An elderly woman has been the victim of a shocking burglary on Christmas Eve – which also happened to be her 77th birthday.
She had been relaxing at home watching television when she heard a loud bang and faced three men who had smashed through her patio doors.
The woman was then made to stay in the kitchen with one of the men while the others ransacked her home.
They made off with her handbag, which contained £50 in cash, her bank card, her bus pass, and other personal items.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing for any information relating to the incident, which they say has left the victim ‘terrified and fearful within her own home’.
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The burglary occured at around 6pm on Sunday 24 December – also the woman’s birthday – on Saxon Street in north Manchester.
The victim contacted the police as soon as the three perpetrators fled.
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The suspects were described as wearing all-black attire, including black hats. The individual who stood with the victim in her kitchen during the ordeal was estimated to be around 6 feet tall, wearing a black hat, jacket, trousers, and gloves.
Officers are now appealing for information, especially CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage. Officers also want to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or any suspicious activity in the area.
Detective Sergeant Terina Arthern of GMP’s North Manchester Neighbourhood Crime Team said: “Of course, this incident will rightly cause concern in the local community and our thoughts remain with the victim and her loved ones as she continues to recover from this ordeal.
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“Understandably, the victim, who is also an elderly woman, is now terrified and fearful within her own home.
“On what should have been a day of celebration for her 77th birthday and Christmas Eve, she was confronted by three unknown males who shockingly stripped away her personal belongings from her own home.
“Our officers are continuing to provide support to the victim and her loved ones, offering reassurance and tailored assistance to ensure she regains a sense of safety and security. I also want to provide some further reassurance to the community that we’re doing all we can to identify those responsible and bring them to justice as soon as possible and pursuing all lines of enquiry.
“We are appealing to the public in the local area who may have seen suspicious activity around the time of the incident as your information may be vital in locating the offenders. If you were in the vicinity of Saxon Street, just off Bradford Road in Manchester, and witnessed any suspicious behaviour by the described men or a vehicle acting strangely in the vicinity, we urge you to come forward.
“Even the smallest piece of information, whether from doorbell footage, CCTV recordings, or eyewitness accounts, may help us piece together the events before and after this shocking incident.”
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You can report information about the Christmas Eve burglary to GMP by calling 0161 856 3955 or 101 quoting log 2411 of 24/12/2023.
You can also report information online using the ‘report’ tool or the LiveChat function here: www.gmp.police.uk
Alternatively, you can report information anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to step down from Strictly Come Dancing
Danny Jones
Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced that they will be stepping down from the beloved reality TV competition after more than three decades between them.
The Strictly team will, of course, ‘keep dancing’, but this still feels like the end of an era.
While Claudia Winkleman only became a joint co-anchor back in 2010 in preparation for the legendary Sir Bruce Forsyth’s eventual retirement in 2014, Tess Daly has been one of the two lead presenters since the hit smash-hit UK show first started way back in 2004.
Boasting a cumulative and incredible 31 years as the respective lead faces on one of the nation’s favourite IPs, Daly and Winkleman released a joint video on their social media pages confirming the bittersweet news.
Writing in the caption on Instagram, the pair said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series, and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team, and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’, but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
Although Winkleman, 53, began as the presenter of the spin-off programme ‘It Takes Two’, it now seems hard to imagine the main show without either of them.
Confirming that they will be departing the British telly favourite at the end of the current series, which is around a month into its 23rd series.
Daly, 56, went on to share a further statement addressing the decision to quit the Strictly lineup after such a lengthy stay on BBC One.
It goes without saying that, much like when ‘Brucey’ left 11 years ago now, the show just won’t be the same without them.
For now, all we can say is thanks for all the memories, and we’d better see them back in the ballroom or popping up for special cameos in Blackpool again one day soon.
What do you make of the announcement, Strictly fans – and who do you think should replace them?
Featured Images — BBC Media Centre/Screenshot (via BBC)
News
Morrisons set to close more than 100 brand locations across the country
Danny Jones
UK supermarket company Morrisons is set to close more than 100 specific locations across the UK, including multiple here in Greater Manchester.
Despite still being considered one of the giants of the sector here in Britain, Morrisons is continuing its previously announced ‘restructuring’ by adding a number of other shops to the chopping block.
The chain had already announced that a slate of 50 Morrisons Cafes would be closing earlier this year, but now other brand branches are expected to follow suit.
While their major supermarkets will remain virtually untouched, several Morrisons Daily convenience stores, florists, pharmacies and Market Kitchens, like the busy lunchtime spot on Piccadilly Gardens – but don’t panic: the corner store itself is staying as far as we’re aware.
Fortunately, major mainline Morrisons supermarket locations look to be safe from closing. (Credit: JThomas/Jaggery via Geograph)
Despite insisting the business is in good shape and has a “bright future” ahead, Morrisons‘ chief executive, Rami Baitieh, confirmed that “a minority [of sites] have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.”
It’s also believed that 35 butchers’ counters and the same number of fishmongers are set to wrap up as part of the shake-up.
You can see the full list of Morrisons Cafes closing down below; thankfully, we Mancs have managed to avoid closures in this particular department.
Morrisons Cafe Locations closing
Bradford Thornbury
Paisley Falside Road
London Queensbury
Portsmouth
Great Park
Banchory North, Deeside Road
Failsworth, Poplar Street
Blackburn, Railway Road
Leeds, Swinnow Road
London, Wood Green
Kirkham, Poulton Street
Lutterworth, Bitteswell Road
Stirchley
Leeds, Horsforth
London, Erith
Crowborough
Bellshill, John Street
Dumbarton, Glasgow Road
East Kilbride, Lindsayfield
East Kilbride, Stewartfield
Glasgow, Newlands
Largs, Irvine Road
Troon, Academy Street
Wishaw, Kirk Road
Newcastle, UT Cowgate
Northampton, Kettering Road
Bromsgrove, Buntsford Industrial Park
Solihull, Warwick Road
Brecon, Free Street
Caernarfon, North Road
Hadleigh
London, Harrow, Hatch End
High Wycombe, Temple End
Leighton Buzzard, Lake Street
London, Stratford
Sidcup, Westwood Lane
Welwyn, Garden City, Black Fan Road
Warminster, Weymouth Street
Oxted, Station Yard
Reigate, Bell Street
Borehamwood
Weybridge, Monument Hill
Bathgate
Erskine, Bridgewater Shopping Centre
Gorleston, Blackwell Road
Connah’s Quay
Mansfield, Woodhouse
Elland
Gloucester, Metz Way
Watford, Ascot Road
Littlehampton, Wick
Helensburgh
Sadly, it seems that plenty of people saw this coming, with early reports of the off-license/corner shop-esque Daily shops following soon after cafes were confirmed to be closing back in March.
Morrisons closing 52 cafes, 17 convenience stores, and potentially 365 people redundant
Just before new NI tax laws kick in from next month
Retail is 10% of total UK employment, a notoriously low margin business
This is where Greater Manchester comes in, as a handful of florists and Market Kitchens in the region are to join the wider collection of closures by the end of the year.
Daisy Jackson -
28th December 2023 
