Latest news with #Batley
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
More than 100 cyclists set off on ride to remember murdered MP Jo Cox
The annual ride aims to keep alive the legacy of the Batley and Spen Labour MP – who was killed by a far-right terrorist in June 2016 – by championing the causes she was passionate about. This year's ride marks the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, with riders wearing the purple, white and green colours of the suffragettes. They left the stadium just after 9.30am to cheers from crowds, including Ms Leadbeater, now the MP for Spen Valley. She said: 'Jo was a passionate campaigner for gender equality so it's wonderful to see nearly 60 women riding this year and showing that cycling really is for everyone. 'It's a tough challenge but a brilliant five days – everything Jo would have loved. 'It's also a great way to meet people from different walks of life and to celebrate that we have 'more in common', as Jo said in her maiden speech in Parliament 10 years ago. 'Cycling has so many physical and mental health benefits and also helps combat loneliness and isolation, causes which Jo cared about deeply. 'My mum, dad and I wish all the cyclists the very best of luck on their epic journey.' The cyclists are due to arrive in Buxton in Derbyshire on Wednesday evening and will reach Flat Iron Square in London on Sunday, following Jo Cox's journey from growing up in the Spen Valley to representing the area in Westminster. Ken Avery, from Liversedge, 76, who has terminal cancer, is taking part. His daughter rode alongside him as he left the stadium on Wednesday morning, and his son will ride with him in London. He said: 'I think they're both proud of me because I'm doing something that I enjoy and it's keeping me fit and healthy.' The youngest rider this year is 21, and the oldest, Kath Lyons from Skipton, celebrates her 80th birthday a month after the ride. She said: 'You see so much hatred on social media these days, people hide behind it. I'm doing the Jo Cox Way again to remind myself what Jo stood for – it's more relevant now than when she said it.' To learn more about The Jo Cox Foundation visit and to donate visit
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Daily Mail
How notorious crime gang smuggled £125million of heroin into Britain before mob boss tortured his own uncle to death... and the EncroChats that finally bought them down
A brutal crime boss used shipments of frozen chicken to smuggle £125million of cocaine and heroin into the UK - before kidnapping, torturing and murdering his own uncle. Tahir Syed, 42, brought in 200 kilos of drugs at a time using lorries driven from the Netherlands to a warehouse he rented in Bradford. The drugs were hidden within sealed boxes of chicken, which were emptied upon arrival and the chicken disposed of. Syed's trial heard how the kingpin turned on his uncle, 39-year-old bus driver Asghar Badshah, in the belief he had stolen money from him. After arranging for Mr Badshah to be kidnapped, he took him to a disused bank in nearby Batley, where he was beaten to death with a metal rod and his body hidden behind a false wall. Mr Badshah's naked body was hidden behind a false wall in a vault, where it was found four weeks later. Syed was found guilty of murder, kidnap and drug trafficking after a five-week trial and sentenced this month to a minimum of 34 years in prison. The prosecution described him as a 'significant player in the international cocaine and heroin trade, with an 'extensive' network of criminal contacts in the UK and abroad. But he was brought down by EncroChat messages found on his associates' phones, one of which included a picture of Syed offloading drug deliveries using a forklift truck. The drugs were hidden within sealed boxes of chicken, which were emptied upon arrival and the chicken disposed of By the summer of 2019, Syed's criminal underlings were under surveillance by the National Crime Agency following the successful hack of EncroChat, an encrypted messaging system used by criminals. That September, his right-hand man Yusuf Kara, 36, and another associate, Imran Khan Ashraf, were seen moving heavy bags between several vehicles in Bradford. Ashraf was stopped and arrested in Bolton, and a vacuum-packed bag containing just under £130,000 found hidden inside his vehicle alongside four mobile phones. Khan was arrested the same afternoon and two phones taken from him alongside 51 kilos of heroin that were found at his home. The moment Syed heard of the arrests he set about making plans to leave the UK - knowing that the messages on Kara's phone would identify him as the gang's leader. To allow him to escape with some of his wealth, he swapped his luxury cars – a Mercedes GLE and a Nissan GTR – for two watches worth £103,000. Syed also asked his uncle, Mr Badshah, to hide a vast stash of dirty money for him, before leaving Britain on September 19, 2019. But he later suspected his uncle had stolen £600,000 of this cash, and arranged for him to carry out a lie detector test. After Mr Badshah failed this, Syed hatched a plan to kidnap and interrogate him with the support of his accomplice Qaisar Shah, 40. Leeds Crown Court told how Mr Badshah was kidnapped from his mother's address in Bradford, in a Mercedes at around 1.35am before being taken to the abandoned bank vault - which previously belonged to Yorkshire Bank - and tortured throughout the night. A post-mortem examination found he was struck with a metal rod object at least 48 times on his head, neck, torso, and all four limbs. After Mr Badshah was reported missing by his family, West Yorkshire Police began a search that led to his body being found wrapped in a cloth and hidden on a shelving unit inside the vault. A false wall had also been built on the staircase leading down to the vault in a bid to prevent the body being discovered. Syed then lied to his family that Mr Badshah was still alive, before fleeing the UK to the Netherlands, Albania and Iran before he was arrested in Turkey on November 11 after a major global manhunt. The kingpin was successfully prosecuted for drug smuggling and murder using EncroChat messages recovered from his associates' phones. Photos found on Kara's handset included invoices for consignment shipments and large quantities of cash. Qaisar Shah and Wajid Hussain helped with the kidnap His made more than 30 shipments of cocaine and heroin to the UK from 2016 to 2021. Some of the shipments were seized by law enforcement, including 155 kilos of cocaine intercepted by Dutch officials in August 2020. Nigel Coles, NCA senior investigating officer, said: 'We have successfully prosecuted and gained significant custodial sentences against individuals at every level of this crime group, dismantling Syed's large-scale international operation from top to bottom. 'And justice has now been served to one of Britain's biggest crime bosses. 'This result is a culmination of extensive investigations led by teams here at the NCA and at West Yorkshire Police. 'I hope Syed's conviction provides some sense of justice to the family of Asghar Badshah, who sadly had his life taken by a man who would stop at nothing to protect his criminal empire.' Following the sentence, a spokesperson on behalf of Asghar's family said: 'The loss we feel as a family is beyond words. 'The pain we endure each day, the hurt, and the emptiness left behind by these traumatic events have left a permanent mark on all of us. We carry a deep and lasting sorrow that time will never fully heal. 'The grief we carry is incomprehensible. During the trial, the court heard the truth about our beloved brother, Asghar Badshah - an honest, hard-working family man who served his community as a bus driver in the very place where he was born and raised. He stayed away from criminality and was brutally murdered in cold blood by a wicked individual with a long history of harming others.' Detective Chief Superintendent Heather Whoriskey, West Yorkshire Police senior investigating officer, said: 'Syed kidnapped, tortured and murdered his own Uncle for information as he believed that Asghar had stolen money from him. 'This perceived debt was about more than just money, it was about Syed's reputation and role as an international drug trafficker. 'Syed was a professional criminal who would import and distribute huge amounts of cocaine and heroin. 'Shortly after the murder Syed fled the country and continued to traffic drugs across the continent. 'Today's sentence is the culmination of years of hard work. We would like to thank our partners at the National Crime Agency for assisting us in bringing Syed back to this country to face his crimes. 'This has been a lengthy and trying ordeal for the family of Asghar Badshah. They have been courageous, patient and brave throughout the whole process. Although today's sentence will never bring him back, I hope it gives his family some comfort and closure knowing that the man responsible for his death has been sentenced for his murder.'
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment road sweeper vehicle reverses and kills elderly woman crossing the road: Police arrest man for death by dangerous driving
This is moment before a road sweeper vehicle reversed into an elderly woman and killed her as she cross the road. Khatija Umarji, 77, was crossing the road on Commercial Street in Batley at around 9.55am on Tuesday when she was hit by a rood sweeper. CCTV footage has since emerged capturing the tragic incident moments before Ms Umarji was struck as the vehicle as it reversed on the main road. Members of the public were also seen trying to lift the vehicle from the ground following the collision. A man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has since been released on bail, as the police probe continues. Officers from the Major Collision Enquiry Team continued to investigate what happened and have appealed for any witnesses to come forward. Detective Sergeant Nina Roper, of the Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: 'A woman has sadly lost her life, and an investigation is under way to establish the circumstances of what has taken place. 'We have spoken to a number of witnesses at the scene but would urge anyone else who has seen any part of this incident, or the events leading up to it, to please make contact. 'Motorists who were in the area are also asked to check whether they have captured any relevant dashcam footage if they have one fitted.' Anyone with information regarding the incident has been asked to contact the Major Collision Enquiry team via their website, or by calling 101 quoting log number 509 of June 24.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- The Sun
Woman, 70s, run over and killed by road sweeper as she walked through busy shopping street
A PENSIONER has tragically died after being run over by a road sweeper. The woman, in her 70s, was struck while she walked through a busy shopping street in Batley, West Yorkshire, yesterday morning. 5 5 CCTV footage shows the woman walking across the road in the busy high street. A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving following the tragedy. Emergency services were scrambled to Commercial Street in the town centre just before 10am yesterday. Shops have been shut and the area remains cordoned off as cops continue to investigate. The road sweeping vehicle has also been covered up with a yellow sheet. West Yorkshire Police confirmed that the OAP died at the scene. Drivers have been asked to check dashcam footage as officers try to establish the events of the horror incident. Det Sgt Nina Roper, of the force's major collision enquiry team, said: "A woman has sadly lost her life and an investigation is under way to establish the circumstances of what has taken place. "We have spoken to a number of witnesses at the scene but would urge anyone else who has seen any part of this incident, or the events leading up to it, to please make contact. "Motorists who were in the area are also asked to check whether they have captured any relevant dashcam footage if they have one fitted." 5 5
BBC News
25-06-2025
- BBC News
Kirklees Council 'saddened' after fatal Batley road sweeper crash
A council has said it is "deeply saddened" following the death of a woman who was hit by one of its road sweeper vehicles. The woman, who was in her 70s, died after being struck by the vehicle in Commercial Street, Batley, West Yorkshire, on Monday morning. A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: "Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences are with the person's family and loved ones."A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the incident. Emergency crews were called to Batley town centre at 09:55 BST on Monday, after reports of the collision, but the woman died at the scene. In a statement, the council said: "We are deeply saddened by the incident that took place in Batley town centre, which has tragically resulted in a fatality. "Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences are with the person's family and loved ones."The incident involved a council vehicle. We are fully cooperating with the police as they carry out their investigation."Anyone with information is being asked to contact police. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
