A Manchester clothing brand has accused Primark of ripping off its designs, taking to social media to air its frustration after the high street shop released a copycat hoodie.
In a now-deleted Instagram video, local clothing retailer Hikerdelic compared a Primark ‘Explore Nature’ kid’s hoodie to one of its original designs and then highlighted how both the logos and overall aesthetic are nearly identical.
Hikerdelic’s logo features its brand name set into a grassy hill, below a pink and yellow sun with rays stretching outwards.
Primark’s design also features wording set into a grassy hill below a beaming sun, albeit this time the message reads ‘Explore Nature’ and the colour scheme is ever so slightly different using purple and coral instead of pink and yellow.
Hikerdelic’s original logo (left) and the Primark veresion (right). / Image: Hikerdelic
Hikerdelic was first founded by Proper Magazine’s Mark Smith and Neil Summers in Stockport five years ago, and the logo in question is of sentimental value – being the first that the team ever designed in partnership with artist Daren Newman.
Taking to Instagram to vent over the similarities, the caption underneath the Ancoats-based brand’s video read: “We’ve been sitting on this for a while. From time to time we find stuff out there similar to ours, but usually it’s just a case of people being influenced by similar things. It’s hard to be 100% original.
“This though, from a corporate behemoth we’re all familiar with, is a step too far, in our opinion. We’d be tempted to turn the other cheek and get on with doing our thing normally.
“Sometimes though, when someone kicks sand in your face you’ve got to let them know it’s not really on. At the end of the day it’s a business that makes hundreds of millions a year in clear profit. They don’t need to step on toes.”
The post continued: “This was the first logo we worked with @daren_newman on, and although we’ve got plenty more in our armoury, it’s the one that we began with. It’s not just us who are affected but talented independent illustrators too.”
“We all know everything new is inspired by something that has gone before and it can be difficult to stay original, however it’s clear to see this is something different to that and the response on our Instagram has backed that up.”
Feature image – Hikerdelic
News
Def Leppard announce HUGE arena gig in Manchester next year
Thomas Melia
English Glam Rock band Def Leppard have announced a brand new UK tour which features a stop in one of Manchester’s big arenas next year.
Known for hits like ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’, ‘Animal’, ‘Love Bites’ and more, Def Leppard are back on the road and they’re heading out on a UK tour.
The band has achieved worldwide acclaim since entering the rock scene with their first-ever single, ‘Wasted’, back in 1979, and their success resulted in getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2023, Def Leppard teamed up with fellow metalheads Motley Crüe for the ultimate ‘Rock of Ages’, playing a spell-bounding gig at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people.
The rock legends are continuing their career-highlight streak as now they’re about to play one of Manchester’s largest arenas, Co-op Live, sending 23,500 fans into ‘Hysteria’.
This upcoming Def Leppard UK tour sees the band making their way to Glasgow, Sheffield, London and Birmingham before visiting the music capital of the North.
The love for these rockers isn’t slowing down either, as their latest album ‘Drastic Symphonies’, a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, scored Def Leppard their highest charting record in 32 years, debuting at number 4.
Fans will be over the moon to know that the five-piece visiting Co-op Live next year includes the same band lineup since 1992, with Joe Elliot, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Rick Savage and Vivian Campbell playing out on the night.
The Rock Brigade will always make sure to remember Steve Clark, founding member and adorned- ‘Riffmaster’, and although the guitarist won’t be playing this innovative live music venue, fans will still give it their all for the current ‘Gods of War’.
These Sheffield-formed musicians have sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, so there will be no ‘Foolin’ around when it comes to screaming their lyrics at the top of your lungs next summer.
Def Leppard are coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 5 July, with tickets going on sale from 10am on Friday 5 September
Bolton man jailed for life after killing ‘vulnerable’ woman and hiding her body in his shed
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed for life after murdering a vulnerable woman and then proceeding to hide her body in a shed at his house in Bolton.
Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz back in December 2024 after randomly meeting her at a shop and inviting her to his house, before killing her and then going on to dump her body in a locked shed in his garden.
55-year-old Mariann, who was originally from Hungary, was reported missing on Sunday 15 December having been last seen alive in the early hours of the previous day.
During the police search and investigation, CCTV showed Barlow following Mariann into a shop near his house and then back out again, and after Barlow was arrested on suspicion of assault on 23 December, officers found the keys to his shed – which is when they, sadly, discovered Mariann’s body.
Barlow was charged with murder, but the 63-year-old first denied this charge, and also denied any contact with Mariann.
The case was then handed over to Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten.
#JAILED | This is the moment Christopher Barlow was arrested for the murder of Mariann Borocz.
We made extensive efforts to locate Mariann, and our thoughts continue to be with her family.
A three-week trial then began at Manchester Crown Court, and when forensic evidence linked Barlow to Mariann’s body, he then when on to admit during the trial that he had invited her into his house, and found her not breathing in his kitchen about 40 minutes later.
Despite maintaining he did dot murder her, the jury returned its guilty verdict after less than a day of deliberation.
Last week, Barlow was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning described this as a ‘harrowing’ investigation and subsequent trial for Mariann’s family.
“Barlow befriended Mariann and she believed she could trust him,” DS Manning said, “That could not have been further from reality.”
DS Manning then assured that GMP remains ‘steadfast’ in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women in Greater Manchester‘s communities, and will continue to work ‘tirelessly’ to uphold justice.
She concluded: “Women should be able to go out freely and without fear that something may happen to them.”
Georgina Pellant -
30th January 2023 
