The town that got 'grim' as shops closed 'one by one'... now it's been given £20 million

Mancunians were left pondering as a mysterious purple glow emerged in the sky last night. Residents posted on social media about seeing an unusual light above the streets, and shared images with the Manchester Evening News from around Greater Manchester.

They could have chosen any city in the world for their fashion spectacular but Chanel chose Manchester. Three hours before the models took to the Métiers d’Art catwalk Bruno Pavlovsky, the brand's president, told us why.

Emmerdale viewers appear to have called Tracy Metcalfe's bluff as she continues to ramp up her affair with Caleb Milligan. She only recently tied the knot with Nate Robinson but a sudden clinch with his uncle last month has seen Tracy unable to stay away since.

Martin Lewis has issued a message to anyone with a student loan, as over one million people overpaid on their loan repayments in the last tax year. It means students could be owed hundreds of pounds.

A popular cake shop in the city centre is handing out Willy Wonka-style golden tickets to customers this week giving them a chance to win big just in time for Christmas.

Erik ten Hag insists he can still be the man to bring success to Manchester United and points to his managerial success at other clubs as evidence he is the right man for the job.

A Dragon Market will take over Chinatown on Sunday for the first time ever - featuring a range of stalls from independent makers and local businesses.

One of Manchester Airport’s lounges has been named among the worst in the UK according to a study by consumer group Which?. The Manchester Terminal 1 Escape Lounge received a score of just one and a half stars based on secret inspections.

Strictly Come Dancing fans were a bit distracted by Nigel Harman's appearance during the latest live show as he made an admission. The actor made a surprise appearance on the BBC One show on Saturday night (December 2) after pulling out of the competition just hours before the live show.

More of Salford’s social housing is being moved into public ownership with 56 properties transferred to the city council’s property company. The authority’s property and regeneration committee approved the move for the properties at the former St Luke’s school site in the Weaste and Seedley ward on a 1,000-year lease for social and affordable rent.

Police in Greater Manchester plan to use artificial intelligence roadside cameras to detect people scrolling and messaging on phones while driving. The force say the ‘spy in the sky’ technology will not only be able to spot those with a phone to their ear but those using handsets lower down in the vehicle.

England came back from two goals down to beat the Netherlands and keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the UEFA Women's Nations League alive.

Three members of a criminal network that smuggled more than £100m in illicit cash from the UK to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been found guilty of money laundering offences. The trio - which includes a man from Wigan - were paid around £3,000 for each trip they took to Dubai.

In a packed courtroom, a voice quivering with nerves could be heard from behind a screen.

A judge blasted convicted rapist Lawrence Jones as having a 'misogynistic view of women' as she jailed him for 15 years. The 55-year-old founder of Manchester tech company UK Fast attacked two women in the 1990s while he was a piano player in pubs and hotels across the city.

Andy Hardiment, assistant manager at discount store OneBelow in Hyde, Tameside, is recalling some of the more notable incidents of shoplifting he's witnessed recently. "The other week two girls came in and in three minutes they took about £100 of stuff - things like candles, Dove soap," he said.

This is all that remains of a once-legendary nightclub and music venue which had a ‘brilliant’ feature.

It’s less than five weeks until Christmas Day, so it’s time to start thinking about buying gifts if you haven’t already started. While Christmas shopping usually fills people with dread, it doesn’t have to be that way.

"What's going on? Is it your works' Christmas Dinner?" That was the wry comment from one elderly lady as streams of uniformed cops made their way out of Stockport Plaza and onto the streets of the town centre.

A judge has told jurors to decide on the 'ultimate issue' of whether the complainants are 'truthful and reliable' in the trial of UK Fast founder Lawrence Jones. Mr Jones, 55, denies two offences of rape.