A 13-year-old girl has been involved in a random attack while walking along Stour Road in Astley this past weekend.
Her father is now appealing to the public for information after the girl was punched in the face during the unprovoked incident, which occurred early in the evening last Saturday.
She was said to have been approached by the man, who let his dog pull towards her, despite her walking into the road to avoid them, and as she carried on past and turned to go up a ginnel leading to Helston Way, he turned around and ran after her, pulling her by her hair and punching her in the face.
Just moments earlier, the girl had been on the phone to her mum, telling her she was almost home after walking the short distance from a friend’s house, and her mum could even hear the shouts from the incident.
The girl – who is a black belt in jiu jitsu – managed to fight him off however.
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A video of the incident has been widely shared on social media after the girl’s dad, who wishes to remain anonymous, managed to track down CCTV footage.
The footage shows the offender walking his black dog – thought to be a pug or a French bulldog – in the direction of Chancery Close.
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He is wearing an orange zip-up top, and what look like jogging bottoms.
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Like most parents with teenage children, the girl’s parents had only recently been allowing her some extra freedom to walk alone, and they believe it’s thanks to her martial arts training that she was able to fight the attacker off.
The girl’s father said the attack has now made them extra cautious.
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Relaying the incident, the dad-of-one said: “She’s understandably shaken and she’s been a bit subdued since it happened. It’s frightened her quite a bit. Her mum was waiting on the doorstep as she was nearly home and just after she put the phone down, my wife heard everything down the street.”
He continued: “He never said a word to her when his dog pulled towards her”
“She didn’t think anything of it, I think she had been looking at the dog more than anything. She was nearly home and the next thing he’s pulled her hair, tried to drag her to the floor and punched her in the face.
“She’s used to being punched in jiu jitsu so she fought back and managed to get away.
“She’s not badly bruised, he punched her cheek, but it’s lucky that she knows how to defend herself and she defended herself very well, using her skills to get out of the situation.”
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“She only goes out with a few close friends from school and we usually pick them up [but] it’s only since COVID we’ve said she can walk home as we can’t have them in the car. She didn’t have far to walk at all from her friends,
“But we won’t be letting her do it alone now.”
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Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “Police were called to a report of assault. A girl aged 13 was walking along a ginnel linking Helston Way and Stour Road when she was assaulted by a man who was walking a dog.
“Enquiries are ongoing to trace the offender [but] no arrests have currently been made.
“Police are aware of a video purporting to show the lead up to the assault.”
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The incident happened at around 6.30pm on Saturday 28th November. The man was bald or with short hair, and is thought to have been around 40 years old.
After the assault, he ran back out of the alley in the direction of Glastonbury Road.
Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 7124 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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Morrisons is introducing ‘sensory support boxes’ in stores for autistic and neurodiverse customers
Emily Sergeant
Morrisons is introducing ‘sensory support boxes’ for autistic and neurodiverse customers shopping in its stores across the UK.
Supermarket shopping isn’t always the most pleasant or manageable of experiences for everyone, especially for those who are autistic or neurodivergent – with bright lights, loud sounds, strong smells, and crowds of people making it a rather overwhelming and overstimulating atmosphere.
This is why Morrisons has decided to collaborate with the National Autistic Society to introduce dedicated ‘Sensory Support Boxes’ at its stores nationwide, as a way to both mark World Autism Acceptance Month, and help autistic and neurodivergent customers have the positive shopping experience they deserve.
These boxes have been carefully-developed in consultation with the National Autistic Society to ensure they include the most helpful items.
A range of toys like fidget balls, spinners, and squish mats can all be found inside the boxes – which will be eventually be available in all 500 Morrisons supermarkets by May – to help encourage calmness and focus.
All that customers wishing to access the items need to do is simply speak to a colleague at the customer service kiosk of their local Morrisons store.
More than one in 100 people are autistic, and there are 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.
Morrisons is introducing ‘sensory support boxes’ in stores for autistic and neurodiverse customers / Credit: Morrisons
Speaking on the decision to introduce the Sensory Support Boxes into UK stores, Joseph Clark-Bland, who is the Community Manager at Morrisons, said: “It’s a priority for us to ensure all Morrisons customers feel welcomed and understood.
“We’re proud to be leading the way in creating a more inclusive shopping environment for autistic people, their families and all neurodivergent people across the UK.
“World Autism Acceptance Month has been a key moment for Morrisons for many years, and we look forward to supporting even more customers via our new Sensory Boxes.”
The introduction of the Sensory Support Boxes comes after Morrisons first trialled a ‘Quieter Hour’ in some of its stores back in 2018, before rolling it out nationwide in 2024 due to its success and positive feedback.
Featured Image – Morrisons
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Greater Manchester cinemas to screen family-favourite films for just £2.50 this spring
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester cinemas will be screening family-favourite films, and some new releases, all throughout this upcoming spring holidays.
The best bit? Prices start from a massively-affordable £2.50 a ticket.
With Easter right around the corner, and schools across Greater Manchester set to be on their spring holidays in a couple of weeks time, parents and carers will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained while schools are out.
But now it’s time to take care of those film lovers… and also those keen to plan budget-friendly events that also take into account the classic Manchester April showers.
Cinema chain Vue has announced its lineup of family blockbusters showing at venues across Greater Manchester this spring – including Printworks, Lowry, Bolton, Altrincham, and Bury.
Arriving in time for the school holidays, A Minecraft Movie welcomes fans to their favourite cubic wonderland, while the whole family can instead transport themselves into Disney’s reimagining of the 1937 classic Snow White if they’d prefer.
Also returning to the big screen are childhood classics like Wallace & Gromit: Curse of The Were-Rabbit, 20 years after its original release, and the beloved Babe, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary.
Greater Manchester cinemas will be screening family-favourite films for just £2.50 this spring / Credit: Disney | Aardman Animations
And as part of Vue’s ‘Mighty Mornings’ offering, film fans can enjoy pre-releases of family-friendly flicks like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Moana 2 every day throughout half term, all from just £2.49 per ticket when booked online.
“A trip to Vue this Easter break is the perfect opportunity for families to immerse themselves in the magic of their favourite big screen characters,” commented Rob Lea, who is the Head of Screen Content at Vue UK & Ireland.
The Manc -
1st December 2020 
