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9 November 2026
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Bedfordshire Police

Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service red fire trucks in a row.

Woman becomes second victim of Cleat Hill explosion

A woman, who was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries following an explosion at a home in Cleat Hill, Bedford has died. Julia Harris, 84, was taken to hospital on Saturday...
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The 100m cordon around the Cleat Hill site will remain until further notice. Image: Bedford Borough Council

Displaced Cleat Hill residents allowed back into their homes to collect belongings

Bedford Borough Council has confirmed that every person who was evacuated from their home in Cleat Hill following a gas explosion has now had a chance to access their property....
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Paul Swales. Image: Bedfordshire Police

Family pay tribute to 85-year-old man who lost his life in Cleat Hill explosion

The family of the 85-year-old man who died following an explosion and fire in Bedford have paid tribute to him, describing him as a "kind and loving man". Paul Swales died on Saturday, 20 October after emergency services attended reports of a..
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The 100m cordon around the Cleat Hill site will remain until further notice. Image: Bedford Borough Council

Public safety “a priority” as 100m Cleat Hill cordon remains in place

Residents were told that a 100m cordon will remain in place at Cleat Hill as the emergency services and Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigate the cause of the gas explosion that killed one person on Saturday (19 October)...
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Jamie Thacker. Image: Bedfordshire Police

20 year prison sentence for sex offender who raped a child and made her film indecent videos

A registered sex offender has been sentenced to more than 20 years for raping a child and making her film indecent videos for him. Jamie Thacker, 34, who has been previously convicted of possessing indecent images of children, had...
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Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst. Image: Bedordshire Police

Police and crime panel confirm return of chief constable in November

Bedfordshire’s temporarily retired chief constable said he has "no plans" to leave the force after he returns to policing next month. Trevor Rodenhurst will return to his post on November 4 following...
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Firefighters keep watch of a house on Cleat Hill that was destroyed in an explosion on Saturday, 20 October 2024. Image: Paul Joshua

Health and Safety Executive joins investigation into Cleat Hill explosion

The Bedford Independent has learned that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, has been asked to join a police investigation...
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The aftermath of the explosion on Cleat Hill on 19 October 2024. Image: Paul Joshua

Cleat Hill homes still out of bounds after explosion

Bedford Borough Council has said it will no longer be able to allow visits to homes evacuated after an explosion in Cleat Hill at the weekend due to safety concerns but that they hope to "resolve...
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Andrew McCleary. Image: Tye McCleary

Inquest finds Bedford man unlawfully killed while restrained by police and paramedics

An inquest into the death of Bedford man, Andrew McCleary while under arrest in May 2021 has ruled that he was unlawfully killed while being restrained by police and ambulance staff...
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Manton Lane gas main burst at the entrance to the site of the new Bedford Greenacre School site, 22 October 2024. Image: Emily Finney

Breaking news: Gas main line hit by workers on Manton Lane – people told to stay indoors

Workers at the Bedford Greenacre School building site on Manton Lane have damaged a gas mainline, and businesses have been told to keep their windows open to prevent gas buildup...
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