The bus gates would create a ‘shortcut’ for public transport

Car and motorbike access to residential roads within a Stanground estate is set to be restricted, according to plans. Proposals released by Peterborough City Council show that bus gates are to open on both Apollo Avenue and Bellona Drive in Cardea.

A bus gate is a short, camera-enforced section of road restricted to buses, cyclists, and authorised vehicles like taxis. These gates are designed to create ‘shortcuts’ for public transport by restricting general traffic from passing through in the hope that congestion will be reduced and air quality improved.

The plans state: “The effect of this Order is to restrict the use of the following roads to Local Buses, Taxis and Pedal Cycles, at all times: Apollo Avenue from its junction with Peterborough Road to a point 30m east of that junction, Bellona Drive between the roundabout at its junction with Whittlesey Road and its junction with Constantine Drive.”

The plans have received a mixed response from local people on social media. Colin Walton said on Facebook.: “Buses down Apollo and Bellona; are you mad? The roads are too thin!”

Paul Jeffrey remarked that “buses will never get up or down” unless yellow lines were added around traffic calming areas to combat inconsiderate parking. Others however welcomed the proposals.

“Good to see this finally getting resolved,” said Louise Simmonds, hinting that this idea has been bandied around the ether for a number of years.

The proposed new restrictions would be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera technology, with the council sending out fines by post to road users who continue to ignore the new rules.

The council said: “Offending motorists will receive a warning notice first within six months of the enforcement commencing.”

Anyone wishing to have their say on these proposals can make representations via this link before the closing date of June 4, 2026.

A drugs importing gang kingpin is among those who have been locked up this week in Greater Manchester. Dean Hussain appeared to be running a legitimate, growing business in the trade of vintage clothing.

In reality, Hussain was the ‘controlling mind’ behind a massive smuggling gang that imported at least 675kg of cannabis into the UK. He was locked up this week alongside his lieutenant Prince Oyewo and right-hand man Elliot McBurnie.

Click here to hear the latest from Manchester’s courts in our newsletter

Also behind bars this week is Mouhamadou Fall who brutally stabbed his dad and a stranger to death whilst in the throes of a mental health crisis.

Prison terms are handed out to the worst offenders each week and Manchester Evening News reporters are on hand to cover the biggest cases.

Here is a roundup of the cases heard before our region’s court this week:

Abdul El-Kamh and Isaiah Foster

Two masked thugs broke into a woman’s home and subjected her to a horrific attack whilst filming it on their mobile phone. The victim was just about to leave for work as a night cleaner on Feb 6 this year, when Isaiah Foster and Abdul El-Kamh, both 21, repeatedly banged on the front door demanding drugs and money.

They then moved to the back of the house where they smashed the kitchen window and climbed inside whilst armed with a claw hammer. Inside the house in Moston, they began damaging various items before moving upstairs. The woman had shut herself into her bedroom before they kicked down the door, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Her daughter and her niece had been locked in the bathroom by the woman moments before and were helpless as they heard the woman ‘screaming’ and ‘in pain’. Her daughter said: “We were shouting ‘Mama’, we were both panicked and did not know what was going on.”

El-Kamh, of Devon Road, Tyldesley, was jailed for 6 years. Foster, of Salisbury Street, Moss Side, was jailed for eight years with an extended licence of two years. Both previously pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.

Read the full story here: They kicked down her door and as her children screamed ‘mama’ filmed their vile attack on a mobile phone

Dean Hussain, Prince Genesis Oyewo and Elliot McBurnie

On the face of it, Dean Hussain was running a legitimate, growing business. The owner of multiple companies involved in the importation of vintage clothing from the United States, the 26-year-old appeared to have a bright future.

In reality, Hussain was the ‘controlling mind’ behind a massive smuggling gang that imported at least 675kg of cannabis into the UK. Numerous fake companies – set up using stolen or fake identities – placed orders with outfits in California.

Concealed within huge shipments of clothing was masses of Cali weed, a powerful strain of the drug. Minshull Street Crown Court heard that between December 2022 and January 2024, 28 shipments came into the country.

Five were intercepted by Border Force officials, who found nearly 130kg of cannabis said to have been worth £902,210 at wholesale price and £3.7m at street prices.

“On the basis that the remaining 23 shipments contained a similar amount of cannabis, the total value of the cannabis imported in the 28 shipments was up to £5.3m if sold in wholesale bulk quantities, and up to £19.3m if sold at street level,” prosecutor Adam Birkby said.

Read the full story here: 28 shipments came in from the US – there wasn’t just vintage clothing inside

Mouhamadou Fall

A double killer who knifed his father before stabbing a stranger in a spree of ‘savage’ violence has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 14 years.

Mouhamadou Fall was made the subject of a hospital order as a judge passed sentence in the case on Wednesday (May 13). A jury, having deliberated for 11 hours, found him guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility earlier this year.

The 24-year-old, who killed his dad Sidy Fall and cyclist Norman Scott, has been readmitted to Ashworth High Secure Hospital. He will stay there for as long as treatment is necessary, before being transferred to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. The Parole Board will determine if it is safe to release him once his minimum term has passed.

Read the full story here: Double killer who left his dad and stranger dead in horrific attacks discovers his fate

Benjamin Wilson

Benjamin Wilson, 35, has been locked up for ten-and-a-half years after being found guilty of raping an intoxicated woman he met in Manchester city centre. The victim had become separated from her friends during a night out, and feared her drink had been spiked during the evening, Greater Manchester Police said.

Wilson found her alone near a takeaway in what the force described as an ‘extremely vulnerable and intoxicated’ state. They said that Wilson ‘took advantage of the situation’ and guided her to a taxi before ‘repeatedly raping’ her at a flat in the city, in June 2022.

Read the full story here: Fresh from the shower wearing only a towel, the moment a rapist faced justice

Tristan Chapman

Two drug mules were caught on the same flight carrying 36 kilos of cannabis between them.

Tristan Chapman, 30, and Jhamack Taghdiri, 36, landed in Manchester Airport at around 6am on return from Bangkok, Thailand, via Doha on January 12 this year.

The strangers, both from Wales, were stopped by Border Force officials as they attempted to go through customs. Carrying a suitcase each, both items were examined and found to contain 18 kilos of cannabis each, concealed within numerous vacuum sealed packages.

Chapman, of St. Andrews Close, Pontrhydyrun, Cwmbran, Torfaen, was jailed for two years following activation of the suspended sentence.

Read the full story here: Both had debts, both made the same stupid decision

Dean Clarke

The mother of a teenage girl abused by a paedophile says her daughter ‘cannot trust anyone’ anymore. Dean Clarke, from Salford, messaged the schoolgirl through an online video and messaging platform.

Greater Manchester Police said Clarke was reported to officers by the girl’s mother when she was 13 and he was 21. The mum discovered Clarke’s messages on a laptop.

Some of the messages implied they had had a sexual relationship as they also talked about pregnancy tests, GMP said. In a powerful statement read out in court yesterday (May 14), the victim’s mum described the toll Clarke’s actions had taken on her daughter – leaving her unable to attend school and struggling to eat or sleep.

At Manchester Crown Court yesterday (May 14), Clarke, 25, of Cannon Hussey Court, Salford, was sentenced to five years in prison. He has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order. Clarke has also been issued with a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim.

Read the full story here: Paedophile left young victim ‘completely changed’ after harrowing abuse

Terri Cook

A twisted teaching assistant abused her position of trust to groom a vulnerable boy. Suspicions were raised around Terri Cook, from Bury, when a member of the public reported seeing her out with the child, who was of primary school-age.

Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation, which uncovered how she had been grooming the boy and manipulating him into engaging in a sexual relationship. Officers discovered numerous messages on her phone which showed she had been inciting sexual communications with the boy.

Cook, 38, was also found to have indecent images of the child. Police uncovered how Cook had bought the boy expensive items, including jewellery and clothing, over a nine-month period that she committed her crimes.

Cook pleaded guilty to eight charges of sexual offences. She was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (May 14).

Read the full story here: Teaching assistant’s horrific sexual abuse of young boy uncovered after she’s spotted in street

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After Rosenior’s sacking, Calum McFarlane was appointed as interim head coach to see them through to the end of the season, and there was always full confidence at Chelsea that an appointment would have been fully made and publicly announced by the start of this summer’s World Cup.

A 13-year-old has been charged in connection with an alleged ‘possession of a weapon’.

A youth allegedly ‘armed with a weapon’ was involved in a ‘disturbance’ at Almondvale Retail Park. Concerned locals shared how a fracas had unfolded inside the Morrisons store in Livingston.

Officers were called to a report of an incident at 4.40pm on Friday, May 15. Three males, aged 21, 16 and 13, were all arrested in connection with the incident and the 16-year-old was released without charge.

A 13-year-old was charged in connection with an alleged ‘possession of a weapon’ and has been referred to the Children’s Reporter.

The 21-year-old man has been charged with alleged ‘threatening and abusive’ behaviour. He is due to appear in court in the capital on Monday, May 18.

A Police Scotland spokesperson told Edinburgh Live: “Around 4.40pm on Friday, 15 May 2026, police received a report of a disturbance involving youths, armed with weapons, in Almondvale Retail Park, Livingston. Officers attended and three males, aged 21, 16 and 13, were arrested in connection with the incident.

“The 21-year-old man has been charged in connection with threatening and abusive behaviour. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 18 May, 2026.

“The 13-year-old has been charged in connection with possession of a weapon and referred to the Children’s Reporter. The 16-year-old male was released without charge.”

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People who camped outside Swatch stores ahead of a new watch were forced to walk away empty-handed after mobs tried to push through.

The Swiss firm said they would not open its branches in London and other cities in light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff’.

This includes stories in Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield.

People queued overnight to purchase the brand’s new ‘Royal Pop’ pocket watch collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, which is priced from £335. It has been resold online for up to £16,000.

Thousands gathered across London stores, including in Battersea Power Station, Westfield Shepherds Bush and Oxford Street.

But crowds soon became ‘mob-like’, with police called to assist security as Swatch ultimately decided not to open their doors.

Tyler, 20, arrived at Battersea Power Station at 7pm last night. He had travelled up from Canterbury and waited a number of hours in the queue before he was ordered outside.

He told Metro: ‘It got late and they told us we couldn’t stay in the building, so everyone went to camp on the deck chairs outside.

‘Once it got to midnight, people became a bit more mob-like and it just went into absolute chaos. Everyone started standing up and moving towards the entrances.’

Security opened the doors again at 7am, but rather than form a queue back in footage shows people sprinting towards the small section of queue which was allowed to wait inside overnight.

Tyler said: ‘People were tripping over rushing in, there was no control over the situation. Lots of people were rushing in from different entrances.

‘It got settled again but it only took one guy to start pushing and shouting towards the doors, and lots of other people started. That was when police arrived.’

Footage shows police dogs at the scene in Battersea Power Station, barking at people to push the crowd back away from the doors.

And in Westfield police were also telling the crowd to move back as the store would not be opening, with the queue stretching around escalators all the way to the food court.

After hearing the announcement no one will get a watch, Tyler said he ‘wasn’t surprised but gutted’ because it was obvious from the start the crowd was too dangerous to open the shop.

‘But I feel bad for the guy at the front who apparently camped out for four or five days,’ he said.

A spokesperson from Battersea Power Station, said: ‘Like all Swatch stores across the UK, we experienced unprecedented demand for the launch of the Audemars Piquet x Swatch collection.

‘To ensure the safety of our visitors, the decision was made to close the Battersea Power Station store in line with other closures across the country. The safety of our visitors remains our utmost priority, and we are reviewing security procedures with Swatch.’

Metro contacted Swatch and the Metropolitan Police for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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“Taiwan will continue to deepen co-operation with the US to achieve peace through strength, ensuring that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are not threatened or undermined, which serves the common interests of Taiwan, the US, and the global democratic community.”

Police launched a massive operation with drones, horses and helicopters, as thousands gathered in London for the Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march and the annual pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally

At least 4,000 police officers were called in to stop violence and hate speech on the streets of central London today, as two rival marches took place, resulting in at least 31 arrests.

The mammoth security operation, described as “unprecedented” in recent years, cost a staggering £4.5million and included more than 600 cops brought in from around the country to keep Tommy Robinson supporters and Nakba Day marchers apart. Specialist armed officers, large numbers of officers equipped with riot gear, including helmets and batons, along with police horses and dogs were all on standby to prevent major disorder.

At 4.30pm, a Met Police spokesperson said: “There have so far been 31 arrests across the whole operation. We will provide a more detailed breakdown at the conclusion. While this may seem high, to this point both protests have proceeded largely without significant incident.”

READ MORE: London protests live: Robinson calls for medic after Unite the Kingdom incidentREAD MORE: Tommy Robinson London march to raise money for refugees – without far right knowing

They included one man arrested in connection with an incident in Birmingham where a man was run over and another wanted for a separate offence which involved encouraging people to attack a police officer. Armoured vehicles, not seen on the capital’s streets for 15 years, were on standby and police used live facial recognition technology for the first time while policing a protest.

Helicopters and drones also watched from the skies as an estimated crowd of up to 50,000 Unite the Kingdom protesters and up to 30,000 pro-Palestine supporters gathered. In a repeat of a similar event last September, protesters were heard singing songs in support of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and derogatory ones about Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

But the number of people at the Robinson rally, dubbed a freedom of speech, national unity and Christian event, were far lower than the estimated 110,000 at the previous event. It came after police announced they would be taking a zero-tolerance approach to hate speech and 11 foreign far-right speakers booked by anti-Islam activist Robinson were blocked from entering Britain after the government ruled their attendance “would not be conducive to the public good”.

Robinson and a number of speakers, including actor Laurence Fox, were seen drinking at the Prince of Wales pub in Drury Lane ahead of the march. Robinson was surrounded by a phalanx of burly security guards while leaving the pub before being mobbed by supporters as he made his way onto the Strand.

One was heard remarking in surprise at how “tiny” Robinson looked in person, before a fellow supporter assured the man the campaigner’s height didn’t matter. He later led protesters in chants of support for Elon Musk from a stage in Parliament Square.

Many protesters wore ‘Make Britain Great Again’ caps and waved Israel, Union Jack and St George’s flags, including some emblazoned with the message ‘Stop the Boats’. One woman, who was wearing a Union Jack bikini top and a cowboy hat, held a homemade sign with the message “Get them out”, while others were seen wearing t-shirts with a range of anti-migrant slogans, including ‘Stop importing, start deporting’.

In Trafalgar Square, a man using a microphone and speaker system was heard making a number of offensive and inflammatory statements about Muslims and the prophet Muhammad, as some marchers laughed. Large numbers of men, including many walking while carrying cans and bottles of beer, were among the marchers, but there were also many women, as well as families.

A woman wearing a burqa unintentionally found herself in the middle of the crowds as the main march passed by Nelson’s Column. A lone female protester approached her and praised her bravery for attending the event. She was heard assuring her “we don’t hate you” before going on to explain to her that she is just against children being raped by gangs of men. Before going their separate ways, the protester asked the woman for a hug and they embraced.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among marchers at the Nakba Day protest, held annually to mark the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948 around the founding of Israel. Labour MP Apsana Begum told pro-Palestine protesters gathered in Pall Mall that the movement will not be divided by the “far right”.

Speaking to demonstrators at the rally, Ms Begum said: “We know that the far right marches because our solidarity with the Palestinian people threatens their cause… the one which is based on intolerance, hatred, and division. But today, we march, Muslims, Jews, Christians, people of all faiths and none, from all ages, from all ethnic backgrounds, bound by our shared humanity and our just purpose. We will not be divided by the far right.”

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Speaking ahead of the protests, Keir Starmer declared: “We’re in a fight for the soul of this country, and the Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against. Its organisers are peddling hatred and division, plain and simple. We will block those coming into the UK who seek to incite hatred and violence. For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law”.

Police had also warned they would not tolerate hate speech at either event and protesters committing anti-Muslim hatred or chanting anti-Israel slogans such as “Death to the IDF” or “Globalise the Intifada” would face arrest. And the Crown Prosecution Service warned that new guidance had been put in place for prosecutors to advise on the use of offensive banners, slogans, chants, or symbols.

They also added lawyers would be working with police to ensure anyone found to have engaged in criminal activity would face swift charging decisions. The crackdown followed anti-Jewish attacks in London and the raising of the terror threat level to severe, as well as last September’s Unite The Kingdom event, which saw drunken far-right thugs bring chaos to the capital in repeated clashes with police.

Bottles, flares and projectiles – as well as kicks and punches – were aimed at officers trying to keep the peace and at one point a glass bottle was smashed against a horse. Officers also drew batons while trying to push back protesters in Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.