Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello,
It’s been another beautiful, sunny day across Greater Manchester and it looks set to stay pleasant over the weekend too. Make the most of it - the weather is due to change next week, so get your choc ices and barbecues in while you can.
On to the news. Today we’ll be looking at the continuing crackdown on Counterfeit Street and the concerns over water safety that have sparked a police order. But first, we’re looking at a disturbing case from Tameside.
Bullied girl’s Snapchat details shared on adult forums
Cyberbullying is a major concern for many young people and parents. But this case highlighted by local democracy reporter Charlotte Green seems particularly extreme.
She reports that 13-year-old Tina - not her real name - was sent explicit messages and photos by dozens of strange men after her Snapchat details were shared on adult forums following months of bullying.
And her mum Gemma claims staff at Denton Community College have failed to support the teenager - who was bullied by up to 11 other pupils at the start of the year. It culminated in Tina’s Snapchat handle being shared on adult forums without her knowledge. She was portrayed as a woman in her twenties who wanted to exchange sexual ‘chat’ and pictures. Her family believes one of the bullies was responsible.
As a result, Tina had requests from more than 80 men using the site - some of which were explicit messages and photos. Greater Manchester Police has recorded the incident as a crime after the family reported the cyberbullying.
Gemma - who is also using a pseudonym - says Tina has suffered a panic attack, mental health problems and is afraid to leave the house as a result of the bullying. “She was a confident 13-year-old popular kid and now she’s the total opposite,” she said.
Tina says the contact on Snapchat made her feel ‘scared’ because ‘all these old men’ were messaging her even during school hours. “If you didn’t answer the message, it would be a picture,” she said.
Despite a raft of incidents, Tina’s parents claim no support was provided by the school - which was recently rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted. The report, published in March, stated that a ‘considerable number of pupils’ told inspectors that they do not feel safe at Denton Community College and parents expressed concerns about welfare due to a ‘high number of incidents of poor behaviour, along with the use of derogatory and discriminatory language’.
School bosses say they take all reported concerns regarding safeguarding and bullying ‘very seriously’ and staff are working to ensure pupils and parents with concerns have the support they need.
'One of the worst we've seen'
With police continuing their much-publicised crackdown on Manchester’s ‘Counterfeit Street’, officers say they have found one of the ‘most dangerous’ premises they’ve come across.
After raiding the shop on Great Ducie Street - which was ‘concealed behind a locked metal cage’ - officers were struck by a ‘strong smell of mould and damp’, with ‘rat poison and rat faeces covering the floor’. The roof had holes in it and the staircase that had been sawn in half. Firefighters have now condemned the building.
Sergeant Dan Cullum, of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Vulcan, says the shop was in ‘one of the worst states we’ve seen’. “One of our officers was at the top of the stairs and moved a piece of wood that looked like it was covering the lower part of the staircase, but was actually covering a large hole in the ground. Anyone who stepped on that would have gone straight through to the floor below and been seriously injured,” he said.
It’s thought the shop owners were trying to pack up and move out before the raid, as Ethan Davies reports.
Not worth it for a dip
Emergency workers have again warned of the dangers of open water swimming as police issue a dispersal order around Audenshaw Reservoir.
It follows the tragic death of 15-year-old Abbie Walton in the River Etherow, in Broadbottom, Tameside, on Wednesday night. The teenager was pronounced dead, despite the best efforts of paramedics, after police were called to reports of a person in difficulty in the water.
As Ashlie Blakey reports, the dispersal order around Audenshaw Reservoir allows police to ask anyone within the vicinity to leave. People are already banned from swimming in the waters, owned by United Utilities, but the order makes it illegal.
A post on the GMP Tameside Facebook states: “The waters can be tempting during these prolonged periods of dry and warm weather, but the risks of injury and death in open water are very real."
In June 2018, Dwayne Thompson died after getting into difficulty in Audenshaw Reservoir. Dwayne's mum said her son, who had autism, didn't understand signs warning people not to swim in the water.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has launched a water safety campaign. They say 226 people in the UK accidentally drowned in 2022 and the number of water related incidents attended by the brigade has doubled in a decade. Of those, 65 incidents were fatal.
Billy Fenwick, head of prevention at GMFRS, says cold water shock can kill and people can become caught up in underwater hazards and drown. “It is not worth dying for a dip,” he says.
Neighbour wins HMO battle
Noisy neighbours can be a nightmare, but resolving the problem can be very difficult.
However one Salford resident has finally won a battle to prevent the house next door to him becoming a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Alan Philips told Salford’s planning and transportation regulatory panel he has suffered 'eight-and-a-half years of hell' from residents of a HMO already situated on his street. Verbal abuse, noise and people smoking cannabis were among the problems and - following his pleas - councillors rejected a bid for another HMO.
“They don’t look after their property, they don’t keep it clean, they won’t talk to you. If you put more people in the other house next door there will be havoc,” Mr Phillips told the panel. "I think it’s a bit out of order. There’s partying, shouting and screaming, and you can hear it through the walls.”
Controversial apartment plans to go ahead
Plans for a block of flats on the car park of East Didsbury Tesco have proved extremely controversial.
There have been hundreds of objections to the proposal and the plans were rejected by Manchester council after hundreds of objections. But the developer behind the scheme has now won an appeal, overturning the town hall's decision, as Joseph Timan reports.
It means 75 apartments, dubbed Blackbird Yard, now look set to be built off Parrs Wood Lane.
Locals said the development would impact traffic and parking on the already congested roads around it and councillors voted against the scheme last July. But the council's planning department performed a U-turn after developer Dandara appealed the decision. In a rare move, the local authority said it would not defend its decision to refuse planning permission, leaving residents and their elected representatives to oppose the development at a public inquiry which was held three weeks ago.
The council said it would not contest the appeal after receiving 'additional information' which addressed the reasons why the application was refused. Their reasons for refusal included parking, traffic and suitability for the area.
Planning inspector Claire Searson repeatedly remarked on how strange the situation was as no one from the town hall turned up to the hearing which took place just metres away at Friends Meeting House. The government-appointed inspector has now decided to allow the development to go ahead.
The developer has agreed to give the council £10,000 to put new parking restrictions in place around the area should this be needed. The agreement also includes making a fifth of the new apartments 'affordable'.
You can read more about the reasoning for the controversial decision here.
'I'm the man'
"If there's anyone who can run that pub, I'm the man. I'm the one. If I can't, then no one can do it,” says Floyd Dodoo, speaking about the closed-down Queens Hotel.
The Monsall pub was shut down earlier this year after a huge brawl 'involving a machete and a gun'. Floyd, who grew up on the estate, says he’s the man to bring it back to life. But he’s been told he cannot take over if it gets its licence back. That’s because police claim the publican - who already manages two pubs - would be spreading himself too thin.
As Joseph Timan reports, the current owners of the Queen’s Hotel are waiting for their appeal of Manchester council's decision to revoke their licence earlier this year to be heard in court - and a date for that hearing is yet to be set.
The Vine pub on Glendower Drive also had its licence temporarily suspended following the incident on March 12 - which was thought to be connected to organised crime groups, according to GMP - but has since been reopened.
Brace for high pollen
It’s going to be a particularly bad weekend for hayfever sufferers I’m afraid. The pollen count is expected to be ‘high’ or ‘very high’ well into the next week and as such, local health leaders are warning people to manage their symptoms.
Dr Helen Wall, clinical director for Population Health at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care, says it’s a difficult time of year for people with hay fever. She recommends over the counter treatments available at pharmacies - such as antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops.
“People with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can also suffer around this time of year and we would advise them to always carry their inhaler with them and not to leave it in direct sunlight,” she adds.
Sign up to The Mancunian Way
Has a friend forwarded you this edition of The Mancunian Way? You can sign up to receive the latest email newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by clicking on this link.
Weather etc
Saturday: Cloudy. 24C.
Road closures: A57 Snake Pass in both directions closed due to roadworks between A6013 (Ladybower Reservoir) and Hurst Road (Royal Oak Inn). Between 9.30 and 15.30 on Thursdays and Fridays until June 16.
Manchester headlines
Tributes: Former Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen has died after a battle with dementia. Mr McQueen, 70, died at home early on Thursday morning. The flags at Old Trafford were set to half-mast in tribute to the former Scotland international. Mr McQueen joined Manchester United in 1978 in a £495,000 deal that made him Britain's most expensive footballer at the time. He spent seven years at Old Trafford, making 229 appearances and scoring 26 goals, and was part of the side that won the 1983 FA Cup, beating Brighton and Hove Albion in a replay at Wembley. More here.
- New venue: Diecast, the new bar, pizza kitchen, brewery and beer garden, will open with a full-on weekend party next month. Doors will be thrown open at the Ducie Street venue on July 6, with events going on through the weekend. The former foundry venue is being opened up by the team behind Ramona and The Firehouse. In the first phase of the opening, there will be its huge warehouse kitchen, which will be unveiling its new pizza concept blending the classic Neapolitan Italian style pizza with elements of the New York style pizza.
-
Apartments: A derelict Chinese restaurant in Wigan is set to be demolished to make way for a new affordable apartment block for people with disabilities and extra care needs. The former site of Shanghai Palace, in Poolstock, will be destroyed and replaced with 24 apartments and six bungalows, the council’s planning committee has decided. More here.
- Closure: The owners of Aunty Ji’s, on Stockport Road in Levenshulme, have announced the venue will be closing. It will shut next week after owners said that rising costs’ meant it ‘just isn’t feasible’ to operate any more. The café, which serves Indian dishes with a western twist, first opened in 2020 and quickly became a local institution after being named in multiple best restaurants guides. It was shortlisted for the Affordable Eats Venue at last year's Manchester Food and Drink Festival. More here.
Worth a read
Reporter Rami Mwamba never shies away from a challenge. And this week, he tried out the UBX Boxing + Strength gym, in Salford, in a bid to get fit. The scheme was co-founded by four time world champion boxer Danny Green and fitness entrepreneur Tim West and there are already 90 clubs across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Their Salford base is the first in the UK.
With the help of manager Karolina ‘The Machine’ Tarozaite, Rami was put through his paces and found it a ‘shock to the system’. “UBX was a completely different gym environment to the one I’m used to. The high octane style of UBX meant I was always constantly moving with brief intervals and it was perhaps the first time in a long time my body was put through such a rigorous workout as evidenced by the buckets of sweat I left on the gym floor,” he writes.
You can read all about it here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
If you have enjoyed this newsletter today, why not tell a friend how to sign up?
