Police and Ambulance services attended an incident on Broad Street in Pendleton in the early hours of this morning after a report of concern for a man who is believed to have been in his early 20's.

At around 1:45am (Tues 7th July) emergency services discovered the body after being called by a member of the public, police have said that they do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances involved in his death and a file is due to be passed to the coroner.

A GMP Spokesperson said:

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"At around 1.45am this morning (Tuesday 7 July 2020), police were called by the ambulance service to reports of concern for a man on Broad Street in Pendleton.

"Officers attended and sadly found the body of a man believed to be in his 20s.

"There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a file will be passed to the coroner."

 

A former army sergeant from Salford has raised nearly £4,000 for Broughton House Veteran Care Village by having his head and beard completely shaved.

Ian Ward, 57, last had a haircut and shave before lockdown started.

His partner Diane Richardson got out the scissors, clippers and razor to shear him in support of the Salford home for ex-servicemen and women.

Ian, a father-of-two, served in the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and the Royal Horse Artillery for more than 20 years in total. His father served in the Royal Artillery for 24 years.

Meanwhile Diane, a hospital sonographer, has a long-standing connection to Broughton House.

Her aunt and uncle worked there, and her father, who was in the Royal Navy, delivered prescriptions to Broughton House residents for a local pharmacy after leaving the service.

Ian, who now lives with Diane in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, is a shunter driver for DHL.

He raised just over £1,900 himself including Gift Aid, and DHL has pledged to match the total.

Ian said:

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“I’ve never had my hair so long – it’s normally a number two back and sides for me and my beard had always been tidy until lockdown.

“My friends called me Worzel Gummidge because of my appearance, so when I decided to have a haircut and shave I thought it would be good to do it for charity.

“Being a former serviceman myself, and knowing about the fantastic care that Broughton House has given to veterans for more than a century, I decided to support it as it’s a great cause, knowing they are raising money for the UK’s first Veteran Care Village.”

 

Rhys Edwards, fundraising and marketing manager at Broughton House, said:

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“Ian has managed to raise a fantastic amount for Broughton House and our residents really appreciate his support.

“As we transition into the next phase of our state-of-the-art Veteran Care Village, it’s great to have the support from individuals based all over the country.”

 

The £15m redevelopment of Broughton House into the UK’s first Veteran Care Village will see the two-acre site comprise a 64-bedroom care home, up to 30 independent living apartments, a military support hub, a memorial park and landscaped gardens with a bowling green and bandstand.

Donations to Ian’s fundraising efforts can be made via

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ian-ward26

Story: Kevin Feddy

With the possibility of some cultural venues facing closure until next year, the culture secretary Oliver Dowden has announced a package of almost £1.6bn in an effort to provide a lifeline for thousands of art venues that have been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown.

However, there are real concerns that the grants and loans may come too late for some venues, prompting the Chief Exec of the Lowry to issue a statement warning that time is of the essence if jobs and businesses are to survive.

Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said:

Quote

 

“The announcement of £1.57bn of emergency investment in the UK’s culture sector is welcome news, but we are fast running out of time.

“This lifeline will come too late for some organisations who have already been forced to close their doors for good or made valued employees redundant.

“While we await precise details of the funding mechanisms, I would remind Government that the priority now must be to get these much-needed funds to the organisations most at risk – and fast. 

“In doing so, they can help save programmes of work and thousands of jobs across our sector that will otherwise fall victim to COVID.”

 

With pubs and cinemas in the process of reopening, some have questioned why the theatres are being prevented from following suit with similar measures and precautions put in place to ensure public safety.

Three men from Salford have been arrested and charged after police carried out the biggest operation to dismantle organised crime that the UK has ever seen.

The trio were snared after an international law team based in France managed to crack open an encrypted communications platform known as EncroChat which was being used by criminals to arrange and coordinate criminal activity. This allowed police to monitor activity on the network which had been used to organise the shooting of Paul Massey on the doorstep of his home which led to his death on the 26th of July 2016.

Raids across the UK netted over £54m in cash with £1.7m of it coming from Greater Manchester, additionally there were six firearms, one of which was a machine gun and large quantities of drugs recovered.

Craig Walker, aged 38, of Howard Street in Salford was arrested and charged for conspiracy to possess a firearm with the intent to endanger life.

Jacob Smith, aged 19, of Quay View in Salford was arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm with the intent to endanger life.

Craig Cox, aged 31, of Lance Todd Close, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery as well as conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering.

All three are set to appear in court at a later date.

Young people in Salford have been praised for giving over 3,800 hours of voluntary service to their community.

The recognition comes from the national Duke of Edinburgh  (DoE) Award scheme which 362 teenagers aged 13 to 18 took part in last year through local schools and Salford City Council’s youth service. .

Organisers say the social value of the hours donated under the volunteering section of the award is £16,795. There are three sections to the award – volunteering, developing new skills and a physical challenge.

Deputy City Mayor Councillor John Merry said:

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“That is a fantastic contribution from young people in Salford and they should be very proud of their achievements.

“Doing the DofE Award is a chance to challenge yourself and discover new interests, skills and talents which stay with you for life. Employers value the award too and I know some young people have been hired for jobs because of what they have done in completing the award.”

 

Councillor Merry said the national scheme had been altered this year to help young people complete their awards despite the pandemic.He added:

Quote

 

“I’m particularly proud of the way young people and the council’s youth service have risen to the challenge of the pandemic

“Young people have volunteered to help elderly neighbours and younger brothers and sisters with school work, developed new skills from music to sign language, pet care and bike maintenance and taken up cycling and running to keep up their good work. Our youth workers have also been busy doing DoE training so they can offer the award to more young people in the future.”

 

Commuters and local people in Salford are set to benefit of £18.8million of improvements to Trafford Road.

The release of £14.3million from the Local Growth Deal funding and Mayor’s Cycling and Challenge Fund was approved at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority meeting on Friday 26 June.

Salford City Council will invest £4.5m which has mainly come from Section 106 contributions from developers.

The money is part of a package of measures to improve access to Salford Quays and will be spent on additional traffic lanes to allow vehicles to turn easier, improved signals at junctions and better crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists.

This will see improved journey times to Salford Quays and improve connectivity to and from Ordsall.

Fully segregated cycling facilities will be installed thanks to the cash from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund.

And the specific needs of people with impaired mobility have been developed in consultation with Transport for Greater Manchester’s Disability Deign Reference Group.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: 

Quote

 

“The approval of money for the project is great news for people who live in and travel through the area.

“With the success of Salford Quays and the increasing number of people who live, work and wish to visit there it is important we do all we can to make it easier for people to travel between places. This in turn will bring increased economic growth, jobs and opportunities to the area which local people can benefit from.

“We must do all we can with the road layout to encourage more people to walk and feel confident and safe to cycle to their destinations.  This significant investment is further demonstration of the city’s commitment to encouraging more safe and active travel in Salford from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority & Mayor’s Cycling and Challenge Fund."

 

You can view the meeting papers here https://democracy.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=3943

Police have found a body during a search for a vulnerable Salford man who was reported missing almost two weeks ago by his family.

James Spary aged 56 had been reported missing from his home in Monton by his family earlier on June 15th..

GMP are not treating his death as suspicious after the body of the father of five children was found this morning (Sunday 28th June).

Mr Spary's family said that they had noticed a marked decline in his mental health during the months prior to his disappearance. 

He is described as being a jokey guy who was always having a laugh but this last few months had seen him become withdrawn from society and increasingly depressed.

A file has now been passed on to the coroner.

We wish to send our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this tragic time.

Salford City Council manager George Blagden is putting his best foot forward for France to treat Covid heroes to a well-deserved break.

George is aiming to raise as much money as possible to treat NHS, care and key workers to a fully paid break at the Salfordian Hotel, Southport when it re-opens.

His virtual walk will cover 732 miles (1178 kilometres) – the distance to Narbonne in the south of France - which is twinned with his home town of Eccles.

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“I started by aiming to walk 12 miles a day minimum, either round my garden or on a treadmill in the shed to complete the distance in 61 days – that’s almost a half marathon every day,” said George.

“I’m now doing a half marathon a day. I’ve almost worn out a brand new pair of trainers and I’ve ‘left’ the UK and am now close to Le Mans in France.

“I want to raise as much money as possible to give them a holiday and say thank you for all their hard work during the pandemic. It’s £40 per night for bed and full board so if I raise £2000 that’s 53 nights we can offer. I’ve raised £940 so far so it’s going well.”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor John Merry said:

Quote

“That’s a huge challenge to take on and I wish George every success in reaching his goal. Salford owes a huge debt of gratitude to NHS, care and key workers for their response to the pandemic and it would be wonderful to offer as many of them as possible the chance for a well-deserved break.”

George is the manager of the Beacon Centre, London Road, Salford which is normally a base for youth services and local organisations to meet. It also acts as a rest centre and support hub when emergency evacuations are needed, such as during the 2016 Boxing Day floods.

You can support George’s challenge here: https://localgiving.org/fundraising/georges-salfordian-town-twinning-trek/

A man from Salford has been arrested in connection with the illegal rave which took place in Trafford last weekend.

On Friday 19 June 2020, police investigating the illegal rave in Carrington on Saturday 13 June executed a warrant at a residential property in the Salford area.

A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and criminal damage. He remains in police custody for questioning.

Enquiries are ongoing.  

Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said:

Quote

“Since last weekend’s raves at Carrington and Daisy Nook in Oldham, teams of officers have been gathering intelligence – this work is continuing.  

“One suspect is in custody but our investigation is ongoing to ensure we identify anyone involved in the organisation of illegal raves which, as we saw last weekend, put people at risk.

“I would like to further our appeal to anyone who has intelligence about last weekend’s raves or any planned for the future to contact police sooner rather than later via our website or 101.”

A secondary school in the heart of Salford has been supporting students get a hearty nutritious breakfast for free, no matter what their circumstances for the past six years and in the last two, have been recently supported by Amazon UK.

Parcels of healthy breakfast food delivered by the local Amazon delivery station team have been arriving on the doorstep of Oasis Academy MediaCityUK, Salford, thanks to an expanded partnership between Magic Breakfast and Amazon.

Students from years 7 to 11 have consumed over 75,600 bagels, 2,700 boxes of cereal and over 2,500 litres of fresh juice since the Magic Breakfast partnership started.

Since schools closed due to COVID-19, however, the academy has adapted its delivery model, with help from Amazon, to ensure that children can continue to enjoy their Magic Breakfast at home.

Every fortnight over 100 academy students receive a delivery parcel which includes items such as bagels, porridge, beans and fresh milk.Marie Hall, Senior Pastoral Leader at Oasis Academy MediaCityUK, said;

Quote

 

“We are incredibly grateful to Magic Breakfast and Amazon for supplying us with this amazing food for our students and families.”

“Some of the parents who have taken up the offer of a breakfast delivery are not Free School Meals or Pupil Premium, but on low income, falling short of the threshold for assistance with benefits. All our parents are extremely grateful to be offered this service.”

 

Since the partnership began in 2016, Amazon has helped Magic Breakfast provide over 1.5 million breakfasts to thousands of children across the UK.

Parents have praised the academy for their work, saying;

Quote

 

“Magic Breakfast has been fantastic, everything goes down so well, the family really appreciate it, and its delivered to your door.”

 

With another saying;

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“A big thank you for the breakfast parcel that was very thoughtful of use as it has been a struggle financially and it really did help.”

 

Update 00:44am: The road has now been reopened and is passable.

Update 12:41am: Residents have been given the all clear by police to return to their homes.

Update 12:26am: A package has been safely removed and detonated by the Bomb Squad, a large bang was heard across Winton.

Earlier this evening we received reports that Worsley Road in Winton had once more been closed after rumours of another suspect package being found during a search of a property in the area, the focus of an investigation which took place Yesterday and continued throughout Today (18th June).

As a result of those searches it is thought that several suspect devices were discovered which were promptly disposed of by the brave folks of the Army Bomb Disposal Corps.

The nature of the packages is still unclear but once more it would seem that people close to the location are being evacuated from their homes as a precaution for the second time in as many days having been told that a further package has been found.

Firefighters were reportedly in attendance to support the Bomb Squad who were seen putting on protective clothing before carrying out the controlled explosion on a suspect package which took place just before 12:30am.

Some local residents who had been evacuated were sat in their cars on the nearby Lidl store car park, patiently waiting for the all clear to be given to return home. 

Worsley Road had been cordoned off between the motorway bridge at Parrin Lane to Gee Lane and diversions were temporarily put in place, and drivers told to avoid the area if possible.

We have contacted GMP for more information so as to clarify the situation.

Photo: Manc Traffic via Twitter @manctraffic

Shortly after 5pm on Tuesday 16 June, officers were called to a report of a concern for welfare of a woman who had gone missing. The call was immediately treated as high risk and a number of patrols were allocated to attend the location where her phone had last been recorded to - at Clifton Country Park. Officers searching the area spoke with a member of the public who advised them they had seen the woman standing close to the River Irwell.

On arrival to the location officers spotted the woman in the river and acted instinctively to save her life. The officers at the scene had to act fast as due to recent rainfall, the river was swollen and the woman moved downstream quickly. PC Milho put the woman’s life before his own and entered the water in order to reach her and keep her head above the water before guiding her towards the bank. At this point a few members of the public were also offering their help to assist in the rescue and, together with officers, were able to pull the woman and PC Milho up the bank and to safety.

An ambulance was called and transported the woman to hospital where she is now recovering.PC Fabio Milho said:

Quote

 

“The main reason I joined the police was to help people, in particular those most vulnerable within our society and what I faced was the visual representation of this. As I approached I saw a person who appeared to be downing in the middle of a fast flowing river.

“This was my time to step up and demonstrate the reason why I joined the police. I instinctively took my police gear off and jumped in. Luckily I was able to swim across to the person in distress and rescue them.

“The experience was eye-opening to say the least. I consider myself a good swimmer, however swimming in a fast-flowing river after running for over a mile to get to the incident location proved to be taxing on my body. The woman was also struggling and exhausted and at times pulled me under the water as I tried to get us both to safety. I was worried that we would both run out of energy.

“I’d like to say the experience was scary enough to stop me from ever jumping in a river again, but deep down I know that if I was faced with the same circumstances and someone was drowning, I would do the same again without hesitation.”

 

ACC Mabs Hussain said:

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“The quick-thinking actions and coordination of these officers saved this woman’s life and made sure she was pulled to safety from a dangerous situation.

“Further officers arrived on-scene following the rescue and, as well as members of the public, were on-hand to assist. Everyone did a fantastic job and their teamwork meant they were able to locate the woman quickly and prevent a fatality.

“PC Milho was also taken to hospital to recover but remains safe and well. I’m extremely proud of their actions and the way in which everyone responded.”

 

A large scale solar farm of almost 6,000 panels is set to be built in Little Hulton.

Salford City Council approved plans to its own application at a virtual planning meeting on Thursday 18 June.

Plans show the 3.79 hectare solar farm will be located on coarse grassland to the west of Kenyon Way.

5,094 solar panels will be built in rows 2.4 meters high with a four metre gap between the rows to avoid shadowing. Overall the state-of-the-art farm is expected to have a 25 year lifespan.

Works to build it will take approximately five months when contractors start on site and it is expected the energy generated should power 438 homes a year in Salford.

Councillor Derek Antrobus, Lead Member for Planning and Sustainable Development at Salford City Council, said:

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“I welcome this approval as a major step forward in Salford’s ambitions to play our part in cutting carbon emissions to minimise the scale of climate change.

"In the past decade we have reduced our carbon emissions by 50%; we became the first authority in Greater Manchester to convert its street lights to LED; and all the electricity used by the City Council comes from renewable energy suppliers. All this helps to combat climate change and save money.  This solar array will make a massive contribution to our targets.”

 

The project was made possible thanks to the European Regional Development fund.

The council is also encouraging residents to compare clean electricity tariffs and switch to renewable energy with ease at https://bigcleanswitch.org/gm/ - the average savings so far is over £230 a year and switching takes a few minutes.

In a statement released today the organisers of the popular festival outlined their reasons for sadly having to call it off in what would have been its 70th year:

We are disappointed to announce that there will be no Irlam and Cadishead Community Festival in August this year.

This year would have marked the 70th anniversary of August Bank Holiday events in Irlam & Cadishead and we were planning to celebrate this by delivering the biggest and best event for a number of years.  With several new volunteers behind us and support from many partner organisations, planning was under way to deliver an event that the whole community would have been proud of.  We were hoping that the event this year would fire the imaginations of local people and inspire them to support and help to develop the Festival, ensuring its continued existence for many years to come. 

Unfortunately, the current situation with COVID-19 has made the practicalities of planning for the festival extremely difficult.  Additionally, many of the organisations from which we had hoped to get funding have understandably diverted their resources to COVID-19  related causes.  We therefore feel that, even if the present restrictions on gatherings were to be lifted in time, it will not be possible for us to deliver an event on 31st August 2020. 

We will be looking to move the 70th anniversary celebrations to some point in the future and we will provide an update when we can.

We hope that everyone is keeping safe and well and we look forward to celebrating together as a community when the time is right.

If anybody has any questions about the Community Festival, our committee or the events that we plan then please email: irlamfestival@gmail.com

Photo: Irlam and Cadishead Community Festival

Update 18:16: A device has been successfully dealt with via a controlled explosion which could be heard around the area. A source has told us that people will soon be able to return to their homes.

A section of Worsley Road has been closed in Winton this afternoon due to an ongoing police incident in which we are being told a suspicious package has been found at a premises in the area during an arrest of a man carrying a knife. The Armies Bomb Disposal team is currently in attendance and accessing the situation. A source tells us that some residents from nearby properties have been told to leave their homes as a precaution, they have not been told how long it will be before they can return to their homes.

A controlled explosion on the device which was found is to be carried out shortly.

A police spokesperson said:

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Police attended a property on Worsley Road in Eccles this morning following a report of concern for the welfare of a man.

A 35 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife.

Bomb disposal officers are due to make an assessment of a suspicious package found at the property.

Road closures are in place while enquiries continue.

Nearby buildings have been evacuated and a 100m cordon is in place.

 

Photo: Ste Newlove via SalfordOnline FB group

The road is currently closed just after the Parrin Lane junction close the Lidl store and traffic and bus services are currently being re-routed by police at either end.

Police have now disclosed that a man was arrested whilst carrying a knife after a call concerning his Welfare this morning, police discovered a suspicious package not long after and the area was closed off and the bomb squad called in.

Police, Fire and Forensics officers remain on scene and conducting investigations alongside the Army Bomb Disposal service who have been called out.

Motorists are advised to take a different route as the incident could take some time to resolve. If you are heading that way back home from work then you would be best to avoid that route.

Meanwhile a group of Salford angels clubbed their money together to come to the aid of an elderly resident who had become stuck at the opposite side of the police cordon to where her home is. Faced with the struggle to get home the long way around, a group of lovely young ladies came together to chip in to get her a taxi ride home.

Thus proving once more that there are some absolute angels living on this city who time and time again appear to help those in need. Well done ladies, Salford salutes you.

The Lidl store car park is still accessible for shoppers. 

We have contacted GMP for further information.

Main Photo: SM

Greater Manchester Police are requesting the help of the public to come forward with information in relation to a missing person.

James Spary, 56, last made contact with his family on Monday 15 June 2020.

James is described as a white man of slim build, approximately 5ft 5 inches tall, with short grey hair and tattoos on his forearms and hands.

He has not taken his phone and is not believed to be carrying any money.

It is not known what James is currently wearing.

Officers are becoming increasingly concerned for James and want to make sure he is safe and well.

He is known to the Monton area so if you have any information or have sighted him around Salford then please call 101, and quote reference number: MSP/06FF/0001215/20 or by phone on 0161 856 8351.

Pendleton Together Operating Limited (PTOL) has arranged funding plans to fully complete fire safety works in Pendleton, including replacing the ACM cladding system with a compliant alternative. 

Government approval has now been given to PTOL’s plans which have been backed by the PFI company’s funders.

Salford City Council owns nine tower blocks which are managed under a PFI contract by PTOL and housing association Pendleton Together.

Since the tragic events of Grenfell three years ago alerted the country to the dangers of different types of cladding systems, work has been planned to replace the cladding and implement a range of safety measures including council-funded sprinkler systems.

In the interim a range of measures have been taken, including fire marshalls continuing to patrol and monitor the buildings 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the removal of cladding from the first three stories of all nine blocks to limit external fire spread. [See notes for a more comprehensive list of measures] 

Deputy City Mayor, Councillor John Merry said he was glad to see the conclusion of very detailed and complex technical, legal and commercial protracted negotiations.

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“My gratitude also goes to our Salford tenants who have been incredibly patient during the last three years as we worked with PTOL as they developed a financial model to pay for the works and to secure funding to make homes safer,” he said.

“The council was initially prepared to loan PTOL the money needed but those plans were blocked. The PFI scheme was also not eligible for national remediation funds that other local authorities and housing associations have used.

“The good news is that the legal agreement we reached with Pendleton Together Operating Limited (PTOL) and private sector funders has been given government approval. The full programme will take more than two years to complete.”

 

Salford City Council is funding the installation of new sprinkler systems in all blocks at a cost in the region of £4 million.

Tom Miskell, Chair of PTOL, said:

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“We’re delighted that our plans have now been approved and work has already started on works to remove the cladding.

“Contractors have continued to work safely during the recent restrictions and they are on schedule to have all the cladding removed before the end of the year. We’re aware that this has been a troubling time for residents and we’re pleased that the important work can progress.”

 

New parents who have given birth since 22 March can now register the birth of their baby thanks to new procedures in place.

This is possible thanks to new procedures which have been put in place by the Salford registrar team.

Parents must make an appointment either online or over the phone before visiting Salford Civic Centre.

Entry is by one appointment at a time and social distancing guidelines must be adhered to, with visitors keeping two metres distance from other each other.

Unfortunately no prams are allowed in the building and signage will be in place to guide parents through the building, with visitors asked to follow one way system.

The team is asking parents not to bring their newborns to the registration unless it is absolutely necessary.

Until now, those who have become new parents during the lockdown have been unable to register new births.  

Councillor Bill Hinds, Lead Member for Finance and Support Services at Salford City Council, said:

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“We understand these last few months have been an incredibly difficult for everyone, but more so for those parents who have given birth in this time.

“These new guidelines and procedures have been put in place to ensure parents can register the birth of their child in a way that ensures the safety of the parents, their children and also our registrar team.

“We’re delighted we can enable these parents to register their new children in a safe way.”

 

Parents should not make an appointment if they or any member of their household has or is displaying symptoms of the Covid-19 virus.

For more information and to make an appointment, visit; https://www.salford.gov.uk/register-a-birth/

A man has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder as part of an ongoing investigation into serious and organised crime in Salford.
 
Jamie Rothwell (8/12/86), previously of the Salford area, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
 
He has been remanded to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates court this morning (Wednesday 17 June 2020). He has been further remanded to appear at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square on Wednesday 15 July 2020.
 
This follows his arrest in Barcelona in May 2020, which came as a joint operation between Greater Manchester Police and the National Crime Agency.
 
The charges relate to Greater Manchester Police’s ongoing investigation into a dispute between two rival organised crime groups in Salford in 2015. The operation is codenamed Leopard.
 
In 2015, a man was shot in Salford as he sat in a car with two others. In a separate incident, a second man was seriously attacked with a machete.

Seventeen young people aged 12 to 17 have been given warnings about the dangers of jumping from bridges into Salford Quays.

The group, which included youngsters from Salford, Manchester, Trafford and Atherton, were identified using footage from Salford City Council’s network of CCTV cameras. They were caught as crowds gathered at the Quays during recent hot weather.

Greater Manchester Police went to their homes and spoke to their young people and their parents about the risks of cold water shock and unsupervised swimming in the area.

Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, said the challenge was to change people’s attitudes to the activity.

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“The problems with the Quays are not new and measures have been put in place to deal with them, but things have escalated this year because of the exceptionally hot weather and lockdown” he said.

“People see jumping from the bridges as just harmless fun that has gone on for generations but there are real dangers involved. Landing in cold water automatically sends your body into shock and leaves you gasping for air, putting you at risk of drowning. There may also be debris hidden beneath the surface and if people go deep underwater they could get caught and be unable to free themselves.

“We also need people to remember that Covid19 hasn’t gone away and the risk of spreading the virus by failing to observe social distancing is still very, very real.”

 

Salford City Council has targeted extra CCTV cameras at the Quays and wider area and council staff wearing body cameras will join police on patrols as warmer weather returns.

The council is also working with schools to send messages to parents and young people, supporting the Greater Manchester Safe4Summer campaign which includes water safety messages and is looking to boost signs around the Quays to make the rules and dangers crystal clear.

Youth service workers are also visiting the Quays regularly to discuss safety with young people. The Helly Hansen Watersports Centre has now re-opened offering a safe way to enjoy the water, with supervised watersports. Sessions start from Saturday 13 June and must be pre-booked online.