Lee Anderson MP: Leaving Selston stop out of Maid Marian Line plans was unacceptable

Firstly, I was disappointed to learn that the current plans for the Maid Marion line to be submitted by Ashfield Council did not include a station or a stop at Selston.

I could not accept this, so I have gone back to the council to share my frustration and they have now agreed to put a platform or station at Selston into the plans.

Secondly, I met with Insp Mark Dickson this week to chat about crime in Ashfield, following on from my meeting with Nottinghamshire’s chief constable and police minister Kit Symons MP.

I am now pleased to announce that Ashfield will be getting extra officers with a fully manned police desk in Sutton and in September, we will have a new reach team that will be dedicated to tackling drug dealers and anti-social behaviour.

This is something I pushed for before the election and I am glad to see that Ashfield is getting these extra resources.

Getting a stronger police presence has always been a priority of mine and I will keep pressing for more resources.

It was great to see the whole of Ashfield and Eastwood on social media decorated with Union Jacks to remember VE Day.

My late granddad, Charles William Waterfield from Sutton, was in Italy with the Sherwood Foresters on VE day in 1945 and I will always remember the story he told me about when he got back to the UK.

He was demobbed in Bawtry near Sheffield, given a suit and some money and then walked back to Ashfield then went back to work down the pit.

No fuss, no moaning, he just got on with it.

What a man and I feel proud to have called him my granddad and proud to think that all those years ago he gave everything up to go and fight for our freedom without knowing if he would ever come home again.

This is something that unites us as a country and gives us all that sense of pride about where we are from.

During these difficult times we have once again seen how our country can unite to fight an enemy.

The enemy this time may be invisible but our front-line staff and key workers who are our soldiers in this war will win the day.