News
Repairs to be made after ‘sickening’ vandalism of Manchester Arena attack memorial
"The city will not tolerate disrespect to the memorial."
Repairs will be made to the Manchester Arena attack memorial following recent acts of “sickening” vandalism.
The damage made to the new monument, known as the ‘Glade of Light’ – which was opened in January, and is dedicated to the 22 people who tragically lost their lives during the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017 – was considered to be “minor” by Manchester City Council, but no less “disrespectful” and “sickening”.
The halo-shaped memorial made out of marble – which has been engraved with the names of the victims – was marked with a number of scratches, but the Council has said that it will be repaired.
The shocking incident was captured on CCTV, and Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that an arrest has been made in connection.
Read more: The Glade of Light memorial to victims of the Manchester Arena attack opens today
Speaking on the incident, a spokesperson for Manchester City Council told the BBC: “It is sickening that someone should do something like this but we know the perpetrator does not reflect Manchester as a whole and the city will not tolerate disrespect to the memorial.”
They added that repairs would be made “as quickly as possible”.
The Glade of Light is located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music in the heart of the city centre.
It has been designed by BCA Landscape and Smiling Wolf, is surrounding by plants that grow in the UK’s countryside, and has given families of the victims the chance to place memory capsules inside the halo that are filled with mementos and messages.
Seating has also been included around the outer part of the garden that blooms colour all year-round to allow people to linger and pay their respects.
In December 2021, families of the victims said they were “disgusted” after they learned the memorial site was trespassed on and vandalised before fences were taken down in January and it became accessible to the public.
An official opening for the memorial is planned for spring.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
News
Family pay tribute to ‘fun-loving’ son who died in Wythenshawe as man charged with murder
Emily Sergeant
The family of a man who died in Wythenshawe last week have now paid a touching tribute to him.
It comes after at around 11:35pm last Thursday (5 February), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of an incident on Southwick Road in the Northern Moor area of Wythenshawe, and when emergency services attended the scene, they discovered a man in his 20s had been ‘seriously injured’.
Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the man sadly at the scene.
The victim has since been formally identified as Drew McCormick, who was aged 29, and another man was also subsequently arrested.
19-year-old Lewis Morley, of Ryecroft Grove in Manchester, was charged with murder and has been remanded to next appear at Manchester Crown Square Court on Tuesday 10 March 2026.
A police investigation into the incident is now being run by GMP’s Major Incident Team (MIT) and enquiries are ongoing.
In the meantime, Drew’s family have paid tribute: “There are just not enough words to describe Drew and the impact he had on many lives. He was a fun-loving person that brought laughter and joy to the world with his big bright smile and loud laugh.
“Drew had the biggest heart and would do anything for those he loved. He loved his family deeply even more than TikTok.
“He has left a huge hole in our hearts, and our lives will never be the same. We love you Drew and will keep you in our hearts forever.”
Read more:
With investigations ongoing, anyone who has any information or footage in relation to the incident that may assist GMP with its enquiries is urged to report them via the dedicated major incident portal here.
Featured Image – GMP
News
Plans officially submitted for ‘vibrant’ new food hall in Wythenshawe
Emily Sergeant
Are you feeling hungry? Good, because a new food hall is on the horizon.
That’s right – plans to transform Wythenshawe Civic have taken another exciting leap forward this week, as Manchester City Council and placemaker Muse have submitted a planning application to bring a brand-new food hall to the town.
Set to be housed within the three units next to the former Peacocks store – which has now been demolished – the new food hall will become a ‘vibrant’ destination for independent and local food vendors to attract people with ‘delicious and diverse’ offerings.
Developers also hope the new food hall will keep the suburban Manchester town’s centre ‘bustling’ throughout the day and into the evening.
The announcement that the new food hall is in the works comes as part of the already-announced plans for Wythenshawe Civic – with work to soon begin on everything from the public realm, and outside space, to the vacant office space above the existing Iceland-store, which will also be transformed into modern new workspace to support local start-ups and bring new jobs into the town centre.
Developers also recently submitted three separate applications to create 422 new affordable homes for social rent across three locations in the town centre.
“Listening to local people over the last year and more, we know that Wythenshawe residents want more from their town centre – more things to do, opportunities to spend time in Civic and night time attractions that give the area a lift and attract visitors,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is the drive behind the Culture Hub. A place for local people with an interest in the arts to take part in creative activities, see a show or enjoy the cinema space – right in the heart of their community.
“This is another exciting chapter in the transformation of Wythenshawe Town Centre.”
Read more:
Joel Chandler, who is the Senior Development Manager at Muse, added that developers are ‘moving at pace’ with plans to give the town centre the ‘regeneration it deserves’.
“The food hall will be a hive for a range of local outlets and will provide new spaces for the community to spend time in and give the town’s nighttime economy a major boost.”
Featured Image – Supplied
Emily Sergeant -
10th February 2022 
