The family of a man who was killed in a bar attack in Benidorm are appealing for information, as his killer remains at large three years later.
Michael – or Mike – Rydings was 47 when he was fatally injured outside a nightclub in 2018.
The person who killed the grandfather from Wythenshawe has never been brought to justice.
The police and Mike’s family say he ‘died without justice’ and are appealing for witnesses ahead of an inquest into Mike’s death this April.
Mike, an avid Manchester United supporter, had been on holiday with friends celebrating a birthday, and watching the 2018 football world cup in Benidorm.
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He was involved in an altercation with a man who was part of a group of five or six others in the early hours of 23 June, 2018
He hit the ground during the incident on the Benidorm Square and was left with critical injuries.
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Mike is thought to have been wearing this red top in Benidorm, which didn’t arrive in his return luggage home. Credit: GMP
Mike spent a month unconscious in a hospital in Benidorm before he was moved back to Salford Royal hospital.
He spent a year in hospital before sadly dying in August 2019.
His family said he was left unable to breathe unaided and couldn’t even hold the hands of his family.
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They eventually decided to take the ‘kindest but incredibly heart-breaking decision to let him go’.
The Spanish authorities conducted enquiries into Mike’s death but no one has ever been charged with his killing.
The suspect is believed to be a white male aged in his 20s or 30s, with a larger-than-average build, and 5ft 7inches to 6ft in height.
He was possibly wearing camouflage clothing.
Detectives from GMP‘s major incident team have spoken to more than 15 holidaymakers who were there on the night as they prepare a file for the coroner, urging anyone else with information to contact the police.
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The Hipodrome bar that the fatal altercation in Benidorm is believed to have taken place outside of. Credit: Google Maps
Detective Inspector Nicola McCulloch, of our Major Incident Team, said: “Sadly, no one has been brought to justice for Mike’s death ever since he was seriously – and ultimately fatally – assaulted outside a bar in Benidorm in June 2018.
“When we were notified of this incident and Mike’s tragic passing, we committed ourselves to doing everything we can to support the Spanish authorities in piecing together all the circumstances leading to his death and, importantly, to identify his killer.
“While the murder investigation in Spain hasn’t been successful, we continue to be determined to do whatever possible to get the answers Mike’s loved ones crave for his upcoming inquest.
“This has seen us speak to over a dozen men and women who were in Benidorm at the time, many of whom recall a great deal of what occurred on the night despite the passage of time and this encourages us that someone out there knows who did this to Mike and is able to tell us.
“There is a suggestion that the group involved in the altercation were from the UK, but this is not certain and it is therefore vital that anyone who may recall any information as to who may have been involved gets in touch with us knowing it could prove to be highly significant.”
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Mike’s family and the police are pleading for anyone with information about the Benidorm incident to come forwards. Credit: GMP
In a joint statement Mike’s daughter, Hayley Barker, and sister, Nikki Howard, said: “Mike spent 13 months in Salford Royal Hospital on the Critical Care Unit where he was unable to speak or move. Only his eyes were his very limited communication via blinking although most of the time his injury was so extreme that very often Mike was completely unaware of where he was, who his family were and more importantly, who he was!
“At the age of 47-years-old, a father and a grandfather, his life had changed forever relying on every single medical resource available in order for him to survive, unable to breathe unaided, unable to tell you how he was feeling, unable to even hold your hand! And it happened due to one vicious incident, in an instant but this nightmare didn’t end there.
“After extensive medical intervention, family daily visits and praying that Mike would recover and be able to live the rest of his life, it was cut short. His condition was never going to improve; his quality of life was so limited that the kindest but incredibly heart-breaking decision was to let him go.
“On Sunday 11 August 2019 Mike took his last breath and passed away at the age of 48-years-old – leaving his family totally devastated and his friends in despair. How could a 50th celebration end in such a tragic way?
“Mike was a father, grandfather, son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend to many. Mike was full of energy, the life and soul of the party; a practical joker, generous to a fault, enjoying all aspects of life and his beloved Manchester United.
“Were you with him? Is he your friend or partner? All Mike’s family and friends want is some justice for him. The person who did this is continuing to live a full life, but he could repeat this attack on a member of your family and change your life forever!
“We as a family have a huge hole in it which can and never will be filled. Mike has missed out on so much already and will continue to do so which we cannot change. But we can change the fact that he died without justice.
“Please, please let the police know if you have any information at all, no matter how small you think it may be, it takes more than one piece to complete a jigsaw.”
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Anyone with information should contact the Major Incident Team on 0161 856 6777 quoting Operation Thurston.
Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured image: GMP / Google Maps
UK News
Oasis address Glastonbury headline rumours – but heavily hint at something much bigger
Danny Jones
Oasis have come out to address the widespread rumour that they will be headlining Glastonbury 2025, playing down the speculation and instead hinting at something much bigger.
The world’s heartbeat has barely even settled since the Gallagher brothers confirmed they will finally be getting back together for a series of reunion shows next summer, but they have continued to get pulses raising with each and every social media update.
For instance, their most recent post is arguably much more momentous than playing the globally renowned music festival.
While the official Oasis account did dismiss talk of them being the Glastonbury headliners for 2025 rumours, they did seem to casually announce a world tour instead. As you do…
As you can see, the words are there in black and white (quite literally): “Oasis Live ’25 World Tour”.
While it feels premature to jump straight to the conclusion given how nonchalantly this supposed announcement was delivered, the post does suggest rather blatantly that plans for a world tour – i.e. separate from the limited number of dates already announced – do exist.
If that wasn’t their intention then they really should have chosen different words as the replies were quick to fill up with reactions like, “WORLD TOUR YESSSSS. KNEBWORTH HERE WE GO”, “World tour???” and many more to that effect.
Once again, while there has been no official standalone announcement post detailing tour dates, it looks like the 14 comeback shows are just the start of the reunion and that the Oasis boys will be heading back out on the road properly after the likes of Heaton Park and Wembley shows.
Questions have also been circling around whether this reunion will include other previous members of the legendary Britpop icons or just the Gallagher brothers.
For now, as much as we want it to be true, there’s nothing definite and we’ll just have to settle for still being absolutely over the moon that one of the greatest rock bands of all time is returning to our lives in the most important music news for a generation.
Meanwhile, fans are currently being tested on their Oasis trivia in order to access the red-hot pre-sale ticket ballot. They’re making us work for it.
As well as announcing massive gigs at Wembley Stadium, Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and Croke Park in Dublin, they will also be playing a total of four shows on home turf here in Manchester at the legendary Heaton Park, where they last played as a pair back in 2009.
We know Liam already played their musical mecca himself back in 2022, but this is as close to a proper Knebworth 2.0 as you could probably ever ask for. With that in mind, here’s how the world reacted to the biggest music news in a generation:
Well, despite having both maintained it would never happen for years, being publicly unpleasant about each other almost for sport at times, and supposedly having not spoken full stop for “about a decade”, it turns out the two have finally had a conversation – and quite a watershed one at that.
Noel famously said it would take a lot more than money for the two of them to even begin discussing a potential reunion, but did taunt Liam in June last year by saying, “I f***ing dare you to call me […] because then we have to be in a room together and we both know how that ends.”
In fact, rather than a merely transactional phone call to confirm that both parties are now willing to put on these biblical shows, it appears as though the Gallagher brothers have indeed met in person once again, with stills from the photoshoot promoting the reunion being shared online.
How surreal does this look all these years later?
This one yes but the photoshoot was real I don't know why they keep using this one pic.twitter.com/Pbufw6D4pi
Yes, understandably based on the chosen lead photo – which is almost certainly edited for whatever reason (probably because Liam preferred his hair better in one of them or something…) – fans were reluctant to believe they had even been in the same room as each other yet.
However, as per multiple reports, the secret photoshoot between the two long-feuding brothers is rumoured to have taken place sometime last month and those present were forced to sign NDAs to keep news of the reunion under wraps.
It’s still unknown as to exactly when and where these photos were taken but they look pretty bloody real, if you ask us, and are credited to notable British photographer Simon Emmett.
Speaking to the tabloids, a source said: “It was a pinch me moment to have Noel and Liam together. The shoot was top secret and barely anyone knew about it. For their fans to see them together again will be an amazing sight, the atmosphere in the room was fizzing, it was electric.”
Again, it’s unclear how much time the two have actually spent back in each other’s company at this point, but boy would we have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that moment.
If you don’t get the hype, that’s fine. There are bands that write better, play better, perform better. That are more inventive, more creative, more reflective. But for working class kids in the mid-90s, #Oasis were ours. And possession is nine tenths of the lore. #oasisreunionhttps://t.co/khAfGwURaX
Even more interestingly, now 15 years on from the infamous Paris storm-out which brought an abrupt end to the legendary Britpop band, Noel has actually been saying nice things about his younger brother for a change. I know, we’re as stunned as you are.
Chatting with industry journalist and fellow musician John Robb in a recent interview with Louder Than War, a chat held ahead of the deluxe Monnow Valley Recordings of Definitely Maybe being released for the debut album’s 30th anniversary, the 57-year-old was actually complimentary about Liam.
Released in full on YouTube last week, the songwriting genius and legendary guitar player conceded: “When I would sing the song, it would sound good, when he would sing it, it would sound great.”
He did go on to jokingly compare Liam’s voice to “10 shots of tequila on a Friday night” whilst he was more like “half a Guinness on a Tuesday”, but the significance of actually speaking positively about his counterpart on several occasions throughout the exclusive cannot be overstated.
And then came that first teaser played live not only at Reading and Leeds Festival but right after Blossoms’ headline slot at Live From Wythenshawe Park, where Noel played the exact same stage this time last year…
Liam had shared a number of cryptic tweets in the days leading up to that short teaser video including one post that simply read, “never did like that word FORMER”, and another in reply to a fan online saying, “See you in the front you big f***y.”
Besides both being rather importantly out of album and tour cycles following festival season, many fans have also speculated that several other wider factors have played into the stars finally aligning.
Everything from their mum Peggy (now 80) having once again urged the two to mend fences, to Noel’s split from his wife Sara MacDonald who also famously didn’t get on with Liam, and even the sheer timing of the dates and announcement – 15 years on, 30th anniversary and so on – were all put forward as evidence.
noel gallagher recently had an interview where he spoke of liam in a very kind and reminiscent manner. anyone who is a fan of oasis, or even just noel, knows this is very unordinary for noel. pic.twitter.com/J4cZ0Ce5eK
— billie with the lights up! (@youdfallapart) August 25, 2024