Three men have been sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison for drug supply, prostitution and exploitation offences in Milton Keynes.
Catalin Lupau, aged 34, of Arncliffe Drive in Milton Keynes; Bogdan Stoican, 31, of Willow Way in Potters Bar; and George Pandele, 27, of Swasedale Road in Luton, appeared at Amersham Crown Court on Tuesday (11/11) for sentencing.
At the same court on Friday 24 October, a jury found each man guilty of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to manage a brothel used for prostitution.
At their sentencing hearing Lupau was sentenced to nine years, Stoican was sentenced to eight years and Pandele was sentenced to nine years in prison.
This follows an investigation lead by Thames Valley police which began in October 2024 into a block of flats on Milburn Avenue, which was used to facilitate the supply of class A drugs and transport women to, who were then exploited to engage in prostitution.
Lupau, Stoican and Pandele were responsible for managing this and did so for financial gain.
On 2 April 2025, officers carried out warrants at the flats and a second address in Milton Keynes, arresting all three men. They were charged the following day.
The following month, Milton Keynes South Neighbourhood Policing Team closed down the block, which contains 24 flats, following repeated reports of anti-social behaviour by neighbours. This meant that no-one was allowed to enter the block except for police and other emergency services, the landlord and authorised building contractors carrying out emergency work.
A/Detective Sergeant James Faithfull, of Thames Valley Police’s Specialist Operations Unit, said, “This is an excellent result following a lengthy and complex investigation which means that Lupau, Stoican and Pandele will now face the consequences for their actions.
“These sentences are testament to the hard and thorough work of the investigation team, partner agencies and local neighbourhood policing team – together we were able to safeguard 18 women as a result of this investigation while ensuring that the life of local residents was improved by closing down the flats in the largest closure order ever used in the Thames Valley area.
“We hope that the outcome of this investigation and the closure order reassures our communities that any kind of criminality which causes disruption and misery to people will not be tolerated by police. We will look into every avenue possible in order to disrupt and put a stop to offending.
“The activity within this block was a significant disruption to the lives of those living in the area, and I would like to again express my thanks to local residents for their patience and support throughout the process of us applying for the closure order. Their co-operation and reports made to police were instrumental in helping us to tackle this blight on the community.
“Supported by Milton Keynes City Council, this closure is an example of how the police, community and council have worked in partnership to achieve a positive result.
“I urge people to please keep reporting incidents of anti-social behaviour in their area to us – we will listen to you and we will take action. You can phone us on 101 or report via our website. Always call 999 in an emergency.”
Rain and flood warnings have been issued in the Milton Keynes area ahead of Storm Claudia, which is forecast to strike tomorrow.
Yellow and amber weather warnings for rain are in place, with a yellow warning in place between 6am on Friday (14/11) and 6am the following day (15/11), as well as a stronger amber warning between 12pm on Friday and 11:59pm at the end of the day.
The amber warning issued by the Met Office is because Storm Claudia is expected to bring heavy rain leading to flooding and disruption on Friday.
Warnings covered by the amber warning includes warnings that spray and flooding would lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, while delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely.
Fast flowing or deep floodwater is seen as likely, causing danger to life, with homes and businesses likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.
There is also a good chance some communities will be cut off by flooded roads, while power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses are considered possible.
An amber flood warning has also been issued for places along the Great Ouse River in areas between Thornborough in Buckinghamshire and Newport Pagnell.
The warning, which was issued earlier today, has been issued to warn people that high river levels may lead to flooding.
Areas most at risk are those around the River Great Ouse from Thornborough to Newport Pagnell, including Dogsmouth Brook, with rainfall and river levels to be monitored.
Storm Claudia, which has been named by the Spanish Meteorological Service after ongoing impacts in Canary Islands, has resulted in Amber rain warnings in southern and central parts of England and Wales. Friday is forecast to be the worst affected day, although some rain is also expected on Saturday (15/11).
The Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said, “Storm Claudia will bring very heavy rainfall to a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday. This rain will become slow moving, and some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
“Much of this will fall on saturated ground, increasing the chances of flooding and contributing to the Amber warnings we have issued. Within the Amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event, with 60-80mm fairly widely. Gusty winds in the northwest of England and northwest Wales is an additional hazard, with 60-70mph gusts possible in exposed places within the warning area.”
Milton Keynes City Council has expanded a popular centre that helps some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Simpson Day Centre is a facility that offers care to adults living with dementia, and to older people with a frailty, disability or who are socially isolated, to help them remain more independent, happy and well.
The team runs a wide range of activities from exercise sessions, singing, music and games alongside regular clubs for gardening, woodworking, arts and crafts, knit-and-natter groups and much more.
The City Council is using money collected from developers as the city grows, known as Section 106 funding, to expand Simpson Day Centre and increase accessibility to allow more residents to use the site.
In their statement revealing expansion, MK City Council said that they have invested £72,000 to create a dedicated personal care area with an adjustable, electric bed and made other changes to help people with disabilities get better access to its large garden.
MK City Council are also inviting families to visit Simpson Day Centre to learn more about the expanded facilities and the support on offer. The event will take place on Saturday 29 November, from 1pm–3pm at the centre on Simpson Road (MK6 3AF). Visitors will be able to meet the friendly team and sample some of the activities they organise.
If you are planning to come along, it would be appreciated if you could email the team at: C&[email protected]
Councillor Donna Fuller, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Communities, said, “We know that Simpson Day Centre is a much-loved service for the people who use it, and it’s a lifeline for their caring relatives – giving them a short break from their caring duties.
“These enhancements to the building mean we can keep helping current centre users whose needs are increasing, as well as opening the door to new people. I’d encourage anyone interested in learning more to drop by on 29 November – Nancy and her amazing team would love to meet you.”
Joe Shine, whose mother attends Simpson Day Centre, added, “Simpson Day Centre provides an invaluable service with skilled and knowledgeable staff for whom nothing seems too much trouble. My 88 year old mother who suffers with dementia is a regular and invariably comes home brighter and more alert after her visits.”
Northampton Town will host fellow League One side Wycombe Wanderers in the First Knockout Round of the EFL Trophy.
The all-third tier tie, which follows the Cobblers’ topping their group, is scheduled to take place in the week beginning Monday December 1st 2025.
Full details including ticket information and TV coverage is to be announced in due course.
Northampton progressed after winning 3 games out of 3 in their EFL Trophy group, winning matches against Walsall, Shrewsbury Town and the Chelsea U21s.
Opponents Wycombe progressed after finishing as runners-up in a group that also contained Colchester United, Gillingham and the Fulham U21s.
At the time of the draw, the two sides sit close by in the League One table, with Northampton in 13th place in the League One table and Wycombe one place behind in 14th. The two teams have played one another in the third tier so far this season, with Northampton losing 2-0 at Wycombe in late September.
Police are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery in Milton Keynes yesterday (12/11).
The incident happened at approximately 7pm on Silbury Boulevard in Central Milton Keynes outside of the PG building.
During the incident, two men followed the victim, who was a man in his twenties, before shouting ‘POLICE’, causing the victim to stop. The two men demanded his personal belongings.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that the victim was able to flee the scene without suffering any injuries or losing any personal belongings.
The first offender is described as a mixed-race man, in his twenties, 5ft 8ins tall, of a large build. He was dressed in all black and was wearing a long black coat and a black beanie. He was also missing one of his front teeth.
The second offender is described as a white man in his thirties, 5ft 7ins tall, of medium build. He was wearing grey jogging bottoms, a black jacket and trainers.
Investigating officer, PC Mavish Iqbal, said, “I am appealing to anybody who witnessed this attempted robbery or who have any information that could assist our investigation to get in touch.
“I would ask anybody who lives or was driving in the area and may have CCTV, video doorbell or dash-cam footage to please check any recording and get in touch if it has captured anything that may help us.
“You can make a report online or by calling us on 101, quoting reference 43250579401.
“Alternatively, you can also report information anonymously to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
