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Man named and charged in relation to Manchester van and tram crash that killed three-year-old girl

Police have confirmed this afternoon.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 26th February 2025

A man has been named and charged after a van and a tram collided in Manchester city centre this past weekend.

It comes after emergency services responded to reports of a road traffic collision involving a tram and a van in Mosley Street in Manchester city centre at around 10am this past Saturday (22 February), where it was found that the van collided with the tram, forcing the van onto the pavement where it collided with a pedestrian.

The pedestrian, a three-year-old girl, was rushed to hospital, but despite the best efforts of all involved, sadly passed away from her injuries.

A scene remained in place around the Mosley Street, Booth Street, and Nicholas Street areas whilst officers conducted their investigations over the weekend.

Tram and van crash
The scene of the incident on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre / Credit: The Manc Group

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had previously issued a widespread public appeal to find the driver of the van after he fled the scene shortly after, and officers had been following ‘several lines of enquiry’ to locate him.

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It was reported that the suspect was ‘identified’ on Monday morning (24 February), and now, GMP has named the driver as Rawal Rehman, of Lambton Road in Manchester.

The 35-year-old has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and will appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court today (26 February).

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The little girl who lost her life in the tragic incident was named Louisa (Lulu) Palmisano.

Her family wrote in a heartbreaking tribute to her yesterday: “Louisa was the sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl. She was full of creativity and joy, and she absolutely loved going to nursery every day.

“Her absence has left a devastating void in our family – she was our only child, our whole world. We were simply enjoying a happy family day out in Manchester when this unimaginable tragedy struck. In an instant, our lives were shattered beyond repair.

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“The pain of losing her is unbearable, and we miss her more than words can ever express.”

Featured Image – GMP

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The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Lowry Theatre Quays Theatre refurb

The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.

Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.

As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.

The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:

theatres in greater manchester
the lowry quays theatre
lowry theatre salford renovations
Credit: @jlcwalker (via Flickr)/The Lowry (supplied)

Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.

After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.

The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.

Crucially, this was strategically planned around the theatre’s ever-wonderful and varied programme to minimise disruption to audiences.

This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.

The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.

the lowry theatre refurb

The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update: “It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.

“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.

“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.

As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”

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As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.

“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”

Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.

We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.

Kinky Boots’ message transcends the music at the Palace Theatre in Manchester | Review

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Featured Images — Skip88 (via Wikimedia Commons)/@jlcwalker (via Flickr)/The Lowry (supplied)

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Curry Mile icon Mughli is finally coming to Manchester city centre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Curry Mile favourite Mughli is heading to Manchester city centre. Credit: The Manc Group

After three decades acting as one of the Curry Mile’s best restaurants, legendary curry house Mughli is heading to Manchester city centre for the first time.

This much-loved Punjabi spot is making its way into town to join a brand-new food hall, House of Social, set to open later this year.

They’re the first of five independent kitchens to be announced for the two-storey food hall near First Street.

Mughli will be bringing inspiration from their original menu, honed across generations on Wilmslow Road.

That’ll include grilled meats, home style curries, plus favourites from their various pop-ups and collaborations over the years.

The award-winning Mughli was first opened by legendary late local figure ‘Uncle Peter’, but has now passed down to his sons, who are ready to bring the magic of Mughli into the heart of Manchester for the first time.

They say they’ve been looking for the perfect site for a city centre Mughli ‘for a long time’.

Mughli will open at House of Social food hall. Credit: The Manc Group
Mughli will open at House of Social food hall. Credit: The Manc Group
The brothers who now own the decades-old Mughli. Credit: Supplied
The brothers who now own the decades-old Mughli. Credit: Supplied
New food hall coming to Manchester city centre
House of Social. Credit: Supplied

Shaz Arshad, one of the brothers leading the Manchester based group, which also includes Evelyn’s and cookie smash-hit Gooey, said of the new venture: “We’ve always had a lot of love from Manchester city centre throughout the years, and it’s great to be able to bring it home to House of Social. 

“We’ve looked at a lot of sites and spots; this has been on the cards for a long time and finally we’ve found somewhere which we feel matches our aspirations.”

More kitchens for House of Social will be announced in the coming months for the huge new project, which will open between Oxford Road and Deansgate-Castlefield stations. 

House of Social comes from Jake Atkinson, the former operations manager of Mackie Mayor, The Picturedrome and Altrincham Market, and will feature ‘long-standing favourites and growing businesses’. 

Mughli will open in Manchester at House of Social later this year.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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