Manchester Evening News

CORRECTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

If we have published anything that is factually inaccurate, please contact the editor at [email protected] or at Mitchell Henry House, Hollinwood Avenue, Oldham OL9 8EF and, once verified, we will correct it as soon as possible.

COLD FRONT

WINTRY weather is set to make a return next week, with snow forecast and cold health alerts issued. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow alert for the North West, with healthcare services expected to be impacted and a ‘risk to...

‘YOU FAILED EVERYBODY’

A MAN was stabbed 76 times in a park by a woman with schizophrenia who had escaped from a mental health unit in Greater Manchester two days earlier. His heartbroken family have now blasted a system they say ‘failed on every level’. Roger Leadbeater,...

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR THE FULL LIST OF BRIT NOMINEES Angry residents tell town hall bosses: ‘We want our buses back’

A FORMER bus route could be reinstated following calls from residents. Since the old 84 route was withdrawn in 2017, Seymour Grove in Trafford has been covered sporadically by various bus services. Now residents have told Trafford council they want...

Star got emotional at Corrie funeral

A NEW world premiere dance work inspired by the life and music of Sinead O’Connor and a ‘monumental’ new exhibition by Ai Weiwei are among the highlights of the newlyannounced programme of works at Manchester’s Aviva Studios. A world premiere new...

Plan to save lives in Gigi’s memory

GREATER Manchester is set to trial a raft of changes in nursery and early years settings following the death of a nine-month-old baby girl. Genevieve ‘Gigi’ Meehan was killed at Tiny Toes Children’s Day Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, in May 2022...

WHAT A WASTE OF £27M

WHEN it went live amid some fanfare in July 2019, GMP’s new £27m computer system iOPS was supposed to - belatedly - drag the force kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Instead, it brought the force to its knees. The failing organisation was...

DANGER DRIVERS SHARING SPEEDING VIDEOS ONLINE

FOUR families torn apart in the blink of an eye. Hundreds of mourners devastated by the loss of their loved ones. And the heartbroken older brother, begging for forgiveness, promising he ‘tried his best’ to stop it from happening. Last weekend’s...

Denise stars in Norton novel drama

Denise Welch WATERLOO Road and Coronation Street actress Denise Welch is among the starstudded cast to appear in an adaptation of a best-selling novel by Graham Norton. The six-part series, Forever Home, for Channel 5 will be based on the thriller...

'DAD DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE'

FOUR DEAD IN SMASH TRAGEDY

THREE teenagers and a taxi driver were killed in a ‘devastating’ crash in the early hours of yesterday morning. Three teens aged 18 and 19 and a taxi driver in his 50s died following the tragic incident in Bolton at about 12.45am in the early hours of...

Homeless men turned away from hotel on -6C night

TWO homeless men were turned away from a night in the warmth at a Holiday Inn in Manchester city centre as temperatures plummeted to -6°C, despite a booking already being paid for. Amanda Thompson, from outreach group Two Brews, had used Booking. com...

MAN ACCUSED OF GRINDR DATE KILLING

A MAN was allegedly killed during ‘high-risk sexual activity’ after meeting man on Grindr, prosecutors allege. Michael Barron, 38, met Josh Baxter, 28, on Grindr, a dating app, in January last year. After exchanging details, Manchester’s Minshull...

AM OUT OF HERE

■ Club chiefs ‘didn’t see enough progression on pitch’ ■ Frustrated fans say time was right for Amorim to go ■ Tyrone Marshall on inside story of shock departure ■ Fletcher in interim charge but Palace manager ‘wanted’

TEENAGER DIES IN SMASH HORROR

A TEENAGER who died after being struck by a car has been pictured for the first time, as his mum pays a heartbreaking tribute to her ‘special’ son. Alfie Moran was crossing Kingsway in Burnage when a driver collided with him last Friday. The...

WAKING UP IN A DEADLY DEEP FREEZE

MAGAZINE PACKED WITH PUZZLES TO TEST YOUR IQ

‘COMPLETE VIOLATION’

AT first glance they could be any pair of spectacles. But people across Manchester have been left feeling ‘violated’ after being recorded by strangers wearing Meta glasses. The new devices, by Facebook owner Meta, are created with AI technology which...

TRIBUTES TO ‘LEGEND’ IN CRASH TRAGEDY

TRIBUTES are continuing to pour in for a man who died in a New Year’s Eve horror crash. Michael Page, 48, tragically lost his life in the collision on Cadishead Way in Irlam, Salford, at around 7.15am yesterday. Mr Page, who has been named by...

HOPE FOR ANSWERS OVER MILL TRAGEDY

THEY died where it’s believed they lived and sadly spent all of their time – inside a derelict old cotton mill synonymous with Greater Manchester’s industrial past. The site today is an ugly, unassuming plot of wasteland and rubble, overgrown with...

REST IN PEACE, SON

A FAMILY have told of their heartbreak after a homeless dad sleeping rough in Manchester city centre was found dead on Boxing Day morning. Anthony Horn was pronounced dead at the scene after his body was discovered on a walkway next to a canal near...

FANATICS ‘HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT’

A TOP counter-terrorism police officer has expressed concern about Islamic State fanatics being able to post hate on Facebook with apparent impunity. Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts spoke out after two IS supporters were convicted over a plot to...

Inside city’s traffic chaos

THE run up to Christmas has resulted in all-too familiar scenes of chaos on the roads in Manchester. Scenes of gridlocked streets, honking horns and long delays have become a common sight in the city centre over the festive period. Busy routes like...

Workers left devastated by charity’s shock closure

A CHARITY which tried to tackle poverty and support those in need has gone bust – with staff told on Christmas Eve they have lost their jobs. The Hidden Treasure Trust is a ‘Christian-led’ charity predominantly operating in the Partington area of...

FANATICS PLOTTED MASS MURDER OF JEWISH PEOPLE

TWO men have been found guilty of plotting the Islamic State-inspired mass murder of Jewish people in Manchester. Walid Saadaoui, 38, of Crankwood Road, Abram, Wigan and Amar Hussein, 52, of no fixed address, denied terror charges. But yesterday they...

Santa role? Sleighed it!

IT TAKES some very special people to make Christmas come alive, not least the grown ups stepping into the suit so the big man can get on with those preparations for the big day. Paul Brighouse has stepped into the Santa role at various venues over the...

BACK BEHIND BARS FOR CHRISTMAS

Drug gang jailed as boss on run

A DOZEN motorists were found to be four times the drink-drive limit when they were stopped on the streets of Greater Manchester over Christmas last year. As the party season of 2025 hits its heights, figures released by Greater Manchester Police show...

ARENA BOMB VICTIMS TO BE PAID MILLIONS IN DAMAGES

MILLIONS of pounds is set to be paid out to victims of the Manchester Arena bombing after claims for damages were settled. Damages of just under £20m were approved by a senior judge, in relation to 16 claims made by children and claimants who lacked...

Crackdown on antisemitism

GREATER Manchester Police has announced a crackdown on antisemitism, vowing to make arrests as part of an ‘enhanced approach’ to tacking hate. In a joint statement issued with Metropolitan Police, the force is promising to ‘act decisively and make...

The sex offender pointing a camera in your face

HE’S the YouTuber with more than 250,000 subscribers who promises to deliver ‘independent journalism with a twist.’ But Curtis Arnold, the man behind DJE Media, is a convicted sex offender who is monitored by Thames Valley Police. The 36-year-old hit...

I LOVED HIM

A WIFE accused of murdering her 84-year-old husband wrote ‘bye bye’ on a calendar hours after his death, jurors heard. Daryl Berman said she wrote the message, which also featured ‘two kisses’ and a ‘heart,’ on the entry for the date of her husband...

Horror as car is ‘driven at pedestrians’

VIDEO footage has captured the moment a car appeared to have been driven at pedestrians in Manchester city centre during the early hours of yesterday. The clips, shared widely on social media, showed what appeared to be a silver grey BMW estate...

GMP told me my husband had died while I was on the bus

A GRIEVING widow says police informed her of her husband’s death while she was sat on the bus. Diane Kenyon says she was on her way to visit her partner Michael when she got a phone call from an officer telling her he had died that morning. Greater...

GMP IN ‘SEX WORKERS’ PROBE

A MAJOR investigation into Greater Manchester Police officers and staff allegedly making ‘non-legitimate’ contact with sex workers has been launched. Three people have been sacked and another 10 are being investigated by the force’s Anti-Corruption...

Raging daughter pulled off dad’s leg

A WOMAN pulled off her dad’s prothetic leg before climbing on top of him and biting his face. Helena Coyne, who had been drinking, also kicked her father’s dog during the sickening attack. The 37-year-old, from Withington, was hauled before a court...

‘Loving’ wife denies killing husband of 27 years

A ‘LOVING’ wife stabbed her 84-yearold husband to death in their home after nearly 30 years of marriage, a murder trial has heard. Daryl Berman, 71, has gone on trial accused of murdering her husband David Berman at their home in Butterstile Lane,...

RISE AND FALL OF DISGRACED TOP COP

YOUNG and ambitious, Robert Cousen told his school careers adviser he wanted to be a police officer or a footballer. The council estate kid was devastated to be told he didn’t have what it took to become either. It was an anecdote he took great pride...

FLOAT LIKE A BEE

IT’S A warm May day in 2038, around 5.40pm. You’ve just finished work in MediaCity and you need to meet some friends in town by 6pm. You could use Metrolink, but there are 100,000 fans heading to the new Manchester United stadium that will slow your...

What’s going on inside Kendals?

WHEN it was announced that Gary Neville’s development company Relentless had ‘secured the long-term future’ of Manchester’s Kendals building, it was heralded as great news for the Deansgate landmark. But there was one big thing missing amid the...

TRIBUTES TO UNI TRAGEDY PROFESSOR

TRIBUTES have been paid to an esteemed economics professor who died suddenly at the University of Manchester. Prof Igor Evstigneev, right, was found dead on the evening of Monday, November 17. It’s thought the 76-year-old fell from the Arthur Lewis...

Synagogue attacker’s alleged ‘associate’ faces terror charges

A MAN arrested in connection with the Manchester synagogue attack has been charged with four terrorism offences, police have said. Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31 and from Cheetham Hill, is due to appear in court in London today. The Crown Prosecution...

‘50-HOUR WAIT FOR BEDS’

GREATER Manchester’s emergency departments are ‘extremely busy’ with reports of some patients waiting more than 50 hours for a bed. The NHS trust that runs hospitals in Salford, Oldham and Bury is experiencing ‘exceptionally high levels of demand’ as...

Arsonist husband tried to kill me

Top cop ‘sent explicit photo to female officer’

A SENIOR police officer retired from Greater Manchester Police hours before a disciplinary hearing found he pursued a junior female colleague and then texted her a picture of his penis. Rob Cousen, a high-flying officer who rose to become the...

‘Murder bid’ arrest after four injured

A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a ‘disturbance’ in a Greater Manchester town. Four people were injured during the incident which took place in the early hours of yesterday morning. Police were called to reports of a...

New horizon

“IT’S dirty contaminated stuff,” Bev Craig says, looking out towards the city centre. “There’s a reason it’s sat empty for 50 years.” The Manchester council leader is walking over a former quarry in Collyhurst as the city’s skyline appears above the...

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW IN YOUR CITYLIFE WHAT’S ON GUIDE Will the real Charlie Veitch please stand up?

LION, WITCH & WARDROBE PREVIEWED

Watch conman now doing time

A BUSINESSMAN who sold highvalue watches defrauded customers out of more than £1m after launching a ‘Ponzi scheme’ when his firm failed. Adam Moore-Lynch, 28, has been jailed after 45 victims were left thousands of pounds out of pocket by Manchester...

LAUGHING RAPIST JAILED

A VIOLENT rapist who attacked a mum then trapped her inside for 18 hours has been jailed. Kieran Naylor met the woman at a petrol station in the early hours of December 9 last year. He invited her back to his home in Bolton before subjecting her to a...

FESTIVE BRAKE

MOTORISTS, revellers and shoppers have hit out over traffic gridlock in Manchester city centre over the weekend as the festive season gets into full swing. It was season’s beepings as frustrated drivers honked their horns after getting stuck in...

FEARS POLICE POLICY IS COSTING LIVES

WHEN she was led away from the railway tracks by police, Charlotte Tetley told officers she was feeling suicidal. She was taken to hospital, but left without being seen by the mental health team. Her disappearance sparked fears among staff that the...

BOY, 15, KNIFED IN ALLEYWAY

A TEENAGE boy has been left seriously injured after a horror knife attack in an alleyway. Armed officers, along with forensics and paramedics, were called to reports of a stabbing on Woodlands Road in the Cheetham Hill area at around 4pm...

‘WICKED’ ARSONIST JAILED FOR 30 YEARS

AN arsonist who tried to murder his wife by setting fire to her home as she slept has been jailed for 30 years. Nicholas Martin, 63, ‘stalked’ his wife Emma for days before turning up at her home in the middle of the night, pouring petrol through her...

WAR ON DRUGS IN PRISONS

THE road that leads to HMP Forest Bank is unassuming. On a dark November evening, intermittently lit up by passing headlights, it could be the entrance to any ordinary industrial estate. But as you swing into the turning, you see it: four police...

Drugs gang buried cocaine in woods

COCAINE KINGPIN JAILED LAVISH LIFESTYLE OF DRUG BOSS COMES CRASHING DOWN FULL STORY:

THE ‘lavish lifestyle’ of holidays, designer clothes and expensive watches a drugs gang boss lived has come crashing down after he was jailed together with two others. Keiron Leonard, 32, was identified by police as the head of a cocaine gang...

7 new districts in masterplan

A ‘MILESTONE’ vision for real change to the sprawling ‘city fringe’ area around Strangeways reveals plans for seven new and distinct neighbourhoods. Council bosses in Manchester have also repeated a plea to the government to consider again the...

AIRPORT STRIKE THREAT UNION IN STAFF PAY DISPUTE

MANCHESTER Airport could face strike action from staff embroiled in a dispute over pay, unless a deal can be reached and agreed with a union, the M.E.N. can reveal. It is understood any ballot would involve hundreds of workers employed by Manchester...

Cops strike gold in swoop on car

We’re watching

IN ONE of the city’s busiest spots, new technology has been used to find Greater Manchester’s most wanted. Live facial recognition technology has been introduced by Greater Manchester Police in recent weeks. Yesterday, it was used in Piccadilly...

Communities would no longer be consulted about plans for a new bar or nightclub in the local area if misguided government plans for secret alcohol licensing notices get the green light...

Alcohol licensing notices are a type of public notice which are used to make local communities aware of plans to sell alcohol in the local area. This could be plans for a new pub or bar, or for a venue to vary the terms of its existing licence - for...

A PRISON IN CRISIS

THE government should urgently review the management and operation of Forest Bank prison over an “alarming high number” of deaths there and “repeated failings” in the care of prisoners, an MP has said. Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford, said she has...

PRIDE OWES NELLY £145K

INTERNATIONAL pop star Nelly Furtardo is among a host of artists and organisations owed more than £1.3m by Manchester Pride, according to documents seen by the M.E.N. Last week, its Board of Trustees issued a statement following speculation about the...

NOONAN OUT OF PRISON

MANCHESTER gangland figure Dominic Noonan has been released from prison on licence, the M.E.N. understands. In May 2018 the now 61-yearold, who had changed his name to Domenyk Lattlay-Fottfoy, was convicted of 13 historical sex offences against four...

They were both very special men RABBI’S TRIBUTE TO TERROR ATTACK VICTIMS AS INQUESTS OPEN INTO THEIR DEATHS

THE first thing Rabbi Daniel Walker can now see when he walks into his synagogue is two seats. Two seats that belonged to Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby. His congregants, members of his community, his friends. Tragically, the seats are empty....

Christmas markets tram strike fear

HUNDREDS of Metrolink drivers are being balloted over possible strike action due to concerns over their shift patterns and ‘fatigue,’ a trade union has said. And Unite are warning of likely ‘tram chaos’ over the festive period if they do decide to...

‘GROSS FAILURES’ IN CARE OF TRAGIC MUM

THE family of a mother and baby who died after a ‘chaotic’ home birth said they were both ‘catastrophically let down by mismanagement’ after a coroner ruled the tragedy was caused by ‘neglect’ and ‘gross failures to provide basic care.’ Jennifer...

AWAAB’S LEGACY: A LAW THAT WILL SAVE LIVES

ALMOST five years ago, a Rochdale toddler died due to prolonged exposure to mould at the social flat his parents rented. Awaab Ishak was only two years old when his life was cruelly cut short. And, little did his family know, many of their neighbours...

Tributes to tragic stabbing victim

THE man at the centre of a murder investigation has been named as tributes pour in from family and friends. Vernard Murray was stabbed to death following a car crash amid a suspected chase off Cardinal Street in Cheetham Hill on Thursday. Emergency...

Man stabbed to death after car chase

BOY, 12, IN ‘ONLINE CRAZE’ TRAGEDY

A ‘SWEET’ child died after participating in a social media ‘craze’ called Chroming, which had been widely shared on TikTok, an inquest has heard. Oliver Gorman, 12, was found unresponsive in his bedroom on the evening of May 5 this year, after...

What Bruno has in common with Sir Alex

City fan Guy Bradshaw with his daughter, Ava, who his family say he idolised

Serious failings in care of tragic student nurse

SERIOUS failings have been identified in the care of a tragic student nurse on an NHS ward. A coroner concluded Cerys LuptonJones’ death at a Greater Manchester mental health facility was ‘contributed to by neglect.’ He described the events prior to...

KING MEETS HEROES OF SYNAGOGUE ATTACK

KING Charles has met with the ‘heroes’ of the Heaton Park synagogue attack. The monarch travelled to Manchester yesterday to visit the synagogue in Crumpsall before meeting emergency service workers who responded to the attack. Crowds gathered on...

‘It’s a city people want to come to’

SPECIAL REPORT: As Manchester city centre’s development shows no signs of slowing down, town is busier than ever with more visitors and 100,000 residents. But a tension between the old and new establishment and populations of Manchester exists - neatly...

THE TRUTH

Special M.E.N. investigation uncovers disturbing reality behind group