Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident of a possession of an offensive weapon in Milton Keynes.

The incident happened at around 3pm on Monday (16/9) between Knebworth Gate and Hainhalt Avenue by Giffard Park.

In the incident, two offenders, one on a moped and one on foot, approached the victim and brandished a machete whilst chasing after the victim.

The victim ran towards local shops where the offenders stopped chasing them. Thames Valley Police confirmed that the victim sustained no injuries, and no hospital treatment was required.

The moped is described as a 2006/2007 plate moped in a Khaki green colour.

The first offender is described as a 20-year-old white male, and was wearing a black balaclava, grey windbreaker with black jogging bottoms and black Nike airforce trainers. The second offender is described as a 17-year-old boy and was wearing a black hoodie, with the hood up.

Investigating officer PC William Marrable, based at Milton Keynes police station, said, “I’m appealing to anybody who witnessed this incident to please get in touch with Thames Valley Police.

“I would also ask anyone who may have dash-cam, CCTV or doorbell footage to please contact us if it has captured the incident.

“You can make a report online or call us on 101, quoting reference 43240445669.

“Alternatively, for 100% anonymity, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

The Met Office has issued two weather warnings for thunderstorms in southern England, including Milton Keynes.

Yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms are in place between 12pm and 8pm on Friday 20th September, and again in place for the whole day of Saturday 21st September.

The warning said that while some places are expecting to remain dry in this time, thunderstorms and heavy showers could cause some disruption on Friday and Saturday in a few places.

Under the yellow warnings, the Met Office advise that there is a risk of some damage to a few buildings and structures from lightning strikes, and that some short term loss of power and other services is likely.

Delays to train services are possible, while driving conditions may be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus.

There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds, and there is also a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life.

In a statement, the Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong, said that the storms are expected as a development following a period of calmer, warmer weather.

Armstrong said, “Thundery downpours are expected to develop in places across the south on Friday afternoon bringing frequent lightning, gusty winds, hail, and spells of heavy rain. The risk of thunderstorms persists into Saturday with potentially longer spells of heavy rain for some along with a continued risk of hail and lightning accompanying the most intense storms, particularly in parts of the Midlands, southern England and east Wales during Saturday afternoon and evening.

“The warnings cover the areas of the country most at risk of seeing thunderstorms but not everyone within a warning area will experience a thunderstorm. For many much of the time it will remain dry.

“We are also expecting these showers to merge into longer spells of heavy rain on Sunday and Monday across some southern and central parts, and once the full details become clearer, we may well issue further severe weather warnings so keep up to date with the latest forecast for your area”

Details have been announced for the City of Codes and Light Festival in Milton Keynes early next month.

The Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture (MKIAC) charity have confirmed the return of their City of Codes and Light Festival, which will be taking place at locations in Milton Keynes from Wednesday 2nd October to Saturday 5th October.

The 2024 edition of the festival will explore how artificial intelligence intersects with art, science, and technology through a series of immersive learning activities, interactive workshops, and thought-provoking symposiums.

The four-day event will start with a thought-provoking symposium on Mathematics, AI and Creative Patterns, which will be held at Bletchley Park and start on 2nd October. It will run through to Saturday 5th October with an extraordinary free evening of entertainment.

Proceedings will start with a light projection on on MK Central Library by Limbic Cinema, then the popular Electric Drummers will return, leading the Parade of Lights and joined by Eva the Polar Bear, a large mechanical puppet, through the streets to Campbell Park.

The event will culminate with an exhilarating ‘Theatre in the Sky’ display by the world-renowned drone art show company Celestial, accompanied by the electric sounds of Jimi Needles & the Club Classics Orchestra at Campbell Park.

This year’s festival will also explore the theme of the fascinating world of bees and their ability to construct intricate, geometrically flawless structures. A visual representation of this idea has been the creation of an interactive artwork called “The HIVE,” created by local students and artists and will be on display in the Central Library on Saturday, 5th October for a month.

Through a captivating blend of art, light, and technology, the festival will celebrate the beauty of nature’s engineering alongside human creativity, demonstrating how these elements come together to inspire new ways of thinking.

For more information and a detailed schedule of events across the four days, please visit https://www.mkiac.org/

MK Dons’ Head Coach Mike Williamson has left the club to take the vacant Head Coach role at Carlisle United.

Williamson, along with his coaching staff Chris Bell, Carl Magnay and Ian Watson, have moved from Stadium MK to Brunton Park, with Williamson signing a contract of undisclosed length with the Cumbrians.

The move ends Williamson’s tenure at MK Dons, with the former Newcastle defender and Gateshead Head Coach leaving after 11 months at Stadium MK.

MK Dons confirmed that the club had rejected an initial bid by Carlisle, but that a second offer that met a release clause in Williamson’s contract with MK Dons was accepted.

Williamson replaces Paul Simpson, who was sacked at the end of August by Carlisle after two years in his second spell in charge. Simpson had taken Carlisle to promotion in the 2022/23 season, but the Cumbrians finished rock bottom of League One last season and won one of their opening four games before Simpson’s departure.

One of Simpson’s final games in charge had seen Carlisle beaten 3-0 by Williamson’s MK Dons at Stadium MK, in one of the Dons’ two wins in all competitions so far this season.

Williamson leaves with MK Dons 20th in the table, having lost 4 of the first 6 games of the season.

The former Gateshead boss initially impressed in Milton Keynes, winning 10 of his first 15 games in charge

MK Dons captain and player-coach Dean Lewington has been confirmed as taking caretaker charge of the first team squad, including for Saturday’s match against Doncaster Rovers at Stadium MK.

In a statement confirming the departure, MK Dons said, “MK Dons would like to thank Mike, Ian, Chris and Carl for their efforts during their time at Stadium MK. Everyone at MK Dons wishes them every success in the future.

“Chairman Fahad Al Ghanim, CEO Neil Hart, Sporting Director Liam Sweeting and Performance and Operations Director Simon Crampton have already actively begun the search for a new Head Coach.

“MK Dons look forward to updating supporters on the appointment very soon.”

Williamson told the official Carlisle United website that he was looking forward to getting started.

He said, “It’s been a whirlwind, as they always are. I’ve just had a look around. It’s a fantastic club and I’m really excited, I’ve got a lot of energy and I’m looking forward to getting started.

“It’s a historic club, as soon as I spoke to the owners, you could see the passion and the values that they embodied.

“It’s really exciting, I can see all the developments going on.

“I just want to get on the grass, I want to meet the lads now. Really exciting times and we just want to come here and make sure that we give everything we’ve got and we’re here to support the club and do what we possibly can and we know we can help the players on the field as well.”

When asked about his decision to change, he added, “There was a multitude of reasons. I think obviously again about how well supported Carlisle are and how passionate these guys are.

“I live in the North East and my family are settled there so obviously there’s a lot of elements that go into it. The project and the owners were key. From the outside there’s nothing but good said about them.

“You can see they just want it for the community, they want it for the supporters. I really liked that, I really liked the feel and that was important to me.”