Shariqua Ahmed

  

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BBC News •

'Do I cook or wash?' ask Peterborough residents without water

"It has been 48 hours without water," says a frustrated resident living in a block of flats in Peterborough after a bin store fire destroyed its communal water tank.About 300 people are without running water following the accidental blaze at Varity House on Vicarage Farm Road shortly before 10:00 BST on Saturday, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said.Ryan Gilmore, who lives with his partner at Varity House, said: "It has been two days now, no flushing water, no showers, nothing from a tap...
BBC News •

Pedestrians call roundabout diversion 'dangerous'

"It's an accident waiting to happen," says Katie Thorington as she dodges cyclists, mopeds and e-scooters while walking along a narrow diversion footpath around Peterborough's Queensgate roundabout. The Crescent Bridge walkway has become more congested following the closure of the roundabout's underpasses on 6 July and another key footpath leading into the railway station. The closures are part of works for the first phase of the £65m Station Quarter scheme to create a pedestrian-friendly walkwa...
BBC News •

'Taking 999 abuse calls seriously can save lives'

Raneem's Law is named after Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem's ex-husband in 2018 despite Raneem making multiple 999 calls to police - who failed to turn up.The law was introduced to improve how police respond to domestic abuse by placing specialist advisers in control rooms to help protect victims more quickly.Cambridgeshire Police is among 12 forces involved in the expansion of the pilot which will bring the total number of police forces taking part to 17...
BBC News •

Couple who met during dialysis in Cambridge call for better care

A couple who fell in love while undergoing dialysis at the same clinic have called on the government to do more to protect kidney patients from cardiovascular disease.Lee Farrington, 49, met his wife, Kacey Farrington, 45, when they were both patients at Cambridge Dialysis Centre in 2022 and they married in April. Kidney Research UK said people with kidney disease are six times more likely to experience a major heart attack or stroke.While undergoing dialysis for four hours three times a week, L...
BBC News •

How much does it cost to keep the Cathedral open?

Jack Pishhorn, Peterborough Cathedral's chief operating officer, told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Dotty McLeod that it cost about "£2.5m a year to operate"."Over the last few years we have operated at a loss of around £500,000 to £1m and that's unsustainable for the cathedral," Pishhorn said."That's not just us. That's 80% of UK cathedrals operate in a structural deficit, so we've really got to try to push our income and donations is such a great way of being able to do that."All we are trying to...
BBC News •

Big Brother or 'nothing to hide'? A city's AI cameras split opinion

Opinions seem to be mixed on the use of AI live facial recognition (LFR) technology in a city centre.Cambridgeshire Police deployed the system in Peterborough for a second time, aiming to identify individuals who may pose a risk to public safety.The technology uses live camera feeds to scan faces and compare them in real time against a watchlist of high-risk individuals.Is it a harmless tool that improves safety or a step towards a "Big Brother" society? Here is what people in the city had to sa...
BBC News •

Grieving family warn of open water swimming risks

"Don't put your parents through this," a mum and dad said as they warned teenagers to take seriously the dangers of open water swimming after their 16-year-old son drowned. Jack Lloyd, from Peterborough, died in April last year after he jumped into a cold lake near Crown Lakes Country Park in Farcet.His family, alongside Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, have come together to share Jack's story in a short film to highlight the risks of swimming in open water.Jack's father, Darren Lloyd, sa...
BBC News •

Steve Reed hails 'bright future' for Peterborough on visit

Peterborough has a "bright future" with significant untapped potential, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said while in the city to highlight a regeneration initiative.Reed spoke to the BBC on Friday during a visit to Brookside Methodist Church in Gunthorpe, where he discussed the government's Pride in Place programme.Under the scheme, two areas in the city - Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland, and Orton Malborne and Orton Goldhay - will receive up to £20m over 10 years to improve their communities.Reed c...
BBC News •

Labour losses as Peterborough council stays in no overall control

Peterborough's Labour MP said his party had "seen better nights" in the city but remained optimistic, after local elections saw Labour lose four of the six seats it was defending.Andrew Pakes said the results showed Labour was "still standing" but it now had 11 seats at Peterborough City Council compared to the Tories' 13, making the latter the largest party.Reform UK gained four seats on the night, taking their total to five, while the Greens also gained one and they now have six councillors. T...
BBC News •

Parties discuss cost of living in election debate

Voters across Peterborough will be going to polls on Thursday with 18 of the city council's 60 seats up for re-election.Peterborough City Council currently has no party in overall control, but Labour - the largest group with 13 councillors - runs the administration in coalition with the Liberal Democrats and Peterborough First.Representatives from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform UK met to debate on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Chris Mann show. Peterborough First was...
BBC News •

Women transform crime and litter hotspot into 'Narnia'

Former Labour councillor for Woodston and Fletton, Alan Dowson, who started the project three years ago, passed away earlier this year.Phillips, who has lived on the street for 40 years, worked with him on the project."We were fed up with the fly-tipping and the rubbish and there were little dark areas where drugs were going on. I saw the area go down over time," she said.She said nearly everything used has been re-purposed from rubbish dumped on the road - including cans, car tyres and bricks....
BBC News •

Farmer donates 12 tonnes of spuds to charities

A farmer who was left with more than 12 tonnes of potatoes after a cancelled order has managed to donate them to charities and food banks.Luke Abblitt, who runs Daintree Farm in Ramsey in Cambridgeshire, had prepared 540 bags of spuds for delivery to a fish and chip shop, but the order was cancelled at short notice, leaving him with stock already nearing the end of its usable life.Last week, he said he had "already lost money on them" and wanted to "make something good out of the bad and donate...
BBC News •

Peterborough retail project a lifeline, say independent traders

A community retail project that has generated £1m in sales for small independent businesses has been described as a "lifeline" by traders.Up The Garden Bath, a community interest organisation that upcycles discarded bath tubs, set up the Unity project at Peterborough's Queensgate Shopping Centre in 2023, to help more than 50 independent businesses sell their products.Dave Poulton, the Unity project's founder, said the money made was a "ground-breaking moment" and that "it represents thousands of...
BBC News •

The women drawn to stress-busting American Football

Shamu added: "Being a black woman, being as tall as I am - 5ft10in - with a deep voice as you can hear, people always feel intimidated when they meet me."I try to tell them this is a nice thing for you to try. I'm not coming to play against you."We just encourage anybody - it doesn't matter how small or how big you are, you always have a position to play, there's always something for you to do. "No matter how unfit you may feel you are, just come down and try. You always have to try something ne...
BBC News •

Grieving father pleads youth to 'put knives down'

A grieving father of a 16-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed has urged young people to "put down knives" and learn from the tragedy.Baye Bireme Fall died after an incident in Riseholme near the Ortongate Shopping Centre in Peterborough just before 19:00 BST on 12 April.A peace event was held in his memory on Saturday evening, with hundreds of people coming together to pay tribute and call for an end to knife violence.A translator speaking on behalf of the victim's father, Khalifa Fall, said: "...
BBC News •

Peterborough stabbing death leaves community in shock

People living in Peterborough where a 16-year-old boy was fatally stabbed say they remain in shock and that his death has had a massive impact.A 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murder, following the incident in Riseholme, near the Ortongate Shopping Centre, on Sunday evening.The teenager who died has been named locally as Baye Bireme.Ghuilermina, who lives in the area and knew the teenager, laid flowers outside the centre. She said: "This is really shock...
BBC News •

'Strangers saved my son from tracks after seizure'

What should have been a day to remember nearly turned into a nightmare for one family in Peterborough.Noah, 15, was coming home from birthday celebrations when he had an epileptic seizure and fell on the railway tracks at the city's station on Easter Sunday. Mum Tammy said shortly after the family got off the 20:00 BST service from London, she heard screaming and realised her son was under the train. Fearing the train would move, she pulled the alarm, while her partner Cris and a member of the p...
BBC News •

Lithuanian women find friendship through exercise

Luda, 70, spoke to the BBC after the badminton session at the Gladstone Park Community Centre, external."It's very nice and I love it; this exercise session is great for us," said the grandmother, who moved to the UK 18 years ago."I try and stay active. I want to come every day and have made some friends here."Norviltaite, who has lived in the UK for 12 years, said the group was looking at getting funding to continue using the community centre for badminton."It's all about getting active. Especi...
BBC News •

Peterborough woman 'can't celebrate Eid' during Middle East war

A food stallholder says she does not want to celebrate the festival of Eid this weekend because she is worried about family and friends caught up in the fighting in Lebanon.Sahar Khalil, who lives in Peterborough, says a friend of hers was killed this week, while members of her family are now living in tents in freezing cold conditions after being told by the Israelis to evacuate the town where they lived.The feast of Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims around the world to mark the end of Rama...
BBC News •

Female-only support for homeless is a 'life-saver'

A cup of tea, a shower and a friendly chat in a safe space might sound like basics, but for vulnerable women living on the streets they are "life-savers".Every Friday morning, Light Project Peterborough (LPP) opens The Garden House, its respite centre for female rough sleepers, where they can find help with issues such as healthcare and housing.The charity for the homeless says it has seen a rise in women seeking help, with about 20% of people they support being female.The centre says women can...
BBC News •

Open iftar at King's College Cambridge 'unites' community

More than 350 people gathered at King's College Cambridge for an open iftar, a meal that marks the breaking of a Ramadan fast.Sunday's event was organised by the Ramadan Tent Project (RTP) and worshippers were joined by people of different faiths, and no faiths.Organiser Kashif Darr said it aimed to break down barriers and educate people about the practices of Islam. "It's open to everyone. Breaking bread is one of the oldest traditions to make friends and this is what it is - you are sat on the...
BBC News •

GP surgery reopening a great relief, says patient

Patients have welcomed confirmation their GP surgery will reopen on 1 April after being closed since 2022.Parnwell Medical Centre, in Saltersgate, Peterborough, shut after subsidence and structural safety concerns made the building unsafe, leaving about 1,700 patients to seek care elsewhere.When speaking at a residents' meeting on Thursday, Mohsin Laliwala, who owns the practice, said that "it has taken considerable time to resolve the building issues, secure resources and restore the premises"...
BBC News •

Chinese new year: Year of the horse welcomed with optimism

The Chinese community in Peterborough is approaching Lunar New Year with a renewed sense of optimism, embracing the theme of "freedom and success" associated with the Year of the Fire Horse.The festival begins on Tuesday and marks not only a new 12 months but also a hopeful chapter after challenging periods shaped by the pandemic and social change, local organisers said.Faustina Yang, founder of the Chinese Community in Peterborough, said the symbolism felt particularly powerful this year and ad...
BBC News •

Peterborough's Hindu temple left 'heartbroken' over site's sale

Worshippers at a Hindu temple said they were "heartbroken" to potentially be facing eviction after their second bid to buy the temple's site was unsuccessful.The Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple in Peterborough, which caters for nearly 14,000 people, was established in the city's New England Complex in 1986.Peterborough City Council's cabinet met on Tuesday and agreed to sell the site to an undisclosed bidder to help balance its budget. Ekta Patel, the temple's vice-president, said the community had "l...
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