Latest news with #Bedfordshire
BBC News
11 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bedfordshire Fire Service staffing is 'dangerously low'
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has criticised a county fire service for "a major shortfall in firefighter recruitment".It said Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) needed up to 30 more firefighters to return the service to safe and sustainable operational executive council member and serving Bedfordshire firefighter Jamie Newell said the service was "critically understaffed, with dangerously low numbers of firefighters available to protect the public".Jim Davies, assistant chief fire officer at BFRS, said they had "a planned range of options to increase the number of wholetime firefighters when they are needed". The FBU said that the process of recruiting and training 30 more firefighters could take 18 months or will leave both the public and firefighters exposed to heightened risk throughout that period, it added, especially with the extreme summer weather. The FBU said that due to the shortfall in staff the service was "being forced to cut emergency response resources".It has blamed chief fire officer Andy Hopkinson for the "dangerously low crewing levels".Mr Newell said Mr Hopkinson had failed to address a crisis in recruitment and retention and "to rub salt in the wound, firefighters have seen the number of senior officer roles in the brigade increase"."The FBU is calling for immediate action to address the firefighter staffing crisis and ensure that public safety is not further compromised," he said."We currently have enough firefighters to ride fire engines to give the people of Bedfordshire the emergency service they deserve," said Mr Davies."The service has identified a period of potential higher turnover in the future, however, a plan is in place to mitigate this and ensure communities receive the same level of service." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire policeman sent naked photos to female staff
A police officer sent naked photos of himself and sexually explicit messages to female colleagues, a misconduct panel Police's PC Jonathon Ward was accused by four women of inappropriate behaviour spanning 2020 to 2023. The hearing at Lysander House in Bedfordshire was told he displayed "sexually predatory behaviour" towards women in more junior has been placed on the College of Policing Barred List and would have been dismissed had he not resigned from the force in June 2025, the panel said. Ward joined the force as a trainee in June 2019 and was warned about his behaviour in the first six months of 2020, the the hearing was was told to "calm down with the females" and that he would end up looking silly and there would be a reputational effect on the panel found he demonstrated a "clear pattern of behaviour" by sending sexually explicit messages and images to pursue sexual relationships. He touched her without her consent on two occasions, which the panel considered amounted to sexual assault. 'Held to account' Four women made accusations - three were junior woman said that after Ward assumed workplace responsibility for her, he followed her on social asked her for naked photographs and the panel's report said "sent him a photograph of her in her underwear" and he sent naked photographs of himself told police she felt "pressurised because PC Ward had workplace responsibility for her, and she did not wish to upset him".A second woman said Ward suggested that they would sleep together, and he touched her inappropriately, without consent, on two occasions.A third woman said he used social media to send her inappropriate messages such as "I want to sleep with you" and "I find you so hot". She said she would make excuses not to lift share with him, despite living in the same area.A fourth woman said she was sent an unsolicited explicit photo of Ward. She sent photos back at his request and was filmed having sex with him, which she said she was hesitant about but agreed to. The panel heard some witnesses described Ward as a good officer, but it said it did not mitigate the seriousness of his Constable Nick Dean said: "Despite being reminded about his behaviour and maintaining professional boundaries, Ward continued to behave inappropriately." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Flitwick man charged with attempted murder after stabbing
A man has been charged with attempted murder after another man was left with life-threatening injuries. Bedfordshire Police was called to reports of a stabbing in The Hawthorns, Flitwick at about 22:50 BST on 17 July. Emergency services attended and a man in his 30s was taken to hospital where he remains in a stable condition. David Butler, 60, of The Hawthorns, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. He appeared at Luton Magistrates' court on Monday and was remanded into custody and is due at Luton Crown Court on 18 August. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Almost 1,000 night businesses shut in East of England in five years
Almost 1,000 night-time businesses have closed in the East of England in the past five years, according to the Night Time Industries organisation said in March 2020 there were 7,033 bars, clubs and restaurants across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk - but as of June this year that number had dropped to 6, bar Walkabout and nearby Nightclub Popworld in Chelmsford both announced that they were closing their doors permanently, while Mossy's Nightclub in Lowestoft closed for good in Kill, CEO of the association, said: "We are extremely worried, we definitely know that the late-night economy has been hit very hard." Mr Kill said there were many factors to venues shutting, such as rising operational costs, safety, transport and people lacking a disposable added that a work-from-home culture also led to people being less likely to visit pubs or restaurants on their lunch breaks with their colleagues."We have challenges with travel infrastructure post 11 pm, post midnight," he said. "Safety is a real issue; less police are on the street, and there are more concerns, particularly around the safety of women and girls."There are lots of issues, not just fiscal." 'Young people aren't clubbing' Steve Jason, who has run Peterborough nightclub and venue The Met Lounge since 1999, said there was a lack of interest from young people about going said: "The average age of our club night is probably 30, the majority of clubbing should be 18 to 21 year olds."In the past, the venue was filled with young fans of musicians such as Nirvana, Oasis and The Prodigy. But more recently, the club has put on themed events, such as Disney nights, to draw people in."Nowadays there's no such thing as a club regular... Now we have to diversify and think of different nights because nobody goes to a club four weekends running." "You speak to a lot of businesses, and they say 'oh, it's the cost of living', but no, it's not, Mr Jason said."They're making excuses... A youngster who's 18 years old probably has a subscription for this, a subscription for that- it takes away his or her money."He said young people choose to spend their money differently and saved for big events such as festivals over regular nights out. "Now they're paying for them over six months at £50 a month and that's one festival... You haven't got the money then to do anything else," he added. 'Not enough help' Paul Milsom is the managing director of Milsom Hotels and Restaurants - a family-run business since 1952 with venues in Essex and blamed Brexit, Covid and the cost of living on creating "challenging times" since said: "The challenges economically on all of our businesses are very similar."You have got to be positive to be in our game. But politically, we are not getting much help from anyone."I don't think the industry spends a lot of time crying out for more help; what it actually needs is less intervention by government and less tax burden."A HM Treasury spokesperson told the BBC the government intends to introduce permanently low tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties from next year."We are a pro-business government that is creating a fairer business rates system to protect the high street, support investment, and level the playing field," they added. 'People drink less' Luke Hinton is the director of Juicebox Live, a music promotion company in business books all the live music at venues such as Hertford Corn Exchange and The Horn in St said: "We've been in a fortunate position that we've actually seen an increase in attendance year on year since Covid, but we've noticed that spend per head has decreased at both our venues. "People are spending less, whether it's a health reason or people are generally spending less when they go out, they may be pre-drinking, but I think there is definitely a change in people's behaviours" In August 2024, fans rallied to save Club 85 in Hitchin from closure and redevelopment into flats after the landlord retired. Although the venue is now open until the end of 2025 while its future is negotiated, Mr Hinton warned that many similar venues have already shut due to town centre developments."There's been development, lots of housing and flats in town centres, which then obviously doesn't translate into a positive for nightlife because then the noise complaints come in," he Hinton remained hopeful that people would return to venues if they saw the important role they played in the said: "It's about going out and being around people. I think that's the thing that humans should do, generally, is be in contact with others and socialise."I think that those places and hospitality places are a hub of that." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Drug dealer texted police accidentally
Jack Johannesen, 23, from Sandy, Bedfordshire, has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for drug dealing and breaching bail conditions. He was caught after mistakenly sending a group text message advertising his new drug line to the phone of a police officer who had previously been involved in his arrest. Johannesen was part of an organised crime group operating across Biggleswade and Sandy, dealing in cannabis, crack cocaine, and heroin. Police initially arrested him in October, recovering multiple phones, including one he had smashed, which revealed he had contacted over 400 numbers for drug deals. Following his re-arrest in November due to the mistaken text, officers seized more cannabis, nearly £2,000 in cash, and high-value designer goods.
