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28 August 2026
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Child with phone in his hands lying at home on bed. Social Media tiktok is loaded on screen

More than 500 Bedfordshire children linked to crimes mentioning TikTok, data shows

More than 500 Bedfordshire children were victims in crimes where TikTok was referenced between 2023 and 2025, according to police data obtained through an FOI request...
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A female pupil raising their hand in a full classroom with the teacher in the background.

Bedford figures show local impact of national rise in discriminatory school exclusions

New data shows a national rise in school suspensions linked to racist, homophobic and disablist abuse. Bedford Borough’s figures remain lower than many councils. The figures form part of a wider...
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Young child holding a smart phone. Image Pixabay

Monthly column: Growing up in the online world – a national consultation

The Government has launched a major national consultation on how we keep children safe online, and I want to encourage parents, young people, educators and carers...
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Tom Grennan. Image: Frank Fieber

Tom Grennan backs social media ban for under-16s ahead of Bedford homecoming gig

Ahead of his Bedford Park show, Tom Grennan tells the Bedford Independent why he believes under-16s should be banned from social media. Speaking to the Bedford Independent ahead of his...
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Mobile phone and laptop with social media icons Image Anucha Tiemsom Shutterstock

Bedford Ian writes…

20 February 2026: Murdered by words, Point missed, Copy and paste, and Kettering kindness. Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough and tells us what he thinks...
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Comedian Dom Joly praises Bedford Borough Council for the way they handled ignorant comments on their Facebook page Image Bedford Borough Council Dom Joly Facebook

‘We didn’t create the moon’ – Bedford Borough Council’s response to ignorant social media comments goes viral

Bedford Borough Council’s has been praised for its response to comments about its Ramadan and Lent posts, after its sharp reply – including “we didn’t create the moon” – has now gone viral...
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Illustration of man on phone screen with loudspeaker promoting new products and services, engaging audience Image by pch.vectorFreepik

Social proof as a feature

Before diving into the concept of social evidence, it’s well worth understanding how human beings make alternatives. Most people don’t decide in isolation—we observe, compare, and reflect...
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Grok and X mobile icon app on a screen smartphone Image Primakov Shutterstock

Bedford Borough Council stops short of deleting X account despite child abuse and deepfake concerns

Bedford Borough Council says it will keep X for emergency use despite reports linking the platform to AI-generated sexualised images of children and growing international investigations...
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X owner, Elon Musk, at a launch of Grok 3 in February 2025. Grok 4 was later released just five months later in July. Image: bella1105/Shutterstock

Bedford Borough Council to review use of website that allowed users to make sexualised images of children

Bedford Borough Council will review its use of X after concerns about Grok, the platform’s AI tool, being used to create sexualised images of children. At a Full Council meeting on Wednesday...
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Get more Instagram views with fewer posts using Blastup. Hands holding a smartphone showing Instagram

The 2026 strategies for more Instagram views with fewer posts

Instagram views are the key signal for growth and visibility. Posting every day is not the only solution to get views and reach. You need a solid mindset for this. Research shows the...
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