The housing estate opened more than 10 years ago

Residents on a ‘forgotten’ Peterborough housing estate have received an assurance from the council that plans to improve their development will be delivered later this month.

At a Full Council meeting held on Wednesday, July 1, Leader of Peterborough City Council, Dr Shabina Qayyum, directly addressed residents of the Roman Fields estate who have long campaigned for more facilities.

Cllr Qayyum began by apologising to the residents and campaigners, some of whom attended the meeting in person: “I’m really sorry that you and the residents have had to face this predicament. The current lack of facilities on the Roman Fields development is not acceptable.”

Since it opened more than ten years ago, the Roman Fields estate – also known as Manor Drive – has had no shops, park benches or playing fields. A recently-launched local campaign group called ‘Forgotten Fields’ has been drawing attention to the fact the estate’s facilities currently include one playground, one post box and two bus stops.

Teachers from the estate’s school have voiced concerns that the lack of available outdoor recreation areas may hinder attempts to help keep children on the estate fit and healthy. Cllr Qayyum described the situation as a “complex issue” which has arisen from a “combination of historical planning issues that have stemmed from the 1990s.”

She said: “The developer hasn’t been able to meet the trigger-point of 750 dwellings by which they are obliged to hand over a piece of land south of the school which was envisaged as community land.”

Cllr Qayyum also explained that, until recently, the developer has used other land proposed for community use to the south of Arkwright Drive as a development compound: “There is a need to remediate that before play facilities can be installed,” she said.

The Council Leader added: “We are working proactively to resolve the issue. By the end of July, we will be meeting with stakeholders… to decide what is needed in those development areas.”

These stakeholders, Cllr Qayyum noted, will include residents, ward councillors and the local MP. She added: “By the end of July, we should be forthcoming with a plan as to how we are going to implement those much needed facilities.”

Taking his opportunity to quiz the leader, Roman Fields resident Dr Tim Rogers asked: “Could you confirm please that you are ring-fencing £587,000 – plus all interest it has accrued since it was paid over to the council – for the specific purpose of building a community centre and two new play areas for Manor Drive/Roman Fields residents?”

Cllr Qayyum replied: “That money is in the bank; it’s there to be spent. Whether it’s spent on a community centre or play areas will depend very much on the meetings that will be held with various stakeholders.”

Dr Rogers followed up by asking Dr Qayyum if she would be willing to provide a “cast-iron guarantee” that those funds would be spent before August 2027, as that is the deadline by which those monies, along with all accrued interest, can be returned to the developer.

“We can absolutely guarantee that we are going to be delivering on those projects,” Cllr Qayyum said, adding: “depending on those conversations with stakeholders.”

Mexico squad: Raul Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa, Israel Reyes, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Mateo Chávez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Brian Gutiérrez, Orbelín Pineda, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, César Huerta, Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez, Roberto Alvarado, Alexis Vega, Julián Quiñones, Santiago Gimenez, Guillermo Martínez, Armando González, Raúl Jiménez

Guy Spencer Smith, a Northumberland Freemason and ultramarathon runner, has completed a 400-mile ‘Temple Run 2026’ from Newcastle to London in support of Festival 2031 and the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Setting out from Newcastle on 1 June, he crossed the line at Freemasons’ Hall in London on June 10.

Mr Smith said: “Running long distance strips everything back.

“You can’t hide behind titles or labels.

“It becomes very simple.

“You start, and you commit to reaching the end.”

Guy Spencer Smith at the 300 mile mark of his challenge (Image: UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND)

The Masonic Charitable Foundation provides financial support to people in need, including help with education, daily living costs and medical expenses.

Mr Smith, a plumbing and heating engineer from Newcastle, is a seasoned ultramarathon runner who has dedicated more than a decade to taking on extreme challenges for charity.

In 2024, he completed a 205-mile run linking every Masonic Temple in Northumberland, raising £24,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

He credited his wife, Terï, for her encouragement.

Mr Smith said: “Without her, I honestly don’t think I’d have completed it.

“She’s shared every mile of this journey in her own way.”

Reflecting on the 10-day challenge, which took him through nine Masonic provinces, Mr Smith said: “This has been an enormous test, but it’s been worth every step.”

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

By CAITLIN LENG

Published: 20:28 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 22:25 BST, 5 July 2026

A woman has died following a ‘skydiving incident’ at an airfield in Nottinghamshire. 

Emergency services were called to Langar Airfield in Nottingham at 12.13pm on Sunday, where a 22-year-old woman was found in a nearby field. 

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The woman, who has not yet been named, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Nottinghamshire Police has confirmed there are no other injuries. 

The force said the woman’s family has been informed of her death and specially trained officers are on duty to offer support. A file will also now be prepared for the Coroner. 

A field across the road from the airfield is understood to be at the centre of the investigation. 

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Several crime scene investigation cars, including two vans, were spotted near the airfield on a path off Harby Road on Sunday afternoon.

Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, who also attended the scene, said it was called to an incident at Langar Airfield at 12.30pm to ‘assist police’. 

A 22-year-old woman has died following a ‘skydiving incident’ in Nottinghamshire

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Emergency services were called to Langar Airfield in Nottingham at 12.13pm on Sunday

Several crime scene investigation cars, including two vans, were spotted near the airfield

Detective Inspector Rachel Mayfield, of Nottinghamshire Police, described the woman’s death as a ‘tragic incident’.

She said: ‘This was a tragic incident, and we are working with partners to understand what happened.

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‘As our investigations continue at the scene, our thoughts are with the woman’s family and everyone else who has been affected by this incident.’

Langar Airfield is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station near the village of Langar in Nottingham first opened in 1942. 

Today, its control tower building is home to Skydive Langar – a civilian skydiving centre. 

Nottinghamshire Police has asked anyone with additional information about what happened to call 101 quoting incident 306 of 5 July 2026. 

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Skydive Langar has been contacted for comment. 

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Delta Air Lines flight and a high-flying firework reportedly came into contact in the sky above Chicago as the city celebrated the Fourth of July holiday.

The pilot of Delta flight 1076 notified air traffic controllers just before landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on Saturday night that a firework hit the commercial airliner during its descent. In an audio recording published online by LiveATC.net, the pilot described feeling “a big bang” on the plane.

According to the recording, the incident occured when the plane was flying at an altitide of 200 to 250 feet. The pilot said the crew hoped the bang “was just a mortar that went off,” referencing the tube that helps launch aerial fireworks.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and Delta said the plane, which had taken off from Atlanta carrying 52 passengers and six crew members, landed safely just after 8:30 p.m. local time.

The incident didn’t result in any onboard injuries, and Atlanta-based Delta said Sunday that mechanics who inspected the Airbus A319 did not find any damage.

The FAA said it would investigate the incident.

It’s unclear if fireworks struck other airplanes on Saturday. In the LiveATC.net audio, an air traffic controller was heard saying there had been “multiple reports” of such encounters and that Chicago city officials were aware.

The FAA did not immediately respond to questions about whether it was aware of additional firework-related incidents impacting Saturday flights. The Associated Press also reached out to the city government and the Chicago Police Department for further information.

Have a weekend, Cape Verde.

The national soccer team returned home Sunday as heroes after their run to the round of 32 of the World Cup and pushing Lionel Messi and Argentina into extra time. The men’s basketball team clinched a berth in the second round of that sport’s World Cup qualifying as well.

And all this happened during an already joyous time in Cape Verde — Sunday was Independence Day.

“Viva Cape Verde,” basketball coach Emanuel Trovoada said after his team beat Libya on Sunday in a World Cup qualifying matchup in Cameroon.

Viva Cape Verde, indeed. Not bad for a country of about 500,000 people — the smallest, in terms of land mass, ever to reach the World Cup.

Independence Day was already going to be a day of celebration across the island nation off the western coast of Africa, but Sunday — with the soccer team returning from Miami — only made it more festive. Vozinha, the goalkeeper, captured video footage of workers on the tarmac dropping to their knees and bowing as the plane taxied into its gate.

Eventually — after interviews that were followed by countless hugs, high-fives and selfies with well-wishers at the airport — players and coaches were loaded onto the back of a truck and paraded through thousands of cheering fans. Flags swayed in the breeze on a sunny afternoon, drummers took to the streets and dance troupes were part of the celebration.

“We gave it all for Cape Verde,” defender Pico Lopes said.

The soccer team was in the World Cup for the first time this year. The basketball team — which got its second-round berth locked up on Saturday, before it easily beat Libya on Sunday — made its inaugural World Cup appearance in 2023 and will resume qualifying in late August with hopes of getting in to the 2027 event.

“This is historic. This is important,” Trovoada said. “Our soccer team has returned to the country — for a party.”

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Belgium have declared themselves “astonished” after Folarin Balogun’s suspension was wiped by Fifa ahead of their World Cup last-16 clash.

United States striker Balogun had his one-match ban “suspended” in an extraordinary development on Monday after being controversially sent off in his country’s round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Fifa’s regulations provided no official avenue to hear an appeal of Balogun’s red card – something which was criticised – but justified the move by citing Article 27 in Fifa’s disciplinary code, which states: “The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

US president Donald Trump responded by hailing Fifa for “reversing a great injustice”, raising concerns of sporting integrity due to his close relationship with Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

Rudi Garcia was left furious, maintaining their anger goes beyond their own immediate situation with the last 16 tie: ““I didn’t know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools. I think it’s necessary to refer to our statement. A lot of what I feel is there.

“We’re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football, integrity. It’s the first time in World Cup history that such a decision has been taken”

Belgium’s FA has now responded to Fifa’s decision, drawing attention to Fifa’s “direct contradiction” to their own World Cup provisions.

“The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by Fifa’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. (Seattle time),” a statement read.

“Fifa bases its decision on Article 27 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the Fifa Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

“However, Article 66.4 of the same Fifa Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this Fifa World Cup.

“Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the Fifa World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5: ‘If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.’

“The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in Fifa World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.

“The same rule is reiterated at every Fifa World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all Fifa World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.

“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this Fifa World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”

The decision is similar in its action to the latter two games of Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-game ban in the World Cup qualifiers being “suspended”, making the Portugal captain available from the start of this World Cup.

Another factor in Fifa’s decision may have been the non-awarding of a red card for Lionel Messi for a similar tackle in Argentina’s win against Algeria.