Shariqua Ahmed

  

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BBC News •

Cambridgeshire Police launch internal review into knife incidents

A police force has launched an internal review into three knife-related incidents that are being investigated for possible links to the train attack suspect. Cambridgeshire Police said it was re-examining an attack on a 14-year-old boy and two reports of a knifeman at a barbers' shop in Peterborough between Friday and Saturday.Darryl Preston, Cambridgeshire's police and crime commissioner, said he asked Simon Megicks, the county's chief constable, to review these incidents which occurred prior t...
BBC News •

Peterborough mosques tighten security after harassment incident

Mr Choudhuri said: "As you know, mosques are open all the time during the day. People can come and go. Steps are being taken to tighten our belts on security matters."I want the community to be vigilant. We welcome anybody who comes, but we just have to be more careful than before."Mr Choudhuri said the community is determined "not to let people creating Islamophobia win", and that planned activities and classes at all the mosques will go ahead."This incident happened at a mosque... tomorrow it...
BBC News •

Hindu temple in Peterborough feels 'let down' over sale of site

Members of a city's Hindu community said they felt let down after the news that their temple site could be sold by a council to help balance its budget.The Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple was established in the New England Complex in Peterborough in 1986.The complex is owned by Peterborough City Council and its sale forms part of the authority's ongoing efforts to reduce debts by selling its assets.Kishore Ladwa, the temple's president, said the group was "feeling devastated and the council's decision...
BBC News •

Widow loses £500,000 in 'romance scam'

A police force says "education is key" in preventing romance fraud, after a woman in her 70s was scammed out of more than £500,000 and left homeless.Dave York, of the Cambridgeshire Police cyber and fraud prevention team, said it saw four incidents a week, but that bringing criminals to justice was "often almost impossible".The victim was deceived by a fraudster claiming to be the Hollywood actor Jason Mamoa, who promised her a new life in a luxury house in Hawaii."To the outsider it is complete...
BBC News •

Pigeon infestation at unfinished Peterborough Hilton hotel

An unfinished Hilton hotel had been hit with a "pigeon infestation and water ingress", a council report said.In 2017, Peterborough City Council borrowed £15m and loaned it to developers to build The Garden Inn Hotel at Fletton Quays. By 2020, the project had stalled, and the firm went bankrupt in 2023.The local authority is now hoping a buyer comes along to purchase the hotel, which could help them recoup the investment.According to cabinet report, external papers, there was water ingress on the...
BBC News •

'Martial arts champion is role model'

A 16-year-old who has won six medals at a martial arts world championship event has been described by her school head as a role model for young people.Lana Strickland, from Stilton in Cambridgeshire, won two golds and four bronzes having competed in seven kickboxing and taekwondo categories.The Year 12 student, who attends Hampton College in Peterborough, said she felt proud to represent England at the World Martial Arts Committee games in Hull last week."She is an exceptional athlete and has ma...
BBC News •

Arts project challenges disability stereotypes

A city's arts organisation is marking 30 years of the Disability Discrimination Act with championing slogans and artwork about deafness, disability, and/or neurodivergence (DDN).The Reasonable Adjustments (RAD) project by Peterborough Presents aims to tackle stereotypes and raise awareness about making spaces more inclusive for people with DDN."Mind the gap in equality" and "If society was inclusive and accessible, I could flourish" are among messages printed on about 100 T-shirts displayed acro...
BBC News •

Street artist restores his defaced unity mural

A street artist has repainted his unity mural of two hands making a fist pump after it was defaced by graffiti.Nathan Murdoch, 39, from the organisation Street Arts Hire, said he first painted the artwork in 2020 on the wall of an underpass in near Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, to convey the message of "mutual respect".The mural, which was commissioned by Diaspora Arts and Education Charity, was defaced earlier this year, which left Mr Murdoch feeling "upset". He said it was "a strange time i...
BBC News •

Couple distraught after pet killed in dog attack

A man said he has been left distraught after his dog was killed and he was injured after they were attacked by three dogs.Przemek Bednarczyk said the incident took place when he was walking his Hungarian Vizsla, Archie, in the fields near the Bretton Crematorium in Peterborough on 12 September at about 19:30 BST.Mr Bednarczyk, who lives in Ravensthorpe, said three dogs - all of whom he said were off leads - ran towards him and Archie before attacking them. "It was like a lion attacking a gazelle...
BBC News •

Peterborough teen died after jump into cold lake, inquest hears

A teenager died from drowning after voluntarily jumping into a cold lake, an inquest has heard.Emergency services were called to the Crown Lakes Country Park near Peterborough following reports of a boy getting into difficulty in the water at about 16:00 BST on 3 April.The body of Jack Lloyd,16, was recovered from the water just after midnight the following day by police divers.Coroner Simon Milburn said that based on the evidence Jack was seen "struggling as soon as he hit the water and was fla...
BBC News •

Peterborough Uber drivers strike over pay and conditions

More than 50 Uber taxi drivers lined up at a city's train station as part of a strike against the company's pay and working conditions.Drivers operating across Peterborough gathered outside the train station and some at Maskew Avenue Retail Park.Mehtab Anwar, 30, a full-time Uber driver and one of the organisers, said drivers would be on strike for 48 hours until Sunday morning.An Uber spokesperson said it was working with a union to "improve the experience of driving with Uber".

More than 50 U...
BBC News •

Peterborough residents demand hotline to tackle flytipping

Residents frustrated with fly-tipping blighting their village called for a dedicated hotline to report the crime.At a meeting with Peterborough City Council officers on Thursday, people living in and around Eye, Thorney, and Newborough demanded stronger deterrents, tougher fines and faster action to deal with the issue.Val Alemanno, who has lived in the area for more than 50 years, described Eyebury Road as the "worst hotspot," with a "ridiculous" amount of rubbish being dumped.Alex Morley, of W...
BBC News •

Peterborough boxing gym prepares traveller teen for England debut

A boxing club that is helping young people from diverse communities stay off the streets is preparing a fighter to make his international debut.Jerry-Mike,15, attends Top Yard School of Boxing in Peterborough, and is about to represent England at a tri-nations boxing championship starting on 28 May in Cardiff.The teenager from Wisbech said being a traveller brought extra challenges for him, adding that it had "pushed" him to work harder.His ultimate dream is to be an undisputed champion, which i...
BBC News •

Rowing club empowers blind and partially sighted

A group of visually impaired rowers say a piece of simple technology is empowering more people to take up the sport.Kate Lindgren was the first blind rower to join Peterborough City Rowing Club eight years ago.She helped set up the Row the Rhythm project last year to support blind or partially sighted participants, and there are now 15 at the club from across Cambridgeshire.A coach involved in the project said a Bluetooth headset used by the rowers to communicate was "life-changing".

A group of...
BBC News •

Charity blown away by support to keep green space

A charity fighting to save its open green space from being turned into a housing development said it had been "blown away" by the community's support.The Green Backyard forms part of a plot on London Road, where Peterborough City Council suggested 48 homes could be built under its draft Local Plan, external.On Saturday, more than 600 people attended a community day to campaign against the idea.City artist Nathan Murdoch from Street Arts Hire supported the event by painting a mural of a girl tryi...
BBC News •

Families fear closure of Peterborough vulnerable adults hub

More than 700 people have signed a petition calling for a hub that coaches people with learning disabilities to be saved from closure.The Industrial Hub in Peterborough, which is part of City College's Day Opportunities programme, offers work experience and training.Families fear the service will shut in June. Vivienne Haresign said the closure would "destroy" her 58-year-old brother Tony Sanders.Peterborough City Council said those affected "will be supported to source alternative opportunities...
BBC News •

Eid celebration 'can be lonely' for Muslim converts

As a month of family celebrations around Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr pass for another year, for some Muslims who have converted to Islam the whole time period could be "isolating and lonely" instead, a charity said.New Muslim Circle, in Peterborough, supports converts in their journey of faith by teaching them how to pray, organising regular meet-ups and hosting meals and celebrations.Natalia Zaman, who became a Muslim in 2007, described the charity as a "safe space" and a "lifeline" for those it he...
BBC News •

Rubbish more than 20 years old found by the A47 near Peterborough

A volunteer litter-picker who has been cleaning laybys along the A47 has found rubbish that has been there for more than two decades.Mark Fishpool has been cleaning up along the A47 near Peterborough for 18 months, and he said the amount of litter there was "disgraceful".Mr Fishpool, 68, said the area had been neglected for years."The litter has blown into the undergrowth and the wooded area about 100ft back from the road," he said.

A volunteer litter-picker who has been cleaning laybys along t...
BBC News •

Businesses call for improvements at Ortongate Shopping Centre

Business owners and customers said they felt unsafe at a shopping centre and concerned about its future.Lloyd McPherson, who runs a sports bar at Peterborough's Ortongate Shopping Centre, claimed it suffered from poor security and lighting.Another business owner said they had recently shut two gyms there due to "unreasonable" service charges.Centre owners Cassco Holdings Ltd said an "extensive site maintenance plan" was in place, including a new CCTV system, and that service charges had been red...
BBC News •

Community marks Bedford's first Muslim burial ground

Mr Akhter said: "Many bigger councils up and down the country don't have such a facility, and it is a testament to the community and our council that we can boast about this burial ground."It was really pleasing to have cross-party support at full council for this project and I look forward to the official opening in the summer where we hope to invite everyone for a big celebration."Mr Wotton said: "This initiative goes far beyond land and planning approvals."It embodies our commitment to respec...
BBC News •

'A smear test saved my life', says cancer survivor

A woman who survived cervical cancer has advocated the importance of smear tests after she said having one saved her life.Stacey Roberts, 37, from Peterborough, has been in remission for three years after being diagnosed with the illness aged 34, and said she feels "proud" of her journey. NHS England said around one in three women take up their invite to get a cervical screening, even though 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented by the test.Ms Roberts said: "Screenings save lives. It saved mi...
BBC News •

Peterborough mums fight cultural stigma with Send support group

A support group for mums and carers who look after children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) has been described as "life-changing".The Julaybib Project, based in Peterborough, was set up by Natalia Zaman and Amina Ahmed - who both have children with additional needs - to provide a safe space for all, but especially those from the South Asian community.Mrs Zaman said they faced struggles on "multiple-layers, including stigma from within their own families" and she hoped the...
BBC News •

Woman calls for safer access after Peterborough station fall

A woman is calling for urgent improvements to access at a railway station after a fall left her with serious cuts and bruises.Anny Sherwood, 72, from Oakham, Rutland, said the fall - on an unmarked speed bump at Peterborough station on 15 November - left her "shell-shocked".She said she and husband Dennis had tried to contact London North Eastern Railways (LNER), which manage the station, since the incident but they felt "angry" at the lack of response.A spokesperson for LNER told the BBC they "...
BBC News •

Peterborough Soup Kitchen says demand up significantly

A soup kitchen feeding about 1,900 people a month said it was "scary" to see the number of new faces they were helping.Peterborough Soup Kitchen (PSK) provides a chat, a hot meal and drink from a van at a city centre car park each day and said demand had gone up "significantly".Beccy Tyler, secretary of PSK, said the volunteer-led organisation was serving an increased number of families with young children each week and called it "heartbreaking".Peterborough City Council said it had seen a 40% r...
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