The parents of a teenager who died in Rochdale this past weekend have paid an emotional tribute to their “unforgettable” son.
The 17-year-old boy, who has officially been named by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as Callum Riley, was found with serious injuries on Atholl Drive in the Heywood area of Rochdale on the morning of Saturday 17 September 2022.
He was sadly pronounced dead soon afterwards.
GMP has since confirmed following the incident that a 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a 23-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
They remain in police custody alongside two men, aged 18 and 33 – who were also both arrested on Saturday.
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A 21-year-old woman has also been released and faces no further action, GMP confirmed.
Now, in an emotional tribute to accompany an appeal for information by investigating officers, Callum’s family have spoken for the first time since losing their son.
In a heartbreaking tribute shared by Greater Manchester Police yesterday, Callum’s mum said: “Callum was a strong and caring young man, loved so deeply by his family, friends, and his girlfriend.
“His love for his mother and his brothers was immeasurable. A lovely lad, with a good heart, protective of his family and always the best of intentions. Stolen away from us far too young in life. He will be forever missed and remembered with love.
“Life will never be the same again.”
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His mother also appealed for the family to be granted “respect and privacy” while they come to terms with “this huge loss in our lives”
The parents of 17-year-old boy killed in Rochdale have paid tribute to their ‘unforgettable’ son / Credit: GMP
Callum’s father added: “Callum was a much-loved son, brother, and uncle. He was a loving, caring young man who never failed to make us laugh. He will be sadly missed by us all. In death as you were in life, unforgettable.”
“Our investigation is very much ongoing and we are continuing to appeal for information,” said Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand, of GMP’s Major Incident Team.
GMP added that “anyone with concerns can approach them.”
Anyone with information should contact GMP via the Public Portal here, or by calling 0161 856 3400 quoting 723 17/09/22, and information can also be shared to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Manchester Airport issues update for anyone flying today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has issued an update for anyone catching a flight today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday.
In case you hadn’t heard, hundreds of flights at several major UK airports – including Manchester Airport – were disrupted by a technical fault at air traffic control provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) yesterday (8 September 2026), with the incident grounding planes and resulting in numerous cancellations.
According to Flightradar24, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled nationwide, and many passengers were told to expect disruption for the rest of the day.
One of the worst-affected airlines was said to be Ryanair, with around 65,000 passengers affected by the cancellations and delays.
Manchester Airport issued its first statement addressing the matter at 3:15pm yesterday, stating: “We are aware of an issue affecting NATS’ air traffic control service at UK airports, which may result in delays to some departing flights from Manchester Airport today.
“Passengers due to travel are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline. We will continue to monitor the situation and share further updates as more information becomes available.”
Now, although the issue has been resolved, Manchester Airport has issued further statements informing anyone travelling today what they can expect.
The airport started off by saying that it is ‘operating as normal’ today, but that passengers are advised to ‘check with their airline for the latest information’.
“A full flight schedule is expected to operate [today] but the airport may be busier due to rescheduled flights,” it added.
Passengers were then thanked for their ‘patience and understanding’ over the past 24 hours.
Featured Image – Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
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Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
Emily Sergeant -
20th September 2022 
