Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault in Grove Park, Dunstable early this morning (Friday).
Officers were called at around 6.15am to reports that a woman had been assaulted.
Officers are at the scene and investigations are on-going.
Grove Park remains cordoned off with police tape and businesses in the park are still out of bounds for now.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
There was a sombre few minutes in Luton Town centre as hundreds paid their respects to the 38 people killed in Tunisia.
A large crowd gathered outside Luton Town Hall as the two minute silence was observed.
A short statement was read out by Luton Council of Faiths condemning the massacre.
Some 30 Britons were among those who died at the hands of IS gunman Seifeddine Rezgui at the tourist resort at Port El Kantaoui on the morning of Friday, June 26.
The first inquest openings will take place later today.
A woman was sexually assaulted in Luton while walking down a street yesterday morning.
The attack happened as the woman passed through Brooklands Close at approximately 8.30am on Thursday, June 30.
She was approached by a man who sexually assaulted her.
Detective Constable Gillian Cowley said: “This was a completely unprovoked and shocking crime. The man is described as mixed race, in his late 20s, slim, with a cropped Afro hair style.
“He is described as having a rugged face with a scar or deep wrinkle under his right eye. He was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a tracksuit top with a blue, grey, and white triangle pattern on it, and was riding a black pushbike.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Cowley on 101, text 07786 200 011, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 11
A man has been sentenced to eight years in jail for drugs offences.
Duane Law, 27, of Clevedon Road, Luton, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court this morning (Friday, July 3) after being found guilty of possessing with intent to supply heroin, cocaine, and cannabis.
Investigation Officer Gary Hales, from Luton Serious Crime Investigation Team, said: “Drugs ruin so many people’s lives, so we’re delighted that Law has been locked away for such a long time and will therefore be unable to supply these dangerous drugs to people. 30kg of harmful drugs are also now off the streets and will not be causing harm to our communities.
“I also hope this sentence acts as a deterrent to people who see drug dealing as harmless or a quick way to make money. We take drugs offences extremely seriously as part of our mission to protect people and fight crime, and will continue to tackle such criminals and bring them to justice.”
In total 7kg of heroin, 1kg of cocaine and 22kg of cannabis were seized by police in January 2015 after a warrant was carried out at a property in The Crossway.
The Luton family of 12 who were reported to be heading to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State are “safer than ever”, according to a statement said to be on their behalf.
The statement, purportedly sent by a member of IS according to the BBC, said it was “outrageous” to suggest the family had been kidnapped and forced to join the group.
The family including three children aged between one and 11, has not been seen since May 17.
The missing family is:
Muhammed Abdul Mannan, 75, and his wife Minera Khatun, 53
Their daughter Rajia Khanom, 21, and sons Mohammed Zayd Hussain, 25, Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19, Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker, 31, and his wife Sheida Khanam, 27
Mohammed Saleh Hussain, 26, and his wife Roshanara Begum, 24, along with three children, aged between one and 11
The statement, which the BBC say was passed to them by a Briton fighting with IS, said the family had arrived in a land that was “free from corruption and oppression” and had not been “commanded” to join by a single person but by the “Khalifah of the Muslims”.
A play with music encapsulating a high school love story has won rave reviews at the Brighton Fringe.
Butterfly Catcher was produced by Luton’s Next Generation Youth Theatre, founded by husband and wife team David and Laura Lloyd in 2012.
It won a nomination for New Writing South’s Best Play Award as well as a Brighton Fringe Award for outstanding theatre.
It also bagged two five star and one four star reviews.
One critic said it was “passionately performed by a totally invested and talented cast” while another felt it “thoroughly deserved its place among the must-see shows at the Fringe.”
Writer/director David said: “It was incredibly humbling to receive such fantastic support, from our preview at Denbigh High to our final sell-out show. We must now continue to learn and grow.”
A jihadi from Luton who fled the UK to join ISIS has died in an airstrike, according to reports.
Abu Rahin Aziz, formerly of Hazelbury Crescent, skipped bail to flee the country before being convicted last June for viciously attacking a football fan in London.
After joining ISIS in Syria, Aziz boasted about his escape from the UK in a series of posts on Twitter– stating in one that his British passport was “not worth spitting on”.
Unconfirmed reports from ISIS supporters state that Aziz was killed in an American drone strike on Saturday, near the Syrian city of Raqqa.
Others have posted a blog entry thought to have been written by Aziz, in which he imagines his own death during a gunfight.
It reads: “The lights go out, a rush of pain, the feeling of blood filling your throat.
“The sound of blood guzzling away.
“Blood starts to pour out of you ears, you turn into a state of shock, confusion.
“The battle continues but my battle ends, and my journey to recovery starts.”
Before leaving the country Aziz, who calls himself Abu Abdullah al-Britani, was a credit control operator at cable company NTL.
He is an associate of extremist Anjem Choudhury and was a member of banned group Muslims Against Crusades, which has previously protested in Luton.
In May 2013 Aziz was one of a gang who shouted “f*** the Queen” after battering a football fan to the ground in London.
Aziz later bragged that he stabbed the victim with a pen for “insulting the Prophet Mohammed”.
A man who was killed in a road traffic collision in Chalton on Monday morning has been named as Michael Burke, of Houghton Regis.
The 54-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident on Sundon Road.
The collision involving a truck and van took place shortly after 7am, he had been driving the van.
His passenger, a 28-year-old man also from Houghton Regis, was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital and is now thought to be in a very serious, but not life-threatening, condition.
The truck driver, a 50-year-old man from Biggleswade, was also injured and taken to Luton and Dunstable hospital, he is expected to be discharged soon.
Sergeant Chris Smith from the tri-force Roads Policing Unit said: “Our enquiries into what caused this devastating collision are still on-going, and detailed vehicle examinations are being carried out.
“We’ve had a number of witnesses come forward, but we are still keen to hear from anyone else who was driving in the area at this busy time.
“Any information can help us to discover what caused this tragic loss of life and serious injury.”
Luton Road and Sundon Park at the junction with Sundon Road were closed until lunch time while investigations took place.
Bedfordshire Police continues to support the family of the deceased.
Anyone with any information should call 101.
A kitchen at a Luton church has been damaged following a fire on Saturday.
Fire crews were called to Sacred Heart Church hall in Ashcroft Road at 6.52pm.
Using two breathing apparatus and a hose reel they quickly extinguished the fire before using Positive Pressure Ventilation to clear smoke from the building.
The fire, which started accidentally, left 10% of the building damaged and there were no casualties.
A High Court judge has condemned the actions of the leaders of Britain First despite allowing them to march in Luton.
The decision of Mr Justice Knowles, who rejected a bid by Beds Police to stop the group’s leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen entering Luton on June 27 has just been made public.
The judge said the police had not shown the potential impact on the proper conduct of the march if the leaders were not there, and said: “to ban the leaders of a registered political party from a town is a very considerable thing.”
But he condemned the group saying: “Of course ‘Britain First’ comes across as fundamentally and obviously wrong, and even extremist itself when it focuses on Muslims. In these times, which are troubling times, that error is particularly damaging.”
He granted interim injunctions stopping the leaders from entering any Mosque or Islamic Cultural Centre or its private grounds in England and Wales without a prior written invitation. They were also banned from publishing or displaying words or images likely to stir up racial or religious hatred, or carrying a banner through Luton on June 27 with the words ‘No More Muslims’.
In evidence, Mr Justice Knowles was shown a video of the two leaders as they drove through Bury Park on June 3 this year.
He said: “The episode includes provocative, threatening and offensive remarks or gestures levelled by the respondents against members of the public and by members of the public against the respondents.”
And he rejected the group’s claim that its concern was about extremism.
He said: “There is nothing extremist about being a Muslim. There are extremists who claim to be of the Muslim faith, just as there are extremists who claim to be of other faiths or of no faith.”
But he said groups should be allowed to organise politically adding: “Indeed it is sometimes through allowing veiws to be head that error in views can be exposed.”
The Luton march passed peacefully with only around 250 Britain First members and counter demonstrators.
Police are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a wanted man, who they believe may be in Bedfordshire.
Bedfordshire Police would like to speak to Louis Okai, 33, in relation to possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, as well as on recall to prison.
Investigations Officer Gary Hales said: “We believe that Okai is in Luton or Houghton Regis, so we would urge anyone in those areas to be vigilant. If you see him, or have any information about his whereabouts, please contact us immediately.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Luton CID on 101. You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Britain will pause this morning to remember the July 7 attacks amid warnings about the enduring and changing threat from terrorism a decade on.
The country will fall silent to mark the 10th anniversary of the atrocity in which 52 people were murdered and hundreds more injured when four suicide bombers attacked London’s transport network.
David Cameron said the Tunisian beach massacre showed the danger remains 10 years on but vowed the nation would not be cowed by violent extremists.
The Prime Minister said: “Today the country comes together to remember the victims of one of the deadliest terrorist atrocities on mainland Britain.
“Ten years on from the 7/7 London attacks, the threat from terrorism continues to be as real as it is deadly - the murder of 30 innocent Britons whilst holidaying in Tunisia is a brutal reminder of that fact. But we will never be cowed by terrorism.
“We will keep on doing all that we can to keep the British public safe, protecting vulnerable young minds from others’ extremist beliefs and promoting the shared values of tolerance, love and respect that make Britain so great.”
The anniversary falls at a time of heightened alert after the rise of Islamic State (IS).
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the country’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, said security services are tackling a “very different” threat 10 years later.
In an interview with the Press Association, he called on communities to “step forward” in the fight against radicalisation, saying their help is more crucial than ever to security services’ efforts to prevent fresh attacks.
Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, said the “continuing fact” that some British citizens are prepared to target their own country presents a “serious societal and security challenge”.
He described the “disgusting” murders 10 years ago as an “enduring reminder” of what his organisation “is striving every day to prevent”.
Tony Blair, who was prime minister at the time of the attacks, said his first response was to try to “bring people together” and deal with the “huge trauma” suffered by the capital.
Mr Blair denied that the terrorist attacks could be portrayed as a response to his foreign policy, telling LBC: “This is a global problem... and the only way of dealing with it ultimately is for people to come together whatever their faith background and say we are united against this terrorism, and to say we are not going to allow anyone to excuse themselves by saying the slaughter of totally innocent people is somehow a response to any decision by any government.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said it is a “day to remember and reflect”.
He added: “We will never, ever be complacent. Whilst I hope that we will never need to deliver such a response again, if we do we will be ready.
“My thoughts today are with those taken from us, those who were affected, remain affected and with my own men and women who, day-in day-out are here for London.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said today’s remembrance is intended to show the bereaved, survivors and the emergency services that they have the support of all those across the city.
“Our priority today is to allow the families and friends of the 52 innocent victims of 7/7 to pay tribute to the memory of their loved ones,” he said. “And for the survivors and the many hundreds of members of our emergency services who were affected by these atrocities to know that they have the support of every Londoner.
“On the tenth anniversary of the attacks we honour the victims, we remember the sufferings of their families and we pay tribute to the actions of our emergency services on that appalling day.”
Events are being held to mark the anniversary, including a national minute’s silence at 11.30am.
The period of quiet will take place during a service at St Paul’s Cathedral - attended by the Duke of York, Mr Cameron, Mr Johnson, Mr Blair and Ken Livingstone, who was Mayor of London at the time of the attacks - and will be observed across the capital’s public transport network.
Announcements will be halted and bus drivers asked to bring vehicles to a stop if they can do so safely.
Tube services will run as normal but passengers will be asked to observe the silence and announcements will be halted for the duration, Transport for London said.
Survivors, relatives of the dead and members of the emergency services have been invited to the event.
Wreaths will be laid beforehand at the permanent Hyde Park memorial, which Mr Cameron will attend, and a second service, to be attended by the Duke of Cambridge, will take place there later, featuring music, a series of readings and the laying of flowers.
Miss Bedfordshire is getting ready to take on her next challenge at Keech’s 5k colour dash run.
Megan Bayliss, 20, of Barton, is hoping to raise £1000 for her five chosen charities at the 5k run at Wigmore Valley Park on Sunday, July 19.
She has chosen to support Keech Hospice Care, National Autistic Society, Moorefields Eye Hospital, Beauty With A Purpose and Coeliac UK.
She said: “I want to raise as much money as I can for the charities because they all help so many people in different ways.
“I am also setting myself a personal challenge to complete this distance for the first time.”
Megan was eight when she was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue which means every day is a constant battle for her to find the energy to do daily tasks, she was also diagnosed with coeliac disease last summer.
Her condition means she is unable to go to a gym but she has been training at home and plans to do a mixture of walking and running at the 5k event.
The beauty therapist added: “I have never done anything like this before due to my health not being as strong as most other people, but where I can I will most certainly do my bit.
“Last year I took part in a 100m length swim and raised £300 for Beauty With A Purpose.
“All the charities are extremely close to my heart and I would love to spread the word and start raising awareness for all of these amazing charities!”
Entrants must complete two circuits of the park, passing through the colour stations where they will be showered with coloured powder.
To sponsor Megan, visit: www.virginmoneygiving.com/megmakingadifference
Police have issued a CCTV image of a woman they would like to speak to in connection with the theft of meat from Co-op.
The meat was taken from the store in Hitchin Road at 8:30am on Saturday, May 16, and again in a separate incident at 11am on Sunday, May 17.
The meat was concealed in a large dark quilted bag.
If you can help police identify the woman, please contact the Crime Services Team on 101, quoting the crime reference numbers: C/18985/2015 and C/18839/2015
Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to following the theft of petrol from a BP petrol station.
A silver Vauxhall Corsa was filled with over £40 worth of petrol at the BP station, Burton Road, on Sunday, May 31.
The driver made off without payment at 4.40pm.
If you can help police identify the man, please contact the Crime Services Team on 101, quoting the crime reference number: C/21523/2015
The new home of Luton Town Football Club could still be on Power Court or by Venue 360– despite the council allocating land off M1 J10a for a new 15,000 seater stadium.
In a new local plan for the town 2.5 hectares of land between the motorway and Stockwood Park Golf Club has been designated for a new ground, which would be accompanied with an enabling development that would “not adversely affect the regeneration of Luton town centre”.
The plan, which is set to go to public consultation, states that this would move the club away from “a dense and congested part of the town to a more sustainable location”.
However club chief executive Gary Sweet has cast doubt over the suitability of J10a, previously telling the council that there is “no evidence” that the site is the most appropriate location for a new stadium and that the 0.3 hectare allocation for an enabling development is “simply inadequate”.
Speaking exclusively to the Luton News yesterday, Mr Sweet said that fans will be told of the club’s preferred location after the new football season has kicked off next month.
He added: “We have already made our own representations to Luton Borough Council regarding the last draft of this plan, which includes our reservations of a proposed new stadium for Luton Town at this particular location, which are a matter of public record.”
Plans to relocate Luton Town FC to J10a have kicked around for more than a decade.
Former owner Mike Watson-Challis and his wife Sheila, who both poured millions into the club, purchased the site as new home for the Hatters.
Four years after Mr Watson-Challis’ retirement in 2003 the pair opposed plans for the club to move to junction 12, but concrete proposals to move to J10a never came to fruition.
The Luton News understands that the Watson-Challis’s still own the J10a site designated in LBC’s local plan.
Mr Sweet’s reticence to agree with the council’s allocation increases the possibility that the club’s new home will either be situated at Power Court or behind Venue 360 on Gipsy Lane?.
The latter site has been mooted due to its close proximity with Luton Airport Parkway and the town centre, while Power Court, off St Mary’s Road, is now finally being cleared after sitting dormant for years.
Owners British Land remain tight-lipped on Power Court’s future but LBC’s new local plan sets the 7 hectare site aside for an extension of the “primary shopping area to improve the town centre retail offer” and up to 600 homes.
However deputy council leader Sian Timoney has told that Luton News that the allocations in the local plan are not set in stone.
She said: “The local plan is the ideal world scenario, everywhere has got to have a place and this is a blue print for the town.
“We think the club would work there (J10a) as there are access routes for people travelling to and from the motorway, it is also just up the road from the airport.
“The club has never been 100% convinced it is the right place so it has been looking at a number of sites at the same time.
“(The allocation) does not close them off from going to another site, if they put in an application somewhere else we will look at that.
“If an argument holds weight then the local plan is not set in stone.”
In April Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet told fans that the stadium project had passed an “important milestone” and that the club had entered into the formal pre-application stage with the council.
The announcement left supporters hopeful of a move that has been decades in the making and Cllr Timoney has intimated that the Hatters are as close as they have ever been to a new home.
She said: “(The owners) are in a completely different place, even from a few years ago.
“They are much more business-like (over previous owners), they have a plan and backers.
“The relationship with the council has also really improved.”
An inquest opened on Monday into the death of Luton dad Henry Huggins, who died after almost two years in a coma following an attack in Farley Hill.
Mr Huggins, 49, known to many as Chin, never recovered from the brutal assault in August 2013 – during which Luton man Stuart Docherty stamped on his head.
After a long fight against his “catastrophic” injuries, he died on June 10 from complications arising from being in a persistent vegatative state.
Monday’s inquest opening at Ampthill was attended by five of Mr Huggins’ siblings, including brothers Elmore, Raphel and Thomas, and sisters Mary and Angela, the latter of whom was his twin.
They were told by senior coroner Tom Osborne that their brother’s body would be released within 28 days if the defence teams requested a second autopsy, otherwise it may be released earlier.
One of the defence teams indicated they would not be seeking a further autopsy.
Mr Huggins’ neighbour James Early, 40, was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm and jailed for two-and-a-half years. while Docherty, 40, was sentended to 12 years in prison.
Following Mr Huggins’ death, Docherty’s case has been referred back to the CPS and he could face prosecution for murder.
The inquest was adjourned with a prospective date of January 6.
Afterwards, Mr Huggins’ brother Raphel said: “They do what they have to do, as long as we get justice for Henry.”
Mr Huggins was subjected to violent threats and racial taunts by neighbour Early in the weeks leading to the attack.
On August 8 2013 Docherty visited Early’s flat and the pair set upon Mr Huggins after spotting him outside.
Early punched the father-of-two to the floor andMr Huggins hit his head on the concrete path. After Early left, Docherty stamped on Mr Huggins’ head, before stealing his watch and a ring.
Homeless Cats Rescue is looking for homes for three of its moggies.
Beth is very loving and likes to be talked to, she would love a home with no other cats or dogs.
The two-year-old has had a tough life, at the age of seven months she had her first litter of kittens outside as a stray, no one seems to know what happened to those kittens or how many litter she has had since.
She gave birth outside again to Florence, Clarence and Lawrence, 12 weeks ago and when they were two weeks old, she moved them into a lady’s conservatory.
She is spayed and chipped.
Clarence and Lawrence are very bonded so would need a new home together.
The 12-week-old brothers are full of fun and mischief.
A home with children would be perfect for the pair, or with someone who can give them plenty of attention.
Nine-year-old Mandy is a gentle girl who would like a quiet home with no other cats.
She is a lap cat but likes to have a play now and again.
She is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped.
If you are able to give any of these cats a home, call Homeless Cats Rescue on 01582 529009
Reckless thieves inflicted as much damage as possible after several pets died – and a home was left drenched – following the burglary of a flat in Luton.
A guinea pig and two rats were in their cages at the flat in Olympic Street when it was targeted by the thieves over the weekend.
The burglars damaged a hot-water pipe on a washing machine during the break-in, meaning hot water poured out into the property over the weekend.
The animals were in cages in the same room, which is understood to have overheated, and they died as a result.
A number of electrical items were stolen during the burglary which took place between 4pm on Friday (July 3) and 11pm on Sunday (July 5).
Detective Constable Colin Knight, investigating, said: “This has obviously been a very distressing incident for the victim who returned to find their home had been burgled, a huge amount of damage had been caused by the water and their pets had died.
“I would urge anyone who has any information about this incident to contact police.”
Anyone with any information should call DC Knight on 101, text information to 07786 200 011.
Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
A quaint country pub that narrowly escaped a devastating fire in March has reopened after a successful renovation.
Grade-II listed The Fancott, near Toddington, was open for business again last week and looks better than ever.
The pub, famous for its miniature railway, is even looking forward to hiring a replacement engine after the previous one was completely destroyed in the blaze.
Owner Paul Wallman said: “We’ve had to repaint and re-do everything, we’ve got the garden done and all of the kids’ equipment has been repaired.
“The whole kitchen area burnt down and an old barn on the right side of it caught fire, so we had to rebuild the cellar.”
The extensive renovation work has allowed the Fancott to improve some of its facilities, with added food storage space, a freezer room, and a large kitchen.
Paul said: “So, we’ve actually done well out of it in a funny sort of way. We’ve got a better system.”
Paul estimated the cost of the repair work nto be around £200,000.
In spite of the damage to the kitchen and outhouses, the main grade-II listed pub building, with its low ceilings and wooden beams, was spared from the fire.
Paul added: “It was really weird because the only bit of the building that caught fire was the extension that was added on in about 1999 or 2000.”
The fire broke out in an outbuilding at the back of the pub at around 3.40pm on Tuesday, March 3.
No-one was hurt in the fire. There were only a couple of members of staff and two or three customers present at the time.
Firefighters carried out an extensive salvage operation after the blaze and worked hard to ensure the rest of the building was saved.