Latest news with #Heanor
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Heanor darts shop success down to 'Luke Littler boom'
"Darts has historically been an old man's game in a smoky back room of a pub, but it's not like that anymore."That is the view of darts enthusiast Ryan Clarke - from his shop in Heanor, Derbyshire, which he opened in March, he has seen that change first hand. He attributes the massive surge in popularity in part to one man - Luke 'The Nuke' Littler - who became the youngest ever PDC World Darts Champion in January, aged 17."Some days we can't comprehend how busy it has been," Mr Clarke said, "a big part of it is what Littler has done." The 2024 PDC World Darts final - where a then 16-year-old Littler lost 7-4 to Luke Humphries - saw a peak of 3.71 million people tune in to watch. This was up from 1.9 million the year surge in popularity has benefitted Mr Clarke's shop, he described the response in visitors as "absolutely unbelievable"."Personally, I think without the boom of Luke Littler, I don't know if we'd be here 100%."He added that there were "a lot of great players out there at there minute but the things that Luke's done for the sport is great." A roofer by trade, Mr Clarke has played darts for about 15 years and takes part in a local league. The 32-year-old does not drink and wanted to practice and play in an environment without alcohol. "That is part of the reason why we set this up - just for a different environment and space to be playing darts in rather than having to go to the pub and everything that goes with it."He has also seen a change in the clientele."That's the beauty of this sport," he said. "Because everybody can play on a similar sort of level if the practice is put in... it's so inclusive, I think that's why it's also taken off in the way it has."
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Lee Young: Man found guilty of murdering fellow Derbyshire drug user
A drug addict who staged a burglary at the flat of a friend has been found guilty of body of 62-year-old Shaun Harriman was found at a property in Howitt Street, Heanor, Derbyshire, at about 23:55 BST on 30 September last Young, also of Howitt Street, was convicted by a jury at Derby Crown Court on 38-year-old will be sentenced on 19 June. A trial had previously heard Young had admitted being a regular user of a variety of drugs, including crack cocaine and outside the room of Mr Harriman had shown the defendant entering the property on the night of his had told his trial he acted in self-defence after the deceased - who had previously lent him money on a number of occasions - threw a bottle at him and then moved towards him holding a lock said he "panicked" after subduing him and then went out to buy drugs, rather than seek medical court heard he went to a friend's house and later returned to Mr Harriman's property to stage a burglary and distance himself from the crime.
