Bradford manhunt continues over fatal stabbing of woman pushing baby in pram

Published

1 year ago

April 8, 2024

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A manhunt continues after the fatal stabbing of a woman who was pushing a baby in a pram.

West Yorkshire Police released images of a man wanted over the attack in the centre of Bradford at 3.21pm on Saturday.

Habibur Masum, 25, is from the Oldham area and has links to Burnley and Chester. He is described as an Asian man, of slim build.

Officers were called after reports a woman had been stabbed by a man who then fled the scene.

She was taken to hospital where she subsequently died of her injuries.

The victim is yet to be formally identified but is understood to be 27 years old.

Masum was pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms with a small black emblem on the left pocket and maroon trainers.

A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up.

Sky News has spoken to a shopkeeper who said the victim was pushing a baby in a pram when she was attacked.

He ran over to try to help the woman.

“She was on the ground. I tried… there was me, and another guy, we tried. But looks like she was gone,” he said.

He said he saw the victim the morning she died, with her child.

“The child is very small. I think it must be two to four months, something like that,” he added.

“She was walking with them all the time.

“What is he going to do when he grows up without mother?”

‘Screaming’ alerted neighbours to ‘tragedy’

Joanna Coates, a local resident, heard what she now believes was screaming from the attack, but hadn’t realised what was going on.

Speaking to Sky News, she said: “All I heard was screaming and shouting ‘get off’. It was that bad screaming even my daughter woke up and heard it. She’s 16.

“I thought it was people on drugs, fighting over the drugs, there’s screaming all the time round this area. If I knew I would’ve gone and helped her.”

She added she thought it was “disgusting” what had happened.

Duncan Milwain, a curate (trainee vicar) at Bradford Cathedral, had just returned from a few days off when he heard the news.

He told Sky News: “As someone with a very young child myself, my initial thoughts and feelings are with that young baby.

“It’s tragic for the woman and her family, but for this child, long after we’ve all disappeared and the news has moved on and we’ve forgotten about this, that young baby will grow up motherless. That’s the tragedy here.”

Police encouraged the public not to approach Masum.

“A knife was recovered from the scene of the murder, but we cannot say if Habibur Masum is armed,” said Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson.

“If anyone has any information about his movements or whereabouts since 3.20pm on Saturday please contact police as a matter of urgency.”

UK

Manhunt after five people stabbed at event in southeast London

Published

4 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Manhunt after five people stabbed at event in southeast London

A manhunt has been launched after five people were stabbed at an event in southeast London, police have said.

Officers were called to Nathan Way, Thamesmead, at 4.19am on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Five people were found with stab wounds and were taken to hospital where their injuries are still being assessed.

No arrests have been made.

“Enquiries are ongoing and a cordon will remain in place throughout the day,” a Met Police statement said.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

UK

Three Iranians charged under National Security Act after investigation by UK counter-terror police

Published

6 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Three Iranians charged under National Security Act after investigation by UK counter-terror police

Three Iranian men have been charged with offences under the National Security Act in the UK, police have said.

The trio have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025, following an investigation by counter-terror police.

The Metropolitan Police said the three men are Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55.

The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran, police said.

All three men will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, the force added.

Sepahvand, of St John’s Wood, London, has also been charged with “surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research” with the intention of “committing serious violence against a person in the UK”, according to a police statement.

Meanwhile, Manesh, of Kensal Rise, London, and Noori, of Ealing, London, have also been charged with “engaging in conduct, namely surveillance and reconnaissance, with the intention that acts, namely serious violence against a person in the UK, would be committed by others”.

Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, described the charges as “extremely serious”.

“Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock and we have worked closely with colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service to reach this point,” he said.

“Now that these men have been charged, I would urge people not to speculate about this case, so that the criminal justice process can run its course.”

A fourth Iranian national aged 31 who was arrested was released with no further action on Thursday.

In a separate unrelated probe, counter-terror officers arrested five Iranian men, aged between 29 and 46, during raids across various locations in Greater Manchester, London, and Swindon earlier this month.

Last October, MI5 director general Ken McCallum said the UK intelligence agency had responded to 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots since 2022, warning of the risk of an “increase or broadening of Iranian state aggression in the UK”.

UK

Two firefighters and one other person die after fire at former RAF base in Oxfordshire

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2025

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Two firefighters and one other person die after fire at former RAF base in Oxfordshire

Two firefighters and a member of the public have died in a large fire in Bicester, the fire service announced.

The firefighters died in the inferno at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire, which now hosts historic motoring and aviation centre Bicester Motion.

The local fire service was called to the scene at 6.39pm last night.

Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said: “It is with a very heavy heart that we today report the loss of two of our firefighters. Families have been informed and are being supported.

“Our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times and we ask for privacy to be respected.

“We cannot release any details at present but will provide further information as soon as we can.”

Two other firefighters sustained serious injuries and are currently being treated in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said in a statement.

Footage shared on social media shows plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and flames swallowing the large building.

Ten fire crews attended the incident, with four remaining at the scene. The fire is still ongoing, but it is considered under control.

Local residents were advised to remain indoors and keep their windows shut, but this advice has now been lifted.

Bicester Motion said in a statement it would be closed today and over the weekend.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

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