Calls for pupils to repeat school year after learning time lost in lockdown

Bury. Officers were called to a property in Daisyfield Court, off Bolton Road, at about 6.30pm on Wednesday (February 17) to a report of concern for the welfare of a man.

direct to your inboxHundreds of people have called a helpline for crime victims unhappy with how Greater Manchester Police has handled their cases.The crime support line was established by mayor Andy Burnham after the force failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year - including one in four violent crimes.But the helpline will be closed down from tomorrow (Friday February 19) due to a ‘very low number’ of new callers in recent weeks.There have been 240 calls to the helpline since it launched in

Get the inside track on the big stories from Manchester courts with our weekly newsletterA pensioner who strangled his wife to death after he 'snapped' days into the first UK lockdown has been jailed.Anthony Williams, 70, told police he “literally choked the living daylights” out of his wife of 46 years on the morning of March 28 last year at their home in south Wales.Williams was cleared of murder following a trial in which a psychologist argued his anxiety “was heightened” because of lockdown,

direct to your inboxThe Greater Manchester Pension Fund has been criticised for its ‘woeful’ response to calls to divest from fossil fuel firms and align itself with local climate change policies.GMPF, the largest local government pension scheme in the UK, invests more than £1bn in oil and gas stocks each year, a strategy which has proven controversial amongst environmental campaigners.However the fund says it is also the largest investor in renewable energy and energy efficiency with £500m tied

list of more than 100 schools that mums, dads and grandparents said had gone 'above and beyond' to support pupils and families.

direct to your inboxArmed police were sent to a street in Manchester following reports of “shots fired”.Officers are currently working at Sandown Street in the Abbey Hey area of Gorton.Emergency crews were called to the area shortly before 4.30pm this afternoon (February 13).Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said no evidence of a firearms discharge has been found.Nobody has been injured and no arrests have been made, they added.Images taken at the scene show armed officers conversing with

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes making people prove their identity before opening a social media account is key to stopping abuse and threats online. In recent weeks, football has seen a rise in players being abused online and on Thursday England’s football bodies united to call on Facebook and Twitter to do more to stop it.

direct to your inboxA cafe in Burnage found to have been breaching lockdown rules by allowing customers to dine inside has been closed down by the police and council.Police were called to Kate & Luc Cafe on Burnage Lane on Sunday afternoon after reports that '100 people' had gathered there, with 14 fines handed out by officers.Owner Lucjan Domanski, 38, has since been charged with assaulting a police officer.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police say they are investigating a video involving a man who 'appears to be struck by a police officer' in Burnage.Officers had been responding to reports of a coronavirus breach of '100 people in a café' on Burnage Lane on Sunday afternoon (February 7).Police said the incident occurred as they were arresting a 38-year-old man on suspicion of assault and resisting arrest.The video, which has been widely circulated on social media shows a man being

straight to your inbox every day for freeTwo fire engines dashed to Manchester United's team hotel hours before the team's scheduled Premier League game against Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his United players arrived at The Lowry Hotel in Salford at lunchtime on Saturday, just moments before emergency services arrived on the scene.The MEN understands a chef at the hotel had accidentally set off a fire alarm, triggering the response from the fire service.

reported earlier this week how there were calls from some families for children to start their current year from scratch in September.

direct to your inboxPolice are investigating after the death of a man in Trafford today.Emergency services were called to an address on Barwell Road, Sale, at just after 10am.It followed calls from people concerned for his welfare.Greater Manchester Police confirmed the man, who has not been identified, died despite the best efforts of paramedics at the scene.His death is not being treated as suspicious, the force said.GMP confirmed enquiries were ongoing, however, to establish the full

direct to your inboxCouncillors are calling for up to 25 Manchester city centre roads closed temporarily due to the pandemic to become permanently pedestrianised.A string of streets within the inner ring road were closed to car traffic under emergency legislation brought in by the government last year to allow people more room to social distance.Now a number of city centre councillors are pushing for a review to examine whether the closures can be made permanent.Piccadilly ward councillor

Do you think a proper plan needs to be outlined now for how the government intends to fully reopen schools? Would you rather be given a proposed date for the reopening or wait until something can be set in stone? Let us know in the comments here, or share your views on our Manchester Family Facebook page. When it comes to vaccinating teachers and school staff, Mr Chalke says it would be a lot easier than the government makes it sound."There's around a million school staff," he said.

direct to your inboxResidents at a block of flats have spoken of the moment they were evacuated from their homes as part of a major investigation into organised crime - which has seen suspected guns and grenades seized and a man pinned down in the street by armed cops.Police, backed by bomb disposal officers, swooped on Milton Close in Stretford on Friday night (January 29).

direct to your inboxTrafford council has called on Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to set out ‘an action plan’ to address the city-region’s police force being placed into special measures.A motion submitted by the Liberal Democrats party at last night’s full council meeting passed, with a Labour amendment.Around 8,000 crimes in Trafford went unrecorded by GMP’s systems last year – 80,000 across the city region.The motion called for clear steps to be outlined as to how Greater Manchester

Manchester Evening News' Digital Donation on Friday - which raised £188.6k in financial contributions and new and used tech data packages for the region's children - Cash for Connectivity aims to fund the purchase of dongles, inexpensive hardware to connect laptops and up to five other devices per household to the internet.

direct to your inboxManchester Airport has called for a 'clear plan' to help the travel industry navigate its way out of the pandemic following the announcement of strict new measures to limit flying abroad. Hub bosses say the new restrictions, including a directive to airlines to quiz people about their reasons for travel prior to boarding, will have 'limited impact' on their already diminished number of passengers.