Latest news with #EastEngland
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Politics driving interest in witches and witch-hunts
Increased interest in the history of witchcraft and witch-hunts is connected to rising political intolerance and polarisation, according to a story of women persecuted by Matthew Hopkins, who proclaimed himself "Witchfinder General" in the 17th Century, is being told on ghost trails and heritage plaques in towns across the East of Marion Gibson of Exeter University, an expert in the history of witchcraft, said there had been a spike in interest in the subject, which she connected to contemporary events."People have an interest in histories of persecution because we do live in times where accusations are being thrown about," she said. "Things are very polarised. Some politicians have even started using the word 'witch-hunt' - we hear that quite a lot in the media - and I think that's all pushed up interest in real-life witch-hunts of the past."Prof Gibson said Hopkins, who was born at Great Wenham, Suffolk, and later died at his home in Manningtree, Essex, was "a fascinating creature". "From 1645 to 1647, when he died, this quite young man, in his mid-20s, rampaged across Essex, East Anglia and into the Midlands, accusing people of witchcraft," she said."By the time he is finished, about 200 people across that region have been executed."Hundreds more have been accused and had their lives ruined, and [were] thrown into prison." Ghost tours featuring stories of witches run in towns and cities including Norwich, Colchester, Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds, Proctor is host of The Original King's Lynn Ghost Tour, which covers the Norfolk port's ghost stories, myths and legends in 26 the weekly tours, devised during the Covid-19 pandemic lock-down, she typically welcomes between 10-20 people keen to know more about the darker side of the town."People say, 'I wasn't going to come because ghosts aren't really my thing' but they they are really glad they did because there is just so much history on the tour as well," she stop on her tour is the "heart house" on Tuesday Market Place, where the story of Mary Smith is told. According to Ms Proctor, Mrs Smith was the wife of a glovemaker who was always in awe of the other women who seemed to do so much better than her selling their goods at market. "One day the devil appeared in front of her, promising that if she renounced God she would be given power by the devil," she said."She would be able to curse people. This she did by cursing a sailor who had hit her son. His fingers began to rot and had to be amputated."Another alleged victim was a widow who Mary accused of stealing a hen, she said."The woman had to be taken to taken to her bed through illness and neighbours claimed to have seen her levitate from the bed. "Mary was condemned as a witch. She was burned at the stake and at the point of death her heart leapt from her chest and to lie under the spot where mysterious forces carved a heart within a diamond upon the wall." Prof Gibson said: "You have to think about why people are telling these stories, and it may be that this woman and others did think actually think she has the power to curse her neighbours."So I think in some cases we're dealing with people who have strong magical beliefs and might have thought had the capacity to curse."In other cases, we're probably just dealing with very innocent, ordinary people who have been accused because they are said to have looked at somebody funny, or the community just didn't like them." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Caterpillars make winter wonderland-style spectacle
You would be fooled for thinking it is a frosty winter's morning or a Halloween scene, but a once-in-a-year phenomenon that puts a covering of white across trees, bushes and hedgerows is actually down to thousands of white webbing has been seen across the East of England this May, and is created on host plants by the larvae who protect themselves from predators before they turn into moths or butterflies. East Anglian-based entomologist, Dr Ian Bedford, said: "Inside that net blanket is thousands and thousands of little caterpillars all munching on the leaves."It is just a visual thing. Trees can cope with leaf damage, so it's something that's part of nature." Dr Bedford said it was a "phenomenon" people could see once or twice a year in there being little rain this year, it has meant the webs have stayed up for longer. Dr Bedford said widespread webbings were commonly created by the ermine and brown-tail moth latter can typically be found in coastal areas. Its hairs can cause breathing difficulties and skin rashes, so they are best leaving alone, he said."It mustn't worry people," said Dr Bedford."I would encourage people if they can see them [the webs], to wonder at the sight." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Peterborough's Station Quarter: what does £65m project involve?
With promises it will transform a city centre and unlock regeneration in the area, plans for a new "Station Quarter" in Peterborough have been endorsed by the five years since a bid for funding towards the £65m project was submitted, works have yet to begin. What does the project involve and why is it taking so long? The area now Peterborough's railway station is about a 10-minute walk from the city centre, with the bus station and shops at Queensgate, Westgate and Cowgate on the other side of the busy Bourges Boulevard city council said the current route from the station was "not easy or welcoming" for people to navigate, calling it a "maze of narrow pavements, dark underpasses and pedestrian bridges".Cars approach the station towards its entrance on the east, meaning those driving from the west of the city would cross the Crescent Bridge to get there. What will the station look like? There will be a new western entrance to the station, which planners say will reduce journey times for 30% of users accessing the station from the will have a new junction, drop-off points and a multi-storey car inside of the station will be refurbished and reconfigured to make it easier to get existing station car park would be used to relocate the taxi rank, drop-off zone and accessible parking. What will change around the station? A new boulevard will direct pedestrians and cyclists between the railway station and the city. There will also be a landscaped pedestrian and cycle route leading towards Peterborough underpass at the Queensgate roundabout, which leads to Cowgate, will be removed and replaced with a pedestrian-cycle whole area will have more trees, vegetation and green space. How much will it cost? The total project is expected to cost £65m, with nearly £48m of this expected to come from the government's Levelling Up rest will come from Peterborough City Council's Towns Fund money, and other partners such as Network Rail. What has the reaction been? The project has generally been welcomed by local local businesses are hopeful it will improve footfall and help regenerate the Pakes, Labour MP for Peterborough, said securing funding for the project was one of his priorities, adding: "This project will bring jobs, investment and opportunities to the city."The Conservative mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, said it was a "generational opportunity" for the city. Why is it taking years to begin? This is a multimillion-pound project involving a number of public and private bodies, and a bid for government initial search for investors began in early 2020, after the city council, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Network Rail and LNER all joined 2023, they put together an outline business case to secure the Levelling Up money, which was approved in March 2024.A full business case for the project was finally approved in May 2025 – but the Treasury spending review in the summer will be the final hurdle before the money is available and work can begin. What happens now? That depends on what is announced in the next spending review, but the first phase of works are expected to begin in late autumn. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- The Guardian
Anglian Water fined record £1.42m for contaminating water supply
Anglian Water has been fined a record £1.42m for contaminating the water supply. The company, which covers the east of England, received the fine at Northampton crown court after a prosecution brought by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for failures that affected 1.3 million people. An investigation found that between June and December 2021 the company used unapproved materials in drinking water tanks at sites across its network. Anglian was found to have used unauthorised plastic-based products to externally coat pipework submerged within tanks. These coatings later broke down into flakes and powder and entered the water supply. Anglian reported the failures to the DWI and pleaded guilty in court. Last year thousands of people in Devon became unwell after the cryptosporidium parasite was detected in the water supply. South West Water warned about 16,000 households not to drink the water without boiling it until the issue was resolved. Schools and businesses temporarily closed, and some households had to boil their tap water for a month to remove the contaminant. Marcus Rink, the chief inspector of the DWI, said: 'We've taken firm action in the public interest to ensure the company has removed all non-compliant material so that customers can remain confident in their water supplies.' The environment secretary, Steve Reed, said: 'Contamination of drinking water on any scale is scandalous and a complete disgrace. 'The record £1.4m fine handed down sends a clear signal that this criminal behaviour is unacceptable.' All of the problems noticed across Anglian's network have now been rectified. The investigation highlighted further issues with the company's management, including a lack of staff training, poor oversight of the supply chain, and in some cases, water tanks continued to be used even after the firm knew they contained unapproved products. The company pleaded guilty to five offences under regulation 31 of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016. An Anglian spokesperson said: 'We apologise for and regret breaching regulation 31 and accept the judgment for the five sites in 2021. The procedures we had in place fell short and as a result, we have since invested significantly to improve these and have shared our learnings across the water industry. 'Protecting the water supply of our customers could not be more fundamental to our business, this is reflected in the fact we have not had a drinking water prosecution in over 20 years. Despite the breach, there was no evidence of any contamination of the water supply and the judge agreed based on independent expert reports that the risk to customers was very low. This view was supported by DWI-appointed experts, UKHSA. We continue to work with our regulator to ensure best practice is followed at all times.' The Guardian recently revealed the safety of the UK's tap water could be jeopardised as there are now no treatment facilities that are accredited to test the materials used to clean the water. During a Commons committee hearing on Tuesday, the chief executive of Thames Water, Chris Weston, said the company's desalination plant was out of order as there was no testing facility in the UK that would allow it to test new membranes.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Anglian receives record £1.42m fine for drinking water failures
Anglian Water has been fined a record £1.42 million for drinking water failures that affected around 1.3 million people. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) said the company used unapproved plastic-based products to externally coat pipework submerged within their drinking water tanks at four different sites between June and December 2021. The watchdog said these coatings broke down into flakes and powder, which entered the water supply. Anglian Water, which provides services to seven million people in the east of England, reported the failures to the DWI before pleading guilty at Northampton Crown Court. Marcus Rink, DWI's chief inspector, said: 'Public health and drinking water quality must be the highest priority, and there can be no compromise. 'We've taken firm action in the public interest to ensure the company has removed all non-compliant material so that customers can remain confident in their water supplies.' The watchdog's investigation also uncovered wider issues around Anglian's management of its materials and contractors. This included a lack of staff training, poor oversight of the supply chain, and in some cases, water tanks continued to be used even after the company knew they contained unapproved products. DWI said Anglian Water has rectified all of the issues across its network. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: 'Contamination of drinking water on any scale is scandalous and a complete disgrace. 'The record £1.4 million fine handed down sends a clear signal that this criminal behaviour is unacceptable.' The Government is planning to roll out widespread reforms to the water sector in response to public anger over the state of the nation's rivers, lakes and seas. 'As part of our Plan for Change, our landmark Water Act means polluting water bosses face two-year prison sentences and bans unfair multi-million-pound bonuses,' Mr Reed said. Anglian Water pleaded guilty to five offences under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016, which makes mandates that only tested, approved and safe materials come into contact with drinking water.
