COLUMN: Thank you to our police, by Gloria De Piero, MP

On Wednesday, after voting in Parliament, I heard the panic and commotion and then was told to stay in the office I was in and not to move.

Scary though it was - I am relieved to be telling you all this. Some people will never be able to tell you what happened on March 22, 2017. Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes and PC Keith Palmer all had their lives tragically cut short that day. My heart goes out to their families, as it does to everyone who has been injured.

I struggle to find the words that mean enough to thank the police officers that put themselves in harm way every day to protect us, whether that is in Westminster or in Ashfield. I don’t think any of us say it often enough so to every police officer that serves or who has ever served, I simply say, thank you.

I was very honoured to be at the launch of the wonderful Women’s Quilt in Parliament on International Women’s Day earlier this month. The quilt is made of hand-stitched patches decorated with the names of the more than 500 women who were murdered by a partner or former partner between 2009 and 2015. Women from across the country have taken part in this project including - Jayne Mortimer, from Kirkby, and Hillocks Primary School headteacher, Louise Regan.

The quilt was the brainchild of Gedling Labour councillor Roxanne Ellis, and it is a beautiful way to remember the victims of domestic violence attacks and raising awareness of this widespread problem. Well done to all of those who have helped make the quilt.

When you live on a new housing estate, you can expect some bits to look a little unfinished while the development is finished off.

But a lady from Kirkby got in touch because she was fed up with what she described as a ‘huge tip of rubbish’ outside her front door on Boundary Close.

She said that the mound of building rubble, skips, scaffolding and more had been there for about seven years and she feared it was an accident waiting to happen if kids ever went exploring or climbing on it. I got in touch with Bovis Homes, the developer responsible, and got an immediate response. They have agreed to fence it off in the short term and promised to clear the area next month - great news for this neighbourhood.