A 47-year-old man, accused of raping a woman in Leicestershire more than 16 years ago, is set to stand trial at Leicester Crown Court in March.
According to LeicestershireLive, police have confirmed that Mahbubur Rahman of Wolsey Way, Loughborough, will appear at the court on March 6 in connection with an investigation which was previously shut.
The incident is said to have occurred in Loughborough in the early hours of October 7, 2006, when the alleged victim was 19 years old. The case remained dormant for a long time -- more than a decade to be precise -- until Leicestershire Police announced the charge earlier this week.
Sources in the police said that the accused, who was in his early 30s at the time of the crime, has been charged with one count of rape. He appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court on Wednesday (25) where he was told he will have to appear at the crown court to stand the trial.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.