News
Dad-of-three fighting for life in coma after he’s punched during Grand National stag do
The dad was at the Grand National for his stag do but was attacked in Poulton later in the evening
A dad-of-three is fighting for his life after being punched on his stag do at the Grand National.
HGV driver Lee Burns, 41, had been at the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday April 15th before going for a night out with friends in Poulton, Lancashire.
He was out with friends celebrating his own stag do at the Grand National before he was assaulted outside a bar and knocked unconscious at 1.25am on Sunday.
The dad-of-three was rushed to the Royal Preston Hospital where he had to undergo three-hour long emergency surgery to ease pressure and swelling from haemorrhaging.
As reported in The Echo, Lee, who was due to be getting married in four weeks, is now in an induced coma fighting for his life after suffering two bleeds on the brain, according to his friend Paul Latham.
Paul has now set-up a Go Fund Me page to support Lee and his family, after being told his friend will not be able to work again due to his injuries. At time of writing it has reached £6,217 of a £20,000 target.
He wrote: “Hello, I’m Paul. Lee’s friend. So many people have contacted me in the last 24 hours, asking me to do this as they want to make a donation to help support Lee and his family, following the brutal attack on Lee in the early hours of Sunday morning 16.04.2023.
“Lee was returning home from his own stag do at Aintree Racecourse. Lee is now fighting for his life in Royal Preston Hospital, following a completely unprovoked attack in Poulton Le Fylde. Lee is now in a coma.
“If you would like to make a donation, please do so as Lee will never be able to return to his job again following his life saving brain surgery. Lee and Sara’s life has been changed forever as a result of this attack. Thank you in advance on behalf of Lee, Sara and his family. X”
In a Facebook post, Paul continued: “Everybody who knows Lee, knows he has the biggest smile in Blackpool. He’s always happy, always laughing always making new friends.
“Long may that continue but it will be some time before he is able to display his trademark smile on the Fylde Coast.”
A 33-year-old man from Blackpool has been arrested on suspicion of wounding in connection to the incident. He has been bailed, pending further inquiries, until July 13th.
Detective Chief Inspector Lee Wilson, of Lancashire Police’s West Division, said: “The victim was on a night out when he was seriously assaulted. He remains in hospital in a serious condition and we are doing our utmost to get answers as to what happened and who was responsible.
“One person has now been arrested and released on bail, while we continue to investigate the incident. We are still urging witnesses to come forward and would like to speak to anyone who saw what happened, or caught it on mobile phone footage.
“If you were in that area of Poulton between around 12.30am and 2am on Sunday morning, please cast your mind back and please check any photos or videos you took on your phone.
“Similarly, if you have information about what happened or who is responsible, please let us know.”
Anybody with information should contact Lancashire Police, quoting log 124 of April 16th.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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