Latest news with #Slough
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Slough man denies terror and arson charges at leisure centres
A man will face trial in October next year charged with terrorism offences and arson attacks on two leisure centres and a bomb Akhtar, 20, of Cress Road, Slough, Berkshire, is charged with one count of preparing terrorist acts and a separate count of possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of is further charged with arson attacks at Slough Ice Arena on 14 May and Salt Hill Activity Centre in Slough on 31 Akhtar is also accused of causing a bomb hoax directed at an Asda supermarket in Telford Drive in Slough on 9 May. The defendant appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday by video-link and spoke only to confirm his name and barrister Gavin Holme indicated that he will be pleading not guilty to the judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, set a provisional trial date of 19 October next year at Woolwich Crown Court with a time estimate of four weeks in front of a High Court Akhtar's next appearance will be a plea and trial preparation hearing on 31 October this year at which the trial date will be defendant was remanded in custody. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC slaps ANOTHER beloved sitcom with woke trigger warnings as five episodes flagged for 'discriminatory language'
The BBC has slapped another beloved sitcom with trigger warnings as five episodes have been flagged for 'discriminatory language'. The Office, the hit mockumentary sitcom created by comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, famously stars Ricky as paper company boss David Brent. Both series of the noughties programme were already labelled with a G symbol on BBC iPlayer, which flags parental guidance for younger viewers. But nearly half of the BBC series' 14 episodes, following life at Wernham Hogg's Slough office, now also carry the additional content notice. In series one, which aired in 2001, the first and last episodes - Downsize and Judgement - bear the alert. Meanwhile, a whopping half of the second series, released in 2002, has been hit with trigger warnings - episodes one, three and five, named Merger, Party and Charity. The Office, now considered one of the best British sitcoms of all time, took home a whole host of awards when it first hit our screens. It won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy in 2004, making it the first ever British comedy to take home a gong at the ceremony. Ricky also received the Golden Globe for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy in the same year. Its success lead to an American spin-off version in 2005, starring Steve Carell in the equivalent of Ricky's role. The US programme ran to an impressive nine series and just over 200 episodes, ending in 2013. The British version of The Office is just the latest of a run of sitcoms and classic TV shows to be hit with trigger warnings. Only Fools and Horses was hit with various disclaimers around 'racial language', words that 'may offend' and 'dated attitudes and behaviours' earlier this year. Only two of seven series of the eighties hit show - which is available to watch on ITV and often reruns on digital channel U&Gold - did not have any episodes at all slapped with the warnings. Meanwhile, a series of episodes of the third series of Doctor Who, which had previously been declared 'missing from the archives', was also hit with a warning back in April. The lost instalments, called The Savages, which star the first ever Time Lord William Hartnell, first aired back in 1966, with an animated remake released on DVD in March. But it was put out with a string of warnings attached from the British Board of Film Classification, saying it contained 'verbal references to discrimination and the discriminatory social structure of an alien society'. Also, ITV put a notice on some episodes of beloved seventies show George And Mildred in March - saying they contain 'classic British humour from a bygone era'. The show, which ran for five series from 1976 until 1979, follows George and Mildred Roper, played by Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy, a constantly-sparring married couple. And the broadcaster was ridiculed for over-protecting its viewers, with Free Speech Union founder Toby Young saying: 'George And Mildred? Really? What's next? 'The Magic Roundabout on the grounds that viewers with hyperactivity disorder may find the character of Zebedee triggering?'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
I was charged £4.5k for 2-hour stay in shopping centre car park after payment machine glitch… would YOU spot the error?
A MUM was left "shocked" after a shopping centre car park charged her more than £4,500 for a two-hour stay. Yaditi Kava, 39, visited Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre in Slough with her two young daughters to pick up some dinner after work on Friday May 16. 5 5 5 As she returned to the multi-storey car park, the area with the payment machines was closed. Instead the mum used her contactless card to pay at the exit barrier as she left. After she tapped, a message told her she needed to enter her pin - a step not normally needed for purchases of £100 or under. However, bank security protocols do require customers enter their numeric passcode from time-to-time even for transactions under that amount. Regardless, Yaditi was in a rush and failed to spot that she was being charged a colossal £4,586 for her brief stay. "I was in a rush, the girls were getting tired, and I did not see the number on the small card machine," she told the BBC. She saw the display said '4,5' and mistakenly believed the fee was going to be £4.50. Instead, she was horrified after receiving a text notification from her bank showing the size of the charge. "To my shock, I saw that they had deducted not £4.50 but £4,586 from my account," she said. "It was surreal - I just couldn't fathom that they had taken that money." Car owners face instant driving ban under new registration law plan – it's all based on '$500 rule' Yaditi her to wait until Monday May 19 to try and reclaim the money, eventually speaking to a manager who she says blamed a "faulty machine". The manager provided her with a receipt and told her the money would be repaid within 2-3 working days. But three weeks on, the money had still not materialised. The accidental charge was repaid shortly after an intervention by the BBC's consumer rights programme The JVS Show, hosted by Jonathan Vernon-Smith on Three Counties Radio. Yaditi received her full refund on Saturday June 7 - a whole 22 days after the money was first taken. Real state company Savills, who manage the shopping centre, called it an "isolated incident" and said it was investigating to avoid other customers being inconvenienced by similar problems in the future. Yaditi is currently in the midst of a divorce and claims the money that was taken by the car park was cash she had set aside to cover legal fees. She also considered calling off her daughter's birthday party over the stress. A spokesperson for Savills said: "As the appointed managing agent at Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre, Savills can confirm that it is aware of an isolated incident concerning an anomaly parking charge at the scheme. "The matter has now been rectified with a full refund issued. "This was a very unusual occurrence, and we are investigating the car park system to prevent this from happening in the future." 5 5
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
John Crane introduces versatile next-generation Coaxial Seal, engineered for success and efficiency
New Type 93AX Coaxial Separation Seal reduces nitrogen consumption by up to 80% Designed to maintain seal performance even in the event of multiple failure scenarios Developed to address customers' pain points across the energy and process industries, including oil and gas, power generation and clean energy SLOUGH, England, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ -- John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions, and a business of Smiths Group plc, today announced the launch of the Type 93AX Coaxial Separation Seal – a next generation dry gas sealing solution engineered to help customers reduce emissions, improve equipment reliability, and lower operational costs. The Type 93AX builds on John Crane's legacy of industrial sealing expertise with a robust, fail-safe design that remains operational even in the event of multiple failure scenarios. Designed based on direct customer feedback, test data indicates the mechanical seal reduces nitrogen consumption by up to 80%, compared to conventional radial separation seals – offering significant efficiency and sustainability benefits. Addressing real industry challenges Research has shown that contamination is a significant contributor to dry gas seal failures, making it one of the leading causes of unscheduled maintenance and equipment downtime. The Type 93AX is engineered to prevent oil ingress from the compressor bearing chamber, minimising this risk and supporting more reliable, continuous operation. According to Deloitte, unplanned downtime costs the global process industries an estimated $50 billion annually, with equipment failure responsible for 42% of that unplanned downtime. In energy and process applications, this can result in losses of up to $42 million per facility per year, on average. The Type 93AX is designed to mitigate both performance and financial risks by extending the reliability of the dry gas seal system and reducing demand on supporting infrastructure such as nitrogen (N2) generators and air compressors. Three operating scenarios for added resilience The seal supports three operating modes and automatically adapts in failure situations to minimise disruption and contain gas or oil migration: Scenario 1: Standard operation: Non-contacting operation provides positive oil ingress mitigation. Scenario 2: Separation gas loss: Maintains non-contacting operation and oil control even without separation gas. Scenario 3: Dry gas seal failure: Restricts process gas leakage during compressor shutdown (up to 35 bar), while maintaining seal integrity up to 70 bar. Supporting operational and sustainability goals The Type 93AX helps contribute to sustainability goals through reduced emissions and lower energy usage. By cutting nitrogen use by up to 80%, it decreases demand on N2 generation systems – a source of both energy consumption and cost. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), improving industrial efficiency could cut global energy use by 12% by 2040, further underlining the importance of solutions like the Type 93AX. Mike Eason, Chief Technology Officer at John Crane, said: "Our customers told us they wanted a separation seal that increases safety, efficiency, and reliability. The Type 93AX delivers on these priorities. It's designed to keep working in real-world failure conditions to protect their most critical assets, and reduce environmental impact, while driving down OPEX and CAPEX. Eason continued: "The new seal is compatible with John Crane's dry gas seal portfolio and is supported by a global network of over 200 facilities, including manufacturing, sales and services, and 13 global turbo service centres in more than 50 countries. It can be sold as part of a bundled first-fit order or compressor upgrade, or supplied as a stand-alone product to meet customer-specific requirements. More information can be found here: About John Crane John Crane is a global leader in mission-critical technologies for the energy and process industries and an innovator in rotating equipment, encompassing mechanical seals, couplings, filtration systems, cutting-edge asset management, and digital diagnostics solutions. Blending a rich legacy of innovation with a commitment to service excellence, we have enabled our customers to operate reliably and sustainably for over a century. While recognising the role of traditional energy, we are pioneering solutions that enable cleaner alternatives, crafting a vision for a sustainable energy future. Our extensive global presence underscores our promise to customers, with over 200 facilities, including manufacturing, sales and service, in more than 50 countries across the globe. With over £1.1 billion in revenue in Fiscal Year 2024, we are an integral pillar of Smiths Group plc, a FTSE 100 listed industrial technology company dedicated to engineering a better future. Visit for more. View original content: SOURCE John Crane View original content: Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Mother accidentally charged £4,586 for a two-hour car park stay in Slough after paying without noticing the price
A mother was accidentally charged £4,586 when she parked at a multi-storey car park for two hours when she paid without noticing the price. Yaditi Kava, 39, had gone on a shopping trip with her two young daughters at the Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre, in Slough, on May 16. After staying for dinner, and her girls 'getting tired', Ms Kava paid as she exited the car park as the pay machines were closed. She quickly made the contactless payment and admitted she was 'in a rush and thought the '4,5' on the display meant £4.50. But to her horror, she immediately received a text message from her bank to inform her £4,586 had been taken from her account. Savills, which manages the centre, blamed the error on a faulty machine and said it was an 'isolated incident'. Bosses had vowed to return the mother's money with three days, but it would take three weeks for the cash to show up in her bank. Ms Kava had saved up the money to pay for legal fees for her divorce and said the stress almost caused her to cancel plans for her daughter's birthday. She told the BBC: 'It was surreal - I just couldn't fathom that they had taken that money.' A spokesperson for Savills told the broadcaster before the refund was issued: 'Savills can confirm that it is aware of an isolated incident concerning an anomaly with a parking charge in the car park. 'We have been in regular contact with the customer to rectify the issue as a matter of priority and can confirm a full refund is being processed. 'This was a very unusual occurrence, and we are investigating the car park system to prevent this from happening in the future.' Disgruntled shoppers have previously complained about the dilapidated state of the car park, saying it stinks of urine. Gordon Moffatt last year told the Maidenhead Advertiser he had issues when exiting the car park when the machine failed to accept his bank card. 'It shocked me the sense of the dilapidation [in] Slough,' he said. 'The town is falling into disrepair and Queensmere is a mirror of the town it serves.' The shopping centre announced earlier this month it was permanently closing the car park as it 'no longer meets the expectations of today's shoppers or aligns with modern parking standards'. The shopping centre announced earlier this month it was permanently closing the car park as it 'no longer meets the expectations of today's shoppers' 'As such, the decision has been made to close the car park to ensure the highest level of service for our visitors,' a statement read on the shopping centre's website. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, bought the centre in 2016 for £130million. It recently sold the centre to developer Berkeley Homes with the deal expected to be rubber stamped in the summer. The shopping centre is expected to be demolished with outline planning permission for 1,600 homes on the 9.2-acre site.
