumar Sorthi, who Leicester Crown Court later heard had carried out the “honour killing” in March because he felt his family’s reputation had been tarnished by the rejection.

He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 year behind bars.

Judge Timothy Spencer told Sorthi at the sentencing hearing: “You stabbed her once, possibly twice, before she called out for help from her mother who quickly came from an adjoining room to see the horrific sight of her daughter being stabbed to death.”

Another popular story in the early part of the year was the news that Leicester City star James Maddison had deleted an Instagram story showing him trying and failing to kiss an unimpressed girl while on holiday with England teammates.

The 23-year-old midfield maestro was in Ibiza enjoying a well-earned rest in April after helping the Foxes to their second best ever Premier League finish.

But Maddison embarrassed himself by posting an Instagram story in which he was seen to try and fail to kiss a female companion.

Leicester snooker legend Willie Thorne sadly died after a battle with leukaemia in June.

The star had been in an induced coma intensive care in a Spanish hospital, after suffering respiratory failure on Sunday, June 14.

The 66-year-old was diagnosed with cancer in March of this year and has been affected by various health problems since, while undergoing chemotherapy treatment while residing in his rented flat in Alicante.

One of the most-read stories of the year was an article we wrote about housebuilder Bellway, who threatened a couple with legal action over a sign on the side of their house criticising the property developer.

Jake Wright and his wife Chloe moved from Ibstock to Ashby-de-la-Zouch after buying what they thought was their dream house in December 2018.

But they say the £248,000 new-build has caused them “nothing but problems” after its garage kept flooding from underneath the bricks.

Jake put up a banner outside his house in June stating: “Buying a Bellway Home was our worst decision. Please ask us why”.

He and Chloe have now been threatened with legal action and told to take down the sign today or risk being taken to court.

Bellway said it was working hard to fix the issues the couple have faced and that the sign is breaching “restrictive covenants entered into at the point of sale”.

Residents in Leicester reported seeing multiple strange lights in the sky at about 11.30pm on Monday, July 6.

One person, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It was at 11:30pm, I spotted the lines in the sky.

“After about 30 seconds of me noticing them and taking a picture they turned a red colour they were there probably for about five minutes, they didn’t move but then faded.

“They were a bright white,” when the witness first noticed them. I often look out and get pictures of the stars but that was the first time I’ve seen anything like that. I was just intrigued to know what they were really.”

The lights are believed to have been due to a rare weather phenomenon.

Another popular story this year was about a man who returned to his car from walking his dog only to find his path blocked by a huge pile of building material – left by fly-tippers while he was away.

The dog walker, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke out to praise the swift actions of Charnwood Borough Council and its waste operators Serco, for coming out and clearing a way for him.

The incident happened on Monday August 17, on the small off-road track, Betty Hensers Lane in Mountsorrel.

The man said he was away from his vehicle for about an hour and a half. He said he couldn’t believe what he saw when he came back.

Readers from all over the UK visited LeicestershireLive in November to read about how a section of a canal drained sweeping the towpath away with it after it sprang a leak.

A huge hole emerged in the side of the Ashby Canal, washing away the towpath and leaving boats sat on the muddy bottom of the watercourse on the section near Snarestone.

Geoff Pursglove, who moors his narrow boat ‘Waterloo Sunrise’ at the bottom of his garden on the affected length of canal, said residents woke up to the sound of gushing water.

He said: “It doesn’t look like we will be going anywhere on the boat at the moment.

“A few boats are stranded, but hopefully it will all be sorted out soon.”

It later emerged that hundreds of fish had died but hundreds more were rescued from puddles in nearby fields.

Among the most-read non-Covid stories we published in December was the news that yet another lorry had smashed into the ‘most-bashed bridge in Britain’ on the A5 in Hinckley.

The roof of a Royal Mail trailer was completely torn off after it smashed into the low railway bridge near Dodwells island, forcing the road to close, in the morning of Saturday, December 12.

Chris Milner, editor of The Railway magazine. was in the area after the crash happened.

He said: “I’d been at Nuneaton for the first run of a new charter train and driving back along the A5 to head to Kibworth for another special train, when I spotted the damaged trailer of the lorry near the Lime Kilns.”

Another big story the same month was about a 20-year-old petrolhead from Leicestershire bought a vintage Rolls Royce car, which costs him £80 a day to insure.

Cormac Boylan, from Great Dalby, near Melton, works as a motoring journalist and radio DJ.

After saving up enough money from his jobs, as well as his side business selling vintage cars on behalf of clients, he decided to purchase the 1989 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit for an undisclosed amount.

“In my job, I have driven all sorts of different cars – from Ferraris, to Lamborghinis – if you can name it, I’ve probably driven it,” he said.