Bolton in 2020 - a historic year in pictures

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was placed in ‘special measures’ following a damning inspection report last month.

direct to your inbox"There were four of us at the start of 2020, now there's two."These are the desperately sad words of Suzanne Selby from Heywood after Covid-19 tore through her family. She spoke to the Manchester Evening News to pay tribute to her brother Alan and dad Karl, and to plead with the public to take the threat of the virus seriously.

Bolton has more than doubled in one week. A total of 73 cases were recorded in Breightmet North in the seven days up to January 11, according to data from Public Health England (PHE).It marks an increase of 39 cases on the previous week and leaves the area with an infection rate of 858 cases per 100,000 people.Gorse Hill area, in Stretford, and Moss Side West were the only areas in Greater Manchester to record a higher infection rate over the same period.

Teesside Live reported.Prosecuting, Francis Fitzgibbon QC described the alleged murder as a 'carefully planned' attack on a man they were in a dispute with who had to be 'got rid of'.Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletterYou can sign up very simply by following the instructions hereMr Fitzgibbon said: “The prosecution say each of these defendants played a vital role with at least four other men who have evaded arrest.”Jurors were

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Wanderers manager Ian Evatt as to whether this was a tactical move - but the Wanderers manager confirmed this was not the case. With Greater Manchester and the North West now placed in tier 4 of national coronavirus restrictions, Evatt confirmed the move was purely part of protocols to reduce the risk posed by the virus and was a health and safety measure.

direct to your inboxAs the clock struck midnight this New Year, snow fell onto the empty streets of Manchester city centre.Fireworks filled the sky as people celebrated at home and some shouted 'Happy New Year' from their balconies.Earlier in the evening, there was an eerie feel as fog masked much of the city and temperatures dropped to almost freezing.The usual nightlife hotspots were empty.Shutters were down on bars and pubs, though some, who perhaps had a glimmer of hope that they would be

direct to your inboxAs 2020 draws to a close - the festivities are a bit different for a lot of us.Due to the imposition of strict covid restrictions across the UK, a lot of the usual celebrations are not going ahead.Here in Manchester, the usual firework display held in the city centre has also been cancelled.However, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the end of the year in style.Across the world, as the clock strikes midnight, countries have been putting on huge firework displays which

direct to your inboxThere's no simple way to sum up 2020.Overwhelming, terrifying, resilient, heroic and hopeful -  life, at times this year, seemed to be all those things and a hundred others all at once.Schools closed, supermarket shelves were emptied, millions of people were furloughed or working from home and our high streets became ghost towns.Few people will regard 2020 with fondness.But in years to come many will remember it with pride.Here we take a look back at the headlines of the last

Bolton is the largest town in the country without a direct train service to the capital and with the recent electrification of the line, transport leaders believe it is the ideal time for that to be rectified.

direct to your inbox It’s been a very difficult year, we know - but there’s hope on the horizon. For most people, 2020 was a year to be consigned to the history books.But amid the darkness and sadness, there were moments of light.

new restaurants due to open in 2020, published this time last year, and realise that around half of them never opened, to realise how brutal this year has been for hospitality. We've said goodbye to some of the city's biggest names this year, including tapas trifecta Lunya, Tapeo and Wine, and Iberica, as well as institutions like the Earth Cafe and Apotheca.

direct to your inboxWe take a look at Manchester City Women's calendar year, from Nick Cushing's departure to Lucy Bronze's Best in the World award.With the division decided on points per game after the league was curtailed, Manchester City finished second in the Women’s Super League and earned themselves a spot in the 2020/21 Champions League.The final game of the season, a 3-3 draw between City and Chelsea at the Academy Stadium, ended up being the title decider.

Get breaking news first on the free Manchester Evening News app - download it here for your Apple or Android device. You can also get a round-up of the biggest stories sent direct to your inbox every day with the MEN email newsletter - subscribe here. And you can follow us on Facebook here.