A fundraiser has been launched to raise money for a commemorative garden to be situated affront the former Pendlebury home of Salford's adopted artist LS Lowry, a base of operations wherein he lived for some 40 years as he travelled the industrial landscapes and streets of our city painting his iconic match-stalk men and match-stalk cats and dogs.

The renowned artist whose work sells for millions of pounds was a well known figure in Salford as he captured the grim reality of life in the regions Northern mill towns.

One of the main aims of the project is to recreate his image cast in bronze as a statue mirroring the pose in the image above of him as he looked out from the top of the hill in Pendlebury across the roof tops of the row upon row of terraced streets and factories which were featured in his paintings.

Once ridiculed for his 'childish way of painting' he is said to have decreed that he was "not an artist, just a man who paints - nothing more, nothing less." However he is mocked no more as his work regularly passes hands of millions of pounds and just recently one of his paintings aptly named 'The Mill - Pendlebury' has recently sold for £2.65m at auction.

His name also lives on in the iconic art gallery and theatre situated upon the banks of the former ship canal which was named after him and is now home to the worlds largest collection of his work including an archive of his sketches and drawings and countless photographs, press cuttings and memorabilia of his life.

It is the intention to use a local company to landscape the garden which will be open at all times to the interested public.

They would like to create a large mural of the terraced houses painted along the right hand wall.

Any ideas and contributions are welcomed by the group.

Local artists and gardeners who would like to be involved, are being asked to contact them with their ideas.

The group who have already at time of print raised over £3000 of the £35,000 target - hope that the bronze, life sized statue will be the predominant feature of the garden, standing next to the bay window, below the new plaque making a fantastic photo souvenir for Lowry fans and visitors to the locality.

You can find a link to their Go Fund Me page which has been set up by Stephen Johnson: Here

Salford's famous son and his much beloved mother were recently the subjects of a film by Timothy Spall which chronicled the life of the once debt collector turned legend of the art world.

We wish them luck.

Police are appealing for the public’s help to trace the next of kin of a man from Salford.

Darren Brown, 53, sadly passed away at his home on Links Court, Littlemoss Lane, Salford on Saturday 25 January 2020.

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

If anyone has any information about Darren’s next of kin they should contact the Police Coroner’s Office in Manchester on 0161 856 4687.

Eccles seems to be up there with Hollywood and New York when it comes to filming locations these days, with TV food trucks and film stars caravans becoming a regular sight on the local Morrisons car park.

As we reported on our 27.5 thousand strong SalfordOnline Facebook group on Thursday of last week, this latest production to come to EcclesWood is rumoured to star none other than national treasure Keeley Hawes of Ashes to Ashes and more recently Bodyguard fame - whose IMDB pages states that she is currently filming a production called Finding Alice in which she plays the titular character but we have heard that it is another show 'Channel 4's - The Boys' that she is linked to. The production written by Russel T Davies of Dr Who fame also stars cunning linguist and brain box Stephen Fry, Neil Patrick Harris, Tracey Ann Oberman and Shaun Dooley. With the unhealthy amount of time our very own Tony Flynn has been spending on there recently there is a good change it could star him too.

Originally given the working tile of 'The Boys' the production had to change name after the title was used by another show which airs on Amazon Prime Video, the show will explore the lives of three young gay men affected by the AIDS crisis of the 1980s in a new Channel 4 series. It is likely to air in the Summer of 2020 according to Davies.

The show has recently finished filming scenes in Bolton.

Hilariously someone has even mention that they have seen comedy legend Danny Devito in Morrison's although we have since completely ruled that out on the grounds that Danny still has his job at Tesco.

As part of the set, three 'spoof' businesses were seen being festooned with new facades last week, the first seems to be an 80's themed TV shop named Billingham TV Rentals, the window display featuring the top tech of the time, hotpoint washing machines, cathode ray tube telly's and VHS and Betamax video recorders, the kind you had to hit with a hammer to get the play button to go down.

Another is a Printalux who I swear once advertised on SalfordOnline before it closed (I will have to check), the garb in the window advertises printing suplies and services, letterheads, menus and invoices.

The final shop being Frobisher which appears to be in the stages of early opening with white washed windows and a coming soon sign in the window. The shop being used is the Clinton's Card shop which we are told will be back one again once filming has ended.

A source tells us that exterior shots were used showing an unnamed actor rolling up the shutters on one of the adapted shopping units.

We were also told that the rest of the filming will all be interior shots so good luck with celebrity spotting.

Obviously though as this is Eccles after all, the staring role will always go to the now famous Christmas Tree.

Filming is expected to last until weekend.

Photos: SM (Courtesty of Tony Flynn) and Google Images.

Blackleach is without doubt a hidden gem nestled away in the middle of suburban Walkden. It was officially given status as a nature reserve back in 2004 and it holds a prestigious green flag award of which the local council and the amazing Salford Ranger Team are extremely proud of - and in our opinion deservedly so.

The former industrial landscape of the old chemical works and dye factories are now but a distant memory as the site has been completely transformed from a sulphurous wasteland to a thriving ecologically diverse local treasure.

You could travel out of Salford to find nice places but why? This city is full of them.

This little haven in has everything you could want during any season, offering stunning views and pleasant walks around the prominent fishing lake which lies at the heart of the country park and is home to the Worsley Model Boat Club along with countless waterfowl who use it as a landing and take off strip.

The lake is a visually beautiful stretch of water which attracts many species of wading birds throughout the year, it has become a popular place go take the kids to feed the friendly ducks, geese and swans who will be only too happy to eat any food you give them.

The park also boasts ample woodland to explore and with easy access via the Linneyshaw loopline for cyclists and walkers, a former rail line which has been given a new lease of life as a safe off-road route. It has helped the park become even more of a popular destination to visit with better access which has really opened it up to the wider public.

Whether its a walk with the dogs, a trip out to keep the kids occupied or even a picnic with the family - the park offers the opportunity for all. In the summer months you will regularly find local kids building dens from old branches and even trying to catch tadpoles in the shallow ponds.

Admittedly the walking can be a little hard on the legs for some of the little ones or even some of the older big ones but there are ample places to take a seat along your travels and the all weather tracks on the main stretches are as easy under foot as they are under tyre. Orienteering markers can be found along marked routes for the more adventurous walkers.

There are a lot of dogs who use the park but you need not worry if you are not a dog person as in general their two-legged friends are well behaved.

Salford Council has created a little oasis of calm within a bustling part of Salford and it would be a crying shame to live in this City and never take a visit.

You honestly don't need to venture out of Salford to find hidden beauty, we have our own.

Getting There

The site is easily accessible by car or bus from the A575 and links can be made with other countryside areas via the network of former railway lines which have been developed as safe, off-road footpaths and cycle routes.

By car

Blackleach Country Park is located just off the A575, Bolton Road between Walkden and Farnworth. Car parks are closed at dusk.

By Train

Blackleach Country Park is about one mile from Walkden train station (no Sunday service).

By Bus

Numbers: 12, 31, 36, 37, 38, 39, 68 stop in Walkden Town Centre. Blackleach is approximately half a mile up Bolton Road from the town centre.

Numbers: 25, 552, 554, 551, 556 stop at Hill Top Road on Bolton Road just 200 metres from the country park. Visit GMPTE for more information.

Find Out More

The park is open 24/7 and there are events put on throughout the year, contact the local rangers team for more information via 0161 790 7746.

Photos: SM

We have had a three separate reports of vehicles being targeted this evening by a group of teenagers throwing stones at vehicles around the Seedley & Langworthy areas.

In one incident earlier this evening (25th Jan) a taxi driver had a half house brick thrown at the rear of his car as he drove along Fitzwarren Street towards Salford precinct. He describes a group of around eight teenagers some of whom were wearing similar dark bubble type jackets with their hoods up, they were stood at the side of the road close to the Lidl store and as he passed they launched the lump of masonry at his car narrowly missing the rear window and upon further inspection doing minor damage to his rear windscreen wiper which had took the brunt of the blow.

In another incident which appears to have happened a little earlier in the evening a lady who does not wish to be identified was driving south along Langworthy road when she encountered what appears to be the same group one of which ran out into the road and punched her rear driver door window as she turned to head onto Lower Seedley Road. Again no real damage was done to the vehicle but the lady had her young child in a rear seat and was shaken by the incident. The group headed off in the direction of Tesco.

Whilst writing this article yet another incident involving what appears to be the same group of teenagers has been reported on our SalfordOnline group, this time happening on Liverpool Street close to the Ashley Brook Public House in Seedley, again the lady was driving along when her vehicle came under attack from what she describes as bricks and stones thrown by a group of teenagers who ran off afterwards - again the driver had young children in the back. Damage was done to her vehicle and the window was almost smashed.

We are putting this out as an advisory for drivers to take care and be aware if you have to drive in those areas.

We have advised those involved to report the incidents to GMP so they can be dealt with. If you have encountered a similar experience we also advise you to contact GMP via 101 or if in immediate danger or threat to life then via 999.

Whilst we do appreciate being made aware of these incidents it is always best to contact the police first.

Police are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured in a collision in Salford.

At around 10:40pm on Friday 24 January 2020, police were called to reports of a collision between a grey Audi A6 and a pedestrian on Bury New Road near the junction with Great Cheetham Street East.

Police say that a 35-year-old man was taken to hospital with a serious head injury, where he remains in a critical condition.

The driver remained at the scene to speak with officers and no arrests have been made.

Bury New Road was temporarily closed at the Junction of Great Cheetham Street East whilst investigation work was carried out – but it has now since been reopened.

Enquiries are still ongoing.

Police Sergeant Andrew Page, of GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:

Quote

“Sadly this incident has left a man in a critical condition, and we are keen to establish the circumstances behind this collision. We are therefore appealing to the public for further information.

“I am aware that it was not a busy time of day, however I am hopeful that there are witnesses who will be able to assist us further with our enquiries.

“If you were around the area at the time and witnessed this collision, or have any dash cam footage of before or after the collision took place, please contact police as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information should contact GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741 quoting incident number 3272 of 24/01/2020, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A Salford man was jailed for his part in peddling Class A drugs as part of a 'County Lines' styled drugs running operation used by organised crime gangs to distribute illegal narcotics into areas where they are not readily available.

A Judge at Preston Crown Court Richard Mushonga aged 21-years-old guilty alongside three accomplices who made regular daily trips between Manchester and Preston delivering heroin and crack cocaine to awaiting drugs users during the months of August and October 2019.

The gang were jailed for a combined total of 15 years for their parts in the crime.

As a result  Mushonga of Medway Close in the Seedley area of Salford was jailed alongside his accomplices Abrar Ahmed, 24, of Kingsway, Manchester - Yasir Ali, 22, of Meade Grove, Manchester - Shavon Morrison, 21, of Claremont Road Manchester for a combined total of 15 years.

The men plead guilty with Ahmed jailed for five years, Ali receiving a sentence of four years eight months and Morrison and Mushonga each handed three years and four months sentences.

Police became aware of the group’s activity and launched Operation New Era.

Officers conducted a number of searches, executing warrants in the Preston area which resulted in the seizure of drugs.

All four of the men were arrested and subsequently charged with conspiring to supply Class A drugs.

Quote

 

“As soon as we were aware of this County Lines operation targeting vulnerable drug users in Preston we were determined to bring the OCG to justice and we are grateful to those who provided us with information leading to their arrest.

“We hope this serves as a warning to anyone entering Lancashire with the intent to supply drugs in our community – we will find them and ensure they are punished accordingly.”

 

A man from Salford has been jailed for supplying drugs after police found 7,000 worth of cannabis and over 4,000 of cash in a car, the judge said Whiteley thought he was above the law, well today he felt the full force of the law upon him as he was sentenced to two years in prison.

On Thursday 23 January 2020 at Manchester Crown Court, Jamie Whiteley (17/11/89) of Inghamwood Close, Salford was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and three further counts of fraud.

He was also ordered to repay £10,125 or face further custody as part of a proceeds of crime order.

The sentencing follows a covert investigation named Operation Stroke which looked into the supply of cannabis within Greater Manchester.

Under police surveillance, Whiteley was seen directing dealers on the street to supply cannabis. He had many street dealers in his employ who used mopeds or motorcycles to distribute and supply the drugs on the streets of Manchester and Salford.

A vehicle was used to store cannabis in bulk, cash and drug paraphernalia, including snap bags and scales. Dealers handled cannabis and cash in buckets, and were seen placing items onto the wheel arches for collection by street dealers.

Officers searched the car and discovered a plastic bag filled with 27 cannabis snap bags in one of the wheel arches. On further inspection inside the boot were two plastic buckets filled with cannabis and cash. Police seized over £4,000 in cash and cannabis with an estimated street value of over £7,000.

In May 2017, officers carried out search warrants at the defendant’s addresses. Inside Whiteley’s home address in Higher Broughton two electric pedal cycles– worth £5,000 each –were recovered. He told finance companies he was a cleaner at a local church in Higher Broughton - earning around £25,000 per year –to obtain finance to buy the bikes. Enquiries at the church revealed that Whiteley was not known at the church and had never worked there.

Officers also found a transit van belonging to Whiteley, as well as two quad bikes and a number of high-value cars including a BMW, two VW Golfs and a Ford Focus. The vehicles were seized and Whiteley was subsequently arrested.

Police Constable Alex Price, of GMP’s Salford district, said:

Quote

 

“This person thought they were above the law and beyond detection, yet during this operation we monitored him and his associates closely as they carried out their illegal activities in Salford.

“I would like to thank the officers in this case as it is thanks to all of their hard work that this person is behind bars and the community is a safer place as a result.

“I hope this sentencing sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue those who supply drugs on our streets and we will go to great lengths to bring them to justice.”

 

The family of a man who died in a road traffic collision on the M602 have paid tribute to him.

At around 11.50am on Friday 17 January 2020, police were called to reports of a collision involving two vehicles on the M602 Eastbound in Salford which brought gridlock to local roads and saw the closure of the motorway for hours whilst emergency services dealt with the situation. 

Sadly, 61-year-old Gary Nugent Bamping was pronounced dead at the scene after his blue BMW was involved in a collision with a stationary highways vehicle.

Paying tribute to Gary, his family said: 

Quote

 

“Gary was a fabulous son, brother, a proud father and Grandfather. He was very much a family man and an extremely good friend.

“He would help anyone at the drop of a hat, always there when you needed him. He touched many lives with his happy go lucky attitude and always wore a smile.

“He always loved to be fixing and making things turning his hand to anything. He touched many lives and will be sadly missed by all.”

 

Police are still appealing for members of the public to come forward with any dash cam footage they may have which could aid them in their investigations.

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 8564741 quoting incident number 1101 of 17/01/2020, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

Good news for commuters..

The essential repairs that were undertaken on the Western Gateway Bridge at Barton are to be fully completed by 11pm this evening (Friday 24th Jan) and the bridge and route between Trafford and Irlam via Barton is to be reopened and fully operational by 1am in the early morning of Tomorrow (Saturday 24th Jan)

The A57 bridge was closed on the 13th of this month (Jan) to carry out essential repairs which could not be completed during an earlier work carried out in December 2019.

The work has been carried out in order to improve the mechanical maintenance of the bridge as well as perform essential maintenance. 

The contractor Hocheif apologised for the inconvenience caused and said it had done all it could to minimise disruption over the past few weeks

Photo: Bathrobe Thief Tom Rogers

Police say that have been recent reports of bogus callers operating in the Little Hulton area of Salford although we are also told they have been sited in neighbouring Walkden and Farnworth.

They are targeting the elderly and vulnerable offering to carry out work such as window cleaning as well as bizarrely also trying to sell mattress's from the back of a van - cos that's still a thing?

We have been told by one elderly resident who wishes to remain anonymous that the scammers have been operating in groups in the Kenyon Way area and have been reported by her friends as also banging on doors in neighbouring Farnworth.

One man is described as short and stocky with short light brown spiky hair, as well as having a deep Irish accent.

Police have issued the following steps you can take to protect yourself from bogus workmen:

• If you’re unsure, ask for identification and never let anyone you don’t know into your house.

• Check the individual’s credentials, including a permanent business and landline telephone number (mobile phone numbers can be hard to trace).

• Take control by asking the questions. Ask for references from previous customers or to see examples of their work.

• Don’t agree to buy anything on the spot. It’s always a good idea to get three written quotes to make sure you’re not being ripped off.

• Never pay for work before it has been completed, and only then if you are happy with it.

• If you’re in any doubt, ask the person to leave or call Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06, who work in partnership with local Trading Standards Authorities.

It is not the first time that Salford has been targeted by bogus callers preying on the week and vulnerable elderly residents of this City.

If spotted please contact 101 to report it to police.

Bus routes have been diverted, commuters have been spending hours sat in traffic and some people have even given up attempting to get to work and instead have just called in sick, "Sick to death of roadworks." said one disgruntled and very unhappy driver we spoke to.

According to Bus Service Operators TfGM and Diamond Busses the works have caused extremely long delays and they have had to abandon some stops and divert the route which is not good for passengers trying to get too and from work.

The issue which is causing all of the problems is a major gas replacement work which is scheduled to continue in the area for at least another 10 weeks. The roadworks are located at a busy crossroads close to the Civic Centre and the Church Inn Pub.

Councillors have been involved and have done their best to resolve the situation and to be fair the company carrying out the work have made changes to the timings of the temporary traffic signals - but alas, the problem still persists.

We took a drive along there this morning just after what is considered to be rush hour to see for ourselves and it still took us approximately a three quarters of an hour to do a journey which should realistically just take a few minutes.

Revised bus routes are now in operation this morning in the hope of alleviating the problem for at least a few, with motorists being advised to avoid the area and take alternative routes - something not so easy when you live in the area and can not avoid it.

Jerry who delivers around the area told us:

Quote

 

"I just want to get from A to B without having to divert through all of the other letters of the alphabet.

"What the hell they were thinking to be doing this right now is beyond me.

"I will be glad when it is all over as even if I take the East Lancs the delays on there are just as bad.

" I need to get to clifton and from tomorrow I am going to have to travel the opposite direction up through Farnworth and Kearsley.

"It is F*****g ridiculous."

 

2 Bolton - Trafford Centre:  This service appears to be running without significant delays, but will be continued to be monitored.

27 Swinton - Manchester Shudehill: Service will be re-routed to omit Wellington Road, Swinton Hall Road, Station Road in Swinton. The service will operate along Chorley Road to Swinton Civic Centre and then turn left onto Partington Lane then Worsley Road, Eccles Road.

29 Little Hulton - Pendleton:  No changes to this service at the moment, the service will be monitored and further changes made if required.

36/37/X39: Bolton/Farnworth - Manchester:  It is not possible to divert these services without taking a very long detour from the usual route, which would miss out a large number of stops. Instead, our controllers will be monitoring services and managing frequencies via GPS tracking. During the morning peak period, a Diamond Inspector will be based in Swinton assisting with service regulation.

66 Eccles - Clifton:  This service will operate only between Eccles and Swinton Civic Centre. Passengers at Clifton are advised to use service 73. Note, the first two journeys (on weekdays)   at 0640 and 0735 will still start at Clifton.

73 Salford Quays - Clifton:  This service will only operate between Clifton and Ordsall Phoebe Street, Salford Quays will not be served. Passengers at Salford Quays to use service 50 or 79 to Salford Shopping Centre to connect onto service 73.

79 (Clifton) - Swinton - Stretford: Service will be re-routed to omit Wellington Road, Swinton Hall Road, Station Road in Swinton. The service will operate along Chorley Road to Swinton Civic Centre and then turn left onto Partington Lane then Worsley Road, Manchester Road.

Changes to 27 and 79 will take effect from next month stating on the 17th February.

The 67-year old MP & Shadow Mental Health Minister revealed that in the months in the run up to the General Election last year (Dec 2019) she had undergone treatment for breast cancer after finding a lump and being subsequently diagnosed with the disease earlier in May of that year.

Whilst the veteran MP battled to retain her parliamentary seat of which she has held since 2010 - she was also secretly & bravely fighting a much more important battle for her life after a shock diagnosis resulted in the MP having surgery to remove the tumour and lymphatic nodes during a recess of Parliament in May.

She spoke about how fighting an election campaign whilst recovering from radiotherapy was tough to deal with.

"The radiotherapy leaves you feeling very fatigued and you are never quite sure when one of those waves of fatigue is going to hit you.

Ms Keeley said she had gone public about her illness to raise awareness about self-examination for breast cancer and we could not agree with her more on the importance of regular checks.

Keeley told members of her local CLP on her Facebook page:

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"Tonight in our discussion on the General Election result I was able to talk to my Worsley and Eccles South Constituency Labour Party about how tough the campaign was for me, given that I was recovering from treatment for cancer.

"After I found a lump last April, I had a diagnosis of cancer confirmed on May 2nd.

"I was able to have surgery to remove the tumour and some lymph nodes in the May Recess.

"This was followed by 3 weeks of radiotherapy in July.

"I carried on working through the radiotherapy but it does bring with it a lot of fatigue.

"A General Election campaign in the cold and dark in November and December was very tough but I got great support from my agent Emily McDermott and my team Jennifer Gregory, Drew Carswell and Simon Dixon.

"Thanks also to our treasurer, John Davies, and to many members and councillors who helped in the campaign including Colette Weir, Adrian Brocklehurst, Brendan Ryan, Joe White, Ed, David Jolley, Nigel Greensitt, Elizabeth Camerownviews, our Constituency Secretary Jack Youd and Chair Councillor John Walsh.

"Thanks to all these and all our councillors and members for their help.

"Thanks are also due to my surgeon and oncologist and their teams at Guys Hospital in London for their great care and to my wonderful husband Colin Huggett for all his support.

"And thanks to all my supportive friends at work, but particularly Diana Johnson and Thangam Debbonaire."

Adding on Twitter:

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"I want to emphasise again and again the importance of self checking, which is how I how I found the lump that proved to be breast cancer.

"I'm so glad it was caught in time and that I am now, hopefully, cancer-free."

 

Her Tory opponent, Rabbi Arnold Saunders, said he was "very shocked" at the revelation as he spoke of his admiration of his opponent.

Quote

 

"Hats off to her. I am full of admiration for Barbara. I hope she stays well"

 

Hopefully, the treatment worked well and she will make a full recovery.

We can not over-stress the importance of regular breast check-ups and screening both by yourselves and by your doctor.

Early diagnosis and treatment can save needless deaths from occurring. Barbara pops in on our Facebook Group 'SalfordOnline' from time to time and we would like to wish her a full and speedy recovery.

We can only echo the words of Rabbi Saunders when we say we have huge respect for her, to battle an election is a huge task in itself, to do it whilst under treatment for Cancer is nothing short of phenomenal. Northern Lasses are made from strong stuff.

Photo: Barbara Keeley

The death of a 56-year-old man whose body was found in Agecroft say that his death was not suspicious.

Police cordoned off an area at the junction between Kilcoby Avenue and Agecroft Road on Monday 20th Jan after a body was reported as being discovered shortly before 11:30am by a member of the public.

GMP have now said that their investigations have concluded and that his death was not being treated as suspicious. they have since passed on a file to the coroners office.

Police said at the time:

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Shortly before 11.30am this morning (Monday 20 January 2020), police were called to Agecroft Avenue at the junction with Kilcoby Avenue.

Sadly, officers discovered the body of a man.

A scene is in place whilst investigation work continues.

The investigation is in its early stages and officers are working hard to establish the circumstances of the man’s death.

 

There are few people within Salford who are unaware of the devastating arson attack carried out upon an innocent families home in Walkden which left four children dead and their mother Michelle Pearson in a coma - only later to tragically succumb to her horrific injuries the following year after putting up a determined fight to see justice for her beloved children.

Those responsible were quite rightly locked away for the brutal, barbaric murders which enraged a city, with some calling it the single worst act of premeditated evil to ever be carried on Salford soil. So heinous were their crimes this publication refuses to give mention to their names.

So it came as a complete shock to viewers tuned into ITVs popular soap opera 'Corrie' when they saw similar scenes unfolding on screen before their very eyes. The story line was eerily similar to the real life events which left utter devastation in their wake, the outcome may have turned out different but for a city still stinging from the heartbreak of those dark events, it was an unwelcome reminder of a tragedy that is still painful to think about.

Within moments of the scenes being aired, people headed to social media to vent their anger, at one point we had to place a restriction on commenting on it on our group as we were inundated with angry Salfordians outraged at what they had seen. We did so for the simple reason of protecting the Pearsons wider family from having to endure reliving the heart breaking and still very raw memories which tore their lives apart.

In a statement ITV says it has never shied from tackling difficult issues but viewers have scolded the companies decision to run with the story line, calling it crass, disrespectful and tasteless. Many went on to report the episode to regulator Ofcom as the scenes were aired before the watershed.

Never one to fail to speak her mind in defence of her constituents, Salfords youngest elected Councillor for Walkden South - Laura Edwards - spoke to Greater Manchester Radios Phil Trow on Thursday (24th Jan) in which she spoke of her disappointment at how a show so intrinsically linked to Salford chose to broadcast an insensitive story-line which has left a still grieving family upset and angered. 

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"They are really not happy (The family), most of them don't watch the show but a member of the family did and was left absolutely devastated as you can imagine. 

"I think it is just completely insensitive and they could have quite easily have gotten in touch with the family before running with a story-line like that and spoke to them beforehand.

"But for to be aired live without any warning it is disappointing."

 

She went on to say how the story-line resonated with people within the local community and taking into account the huge response on our own 27K+ facebook group 'SalfordOnline' we can not echo that enough. So angered were the people of Salford we had to spend most of the evening and much of the following morning refusing posts.

In the long history of the SalfordOnline group we have only ever witnessed a handful of occasions in which there has been a similar response of shear outrage and anger.

Laura noted that it was made worse as Coronation Street was envisioned by a man who lived just up the road from Walkden in neighbouring Pendlebury, sounding audibly upset, she said:

Quote

 

"It is really part of our community so for that to happen it is disappointing.

"It was not just an arson story-line, it really did resonate with people from my community."

 

She also gave praise to the way the soap had handled other story-lines in the past, such as the grooming scandal, the male rape story-line but this in the eyes of many was a step too far. To dramatise such a similar real life tragedy which led to the deaths of innocent people for entertainment is clearly insensitive.

Laura said that she felt like the soaps show-runners didn't understand how much it would hurt people in the community:

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"When covering the male rape and grooming stories coronation street staff spoke to survivors and people who were involved, but in this case they had no consultation at all with the family.

"This was an arson attack, it's not very common and if it was it would be on the news all the time."

Going on to say:

"It has been handled really badly and it could have been avoided."

 

The Pearsons are forever in the hearts and thoughts of the people of this City and to see them treated with such insensitivity is nothing more than disgusting in our opinion, as Laura says, they are owed a humbling apology from ITV bosses.

The events that unfolded on that fateful night shocked a City - a City in which the fictional township of Weatherfield featured in the show is based upon.

Those tragic events are ingrained into the fabric of Salfords collective memory and those memories still remain as raw to this day as the night we learned what had happened.

An 18-year old Mitchell McGivern (28/01/01) of Dowley Gap Road, Worsley, was sentenced today (Thursday 23 January 2020) at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square to life with a minimum term of 21 years in prison for deliberately driving a car into two men riding a motorbike in Salford which ended in the tragic death of one of them.

McGivern was unanimously found guilty by the jury of murdering 20-year-old Fleming – who was sat on the pillion of the motorbike – and also attempting to kill the 23-year-old driver of the bike.

The court heard that McGivern had had previous altercations with Fleming and the 23-year-old driver and intentionally targeted the bike they were riding.

On the evening of Saturday 11 May 2019 Mitchell McGivern was driving a blue Fiat Sedici behind a black motorbike on Eastham Way, Little Hulton.

The 18-year-old was travelling at speed behind the vehicle that Fleming was on-board before accelerating into the back of it and shoving it off the road and into a petrol pump on a garage forecourt.

The collision was with such force that it left the bike wedged into the front of the car.

McGivern and the two people he was travelling with fled the scene on foot leaving the driver of the bike on the pavement and Fleming with serious head injuries.

Luke Fleming was taken to hospital but sadly passed away on Friday 17 May 2019 due to his injuries.

Officers arrested Mitchell McGivern on Saturday 25 May 2019 on suspicion of murder and arrested him further on Sunday 26 May 2019 on suspicion of attempted murder.

Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe, of GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said:

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“Today’s result comes at the end of a dedicated investigation into the incident from May 2019 and we are relieved that justice has ultimately been served.

“This was a sickening incident that has caused immense distress and agony for the family of a young man who was so cruelly murdered.

“Our thoughts remain with Luke’s family and we hope that as a result of today’s verdict they are able to find some closure.”

Police  have launched an appeal for information following a collision in on Lower Seedley Road.

At around 5.20pm on Friday 10 January 2020 a silver Ford Focus was travelling along Lower Seedley Road when it collided with a boy, aged 11.

The boy was taken to hospital and has since been released.

The driver of the Ford Focus failed to remain at the scene and was seen to drive off onto Coomassie Street toward Seedley Road.

Constable Scott Dowell of GMP’s Salford District said:

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“Thankfully the boy has made a good recovery following the collision.

“Were you in the area at the time? If you witnessed the collision, have dashcam footage or any information that may assist us, please get in touch.”

 

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5065 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

It went missing to the world of Art some 70-years-ago only to resurface and sold at the world famous Christies auction-house to a private investor for a staggering £2.65m.

The long lost work by L.S Lowry entitled 'The Mill, Pendlbury' is a depiction of Mill workers enjoying a day off as children play Cricket on a croft, it was completed by Lowry in 1945 before falling into the hands of medical researcher - Leonard D Hamilton (Discoverer of the double helix shape of DNA) who took the painting abroad to the United States in 1949 where it remained until being discovered after his death in August last year.

As a result of its time spent in the US, the art world was unaware it even existed.

Unlike some of Lowry's work, the figures in this painting are not the more usual stick figures as seen in his other work, the characters are more rounded and clearly defined.

The painting had been expected to fetch a figure of between £700,000 and £1m but it sold for far more.

Acme Mill which is depicted in the painting, was the first electrically powered cotton spinning mill in England.

However, due to the changes of the times, production ceased in 1959 and the building was later demolished in 1984.

A man has been charged after a man died and a woman was seriously injured in a collision in Leigh.

Florin Solomon (24/03/91) of Lansdowne Walk, Worcester has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday 19 February 2020.

At around 10.20am yesterday (Tuesday 21 January 2020), police were called to reports of a collision involving a HGV and a car on the East Lancashire Road near the junction with Atherleigh Way.

Emergency services attended and found the HGV was travelling towards Manchester when it collided with a Toyota Corolla that was turning right on to the A580.

Despite the best efforts of a paramedics, a 58-year-old man, who has since been formally identified as Mark Byrne MBE, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 56-year-old woman sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where she remains.

The road was closed for investigation work but has now been reopened.