Manchester MP warns city centres will become 'ghost towns' without urgent support

sites it wants to open in Greater Manchester, released in 2019.

direct to your inboxAn NHS worker who organised a protest over the government's 1 per cent pay offer in Manchester city centre has been fined £10,000. Karen Reissmann, a mental health worker and Unison rep, was among those who turned up for the demonstration in St Peter's Square at midday on Sunday.

direct to your inboxPolice officers stopped a nurses' protest held in St Peter's Square today.Health workers organised the demonstration in response to the Government's proposed 1 per cent pay rise for NHS workers.Yet the small, peaceful rally was halted by over a dozen officers from Greater Manchester Police shortly after midday.It is not clear why protestors were moved on but organisers at the demonstration claimed they had been told they would be fined for breaching coronavirus laws if they

straight to your inbox every day for freeGary Neville's transfer dream of Manchester United signing Raphael Varane could become a reality this summer as Real Madrid may plan to sell the defender.Real have become eager to cash in on Varane after the defender's resistance to a new contract and now MEN Sport understands that the Spanish giants are willing to sell him to the Reds in the upcoming transfer window.Neville has previously discussed his desire for United to sign Varane, Kylian Mbappe and

direct to your inboxA pedestrian has been hit by a tram in Manchester city centre.The collision happened in Market Street at around 1.15pm today (March 2).An ambulance attended but no serious injuries have been reported, police said.No arrests have been made.Metrolink trams on the Bury line to Piccadilly Station were unable to operate for around 40 minutes while emergency workers dealt with the incident.At around 1.20pm Manchester Metrolink tweeted: “Due to an incident at Market Street, we are

direct to your inboxPolice found a quantity of suspected drugs after shots were fired from one car at another racing through the city centre last night.St Peter's Square has been reopened following extensive searches by Greater Manchester Police today.Officers responded to reports of suspected gunshots and a car crashed into a lamppost at around 8.30pm on Saturday evening.They found a silver Vauxhall Astra abandoned at the scene.Following a short footchase, three teenagers were arrested on

direct to your inboxTwo cars chased each other through Manchester city centre before multiple gunshots were fired last night, eyewitnesses have said.A large police cordon remained in place in St Peter's Square on Sunday morning after the shocking incident unfolded at around 8.30pm on Saturday evening.A silver Vauxhall continues to be examined by forensics officers at the spot where it was abandoned between the Metrolink stop and Wagamama restaurant.Crime scene markers were laid out across the

direct to your inboxA fire has broken out in the basement kitchen of a popular city centre restaurant.The fire service was called to Yang Sing on Princess Street shortly before 11am this morning, after receiving a number of calls from the public about visible smoke.Six fire engines attended and firefighters are still at the scene.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 hereThe

direct to your inboxA large cordon was in place in Manchester city centre on Saturday night after police were called to reports of shots fired.Officers were called to St Peter's Square just before 8.30pm following reports of a suspected firearms discharge and a road traffic collision.Emergency services quickly attended and found an abandoned vehicle on the tram tracks in the square.No one is believed to have been injured in the incident.Two 16-year-old boys and a 19-year-old man have been

direct to your inbox Firefighters tackled a blaze at a high-rise building in Manchester city centre this morning.

which has provoked strong local opposition.Councillors had been asked to consider the £130m plans for the tower housing 853 student flats - described by critics as a ‘tombstone’ or ‘caramel wafer’ - in January.If approved, the 165m building on the corner of Hulme Street and Great Marlborough Street would be one of the tallest in Manchester.It would also dwarf the neighbouring 37-storey Liberty Heights and 32-storey UNITE student apartment complexes.The committee delayed making a decision in

direct to your inboxCalls have been made for cars to be banned from the city centre as part of Manchester council’s plans to change the way people travel.The suggestion was one of several put forward by members of public as part of a consultation on a new transport strategy for the city.Manchester council wants 90 per cent of all trips to the city centre to be made on foot, by bike or using public transport by 2040.To meet their ambitions the town hall is looking at several proposals including

straight to your inbox every day for freeThomas Tuchel has revealed that he has spoken to Callum Hudson-Odoi in front of the entire Chelsea squad after his much-publicised criticism of the England winger.In his side's 1-1 Premier League draw at Southampton, the German head coach - who replaced club legend Frank Lampard at the Stamford Bridge helm last month - took the drastic measure of substituting one of his substitutes.That was Hudson-Odoi, who could be in line to start at Atletico Madrid in

direct to your inboxBoris Johnson has expressed confidence that city centres such as Manchester will 'bounce back' from the coronavirus pandemic.At a Downing Street press conference tonight, the Prime Minister was asked about fears that cities are 'staring disaster in the face' due to restrictions that are likely to last until mid-summer and perhaps drive a more fundamental shift in living and working trends."I think there will be changes as a result of the pandemic, I think it will accelerate

direct to your inboxBorussia Dortmund fans have a new transfer theory about Jadon Sancho following his latest goal for the club.Sancho has been a priority transfer target for Manchester United for a number of years now. The club attempted to sign the former Manchester City youngster in the summer transfer window, however, the 20-year-old ended up staying in Germany as Dortmund stood firm over their €120million asking price.

straight to your inbox every day for freeDonny van de Beek has been urged to remain patient at Manchester United as he bids to establish himself in English football. Van de Beek has found his first-team chances limited since arriving at Old Trafford from Ajax during last summer's transfer window.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United fans have been sent wild by Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho's performances for Borussia Dortmund against Schalke.The duo fired Dortmund into a 2-0 first-half lead against their rivals, with both goals coming in the space of three minutes before half-time.Haaland's goal was a particular highlight, with the Norwegian forward seeming to hang in the air before producing a kung-fu kick to fire home Sancho's cross.

direct to your inboxManchester United fans have urged the club to snap up Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window following his latest heroics for Borussia Dortmund.Haaland scored twice and set one up in the first half of the first leg of Dortmund's Champions League last 16 tie against Sevilla.The German side went behind early on at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to a goal from Fernandez Saez but Haaland provided the assist for Mahmoud Dahoud to equaliser in the 19th minute.Haaland then

Big Grillie Style, Burgerize, and a new partnership between Crazy Pedro's and Eat New York. Even Manchester's only Michelin-star restaurant has joined the burger bandwagon this year, with Mana launching a takeaway burger service that's consistently sold out for weeks on end.

Canvas Manchester, a new gig venue and events space.