A group of lost hikers attempting a walking route in the Dovestones area that’s been popularised by social media had to be rescued over the weekend.
This has prompted mountain rescuers to issue a warning urging walkers to be wary of the “potential risks that may be encountered” on the route, and encouraging people to do their research and ensure they’re up to the challenge before setting off.
The hikers had been attempting the so-called ‘Trinnacle Trail’, an eight-kilometre route in the Dovestones and Saddleworth area of Oldham, when they got into difficulty.
Just after 6pm this past Sunday evening (27 August), the group managed to contact Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to say they had “made an error” and were lost on the trail, before police contacted Oldham Mountain Rescue Team and a two-hour rescue mission supported by police helicopters begun.
The group were located by Phonefind technology as being in Middle Edge Moss, in between Birchen Clough and Holme Clough, and after mountain rescuers found them and established they were “ok, but cold”, some were escorted down on foot while others were flown down to the vehicles for “a more thorough check”.
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They then returned to Oldham Mountain Rescue Team’s base for “a brew, biscuits, and a warm up.”
The trail – which has been popularised by social media, and has become a favourite of those wanting to take selfies with the impressive three-pronged gritstone pillar known as the ‘Trinnacle’ – has often been called one of the best walks in the UK, and as such, has seen a huge surge in walkers attempting to make their way around in recent months.
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But Oldham Mountain Rescue Team is keen to warn that “some parts that are more than a walk”.
Issuing a warning following this past weekend’s rescue mission, Oldham Mountain Rescue Team wrote on Facebook: “Although the Trinnacle Trail has always been a popular destination for those in the know, exposure on social media, along with local and national news outlets, has meant the number of people tackling the trail has surged.
“Whilst we always encourage people to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, it is important that they understand the potential risks that may be encountered.
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“It may be advertised as one of the best walks in the UK, but it must be understood there are some parts that are more than a walk – the section up Birchen Clough past Greenfield Waterfall is a scramble that often requires the use of hands and feet to make progress up the rocky steps; it is not for the faint hearted.
“As well as the challenging terrain, even on the brightest of days, the weather in the hills can change in an instant.
“What may be shorts and t-shirt weather down in the valley, can soon become a very different prospect at higher levels on the edge of Saddleworth Moor – [with] rain, high winds, and poor visibility frequently encountered.”
The Trinnacle, where the so-called ‘Trinnacle Trail’ gets its name / Credit: Trevor Harris (via Geograph)
Oldham Mountain Rescue Team says more than 25% of its incidents are now in the Dovestones and Saddleworth area, with people “usually following some iteration of the Trinnacle Trail”, and on the worst of occasions, incidents involve “serious and / or potentially life-changing injuries”.
The team then went on to issue advice, and urge curious walkers to take “appropriate precautions beforehand” to ensure they have an “enjoyable and memorable outing” in the beautiful surroundings.
Featured Image – Oldham Mountain Rescue Team
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Manchester football fans warned of rise in resale ticket scams ahead of FA Cup final
Emily Sergeant
Manchester football fans are being warned of a rise in resale ticket scams ahead of the FA Cup final in a couple of weeks time.
History is repeating itself and tensions are building by the day, as Manchester United and Manchester City are facing each other in an all-Manchester final of the Emirates FA Cup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25 May.
And, to no surprise, it’s set to be a massive day for football fans in our football-obsessed city.
2023 was the first time the two Manchester clubs battled it out for the FA Cup title in the final in the 151-year-old football competition’s illustrious history, and it was victory for the Citizens, with the trophy was formed a crucial piece of their treble-winning season… but, in what seems to be a repeating turn of events, 2024 is the year of the re-match.
As you’d probably expect, once it was confirmed that United and City would face each other again in the FA Cup final this year, tickets for the match sold out instantly, and there’s only a handful of restricted view seats left now.
Despite Manchester City having even warned that any fans who are found to have resold their ticket will face a ban, there are, however, countless resale sites and individuals are flogging their seats online.
This is why the digital payment experts at takepayments are urging any fans hoping to travel from Manchester to London for the final to remain vigilant, and make sure they are armed with the knowledge and tips that’ll prevent them from falling for fraudulent ticket scams.
“The FA Cup Final is one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the season and there is always huge demand for tickets,” explained Jodie Wilkinson, who is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at takepayments.
“Unfortunately this means ticket touts will be looking to sell seats at inflated prices, as well as conning fans out of their money with fraudulent tickets, or stealing their bank details using a fake resale site.”
Manchester football fans have been warned of rise in resale ticket scams ahead of FA Cup final / Credit: The FA
She explained that while buying tickets by credit or debit card does cover fans under Section 75 and Chargeback Rules – which is where their card provider could help recover the cost of goods or services if they do not receive what they paid for – paying cash for a ticket doesn’t have the same protection if the ticket ends up being unauthorised.
Research from Lloyds Bank ahead of the new football season last year revealed that the majority of football ticket scams tend to take place on social media platforms via bank transfers, but unfortunately, Jodie admitted that it can be “extremely difficult” to recover money lost from bank transfer scams, as in most cases, victims willingly transfer payment to a fraudster’s account.
“It’s important to only buy tickets from a secure ticket resale site and never send anyone you don’t know and have only spoken to on social media money,” Jodie concluded.
She also said that secure eCommerce websites will have “certain card payment security measures in place” to prevent people from getting scammed, and that fans should be aware of these security measures before making any payments.
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), 3D Secure Authentication, and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certifications, are some of the most common measures sites put in place.
More information on card payment security measures can be found on the takepayements website here.
Manchester United and Manchester City will battle it out to be crowned champions in the final of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday 25 May.
Kick-off is at 3pm, and the game action is to be shown live on both BBC One and ITV.
Featured Image – The FA
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Parts of ‘extremely busy’ road into Manchester city centre to close for improvement works from this week
Emily Sergeant
Lane closures will be in place on an “extremely busy” road into Manchester city centre from this week, it has been confirmed.
As part of the ‘Streets For All’ programme being carried out across the city and wider Manchester borough by Manchester City Council, several road improvements are set to be introduced in Oldham Road between Bengal Street and Portland Street – which is just north of the city centre, and described as being “well-used” by the public.
The Council has confirmed that the project to improve the roads and footpaths along the “key road” in the Ancoats area is expected to begin today (13 May).
The first phase of the project starting from today will take up to three weeks to complete.
🚧 Ancoats Streets for All: Works begin May 13! We're improving pedestrian crossings, cycle ways, footways, and road surfaces for a better Ancoats. Learn more at https://t.co/JzLkITiuzZ including lane closures and phasing information. pic.twitter.com/GGGQOgHxvJ
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 11, 2024
Some of the improvement works being carried out from today include the improving the safety of cycleways, improving crossings and footpaths across Oldham Road to provide additional safety to any pedestrians crossing, and the installing of new traffic signals at the junction of Oldham Road and Radium Street.
Single lane closures on both carriageways of Oldham Road, between Bengal Street and Poland Street, will be in place from this week while the first phase of the project is carried out.
Manchester City Council says it’s working with its partners to “minimise disruption” as best as possible, but is still advising that people plan their journeys ahead of time.
Parts of ‘extremely busy’ road in Manchester city centre to close for improvement works from this week / Credit: Google Maps
“As part of our ongoing work across the city, we are looking at ways to make journeys safer for all our residents and improve transport links along key transport arteries,” explained Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council, ahead of the works commencing this week.
“The Oldham Road corridor is an extremely busy and well-used stretch of road, providing a link to Ancoats and the city centre, which is why it’s important that this work takes place.
“Updates will be provided as the work progresses, and as ever I’d advise people to plan their journey in advance to make sure any disruption can be minimised.”
According to the Council, the improvement scheme is expected to be completed by this autumn.