Update: All four men have been bailed pending further enquiries.

It’s believed that both incidents involved industrial type fireworks, however forensic testing is still ongoing to confirm this.  

Yesterday at around 7pm, officers saw a Lexus car on Stockport Road, which was thought to be stolen and linked to the explosions.

Officers followed the Lexus for a short time before it stopped and reversed, ramming the police car near to Regent Road in Salford.

The occupants of the car abandoned the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot but officers soon caught up with them and detained them.

The men are aged 20, 24, 24, and 29 and all remain in custody on suspicion of possession of explosives.

One of the 24-year-olds has also been arrested on suspicion of affray and supplying a controlled substance. The 29-year-old has also been arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.

Superintendent Mark Kenny of GMP’s Salford borough, said:

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“Although we have made arrests, the investigation is very much ongoing.

“The safety of the people of Salford is our priority and we have ensured that the investigation is moving forward as quickly as possible. This has included dedicated detectives and support from the fire service.

“While many people may think we are talking about the kind of fireworks you would purchase for bonfire night, we are not.

“These are extremely dangerous devices, which would cause serious injury to anyone nearby when they are ignited.

“I would urge members of the public to come forward if they have any information to support this investigation or assist in identifying where the explosive devices originated from.

“We are working closely with Salford City Council regarding the legal and safe supply of fireworks.

“Help us protect the safety of the people of Salford and bring those responsible for these serious attacks by calling us with any information you have.”

 

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting reference number 33 of 12/09/17 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

On Thursday 4 February 2016, Lee Birchall (20/11/1967) was sentenced to 6 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, for possession with intent to supply class B drugs

In March 2015 officers executed a search warrant at an address in Salford and found two cannabis farms in the house.

When police went to arrest Birchall, there was a delay in him opening the door and officers later discovered a bag full of cannabis he’d hidden in his neighbour’s garden.

As part of the sentencing for drug possession, a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was launched to identify assets available for confiscation from Birchall’s criminal activity.

Today, Thursday 14th September 2017, a Confiscation Order was granted by HHJ Goddard in the sum of £283,981.94 representing Birchall’s benefit from his crimes.

Birchall’s benefit from criminal conduct relates to money passing through his bank accounts which is not from a legitimate income, so must have come from his illegal activity.

Birchall has paid for holidays, dental work costing £4,000.00, jewellery, and the conversion of a property into a Tapas Wine Bar in Monton. However, none of this has been paid for from his legitimate income or bank accounts, so must have been funded by his criminal dealings. 

Birchall will have to sell 5 of his 6 his houses (the 6th is in negative equity) in and around Salford, all the furniture and fittings, together with the Lease from the Tapas Bar in Monton. He will also have to recover £40,000.00 loaned to his sister in 2015.

Birchall has 3 months to sell his assets failing which he will serve 18 months in prison and still have to settle the Order by selling his assets on his release.

Detective Inspector Mark Toker of GMP’s Salford Borough, said:

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“The Proceeds of Crime Act means that we can now ensure people like Birchall don’t profit from their devious criminal behaviour.

“Our specialist financial investigation team painstakingly trawl through the offender’s records to find evidence of a life funded by criminality, and do all they can to claw that money back.

“I hope today’s hearing makes the message clear, that you can’t convert or hide the money you make from criminal activity.

“We will do everything in our power to secure a conviction and take back every penny made from illegal behaviour.”

 

* The image of Monton used in this article is stock and does not reflect the property or business mentioned.

Ellen had not returned from college, this was extremely out of character and her family and friends were very worried.

A police search began in Orrell Water Park in Wigan, as this was the last place she was known to have been. Around 2.30am on Saturday 17 June 2017 Ellen’s body was sadly found.

Today, Thursday 14 September 2017, Mark Buckley (10/9/65) of New Hall Lane, Preston has been sentenced at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 31 years after pleading guilty to Ellen’s murder at an earlier hearing.

Detective Superintendent Howard Millington, of GMP’s Serious Crime division, said:

“My thoughts will always be with Ellen’s family and friends, this was an absolutely devastating murder by a stranger of an innocent young girl with her whole life ahead of her.

“Buckley callously killed Ellen in broad daylight. He attacked her in the most brutal way as she was walking around Orrell Water Park before going to meet her friends who were taking their exams.

“I am glad Buckley will now be spending many years behind bars to contemplate the young life that he has stolen away, but I wish that we hadn’t even had to investigate this crime.

“I wish it hadn’t happened and Ellen was here celebrating her A-Level results with her friends and planning her future.

“I would like to pay tribute to Ellen’s family and boyfriend for the dignified way they have conducted themselves in what has been the most awful of times; we can never bring Ellen back but I hope they can gain some comfort in the fact that justice has been done.”

Police have now released Body Cam footage of Buckley's arrest.

Ellen’s dad Mike Higginbottom has provided the below statement:

“There can never be anything even remotely approaching justice for what was done to Ellen, but what can be done has been done and both Kay and I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been involved in bringing about today’s achievement.

“We were tremendously lucky to have shared eighteen years with her and everyone else who knew her will identify with that feeling. She made the world a better place with pretty much everything she said and everything she did.

“We all would have liked more though, and we would especially have liked for her to have had more. For her to have seen the results of all her hard work, for her to have seen her friends fly the nest as they went all to uni, for her to have explored the world that she was just growing into.

“To have all that taken away from her in such a pointless and idiotic fashion fills us with an anger and resentment that does not represent who we want to be. But we wrestle it under control and learn to be better at being people. Because that’s what adults do.

“So if there’s anyone else out there thinking of doing anything even half this stupid, just take one piece of advice. Grow up.”

We don't have to tell you how amazing the staff at St Ann's are they are angels on earth who offer free support by catering to the unique physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of those with a life-limiting illness, and to help maintain their dignity. They provide specialist palliative care for people with cancer and non-cancer life-limiting illnesses, at all stages of their illness.

Sounds of Salford's aim is to promote local Salford bands and music, whilst raising money for local causes, and it is doing that in spectacular fashion with listening figures many FM stations would dream of.

The station has raised thousands of pounds for local charities since it started from it's humble beginnings last year. It now has a cult following across not only Salford but the rest of the world, with listeners regularly tuning in from America to Oslo.

They recently launched a new website found here and have a wide and ever growing range of shows covering everything from news and views on our local Rugby team to Coey's rants which covers local hot topics, not to forget top local bands and music mixed with listener favorites.

The money they have raised is 'not a lot' according to modest Simon, but we are sure it will be appreciated and go a long way to help a local Salford charity. The station has been supporting those who support Salford people and aims to do so for a long time to come.

Carl Byron (19/06/1981) of Manchester Road, Over Hulton and Anthony Bradbury (06/10/1987) of Haslam Street, Bury have been charged with theft.

The pair have also been charged with money laundering alongside Toni Corrigan (15/06/1988) of Haslam Street, Bury and Charlie Corrigan (04/10/1991) of Haslam Street, Bury.

They are due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 10 October 2017.

The charges come after police arrested four people in connection with the theft of computer games, DVDs and CDs from HMP Forest Bank on 13 June 2017. 

Recycle and Reward aims to increase recycling in Salford and rewards clubs, charities, groups and organisations in your local area.

Each month, there is a list of 'good causes' to vote for in each area of the city. The ones with the most votes in each of the areas will win their reward IF recycling in that area has increased from the previous month.

This scheme is funded entirely through government money with the aim of increasing recycling in Salford.

https://www.salford.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/recycle-and-reward/vote-for-a-good-cause-in-your-area/

Four people were on board at the time of the incident, with one man suffering a minor head injury and a serious arm injury and another man suffering serious cut to the head which was not life threatening.

The ambulance service attended and treated the injured at the scene. Two men were taken to hospital for treatment and have since been released.

Senior Investigating Officer, Sergeant Lee Westhead from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: 

Quote

 

“Police have now recovered the plane pending examination and I would like to thank the local community for their patience during recovery efforts.

“ A joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is now underway by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit and the Civil Aviation Authority.

“I am keen to speak to anyone who witnessed any part of the incident or anyone with any information.”

 

Earlier this month the airport gave warnings to parents after children were found to have scaled a fence to gain access to the runway...

Anyone with information is asked to get in touch with police on 0161 856 4741 or 101, quoting incident number 669 of 09/09/17. You can do this anonymously on 0800 555 111 through the independent charity Crimestoppers.

Nineteen-year old, Jimmy Connaughton from Rochdale has been selected to play in the GB Police Rugby League Team.

He will join 19 other squad members to represent the country against two teams when they travel to Vancouver, Canada from 18 September to 2 October.

The team will play against the Canadian Wolverines and the New Zealand Police Force. They will be led by head coach Gareth Pratt from Littleborough and team manager Chris Cowling from West Yorkshire Police.

Jimmy said:

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“It is a real honour to represent GMP and the country as part of team GB. I have been playing rugby since I was seven years old so going forward I am using all of my skills learnt over the years in the matches I will play.

“We have already started the season on some wins after playing a tough game against the Prison Service. I’m just hoping that we can draw on this success going forward for our matches in Canada.”

 

Jimmy has played rugby from an early age and teams he has played for include Rochdale Mayfield Amateur Rugby League team and Hopwood Hall College where he studied uniformed services.

Gareth Pratt, head coach, said:

Quote

 

“James is a real asset to the team. He is a determined and skilful young man with a good rugby league background.

“He has been developing well at his local amateur club and since coming into the GB squad he has shown the qualities I am looking for in a player. He has an excellent attitude and work ethic. 

“From my point of view young players like Jimmy add to the development of the squad and I look forward to the skills they will bring when the team goes on tour later this month.”

 

Jimmy, first joined GMP in October last year as an apprentice. During this period he has worked in the Force Intelligence Branch and the teenager has been provided with the opportunity to shadow various intelligence departments as part of his development. The experience has proved valuable as he is due to start a new role as an intelligence officer on his return from his trip to Canada.

Sergeant Trevor Eaton from Greater Manchester Police, manages Jimmy, he said:

Quote

 

“He is a real asset to the organisation and has shown a real interest in developing himself and learning. Jimmy has even helped integrate a new IT system while a part of the team.

“I want to wish him and his team all the luck for their tour this month.”

 

Jimmy is now looking forward to his future at the force and the opportunities it holds for him. He said: “I am just enjoying my time in the force and am learning new things each day. I want to be able to enhance my skills and maybe one day join the front line and become a police officer.”

Police widened their search area today as the cordon around the cafe at the centre of an explosion last night is extended.

See the story bellow for more details

Enquiries are continuing into an explosion that took place in Salford last night.

At around 12.30am on Tuesday 12 September 2017 police and the fire service were called to reports that an explosion had been heard in Pendleton.

When officers arrived, they discovered damage to a shop front and the pavement on Concord Place.

As a precaution, the cordon that was put in place this morning while enquiries are carried out has now been extended and covers part of Douglas Green and Gerald Road. This is for a short period of time only and the road will reopen soon.

Residents from the flats above the cafe were temporally evacuated this morning as a precaution, and are now back in their homes.

The bomb disposal unit have attended to support the investigation, as is often the case with incidents of this nature.

Although the investigation remains at an early stage and the cause of the explosion is yet to be firmly established, it is believed that it could potential have been an industrial type firework.

Detectives are considering the possibility that the incident could be linked to a similar one that occurred on Grafton Avenue last Saturday.

Superintendent Mark Kenny of GMP’s Salford Borough, said:

Quote

 

“This happened in the middle of the night and understandably a number of people will be concerned about the incident.

“We are working with our colleagues in the fire service to understand the cause and the circumstances that surround it. A bomb disposal unit will also be attending the scene to support the investigation, which is normal for incidents of this nature.

“Fortunately no-one was hurt but this does not dilute the severity of what has happened.

“I want to thank people who have already got in touch with us and I would ask that anyone with information to come forward.

“We are piecing together the information we have received but need you to make that call to gain a fuller picture.”

 

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting reference number 33 of 12/09/17 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

GMP have now released the following statement..

Quote

A joint investigation has been launched after an explosion in Salford last night. 

At around 12.30am on Tuesday 12 September 2017 police and the fire service were called to reports that an explosion had been heard in Pendleton. 

When officers arrived, they discovered damage to a shop front and the pavement on Concord Place. 

A cordon remains in place while enquiries are carried out and officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. 

Superintendent Mark Kenny of GMP’s Salford Borough, said: “This happened in the middle of the night and understandably a number of people will be concerned about what is happened. 

“We are working with our colleagues in the fire service to understand the root cause and the circumstances that surround it. 

“Fortunately no-one was hurt but this does not dilute the severity of what has happened. 

“I want to thank people who have already got in touch with us and I want to urge those who have not yet done so to do the same. 

“We are piecing together the information we have received but need you to make that call to gain a fuller picture.”   

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting reference number 33 of 12/09/17 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. 

Fire Service spokesman is now saying it is an incident involving an industrial firework being placed under the shutter of 'The Lounge' Cafe on Concord Place which is just off Whit Lane.

There is damage to a window and a reportedly a hole in the shop floor caused by the blast, damage is surprisingly minimal considering the noise of the explosion. No one is thought to have been injured in the blast

GM Fire are leading the investigation and it is not thought to be terror related.

This follows a similar incident earlier this week on Grafton Avenue in Ellesmere Park which involved an industrial firework being placed up a car exhaust...

One resident said that the blast woke her up as the bed shook and she thought her windows were going to shatter.

Another lady called Kelly said she lives a quarter of a mile away and thought someone had kicked her door through.

Shortly after 12:20am reports of a loud explosion were posted on Social Media sites, with many speculating on the cause of the blast.

I heard it myself and I live in Winton, at the time was in bed with the windows closed and the television on.

Fire crews saying firework was placed under shutters of the cafe pic.twitter.com/T3zDUVShu4

— Mrs Devil (@MrsDevil1066) September 12, 2017

pic.twitter.com/mcqiezPpuD

— Mrs Devil (@MrsDevil1066) September 12, 2017

You can follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/SalfordSoapbox

or on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/salfordsoapbox/

For up to the minute updates and breaking news for Salford.

Non Twitter Photos By AndyAP

After a blustery and wet start on Monday it looks like the wind and rain are set to continue to test our garden fences for weaknesses. The MET Office has issued Salford with a Yellow (Be Aware) warning of wind with gusts as high as 75mph possible in some areas.

Weather Forecast Maps

Wind speeds will increase into Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning,  so prepare for longer journey times by road, rail and air, with restrictions on roads and bridges. Overall tomorrow will be brighter during the start of the day, with only a few light showers. Rain and then very strong winds will arrive later in the evening.

Temperatures for tomorrow will struggle to get above 16f.

There is also a chance of power cuts, damage to trees and the odd garden chair knocked over in some areas.

I am afraid the outlook for the rest of the week is not much different as thunder and lightening (very very frightening) are thought to be heading our way to cheer us all up on Thursday, although Friday should be a lot nicer, brighter and dryer.

Stay safe folks, drive carefully and remember to pack a brolly.

As austerity bites it is those on the lowest incomes who struggle to cope with ever escalating costs of food, Salford Food Bank along with Connect Church have come together to raise funding to open tow new food bank centres, the first of which is hoped to open in eccles in the next few weeks. They are aiming to raise £3000 to get it up and running. If you can help then please do so.

A link to their donations page can be found HERE

What we do

Every day in Salford, people and families go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy, receiving an unexpected bill on a low income or those who have had benefits altered or stopped.

Salford Foodbank provides emergency food parcels, through a voucher system, in partnership with over 90 agencies with front line care professionals, to help provide the simple, practical gift of food and support at the point of crisis.

We’ve fed more people than ever

In the first six months of 2017 we gave out 2,645 three-day emergency food parcels to Salford residents, a 78% increase compared to the same period in 2016. The food has been given out from our bases in Lower Broughton and near Media City. This appeal will enable us to open a third foodbank distribution centre in Eccles, providing a huge benefit to the local community.

Help us feed more people

We will be working in partnership with Connect Church, Eccles and we need £3,000 initial set up costs to get the building ready to operate and to buy food. The money will be spent on building racking for storing food, a trolley to move crates of food, signage to direct people to the building, a laptop to store necessary data & information, foodbank t-shirts for volunteers and to buy items are food that we may have a shortage of.

Why a third foodbank centre?

Having a third foodbank centre in a different part of Salford will help people who have may have struggled to have accessed the other existing centres . The foodbank centre in Eccles will be close to the centre so has good transport links for people travelling from other parts of Salford. Having an additional foodbank centre in a different area will simply enable us to help more people that are struggling to put food on the table.

We estimate that we will distribute at least 1,500 three-day emergency food parcels from the Eccles centre each year.

OK it is hardly on the scale of Hurricane Irma but Salford and Manchester have been whipped today by very strong winds with gusts of 55-65 mph, reportedly reaching as high as 75 mph in some more exposed places. The winds and rain look set to stay with us over the next 24 hours as they run into Tuesday and possibly even as far into Wednesday morning.

Weather Forecast Maps

Drivers heading along Weaste Lane in errr Weaste were greeted by the sight of a fallen tree blocking the road and causing damage to the fence of the newly constructed St Luke's CofE building.

There has been localised flooding along many roads causing drivers to come to a crawl in some areas and pedestrians to run for cover from getting a drenching. The East Lancs and Motorways have surface water on them which is causing problems, so make sure you take care and keep slow if you are heading onto them today.

The River Irwell had higher than normal levels but still had a bit to go before breaching its banks, the new flood defenses in place should in theory prevent another re run of the floods which caused misery for many a few years ago.

Meanwhile fences were damaged and sheds flipped on their roofs as the winds whipped up, with further outbreaks of strong wind and rain predicted for tomorrow.

Alas no article about a windy day would be complete without an obligatory photo of an upside down shed, so not wanting to disapoint......

Weather forecasters say the misery is not over as a second storm will be hitting the area by midweek so it looks for the moment that it will be more of the same and a bit of a damp week.

As always stay safe folks.

Photo by Daz Houghton & Mark Davison

It has been reported on Social Media that a car (dark blue Renault Clio) has ended up on its roof shortly after 5pm on the Westbound carriageway of the East Lancs (A580), just after the Worsley Road junction and close to Albert's Restaurant & Bar.

We are told that the shook up driver of the vehicle managed to climb out himself, his injuries are not thought to be life threatening, although he was checked out by an ambulance crew and taken to Salford Royal as a precaution.

The road has now been cleared and the vehicle removed, traffic is moving again.

It is unclear yet as to how the car ended upside down, although it has been said that the road was slippy due to downpours and surface water, we will update this post as soon as we have more information.

Photos courtesy of Antony Worley & Joanne Blakesley

Greater Manchester Police have released the following statement so I have added it here and updated this article.

Quote

Police are appealing for information after a large firework was set off under a car in Salford.

Shortly before 7pm on Saturday 9 September 2017, police were called to Grafton Avenue to reports of a possible explosion.

Officers attended and found a Vauxhall Corsa with significant damage as well as a Renault Kangoo van with some damage to it.

A joint investigation with the fire service is underway and initial enquiries have suggested that a large industrial type firework was placed under the Corsa before being set off.

A dark grey coloured saloon type car was seen reversing up the street immediately before the bang.

Detective Sergeant Rachel Smith from GMP’s Salford borough said: “Thankfully nobody was injured during this incident but it could easily have been a different story had somebody been nearby at the time of the explosion.

“Our initial enquiries undertaken alongside the fire service suggest that the cause of the explosion was an industrial type firework placed under the Vauxhall Corsa.

“We are continuing in our attempts to establish exactly why this happened and find those responsible and I would like to ask for the public’s help.

“This happened on a Saturday evening when there could have been a number of witnesses nearby and we would be keen to speak to anyone who may be able to help us with our investigation.”

Anybody with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident number 1705 of 09/09/17, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

At around 7:30pm (09/09/17) police and fire services were called to the scene of what is being described as an explosion caused by an industrial firework being placed in a car exhaust on Grafton Avenue in Elsemere Park.

Two vehicles ( a Vauxhall Corsa and a Renault Kangoo Van) were damaged in the attack which saw the rear bumper and lights blown off the Corsa.

No one was injured and police sniffer dogs were called in to check on a 'white residue' left by the explosion to ensure it's nothing more serious.

The explosion was heard across the whole area, with members of the public as far as Ordsall reportedly hearing it.

The street  was taped off by police and a fire truck was on scene alongside specialist police officers and a dog unit who were drafted in to comb the area for evidence.

A Spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said:

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“Around 7pm we were called to Grafton Avenue, Eccles, Salford, upon receiving reports of a possible explosion under a car.

“Further enquiries are ongoing and a joint investigation between the police and the fire service has been launched. It is believed to have been an industrial-type firework.”

 

If you have any information which could help then please contact GMP via 101.