Latest news with #MiltonKeynes
BBC News
12 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bletchley house fire that killed teen and woman 'not suspicious'
A house fire that killed a 15-year-old girl and a 67-year-old woman is not being treated as suspicious, police have Ann Eyre and Zainab Kazinja were in the property in St Patrick's Way in Bletchley, near Milton Keynes, when the blaze broke out on Valley Police said a "thorough investigation" was carried out along with the fire it had been deemed as not suspicious, the cause of the fire remained "unexplained" and the force said a file had been passed to the coroner. "We continue to support Ann and Zainab's families and our thoughts remain with them and their loved ones," a spokesperson said. Zainab's friend Qadhya Ali, who described their relationship as like "mother and daughter", said she had "lost someone very special".She said she was a "very kind, very polite person", originally from Tanzania, who "looked after me and I look after her".She said Zainab had been in the property in Bletchley visiting Ann at the confirmed both Ann and Zainab lived in the town. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Britain's Got Talent comic hopes trolls find 'light in lives'
A Britain's Got Talent comic says internet trolls have not upset him, but he wants people to realise belittling someone on the internet "is sad".Joseph Charm from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, came fifth in the 2025 ITV series after receiving the Golden Buzzer from judge Alesha Dixon and his mum, who had joined the 33-year-old said the buzzer, which automatically sends an act to the semi-finals, brought a lot of praise and a lot of the final, Mr Charm said he "wasn't bothered" by the online abuse and hoped the negative commenters could "find light in their lives". 'Spread joy' Mr Charm quit his job to pursue comedy in 2024 and said being on the show had been "incredible".He did not win the £250,000 prize but said the experience trumped everything especially for his mum who was able to meet Simon Cowell."Having that moment was worth its weight in gold," he said. "£250,000 would be fantastic but just getting to the final and to have Milton Keynes behind me is just fantastic."He hoped to keep the momentum up and "spread joy in a number of different ways," following the show. Mr Charm joked to the live audience on Saturday about some of the negative comments he had received."They said 'Joseph you're not even funny'. I said 'that is ok, comedy is subjective'. "Then they said 'you only got it [the buzzer] because you're black'."Then they said 'Joseph go back to where you came from..'. but I don't want to go back to Lewisham."Mr Charm told the BBC that some people felt "vindicated" after the show."I wasn't bothered by any of them. They are so fragile, fickle, weak and sad and I just hope they can find light in their lives so they can no longer be that way," he said."That's my genuine hope and if it's not through me hopefully it can be through the next comic or someone else can make them realise that it's sad trying to belittle someone on the internet." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Woman who died in Bletchley house fire was Zainab Kazinja, says friend
A 67-year-old woman who died in a house fire along with a 15-year-old girl has been named as Zainab Kazinja by someone who knew Kazinja, who was originally from Tanzania, was in the property in Bletchley in Milton Keynes along with Ann Eyre when fire crews and police were called at about 12:10 BST on friend Qadhya Ali, who described their relationship as like "mother and daughter" said she had "lost someone very special".Thames Valley Police is yet to formally confirm her name but said an investigation was under way and "our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims of this tragic fire". Ms Ali said she met Ms Kazinja in Manchester 10 years ago and she had invited her to come and live in Milton Keynes as she believed the dead woman was described her as a "very kind, very polite person" and said "she looked after me and I look after her".She said that she been in the property in Bletchley visiting Ann, who has been formally identified by police. Martin Lewis, a neighbour who saw the fire, said he "could see the smoke billowing over towards ours - there was a lot of commotion"."We could hear the young girl shouting," he said."Not got a clue how it happened or how it started. Or even how they got stuck in the house."A young lad from across the road, a teenager, was desperately trying to get into the house."He was trying to break the door down, but he didn't succeed. "He was then sat on the kerb crying his eyes out because he couldn't get into the house." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Man in his 70s dies after crash at roundabout near Milton Keynes
A man in his 70s died after the Mercedes he was driving was involved in a collision at a Police said it happened on Sunday on the ring road roundabout junction with the A508 on the outskirts of Milton services were called to the scene at about 13:35 BST, and the driver was taken to hospital, where he died a short time force said the incident was a single-vehicle collision, and it wanted to talk to anyone who saw the crash or had relevant dash-cam footage. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
New London-Stirling train service expected to begin in mid-2026
New rail services between London and central Scotland are expected to launch in mid-2026 after an agreement was reached for the use of five trains. Transport giant FirstGroup said it has secured a deal with rolling stock company Eversholt Rail in relation to its planned new route between London Euston and the city of Stirling. Services will also call at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. There will be four return services a day (three on Sundays) on the full route, with an additional daily return service between Euston and Preston. This will provide more competition for several operators such as LNER and Avanti West Coast. FirstGroup holds track access rights from regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for the route on the West Coast Main Line until 2030. Trains will be operated under FirstGroup's Lumo brand, which currently runs only on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh. The new West Coast services were initially planned to start this year, but FirstGroup said they are 'currently expected to commence mid-2026 following the delivery of the trains and staff training'. The company said the agreement with Eversholt Rail is for five Class 222 diesel trains, each with a capacity for about 340 standard-class seats. It expects the services will achieve annual sales of about £50 million and a 'low double-digit' operating profit margin. The Government started the process of renationalising all remaining franchised train services last month when it brought South Western Railway into public ownership. Lumo runs on a separate open access basis, meaning it sets its own fares, takes on all revenue risk and receives no taxpayer-funded subsidies. In January, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander wrote to ORR chairman Declan Collier expressing concerns that the open access model can cause 'potential congestion' and result in taxpayers being 'left to fill shortfalls' in maintenance costs. She stated it is her 'expectation' that 'the impacts on the taxpayer and on overall performance' are 'given primacy' by the regulator when it analyses proposals. FirstGroup chief executive Graham Sutherland said: 'The mobilisation of our new service between London and Stirling is another important step towards rolling out Lumo as a nationwide operator and growing our open access capacity, a key priority for the group. 'Our investment and capabilities in open access rail have delivered reliable, value-for-money services, grown rail demand and helped to spur economic growth and connect communities. 'We look forward to doing the same on our new services.'
