Wiktoria Wrzyszcz

Senior news reporter at the Derbyshire Times with the NCTJ Level 6 National Qualification in Journalism

If you have a story, email me at 
wiktoria.wrzyszcz@jpress.co.uk

Explore featured selection of my stories below

Investigative stories

The Independent •

The tragedy behind the highly controversial IPP prison sentences

Marc Conway looked on with concern at his fellow inmate at HMP Grendon. The prisoner’s fingernails were long and dirty and he refused to shower. Self-inflicted scars showed the physical ramifications of his mental torment. He was an emotionless husk of a man, resigned to his fate.Both Marc and the prisoner were serving imprisonment for the protection of the public (IPP) sentences; indeterminate prison sentences with no maximum tariff that were introduced in 2003 and abolished in 2012. Marc was s...
Derbyshire Times •

Company which used to run popular Peak District café owes over £120K to HM Customs & Revenues – including £82k in tax

Absent Cooks Ltd, a company which used to run The Eating House café in Carver, has gone into liquidation with FRP Advisory taking charge of the winding up process.The well-known Peak District café, which was visited by the king of Lesotho in May last year, closed its doors at the end of September 2024. The venue was taken over by new owners and reopened under new name in October. Statement of affairs published at the Companies House reveals that Absent Cooks Ltd owes a total of £243,611.05 to it...

Advocating for children with special educational needs

Derbyshire Times •

'I have to be their voice' says Chesterfield mum as twins left without special school place

Kimberley Webb, 34, a mum of five, has spent the last 12 months fighting to get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) set up for her twins Noah and Riley, aged four. The boys, who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and are nonverbal, need legal paperwork to be able to attend a specialist school. Derbyshire County Council started the assessment, which took eight weeks – a fortnight longer than a legal deadline for ECHP. The documents concluded that the boys are eligible for ECH...
Derbyshire Times •

"This is just not good enough": say families of SEND children after Ofsted calls for 'urgent' changes at SEND provision

"They have now said Phoenox will have a space at special needs in September 2025 and we are very happy about it. However if the council had not failed him, he would have been in school now. Instead, he will have missed two years of education by next September. "I think we all knew this kind of report was coming after hearing about all the children struggling with getting school places and support they needed. We are happy that Ofsted inspectors listened to the families. We hope that now moving f...
Derbyshire Times •

Council issues apology - as Chesterfield mum left feeling ‘hopeless’ after SEND department refuses to update EHCP with daughter’s diagnosis

She is currently attending a mainstream nursery, but the school said they were no longer able to meet her complex needs.Mrs Pratt, a mum of two, started the application process for Sophie’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) last July – providing the council with documents showing that Sophie was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. But when Sophie’s parents received a draft of EHCP from Derbyshire County Council’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) department at the end of January,...

Human interest stories

Derbyshire Times •

"It's like being kicked in the teeth": Anglers speak up after decision to convert popular fishing pond into biodiversity hub

He said: “The issue is that the District Council's taking the decision without thinking through the consequences of that decision. So my opinion is that while they've got nobody to look after it, the angling club should have been left where they were maintaining it and managing that pond.

He said: “The issue is that the District Council's taking the decision without thinking through the consequences of that decision. So my opinion is that while they've got nobody to look after it, the angling c...
Derbyshire Times •

Mum extremely concerned for son with brain tumour and special needs - as Chesterfield primary school set to cut teaching assistants

"My son has special educational needs, as well as a disability, and requires a teaching assistant to support him within the classroom, around school and to complete regular physiotherapy sessions. I am not sure how the school expects to be able to adequately meet his needs, when his needs are barely being met currently with a dedicated class teaching assistant."My son fell recently and cut his head at playtime. This could have easily been life threatening as he has a brain tumour and has had a r...
Derbyshire Times •

Llama drama! 'Hero' rescue llamas who narrowly escaped death stop offender fleeing from police in Derbyshire

But his escape did not go to plan after eight llamas galloped over to him as he was running through the field and surrounded him."Our llamas galloped over to him and surrounded him. They literally made a circle around him, and then started releasing their warning cry, which sounds like an old man laughing.A spokesperson for the force said: "We were called to reports of a woman having a number of packets of tobacco stolen from her in Mansfield Road, South Normanton, at around 6pm on 2 February.“T...
Derbyshire Times •

Mental health support 'not good enough' - says Derbyshire woman after miscarriage

Poppy said: “It didn’t make sense with how far along I should be. They said the only way this was possible was if I released two eggs in one cycle, a couple of weeks apart, which isn't supposed to happen. When one of them was miscarrying, the other one was implanting. I thought it was a little miracle and it was meant to be.”Poppy said: “It was a very difficult and confusing time. I was very hopeful. I was sure that the second pregnancy was going to make it. I wanted to believe that it was meant...

Court reporting and inquests

Derbyshire Times •

Death of ‘loving’ Chesterfield dad crushed by tractor trailer could have been prevented - inquest hears

One of the witness statements said: “I heard a loud snapping sound and quickly put the car to reverse. It was just instinct to protect my eight-year-old son. I heard a loud noise and I could see a cloud of dust. I called 999. I saw a girl getting out of the car. She was hysterical and screamed: ‘what have you done to my dad’.”Mr Simpson presented the court with the elements of the tractor and trailer recovered from the scene of the accident, including a hook and a ring. They were compared to a b...
Derbyshire Times •

Derbyshire mum pays tribute to ‘bubbly and clever' daughter, 14, after tragic death - and calls for SEND assessment improvements

In a moving tribute addressed to her daughter, Josie Hoskins, 47, Maisie’s mum, said: “You were a blessing I thought I never would have. I was so lucky to keep watching you grow, I would sing Songbird by Fleetwood Mac to you when you were in my tum, and we would often sing this together as you grew up, and my heart was crushed and completely broken as I sang it to you for the last time when you had died.Commenting on the difficulties Maisie faced with her referral, Coroner Peter Nieto said: “Mai...
Derbyshire Times •

Chesterfield grandmother sentenced - after harassing MP Toby Perkins, police officer and social worker

The prosecuting barrister said that the defendant sent over 40 emails or tweets about a social worker and copying in social services, many local MPs, clergy, the police and the court into the electronic communication. At the time Ms Glover had over 1,000 followers on her social media.Speaking on behalf of Ms Glover, the defence barrister, said: “The defendant as she is in front of court today has learnt a very hard way that if she does these things there are consequences. She is now addressing t...

Erin Landfill Site campaign

Derbyshire Times •

Parents feared gas leak at school as 'horrendous' landfill site smell means children can't play outside

Louise Tate, headteacher at Poolsbrook Primary Academy, which is affected by the odour, said: “I get complaints about the smell from the parents on a daily basis. Parents even questioned me on a couple of occasions as to whether we've got a gas leak at school because of it. It smells really bad in the morning, me and another teacher could even smell it on the motorway before we got to the school."It smells like a gas and children make comments on it as they arrive in the school. We can't take t...
Derbyshire Times •

Erin landfill site: Watch as we visit landfill site near Chesterfield to talk about smell affecting residents

People in Poolsbrook and Duckmanton have been complaining about the smell, noise and flies at Erin Landfill site for years – with issues getting worse in the last eighteen months.Louise Tate, headteacher at Poolsbrook Primary Academy which is just a few minutes walk from the landfill, said that parents have suspected a gas leak at school due to the smell. She also said that the odour is so bad that children cannot use the outdoor areas during the mornings. Cllr Anne-Frances Hayes said that the i...
Derbyshire Times •

Erin landfill site near Chesterfield closed for waste deliveries until further notice

There has been a lot of confusion this morning after information that the Erin Landfill site had been closed was circulated on social media. The landfill site at Markham Lane in Duckmanton has been affecting residents in the area and schools due to a very strong odour, raising concerns and affecting wellbeing. The Derbyshire Times has contacted Valencia, the site’s operator, to confirm if the site has been closed, but we have not received any response. After being contacted by Councilor Anne Hay...
Derbyshire Times •

Erin Landfill: Environment Agency comments after survey results from residents are published

After the Erin landfill site received an avalanche of smell complaints in the last few months, Duckmanton resident James Tomlinson has now conducted an online survey to ask people who live near the site what impact the odour has on their daily lives. The survey, conducted at a local Facebook group dedicated to the landfill which has 242 members, found that 81 residents had to close windows due to the odour, 76 said they were stressed by the smell and 68 were worried about flies.54 people said th...
Derbyshire Times •

17 gas collection wells set to be installed at ‘odorous’ landfill site near Chesterfield

Commencing next week Valencia will undertake a planned engineering programme to install up to 17 landfill gas collection wells and associated infrastructure at the Erin landfill site. There may be drilling machinery visible while the work is undertaken.This follows multiple complaints from Duckmanton and Poolsbrook residents regarding odour, noise and flies affecting their daily lives. In an email sent to the Erin community liaison group earlier today, Valencia explained that it is the industry'...
Derbyshire Times •

Environmental Agency issues update after smell complaints while Derbyshire landfill operator promises improvements

In the newsletter, the Agency recognised that the number of smell complaints increased in December last year and remained high through January and February but decreased in March – soon after the landfill operator Valencia confirmed the site would temporarily stop accepting waste deliveries. The newsletter reads: “Environment Agency officers have inspected the site several times and undertaken odour assessments on and off-site. We have detected offsite landfill gas odours, however during our ins...

Reviews and first person stories

Derbyshire Times •

I tried brand new seafood menu at prestigious Peak District hotel – just a stone's throw from Chatsworth House

We were soon invited to the Garden Room Restaurant to try the new seasonal seafood menu. The room, inspired by glasshouses at Chatsworth Estate, had plenty of natural light and was surrounded by gorgeous countryside.The menu, which was launched on August 12, tempted us with a great variety of dishes to try - from scallops, through prawns and moules to an array of fish, including salmon, monkfish, haddock and more.Soon our starters arrived and we couldn’t wait to try them. Both dishes were beauti...
Derbyshire Times •

I tried Britain's best loaf and 'kronuts' - as we visited award-winning Chesterfield bakery - and here's what I thought

I grew up in Poland, where freshly baked bread can be bought practically at every corner. I must say that since I moved to England I haven’t come across any bread that would prove to be nearly as good as the one was used to in my childhood. But this was only the beginning of what came to be an incredibly successful spring for the Chesterfield bakery. At the beginning of this month, 4 Eyes’ Sourdough and White Tin Loaf entered separate categories at the Craft Bakers Association Awards 2024 in Lon...

Choice of stories published in student, local and national press while at University

The Independent •

The tragedy behind the highly controversial IPP prison sentences

Marc Conway looked on with concern at his fellow inmate at HMP Grendon. The prisoner’s fingernails were long and dirty and he refused to shower. Self-inflicted scars showed the physical ramifications of his mental torment. He was an emotionless husk of a man, resigned to his fate.Both Marc and the prisoner were serving imprisonment for the protection of the public (IPP) sentences; indeterminate prison sentences with no maximum tariff that were introduced in 2003 and abolished in 2012. Marc was s...
The Star •

Percy Pud runners battled blustery conditions today as the 10K race returned to the city

He said: “I am so excited. The first 5K was really windy and cold but I tried to win the race and I did."I am proud of myself and proud of Sheffield people. They were cheering me on all the time, they are lovely and I would like to say thank you to them.”Sally Ratcliffe, 27, who is originally from South Yorkshire, came all the way from London to participate and is preparing for the Seville Marathon next year.She said: “It feels good to be the first woman to cross the line. My time is slightly s...
The Star •

Pianist who performed for the Queen explains why he agreed to play at new Sheffield market

OKIEM, a world-renowned pianist and composer, who performed at the palace just last week, will be playing at the opening of the new market on Fargate in Sheffield city centre on Monday, October 25 at midday.The acclaimed artist said: “I played in people’s living rooms, Costa Coffee, in Italy and Germany, and in Buckingham Palace. If there is a good event and there are good people who want to hear my music, I am happy to play.”He added: “A childhood friend who has been seeing all my concerts told...
The Star •

Broomhill Wood Fired Pizza & Grill: First review of former chippy popular with Sheffield actor Sean Bean

Broomhill Wood Fired Pizza & Grill located at 197 Whitham Road, just next to Butcher and Catch, lured its first guests with free pizza slices and discount vouchers when it opened on Monday, April 11.After trying a bit of focaccia and salame pizza I knew I would be back. Soon I found myself visiting the takeaway twice in the space of a week.The place itself seems a bit crammed and does not offer an option to eat in. But after you walk through the door, the smell of pizza freshly baked in a wood o...
The Star •

Bodybuilder from Sheffield helping steer youths away from crime appeals for help to prevent more murders

Trevor said: “Two young people lost their lives. At the time one of them was shot, my mentee, was working out in my gym. He could have been involved in that, but I got him off the streets.“I believe prevention is better than cure. I want to work with the youngsters because they are the future. Some of these people are very intelligent but nobody has given them a chance, nobody cares.”Trevor said he can only offer his help to small groups and for a short time due to the lack of funding available....
Forge Press •

Sports Thoughts: Before I am an athlete, I am a Black Woman - Forge Press

Just a few minutes before the 2020 US Open champion lifts up her sterling silver trophy and smiles at the cameras, she hears this question asked by reporter Tom Rinaldi: “Seven matches, seven masks, seven names. What was the message you wanted to send?” 
“Well, what was the message that you got?” – responds Naomi Osaka, who throughout the entire tournament has been honouring victims of racial injustice. Before each of her seven matches, she entered the court wearing a mask with the name of one o...

Claim Back West Street Campaign

The Star •

Campaigners launch bid to ‘Claim Back West Street’ after spate of drink spiking in Sheffield

'Claim Back West Street' is a campaign launched by five students at the University of Sheffield and is rapidly gaining momentum.Hannah Youds, one of the campaigners, said they have set an eight-week deadline to fulfil their goals, which include creating safe areas in West Street bars, pushing hard for all West Street establishments to implement anti-spiking measures, and bringing Street Angels to Sheffield.Street Angels are people who keep the community secure by patrolling a central location (s...
Forge Press •

Sheffield anti-spiking campaign achieves aims just 5 weeks after launching. - Forge Press

Claim Back West Street (CBWT), a safer-streets campaign founded by the Steel City Courier, has achieved all three of their aims only five weeks after the campaign was launched.
The campaign was launched on the 15th October and pledged to meet these aims over an eight week period, however these have been achieved in just five. 
The campaign began in response to a surge in alleged spikings at nightclubs in Sheffield, including The Foundry at the University of Sheffield’s Students Union.
In respons...