BREAKING: Greater Manchester Police to be placed in special measures

direct to your inboxA Greater Manchester Police officer who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed.Farooq Ahmed, 37, walked into a police station with a confession note before Christmas.

direct to your inboxThe streets were empty as Greater Manchester said goodbye to 2020 and ushered in a new year - but many were determined to keep alive at least one tradition.Our video from Werneth Low shows how many parts of Greater Manchester were ablaze with colour as people set off fireworks at midnight to celebrate the arrival of 2021.Around 200 socially distanced people gathered on the popular spot to watch the moment our region said goodbye to 2020 and ushered in the New Year.Car horns

direct to your inboxIt has been a year like no other.However Great Mancunians have still made headlines across the world, for all sorts of reasons.Here we look at those who have put the region on the map in 2020, a year we will never forget.2020 has undoubtedly belonged to Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford.However it is his incredible work off the pitch which has made the headlines, even more than his impressive goal-scoring feats on it.The Withington-born and Wythenshawe raised

direct to your inbox"It's absolutely gut-wrenching."Hair salon owner Jane Nixon describes how she felt as Matt Hancock announced that Greater Manchester would be moving into Tier 4.And it's a feeling thousands of business owners across the region will be familiar with.A change in restrictions, businesses finally being allowed to open then being forced to shut again just a few weeks later.

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has said that Greater Manchester's move into Tier 4 is "justified" but has encouraged a more national approach.The Mayor of Greater Manchester held his final coronavirus press conference of 2020 after the region was placed under the toughest restrictions.From 00.01 on Thursday, millions of people have been subjected to a stay home order with non-essential businesses also forced to close.During his press conference, Mr Burnham confirmed that the new variant of

direct to your inboxDoctors and paramedics say they are bracing themselves for a new tide of Covid patients to hit Greater Manchester's hospitals within weeks. Speaking as plans for the region's move to Tier 4 were announced and the return to school for secondary pupils was delayed, Dr Carole Gavin, a consultant in Greater Manchester, said concerns were growing as hospitals in the south battle to find beds as infection rates - largely found to be caused by the new mutant strain - rise.

direct to your inboxA Greater Manchester Police chief has urged people to stay at home in Tier 4 tomorrow night instead of celebrating New Year's Eve as they normally would. Under Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, people are required by law to remain at home unless they need to leave their home for essential reasons.

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direct to your inboxGreater Manchester is to be placed into the toughest Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, Matt Hancock has announced.The Health Secretary made an announcement on the tiering review across England in the House of Commons this afternoon, revealing yet more areas will face the strictest restrictions.The aim is to reduce social contact in Tier 4 areas - previously limited to London, parts of the South East and the East of England.Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police has referred itself to the police watchdog after three people were found dead at a property in Failsworth.Officers were called to Oldham Road by paramedics responding to a report of concern for welfare at 3.30pm on Monday.Three people were pronounced dead at the scene.But the force has voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as officers had attended the same address on December 23. An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have

discovery of the Nazi symbol in a police officer's locker at Pendleton police station in Salford on July 19 prompted a significant criminal investigation, which included samples being taken for DNA analysis. But five months on the M.E.N.

direct to your inboxA former police rep says any culture shift within Greater Manchester Police must start with the region’s mayor.Ian Hanson says Andy Burnham must deal directly with those delivering the service if the force is to make important changes after it was placed into ‘special measures’.Mr Hanson - who retired as GMP’s Federation chairman in 2018 - claims Mr Burnham met with him just once during his tenure.He has accused the mayor of “shouldering” responsibility for policing to his

GMP in areas including Wardley and Bolton town centre on Wednesday (December 22).  Police traffic officers stopped the driver of an Audi A3 on Manchester Road in Wardley. They claim the driver’s MOT test certificate had expired on January 8 this year.In a tweet, officers said: “XT58 stopped this Audi A3 on Manchester Road Wardley. Test certificate expired 8th Jan 2020.

direct to your inboxTwo men from Greater Manchester who won £20,000 on the hit BBC show Race Across the World have donated their prize money to charity.Emon Choudhury, 36, from Stockport, beat four other teams to win the race alongside his nephew Jamiul Choudhury, 25, from Oldham.The pair beat the odds to complete an epic 54-day journey from Mexico City to the south of Argentina for the second series of the BBC2 show.On their travels, the men were visibly moved by the number of homeless children

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police may have to send some of its officers to Kent in the event of a no deal Brexit.Deputy mayor for crime and policing, Beverley Hughes said during a press conference that the force had been asked to offer 'mutual aid' if the situation warranted it.The deadline for a deal on Brexit set by the European Parliament passed with no sign of progress and may now go on until December 31 - when the transition period is due to end.Dept Hughes expressed concerns

direct to your inboxAn elderly couple were conned out of thousands of pounds at Christmas by evil fraudsters who claimed to be Greater Manchester Police officers.Police chiefs have issued a festive fraud warning as a result.Detectives are investigating after the couple handed over bundles of £50 notes.The victims - who haven't been identified - visited their banks and building societies to withdraw cash.Police haven't revealed the exact sum involved, but said it was 'thousands of pounds'.The

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police are still unable to answer non-emergency phone calls this morning - almost 24 hours after the problem first emerged.The force says all major systems are online, but there is a technical fault affecting the 101 service.People are being urged to report non-emergency incidents online via GMP’s website while bosses work with BT to fix the problem.The issue is not thought to be related to the force’s troubled new computer system iOPS.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police says 'technical difficulties' are preventing staff from answering non-emergency calls this morning (Monday).The force reported the problem via Twitter just after 8.30am on Monday morning (December 21).The message warned that those who need to contact police should use the reporting facilities on GMP’s website.People are still being urged to call 999 in an emergency.Greater Manchester Police tweeted: “We're currently experiencing some technical

direct to your inboxThis is the man who will take over the top job at Greater Manchester Police - for now - after the resignation today of chief constable Ian Hopkins.Ian Pilling, currently GMP's deputy chief constable, will 'step up' as the force's interim chief, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said.Mr Burnham added he would set in motion the search for Mr Hopkins' permanent replacement in the new year, saying: "Now is the time for new leadership and a new era in our police

direct to your inboxThe chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Ian Hopkins, has resigned, the force announced today.