Category: Bedford

A fire service has attended three field fires in a day, with one being investigated as “deliberate”.Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue said it sent crews to “standing crop” blazes in Dunstable, Maulden and Langford on Wednesday.The biggest incident was at about 23:57 BST when 15 crews from across the county went to Edworth Road, Langford, to deal with two separate fires.It said a car was destroyed, a biomass barn containing woodchips was 25% burnt, and an investigation into the cause of the blaze was due to take place.Crews from Kempston, Bedford, Harrold, Kempston, Woburn and Sandy attended the fire in Maulden [Woburn Community Fire Station]The service said at 18:27, seven crews were called to an accidental field fire in Limbersey Lane, Maulden.It spread across four fields and involved grass stubble, straw and trees.Firefighters used hose reel jets, beaters and a high-pressure lance to extinguish the fire and dampen down hot spots, it added.In Dunstable, four crews attended a fire involving 10 acres of crops in Suffolk Road at about 17:45.The service said firefighters used two hose reels and eight beaters to extinguish the fire and dampen down hot spots. It was believed to have been started deliberately.Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.More wildfire storiesRelated internet links

🚨 Police footage shows the moment Policewoman pepper-sprayed by suspect in bodycam video

Ionut Spanache, 31, opened the door and sprayed what Bedfordshire Police described as a PAVA-like substance – a kind of pepper spray – which caused her temporary blindness and breathing difficulties.

Spanache, of Dunstable Road, Luton was jailed for two years at Luton Crown Court on 17 July after admitting two counts of assault on an emergency worker, possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid, and actual bodily harm. | Liverpool Echo News

That’ll Be The Day takes audiences on a journey through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s.The long-running rock and roll theatre show That’ll Be The Day is set to return to Bedfordshire this autumn, bringing its latest production to the Grove Theatre in Dunstable on 16 September. The show is part of a 36-date UK tour and promises an evening of classic hits, comedy and nostalgia for local audiences.Known for its mix of live music, comedy sketches and nostalgia, That’ll Be The Day takes audiences on a journey through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, featuring chart favourites from some of the world’s best-loved artists. The show has become a fixture on the UK theatre circuit thanks to its energetic performances and regularly updated content.That’ll Be The Day | T C ProductionsDirector, producer and vocalist Trevor Payne said the production’s continued popularity is down to the dedication of the cast and crew, as well as a commitment to refreshing the show each year.Over the years, That’ll Be The Day has also raised more than £1 million for charities including Childline, Make-A-Wish, Help for Heroes and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation through post-show collections.Featuring a talented cast of musicians, singers and performers, the latest tour promises an evening packed with familiar songs, comedy and feel-good entertainment when it arrives in Dunstable this September.Continue Reading

UK Inquest Reveals More Details On Death Of Family Allegedly Killed By Ndodana Tshuma
A UK inquest has revealed more details about the deaths of Zimbabwean-born Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and her two daughters, whose bodies were discovered at their home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, on 7 July.
The hearing heard that all three died from head injuries, while murder charges authorised against Nothabo’s husband, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, remain subject to extradition proceedings in South Africa.
UK Inquest Hears Causes Of Death In Tshuma Family Case
The inquest opened at Ampthill Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, before Coroner Emma Whitting, who later adjourned proceedings to a date yet to be confirmed.
According to the BBC, statements from the coroner’s officers revealed that Nothabo, 42, died from head injuries, while her daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, died from blunt force head injuries.
Sam Silk, from the coroner’s office, explained how the investigation began after a concerned relative alerted police.
He said:
“A cousin of Nothabo contacted Bedfordshire Police on 6 July after becoming concerned for the family’s welfare.”
Silk told the hearing that the relative had not spoken to Nothabo for several days despite usually communicating with her daily. Police inquiries later established that the children had not attended school before officers entered the family’s Carnoustie Drive home during the early hours of 7 July, where the three bodies were found.
Ndodana Tshuma Faces Murder Charges As Extradition Process Continues
According to the BBC, prosecutors in England have authorised three murder charges against Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45.
Tshuma was arrested in Johannesburg on 10 July on an unrelated firearms charge before later appearing in court over the alleged unlawful possession of firearms.
South African courts will decide whether the United Kingdom’s extradition request meets the legal requirements for him to be transferred to face the charges.
Police Watchdog Also Investigating Earlier Contact
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has also opened an investigation into contact Bedfordshire Police officers had with Nothabo and her children before their deaths.
An IOPC spokesperson said:
“A mandatory referral was made by Bedfordshire Police to the IOPC on 7 July.”
The spokesperson added:
“We also received a voluntary conduct referral concerning a police constable on 8 July.”
The inquest has been adjourned while the criminal case and related investigations continue in both the UK and South Africa.

John O’Sullivan, 20, of High Street in Barkway, near Royston, faces 38 theft charges covering alleged offences in Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham and the Thames Valley area.

He also faces seven additional theft charges relating to incidents in Hertfordshire between September 17, 2025 and March 17 of this year.

He is due to appear at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on August 5.

The lights and lanterns were stolen from councils, businesses, churches, schools and private owners.

Grade II-listed 1950s street lamps known as Richardson Candles were among the items reported stolen from Cambridge city centre.

During the investigation, police recovered approximately 300 lights at a property in Barkway in January 2025.

Two others have also been charged in connection with the case.

Anna O’Sullivan, 66, and Richard O’Sullivan, 67, both of High Street, Barkway, have been charged with handling stolen goods.

They are due to appear at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on August 12.

Details about thefts in Essex have not been released.

Locals in a UK village have hit out after a group of travellers reportedly hooked up their illegal camp to the electricity grid. The alleged incident took place just five days before a widespread power outage in the area.It’s reported that the village of Tilsworth, in Bedfordshire, now has “more travellers than locals”. A large caravan park was built without permission last month, before Central Bedfordshire Council secured a temporary notice to stop all construction on Tuesday, June 16. However, angry locals claim work to build the camp continued, with the local energy operator now revealing it is investigating a suspected illegal connection at the site on June 19. The alleged illegal electricity extraction came five days before the village was hit by an outage on June 24.It is illegal to connect to the electricity grid without permission to extract power. Unregulated extraction can pose safety risks, such as electric shocks and fires, as well as overload local transformers, which can cause sudden power cuts.As reported by the Daily Mail, locals claimed the travellers were responsible for the power cut while UK Power Networks said the issue “was caused by a fault on the overhead network and is not believed to be linked to the site”.They said: “We were advised on June 19 of a possible unauthorised electricity connection at a site in Dunstable Road, Tilsworth,’ a spokesman said.”While our network is currently operating normally, our engineers are working closely with police regarding this and an adjacent site and have been liaising to co-ordinate visit dates.”During the outage, locals were sent a text which read: “We are aware of an unexpected power cut in LU7. We didn’t know this was going to happen, so providing prior notice wasn’t possible, but we are working to get the lights back on as quickly as we can.”The camp has reportedly expanded over the last month (Image: BBC)Although the travellers are banned from developing their camp any further, residents in the area insist that work has continued. They are calling on the council to do more to stop them.One said: “It’s a disgrace. The council issued the stop notice, but the work has continued since then.”They do whatever they want and get away with it. They managed to connect to the power network, and this took out the village for about an hour. It’s a scandal.”There are reportedly 19 motorhomes and caravans on the new site, as well as 70 on the existing encampment. Locals in the village, which has around 140 homes, now say they are outnumbered.One reported some of the travellers “riding bikes on the site until very late”. They added that they “create such a lot of noise” while a second said the group “do as they please”.Locals were hit by a power outage just five days after the travellers allegedly hooked up to the gri (Image: Getty)A council spokesman said: “The Council is aware of reports of an unauthorised connection to the electricity infrastructure, and we’ve notified UK Power Networks as the relevant utility provider.”Any investigation into the cause of the outage is a matter for UK Power Networks. We understand the unauthorised caravan site has caused concerns for residents in Tilsworth.”Officers have responded quickly and treated this as a priority. The Council must follow the correct legal process and ensure any formal action is supported by evidence.”A Temporary Stop Notice was served on Tuesday, June 16, requiring all further construction work to cease. The Council obtained a High Court injunction on July 3 for this site.”

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe women awaiting a civil trial for allegations of rape and sexual assault against controversial influencer Andrew Tate will have been waiting 13 years for justice by the time he could come to court, their lawyer has said.Tate and his brother Tristan, who hold dual US and British citizenship, were arrested by US Marshals in Miami two weeks ago after new charges were brought against them by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). British police are also seeking the brothers’ extradition to the UK, where they would face a potential criminal trial over the alleged offences, which include rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking, which the pair deny.It is understood the claims made in the civil case are entirely separate to those subject to extradition requests. In a hearing for the civil case at the High Court in London on Monday, lawyers for Andrew Tate said they understood he intends to appeal any extradition order from the US, meaning the proceedings abroad could drag on for “anything up to 10 months”. Andrew Tate is currently in detention in the US (Getty)The civil case centres around claims made by four women – now in their late twenties and early thirties – who allege they were subjected to sexual violence by Tate between 2013 and 2016, while he was based in the UK.Three of the women reported allegations of rape and sexual assault against Tate to Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2014 and 2015, with the case concluded in 2019. The civil trial was then adjourned in May after the force said it will reinvestigate the alleged offences.Lawyers representing Hertfordshire Police said the force expects to conclude its criminal investigation in around “10 to 12 months”.Speaking on behalf of the women, David Messling said their “concern remains they have been waiting what will be 13 years by the time police conclude their criminal investigation”.Andrew, 39, and Tristan Tate, 38, are facing 59 criminal charges between them in the UK over alleged offences including rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking.They are also facing legal proceedings in Romania, where they currently live. They were already facing the prospect of extradition to the UK over those proceedings after Bedfordshire Police secured European arrest warrants for the pair in 2024.Representing Tate, Vanessa Marshall KC said it would be “premature” to set a potential trial date and that there was a “lot of unknown” regarding the multiple ongoing proceedings.She said the UK government will need to submit any formal extradition case by 16 September.Lawyers for the Tates in the US are expected to meet with federal prosecutors in Miami on Monday to work out a schedule for the potentially months-long process of fighting extradition to the UK.Andrew Tate, left, and his brother Tristan are expected to appeal any extradition request (Vadim Ghirda/AP) (AP)The White House said last week the brother’s should not expect any help with the proceedings.The court heard it is possible that the current police investigation in the UK could now “supersede” the Romanian proceedings because of Tate’s arrest in the US.The pair have previously “unequivocally” denied wrongdoing, with Andrew Tate describing himself and his brother as “very innocent men”.The Tates promote wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire and are among the world’s most controversial internet personalities. The former professional kickboxers have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of US President Donald Trump.In June, their attempt to bring a legal challenge against the CPS after it did not disclose the names of their alleged victims in UK criminal proceedings was thrown out by a High Court judge.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a teenager who died from multiple stab wounds at a park in Luton.Four other teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of the same murder.Officers were called to Kingsway Recreation Ground at around 6.30pm following reports that several teenagers had been spotted “carrying large knives”.A 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds but died a short time later, Bedfordshire Police confirmed.The alleged victim has not yet been formally identified, but his family are being supported by specially trained officers, police said.Police will likely not identify the boy who has been charged due to his age.Detectives from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit are leading the investigation.Officers were called to Kingsway Recreation Ground following reports of teenagers ‘carrying large knives’ | GOOGLEOn Saturday, police said two boys, aged 16 and 17, had been arrested on suspicion of murder. The pair had initially been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.The younger of the two is the boy who was charged on Sunday night.The three remaining 17-year-old boys have all been arrested on suspicion of murder, violent disorder and carrying a weapon.

Bedfordshire-based live entertainment businesses TAG Live and Stage Act have strengthened their leadership team with the appointment of two managing directors and a group finance director.
Andy Such has been promoted to managing director of TAG Live, while Denver Sheridan joins as managing director of Stage Act and Chris McCole has been appointed group finance director.
Their appointments coincide with the creation of a new executive leadership team spanning both businesses.
Andy brings more than 30 years’ senior leadership experience across the leisure and entertainment sectors, while Denver has held leadership roles across technology, legal and commercial disciplines in the UK and US.
Chris joins with expertise in commercial finance, strategic planning and business transformation.
Founded in 2013, TAG Live and Stage Act deliver live entertainment and technology-led experiences for brands including Haven, Paultons Park, TUI and The Rank Group.
Andy Mills-Brown, group founder and chief executive, said: “Over the past thirteen years, we’ve grown from a founder-led business into two complementary businesses that today entertain more than seven million guests every year.
“As we’ve grown, it has become increasingly important to strengthen our executive leadership with people who bring deep expertise, fresh perspectives and the capability to lead the next stage of our journey. 
“The next natural step is to bring our businesses together with dedicated leadership for each, supported by a strengthened group leadership team.
“Andy, Denver and Chris are exceptional leaders. 
“Together they provide the experience, accountability and strategic leadership that will help us continue building outstanding businesses for our clients, our people and the millions of guests we entertain each year.”

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When Kelsey first arrived at secondary school, she said she wanted to be almost anywhere else but there.She struggled with friendships, clashed with teachers and often tried to avoid coming into school.But after a week’s work experience placement at Whipsnade Zoo, in Bedfordshire, her outlook could not be more different.She said it made her a “completely different person” – more confident, with a “good group of friends” and a greater sense of purpose about where her education could lead her.Children across the UK are strongly encouraged to do work experience while at school. In England, the government published new legal guidance in June for schools to deliver two weeks of “in-person and immersive” work experience in future, one between Year 7 and Year 9, and one between Years 10 and 11.But not all work experience placements are equal, and finding the right one can be tricky.Organisations like the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Foundation said some students could be limited by the availability of placements in their area, or a lack of family connections with local employers.BBC News spoke to three Year 10 pupils, one year ahead of their final GCSE exams, about how they decided what areas of work they were interested in, their experiences of trying to find the right placement, and what it taught them about their future education and ultimate career goals.