A man has been arrested in Northenden following a police chase where he attempted to hide under a trampoline to evade capture.
At around 2am on Wednesday morning, officers on patrol spotted a Volkswagen Golf they believed to have been stolen in Northenden.
But after being alerted by officers, the Golf made off sharpish in an attempt to avoid the officers – leading to a short pursuit, as the vehicle shot off in the direction of terminal 2 at Manchester Airport.
Things escalated quickly as the National Police Air Service (NPAS) was deployed to track the vehicle. Before long, it was sighted travelling along Portway.
Credit: Unsplash
The driver was clearly in a panic, as the car then mounted the pavement and then collided with a wall on Harry Rowley Close, Woodhouse Park.
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Following the collision, the driver made off on foot in another desperate escape attempt – but was soon spotted by NPAS in a nearby garden, hiding under a trampoline, before he again made off towards Portway.
The man was ultimately detained by a nearby officer and arrested on suspicion of burglary. He remains in custody for questioning.
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The VW Golf was recovered and is believed to have been involved in a series of burglaries in the Trafford area.
This isn’t the first time that alleged burglars have used a trampoline in an attempt to evade police, either.
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In 2016, a “bouncing burglar” used a trampoline to evade escape in Oldham, leaping from a window onto the child’s play apparatus in an acrobatic escape before slipping and making off across the lawn.
And further afield in 2019 in Cape Town, a suspect used a trampoline to make a leap of faith over a wall in order to evade Metro officers hot on his tail in pursuit. Reportedly, in this case officers considered impounding the trampoline for “aiding and abetting” his escape but later decided against it. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
It seems trampolines are a popular route of escape and can even be quite a successful option – if you use them to bounce on rather than to hide under, that is sort of their purpose after all.
Featured image: Pixabay / Unsplash
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Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st December 2021 
