A little positive (no pun intended) news this evening as from next month the government will be trialling its much touted mass covid test pilot scheme in Salford.

The new scheme will initially see audiences at sports venues and theatres tested on the day for the virus and if shown to be negative, they will be allowed in.

The new scheme is part of the PM's plans to get life back to normal, or as near close to normal as it can be right now.

Mr Johnson eventually wants to see 20 minute pregnancy style tests developed in order to allow quick results as part of his wider plans to get the country back on its feet.

And with the Oxford vaccine trials currently locked in a quagmire it may be that these new tests could be a huge asset in the governments arsenal.

As we reported earlier in the week, Salford has been chosen as the test bed for the new pilot program which if a success is to be scaled up to offer widespread mass UK testing by mid spring 2021. 

Mr Johnson, speaking a Downing Street coronavirus press conference this evening, said that negative tests would effectively provide people with a 'passport' which would allow them the 'freedom to mingle with everybody else who is similarly not infectious in a way that is currently impossible'.  

The 'ambitious agenda' code named 'Operation Moonshot' will see audiences at indoor and outdoor venues within Salford given the tests, effectively using Salfordians as test subjects in order to perfect the technology. 

Others however were quick to raise questions over previous wild claims by the PM regarding the failed test and trace system which was set up and also billed as a game changer in the fight against the virus.

Members of the public have even ridiculed the PM after it was revealed that hundreds of people seeking testing in the Greater Manchester region were being told that there were no tests available.

Ray Lever from Broughton said:

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"This is the man who has repeatedly told us that the test and trace system would be up and running within weeks, only for the time scale to be constantly pushed back and back again due to failure after failure.

"If the government can not get that right then how are we expected to have faith this latest 'game changer'."

 

However, if successful the new tests could open up businesses and workplaces in a safe manner, allowing people who test negative in the morning to carry on their day at work with little to no risk.

This is all dependent on if the prototype technology actually works.

Police have revealed that three people have been charged in connection with the death of Michelle Pearson following a house fire in Walkden.

Michelle, mother of daughters Demi, 15, Lacie, seven and Lia , three and son Brandon, eight, sadly passed away on the 25th of August 2019, some 20 months after being seriously injured in a horrific arson attack which stole away the lives of four of her beloved children.

Already convicted murderers, Zak Bolland (23/08/1994) and David Worrall (15/04/1992) have now been charged with the murder of 37-year-old Michelle Pearson.

Accomplice Courtney Brierley (25/07/1997) has been charged with manslaughter.

They will all appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 15 September 2020.

Shortly before 5am on Monday 11 December 2017, police and GMFRS were called to reports of a house fire on Jackson Street in Walkden.

Michelle was taken to hospital for treatment and sadly died on Sunday 25 August 2019.

This latest development will hopefully see the Pearson family finally get the full justice they rightly deserve.

A man has been charged in connection with a stabbing in Manchester.  

Madhi Husseini (21/03/93), of Heaton Street in Salford has been charged with Possession of an offensive weapon, Attempted Section 18 Assault & Possession of a knife in a public place.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday 6 October 2020. 

At around 6.10pm on Tuesday 1 September 2020, police were called to reports of a stabbing at the Madina superstore on Stockport Road in Levenshulme.

A 19 year old man was chased into the shop before being stabbed in the back with a knife.

The man was rushed to hospital but his injuries were not life threatening.

Police were treating the incident as an attempted murder at the time.

Tomorrow (Thursday 10th September) is 'World Suicide Prevention Day' and to mark the occasion a 'pop up' drive-in cinema will be erected outside of Swinton Civic Centre by mental health charity START as part of their annual vigil of remembrance.

The vigil includes speakers, poets, musicians, a roll of remembrance being read and a minutes silence in memory of those who have lost to suicide.

Names of those who have lost their lives will be read out in a roll of rememberance.

The vigil will be live streamed from 8pm to the world - online at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgaZIqN945A 

The vigil will see appearances from singer Alison Moyet, GM Mayor Andy Burnham, Ben Akers, Bianca Alana, Freya Beer, HaIG, Jardel Rodrodrigues, Jess Kemp, Just Jack, Michael Roberts, Salford Mayor Paul Dennett and Salford & Eccles MP Rebecca Long Bailey along with many more.

Dennis Baldwin, from ‘Start Inspiring Minds’, ‘Reach Out; Start to End Suicide’ campaign stated:

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“When a person dies, others offer empathy and compassion, but when its by suicide, there is stigma around that death, the loved ones of those lost to suicide are often treated differently, and become isolated. Sadly, the Pandemic has brought with it extra challenges with physical isolation exacerbating the grief of those with loved ones lost to suicide. They themselves can become at higher risk of suicide. This Vigil of Remembrance is about breaking though, putting a halt to this cycle of suicide that survivors face”.

“The Vigil of Remembrance will remember those that we have lost and demonstrate to those that survive that the community is here for them with this demonstration of support. It contributes towards smashing the stigma that is associated with suicide in all its forms, and contributing to a community that enables people to discuss suicide and enable people to disclose when they are experiencing suicidal thoughts and ideas”

 

The proposals put forward for the 25 acre site by developer and investor, Scarborough International Properties, were given the green light by council planners on Thursday of last week.

This will bring 189 homes in two tower blocks to the Northern side of the canal, directly opposite to stage 1.

One tower will be 10 stories high, with the second being 12 stories.

Stage 2 of the development was topped out earlier this year in February, just before the lockdown measures were implemented.

It is hoped that phase 3 will now commence construction in early 2021 thanks to BCEGi (Beijing Construction Engineering Group International who are to over see the build.

Development Director at Scarborough, Paul Kelly, said:

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“We are delighted to secure consent to move forward with phase three as part of our full commitment to deliver the grand vision that is Middlewood Locks.

“This development is providing much-needed homes in the city with fantastic doorstep amenity that remains in high demand. It also provides high-quality commercial and office space that will compliment and add to the existing offer at Middlewood Locks.”

 

Once completed, the 25-acre Middlewood Locks development will provide a total of 2,215 new homes and 900,000 sq ft of commercial space, including offices, hotel, shops, restaurants, a convenience store and gym.

Overall, the site has a gross development value of more than £700m, according to the developers.

It is being reported this evening (8th September) that one year-3 class from Ellenbrook Community Primary in Walkden has been told to self-isolate after a positive test by a pupil attending at the school.

Parents have apparently been notified that their children will have to remain at him and self-isolate for 14 days as required by law.

This brings the total number of schools in Salford with reported cases and sent home year groups to 'Four' within the space of a week since most schools returned from the summer break and previous imposed national lockdown.

Across Greater Manchester it has been revealed that there are now 32 schools reporting confirmed Covid-19 cases and as a result thousands of children having to stay away from school. More confirmed infections are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

Some parents are calling the current Government advice 'absurd' as siblings in other year groups that are exposed to sick brothers and sisters are expected to still attend the school, in turn possibly putting children in those other year groups at risk.

Schools across Salford have more than stepped up to the mark and have taken extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of their pupils but all it takes is one pupil to come into the school after contracting the virus elsewhere and an entire year-group is forced into self-isolation for 14 days.

For teachers and local education authorities, it's like they are being asked to fight this virus with one hand strapped behind their backs.

It is reassuring to see just how quickly our local schools are responding to these cases with their prompt actions, it demonstrates how seriously they are taking this.

For parents they risk a future in which they could possibly have a child off school for a fortnight as they self-isolate, only to return to school and be sent back home to self-isolate for another 14 days if a child in their year-group get sick again from the virus.

This puts untold pressures not only onto parents but also onto schools and teachers, who all quite frankly deserve more clarity. 

As always we wish the children who are sick a speedy recovery.

Harrop Fold Secondary School in Little Hulton has joined Buile Hill Academy and Co-op Academy in Swinton in announcing the closure of an entire year group bubble due to a report of a pupil at the school showing as positive for Covid-19.

Year 11 pupils are now required to stay at home and self-isolate following government guidelines.

This makes Harrop the third school in Salford to announce year group closures within less than a week after returning from lockdown and summer holidays which followed.

This latest development does not affect pupils in other years groups within the school who will be expected to return to school tomorrow as normal.

As with the other schools, pupils affected will be required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days before they will be permitted to return to school.

Co-op Academy reports Covid-19 cases

Buile Hill Academy reports Covid-19 case

Education materials will be provided to pupils so they can carry on with their work as they remain at home.

Harrop Fold is located in Little Hulton close to the border with Bolton which just this afternoon has had tough restrictions applied to the town after failing to bring spiralling infection rates under control.

Domestic abuse incidents have risen over the past few years while calls to the national helpline have soared by 25 per cent during lockdown. 

The new service, funded by Salford NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, will aim to break the cycle of abuse. Salford City Council, which is commissioning the service from Greater Manchester charity TLC: Talk, Listen, Change, says over 79 per cent of cases supported by its children’s services involve concerns about domestic abuse.

Last year the multi-agency MARAC panel which reviews domestic abuse cases heard over 1,040 high risk cases, just over 500 of which were repeat instances.

Deputy City Mayor Councillor John Merry said:

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“Sadly, domestic abuse is on the increase nationally and the COVID-19 lockdown has only made matters worse. As people get more opportunities to get out of the house we expect to see a rise in calls for help,

“We would encourage anyone experiencing any form of controlling behaviour or domestic abuse to ask for help from their GP, from any professional or by contacting the national helpline or any support group. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any age.

“Important as that support for victims is, we need to break the cycle and stop this behaviour now. Domestic abuse should not be accepted as the norm in relationships.”

 

Dr Sharmishtha Ghangrekar, Named GP for Safeguarding Children at Salford CCG, said:

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"Given the significant impact of domestic abuse on the people of Salford, trying alternative ways to tackle the root of the problem is important.

“Sometimes, perpetrators of domestic abuse are aware that their behaviour is harmful but do not know how to change. We hope that teaching perpetrators different ways to behave in relationships will lead to safer and happier lives for people in Salford."

 

The year-long pilot, which will cost £108,476 will fund three project workers to work one to one with up to 60 men, supporting them to change their behaviour. They will also carry out group work with another 24 men and deliver training for professionals. The charity also supports women abusers who want to change their behaviour.

TLC Chief Executive Michelle Hill said:

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“We’re really pleased to have the opportunity to deliver this new service in Salford. We are passionate about helping end domestic abuse and believe that one of the ways to do this is to work with perpetrators to change their behaviour whilst also offering support to victims and survivors.”

Police are appealing for the public's help to trace the next of kin of a man from Salford.

Alan Rhodes, 75, passed away at his home address on Silver Street, Irlam on Saturday 5 September 2020.

Alan may have had a brother named John who also lives in the Salford area.

There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Anyone with information about Alan's next of kin should contact the Police Coroner's Office in Bolton on 0161 856 4687.

Police are appealing for the public’s help to trace a wanted man from Salford.

Karl Meah Lovell (31/05/68) is wanted on recall to prison after breaching the terms and conditions of his licence.

He was released from prison in August 2020 after being jailed in March 2016 for sexual offences.

Lovell is known to have links to Wigan and, specifically, the Eccles area of Salford.

Anyone with information about Karl Meah Lovell's whereabouts should contact police on 0161 856 3622 or the independent charity - Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Police are investigating after a fire tore through a student accommodation office on Seaford Rd in Lower Broughton at around 10:45pm last night (Sunday 6th September).

It is understood that a witness has claimed to have seen two men driving along on a black moped carrying a large bottle before hearing a smash of glass shortly before the fire broke out.

A man is said to have escaped uninjured from a flat above the Kexgill shop as the fire raged below.

Police cordoned off the area for a while and one of the fire services intrepid and highly trained sniffer dogs was sent into the building.

Firefighters were on the scene for several hours brining the fire under control and people could be seen accessing the damage to the building in the aftermath this morning.

A GMFRS Spokesperson said:

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"We were called to reports of a fire on Seaford Road, in Salford, at 10:45pm on Sunday, 6 September.

"Four fire engines from Salford, Broughton and Agecroft quickly attended the scene.

"The fire involved the ground floor of a commercial property.

"Firefighters used breathing apparatus, three hose reels and a positive pressure ventilation unit to extinguish the fire.

"Fire crews were at the scene for around three hours.”

 

Pupils in year groups 7 & 10 at Co-op Academy in Swinton have been told to stay home and self isolate this morning, after two cases of Covid-19 were confirmed at the school.

Following government guidelines the pupils families were notified and asked to collect their children from the school this morning, whereupon they are now required to self-isolate for 14 days.

This means they are not permitted to leave their homes or mix with other children or members outside of their households. 

This comes after staff from Buile Hill Academy, yesterday revealed that a pupil at their school had also been confirmed as having the virus, which in turn led to their year 7 group having to also self-isolate.

There is no evidence to suggest that any of the children contracted the virus at the schools as they have only been reopened since Wednesday 2nd September when the new school term started. However, following the guidelines set out, all pupils that could have possibly come into contact are now required to stay at home and self-isolate.

This latest development will come as a set-back for local schools which have gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of their pupils, but it should come as no surprise as Salford as recently added to the list of Greater Manchester borough's added into the Governments so called 'Red Zone' after continued increases in local infection rates.

It should be noted that as it stands, there has not been a similar increase in mortality or hospitalisations shown in the current data set, but we should always be mindful that it can often take several weeks for changes to start to show in the statistics.

We urge the whole Salford Community to maintain their social distancing, handwashing and wear face masks when and where possible (If you can).

We would like to wish all the pupils and their families well and hope for a quick and speedy recovery.

An email from Buile Hill Academy has been distributed to parents today (Sunday 6th September), advising pupils in the year 7 bubble to isolate after a pupil has unfortunately tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

Buile_Hill_Yr_8_9_10_11_COVID19_Letter_6920.pdf

This comes less than a week after pupils returned to classes at the start of the new term on Wednesday 2nd August.

Many of the pupils at the school have been absent since early March due to the lockdown and subsequent school holidays.

The school is to remain open to all other years groups following Public Health advice as the year groups are isolated within the school and do not come into contact.

If your child is a contact of the case they will contact you by telephone to discuss the next steps. Any close contact must self-isolate for 14 days (this includes household members of the case).

Isolation means your child cannot go outside of the house (unless in your garden) other family members (outside your household) cannot visit and the child cannot see friends. All close contacts within the bubble will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days. Only the close contact needs to self-isolate, other members of the contact’s household do not need to self isolate.

If you have not been already been contacted/ If you are not contacted in the next 24 hours your child has not been identified as a close contact and can attend school.

All other pupils in years 8 to 11 can continue to attend school as usual.

Buile Hill has gone to great lengths in order to protect both staff and pupils, but with the virus now rapidly spreading through the population of Salford, these instances are to be expected and are quite frankly unavoidable.

The school says that if your child remains symptom free, they can return to school on Friday the 18th of September but no earlier.

Year 7 pupils affected will be receiving information in the morning on how to access the schools comprehensive remote learning system.

The email stresses that only the children need to self-isolate, other members of the household are not required too.

We wish the pupil involved a speedy recovery.

*We have contacted BHA for further information.

Police were called to reports of a firearms discharge at a property on Murray Street in Higher Broughton at around 2.30am on Sunday (6th September).

Upon arrival, officers discovered that a firearm had been discharged at the door of a property.

A cordon was put into place but has since been lifted.

Police remain at the scene whilst they continue with their investigations.

No one was injured during the attack.

Just last week, police brought in new stop and search measures in the area after an escalation of gang related violence.

A spokesman for GMP said:

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“Shortly before 2.30am this morning (Sunday 6 September 2020), police were called to reports that shots had been fired at a property on Murray Street in Salford.

“Officers attended and discovered that damage had been caused to the front of the house, consistent with a firearms discharge.

“No-one was injured and enquiries are ongoing.

“A scene remains in place.”

 

New data has revealed that Salford has now entered what is termed the 'Red Zone' for Coronavirus infections by the Government as it's infection rate topped the 50 per 100,000 people threshold at 51.4.

The City has hovered in the Amber zone for several weeks but a steady rise in infections has now pushed Salford over the limit and into the Red.

Eccles has been identified as a local hot-spot with fifteen new cases in the period between 26th Aug - 1st Sep.

These new cases come ahead of a planned increase in testing via a trial of a community saliva testing planned to be rolled out in the coming weeks.

Although concerning it should be noted that at present the death rate across the UK still remains low comparatively, although this may change due to the delay in new cases and those that go on to require hospitalisation and intubation. 

This latest information means that Salford now joins Bolton and Oldham as the third Greater Manchester borough to enter the Red Zone, with the possibility of further restrictions being enforced.

Bolton has the highest rate by far with a staggering 104.3 infections per 100,000 people - (over double the threshold and that of Salford), which now places the borough as having not only the highest rate in the region but also across the whole country.

People living in the town have had more restrictions placed upon them and are no longer permitted to mix with people outside of their own households and have been told that they should only use public transport if essential. 

Up to 90% of the infections in Bolton are from people between the ages of 18-49 years old.

Salford will now have to see a drop in the infection rate if it wants to prevent further restrictions similar to those in Bolton.

Police responded to double incidents at both Manchester Piccadilly and Salford Quays earlier today after two suspicious packages were reported being found on two separate buses.

At around 1.15pm today (Saturday 5 September 2020), police were called to reports that a suspicious item had been found on a bus at Manchester Piccadilly bus station, not long after at around 2:25 police were called with a report of another incident of a similar nature at Salford Quays.

Police acted swiftly to evacuate and secure both scenes but after checks were made, both packages were deemed to be safe and there was no risk to the public.

Roads around both areas were temporarily closed but have now reopened. 

During the incidents the police force deployed is aerial assets to monitor from above.

The speed of the response shows clearly that Greater Manchester Police has an extremely well rehearsed and co-ordinated action plan in place following the attack on Manchester Arena.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting incident number 1452 of 05/09/2020, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

If you go down to Salford’s beautiful Worsley Woods today – you’ll see a brand-new adventure playground.

Salford City Council and the Worsley Woods Action Group (WWAG) have just opened the new play and adventure trail.

The wooden play equipment failed its annual safety check in 2018 after 10 years of weather and wear and tear and the council promised to replace the trim trail, install a new swing for children with disabilities to enjoy and make access to the equipment more wheelchair and pushchair friendly.

The council secured a £43,800 government grant and WWAG launched a crowd-funder which raised a further £4000. Work is now complete and the equipment is open for use. Children can now enjoy a variety of activity trails that weave their way through the woodland.

The equipment includes an accessible boat swing, monkey bars, climbing nets, wobble boards and even parallel bars making the trails suitable for both younger and older children.

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

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“The original adventure playground was installed in 2008 using Section 106 money from developers but the wooden equipment reached the end of its lifespan.

“The woods and play area are very popular with families so we always planned to replace it. It has been delayed slightly by the pandemic but it is now complete. We’re very grateful for the support provided by WWAG and it’s a great example of how we can work with community groups to continue improving our parks and open spaces."

 

Paul Hassall from Worsley Woods Action Group said:

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“We were delighted with the community involvement and we had feedback from across Salford, which demonstrates the appeal of this unique attraction.

“As well as individual donors we would like to thank Worsley Rotary, St Mark’s School and Bridgewater School for their support.

“The new playground is an added attraction to the woods, along with the new Wildlife Sculpture Trail and the refurbished Twirl Hole Garden.”

 

You can find details at: www.salford.gov.uk/worsleywoods

Can you help find the family of a man from Salford?

Police are appealing to the public for information to help find the next of kin of a man from the Eccles area of Salford.

Kieron William Smith, aged 34, sadly passed away in his flat on Liverpool Road on Thursday 25 June 2020.

Police say that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

If anyone has any information about Kieron's next of kin they should contact the police coroner's office in Bolton on 0161 856 4687.

Property developer and land owners Peel Land & Property have had their latest appeal to build homes on Broadoak in Worsley turned down by the court of appeal.

Peel has been locking horns with both Salford Council and local residents group R.A.I.D (Residents Against Inappropriate Development) since 2013 after proposals were put forward to create 600 dwellings on a plot of land between Monton Green and Worsley Road.

After a number of failed attempts to push the application through, Peel chose to challenge the latest decision back in January this year (2020) in an attempt to overturn the previous ruling made following a judicial review back in August 2019 presided over by Lord Justice Dove.

After carefully considering the evidence presented and having heard arguments from both sides, Mr Justice Dove ruled in favour of the defendants in the case, namely the Secretary of state and Salford City Council.

The case was brought back to court after it was suggested by Peel that there were inconsistencies with the housing policies of the Framework which, in particular, addressed the need for a balanced supply of housing including family housing and affordable housing within the available supply.

It was further suggested that the inspector’s assessment was measured against the 2012 Framework, rather than the revised 2018 Framework which was available to the Secretary of State at the time. 

A number of other grounds were dismissed.

Mr Justice Dove came to the conclusion that there was no misinterpretation and that all grounds should be dismissed, also that the decision by the Secretary of State and Salford City Council to deny planning permission be fully upheld.

Despite the ruling and latest setback, Peel took the decision back in January to pursue an appeal in the courts once again.

Earlier this morning, this latest appeal was dismissed by the court, a decision which both the Council and local residents hope will finally bring an end to the plans once and for all. 

Conservative councillor hailed the decision a 'success for democracy', saying:

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"Our thanks must also go to Salford Council for listening to us and representing and supporting us at the Inquiries and the Court cases.

"Residents from all parts of Salford for supporting our fight without which we may not have won."

Peel say that they will no longer pursue the matter through the court and will instead concentrate on their other local projects.

The Top Club on Manchester Road West in Little Hulton has promptly closed it's doors this evening (Wednesday 6th September) after it was revealed that there had been a reported case of Coronavirus.

The club has declined to say at this time as to if it was a customer or a member of staff which had tested positive for the virus.

After consultation with Salford Council, a spokesperson from the club has advised all those who have been on the premises between Sunday 30th August and Tuesday 1st September to get tested if they start to develop symptoms.

The club will be closed until further notice.

Symptoms include:

A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

The club has disclosed that Track and Trace is in place but has declined to comment further on the situation.

Salford has seen a rise in cases reported over the past week or so, but it should be noted that as yet there has been no clear sign of a rise in the death rate. Although it is always wise to monitor the situation on a day by day basis.

Situations like this are inevitable even with the most stringent of measures in place.

Photo: Google