News
Manchester’s infamous Counterfeit Street to be bulldozed by GMP
BREAKING: After decades of crime, Bury New Road is set to undergo a major transformation
Manchester’s infamous Counterfiet Street is to be bulldozed as part of Greater Manchester Police’s radical move against a ‘national magnet for criminality’.
GMP has confirmed that the buildings on Bury New Road in the Strangeways area will be closed, compulsory purchased, and then flattened as part of a new operation known as ‘Operation Vulcan’.
This comes after the force established thirty-three organised crime gangs that had links to the area, which has been notorious for not only the sale of counterfeit goods, but also for illegal immigration, modern-day slavery, human trafficking and women being forced to work as sex workers.
According to police, these gangs each have links to mass money laundering, firearms, drugs, modern-day slavery, immigration – ‘anything that will give them a profit’.
Google Maps
Buildings down Bury New Road have also been known to house cannabis farms, with residents commonly selling prescription drugs and other illegal substances.
But now, after decades of raids on the shops in order to seize and replenish tonnes of counterfeit clothing and goods, GMP is to work with Manchester City Council and other organisations to deliver a permanent solution.
Detective Supt Neil Blackwood, who is heading Operation Vulcan, said, as per the Manchester Evening News: “This comes directly from our Chief Constable. He has described Cheetham Hill as a place that is criminally hostile and he is not prepared to have that in his force area.
“Counterfeiting has been around for a very long time but the criminality has shifted into prescription drugs; people being exploited sexually and for their labour, and illegal immigration – a microcosm of criminality.”
GMP
And when asked if Operation Vulcan would eventually see the demolition of the buildings used for counterfeit sales and other crimes, he said: “Yes. We are going for closure orders, with Manchester City Council, then compulsory purchase orders.
“We are probably in the position of clear, hold, build. Clear it, and hold, so no one comes back, and then its Manchester City Council’s gift to give in terms of rebuilding. Most of those buildings will end up at the end of a bulldozer. Most unrecoverable, because they have been chopped and changed around.
“There has been a lack of consistency – we are there one day not the next, and that is where our chief has recognised that is a problem. So, we will be there everyday. I have more patience than them.”
He added that there is an established red-light district at the back of Strangeways, with people of Eastern European and Asian heritage saying they ‘don’t want to be here doing this’.
GMP
“In Cheetham Hill last year there were thirty-two referrals to the National Referral Mechanism. We are talking about street workers, some of whom have been here quite a long time.”
And speaking of the number of cannabis farms found in the area, Blackwood said Albanian gangs had taken vacant properties and converted them into the farms before forcing a ‘diverse range of people’ to work in them.
He said: “We are going into properties and finding people who are saying ‘I am not allowed out of here. I grow this, and that is my debt being paid off’. We are talking £10,000 per person.
“This is organised crime – counterfeit goods will make them a profit and counterfeit pregabalin which can kill people, makes them a profit.”
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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