Latest news with #Stowmarket
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Stowmarket man jailed for sexual messages with decoy girls
A man who believed he was talking to young girls when he sent sexual messages online has been jailed for three Gibbs, 33, of Crown Close, Stowmarket, Suffolk, admitted six charges at Ipswich Crown Court, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with a child. The court heard Gibbs had messaged four Facebook accounts purporting to be young girls aged between10 and 13, but which were actually run by adults acting as decoys. Judge Emma Nash said Gibbs had a "distorted attitude towards children and sex". Prosecutor Mac Brown said Gibbs had added the accounts and engaged in conversation that quickly turned sexual, where Gibbs sent images of himself and asked for photos to be sent to him. The court heard that Gibbs had asked one of the decoys, who told him she was 13, to engage in a sexual Nash said that was the most serious had told some of the decoys he was a swimming coach, when in reality he worked at a recycling centre. He told the girls to delete the conversations as he could "get in to trouble". Gibbs was arrested on 23 April at his home and said to officers "I'm going to prison, aren't I?"He answered no comment when interviewed by police but pleaded guilty at his first crown court appearance. He had two previous convictions for sexual offences against children, committed when he was 15 years old. Defending Gibbs, his barrister Abigail Bright said that he had been "lonely and bored" but admitted he should have stopped all contact when he was told of the girls' ages. The court heard he had "no intention to meet anyone he had contacted" and was "genuinely remorseful".Judge Nash told Gibbs: "You do not consider yourself a danger to children; I disagree with you.""If these were real children, which you intended them to be, they would have been caused significant harm by you," she will be placed on the sex offenders' register for life and a sexual harm prevention order was made for 20 years. Wearing a grey tracksuit with a shaven head, he was told he would serve half his sentence in prison before being eligible for release. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
More than 1,000 pupils take part in safety event
More than 1,000 pupils took part in a safety event designed to equip them with life skills. The Mix in Stowmarket hosted its eighth annual Crucial Crew programme, welcoming Year 6 pupils from 43 primary schools across Suffolk between June 16 and 24. Laura Saville, coordinator at Crucial Crew and part of the front of house team at The Mix, said: "Crucial Crew 2025 was a huge success. "The young people were so engaged with each session. "Over the seven days we delivered over 30 hours of youth work and 686 sessions to local primary schools. "Over 1,000 young people were able to learn about personal health and safety in a new and engaging environment." Crucial Crew aims to prepare pupils for the transition to secondary school through practical workshops led by emergency services and health professionals. Sessions covered topics such as online safety, fire prevention, and drug and alcohol awareness. The scheme is funded by Babergh and Mid Suffolk district souncils and the Suffolk Resilience Forum, a multi-agency partnership that includes the fire service, police, NHS, and environmental agencies.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stowmarket Food Museum awarded £1.4m for redevelopment
A proposal to invest almost £1.4m in redeveloping and improving a museum has been approved by a council. The Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk, wants to upgrade some of its older buildings and work to increase visitor numbers by about a third to 100,000 a year by Suffolk District Council approved a £1m boost in funding for the site with an additional £3.9m coming from the National Lottery Heritage Cousins, the museum's director, said she was "totally thrilled" by the news. The money will go towards improving the medieval barn on the site, which dates back to between the 13th and 15th Century and is one of the oldest buildings in Stowmarket."The building isn't in the condition that we want it to be in," Ms Cousins said."This is how we inherited it and it's time for us to try and bring it to life and really make it sing."The money will also go towards improvements to Abbot's Hall and the Robert Boby building. Ms Cousins added the museum would build two new permanent galleries, which will hold exhibitions and programmes."It's a five-year project," she continued. "The building works are going to be the first two years of the project."We're aiming for 2027, which is the museum's 60th anniversary, so we really wanted to try and get everything open for then, but there's a lot of activity that will continue after that point." Tim Weller, a Green Party councillor and the cabinet member for environment, culture and wellbeing, said the council was confident with the museum's vision leading to the funding agreement. "Increasing footfall here is what helps the museum achieve its real ambitions, ensuring many more people get to see what's here and the investment is also going to make improvements to the buildings that will enable the collections to be better accessible to people," he added. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's our latest Pets of the Week - including Brody and Bear
Welcome to our Pets of the Week page where, each Monday, we showcase your beloved pets to celebrate the joy they bring you. We are keen to feature your pets every week. Not just cats and dogs - all animals are welcome! 1. This is Boba, a two-year-old cockapoo who lives with Pete, Julie and Thomas Mumford in Ipswich. Boba (Image: Margaret Hopkins) The picture was sent in by Boba's grandma, Margaret Hopkins. 2. This is Tracey Meads' dog Brody who lives in Stowmarket. Brody (Image: Tracey Meads) 3. This is Bear, who belongs to Emma-Louise Robertson. Bear (Image: Emma-Louise Robertson) Emma said Bear is "always hopeful of a place at the table". 4. Elena Farris has submitted this snap of Bubbles "on his relaxing time". Bubbles (Image: Elena Farris) 5. This is Arthur from Felixstowe, sent in by Gillian Hobbs. Arthur (Image: Gillian Hobbs)We are keen to feature your pets every week. Please send your pet photos with the name of your pet and your name and town to suffolkeditors@
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stowmarket Food Museum to bid for £1.5m towards redevelopment
A proposal to invest £1.5m in redeveloping a Suffolk museum is to be considered by Food Museum in Stowmarket wants to increase visitor annual numbers by about a third to 100,000 a year by Suffolk District Council is being asked for the sum as part of the museum's next phase of its Branching Out councillor Tim Weller, cabinet member for Environment, Culture and Wellbeing, said the investment would be "the catalyst for the next phase of the Food Museum's impressive transformation". He added: "It would mean the museum can deliver further improvements to the site and attract more visitors, while also enabling its commercial activities to support the delivery of its educational mission and community work." Preferred option The full cost of the project is estimated at £5.67m, with £3.95m already secured with match funding from the National Lottery Heritage Suffolk has been asked to contribute £1m in grant funding, as well as £533,000 in the form of a loan should the museum fail to fundraise council's report says approving the funding is the preferred option to avoid any delays and increase in of The Barn, Stowmarket's oldest-surviving building, along with the refurbishment of The Factory and The House are among the tasks museum wants official approval to start the work by September, with a view to completion by the end of March the meeting, cabinet members will be asked to endorse a further £100,000 investment to build accessibility features, including a disabled toilet, automated doors and a lift to the first floor of the refurbished council will discuss the proposed investment on 8 July. This article was written by a trusted journalist and then edited for length and style with the help of AI, before being checked again by a BBC Journalist. It's part of a pilot. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
