Five stories you might have missed
A mural of four music legends was unveiled in Peterborough this week.
It was not the only artwork in the news, as upgrades to the city's iconic archway at Thorpe Meadows got underway.
Meanwhile, a heritage railway with a taste for fame hopes to get back in the spotlight after starring opposite 007 in the 1980s.
Here is more on these stories and others you might have missed.
The name's Valley Railway. Nene Valley Railway.
There are hopes a heritage railway which featured in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy and scores of other productions could land another starring role.
Chairman of Nene Valley Railway Michael Purcell said a return to the silver screen could help ease the railway's "unprecedented financial pressures" as the city council promises to set up a film office to promote Peterborough as a movie location. The railway will feature in its promotional video.
An artificial intelligence chatbot named Bridgit has been rolled out to carers in Peterborough.
It was discussed at a council meeting this week and described as evidence the authority is "not running away" from technology, but "running towards it".
Bridgit is hosted by the Caring Together Charity. Users can send it questions via WhatsApp.
A mural celebrating the two occasions The Beatles performed in the city was unveiled.
Artist Nathan Murdoch said the reaction to the painting on the side of a Poundland store at the Hereward Cross shopping centre has been "amazing".
The Fab Four played at The Embassy Theatre in 1962 and 1963, lodging at the Bull Hotel in Westgate.
The Peterborough Arch at Thorpe Meadows is being restored after it was found to have suffered extensive damage in 2022.
Nene Park says it will be given new footings and raised slightly off the ground to try to prevent water damage. It aims to return the arch later this year.
A contraption that skims litter from water was floated in the River Nene.
The 'seabin' does not just extract debris, but also microplastics which cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Peterborough United slipped to their 10th away defeat of the League One season as they lost 2-1 at Charlton Athletic.
Posh conceded the winner in the 89th minute having been reduced to 10 men following the sending off of defender Manny Fernandez.
The loss leaves Darren Ferguson's side just three points above the relegation zone.
Peterborough Sports got back to winning ways with a last-gasp winner against Oxford City in the National League North.
The Turbines won 2-1 with Dan Jarvis scoring the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Peterborough Phantoms lost to playoff rivals Hull Seahawks at the Bretton Rink on Sunday.
Phantoms have now lost three of their last four games and are sixth in the National Ice Hockey League standings.
The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Labour's Dr Nik Johnson, said he did not have the energy to keep going. He said he would not stand for re-election in May.
Meanwhile, Peterborough City Council's cabinet signed off on their final budget proposals, which include cutting Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery's opening hours.
They said they would draw up detailed proposals for the city's library stock after carrying out a needs assessment.
Bretton Library could be reduced in size after plans to cut it down to make way for a dementia resource centre were recommended to the council for approval. Campaigners have suggested it would no longer be fit for purpose if floor space was reduced.
A £3.5m regeneration of Lincoln Road can get underway after the council awarded the contract to its usual delivery partner, Milestone Infrastructure. It will involve widening pavements and installing a new pedestrian crossing on a stretch between Searjeant Street and Alma Road.
Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
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Fed-up NYC tenant creates 24/7 livestream of rats in his walls — what he sees has him losing sleep
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His management company, Alma Realty — owned by Efstathios Valiotis, a billionaire named New York City's third-worst landlord in 2016 — has sent exterminators 13 times to deal with the infestation that started in October 2024, but Schleser claims the problem has only worsened. When The Post visited this week, the rats could be heard scratching and squeaking in his bathroom, and boxes of baking soda were left out in hallways to mitigate the smell of decaying rats in the walls. Exterminators routinely dropped poison into holes in the ceiling of Schleser's apartment, sealed them with caulk, and left, the tenant claimed. The insomnia caused by the persistent nighttime rat noises has led Schleser to express his turmoil through music. His song 'I Am a Rat,' layered with ambient static, plays during the live feed — which he accomplished by threading an illuminated borescopic camera up a small hole in his ceiling and connecting it to a wifi transmitter. 'Everyone makes you feel crazy. You just have to scream. I haven't even talked about the psychic pain and anxiety,' Schleser said. 'The sleepless nights, the earplugs, the noise machines, every single night for weeks at a time. It's just insane. And sometimes it's just a little scratching noise,' he said. Residents of the complex have been plagued by rat issues, according to documents and photos provided by Schleser and other tenants. In January, Schleser began organizing tenants of the building complex through WhatsApp, where 26 residents in other units reported similar issues — most of them reporting rats in their walls at night or lurking inside their apartment, according to building poll data reviewed by the Post. The complex is connected underground by a tunnel system, and many, like Schleser, share a wall with the Neptune Diner. 'I'm not just advocating for my fellow tenants,' Schleser said. 'I'm advocating for the employees of this company who also live here. This has become my second job.' 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'Only one tenant out of 700 apartments is currently withholding rent, and the referenced legal matter, which has been settled, has zero connection to this property or issue,' according to Alma. Still, official inspections have turned up problems. Upon visitation to one building of the complex, inspectors confirmed one rat-related violation inside a unit. Two more were issued at a trash compactor room during a Housing Court inspection, according to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The management company has been under fire in recent years for hiring racist contractors, Gothamist reported. In 2023, the city sued Alma over its mismanagement of 13 other buildings, which had allegedly allowed them to fall into disrepair. The lawsuit featured complaints alleging neglect and unresolved vermin infestations, according to the filing. Alana Gaymon, a fellow tenant at another building of the Jewish Hospital complex, has also heard rats in her walls for the past year. 'I'm living a sleep-deprived life,' she said. 'They run in the ceiling right over my bed.' 'They drill holes, drop poison, close it up, and come back a week later. It doesn't work. Nothing's resolved,' she said. When she spoke to The Post, she had just left Housing Court over rat-related violations. 'I told the judge, rats are nocturnal. You can do an inspection during the day and not see a thing,' she said. Gaymon also slammed management for denying that complaints exist. 'Adam [Schleser] mentioned to me they say, 'No one else has complained,' which is hilarious,' she said. 'I brought a mass email to court from Alma admitting the rat issue in 713 and 523 [buildings of BJH]. So we know they know.' Alma meanwhile insists that its extermination plan is aligned with Department of Health protocols and that the neighborhood's rat complaints are 'not in excess of the problem facing the city at large.' For Schleser, the live stream continues as a 24/7 reminder of what it sounds like to live with rats just inches away from your head. In February, he began withholding rent, and Alma hit back in March with a non-payment case — but the fed-up tenant isn't going anywhere. 'I mean, this is an inordinate amount of time. It's affected my relationships… It's kept me from seeing my family. But, the fight, the fight is what matters,' Schleser said.
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Fed-up NYC tenant creates 24/7 livestream of rats in his walls — what he sees has him losing sleep
Live from New York — it's Rat-urday Night! A fed-up Brooklyn tenant battling a rat infestation in his Crown Heights apartment has been live broadcasting the pests' nightly antics to pressure his landlord to take action. For the last two weeks, Adam Schleser's live 'Rat Cam' has captured rodents scurrying over beams, screeching, chewing, and even fighting — all above the kitchen ceiling of his apartment in the six-building Brooklyn Jewish Hospital apartment complex. 'They're just there,' Schleser told The Post. 'I just hear the rumbling as they run from one side to the other, screaming. 'And now that I've got a camera, I can see them,' he added. 'They're really up there. They're fighting, or sometimes they're just sitting quietly, looking around for God knows how long… just there.' 7 Jewish Hospital tenant Adam Schleser has turned to broadcasting a 24/7 live 'Rat Cam' to capture the systemic vermin infestation in his walls. Gabriella Bass His management company, Alma Realty — owned by Efstathios Valiotis, a billionaire named New York City's third-worst landlord in 2016 — has sent exterminators 13 times to deal with the infestation that started in October 2024, but Schleser claims the problem has only worsened. When The Post visited this week, the rats could be heard scratching and squeaking in his bathroom, and boxes of baking soda were left out in hallways to mitigate the smell of decaying rats in the walls. Exterminators routinely dropped poison into holes in the ceiling of Schleser's apartment, sealed them with caulk, and left, the tenant claimed. 7 When the Post visited this apartment complex this week, the rats could be heard scratching and squeaking in Schleser's bathroom. YouTube/Adam The insomnia caused by the persistent nighttime rat noises has led Schleser to express his turmoil through music. His song 'I Am a Rat,' layered with ambient static, plays during the live feed — which he accomplished by threading an illuminated borescopic camera up a small hole in his ceiling and connecting it to a wifi transmitter. 'Everyone makes you feel crazy. You just have to scream. I haven't even talked about the psychic pain and anxiety,' Schleser said. 'The sleepless nights, the earplugs, the noise machines, every single night for weeks at a time. It's just insane. And sometimes it's just a little scratching noise,' he said. Residents of the complex have been plagued by rat issues, according to documents and photos provided by Schleser and other tenants. 7 Schleser created the life broadcast by threading an illuminated borescopic camera up a small hole in his ceiling and connecting it to a wifi transmitter. Gabriella Bass In January, Schleser began organizing tenants of the building complex through WhatsApp, where 26 residents in other units reported similar issues — most of them reporting rats in their walls at night or lurking inside their apartment, according to building poll data reviewed by the Post. The complex is connected underground by a tunnel system, and many, like Schleser, share a wall with the Neptune Diner. 'I'm not just advocating for my fellow tenants,' Schleser said. 'I'm advocating for the employees of this company who also live here. This has become my second job.' Alma Realty, which owns the building, has defended its pest control response, blaming a perfect storm of construction projects in the area for the recent uptick in rodent sightings. In a statement, the company said management began implementing a 'multi-layered plan' in early 2025 after the first wave of complaints. That includes 'daily inspections by on-site building staff, weekly visits from a licensed extermination firm to bait and treat… and sealing all known and potential entry points.' 7 Alma Realty maintains that the complex has 'consistently met or exceeded citywide benchmarks over the last two decades.' Gabriella Bass The complex 'has consistently met or exceeded citywide benchmarks over the last two decades,' Alma stated. 'Any recent neighborhood-wide increase in rodent sightings should not be viewed in isolation,' the company said, pointing to MTA construction along the nearby Franklin Ave Shuttle, plus new development across the street, and work at a local nursing home. 'Only one tenant out of 700 apartments is currently withholding rent, and the referenced legal matter, which has been settled, has zero connection to this property or issue,' according to Alma. Still, official inspections have turned up problems. Upon visitation to one building of the complex, inspectors confirmed one rat-related violation inside a unit. Two more were issued at a trash compactor room during a Housing Court inspection, according to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The management company has been under fire in recent years for hiring racist contractors, Gothamist reported. In 2023, the city sued Alma over its mismanagement of 13 other buildings, which had allegedly allowed them to fall into disrepair. The lawsuit featured complaints alleging neglect and unresolved vermin infestations, according to the filing. Alana Gaymon, a fellow tenant at another building of the Jewish Hospital complex, has also heard rats in her walls for the past year. 'I'm living a sleep-deprived life,' she said. 'They run in the ceiling right over my bed.' 7 Schleser has turned to music to express his anxiety, debuting his song 'I Am a Rat,' which plays alongside the live feed. Gabriella Bass 'They drill holes, drop poison, close it up, and come back a week later. It doesn't work. Nothing's resolved,' she said. When she spoke to The Post, she had just left Housing Court over rat-related violations. 'I told the judge, rats are nocturnal. You can do an inspection during the day and not see a thing,' she said. Gaymon also slammed management for denying that complaints exist. 7 Baking soda boxes are kept out to mitigate the smell of decaying rats in the walls. Gabriella Bass 7 A recent Housing Court inspection revealed rat droppings in the trash compactor room. Gabriella Bass 'Adam [Schleser] mentioned to me they say, 'No one else has complained,' which is hilarious,' she said. 'I brought a mass email to court from Alma admitting the rat issue in 713 and 523 [buildings of BJH]. So we know they know.' Alma meanwhile insists that its extermination plan is aligned with Department of Health protocols and that the neighborhood's rat complaints are 'not in excess of the problem facing the city at large.' For Schleser, the live stream continues as a 24/7 reminder of what it sounds like to live with rats just inches away from your head. In February, he began withholding rent, and Alma hit back in March with a non-payment case — but the fed-up tenant isn't going anywhere. 'I mean, this is an inordinate amount of time. It's affected my relationships… It's kept me from seeing my family. But, the fight, the fight is what matters,' Schleser said.
