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

Oldham mansion that starred in an iconic pop music video is up for sale

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A Greater Manchester mansion that’s featured in one of the most famous music videos of the past decade is now up for sale.

Situated in the picturesque village of Uppermill, Oldham, Ashcroft House is currently listed at £2,350,000 accepting offers in the region of this figure.

The property has six bedrooms, six baths and five reception rooms – this mansion is a party host’s dream.

Ashcroft House has four storeys with the lower ground floor currently set up as a gym space and the ground floor boasting an eye-catching grand entrance hall.

This isn’t everything the lower ground floor has to offer. There are a number of breakout rooms such as a wine store, cinema room and your own personal steam room.

When going up another flight of stairs, the first floor’s main selling point besides the very large balcony is the matched walk in wardrobes paired with each of the six sleeping quarters, yes please!

The girls styling themselves in one of the many walk in wardrobes at Ashcroft House.
The bold statement front door in the Oldham mansion.
Credit: Youtube (@littlemix)

Finally, if that wasn’t enough to draw you in, there is another flight of stairs leading to the second floor which is currently acting as the house’s ever-impressive storage area.

With the rolling hills of Saddleworth nearby and a local pub a ten minute walk away, how could life possibly get any better?

Oh wait it does! In 2016 one of the UK’s best selling girl groups of all time shot a music video for their worldwide hit right here in these very four walls.

X Factor prodigies and three time BRIT award winning girl group Little Mix perched up with their film crew to spend 21 hours recording the video for their groundbreaking single ‘Hair’.

The video itself has amassed nearly 500 million views on social media platform Youtube since being released eight years ago.

The grand staircase that greets you as you enter this Greater Manchester property.
The Little Mix girls having a bite to eat in Ashcroft House.
Credit: Youtube (@littlemix)

This isn’t the first time Manchester and its surrounding areas have been seen on the big screen as it seems lots of famous faces are keen to film the visual accompaniment to their songs here.

The previous owner of the house even revealed that once the music video shoot wrapped up, the girls stayed with the family to share a slice of pizza or two.

If you’re interested in owning a piece of pop culture history or just as nosey as we are you can take a virtual tour of this mansion in Oldham here.

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Featured Image: Ryder & Dutton via Rightmove

Oldham

The Egyptian Room – Greater Manchester’s grandest new food hall has just opened in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson TukTuk Cambodian food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group

One of Greater Manchester’s grandest spaces has been reborn as a food hall and bar, with six traders inside. 

This part of Oldham’s Old Town Hall, now with an ultra-modern new extension standing alongside its historic porticoed frontage, is now home to the 150-capacity space. 

The old Egyptian Room’s original features, like its beautiful ceramic tiled walls and pillars, and its arched windows, have been perfectly preserved. 

And now there are green leather booths and large tables sprawled around the space too. 

The new food hall, The Egyptian Room, has traders serving everything from pizza and pasta to noodles and gyros. 

Ply Pizza are here serving heaped bowls of pasta, including beef shin parpadelle and carbonara, plus their signature pizzas like the pistachio pesto topped with a gooey burrata. 

TukTuk has a menu full of Cambodian goodness like light bite street food items, sharing platters, spicy noodles and stir fries.

TukTuk Cambodian food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
TukTuk Cambodian food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
TukTuk Cambodian food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group

Seacoles is a new name, a Caribbean trader serving tacos and ‘splits’ (which are fried dumplings stuffed with fillings like Cajun spiced stripped beef steak and jerk chicken), and huge plates of curry and rice and peas. 

Then there’s The Last Stop, with smash burgers, gyros and loaded fries, and Wings of Power, where there are crispy-coated wings, tenders and burgers. 

Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council, said: “The old town hall, what The Egyptian Room is part of and this whole complex here, was a really derelict, unloved building.

Pizzas by Ply at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
Pizzas by Ply at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
Seacoles Caribbean food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
Seacoles Caribbean food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
TukTuk Cambodian food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group
TukTuk Cambodian food at The Egyptian Room. Credit: The Manc Group

“Jim [McMahon MP] had a vision for this whole building and the one thing Jim and I do share is our passion for Oldham’s heritage buildings and he had a vision to make use of something that was unloved and derelict for a long time. 

“The importance of that was not just the history and the contribution of what happened in these buildings before us but actually as a nod to say that even in the most difficult of times, because it’s been hard the last 14 years, it’s a nod to say how much we value our residents. 

“How even in the most difficult times, this inspiration and the ambition of our partners is a nod to every single one of our residents and communities, no matter who you are or what your upbringing is.”

The Egyptian Room is open now in Oldham town centre. 

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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