Chorley and South Ribble will be starting this month.  Lancashire County Council has reviewed the buses it supports in the area and taken account of requests from the local community to improve services as contracts were awarded for the new financial year.  This expansion to services has been possible thanks to additional funding from HM Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan fund.  There will also be changes to routes and timetables of a number of other services.  Lancashire County Council lead member for Highways and Active Travel said: "Our current contracts with bus operators for the services we support in Preston Chorley and South Ribble expire in March 2025 and we've taken the opportunity to review how they work and propose some changes to serve areas of new housing deliver longstanding requests from the community "The improved network will serve a larger portion of our community making journeys easier and more convenient for everyone It will mean that more people can access reliable public transport close to their homes “Our goal is to create a more inclusive and comprehensive bus network that meets the needs of our growing community - we hope to encourage more people to choose public transport as their preferred mode of travel reducing traffic congestion and contributing to a greener environment.”  added: "The value of regular and reliable services cannot be understated so it's great to see our £27 million in bus improvement funding being put to good use enhancing buses for passengers across Preston "With over £1bn allocated across the country and our Bus Services Bill set to give local leaders new powers to take control of services our bus revolution is well underway - bringing an end to the postcode lottery of bus services and better connect communities to jobs and opportunities."  A number of changes were made to timetables as a result of feedback received during consultation carried out in December 2024 and January 2025.  You can see full details of all the changes at https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/public-transport/bus-service-changes/.  Cookie Settings Powered by Onclusive PR Manager™ Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayohits radiostaffordshirenewsBoy (15) in hospital after being stabbed in LongtonStaffordshire Police are appealing for information A 15-year-old boy is in hospital after being stabbed in Longton The teenager was walking with friends along Goms Hill Road at around 6:15pm on Saturday 21 December when he was approached by a group of youngsters wearing balaclavas He was found by officers and paramedics on Edensor Road with a wound to his back His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing Staffordshire Police are reviewing CCTV of the area at the time of the incident and are urging anyone with information to come forward Officers are particularly keen to speak to anyone in the area with dashcam or doorbell footage quoting incident number 562 of 21 December First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Anger had been growing at police chief Gilbert Masengeli after abductions of Jamil and Aslam Longton and Bob Njagi Three Kenyans who were abducted last month after taking part in an anti-government protest have resurfaced amid anger directed at a police chief who belatedly honoured a court summons in relation to the disappearances shortly after they were found and brothers Aslam and Jamil Longton were found in Kiambu county “I am informed that Jamil Longton and his brother Aslam were dumped at Gachie border of Kiambu and Nairobi by their captors,” she posted on X. She then wrote another message about Njagi: “At around 1am Bob Njagi managed find his way to Tigoni police station and for assistance Social media images show the brothers appearing distressed after their release “I thank Kenyans who stood by us,” Jamil Longton said in a video posted by Odhiambo “We’ll share more information through the president of the Law Society of Kenya The three went missing on 19 August after being taken away by people alleged to be police. The brothers were abducted in the afternoon after they left their house, while Njagi was ejected from a bus by masked men that night and put into another vehicle Their disappearances followed deadly anti-government protests that lasted nearly two months and in which dozens went missing The Law Society of Kenya filed a case against the government and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations relating to the disappearance of the three men The matter caught national attention after the acting inspector general of police snubbed court summons to answer questions about their whereabouts after Masengeli had failed to honour the summons seven times a judge ordered him to serve six months in prison for contempt of court suspending the sentence for seven days to give him another chance to appear before the court On Friday Masengeli made a last-minute appearance and apologised for his absence “We believe [the men’s release] was intended to provide immediate grounds for [Masengeli] to challenge his conviction,” Cornelius Oduor of the Kenya Human Rights Commission told Agence France-Presse Although the contempt charge against Masengeli was dropped the case into the men’s disappearance is to continue The case once again turned the spotlight on widespread abductions and enforced disappearances in Kenya and the general lack of accountability by authorities The Independent Police Oversight Authority is investigating many complaints of such cases including from the recent anti-government protests In a rare conviction last year, three police officers were handed sentences including the death penalty for the murder of a human rights lawyer and two other people six years after their bodies were found in sacks in a river an associate director at Human Rights Watch said the abduction of Njagi and the Longton brothers “falls in the pattern of the other abductions” involving the police “The most unfortunate thing is that everything that they’re doing is in violation of the law,” he said the people who are involved need to know they have violated the law and they need to be held to account.” Hussein Khalid, the executive director of the Haki Africa human rights organisation said it was “a good thing” that Njagi and the Longton brothers have been found alive and their finding “begins the quest for justice” “We must know who was holding these individuals,” he said “We want action taken against them and we will not relent.” The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Want Stoke-on-Trent news emailed to you direct from our journalists Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters Callous thieves stole freshly-planted bushes from outside a resurgent Stoke-on-Trent shopping arcade Longton Exchange is bucking the national downturn in retail to see all units fully let and footfall rising Efforts to attract shoppers have included putting on family-friendly events and sprucing up the area with rainbow benches But the precinct suffered a setback when plants were pinched last weekend Residents have now rallied round to plant replacements some of our newly-planted bushes were sadly taken from Longton Exchange We replanted beautiful new camellia bushes where the others were stolen as we remain committed to enhancing the centre for our community "We’ve seen lots of support from local residents, and it’s truly heartwarming. While we hope this doesn’t happen again, rest assured we’ll continue to work hard to make Longton Exchange a brighter Sign up to our main daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 11:56 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 Fine and settled under the influence of high pressure Chilly but bright to start with plenty of sunny spells through the morning Turning cloudier from the east during the afternoon Rather cloudy into the evening but dry for most but not feeling as chilly as recent nights with most places remaining frost free Another widely dry and settled day with a few sunny spells breaking through largely cloudy skies and feeling warm with temperatures slightly above the early-May average The remainder of the week will see high pressure dominating It will stay dry with plenty of sunny spells Breezy at times but temperatures will be on the rise Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average 19 AUG 2024BookmarkSt Thomas More Catholic Academy has seen great success this year (Image: St Thomas More Catholic Academy)Staff and students at St Thomas More Catholic Academy in Longton are celebrating another successful year in its ongoing drive to “aspire to be more.” The result of this work is that the school has broken a number of records across various key areas the academy has received an unprecedented number of first-choice applications from year 6 pupils This surge reflects the institution’s ever-growing reputation for excellence within and beyond the community the sixth form has boasted record enrolments with many students securing places at top universities The year 11 GCSE results also placed the academy among the top five schools in Stoke-on-Trent for student progress scoring above average in comparison to not only the local area The school’s efforts have been recognised with several prestigious awards St Thomas More received a National Attendance Award ranking it within the top 25% of similar secondary schools in England according to Fisher Family Trust the academy received the Wellbeing Award for Schools highlighting its commendable support for the well-being of staff The PE and Performance faculty continued their exceptional track record by achieving gold status for the third consecutive year in the School Games Mark This national accolade recognises schools that provide a diverse range of inclusive curriculum and enrichment opportunities A record number of year 7 and year 12 students completed English Speaking Board accreditations this year This milestone means more students than ever before have been recognised for their articulate communication skills 250 students participated in UK Maths Trust competitions The UK Maths Challenge encourages pupils to apply their mathematical skills beyond standard lessons through a multiple-choice test requiring precision and problem-solving abilities 84 pupils earned certificates: 23 received silver and one achieved gold for outstanding performance The academy’s commitment to international education was also honoured with the British Council's International School Award at the Foundation level This accolade acknowledges schools that excel in incorporating a global perspective into their curriculum head of UK schools for the British Council praised St Thomas More's international initiatives stating: “St Thomas More’s international work has earned the school well-deserved recognition with the British Council International School Award - Foundation Certificate.” The academic year culminated in a vibrant Culture Day where a record number of 100 students hosted stalls showcasing their cultural heritage through food traditional dress and music from around the globe St Thomas More Catholic Academy has reached new heights this year continuing to uphold its core values of faith and the school community eagerly anticipates building on this success in the coming year said: “Setting the bar so high is at the heart of our school it’s incredible to have exceeded even our own expectations!”