Category: Newcastle

The blue hatchback was pictured up on two wheels, resting on the bonnet of an SUV just after 5pm on Sunday (August 2).

The car, on St Luke’s Road in Sunderland, had a smashed windscreen and debris was left scattered across the pavement.

One resident said: “I was just having a conversation when I heard this big bang.

“This isn’t the first time something like that has happened around here. It’s really scary.”

It is not yet known how the car ended up there or whether anyone was injured, though both the North East Ambulance Service and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were not called to the scene.

Northumbria Police has been contacted for further information on the incident.

Disposable barbecue blamed for blaze at Sherbrook ValleyAuthor: Adam SmithPublished 8 hours agoA devastating wildfire, ignited by a disposable barbecue, has scorched a significant area of heathland in Cannock Chase, causing severe harm to the environment and local wildlife.The blaze, which erupted at 6pm on Thursday, 30th July at Sherbrook Valley, destroyed an area comparable to a football pitch, leaving a tragic impact on the site’s ecosystem. Sherbrook Valley is recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), making the loss of habitat even more profound. Many animals perished in the fire, including reptiles like adders and amphibians such as toads, marking a significant setback in conservation efforts. Rich Williams, Group Manager at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, attributed the fire to a discarded disposable barbecue and emphasised the importance of adhering to the ban: “We believe this fire was caused by a disposable barbeque, which are banned on Cannock Chase due to the dangers they pose. It is absolutely crucial that people adhere to this ban, as incidents like this place significant demand on resources during an already very busy period.” Hayley Coles, Staffordshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, expressed her distress at the loss: “I was particularly sad to learn that animals lost their lives in the blaze, and a large amount of rare heathland habitat was lost. The fire service was fortunately able to bring the fire under control but we may not be so lucky next time.” Residents are urged to take precautions following the declaration of a drought in the region by the Environment Agency. Preventative measures include avoiding lighting open flames and using barbecues in country parks, and properly disposing of litter, especially glass, which can start fires when exposed to sunlight. Chase Road was temporarily closed as a precaution to mitigate the risk of the fire reigniting from smouldering areas. First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.

June Turner is shutting the Staffordshire newsagents she has run since 1975 after the business struggled to pick up after Covid.A super-gran who became a national hero after she battered a robber with her walking stick has been forced to close the Staffordshire shop she has run for more than 50 years.June Turner, 89, was behind the till of the newsagents in September 2019 when Aaron Mountford stormed in demanding cash at around 6.30am. June refused to hand over any money and began going “hell for leather” with her walking stick.Read MoreCCTV captured brave June jabbing Mountford with the aluminium stick before clobbering him over the head as he lunged for the till. After shoving her to the floor, Mountford fled AJ and J Newsagents in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, with just £50 and cigarettes. Mountford, who was 28 at the time, was later caught and jailed for two years after he admitted robbery.June Turner, 89, was behind the till of the newsagents in September 2019 when Aaron Mountford stormed in demanding cash at around 6.30am. | SWNS / AJ and J NewsagentsJune is now being forced to shut up her newsagents she has run since 1975 after the business struggled to pick up after Covid. The wide-spread demolition of houses nearby as part of a major regeneration project also destroyed regular passing trade.She said: “I will miss it, despite my daily 4am alarm call but we’ve got to go sometime haven’t we? It’s been marvellous.” Recalling her heroics when she fought off Mountford with her trusty walking stick, she told the BBC: “I just hit him on his back and up his bum! I just smacked him. He really had it.” Her fearless actions later earned her a £250 High Sheriff’s award for bravery. Speaking at the time, June said: “I acted on instinct really. I thought there’s no way he’s having the money we work so hard to make. I wish I’d had something a bit harder with me, so I could have finished him off and knocked him out. “I don’t really know what was going through my head but I knew I had to defend our business by any means necessary. I was determined to protect myself and our shop.” June, who runs the shop with her only son Alan, 69, closed for the final time on Friday 31 July. Alan, who started working as a paperboy when he was 13, said the business has struggled in recent years. He told the BBC: “All round here was full of terrace properties and it’s taken 15 years before they’ve actually started rebuilding again and bringing the communities back. But habits have changed during that time, and it’s just one of those things.” Reflecting on his time working with his mum, he said: “On the whole it’s been really good memories. We’ve had lots of fun and lots of laughs. I started when I was 13 as a paper boy here before we had the business, and I’m still doing papers now. I think I must be the oldest newspaper boy in the country.”

Offer forms part of survey to improve transportYoungsters in the Rugeley area are being offered free use of the town’s leisure centre if they travel by bus.The summer offer is part of a trial scheme by Staffordshire County Council to find out how people use bus transport with a view to improving connectivity, reliability and accessibility.A public survey has been launched to support the council’s transport team in better understanding how people travel and what changes would encourage greater use of bus services. The team will be looking to test initiatives to see what works in practice and how services can be improved for communities across the county.By teaming up with Rugeley Leisure Centre, it is hoped the offer will raise awareness of the project and how easy it is to use buses in and around the town. Rugeley Leisure Centre | GoogleAnyone who signs up to the offer, which runs until August 21, will be given access to the gym and swimming pool on production of a valid children’s bus ticket.Before travelling, they need to sign up the council’s Everyone Active web page and enter ‘bus travel’ in the ‘extra information’ box. Councillor Andrew Mynors, cabinet member for connectivity at Staffordshire County Council, said making it easier for people to travel across the county was a top priority.“Our transport team wants to better understand people’s use of local buses, and importantly how bus travel can be improved,” he said.“The leisure centre offer is a great way of connecting with people and getting them involved and we’d like to thank Cannock Chase Council for supporting us.“Rugeley’s local attributes make it an ideal location for this initiative, meaning we can get the most out of the study and hopefully lay the foundations for lasting improvements not only for this town, but communities across Staffordshire. After its evaluation, we can look to carry out similar projects to improve bus services in other areas.”Councillor Mynors urged people to complete the survey and help shape future public transport improvements in their town.Councillor Mynors said Rugeley and the surrounding area had been selected for the trial as it provided the right balance of size and number of potential new bus users, where initiatives could easily be set up and monitored.With new housing planned for the town, it is expected there will be an increased demand for bus services. Residents’ feedback will help shape improvements that reflect local priorities and how people use services.Through the year-long trial, the transport team will look at bus service reliability, accessibility at bus stops, providing clearer passenger information and raising awareness of available services. It will also explore how fare offers and promotions could encourage more people to choose the bus for everyday journeys.Continue Reading

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue confirmed that 5 trucks had been sent to the scene on Morfe Lane, just less than a mile north of Enville.

The smoke from the blaze could be seen all the way in Gornal. (Image: Mandy Scott)

The service said the fire was first reported to the service around 5.30pm.

They confirmed as of 7.15pm the tractor and fields have now been been extinguished and crews are damping the ground down.

Follow along here to keep up to date with the fire.

A Staffordshire livestock farmer has narrowly avoided immediate incarceration after local trading standards inspectors executed an unannounced raid, discovering dozens of cattle rotting or severely emaciated across a desolate agricultural holding in the English Midlands.Thirty-year-old Jennifer Bennett was handed a stringent suspended sentence and a comprehensive decade-long ban from keeping animals by the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court following one of the region’s most disturbing agricultural welfare interventions in recent history. The severe judicial sanctions underscore the uncompromising enforcement of European-aligned agricultural standards in the United Kingdom—a rigid regulatory baseline that is increasingly critical for East African nations like Kenya, which are actively seeking to export commercial dairy and beef products to lucrative, highly regulated international markets.A Grim Discovery in StaffordshireThe horrifying scale of the neglect was officially exposed during a raid executed by the Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards Animal Health Team on March 25 of last year. Acting on vital intelligence, inspectors descended upon the farm located at Brookside View, Hodge Lane, in the rural district of Birchcross, Uttoxeter.Upon breaching the perimeter, veterinary officers were met with scenes of profound suffering. The investigation documented a herd of nearly 100 cattle subjected to catastrophic deprivation. Inspectors found numerous dead animals left to decompose in situ, posing severe biohazard risks. Surviving cattle were found in advanced states of emaciation, with many lacking the physical strength to stand or move. Investigators meticulously recorded that the herd had been systematically denied adequate access to basic life-sustaining resources, including clean drinking water and foundational nutritional forage.Furthermore, vulnerable newborn calves were discovered housed in exceptionally filthy, disease-ridden conditions that flagrantly violated baseline animal husbandry protocols. To prevent further agony, local authorities immediately seized the surviving herd. While many animals received emergency, extensive veterinary rehabilitation at significant public expense, several were in such irreversible distress that attending veterinarians were forced to euthanize them on-site to end their suffering.Judicial Sanctions and Regulatory EnforcementDuring the sentencing hearing on Thursday, July 30, the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court delivered a scathing assessment of the operations at Brookside View. District Judge O’Connor held Jennifer Bennett fully legally culpable for the catastrophe.”Jennifer Bennett is the person responsible for the welfare of the animals as the legal owner and there was a significant period of neglect which led to disease and death,” the presiding judge stated, utterly rejecting any defense of ignorance or temporary hardship.Custodial Sentence: Bennett received a 14-week prison sentence, suspended, saving her from immediate incarceration but placing her under intense judicial probation.Community Service and Fines: She was ordered to complete 12 months of community service, pay £1,000 (approximately KES 165,000) in prosecution costs, and submit a £154 victim surcharge.Decade-Long Ban: Crucially, the court imposed a strict ten-year disqualification order, completely banning Bennett from owning, keeping, or participating in the husbandry of any animals until 2036.The legal reckoning remains incomplete. Authorities confirmed that the investigation also exposed suspected severe breaches of strict cattle identification laws and the highly regulated disposal of animal by-products. Bennett’s father, Alan Bennett, who was identified as bearing day-to-day operational responsibility for the doomed herd, is currently awaiting separate criminal sentencing at the Stafford Crown Court.The Agricultural Supply Chain CrisisAnthony Screen, the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, categorized the intervention as an incredibly distressing episode for veteran inspectors. “We take animal welfare extremely seriously and will not hesitate to pursue robust enforcement action where standards fall below the law,” Screen warned the wider agricultural community.The Uttoxeter case highlights the immense, often invisible pressures fracturing the lower tiers of the agricultural supply chain. Spiraling costs of commercial feed, veterinary medicines, and systemic labor shortages have driven some marginalized farmers to abandon baseline welfare protocols. However, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) maintains absolute zero tolerance for starvation and neglect, viewing such failures not merely as animal cruelty, but as direct threats to national biosecurity and the integrity of the human food chain.Implications for Global Livestock StandardsThe severe legal consequences unleashed in Staffordshire offer a vital case study for the global agricultural export sector, particularly in East Africa. The Republic of Kenya, leveraging the regulatory power of the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) and the Directorate of Veterinary Services, is heavily pushing to expand its livestock export footprint into the European Union and the post-Brexit United Kingdom.To access these premium markets, Kenyan ranchers and commercial abattoirs must guarantee compliance with the exact welfare and traceability standards that Jennifer Bennett so catastrophically violated. The UK’s ruthless prosecution of traceability failures (missing ear tags, undocumented deaths) demonstrates that international markets will instantly reject African exports if systemic welfare blindspots are detected. Kenya’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (Cap 360) contains provisions for prosecuting neglect, but localized enforcement often lacks the rapid, punitive bite demonstrated by the Staffordshire Trading Standards unit.Ultimately, the tragedy at Brookside View serves as a brutal reminder that modern agricultural economics cannot be sustained through the silent suffering of livestock. The total destruction of a farming legacy and a decade-long professional exile proves that in the highly scrutinized modern food chain, animal welfare is an unassailable legal imperative.

Neglect led to disease and death, says judgeA Staffordshire dairy farmer has been handed a suspended jail sentence and banned from keeping animals for 10 years after for ‘prolonged abuse and neglect’ of almost 100 animals.Jennifer Bennett, 30, was handed a 14-week suspended jail sentence, 12 months’ community service, and £1,000 costs when she appeared before magistrates today (Thursday).She was also ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge.Newcastle-under-Lyme magistrates heard that many of the cattle were found to be dead or starving during an inspection by Staffordshire County Council’s animal health team at Brookside View farm in Hodge Lane, Uttoxeter, on March 25 last year. Bennett’s father Alan, who had day-to-day responsibility for the cattle, will also be sentenced at a later date During the visit, officers found multiple cattle in extremely poor condition, including numerous dead animals and other emaciated animals unable to stand. They also found cattle without adequate access to feed or water and calves housed in dirty conditions.Councillor Anthony Screen Nearly 100 cattle were removed from the farm to prevent further suffering. Many received extensive veterinary treatment, however, some in such poor health had to be put down.District Judge Joseph O’Connor told the court: “Jennifer Bennett is the person responsible for the welfare of the animals as the legal owner and there was a significant period of neglect which led to disease and death.”Councillor Anthony Screen, cabinet member for community safety at Staffordshire County Council, said: “This is another incredibly distressing animal welfare case our Trading Standards officers have had to deal with.“The suffering uncovered in this case was significant and required immediate action to protect the animals involved.“We take animal welfare extremely seriously and will not hesitate to pursue robust enforcement action where standards fall below the law.”The investigation also uncovered suspected offences relating to cattle identification and animal by-products legislation.Alan Bennett, who had day-to-day responsibility for the care of the cattle, is due to be sentenced separately at Stafford Crown Court.Continue Reading

Chris Noble resigned prior to a gross misconduct hearing today (29 July)Author: Natalia AntoniwPublished 20 hours agoLast updated 19 hours agoThe suspended Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Chris Noble has resigned from his role.His resignation was submitted in a letter to Staffordshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams, and took effect at 11am on Tuesday 28 July.The announcement was made prior to a gross misconduct hearing involving Mr Noble, which started today (29 July).In a statement, Ben Adams said: “I can confirm that yesterday (28 July), I received Chief Constable Chris Noble’s resignation, which I have accepted with immediate effect.“Becky Riggs will remain as Staffordshire Police’s Acting Chief Constable. “The misconduct hearing is continuing today as planned, under former officer provisions.”The hearing relates to two allegations that are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).Mr Noble was suspended on 1 August 2025 while the investigations were carried out.The IOPC previously said in a statement: “The investigations relate to behaviour while on duty and/or on police premises while serving as Assistant Chief Constable at Humberside Police in 2021, and during his time as Chief Constable with Staffordshire Police in 2024 and then in 2025.“Our investigation will consider if he may have breached police professional standards relating to discreditable conduct and duties and responsibilities.”Those investigations followed an earlier inquiry into allegations that he shared confidential information without a proper policing purpose.A spokesperson for the Chief Police Officers Staff Association said in March that Mr Noble was “engaging fully” with the IOPC investigation.Hear the latest news from across the UK every hour on Magic Classical on DAB, smartspeaker, and on the Rayo app.

He had been accused of breaching police standards in three areas: a lack of integrity, a lack of diligence and discreditable conduct.Mr Noble had previously served as assistant chief constable of Humberside Police but was chosen to lead the Staffordshire force in 2021 after the retirement of its previous chief.Mr Adams said: “I can confirm that yesterday [28 July], I received Chief Constable Chris Noble’s resignation, which I have accepted with immediate effect.”Becky Riggs will remain as Staffordshire Police’s acting chief constable.”The misconduct hearing will continue today as planned, under former officer provisions.”Staffordshire Police said that it would not be appropriate to comment due to ongoing misconduct proceedings.The IOPC previously said: “The chair of the panel has directed that no additional information relating to the detail of the allegations can be released at this time.”We are continuing to investigate other allegations relating to Mr Noble. Given the sensitivity of those matters, for operational reasons, no further information can be provided at this time.”

Stoke-on-Trent offers £10 million to electrify bus fleetsAuthor: Adam SmithPublished 7 hours agoStoke-on-Trent bus operators are invited to apply for a £10 million grant to support the transition to zero-emission electric buses, aiming to improve air quality and modernise local transport infrastructure.The initiative aims to support sustainable transport, as road transport remains a significant contributor to air pollution and carbon emissions.Replacing diesel buses will reduce pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, linked to health problems, while using energy sources aligned with local air quality objectives.Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for Growth, Regeneration and Transport, highlighted the importance of clean transport: “Buses are a lifeline for thousands of people… Replacing diesel buses will mean fewer harmful emissions on our streets and better air quality.”Applications for the grant are now open, with funding awarded based on eligibility and availability, encouraging operators to propose ambitious electrification plans and develop a sustainable bus network for the future.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.