WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT The film, co-produced by Steven Spielberg, was marred by a horrific helicopter crash on set which resulted in three deaths

A horrific tragedy occurred on a major Hollywood film set which led to the deaths of two children and the decapitation of star Vic Morrow.

The Twilight Zone was an adaptation of a beloved 1960s series, co-produced and co-directed by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg, the genius behind ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park and Gremlins.

The film consisted of different segments helmed by various directors including Spielberg, John Landis, Joe Dante and George Miller. Shot in 1982, this Twilight Zone adaptation was set to feature Vic Morrow, a 1970s superstar who gained fame following the 1960s series Combat!

But Morrow would never live to star in this production. The actor would die aged 53 alongside child actors, seven-year-old Myca Dinh Le and six-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen, in a helicopter stunt which went disastrously wrong, reports the New York Times.

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John Landis, not Spielberg, was the director of the segment in question.

On July 23, 1982, at 2.20am, during the shooting of Landis’s ‘Time Out’ storyline, the catastrophe struck.

Filming on location at Indian Dunes, California, the helicopter involved plummeted.

The scene was shot at night, with its backdrop meant to resemble Vietnam as the film was set during the war.

Morrow, who was portraying a racist character called Bill Connor, was meant to carry the two children from an abandoned village across a river during a US army pursuit scene, with the helicopter set to hover overhead.

The New York Times reported the production was “poorly planned” and “barely rehearsed”, leading to one of the scene’s intended explosions damaging the helicopter’s rotor blades, causing the pilot to lose control.

The helicopter then plummeted from the sky and into the river, decapitating Morrow and Le while crushing Chen to death.

Shockingly, the accident was witnessed by the children’s parents, who were on the set.

The six people aboard the helicopter during the crash were only slightly injured when it plunged into the river bed near the Six Flags Magic Mountain Amusement Park.

Following the incident, civil and criminal legal proceedings were initiated against staff supervising the shoot, including Landis.

However, the director and four other defendants were cleared of involuntary manslaughter after a nine-month trial.

Sixteen prominent directors – including Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, John Huston, George Lucas, Sidney Lumet and Billy Wilder – signed an open letter of support for the filmmaker.

However, Spielberg was not among them and in April 1983 he told the Los Angeles Times: “No movie is worth dying for. I think people are standing up much more now than ever before to producers and directors who ask too much. If something isn’t safe, it’s the right and responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell ‘Cut!’”

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The parents of Le and Chen pursued legal action and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Furthermore, in October 1984, the National Transportation Safety Board released its report on the accident, stating the “probable cause of the accident was the detonation of debris-laden high-temperature special effects explosions too near a low-flying helicopter leading to foreign object damage to one rotor blade and delamination due to heat to the other rotor blade, the separation of the helicopter’s tail rotor assembly, and the uncontrolled descent of the helicopter.

“The proximity of the helicopter (around 25 feet off the ground) to the special effects explosions was due to the failure to establish direct communications and coordination between the pilot, who was in command of the helicopter operation, and the film director, who was in charge of the filming operation.”

Moreover, it was found that the mere presence of the children on the set had been illegal as child labour law regulations prohibited children from working at such a late hour, let alone being in such close proximity to explosions or a helicopter.

Despite the tragedy, the film production proceeded, and it remains viewable to this day. Twilight Zone: The Movie was launched in June 1983.

YORK’S popular pop-up bar and ‘biggest beer garden’ are promising ‘a ton of surprises’ when they return ahead of summer.

Thor’s Tipis have become a regular part of York’s food and drink calendar, popping up at various venues across the city both in summer and at Christmas.

This year, there are some new surprises to look forward to, says Thor’s boss, York-based Amanda Monaghan.

Thor’s Tipi will open again in Parliament Street from Friday, May 22, while a sister pop-up will return to the grounds of York’s Milner hotel from May 9, billed as offering ‘York’s biggest beer garden’.

The bar inside Thor’s Tipi at Milner York last summer. Image NQ

Amanda said: “The Thor’s team are kicking off summer on Parliament Street, in serious style.”

She said new for 2026 at Parliament Street would be brand new dishes from Spud Shed – the latest venture from popular street food vendors Yuzu.

On the drinks menus will be a new range of spritzes, the ‘Dirty Dr Pepper’ cocktail, and the mega-pint.

Another new addition this year included ‘Themed Fridays’ where music from the same decade would be paired with matching cocktails.

Amanda said: “We’ll be doing different themes for music and cocktails on Themed Fridays, for instance serving up snowballs on a 1970s night.”

She added: “We can’t wait to be back in our spiritual home serving up new and exciting cocktails, live music, open mic events, comedy show, board games and more.”

Richard and Amanda Monaghan, the York couple behind Thor’s Tipis. Image: Anthony Chappel-Ross

One of the biggest changes fans and regulars will notice this year in Parliament Street will be the return of an old friend: “We’ve got a new-look tipi,” revealed Amanda, whose company Fabler, jointly owned with her husband Richard, not only runs Thor’s but also York bars Dusk and House of Trembling Madness.

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Thor’s has also sought planning permission for five years which Amanda says would be “more cost effective and saves time compared to putting in an application every year”.

Over at The Milner, the Thor’s team are gearing up to open up once again, running, what they call ‘York’s biggest beer garden’ in the spacious hotel grounds, bang next to York Railway Station.

FLASHBACK -Thor’s Tipi when it first appeared in Parliment Street. It now hopes to be a regular fixture in summer through to 2031. Picture David Harrison..

Opening on Saturday, May 9 at noon, the team say to look out for “new food, new drinks, new events and a ton of surprises to help you escape the everyday”.

Thor’s launched its first pop-up bar for York’s Christmas Market in 2015.

It now puts on three venues a year in York in Parliament Street, at The Milner and in Museum Gardens during the winter.

A tipi is set to open in Leeds City Square on Thursday, May 14.

For all the latest, visit: thorstipi.com

Shaun Murphy sees Zhao Xintong as the ‘best player on the planet’ but does not feel he necessarily creates a fear factor around the table.

The Magician and the Cyclone begin a mouth-watering World Snooker Championship quarter-final on Tuesday morning.

The Englishman edged past Fan Zhengyi in dramatic fashion in his opening round, before demolishing Xiao Guodong 13-3 in the last 16.

The defending champion has not produced many fireworks so far, but has done enough to down Liam Highfield and Ding Junhui to keep his hopes of breaking the Crucible curse alive.

Zhao came into the tournament as the form player on the planet, having won the World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Tour Championship since the start of February.

After some dominant victories over fellow top players in recent weeks, it looked like the world champion was developing a menacing presence at the table, forcing elite stars to go into their shell against him.

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However, Murphy is not so sure about that, saying physicality at the table comes into it and Zhao does not have the presence to instil fear into his opponent.

‘I don’t know about fear factor. He’s not an intimidating person off the table,’ said Murphy. ‘He doesn’t give that air of threat, which some players have.

‘There’s almost a physicality to some players where it transcends the table.

‘You feel like, hang on a minute. If it went off here, we could all be in trouble! Xintong doesn’t have that.

‘He just seems a genuinely, thoroughly nice kid. Who is super talented at snooker and at the minute, he’s the best player on the planet.’

While he might not be scary, Zhao can have an almost hypnotic quality, with Murphy saying you can be ‘mesmerised’ watching his seemingly calm, measured walk, while his average shot time is very low.

‘He’s very difficult obviously,’ Murphy told Midnite. ‘He’s the defending champion, the current world champion, and seems to win when he wants, but Zhao Xintong, for me at the moment, is just so easy on the eye to watch.

‘I love watching him play. He’s easy to get a bit mesmerised by, when you’re playing him, in all honesty; so in awe of just how easy he makes the game look. Yeah, wonderful player.’

Zhao has extended his winning run at the World Championship to 11 matches, but knows he is in for a big test against an in-form Murphy.

Asked if he is worried about what the Magician could pull out of his hat, he said: ‘Definitely worried! I know how good he is.

‘I know he’s a gentleman, long potting, everything is good. I’m in the quarter-final. I just try to enjoy it, not think about Shaun. Hopefully I can be better.’

Murphy’s Crucible triumph in 2005 came at a time when the young Zhao was just getting into snooker, watching the hugely important victory for Ding Junhui at the China Open that April on his eighth birthday.

‘If I haven’t forgotten, I think it was 2005,’ Zhao said of Murphy’s Sheffield glory. ‘I was eight years old. When I was eight years old, I saw him play with Ding many times and I know he’s a very good player. He can still play very good snooker.

‘I don’t know what will happen in the next round, but I will try my best.’

MORE: Judd Trump reveals message to Hossein Vafaei after shock Crucible defeat

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MORE: Chris Wakelin speaks out on foul controversy during Neil Robertson defeat

Natalie Strange, 37, says she regained her confidence after losing weight

A woman divorced her husband after losing 10 stone using weight loss jabs and ‘regaining’ her self confidence. When Natalie Strange, 37, first met her husband, she thought he would be the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

But, after losing 10 stone with the help of jabs, she’s now back on the dating scene. Natalie, from Norwich, credits Mounjaro as a “saving grace” in getting her life back and finding the confidence she thought was long gone.

As a stay-at-home mum-of-three, Natalie found herself becoming a “shell” of her former self, and turned to food – racking up £250 a month on her takeaway “addiction”. It saw her weight shoot up to 19 stone, and she wore a UK dress size 22 at her heaviest.

“I had lost my self-worth and felt like I no longer had a purpose,” she said. “After having kids, I lost my confidence and just ended up going with the flow. Each day was monotonous and boring. I lost sight of who I was.

“It didn’t help that we had lost the spark between us, with time in the bedroom next-to-never.” In March 2024, she decided to try the weight loss medication, and lost 10 stone, dropping down to a size 10.

Natalie realised that – despite trying couple’s therapy – her relationship of 18 years wasn’t working. She said: “I had always gone into marriage thinking I’d be with that person forever. For me, divorce was off the table.

“So there’s that element of feeling like I’ve failed. And I do have that doubt of ruining my kids’ lives – though they love having two Christmases, two holidays; basically two of everything. Sometimes, I do wonder if I made a rash decision, but then we spend time together and I realise that isn’t the case at all.”

While she’s still going through divorce proceedings, that hasn’t stopped Natalie from getting back out there. She added: “I’ve joined dating apps. When I joined, at first, I had really low expectations of anybody being interested in a single mum-of-three.

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“But, without blowing my own horn, I was inundated with men that wanted to talk to me. It was a huge eye opener and such an ego boost. I went out with my friends for my birthday and let’s just say I’ve acted single on nights out ever since then.

“I feel great and so proud of myself for walking away from something that was no longer serving me. I’ve found myself again and that sense of adventure I was hungry for. The jabs have changed my life.

“I’d have never had the confidence and bravery to step out on my own without them. Using them has given me the validation I was searching for. Now, the world is a kinder place and I’m living the life I once dreamed of – happy and free.”

AS shoots burst their way through the soil and the days get warmer and brighter, you may have started to see amphibians making their way to their breeding habitats – hearing the chorus of frogs or spotting them hopping across our roads, or potentially even catching the occasional glimpse of a newt.

The arrival of our spring wildlife is a relief, and a welcome change from what has felt like the ever-grey and dark of winter.

However, that isn’t to say that we have been hibernating in the same way as our wildlife.

For the first time in over 25 years and after extensive planning and groundworks, winter saw the restoration of the main pond at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Askham Bog nature reserve to create the open water habitat which has steadily been lost from the reserve over the years.

Partnership projects with the Environment Agency led to new sustainable solutions to support farming, flood alleviation and wildlife activities at Carlton Marsh nature reserve in Selby; while in February, away from the prying eyes of the public in a hidden corner of Flamingo Land Resort near Pickering, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust hit a milestone – the 100th pond to be created or restored for great crested newts within the last five years.

Great crested newt. Photo by John Bridges

The process of restoring or creating a pond starts off with finding the right sites. Any groundworks must expand or strengthen existing great-crested newt populations based on historical records, finding a really good and firm clay base so a pond holds water naturally, and other factors such as finding places with reduced disturbance, away from invasive species, and not likely to be washed away by flood.

For restoring ponds, this needs to be done with the upmost sensitivity, at the correct time of year and with a considered and measured approach. We create detailed plans, bring in expert contractors to excavate the ponds, shape the ponds with shallow gradients and variable depths to maximise their value for wildlife – and then wait, for the rainwater to come naturally and for the ponds to recharge over winter ready to provide a home for newts and other wildlife in the next breeding season.

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Over the last five years, we have created or worked on over 16,000m2 of habitat – the equivalent of a single giant pond a third bigger again than Trafalgar Square! These new and improved ponds have helped to create a better-connected blue ‘corridor’ for amphibians thanks to funding from Natural England – and now, with the arrival of spring, we can really see these ponds come to life. Survey and monitoring is a key component of our work to measure success, and these too have seen change over time.

Monitoring historically involved long-established and licensable methods like bottle trapping, sweep netting, manually searching ponds at night with torches, and egg searches. Recent years have instead seen advancements in testing water to find environmental DNA (eDNA) – the animal’s skin cells, mucus, sperm, eggs and faeces left behind in ponds. Studies show that eDNA is 99.3per cent accurate in identifying the presence of great-crested newts, and this technique has become a key component of our protected species surveying work. It’s no mean feat; this year our team will be surveying an astonishing 77 ponds across the county, looking for the presence of great-crested newts.

Feeling inspired? Why not go exploring your nearest watery world and see what amphibian life you can spot – newts will be most visible at this time of year, although make sure you don’t disturb them!

Do you own land and want to help us create or restore ponds on it for wildlife? If you have space for a pond which is a minimum of 150m2, we’d love to hear from you. Email info@ywt.org.uk or visit www.yorkshirewt.org.uk/wildlife-pond-creation for more information.

John Thompson is the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Wetland Creation Officer

3. Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)

Atletico Madrid’s trip to Arsenal in the league phase feels a long time ago, but it will stick in their mind not just for the four goals they shipped, but for their struggles in attack.

Atletico produced only 0.32 xG from open play in that defeat and managed only one shot on target, so, if they are to take anything against Arsenal this time around, getting Julian Alvarez in the game will be key.

The Argentina forward has scored nine goals in the competition this season, more than any Atletico player had managed in a Champions League campaign.

He’s also a menace defending from the front, with a mammoth 853 high-intensity pressures – more than anyone else this season. That’s 70 per game on average.

That work ethic, ruthlessness in front of goal and the wizardry to bend a free-kick into the top corner, as Barcelona found out, make the 26-year-old vital to Atletico’s chances of progressing.

The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that if you are due a payment on Monday, May 4 or Monday, May 25, you will be paid early – here is the full list of benefits affected by the May 2025 bank holidays

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that certain individuals expecting State Pension or benefit payments next Monday will see the money land in their bank accounts early. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has also confirmed that some payments scheduled for Monday, May 4 will be issued on Friday, May 1.

The change comes as DWP offices and phone lines will be closed over the bank holiday, with payments typically made when all services are available, including webchat and Jobcentre Plus offices. Affected payments include State Pension, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Benefits, Adult Disability Payment (ADP) and Attendance Allowance.

A second bank holiday in May – on Monday, May 25 – will also see scheduled payments issued early on Friday, May 22. Below is a full list of DWP and HMRC payments which could be affected by the May bank holidays.

It’s important to be aware that if your upcoming payment does not fall on either of the bank holiday dates – May 4 or May 25 – it will be issued as normal, reports the Daily Record.

DWP May bank holiday payment dates

Payments due to be made on Monday, May 4 will be issued on Friday, May 1 and those scheduled for Monday, May 25 will arrive on Friday, May 22.

Payments affected:

• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Pension Credit
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• State Pension
• Universal Credit

HMRC May bank holiday payment dates

Payments due to be made on Monday, May 4 will be issued on Friday, May 1 and those scheduled for Monday, May 25 will arrive on Friday, May 22.

Payments affected:

• Child Benefit
• Guardian’s Allowance

Patrick Agnew booked a one-way ticket to Senegal to change his life and fight the demons he was battling, but in the process, he changed the lives of hundreds of children.

For years, the Lisburn man, known online as AgnewTravels, says he was in a “very dark place.” Between struggles with alcohol, falling out with family, and five years of conflict on TikTok, he felt he was at his last hurdle. He packed his bags and headed for Africa.

When Patrick arrived in the heart of the slums in Senegal, he found 50 children, some as young as seven, living in a building with no windows, no doors, and no electricity.

“The conditions are horrendous,” Patrick said. “Kids are sleeping on the street or on the sand inside. They had broken steel beds with spikes sticking into their backs and mosquitoes eating them alive every night.”

Instead of just watching, the Lisburn man got to work. Using his own TikTok earnings and donations from a GoFundMe that raised £4,000 in a single day, Patrick started building.

Patrick is out from 7 am every morning, spending 10 hours a day in the blistering heat collecting wood and hammering frames together. He has already:

• Built 15 brand new wooden beds to get the kids off the sand.
• Fitted new mattresses, pillows, and mosquito nets.
• Handed out 400 pairs of new shoes to children who were walking barefoot.
• Fed nearly 1,000 children in just one week.

The local children have been working alongside him, learning how to use hammers and saws. “They’re at a stage now where they can do the measurements and cut the wood themselves,” he said. “They ask for nothing, but they’ve done nothing but smile since I got here.”

Patrick is open about the fact that he hasn’t always been a saint. He knows he’s had “ups and downs” online but says this journey has humbled him.

“I’ve had hate for five years, and a lot of it I brought on myself. I take full accountability for that. I was that person because I was unhappy with my own life,” he admitted.

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“People at home think they have a difficult life, but they don’t. When you see kids in 40°C heat with ripped clothes and no food, it opens your eyes. In a world full of hate, just be kind. It costs absolutely nothing.”

Patrick’s journey isn’t over yet. After a week of downtime to recover from the 10-hour workdays, he plans to travel to an orphanage in Uganda to continue his work. You can follow his journey online here.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Britain’s Murder Map, fronted by Vicky McClure, advances a theory that George Puttock, who died in 2022, may have been responsible for his wife Helen’s death.

A TV true crime show has sparked a backlash after claiming Bible John victim Helen Puttock could have been killed by her own husband – despite him being ruled out decades ago.

The programme, Britain’s Murder Map, fronted by Line of Duty star Vicky McClure, advances a theory that George Puttock, who died in 2022, may have been responsible for his wife’s death.

Helen’s son David Puttock has hit out at the claims and confirmed he is seeking legal advice over the “slur”.

David, who lives in Canada, said: “My dad was investigated and ruled out. That’s not opinion, that’s fact.

“They’ve taken a man who can’t defend himself and turned him into a suspect for the sake of a TV programme.

“It’s not just wrong, it’s cruel.”

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He added: “This isn’t some theory in a book or something said online.

“This has gone out on television to a huge audience, and it names my dad as a possible killer. That has consequences.”

Helen Puttock, 29, was the final known victim of the Bible John murders after a night at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom in October 1969.

She had been out with her sister, Jean Langford, when they met a well-dressed man who called himself “John”.

Witnesses said he spoke about religion, quoted from the Bible and did not drink alcohol.

The three shared a taxi part of the journey home. Jean was dropped off first. Helen remained in the cab with the man.

She was found dead hours later near her home in Scotstoun. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Her murder followed the killings of Patricia Docker in 1968 and Jemima McDonald in 1969. Both women had also been to the Barrowland Ballroom in the hours before their deaths.

Detectives linked all three murders and launched one of the biggest investigations Scotland had ever seen. Hundreds of men were interviewed and thousands of statements taken.

Despite that, the man known as Bible John was never identified.

George, Helen’s husband, was among those spoken to during the inquiry. He did not match witness descriptions of the man seen with Helen that night.

He was later eliminated through forensic examination.

David added: “Police looked at my dad in detail. They had every opportunity to pursue him if there was anything there. They didn’t, because there was nothing to pursue. People forget this wasn’t a casual check. This was a full murder investigation.

“My dad was her husband. Of course he was going to be looked at.

“And he was ruled out.”

The programme, which is also presented by McClure’s real-life husband, Jonny Owen, claims new analysis of behaviour and background points back inside Helen’s home.

David said he rejected their suggestions and added: “They’re ignoring the actual evidence and replacing it with speculation. They’re taking something that was settled and reopening it without anything new. That’s not an investigation. That’s storytelling.”

Criminologist Professor David Wilson said the case continues to attract new theories, often without evidential support.

He said: “One of the tragedies about the ‘Bible John’ case is that it has now become a mini industry.

“That industry is kept alive by people suggesting new hypotheses — new ‘takes’ — on what happened.

“One of those hypotheses is that Helen Puttock died as a result of domestic violence. In other words, she was killed by her husband George.

“There is no evidence to support that suggestion whatsoever.

“More importantly, the detectives who originally investigated the case — many of whom I interviewed at length — were adamant that the three women who were murdered were killed by the same man whom we know as ‘Bible John’.”

The Bible John murders remain one of Scotland’s most notorious unsolved cases.

The killer is believed to have targeted young women leaving the Barrowland Ballroom, gaining their trust before attacking them.

Descriptions given by witnesses, including Jean Langford, led to a photofit image that has been widely circulated for decades.

Despite advances in forensic science, including DNA profiling, the case has never been conclusively solved.

David said: “We’ve lived with this for more than 50 years. We’ve lived with not knowing who killed my mum. That’s hard enough without having my dad dragged into it again. There are real people behind this. My family has had to deal with this our whole lives. To see it presented like this, as if it’s just another angle, is incredibly difficult.”

David confirmed he is now seeking legal advice over the claims made in the programme.

He said: “I’m not prepared to just let this pass. There has to be some responsibility when you put something like this out there. You can’t just name someone as a killer and walk away.”

The programme has reignited debate around the case, which has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries and investigations over the years.

Police have previously said they remain open to new evidence in relation to the murders.

David said: “Everyone wants answers. We want answers more than anyone. But it has to be based on evidence. Not on speculation about my dad just because he is no longer here.”

Two Rivers Media, who made the programme, and Sky History Channel were contacted for comment.

A spokeswoman for Two Rivers Media said: “The programme Britain’s Murder Map examines historical cases and was produced in line with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and all relevant legal requirements. Its purpose is to explore unresolved cases and consider alternative interpretations of the available evidence, rather than to assert definitive conclusions.

“In this instance, the theory referenced was presented as the view of a contributor and clearly framed as speculative, with appropriate language used throughout to ensure it was not understood as fact.

“The programme also included important context, noting that no forensic evidence was found, that George Puttock was never arrested, and that he had been previously eliminated from police enquiries.

“In line with our obligations, the adult son of Helen Puttock was contacted in advance of broadcast and made aware of the programme.

“We remain committed to responsible programme-making and are satisfied that the content was presented fairly, with appropriate context and in compliance with Ofcom guidelines.”

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One person described the roads as having ‘masses of potholes’

Locals say public transport is “non-existent” in a Cambridgeshire town, and the “hideous” roads are blighted with potholes. Ramsey is a rural town in between Huntingdon and Peterborough.

Despite being within a driveable distance from bigger towns and cities, locals feel their public transport to get to these places isn’t good enough. As well as public transport, people find Ramsey’s roads to be filled with potholes, making them unattractive and unsafe.

Jane Kinpton described public buses as “non-existent”. She said it feels like it takes “two hours to get to Peterborough” by bus, despite only being a 25-minute drive away.

Jane, who lives in Ramsey Forty Foot with her husband Jeff, added: “We live near a bus stop and hardly see any buses. We don’t use public transport, even though we have a free bus pass. We only use it to go to Cambridge.”

Jeff said: “We have two cars instead. You won’t believe the mileage we have to do.” Jane added that she believed the town’s roads were “dangerous”. Jeff agreed: “I know two people that have had to have tyres changed because of the potholes.”

Elaine Baxter doesn’t live in Ramsey, but travels to the town regularly to visit her parents and often uses the buses. She said: “I think the buses aren’t too bad for a rural area. However, the problem is you can’t get back from Peterborough or Huntingdon so easily.”

Elaine’s mum is immobile and her dad is blind. With limited public transport, she said her parents are “trapped” here. She added: “It’s really hard to get them to the hospital [in Peterborough].”

With her parents being vulnerable, Elaine also has concerns about the pothole-filled roads. She said: “I find walking with my mum hard. And with my dad being blind, dad has face planted the pavement a couple of times. It’s a hazard.”

Long-term resident Debbie Lowther describes the roads as “hideous”. She said: “We have masses of potholes. However, Fen roads are notoriously bad, and it comes down to costs.”

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she “doesn’t bother” to use the buses. She added: “They are either always late or don’t turn up. I go to Peterborough quite a bit as my daughter lives there. It takes ages to get there on the bus. Despite petrol going up, I’d rather just drive to avoid wasting my life away.”

The woman also described Ramsey’s potholes as “abysmal”. She said: “They seem to be everywhere. It’s so dangerous not just for drivers, but for cyclists and even someone walking across the street. What if someone was walking with a child in a pushchair and they become caught in the pothole? Someone could get really hurt.”

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority oversees transport in the county. Despite a claim that a journey takes around two hours to Peterborough, the CPCA emphasised that it is funding a bus route that will take around 40 minutes to Peterborough.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow said: “I wasn’t prepared to leave Ramsey stranded and worked with the Combined Authority Board to launch the X31 this year, giving people a reliable connection to Peterborough.

“I want our rural places to have improved public transport and that’s why I’m working to bring in a franchised bus service that works better for those communities. And in the meantime I’ll continue to support places like Ramsey where there is a strong case for us stepping in to keep services running.”

A CPCA spokesperson added: “Like most of England, bus services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough operate under a deregulated system, which means commercial operators decide which routes to run based on profitability. Where services are less viable, often in rural areas, the Combined Authority can step in to fund them, but resources are limited.

“The Combined Authority has been supporting bus services in Ramsey. At the start of this year, we funded the improved X31, which provides direct journeys of around 40 minutes between Ramsey and Peterborough via Upwood and Bury. These services run every two hours and are also timed to support students travelling to Peterborough College.”

The spokesperson added: “We also fund the Ramsey to March 32 service, which stops at Whittlesey, where onward journeys to Peterborough can be made. In September 2025, when the previous operator pulled out of the former 31 Ramsey Peterborough route, we stepped in to save the service and keep the town connected until the improved X31 could launch.

“We understand the challenges rural communities face with public transport. That’s why we’ve been investing back into the bus network to protect and improve services in areas like Ramsey. We are always reviewing how well our subsidised services are performing and will make changes if needed.

“Looking ahead, the Combined Authority is working to bring in bus franchising, which will give us far greater control over routes, frequencies and service standards across the region. This will allow us to design a bus network that better serves our communities.”

The county’s roads are overseen by Cambridgeshire County Council. On the issue of potholes, a council spokesperson said: “Ensuring safe travel is a key priority for us – this year we’re continuing record levels of investment in highways maintenance across the county, which is being used to repair roads, cycleways, footpaths and other highway assets.

“Residents can help us keep our roads and footpaths safe for all users, by reporting the issues they find online via our website.”