A man has been arrested following the discovery of “human remains” in Salford last week, it has been confirmed.
Following the shocking discovery by a passerby in Kersal Wetlands in Salford last Thursday evening (4 April), and with a murder investigation still currently ongoing and proceeding at pace, Greater Manchester Police(GMP) has now confirmed that an arrest has been made.
A 20-year-old man, said to be “from the local area”, has been arrested on suspicion of murder, according to GMP.
He remains in police custody at this time, and will be questioned by detectives.
Through initial forensic and DNA testing, GMP has revealed it believes the victim whose remains have been found is a man who is likely to be aged older than 40, and who has only been deceased “for a matter of days” – but at this time, detectives are still “working hard” to determine the identity of the person.
#ARREST | 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder as officers continue to investigate the discovery of human remains in Salford
We urge anyone with information to get in touch with us 📲 0161 8563625 quoting log number 2695 of 4/4/24.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) April 7, 2024
Detectives say their “main focus” at this moment in time is establishing who the victim is, and although they have not found anything else “of interest to the investigation” in the Kersal Wetlands area at this time, they are assuring the public that their work “will not stop until we are certain we have thoroughly searched this area”.
Local GMP officers and specialist branches within the force, such as search dogs and underwater search teams, are in the process of “combing through every inch of this area” until police are “satisfied” they have searched “as well as we can do”.
With the murder investigation now ongoing, GMP has taken the time following this arrest to reissue its urgent appeal to the public.
“The arrest we made is an important step for our investigation,” commented Chief Superintendent Tony Creely, of GMP’s Salford district, “but we must keep an open mind, and a big part of this is speaking to anyone who may have crucial information.
“As we continue to work in the area, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their concern and cooperation so far, and we are mindful this is a disturbing incident for the local community, but I can assure you that since we were made aware, we’ve been pursuing every single line of enquiry to help us find out what has happened.”
#NEWS | Human remains discovered in Salford confirmed as that of a man as murder investigation continues
We urge anyone with information to get in touch with us 📲 0161 8563625 quoting log number 2695 of 4 April 2024.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) April 6, 2024
CS Creely says he “cannot stress enough” the importance of people contacting police with information regarding the case if they know anything at all.
He continued: “You may have information that you don’t feel is of importance, but it could be to us, so please pass it on. It could be the key piece of information we need to progress this investigation.”
Anyone who thinks they may have witnessed something suspicious in the Kersal Dale area over the last few days is asked to come forward by calling GMP on 101 and quoting log number 2695 of 4 April 2024, or submit any images or video footage via the dedicated Public Portal here.
Details can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Emily Sergeant -
8th April 2024 
