Is this the end of a 'difficult, overly-defensive culture' at GMP? Our leaders react as Ian Hopkins quits as Chief Constable... having presided over 'deep problems that every MP knew about'

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has defended his handling of the crisis at Greater Manchester Police, saying: "I'm absolutely happy to be held to account". The force was put in special measures following a damning inspection report last month which found it failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.

direct to your inboxEngland has been put into a national lockdown from today as millions wake up to tough new restrictions. Everybody in England has been told to stay at home and only leave the house for a number of select reasons, including shopping for essentials and medical appointments.

direct to your inbox2020 was an extraordinary year - and as the curtain opens on a new one, life remains bleak for many.Unemployment is at a record high, entire industries are still shut down, and the economy has certainly seen better days.

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straight to your inbox every day for freeOle Gunnar Solskjaer has done more than enough to highlight his credentials as a Manchester United manager but there are still flickers of the naivety that cause bring the doubts back to the surface. Eric Bailly, recalled in the Premier League for the first time since October 4th, and Harry Maguire, Solskjaer's record signing, watched the ball and not the man with five minutes on the clock.

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

direct to your inboxThe new highly transmissible strain of Covid-19 is not thought to have reached Greater Manchester yet, say the region's health leaders. A variant of the virus, which is said to be behind huge spikes in the south of England, is believed to have already reached parts of Cumbria.

direct to your inboxManchester United remain unbeaten in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League as they recorded a 6-1 victory against Bristol City in their final match of 2020.Leah Galton, Millie Turner, Jess Sigsworth and Tobin Heath were all on the scoresheet for Casey Stoney’s side while Ebony Salmon scored Bristol’s goal.The Manchester United manager was pleased her team claimed another win, saying: "It is nice to go in top at the break but we can only control what we can, and we did that

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins is standing down after his force was placed in special measures on Thursday because of concerns over its failure to record more than 80,000 crimes in the space of a year.Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it was left "deeply troubled" over how cases handled by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were closed without proper investigation.In a statement, Mr Hopkins said: "These

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

straight to your inbox every day for freeTwo goals conceded within the first two minutes set the tone for an abysmal showing by Manchester United U23 away to league leaders Chelsea in a game that ended 6-1.

direct to your inbox Readers of the Manchester Evening News have been reacting to the announcement that Greater Manchester Police will be placed in ‘special measures’ following a damning inspection report. In an exclusive report published last night, the M.E.N revealed how Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for policing has escalated GMP into what is officially known as the ‘national oversight process’.

Bolton Council leader, Conservative councillor David Greenhalgh told the Manchester Evening News : "I am frustrated and disappointed at the decision to keep us in Tier 3.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester’s political leaders have criticised the government’s decision to place the area under the strictest coronavirus rules – but Rochdale’s leader has welcomed the news.Trafford’s director for public health, Eleanor Roaf, said she doesn’t believe Greater Manchester is being ‘punished’.She said: “I think really, unfortunately, in Greater Manchester we happen to have a lot of things that put our population at greater risk – more people in lower paid work, more

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester leaders have urged the government to base their review of tiering arrangements on what is happening in the north of England instead of the south.Mayor Andy Burnham remains confident that there is a case for all ten boroughs to come out of Tier 3 at once with Covid-19 infection rates falling by 20 per cent since December 2.However he admitted ahead of the government’s announcement tomorrow that it was ‘more borderline’ in boroughs where rates remain above

direct to your inboxThe Chief Constable of Greater Manchester has taken sick leave due to a debilitating ear condition.Ian Hopkins has been living with the illness for several months, but decided to take time off work as it worsened.In a statement, he said: "I would not normally wish to discuss my personal health in public."However, I am happy to share the following personal information."I have been suffering with labyrinthitis since the end of October.