Oldham

Bungling burglar found hiding from police in a bin in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 16th February 2022

Police have jailed a man they found hiding in a bin after a burglary in Oldham.

Lee Ullah was wearing the coat of the woman he’d stolen from when officers found him.

The 47-year-old, of no fixed abode, had previously smashed his way into another property through the roof.

Ullah has now been jailed for three years and nine months.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and criminal damage on 15 February at Manchester Minshull Street Court.

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Lee Ullah. Credit: GMP

Police were first called to reports of a burglary at Robinson Street in Chadderton by a victim who woke up at 6am to find Ullah inside her house.

The victim noticed her TV was missing during the incident on Thursday 25 November and, after confronting the burglar, he fled the scene wearing her coat.

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Officers in Oldham later found the burglar hiding in the bin, still wearing the coat.

He had also tried to burgle a house on Whitstable Close, smashing a large hole in the roof of a building and climbing through, causing £10,000 worth of damage.

Read more: Manchester remembers Fifth Avenue as legendary nightclub closes for good

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Ullah has also been charged for a commercial burglary on Yorkshire Street on 7 July 2021.

In that incident, he caused £10,000 worth of damage and stole property worth £10,000.

He was found to have been trying to sell one of the items at a local shop.

The investigation and subsequent charges were carried out by GMP’s Oldham Divisional Crime Team.

Featured image: GMP / Unsplash

Oldham

SIR Kevin Sinfield among list of local names officially recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours 2026

Danny Jones Danny Jones Sir Kevin Sinfield full King's Bday honours list 2026

While many individuals were already public knowledge, we’re made up to hear that SIR Kevin Sinfield has now finally received his long-overdue knighthood, and he’s not the only recognisable local and/or beloved famous face to have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list for 2026.

There are so many worthy names on the list, but it goes without saying that the ‘Sir Kev’ campaign is one that countless have been flying the flag for rather high over the past few years.

Sinfield, 45, is not only a rugby league and England legend, but he has warmed hearts across the country and beyond through his superhuman ‘7 in 7’ ultramarathon efforts on behalf of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) in recent times, all in memory of his old teammate and best friend: the late, great Rob Burrow.

Following his 2014 MBE, OBE in 2021, and CBE in ’23, we struggle to think of anyone more deserving of the accolade than the Oldham native, to be honest; here he is talking about the great privilege earlier this month:

Hero, legend, inspiration – these words don’t even begin to cut it.

That being said, he’s not the only ex-sportsman with a crucial Greater Manchester connection to have been honoured this year, as former Scotland international and Manchester United player Lou Macari (who still has a chippy in his name right near the ground) has also been made an MBE.

While Sinfield was recognised for services to sport and charity, 77-year-old Macari has been awarded the accolade for his work helping the homeless across not just the North West but all over the country.

Setting up the Macari Foundation back in 2016 and creating vital shelters, fundraising and support schemes – not to mention being involved in various other adjacent charitable initiatives such as the now annual Old Trafford Stadium Sleepout – it’s a cause he’s backed for more than a decade now.

Put quite simply, he’s helped change people’s lives for the better and save them full-stop.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday, 15 June, the Stoke-on-Trent-based, legendary Celtic centre-forward and retired Red was visibly humbled by what could arguably now be his most treasured medal.

As for other names this year, several Lionesses were also featured as part of the list for 2026, including Euros winners Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo, both of whom also previously played for Manchester City and Man United, respectively.

Fellow WSL stars Michelle Agyemang, Jess Carter, Hannah Hampton and Lauren James also joined the duo, along with a quintet of other national team players who were given MBEs as part of King Charles III’s New Year’s Honours List, with the prior official ceremony taking place last month.

One of those names, most notably for Mancs, was Tyldesley’s very own Ella Toone, another MUWFC star who has also shone under England Women’s manager Sarina Wiegman.

You can find the full Birthday Honours List right HERE.

Manchester United and Lionesses star Ella Toone is now officially an MBE
‘Tooney’ is just the latest in a long line of lionised Lionesses.

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Featured Images — Gerard Barrau (Wikimedia Commons)/Raph_PH (via Flickr)/BBC Breakfast (screenshot)

Oldham

Brand-new sandwich shop with Michelin credentials ALREADY forced to close

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Fjord is making homemade puffball focaccia for its sandwiches

A brand-new sandwich shop in Oldham founded by a Michelin-trained chef has had to close its doors already… because it’s simply too popular.

Fjord launched over the weekend, headed up by chef Kieran O’Reilly, with a fine-dining-inspired take on the humble butty. That means sandwiches with up to 20 elements inside.

But the sandwich bar above a barbershop has had to unexpectedly close after just a day of operations, telling followers ‘this isn’t sustainable’.

Fjord’s opening day on Saturday was so popular, they completely sold out within 90 minutes.

The new restaurant said it was having to turn people away from its Lees location, saying it ‘doesn’t sit right’ with them to do so.

And so Kieran and his team have decided to close the sandwich. bar and kitchen for the time being, so that they can reevaluate their operations.

“We’d rather pause briefly now than compromise on quality later,” they wrote in a statement.

“We need a little time to rework our production, increase our capacity, strengthen our supply chain and make sure we can deliver the quality and experience that Fjord stands for, without people queuing endlessly or missing out.”

Saddleworth's new sandwich bar and kitchen with Michelin credentials
Saddleworth’s new sandwich bar and kitchen with Michelin credentials
Kieran O’Reilly (right) has launched Fjord in Lees
Kieran O’Reilly (right) has launched Fjord in Lees

Over the next couple of days, Fjord will be meeting with their investors to stock up on more stand mixers, and more produce, so that they can scale the business to meet the incredible demand from locals.

In their full statement, they wrote: “Over the last few days, the support for Fjord has completely exceeded anything we could have imagined. From local customers to food bloggers, content creators and everyone who’s made the journey to see what we’re about, thank you.

“Today was our official launch, and the response has been overwhelming. We sold through what we expected to be a week’s worth of ingredients in a single day. The feedback on our sandwiches has been incredible, and seeing so many people enjoy what we’ve created has been a proud moment for the whole team.

“The only downside … We’ve had to turn people away. That doesn’t sit right with us. So we’re going to be closing for the next two days.

“Not because anything is wrong, but because everything has gone right.

“We need a little time to rework our production, increase our capacity, strengthen our supply chain and make sure we can deliver the quality and experience that Fjord stands for, without people queuing endlessly or missing out.

“This isn’t a step backwards; it’s a step towards building something sustainable, consistent and worthy of the support you’ve shown us.

“We’d rather pause briefly now than compromise on quality later.

“Thank you for your patience, your support and for believing in what we’re building. We’ll be back very soon, better prepared, fully stocked and ready to welcome even more of you through the door.

“This is only the beginning. All food options, booking and concepts reworked, all announced over the next days. Wednesday morning 9am.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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