RUNNING through the streets of Leicester, fearing for her life, all Aria Selene could do was think about the man she was escaping.
Following a boozy night out with friends in 2023, the 20-year-old had been ushered into a fake taxi – and was held captive, raped and beaten by the monstrous driver.
Aria, a bartender, says: “That night I just wanted to get home, but I faced my worst nightmare and thought I would die.”
At the time, Aria lived alone in a city-centre apartment in Leicester and was working at a bar nearby.
She and her best friend, Charlie Parker, 20, also a bartender, both had the night off work so they went out in town together, for a few drinks and a catch-up.
Aria recalls: “At around 3am, we called it a night. By then, I was a little tipsy, but still in control.
“I waited for Charlie to get his Uber outside the bar.
“After hugging him goodbye, as my flat was only five minutes away, I decided to walk.
“I’d always avoided taxis after reading horror news stories about them.
“But after setting off, I felt woozy, and my vision was blurry. The next thing I remember was being inside the back of a taxi.
“Gazing around the backseat, I was really confused. The taxi driver was circling the city centre.
“I asked him if I could please get out but he ignored me.
“I realised he wasn’t taking me home and I started to panic. He continued doing circles.
“I started to shout, ‘Let me out please!’ But nothing.”
Petrified, Aria frantically tried to open the door but it was locked.
The driver kept going in circles for hours before eventually stopping by a dark alleyway.
I worried he was going to kill me. Going crazy in the seat, I began kicking and shaking the door as hard as I could.
Aria Selene
Aria says: “Somehow, I found myself being pulled into the front passenger seat.
“I was screaming at him to get off, and he shouted for me to shut the hell up and pinned me down.
“I was hysterical, kicking and trying to fight back. But he began punching me in the face, hard.
“I lost consciousness again. When I came to, he’d ripped off all my clothes and was on top of me, raping me.
“After, he got off me and went back to his seat. I was hysterical, promising him I wouldn’t tell anyone and to let me go home.
“I worried he was going to kill me. Going crazy in the seat, I began kicking and shaking the door as hard as I could.”
By miracle, Aria managed to kick the door open and leapt out of the car.
With only her shoes and socks on, she ran through the city streets, naked, desperate to get home to safety.
In a stroke of luck, she bumped into a group of men who turned out to be police officers.
Aria says: “I looked up and saw seven men in bright yellow high-vis jackets and walkie-talkies.
“I couldn’t believe they were police officers.
“I broke down, telling them everything and they covered me with a blanket. They were asking me where he was.
“Desperately trying to retrace my footsteps, I realised the man not only had my clothes, but also my phone.”
Luckily, Aria and her friends all had a tracking app on each other’s phones, called Life360, due to “often losing each other on nights out”.
“Whenever one of us disappeared, we’d check the map and find them. We even used it to check we all got home safe,” she continues.
“I told [the police] that they could check Charlie’s phone to see where my phone was.”
After that, Aria was taken to a police station whilst other officers sped over to Charlie’s house.
Hearing how he was a normal father and husband made me feel sick. I felt awful for his wife too.
Aria says: “They woke Charlie and saw my phone on his map app, parked at a house 15 minutes away from the city.
“They sped over, and the man’s wife answered the door. They had a newborn baby and the man was asleep in bed.
“Police stormed inside, and found my phone underneath some diapers he’d hidden under the bed, and my clothes were stuffed underneath his pillow.
“Through CCTV footage, they saw him also pretending to be a taxi driver, driving into the pick-up zone where I was seen getting in.”
The man who’d raped her was Zaheer Shah, 38.
“I couldn’t believe it. Hearing how he was a normal father and husband made me feel sick,” Aria says. “I felt awful for his wife too.”
Despite damning evidence, Shah denied everything and the case was forced to go to trial.
Aria says: “As I waited for the trial, I struggled to go out, and became a recluse.
In recent years, the UK has seen a troubling increase in the number of fake taxis operating in major cities.
These unauthorised vehicles often mimic the appearance of legitimate cabs, making it difficult for passengers to distinguish between the two.
The Metropolitan Police has urged the public to remain vigilant, recommending the use of licensed taxi services and pre-booking rides through reputable apps.
Passengers are advised to always check for proper licensing and identification, and to share journey details with friends or family.
Ciara Bergman, CEO at Rape Crisis England & Wales, told The Sun: “It’s absolutely appalling to hear about women being raped and sexually assaulted by men posing as taxi drivers or anyone else in a position of trust or service.
“The trauma and distress that sexual violence causes survivors can never be underestimated, and when it includes deceit of this nature, the impact extends beyond that survivor and makes all other people who use taxis feel more vulnerable, and more frightened.
“We expect the perpetrators of these crimes to be held fully and appropriately accountable for this – all too often they are not”.
“I suffered with flashbacks and turned to alcohol to self-medicate.
“Friends would check in. But I couldn’t come to terms with what happened to me.”
In March 2024, Shah, of Leicester, was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of actual bodily harm (ABH) against Aria.
He was sentenced to 15 years at Leicester Crown Court.
Aria says: “I finally had the justice I deserved. It felt like the biggest weight lifted from me.
“Knowing he’d be behind bars for 15 years, I was glad no other women could get hurt.
“Looking back, I would’ve never gone to the police had I not bumped into them that night. But it was clearly meant to be.
“Charlie and my friends have been my rock throughout this.
“And I’m slowly trying to get my life back together, seeing friends and becoming the happy person I was.
“I want to encourage all women to get tracking apps and share locations. It could save your life.”
PARENTS of a four-year-old autistic boy have blasted the council after it ordered them to take down his trampoline and swing set.
Owen Houlton and Paige Kirby put up the equipment for their son Hunter in a communal garden because he struggles to use public parks due to his condition.
Canterbury City Council (CCC) officials though have branded it a health and safety hazard and ordered it to be taken down.
The council though have not received any complaints from neighbours at the flats in Hillbrow Avenue, Sturry, Kent.
Hunter’s parents have hit out at the decision, saying the £150 Argos set is a lifeline for their son.
They say he has a limited vocabulary and has a tendency to run off on days out.
While Mr Houlton said he is aware of the restrictions which ban such equipment in the enclosed garden, he add he hoped common sense would prevail.
He told KentOnline: “We only installed it because Hunter keeps escaping from the park, and it’s just not safe.
“Having our own little space is so much safer and kinder for him.
“When we go to the park and there’s other kids there, he can’t really speak.”
Mr Houlton said that Hunter currently had a vocabulary of around 30 words and other kids were horrible to him, calling him a baby.
He added that he was happy to take the swing down completely every night and secure the trampoline.
Mr Houlton claims neighbours have told him they don’t use the garden and don’t have a problem with the play equipment.
He added: “We just want a bit of leeway, a conversation to be able to talk it out, as I don’t think the council understands how important this is to us.”
Mum, Miss Kirby, 23, moved into the flats last year and said Mr Houlton visited every day to help with the kids.
She told the news outlet: “Hunter wants to play in the parks, but he’s so frustrated about it,” she said.
“It’s just not nice, whereas in the garden it’s a bit easier for him and us.
“Having that small space makes all the difference.”
Miss Kirby received a letter from CCC after a routine inspection, which gave her 48 hours to remove the equipment which it claimed created a health and safety risk.
Mr Houlton claims the authority is being hypocritical, saying neighbouring flats have ornaments such as bird baths even though tenancy agreements state no items can be put up in the garden.
He also say a pile of rubbish has not been cleared for some time and is attracting rats.
The cleaner said the council came around all the time to carry out inspections but were “being picky” about what they punished people for.
However, CCC says there is no room for negotiation on the play equipment.
A spokesman said: “While we have every sympathy with the family’s situation, the tenancy agreement that people sign up to when moving into a council home is very clear that communal areas cannot be used in this way.
“A communal area is for the use of all the tenants living in the properties, and we have to be fair and apply this rule to everybody.
“There are obvious risks if residents install their own equipment in these areas, with no supervision and no guarantee of its condition or suitability for use.
“We are happy to talk this over with the family directly, but this is not an issue where we can negotiate, and we do expect this trampoline to be removed as we have requested.
“We will also tackle the concern they have raised about rubbish in the garden.”
A BELOVED high street store is closing down after 44 years with a huge clearance sale.
Angelique Lamont Bridal and Bridesmaids, based in Glasgow, will be shutting up shop for the final time as the owners get ready to retire.
The bridal shop, based in the city centre’s Howard Street, originally opened in 1980 at St Enoch Square, then known as Miss Angelines Bridal Hire.
Angie and Maggie, who own the beloved business, were flooded with messages of support and thanks after revealing news of the shop’s closure online.
The store is now having a massive sale with off-the-peg wedding dresses starting at £99 and bridesmaid dresses from £20.
In a Facebook post on August 27, the pair wrote: “To all our lovely customers, past and present… After 44 years in the bridal business, it is with great sadness that we announce our decision to retire.
“This has not been an easy choice for us, but it is time to create a new chapter in our lives and spend more time with our families and friends.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you.
“From our beginnings at Miss Angelines Bridal Hire at our St. Enoch Square store, where we started 44 years ago, to our current location, Angelique Lamont Bridal and Bridesmaids, we have had the pleasure of helping tens of thousands of brides over the years.
“We have created unforgettable memories together, and we are forever grateful to you for allowing us to be a part of your journey.
“We have been fortunate to work alongside fantastic manufacturers and their representatives throughout the years.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you; it has been an amazing experience.
“To all the staff who have worked with us over the years, a massive thank you for helping make our brides’ dreams come true.
“The memories, laughter, and friendships we’ve made will stay with us forever.”
The pair told current customers to ‘not panic’, adding that all orders placed would still be fulfilled and were expected to arrive in-store in around six to eight weeks.
They added that they would stay open until all orders were completed.
The heartfelt message concluded with: “We appreciate you all so much. Lots of love, Angie and Maggie.”
The Bridesmaid Clearance sale is today, Sunday 15th September, from 12pm to 3pm.
The owners said they “expect it to be busy”, and asked customers to “form an orderly queue”.
All bridesmaid dresses are between £10 and £75 – off-the-peg, without multiples of the same dress.
Customers commented their positive testimonials underneath the Facebook post announcing the closure, wishing the owners all the best with the next stage in their lives.
Laura-Anne Schneiter said buying her wedding dress this year in the shop was “truly one of the best experiences”.
Carina Tomac said she and her friends were given a “brilliant experience and we had so much fun at your store”.
Amy Dodds wrote: “I only just bought my bridesmaid dresses with yourselves last month!
“You were both so helpful and made both me and my bridesmaids feel very comfortable during our visit.
“Happy retirement xxx.”
Lynsey Fotheringham said: “Loved getting my dress from you.
The only shop I’d been to where I didn’t feel like I was on the clock or an inconvenience.
“Enjoy your well earned retirement. You’ve made a lot of people smile in your working life.”
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
MARRIED At First Sight UK star Peggy Lawrence has found herself a new man, after splitting from co-star Georges Berthonneau.
Peggy, who says she went on the programme to find true love, announced her split from Georges on Valentine’s Day this year, and things quickly turned sour between the pair online.
The blonde beauty hasn’t publicly dated anyone since, after their relationship crumbled after she suspected he was unfaithful – something that Georges totally denied.
But now, putting the past behind her, the stunning reality star rocked up to Superdrug’s second annual Star Awards this week with her new man in tow.
The couple looked totally smitten, as she introduced her hunky new chap to the showbiz circuit at his first event.
And a loved-up Peggy chatted away to The Sun to say that, while they’re not officially boyfriend and girlfriend, things are going well between them.
Peggy shared that her new man gets on very well with her family, and her dad especially.
She explained that she looks for her dad’s qualities in a man that she dates, and said she and her new beau are both on the same page when it comes to wanting a family and getting married.
They’re so in sync, to the point that the loved-up pair have actually gone into business together and plan on opening up a boutique hotel, in an exciting new venture for Mafs star Peggy.
In her chat with The Sun, Peggy also warned the new contestants on the upcoming series of Mafs that they should always “trust their gut and intuition,” and “trust the process.”
Earlier this year in an explosive interview with The Sun, Peggy hit out at her ex after their relationship came crumbling down – and insists it was his decision to split.
She said: “Georges ended things with me on the 30th January so for him to come out and say he was blindsided by my Instagram post is a load of rubbish.
“I wasn’t going to say anything about what he put me through but enough is enough and everyone deserves to know the truth.
“I never wanted to do a story about our relationship. I wanted to remain dignified but after he made up all that rubbish about me, I just want everyone to know the truth. I was heartbroken.”
Georges denies being unfaithful, with a source close to him at the time saying he didn’t split with Peggy and “she just presumed”.
Peggy claimed she first thought he was cheating in December of last year when he took his ex-girlfriend to an event – and pretended she was a boy.Shortly afterwards he took her to Winter Wonderland, but it was when he went to a Christmas party without Peggy, that she started to grow really suspicious.
She explained: “Every time I’m out he tells me ‘you must message me when you’re home.’ This night he never messaged me to say he was back at the hotel.
“I said ‘shall I meet you at the hotel’ and he was like, no, no, no I won’t be back until late’. He messaged me the next morning apologising that he didn’t message me.
“He denied spending the night with her. I was crying my eyes out.
“At this point I didn’t know it was his ex-girlfriend!”
JESSE LINGARD was on the receiving end of some brutal trolling from a K League rival as his celebration was mocked.
Lingard, 31, netted an equaliser for FC Seoul in their match against Daejeon Hana Citizen.
The former Manchester United star has hit some form recently for his team, with four goals in his last nine league games.
In each case prior to the latest match on Saturday, a Lingard goal had resulted in his team winning the game.
And he may have believed history would repeat itself when he hit the back of the net with a smart finish into the bottom left corner from just inside the area just after half-time.
Ever a player to create a memorable celebration, Lingard whipped out another remarkable routine in front of the home fans.
It came after Lingard promised to perform the dance – known as the dooly and based on a cartoon character – after appearing on a talk show.
However, the visiting team had the last laugh as Hyeon-ug Kim netted a late winner.
The 29-year-old then mocked Lingard by doing his own version of the dooly dance routine.
Fans were left stunned at the move, with one fan saying: “Didn’t know the Koreans had this amount of s***house.”
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A second said: “Lingard never change.”
A third said: “This is objectively hilarious.”
The result leaves FC Seoul in fifth place, still in the championship bracket due to being in the top half of the table.
The K League operates in the same way as the Scottish Premiership whereby the teams are split into championship and relegation rounds.
Lingard headed to South Korea in February of this year after being left without a club when Nottingham Forest did not renew his one-year contract in the summer of 2023.
The ex-England international had a slow start in Asia before suffering a knee injury which required him to have surgery.
He joined Forest on a free transfer after leaving Man Utd in 2022.
Lingard had come through the academy ranks at the Red Devils and had made 232 first-team appearances.
AP Technology Writers LOS ANGELES (AP) — Being a venture capitalist carries a lot of prestige in Silicon Valley. Those who choose which startups to fund see themselves as fostering the next big waves of technology. So when some of the industry’s biggest names endorsed former President Donald Trump and the onetime VC he picked
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