Response to Peterborough City Council Leader Dr Sabina Asad Qayyum

7 November 2025

Dear Cllr Qayyum

Thank you for your letter of 4 November 2025.

The tragic events which unfolded last weekend touched upon the lives of many. My thoughts continue to be with the victims who experienced this terrifying attack, their family, their friends and the wider community across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

I continue to commend the actions of so many brave individuals who responded to the events on Saturday evening in Huntingdon, including the heroic train staff, emergency services, medical teams at Addenbrooke’s hospital and all those behind the scenes, putting victims first while securing evidence. I appreciate you writing to the Constabulary thanking officers for their response and the prompt arrest of the suspect, which is likely to have prevented further casualties.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, it is my job to hold the Chief Constable to account for the effectiveness of the Constabulary. I do this knowing that I cannot interfere in operational policing. There continues to be a live criminal investigation into what happened on Saturday night which is being led by the British Transport Police.

The Chief Constable continues to provide me with regular updates on the events locally. This includes possible earlier sightings of the suspect and further offences which may be linked to the named individual. The Independent Office of Police Conduct confirmed earlier in the week that it will not be investigating the Constabulary’s actions in the lead up to the event. This allowed me to formally ask the Chief Constable, Simon Megicks to conduct a thorough review of the events which occurred prior to the tragic events of Saturday evening. That process is ongoing. The outcome will be reported through my holding to account meetings with the Chief Constable and made publicly available.

To be clear, the ongoing criminal investigation led by British Transport Police, along with ongoing support for the victims of these abhorrent crimes must be the priority, ensuring justice is served.

I do, however, recognise that communities across Peterborough are worried about knife crime and their safety. I have dedicated my life to protecting the public, in my role as a police officer and since May 2021 as Police and Crime Commissioner. My priority has always been and will continue to be tackling crime and keeping communities safe.

In terms of tackling knife crime in Peterborough, this is an important issue and there is significant activity taking place both within policing and across the partnership.

Preventing and reducing serious violence (including knife crime) is a key element of my Police and Crime Plan.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, I am responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for the delivery of an efficient and effective police service. In relation to preventing and reducing serious violence (including knife crime) issues considered include:

• Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG): Additional government funding will enable the Constabulary to increase police officers in neighbourhood policing by 30 Police Constables, 7 PCSOs and 13 Special Constables. As part of this you may be aware that two new teams were launched in Peterborough by the Constabulary over the summer. The teams in the city centre and eastern sector of Peterborough include two extra Sergeants and eight additional Police Residents in every neighbourhood across the county also now have a named police officer dedicated to their area who is the first point of contact for local policing matters and will respond to public enquiries within 72 hours.
• Hotspot Policing: National Hotspot Action Fund grant funding continues to enable additional visible police patrols in areas across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire where there is a high prevalence of violence and anti-social behaviour. Three areas of Peterborough are benefiting these additional patrols. This funding has also enabled qualified Young Person’s Workers from Peterborough City Council’s diversion team to patrol alongside police officers.

• Hyperlocal Activity: The Constabulary is currently working closely with the Safer Peterborough Partnership to access additional national funding to support interventions in an area of Peterborough identified as having a high concentration of knife crime.
• Operation Guardian: Operation Guardian is designed to reduce the risk posed by individuals who are habitual knife carriers through safeguarding vulnerable people, strengthening local partnerships and targeting resources where harm can be reduced the most.
• Operation Sceptre: This national campaign supports the year-round work of officers to reduce knife crime. The next week of action is due to take place from 17th to 24th In an earlier campaign in May this year nearly 100 weapons or knives were handed in across the county, additional foot patrols took place in Peterborough, alongside knife sweeps, school engagement and test purchasing.
• Alliance: The Alliance project, led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary in partnership with Peterborough City Council, was formed in 2023. It tackles serious organised crime through the Home Office's Clear, Hold and Build strategy by focusing on disrupting criminal groups, maintaining safe spaces, and building resilient communities in the Lincoln Road area.

I chair the Countywide High Harms Board – a multi-agency strategic Board which focusses on drugs, serious and organised crime, serious violence and violence against women and girls (VAWG). As Chair, I ensure issues relating to serious violence are regularly reviewed with strategic partners (including representatives from the Safer Peterborough Partnership and Peterborough City Council), helping them co-ordinate and deliver their statutory duties to reduce crime and disorder.

The Serious Violence Duty came into effect in January 2023 and requires organisations to work together, share information, and deliver interventions that prevent and reduce serious violence. I perform a central convening role, administer national grant funding in an evidence-informed way, and monitor project delivery.

Since January 2023, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire have received over £1.5 million of national grant funding to deliver against the Duty; almost £1.14 million of which has been specifically allocated for the delivery of interventions that focus on early intervention and violence prevention. Peterborough has directly received 35% (£404k) of all intervention funding to support projects including:

 

• Targeted youth work: Commissioned by my office on behalf of Peterborough City Council, specialist Romsey Mill youth workers help vulnerable young people at risk of serious violence engage in positive
• Hotspot detached youth work and primary school outreach: Targeted youth work is delivered to young people exhibiting risk factors for serious violence in the spaces they choose to The Youth Diversion Team also provide tailored one-to-one support to primary school children in years 5 and 6 who are vulnerable to serious violence. There has also been funding for after school diversion activity through the Safer Peterborough Partnership.
• Trusted Adult Scheme: Commissioned by my office on behalf of Peterborough City Council, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has introduced the Trusted Adult Scheme (TAS) to Peterborough, following the project’s success in Cambridge. TAS provides a safe space, using ARU facilities, in which young people who are known to be at risk of serious violence can engage in diversionary activities (street art, studio sessions and sports/yoga) with trusted adults.

Peterborough has also benefited from further intervention funding via countywide projects, such as:

• Parent resources: Cambridge City Council co-designed a series of awareness raising resources with parents on issues such as knife crime, county lines and online abuse.
• Key stage 2 video: Cambridge City Council developed an age-appropriate video on county lines that is specifically designed for children at the end of primary school.
• Serious Violence and Outreach Co-ordinator in the Victim and Witness Hub: This role provides support to victims and witnesses of serious violent
• VAWG prevention: This involves the extension of Businesses Against Abuse training countywide, particularly to Peterborough, and the development of the Safer Corridors Toolkit.

Partners across the county, including Peterborough City Council and the Safer Peterborough Partnership have been encouraged to submit proposals for further projects that can be delivered by March 2026.

The Serious Violence Project Co-ordinator and a member of my team also engage regularly with the Safer Peterborough Partnership. I also fund a problem-solving post within the Safer Peterborough Partnership.

I hope you join me in recognising the important work that is being delivered across the county to support the Serious Violence Duty. The Home Office is yet to provide an update on future funding beyond March 2026. This uncertainty impacts on service delivery and staff retention, including the sustainability of Peterborough City Council’s diversion team. I therefore invite you to join me and implore the government to continue the Serious Violence Duty funding to allow us to continue to fund interventions that prevent and reduce serious violence in our communities, to help keep the people of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire safe. We are also awaiting details from the Government regarding the Young Futures Prevention Partnerships.

On the wider subject of police funding, Cambridgeshire Constabulary is one of the least funded forces in the country. The formula used to allocate the Home Office grant is woefully inadequate and does not take account of the significant growth in our population. I, along with some of our MPs continue to lobby government at every opportunity for fairer funding for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. In October 2024, Cambridgeshire County Council passed a motion, unanimously supported by all councillors, to effectively lobby government on this issue. This may be something you would consider and would be very happy to provide more detail on the subject.

Cllr Qayyam, once again I am grateful to you for reaching out to me in the form of your letter. You have my contact details, and I am always willing to speak directly with you about any concerns you may have.

Yours sincerely

Darryl Preston

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough