‘VIRUS IS STILL IN CIRCULATION’

DERBY City Council is working with schools, health and safety teams and transport providers to support them to have the correct measures in place to make this return as safe as possible.

Councillor Evonne Williams, city council cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Face-to-face education is vital to the development and wellbeing of our young people.

“It is, however, understandable that the return will likely cause some anxiety for everyone who is affected by the reopening of schools. This is completely natural, and our best option is to work together and support each other.

“It is also important to remember that, although Covid-19 cases are falling, the virus is still in circulation in our communities.

“Our best method of defence is through following the public health guidance: keeping our distance, washing our hands, and by wearing face coverings if you are able. We can all work together to do the right thing for Derby.”

STATEMENTS from the victim and his mother were read to the court.

The victim’s statement, read out by Dawn Pritchard, told how he was so scared he could not go out any more, was still anxious, suffered pain in his jaw and that the ordeal would “haunt him for the rest of his life”.

The victim’s mother also read out a statement. In it she said: “I had a phone call that my son had been injured and I was consumed with worry and fear. He had a white sheet over his head.

“There was dried blood on his hands, he could hardly speak. Nothing could prepare me for what I was about to witness. He couldn’t open his eyes.

“It will stay with me forever. He doesn’t know how to process what happened to him. He suffers with chronic PTSD. He has anxiety and insomnia. What happened that night traumatised him.”