Victim support helpline for people unhappy with Greater Manchester Police response to close - after getting 240 calls

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has asked Greater Manchester Police to review a £10,000 fine handed to the organiser of a NHS pay protest.Mental health worker Karen Reissmann was one of the organisers of an event to showcase anger over the Government's offer of a 1 per cent pay rise to NHS staff.She was one of several people who attended a 'socially-distanced and risk assessed' demonstration in St Peter's Square on Sunday afternoon (March 7) - which lasted less than ten minutes.Police issued Ms

direct to your inboxThree more people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals within 28 days of having a positive coronavirus test.It means the region's coronavirus hospital death toll is now 5,673, the latest NHS England figures show.All three deaths recorded in the last 24 hours took place at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.It brings the total number of covid-related fatalities at the hospital to 492. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths at hospital trusts in Greater

direct to your inboxAnother 12 people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.The latest NHS figures bring the region's coronavirus hospital death toll to 5,671.Six new deaths were recorded by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - the trust in charge of Wythenshawe Hospital and the Manchester Royal Infirmary.Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletterYou can sign up very simply by

direct to your inboxA further 11 people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.The latest NHS figures bring the region's hospital death toll to 5,659.Four more Covid-related deaths were recorded at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed three more deaths each.Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the

direct to your inbox Bolton continues to have the highest coronavirus infection rate in Greater Manchester, the latest figures show.

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has described Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget as a ‘packet of Polos’ boasting some ‘refreshing’ economic ideas - but with many policy-shaped holes.The mayor of Greater Manchester welcomed the extension of the furlough scheme, the Universal Credit uplift and grants for self-employed workers until September.The continuation of cuts to VAT and stamp duty, as well as a longer business rates holiday, were also seen as positive measures for the country’s post-pandemic

direct to your inboxWeaknesses in support for low-paid people who need to self-isolate risk both the government’s Covid-19 roadmap and Greater Manchester’s place within it, Andy Burnham has warned.The mayor said he had hoped government would strengthen the system as part of today’s Budget, but in the event, it was not mentioned.

direct to your inbox More than 5,500 people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals alone after contracting coronavirus. And tragically, this number continues to rise everyday.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has described harrowing body cam footage of an 'unlawfully killed' father begging to be freed as he was restrained by Metrolink-contracted staff as "one of the most distressing things you could see."He expressed sympathy to the friends and family of Jack Barnes, 29, who was pinned down outside Australasia restaurant on Deansgate in Manchester city centre.The dad-of-one had been involved in an altercation with staff at Victoria Station,

direct to your inboxBus and taxi drivers and teachers over the age of 50 should be given Covid jabs at the half-empty mass vaccination centre at the Etihad, say local leaders.Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has repeated calls on the government to give local authorities greater flexibility over how to use spare capacity at the site.Covid jabs are said to be ‘sitting in fridges’ as people belonging to the four groups on the government's vaccine priority list are waiting to be called

direct to your inboxHundreds of fines have been handed out for Covid breaches in Greater Manchester in the last week - including at weddings, house parties and Manchester Airport.Illegal barber shops in garden sheds, unlicensed backroom bars and crowded premises with no social distancing have been discovered during enforcement visits.The number of Covid-related incidents reported to police rose by almost a quarter in the last week as the half-term and a change in weather has seen more people

direct to your inboxAnother 16 people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for Covid-19.The region's hospital death toll has now reached 5,516, the latest NHS figures show.Five new deaths were recorded by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus has brought heartache to thousands of families across Greater Manchester.More than 5,200 people have died in our region's hospitals alone. And tragically, this number is continuing to rise.

direct to your inbox A further 18 people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.

direct to your inboxThe NHS has confirmed the deaths of 18 more patients in hospitals in Greater Manchester who had tested positive for coronavirus.Nationally, a further 309 hospital deaths were reported on Thursday.Of those, 42 were in hospitals in the north west region.Six further deaths have been recorded at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, with five more at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.Three further deaths were recorded at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh

direct to your inboxA 'very large' yoga gathering held in breach of coronavirus restrictions was broken up and a £10,000 Covid-19 fine issued, civic leaders have revealed.The gathering in Stockport was revealed today by the region's deputy mayor, Bev Hughes.No exact location - or other details - were revealed.It's not known whether the gathering was held indoors or outside.But Ms Hughes, speaking during an update on the pandemic situation across Greater Manchester hosted by mayor Andy Burnham,

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester residents will see the amount they pay in council tax towards mayoral functions carried out by Andy Burnham frozen from April.The combined authority agreed that increasing the precept would place a burden on people already struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic.With council tax set by local authorities already expected to rise in the coming years, leaders renewed calls on the government to provide them with more funding.A meeting of the Greater Manchester

direct to your inbox A further 19 people have died in our hospitals after contracting coronavirus, the latest NHS figures show.

direct to your inboxThe Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester held a closed meeting with Trafford council this week to discuss policing, following the city-region’s police force being placed into special measures.The meeting came after local calls for Mayor Andy Burnham to set out an action plan to bring Greater Manchester Police ‘up to scratch’ in Trafford.Conservative members of the council criticised the fact that the meeting was held in private and felt members of the public,

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham’s plan to freeze his mayoral tax on Greater Manchester residents from April is expected to be backed by regional leaders this week.The mayoral precept which appears on council tax bills goes towards funding the fire service, hundreds of beds for rough sleepers and free bus passes for young people.If approved by the Greater Manchester combined authority on Friday, council tax bills for Band B and Band D properties will stay at £70.73 and £90.95 respectively during