A family have paid a heartfelt tribute to a “genuine and caring father” who died following a collision in Bolton last week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that officers were called to the northbound M61 to reports that an Audi A5 had been involved in a serious collision at about 5:25am on Friday 27 May 2022, and emergency services attended the scene.
Peter Howorth, 32, was treated at the scene and taken to hospital where he sadly later died.
Now, his loving family have today paid an emotional tribute to Peter, calling him a “wonderful father, fiancé, son, brother, and uncle”.
The heartfelt tribute on the GMP website reads: “Peter was loved by everyone that met him.
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“A genuine and caring guy with a big heart who loved life. A wonderful father, fiancé, son, brother and uncle. His family and friends are beyond devastated, words cannot express how much he will be missed by so very many people.”
GMP confirmed that officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are continuing to investigate the collision.
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Anyone with information is asked to get in touch.
Giving an update on the ongoing situation, Sergeant Neil Pennington, from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with Peter’s family who are currently being supported by specialist officers and are understandably devastated at losing a loved one.
“We’re continuing to ask anyone who may have seen anything or may have any dashcam footage to get in touch.”
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Think you may have information or dashcam footage?
You can call 0161 856 4741 quoting incident 412 of 27/05/2022, or information can also be reported online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.
If you can’t report online, you can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Canal Street cordoned off after ‘suspicious chemicals’ reported at hotel
Daisy Jackson
Canal Street and several other streets in the Gay Village in Manchester have been cordoned off this afternoon.
Greater Manchester Police are attending reported of a smell that’s believed to be chemicals coming from a hotel room in the area.
There’s a huge emergency services presence in the area, including vehicles from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service.
Police have confirmed that they have detained a man who is believed to have been the occupant of the hotel room.
The hotel itself has been evacuated while the material is examined.
Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident that has shut down part of Canal Street today.
Emergency services vehicles at the scene on Canal StreetThe cordon in place on Canal Street
GMP said in a statement: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody.
“As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”
England football fans warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of World Cup
Emily Sergeant
England football fans are being warned to remain vigilant, as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely weeks from officially kicking off in the North America and Mexico on 11 June, football fans are being urged to guard against scams, as newly-released data from Lloyds has revealed that football ticket scams increased by more than a third (36%) during the current Premier League season.
The findings – which are based on thousands of scam cases between October 2025 and March 2026 – showed that fraudsters focused heavily on popular teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Fraudsters also repeatedly targeted supporters looking for tickets to some of the most in-demand football matches in the UK, which is why, with the upcoming World Cup set to be one of the most speculated sporting events of the year, scam warnings are being issued.
It’s anticipated that fraudsters will target the big-name fixtures and attempt to exploit international demand, according to Lloyds.
England football fans are being warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the World Cup / Credit: Picryl
On average, it was revealed that victims lost £215 during the current Premier League football season, but some fans even paid thousands of pounds for ‘season tickets’ or VIP seats that never existed.
Hopeful football fans are expected to pay much more for expensive World Cup tickets, meaning the potential loss for victims could be ‘devastating’.
As scammers know demand for World Cup tickets will be huge, it’s expected that they will mimic the methods seen in club level scams – including fake listings on social media, pressure to act fast, and requests for bank transfers.
“Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard to get tickets for big name fixtures,” explained Liz Ziegler, who is the Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds.
“Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media, before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.
“We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Lloyds and the Home Office have teamed up to take action to protect fans by highlighting how criminals will try to exploit the excitement – with Lord Hanson adding: “Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Emily Sergeant -
1st June 2022 
