Slough Express

Multiple arrests after organised crime raids

Scores of criminal suspects were arrested during a threeday police crackdown in the Thames Valley, as the force said it would ‘never stop’ its fight against gangs, writes Sam Leech. Action in Berkshire saw 56 charges brought against eight people who...

Disruption during key phase of water works

Residents are ‘muddling through chaos’ as Thames Water embarks on the latest phase of its water mains upgrade in Clewer Hill Road, writes David Lee. The embattled water company is carrying out a £750,000 water mains repair project following decades of...

Flats built without permission can stay

A block of flats built without permission in Langley has been granted approval on appeal, with a Government planning inspector overturning the council’s objection, writes Sam Leech. Inspector Beverly Wilders said ‘harm’ caused by the flats, including...

Man stabbed partner in ‘despicable’ attack

A domestic abuser who lured his partner to a secluded spot in Burnham Beeches before carrying out a frenzied knife attack will serve at least 10 years in jail, writes David Lee. Robert Reardon, 31, of High Street, Lowestoft, tricked his long-term...

Plan for 104 flats to replace multi-storey

A Slough multi-storey car park could be demolished to make way for a major 104 flats redevelopment – but no affordable housing is planned. In April, Slough Borough Council decided to sell Hatfield Car Park, in Hatfield Road, which has 581 spaces...

‘Plans for 1,000 homes will destroy our village’

Burnham’s village ‘essence’ is under threat from sweeping proposals to build up to 1,000 new homes on fields and farmland, the chairman of a parish council has said. Housebuilding company Croudace Homes has earmarked greenbelt land west of the village...

Green light given for ‘monster’ data centre

A massive new data centre will be built at the site of the former AkzoNobel paint factory despite councillors branding it a ‘monster’, writes Elena Chiujdea, local democracy reporter. Slough Borough Council had originally earmarked the Wexham Road...

Celebrating community’s champions

Slough’s community champions were recognised at an awards ceremony ‘infused with 1920s glamour and heartfelt appreciation’. The #OneSlough Awards 2025 saw more than 230 guests, including volunteers, community leaders and local organisations and...

Energy giant Centrica to move out of town

Centrica, the British multinational energy company, has confirmed that it has plans to move out of Windsor, writes Adrian Williams. Operating under the trading name British Gas in England and Wales, Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to customers...

Man accused of killing ex-partner’s boyfriend

A Holyport man accused of killing his former partner’s boyfriend at their Slough home is on trial for murder, writes Adrian Williams. Tomasz Kopec was 46 years old when he was badly beaten at his home in Grant Avenue on April 25, sometime after...

New owner outlines ‘landmark’ project

Developers say the long-awaited regeneration of the Queensmere shopping centre will be a ’14-year build programme’ that could be completed in 2039, writes Anaka Nair. Berkeley Homes completed a deal to buy the Queensmere Observatory shopping centres...

‘A real gem to show off to world leaders’

Windsor’s time in the international spotlight shows no sign of fading, as the royal town prepares to welcome yet another world leader before the year is out. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will become the third international dignitary to be...

Green light for town centre development

A major development which will see 101 new homes built in the centre of Ascot was approved last week – despite one councillor describing it as having ‘absolutely no soul’. Objectors packed into a Windsor and Ascot development committee meeting on...

Builder avoids prison over house collapse

A Wraysbury builder has been given a suspended sentence after his negligence caused a client’s house to collapse in Windsor, writes Adrian Williams. The incident ‘seriously injured’ three workers and left the homeowner footing a £200,000 bill to...

Pomp and protests as royals welcome Trump

President Trump praised the UK’s relationship with the United States at an historic state visit in Windsor and said ‘special doesn’t do it justice’. The eyes of the world watched on as the country rolled out its finest pomp and pageantry for the US...

Major police operation for Trump’s state visit

Drones and marine units are part of the comprehensive security operation being prepared in Windsor for the second state visit by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, writes Anaka Nair. Mr and Mrs Trump accepted the invitation from...

Killer stabbed victim 34 times, trial hears

Disturbing footage of a ‘murderous’ attack in Slough, where a man was stabbed 34 times and then run over by his killer, has been shown at the opening of a murder trial, writes Sam Leech. Khalil Muhammad is accused of the murder of Frederik Mutala, 23,...

Legal challenge over data centre approval

The fight over sweeping plans for a new data centre in Iver could be thrashed out in court after campaigners launched legal action against the Government, writes Sam Leech. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner overruled Buckinghamshire Council to...

Man who killed wife given hospital order

A man who killed his wife of 27 years during a ‘state of mental malfunction’ is being sent to a secure psychiatric facility after pleading guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, writes Adrian Williams. In March, a murder...

Prison officer kissed inmate while on duty

A prison officer from Windsor has been handed a suspended jail sentence after she sent explicit images of herself to an inmate and kissed them while on duty, writes Sam Leech. Chloe Hobbs, 23, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for two...

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Your regular Slough & Windsor Express is inside

Murder probe over motorcyclist’s death

A murder investigation has been launched over the death of a motorcyclist near Datchet on Wednesday, writes David Lee. Emergency services were called to Riding Court Road at about 4.30pm following reports of a crash between the driver of a blue Mini...

Picture special on French President’s state visit

Town ready for French President’s state visit

A heavy police presence and a number of road closures will be in place in Windsor next week as French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for a state visit, writes Jade Kidd. President Macron and his wife Brigitte will be visiting the town from...

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Drive to tackle ‘Wild West’ road problems

Slough’s streets were compared to ‘the Wild West’ at a council meeting this week, as fresh measures to crack down on rule-breaking motorists were approved, writes Sam Leech. A £1.3million drive for heavier policing of parking and traffic, as well as...

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Fatal punch ‘was act of anger and frustration’

A man has been jailed for manslaughter over the death of another man who was killed from a single punch at a Burnham High Street pub. Usman Hanif, 29, of High Street in Langley, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison at Aylesbury Crown...

Man charged after PC is left fighting for life

A Slough man has been charged with attempted murder after a police officer was left fighting for his life following a suspected hit-andrun in Stoke Poges last week. PC Christopher Miller, from Thames Valley Police’s (TVP) Roads Policing Unit, was...

‘Beacon of light’ Kyra was unlawfully killed

A coroner has said multiple failings at the Liquid Leisure water park in Datchet contributed to the death of 11-year-old Kyra Hill, who drowned in August 2022. Delivering her conclusion at Kyra’s inquest on Tuesday, senior coroner Heidi Connor said...

Charges could come in at free car parks

A proposal is on the table to start charging in currently free Slough council car parks – to prevent ‘abuse’ of the perk by commercial companies. Some car parks have been ‘plagued’ with rogue airport parking and car dealership parking, Slough Borough...

‘Don’t be a hero, don’t become a memory’

A major campaign about the dangers of open water will show young people that ‘teamwork matters more’ than personal bravery when facing high-risk environments, writes Anaka Nair. Leisure Focus officially launches the River and Open Water Safety and...

Victim’s ‘spirit lives on in lessons he taught’

Tributes have been paid to a Slough man as police continue a murder investigation over his death, writes Sam Leech. Tomasz Kopec, 46, a father and grandfather, has been remembered by his family as ‘a guiding light’ whose ‘countless memories we’ll...

Fugitive who ‘used car as weapon’ jailed

A fugitive who went on the run after ploughing into a woman multiple times in his car during a confrontation in Slough has been jailed for 11 years, writes Jade Kidd. Khurram Hussain, 28, of Stoke Road, Slough, was handed the sentence at Reading Crown...

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Approval for homes at former office park

Plans for 315 new homes in Windsor have been approved amid worries over zero affordable housing and blocks of flats up to seven storeys tall, writes Sam Leech. Windsor and Ascot Development Management Committee councillors narrowly approved Elysian...

Council merger ‘not a solution’ for finances

Local government reorganisation which could see neighbouring councils merge ‘is not a solution to the financial challenges facing local authorities’, a Royal Borough report has said. At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday night, council leader Simon Werner...

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Man guilty of role in toilet heist gold sale

An Ascot man has been found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property following the burglary of a famous golden toilet, writes Adrian Williams. Fred Doe, aged 36, of Ascot, was found guilty by jury after a trial at Oxford Crown Court...

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Director behind bars for £100k Covid fraud

A Slough director has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after fraudulently obtaining two Covid loans for his construction firm, writes Anaka Nair. Arti Deda, 31, of Littleport Spur, overstated the turnover of his Knight Workers Limited company to...

Two arrested in ‘sudden’ death murder probe

A murder investigation has been launched in connection with the death of a 54-year-old man in Slough, writes David Lee. Police were called to Furnival Avenue at 10.31am on Thursday, January 30 following the ‘sudden, unexpected death’ of a man. Police...

Heathrow expansion cleared for take-off

The Government’s backing of plans to create a third runway at Heathrow has been welcomed by Slough’s MP – but the Royal Borough council has reaffirmed its opposition to expansion, writes Jade Kidd. In a speech on economic growth in Oxford on Wednesday...

Do I need reasons to divorce?

The reform introduced no-fault divorce allowing one or both spouses to state irretrievable breakdown without further details. For further advice, please get in touch with our family team.

Council tax could rise above cap once again

Slough residents could face another council tax rise above the five per cent Government cap as the council continues to grapple with its challenging financial position, writes David Lee. The embattled local authority has secured Government permission...

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Nurse struck off for fentanyl forgeries

A Wexham Park Hospital nurse has been struck off the nursing register after a panel found she stole fentanyl and forged patient records to conceal her actions, writes Sam Leech. Nearly 60 vials of fentanyl – one of the most powerful opioid drugs –...

Borough told to target hundreds more homes

The Royal Borough has been told it should deliver 583 more homes per year than previously agreed – due to sweeping changes introduced by central Government, writes Adrian Williams. In August, local councils heard that they would be given new mandatory...

Huge council tax rise proposed in budget

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is seeking to raise council tax by a whopping 25 per cent for 2025/26 in its ongoing mission to save the council from its financial crisis, Draft budget papers have been released for the coming financial...

‘Significant pressure’ for ambulance crews

South Central Ambulance Service is facing ‘significant pressure’ as it heads into the crucial winter period, its chief executive officer has warned, writes Sam Leech. Problems at the service (SCAS), an NHS trust running ambulances in Berkshire and...

Work starts on £25m NHS diagnostics hub

Spades have hit the ground in Slough as work begins on a new £25million health hub which NHS chiefs say will ‘transform’ care in the area, writes Sam Leech. Slough Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC), under development at Upton Court Hospital, is...

Project is ‘a movement to protect our children’

Standing together for the future of our young people was the message from community leaders in Langley at the launch of a new campaign this week, writes Sam Leech. Safer Langley – the first project of its kind in the Thames Valley – sees police;...

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NHS trust boss warns of winter pressures

Around 85,000 patients are waiting for treatment at NHS Frimley Health hospitals – including Wexham Park and Heatherwood – with a health trust boss also ‘nervous’ about pressures on emergency departments this winter. Many people are ‘still waiting far...

Cop boss says Slough ‘is a very safe town’

The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner said Slough ‘is still a very safe town’ despite councillors raising concerns over it being branded the ‘most dangerous major town in Berkshire’. Matthew Barber joined Thames Valley Police officers to...

Murder investigation as teen dies in crash

The family of a teenager killed in a motorcycle crash in Datchet have paid tribute to a ‘beautiful boy’ – as a murder investigation continues, writes Anaka Nair. Officers found a motorcycle had left the road outside Liquid Leisure Centre on Horton...

Leader hopeful centre work will start in 2025

The leader of Slough Borough Council says the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is looking to sell the Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre – but he remains confident work will start on the major redevelopment scheme next year, writes...

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Do I need reasons to divorce?

The reform introduced no-fault divorce allowing one or both spouses to state irretrievable breakdown without further details. For further advice, please get in touch with our family team.

‘He made an impact wherever he went’

The family of a 23-year-old who was stabbed to death in Slough last week said they will miss his laughter and his ‘unstoppable determination’, writes Jade Kidd. Frederick Mutala was stabbed in Rochfords Gardens on Wednesday, September 11 and was...

Man killed in violent broad daylight attack

A murder probe is underway in Slough after a man was stabbed to death in broad daylight on Wednesday, writes Sam Leech. The victim, a man in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene following the ‘violent attack’ in Rochfords Gardens at around 3.20pm...