Former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs has been found not guilty of domestic abuse and will not face a retrial over allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend.
Giggs, 48, was cleared of all charges after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped their case once hs previous partner Kate Greville withdrew her cooperation from the case.
The retired footballer turned Wales coach was accused of controlling and coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault against Greville’s sister, Emma. Incidents allegedly included headbutting his ex-girlfriend and elbowing her sister during an altercation in Worsley on 1 November 2020.
The retrial had been due to start at Manchester Crown Court on 31 July after jurors failed to reach a verdict following more than 20 hours of deliberations in his initial four-week trial in August 2022, but the decision to drop the case was made by the CPS following a pre-trial review on Tuesday morning.
BREAKING: Ryan Giggs' trial abandoned as charges withdrawn.
Giggs was found not guilty after the charges were withdrawn ahead of the scheduled retrial.
Having denied the claims from the beginning, Giggs issued a statement after the case was officially discontinued.
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“After more than three weeks in court I am obviously disappointed that a retrial has been ordered”, said Giggs, going on to suggest that his innocence would be proven.
“My not guilty plea remains in relation to all charges. I am confident that justice will eventually be done and my name will be cleared of all the allegations. I would like to thank my legal team, my mum, my children, my girlfriend Zara, as well as my closest friends, for their support throughout this period.
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“I understand the level of interest and the scrutiny around this case but I would like to ask that my and my family’s privacy is respected in the weeks and months ahead.”
After telling Manchester Crown Court that the CPS would not be proceeding, prosecutor Peter Wright KC said “this decision is not taken lightly”, explaining that Ms Greville and her sister had “indicated an unwillingness” to give any more evidence, adding that the lengthy proceedings had “taken their toll”.
The court had attempted to attempted to find out exactly why Greville and her sister didn’t want to participate in a second trial, but the prosecuting lawyers say they did feel it appropriate to summon her as a witness for a second time.
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As for the former footballer’s defence barrister, Chris Daw KC, he said: “Mr Giggs is deeply relieved that the case has finally come to an end after almost three years of fighting to clear his name.
“He now intends to rebuild his life and career as an innocent man.”
Featured Image — Wikimedia Commons/Ryan Giggs (via Instagram)
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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.
Danny Jones -
18th July 2023 
