Residents in even more areas of Greater Manchester will soon start to see little robots roaming the streets as they deliver Co-op groceries.
It comes after a recent trial scheme has been hailed so “successful” that it’s now been extended.
In case you’re not quite in the loop, back in March of this year, supermarket retailer Co-op grabbed headlines as it announced an extension of what was an already-ongoing partnership with Starship Technologies, and joined forces with Trafford Council to bring autonomous grocery deliveries to residents in Sale and Timperley.
Before then, the little robots were already a familiar – and initially confusing – sight to those living in Milton Keynes, Northampton, Bedford, Cambridge, and Leeds, but they soon became regular visitors to the streets of our region.
But now, they’re set to roll out to a handful of other local neighbourhoods.
A scheme that brought autonomous delivery robots to an area of Trafford is being extended.
The robots were so successful in Sale and Timperley that Trafford Council and partners are saying "roll out" in Urmston, Flixton and Ashton-on-Mersey. pic.twitter.com/dSkS0rSgbi
Trafford Council has announced that after the trial proved to be such a hit with customers ordering from the two participating Co-op stores of Washway Road and Coppice Avenue, it has now agreed plans with Starship Technologies this week for the scheme to be extended to Co-op stores in three other areas.
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Shoppers in Davyhulme and Flixton, Timperley Central, and Ashton upon Mersey, will soon be able to make the most of the innovative technology.
This means that, when residents place an order through the Starship food delivery app – which is available to download on both iOS and Android – fresh groceries will be picked from local Co-op stores and delivered directly to their door on demand, with delivery fees starting from just as little as 99p.
Robots are now delivering Co-op shopping to more areas across Greater Manchester / Credit: Co-op
Starship’s robots are battery-powered, lightweight, and travel at the speed of a pedestrian.
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They use a combination of sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around any obstacles, while their computer vision-based navigation helps them map their environment to the nearest inch.
It’s estimated that the electric robots have already saved over 300 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere in the UK by replacing car journeys to and from the supermarket.
It comes after a “successful” trial scheme has now been extended / Credit: Starship Technologies
Trafford Council says the partnership extension shows how “committed” it is to helping the environment and reducing carbon emissions, with Cllr Stephen Adshead, who is Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Highways, Environmental and Traded Services, adding that he’s “delighted” the local authority has decided to extend the trial by a further six months and roll-out to more areas.
He continued: “The robots have [not only] reduced thousands of car journeys and are cutting emissions [but] they also come to the aid of the elderly and disabled who find it difficult to get to their local shops by bringing the items to their door.
“We are excited to be working with the Co-op and Starship Technologies to extend this initiative.”
Featured Image – Starship Technologies
News
Former care home worker who defrauded elderly woman out of £300k arrested after fleeing to Spain
Emily Sergeant
A fraudster former care home worker who’s been on the run for almost a year has finally been arrested in Spain.
Pamela Gwinnett has been arrested in Tenerife, where she fled to in 2025, and will be returned to the UK to face justice for her crimes.
The arrest comes after a meticulous investigation by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) where Gwinnett was found guilty of defrauding an elderly woman, named Joan Green from Chorley in Lancashire, out of almost £300,000 while she was employed as a caregiver at a nursing home.
Gwinnett fled the UK for Tenerife in 2025 in an effortto evade authorities, GMP said.
She was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in her absence back in October 2025 for a number of offences, including fraud by abuse of position and theft , and at a subsequent Proceeds of Crime hearing, an order for £300,000 was granted… but up until this week, Gwinnett has been on the run and police have been trying to track her down.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) worked alongside the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities to locate Gwinnett and begin the process of her return to the UK where she will serve her sentence.
Speaking in reaction to Gwinnett’s arrest this week, PC Georgia Loughton, who was the GMP officer in charge of the investigation, said: “I am pleased that Pamela Gwinnett will be returned to the UK where she will serve her sentence.
“Gwinnett knowingly defrauded a vulnerable woman out of almost £300,000, cutting off all contact with her family and controlling every aspect of her life.
“She was trusted by Joan, and she used this position of trust to her own financial gain. Joan was isolated from her family and denied from seeing her grandchildren and their children.
“Sadly, Joan passed away in 2022, however we hope that the return of Gwinnett to the UK to serve her sentence gives Joan’s family a sense of justice as they look to move on with their lives.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Micah Richards reveals dad ‘unexpectedly’ died shortly before going on air for England v Argentina last night
Emily Sergeant
Micah Richards has revealed that his dad died shortly before he went on air for the World Cup semi final last night.
The former right back – who most-notably played for Manchester City for a decade from 2005-2015, and for the England national team from 2006-2012 – was one of the BBC’s pundits providing on-air analysis last night as England faced Argentina in a highly anticipated semi final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup last night.
The two teams faced off in Atlanta, and while goals came from both sides, it was ultimately Argentina that reigned supreme – securing a 2-1 win over the Three Lions.
But while much of the country is grieving the fact that football won’t be ‘coming home’ (well, for another two years at least), Richards is grieving on a deeper level.
He took to Instagram after the loss last night to share with his 1.4m followers that shortly before he went on air, his father Lincoln passed away ‘unexpectedly’ – calling him the ‘proudest parent possible’ in a touching tribute.
“He has left us all too soon,” Richards began in his tribute.
“Hwas my greatest fan. He barely missed a game my entire life. He would take me wherever I needed to go when I was a kid and he was the proudest parent possible during my professional career. It was so rare for him to not be by my side.
“I know how much watching England World Cup games means to everyone at home, and how the experience bonds families together across the generations, like nothing else.
“I know, particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, dad would’ve wanted the show to go on this evening. And so it did.”
Emily Sergeant -
20th September 2023 
