Matty Edwards

I'm a freelance journalist based in Bristol, working primarily for the BBC and the Guardian.

For seven years, I was a reporter and editor at local media coop the Bristol Cable. As well as news reporting, I write features and investigations mostly about housing, social affairs and politic.

BBC News • March 2026

Theo Schooling 'fell to his death' on leave from Bristol hospital

A beloved husband and father-of-two fell to his death from a motorway bridge while on unescorted leave from a privately-run psychiatric hospital, an inquest has heard.

BBC News • March 2026

Mental health staff accept pay offer to end strikes

Workers first voted to go on strike over pay and union recognition back in November

BBC News • March 2026

Prisoner died due to delays detecting fire, inquest finds

Clare Dupree's family describe her as "delightful" but say she had a long history of mental health problems.

The Guardian • March 2026

Two dead and 11 seriously ill in meningitis outbreak at University of Kent

Students in Canterbury given antibiotics for fast-acting and invasive meningococcal disease, says UKHSA

BBC News • March 2026

Protest over plans to change social care jobs at council

A council's planned restructure of children's social care has been described as an "absolute sham" by a union.

The Guardian • February 2026

Six Sarah Ferguson-linked companies to close after Epstein revelations

Messages from ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to sex offender, sent after his conviction, came to light last month.

The Guardian • February 2026

Girl, 16, and, boy, 15, found guilty over killing of man pelted with rocks in Kent

Pair cleared of murdering Alexander Cashford, who they believed was a paedophile, but convicted of manslaughter.

Research For Action • February 2026

REPORT: Flogged off – Public asset sales at councils getting exceptional financial support – Research for Action

Our new report found that more than £1bn of public assets have been sold by councils receiving exceptional financial support (EFS) in the last five years, with targets to flog off another £1bn in 2025/26.

BBC News • February 2026

Two jailed for assisting Max Dixon and Mason Rist killers

Two men have been jailed for four years for helping the murderers of best friends Max Dixon and Mason Rist.

The Guardian • January 2026

Thousands of Kent residents still dealing with water supply issues

South East Water treatment works fault, power outage and burst mains leave homes with no water or low pressure.

BBC News • January 2026

Estranged son beat elderly mother to death, court told

An 87-year-old woman appeared scared of her son when he turned up at her door unannounced a week before her death, a jury has been told.

The Guardian • December 2025

Equal pay settlements for female council workers pass £1bn

GMB union says 30,000 claims settled with six local councils for average of £30,000 and expects 10,000 more in 2026.

The Lead • December 2025

We are deep in a housing crisis – why are so many properties still empty?

New data reveals councils are barely taking over empty homes anymore, amid calls for a new national programme to bring unused properties back into use.

The Dispatch • December 2025

‘Woeful consultation’ and ‘broken promises’ over council asset sales

Councillors have challenged a recent decision to flog off council assets, including multiple green spaces.

The Lead • November 2025

The Lead Untangles: Is there a simple solution to the homelessness crisis?

Ahead of the Budget, the housing sector is united in calling for Local Housing Allowance rates to be unfrozen – will Reeves listen?

The Dispatch • November 2025

Revealed: The 1,000 assets flogged off by Birmingham’s bankrupt council

The city’s green spaces could be the next to go..

BBC News • November 2025

Asthmatic mum 'made ill' by damp told to return home

A single mum has been told to return to her home despite a letter from a medical professional saying that damp and mould is making her ill.

The Lead • October 2025

London is getting homeless families out of hotels – but the crisis is far from over

Councils in the capital have managed to vastly reduce the number of families in hotels and B&Bs, but is this really a win in the battle against homelessness?

The Guardian • October 2025

Manchester Pride goes bust leaving performers out of pocket

Charity behind one of Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ Pride events says staff will be made redundant as it is liquidated.

The Dispatch • October 2025

The numbers that reveal Birmingham didn’t have to go bankrupt

New analysis by accounting experts has found that the council’s financial health was much better than reported when it raised the alarm back in 2023.

BBC News • October 2025

'Culture of non-transparency' over FOIs at Bristol City Council

Campaigners have criticised a "culture of non-transparency" at a city council, amid a lack of improvement in answering information requests on time.

BBC News • September 2025

Bristol carers 'need support' with poverty, isolation, and health

Carers facing financial hardship and isolation in Bristol are in urgent need of better support, a report featuring the testimonies of hundreds of people has found.

The Dispatch • July 2025

The local groups trying to buy Brum back

Bartley Green Library is a tiny little thing; a compact, unassuming Edwardian red-brick structure, that looks more like an outbuilding than a beloved community asset. And yet, it’s become one of several key fronts local groups across Birmingham are fighting a mostly unreported battle on.

The Lead • July 2025

How Bristol put a lid on temporary accommodation costs amid homelessness crisis

Councils are piloting ways to tackle the cost of housing a record number of homeless families while we wait for a new strategy from the government.

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