Category: Cambridgeshire

Firefighters will remain in the area tonightA large field fire in WhittleseyAuthor: Dan MasonPublished 27 minutes agoSeveral firefighters have been tackling a large field fire which almost spread to nearby homes in Whittlesey.Crews were called at 4.29pm today (Sunday) to the fire near to Aliwal Road.”Crews from Stanground, the north roaming fire engine, Dogsthorpe, March, Thorney, Whittlesey, Wisbech, the Peterborough Volunteer Brigade, along with a specialist 4×4 vehicle from Thorney and the water carrier from Ramsey attended the incident,” a spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue (CFRS) said.”Firefighters used hose reels and beaters to extinguish the fire and prevent further spread. “Crews are still on scene and are working hard to find hotspots and dampen them down.”The CFRS spokesperson said Ramsey Road heading into Whittlesey has been closed because the level crossing has been shut off.The service said crews will reinspect the area throughout the night.One eyewitness told us they were walking along the Bower river in Whittlesey when they spotted a fire in the distance.They said “three students initially tried to douse it (the fire) with water from the Bower” before they saw a gas canister close by, which then exploded shortly after.Cambridgeshire Police have been asked for comment.Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.

Police can now name the person who died in a crash in Cambridge on Friday.She was 77-year-old Judith Moreland, from Cambridge.Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time.Enquiries to determine the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

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The youngest black professor ever appointed at Cambridge University has been accused of plagiarising other academics’ work.Concerns have been raised over Jason Arday’s work within academic circles since 2023, when he was appointed as professor of sociology at the age of just 37. The concerns around Prof Arday’s work were aired this week in an article published on the blog of a former Cambridge academic, who compared side-by-side images of Prof Arday’s PhD dissertation with the thesis of another student.Analysis carried out by The Times found multiple examples of identical or near-identical passages in Prof Arday’s thesis from 2015 with that of Paula Zwozdiak-Myers of Brunel University, which was published six years prior. In one section of the 401-page thesis, Prof Arday writes: “The student teachers believed that pupil learning and development was attributable to their personal improvement in five main areas: greater understanding, insight and awareness about the principles and procedures of pedagogy; thinking more about aspects of teaching and their enhanced knowledge of pupil difference and diversity.“Another common area of interest perceived by student teachers to have been influenced as they studied their own teaching was their capacity and commitment to seek alternative perspectives and possibilities to inform their teaching.”In her essay, Ms Zwozdiak-Myers had written: “Student teachers believed that pupil learning and development was attributable to their personal improvement in three main areas: greater understanding, insight and awareness about the principles and procedures of pedagogy; thinking more about aspects of teaching and their enhanced knowledge of pupil difference and diversity.“The third most common area perceived by student teachers to have been influenced as they studied their own teaching was their capacity and commitment to seek alternative perspectives and possibilities to inform their teaching.”Jason Arday, the youngest black professor ever appointed at Cambridge University, has been accused of plagiarising work | UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEMs Zwozdiak-Myers is mentioned 17 times within Prof Arday’s thesis.The row revolved around whether Prof Arday should have cited her every time he paraphrased or recycled her work.Nathan Cofnas, the author of the blog post published this week, claimed that Prof Arday had “relied heavily on Zwozdiak-Myers for key ideas and arguments.”He claimed: “Many passages are lifted with minimal editing, sometimes retaining copy-editing mistakes from the original source.”Cambridge University investigated and found no wrongdoing by Prof Arday | GETTYLast year, Cambridge threw out complaints against Mr Cofnas, who is an academic philosopher.The complaints were raised about his views on “hereditarianism” and what he called the “DEI devil”; however, the university declared his views were protected under its new freedom of speech policy.Despite Cambridge clearing him, Emmanuel College, where Mr Cofnas had been a research fellow, cut ties with him.After initially defending his “academic right, as enshrined by law, to write about his views,” the college cut ties after a blog written by Mr Cofnas, in which he wrote that a culture of “race realism” that acknowledged differences between ethnicities was “a rejection of diversity, equality and inclusion.”Dave Harris alerted Cambridge and Liverpool John Moores universities to his concerns about plagiarism in 2023, when he was a professor at Plymouth Marjon University.He told the Telegraph: “In my opinion, important sections of the work of Professor Jason Arday, both his PhD thesis and some subsequent published articles, solo and jointly written, seem to display indications of serious plagiarism.“I can think of no other plausible explanation for what I have read.“I notified both Liverpool John Moores and Cambridge universities of my initial concerns, and they have done nothing. Of the journal editors I notified, two have asked for corrections.”Both universities investigated the claims and found no evidence of wrongdoing.A University spokesman said: “Professor Arday has been the victim of a vile campaign to undermine his credibility, which must stop. “Allegations of plagiarism regarding his thesis and journal publications have been thoroughly investigated by the relevant institution and the journals in question.”Professor Arday has been cleared by those investigations of any wrongdoing.”

CambridgeshireLive (Reach) — Home / all sections · Council and records · todayWork to restart on car-sized sinkhole in Cambridge ‘as soon as possible’• CambridgeshireLive (Reach) — Home / all sections: “Work to restart on car-sized sinkhole in Cambridge ‘as soon as possible’” is included because it may affect council services, records, neighbourhood decisions or daily routines.

High-speed chase driver jailed

Sean Kimber, 49, of Manor Close, Little Wilbraham, was jailed after leading police on a high‑speed chase through residential streets.

He sped off when officers tried to stop his car in Milton Road on May 5, hitting more than 70mph in 30mph zones and forcing pedestrians and cyclists to dive out of the way.

He later admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, criminal damage, and using fraudulent registration plates.

Kimber was sentenced to one year and three months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, July 17.

Road‑rage attacker used metal pliers

Craig Easton, 32, of Halley Square, Glasgow, was jailed for 10 months after a road‑rage attack in Cambridge city centre.

On March 27, he drove erratically, swerved in front of another vehicle, and forced it to brake before an argument broke out and both drivers got out of their cars.

Easton admitted affray and dangerous driving and was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on July 2.

He was also banned from driving for one year and five months.

Trio behind massage parlour prostitution ring

Khondakar Hasan, 40, Liu Xu Hopkins, 55, and Benjamin Hopkins, 57, ran a prostitution network through “massage” businesses across England, including Moon Star Therapy in Fore Hill, Ely.

Women were told to dispose of tissues and other evidence in public bins to hide sexual activity from the police.

All three admitted conspiracy to control prostitution for gain.

At Swindon Crown Court on Friday, July 17, Liu Xu Hopkins, from Bristol, was jailed for two years, while Benjamin Hopkins, also from Bristol, and Hasan, from Leicester, each received 18 months.

Partner electrocuted and stabbed in her sleep

Ashley Hudson, 40, of Southwell Close, March, tried to kill his partner just days before he was due to move out after their relationship ended.

He attacked her as she slept, using a Taser on her back and stabbing her repeatedly before forcing her into the shower and fleeing with a knife, clothes, and both their phones.

Despite severe injuries, she escaped and raised the alarm.

Hudson claimed he “blacked out” but was found guilty of attempted murder at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday, July 3, and jailed for 24 years.

Child sex offender who posed as caretaker

David Pearce, 70, of March, was jailed for 18 years for a series of historic child sex offences.

In 1990 he pretended to be a caretaker at a lido in Barking, east London, and told four children he was searching for lost keys.

He lured them into a changing area, forced them to strip, and touched them indecently; the youngest was just eight.

Pearce admitted seven sexual offences at Snaresbrook Crown Court on May 6 and was sentenced at the same court on Friday, July 3.

Barber murdered in Cambridge hostel

Liam Rush, 31, was jailed for murdering well‑loved Cambridge barber Granville Graham, 58.

Mr Graham was stabbed 17 times at a hostel in Chesterton Road in the early hours of February 25, 2025, and Rush fled, leaving behind an Anglo Arms knife.

He handed himself in at Parkside Police Station eight hours later and later admitted murder.

Rush was sentenced to 23 years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday, July 9.

Burglary pair made “alarming” threats

Sherry Smith, 25, of Green Lane, Northstowe, and Timothy Stone‑Parker, 30, of no fixed address, carried out two burglaries in a day in June last year.

They broke into a home in Balsham, stealing cash, tech, passports, and jewellery, then targeted a property in Upware where the resident was threatened with a tool before they stole her car.

Arrested days later in Linton, they were linked to the crimes by CCTV, clothing, and tools.

Smith was jailed for three years and three months for burglary and drug‑related offences, while Stone‑Parker received four years and six months for burglary and being concerned in the supply of drugs.

“Sustained campaign of violence” on partner

Benjamin Davies, 32, of Slade Way, Chatteris, was jailed for three years after a “sustained campaign of violence” against his partner.

Over up to six weeks he assaulted her daily, punching and kicking her, throwing objects, and strangling her to stop her speaking, at one point restricting her breathing.

The abuse ended only after anonymous messages and a neighbour’s report led police to intervene; officers forced entry to his home on November 20 and arrested him.

Davies admitted actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, intentional suffocation, and three counts of criminal damage.

Fenland arsonist targeted cars across district

Rolandas Fedorenko, 25, of Waterlees Road, Wisbech, set fire to vehicles in Chatteris and Wisbech in a series of deliberate attacks.

He torched a Nissan Juke in Furrowfields car park, Chatteris, on April 1 last year using a lit toilet roll and plastic, damaging a nearby van and fence, then set further fires under cars in Palmers Place and behind Market Place in Wisbech later that year.

Fedorenko admitted six counts of arson and was jailed for 14 months at Cambridge Crown Court on July 10.

Man told partner “today is the day you are going to die”

Daniel Howard, 38, of Pentelow Close, Murrow, near Wisbech, was jailed for more than four years after a terrifying attack on his partner.

Following threats to “slit the throats of everyone in the household”, he grabbed her by the throat, stopped her from breathing, and told her: “Today is the day you are going to die.”

Howard later told officers he had “lost [his] temper” and admitted what he had done.

He pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, two counts of making threats to kill, assault by beating, and criminal damage.

Controlling ex-partner jailed

Martin Plaice, 50, of Thurlands Drove, Upwell, near Wisbech, subjected his ex-partner to a controlling and coercive campaign after their relationship ended in March 2025.

Despite bail conditions banning him from contact, he repeatedly turned up at her home, bombarded her with calls and messages, and made threats and abusive comments.

Plaice admitted engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship and was jailed for two years and four months at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday, July 2.

Killer dismembered victim and buried body

Karl Hutchings, 48, was jailed for life for the murder of 55‑year‑old Julie Buckley, whose dismembered body was found in 10 pieces in a shallow grave in Wimblington.

He eventually gave police a map showing where he had buried her, but only more than seven months after she was last seen alive.

Sentencing him to a minimum of 19 years and 254 days at Cambridge Crown Court, Judge Mark Bishop said he had “deprived her of any dignity in death by dismembering her body into 10 pieces”.

Kidnap-style chase after partner bundled into car

Aamir Mahmood, 33, of Huntly Grove, Peterborough, was jailed for six years after bundling his partner into a car and then driving dangerously as armed police gave chase.

He dragged her into his Volkswagen Golf on Thorpe Road on February 5 after she tried to run away, and later told her that if they crashed he would “drive into a wall on your side so you die first”.

Mahmood admitted false imprisonment and dangerous driving and was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on July 17.

He was also disqualified from driving.

Knife-point robbery in Peterborough underpass

Hiwa Azari, 20, of Huntly Road, Peterborough, was jailed for three and a half years after a late‑night robbery in the Foundry Walk underpass near the Lido swimming pool.

At about 11pm on August 5, 2024, he and two teenagers blocked a man riding a scooter, surrounded him, and pointed a kitchen knife at his stomach before stealing the scooter.

Azari admitted robbery, attempted robbery, and possessing a knife in public and was jailed for 42 months at Cambridge Crown Court on July 1.

Single punch killed stranger in city street

Ashley McMillan, 32, of Oundle Road, Peterborough, was jailed for six years after killing 63‑year‑old John McGarry with a single punch.

McGarry was found with a serious head injury in Broadway, Peterborough, in the early hours of August 30, 2025, and later died in hospital on December 12.

Moments before, McMillan had punched another man.

He admitted manslaughter at Peterborough Crown Court on June 25 and was sentenced at the same court on July 17.

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation is celebrating awarding more than £40million in grants to support communities since it was established in 2004.The foundation celebrated the milestone at a special event in July, supported by CCLA Investment Management and hosted by PEM, bringing together the current and former team, trustees, ambassadors and volunteers.President, vice presidents, staff, trustees, ambassadors and volunteers at the celebration event to mark Cambridgeshire Community Foundation surpassing £40million in grants awarded to support local communities. Picture: Cambridgeshire Community FoundationGrants have been distributed through a range of charitable funds established by organisations and individuals wishing to make a lasting difference in their community. The foundation has supported more than 3,000 charitable and community organisations, helping fund projects that improve health and wellbeing, support young people and older residents, strengthen connections, create opportunities for people facing disadvantages, and more.Its portfolio of over 70 funds includes partnerships with councils, philanthropists and businesses like The Cambridge Building Society, Birketts and Cheffins.Chief executive Michael O’Toole said: “Reaching £40million in grants awarded is a remarkable milestone, but what matters most is the difference that investment has made for people’s lives across Cambridgeshire.“Behind every pound granted is a story of local generosity creating local impact. This achievement belongs to our supporters, partners, volunteers, trustees, staff and community organisations who have worked alongside us over the past 22 years to address need and create opportunity. “We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved together, but we also know there is much more to do. Communities continue to face significant challenges. Cambridge remains one of the most unequal cities in the country, with a 12-year difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived residents. We are also seeing many disparities across health, employment, education and more between the north and south of our county.“Our ambition is to grow local giving, build new partnerships, and ensure even more funding reaches the organisations making a difference on the ground. “As we celebrate this milestone, we remain firmly focused on the future and on supporting a thriving, resilient Cambridgeshire for generations to come.”Cambridgeshire Community Foundation staff celebrate surpassing £40million in grants awarded to support local communities. Picture: Cambridgeshire Community FoundationOne of the most recent grants that helped the foundation reach this milestone was awarded by The Cambridge Building Society Community Fund to Concrete Rose Collective CIC. The grant is helping to establish a ‘bank of mum and dad’ for care-experienced young people and care leavers facing financial barriers at critical moments in their lives.Its operations lead, Mike Farrington, said: “Most people have a ‘safety net’ of friends or family to turn to when they need a bit of extra financial support. That is not always the case for the young people we support.”Peter Burrows, CEO of The Cambridge, said: “Congratulations to Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for reaching this major milestone. Working together, we have pledged more than £400,000 to good causes and charitable projects – including innovative multi-year grants to support charities like Concrete Rose – to help tackle housing issues and deliver long-lasting change across the communities we serve.”For more on the foundation see cambscf.org.uk.

CCTV of the moment where a man threatened a shop worker before grabbing cash from a till has been released by police. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said Henry Evans, of Monkswell in Trumpington, Cambridge, pointed a device which resembled a Taser at a shop assistant, before he stole about £150. The robbery took place at Tesco Express on Chesterton High Street in May. Weeks before, Evans had also stolen alcohol from supermarkets across Cambridge and caused damage to a vehicle barrier. The 53-year-old was jailed for three years and two months at Peterborough Crown Court after admitting robbery, three counts of theft from a shop, and criminal damage.Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external.

The huge investment, to prepare the county’s roads for the winter, will be considered by Cambridgeshire County Council’s extra-ordinary Highways and Transport Committee on July 28.

The planned work will include road patching, sealing and surfacing work.

Last winter, extended cold snaps and heavy rainfall led to a sharp rise in potholes and road defects across Cambridgeshire’s roads.

The planned programme will deliver an extra 30km of preventative highway maintenance across the county, ahead of the colder, wetter weather expected this winter.

The proposed works include additional maintenance to the A1307 Hills Road Cambridge, the A1301 Cambridge Road in Great Shelford, the A142 Ely Road in Soham the A1123 Hill Row Causeway in Haddenham, the A605 in Elton and the B1099 Upwell Road in March.

The council plans to use techniques including large-scale mastic screed repairs, and structural patching as well as crack sealing to protect roads before defects form.

If approved, the programme will run from August 2026 to March 2027.

Councillor Robin Wyatt, Vice-Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee, said: “Residents have been clear that improving the condition of our roads is priority and we hope this proposal for further investment shows we are listening to people’s concerns and learning from previous years.

“By acting now—before winter hits—we can protect our roads and make journeys better for everyone.

“This extra investment combined with our refreshed, prevention-focussed approach to asset management is a way we can deliver better value for money and help create a fairer and more sustainable Cambridgeshire for everyone.

“Highways across our area have been underfunded for decades.

“This is why we’re making record levels of investment in our road network and tackling the issue of Cambridgeshire’s aging roads through innovative solutions and preventative works.”

The Council will also run a pothole innovation trial in October, which will test new equipment and materials to identify the most effective approaches for future highway maintenance.

The Council has said they will be creating a dedicated webpage which will provide regular updates on the scheme.

Deb Hann

Starting with some arrests from last week, Te Awamutu Police attended two separate family harm assaults in situations where Protection Orders were already in place. Two men were arrested and respectively charged for both the assault and breaching the protection orders. They have both appeared in court.
Deb Hann
In another incident, staff spoke to a male in a vehicle and detected the smell of cannabis. The vehicle was searched under the Search and Surveillance Act, resulting in police locating not only the drug, but also an offensive weapon. The male driver faces related charges in court.
In Cambridge, staff responded to an alarm activation at a retirement village. They located a vehicle parked outside the fenceline with signs indicating someone had walked from it over into a fenced area. A police dog handler successfully tracked from the vehicle and located a male inside the property. He has appeared in court. Also in Cambridge a female was arrested for breach of bail and appeared in court.
Last week I mentioned speed in relation to the pedestrian crossing on Shakespeare street, Leamington. I want to spread the message about pedestrian crossings a bit wider this week.  The presence of pedestrian crossings is usually marked by a diamond painted on the road, the presence of mounted orange lights or disks on a pole either side and  a white line showing where to stop.
The raised crossing between the Town Hall and the Town Clock. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
When approaching any pedestrian crossing, drivers need to be aware of anyone that is approaching or wanting to cross, ensuring they are prepared to stop.  If there is a raised island in the middle of the crossing, you must give way to pedestrians on your side only, if the crossing goes across the full road width, you must give way to pedestrians on any part of the crossing.
Given the potential for driver visibility of crossings to be affected by parked cars or road features, any pedestrian using a crossing should equally be aware of approaching vehicles. Check that the road is clear before stepping out. Cyclists should dismount and walk their bike across to ensure drivers can stop in time.
Finally, yet another reminder that police scams persist. We will not text you about payment of fines and require you to click a link. We have also heard of a scammer phoning their victim, pretending to be a police officer investigating a fraud case and asking their victim for bank account details and attempting to solicit a payment. Again, not a legitimate police approach. Be scam aware.
 
 

A South Cambridgeshire man who drove dangerously around residential streets, reaching speeds of more than 70mph in 30mph zones in an effort to escape police, has been jailed.Sean Kimber, 49, of Manor Close, Little Wilbraham, was driving a car linked to burglaries when he was spotted by officers in Milton Road in Cambridge, on 5 May.When they signalled for him to pull over, he made off at speed and led officers on a pursuit around streets, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to dive out of the way as he drove at more than double the speed limit in places, including at more than 50mph in a 20mph zone.In Histon, he smashed through a wooden gate and sped over private land before being brought to a stop by officers and arrested.He later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, criminal damage and using fraudulent registration plates.Sean Kimber, 49, of Manor Close, Little Wilbraham, following the crash. Pictures: Cambridgeshire policeKimber was sentenced to one year and three months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (17 July).Det Con Lisa Bacon, who investigated, said: “Kimber’s actions that day were nothing short of appalling. He drove dangerously and clearly with no thought about the danger he was putting other people in. “He narrowly missed numerous collisions as pedestrians were forced to take evasive action.“Thankfully, the pursuit ended and he was arrested before anyone was hurt.”