A police cordon is in place on Belvoir Street this morning. Parts of the street have been taped off after an incident overnight. We have contacted Leicestershire Police for further details on this incident. More to follow.

Officers are appealing for help to locate a 46-year-old woman who has been reported missing. Helen Charles was last seen near the area of Welford Road, Leicester, on Tuesday evening (7 July). She has not been seen since and officers and her family are extremely concerned for her welfare. Helen is described as 5ft 1in tall with long brown hair. She has a butterfly tattoo on her left ankle and a paw print tattoo on her right ankle. Helen also has a nose ring. Helen was last s

An international drug trafficker responsible for importing 1,000kg of cocaine to the UK and handling more than £7 million in criminal cash has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Thanks to the work of specialist officers, Stephane Hassiakos was identified as playing a leading role in the importation and widespread distribution of cocaine in the country, particularly across the East Midlands. After analysing a wealth of evidence from an encrypted chat platform including imag

Multiple Fire crews tackling a house fire on Coral Street in the Belgrave area of the city this afternoon. No persons are reported, the cause is not yet known. Local people should close doors and windows to avoid smoke inhalation. Currently there are eight fire engines, including an aerial ladder platform and support welfare at the scene. Motorists should avoid the area and expect delays. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service shared that they were dealing with the incident o

A senior detective has praised the courage shown by a rape victim after a man was jailed today (Friday 10 July). Having been convicted of attempted murder, rape, sexual assault and robbery following a trial in April, Macaulay Worden was sentenced to 34 years’ imprisonment when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court. He attacked his victim on the canal towpath near Belton Road in Loughborough in the early hours of 30 August last year, pushing them to the ground and repeatedly pu

Leicestershire Police are urging football fans to plan their journey home ahead of England's World Cup match on Saturday after 120 people have been arrested so far as part of the summer drink and drug drive campaign. Officers say the figures show too many motorists are still getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, with arrests continuing across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland throughout the tournament. Since the campaign began, 89 people have be

An investigation is continuing today after a man was stabbed in Market Harborough last night (Sunday 5 July). Police and the East Midlands Ambulance Service were called to Shropshire Close just before 11.30pm after it was reported a man in his 20s had been found with a stab wound injury. He was taken to hospital, where remains in a critical condition. Shortly before 3.30am today (Monday), officers maintaining a scene preservation were approached by another man in his 20s who

A man who raped and began sexually abusing a teenage boy in 2015 has been jailed. Mark Watson was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 9 July). The 55-year-old’s offending was brought to the attention of police in 2021 when the victim, who is now an adult, told a third-party what had happened between 2015 and 2018. He told officers from our Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) that Watson had raped him on several occasions and forced

People struggling with substance misuse who come into police custody will receive expert help to recover from addiction and turn their backs on crime thanks to a step up in drug testing. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews is increasing funding for the area’s Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) service to boost testing capacity to divert more vulnerable people into treatment. The PCC is investing £200k in the service over the next two