Newport cyclists organise charity ride in memory of friend
A cycling group has organised a charity ride in memory of one of its members who took his own life in January.Darren Muffit from The Nova Raiders Cycle Club in Newport, Shropshire, said Gary Wheeler had been "a wonderful chap who loved to ride his bike and socialise with us".Those taking part will have a choice of two routes and Mr Muffit said the aim was to raise money for the Farm Safety Foundation and to "get people talking".Mr Wheeler, who lived in Hinstock, had been a lone farm worker and Mr Muffit added: "We just think blimey, what could we have done, if we had known any of these sort of thoughts?"
Mr Wheeler was employed as a hoofer, shaving the feet of up to 70 cattle a day.Mr Muffit said he was an "incredibly fit man" who would "do 50 miles on the bike after doing a hard day's graft".But working on farms could be lonely, he said, and none of his group knew he had been struggling.The ride is due to take place on Saturday, starting at the Falcon Inn at Hinstock at 09:30 BST.One route will be 65 miles (105km) long and the other 35 miles (56km) and Mr Muffit said it would be an opportunity to share stories about their friend.But he said anyone was welcome and "it would be great to get as many cyclists supporting this as possible"."Even if you didn't know Gary we want you here," he said."Just get talking, this is what it's all about."If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 minutes ago
- BBC News
The Documentary Podcast The Ketamine trail
Ketamine was designed as an anaesthetic but its use as a recreational drug is growing fast, particularly among young people. In the UK, it's doubled in less than ten years but it can cause serious side effects. The supply chain for the drug starts with pharmaceutical manufacturers in India then involves criminal gangs in Europe who use front companies to legally import vast quantities of the drug before flooding it onto the illegal market in the UK. Paul Kenyon investigates the trade. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Paedophile child killer Sidney Cooke, 98, likely to die behind bars as 'totally remorseless' predator loses latest bid for freedom
Britain's most notorious paedophile Sidney Cooke has failed in his latest attempt to be freed from jail. At the age of 96, he became the oldest prisoner to have a parole hearing, during which he was denied freedom or the opportunity to move to an open prison. He will now likely die behind bars but his sentence has left him 'totally remorseless', a source told the Sun. The source said: 'Cooke will be devastated, though it is clearly the right decision. 'He is totally remorseless and not rehabilitated at all. People like him will never change.' Cooke, from Hackney, east London, was convicted of manslaughter in 1989 over the death of 14-year-old Jason Swift. Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell were also jailed in 1989 for Jason's manslaughter. Cooke was also named in court as the leader of a paedophile ring, which was linked to the death of Mark Tildesley, seven, who went missing in 1984. His remains have never been found. Cooke and his gang are suspected of the abduction and killing of 17 boys in the 70s and 80s. Many of these remain unsolved. Nicknamed 'Hissing Sid', Cooke's gang was known as the 'Dirty Dozen'. Operating from a flat on the Kingsmead estate in Hackney, east London, the gang hired rent boys or snatched children off the streets and subjected them to sexual torture. Cooke travelled the country preying on vulnerable youngsters, setting up his children's Test Your Strength machine in fairgrounds and using this as an opportunity to lure boys before drugging them and subjecting them to brutal assaults He was released from jail in April 1999, after serving nine years for the manslaughter of teenager Jason Swift in 1985. After his release he was immediately taken into voluntary custody for his own safety. However detectives, convinced he was responsible for other similar unsolved crimes, kept his file open. Within months Cooke was accused of abusing two teenage brothers he befriended while working on fairgrounds more than 30 years ago. He was also accused of the rape of a young woman. In an unexpected move during his 1999 trial at Manchester Crown Court, Cooke suddenly changed his plea to guilty and admitted ten offences against the youngsters and subsequently received two life sentences. Four charges of rape, a further three of indecent assault and one of buggery were left on the court file. Cooke has been linked to some of the most horrific child sex murders in the last 50-years through his association with Dirty Dozen members Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell. This latest bid for release was his twelfth parole hearing. A spokesperson for the Parole Board told the Sun: 'We can confirm that a panel refused the release of Sidney Cooke following a paper review. 'The panel also refused to recommend a move to open prison. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. 'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. 'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Masked robbers use ultra powerful hydraulic clamp called 'jaws of life' to prise safe out of G4S security van and steal cash in brazen raid
This is the moment four masked men used an ultra powerful hydraulic clamp to remove a safe from inside an armoured G4S security van. Shocking footage shows the gang working against the clock to break the safe contained in the vehicle as its alarm rang out. Police are now investigating the incident, which took place earlier this month at the Reevesland Industrial Estate in Newport, South Wales. A source who sent the footage to MailOnline said that crew were using specialist equipment to blow the safe. He said: 'It's called a hydraulic power pack. Some of the lads have been stealing from the fire service. They are perfect for prising open a safe in a security van. 'They are known as the ''jaws of life'' and they generate huge power. Perfect for opening a safe or bank strong door.' At one point, shocked workers in a nearby office can be heard discussing the incident which they filmed on a mobile phone. The next clip showed the crew throwing the bundles of cash into large sacks, before they piled into a parked Audi. The blue car then sped off out of the yard. Gwent Police have now arrested three men in relation to the incident. 'Two men, aged 34 and 38, from Bristol were arrested on suspicion of robbery and have been released on police bail,' a spokesman said. 'A third man - a 33-year-old from Bristol - was also later arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault by beating of an emergency worker and released on police bail. 'Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to submit via the Major Incident Public Portal.' G4S vans are used to deliver and collect cash from a range of businesses, including pubs, cafes and shops. In a previous release from 2016, the company said it transported £300billion of cash every year. Its vans are armoured and fitted with CCTV, satellite tracking technology and SmartWater, which can link perpetrators to specific cash stolen. Cash boxes also contain dispensers that stain cash with ink when triggered, rendering notes unusable. A spokesman for G4S declined to comment on an 'active police investigation.' A spokesman for Gwent Police told MailOnline: 'We received a report of a robbery from a cash in transit van parked near Caswell Way in the Reevesland Industrial Estate in Newport, at around 3.20pm on Monday 2 June. 'Two men, aged 34 and 38, from Bristol were arrested on suspicion of robbery and have been released on police bail. 'A third man - a 33-year-old from Bristol - was also later arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault by beating of an emergency worker and released on police bail. 'Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to submit via the Major Incident Public Portal.'
