Local Democracy Reporting Service

Temporary cycle lanes, put in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, pose a hazard to riders, campaign group Camcycle, external claims.

Cambridgeshire County Counci, externall has painted lanes on to a number of roads in the county as part of wider efforts to make more space available for pedestrians and cyclists.

Image source, Camcycle

But the design of the new measures, put in place much more quickly than usual road layout changes, has prompted criticism.

Pictures posted on social media show in one case parked cars, in another potholes, blocking the new cycle lanes, which campaigners say raise safety concerns.

Camcycle, although in favour of the general strategy, said: “Narrow advisory painted lanes, such as those added in Milton and Girton, offer no protection from motor traffic and are potentially more unsafe than no lanes at all, encouraging drivers to treat the cycle lane marking as the edge of the carriageway and pass dangerously close to riders.”

Highways and transport committee chairman, Conservative councillor Ian Bates, said: “We have made these cycle enhancements as quickly as we can due to the special times we’re in and to help people cycle wherever possible.”

A man has been charged after a diamond worth more than half a million pounds was stolen from a house in Westminster.

Detectives from the Met's Flying Squad are investigating a residential burglary which took place in London in December 2017.

Justinas Ivaskivicius, 34, of Fallowfield, Cambridge, has been charged with theft from a person, after a diamond worth £515,000 was stolen from a Westminster home between 12-15 December 2017, officers said.

He has also been charged with two counts of possession of criminal property in relation to a quantity of cash.

He will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court later via videolink.

Google

Peterborough City Council is to spend £181,500 of government funding to kick-start work on social distancing measures to welcome back shoppers from mid-June.

Image source, Google

Following the government’s announcement that non-essential shops could begin reopening from 15 June, it has been working closely with local businesses to prepare for a "new normal" in the city centre.

This will include the promotion of an open-air café-style culture, new bicycle storage facilities, reorganised spaces in car parks, a health and safety audit of Peterborough City Market and widening of pavements to encourage people coming short distances into the city centre to walk and cycle.

Clear signage and floor markings will encourage people to stay apart and the Cathedral Square fountains will also be turned off to create more space for shoppers.

Kathryn Watkins is charged with causing death by dangerous driving after the fatal two-vehicle crash.

A closure notice is served on a house in the area where 300 people gathered on Monday night.

A house in Peterborough has been shut to anyone who doesn't live there, after about 300 people gathered there for a street rave on Monday night.

Image source, Cambridgeshire Police

Cambridgeshire Police issued a 48-hour closure notice on the property in Sheepwalk, Paston, on Wednesday, meaning only the legal occupants can enter until Friday evening.

The force said it would apply to magistrates on Friday for a full closure order to be granted, which could prohibit access to everyone, including the current occupants, for a period of up to three months.

The notice states "there are reasonable grounds" to suspect the premises could be the scene of "parties, disorder and drug-dealing".

Insp Ian Lombardo said: "There is a line between organising community events to build morale in this challenging time and the events of Monday night. This was very clearly not acceptable and caused significant concern to local residents and put a strain on police resources."

Nigel Wright, 64, died at the scene of a reported disturbance at an address in Peterborough.

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Peterborough's New Theatre, external is set to stay shut until mid-November because business is not viable while social distancing rules are in place.

Image source, Google

Selladoor, which runs the venue on Broadway, said the plan was to reopen in time for pantomime season.

Director Richie Ross said spacing out seats would significantly reduce the 1,000 capacity.

"The figures just don't add up at 218 seats: we can't bring in the shows we want to bring in, nobody makes any money out of it, basically," he said.

Alexander Edney died in the crash in Peterborough in the early hours of Tuesday.

A man in his 60s, who has yet to be named, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say they had "insufficient officer numbers" to safely move people on from the area.

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Health officials are calling on survivors of Covid-19 to donate their blood plasma as early research suggests it could contain antibodies to fight the condition in other people.

The research suggests there are three categories of coronavirus survivors who have plasma with the most potential to save lives - patients over the age of 35, male survivors of Covid-19 and patients who were ill enough to need hospital treatment.

The NHS Blood and Transplant Service, external is collecting plasma for the trial at 23 donor centres in England including Luton and Cambridge in the East.

Anyone in one of the three categories is asked to contact them, external.

Alex Hobbs tried to fool police and insurers into thinking he had been robbed of the car he had crashed.

Two team members push a Mini around Peterborough as they cannot use their training facilities.

The team at a Wood Green Animal Shelter, external say they have been overwhelmed with offers to give homes to their dogs during lockdown and during one week it had 1,000 inquiries.

Image source, Geograph/Adrian Cable

The shelter at Godmanchester in Cambridgeshire would normally have 700-800 people on its waiting list for rescue dogs.

Linda Cantle from the charity said while the number of inquiries was "amazing", it "not possible" to accommodate everyone.

"We only rehome 800 dogs a year so you can imagine unfortunately the maths doesn't work out," she said.

Two women are arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and kidnapping.

Alex Pope
BBC News Online

A number of prefabricated buildings made to house six rough sleepers have been put in place after building work was delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The Snug 1st Homes, created by the charity New Meaning Foundation, external, are due to take in their first occupants on 15 June.

The self-contained homes, on Newmarket Road, Cambridge, have a kitchen area, bathroom, living space and will be fully furnished.

Image source, New Meaning

They were due to be lifted into place on 21 March, but the coronavirus lockdown meant work was halted.

Image source, Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue

A fire service issuing another reminder after it had been called to many bonfires which had got out of control after being left unattended in windy conditions over the long weekend.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking people to take their rubbish to tips, as they have now reopened.

Firefighters were called to a property in Wrestlingworth on Saturday evening where trees, fence panels and five sheds where destroyed.

"Don’t forget that dry ground and heat can be the perfect combo for the spread of outdoor fires," a spokeswoman said.

Image source, Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue

Cambridge University Botanic Garden's annual plant festival returns today, and like the Chelsea Flower Show and other outdoor events, it's moved online, external.

Image source, Cambridge University Botanic Garden

This year's three-day event will be a virtual tour around all things horticultural with each day having a different theme – plant science, horticulture and conservation – and talks, tours and events which explore these themes in detail.

Activities include an interactive live event every day, talks by researchers at the cutting edge of plant science and things all the family can do at home during half term.

It will also take a wider look at plant conservation around the world and how botanic gardens are playing their part in saving endangered species.

It took more than four hours to get the blaze, which spread from a fence to the house, under control.