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9 November 2026
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Latest news from across Bedford Borough, when and where you want it. The Bedford Independent is your best source of Bedford news on mobile, tablet and desktop.

The Bedford Independent was founded to provide the people of Bedford Borough with a modern news desk that would give them easy access to genuine and unbiased Bedford news. We are independent in ownership and opinion.

Our mission is to inform and inspire the people of Bedford. To do this we will work hard to bring them the news that matters to them from our town centre to the most rural of the Borough’s villages.

Our editorial team are NCTJ trained and abides by the IMPRESS Standards code of conduct and our own stringent, modern ethical editorial policy.

Lord-Lieutenant Cadets with His Majesty’s Lord- Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Mrs Susan Lousada. Image: Tayla Holland.

Seven outstanding young people appointed as Bedfordshire’s new Lord-Lieutenant cadets

Seven outstanding young people from Bedfordshire cadet organisations have been formally commissioned to support the lord-lieutenant at civic ceremonies and events during 2026/27...
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Bedford Park showing bedding plants and the bandstand Image Bedford Borough Council

Bedfordians urged to help decide the future of neighbourhood parks and community facilities

Bedford Borough Council is asking local people to help decide which neighbourhood facilities, parks and open spaces should be prioritised over the next 25 years as part of...
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A street-side CPR training session. Image: East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

Bedford shoppers and leisure centre visitors can learn CPR this Friday

Bedfordians can learn life-saving CPR and defibrillator skills at two free drop-in events this Friday, joining cardiac arrest survivor Nick Markham to overcome the fear of stepping in...
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Bedfordshire Police officers speaking to an employee at Tech Experts, Allhallows, Bedford as part of Operation Machinize. Image: Bedford Independent.

Police raid Bedford town centre shop over suspected money laundering

Police raided a Bedford town centre shop this morning (Tuesday) as part of a county-wide investigation into suspected money laundering and organised crime....
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Practical Driving Test Certificate and provisional driving licence. Image: mundissima/Shutterstock.

Monthly column: Driving test delays – slowly but surely progress being made to tackle backlog

Anyone trying to book a driving test in Bedford and Kempston will know how frustrating the process has become. The pandemic created a significant backlog when tests were suspended...
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Podington Padel Players at Borough Hall Image Hannah Mahon We Are Bedford

Podington farm padel courts approved after councillors overturn officer refusal

Around 30 participants from Podington attended a meeting at Borough Hall in Bedford to support their popular activity. Applicant Bromborough Estate was seeking part-retrospective...
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A rugby player at the Man vs Fat initiative looks for a pass surrounded by players

Rugby club urges Bedfordians to fight the flab in Man vs Fat weight loss programme

A local club created for overweight men in Bedford is on the hunt for new members, as it looks to spread its wings and help more of the town's rugby-mad players get into sport, all while losing weight...
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Welcome to Wixams road sign Image Bedford Independent

Call for urgent Bedford Borough PSPO after neighbouring council approves vehicle ban

Bedford Borough could become a magnet for dangerous drivers after Central Bedfordshire approved a borough-wide PSPO, prompting urgent calls for local leaders to...
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(l-r) Manosphere 'influencer' Harrison Sullivan and Theroux in Inside the Manosphere Image Netflix

Sexism is damaging the mental health of young women across East of England

A new study reveals 87% of young women in the region face sexism, with one in three reporting direct harm to their mental health and over a third altering how they dress...
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70,000th passenger, Pat receives a bottle of Champagne from John Bunyan Community Boat purser Theresa. Image: B&MK Waterways Trust.

Champagne celebration on River Great Ouse as John Bunyan community boat welcomes its 70,000th passenger

The volunteer-run John Bunyan Community Boat has celebrated welcoming its 70,000th passenger on the River Great Ouse, marking a major landmark as the 2026...
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