At about 3.30am on 18 July, police officers on patrol witnessed a vehicle collide with the Blackfriars Pub on Blackfriars Road, Salford, and subsequently catch fire.

The front door of the historic building which was due to reopen this month was left damaged.

Two male casualties were rescued from the vehicle by police officers, who then tried to put out the fire.

NWAS and GMFRS also attended and the two men were taken to hospital where one of the men, the passenger aged 23, has sadly died despite the best efforts of the emergency services.

The driver, also 23, remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

There is a scene in place and an investigation by GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit is under way.

PC Andrew Nicholson said:

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"This is a tragic incident in which a man has sadly lost his life. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

"I would also like to praise the bravery of the officers who rescued the men from vehicle and the work of the emergency services at the scene.

"An investigation is under way into the circumstances leading up to the crash - anybody with information or dashcam footage of this collision is asked to call police on 0161 856 4741 quoting log 594 of 18/07/21."

 

Information can also be reported online or by using the Live Chat function at www.gmp.police.uk.

If you can't report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A £7m indoor attraction based on the blockbuster ITV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! will open at MediaCityUK later this month following a 32-week project by principal contractor MC Construction.

The Salford company carried out enabling and fit-out works at the venue and managed all directly-appointed contractors, including those responsible for themed attraction installations, ticketing, retail fit-out, IT and communications and the building management system. The works were undertaken across the back-of-house, entrance, reception and attraction space and retail areas.

Tickets for I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge will go on general sale Wednesday, July 21 and it will open to the public on Friday, July 30 at Quayside MediaCityUK, formerly known as the Lowry Shopping Centre, which is owned by Peel L&P. Continuum Attractions will operate the attraction.

During hours of wholesome fun, Campmates will be taken into the heart of the themed jungle setting to navigate a series of fun-filled, physical challenges. 

Featuring Main Camp, the Throne and Winners Bridge, the action-packed experience will put Campmates’ nerves and agility to the test as they race against the clock in a bid to collect stars and be crowned King or Queen of the jungle.

Timed trials will involve scaling The Ascent, with over 8m of vertical rock, racing across the suspended Treetop Trail, swinging round the Jungle Run, taking a leap of faith on Get a Grip and gliding through the trees on a Zipline.

Campmates could also find themselves taking on Kiosk Kev and a multiple-choice Dingo Dollar Challenge if the iconic telephone boxes, synonymous with the TV programme, ring out.

The attraction will also feature Europe’s first ceiling-mounted Spyrider (*), a high-speed track which whizzes above the jungle canopy. 

Russ Forshaw, group operations director at MC Construction, a family-owned business which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, said:

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“We are thrilled to have partnered with ITV on this project supporting the delivery of what will undoubtedly become one of the north west’s best new indoor attractions.

“Talented craftsmen and equipment from all over the world were required to produce the fantastic end product. 

“Co-ordinating the specialists involved and the logistics of this scheme would have been difficult in normal times, but considering the entire project was delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m really proud of the way our team adapted and went the extra mile to deal with everything that was thrown at them.

“Thankfully the construction industry has remained active throughout the pandemic so we’re also very pleased to be a part of a project that will form part of the leisure and tourism industry’s economic recovery.”

 

James Penfold, Controller of Partnerships for ITV Global Entertainment, said:

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“I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge is a one of a kind, multi-sensory adventure – bringing together the heart and soul of the hugely celebrated series and ITV’s expertise in curating fantastic, memorable live brand experiences for guests and families across the world.

“We’re delighted to see the vision for our flagship I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge attraction come to fruition. 

“MC Construction delivered the finished product to exacting standards and expertly handled the design and logistical challenges associated with the specialist nature of the project and equipment involved whilst following stringent Covid-19 guidelines.”

 

(*) Tickets for Spyrider are limited and will be available to upgrade for £3 once inside the attraction, subject to availability.

Salford Red Devils player are lining up their defense against Covid-19 by joining the thousands of people getting their vaccine in Salford.

Members of the famous Salford team visited the Covid-19 vaccination bus at Salford Quays, based outside the Lowry Theatre. Some players got their first dose and for others it was their second dose.

In the sporting world, Covid-19 has affected normal activities considerably and led to the postponement and cancellation of a vast number of national and international events. Therefore, Salford Red Devils is doing their bit to get vaccinated in hope to get sports events back to normal and to keep everyone safe.

First team starter 23-year-old Jack Wells who got his first dose at the vaccination bus said:

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‘’The main reason to get the vaccine is to not just protect myself but other people around me as well as it stops the virus from spreading and that’s what we need in this country. People my age wants to go on a holiday this year as we’ve been stuck in our houses for a long time, so get to the nearest station and get your vaccine today.’’

His fellow teammate, international player and first team starter 30-year-old Kallum Watkins said:

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‘’The reason why I got my vaccine today is to protect myself, my family and people around me. Another reason is about long Covid, as a rugby league player specially for the younger guys that are coming through, its important to recognise that and get their vaccines like the young fellows here today have done really well in terms of doing that so we encourage people to get their vaccines’’

Tim Sandels, General Practitioner at Salford Red Devil’s club doctor and St Johns Medical Centre said:

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‘’As government restrictions are easing in a few days, it is now important more than ever to get both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to protect yourself and your loved ones as we roll back normality.’’

‘’A lot of young people are less interested because they feel that they are young, healthy and feel that they are at low risk of dying from the disease. There are several reasons why it is very important for every adult to get their vaccine.

Every athlete trains hundreds and thousands of hours to improve their performance. Covid-19 infections have already been associated with damage to the heart and the lungs. Can you imagine working and training in all of those practice sessions only to see all of those gains lost to a preventable illness?’’

Another important consideration for young adults to think about is the risk of bringing infections home to family members who might be at higher risk for severe disease.

Even though a person may have had the infection previously, they should still receive the vaccine to prevent from getting seriously ill and to prevent having long-term Covid symptoms.

All Salford residents over 18 years old, aged 16/17 years old and have an underlying health condition, or a carer either paid or unpaid can book their Covid-19 vaccine appointments here, or attend a walk-in clinic. NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) shares daily updates and details on walk-in clinics on their social media and their Covid-19 vaccine walk-in page.

The national booking system is also available for anyone to book or manage their appointment.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

Two men from Salford are wanted by police along with five others as part of Operation Foam - which is GMP's strand of the NCA led 'Operation Venetic' - is a lengthy and intricate force-wide operation focused on the infiltration and takedown of the encrypted communications platform Encrochat.

Detectives want to speak to the following wanted men in connection with the on-going mammoth operation:

• Terry Robinson (21/06/89) of Salford is wanted for conspiracy to supply class A & B drugs, namely cocaine and cannabis, and money laundering.

• Thomas Pride Jeffrey (31/07/1986) of Swinton is wanted currently wanted for conspiracy to possess firearms with the intent to endanger life. It is currently believed he may be in Bulgaria.

• Liam McGrath (21/10/87) of Oldham is wanted for conspiracy to supply cocaine. It is believed he has links to the Hollins area of Oldham and the Chester area.

• Jonathan Memarian (22/07/88) of Manchester is wanted for conspiracy to supply firearms and conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs.

• Eugene Robinson (30/04/88) of Manchester is wanted for conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to conspiracy supply firearms.

• Salman Mahmood (09/09/1992) of Crumpsall is wanted for conspiracy to supply class A controlled drugs. It is believed he may currently be in Pakistan.

• Kieron O'Brien (27/08/82) of Manchester is wanted for conspiracy to import and supply class A drugs and money laundering.

Anybody with information regarding the whereabouts of any of these men should contact police on 101 or via our live web chat function at www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Firefighters were called out at around 5:41pm to the boarded up pub on Manchester Road West (A6) after reports of a blaze breaking out in the upper storey.

The road has been temporarily closed in both directions between Highfield Road and Kenyon Way.

Bus services have been diverted around the area.

Firefighters have now brought the fire under control and and investigation will now take place.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and no one is thought to have been injured.

Planning permission was awarded to demolish the pub and replace it with a three storey building, which will include a Nisa convenience store as well as eight residential apartments.

The public house closed in 2017 and has remained boarded up ever since.

Firefighters were called out previously on the 2nd of July to a similar fire at the same pub.

A statement for GMFRS said:

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At 5.41 this evening we received the first of several 999 calls reporting a fire in a derelict detached building on Manchester Road West, Little Hulton.

Firefighters from Farnworth, Eccles and Atherton stations are on the scene and making good progress bringing the fire under control.

There will be an impact on local traffic from this incident so please avoid the area.

 

At around 11.30am on Wednesday 23 June police were called to a report of a road traffic collision involving a lorry and two cars on the A57 at Cadishead Way in Irlam.

Emergency services attended and a 62-year-old man and a 39-year-old man were both taken to hospital.

Despite the best efforts of medical staff, the 62-year-old man has since sadly succumbed to his injuries. The 39-year-old man remains in a critical condition.

The driver of the lorry remained at the scene to assist police. No arrests have been made.

Police Constable Karl Horner of GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:

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"Very sadly a man has lost his life following this collision and our thoughts are firmly with his family, friends and loved ones as they begin to process this devastating news.

"We're continuing to appeal to anyone who may have been in the area at the time or witnessed the collision to come forward and speak with police. We're particularly keen to speak to anyone who may be in possession of dash-cam footage from the area at the time of the incident."

 

Residents at the time called for measures to be taken to stop speeding drivers in the area after a series of accidents along the notorious route.

Anyone with information, or dash-cam footage, should call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741 quoting incident 1074 of 23/06/2021.

Anyone with information can also report online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A Salford trader who was caught four times with counterfeit and unsafe toys has been fined.

Over 850 items seized by trading standards officers were found to be counterfeit and 322 items did not comply with safety regulations.

They included counterfeit Peppa Pig toys, Samsung charging cables and plastic toys which had more than the legal limit of chemicals which are restricted because of health concerns.

Company director Mr Baljit Singh Batra, known as Mr Singh, pleaded guilty to eight trademark and product safety offences and was fined a total of £2,768. He was ordered to pay £1750 costs and a £190 victim surcharge when he appeared at Manchester and Salford magistrates court on Friday 2 July.

On behalf of the company A2Z Smoking Products Ltd of Rugby Street, Broughton, he also pleaded guilty to a further eight product safety offences relating to unsafe packaging and non-compliant labelling. The company was fined a total of £3,072 and ordered to pay costs of £1750 and a £190 victim surcharge. The prosecution was brought by Salford City Council’s trading standards team. All the goods involved will now be destroyed and the materials recycled where possible.

The court heard that trading standards officers visited the warehouse on August 1, 2019 and seized suspect Peppa Pig and Funny Face toys which were later found to be counterfeit and not compliant with labelling requirements. Mr Singh was given a warning and advisory letter on August 8 along with clear information about toy safety and packaging regulations. 

Officers visited again on October 30, 2019 and advised Mr Singh that any items suspected to be counterfeit or unsafe would be seized. They selected three toys to submit for safety testing and Mr Singh agreed to remove the remaining stock from the showroom and not sell them until further notice.

Testing showed the toys did not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 and the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008 and Mr Singh agreed to surrender the remaining stock for destruction.  

Officers also seized a number of toys including Disney character dolls, Thomas the Tank Engine and Peppa Pig dolls which were later found to be counterfeit. The Peppa Pig toys were identical to ones Mr Singh had voluntarily surrendered earlier in the year. Officers also seized Samsung charging cables which were also found to be counterfeit.

On 11 December 2019 officers went to the shop after notification from Southampton trading standards that toy slime and a My Lovely Baby Betty doll had both failed safety tests. The doll was the same brand as that seized from Mr Singh on October 30. Officers seized the remaining dolls, toy unicorn squishes, blow up Santas and giraffes and flashing Minions toys.

The blow-up toys and dolls contained higher levels of phthalates than the law permits. The chemicals are used to make plastics soft and flexible but their use has been limited in toys because of health risks. The toys also failed to comply with labelling regulations including no warning advising they should not be given to children under three because they could choke. The Minion toys were found to be counterfeit.

Mr Singh was interviewed under caution in August 2020 and provided a pre-prepared statement. He produced five test reports which only related to one doll and did not show that that it was compliant with UK law.  He answered no comment to almost all other questions during the interview.

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

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“Safety testing is there to protect the public and that was made crystal clear to Mr Singh. He has repeatedly ignored this and continued to sell unsafe and counterfeit products. I hope this prosecution and heavy fine serves as a warning to him and other traders not to play fast and loose with safety. I applaud the council officers involved for protecting consumers.”

The restoration and eventual re-opening of Buile Hill parks beloved Georgian Mansion took a major step forward toward yesterday with the joint signing of a memorandum of understanding between Salford City Council and the Buile Hill Mansion Association (BHMA).

The group formed after a huge public backlash against interim proposals put forward by Capital & Centric boss Tim Heatley in 2018, which suggested building a number of homes on land within the Mansion complex depot area as a way of funding renovations of both the Mansion and Park in general.

An online petition posted at the time by local resident Linda Curran, gained thousands of signatures against the plans within just a few days, prompting the idea to eventually be abandoned as the company walked away.

The stately home was built in 1827 as the abode of Sir Thomas Potter, the first Lord Mayor of Manchester, it was eventually purchased by the Council and opened to the public on the 22nd July 1903, the former home being reopened as a natural history museum a few years later in 1906.

The current boundary of the park was formed as a result of the absorption of the former Hart Hill estate in 1938.

The much beloved historic gem would go on to become the home of the Lancashire Mining Museum up until it saw closure to the public in the year 2000, remaining boarded up and mothballed ever since.

However, now thanks to a lot of hard work put into the project by both the Council and the BHMA, along with an election commitment made by the City Mayor to restore it to full use within his second term of office, the future of the Grade II listed Mansion is looking the brightest it has been in decades, with remedial work costing up to £150k already set to start within the coming month.

Paul Dennett, visited the park yesterday (Monday 5th July), meeting with BHMA committee members to put his signature alongside that of the associations chair,  Jenni Smith, on a memorandum of understanding to jointly work on the plans and proposals for the site.

In the meantime, the BHMA has wasted no time by enlisting the skills of respected local horticulturalist Pete Simms who has been working alongside them on exciting plans to bring about the restoration of the sensory garden which lies adjacent to the Mansion, after permission to do so was granted by the Council.

Additionally the council has also earmarked and committed £1.2m to the mansion aiming to work with the BHMA to produce a business plan for both the mansion and depot area, as well as assisting in finding third party funding to support its eventual full restoration and reopening. The eventual cost could be as much as £5m.

Upcoming work will help restore the building so that it does not fall into a further state of disrepair, dealing with rot and making sure that it is structurally sound, with the overall aim being to bring both the mansion and depot area back to life in a way which the community and city to benefit from.

The task will not be easy and there will no doubt be many obstacles to navigate along the way but for once both the council and the people seem to be on the same page regarding the historic building, with the Mayor speaking with real optimism regarding plans for its future.

The homes are being built on three sites - Clifton Green in Pendlebury and Brassington Avenue and Ryall Avenue which are both in Ordsall. The developments are made up of 30 homes and 99 apartments including wheelchair friendly homes at all sites.

It is intended that the homes will become part of Dérive Housing’s portfolio – a company owned by Salford City Council.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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“It was fantastic to visit all three sites and see these homes, which will be available for social rent, beginning to take shape. We are in the middle of a national housing and homelessness crisis and providing affordable homes is a priority for the council and local people.

“We also have plans to provide even more homes across the city. Last December I approved a self-build residential development case that will be the largest programme of housing developments in Salford for 50 years. By summer next year we will have provided over 200 new affordable and social homes through the City Council’s interventions”

 

The homes in the three sites are being constructed by Seddon with the construction design and consultancy provided by Identity Consult.

Jonathan Seddon, CEO at Seddon said:

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’It’s great to be building homes in Salford again and we’re delighted to be partnering with the council to deliver these much needed schemes. We’ve been building and employing people in Salford for over 120 years;  the region is part of our history and projects like these ensure it is part of our future too.” 

The City Mayor was joined on the visits by Deputy City Mayor Councillor Tracy Kelly, Lead Member for Housing, Property and Regeneration and the council’s Chief Executive Tom Stannard. Representatives from Seddon and Identity also joined the visit.

Councillor Kelly said:

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“These homes are desperately needed by local people.

“We have almost 5,000 households on the housing register in our city and around 60 people bid for each home advertised.

“I would like to thank our partners for working with us to bring these much needed new communities to life and providing jobs and training opportunities for people in the city.”

 

Planning permission was approved for all the developments in October 2020.  All the homes will be highly insulated, beyond current government standards, to reduce energy use and bills and lower their carbon footprint. Salford City Council is hoping this will encourage other housing developers to follow its environmental lead.

The photo shows left to right: Jonathan Seddon, CEO Seddon, Duncan Williams Divisional Director Seddon, Councillor Tracy Kelly, City Mayor Paul Dennett, Alex Atkinson Project Manager, Identity Consult, Gill Holt, Development Officer, Salford City Council, Dérive RP board members, Greg Gottig and Robin Lawler, Tom Stannard, Chief Executive, Salford City Council and Steve Sheen, Senior Manager, Affordable Housing Growth (North)  Homes England.

Matthew Davies (DOB 23/09/1992) was last seen leaving Salford Royal yesterday (03 July) at 6.30pm, heading towards Meadowgate Road on foot.

Matthew is described as being a white male, approximately 6ft 1in, with a slim build, light brown, short hair and stubble.

He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black trainers and black shorts. He has a local accent and had a black rucksack with him.

Matthew could seem confused and may seek medical attention.

Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about Matthew and want to make sure he is safe and well.

Anyone with information about Matthew's whereabouts should contact police on 0161 856 2836 or dial 101 and quote incident 2793-030721.

A girl aged just 7-years-old was hit by a car on Lewis Street in Patricroft at around 9:45pm last night (Saturday 3rd July).

Fortunately upon examination by attending paramedics it was determined that her injuries were minor, requiring no hospital treatment.

The driver assisted the police with their enquiries and no arrest was made.

A third person has been charged with murder following the death of a man in Salford.

Police were called to an address on Cook Street, Eccles, at 7.26am on Tuesday 22 June 2021 to a report of a concern for the welfare of a man.

Emergency services attended and discovered the body of a 48-year-old man later named as Leigh Smith.

A 17-year-old male has been charged with murder and remanded into custody to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court tomorrow (5 July 2021).

Two other males, both aged 17, have already been charged with murder, while a fourth 17-year-old male has been released on bail pending further enquiries. 

A fundraising page has been set up in his name to cover the costs of his funeral, it can be found on the following link: Crowdfunding to Help Leroys Family with the funeral costs on JustGiving

The page states:

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This page has been set up to try and help the family of Leigh Smith known to friends as Leroy with funeral costs and to enable the family to give him the send off he deserve's, Leigh was sadly taken away from his family under very tragic circumstances and his entire family have been left devastated at the loss of a loving Father, Son, brother and uncle.

Nobody should have to go through what Leroys family are going through, I am hoping that we can ease the financial burden a little for them.

All donations no matter the size will be greatly appreciated and if you could please share this page. Thank you.

 

Police are still appealing for information about the incident - contact police via LiveChat on the GMP website at www.gmp.police.uk or call 0161 856 5194 quoting incident number  519 of 22/06/21.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Michael Hopkins (21/08/1991) of Ivy Street, Manchester has been sentenced yesterday (Thursday 1 July 2021) at Minshull Street Crown Court to two years in jail after pleading guilty to one count of attempting to convey contraband into a prison and two counts of conveying contraband into a prison.

He has further been sentenced to nine months for suspended sentences which have now been activated in relation to handling stolen goods and dangerous driving.

On Saturday 3 April 2021, Hopkins was walking in a woodland area that surrounds the prison. He was seen to go through the undergrowth and jump the perimeter fence before he threw two packages over the prison wall - one of these packages was recovered from the exercise yard and was found to contain tobacco and lighters.

He was swiftly detained and arrested by officers who were stationed nearby and being fed information from the prisons  internal CCTV system as part of Operation Dragonfire - an intelligence led multi-agency investigation targeting 'throw overs' of contraband.

Op Dragonfire has been launched between Greater Manchester Police (GMP), HMP Forest Bank, HMPPS and North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU), to further the work carried out by prison staff and to target the higher tiers of criminal networks here in Greater Manchester.

Hopkins was searched by officers and a further package was recovered, which was wrapped in blue tape and found to contain an amount of tobacco and cannabis.

During a police interview, Hopkins was shown CCTV footage of a man throwing two packages - one of which was recovered - over the prison wall two weeks earlier. He admitted that the man in the footage was him.

Overall, 384g of tobacco, 12.2g of cannabis and five A4 pages of psychoactive substance laced paper, worth an overall amount of up to several thousand pounds inside of prison, were recovered from the packages.

Hopkins claimed that on both occasions, he did not know the contents of the packages and had been told to throw them over by a man who he refused to name.

This sentencing is the result of one of the five investigations which are currently on-going under Operation Dragonfire in relation to prison throw overs.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Vizard, of GMP's Serious Crime Division, said:

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"Although the goods contained in these packages can seem harmless at first, contraband is a big problem inside of prisons and can make the prison an unsafe environment by allowing certain prisoners to have power over others and by providing items to trade which promotes prison gang culture.

"Any drugs entering the prison system can lead to further crimes being committed by inmates and pose a serious risk to the safety of prison staff.

"May today's sentencing act as a warning to anyone considering smuggling contraband into the prison system. Operation Dragonfire aims to target the networks that facilitate any contraband entering or leaving prisons and will prosecute anyone who is involved in such organised crime.

"As an intelligence led operation, we continue to rely on the public for information to drive our strategies and operations forward and will act upon any intel provided."

 

Spencer, Director at HMP Forest Bank said:

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"This arrest and conviction shows that partnership working across criminal justice organisations in Greater Manchester is strong. Smuggling contraband into our prisons greatly increases levels of debt, violence and intimidation and will not be tolerated.”

Police were called to an address on New Street, Swinton at around 5am Thursday morning (1 July 2021) to a report of aggravated burglary.

Police attending established a group of four men wearing masks had entered the property and threatened a man and woman with a machete and a knife. The woman was also struck by a bat.

During the incident, the occupants' dog, a male Chihuahua named Bhoot, either escaped or was taken, though this is not yet clear.

The man and woman received superficial injuries during the attack and are understandably shaken.

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

Detective Sergeant Zoe Marsden, of Greater Manchester Police's Salford division said:

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"This is a shocking incident  and our specialist officers continuing to support the man and woman who are understandably shaken by this incident that took place in their own home.

"This will no doubt be of concern to local people and also to local dog owners, however our investigations so far indicate that the potential theft of the dog was not a primary intention.

"We're working hard to establish the motives behind this attack and to reassure local residents, we have increased patrols in the area as our enquiries continue."

Anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of the dog should call police on 0161 856 5351, quoting incident 410 of 01/07/2021.

Anyone with information can also report online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

An armed gang including a man from Salford who carried out a series of almost 30 robberies across Greater Manchester and Cheshire and made off with thousands of pounds worth of goods have been jailed for over 50 years.

Six men from Greater Manchester robbed a number of businesses between May and November 2019 and assaulted and threatened staff with machetes in order to get cash - including one robbery where a shop worker was dragged across the floor by her feet in Warrington.

Jack Yarwood from Salford, Michael Burke from Trafford, Stuart Watson from Trafford, Daniel Adamson from Sale and Michael Kedie from Sale were all jailed for life at Manchester Crown Square today (29 June 2021).

The first offence took place at Co-Op in Cheshire at around 9.45pm on 12 May 2019 where three masked men, Michael Kedie, Jack Yarwood and Michael Burke, entered the store and threatened staff with a machete and a hammer and stole cash from a safe.

Further robberies continued to take place involving other associates in the organised crime group whilst detectives identified the series and pieced the case together.

Detectives found that the group had a strong knowledge of the stores' procedures and protocols, ordering staff to go to the back of the store and empty the contents of the safe by threatening them with weapons and assaulting them.

In one incident, the gang turned up in a stolen vehicle and stormed an address in Cheshire before dragging a naked child out of bed and locking the mother and her two children in a cupboard whilst they raided the house on Dunham Road, Warburton, on 16 September 2019. Expensive watches and jewellery were placed into one of the children's pillowcases and taken along with the family's car.

In a statement read out in court from the family, they described as the "worst night of their lives" and the children are scarred for life.

On the evening of 7 June 2019, Michael Kedie, Jack Yarwood, Michael Burke and Robert Lewis also stormed Co-op on Cross Street in Sale in balaclavas and dragged a member of staff to the back of the store and ordered her and her colleague to open a safe by threatening them with a machete before fleeing with a large amount of cash. Detectives later found that the machete was also used in a number of the other robberies.

The robberies continued until November 2019 and left staff working in the stores extremely shaken up, especially a female worker at McColl's in Concorde Place in Warrington where one woman was dragged across the floor by her ankle.

On 26 October 2019, one of the men grabbed a staff member from Co-op on Knutsford Road in Warrington and put her into a headlock and dragged her to the ground before stealing cash.

A police patrol attended and followed a stolen Ford Focus from the Devon and Cornwall area the group left in before pursuing it through Partington when driver Daniel Adamson was reaching speeds over 80 mph in a 30mph zone. Two of the men got out of the vehicle armed with machetes and ran towards the officer in the vehicle before getting back into the Focus and driving off before abandoning it in the Racecourse estate in Sale.

Officers recovered cigarettes, cash and other items from the robbery in Warrington from the Focus.

Adamson was forensically linked to nine of the robberies after officers found Slazenger trousers worn by him during the offences at Robert Lewis' address.

The rest of the OCG were rumbled when detectives from GMP's Serious and Organised Crime Group division pieced the series together and brought the gang to justice through phone and CCTV analysis, surveillance and the support of large number of witnesses in the case.

Detective Sergeant Richard Castley, from GMP's SOCG, said:

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"This was a series of terrifying incidents that saw staff members and members of the public in their own homes assaulted and scared for their lives - some of them still haven't returned to work and are some are still recovering from their ordeal.

"Staff were threatened with machetes and knives, dragged along the floor and manhandled. A family were targeted in their own address, assaulted and threatened with machetes and were fearing for their lives.

"The members of the public targeted by these offenders were simply doing their job to serve the public in their local shop or were in their home addresses when they were confronted with this masked gang armed with weapons.

"Their robbery spree days are now over after our thorough investigation and this sends out a message - no matter how organised and sophisticated a group is - we will track offenders down and bring them to justice."

 

Jack Yarwood, 20/12/85, of Regent Place, Water Street, Salford, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Michael Burke, 06/04/1981, of Winchester Road, Trafford, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Stuart Watson, 15/04/1981, of Kingsway Park, Trafford, was jailed for life with a minimum term of eight years for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Daniel Adamson, 21/01/1986, of Hurst Avenue, Sale, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 11 years for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Michael Kedie, 20/02/1991, of Magnolia Court, Sale, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Connor Kedie, 30/04/1998, of Rookfield Avenue, Sale, was given a 12 month suspended sentence for assisting an OCG.

They were all sentenced at Manchester Crown Square today (29 June 2021).

Detective Chief Inspector Clare Coleman, from Cheshire Police, added:

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“As a result of the excellent work conducted by the dedicated team of detectives from Cheshire Constabulary, along with the work of our colleagues at Greater Manchester Police, this crime spree has now been brought to an end.

“This case demonstrates that criminals do not stop when they reach the border.

“It is more important than ever that we work closely with our partners to ensure that such criminals are brought to justice.”

 

Details on all of the robberies below:

1 - 12/05/19 - Coop, Lymm

2 - 19/05/19 Coop, Bowden

3 - 26/05/19 Asda Petrol Station, Sale

4 - 07/06/19 - Coop, Sale

5 - 19/06/19 - One Stop Shop, Wigan

6 - 25/06/19 -Coop, Stretford

7 - 27/06/19 - McColls, Sale

8 - 30/04/19 - Coop, Chadderton

9 - 11/07/19 - Coop, Sale

10 - 11/07/19 - One Stop Shop, Warrington

11 - 18/07/19 - McColls, Warrington

12 - 04/08/19 - Coop, Sale

13 - 22/08/19 - McColls, Leigh

14 - 26/08/19 - McColls, Bramhall

15 - 26/08/19 - Coop, Warrington

16 - 03/09/19 - Texaco, Umston

17 - 03/09/19 - Tesco, Sale

18 - 08/09/19 - Coppice Wood Farm Public House

19 - 16/09/19 - House in Warburton

20 - 19/09/19 - Starbucks, Trafford Park

21 - 22/09/19 - Coop Wythenshawe

22 - 24/09/19 - One Stop, Sale

23 - 25/09/19 - Sainsburys, Altrincham

24 - 21/10/19 - Coop, Stretford

25 - 30/10/19 - Coop, Stretford

26 - 10/11/19 - Coop, Swinton

27 - 12/11/19 - Coop, Cheadle Hulme

28 - 20/11/19 - Poundland , Urmston

29 - 20/11/19 - McColls, Sale

Olivier and Tony Award-winning producer David Pugh, the renowned theatre company Told by an Idiot and Theatre Royal Bath Productions present the Silent Comedy CHARLIE & STAN.

It will run at The Lowry in Salford from Monday 13 - Saturday 18 September.

In 1910, the then unknown Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel set sail on board a tramp steamer from Liverpool to New York as part of Fred Karno’s famous music hall troupe.

On the voyage, they shared a cabin, they shared comedy routines, they shared laughter, but, by the end of the journey, they hated each other... yet they would both go on to become two of the biggest stars of the age.

Inspired by real life events, Told by an Idiot’s acclaimed production of CHARLIE & STAN is the remarkable story of the greatest comedy double act that nearly was.

With an original piano score played live at every performance, CHARLIE & STAN is a hilarious and deeply moving homage to two men who changed the world of comedy forever.

Told by an Idiot have garnered critical acclaim and devoted audiences worldwide for their wonderfully theatrical shows. With CHARLIE & STAN they have uncovered a hidden and poignant chapter of comedy history, shining an unusual light on a pair of show business legends.

CHARLIE & STAN is directed by Paul Hunter and designed by Ioana Curelea, with lighting design by Aideen Malone, video design by Dom Baker, original piano score by Mercury Award nominee Zoe Rahman and song arrangement by Sophie Cotton.

 Jos Houben is physical comedy consultant and dance choreography is by Nuna Sandy for ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company.  CHARLIE & STAN is from an idea by Irene Cotton, with additional material from the company.

CHARLIE & STAN is produced by David Pugh, Told by an Idiot and Theatre Royal Bath Productions.  CHARLIE & STAN was originally produced by Told by an Idiot and Theatre Royal Plymouth, in association with Royal & Derngate Northampton and Unity Theatre Liverpool.

Salix Homes, which owns 8,000 homes across Salford and employs more than 300 people, has been unveiled as one of the Top 20 Gold organisations in the Investors in People Awards in recognition of the way it develops, supports and motivates its workforce.

The prestigious accreditation means the organisation is now in the running for Investors in People UK Employer of the Year Award, and the shortlist will be announced in September.

Sarah Henderson, director of Business Services at Salix Homes, said:

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“Achieving the Gold Standard is an amazing achievement, particularly in the midst of the challenges we have faced with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re incredibly proud of this accolade and we look forward to building on the solid foundation it has set within our organisation as we push on with our plans to continuously improve experiences for both our employees and our customers.

“Our employees are at the heart of our business and should be proud of all they have achieved. It’s thanks to the skills, commitment and dedication of our workforce that we’ve been able to continue to deliver a high standard of housing services for our customers during the challenges of the pandemic.”

 

The award comes following a rigorous assessment process by Investors in People – a framework which sets the standard for people management. The Gold standard is only given to those that can demonstrate a degree of excellence in the way they develop and support their staff.

As part of Salix Homes’ ongoing commitment to supporting its workforce, it has also this month pledged its support to the Greater Manchester Employment Charter – a GM-wide initiative that aims to help employers grow and succeed through improved employment standards and increasing opportunities for employees.

The social housing provider is a proud supporter of the Charter, which cements its commitment to making a difference in the lives of its employees by elevating employment standards in the key characteristics covered in the Charter, which are: secure work, flexible work, real living wage, excellent people management, workplace engagement and voice, excellent recruitment and progression, and a healthy and productive workplace.

Eight men dressed as grannies travelled from Anfield to Old Trafford on June 26th dressed as grannies to raise £4,800 for specialised physiotherapy for ten-year-old Freya Bailey from Irlam, Manchester.

Freya was born with two holes in her heart and has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Her physiotherapy, which is not available on the NHS, costs around £1,000 per month.

Dad Darren, 49, came up with the Scooter Grannies idea in 2016 to help raise funds for an operation which helped ease Freya’s pain. He now has to continue to raise money for ongoing physio which helps to keep her mobile and means she can continue to ride her adapted bike and go swimming.

Darren said:

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‘Originally I was thinking of some kind of event with us dressed as superheroes but my friend Olive, who is 80, said: ‘Everyone does that, why not dress as grannies? So I took myself to the charity shop, bought some outfits and Scooter Grannies was born.’

In previous years, Darren and his colleagues have scooted from Irlam to Blackpool, Irlam to Chester and Huddersfield to Irlam. They are sponsored by 20 local businesses who sponsor the race to continue to pay for Freya’s physiotherapy – the money raised by this event will cover physio for around the next five to six months. Darren’s next Scooter Grannies event is planned for September.

Darren said:

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‘The Scootergrannies completed a gruelling 32 miles along the East Lancs A580 from Anfield to UTD Old Trafford. A few bumps, bruises and blurry moments but spirits never faltered and all in support of #freyaslittlelegs. Even getting the local workmen to join in the fun along the way. The funds raised continue to provide physiotherapy and essential equipment for Freya to make life as comfortable and pain free as possible. 

‘They were given a boost throughout the day with the honking of horns, waves and requests for pics from strangers and even the odd 'we've seen you grannies on BBC last week, you were great, keep up the good work'

‘Thank you to everyone involved, family, friends, Scootergrannies, support team, local business sponsors and the local community for still keeping Freya in your thoughts.  

‘There is no cure for cerebral palsy, no magic wand just a family’s resilience against the odds to raise the funds trying to give Freya the best they can. This has been made easier and more pleasurable with the friends and family I have around me.’ 

Darren and his supporters are also keen to raise funds for other local families with children with disabilities, so this year the £120 collected along the route will support Michelle Vincent and her son Kaiden, 16, who has Angelman Syndrome. Michelle set up a group for local carers @m44 and Darren is also a member.

Gill Gibb, CEO of Tree of Hope said:

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‘We’re delighted to be helping with Freya’s fundraising and Scooter Grannies is certainly an innovative event! We wish Darren all the best with it.’

To donate to Freya’s fund, visit https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/freyaslittlelegs/

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after a fight broke out between a group of males shortly before the end of England's triumphant 2-0 win against Germany in Euro2020.

Police were called just before 6:49pm after reports of a in progress at the pub on Manchester Road in the Walkden area of Salford.

A spokesperson for GMP said:

"At 1849hrs on Tuesday 29th June 21 police were called to a report of fighting at the Stocks Hotel, Manchester Road in Worsley.

"Officers attended and established that a fight had taken place involving a group of males.

"Three males have been arrested at the scene, in relation to violent disorder."

Two teenagers have been charged with murder following the death of a man in Salford.

Police were called to an address on Cook Street, Eccles, at 7.26am on Tuesday 22 June 2021 to a report of a concern for the welfare of a man.

Emergency services attended and discovered the body of a 48-year old man later named as Leigh Smith.

Two males, both aged 17, have been charged with his murder and have been remanded into custody to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court tomorrow (29 June 2021).

A fundraising page has been set up in his name to cover the costs of his funeral, it can be found on this link: Crowdfunding to Help Leroys Family with the funeral costs on JustGiving

The page states:

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This page has been set up to try and help the family of Leigh Smith known to friends as Leroy with funeral costs and to enable the family to give him the send off he deserve's, Leigh was sadly taken away from his family under very tragic circumstances and his entire family have been left devastated at the loss of a loving Father, Son, brother and uncle.

Nobody should have to go through what Leroys family are going through, I am hoping that we can ease the financial burden a little for them.

All donations no matter the size will be greatly appreciated and if you could please share this page. Thank you.

 

Police are still appealing for information about the incident - contact police via LiveChat on the GMP website at www.gmp.police.uk or call 0161 856 5194 quoting incident number  519 of 22/06/21.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.