Fire at council offices

Allister Craddock
Politics Show East Midlands

Raging fire - the council offices in Melton Mowbray

A huge fire ripped through council offices on Nottingham Road in Melton Mowbray on Friday 30 May. We look at the impact on the council's services and its day-to-day work.

The roof of the council chamber building was destroyed in the fire which also damaged the offices of the East Midlands Regional Assembly.

The fire is believed to have started in a single storey wing of the offices, which contained the council chamber and register office, but then spread.

The Leader of the Melton Mowbray Council, Malise Graham, says: "It was obviously a major incident and we had a disaster plan - and that swung into action straight away.

"The fire brigade were amazing and other local businesses came to our help."

A huge fire ripped through the borough council's offices in Melton Mowbray.

Staff have been temporarily relocated whist the fire investigators evaluate the damage and whilst work takes place on the damaged building.

Councillor Graham confirmed to the Politics Show that no important information should have been lost in the fire as all the council's records are backed-up.

The full extent of the damage is currently being assessed and an investigation is underway into the causes of the fire.

The council's emergency plan is in operation and full information is available at www.meltononline.co.uk including alternative contact telephone numbers.

For more information

For information call customer services on 01664 502502 between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

An information service is also available at 5 King Street, Melton Mowbray between 9.30am and 3.30pm weekdays.

Also on the show:

Teenage Politicians

We hear from one of the youngest people ever to make a speech in the House of Lords.

Jess Evans is just 16-years-old.

So getting to her feet in a chamber where the average age is 68 was a daunting experience.

But she rose to the challenge.

Jess Evans, 16, makes a speech in the House of Lords

Jess represents Leicester in the UK Youth Parliament.

Recently it held a special session in the Lords to decide on its priorities for the coming year.

She clearly made a strong impression when she called for the abolition of student tuition fees.

The UKYP voted to make that one of its three major issues.

Jess says the fees are now so expensive she has had to rule out going away to university.

She says it is plainly unfair. And she says her friends cannot afford it either.

She will be telling John Hess that she is determined to take their grievance to the very top.

And Members of the Youth Parliament have a good track record when it comes to persuading Ministers to listen.

Fares fair

Jess will also be outlining her determination to win concessionary fares for teenagers.

She insists that if pensioners are entitled to them, they should get them too.

She and her colleagues have already met councillors in Leicester to press their case.

And what, I wonder, will she make of the Government's hard hitting campaign, launched this week, to deter young people from carrying knives?

Do the Youth Parliament's campaigns get your vote? Have they got a thing or two to teach politicians of a more mature vintage?

Email us using the form below.

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Join Jon Sopel and John Hess on the Politics Show for the East Midlands - Sundays at 12:00 BST on BBC One.

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