Bury Free Press

2 days ago | suffolknews.co.uk | Suzanne Day

A 70-year-old man who abused his position as an Islamic teacher has been found guilty of sexually assaulting six girls aged between seven and 14. Hafez Ashraf Uddin, of Wivenhoe Road, Barking, in London, was found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, following a trial lasting almost four weeks. The offences he stood trial for took place between 1985 and 1999 and related to when he was teaching Islam, in Ipswich.

2 days ago | suffolknews.co.uk | Mariam Ghaemi

The extension of free school meals to 500,000 more children has been welcomed – but one education trust boss is concerned that it ignores ‘just-about-managing’ families. On Wednesday, the Government announced that from the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals.

2 days ago | suffolknews.co.uk | Suzanne Day

Thunderstorms and heavy showers could lead to disruption on the roads this weekend. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for storms between 9am to 6pm tomorrow, which includes the whole of Suffolk. In an update published on its website, the Met Office said ‘there is a good chance’ driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail. It also warned of possible damage to buildings and structures from lightning strikes.

2 days ago | suffolknews.co.uk | Mariam Ghaemi

A secondary school’s plan to ban pupils from wearing skirts has been met with backlash from some parents, with one branding the move sexist. Thurston Community College (TCC), a 1,300-pupil school near Bury St Edmunds, has been consulting on changes to its school uniform policy, including a proposal for students to wear trousers or shorts, not skirts.

3 days ago | suffolknews.co.uk | Joao Santos |João D. Santos

An MP has called on the Government to introduce extra animal welfare protections due to an ongoing 'moral failing' during a debate. Adrian Ramsay, MP for the Waveney Valley constituency, led the Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday in a bid to introduce extra animal welfare safeguards in farming. He told MPs recent undercover footage of piglets being violently killed at a farm in Lincolnshire was not an isolated incident, and instead a symptom of failings in policy and enforcement.