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Little Sisters of the poor to celebrate 150 years in Longsight

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:50:54 -0000

A religious order which has provided free care to hundreds of elderly people in Manchester is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Little Sisters of the Poor provide round-the-clock care in Longsight to some of the city’s most vulnerable elderly people.

Cheadle firefighter sacked for lying after engine crashes into garden wall in Burnage

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:35:21 -0000

David Woollam and William Lindfield had been waiting in their 12-tonne fire engine while the rest of their crew checked a flood-damaged care home.

Mr Woollam, 58, is understood to have reversed the vehicle in order to turn it around – but hit the wall of a neighbouring home.

Saved: Manchester's Sure Start centres to stay open after massive protest by parents

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:29:10 -0000

We can reveal children’s services chiefs have drawn up proposals to keep the centres open.

But the cuts mean plans to end council-run daycare for under-fives will go ahead. Instead, there will be an outreach programme that will see every family of a newborn visited at home by a council worker, who will stay in touch until the child is three.

Man, 28, beaten up and bundled into car in front of shoppers at Fallowfield retail park

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:31:25 -0000

A 28-year-old man was beaten up and bundled into a car by four men in front of terrified shoppers at Fallowfield retail park during an attack in broad daylight.

Sinead O'Connor and The Dubliners to star at ‘biggest’ Manchester Irish Festival

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:24:01 -0000

The two-week Irish extravaganza, now in its 17th year, brings more than 200 events – covering everything from music to literature, film to sport – to scores of venues across the city.

Organisers expect more than 200,000 people from all over the world to visit for the events connected to the celebration, between Friday, March 2 and Sunday, March 18.

Brave battler handed Olympic torch honour for dedication to youth

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:19:24 -0000

An inspirational sports coach who runs a successful gaelic football club despite suffering a stroke 10 years ago has been selected to carry the Olympic Torch.

Brenda Harkin, 46, established St Mary’s Gaelic Athletic Association in March 2002. But her world was turned upside down when she suffered a stroke just six months later.

Suits you: Chorlton charity shops’ help for unemployed to look the part at job interviews

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:16:48 -0000

The shops – including Barnardos, Lighthouse and PDSA – will loan smart suits, ties and blazers to jobseekers to help them smarten up their appearance.

There might even be the odd vintage gem – such as a waistcoat or a bow tie – for the jobless to try on, while barbers and beauticians will be on hand to offer tips on hair and make-up.

West Didsbury traders: Sewer works are sending us under

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:14:06 -0000

Traders on one of south Manchester’s busiest roads are struggling to survive after it was closed to traffic for up to 14 weeks.

Bar, restaurant and shop owners on Burton Road, West Didsbury, say they have seen trade fall by as much as 40 per cent since it was shut on January 3 for major modernisation works on underground sewers.

20mph speed limit to be introduced on all non-major residential roads in Manchester

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:15:10 -0000

A speed limit of just 20mph is set to be introduced in all non-major residential roads in Manchester.

The plan has received cross-party backing among city councillors – and town hall bosses will now draw up detailed proposals, saying it will help cut accidents.

Residents clash with town hall bosses over plans to hold 50,000-ticket 'super concerts' in Wythenshawe Park

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:36:27 -0000

Neighbours of Wythenshawe Park clashed with town hall bosses at a fiery public meeting over plans to hold 'super-concerts' at the green space.

The crunch talks saw council chiefs, led by executive member for culture and leisure Mike Amesbury, try to reassure those gathered about a move to make the park the city’s third biggest open air concert venue.

MP John Leech launches parliamentary bid to pardon computer pioneer and code breaker Alan Turing

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:34:53 -0000

The fight to clear the name of one of Manchester’s greatest sons has reached Parliament.

Alan Turing, the code-breaking computer pioneer who helped bring down the Nazis, was left with a criminal record after being arrested and tried for homosexuality in 1952.

Replay: Manchester Council meeting

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:02:38 -0000

Manchester Council held a full meeting this morning - follow our live coverage here ...

I forgive maniac knifeman, says 74-year-old stabbed six times as she waited at Chorlton bus stop

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:59:35 -0000

Tiny Maria Morrison, 74, felt her life ebbing away as David Walters screamed 'Die! Die!' during the frenzied, unprovoked assault.

Cruel yobs beheaded birds and butchered animals at Wythenshawe Park just hours after 'day out' at wildlife centre

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:50:54 -0000

A sick gang of young thugs, one of them aged just 12, slaughtered dozens of birds and other animals in a £10,000 rampage at a wildlife centre in Wythenshawe Park - just hours after enjoying a day out there.

Manchester council tax frozen for third year (but could go up in 2013)

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:47:15 -0000

Manchester council is freezing council tax for the third year in a row. Town hall bosses say they have made the move to help residents through tough economic times.

Pair jailed over Coleen Rooney family photos blackmail plot

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:21:53 -0000

Two men who tried to blackmail the wife of Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney have been jailed.

The sum of £5,000 was demanded from Coleen Rooney in return for her Samsung digital camera which contained more than 400 photos on the memory card.

Jailed: Whitefield care boss who stole from disabled patients at south Manchester care homes

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:07:54 -0000

Adam Khan, 53, was sentenced to one year in prison at Manchester magistrates’ court after taking £7,590 intended for the bank accounts of nine people with severe learning difficulties.

The victims were residents of two south Manchester homes Khan ran between 2004-08. The court heard he would use the fact he had access to their bank accounts to swipe the cash.

Council to hold talks with residents over plans to hold 50,000-ticket 'super concerts' in Wythenshawe Park

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:04:37 -0000

Town hall bosses are to hold crunch talks with neighbours over plans to hold concerts in Wythenshawe Park.

The M.E.N. revealed in November how Manchester council wants to make the park the city’s third biggest open air concert venue – following in the footsteps of Platt Fields and Heaton Park.

Two Shisha cafe owners in Rusholme fined for allowing customers to smoke

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:58:44 -0000

Two cafe owners have been fined for allowing customers to smoke shisha pipes.

Samir Merza, who runs Blue Mist, on Wilmslow Road, in Rusholme, was fined £200 with £500 costs after admitting two counts of allowing smoking in a smoke free place.

Endangered fox’s new lease of life after rescue

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:50:49 -0000

A baby fox suffering from a potentially deadly skin condition has been rescued by an eagle-eyed nature lover.

Nadine Andrews spotted the creature in her garden and was shocked to see he was missing most of his fur.

West Didsbury beauty-spot trees felled by Metrolink workmen

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:47:51 -0000

A row has broken out between residents and transport bosses after more than 50 trees were chopped down in a beauty spot by Metrolink workmen.

Horrified residents say workmen caused ‘absolute carnage’ by slashing down dozens of mature lime, holly and chesnut trees behind Brankgate Court on Lapwing Lane, West Didsbury, as part of the South Manchester line tram extension.

Rethink over £20m Christie plan after car park planning rejection

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:29:09 -0000

New plans for a smaller car park for a controversial development at The Christie are being prepared by health chiefs, we understand.

Council planners rejected an application for the multi-million pound Manchester Cancer Research Centre last week amid concerns over the size of a staff car park and building on Withington Green – a small grassy area used by people living nearby.

Homes spell the end of innings for 164-year-old Longsight Cricket Club

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:01:27 -0000

A plan for new homes has spelled the end of a historic innings for a cricket ground which staged one of the first ever games against a touring Australian side.

Longsight and District Cricket Club was written into sporting folklore on June 13, 1878 when it became only the second side to beat a touring Australian side – eight games into their first tour of England.

Getting better: Patients say meals are improving on south Manchester hospital wards where 25pc of food goes in bin

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:56:11 -0000

The statistics, released by the NHS information service, showed that 25 per cent of meals at hospitals managed by the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust go untouched.

This figure is almost 20pc higher than the national average of 5.9 pc.

Revealed: How Greater Manchester's town halls spent £1.5 BILLION of your money

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:05:21 -0000

Government rules mean councils have to publish details of every payment of more than £500.

The money was spent on everything from major building works to a fruit press for a community allotment.

Family makes plea for help to bring murderer of Withington son to justice after 12 years

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:48:31 -0000

Patrick Logan, 40, was shot five times after masked men broke into his house in Withington. No one was ever arrested over his murder – but police say the file remains open and a substantial reward is being offered.

Patrick’s mum Margaret, 85, and brother Frank, 55, say his death tore the family apart and they are desperate for answers.

Neighbours in Fallowfield start campaign against student houses

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:55:14 -0000

People living in the heart of Manchester’s student area have launched a poster campaign to stop landlords buying another house in their street.

Neighbours Anne Tucker and Jackie Hynes have made posters urging landlords to ‘buy elsewhere’ after more than half the homes on St Ives Road in Fallowfield were rented to students.

Fix our breasts: PIP implant women stage protest outside Manchester clinics

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:48:40 -0000

Breast-surgery patients desperate to have faulty implants replaced for free held protests outside the Manchester clinics where they were fitted.

Video: Emmerdale star joins 100th birthday party of Didsbury woman who is Britain's oldest TV extra

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:40:44 -0000

Lottie Goodwin said reaching the century milestone and still feeling healthy was ‘like winning the lottery’.

More than 50 of Lottie’s family gathered with her friends at her care home in Didsbury, Manchester, to celebrate, with relatives travelling thousands of miles from America, Canada and Spain to see her.

£20m Christie Hospital plan rejected in row over parking

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:57:55 -0000

Plans for a £20m cancer research centre run by the Christie Hospital have been thrown out because of a row over parking.

The proposed Manchester Cancer Research Centre, which aims to put the city at the forefront of international research, was rejected by council officials concerned about the size of a staff car park.

Core blimey! Northenden shop worker fends off robber by throwing an apple at him

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:16:46 -0000

Mum-of-three Sharon Dempster, 35, refused to be intimidated when a hooded thug barged into the off licence where she works and demanded money.

During the terrifying ordeal at Bargain Booze on Palatine Road, Northenden, the man grabbed her by the neck and tried to pull her over the counter. But Sharon refused to open the till and fought back.

Bin and gone: Mystery protest to highlight Didsbury litter issue

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:34:29 -0000

A mysterious waste paper basket has been tied to a lamppost in protest about a lack of bins on a leafy Manchester street.

The rogue bin appeared on School Lane in Didsbury as part of a push by local people to force the town hall to put more bins there. It was covered with a sign that read: "To cash-strapped Manchester council, from the residents of School Lane."

Baths set to stay open until replaced

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:10:52 -0000

Town hall chiefs have vowed to keep two south Manchester swimming pools open until replacements are ready to open their doors.

Manchester council announced last week a £12m plan to open new leisure centres in Levenshulme and Chorlton to replace the areas’ current outdated pools. But that process could take years – sparking fears the existing facilities might be shut down before the new ones were ready.

Video: Praise for NHS and Wythenshawe Hospital from Manchester United star Nemanja Vidic as he opens new maternity facilities

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:12:58 -0000

United captain Nemanja Vidic and his pregnant wife Ana have praised the NHS – as they get ready to complete their hat-trick of sons.

The couple were at Wythenshawe Hospital to reveal the latest part of a £20m refurbishment of the maternity unit. Ana, 29, is due to give birth in three weeks and will be back at the hospital where both the couple’s other children were born.

‘Mole gang’ dig 100ft tunnel to rob Fallowfield cash machine

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:00:07 -0000

The gang are believed to have spent up to six months digging an underground route from a secluded railway embankment to the ATM beside Blockbuster in Fallowfield.

They then drilled up through 15 inches of concrete before swiping several thousand pounds from the machine - and escaping back down the tunnel.

A spit on the pavement snares maniac who stabbed 74-year-old woman at Chorlton bus stop

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:09:17 -0000

David Walters, 22, stabbed the terrified 74-year-old victim six times at random while screaming: ‘Die! Die!’ but police spotted on CCTV that he had spat on the pavement before the attack and went back to the scene to gather the DNA evidence in his saliva that snared the knifeman.

Madcap Mario strikes again: Balotelli walks into Manchester school and asks pupils if he can use the toilet

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:26:41 -0000

Manchester City star Mario Balotelli stunned college students when he parked his luxury Bentley outside their classrooms and strolled in to ask if he could use the toilet.

£12m leisure boost to bring two new swimming pools to south Manchester

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:45:17 -0000

Town hall bosses want to replace outdated pools, which were both built in the early 1930s, with new state-of-the-art leisure centres in Levenshulme and Chorlton.

The new buildings would also include a library, allowing the council to save money by closing existing libraries.

Historic Didsbury church gets set to celebrate reopening

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:41:32 -0000

Didsbury Baptist Church, which first opened its doors in 1900, has been radically transformed - with a new entrance, ornate new windows and a whole new floor.

This weekend - after seven months of building work costing hundreds of thousands of pounds - the church will be reopened by the longest-serving member of the congregation.

Olympic torch joy for charity crusader who raised £100,000

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:38:57 -0000

A man with a severe muscle-wasting condition will carry the Olympic flame ahead of the games.

Carl Tilson, 24, from Levenshulme, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic condition which left him needing round-the-clock care.

Northenden mum’s last-ditch fundraising bid to beat brain cancer

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:35:41 -0000

A mum who was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer is trying to raise £200,000 so she can go to America for last-ditch treatment.

Brave Nic Kinley, 38, says she wants to see her kids grow up despite being told by doctors that there is no more they can do to treat a tumour on her brain stem. Now Nic and her fiancé Ceri Morgan are launching an ambitious bid to raise thousands of pounds for experimental gene therapy, known as antineoplaston therapy, in Houston, Texas.

‘Outstanding’ Chorlton school finds blogging makes a world of difference

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:32:31 -0000

A primary school where pupils contact children around the world through blogging to learn about different cultures has been classed as outstanding by inspectors.

Brookburn Community Primary in Chorlton was praised in an Ofsted report for its exciting and imaginative lessons, in which pupils share what they have learnt with children from as far afield as New Zealand and the USA.

'Butchered’ willow tree in Chorlton comes back from the dead

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:44:32 -0000

A WILLOW tree on a street in Chorlton has come back from the dead – a year after workmen caused uproar by ‘butchering’ it.

In limbo: Anguish of women who received PIP breast implants at Northenden clinic that went out of business

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:17:32 -0000

Scores of women who received PIP implants at the Surgicare clinic, in Northenden, are unable to get free replacements or treatment for leaking silicon from the clinic because the business has gone under.

Surgery is still taking place at the site under the name of Surgicare Medical Group, after the defunct company was bought out by The Hospital Medical Group in October 2010. But the terms of the £40,000 takeover mean the new owners have no responsibility for Surgicare's former patients.

Drunken paedophile who attacked girls on Chorlton field jailed for 32 months

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:12:01 -0000

A paedophile who sexually assaulted two young girls after posing as a Good Samaritan has been jailed.

Darren Sutherland, 29, was already a registered sex offender at the time of the attack on playing fields in Chorlton where a group of four children were playing.

Arrest made after man found dead at Wythenshawe home died from single stab wound to chest

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:12:37 -0000

A man who was found murdered after a party at his flat was stabbed, police have confirmed.

Christopher McFarlane, 32, was found with chest injuries at his home on Tayfield Road, Woodhouse Park in Wythenshawe on Sunday evening. A post mortem revealed he died from a single stab wound to the chest.

Broken-down tram closes Altrincham, Eccles and South Manchester Metrolink lines

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:28:28 -0000

Commuters faced rush-hour delays as they headed home from work when a tram broke down and halted services on three Metrolink lines.

Services had to be suspended on the Altrincham, Eccles and South Manchester lines when the tram lost power at the Deansgate-Castlefield stop.

Splashing out: Manchester council to build three new swimming pools in Chorlton, Levenshulme and Beswick

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:37:48 -0000

Three new swimming pools are to be built in Manchester under £18m plans to improve leisure facilities in the city.

Despite facing huge cuts forced by the government’s spending review, the town hall believes it can find the money to fund the schemes – and will save cash in the long run.

Family in fresh appeal over student who went missing after New Year night out

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:09:02 -0000

The distraught family of a student who vanished after a New Year's Day night out have been left “mystified” by his disappearance.

Gurdeep Hayer, 20, disappeared in the early hours of Monday, January 2, after a night out with friends at Sankeys nightclub in Manchester city centre.

£15m new look in store for Chorlton precinct

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:55:31 -0000

An ageing shopping centre at the heart of one of Manchester’s most desirable suburbs could finally be transformed as part of a £15m plan.

Chorlton precinct would be rebuilt under a blueprint being drawn up by developers.

U-turn over car parking charges at Chorlton Morrisons

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:11:07 -0000

A customer backlash is being credited with a supermarket scrapping its car parking charges – less than a month after bringing them in.

Morrisons abandoned the parking fee at its Wilbraham Road store in Chorlton after it was introduced to dissuade commuters from leaving their cars when taking the Metrolink into the city centre from the new stop.

Asda sent private detective to spy on Hulme store bakery worker who slipped on broken egg

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:05:59 -0000

Grandmother Irene Heslop fractured her spine after falling on to the concrete floor of a warehouse at Asda in Hulme. More than a year after the incident, the retail giant twice sent a spy to prove Irene, 65, of Fallowfield, was fit to work by filming her as she went about her daily chores.

Dad fights off gang who broke into his Whalley Range home

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:04:05 -0000

Sajid Hussain, 40, was in his house in Whalley Range, Manchester, when four men broke in through the front door.

But the gang were forced to flee when Sajid and his brother Abid, 42, refused to be intimidated and fought back.

Irish PM’s praise for Levenshulme volunteer

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:02:48 -0000

A volunteer has won praise from the Irish prime minister for helping build links between Manchester and Ireland.

Tony Hennigan, 50, from Levenshulme, picked up the International Press Award at the Ballina Festival in County Mayo from prime minister Enda Kenny.

Chorlton musician to star on Winter Wipeout gameshow

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:00:02 -0000

A musician is hoping her appearance on a winter-themed TV game show will help boost her pop career.

Simmy Wilson, 28, travelled to Argentina to compete on Winter Wipeout - a seasonal version of Total Wipeout, the BBC One game show presented by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram.

Brazen burglar smashed wall of Levenshulme shop - then charged owner £35 to repair it the next day

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:50:17 -0000

Unemployed bricklayer Michael Patterson, 43, took bricks out of the wall of the Nina Store on Stockport Road, Levenshulme, to steal cash and goods - then went back the next day and offered his services to fix the hole in the wall. Shore owner Ezekiel Sagary paid him £35 to do the work without realising he was the burglar.

Video: Lucky escape for teenage motorist as car bursts into flames outside Arndale centre

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:30:12 -0000

A teenage driver and his four passengers had a lucky escape when their Vauxhall Corsa car burst into flames on Withy Grove in Manchester.

Danger hair dye kits must be banned, says Didsbury woman in burns horror

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:06:56 -0000

Zoe Vernon, 24, was taken by ambulance and put on a drip in the special burns unit after suffering a severe reaction. Doctors told her she had some of the worst burns they had seen caused by hair dye.

Shop assistant Zoe, from Didsbury, spent four days in hospital, covered in horrific burns and weeping blisters after the incident in October 2009. Now she is supporting a campaign by Manchester-based solicitor Greg Almond to get the chemical para-phenylenediamine (PPD) in hair dye banned.

Price of Metrolink tram tickets to rise by up to nine per cent in New Year

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:16:16 -0000

Analysis by the M.E.N of the new tram fares shows that commuters travelling from the city centre to MediaCity and Eccles face the biggest percentage increase on peak-return, four-weekly and annual tickets.

An adult peak return fare from Piccadilly to MediaCity will go up 30p from £3.20 to £3.50 – a rise of 9.37 per cent. The UK inflation rate is 4.8pc.

Bless you Balotelli: Manchester City's Mario in ‘£200 gift’ to Chorlton church's Christmas Midnight Mass

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:55:37 -0000

Parishioners were left stunned when maverick City star Mario Balotelli turned up at their church. Balotelli went to St John’s Church on High Lane, Chorlton, with his girlfriend and family for Christmas Midnight Mass.

Father Patrick Mcmahon said churchgoers were delighted to see the striker and a crowd gathered to take pictures and sign autographs.

£20m Christie plans on hold as councillors see for themselves

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:09:19 -0000

A decision on whether multi-million pound plans to expand the region’s biggest cancer hospital can go ahead has been delayed until January.

The fate of plans for a £20m research centre at the Christie Hospital site in Withington was due to be decided by Manchester council yesterday. But a decision will not be taken until mid-January after the city’s planning committee ruled it would be subject to a site visit.

A very nappy Christmas: Didsbury family celebrate first festive season with triplets

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:28:29 -0000

Catherine and husband Brendan were stunned when they found they were expecting triplets. Doctors said the chances of conceiving the three non-identical boys – Max, Jamie and Sam – without using IVF was just 25,000 to one.

Along with three-year-old big sister Eva, the babies – who were born in June – are now looking forward to their first Christmas.

Tragedy of Didsbury dad-of-four who died suddenly aged just 38

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:01:01 -0000

Property director Marc Franks, of West Didsbury, was just 38 when he was struck down by sepsis – blood poisoning which occurs following an infection – leaving behind his devastated widow and four young children.

Family mourn tragic death of dad-of-four

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:50:05 -0000

The widow of a young man who died suddenly from rare blood poisoning has spoken of her heartbreak as she faces her first Christmas without him. Father-of-four Marc Franks was just 38 when he was struck down by sepsis – blood poisoning which occurs following an infection.