Thomas McDonald (29/03/99) of Lime Close, Salford has been charged with burglary, possession of an bladed article and handling stolen goods.

He has been remanded in police custody and is scheduled to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates today (Saturday 6 July 2019).

At around 11.30pm on Thursday 4 July 2019, officers received reports that six men in possession of weapons had broken into Selfridges in Exchange Square.
 
The offenders targeted the Louis Vuitton department where they stole items including clothing and accessories before leaving on mopeds.

Photo: Louis Vuitton


 

Just after 1:30 pm this afternoon the power went off for 39 homes in Irlam and not all homes are expected to be on until around 11 pm this evening.

It is unclear as to what caused the problem but Electricity Northwest are currently on the scene trying to fix it.

Fridges and Freezers should be just fine but it is suggested that fridge freezers in particular should not be opened as it will ensure that the food remains frozen for a longer time.

As soon as we know more we will update this post, or you can call the power company on 105 and they will be able to update you.

The offenders are described as two black males, one wearing dreadlocks and also a third white male. They are thought to be aged roughly between 16-18 years old.

The white male threatened to use a knife on the victim if he did not hand over his Carrera Vendetta mountain bike.

All three of the offenders have been sighted acting suspicious whilst hanging around the 1km park run marker close to where the burger van parks.

Another sighting saw the same trio heading towards the golf course pushing two bikes.

The victim was unharmed but was left upset and shaken by the ordeal.

If anyone has any information as to who these youths are or has any information whereas to the location of the bike then please get in touch with police on 101. If you are offered a bike of a similar description then please take note that it could be stolen property.

Please note the bike in the main photo is NOT the one which was stolen, although it is of a similar model and design.

Many thanks to the Monton Community Association Facebook page for swiftly alerting local residents.

Before we start this article I would like to make a point of mentioning that there is a gentleman with the unfortunately similar sounding name of Robert Berrisford who also lives in Eccles, we feel it important to note that he has nothing to do with this case and is NOT the same person as detailed below. We can not stress how important it is to not confuse them both.

Robert Beresford, 45, of Matlock Street in Eccles, had thought he was going to meet a young schoolgirl close to the beach at Crosby, he was met by an adult male instead.

The witness, Mr Parry, had set up an online persona of an 11 year old using a photo of a friends daughter who had given him permission to use it as part of a sting operation to catch child sex predators.

Beresford made contact with Parry's alter ego 'Charlotte' via the Oasis dating app, although the app has a minimum age limit of 18 it is known to attract both people under that limit as well as those who seek to pray upon them.

It was not long before the account started to receive messages from a user profile on the platform calling itself 'Real Woman Seeker 2'. During conversations Mr Parry's Charlotte persona indicated to Beresford that she was an 11-year-old.

In reply, Mr Beresford told 'Charlotte' that he had previously had fantastic sex with a 12 year old he had dated. Later, during the course of conversation he enquired if the girl would like to meet to experience safe sex with him. Mr Parry acting as 'Charlotte' enquired as to what that was, to which Beresford replied by suggesting they meet up and he show her.

After agreeing to meet, it was indicated that he would identify himself by wearing a white cap so that Charlotte would be able to easily recognise him. Instead he was met on the 21st of July last year by Mr Parry who confronted him and detained him until police arrived, whereupon he handed over his chat logs and the wealth of evidence he had compiled.

After locating and searching Beresford's car which was found close-by, police discovered condoms and tissues.

His home in Eccles was raided shortly after and electronic devices were confiscated but no other evidence of contact with minors or indecent images of minors were found.

Beresford also denied having had sex with a 12 year old as he had claimed to Mr Parry's Charlotte persona. He told officers during police interviews that he had made it all up.

A psychological review suggested that Mr Beresford suffered from 'significant learning difficulties and a low IQ.

Beresford went on to plead guilty in court of arranging to meet the minor with intent to have sex with her.

Beresford was handed a 16 month sentence which was suspended for two years, he was also ordered to fulfil completion of 20 rehabilitation activity days.

He was further ordered to sign the sex offenders register for a total of 10 years as well as having a sexual harm prevention order imposed upon him. This prohibits unsupervised contact with girls over the internet by restricting his use.

Ms Williams said,

Quote

"He is a man who has accepted what he has done and pleaded guilty to this offence.

"At 45 years of age he has never been in trouble before and there is no evidence of any other illicit conversations an no evidence of interest in children sexually."

The system will run alongside existing methods of payment and is said to be a fundamental first step towards Mayor Burnham's  'Our Network' vision for an accessible public transport system across the region.

Customers already have the option to purchase a ticket using contactless cards at existing ticket machines but the new system will make things even easier as it will not require you to buy a ticket or download use the app. You simply tap in and tap out using any contactless back car when entering and exiting the tram. The system will then work out the correct fare and deduct the correct payment directly from your bank account.

Just like London's Oyster system, there is expected to be a daily cap, although what limit that is has not been announced as yet. It is thought that the cap will be in line with the relevant adult 1-day travel card, which currently is around £7 across all four of the network's zones.

With the plan set to roll out on the 15th of July, it is said that it will help to improve access to jobs, leisure and education across Greater Manchester.

Metro Mayor Andy Burnham, said:

Quote

“On Monday we opened applications for Our Pass and today I’m pleased to be able to announce that contactless will launch on Metrolink on 15 July.

“These initiatives are the first of many on our journey towards the integrated, London-style transport system we want to see here.

“Contactless payments on Metrolink in particular will be a major boost for many people, including commuters and the millions of visitors we get every single year.

“It is something people visiting London will already be familiar with and will make travel by tram easier, and improve access to jobs, leisure, skills and education opportunities across Greater Manchester.”

The new Our Pass travel card announced by the Mayor on Monday, has received a mixed reaction on social media, with some criticism's voiced over both the schemes choice in sponsor (JD Sport) as well as the Mayors failure to secure funding from the travel companies and colleges as was promised as part of the schemes original pitch. 

The GM Mayor has asked for an additional £1m in funding from increases to council taxes across the region to cover the shortfall.

This has lead to some suggesting that the tax payers are being used as cash cows, with increases being levied to fund Burnham's plans.

Regardless, our view is that this is a much needed first step towards a future unified cross platform travel card/system for Greater Manchester.

Photo: TfGM

Two 23-storey towers will eventually stand either side of a 6-storey connecting podium but work is to be carried out in 2 stages, the first of which involving construction of the first tower and connecting podium, with the second tower being built as part of the second stage. As yet though English Cities Fund who are the developers of the site have only submitted detailed planning for the first stage.

Once both towers are built they will be home to 392 apartments between them, with shops and other facilities proposed for the ground floor.

The apartments are said to consist of 74 one-bedroom, 196 two-bedroom, and 22 three-bedroom.

Bosses say that both phases of development will 'connect effortlessly' together once completed.

A rather odd choice is the lack of parking spaces available, instead opting for cycle storage spaces, parking is a premium in the inner city and car owning potential residents would have to factor that into the ongoing costs of living. The developers say the lack of parking for vehicles is part of a 'City Centre Trend'?

Cycle paths and walkways feature as part of the plans and will link the site to the Irwell Towpath and Princes Bridge.

There is no mention of affordable housing amongst any of the documentation but that is no great surprise these days, instead the developers say the properties will create divers communities and add to diversity in the local housing market. Although we suspect with the £650m cost of the site, that is marketing mumbo jumbo for 'They ain't going to be cheap'.

There is an option for murals to adorn the walls of the 6-storey building and artwork featuring Salford Suffragette Emeline Pankhurst, Poetry by the Bard of Salford, Mr John Cooper Clarke as well as maybe even a Manchester Bee.

The 67 seat big yellow 'Iveco Scolabus 24' buses, were made in 2003/4 and have a powered DDA ramp, they are in full working condition. They even had a refurbishment in 2015.

TfGM are giving away up to 6, YES 6 of them, to local community groups and schools.

To be considered you should complete the form on the link below, demonstrating how you propose to use the vehicle and the expected benefits of your proposal.

I am sure there are many groups in Salford who could make use of one, for things such as mobile homeless shelters, local kids sports clubs etc...

Transport for Greater Manchester Committee Chair, Councillor Mark Aldred, said:

Quote

“Our yellow school buses are a fantastic service that allow children to get to school cheaply, safely and securely but, even when their life as a school service comes to an end, they can still be incredibly useful to communities.

“Greswell School set an inspirational example of what can be done with the buses and we’re looking for people to engage their creative sides and tell us how they can make use of their own donated vehicle.

“I look forward to seeing a variety of creative and community-spirited projects developing in the near future.”

You can apply for a bus by visiting this link.

The 16 acre site has been vacant since the schools closure in 2013, with the land now a popular location for dog walkers. Earlier this year (March) 'No Trespassing, Private Land' signs were put up much to the anger of local people. The decision raised eyebrows with some suggesting the planning decision was already a 'done deal' as at the time it had not yet been granted.

The council has since received 52 objections from people living close to the site and they are said to be taking all comments put forward into consideration, however it has been recommended today by council officers that the plan should be approved when Councillors meet this Thursday.

Many of the objections cite fears over traffic congestion and noise pollution as well as adverse effects on local schools and services. There are also concerns over disruption in the area as the new homes are built.

The new builds will consist of 123 three bed and 86 four bed houses, 20% of which will be classed as 'affordable'

The would come in the form of detached, semi-detached and terraced properties. Vehicle access into the site would be taken from Hilton Lane.

Within the site there would be two circular access roads leading to shared space/cul-de-sacs. The proposed dwellings would be positioned to front the internal roads and shared spaces within the development.

Bellway is already coming under fire from residents living close to the companies 241 home developments on the site of a former sewage works in Swinton. Residents in the area have slammed Bellway for having a cavalier attitude towards local residents.

Existing homeowners adjacent to the site have described their lives as becoming miserable as formally quiet secluded roads having now become access routes for trucks and heavy machinery. Some residents have told of how the noise levels from the site have become unbearable and yet despite local councillors getting involved the problems still persist despite multiple objections from both locals and councillors.

Bellway says that they have engaged with the public on the proposed  new development at St Georges and have worked with the councils officers to ensure that the homes would not impact on the surroundings, stating that 20% of the new builds would be what are deemed to be affordable by current standards, however, some have criticised the need for this type of housing in the area and have pointed out the Cities much more pressing need for affordable social housing to be built.

The developer argues that they are bringing a vacant site back into use and creating high quality accommodation in a sustainable location.

In may this year, the City Mayor and his deputy responded angrily at plans for a free school to open on the site of the former secondary.

Under plans put forward by the Government, the site would be handed over for a 125 year lease at a peppercorn rent to to make way for a new 750 place co-educational, non faith secondary school to be ran by Star Academy Trust.

In an statement given by Paul Dennett, he questioned the demand for the new school due to its proximity to the existing Harrop Fold and Walkden Secondary schools. He noted that the more pressing demand is for local primary school places.

Deputy Mayor John Merry said he would use every legal means available to prevent it.

If the controversial development is passed as expected this Thursday, Bellway would have to make a £1.4m contribution as part of its section 106 commitments. That cash seems to have already been earmarked for improvements to local parks, bus services and to increase capacity to local primary places among other things listed below.

£275,880 Bus Service contribution – Improvements to bus services in the area, to improve accessibility from the development to key interchanges and the wider high frequency bus network. 

£252,921 Open space contribution – Improvements to Parr Fold Park and/or Peel Park.

£170,570 Sports Pitch contribution – Improvements to Wharton Playing Fields changing rooms and pitches.

£150,000 - Public Realm contribution – To direct some or all of the monies towards either improvements to the loop line as it heads towards the guided bus way and/or improved connections to the site including works to improve pubic rights of way. 

£581,011 Education contribution - To increase capacity to an existing or new primary school(s) within Pupil Planning Area 1 (Walkden North and Little Hulton) and/or Pupil Planning Area 2 Boothstown, Worsley & Ellenbrook.

£10,000 – Walkden Train Station contribution – cycle parking facilities to serve commuters using the station. 

£48,000 Newearth Road and Hilton Lane Mini Roundabout – Highway infrastructure improvement scheme to improve the pedestrian / cycle facilities.

£9,000 – Traffic Calming – Installation of traffic calming features to the north of the railway bridge

£7,000 Ecology contribution – Habitat creation work to support the butterfly population at Blackleach Country Park

David Bertram Breach, 70, has sadly passed away in hospital on Sunday 30 June 2019.

There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Police are now asking the public for help in locating David's next of kin, if you can help then you should contact the Police Coroner’s Office in Bolton on 0161 856 4687.

 

Police are appealing for the public’s help to trace a wanted man from the Salford area.

Stephen Allison (22/5/74) is wanted on recall to prison after failing to abide by the conditions of his licence following his release from prison after being convicted of assault.

Allison is also known by his nickname “Skimbo” and has links to Manchester and Stockport.

A cordon was put around an the top end of Church Street on Saturday the 22nd of June 2019, it would seem that sadly the reason being was that police were called by hospital staff to reports that a teenage boy had been sexually assaulted in Eccles. 

Officers attended the hospital and established that the 17-year-old male victim had been walking through Eccles Town Centre on his way home at around midnight when he became engaged in conversation with a man who had began walking with him.

As they walked through Eccles Parish Church graveyard, the man punched the youth in the stomach before then proceeding to rape him.

Forensic officers attended the scene and a cordon was in place whilst investigative work was carried out. This has since been lifted.

The victim is being supported by specially trained officers. 

Following police enquiries, a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape later that day. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries. 

Detective Constable Stephen Hough, of GMP’s Salford district, said:

Quote

“Specialist officers are continuing to support the teenager and his family as he recovers from this horrific ordeal and we’re continuing to work hard to ensure the person responsible is held to account. 

“Whilst we have arrested a man as part of our enquiries, our investigation remains ongoing and we know that a man and woman driving a silver car dropped the teenager off at hospital at around 01:40am.

“I want to stress that they aren’t in any trouble but we really need to speak to them as part of our enquiries so I would appeal directly to them to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5235 or 101 quoting incident number 268 of 22/06/2019, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
 

Police have issued a warning after a man driving a blue van stopped two 13 year old children and offered them a lift. 

The incident happened on the 24/06/19 at 20:00hrs in Boothstown.

He is described as being a white male in his 40's, with short grey hair and being clean shaven.

He was said to be driving an Navy Blue coloured van along Boothshall way in Boothstown when the incident happened. The make and model of the van is unknown.

The man asked the children if they wanted a lift and asked them to get in, fortunately the children had the good sense to run away and alert their parents.

The van is thought to have then carried on towards Leigh road.

The offender was apparently acting alone but had a brown staffy type dog in the van with him.

If anyone has any information please contact GMP via 101.

Well I wasn't expecting that! over 50 people turned up for my Eccles History Walk all laden down with food and toiletries for the Mustard Tree Emergency Foodbank.

I was slightly taken aback at the size of the crowd that gathered at the Eccles Train Station, all that was missing was pitchforks and blazing torches.

Happily Karl and Billy Nolan were on hand to load up their car's with the food etc and we then started the walk and yes we did check later that Karl had not had off with any tins of peaches.

They heard about the death of Huskisson, Eccles Parish Church and the grave-stones including the Alan Henning memorial stone, the sun dial, the mystery green copper plaque on the roof, Mayo Window's and plenty more.

All of the pubs on Church Street were discussed and tales were told of ghosts, suicides, tunnels, arsenic beer, Engels and various characters.

We looked at the Eccles Mural and chatted about the original painted by Ed Povey in 1980 and how it fell into disrepair and white-washed over, sad really because his works of art fetch a £1M+.

The history of the Eccles Cross was discussed and some thirsty fact finders even sloped off in to the Lamb hotel for a swift pint! hard to believe but I declined!

Our route took the Merry Pranksters to the Eccles Town Hall and Duke of York pub were tales of silver cutlery were discussed, without naming the guilty diner who had them away...women offering to fight men, for money, cock fighting, (not related), foul mouthed Mynah birds. John Cassidy, Edward Carnegie, Lusitania sinking inn 1915 and the mob riots that ensued, war memorials buried underneath the Cenotaph, ladies of the night.

We even trudged along Barton Lane to marvel at the Royal Oak pub, sadly closed and laughed about the infamous Timothy Street and it's residents.

Followed by a buffet and quiz at the Albert Edward were such prizes as local history books were won, none of mine before you ask.

A splendid time was had by all and we raised £250+ plus some 20 BIG bags of food all for a great cause.

Thanks to everybody who attended, and who knows another one soon?

The charity chosen this year was the same as last year, Mustard Tree in Eccles, who do an absolutely astounding job of helping those most in need who are suffering the hardest from crippling cuts.

Main photo: A rare photo of Tony Flynn parting with cash (although it was for a very good cause)

A large gang of youths were videoed causing mayhem by weaving in and out of traffic 'popping wheelies' and circling around cars as they attempted to travel down Monton Road. Several members of the public were given abuse by the gang and in one instance a lady filming the incident was ridden at by 2 youths 'popping wheelies'. Fortunately neither of them connected but shortly after one of the boys involved returned and tried to snatch the phone from the ladies hand.

We are aware of a video that has been circulating on social media and due to the suspected age of those involved we can not legally post it on this site, nor would we as it would be the wrong thing to do, however the footage has been properly passed onto the police and they are aware of it and are investigating. We are told that local PCSO's will be stepping up patrols in the area.

We have also been told that the same group of youths have also been reportedly causing problems around Winton over the past few weeks. Apparently elderly lady was hit by a bike and a lady with a young child in a pram was almost in a collision with one of them last weekend.

From the footage we have seen the behaviour of these children was utterly appalling, in most cases the parents are totally unaware of what their children are getting up too, fortunately these are a minority and do not reflect at all on the otherwise well behaved majority of kids in Salford, for instance this incident comes just a day after children and young adults from around the area proudly marched in respect of our armed forces with their cadet detachments as part of armed forces day. 

So rather than post videos of kids acting like idiots I shall post this one of kids bringing pride to our City and acting with dignity and respect.

Not all children are the same. 

A new bus pass has been launched to give 16-18 year olds in Greater Manchester the freedom to travel, work, learn, train and play. Designed by the Youth Combined Authority (YCA), The newly named our Pass aims to give young people free bus travel across the city-region from September. It is expected to save youths and their families up to £500 a year on travel costs.

The benefits don't just stop there though as during the course of the two-year pilot, those eligible for the card will also gain access to tickets for sports, music and cultural events, as well as leisure attractions.

Andy Burnham said,

Quote

"I hope that Our Pass will change the lives of young people across Greater Manchester. For too long they have been Westminster's target for cuts and negative publicity. In Greater Manchester we are using devolution to make young people our priority for investment.

"Our Pass is designed to send everyone growing up here a simple message - we believe in you and want you to have high ambitions for where you can go and what you can achieve. This amazing place is yours to explore, to shape and to build for the future."

The 2 year pilot programme will be part sponsored by JD Sports with funding also being raised by a council tax increase across Greater Manchester.

However, the choice of sponsor has not gone down too well with some as they have criticised the choice after an undercover investigation by Channel 4 at the JD Sports' Kingsway distribution centre near Rochdale, exposed what members of Andy's own Labour party referred too as Appalling Conditions with some calling the buildings 'Satanic Mills'.

Applications for Our Pass - which includes a one-off administration fee of £10 - are available from Monday at the website ourpass.co.uk

Shortly before 6.10pm on Friday 28 June 2019, police were called to a report that a cash machine had been stolen from News and Wine on Liverpool Road in Irlam.

Two masked men entered the store before loading a free standing cash machine into the boot of a blue Seat Toledo and fleeing towards Eccles.

Less than an hour earlier, officers had been called to reports that a masked man had entered a property on Bury New Road in Salford armed with a crowbar.

The man fled the scene and no-one was injured. Following enquiries, officers are now treating these two incidents as linked.

Officers conducted a thorough area search where they traced the Seat and cash machine on McLean Drive in Irlam.

A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft and affray.

Enquiries are ongoing.Detective Inspector Lee Moriarty, of GMP’s Salford district, said,

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“Thanks to the swift actions of officers and witnesses coming forwards with information, our enquiries progressed quickly and we were able to trace the stolen cash machine along with the vehicle.

“We now have a man in custody who will be interviewed by our specialist officers throughout today but our enquiries are very much ongoing at this time.

“I would continue to urge anyone with any information or anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the local area last night to get in touch as soon as they can.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 5237 or 101 quoting incident number 1855 of 28/06/2019, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

It has been four days since police launched a crack down on drink and drug driving and these are the people from Salford who have been arrested and charged so far...

On the 25th of June, Geoffrey Newton (19/01/1965) of Fir Street, Salford was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol.

He is due to appear at Manchester & Salford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 24 July.

The following day Miroslav Potocky (28/10/1969) of Brindley Close, Salford was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

He is due to appear at Manchester & Salford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 1 August.

Police have warned that they will be continuing their social media shame campaign until Monday the 8th of July, if you are caught behind the wheel of a car whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, not only will you receive a sentence but you will also be publicly named.

So far the campaign has seen 29 arrests made and 19 people charged with offences across the region, many of those arrested have been released pending further investigation.

Samuel has now been found, thanks for sharing.

He was last seen on Wednesday 26 June 2019 around Chaddock Lane in Worsley, wearing a vest (colour unknown) and grey work cargo trousers with pockets.

He is aged 26 years-old and is approximately 5ft 10” , he has short blonde hair and is of stocky build , he also has blue eyes.

Officers are becoming increasingly concerned for Sam and want to make sure he is safe and well.

Any sightings or information please call police on 101 quoting ref ; 848 of 27/06/19.

GMP responded to reports of a disturbance involving a group of men on Manchester Road in Clifton at around 3 am this morning (Friday 28th June). A man was subsequently found suffering from life threatening injuries whereupon he was taken to the local Salford Royal Hospital to be treated.

Three men have since been arrested on suspicion of having committed a section 18 assault. They remain in custody for questioning.

Eyes witnesses say they saw a man being chased by another man in a car in the early hours of the morning.

In a statement GMP said, 

Quote

"Shortly before 3am on Friday, June 28, 2019 officers responded to reports of a disturbance involving several men outside a property in Manchester Road at Clifton.

 "A man in his 20s, was taken to hospital with what were described as life-threatening injuries. 

"Three men have been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault. They remain in custody for questioning."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5345 quoting reference 256 of 28/06/19 or anonymously using the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you are over a 'certain age' you will have fond memories of supping school milk from a little glass bottle, back in the 70's and 80's when I was growing up it was somewhat a right of passage. 

I took great pride on being milk monitor for the day but mainly as it got me out of the boredom of classwork. I honestly thought those days were over BUT one school in Salford has taken the bold step to ditch the plastic and go green with the glass bottle once more.

Albeit somewhat different this time around. The milk now comes in pint bottles fresh from the milk supplier and it is then redistributed into environmentally friendly reusable cups to help save on the impact to the environment.

In making the change the school has managed to save an estimated 17,000 plastic bottles and close to 5,000 straws from ending up in the Cities landfills.

Let's face it, no matter where we turn these days, plastic packaging, wrapping and bottles has become the inescapable norm. With an estimated one million bottles being used for school milk breaks alone, the problem seems to be getting out of control.

Much of our societies waste plastic ends up in the rivers and then later makes it's way into the oceans and rather alarming it is now showing up in our bodies via the food we eat and the water we drink.

Eager to become a more eco friendly school the staff opted to contact their local supplier to find out what alternative options were available, it was then that they were made aware of the dairies 'Glass is Greener' scheme.

It really does work and the kids are loving being at the forefront of the green revolution. Education about the environmental impacts of plastics is paramount to changing attitudes in how we use and inevitably dispose of our waste. Bringing focus at an early age is a huge step in developing future generations who are more eco aware.

Schools looking to sign up for Creamline's scheme, or find out more info, can contact Andy Partington by emailing Andy@creamline.co.uk or calling 0161 835 3311.