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At least 50 passengers sustained injuries when two passenger trains collided near Bedford. Numerous individuals are seriously injured following the horrific crash, prompting hospital staff to be 'on standby'. Passengers described hearing a 'huge bang' prior to the abrupt crash that resulted in injuries. The exact number of seriously injured individuals is still unknown, but reports indicate that at least 50 casualties will be transported to Bedford Hospital as a result of the crash. BREAKING NEWS Train services from London St Pancras suspended for the remainder of the day. Both trains were en route to London St Pancras when the collision occurred. One train was the 4:40 pm East Midlands Railway service traveling from Corby to London St Pancras, while the other was the 3:50 pm service from Nottingham to London St Pancras. East Midlands Railway says that there will be no more services from London St Pancras today due to the collision. It stated: "East Midlands Railway services to and from London St Pancras are suspended for the remainder of service today, Friday 19 June 2026. "EMR customers are advised not to attempt to travel on these routes today. "Emergency services are dealing with an incident between Luton and Bedford, which is disrupting our trains on the London St Pancras/Nottingham/Sheffield and London St Pancras/Corby routes. Network Rail and the emergency services are on site actively responding to this incident." The East of England Ambulance Service has given an update on the resources sent to the collision. The service said an air ambulance and the Hazardous Area Response Team is responding to the "major incident" south of Bedford. "We encourage people to avoid the area," Update 22:00 One person has died after two trains collided in Bedford, according to British Transport Police The ambulance service says 89 people have been injured, with 11 of them suffering "very serious injuries" Below is a statement from the East of England Ambulance Service, providing further details about this incident: “The East of England Ambulance Service was called to a collision involving two trains at Elstow, near Bedford, at around 5:15pm. “We quickly declared a Major Incident and put our emergency response plans into action. “We sent a large number of resources to the scene, including more than 20 ambulances, specialist Hazardous Area Response Teams, and six air ambulances. All patients with the most serious injuries have now been taken from the scene to hospital. “Sadly, one person died at the scene. A further 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured, and a further 56 people had minor injuries. Those with minor injuries were treated at the scene or taken to hospital where needed. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we thank all emergency service colleagues for their swift response.” Buses will run between London St Pancras and Bedford Passengers have been advised that a bus service will be running between St Pancras and Bedford on Saturday. Helpline EMR has established a dedicated call line for those customers and their families who were directly involved in the incident on Friday night. The line is staffed by trained colleagues who will be able to help with queries including the return of personal possessions and, from Monday 22 June refer customers and families to the British Red Cross should further support be helpful. The telephone number is 0333 212 59 34 and is open as follows: Mon-Fri 07:00 - 20:00 Sat 08:00 - 20:00 Sun 10:00 - 20:00

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We dined at Twenty 1 restaurant on Sunday evening, and feasted on a delicious collection of Indian foods all perfectly cooked and served by the friendly attentive staff. “With a modern and contemporary atmosphere, the restaurant was warm and welcoming, an hidden gem on the outskirts of Leicester City serving great Indian food” Our starters and mains were selected from a carefully crafted menu. £10 per person for mixed tandoori grill represented great value for the money. The food and the drinks were served with love and passion, a little extra theatre with dry ice mist added moments of joy (along with extra picture taking…) A selection of the usual and speciality cocktails are available. Dining at 7pm on a Sunday was probably one of quieter times, and service was extremely good, we would imagine that at busiest times extra staff would be available to ensure comparative service levels. Overall this is a place worth visiting. If you love Indian Foods and want to explore a different experience Restaurant Twenty 1 is on the top of the list. Outdoor seating is available, great for summertime dining. Review by Russell Thorpe for LM News 19 January 2025. For more information and booking visit twentyoneleicester.co.uk For restaurant reviews, please reach out to Russell Thorpe at Leicester Media ​ russell@leicestermedia.online Our overall star rating is determined by a four-part evaluation system.​ Restaurants are rated based on their uniqueness, the tastiness of their food, the warmth of their atmosphere and service, and the strength of recommendation, which serves as a straightforward measure of value. All of our reviews are shared across our social media feeds, complete with engaging video cards to showcase your restarant. Plus, you'll find shareable links to easily spread the word about our experience.

Rail passengers planning to travel through Bedford next week are being warned by the rail industry to expect disruption to train services until the end of next week (28 June) and to only travel on this route if their journey is essential. Following an incident on Friday (19 June) involving a collision between two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains in the Bedford area, in which an EMR driver sadly died and many passengers were injured, the railway is expected to remain closed between Bedford and Luton for the rest of the week. As a result, there will be no GTR services north of Luton and no EMR services south of Bedford, with a limited rail replacement bus service in operation between Luton and Bedford. Journey planning apps and websites are being updated to reflect these changes and may take a few hours to do so. Customers are advised to check live travel updates before they travel. For as long as the Midland Main Line is closed at Bedford, train operators are accepting tickets for EMR customers. For customers whose journey is affected, tickets will be accepted on any alternative route. If customers decide to travel on EMR once the line is reopened, their connecting ticket on other operators also will be valid on that other day too. East Midlands Railways (EMR) No EMR services will run between Bedford and London St Pancras. Trains that usually start and terminate at London St Pancras will start and terminate at Bedford instead. From Monday, EMR will operate a reduced service on our Intercity and Connect routes, although Regional services will remain unaffected. One train per hour between Sheffield and Bedford, calling at Chesterfield, Derby, Long Eaton, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering and Bedford. One train per hour between Nottingham and Bedford, calling at Beeston, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering, Wellingborough and Bedford. One train per hour between Corby and Kettering. Rail Replacement buses will be provided in each direction as follows: One direct bus per hour between Kettering and Luton (departing on the hour). One bus per hour between Kettering and Luton Airport Parkway, calling at Wellingborough, Bedford and Luton (departing on the hour). EMR Luton Airport Express services will not run whilst the recovery operation continues. Passengers travelling between Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras in either direction may use their ticket at no extra cost on Thameslink services. For passengers travelling between Luton Airport Parkway and stations to or from the North, Rail Replacement Buses will operate between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton/Bedford/Kettering. Connections are available at Bedford and Kettering for services towards Sheffield or Nottingham. For the latest EMR travel information please visit https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/service-updates East Midlands Railway Press Release 21/06/26

A large area of roof has collapsed due to the fire BREAKING NEWS Fire crews from across the county are currently tackling a blaze at the Thurmaston Shopping centre this morning. Fire Service received multiple calls at 4am to reports of a large fire at Thurmaston Shopping Centre affecting several units. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service currently have 8 fire engines, 2 Aerial appliances and over 40 firefighters in attendance. There is a significant smoke plume and local residents are being advised to keep windows and doors closed. The main car park is expected to be closed for some time. A road closure is also in place on Barkby Thorpe Lane. Shop units which our affected are Clair’s, Greggs, Card Factory and Mountain Warehouse and M&S Food. The roof area is completely destroyed by this fire. Update 10:30 Part of the shopping centre is now been opened. The affected units will remain closed. Fire service is damping down the roof area. Update 11:00 Interview with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service. The cause of the fire is not known at this time. The Police will run a joint investigation with the Fire service. More to follow. Media images. Pictures, Drone images and video footage by Leicester Media Online ©️ 2026

The Leicester based Marks Electrical retailer must refund nearly 40,000 customers and pay a fine after it automatically opted customers into additional paid services. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) orders around £600,000 to be repaid to customers – an average of £15 per person Marks Electrical also fined £720,000 for breaking consumer law Action is part of the CMA’s work to clamp down on illegal online pricing practices The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that appliances retailer Marks Electrical pre-selected and charged customers for extra services without their express agreement. This impacted customers that bought a range of essential household items – including washing machines, dishwashers and cookers – through the Marks Electrical website. Those customers were automatically opted into one or both of the following services: ‘Recycle Old Appliance’ service: removing the customer’s old appliance at the time of delivery, which is then recycled ‘Unwrap & Recycle Packaging’ service: unwrapping and removing packaging for the newly purchased product or products at the time of delivery, which is then recycled Under consumer law, consumers must have genuine choice over whether to pay for an extra product or service which they may or may not wish to choose. Businesses are not allowed to use pre-ticked boxes or other forms of automatic opt-in for optional extras which cost money – as was the case with Marks Electrical. As a result, the CMA has fined the company £720,000 and ordered it to refund around £600,000 in total. The CMA’s investigation looked at conduct from April 2025 – when its new consumer powers came into force – to November 2025. Marks Electrical stopped the conduct immediately after the CMA opened an investigation and engaged constructively. Having admitted to breaking the law and agreeing to settle the case early with the CMA, the company received a 40% reduction to its financial penalty, in line with CMA guidance. Affected customers do not need to take any action. Marks Electrical will contact affected customers about their refund, which will be automatically refunded to the method they used to pay for their appliance. If that is not possible, the customer will be sent a cheque. The amount repaid to individuals will vary depending on how much they paid-for extra services, but the average payout will be around £15. Emma Cochrane, Executive Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA, said: The law is absolutely clear that automatically opting customers into extra charges is never ok. Buying a new washing machine, dishwasher or cooker is expensive and people should have the right to decide if they want optional extras – not be landed with costs that they did not agree to. All businesses need to check their policy on automatic opt-ins – the bottom line is that they should not be used. If businesses break the law, we’ll continue to issue fines and secure refunds for people. When the CMA’s strengthened consumer powers came into force, it committed to tackling unlawful online pricing practices to ensure shoppers were not left out of pocket. Under these new powers, the CMA has so far secured over £1.3 million in refunds for customers and levied fines totaling nearly £5 million. Further details about the investigation can be found on the Marks Electrical consumer protection enforcement case page. Find more Consumer Protection Rights Click here Competition and Markets Authority News Published 18 June 2026

The train driver who sadly passed away in the collision near Bedford on Friday, 19 June, has been named as 60-year-old Shaun Burton. Mr Burton was at the controls of an East Midlands Railway service travelling from Corby to London when it struck the rear of another train heading from Nottingham to London. In a statement, his family said they were “devastated by his loss” and extended their sympathies to all those affected by the crash. "We are devastated by his loss. Our thoughts are also with those affected by this incident," the family said in a statement released by the British Transport Police, along with a photograph of Mr Burton while asking for privacy as they begin to come to terms with their grief. The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) confirmed that the incident resulted in injuries to 100 people, with 11 seriously wounded and 57 sustaining minor injuries. Buckingham Palace said King Charles was "greatly saddened" by the rail crash and that his "thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured of affected by such a tragic incident". The full investigation into this incident could take several months to complete.

Leicester’s Museum Square was once again transformed into a vibrant hub of Caribbean joy as the Windrush Tea Party returned for another amazing celebration today (Saturday 20th June) Here is some pictures taken by Craig Thorpe for Leicester Media Online You can share them just open, click and save for FREE.... Organised by Opal22, this event runs from 12pm to 8pm at Museum Square, New Walk, Leicester, families, friends, and communities of all backgrounds to come together for an unforgettable day honouring the legacy of the Windrush Generation. READ MORE HERE

Police at the scene on Gooding Avenue in Braunstone Detectives are appealing for information after a man was found with stab wound injuries inside an address is Braunstone. Police were called at 10.11pm yesterday (Tuesday 15 December) by the East Midlands Ambulance Service reporting their attendance to the incident in Gooding Avenue. The victim, 22, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham for treatment – his condition is described as life-threatening. The suspects are believed to have fled the scene before emergency services arrived. A scene preservation is in place at the address. Enquiries to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident are in the early stages. Officers would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at around this time and saw or heard anything suspicious. If you were driving in the vicinity and have a dashcam installed in your vehicle please check your footage. Pictures by Leicester Media Anyone with information can call 101 quoting incident 615 of 15 December.

Sytner Group has partnered with Leicester Pride 2021 as a part of the business’ ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. Colleagues from the company’s various franchises will be marching in the vibrant parade on September 4th in the city centre, showing solidarity with the community. Simon Harrison, Sytner Group Colleague on the Leicester Pride Committee, said: “We are very excited to have Sytner Group on board as one of our main partners this year. “It’s great that the company is willing to support us, not only today but ongoing through its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace which is visible to myself and colleagues throughout the business with the ‘One Team’ ethos which really does mean that we all belong. “We look forward to working with them during Leicester Pride and going forward to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.” With Leicester being home to the business’ Head Office, a number of dealerships and home to many colleagues, the company felt it was appropriate to support Leicester Pride and keep it close to home for its first partnership. Partnering with Leicester Pride is just one way that Sytner Group is planning to drive change within the industry. This comes as Sytner Group announces its new Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Jodie Williams, who will be working in a newly formed role supporting Sytner Group to develop and implement the diversity and inclusion strategy. Jodie Williams, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, said: “I’m passionate about creating cultures which are diverse and reflect the communities in which we operate, where individuals can be their best self. “It’s very important that diversity and inclusion is recognised and supported within businesses and industries and I aim to enhance the ‘One Team’ ethos within the business and continue to work with colleagues to continuously advance and improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace.” As an experienced diversity and inclusion professional, Jodie has, in previous roles, developed and implemented various diversity and inclusion strategies. Melvin Rogers, Director of Human Resources, said: “With Jodie’s extensive background and knowledge working previously for National Express, ITV and Yorkshire Water, Jodie’s career has been centred on creating workplaces where everyone can fully participate. “Amongst her accolades are being shortlisted in the Head of Diversity category at the European Diversity Awards 2019 and named in the Top 100 Northern Power Women Future List. “We’re really looking forward to working with Jodie and developing and implementing the diversity and inclusion strategy for Sytner Group to continue our ‘one team’ ethos throughout the business.” For more information of this years event. www.leicesterpride.com LEICESTER MEDIA IS PROUD TO BE THE MEDIA PARTNER FOR LEICESTER PRIDE

Leicester Pride 2018 Event 1st September 2018 Victoria Park Leicester Leicester Pride celebrates it 10th year on Saturday 1st September. Leicester Media is proud to be the official media partner. www.leicesterpride.com Lots More Pictures. www.facebook.com/leicestermediaonline

Leicester Pride 2023, one of the largest free LGBTQ+ events in the UK, will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this September at its new home of Abbey Park, right in the heart of Leicester city centre. The annual event, which gets bigger each year, will bring the city together to celebrate Leicester’s diverse LGBTQ+ community on Saturday 2nd September. The festivities begin at 12 pm with a bright and colourful parade that will wind its way through the city from Curve to Leicester Pride’s new Abbey Park home where a jam-packed day of live music, entertainment, and celebration awaits. Highlights of this year’s Pride celebration include a community market, Billy Bates funfair, the Helsinki dance tent with DJ Woody Cook, main stage performances from West End star Ria Jones and the WestEnders, Lea Martin, Typically Tina and The Wild Boys before DJ Robbie Lewis with Rebe & Kyle Shenton on sax close the event with a live set and grand firework finale at 9 pm. Now one of the biggest, free Pride events in the UK, Leicester Pride could not take place without the support of sponsors and partners, many of whom have been in place since its beginning 15 years ago. Martyn Parker Chair & Director of Leicester Pride said “We’re incredibly excited to move to our new, bigger home at Abbey Park, something that has been in the planning for over 3 years now and we are extremely grateful for everyone’s support. Keeping pride free and accessible for everyone has always been at the heart of Leicester Pride so we’re hugely thankful to our sponsors who with us, continue to ensure that our wonderful city is able to come together and celebrate. Simon Harrison, Event Manager added “Without the support of all these partners Leicester Pride would not be able to evolve into the event it is today and keep it free for all.” Headline sponsors for 2023 include Aggregate Industries Barratt Homes and Sytner Group, Dunelm and Centrica as well as Curve, Leicester City Council, Billy Bates Funfair and Indigo Bars who run Helsinki, Dover Castle and Rainbow & Dove bars, Aspire, Avantor, DHL, DHU Healthcare, Hastings Direct, iOSH, Pick Everard, PepsiCo, The Secret Garden, and NEXT. Craig Thorpe, Director of Leicester Pride said “This is our 15th year and I’m so proud of all our team who work tirelessly throughout the year to bring this free event to enable our diverse communities to enjoy and celebrate such a great day….without our sponsors this event simply would not happen, myself and the whole team would like to thank them all for their current and past support over the last 15 years” Leicester Pride will take place on Saturday 2nd September, starting at 12pm outside Curve. The Abbey Park festival will be accessed via the Charter Street Bridge. To find out more, follow @leicesesterpride on social media or visit www.leicesterpride.com Sponsors of Leicester Pride

Saturday 31st August 2019 12 noon to 8pm Leicester Pride is Leicester’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) festival and is a colourful and vibrant event celebrating diversity and freedom of expression. The event starts with a spectacular parade through the city which culminates at an popular event on Victoria Park that includes live music, market stalls, funfair rides and health and wellbeing information. The event is free to attend and celebrates equality and diversity in the community. Leicester Pride is a family event with entertainment and attractions suitable for all ages. Pride is attended by more than 10,000 + people each year with more than 2,000 taking part in the parade through the city. The Parade Orton Square Leicester. (In front of the curve theatre) We invite everyone to join us on the parade, although we ask that larger groups register via the website so that we can plan the order and layout. Please note that no glass bottles are allowed on the parade and much of the route runs through the cities alcohol free zones so please refrain from drinking alcohol. Please arrive early so that we can start to form the parade outside the curve theatre no later then 11.30am, the Parade will start at 12.00 For a Safer Pride This year we are significantly increasing security on the parade. We now require all groups of people greater than 5 to register or you may not be able to take part on the day. We may also ask to search your belongings at any point in the parade. The festival site Victoria Park 1pm to 8pm The Parade arrives at the park at 1pm Its Free to attend and it is a Family event and everyone is welcomed. For security and safety reasons bag searches will be carried out on entry to the park. Please note that when the Parade arrives there may be a delay during this peak on entry. But please remember this is for safety reasons. and we want everyone to have a happy and safe pride. You can bring your own alcohol provided it’s not in glass bottles. Everyone must be over 18 year old to drink alcohol on the park. Please ensure you bring Photo ID We are hoping that the sun shines on Saturday please remember to apply sunblock cream and ensure you drink plenty of water on the Parade and on festival site throughout the day. Car Parking Part of the Victoria car park will be available for parking for the public on the day (pay and display) Free Pride Bus Catch the FREE Pride Bus from the Rainbow and Dove Charles street. every 15 mins, taking you directly to Leicester Pride, to the Festival site at Victoria Park. Leicester Media has been covering the Leicester Pride events for over 10 years. They are very proud to be our official media partner please help them by waving and being joyful when they are capturing the pride event. You will be able to see the official pictures and videos later on our social media sites coming soon after the event. We respect everyone’s privacy and if you wish not to be photographed or filmed, Please let them know. All the official photographers will be displaying Media ID passes. Leicester Media Proud Media Partner for Leicester Pride Don’t forget to Hash tag you pictures of Pride day using #leicesterpride2019 Pride guides are available at Visit Leicester and LGBT venues around the city. Please follow Leicester Pride and Leicester Media on Twitter and Instagram. @leicesterpride @leicestermedia Look out for the event pictures coming soon For more information www.leicesterpride.com