A former Manchester police officer has been sentenced to jail time after pursing a relationship with a “vulnerable” woman.
Shamraze Arshad, from Bolton, was sacked from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) back in January of this year, following a trial in July 2023 – where he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and data misuse as part of the same case.
Police investigations into Arshad’s conduct first began in July 2021, and his sacking from the police service came after a routine audit check by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) found that the 38-year-old – who was a PC based at Longsight, at the time – had been using police systems while off-duty and without a policing purpose.
Subsequent enquiries found he had been making a large volume of contact with a particular number from his work phone, and GMP was able to establish that this number was connected to a woman who Arshad had previously responded to after a 999 call about concern for her welfare in October 2020.
Following this, Arshad was arrested and suspended in July 2021.
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We’ve praised the ‘courageous’ woman in this case for providing vital evidence over two trials.
DCI Jones: “This is an unforgivable breach of policing standards and it’s right he will never be trusted to wear a police uniform again.”
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 14, 2024
Despite being released on bail with conditions not to contact the woman, Arshad went to her address and told her housemates to pass on a message that she shouldn’t tell the police anything about their relationship, before he was arrested the following day for attempting to pervert the course of justice, and then subsequently later charged.
GMP officers spoke to the woman, who bravely gave an account of the sexual relationship that Arshad pursued with her.
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Following a retrial at Liverpool Crown Court last Thursday (13 June 2024), Arshad was convicted by a jury of attempting to pervert the course of justice, data misuse, and misconduct in a public office, and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Jones, of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said Arshad “abused his position as a police officer” and is a “disgrace” to the police service.
A former Manchester police officer who pursued a relationship with a ‘vulnerable’ woman has been jailed / Credit: GMP
“I want to thank the courageous woman in this case for providing us with the evidence that was so important in ensuring that Arshad is rightly held accountable for the full extent of his crimes,” DC Jones commented following the trial and sentencing last week.
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“He abused his position as a police officer to pursue a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman who he was supposed to protect in her time of need. This is an unforgivable breach of policing standards and it’s right he will never be trusted to wear a police uniform again.”
DC Jones said Arshad’s jail term is “fully deserved”.
“He is a disgrace to the police service and does not represent the thousands of professional, honest, hard-working police officers across Greater Manchester who continue to protect the public each and every day,” DC Jones continued.
“As soon as we were legally able to, we sacked Arshad and, now that criminal proceedings have been concluded, we will invite the Deputy Mayor to strip him of his police pension.”
Featured Image – GMP
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NHS becomes first in the world to roll out ‘revolutionary’ blood test to help treat cancer patients
Emily Sergeant
The NHS has become the first in the world to roll out ‘revolutionary’ blood tests to help treat cancer patients.
Tens of thousands of patients with lung and breast cancer in England are set to benefit from the new ‘liquid biopsy’ test that can speed up access to targeted therapy by up to two weeks earlier, all while helping some patients avoid further tests and treatments – including chemotherapy.
The test is to be used before traditional tissue biopsies to help diagnose certain types of cancer.
A ‘liquid biopsy’ works by detecting tiny fragments of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and looks for specific genetic variations of cancer, allowing patients to access targeted therapies which are tailored to the genetic profile of their cancer.
The blood test is being rolled out nationwide following a successful pilot, and NHS England expects that around 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer could now benefit from the test each year.
Thousands of patients with cancer will benefit from a new blood test which can speed up access to targeted therapy.
Pilot data in lung cancer showed that in some cases, patients received the results of ctDNA testing needed to make treatment decisions 16 days earlier with liquid biopsies compared with the standard cancer tissue biopsy approach.
An independent health economic assessment of the pilot estimated the test could save the NHS up to £11 million per year in lung cancer care.
Because of this, the NHS says it’s now looking at using the test in a range of other cancers too – including pancreatic and gallbladder cancer.
“Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care,” commented Professor Peter Johnson, who is the NHS’s national clinical director for cancer, “and it’s fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country.
The NHS has become the first in the world to roll out a ‘revolutionary’ blood test to help treat cancer patients / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Pexels
“Cutting-edge genomic testing is helping us deliver more targeted and kinder care for patients, enabling some to avoid more intensive treatments such as further chemotherapy, which can have a huge impact.
“We are already seeing the difference this test can make in lung and breast cancer, and we hope to roll it out for patients with other forms of cancer in the near future.
“As research progresses, it’s exciting that this approach has the potential to help us ‘scan’ the body in a single blood test to see where and how cancer may be developing and target it with speed and precision to help save more lives.”
More than 1,600 patients with suspected lung cancer and around 600 advanced breast cancer patients have had liquid biopsy tests done since April, but the test is now available for all eligible lung and breast cancer patients in NHS hospitals across England.
Featured Image – Karolina Grabowska (via Pexels)
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Tribute paid to former Race Across the World star Sam Gardiner who died in a crash in Gatley
Emily Sergeant
The family of a former Race Across the World star who died following a collision last week have paid a touching tribute to him.
Sam Gardiner rose to public attention when he competed with his mother, Jo, in the second series of the BBC’s Race Across The World, but sadly, the 24-year-old lost his life during a collision in Gatley at the beginning of last week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that Sam was the driver of a white VW Golf R estate that was involved in a single-vehicle collision on Monday 26 May.
The collision occurred on the A34 in Gatley, and Sam has since passed away from his injuries.
Sam Gardiner and his mum Jo, who competed on BBC’s Race Across the World / Credit: GMP
At the time of his tragic death, Sam was working as landscape gardener and had been based on an isolated estate on the west coast of Scotland, but was home in Manchester for a family gathering.
Sam was described by his parents as a ‘loyal, funny, and fiercely protective’ young man in the tribute paid to him.
Their tribute reads in full: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Sam in a terrible accident. Sam left us far too soon, and whilst words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives, we hold on to the memories that made him so special.
“Sam was adored by his family. As a son, brother and nephew, he was loyal, funny and fiercely protective.
#APPEAL | Serious Collision Investigation Unit appeal for information following a serious road traffic collision on A34 in Gatley on Monday 26 May at 9.50pm.
Call us on 0161 856 4741 quoting 3306 26/05/25 with any information.
— Stockport Police (GMP) (@GMPStockport) May 27, 2025
“He did Race Across The World in 2019, which opened his eyes to the wonder of adventure and travel. He was willing to go wherever the trail might lead and he touched everyone he met on the road. He found great happiness working as a landscape gardener on the west coast of Scotland.
“Sam brought warmth, laughter and a smattering of chaos wherever he went.
“He leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts. We will miss him endlessly, but we’ll also remember him with smiles, tall tales, and a depth of love that will never fade”.
At this time, Sam’s family have asked for privacy whilst they begin to come to terms with the terrible loss, and are being supported by specialist GMP officers.
Emily Sergeant -
17th June 2024 
