In the year that BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend came to Luton, Stellantis announced its plans to close the Vauxhall factory after nearly 120 years in the town and The Mall being renamed Luton Point, there were hundreds of stories that sparked debate and intrigue among our readers.
Scroll down to see the most read stories in Luton Today since January 2024:
1. 46 criminals from Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis jailed in 2023 - including murderers, rapists and drug dealers
We put together a roundup of all of the people were jailed during 2023 and it proved to be very popular. We featured those who received some of the heaviest sentences handed down by judges at Luton Crown Court and other across the country - including the murderer of Saul Murray from Luton, Ikem Affia, who was sent down for life; serial rapist Petru Iancu who was jailed for 23 years; and drug dealer Ardjan Axhame who will spend the next decade in prison. Photo: Beds Police
2. Ofsted reports: 41 Luton schools that received 'Good' or 'Outstanding' ratings in 2023
Our former reporter, Natalie Cummings, put together a list of all the schools in Luton that were given 'good' or 'outstanding' ratings from Ofsted in 2023. Did your child's school feature in our piece? Photo: svklimkim via Pixabay
3. Bedfordshire bowel cancer survivor forced to soil herself during three-hour PIP assessment
In March, we covered this story about how a woman was left with no option but to soil herself after being made to stay on the phone for three hours during an enhanced medical assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Photo: Pixabay
4. Over 100,000 music fans come to Luton for BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend
When the BBC chose Luton to host its flagship festival, Olivia Preston was invited along to experience all the action over three days. She was busy snapping music lovers and featured many in this roundup of pictures. Photo: Olivia Preston