A phased reopening of local libraries will commence from July 4, Manchester Council has confirmed.
Eight selected libraries will initially welcome back customers on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays from 11am – 3pm; with books reservable online from June 29.
Library visitors will be allowed 30 minutes of browsing; taking out a maximum of six books at any one time.
A limited number of computers will also be available to pre-book.
Hand sanitisers will be placed at each entrance, and every library will be taking care to restrict the number of visitors on site.
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Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent, carer or older sibling.
The eight Manchester libraries returning during the first phase are:
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Chorlton Library
City Library (at Central Library)
Didsbury Library
Gorton Library
Longsight Library
Newton Heath Library
Withington Library
Forum Library, Wythenshawe
With the exception of City Library, all these libraries will open an hour earlier at 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays for residents aged over 60.
Any books taken out before quarantine have been renewed until the end of July – meaning borrowers will not incur fines.
Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, said: “Since the pandemic forced us to close our libraries in March, we’ve done everything possible to connect residents with books, information and activities online.
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“However, we’ve really missed seeing them and are keen to welcome them back to their libraries in person.
“This is only the start of the reopening process, which needs to be done in a careful and gradual way, but it is nevertheless an important step forward and one we’re looking forward to.
He continued: “Social distancing is still very much a requirement at all times. This is why, at this stage, we’re only able to open selected libraries for restricted numbers of visitors at a time, but we will be keeping this under review over the course of the summer.
“Nevertheless, this does mean that residents will be soon able to access our fantastic catalogue of books and free computer facilities once again. We will provide further updates as soon as we are able to safely reopen more libraries and extend opening hours.”
The Books To Go service for housebound residents also restarted earlier this month and will continue to deliver books to its customers every four weeks.
‘Groundbreaking’ new police team launches on Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world
Emily Sergeant
A ‘groundbreaking’ new policing model aimed at making the Bee Network one of the safest public transport networks in the world has launched.
Described as being ‘pioneering’, the first-of-its-kind approach – named the Transport Policing and Crime Command (TPACC) – will bring Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) even closer together to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, and safety issues across the region’s transport network.
So, how will it work then? Well, according to TfGM, the command will ‘effectively establish’ the Bee Network as GMP’s eleventh policing district.
It will bring together up to 300 personnel, including new police officers, who are all involved in keeping the network safe and providing greater reassurance to passengers travelling across the region.
Efforts to keep passengers safe on buses, trams, active travel routes, and roads across Greater Manchester will be ‘strengthened’ through the new team – improving co-ordination in response to incidents, and helping to reassure communities.
A ‘groundbreaking’ new police team has launched on the Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world / Credit: TfGM
The new team will also incorporate the existing Roads Policing Unit within GMP that includes specialist functions such as the Central Ticket Office, the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, the motorbike unit, the Commercial Vehicle Unit, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and more.
Overall, the key focus of TPACC is to:
Increase public confidence on safety across the transport network
Reduce violence, antisocial behaviour and criminality across the transport network
Increase the number of users of the Bee Network across Greater Manchester
The launch of TPACC is said to represents ‘the next phase’ of Greater Manchester’s commitment to creating a ‘safer, more secure, and more welcoming’ transport network for everyone who lives, works, and travels across the region.
“I want a world-class Bee Network where everyone feels safe,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“Our new dedicated transport policing command will bring together more than 300 police and safety officers, with high-profile patrols across our roads and the Bee Network. It means a stronger presence in our communities and faster action when people need help.
“TPACC will also crack down on dangerous driving to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which have devastating consequences for families and communities.”
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Two arrested after assaulting and burgling 90-year-old woman in Stockport suburb
Emily Sergeant
Two people have been arrested following reports of an assault and burglary at a 90-year-old woman’s home in a Stockport suburb.
While en-route to the incident in Heald Green – which was reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at around 2:30am on 29 October – officers located the victim’s vehicle being driven by an unknown man.
The stolen vehicle made off from police before it lost control, went up a grass verge, and collided with a stationary vehicle.
Police confirmed that a white British man, aged 41, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of a burglary and serious assault, while a white British woman, aged 47, was also later arrested on suspicion of burglary and serious assault – with both remaining in custody for questioning.
The victim, a 90-year-old woman, was taken to hospital for treatment and is being supported by specialist officers, although luckily, her injuries are not life-threatening.
Enquiries are now ongoing, and officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the shocking incident.
“This was undoubtedly a traumatic experience for the victim, and we have specialist officers supporting her through this investigation,” explained Detective Inspector Craig Turner, from Stockport CID.
“This was a violent burglary and thanks to the brave victim reporting it, our officers made two swift arrests with the suspects taken into police custody to be interviewed.
“We believe this was a targeted attack and there is no wider risk to the community. Extra patrols of officers have been deployed to the area to offer reassurance to members of the community. Please let them know if you have any concerns.
“We are committed to tackling dangerous offenders and keeping our communities safe from harm.”
The Manc -
26th June 2020 
