Connect with us

NewsBeat

Market traders say more needs to be done to get it ‘buzzing’ again

Published

on

Cambridgeshire Live

St Neots Market veterans said the multi-million-pound revamp has helped the market’s future but urged Huntingdonshire District Council to harness social media to attract customers

Traders have urged Huntingdonshire District Council to better advertise market days as they fight to adapt to changing shopping trends. St Neots Market, held every Thursday in the Market Square, was taken over by Huntingdonshire District Council in November.

Advertisement

It followed a multi-million-pound refurbishment of the square which was closed for over a year while works were carried out. Phil Anderson has been trading at St Neots for around 20 years, and said the market has improved since the council took it over.

The 70-year-old said: “The improvements have been very good, footfall has increased dramatically which is surprising considering the town is losing its shops rapidly. It normally drops when the kids go on holiday but it hasn’t been too bad.”

Richard McCann first set up on the market square about five months ago but before that was trading in other markets across the country. The 62-year-old said the market could be advertised better on social media.

He said: “I think it does help – I do a pub car park in Bournemouth and I’m mobbed, they’re quite good on social media.”

One trader, who did not want to be named, said that trade is tough but it’s “nothing to do with the council”.

He said: “Shops and banks are closing – we bounce off the shops and they bounce off us. All the rates, national insurance, it’s ridiculous.”

Emma, who did not give her surname, said that free parking could help to attract customers to the market square. She said: “There’s no free parking here at all – if they made the first hour free I think that would help.”

Advertisement

Mathew Thornton was a trader at Huntingdon market when he was told a spot was available at St Neots and decided to give it a go. The 46-year-old said: “The weather is unbearable but the footfall is just the same for me.”

Jimmy Singh has been trading at the market for 38 years and said he’s seen a “hell of a lot of change” with “not even a quarter” of traders left. The 72-year-old said: “We need more traders in the market – we have seven stalls and it’s not enough. It used to be in a big square like this, you would have more than 60 traders.”

Paul Firman, the market’s “longest serving green grocer”, said the council does what they can to help but markets everywhere are struggling. The 66-year-old said: “They don’t do a bad job but the market has changed since Covid – people’s shopping habits have changed.

“What can be done – what can be done about the high street? They aren’t doing a bad job – the rent is reasonable and they look after you. It’s a shame the way things are going but it’s the same with pubs – this country is built on small businesses. When I first came here 38 years ago there were five green grocers and the market was absolutely buzzing, but so was every market.”

He also said the council could advertise Thursday’s market better – like they do for the farmer’s market, held twice a month.

Huntingdonshire District Council have been approached for comment.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

NewsBeat

Wickford train derailment – live: Greater Anglia train comes off tracks in Essex

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Passengers affected by the derailment can use a number of alternative rail, Tube and bus services while disruption continues.

Tickets are being accepted on the Circle line between Liverpool Street and Tower Hill, the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham, c2c services between Fenchurch Street, West Ham and Southend Central, and the Liberty line between Romford and Upminster.

A number of bus routes are also available, including Arriva services 1, 7, 8 and 9, as well as First Bus services 25, 300, X10 and X30, linking areas including Rayleigh, Southend, Wickford, Chelmsford and Basildon.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Everton dispatch Newcastle to give Matthias Jaissle a reality check

Published

on

Everton dispatch Newcastle to give Matthias Jaissle a reality check

Newcastle United manager ​Matthias Jaissle is ‌refusing to dwell on the departure of key players that has left his club in turmoil going into the new season, as they step up their preparations against Everton at Murrayfield this evening.

Jaissle was recruited from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli after Eddie Howe left last month, with the German coach joining a club who have lost Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and captain Bruno Guimaraes in quick succession.

“It’s a challenge, a big challenge, always when there’s a transitional period. ‌But it’s ‌not time to ⁠complain, it doesn’t make sense to see the negative things,” Jaissle said.

Advertisement

“We want to see the chance in that situation and that’s our approach from day one. We are here to do our ⁠best job. We want to support the players, the current squad.

“There will be adjustments to see in the coming days, weeks. But for now it’s only focused on the daily work, the work we can influence. That’s all that ​matters now.”

The 38-year-old coach arrived in Newcastle ‌having won two Austrian Bundesliga titles with Red Bull Salzburg before leading Al-Ahli to back-to-back AFC Champions League crowns.

He remained tight-lipped about new signings.

Advertisement

“Obviously, in that transition phase, the players who left the club were ‌great ​players, great characters, experienced ⁠players. This is now a vacuum,” he said.

“Either we adjust something in the squad, by signing these players, these profiles, or other players ⁠need to step up and fill ​these positions, these leadership roles. I’m quite optimistic, we can work in both scenarios.”

Jaissle said he had a ​clear vision of how he wants his team to play.

“The phrase how Newcastle ‌should play like is front-footed, intense, ​aggressive and of course also successful. ​In the end, it’s all about what ⁠I can ⁠say and it’s also why I’m sitting here,” he said.

Advertisement

“The approach we have as a coaching team and the identity of Newcastle is famed for, it’s so linked so close together – which is a perfect fit in my eyes and ​that’s going to be exciting.”

Team news on the way shortly.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Daisy Lane Play Cafe in Newton Aycliffe to close its doors

Published

on

Daisy Lane Play Cafe in Newton Aycliffe to close its doors

Daisy Lane Play Cafe, based at the Newton Aycliffe Youth and Community Centre on Burn Lane, will close for good on Wednesday, August 19.

Owner Emma announced the news in a social media post, saying the decision had been made with a “heavy heart”.

The café opened earlier this year, offering a place for children aged up to seven to play and take part in activities while parents and carers enjoyed coffee, food, and cakes.

Advertisement

It also ran stay and play sessions and birthday parties.

In a message to customers, Emma said: “I am writing this with a heavy heart.

“It’s not something I ever wanted to do, but Daisy Lane will be closing its doors for good next Wednesday, August 19.

“Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it is not possible for us to continue trading.”

Advertisement

She thanked the families who had supported the business over its first few months, as well as relatives, friends, and staff who helped make the play café a reality.

Emma said: “I want to say a massive thank you for all the support I have had over the last few months.

“I could never have done this alone.

“A particularly big thank you to my family, my parents who have helped me massively both behind the scenes and front of house, my husband Adam who has helped and supported me the whole way through, and all our girls who have given their time to help and were so excited for our café.”

Advertisement

She also thanked her staff and the customers who visited Daisy Lane during its time in Newton Aycliffe.

She said: “A huge thank you to every single customer who has stepped through our doors.

“We have such amazing loyal customers and I’m going to miss you all.

“We’ve made so many friends, both big and little, and I can’t thank you all enough for being a part of Daisy Lane.”

Advertisement

Daisy Lane Play Cafe will be open as normal from Monday to Wednesday next week, with families invited to visit before it closes.



A toy and equipment sale is also planned for Friday, August 21, with further details expected to be announced.

Emma added: “It was always a dream of mine to open a play café and to have that dream realised has been an amazing and beautiful experience.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world and I hope we managed to bring you all a little bit of joy in the past few months.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

M4 traffic chaos after crash near Cardiff – live updates

Published

on

Wales Online

Once drivers pass the incident in Cardiff, they may be faced with more evere traffic elsewhere on the roads network in the west of England.

Drivers face long delays on the M5 in Somerset as Friday getaway traffic gets underway.

Photos taken show queues forming northbound at Bridgwater, with further delays southbound from Bristol.

Google Maps shows patches of congestion along the motorway from Wellington to the Almondsbury Interchange.

Advertisement

(Image: AA)

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Andy Burnham warns all smokers amid disposable BBQ ban

Published

on

Andy Burnham warns all smokers amid disposable BBQ ban

The ban comes as the UK suffers from several wildfires following a handful of heatwaves, resulting in very dry grass and a bigger fire risk across the country.

The PM said the ban – which applies to Wales, Scotland and England, but not Northern Ireland – would be in place from today “until further notice”.

It’s not just people spending time outside picnicking and having BBQs that need to be careful, with Mr Burnham also issuing a message to all smokers.

Advertisement

Andy Burnham issues warning to all smokers across the UK amid disposable BBQ ban

Andy Burnham warned smokers against lighting up outdoors and urged them to dispose of cigarettes carefully.

It comes as West Midlands Fire Service shared a Facebook post earlier this month telling smokers to make sure they have completely stubbed out their cigarettes.

The post is accompanied by a poster that shows a cigarette butt that hasn’t been entirely stubbed out and is lying on some grass.

Advertisement

The fire service said: “It only takes one carelessly discarded cigarette to spark a grass fire.

“With hot, dry conditions increasing the risk of fires, please make sure cigarettes are fully extinguished before disposing of them.

“Never throw them from a vehicle or leave them on the ground.

“A small act of care can prevent a fire that spreads quickly, threatening people, wildlife and property.

Advertisement

“If you smoke, stub it out. Every time.”

More wildfires have now struck England and Wales in 2026 so far than in the whole of 2025.

Advertisement

The latest spate of blazes in the West Midlands has led to people fleeing their homes to get out of the path of encroaching fires.

West Midlands Fire Service’s Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said 19 houses have been fully destroyed and 18 damaged by the wildfire in Stourbridge this week.

Speaking as he visited houses in Stourbridge which had been destroyed by wildfire, the Prime Minister said: “The temporary ban on barbecues, disposable barbecues, comes in today.

“All retailers will be receiving notification of that ban, and we ask them to, obviously, implement it in full until further notice when we can remove it.”

Advertisement

He also told reporters: “I would also want to say to the public, you can see what’s happening: 37 significant fires across England and Wales.

“Please do not light an open fire, a bonfire of any kind.

“If you’re disposing of a cigarette, take great care.

Advertisement

“This is obviously a really combustible situation, literally.

“We need to respect that fact and make sure that no one is taking any risk, because you’re taking risks with other people’s homes, with other people’s lives if you act recklessly in this moment.”

The Prime Minister added: “Britain is a tinderbox right now, and please just have that in your mind.”

Do you think the disposable BBQ ban is a good idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

‘Tragic’ love story set in ‘island paradise’ is a must-see for period drama fans

Published

on

Wales Online

A story of forbidden romance starring Ellie Bamber and Mehdi Dehbi is out now

A period romance starring Ellie Bamber is out now and it’s must see.

Advertisement

Prisoners of Paradise is a tale of “forbidden love” set in Mauritius in the 1920s, where young orphan Lucy (Ellie) falls for labourer Krishna, who is played by Mehdi Dehbi.

The Willow actress – who is also known for playing Mandy Rice-Davies in The Trial of Christine Keeler – recently shared some shots from filming on Instagram.

“What an incredible experience filming in some of the most beautiful sceneries with such a wonderful team @mitchjjenkins mehdidehbi_official @mjg_1926,” she told fans, as she teased that the movie would be available for fans to watch this month.

A synopsis for the film said: “Prisoners Of Paradise is a haunting, tragic love story set in 1920s Mauritius, woven into a complex tapestry of beauty and brutality. Beneath the island’s breathtaking splendor – its turquoise waters and golden sugarcane fields, lurks a sinister system of abuse, oppression, and control.”

Advertisement

Into this world arrives Lucy, a 17-year-old British orphan sent to live with her charming uncle George, who is played by Rupert Penry-Jones.

“But like the island itself, his charm is a mask,” the synopsis goes on. “One that hides a darker nature rooted in manipulation and quiet cruelty.”

As Lucy begins to see the cracks in the island, she meets Krishna, an indentured labourer whose life is very different to her own.

Advertisement

“His kindness and quiet defiance awakens something in her that the world around her forbids,” the description said.

“Both their lives have been shaped, bought, and sold by men who trade in power behind closed doors. In each other, they find freedom and purity. Their forbidden love becomes their refuge: a secret island paradise untouched by the ocean of darkness surrounding them.

“But this paradise cannot last. As the forces determined to keep them apart close in, Lucy and Krishna must decide if their love is worth everything it will cost them.”

Advertisement

The film – which also features Rhona Mitra, Edward Akrout, JJ Feild and Amy Beth Hayes – draws from Romesh Gunesekera’s novel Prisoner of Paradise. Initially titled Ambleside, the production later underwent a name change to Prisoners of Paradise.

Prisoners of Paradise is available to purchase on the Sky Store.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

North Yorkshire mayor welcomes government disposable BBQ ban

Published

on

North Yorkshire mayor welcomes government disposable BBQ ban

While last year’s fire at Langdale Moor was not caused by a disposable barbecue, David Skaith said the fire caused “great harm to our communities, our wildlife, and our countryside”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham announced the disposable barbecue ban for Wales, Scotland and England on Friday (August 14) “until further notice”.

It comes after the grills were said to be the source of multiple wildfires which have broken out across the country.

Mr Burnham also warned smokers against lighting up outdoors and urged them to dispose of cigarettes carefully.

Advertisement

More wildfires have now struck England and Wales in 2026 so far than in the whole of 2025, with the latest spate of blazes in the West Midlands having led to people fleeing their homes to get out of the path of encroaching fires.

Mr Skaith said he has been asking retailers in York and North Yorkshire to remove “these £5 wildfire kits from sale” for weeks, adding: “I’m glad the government has acted and done the right thing.

“Last year’s wildfire on Langdale/Fylingdales Moor saw unprecedented amounts of North Yorkshire moorland burn, emitting more carbon from the burning peat beds than any wildfire in recent memory.

“These fires caused great harm to our communities, our wildlife, and our countryside. And they were all completely avoidable.

Advertisement

“I would like to once again thank our hardworking fire service, as well as the farmers, gamekeepers and landowners who were instrumental in getting the blaze under control.

“A temporary halt, particularly in times of dry weather like we’re experiencing currently, is a sensible move to avoid us repeating the events of last summer.

“I will continue to push for retailers to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues across York and North Yorkshire on a permanent basis. The convenience of one must never come before the safety of our rural communities, our landscapes and our wildlife.”


Read next:

Advertisement

York Outer MP Luke Charters also welcomed the government’s temporary ban on disposable barbecues, saying: “We’ve seen first-hand in York and North Yorkshire just how quickly fires can spread when the ground is this dry.

“Just over a year ago we had the huge fire on Strensall Common, and more recently we saw a field fire come worryingly close to homes in the south of York.

Luke Charters, MP for York Outer (Image: Supplied)

“We also saw the devastating fire on the North York Moors, which investigators found was started by cooking with a naked flame.

“So while the weather remains this hot and dry, temporarily stopping the sale of disposable BBQs is a sensible step to help keep people and our countryside safe.

Advertisement

“Of course people should get outside and enjoy the summer. This is simply about using a bit of common sense while the risk is so high, because nobody wants to see another serious fire.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Stephen Bear sentenced to 24 weeks in prison for failing to comply with sex offender register requirements – a week after being jailed for breaching restraining order against Georgia Harrison

Published

on

Stephen Bear arrived at a sentencing hearing for breaching a restraining order against his ex Georgia Harrison at Chelmsford Crown Court last week with his pregnant Brazilian wife Miami, 19

Advertisement

Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been jailed after admitting failing to comply with sex offender register requirements.

Bear was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison at Thames Magistrates’ Court, barely a week after being handed a 16-month sentence for repeatedly breaching a restraining order against his ex, former Love Islander Georgia Harrison.

The disgraced reality TV star, 36, was handed a five-year restraining order and jailed for 21 months in 2023 for sharing a sex tape of Miss Harrison on his OnlyFans page.

A judge also ordered him to repay £22,305 that prosecutors said he earned from his subscribers. 

Advertisement

But after his release from prison, Bear breached his order by repeatedly posting degrading comments about Ms Harrison on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.

He also failed to comply with his sex offender notification requirements. 

He failed to inform police about a trip to Brazil last year and then failed to tell officers within three days that he had returned to the UK.

He also did not mention that he had acquired a new passport and two bank cards during the trip.

Advertisement

Stephen Bear arrived at a sentencing hearing for breaching a restraining order against his ex Georgia Harrison at Chelmsford Crown Court last week with his pregnant Brazilian wife Miami, 19

The 36-year-old - pictured in a police mugshot - was handed a five-year restraining order in 2023 and jailed for sharing a private sex tape of Georgia Harrison

The 36-year-old – pictured in a police mugshot – was handed a five-year restraining order in 2023 and jailed for sharing a private sex tape of Georgia Harrison

Bear filmed and uploaded footage of him having sex with Miss Harrison without her knowledge or consent

Bear filmed and uploaded footage of him having sex with Miss Harrison without her knowledge or consent

Advertisement

In January last year, Bear revealed he had relocated to Brazil with his new girlfriend, boasting: ‘The police can’t catch me now.’

In a grim video shared from the beach, he bragged: ‘Life’s good. I thought I’d come on here guys and say I love you all, simple as that. I love you all.

‘Stay true, because this year I’m fully active, I’m off licence. The police, they could still be after me, but I’m in Brazil. They can’t catch me now. Catch me if you can.’

Breaching the restraining order to post online, Bear had sought to cast doubt on his convictions, including by alleging that Miss Harrison and her mother had conspired to pervert the course of justice.

Advertisement

Bear – who arrived at court last week with his pregnant Brazilian wife Miami, 19 – also created an online petition seeking support for a retrial and attempting to obtain Miss Harrison’s bank statements.

The 2016 Celebrity Big Brother winner persisted with posting despite several of his accounts being shut down.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated. 

Advertisement

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Man shared ‘explicit’ images with ’14-year-old girl’

Published

on

Cambridgeshire Live

He believed he was talking to a 14-year-old girl

A man who shared explicit images of himself with what he mistakenly thought was a 14-year-old girl has been sent to prison. Iain Fleming, 53, began communicating with the account in March last year, not knowing it was a decoy run by an online child abuse activist group.

Advertisement

Despite the “girl” telling Fleming she was only 14 several times, he continued sexual communication with her and sent explicit images of himself. Police were contacted by the child activist group, and officers arrested Fleming at his Peterborough home.

After seizing his mobile phone, it was also revealed Fleming had contacted what was believed to be a 15-year-old girl. Again, Fleming continued with explicit conversations, telling her she had a beautiful body and that he wanted to kiss her all over, according to Cambridgeshire Police.

On Friday, August 7, Fleming, of Millfield, Peterborough, was jailed for three years and two months after admitting to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and one count of attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity at Peterborough Crown Court.

DC Lloyd Davis, who investigated, said: “Fleming clearly poses a significant risk to children. Despite the ‘girl’ in this case being a decoy account, Fleming still attempted to prey on and groom what he believed was a child.

Advertisement

“This kind of sexual exploitation can have devastating effects on a child’s development, mental health and self-esteem that continue into adulthood, so I am pleased he is now behind bars for his crimes.”

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Lucy Letby’s dead ‘boyfriend’ was found collapsed in his car after being sacked for sharing messages with her about baby she tried to murder

Published

on

Letby was forced to deny she and the medic were having a romantic affair and claimed they were just ¿best friends

Lucy Letby’s ‘boyfriend’ died after being sacked for exchanging messages with the convicted serial killer about a baby she tried to murder, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The 53-year-old consultant doctor – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was found collapsed in his car the day after he was dismissed from the NHS hospital where he worked.

He was admitted to intensive care but died nine days later, on July 3. An inquest is due to open into his death at a date to be fixed.

The doctor was hauled before a disciplinary hearing in June over a series of inappropriate texts he sent the former neo-natal nurse while they worked together at the Countess of Chester Hospital, the Daily Mail has learned.

Advertisement

The messages, understood to have breached patient confidentiality, involved details of the care of a premature baby boy with haemophilia, known only as Baby N, who Letby, 36, was convicted of trying to kill the day after he was born in June 2016.

It is understood that the doctor also faced other serious allegations, including that he inappropriately accessed medical records and risked patient safety, which cannot be revealed for legal reasons.

At her trial, Letby was forced to deny she and the medic, referred to as ‘Dr A’, were having a romantic affair and claimed they were just ‘best friends’.

But she broke down in tears and tried to leave the dock when he entered the courtroom at Manchester Crown Court to give evidence.

Advertisement

She called him ‘sweetie’ in texts and referred to him as ‘love’ in notes scrawled with his name and love hearts that police discovered during searches at her home.

Letby is serving a record 15 whole-life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more – one of whom she attacked twice – at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

Letby was forced to deny she and the medic were having a romantic affair and claimed they were just ‘best friends’ at trial

Advertisement
Letby is serving a record 15 whole-life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more

Letby is serving a record 15 whole-life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more

Sources told the Daily Mail that Dr A attended a three-day disciplinary hearing in early June this year and was fired for gross misconduct a fortnight later, on June 23.

The following day relatives reported him missing and he was later found collapsed in his car at a retail park, around 20 miles from his Cheshire home.

He was admitted to intensive care but never regained consciousness, and died on July 3 at Whiston Hospital, Merseyside.

Advertisement

The cause of his death is not yet known but has been referred to the Cheshire Coroner, who confirmed ‘preliminary inquiries’ had begun.

His NHS bosses would have been duty bound to report his dismissal to the doctors’ regulatory body, the General Medical Council, potentially threatening his professional registration and ability to work as a medic again.

Dr A told the Thirlwall Inquiry – the public inquiry investigating Letby’s crimes – in October 2024 that the Band 5 nurse ‘misled and maybe manipulated’ him into giving her information about babies she had attacked.

The then-junior doctor swapped 1,355 Facebook messages with Letby, discussing babies who collapsed when they were on shift together, over a three-month period, between June 2016 and September 2016.

Advertisement

The pair also exchanged more flirty messages about their private lives, sometimes late at night, met up for walks and meals and went on day trips to London together in their free time away from work.

In one message Letby asked Dr A about the condition of Baby N and queried whether she had done anything wrong concerning his care.

Pascale Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans and  Police Family Liaison officer Janet Moore speak outside court after Letby was found guilty

Pascale Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans and  Police Family Liaison officer Janet Moore speak outside court after Letby was found guilty

Dr A messaged back: ‘Oh Lucy, poor little thing. I am sure he has had the best care possible and you will have done everything you could for him.’

Advertisement

Asked by counsel for the inquiry, Rachel Langdale KC, whether such a message was appropriate, Dr A replied: ‘In hindsight, no. Looking at the content of the messages here, I’ve shared too much.’

In her evidence to the inquiry, which was overseen by High Court judge Lady Justice Thirlwall and is set to report later this year, Baby N’s mother accused Dr A of ‘blatantly’ breaching her son’s patient confidentiality.

She also revealed she had lodged a formal complaint with the hospital where he went on to work about his conduct.

Letby, formerly of Hereford, was convicted at Manchester Crown Court in August 2023 after the longest running murder trial in British history.

Advertisement

She has always maintained she did not kill or harm any babies in her care.

Letby has twice applied and been denied the right to appeal, but has lodged documents with the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, in a bid to secure her freedom.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025