Senior Investigating Officer Bob Tonge said:

Quote

Today brings to a close a lengthy investigation stretching over a decade.

After Greater Manchester Police's Cold Case Unit took up the case, two men were convicted and have been sentenced for his death.

This was a horrendous attack on a man who had simply enjoyed a night out with friends and now his children are left to grow up without their father because of their callous actions.

I want to pay tribute to the people that have provided vital evidence to the trial as well as the tireless work of all the officers that have helped to secure these convictions.

I hope this case shows that it doesn’t matter how long ago a crime was committed, we will never give up and we will be relentless in our hunt for justice.

While today’s sentence will never bring Paul back, I hope that his family can finally begin to move forward with their lives after 12 traumatic years.”

The court heard how Paul and his friend James Falconer were set upon and assaulted by a gang armed with weapons whilst walking in Clifton in March 2005.

Paul, originally from Eccles, had spent the day with his mum (Susan) and partner as well as a friend in the Newmarket pub in Swinton until around 7.30pm.

At 8.10pm calls were made to police from two different women saying that there was a man being attacked close to the Lord Nelson pub.

Officers arrived at the scene shortly after whereupon they found Paul on the ground suffering from severe head injuries, Paul was found alone, no one else was in the area known locally as the Sandy Path.

Paul spent a week in hospital before sadly succumbing to his injuries, leaving behind a girlfriend who was pregnant with his twin children, who have both sadly had to grow up without ever knowing meeting their father.

New evidence emerged as a witness came forward with vital information that helped secure the convictions.

Paul Croft's mother has spoken about her heartache at the loss of her son as his killers are jailed 12 years on from his murder, saying:

Quote

Paul was much loved by all his family and friends and was a loving son with much life ahead of him.

Paul was taken from us in March 2005 in completely unnecessary circumstances. We cannot express how devastated we have been over the last 12 years that his life has been stolen from him.

We miss Paul every minute of every day and for it to take so long to get Justice for Paul has made this all the harder.

He has twin boys that he never met. They are growing up without a chance of ever meeting their dad.

The torment we have felt over the years to know that his killers have been free has made this all the harder to bear. Today his killers have been sentenced, and justice has been served.

We can try to repair our heartache although no matter how long the sentence is, it will not bring Paul back or make our loss any easier.

We need to attempt to move on and hopefully today will now provide closure for our pain over the last 12 years, however, we will never forget Paul or the many memories he has given us.

On behalf of the family, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Greater Manchester Police, who never gave up, for their continued support and professionalism in this matter.”

Our thoughts are with Paul's family and his children today as justice has finally been served upon those who stole him away from them by inhumanely cutting short his life.
 

The group, three couples and two single foster carers were presented with long service awards by Ceremonial Mayor Councillor Karen Garrido as part of Foster Care Fortnight 2017.

Councillor Garrido urged them to be very proud of their achievements and said: “When you consider the impact they have had on each and every child’s life, the words thank you seem totally inadequate.

“Over the years they’ve taken in hundreds of children, sometimes with just an hour’s notice in an emergency. They’ve given them the love, care, dedicated support and time to help those children and teenagers go on to great lives – whether it’s going to university, college, into good jobs or starting their own families.

“They are amazing people and I’m honoured to be able to thank them.”

Gaynor and Shaun Burrows who have fostered over 35 children over 25 years, said they spotted a poster at their daughter’s dance lesson and enquired about fostering.

“We’d just moved house so we went to find out more with an open mind. We still see many of the children we’ve fostered. I’m glad we did it and I would do it all again. There are ups and downs and challenges but it has huge rewards.”

Housing provider Salix Homes has united with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Salford City Council to tackle antisocial behaviour and vandalism on the London Street and Lissadel Street estates in Kersal.

Salix Homes officers have carried out a major clean-up of the neighbourhood which has been plagued by fly-tipping, vandalism and youths starting deliberate fires.

The housing association and the local authority have been working closely with residents to address the issues and GMP will be carrying out extra patrols in the area to catch youths causing anti-social behaviour or committing criminal offences.

An area of land on the estate, which was once a hotspot for fly-tipping and deliberate fires, is also being transformed into a wildflower garden that the whole community can enjoy.

The crime fighting organisations have been working together to identify the culprits and have issued Acceptable Behaviour Agreements (ABAs) to eight young people who have caused antisocial behaviour and damage around the estates.

New CCTV has also been installed.

An ABA is not legal action but it is a contract between the partner organisations and the person involved, or a parent/guardian, which sets out the problem and includes a promise that the individual will not behave in this way again – or legal action will be taken.

Sue Sutton, executive director of operations at Salix Homes said: “We know the large majority of people take great pride in their communities. However, there is a small minority who act irresponsibly and cause an unsightly mess and a considerable amount of damage.

“Rest assured, our neighbourhood and environmental services team are working hard, not just in this neighbourhood, but in all our communities to maintain and improve them. But we need everyone’s help in taking care of these areas, reducing flytipping and littering and reporting crime, as it’s everyone’s responsibility.”

Sergeant Mike Barton, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “Littering and fly-tipping is not only an issue in this particular area in Salford, it is a growing problem. Mess like this has a big impact not only on the look of an area but on the local community and how they feel about where they live.

“The fact that this area has been cleaned and cleared up is a great reminder of how important it is to report these sorts of issues. Without the reports and complaints that were received by the various partners involved, the area might have continued to deteriorate.

“Also it reiterates that this sort of behaviour won’t be tolerated. Treating an area like this is not acceptable and local communities shouldn’t have to put up with it. I encourage people to speak up if they are worried about issues like this, that way something can be done to revive the area.”

Councillor David Lancaster, Salford’s lead member for environment and community safety, said: “Residents told us in the council’s annual budget survey that they want a clean and safe city and that anti social behaviour, including flytipping, blights lives and communities.

“We hear them loud and clear and we are responding.  There is no excuse for poor behaviour, litter or flytipping and this shows if we all work together, take responsibility for our own areas and report problems they can be tackled and we can make a positive change.”

Salix Homes tenants can report an issue through its easy online report system: www.salixhomes.org/report-issue and find out more about their local Love Your Neighbourhood teams by visiting www.salixhomes.org/love-your-neighbourhood

We’re recruiting Community Connectors to help us shape the future of our services and instil pride into our neighbourhoods.

Community Connectors will provide a voice for our neighbourhoods and give us an insight into what issues are most important for you and your neighbours.

If you’re interested in volunteering as a Community Connector, or to find out more go to www.salixhomes.org/communityconnector

Moors Murderer Ian Brady has today died of lung cancer aged 79 years old, many more years more than most would say he deserved to live. Others would argue that his pain and suffering should have been extended as much as possible as penance for his horrific crimes.

Brady and accomplice Myra Hindley were jailed in 1966 for the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, John Kilbride, 12, Keith Bennett, 12, Lesley Ann Downey, ten, and Edward Evans, 17. He and Hindley later confessed to another two murders. Hindley later died in prison in 2002 aged 60. She was cremated and her ashes were spread at an undisclosed location. It is assumed the same will be done in the case of Brady. Much more than he deserves.

The pair snatched the children away from their living families before torturing them, then killing them during the 1960's, with four of the victims were buried on Saddleworth Moor situated to the East of Greater Manchester.

The death of Brady is bitter sweet for many as he takes to his grave the location of Keith Bennett whose body sadly has never been recovered, despite extensive searches across the moors for many years.  

Brady tormented victim Keith Bennett’s family for decades by refusing to reveal the whereabouts of the youngster’s body, he was branded “wicked beyond belief” by a judge on 6 May, 1966 and both were sentenced to live the remainder of their lives behind bars.

It was hoped that in his final moments this week, he would relent and reveal the boys grave site to officers. He refused, and died taking his secrets to his grave around 6 pm today.

Keith's mother Winnie went to her grave in 2012 after years of searching, never learning the truth of what happened that day, nor finding the body of her son so she could give him the proper burial she wanted and he deserved.

Keith’s brother Alan along with the families lawyer John Ainley often walked the moors searching for clues to the location of Keith's remains, to no avail. Brady was also taken to the moors after hinting to police he was going to cooperate but he never gave the police any new leads that would help them locate Keith's body.

Few across Britain will feel anything but hatred towards Brady this evening, his crimes were despicable and even with over half a century passing since they were committed, they still raise feelings of anger and disgust. His continued mental torture of Keith Bennett's family will see that no tears are shed for his passing this evening.

And so it is only fitting that this animal and his co-conspirator should not be given pictures in this article, they don't deserve to have their image shown, they don't deserve head stones or a memorials, they were inhuman in life and should be consigned to nothing in death.

Instead I have put an image of the young boy (Keith) who still remains lost, a reminder that he is still out there and that one day his body will be returned to his family. I have also opted to add photos of his victims, let them forever be remembered in our hearts and minds.

The historic Grade II listed swing bridge which forms part of a main arterial route between Salford and Trafford, suffered a hydraulic breakdown as oil leaked from pipes causing it to be unable to swing back into the closed position.

Roads around the area quickly got clogged up even with diversions put in place, motorists were forced to find alternative routes around to the other side of the water.

Fortunately both pedestrians and cyclists were still allowed to cross.

Centenary Bridge further up the canal remained operational and able to take the extra traffic, as did the motorway flyover bridge which was suffering its own traffic flow problems due to the ongoing 'smart' motorway works.

By 12:30 pm the bridge which spans 59.3 metres (195 ft) was confirmed to be repaired and allowing traffic to cross again.

But not before Eccles master of the photographic arts Dag Pagan managed to grab his camera and real off a few photos of it all.

All photos supplied and given permission to use by Dag Pagan, many thanks.

This room will provide a much welcomed, safe, clean environment for very ill patients allowing them to be with their relatives while undergoing specialist treatment, especially those with small children not normally allowed on the ward.

It will allow for relatives of patients to have some quiet, private and comfortable space and, through Kidneys for Life, to provide equipment for kidney patients.

It is anticipated that this facility will enhance the already excellent services which Salford Royal already provides.

Salford Royal has also benefited from a separate grant from the Mayoral charities for the purchase of clinically safe armchairs and 'fistula bags' as previously reported.

Each year the Ceremonial Mayor chooses a number of local charities to support and carries out a series of fund raising initiatives during their year of office. The Ceremonial Mayor has been supported this year by her husband and consort Councillor Robin Garrido and friend Mrs Beryl Henson as mayoress.

Karen has done an amazing job as Ceremonial Mayor, raising thousands of pounds for her chosen charities and causes.

As Cllr Garrido's year as ceremonial mayor comes to an end on Wednesday, Cllr Peter Connor (Kersal Ward) will be taking over the roll for the coming year.

We thank her for her service and wish her luck in her future endeavours.

Following on from our previous article about service disruption on the Metrolink System, tram services are to operate as normal on Monday

This is not an issue Metrolink has experienced previously. Technicians have worked throughout the evening to identify and fix the issue which is believed to have been caused by a component attached to the Metrolink control network sending out spurious communications, which resulted in the safety system correctly shutting down.

Metrolink runs a closed IT network with high levels of security and there is no indication of any form of hacking or cyber attack which would also result in shutting down the system.

Passengers are advised to check the Metrolink website and Twitter feed for the latest updates but a full service is expected to be running as normal.

Danny Vaughan, Head of Metrolink at TfGM, said: "I'd like to apologise once again for the disruption caused on Sunday and to let people know that we have now identified and fixed the problem.

"We have had a team of technicians working hard to resolve the issue and they have done so. 

"Tomorrow morning there will be a full service running across all lines and looking ahead we will conduct a review to look at what lessons can be learnt to avoid this type of issue occurring again."

It's a well known fact, Salfordian's like nothing more than having a whinge about black bins and wondering why there's a helicopter's flying over head. Its just one of those indisputable things we love to do and we are right ruddy proud of it too cos we are ded nosey sometimes.

Well why settle for just one when you can have two Whirligigs flying over your head?

One chopper usually sends social media into panic but two was just too much for some.

Was it a famous pop star flying into town? A black ops military exercise targeting fly tippers with instant justice? Had a UFO landed at the Civic Centre again? Was the government rushing to cover it up? Had Seal Team Six finally located Tony Flynn?

Well it turned out just to be that lot from Channel 4 filming a documentary about Salford and its lesser known sister City (Manchester).

More specifically, production company Shine TV whose parent company 'Endemol Shine' are behind such shows as  'The Island - With Bear Grylls amongst other top rated shows like Big Brother, Black Mirror, Benidorm, Broadchurch, Deal or No Deal, Fortitude, Grantchester, Humans, MasterChef, Mr. Bean, One Born Every Minute, Peaky Blinders, Pointless, Sunday Brunch, The Fall, Would I Lie to You?, 8 out of 10 Cats and many more.

its not clear which show they were filming (Peaky Blinders was recently filming in Manchester) but i for one hope it is not another sodding series of Ashley Banjo's Big Town Dance.

Nonetheless Salford's elite team of photo snappers were out in force as they spotted the camera mounted black helicopters hovering over pretty much all of the City.

I personally waved like a mad man at one of them in the hopes it would land me a part on Benidorm, as lets face it Johnny Vegas has had a good run and its time for some other fat bloke to take over.

Huge thanks to Amy Banbury, Lou Hawke, Paul Black and Claire O Oates for the use of the photos and video.

Greater Manchesters entire MetroLink Tram network has ground to a halt this afternoon after what is being described as a massive communications failure.

Trams are currently unable to run on any line and passengers have been forced to take replacement busses and trains, or find alternative travel.

It is unclear when the issue will be resolved or how long the line closures will last. It is not thought to be related to recent ransomeware attacks that affected the NHS earlier in the week.

A spokesperson for Metrolink said..

Quote

The drivers can still communicate with the control room. There is no issue with that, everything can be communicated back and forth.

Visibility is the difficulty in terms actually getting people around. They are not able to see the position and location of the trams from the control room so for safety reasons they wouldn’t want them driving round the system.

It is a bit frustrating but they are trying to resolve it as soon as possible.

There are no problems with anybody being stuck on trams or between stops, everybody has got off, they are just waiting for further information.

If staff from MetroLink are reading this, have you tried turning it off and on again?

The early hours of this morning saw firefighters tackling a blaze at the derelict union building in the park grounds.

The fire was quickly brought under control and it is thought to have been started deliberately. 

No damage was done to the historic Georgian greenhouse or the listed mansion house itself.

Fire services have left and workers are currently onsite making the building secure again.

One lady on Social Media said that

Quote

"There were kids walking around the site the other night, they had gotten onto the roof"

This comes just days after a similar fire ripped through an out building at the former site of St Lukes CofE primary school little over a mile away on Eccles New Road, and just over eight months after another similar fire did irreparable damage to another building on the same site.

It has been reported that there were no casualties and the fire is now out.

Firearms officers entered the premises at around 7:30 pm on Friday evening and arrested the men on suspicion of firearms related offences, after a search a ball-baring gun was found at the scene which was removed by forensics officers for further testing.

All three men were detained but later de-arrested with no further action to be taken.

A police spokesman said that there was/is no wider threat to the public.

Thomas Watton, a former X Factor contestant, offered a Harry Potter inspired cupboard in his home in Salford, aimed at guests above the age of 12.

It has since been revealed that he is a convicted paedophile who has signed the Sex Offender's Register.

Watton, a 'Facebook Famous' star was jailed in 2013 after he plead guilty in Grimsby to using his popularity to intimidate minors into having sex with him, he was given a 5 year sentence and ordered to sign the register.

Since his release he has moved the 115 miles to Salford where he has taken work as a waiter, he was exposed after Grimsby residents recognised him in an article on the MailOnline.

Watton who also goes by the name Thomas Starkey has also used the aliases of Tomm Watt and Tom Watts.

Grimsby Crown Court heard how the 20-year-old became popular on social networking sites after his appearance on an ITV reality show in 2011.

A court heard how the wannabe singer used his fame to commit sexual offences against eight boys who were just 12, 13, 14 and 15 at the time.

The Court also heard how he used the sites to contact eight boys who then became victims of his sexual offending between July 2011 and March 2013. 

In a statement to the MailOnline Watton said...

Quote

'I moved into the property in April and have not had any guests stay through Airbnb.

'The cupboard was posted as a small joke in jest with my current housemate the night before as we laughed at how clean and nice the space was under our stairs.

'The space was advertised for Solo Adventures (1 Person) and as statement on Airbnb terms and conditions:

'In order to use the Airbnb site and services, you must be 18 years or older. It's against our Terms of Service to create an account to travel or host unless you're at least 18 years old.

'Therefore, I would not be able to have anyone under the age of 18 staying at the property anyhow even if it was intended so (which again would have been against my prevention order). My settings also included it was not suitable for families and children. There is an extra safeguard for those under 12 too which was included.

'In relation to my offences committed in 2012 when I was 18 years old, I spent a two and a half year sentence incarcerated where I took as many courses as I could in order to understand and prevent further offending. 

'As I was a teenager myself, I was frightened by the whole court system and pleaded guilty to some offences that I didn’t commit in court to ensure that I didn’t affect the victims lives even more than I had already. 

'I live with the regret of committing these offences everyday and the victims never stray from my mind. Six years later, I have attempted to move on with my life as a young adult and find employment and find new friends so that I do not spend my life attached to the benefit system feeling sorry for myself.'  

Yes we all remember the nostalgia of the good old days of our youth, sat in in your pyjamas in front of a square shaped telly eating sugar puffs whilst watching Noel Edmund's arrange swaps of random bit's of junk and granny's unwanted Christmas presents they had knocking around.

A multitude of pop stars trying to flog their latest vinyl records, whilst answering inane questions being fired at them by over exited 10 years old's, all via antiquated landline phones which were not even plugged in.

Well the good old days are to return in September, at least for a (so far) 12 episode run of a new 2 hour long show named Live and Dangerous, which is to be broadcast from our beloved Salford on CBBC.

Presenters for the show are still to be confirmed but the format will apparently be more than a nostalgic nod to its forefathers. 

Personally speaking I am hoping for the return of Gordon the Gopher and scenes of Bill Oddie being gunged, I have also dug out my old Transformers just on the off chance I can swap them for the Bontempi Organ I have dreamed about owning since I was 10.

MediaCity is the new home of CBBC so its only logical the new show should be broadcast from there, expect mirth and mayhem and remember you don't have to be a kid to watch it

Since 2014 we have seen an increase in crime on the bus and Metrolink network which is why we established the Travelsafe team with Transport for Greater Manchester in April 2015.　

It isn’t just the problem of criminal damage we know from the Tell Mama report in June last year that the transport network is one of the three top places where hate crime takes place. We need to all work together to ensure that people can travel around Greater Manchester safely. 　

In February we agreed to fund an additional 50 PCSOs who will work with the Travelsafe team and these are currently being recruited. 　

With 60 miles of Metrolink track and 92 stops keeping passengers and drivers safe is not easy. We know the majority of antisocial behaviour around the network is linked to young people. We need schools and parents to ensure their young people are aware of the potential implications if they cause criminal damage. They could cause serious injury as well as distress for passengers.　

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has already made it clear that making the transport network safer is a priority. It is a priority for the police, for Transport for Greater Manchester and for local people.

We need people to provide information that will help us identify those responsible by calling 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.”

At a time when nationally public confidence in the police is at an all time low and police services are suffering due to the constant cuts being made by central government, one man has been putting an overwhelmingly positive public face forward for the local force.

PC Tom (as he is affectionately known in Irlam and Cadishead) has become somewhat of a local celebrity with his inspired, witty and honest posts about what life is like on the beat around his area. This has led to trouble for him on more than one occasion, the latest of which centres around a post made on the 7th of May to the constabularies local Facebook group.

A complaint has been made by a local teacher regarding the content of the post, which gives a light hearted ribbing of local 'Yoofs' who have been plaguing the area with their antics for some time.

This led to the post being removed from social media and poor Tom being subjected to an investigation regarding his apparent breaching of standards of behaviour during his duties as an officer.

This has sparked a flurry of support for the much loved officer on Social Media with many furious that because of one singular complaint an investigation is now taking place.

In contrast as at this moment not one single person has said a negative comment about the officer in a post on SalfordOnline's Facebook page, with most saying they find his unique way of reporting on crimes in the area as hilariously entertaining and a dose of reality.

Quote

"Youths were throwing stones at residents houses and residents themselves"

Maybe better to spend the time and effort on that instead of investigating poor PC Tom?

Wrote one member

Quote

I love the lighthearted way our local bobbies tell us about not so good stuff going on in our area. It's great that they are letting people know that they are human and very approachable.

Said another

Quote

Hope he doesn't get in trouble. I didn't see anything wrong with the post. I must be old fashioned or have a bit of sense taking it for the tongue in cheek as it is. World has gone mad!!!!

And the list goes on....

Quote

Sick to death of ppl being mard!! He says it like it is... as far as I can see there is not one word out of place... think the person complaining was being 'humour-ist' and discrimination against someone just cos your dull is a little sad.

and on and on and on.....

Clearly showing that for this one complaint there are far far more who are not complaining...

To read all of the comments I have provided a nice Link To Salford Online Posting.

It would seem that some people are unable to see his posts for what they are, a jokey bit of banter between the public and the force, banter which does a lot to bridge the gap between them and bring a much needed real human face to it's officers in Salford.

Tom's 'Rant?' in full...

Quote

"Good Morning everyone.

"An update on what's occurred in the area over the past 24hrs or so. It would be very quiet if it wasn't for one thing...or several "things"

"Kids/Yoofs/Yobs/Delinquents (cross out which one).

"There was a call to Heron Drive, Irlam to youths sitting or jumping on vehicles. The youths had gone home to mummy when officers arrived and no damage was found.

"There was a report of drunken youths on the fields at Sandy Lane, Irlam. Again, they had made off back to mummy, probably claiming that they had been doing their science project homework at a mates. How to get alcohol out of £3.60 dinner money.

"Please try and find out what your little Keanu or Beyonce are doing at night. If they're drinking or smoking weed, there will be signs. If they are, they will no doubt be causing mither in the street.

"Youths were throwing stones at residents houses and residents themselves, from the railway viaduct over Roseway Avenue, Cadishead.

"And finally, there was a call to Tesco at Woodrow Way, Irlam. Security called to report one man and his dog at the Cashpoint machines.

"Many cashpoint areas have points where you can leave deposits for the bank. They did so.... Defecating at the cashpoint... Not the dog.... The man.We have a description (Of the man- not the deposit) and CCTV of the incident. The dog is entirely innocent... Wonder if it's a shih-tzu?

"Only me in today as the PCSO's don't work on Sunday's. They have the day off to play with their crayons and Lego.

"Take care and lock your kids up till school time on Monday."

How anyone can find offence in his post or even defend the antics of those who set out to cause mischief and mayhem for residents in their local community is beyond me. It sends a negative message to those who are guilty of causing problems, that message being that they can carry on as the police officers tasked with policing the area investigated and punished for doing nothing more than telling the people the stark truth of what is happening on the streets. This particular officer chose to do this by inserting a little humour into his reports.

So I have to ask what is the real problem here? An officer giving a positive if somewhat jokey account of the things they have to deal with each day? OR seemingly the only person in Salford without a sense of humour that found his amusing post offensive?

So come on GMP, do the right thing GMP, drop this silly and pointless investigation, its  both unnecessary and unwarranted.

The man does more to promote public confidence in the force than you seem to understand.

He presents a human face for our local bobbies and highlights the often silly things that they deal with day in day out whilst proudly serving our City.

Tom is living proof that our officers are not automatons just doing a job, they are real human beings doing an exceptional and important job, often under the worst of circumstances.

Give the man a break, a pay rise and commendation for doing more for the positive image of the police than has been done in years.

Updated: Police say cause of the fire was deliberate.

The fire seems to have been started in what was the old Nursery/Breakfast club portable classroom, erected on the site a year or so before it closed.

It is thought that the main school building escaped the blaze but we have have been told that over the past few weeks or so the building had been ransacked, with pipes and fittings removed. 

St Luke's moved to a new state of the art £5.7m school built upon the old grounds of All Hallows / St Lawrences RC school between Hebden Avenue, Edward Avenue and Weaste Lane last year and has not operated from the old site since.

Police and Firefighters have not yet disclosed the cause of the fire, although they have not ruled out it being Arson.

The flames have now been brought under control and extinguished, whilst firefighters remain attending the scene this evening with three appliances to ensure it is out and also to locate the source and cause of the blaze.

If you have information regarding the fire please contact the police on 101.

Back in 2001 good old Gordon Brown dangled the magical incentive carrot before the faces of the people.

Diesel is cheaper to run, gets you better millage and what's more it is also better for the polar bears, is what we were being told at the time. Gordon was struggling to come up with a plant to cut emissions that were agreed upon several years earlier at Kyoto in Japan.

A protocol agreed upon by the UK in 1997 which would require all signatory counties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that (a) global warming exists and (b) human-made CO₂ emissions have caused it. All of which was to come into force in 2005.

Pre 2001 there were around 3.45 million diesel vehicles plodding up and down the roads of Britain, a figure that since then has come to more than double to over a staggering 8.1 million by latest figures.

Scroll forward 16 years and now It is comes as quite a shock to motorists to hear Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin warning those people that followed government advice, that we face a hike in taxes designed to punish us for doing what we were told was the right thing to do.

It seems that diesel is not the clean wonder fuel we were told it was, yes it has lower carbon (CO2) emissions, but mile for mile diesel cars pump out far more micro particles as well as dangerous levels of (NOx) Nitrogen Oxides which not only contribute to higher atmospheric temperatures but also cause over 29,000 premature deaths in Britain that are attributed to air pollution.

Salford Star did a wonderful article last year with further information about death rates associated to air pollution in Salford which can be found on this link.

The governments race to hit pollution targets has like an old clunking diesel of the past, inadvertently backfired.

Back on December 2016 then Labour candidate and now GM Mayor, Andy Burnham, declared that he was ruling out a congestion charge, which he said was an unfair tax on people who had no public transport alternative.

However it now seems that plans are now afoot to slide a congestion charge lite through the backdoor, with the idea of making the drivers of those nasty polluting diesels we were all told to buy back in 2001 pay an unbelievable £7.50 for the privileged of being able to drive via certain routes within the City.

London has already announced plans to bring in a similar scheme which will cost £12.50 per day, sadly Greater Manchesters transport infrastructure is nowhere close to being on par with that of the capital.

MP for Blackely and Broughton Graham Stringer immediately shot down the plans by stating that they had nothing to do with reducing air pollution at all.

"Defra recommended that people drive diesel cars and now wanted to punish some of the poorest drivers in the country" he said, whilst going on to suggest that the key to solving the problem was to ensure much better regulation of busses as well as a funded diesel scrapage scheme to help those who bought diesels on what turned out to be flawed government advice.

Many within Salford have regularly complained about the state of traffic flow within the city, with the introduction of bus lanes in some areas compounding traffic problems. The restrictions placed on some arterial roads in and out of Salford have led to long delays and traffic flow issues which not only delay journeys but also mean that cars are spewing out even more particulates whilst idling in traffic jams.

Areas around the A580 and Chapel Street, Regent Road and the Barton roundabout in Eccles are heavily affected. The smart motorway scheme has added to the problem as cars are now diverting from the motorway and cutting through places like Monton and Worsley to try and lessen journey times and avoid queues. 

A recent experiment with the suspension of a bus lane along Eccles Old Road in front of Salford Royal Hospital has been positive and shown clearly that its removal has resulted in much better traffic flow around visiting hours to the hospital. Previously traffic was backed up as far as the gildabrook roundabout and on some days down onto the slip road and further along the M602.

Sometimes the measures that are put in place to fix the problem cause much larger problems.

Conservative councillor and candidate for Worsley and Eccles South MP; Iain Lindley has set up a petition for people to sign on the link bellow

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJvaVESy25P2D2ykyxYATdplb2TjigwOkHAHTzXpbN2hDKyQ/viewform?c=0&w=1

Salford already has some of the highest air pollution rates in the country and was ranked second highest in May 2016 so something DOES need to change, it should not come at the expense of those who switched to diesel with the best of intentions after botched government advise.

Motorists have been an easy target for taxation for far too long and to add a daily £7.50 charge to those trying to get to work would be plain insulting.

So as Andy has already told us that this would be in his words "an unfair tax on people who had no public transport alternative", why is it that now he has been elected that these proposals have come to light?

Charging diesel drivers for using certain routes may not be a full blown congestion charge but it is still congestion charge lite. A watered down version which will affect those who, after all were just doing the right thing.

Mr Stringer is correct, get the busses better regulated. Force companies to use cleaner engines, maybe open up bus lanes to car sharers and people with disabilities. In some areas get rid of bus lanes altogether as has been proven with the Eccles Old Road lane, they often cause more issues than they solve.

But don't try taxing a City that has already overwhelmingly voted against a congestion charge, don't attempt to slide it in by the back door.

Campaigners including Andrew Moore and Councillor Karen Garrido (Currently Ceremonial Mayor) campaigned against Peel Holdings plans to develop 600 homes on what is grazing land at Broadoak between Monton and Worsley in Salford, which was initially refused by the Council in 2013 and once more by Eric Pickles MP in 2015.

Salford council originally refused permission so Peel immediately lodged an appeal against it which was decided upon by the then secretary of state for communities and local government, Mr Eric Pickles MP.

After a lengthy public enquiry (at public expense) Mr Pickles decided to turn down the plan, much to the relief of the majority of residents in the local surrounding communities, as well as green activists and campaign group RAID.

The greenfield site, a mixture of woods, meadows and open land, stretches from Monton Green all the way through to Worsley Road, and is protected by policies in Salford's Unitary Development Plan.

Protest group Residents Against Inappropriate Development (RAID) – which formed in 2013 - argued at the inquiry that the development would bring more traffic and higher levels of air pollution into an already congested area.

A lack of schools and traffic chaos on Worsley Road was also been raised by protesters, all of which was taken into consideration when the decision to disallow the project was given.

However Peel Holdings took the decision to the High Court who have now allowed (at public expense) a re running of the public enquiry into why the decision was made to refuse the application. 

It seems behemoth Peel Holdings does not know the meaning of the word NO and is determined to steamroll its plan into fruition in any way it can, despite continued opposition from both local residents, campaigners and Salford Council. And despite the decision already made by Mr Pickles on the findings of the original enquiry of which nothing has changed.

The NEW enquiry is set to take place from the 3rd until the 27th of October, Tuesday to Friday each week, at the Novotel in Worsley.

Meeting To Be Held

Concerned residents are invited to a public meeting on the 24th of May at 7:00pm at St Marks Church at Worsley Brow.

In 2015 when the decision refusal was made, Councillor Derek Antrobus (Assistant Mayor for Strategic Planning) said:

Quote

 

“We are pleased that our planning policy has been strong enough to resist attempts to take away a valuable open space for development.”

“We urge Peel Group to start to develop the sites it has permission for on brownfield land and to work with the Council and the community through a Local Plan to identify the best sites to meet the housing needs of future generations.”

 

Whilst the then City Mayor Ian Stewart remarked:

Quote

 

“The Worsley Greenway is a precious asset for the people of Salford.”

"There is no doubt we need new homes but there are many other sites that should be used first and can be used away from our precious green spaces.”

 

Salford's current City Mayor Paul Dennett wrote to the government urging them to help local councils up and down the land protect valuable green spaces by urgently making much needed changes to the national planning policy.

Paul said in May 2016:

Quote

“The court judgement means that policies to protect local green spaces – the policies Salford City Council relied on in rejecting this inappropriate development – now do not have the force they should under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).”

“This has implications for every council in the country and risks much of our green and pleasant land disappearing under building projects.

“I’ve written to Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government urging him to review the NPPF urgently to make sure local councils have the power they need to protect valuable green spaces. Our main reason for refusing these 600 homes was to preserve much valued open space between Monton and Worsley but that has been undermined by this court ruling. However Salford council will defend its position when the Broadoak inquiry is re-run.”

It is vitally important that all those who are affected by this should attend the public meeting on the 27th of this month, as it may be the last opportunity for people to demonstrate and voice their concerns before the second enquiry starts later in October.

People who carry knives are being targeted as part of a national week of awareness.

Throughout the week, police will be warning people carrying a knife of the increased risk of potential injury, prison time and death.

Detective Chief Inspector Debbie Dooley, from the Xcalibre Task Force at GMP, said: “Those who carry a knife often cite it’s for self-protection, but that’s not an excuse. If you carry a knife or offensive weapon you are breaking the law and can face up to four years in prison.

“It’s not just the lives of other people you put at risk when carrying a knife, national statistics show that those who carry a knife or offensive weapon are far more likely to be seriously injured or killed themselves.

“I also wish to appeal to those who associate with people who carry knives. Even if it’s not you personally carrying the knife, if you’re with someone who uses a weapon to injure or kill, you too could be prosecuted and sent to prison under the law of ‘joint enterprise’.

“To put it simply, it’s not worth the risk. Leave the knife at home and encourage others to do so.”

Consultant Paramedic for North West Ambulance Service, Dan Smith, said: “We have seen, firsthand, the devastating effects of knife crime and urge people to think twice before leaving the house armed.

“Too many people lose their lives as a result of knife crime and I hope that people understand the terrible consequences for the victims and family members.”

Throughout the week GMP will be supporting the national campaign using the hashtag #StopKnifeCrime across social media channels, including twitter, facebook and Instagram.

To report a crime, call Greater Manchester Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Two people suffered what are described as minor injuries following a two car collision at Irlams o’ th’ Height this evening. One car reportedly ended up on upside down as it l had flipped onto its roof.

The crash caused road closures to be put into place until the scene was processed and the vehicles could be removed from the carriageway.

NPAS were called out to assist and provide operational support in locating other injured persons who may have fled the scene.

A spokesman for GMP said officers were called to the East Lancs Road in Irlams o’ th’ Height at 9.35pm whereupon they found two people received minor injuries following a two vehicle collision.

Roads are currently closed but are expected to be reopened once debris has been removed from the road.