Following this weekend’s strike action, EMR has issued the following statement regarding the ongoing roll-out of Hitachi's Class 810 fleet and maintenance of the Class 222 fleet: "EMR remains committed to delivering the safe, reliable, high-performing and punctual service our customers expect, while operating a railway our colleagues can be proud to be part of. "When EMR selected Hitachi to build and maintain the new Aurora intercity trains and to maintain the outgoing fleet, we did so based on its global reputation for engineering excellence and the proven performance of its trains across the UK rail network and internationally. That reputation is why we remain confident that Hitachi, which has also been invited by Northern to bid for its new train fleet, will address all the performance issues that we have consistently pressed for. "We have agreed an integrated action plan to support this work and look forward to seeing rapid improvements, with Hitachi's Global Executive Leadership team now directly involved and bringing its expertise to bear. Despite the reliability issues, all EMR trains, including the Class 810 fleet, have been licensed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and only entered service after successfully completing all required testing and meeting the regulator's rigorous safety standards. "Hitachi's increased focus was both necessary and welcome. We will continue to work closely with Hitachi to ensure these issues are resolved for the benefit of our colleagues and customers.” EMR News 05/08/2026

Detectives are appealing for witnesses after a fatal road traffic collision in Cotesbach. Police received a call at 6.24am this morning (Wednesday 5 August) to a report of a collision on the A426 Rugby Road between Lutterworth Road island and Gibbet Hill. It involved a blue Nissan Micra and a white HGV. The driver of the Micra was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the HGV was not injured. The road was closed and has now been reopened. Detective Sergeant Kasie McMahon from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is appealing for witnesses. She said: “At the time of the collision, the Micra was travelling towards Lutterworth while the HGV was travelling in the opposite direction. “We would like to appeal to anyone who saw the collision, the vehicles beforehand or the circumstances leading up to it to please get in touch. “Anyone who may also have dashcam footage which captured anything relating to the collision is also asked to make contact.” 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*465221. Alternatively call 101. Leicestershire Police News - Published: 14:51 05/08/2026

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

Missing Hinckley teenager, Cassius Morrison, has been found safe and well. Thank you to everyone who shared the appeal and assisted with our enquiries. Leicestershire Police appeal - 02/08/26 15:15

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