Officers have arrested a man as part of an ongoing investigation into a firearm discharge in Braunstone. The man, who is 38, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life/enable another to do so yesterday (Tuesday 4 August) and has since been released on bail. The arrest relates to a report received on Tuesday 2 June this year that a gunshot had been heard in Cort Crescent just before 10.30pm. When officers arrived at the scene, they found damage had been caused to a property which was consistent with a firearm having been discharged. No-one was injured during the incident. Detectives from our Complex Investigation Team (CIT) are leading the investigation into the incident and are continuing to appeal for anyone who can help to come forward. You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ and quoting reference 26*320556. Alternatively call 101. Leicestershire Police News - Published: 09:31 05/08/2026

You’ll have seen in the national news that a huge wildfire has been burning at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, with multiple fire crews tackling the blaze and keeping it from spreading to people’s homes. Since Saturday morning we have been supporting our colleagues at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service with one of our spare fire engines plus a crew of four Firefighters, as part of a nationally co-ordinated effort with other Services. A further two of our Firefighters have also been sent since to provide relief. They will remain there until Wednesday 5th August while this devastating fire is brought fully under control. We continue to have a robust and effective operational capability back home in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. At times of great need such as this, our nation's Fire Services respond and assist where they can, knowing full well that sooner or later, they'll be the ones who need help.

Officers investigating an act of indecency at a music festival in Leicestershire have released an image of a man they wish to identify in connection with the incident. Enquiries have been ongoing into a report of two people acting inappropriately while on a Ferris wheel at Download on Saturday 13 June. A woman has been identified and voluntarily interviewed in connection with the incident. Officers would like the public’s help in identifying this man – if this is you or you have any suspicions about who he may be we urge you to get in touch. Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC 39 Georgia Wood on 101 or via www.leics.police.uk, quoting crime number 26*346427. Published: 09:30 04/08/2026

A man has been charged with drugs offences after officers recovered a quantity of drugs in the city centre. Abdulrahman Sayedamed Abdullah, 22, of no fixed address, has been charged with production of crack cocaine and five counts of possession with intent to supply controlled substances (class A-C). He is due to appear before Leicester Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Wednesday 5 August). The charges relate to a routine stop in Town Hall Square yesterday afternoon (3 August). A 21-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man who were also arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs have since been released on bail pending further enquiries. Published: 15:47 04/08/2026

Leicester's Town Hall will mark a significant milestone on Friday (7 August) as it celebrates its 150th birthday. To commemorate the anniversary, the city council has created an illustrated guide to the Leicester landmark on its Story of Leicester website. Using archive photographs to help tell the Town Hall’s story, the webpage explains how, by the 1870s, the corporation had outgrown its previous home at the medieval Guildhall and commissioned the construction of an impressive new building on the site of a former cattle market off Horsefair Street. Designed in the Queen Anne style by local architect Francis J Hames, the new Town Hall took two years to build. When complete, it housed the council offices and council chamber, the law courts, the sanitary department and the school board. It also accommodated 30 lamplighters, who were responsible for keeping the gas lamps burning, and the Borough Police, who had 13 cells in the basement. The building’s official opening – on 7 August 1876 – was led by the Mayor, Alderman William Barfoot, and was followed by a banquet at the Corn Exchange for some 400 of ‘the principal gentlemen connected with the borough and the county’. The celebrations continued into the evening with live music and a ‘grand display’ of fireworks. On Friday (7 August), 150 years after its formal opening, the city council will mark the anniversary with a small ceremony in front of the building. The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Kulwinder Singh Johal, will cut a celebration cake at 4pm, which will be shared with those gathering to watch in Town Hall Square. Before the ceremony – at 3pm – there will be a chance to join a guided tour of the Town Hall. Places on the tour are free of charge but must be booked in advance by emailing cityhall-reception@leicester.gov.uk Assistant city mayor Cllr Vi Dempster said: "For 150 years, the Town Hall has been at the heart of our city and has witnessed so much of Leicester’s history. “It’s a building that means a great deal to many people today – as a meeting place, as a landmark, or even as the place where they got married! “This anniversary is a chance to celebrate both its remarkable past and its place in the city today." More information about the Town Hall’s 150 year history – including stories of some of its famous visitors and its encounter with a World War II bomb – can be found on the Story of Leicester website. LCC News - Published on Monday, August 3, 2026

Officers from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after two motorcyclists died in a collision yesterday (Sunday 2 August). Police were called to a stretch of the B676 Saxby Road between Melton and Saxby just after 8am. It was reported there had been a collision involving two motorcycles – a grey Yamaha MT-10 MTN1000 and a black Honda CBR 1000 RF – and a white Audi A4. Police attended with the East Midlands Ambulance Service but the two motorcyclists – one man in his 50s and another in his 60s – were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, was not injured. No-one was arrested following the incident. Detective Constable Emma Neeves, from the SCIU, said: “Enquiries into this incident are continuing today and I’d like to speak to anyone who can help. “I’m appealing for any motorists who were on that stretch of road yesterday to come forward and I’d like to speak to anyone with a dashcam. My appeal for information also includes anyone who witnessed the collision or saw any of the vehicles beforehand. “Anything you’re able to provide or tell us, no matter how insignificant you think it is, could assist our investigation.” You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/making-a-road-traffic-incident-report/ and quoting reference 26*458876. Alternatively call 101. Published: 09:31 03/08/2026

Leicester City Council and the city's bus operators have reaffirmed their commitment to delivering better bus services through a new £75 million phase of transformation. Representatives from the city council and the city’s seven bus operators gathered at Jewry Wall Museum, to sign a joint declaration supporting a proposed new One Network Partnership. The agreement, which is subject to final approval, will guide £75 million of new investment in Leicester’s bus services between September 2026 and March 2030. It is intended to build on the success of the current Leicester Buses Partnership which has already transformed bus travel across the city with over £150 million of investment. The new One Network Partnership agreement will continue to deliver a simpler, more integrated bus network that is electric, frequent, reliable, easy and great value for passengers. Future improvements include further investment in electric buses, upgraded bus stops with real-time passenger information, improved bus priority measures, simpler ticketing and better customer information. By the end of 2027, the whole Leicester’s entire bus network will be electric, with real time information displays at all main bus stops. Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "It's been just over four years since we formally launched the Leicester Bus Partnership. “It was something I had been wanting to do for many years – constrained as we were by the Government’s deregulation of bus services in the 1980s, which left councils with little input into local commercial bus services. “Four years on, we can see the huge transformation that this partnership and £150m of investment have achieved. “In Leicester, we have a partnership that's probably the most successful in the country - and it's been done at a fraction of the cost of franchising. “Now we're committing to a new partnership that will guide a further £75m of investment into the bus network, up to 2030. “My thanks go to everyone who has made this possible, particularly the bus operators, who deserve credit for the way they have worked so collaboratively to bring about enormous benefits to Leicester bus users." The signing ceremony followed a public event in Jubilee Square where people where invited to explore some of Leicester's latest buses, meet operators and find out more about the future of bus travel in the city. Since 2022, Leicester's bus partnership has delivered a range of improvements for passengers, including all-operator Flexi tickets with contactless fare capping, the free Hop! city centre bus service, integrated timetables on shared corridors, significant investment in electric buses, and major improvements to bus stops and passenger information. The proposed One Network Partnership will continue that collaborative approach, bringing together Leicester City Council and operators Arriva, Centrebus, Central Connect, First Bus, Kinchbus, Roberts Travel and Stagecoach to deliver an improved and better integrated bus network for Leicester. LCC News - Published on Monday, August 3, 2026

Police are attending an incident on a small play area between A47 Hinckley Road and Hockley Farm Road in Braunstone this evening. The Park area is cordoned off, police forensic officers are at the scene. We have contacted Leicestershire Police for more on this incident. More to follow. Police update 21:45 Police have confirmed that a body has been found as a result of a missing person investigation to find Kacper Cichor. Kacper, aged 28 and from Braunstone, was last been seen on Tuesday 21 July and was reported missing the following day. The incident is not being treated as suspicious but officers believe that the person found is Kacper. His next of kin have been informed and we ask for privacy for his family and friends at this difficult time. Thank you to all the public who assisted in this investigation Leicestershire Police News - Published: 21:35 02/08/2026 Pictures by Leicester Media Online

Police have confirmed that a body has been found as a result of a missing person investigation to find Kacper Cichor. Kacper, aged 28 and from Braunstone, was last been seen on Tuesday 21 July and was reported missing the following day. The incident is not being treated as suspicious but officers believe that the person found is Kacper. His next of kin have been informed and we ask for privacy for his family and friends at this difficult time. Thank you to all the public who assisted in this investigation. Leicestershire Police News - Published: 21:35 02/08/2026

They have been away from their homes for two weeks. Residents evacuated from their homes in Leicester due to the partial collapse of a nearby building have been permitted to return. On 13 July, emergency services responded to Wharf Street South following reports of a former factory building collapsing, resulting in one person suffering minor injuries from falling debris. Leicester City Council announced on Wednesday that approximately 25 residents could return to their homes after the authority completed emergency work. Pictures and Drone photography by Leicester Media Online

Celebrating 41 years of carnival here in Leicester. Thousands gathered to celebrate the Caribbean Carnival. This yearly festival was hosted at Victoria Park – featured a vibrant carnival parade that began at the park, proceeded through the city centre, and then returned. This year’s theme was Crowned by Culture - Caribbean Queens and Kings. Pictures taken by Trevor Sewell Saturday 1st August 2026 Follow Leicester Caribbean Carnival on Facebook Here is lots more pictures from Trevor Sewell Facebook

More than 150 children received planned operations during a two-week summer surgery initiative at Leicester Children’s Hospital, helping to reduce waiting times and increase capacity ahead of the busy winter period. Building on the success of previous ‘super weeks’, teams from across University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) came together during the school holidays to carry out as many low-complexity elective operations as possible in a specially designated child-friendly ward environment. The initiative focused on day-case procedures or short-stay surgery across Paediatric Trauma and Orthopaedic, Paediatric Gastroenterology, Paediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Paediatric Plastic Surgery, Paediatric General Surgery and Urology, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Paediatric Maxillofacial. By concentrating activity in a single ward rather than spreading patients across multiple areas, teams were able to maximise efficiency and increase the number of operations completed. The programme took advantage of a period when emergency pressures are typically lower, allowing more beds and theatre capacity to be dedicated to planned care. It formed part of Leicester Children’s Hospital’s ongoing work to reduce waiting times for children and ensure more patients receive treatment sooner. Among those benefiting from the initiative was three-year-old Logan, who underwent a day-case procedure during the fortnight. His mum, Steph Nicholls, said: “It has been such a welcoming environment and being able to come in and have Logan’s operation without the worry of a last-minute cancellation has been a really positive experience. We’re so pleased he’s been able to have his operation and we’re looking forward to getting home. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and the communication throughout has been excellent.” Over the course of the two-week initiative, teams from a range of departments across Leicester Children’s Hospital worked together to deliver more than 150 paediatric operations. Paediatric Surgeon, Mr Nitin Patwardhan, carried out a number of operations throughout the two-week period. He said: “We know that access to operating lists and beds is often limited, especially during the winter months. The summer holidays provide a valuable opportunity when emergency pressures ease and beds become more available. “By concentrating our resources during this time, we can significantly increase the number of children receiving surgery. This approach not only reduces waiting times but also helps us deliver a smoother and more positive experience for children and their families. The feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive, and it has been hugely rewarding to do what we do best while seeing teams from across the hospital come together so seamlessly to make this initiative a success.” Fifteen-year-old Ayesha had a femoral osteotomy around six months sooner than she had expected thanks to the initiative. She said: “I was expecting to wait a lot longer for this operation, but being able to have it now has shortened my wait by about six months and I’m really grateful for that. The recovery for this procedure can take up to 18 months, so having it sooner rather than later means I can start looking forward to the future again and hopefully get back to playing football, which is what I enjoy most. It also means I’ve been able to have the operation during the summer holidays, giving me time to recover without missing school.” To help make the experience as positive as possible, the ward was transformed into a welcoming space designed specifically for children and young people. Games, books, drawing and colouring activities were available, while health play specialists worked alongside clinical teams to keep patients calm, engaged and comfortable as they prepared for surgery. Health Play Specialist Lucy Barnes said: “I work across the paediatric wards to help create an environment that is welcoming, reassuring and supportive for our patients. Through play and learning, I help children understand what is happening and make them feel less anxious about their treatment. “It’s incredibly rewarding to support children through their hospital stay, help take their minds off their operations and see them go home after their procedure. The two weeks have been busy, but it’s been wonderful to see how many children we’ve been able to help and the difference we’ve made to them and their families.” Over the past year, more than 350 children have received operations through these dedicated elective surgery initiatives, alongside UHL’s regular theatre activity. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust News - 31 July 2026