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.

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.

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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.”

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.

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“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.

The plans have received their final approval and can now go ahead

A new electric vehicle charging hub will soon replace a hand car wash in Peterborough. Initial plans to redevelop the site into 10 EV charging bays were approved by Peterborough City Council planners in November last year.

Applicant Moreco Investments Ltd re-applied for planning permission in June with tweaks to the design of the charging hub, including the layout plan, the charging equipment specification, the introduction of a power cabinet, and the removal of inter-bay landscaping and canopies.

“These refinements improve the operational functionality and accessibility of the scheme while leaving its scale, character, and appearance unchanged,” the plans stated.

Council officers approved the plans once again in August, meaning the development can finally go ahead. The site, located at Parkway Sports and Social Club, will see five charging units across the 10 bays, including two fully PAS-compliant accessible bays which will operate 24/7.

A pedestrian walkway will connect the charging bays with the wider area, supporting informal connectivity to the Boulevard Retail Park and surrounding uses.

“It will provide significant environmental, social, and economic benefits supporting Peterborough City Council’s Net Zero commitments, the CPCA’s regional charging strategy, and the UK Government’s statutory objectives for decarbonisation,” the plans added.

The officer report noted that the proposed scheme was consistent with the policies of the Peterborough Local Plan and aligned with provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.

It stated: “The site is surrounded by a range of retail, leisure and commercial uses. The proposed development would retain a commercial appearance which is compatible with the character of the surrounding area.”

The Welsh Rugby Union has launched Wales’ first-ever Amazon checkout-free stores in order to slash food and drinks queues at the Principality Stadium.

The new stores will make their debut in Sunday’s Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City, where more than 70,000 fans are expected to visit the stadium. Named ‘Now in a Minute’, the new stores – located on level 6 of the stadium – will allow fans to tap their payment card to enter before choosing what they want.

Following that, there will be no need to checkout – removing the need to queue at a traditional till.

Instead, Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology will use sensors to identify what items have been picked up, with the charge added to your card.

Hospitality partner Aramark UK Have worked with the Principality Stadium to introduce the new technology, which is already in use at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Similar technology has been used elsewhere in the world, with travelling British and Irish fans likely to have used the same checkout-free store at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia last summer.

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The stores will include a range of food and drink, including pies, confectionary, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Former Wales international Scott Quinnell was among the first to try out the new stores, with the WRU posting a video of his experience.

The launch is the latest phase of ongoing investment to enhance the experience for visitors through new hospitality and retail innovations.

The stadium recently installed more than 20 self-service eBars.

“We’re continually looking for new and innovative ways to enhance the experience for the millions of fans who visit Principality Stadium each year,” said Tomos Grace, the WRU’s chief commercial officer.

“The introduction of our new ‘Now in a Minute’ stores gives supporters a faster and more convenient way to access food and drink on event days.”

Tom Ford, VP Marketing, Strategy and Culinary at Aramark UK, added: “When we launched our partnership with Principality Stadium and the Welsh Rugby Union, we spoke about our ambition to put fans and visitors at the heart of everything we do.

“The launch of ‘Now in a Minute’ is another important step on that journey, combining innovative technology with great hospitality to make the matchday experience even better.

“By making it quicker and easier for supporters to access food and drink, we can help reduce queues while enabling our teams to focus on delivering great service and creating memorable moments for guests across the stadium.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and excited about what’s still to come.”

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Francis Noakes shared the advice on his YouTube channel, Driving School TV, explaining that drivers can use sign size and street lighting as key indicators, particularly in urban areas.

He encourages motorists to look out for whether or not the road contains bigger or smaller speed limit signs.

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The driving instructor explains that the speed limit in England and Scotland is generally 30mph in built-up urban areas where there is street lighting.

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However, local councils can vary the speed limit if they want to.

He says a big speed limit sign signals a change in speed limit, while smaller ‘repeater’ signs are used to remind drivers of the speed limit when travelling through an urban area where the speed limit differs from 30mph.

Mr Noakes said: “In the UK, if we’re in a built-up urban area and there’s street lighting, the speed limit is 30, but councils can vary that speed limit if they want to.

“If the speed limit is 40mph, there’s speed limit repeaters all the way down the road because it’s not the urban speed limit.

“Same with this road, the speed limit is 20mph so there’s repeaters all the way down the road.

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“There’s no hard and fast rule of how often they should be repeated, but you will find repeaters.

“Some good advice that I say is wait 30 seconds to a minute, if you haven’t seen a repeater sign then your speed limit is 30mph.

“Why? Because if it’s not 30 mph then they will not repeat the sign, it’s the urban speed limit.”

The Highway Code supports this, with Rule 124 stating: “The presence of street lights generally means that there is a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit unless otherwise specified.”

Government guidance also confirms that this applies to all single and dual carriageways with street lighting in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, unless signs indicate otherwise.

However, in Wales, the default speed limit on lit roads has been reduced to 20mph unless otherwise signed.

Mr Noakes also clarified the difference between large and small speed limit signs.

He said: “If you’ve been going at 30mph down this road [which is a 20mph speed limit] and then slow down once you spot the repeater sign, then you’ve already been caught speeding.

“The big signs signal a change in speed limit.

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“The little ones are just a repeater sign, reminding you of the speed limit.”

The government says repeater signs for a 30mph speed limit are used only on roads with no street lighting.

Repeater signs for the national speed limit (60 mph) are used only on roads with street lighting.

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points on your licence.

Have you noticed the bigger and smaller speed limit signs in your local area? Let us know in the comments below.

Tyler Reid, 15, is taking on the challenge to raise money for the children’s cancer fund

A Belfast teenager is aiming to become the youngest person to take on the UK Four Peaks challenge in 36 hours while raising money for an important children’s charity.

Tyler Reid is no stranger to feats of endurance, having already completed seven full marathons and three ultra marathons at just 15 years old.

He developed a passion for these challenges after training alongside his father Ian Reid and Connor Ferguson who have raised thousands to support armed forces and veterans’ charities through their ‘Big Danders’ where they walked and ran around the UK and Ireland.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Tyler said he was looking for something to do to raise money for an important charity, The Children’s Cancer Fund, but wanted a challenge someone his age had never done before.

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After some research he found that no teenager had taken on the four peaks challenge in 36 hours and has spent the past eight months training, with his two friends Kai McCullough and Dylan Nasr helping him along the way. They will also be taking on the final peak, Ben Nevis, with Tyler.

He said: “I had been looking for a challenge to take on in order to raise money for charity and discovered that no teenagers had ever done the Four Peaks in under 36 hours and felt that was something that I would be able to do.

“I have chosen the Cancer Fund for Children to support for personal reasons and it is such an important charity.

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“This isn’t the first time that I have taken on an endurance challenge like this as I did my first when I was 10 and walked 56 miles from Carrickfergus Castle to Portaferry. Since then I have gone on to complete seven or eight full marathons and three ultra marathons, but I still feel the Four Peaks could be the toughest one yet.

“My Granda, dad and uncle are going to be supporting me along the way in a camper van and I just hope that everything works out well on the day.”

If you would like to support Tyler in his fundraising efforts you can do so via this link.

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

Chicago’s Chicken, in Linthorpe Road near St Barnabas Church, has been told to up its game – with a spokesperson saying it will be undergoing a re-inspection shortly.

The inspection, which took place on June 10, 2026, found standards across the board to be lacking.

In all three separate categories, “major improvement” was deemed necessary. These categories were hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building. and management of food safety.

A rating of zero is at the bottom of the Food Standards Agency scale, which goes up to five.

Middlesbrough-based Chicago’s Chicken advertises paninis, wraps, desserts, sandwiches and of course, fried chicken on the store frontage.

A spokesperson for the business, which also sells ‘buckets’ and ‘nugget meals’ among other items, confirmed the establishment would be undergoing a re-inspection within three months of the initial check, in a bid to improve the rating.

The representative said the firm was content that improvements had been made in the meantime.

Google reviews rate the takeaway highly with 4.6 out of 5 stars. One reviewer said: “Great quality chicken kebab. Flavour, quality, quantity and freshness all on point.”

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has handed back, or is handing back, money paid by claimants who accepted penalties instead of facing prosecution.

The penalties, known as administrative penalties, can be offered to people suspected of benefit fraud when investigators believe there is enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.

They are calculated at 50% of the overpaid amount, capped at £5,000, and are charged on top of the original benefit overpayment.

But a DWP review found 197 cases where penalties had been unreasonably offered and should not have been issued.

This included 128 cases from 2023/24 and 69 from 2024/25.

The department said procedural errors, insufficient evidence and circumstances not being fully considered contributed to some of the cases.

A DWP spokesperson said: “In an effort to identify opportunities for improvement, we proactively reviewed our use of Administrative Penalties and identified a small number of cases where they were incorrectly applied.

 “We have put this right by removing and refunding those penalties, contacting affected customers, and strengthening our processes to ensure decisions are made consistently and appropriately in future.”

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Earlier this week I asked which cost-of-living areas you most want @andyburnham and @JohnHealey_MP to focus on. Many thousands replied across various of my social platforms. As well as looking at individual suggestions – we’ve now tallied the…

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) July 24, 2026

DWP strengthens fraud checks

The department has introduced a series of changes following the review, including updated guidance for investigators, revised customer letters and communications, enhanced training and a new permanent independent decision-making panel.

It has also strengthened quality assurance and oversight and introduced mandatory two-investigator attendance at all Interviews Under Caution.

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Under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025, the DWP is also introducing independent inspection of end-to-end criminal investigations.

The department said cases from before 2023/24 were not included in the review and no further cases are being examined.

Importantly, having an administrative penalty removed does not cancel any underlying benefit overpayment.

Any outstanding overpayment will still need to be repaid.

Man Utd play their final friendly of pre-season against AC Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday and they have confirmed their squad for the game.

Marcus Rashford could make his first appearance for Manchester United in 20 months after being included in the squad for Saturday’s friendly against AC Milan.

Rashford hasn’t played for United since December 2024, but he returned to pre-season training this week and the 28-year-old is set to feature against Ruben Amorim’s Milan in Poland.

Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo also return to the squad for the first time this summer, having both reported for pre-season training in Ireland this week.

United are travelling to Wroclaw from Dublin on Friday afternoon after training for the final time at their County Kildare training base earlier this morning.

They took a large group over the Irish Sea for that camp, but some players have returned to Manchester and a smaller squad will travel to Poland for the fixture against the Italian giants.

The presence of Amorim in the Milan dugout adds some extra spice to the occasion. Amorim was the head coach who discarded Rashford at Old Trafford, while he also overlooked Mainoo during his 18 months in charge at United.

Manchester United squad to face AC Milan:

Goalkeepers: Lammens, Mee, Heath

Defenders: Dalot, Mazraoui, Amass, Dorgu, Heaven, Maguire, Shaw, Yoro, Martinez

Midfielders: Tielemans, Mainoo, J. Fletcher, T. Fletcher, Collyer, Santos, Fernandes

Attackers: Lacey, Mbeumo, Zirkzee, Amad, Rashford, Cunha, Gabriel