A Salford shopkeeper has been fined and had thousands of pounds seized for selling counterfeit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco which did not have health warnings on the packaging as required by law.

Tasawar Hussain, 31, of Liverpool Road, Eccles, was fined £1500 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £95 at Tameside Magistrates Court on Monday 28 March 2022 after breaching Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1994 on two counts and Regulation 5 of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 on one count.

A 12-month community order was also imposed on Mr Hussain and he was sentenced to 160 hours of unpaid work and ten days of rehabilitation.

The case was brought by Salford City Council’s Trading Standards team after officers seized almost 13,000 counterfeit cigarettes and 49 pouches of counterfeit tobacco at Xtra Local in Liverpool Road, Eccles on February 4, 2020.

Almost £5,000 in cash was seized from the premises under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 on suspicion of being obtained from or to be used for illegal activity and the money was later subject to a forfeiture order to the council.

Magistrates heard that Mr Hussain, who had identified himself as the owner of the business, repeatedly denied during the inspection that he had personally sold the tobacco. After illegal tobacco was found in the till area on inspection, Mr Hussain denied that there was any more on the premises, however officers soon discovered a quantity of counterfeit hand rolling tobacco. 

Mr Hussain was then given another opportunity to disclose whether there was any more illegal tobacco on the premises before the search continued.  After initially stating there was not, he then admitted there was and revealed a further two bags containing counterfeit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco.

Following the inspection, the goods seized were confirmed to be counterfeit.

It is a criminal offence to sell illegal tobacco products. If you know where illegal tobacco is being sold, you can report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at keep-it-out.co.uk.

John Searle, Director of Place at Salford City Council said:

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“Despite Mr Hussain’s repeated denial that these goods were sold on the premises, it is clear that given the quantity that was seized by the team that the tobacco was there to be sold to the public.

“Smoking causes heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, 16 different types of cancer and lung disease. Every day across our city region, 14 people die too soon from a smoking-related illness. Cheaper-priced illegal cigarettes make it easier for children to start and harder for smokers to quit this deadly habit.

“I am pleased with the result that our team was able to achieve with this prosecution and we will continue to do our utmost to ensure these products are kept off our streets and that those who sell them are brought to justice.”

 

Photos: Counterfeit cigarettes found in the store & Cash found on the premises that was seized during the investigation. Salford Trading Standards.

Kids Planet Eccles nursery has been raising money for 9-year-old Heidi-Lou, one of the preschool children Roux’s sister, who has recently undergone life-changing surgery for cerebral palsy and needs post-op therapy.

On 16th February, Heidi-Lou underwent SDR at Alder Hey Hospital, which was a huge success, with her surgeon saying it was worthwhile and her mum had done the right thing in not giving up.

The possibility of surgery had been ongoing for the past six years, and Heidi-Lou’s mum was told on numerous occasions she wasn’t the right candidate. It came at a cost, and Heidi’s mum has had to fund it herself, with support from donations, via registered charity – Heidi-Lous Happiness.

The family now want to continue to raise money for the therapy that Heidi-Lou needs post-op, which they say goes hand-in-hand with the surgery, with the therapy being just as, if not more important.

Kids Planet Eccles nursery staff and children have done a week of fundraising, from own clothes day, a pie off, toddle walks with the easter bunny, a raffle and a bake off.

Emma Jennion, Nursery Manager, said:

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“This is a really good cause close to our hearts with Heidi being the sister of Roux at our nursery, so we decided to help with some fundraising. We wanted to raise awareness as well as get rehabilitation for Heidi.

I’m proud of the team; everyone has put their ideas in, from donating toiletries for the hamper, sharing the post, dressing up as a mascot Easter bunny for the toddle walk, and much more. We hope to reach up to £1000 for Heidi and her family and are grateful for the parents’ support.”

 

To donate, please see: https://just4children.org/heidi-lous-happiness/

Lime E-Scooter trial extended until November 2022 as data reveals over 180,000 trips have been made, covering a staggering 325,000km in total across Salford.

Despite the initial concerns of some councillors, a recent report has identified a small number of cases in which there has been vandalism and anti-social behaviour and unbelievably just one minor incident in which a rider was knocked off a scooter in traffic at the junction of New Bailey Street and Chapel Street.

Speaking at the Property and Regeneration Briefing, Cllr Bill Hinds said:

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“I am pleased to see there are very few incidents of vandalism despite my concerns. It is beyond me how this is the case when you see how they fly past you on the roads.”

The trial in Salford was initially proposed to take place in three phases, with phase one being concentrated wholly on University of Salford campus, phase two extending to Media City with use on public highways and phase three extending the area of operation from the University of Salford, Salford Quays to the border with Manchester City Centre and all areas in between.

The Department for Transport expects that legislation for the use of e-scooters will be in place by the time this new extension ends. 

A council report on the e-scooters said:

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“We are working with Lime Peel, to increase parking locations in and around Salford Quays to try and encourage more trips to Salford Quays. Once the Trafford Road cycleway works are complete this will also allow further trips to be made to Salford Quays.

“Lime have agreed with Salford Royal Hospital to operate the e-scooters within the campus.

“We have had only a handful of complaints from members of the public. 

“These seem to stem from April/May 2021 onwards, and reflect the extended operational areas, the increase in the number of e-scooters being made available along with the reduction in stay at home requirements. 

“Lime has responded to complaints and reduced the number of e-scooters in certain areas at certain times of the day to reduce issues with members of the public.”

 

A new, first of its kind pilot has been launched to support care leavers in Salford to get online and benefit from the opportunities the digital world brings.

The pilot, which is now live in Salford, will support 40 care leavers with a comprehensive package of support including access to free data for 12 months, free devices through the Salford Council device donation scheme and free digital skills training to support them to build their skills and confidence online.

Most care leavers have to live and budget themselves from a far earlier age than their peers - the national average for young people leaving home is 26. This means that they have less disposable income so struggle to afford digital devices and connectivity and therefore are at a higher risk of being digitally excluded.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have calculated that there are 3,900 care leavers aged 17-25 years old across Greater Manchester, GMCA estimates that all 3,900 are excluded in some way from the benefits digital brings.

In May 2021, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, announced ambitions for Greater Manchester to become one of the first city-regions in the world to equip all under-25s, over-75s and disabled people with the skills, connectivity, and technology to get online. 

As part of that ambition, The Mayor established a Digital Inclusion Action Network which brings together a cross sector of organisations to lead targeted action to combat digital exclusion in Greater Manchester and this pilot is one of the first outcomes of that collaborative network.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said:

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“I’m delighted to launch this pilot supporting care leavers with the skills, kit and connectivity needed to get online and benefit the digital world. We know that young people leaving care are in particular need of support which is why we have launched this vital pilot, as an outcome of our wider digital inclusion agenda, to ensure these young people are not left behind and can benefit from the same opportunities as their peers.”

“The time has come where we need to see digital connectivity and the ability to participate digitally as a basic human right. Without it, people are shut out of the conversation, lose access to essential services, risk becoming increasingly socially isolated, and miss out on a range of opportunities including education and work.”

 

Following the initial pilot phase in Salford, the GMCA will collate and build on learnings and will then work with organisations and professionals across all 10 local authority areas to roll out the programme as an offer of support available to all 3,900 care leavers living in Greater Manchester.

Salford’s City Mayor, Paul Dennett said:

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“Salford City Council is strongly committed to tackling digital exclusion, Our ground-breaking programme Digital You has already helped get 8,000 of the most vulnerable and digitally excluded residents online. We worked with Good Things Foundation, the UK’s leading digital and social inclusion charity who described it as the most ambitious local authority digital inclusion plan it had ever seen.

It involved finding and tackling the barriers which prevented people from getting online so we’re in the ideal position to take a lead on this innovative project. We’re proud to support young people in need with access to reliable connectivity, suitable devices and the digital skills required to help them live independently and embrace opportunities to improve their lives.”

 

The pilot is being delivered as a partnership between Salford City Council, GMCA, Good Things Foundation, Salford Foundation and Virgin Media O2. With the free data being donated through the National Databank, set up by Good Things Foundation and Virgin Media O2.

The National Databank, run by Good Things Foundation (GTF), provides free SIMS and mobile data (as well as talk minutes and texts) to people in need via GTFs network of local community partners.

Seven Salford schools are benefitting from more than £1.7million of funding that Salford City Council has secured from new developments.

The allocation of the Section 106 funding was approved by the council this month.

More than £677,000 has been allocated to the Deans Primary School in Swinton to help with the previous expansion and relocation of the school.

Wharton Primary School in Little Hulton has received just over £635,000 towards incurred expansion costs and more than £288,000 has been allocated towards St Luke’s C.E. Primary School to contribute towards the relocation of the school.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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“It is fantastic to be able to allocate Section 106 funding towards our local schools. The money is vital as the schools expand to cope with the demand for places and a growing population in our city.

“At Salford City Council, we have a proven track record of securing Section 106 money from developers to help mitigate the impact of development on our local communities. We have secured more than £30 million since 2010 and it is spent on providing affordable homes, park upgrades, footpaths, nature reserves, schools and public art to name just a few.”

 

New development can generate the need for new or improved facilities, services or infrastructure. Section 106 agreements are used to secure planning obligations to mitigate the impacts of new development that cannot be dealt with through conditions in the planning permission. In each of these cases a financial contribution has been made.

However, City Mayor Paul Dennett added that, whilst this is positive for communities, national planning policy continues to create considerable challenges to local authorities. Salford strives to collect full contributions to support the resources and infrastructure communities need following new development, but national planning policy on viability assessments prioritises developer profits and land value over community benefits.

The money for the Deans Primary School was provided from a development at Campbell Road in Swinton. More than £257,000 has already been provided by a Section 106 contribution from a development on Agecroft Road.

Wharton Primary School was provided with £300,000 from the former Eaton works development in Walkden and in excess of £335,000 from a scheme at Highclove Lane.

The allocation to St Luke’s C.E. Primary School takes the contribution from the Former Hope High School site to just over £379,000 to add to £394,000 that has previously been spent from a development on Weaste Lane.

Smaller amounts were also directed to recent improvements at a further four primary schools

An amateur gamer from Eccles, Manchester has taken victory for his city as his FIFA skills saw Hassan Baz crowned The TalkTalk Future Fibre City Clash PlayStation tournament winner.

After winning more than 40 matches, players from Manchester showed off their FIFA skills with Hassan Baz from Eccles claiming the title “City Clash Champion 2022”.

Hassan walks away with a £500 cash prize, as well as six-months free Future Fibre from connectivity provider TalkTalk and an Amazon eero package – just in time for his imminent house move.

Gamers across Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Leeds went head-to-head in a number of virtual FIFA 22 tournaments from qualifying stages through to the finals, all competing to win first place and take victory for their city.

As the tournament reignited historic rivalries across the likes of Liverpool and Manchester, the competition was always set to be fierce. More than 130 people battled it out over the tournament, all aiming to take the trophy for their city.

Manchester scored an impressive 68 goals across the tournament, winning a total of 41 matches, with Hassan Baz leading as the PlayStation champion.

The virtual tournament, which was hosted on Battlefy – the leading online esports tournament platform – saw almost 200 matches take place, with more than 325 goals scored across the four cities.

Hassan Baz, the PS4 champion said: 

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“As a proud Manc, it feels good to reignite football rivalries on the virtual pitch, beating Liverpool, Birmingham, and Leeds – just like my team!

I’m just about to move house, so I’m really chuffed to have won and can put the cash prize to good use – it could not have come at a better time! What’s more, winning free Future Fibre for six months will mean I could have the fastest broadband in my new home, which is a great plus when gaming – who knows, perhaps it will help me win more gaming tournaments! ”

 

Ben Cooper, Head of Marketing – FTTP at TalkTalk, added:

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“It’s been great to watch cities go head-to-head and compete for victory. Our gaming tournament was launched to offer people an opportunity to connect and socialize, while representing their city – it’s been brilliant to see so many people get involved. We are so excited to announce the PlayStation winner of The Future Fibre City Clash as Manchester and celebrate Future Fibre being more widely available in the local area. ”

The Future Fibre City Clash follows the launch of TalkTalk’s Future Fibre packages with top average download speeds of 900Mb / s in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Liverpool. Combining the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 technology and a 100% full fibre connection, the packages are up to 24x faster and up to 5x more reliable than standard broadband – with enough bandwidth to handle 75+ devices connected at once. What’s more with its full fibre connection it reduces lag, ping, and packet loss – making it perfect for gamers.

TalkTalk is the only major UK provider to include Amazon’s award-winning eero 6 series routers as standard with all its full fibre packages, enabling more people across the UK to benefit from the UK’s latest technology thanks to the affordability of its plans.

To find out more about The Future Fibre City Clash click here.

For more information on Future Fibre click here.

Police in Salford have launched an appeal for members of the public to help identify a man wanted they want to speak to after a 92-year-old woman was a victim of fraud earlier this month.

GMP received a report of fraud on 15 March where a male was handed a large amount of cash from an elderly woman, at an address in Worsley, after pretending to be a police officer.

A photofit of the man has been released by officers dealing with the case.

Do you recognise him? Call 0161 856 7769 or report it online at https://crowd.in/uykoY8. 

The Art Of Salford group are holding their annual exhibition at The Cornerstone Gallery, Langworthy Road, with such artists as  Tony Easom, Broady, Philip Westcott, Alan Moss, Phil Know, Chelsea Entwistle etc exhibiting their work in the gallery

However a new and mysterious piece of artwork has suddenly appeared, unannounced and it is causing quite a stir, the painting would be best described as being in the Abstract style and has the signature, R, Mutt 1917.

I googled the name R.Mutt and was astonished to see that this was the name used by Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp when he shocked the art world by exhibiting an upside down urinal at an exhibition in New York in you guessed it..1917.

So, who is the mysterious Salford Marcel Duchamp? an art terrorist? prankster? a shy but serious artist, a possible genius? or a famous artist having a joke in the style of Banksy, will we ever know?

I spoke to the prominent Salford artist. Philip Westcott who has several pieces of artwork in the exhibition, who told me,

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"It appeared in the gallery organised by Tony Easom a few days ago who is curating the exhibition, it was placed on top of another painting, but has since been given it's own space, which I agree with.

I seriously would put this up against the likes of Picasso etc  and to me it holds as much merit, there is no criteria for the artwork exhibited, anybody can submit their work and this is what has happened here, albeit not in the normal way.

Who knows it could the work of a famous artist having a prank, but is has certainly done the exhibition no harm with the publicity we are getting and it also good publicity for the mysterious artist, who I do hope attends The Meet The Artist night on Thursday 31st  March"

 

So who is the mystery artist and also if he doesn't attend what happens to the artwork? can it be sold without his permission, more questions than answers and perhaps this is what R.Mutt wanted all along, a prank to get people talking. 

I think the person must have some knowledge of the art world to name drop R.Mutt and I will be there on 31st March in the hope he/she makes an appearance.

Finally go along to the exhibition which is showcasing the talent we have in Salford, with a great and varied collection on view and all for sale, and some of the artist are kindly donating some money from their sales to aid the crisis in Ukraine.

R. Mutt, please take a bow we are all intrigued!

A Salford company which sold counterfeit and dangerous goods has been fined £46,500 for putting consumers at risk.

More than 10,000 counterfeit vaping liquids, over 9,000 counterfeit Apple phone accessories, 800 unsafe Christmas fairy lights – some of which had bare wires exposed and two pin, unearthed plugs, and more than 400 counterfeit games and non-compliant toys were seized over a 10 month period from Aulola UK Ltd, based in Broughton Lane, Salford. 

In total more than 24,000 non-compliant products were seized from the business.  The company operated as an importer, producer, distributor and a fulfilment house.

Magistrates were told that the company, which claimed it was just a fulfilment house, distributing goods on behalf of other businesses, did not know what it was distributing, failed in its legal responsibilities to ensure the goods were legal and safe and negligent when it came to public safety. 

During the investigation the company representative suggested the firm should be offered a formal caution to avoid the risk of the company going into bankruptcy. The company would ‘galvanise’ itself into more strict due diligence, and change the business model to comply with the law and protect consumer safety.

During the hearing at Manchester and Salford magistrates court on Thursday 24 March a representative of the company pleaded guilty to 18 offences relating to two offences of applying trade marks without consent and eight offences for possessing counterfeit goods, contrary to the Trade Marks Act 1994.  The company was also found guilty of eight offences of placing unsafe electrical equipment on the market contrary to the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.

The company was fined £46,500 and was also ordered to pay £9,400 costs and a £190 victim surcharge. Forfeiture orders were made on all the goods seized – estimated to be worth around £270,000.

The court heard that trading standards officers, police, HMRC officials and brand representatives visited the company’s premises on 16 December 2019. This followed complaints that a customer had received an electric shock from unsafe Christmas lights, and a cease and desist letter to the company from another firm regarding counterfeit products.

Suspected counterfeit items were seized from the e-liquid shop and storage area where staff were fulfilling orders. Officers had to open the packages to find out what was inside and were told the goods arrived from China in that format.

On Christmas Eve the officers returned and seized more non-compliant products, suspected of infringing registered designs.

On 30 January 2020 officers visited again regarding counterfeit tobacco flavoured products. The company had ceased to sell several brands and no further action was taken.

The LED lights seized in December 2019 failed safety testing and e-liquid and Apple products seized breached registered trade marks. LED lights were still listed for sale on the company website in October 2020, though the company told trading standards officers they no longer sold them and the website needed updating.

On 8 October officers attended the premises and seized unsafe and counterfeit UL LED lights.  UL is a global safety certification company.  Unsafe travel adaptors and other counterfeit items, some of which were similar to those seized in December 2019, were also seized.

During interviews company representative Ms Leah Zhao said the company did not know what products they were sent from China, could not explain the links between the company and firms in China and provided test certificates said to be related to some of the seized products. Officers were unable to see a direct link between the certificates provided and products seized.

Speaking after the case Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, said:

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“This is one of the biggest fines we have seen handed to a company we have prosecuted for illegal and unsafe trading and I very much welcome it.

“I hope it sends a clear message that those who peddle counterfeit and unsafe items and put profit before safety will not be tolerated in Salford.”

 

A Salford toy shop owner has been convicted for the second time of putting children in danger through selling counterfeit and unsafe toys.

More than 3,000 counterfeit and dangerous toys were seized from NewLine Imports Ltd, Rugby Street, Salford in 2019 and 2020.

Mr Sarabjot Singh and his former company Best Line Imports were prosecuted in 2014 for similar offences when trading standards officers seized over 1000 children’s toys, some of which posed a choking hazard.

Appearing at Manchester and Salford magistrates court on Monday 21 March, 2022 Mr Singh, formerly the director of NewLine,  pleaded guilty for himself and on behalf of NewLine the company, to 19 offences of possessing counterfeit toys contrary to the Trade Marks Act 1994.

The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,160. Mr Singh received a Community Order for 24 months with 280 hours unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of 10 hours. He was disqualified from being a director for three years and was also ordered to pay costs of £6,160. A forfeiture order was also made for all the seized goods.

The court was told that NewLine Imports Ltd brings in up to 15 containers of toys a year worth £800,000 to £900,000 and has its own trademarks, so should be familiar with the law on counterfeit goods.

Trading standards officers have provided extensive advice on safety rules and the law and Mr Singh had previously been cautioned and then convicted of offences under the Consumer Protection Act and Trade Marks Act in 2014 relating to toys sold by his previous company.  

Despite this adequate safety and legal checks were not in place with the new company relying solely on test reports from China and not carrying out any testing to confirm those reports match the goods supplied.

Officers from Salford City Council’s trading standards team and Greater Manchester Police visited the premises on Friday October 30, 2019 as part of a routine inspection. The shop mainly sells toys and suspected counterfeit items were found on the shop floor and in an upstairs storeroom in boxes. These were seized from the premises.

The items included around 600 Marvel Avengers toys, and over 600 L.O.L Surprise dolls which are made by MGA Entertainment, Inc. In total 3,387 items were removed.

Brand representatives for LOL Surprise, My Little Pony, Spiderman, Batman, Iron Man, Fortnite, Avengers, Superman and Disney confirmed the items seized from the shop were counterfeit and breached trademark, copyright and design laws.

Some toys also failed safety testing because they contained high levels of phthalates, a group of chemicals used in plastic items which have been linked to health concerns.  EU regulations set limits on the amounts which should be included in products and the items seized in Salford were found to be over those limits.

Trading standards officers returned to the shop on April 28, 2020 to advise Mr Singh of their findings and remove any remaining non-compliant products.

They found and removed more LOL Surprise dolls, Marvel Avengers toys and action figures. Thirty-four empty boxes of LOL Surprise dolls – the same as those seized earlier – were found upstairs at the shop.

Each box would have contained six individual toys, given the information on the packaging, so 204 toys possibly containing illegal levels of phthalates remain unaccounted for.

Mr Singh was interviewed under caution in September 2020, and said the company imported some items directly from China while others had been bought in the UK from a company recommended by his Chinese suppliers.  No checks were made before items were purchased and later checks on the UK company found its details were false.

Mr Singh said he could provide test reports for the products but failed to produce any. He claimed he did not realise some of the seized items were trademarked and said he now plans to employ someone to monitor safety checks at the business.

Speaking after the case Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety said:

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“We will not hesitate to take action when businesses are flouting the law and putting people at risk.

“Anyone buying toys for children must take care where they shop and check items carefully. If the price is too good to be true, then the product could be counterfeit and it could be dangerous. When you suspect that a product may be counterfeit or unsafe, please don’t buy the item and report it to the council so we can investigate.”

 

Detective Chief Inspector Claire McGuire of GMP’s Organised Crime Coordination Unit, said:

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“Selling counterfeit items can have serious consequences.  As was shown in this case, toys for young children were tested and were found to have excess levels of chemicals that may cause serious harm.

“The effective partnership work between our officers and Salford City Council, means that potentially harmful goods have been taken from our streets. I hope this serves as a warning to any businesses operating in a similar way, that it will not go unnoticed and our officers will continue to take enforcement action against those who put others at risk by selling counterfeit goods.

“I would also like to remind the public of the dangers of buying such items; what may seem like a cheaper deal can come at a cost.”

 

Last month we reported that the multi talented, artist, author and actor Brian Gorman kindly donated his portrait of Manchester United footballer Edison Cavani to be sold to the highest bidder to raise much needed for the Mustard Tree, Eccles emergency foodbank and it raised a generous £100.

Brian promised us that he would do a portrait once a month and donate it free of charge to be sold for the charity, and I caught up with him yesterday, for a quick chat and to pick up the new artwork.

He certainly hasn't let us down as he handed me this stunning portrait of Eric Cantona in all his swaggering pomp, and he has captured Eric the King to the proverbial T, this is how I remember at Old Trafford as he strode the turf with that Gallic arrogance that can only come when you are a football genius, and how we could do with now...

Brian, Said:

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"I am more than happy to help the foodbank out, when I heard that you had sold the Cavani painting, I genuinely felt humbled knowing that in some small way I had helped feed a family for a week or so.

By no means am I a rich artist, possibly the poorest and lowest paid in the country if the truth be known, so if I can help in any small way, perhaps others may consider doing the same.

And I will continue to donate a portrait every month as I promised, perhaps your readers can choose who they would like a portrait of, I was considering doing Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders he is quite topical at the moment, it's up to you"

 

If you wish to purchase this portrait and I hasten to add that we will have it framed for you, this is what you have to do....

Send your bid in either after the story on Facebook or if you wish to remain anonymous being filthy rich or if you are on the  Witness Protection Scheme email us at newsdesk@salford.media

So please give generously and have that warm inner glow, knowing that you have done a good deed, you know it makes sense.

For further information on Brian's artwork which is all for sale click on this link https://www.facebook.com/briangormanartwork

The for offers closes next Thursday 31st March at 12pm.

Police in Eccles are asking for the publics help in identifying a man following an assault which happened on Brookhouse Lane in Eccles last Thursday 17th March.

A woman was walking her dog and approached by a man who made homophobic remarks before punching her and knocking her to the ground. She is said to have suffered serious injuries including a broken jaw.

Detective Inspector Steven Hughes, from Salford CID, said:

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"This was a unprovoked and particularly vicious attack on a victim who was walking her dog in broad daylight. The comments made by a man clearly point to underlying homophobic reasons behind the assault.

"We want to reassure the public that we're dealing with the investigation with the utmost importance and vigour. CCTV enquiries have been carried out and we're now releasing an image of a male we would like to speak to as part of our on-going investigation.

 

An appeal has been issued to anyone who may recognise the male pictured to get in touch by calling 0161 856 9403 or 0161 856 5235, or report it online at https://crowd.in/KE7qMS. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

Today (23 March) at Minshull Street Crown Court, Brian Brough (10/06/86) of no fixed abode has been sentenced to 22 years after being found guilty of vaginal rape, oral rape, attempted anal rape, burglary with violence and section 18 assault.

The court heard how at around 9pm on 19 March 2021, Brough attended an address in the Little Hulton area and knocked on the door of a vulnerable 60-year-old woman and asked to use the toilet, claiming to be the relative of a neighbour. After she agreed, he entered the property and took his coat off, hanging it in the hallway before using her toilet.

After this he entered her living room and sat on the sofa with her and told her he was an escort and asked whether or not she wanted to pay for sex with him.

She declined before Brough exposed his penis to her and then forced her to perform oral sex on him. The woman attempted to fight him off before he hit her in the face and then dragged her to the bedroom by her hair. The more she attempted to push him off the harder he would grab her.

Whilst in the bedroom Brough raped and assaulted the woman, causing her to lose consciousness multiple times.

The next morning when the victim regained consciousness, she was unable to call for help due to her phone being missing, and she was unable to find her glasses. It was only when her dog escaped and a neighbour returned it and saw the extent of her injuries that the alarm was raised, and police were called.

Following this she was conveyed to hospital where she was treated for multiple injuries across her body, including fractures to her upper and lower jaw, facial lacerations and missing teeth.

Brough was later arrested on 25 March 2021 and subsequently charged.

Detective Constable Leanne Jackson of GMP's Salford district, said:

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"This was a horrific and sustained physical and sexual assault on a vulnerable woman and no one should ever be made to feel unsafe or at risk in their own home.

"Throughout interview and the trial Brough would not accept any responsibility for his sadistic and vile actions, forcing his victim to go through the horrendous ordeal in court. He did not even have the decency to attend his trial and face up to his actions and instead refused to come out of his prison cell with the trial having to be heard in his absence. His lack of remorse perfectly sums up who he is as a human being and thankfully we've now been able to remove him from the streets for 22 years and stop him causing any further harm to anymore women.

"I want to thank the woman's neighbours who quickly alerted police and got her to hospital for the urgent medical treatment she needed. I also want to commend her bravery and strength throughout the investigation and trial as her determination to see this through has ensured we were able to secure a significant conviction today.

"Cases such as this can be distressing for not only those involved but the wider community and I would urge anyone who may have been the victim of sexual assault - or knows someone who has been a victim - to get in touch with police. All reports will be treated seriously and with the sensitivity they deserve and we will ensure you are provided with all available support."

 

Greater Manchester Victims' Services provide emotional and practical support to anyone affected by crime and are a confidential service. The service can be contacted by visiting the website on www.gmvictims.org.uk or calling 0161 200 1950.

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

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

- Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

- Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email help@manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk

- Survivors Manchester provides specialist trauma informed support to boys and men in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182

Salford Loaves and Fishes based on Paddington Close, Salford are a charity which does magnificent work in the community, offering much needed help and advice to the homeless and free hot meals to those in need.

They will be holding a music and poetry evening on Friday 1st April to help money for the centre, with music from Sheedyfrost, Helen Hall and Salford poet, Simon Williams.

I spoke to Paul Frost one half of the duo, Sheedyfrost obviously! about their involvement and what we can expect on the night.

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"We were invited to perform for their Christmas online specials for the past two years, which was due to the Covid outbreak, we spoke to Paul Ashton and decided it would be a good idea to do a live show from Loaves and Fishes

Vincent Sheedy and I met way back in 1966 and played music together on and off and then in 2000 we started performing as a duo and we are still going!

On the night we will be performing mainly our own compositions, songs about Salford and Trafford, people and places also a song we co-wrote with Simon Williams. 

Joining us on the night will be the talented, multi instrumentalist, Helen Hall, and Salford poet Simon Williams who will be delivering his inimitable, down to earth, street poetry, fresh from his gigs at Wigan Diggers and the Pete Shelley Memorial Concert.

It will be nice to be performing and we am looking forward to it, also a chance to meet new people for a chat and a drink, hopefully I will see you there!"

 

The tickets cost £10 included in this is a hot pot supper a glass of wine or two, tea or coffee and a raffle, what more could you ask?

The concert starts at 7.30pm until 10.00pm and tickets are available from the link below, but be quick it is selling out quick and  only a few tickets are left.

Click For Tickets

A former Bolton Wanderers and Bury football coach abused his position of trust to make recordings of young girls changing their clothes.

59-year-old Ian Nickson of Burns Road in Little Hulton, was handed a nine-month custodial sentence after pleading guilty to making secret recordings of young girls as they washed and changed their clothes.

The former football coach took advantage of his position at Walkden Junior Football Club in order to facilitate the recording of videos of the girls , one of which was as young as 11.

In court he pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism which related to three separate videos of two young girls having been discovered upon electronic devices in his possession.

His sickening crimes of voyeurism were only discovered after one of the girls alerted a family member following her concerns regarding an iPad which had been placed on the floor of a room she was asked to get changed in.

Her family immediately contacted the police who discovered the secretive recordings during their investigations.

Nickson was handed a nine-month sentence along with stipulation that he should be added to the sex offenders register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for a period of ten years.

A 21-year-old mixed martial arts fighter formerly of Salford and now living in Liverpool, has been jailed for 17-years after being found guilty of raping two women as well as the sexual assault of another.

Charles Lawrence Goodwin Jr, of Hilbre Street, Liverpool was sentenced today, Monday 21 March, to 17 years (plus three years on licence) for rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration and attempted choking, against three women in Manchester and Liverpool. 
 
On Tuesday 14 January 2020, a 22-year-old woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, attended a nightclub in Manchester where she met Goodwin, who was engaging in conversation with her friends. He introduced himself as Charlie, and described himself as a boxer. 
 
After talking for a time,  Goodwin and the woman kissed, during which Goodwin became quite forceful. He asked the woman to come back to his flat in Salford, to which the woman said no, and then asked if he could go back to her flat in Manchester. 
 
The woman had intended to return to the flat with friends after the club, and so knew her friends would be returning at some point, and felt it would be safe to allow him to go with her. Goodwin got into a taxi with the woman around 2:20am on Wednesday 15 January 2020 and headed back to her flat.
 
Once inside, Goodwin immediately initiated sex, which the woman consented to. However half way through, Goodwin became violent towards the woman, choking her, hitting her, verbally abusing her, and attempting to perform sexual acts that she repeatedly said no to. She was left with significant bruising as a result. 
 
The woman's flatmates then arrived home and interrupted Goodwin's further attempts to continue, knocking on the door and distracting him enough for the woman to get away from him. The woman asked him to leave - at which point Goodwin became verbally abusive towards her and her friends. 
 
The woman then bravely called police a short time later, and reported the incident. Goodwin attended a police station for interview the following day, Tuesday 16 January 2020. He was then bailed with conditions. 
 
On 5 October 2020, Merseyside Police received a report that Goodwin had sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman at an address on London Road, Liverpool on 30 September 2020.
 
This was followed by a further report that Goodwin had raped a 20-year-old woman on 27th September 2020 at the same address. 
 
Officers quickly arrested Goodwin. He was questioned by police and bailed with conditions while officers carried out further enquiries including interviewing the victims, interviewing witnesses, analysing mobile phone records, CCTV and medical evidence. 
 
The University of Liverpool were informed of Goodwin's arrest in order for safeguarding measures to be put in place.
 
Following an extensive investigation, Goodwin was charged by Greater Manchester Police with rape in February 2021 and was placed on an electronic tag with a curfew by the court, while awaiting trial. 
 
On 4th May 2021, police received a report that Goodwin had sexually assaulted a 21-year-old woman at an address on Skelhorne Street, Liverpool. 
 
Officers attended the address and arrested Goodwin. He was charged and remanded into custody on 5th May 2021. 

Following a trial, on Friday 21 January, Goodwin was found guilty of three charges of raping a woman in Manchester, and of assaulting her by penetration. He was also found guilty of one charge of raping a woman in Liverpool.

He was further convicted of two offences of sexually assaulting a third woman in Liverpool but cleared him of a sexual assault on a fourth woman, also in Liverpool.
 
Detective Constable Kevin Boyd, from GMP's City of Manchester District said:

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"We're pleased with today's result, that shows categorically, this kind of violence towards women and girls will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.
 
"No-one should be at risk when going about their daily lives, and we want all members of our community, especially women and girls, to feel safe as we strive every day to make Greater Manchester a safer place to live. 
 
"I would like to thank the victims in this case for having the courage to report what happened to them, and for going through the ordeal of a trial to help us make sure that Goodwin was held accountable for his crimes. I hope today's sentence gives them some closure to a difficult chapter in their lives.
 
"I would also like to thank our colleagues at Merseyside Police for their efforts in working with us on this extensive investigation to ensure that Goodwin was brought to justice."

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Parry from Merseyside Police said:

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“Today’s results shows that  at Merseyside Police, we are clear that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice. 
 
“Despite the evidence against him, Goodwin chose to plead not guilty and put his victims through the ordeal of a trial. I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by his victims throughout the investigation.  I hope today’s sentencing will not only provide them with justice, but also encourage other victims to come forward and have the confidence in us as a police force to take reports seriously and ultimately ensure offenders are put before the courts.

"If you have been the victim of any sexual assault, there is help and support available to you. Here at Merseyside Police we have specially trained officers who will listen to you and treat you with sensitivity and compassion. There are also a number of reliable and trusted organisations and charities who will support you from your initial report, right through the court process and beyond.” 

You can report a sexual offence allegation by calling 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service (StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk)  for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused. Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.

Plans to develop one of Salford’s most popular libraries have been announced by Salford City Council.

Height Library, in King Street, Irlam’s o’ th’ Height will see new flexible meeting, events and exhibition areas created, along with a fully accessible toilet.  Improvements will be made to the exterior of the library and the entrance will be adapted to make it suitable for independent use by community groups and partners. Timescales for the building work are now being drawn up.

Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, said:

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“Salford opened England’s first, unconditionally free public library in 1850 so we have a long and very proud tradition of supporting libraries.

“I’m delighted that we can invest in Height library which has played such a key role in the community for over 100 years. This funding underlines the importance of libraries as places where all residents can come together to enjoy all kinds of activities which is more important than ever after the disruption of the pandemic.”

 

Height library opened in 1901 with a collection of 3,000 books at a cost of £6,000. It now opens five days a week offering books, free WIFI, internet access and printing, children’s story sessions, healthy exercise, reading groups and a place to relax, gather or meet friends.

Salford City Council won £85,200 for the work from the government’s cultural investment fund, delivered by the Arts Council England. The cultural investment fund will see £5 million invested through the Libraries Improvement Fund, which is helping transform library services in England to respond to the changing ways people use them.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Council England, said:

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“Our artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries are experts in making villages, towns and cities better places to live, work, visit or play. This investment means they’ll be able to help more people across England to lead happier, more creative lives.”

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson said:

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“Culture is the bedrock of society. It brings people together, entertains and informs us and helps us to understand our common past and shared future. We are announcing a raft of new funding for treasured cultural institutions up and down the country. This will help them to continue their great work, advance our work to level up access to arts and culture so they can be enjoyed by people no matter where they live, and protect these cherished institutions for future generations to enjoy.”

Over 20,000 illegal cigarettes and five kilos of illicit hand rolling tobacco worth an estimated £13,000, have been seized in Salford.

Officers from Salford City Council’s trading standards team visited six businesses in Swinton and Eccles, supported by a police officer, a dog handler and sniffer dogs Ricco and Bessie and recovered the illegal items along with £3,500 in cash which is now subject to proceeds of crime investigation. Further investigations are continuing.

The move was part of Operation Cece, a national initiative in partnership with HMRC to tackle illegal tobacco.

Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, praised members of the public for sharing information which led to the raids.

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“Selling illegal tobacco is not welcome in Salford and we will do all we can to stamp it out,” he said.

“The packets carry no health warnings and taxes are not paid on it, which deprives our country of funds for vital public services such as the NHS and social care.

“The people making money out of this do not care who they sell to. Children and young smokers are often targeted by people who sell illegal cigarettes, making it easier for them to get hooked on smoking. The availability of illegal cigarettes makes it harder for people to quit and remain smoke free.

“The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership is committed to making smoking history for the health of future generations and is succeeding in this at a faster rate than any other major city region in the world. Illegal sales of tobacco undermine this important work and unfairly impacts on law abiding businesses It will not be tolerated.” 

 

The sale of illegal tobacco can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or at https://keep-it-out.co.uk

Tickets go on general sale Friday, 25th March at 10.00am GMT Via https://MetropolisMusic.com

After recently revealing two special headline shows this summer at Cornwall’s Eden Project, Nine Inch Nails today announce three additional UK dates, completing the band’s final UK & European touring plans for the year.

Either side of the Eden Project shows will see dates at O2 Academy Glasgow (Jun 15th), O2 Apollo Manchester (Jun 20th) and a night in the capital at London’s O2 Academy Brixton (Jun 21st).

Yves Tumor joins the bill for the sold-out Eden Project show on June 18th, as well as the three newly-announced dates, and Nitzer Ebb will support on June 17th for what promises to be one of the live highlights of the year. The shows will be NIN’s first UK headline dates in four years.
 
Nine Inch Nails was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, headquartered in Cleveland, in 2020.
 
NIN bring their show, hailed by The Guardian as ‘saw toothed,‘ with the ‘ferocity of a Rottweiler gnashing through its muzzle, bathed in exquisite monochromatic lighting and smoke’ to the lush grounds described by The Times as ‘Magical…half Glastonbury, half Glydnenbourne’ and of which the Evening Standard wrote ‘The nearest you can get to watching a gig on the moon.’

Nine Inch Nails will play the following UK/EU dates.

JUNE
Wed 15th          O2 Academy Glasgow – with Yves Tumor (On Sale Fri, Mar 25th)
Fri 17th             Eden Sessions - Cornwall – with Nitzer Ebb
Sat 18th            Eden Sessions - Cornwall – with Yves Tumor (SOLD OUT)
Mon 20th          O2 Apollo Manchester – with Yves Tumor (On Sale Fri, Mar 25th)
Tue 21st           O2 Academy Brixton, London – with Yves Tumor (On Sale Fr, Mar 25th)
Fri 24th             Hellfest – Clisson, France
 

Nine Inch Nails Photo Credit: Corinne Schiavone

A motorcyclist in his 30's was was killed after a collision on Leigh Road in worsley last night.

Police were called shortly at 7pm on Friday night (18th March) after reports of a serious road traffic accident on the busy road close to the RHS in Boothstown.

Police say that the man died at the scene after sustaining fatal injuries during the collision.

The driver of the car remained at the scene and is helping with enquires.

This is the second death of a motorcyclist on Salford roads within a week, as a man was tragically killed after a collision on the A57 in Barton on Wednesday 16th March.

The mans family have been informed and are receiving support from specialist officers.

A statement from GMP, reads:

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"We were called at around 7.10pm on Friday 18 March to a report of a serious collision involving a car and a motorbike on Leigh Road, Boothstown.

"Emergency services attended and sadly the rider of the motorbike - a man in his 30s - suffered fatal injuries.

"His family have been informed and will be supported by specialist officers.

"The driver of the car remained at the scene and is assisting us with our enquiries."

 

No arrests have been made and anyone with information or dash-cam footage should call 0161 856 4741 quoting incident 2757 of 18/03/2022.

Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

We extend our condolences to his friends and family.