Liam Vaughan 22/05/1990 of Friars Court, Salford has pleaded GUILTY to Burglary at Manchester Crown Court today.

Vaughan broke into the victim's address is Swinton, Salford on 25/05/2022 and stole a safe containing a large sum of cash.

He tried to spend and hide the cash following the crime but officers from the Salford Neighbourhood Crime Team managed to quickly identify him and track his cash purchases to recover the money for the victim.

He has been sentenced to 3 years and 5 months imprisonment.

A new housing development and regeneration scheme that has transformed an historic part of Salford is in the running for a prestigious award.

The Poets redevelopment project in Swinton has been shortlisted in the Neighbourhood Transformation category of the UK Housing Awards, which recognise the achievements of housing providers across the UK.

Poets in Swinton has been a major redevelopment scheme for Salix Homes, delivering much-needed social and affordable housing to the area.

The ambitious scheme has seen 146 defective properties, that were affected by structural issues, demolished, and in their place, we have built 120 new social housing properties, plus a further 40 homes for outright sale, available through the Government’s Help to Buy scheme.

The £22million project was finally completed earlier this year bringing 160 brand-new homes and breathing new life into the area, which is also known as Beechfarm.

Sue Sutton, chief executive at Salix Homes, said:

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“Poets was the first ever new-build project for Salix Homes, but what makes it even more special, is that it was never just our regeneration project – it belonged to the community, and they helped us to shape and deliver their vision from the very start, so to be honoured in the UK Housing Awards is a proud moment for all involved.

“Poets has been no ordinary redevelopment scheme - the area is steeped in history and has a real strong sense of community, which we have endeavoured to preserve and enhance throughout the project.

“Construction began five years ago, but we’ve been developing proposals with the community for many years before that, so to see those ambitions for Poets brought to life has been monumental for the area, and to be recognised for the transformation we have achieved together with the community, really is the icing on the cake.”

 

Poets derives its name due to the surrounding streets being named after famous wordsmiths, which include Shakespeare Road, Wordsworth Road and Tennyson Road.

Existing residents have been involved in the redevelopment process from start to finish, and those affected by the demolition proposals were given priority for moving back into the new-build properties.

The wider estate has also benefitted from additional investment to make environmental improvements, including new gates, fencing and landscaping.

Poets is no stranger to awards, and earlier this year won the Regeneration Scheme of the Year title in the Northern Housing Awards.

The winners of the UK Housing Awards will be announced in November.

Housing association Salix Homes has announced the finalists in its annual Springboard Heroes Awards, but voting closes on Friday, September 16.

For the past year, Salix Homes has been awarding grants to groups and projects across Salford that are making a difference in communities, donating £33,000 to dozens of local groups and initiatives as part of its Springboard community grant programme.

Now the landlord has picked four fantastic finalists from the projects it has supported over the past year, who are all in with a chance of winning an extra £1,000 for their project, and it’s up to the public to vote for their favourite.

Hundreds of votes have been cast so far, but it’s not too late to vote for your favourite and help them win the cash boost.

Sian Grant, executive director of operations at Salix Homes, said:

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“The Springboard Heroes Awards are our way of recognising some of the fantastic work that people in Salford are doing to make this city and our communities so special.

“Every single one of our finalists have gone to extraordinary lengths to boost community spirit, promote health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and improve the environment. While they are all worthy winners, we want the public to decide who should be crowned this year’s Springboard Heroes.

“As we enter the last week of voting, we know it’s going to be a very close call, so I’d urge the people of Salford to cast their vote now and choose their community heroes before it’s too late.”

 

The finalists for the Springboard Heroes Awards 2022 are:

Bee Corner: Bee Corner is creating a buzz in Salford after a neglected concrete space was transformed into a green haven for humans and honeybees in the heart of the city. The project aims to create more opportunities for people to access nature and help tackle the isolation that can come from urban living. Bee Corner is located at Islington Mill on Chapel Street and is now home to a thriving bee apiary and community garden, which is supporting people to improve their mental health and wellbeing and feel part of the natural world around them.

Salford Boxing Club: Members of Salford Boxing Club, based in Broughton, have come out fighting to help improve the mental and physical health of Salford residents. The club aims to make regular exercise accessible to everyone, no matter their circumstances and supports a wide range of people through exercise, including people with disabilities and those struggling with their mental health. The club is using Springboard funding to give away free gym membership to people on low incomes to help remove the financial barriers that might be preventing people from exercising.

Manchester City Mission Family Food Fayre: Manchester City Mission are providing a lifeline for people living in poverty with their popular Food Fayre, which provides access to low-cost food and essentials. As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, the organisation is supporting more and more people who are struggling to put food on the table. If they win the Springboard Heroes funding, they plan to use the prize money to help reach even more people in need.

Seedley and Langworthy in Bloom: This volunteer-led group is on a mission to brighten up Salford with their floral displays. Every year, the green-fingered volunteers plant thousands of bulbs and flowers along the streets, walkways and roadsides in a one square mile area across Seedley and Langworthy. They plan to use the Springboard Heroes prize money if they win to continue their efforts to ensure Salford remains in full bloom.

Watch a video of each of the finalists and cast your vote now. 

Police appeal for information to help identify a young woman in concern for her welfare.

Police have released CCTV images following a report received on Sunday (4 September 2022) at 11.19pm, for the concern of the welfare of a female on Woden Street Bridge in Salford.

Emergency services attended the scene but could not locate the female, described as in her late teens, with red hair.

CCTV footage shows a female, believed to be her, leaving Pomona Strand and walking on Trafford Road towards Salford Quays.

Detective Inspector Matt Dixon, of Stretford CID, said:

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“Although we are aware the attached CCTV images are unclear, we’re hoping that someone may know who this person is. We are really just wanting to make sure that they are safe and well.

“If you have any information, or you are the person pictured, then please get in touch with us”.

 

Information can be given by calling Stretford CID, on 0161 856 7544.

Or by using our Live Chat service at: https://crowd.in/7cWpfg

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

On a wet and gloomy morning which seemed apt as we visited The Church Inn on Ford Lane, Salford to witness the demolition of one of Salford's oldest pubs which dated back to the 1820s.

The pub has been closed for several months now and its fate was sealed when the owners Admiral Taverns said that the pub needed to many repairs and had, "no long-term future".

I have many memories of the pub as I am sure many of you will including the darts team from this pub who went to Russia to play in a tournament and were tailed by the KGB as suspected spies!

The nearby building which was until recently being used by Marpol Security will also be demolished in the next few days, a building I can recall as being used by Salford City Transport bus drivers a good few years ago and then became a bank... all memories now.

Police in Cadishead are appealing for a victim of crime to step forward after a group of youths fired a fire extinguisher over a member of public, who was innocently waiting at the bus stop.

The incident happened at the junction of Lord Street, Liverpool Road in Cadishead. Police say that they have identified all the youths involved, as they also committed other offences.

Officers investigating the incident would like to identify the Gentlemen who these youths targeted and have appealed for him to get in touch via salfordsouthwest@gmp.police.uk.

Police say that they will not tolerate anti-social behaviour and are encouraging members of the community to report such incidents, so that they can respond appropriately.

Police say that the group of youths have caused a number of issues over the past few weeks and will shortly be visiting a cell.

The power outage affecting 193 properties in Kersal & Broughton was reported just before 4.40am.

Electricity North West quickly despatched engineers after an 'unexpected incident' on a high voltage cable. 

The fault was quickly repaired, and supplies were restored to the homes and businesses affected.

Electricity North West issued a statement about the outage on its website:

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"This power cut has been caused by an unexpected incident on the high voltage cable that provides electricity to your home or business.

"We didn't know before your electricity went off that this was going to happen but now we know, rest assured we will get your power back on safely and as quickly as possible."

Specialist Operations Officers from Greater Manchester Police's Transport Unit responded to a report of a male making threats with a Machete in Eccles Recreational Ground on Church Street in Eccles Yesterday.

Officers attended and challenged the male who was holding a large meat clever, but he refused to comply with their instructions.

A taser was deployed and the male was detained safely with no injuries to him or members of the public.

The male was booked into a police custody suite to await process this morning.

There have been a number of knife related incidents in the area in recent months with several stabbings having taken place.

You may remember that the multi-talented artist, actor, author, playwright and all-round good egg. Brian Gorman donated several pieces of artwork depicting Manchester United players, Cavani and Cantona to be auctioned off by us to help local foodbanks earlier on this year.

Brian was our guest on The Fred and Flynny Show, last Friday, he had come on to chat about his career but more importantly his forthcoming stage production, New Dawn Fades, a play about Joy Division and Manchester which will be performed at The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester on Thursday 29th September and Friday 30th September 2022.

He then kindly donated to us a brilliant piece of his artwork showing the Manchester United, manager, Erik ten Hag celebrating the famous victory at Old Trafford over rivals Liverpool, 2-1 this August and possibly an omen as they have gone on a three-match unbeaten run!

Previous artwork donated by Brian have raised £100+ in our last charity auctions, so dig deep and you know this will look a treat in your mancave/den or living room wall.

It is A4 size which equates to 16-1/2 x 23-3/8 inches or 42.0 x 59.4 cm and comes unframed, you can pick up some nice frames from Ikea or Wilkinsons for a fiver.

All monies raised will be split between The Mustard Tree emergency weekend foodbank and The Salford Unemployed Resource Centre on Liverpool Road, Eccles.

So do the right thing, purchase a piece of original artwork and get that warm inner glow from knowing that you have helped somebody less fortunate, you know it makes sense.

The auction will stop next Sunday 11th September at 10pm.

Finally have a look at Brian's artwork, a very talented artist.

https://www.facebook.com/briangormanartwork

https://www.facebook.com/groups/403216776491453

We paid a visit to the Eccles Festival 2022 yesterday which was centred around Church Street and Eccles Precinct, with additional stage shows in the newly refurbished Eccles Town Hall which included Yemeni Dancer, The Barton Belles Acapella Group and Barton Players.

I had hoped to go on the vintage Salford City Transport bus which was taking visitors free of charge for a guided, history tour around Eccles and finishing at City Airport, on the half hour, every hour, I missed the 11.30am one and somehow just managed to miss the next one...

Memories of my days as a bus conductor, working out of Weaste Depot were revived with the Lancashire United Transport open decked bus parked at Eccles Cross, and to my delight the exact same, ticket machine that I used in those far off days, was on display along with other bus memorabilia.

Giant Unicyclists were weaving around the stalls, the bikes were gigantic not the cyclists... there were information stalls from the NHS Research, Victory Outreach Church, Future You, MS Therapy Centre, 

A tombola stall on Church Street was organised by Councillor John Mullen to help raise funds for elderly people with low income or carers to stay at The Salfordian Hotel in Southport, an admirable cause indeed.

Eccles Community Art Gallery had a special display on, good to see photographs from the wonderful, George Shepherd on display and new artwork from local artists including Stephen Campbell and Ged Buckley amongst others.

I was really impressed with the live music from Salford Youth Orchestra and dancing from youngsters who attend MAPAS, which had the audience, enthusiastically clapping and cheering along.

An Eccles Town Trail which gives a brief history of the town and 19 places of interest which was really informative was free to visitors and a tie- in quiz with questions on Church Streets history and local industry.

However, I was a tad disappointed that there were not that many food stalls, I can remember the Makers Markets when you could purchase all kinds of artisan food etc, and I can also remember there used to be a fancy dress parade down Church Street and finally it would have been good to see the Eccles Parish Church gardens used by community groups... gripe over.

Today saw a car boot sale on Eccles Recreational Ground which started at 8am, a chance to grab a bargain and a ride on the funfair with the family, what more could you wish for.

Kids Planet Day Nurseries was proud to sponsor at the Louby Lou’s Summer Party on 23rd August, in support of Manchester’s MedEquip4Kids charity.

A phenomenal £1,830 has already been raised from the event, which was held at the Trafford Centre.

All profits from the event went towards the provision of vital medical equipment to children’s hospitals across the North West, a cause close to Kids Planet’s heart.

Families enjoyed songs, dancing and slapstick entertainment from popular children’s entertainer Louby Lou, with some individuals even getting up on stage.

With the help of our local nurseries in Salford Quays and Trafford City, Chris Johnson from the Marketing team attended the event, and commented:
 

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"It was great to see local families getting involved with this fundraising special event, for such a great cause.

"Thank you to all of our families within the nurseries for donating to the MedEquip4Kids charity and we hope everyone involved had just as much fun as we did, with the fabulous entertainment."

 

To donate to the cause please follow this link: https://www.medequip4kids.org.uk/donate

Police have made an appeal for help in finding a missing man from Bury.

Thomas Farrar, 79, was last seen in the Kersal area of Salford at 9.38am on 31 August 2022.

He is described as a white male, around 5’ 6”, of slim build with greying hair, balding on top, with glasses.

Thomas was last seen wearing a dark green coat, blue jeans, baseball cap and blue trainers with a white sole. He was also carrying a black rucksack.

He regularly frequents Swinton Precinct in Salford, and he may present as being confused.

Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about Thomas and want to make sure that he is safe and well. Anyone with information about Thomas’ whereabouts should contact GMP on 0161 856 2225.

Proposals to increase ‘black cab’ (hackney carriage) fares have been given the go ahead by Salford City Council.

The request for a 'small increase' came from the Salford Hackney Carriage trade association to reflect the 50 per cent increase in fuel costs since the last fare increase in December 2018 and other cost of living pressures. The new costs will apply from today.

Depending on the time of hire and distance travelled, fares will rise by between 56 pence for a two-mile journey between 5am and 10pm and £3.64 for a two-mile journey at Christmas and New Year. The average national fare for a two-mile, tariff one journey in August 2022 was £6.46 according to a league table published by Private Hire Trade Monthly magazine.

Drivers say most hires are for short journeys on the cheapest tariff and added: “We are very aware that too much of an increase would have a detrimental effect on the trade so we’re seeking this small increase for now, with a view to a further review with a potential increase in 2023.”

Councillor Barbara Bentham, lead member for environment and community safety, said the last fare increase in Salford was in December 2018 when diesel prices were significantly lower at £1.33 per litre.

“We appreciate any increase in costs is unwelcome at present, but taxi drivers are an important part of our national transport system and they too have to make a living. Salford is not alone in raising fares and despite this small increase our fares remain below the national average,” she said.

Salford currently has 117 licensed Hackney Carriage drivers and 92 licensed Hackney Carriage vehicles.

The new fares are as follows:

Tariff one for hirings between 5am and 10pm

Tariff two for hirings between 10pm and 5am and on Bank Holidays

Tariff three: Christmas (7pm 24 December to 5am 27 December) and New Year (7pm 31 December to 5am 2 January)

Extras

Twelve photos of Salford taken during the pandemic lockdown could help raise cash for local charities.

The Ceremonial Mayor of Salford, Councillor Ann-Marie Humphreys has launched the first ever Ceremonial Mayor’s charity calendar featuring photos taken across the city by fellow councillor Heather Fletcher and other members of the charity committee.

All proceeds from the £9.99 calendar will go to her charity appeal which this year is supporting Salford Loaves and Fishes, Salford Children’s Holiday Camp and Animals in Distress in Irlam,

Councillor Humphreys said:

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“I am delighted to promote this calendar that depicts beautiful locations and different seasons across Salford and will support three really deserving charities in difficult times. I hope businesses and residents will purchase these lovely calendars which show the great city of Salford in all seasons and at its natural and urban best.”

Councillor Heather Fletcher added:

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“During lockdown I took many photos on my walks around Salford. I posted them on the Swinton People Facebook page and received positive feedback and a suggestion that if we produced a calendar of these photos people would buy it. I thought it would be a good way to raise money for the Ceremonial Mayor’s charity appeal.”

The photos include Ordsall Hall, Swinton, Broughton Park and Salford Quays and cover all seasons of the year.

The calendars will be available from Thursday 1 September and must be pre-ordered.

To order a calendar please pay via Paypal or bank transfer and then take proof of purchase to the Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Eccles, Pendleton, Swinton or Walkden Gateway, Broughton Hub, any Salford library, the Hive in Victoria Park, Broadoak Garden Centre in Worsley, Ordsall Hall or Salford Museum and Art Gallery to collect your calendar. Unfortunately, those venues cannot take cash or card payments for calendars.

You can pay by Paypal.

Or to pay by bank transfer:

Account name: Salford Ceremonial Mayor
Sort code: 20-54-66
Account number: 53272672

Please contact mayoralty@salford.gov.uk or call 0161 793 3618 for any further assistance.

Photo shows the Ceremonial Mayor of Salford Councillor Ann-Marie Humphreys and her consort Keith Byers with the calendar.

We called into the Leaf, Bean Pod, Gastro Cafe in Barton Village today to see what all the excitement was about, as we had heard so much about it and what a pleasant surprise we had.

Situated on the corner of Cawdor Street and Trafford Road, Eccles with tables and chairs outside, we stepped into the main dining area, a snug, comfy room which caters for 16 people, with an outside dining area complete with wheelchair access, we sat down with a coffee to chat.

The owner, David Hill a fully qualified and Award-winning Chef with over 40 years catering experience, opened the cafe in May 2021 with the intention of providing the best quality food and service to his customers and has gone from strength to strength in this time attracting food lovers from all over the Greater Manchester area,

As well as providing excellent meals ranging from a traditional breakfast, paninis, home-made desserts, luncheons etc Dave makes the most incredible pies, all gluten free, including, Vindaloo, Beef and Stilton, Steak and Ale, Moroccan Beef, Goat Cheese and Butternut, Chicken, Leek and Ham and Quinoa, Tomato and Mushroom, trust me they are delicious.

Dave has run themed nights here for a while which have included a Jamaican evening with Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans, Goat Curry, Ackee and Saltfish, Rum Cake and Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding, as can be imagined these evenings are guaranteed sell outs.

There is a special "Madchester" themed night coming up this weekend and worth attending just to marvel at the wonderfully punning menu!

As well being a superb chef, Dave has many more strings to his bow one being he is a fully qualified, Pâtissier and Chocolatier, if you are interested in learning these skills, Dave holds special chocolate making courses at the Leaf, Bean and Pod where you can learn these dark arts to impress your family and friends!

He is to be congratulated for bringing this little treasure, to Barton, it is both popular with locals from the nearby flats who were only too eager to chat with us and sing the praises of the cafe, and attracting foodies into the area, a community hub with a gastro feel to it.

The opening hours are 8.00am - 4pm Monday to Saturday, however Dave will open at later hours if you have plans for a evening out with friends, not licenced yet, however you can bring your own drink and no corkage charges!

I am forever asking people to support local trade, and this is a glowing example, call in, and I can guarantee you will love it, we did.

https://www.facebook.com/Leaf-Bean-Pod-104543341869640

https://leafbeanpod.co.uk

This is the end, beautiful friend, my only friend the end as Jim Morrison so nearly sang...

Booths Store on Church Street, Eccles along with the adjoining Top House pub and Scope Charity Shop will be demolished within the next 14 days and replaced with interlinking blocks of four, six and 23.....yes that's correct, 23 storey buildings consisting of 272, one, two and three bedroomed apartments.

I spoke to a site agent today who told me that workmen were in the empty buildings and were ripping out the interiors prior to demolition and hopefully ground work would start on the project which is expected to take some three years to complete at an expected cost in excess of £40M.

Speculation has been rife for several years about the site and who the developers are, I did hear stories of a Chinese consortium buying the land and the empty site on Albert Street of the old Vauxhall garage showroom.

As to be expected, opinion is divided about the new housing with critics describing  the proposed tower an 'eyesore' and a 'monstrosity' and say the council is 'destroying the heart of Eccles'.

Others are welcoming the investment into the town with this being just one of the comments, 

"If this tower brings in the young professionals with some income to spend then maybe the shopping centre will be invested in and maybe some new bars and restaurants will open.".

The site it has to be said is handy for all transport links with tram, railway and the M602 Motorway on the doorstep, but I do have reservations about parking spaces, admittedly I haven't seen the plans for the building which will have hopefully have taken this matter into consideration.

It's only early days as of yet, so lets see how it progresses but I am certain it's bound to create a heated argument  amongst concerned locals and those eager to see progress in the town centre.

This will run and run...

Police searching for a missing firefighter from Salford have sadly found a body in the river Irwell.

Daniel Lee was last seen in the early hours of Monday morning after a night out with friends in Manchester.

Formal ID has not yet taken place, but police do believe it to be Daniel – his family have been informed and request privacy at this time.

There aren’t believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

We were contacted by Robert J Taylor who lives in Queensland, Australia who told us a remarkable story about his Salford family and how his Grandparents are due to be reunited, after 58 years apart.

Robert's Grandparents, James and Ada Taylor emigrated from Salford to Melbourne in 1951 along with his Father, who was than aged aged nine.

After being in Australia for only 13 years, James sadly passed away in 1964 aged 51, Ada arranged for his ashes to be returned to Salford and a memorial plaque was placed on a bench in his memory at Agecroft cemetery.

Robert tells us that he has visited the cemetery in 1992 on his Grandmothers wishes, sadly Ada passed away in 2010 aged 92, she was cremated and her ashes passed onto her father.

After a house move he recently found the paperwork relating to her death and arranged for a memorial plaque to placed next to James's on the memorial bench in Agecroft.

He told his now elderly Father about the proposed memorial plaque and was astounded when in the post he received Ada's ashes and documentation, in what he assumed was a plea from his Father to have the ashes sent to Salford so that she could be reunited with her beloved, James.

After a mountain of red tape, Robert has finally achieved his dream and Ada's ashes are now at Agecroft cemetery where they will be scattered this Tuesday, 30th August at 4pm by Jacob from the Agecroft Bereavement Team at the Agecroft Crematorium Garden.

Celebrant, Jane Hamilton will say a few words and recite a poem on behalf Ada & James Taylors family.

Rev. Shaun Conlon will say a few words and share a prayer.

Finally Robert told us:

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"If anyone wishes to attend the small ceremony to welcome and share Ada's final journey home, it will begin at 4pm sharp.

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement to get my Nana's ashes back to Salford safely.

I really wish my family and I could be there"

 

What a lovely story and wouldn't it be great if the people of Salford could possibly attend this short but moving ceremony and show our love for this devoted couple finally reunited.

Salford Shopping Centre is proud to announce that it will be hosting a book giveaway with the Salford Literacy Trial on Friday the 26th of August between 11am and 4pm.

The event is running following the success of the BookBenches which have been created for the Salford Literacy Trial by the National Literacy Trust and the Bupa Foundation, and have appeared across Salford, including within Salford Shopping Centre.

The books will be available on a first-come first-served basis, with a selection suitable for children in both KS1 and KS2. With the cost of living crisis ever present, the event is hoping to support parents by providing free books and entertainment, as the summer holidays can be an expensive and difficult time to entertain children.

Shaun Rhodes, Manager of Salford Shopping Centre, commented:

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“With Salford Shopping Centre existing as a vital location for the Salford community, as a team we are thrilled to be part of this event. We know how important it is for children to keep reading during the summer and recognise that this makes a huge difference to getting a head start when the school term begins in September.

Moreover, with the cost of living crisis, we know that there is an increasing strain on parents over the summer. We want to support the Salford community and provide a space for parents to shop, relax and collect a free book for their children.”

 

On the same day, Salford Shopping Centre will continue to hold their Superhero Activity Day, which has been running every Friday during the summer. On Friday the 26th there will be a Batman selfie session, so superhero fans can meet Batman, alongside collecting their free book.

Daniel, 41, was last seen at 1.10am on Monday 22 August, walking past Saint Mary’s Parsonage, close to Crazy Pedro’s restaurant in Manchester City Centre.

He is described as being 6ft 3ins, of a broad build, with short grey hair around the sides.

Daniel was last seen wearing white Adidas trainers, light blue jeans, a navy t-shirt and a distinctive ‘Fila’ jacket which has bright blue patches on the front with a white stripe around the middle and black at the bottom.

Police are becoming increasingly concerned about Daniel and want to make sure he is safe and well.

Anyone with information about Daniel’s whereabouts should contact police on 0161 856 5277 or 101.