Jones Banda (27/03/1988) and Liam Fitzgerald (27/01/1995) are both wanted on recall to prison.

They are aware that they are wanted and it appears they are actively evading police arrest.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Banda or Fitzgerald should contact police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Shortly after 9am a man was assaulted by another man whilst shopping in Lidl on Fitzwarren Street in Pendleton, the attacker fled the scene before GMP arrived.

Police say the man is not thought to have suffered serious injuries but was taken to Salford Royal to be checked over as a precaution.

No arrests were made and GMP have asked for any witnesses to come forward.

Anyone with further information can call Greater Manchester Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

It’s following in the footsteps of leading international companies, including Coca Cola, Pepsi, Amazon, Tesco and Virgin Holidays, in signing up to Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme.

The programme helps organisations working in everything from education and law to finance and government to review their policy and practice to improve the working lives of their LGBT staff. 

The aim is to create more inclusive workplaces which support staff in delivering their best performance.

Councillor John Ferguson,  lead member for workforce and industrial relations,  said:

Quote

 

“By teaming up with Stonewall we can create the right conditions for our LGBT workforce to feel accepted and supported so they can deliver the very best services for local residents.

“We’ll use information and ideas from our staff alongside Stonewall’s expertise, knowledge and best practice to benchmark the council against hundreds of other leading employers which have signed up to the programme. It’s all about learning from best practice to create a workforce which reflects the diverse community of Salford.”

 

Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme is supported by Barclays Bank and its founding partners include Google, BP, IBM and RBS. Members range from the BBC to universities, private companies and other local authorities.

Salford City Council agreed to adopt the the Diversity Champions programme at a meeting of full council on Wednesday September 20.

The Broadoak school pupil is the winner of a schools’ competition to design a poster spelling out the importance of getting vaccinated against the potentially deadly virus. 

Frankie’s poster encourages people who are eligible for the free flu vaccination to take it up to help them stay well over winter and protect themselves and their families from flu. It will be displayed in schools, Gateway centres, libraries,  leisure centres, dental practices, care homes and other community venues.

City Mayor Paul Dennett chose Frankie’s poster from dozens submitted by local schools, along with three runners up.

Presenting Frankie with a £20 book token, he said:

Quote

 

“People often think flu is nothing more than a very bad cold but it’s a very serious illness. Pregnant women can miscarry and older people or people with long-term medical conditions have died from the effects of flu.

“If your GP invites you to have a flu vaccination then please make it a priority to get it done. It really is important.” 

 

Dr Tom Tasker, chair of NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group, said:

Quote

“Don’t put off getting the flu vaccination. If you are eligible for a free jab, get it now. It’s free because you need it. If you have a child aged two to three, please take them to your GP for the free nasal spray or, if you have an older child and they are offered the spray at primary school, please give permission. Children can spread the virus to grandparents and people who have underlying health conditions so it is vital they are vaccinated to help stop the flu virus.

Free flu vaccinations are being offered to people aged 65 and over,  registered carers, people aged under 65 who have long-term medical conditions and pregnant women. Children aged two and three can be vaccinated by nasal spray by their GP and children in reception and school years 1, 2,3 and 4 will be offered it via the school based programme. Front-line medical staff are also being offered immunisation to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The poster competition was organised by Salford City Council, supported by NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Salford Royal Hospital which jointly run the flu immunisation campaign.

Runners up were Ailsa Kirby and James Eddleston from Broadoak and year five pupils  Vanessa Jackowska, Victoria Abiola and Julia Jaskolka from St Thomas of Canterbury School, Broughton who all received a £10 book token.

Article Photo, Mayor Paul Dennett, Councillor Lisa Stone and the Amazing Frankie Cusack.

Salford Cheerleaders and dance team 'The Red Hot Flames' who are currently based at Buile Hill High school, are raising much needed funds to improve our training facilities and to provide opportunities in education for young potential coaches. 

Peter Hook best known as 'Hooky' the founder member of Joy Division, New Order and the Light has kindly donated two tickets to attend the Hacienda Classical at the O2 Apollo, Manchester, in support of the Red Hot Flames fundraising auction.

The tickets offer the winning bidder the exclusive opportunity to join the artists on stage for a "once in a lifetime" experience... Priceless!

The auction is being hosted online at http://Jumblebee.co.uk/RHFHaciendaClassical

Red Hot Flames are an All Star Cheerleading and Dance team from Salford, Manchester. The teams, who range in age from 4-adult, compete regionally, nationally and internationally in pom dance and in every age category from tiny through to senior. The team attend competitions all over the UK and internationally and have had great success at all events including European and World Championships.

The goal at Flames is simple, for every child to have fun, progress safely and feel part of their team and the wider Flames family. We love to set a goal and work towards it, and we are always encouraging our children to be the best athlete and person they can be.

We promote teamwork, confidence and sportsmanship in all that we do, ensuring all children are praised for their achievements and dedication.

We are now entering our 21st competitive season with over 150 members on register and success in all age divisions, the Red Hot Flames are the largest and most successful cheerleading and dance program in Salford.

Red Hot Flames are hoping to ensure the regions young athletes can continue to advance in the sport at National & World level. 

Cheerleading was granted "provisional status" by the international Olympic Committee in 2016, placing it on the pathway for possible inclusion in the 2024 Olympic Games.

More information about the Flames can be found on their website at the following link http:/www.redhotflames.net/fundraising.html.

The court heard that between June 2016 and February 2017 Shaker had posted a number of extremist propaganda videos to his personal Facebook account, often accompanying them with comments voicing his approval of their content.

His extremist mind set was further displayed in his liking and commenting on other posts of similar nature to the videos he had been sharing.

As a result of his online behaviour an investigation was launched and on 27 February 2017, he was arrested at his home address in Stockport.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dominic Scally, Head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said:

Quote

 

“Although he may not have been responsible for creating the videos themselves, Saer Hussain Shaker actively encouraged this extremist propaganda by posting it on his personal Facebook account for other users to see.

“Shaker knew exactly what he was doing when he made the decision to share these appalling videos and he is now staring the consequences of his actions directly in the face.

“As he prepares to begin his prison sentence, I hope this will send a clear message. If you are involved in creating, encouraging or sharing extremist materials online, we will search for you and we are prepared to prosecute you to the full extent of the law.” 

 

Plans for the new village were approved by Salford City Council planning, building and regeneration committee in September.

Now permission has been granted, work on the ambitious scheme can begin early next year.

The redevelopment of the two-acre site will be partially paid for through a £3m grant from LIBOR funding, a government initiative to redistribute the proceeds of banking fines. Fundraising by Broughton House is ongoing.

The Broughton House Veterans Care Village is planned to be completed by 2020 and will include:

64 nursing home bedrooms with a dementia wing;
34 independent living apartments;
A military support hub featuring an advice centre, gym, treatment rooms, café, hair salon and meeting rooms
A memorial park with a cenotaph and remembrance walls;
Landscaped gardens featuring an all-weather bowling green and a bandstand.

Dooley Associates will manage the delivery of the scheme. The project team also includes architects Levitt Bernstein, structural engineers Curtins Consulting, service engineers Building Services Design, landscape architect Exterior Architecture, fire engineers Omega Fire and acoustician Sandy Brown.

Ty Platten, chief executive of Broughton House, said:

Quote

“We are committed to providing a safe and secure community for military veterans and the new development will deliver a state-of-the-art care village for the north west.

Brendan Dooley, managing director of Dooley Associates, which has offices in Manchester, Birmingham and London, said:

Quote

 

“The team we’ve selected to deliver this major project is first class.

“We’re pleased that Broughton House has entrusted us to ensure a high-quality outcome for the residents of the new care village and to secure the future of this important charity.”

 

At 6.20pm on Thursday 21 September 2017, police were called to Pomona Strand, Trafford, to reports that a woman had fallen in to Manchester Ship Canal.

Emergency Services were scrambled to assist and she was recovered safely from the water into a boat and the hands of paramedics.

The 19-year-old woman was taken to hospital after suffering the effects of the cold water but otherwise her injuries that are not believed to be life threatening.

It has not been disclosed how the woman ended up being in the water but we wish her a speedy recovery.

Photo Copyright: Tracy M Parker 

The show, Who Cares, was written by Matt Woodhead and co-produced by The Lowry and LUNG Theatre. It was made in partnership with The Gaddum Centre’s Salford Carers Service.
 
It features interviews with young carers about their lives – as well as input from their families and schoolteachers. Local councillors and MP, Barbara Keeley, were also interviewed - along with GP’s and young carers’ workers in the city-region.
 
The play aims to help identify ‘hidden’ young carers in society – those who provide care under the radar of their friends, schoolteachers and local authorities - and signpost them to the support available.
 
The 27-venues - none of which are traditional theatre spaces - have been chosen in partnership with Onside Youth Zones – a national youth centre charity; and Aldridge Education – the academy schools chain founded by ex-Capita Plc boss and Lowry chairman, Sir Rod Aldridge.
 
Primarily located in areas of high deprivation - where the need for support services is strongest – the venues will see the work presented to more than 3,000 young people.

The tour opens in Salford on Monday 30 October, with the final performance in Westminster set for Tuesday 5 December. The performance in The House of Lords will be hosted by Baroness (Jane) Bonham Carter, a trustee of The Lowry.
 
Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said: “Who Cares was a highlight of our 2016 programme and its national tour will ensure this potentially life-changing work will be seen by a further 3,000 young people across the country.
 
“It is a great example of the role that theatre has to play in the education and development of young people - and we hope the opportunity to present the work to peers and MPs at The House of Lords will help highlight the importance of the need for young carers to be well supported”.
 
Casting for the tour has been confirmed. RADA graduate, Lizzie Mounter, plays ‘Nicole’ a 14-year old caring for her mother. Bristol Old Vic favourite, Jessica Temple, plays ‘Jade’ a 17-year old caring for her brother and their dad after he was paralysed in a motorbike accident. And former Billy Elliott star, Joey Philips from Lytham St Annes, plays ‘Connor’ a 12-year old struggling to juggle his school work with his responsibilities at home caring for his mum who faces mental illness.
 
Who Cares premiered to critical acclaim at The Lowry in November 2016. The national tour has been made possible thanks to funding from The Oglesby Charitable Trust and Curious Minds.

In December 2016, a 16-year-old girl had been located by officers after being reported as missing from home. When taking her home, the girl made a disclosure to police that she had been repeatedly sexually abused by Windle since 2014.

Following this disclosure, GMP’s Specialist Protective Services Team launched a thorough investigation and a number of other reports were made to police that Windle had sexually abused young girls between the ages of four and 16.

In September 2016, Windle was arrested and bailed pending further enquiries but failed to cease his offending, continuing to sexually abuse young girls up until his final arrest in December 2016.

Today, Wednesday 20 September 2017, he has been jailed at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.  

Detective Constable April Hopwood of GMP’s Rochdale Borough, said:

Quote

 

“Windle took every opportunity to sexually exploit these young girls, often relying on the façade that he wanted to build a trusting relationship with them.

“The evidence we have gathered throughout this investigation went above and beyond in proving Windle’s depravity and desperate need to subject innocent people to horrific abuse for his own indulgence.

“Every ounce of courage that his victims have so bravely shown throughout this investigation has enabled us to take a man, who has had such a detrimental effect on a number of lives, and put him behind bars.”

 

Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims. 

- If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available. 

- You can call Greater Manchester Police on 101, or alternatively people can refer themselves to St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0161 276 6515, whether or not you want make a police report.

- St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them via Greater Manchester Police, or as a self-referral.

- Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential support service run by women for women and girls who have been raped or sexually abused. Confidential helpline: 0161 273 4500. 

- Survivors Manchester offers support and counselling for adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape, regardless of when the event happened. Contact 07919 246 267.

Weaste cemetery was sealed off due to reports of a suspicious device (now confirmed to be a World War 2 Grenade) found within the grounds by council workers.

The Royal Logistics Corps EOD team performed a controlled explosion on playing fields near too Stott Lane. It's believed this was a live, viable device.

Police and bomb disposal were on scene at Cemetery Road in Weaste and after assessing the situation carried out a controlled explosion of what is being described as a rusting World War 2 Grenade which had been dumped along with a blue carpet and several other items.

The grenade was removed to a more suitable location at Stott Lane fields for its disposal to be carried out, several residents in the area heard the explosion, GMP has confirmed the grenade has now been made safe.

GMP told us.....

At around 2.14pm today, Wednesday 20 September 2017, police were called to reports that a suspicious item had been found in the grass by council workers at the cemetery.

Officers are at the scene and bomb disposal officers were made aware and sealed the area.

Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference number 1094 of 20/09/17 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
 
 

We have shared this here as it may be possible that he has next-of-kin living in the Salford area.

Police are appealing for the public’s help to find the next-of-kin of a man from Urmston. 

It’s believed he has relatives living in the Urmston area and anyone with information that could help police trace any next-of-kin is encouraged to contact the police coroner’s office on 0161 856 9696. 
 

Shortly before 4.30pm on Monday 17 September 2017, the victim was walking to meet a friend along Great Cheetham Street East towards Teltow Lane.

Two men have grabbed him from behind and pulled his jumper over his head before pulling him backwards to the floor.

The attackers then continued to punch and kick him, resulting in him sustaining a punctured lung.

The first man was described as mixed race, about 5ft 7ins, in his late 20s and was wearing dark clothing.

The second man was described as black, about 5ft 8ins, around 25-years-old and was wearing dark clothing.

Both men rode off on bikes onto Orient Street.

Detective Sergeant Wendy Grace, from GMP’s Salford borough, said: 

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“This was a callous attack on an innocent man all for his phone.

“Luckily they didn’t manage to steal it and the victim is recovering well, but he was obviously extremely shaken at the time.“

 

Anyone with any information about this attack should call police on 0161 856 5630 quoting incident number 1453 17/09/17.

Image: Google Maps

Lewis Edwards was last seen at around midday yesterday (Monday) in Rivington. He did not return home to Garstang, but has links to Rawtenstall, Preston, Horwich and Birkenhead and may have travelled to one of those areas. 
  
Anybody with information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact us as soon as possible. 
  
PC Natalie Craddock, of Lancaster Police, said:

Quote

“We are becoming increasingly concerned about Lewis and would like to hear from anybody who knows where he is, or thinks they may have seen him. Similarly we would urge Lewis – if he sees this appeal – to contact us as soon as possible to let us know he is safe.” 

  
Lewis is described as white, of thin build, around 5ft 6ins tall, with short, dark brown hair. He speaks with a Liverpool accent. 
  
He was last seen wearing a white polo shirt, black trousers and a black coat. 
  
Anybody with information should contact us on 101, quoting log number 564 of September 18th. 
 

Updated 18:03: GMP have confirmed the Volvo which was found burnt out in Weaste was the same one used in the robbery.

Updated 15:52: Police have now issued the following statement.

Shortly before 7:10am on Tuesday 19 September 2017, police were called to Salford Precinct to reports that a cash in transit driver had been robbed.

Two men wearing balaclavas approached the driver before assaulting him with a crowbar and stealing a significant quantity of cash. The two then fled the scene in a silver Volvo.

The cash in transit driver has been taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Anybody with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident number 354 of 19/09/17, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

----

We are looking into reports that the Royal Bank of Scotland at Salford Precinct has been robbed around 7am this morning, photographs on Social Media show police tape around the entrance to the bank.

Our thoughts as always are with the staff involved and affected, we hope that none of them have been injured or suffered harm.

A spate of armed robberies have targeted local banks in the past few months. In late August police were called to the Nationwide after it was held up by thieves wielding sledgehammers.

And less than a fortnight ago masked thieves held staff at gunpoint as they targeted an early morning money delivery at the Walkden branch of Santander.

We are also trying to establish if a report of a dark silver Volvo car set alight on Kennedy Road in Weaste this morning is related to this latest incident.

We will have more as soon as we get it.

Image Copyright Davina Emily Brown

It has been over FOUR years now since I first realised that there was a growing problem in Salford, one which has only gotten worse as cuts to services bite and bin collections have become more infrequent. 

Over those years I have seen it all, from an entire garden shed dumped on a street behind the Ashley Brook to the proverbial kitchen sink complete with unwashed cutlery dumped in the middle of a roundabout. Looking at and removing rubbish has become a bit of a hobby I would rather not partake in but am strangely addicted too.

For me it started with the simple act of trying to get a smelly bin bag removed from the back entry of my mums house in Weaste. The bag was what the council would now term 'Contaminated Rubbish' which effectually means it was a mix of food stuffs, plastics, metals and packaging etc..

As one of the neighbours had placed it at the side of the bin, the refuse collectors refused (No pun intended) to take it and so it was left in situ. My mum being the neighbourly person she was took it upon herself to sort through it and place all of the items into the right bins, mainly just to get rid of it, as she lived at the end house which was the focal point for the bin collections.

A few days later another bag appeared along with several boxes, the night after that another bag turned up and then another and another. In the end there was a pile of bags at the side of her home and the Bin Men were refusing to take them as they were all 'Contaminated'. 

At this point I got involved and called the Council to ask if someone would come out and remove it, I was told that someone would be out the following day and it would be gone. Two weeks and several calls later it was still there and still smelling. The Bin Men were adamant that they would not take it and so a very angry telephone call was placed to the council with the threat of going to the local news outlet with the photos.

Low and behold the very same day a nice man in a truck turned up and the now mountain of rubbish was removed.

UNTIL a few hours later when a bag was placed at the end of the entry... and then another... and well you guessed it the problem was back.

By this time I had moved out of the area to Winton but my kids were still in school in Weaste and so I ventured there daily, on my journey too and from schools each day I started to notice that the problem was not just exclusive to my mums street but was one which was widespread across the area.

As time went on I could not help but notice it and that some of the bags were being left for upwards of a month at a time, so I started reporting them on the Council website. They would go on and I would get an email confirming but shortly afterwards they would mysteriously go missing or be marked as job done when it clearly had not.

So I headed onto social media to see if others were noticing the same thing as I was. The response was not what I expected as people flooded my post with photos and stories of bags being dumped for months at a time and left to rot even after being reported. Some of the stories people were posting were shocking, almost as shocking as the photos accompanying them.

So I decided to start documenting the rubbish myself AND most importantly to try and understand why it was happening, who it was dumping it and why. 

Within a few days I noticed in this particular area one glaringly obvious thing, most of the rubbish was being dumped at the end of Alley Ways (Entry's for us Salford Folk), more so the gated ones. It seemed that where ever there were terrace houses with Entry's, there was a corresponding issue with bag dumping.

There were a few anomalies in which some streets seemed to not have the issue BUT I quickly started to understand that there was another underlying problem that added to the problem. 

The majority of the streets that did not have the problem seemed to be those with a far higher level of home owners and less private landlords, neighbour's knew each other and it was in their interests to keep their own areas clean and tidy as they owned their homes and would be most likely living in that area for a long time.

In other areas that were predominately privately rented properties the situation was not so well. I noticed that there seemed to have a fairly high churn rate of residents living in these rented properties, they stayed a few months and then moved out for whatever reason.

These particular properties had an additional problem, mainly that of household items being dumped. Things like cookers, fridges, chairs, beds, mattresses etc.. To me at least it seemed like when a family moved out, either they or the landlords would just take whatever they were not wanting to the end of the road and dump it. 

As I grew to know the areas better I noticed that whenever a property became vacant there was usually some kind of household goods dumped at the end of the road. I kind of figured it was related.

Other areas were different though, some were not so easily explained. One particular area was Weaste Lane, in particular the lower part of it where the Post Office and the Chemist are. I noticed seemingly big three story homes (4 with the converted cellar) which had the same issue.

At first I assumed they were large single homes but after investigating a little further I discovered that many were multi occupancy homes or shared houses, with rooms being let to students etc.. These properties had a number of individual people dwelling in them , all of whom seemingly shared communal bins. Once those were full then the issue of getting rid of rubbish was a problem.

You guessed it, the rubbish would end up at the end of the gated entries in bin bags which the bin men refused to remove.

On the whole though I discovered that each area within Weaste had its own unique problem, and this therein is the issue and why it is not so straight forward to fix. One fix does not suit all.

I see Salford Council getting a lot of stick on social media and although some of it is seriously justified (The reporting system's failings etc..) some of it is equally not.

Most of the rubbish dumped can easily be sorted into the correct separate bags/bins. For some it seems that it is just too much effort and not their problem, so even though they are provided with the correct bins they are just too plain lazy to make the effort. We really can not blame the Council for that, bins are provided to most households and it is their choice that they don't use them correctly.

That said there is also another issue in play in which bins are left out long after 'Bin Day', in which time others have seized the opportunity to get rid of a few spare bags by dumping in them. So they end up filled with 'Contaminated' rubbish and the Bin Men refuse to empty them.

In my view this is where the Council are failing as much more should be done to ensure that bins are removed and taken back into properties within an allotted time. Not only do left out bins fuel the temptation to dump rubbish in them but they also become a hazard to people trying to get past them as they block pavements.

It is kind of like an open invitation for people to dump in those bins and more often than not as the above photo shows very clearly people will seize upon the chance to get rid of those bags they have been storing up.

No article on bins however could go without making mention to the Councils changes to collections, in particular the issue of reduced black bin collections. I see people mentioning this issue more than most and there are two sides to the story. The emphasis for the Council is on recycling as it reduces the cost of having to landfill rubbish. That said not all rubbish can be recycled, those with children for instance will have a much larger problem as the only bin that disposable nappies can go into is the black bin. Some would argue that people can fix that issue by using the old Cloth nappies which is fantastic in theory but not so practical in real life as in this day and age both parents are often working to make ends meet and time is precious and limited. Likewise things like yogurt pots can not be recycled as the recycling centre's can't cope with them.

This leads to many families unable to cope with the current three week collections and others in different situations wondering what the fuss is about. We need to remember and understand that each family makeup is dynamic and different and it stands to reason that so is the refuse they produce.

Something I think Salford Council should be paying more attention too and accepting and addressing. You really can not just treat Salford as a whole when it has different types of property and families living within it.

So ultimately who is at fault here?

Well in my four years of looking at this problem I have concluded the following.....

The fault lies with us all, but there is no one single thing that you can point at and say 'That's it'..

Each of us should be taking pride in our areas, we should be reporting ALL and ANY rubbish we see dumped on the streets. At the moment it seems that many accept it as they can do nothing to alter it. DON'T ACCEPT IT.

Complain and whinge about it until things get done, it's what I have been doing for the past four years and I can tell you I have had more rubbish removed in Salford than I care to think about. You are not a Whinger, YOU are a Salfordian, be proud of that and don't let others drag your area down.

Those who can not be bothered to separate their rubbish into the correct bins should be ashamed of themselves and the Council should be far far more proactive in ensuring they are brought into line and pulling their weight.

Salford Council, get it into your heads that putting up signs does not work and is not the best use of tax payers money. It may be the easiest option and the cheapest option but it is far from the most effective.

As you can see from the photos I have posted along with this article (All taken in Weaste and Seedley today), many have signs warning against fly tipping and all of them without question are being ignored day in day out.

Salford Council needs to accept that this is NOT a fix and it clearly does not work, people are not taking a blind bit of notice and it has no effect whatsoever other than costing money. The evidence is right there for all to see. 

In Weaste and Seedley a solution was suggested in which large bins were placed in specific problem areas, it would work well if done correctly. However it is not and the failure here is that those bins have not been placed in the correct areas to be effective. Take for instance the photo bellow. This one has been placed on Seedley Park road facing the Park, when the issue is 500 yards away around the entry ways of Seedley's terraced houses. This bin is empty when just around the corner there are streets filled with bin bags. The same could be said for the second photo whereupon one has been placed outside the butty shop facing the tram stop in Weaste, far from where the problem is on Foster Street and Borough Road. This bin once more was empty when I checked it, as around the corner there are piles of bin bags strewn around the streets. A little common sense and people who know and understand the problem would go a long way here and cut down on many of the problems people have in these areas.

Salford Council need to take a long look here, learn to understand the problem (It took me a long time) and work on solutions that actually fix them. It is all great that they have placed large bins in certain areas but they will not be effective unless they are in the correct places and where needed most. In my view there should also be far more of them for people to use.

The truth of the matter is we could all be doing more, each and everyone of us could be taking pride in the area we live in, if you see rubbish, report it. If the council are not doing anything about it then contact your Councillor and ask them to intervene on your behalf.

Most of them get slated for doing nothing but unless they are aware of the problem they can not get it fixed. I started off venting my anger at Councillors but in the end understood that in most cases they DO try and get things moved, sadly as soon as that happens the lazy section of society choose to continue to blight the area and just dump even more. 

Salford Council should be doing far more to solve these problems as at now over £350 per tonne to landfill rubbish then it is in their interests as well as ours to get as many recycling as possible.

Some don't see it as their problem, why should they? and that becomes our problem as the more money we have to pay out to clean up after these people then the less we have for other services.

At the same time the Council need to understand the bigger picture and how these changes affect individual areas and specific families, its not a simple case of one solution fits all.

More help should be given to those who need it and if they are to continue with these collections then they need to accept that they need to increase the frequency street cleaning. Large families and those with young children can opt for a larger bin but most say its like jumping through hoops trying to get one.

So in short and to sum up....

We as a City need to do more to report things needing removing, if it does not get done then raise it with your local Councillor, if that fails then by all means share it on social media sites and highlight it. Unless people know of the problem they can not come together to get rid of it.

The Council needs to be more proactive in dealing with offenders, they should also be a lot more proactive in searching out dumped rubbish and removing it so that it does not become a problem in the first place, they can't have eyes and ears everywhere though and so rely on the public to inform them, so if you spot something then let them know as its no use expecting someone else to do it as they may be expecting someone else too etc...

Those who are causing this problem need addressing and dealing with, if you see someone or know someone dumping rubbish then they are basically crapping on your doorstep, blighting your area and inviting vermin onto the streets. What's more is the cost of these cleanups come directly out of Council funding, the same funding you pay into when you pay your council taxes. This reduces the money available for other much more vital things we need in Salford.

Accept that you do pay Council Tax but those who are dumping this rubbish as basically taking the hard earned money you pay from your pockets and may as well just be sending that to the tip instead.

Councillors need to be more proactive on Social Media where things like this are being reported as a final resort because they feel no one else is listening, some Councillors are fantastic at it and have made huge changes in some areas, some less so.

This is NOT a problem the bin men have made, its unfair to slate them when their numbers are being cut to shreds and street cleaning services are under increasing pressure to perform with dwindling staff and resources.

Salford Council need to take a long hard look at the system for reporting rubbish, as well as the response times for its removal, they are shamefully inadequate.

Fortunately I have never been alone in my complaining about this problem, too many posts to count have appeared on local social media sites over the years, people who live this City just wanting it to sparkle and shine. Long may they continue to demand clean streets and a decent level of service, without them reporting problems and trying to get them fixed then this Salford we love so much would be in a lot worse state than it is now. They are the unseen and unpaid workforce acting as they eyes of the Council, reporting that which needs reporting for the benefit of their communities. Without them standing up and making their voices heard we would quite literally be knee deep in.....

And so ends PART ONE of my THREE part look into what is just the tip of the iceberg of this problem.

There are periods in our life when things for either ourselves or our loved ones can medically take a turn for the worse. At these times we turn to our medical professionals to patch us up and fix our bones, treat our illnesses and put our lives in their hands.

These miracle workers are backed up by an often forgotten group of volunteer angels who are just as vital, they selflessly volunteer to ship blood through often busy traffic, when and to wherever its needed. When the call is given they are on standby to jump into action and get those urgently needed and vital supplies on the road, heading to their destination. 

I am of course talking about our 'Blood Bikes' and their heroic volunteer riders whom are dedicated to delivering the red stuff and have saved countless lives in doing so along the way. They are the emergency service that the emergency service depend on, and they need your help.

If you have ever had an emergency transfusion then they have most certainly been active giving up their free time and doing their part to get you on the mend.

And so it comes to pass that these 2 wheeled (and 4) heroes need your help with fundraising.

They are asking for people to help them crowdfund in order to provide a new vehicle and other essentials to help continue their service.

They have a crowfunder page available bellow for the public to donate, and they are also offering a selection of key ring designs for just £1.50 each to help raise much needed cash.

So if you or a loved one have ever needed blood, they helped you so please find it in your heart to give a little back and help them.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/blood-bikes-manchester-response-4x4/?

For more information about their service please take a look at their website...

http://www.bloodbikesmanchester.co.uk/

They are also looking for volunteers, so if you match what they are looking for then please consider giving a little time to help this amazing group of people.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said:

“Today’s awful attack in London will understandably have had a profound impact on those not only living or working in the capital, but also communities across the nation.

“Innocent people including children, parents, grandparents, siblings and loved ones would have been on that train and were no doubt utterly terrified by what they faced. My thoughts are with them and anyone who has been affected by this cowardly attack.

“At times like this we must send a clear message that we will continue to stand together and not live our lives in fear of these atrocities.

“There is no specific intelligence to suggest that an attack on Greater Manchester is imminent but following the decision to raise the threat level to critical, people will see an increase in unarmed and armed officers.

“There will also be extra officers at Manchester Arena’s Saturday night concert to provide visible reassurance to those attending, whilst we will look at plans for Sunday’s football fixture at Old Trafford.

“We will continue to monitor the situation to provide an appropriate response to keep our communities safe, as well as our deployment.

“I would ask you all to please remain vigilant. It is becoming increasingly vital that anyone who has any concerns about suspected terrorist activity should contact police as a matter of a priority.

“If you see anything that seems suspicious or worries you, please call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”

Report suspicious activity to the police by calling or visiting the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321 or gov.uk/ACT

Report online terrorist and extremist material online by clicking on gov.uk/ACT