10 people have been arrested and around £30,000 cash has been seized during a number of early morning drug raids across Greater Manchester and the North West.
In what is as part of the ongoing ‘Operation Heartwood’ – which targets the supply of drugs across the North of England – Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has this week confirmed that officers broke down the doors of 13 properties in Middleton, Heywood and North Manchester, as well as in Lancashire and West Yorkshire.
The raids were said to have taken place at 6am on Wednesday (27 July).
During the successful raids, a total of 10 men, all between the ages of 34 and 54, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
They were taken into custody, where they remain for questioning, GMP confirmed.
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“We’re really pleased with the result from warrants executed by our Serious and Organised Crime Group, across three counties,” said Detective Inspector Justin Bryant, of GMPs Serious and Organised Crime Group.
“Operation Heartwood was launched in response to intelligence received about an organised crime group based in Middleton, who we discovered to be running a large scale drugs conspiracy from several addresses in the area [and] as a result of the investigation, three people have already been arrested and subsequently charged with drug supply offences and we will continue to work until every member of this crime group is brought to justice.
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“As well as the arrests made, we also seized approximately £30,000 in cash, as well as high value jewellery and a cash counting machine.”
Approximately £30,000 in cash was also seized during the early-morning raids / Credit: GMP
“I hope these arrests will reassure the public that we are committed to making our local communities safer for everyone by disrupting this type of serious criminality,” he continued.
“We understand the impact that drug dealing has on our communities and it won’t be tolerated.”
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GMP says it welcomes and relies on information from the public “to help us to disrupt crime”, so anyone with any information is encouraged to contact 101, use the Live Chat facility here, or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Government sets up taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England
Emily Sergeant
A taskforce aiming to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England has been set up by the Government.
The new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce – which is chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting – will tackle ‘deep-rooted inequalities’ and deliver urgent action on the recommendations of the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England.
This means that women, babies, and families will receive safer and higher-quality care from the NHS in the long run.
According to the Government, the expert panel includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, and third sector representatives.
The Government has set up a taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)
As part of the selection process, the Government has been working closely with harmed and bereaved families to ensure their personal experiences were reflected, and those who have been chosen collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience, and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.
Starting next week, the Secretary of State will chair regular roundtables with the new taskforce – with the first priority to agree its Terms of Reference.
The taskforce will also address recent developments in maternity and neonatal care, including recommendations from the Thirlwall Inquiry, and the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
📢 National maternity and neonatal investigation to be launched
Too many families have suffered preventable harm.
The investigation will urgently look at services with specific issues and the entire maternity system, making sure each family receives safe and compassionate care. pic.twitter.com/J8XkwGM9dN
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 23, 2025
The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts – as part of ‘expert reference groups’ – that the Government says will bring ‘a broader range’ of perspectives.
“Every woman and baby deserve safe, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth, and the very best start in life,” commented Duncan Burton, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for England.
“Although NHS maternity and neonatal teams work incredibly hard to support women and families every day, we know there is more we must urgently do to improve care and experience.
“I look forward to working with members of the taskforce to improve safety and deliver the best possible outcomes and experience for women, babies, families, and colleagues working in these services.”
Featured Image – Credit: Aditya Romansa (via Unsplash)
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Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.
🗓️ On 1 & 22 March, we’ll complete follow-up work following our £7.9m track upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly.
🛤️ Morning journeys will be disrupted on those days, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep you moving.
This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.
These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.
All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.
Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.
Emily Sergeant -
29th July 2022 
