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Ex-Manchester United player Brandon Williams issues public statement following sentencing

He's looking to close this chapter quickly and move forward.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 27th May 2025

Former Manchester United youngster Brandon Williams and his legal team have issued a statement following his recent sentencing over dangerous driving charges.

The Crumpsall-born defender left the club last year after being released following a 14-year stint in Red, graduating from Man United’s academy and making a number of first-team appearances before being sent out on a pair of loan spells.

After representing Norwich City 26 times and then making just 15 appearances for former youth coach Kieran McKenna‘s Ipswich Town, he hasn’t played professional football for more than 17 months.

Williams was officially given a 14-month prison sentence this past Friday, 23 May, but the term has been suspended for two years, and now Brandon himself has responded following the decision.

The free agent pleaded guilty to driving dangerously earlier this month after it was found had been driving at speeds of up to 99mph in a 70 zone prior to crashing his Audi A3.

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Issuing a statement to The Manc via his lawyers at Blackfords LLP, he said: “I would like to thank my legal team headed by Richard Littler KC and Philip Williams of Blackfords LLP for establishing that I was not under the influence of any substance at the time of the accident.

“I have always accepted that my driving that day fell below the standard that is expected of me. It was never my intention to cause injury to anyone, but I am responsible for the standard of my driving. I make no excuses. I have learnt from this experience and will ensure there is no repetition.

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“I wish to apologise again to those who were involved in the accident. Now that the case has concluded, I look forward to resuming my career with a new team later this year.”

Despite Chester Crown Court hearing that he and his female passenger at the time “appeared to have yellow balloons in their mouth” – typically associated with imbibing nitrous oxide a.k.a. ‘laughing gas’ – Williams has maintained that he was sober during the incident throughout the investigation.

The crash, which occurred on the A34 near Handforth in Cheshire back in August 2023, saw the left-back collide with a Ford Fiesta after a female motorist travelling behind him on the dual carriageway around 6pm claimed he seemed out of control of the vehicle. Both cars were heavily damaged.

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While Williams will be avoiding jail time, his suspended prison sentence has not only seen him banned from driving for three years but will also see him have to complete 180 hours of community service.

In addition to the collision itself, Williams racked up a total of 30 points on his license for multiple offences, including twice failing to declare who was driving, operating a vehicle without third-party insurance, and now this latest development, having already paid a £1,000 fine in May 2024.

The 24-year-old has since spoken out about the incident in brief detail with Ben Foster (a fellow former United player) on his podcast.

Brandon Williams’ most recent statement isn’t the first time he’s touched upon the incident.

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Featured Images — Ardfern (via WikiCommons)/Instagram/ Fozcast (screenshot via YouTube)

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Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.

That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.

The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.

The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.

Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.

Altrincham Market
Idaho, an independent retailer on our guide to Altrincham
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group

A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?

Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.

The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.

“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.

The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.

Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.

Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.

Read more:

You can read the full Altrincham feature here, and see where else The Sunday Times included in its list for 2026 here.

Featured Image – Geograph

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11 arrested and £70k cash seized during early-morning police drug raids across Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

11 people have been arrested, as well as a large amount of cash and drugs seized, during early-morning raids across Greater Manchester.

The raids took place during the early hours of the morning yesterday (Thursday 19 March 2026), where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) successfully executed eight warrants simultaneously across Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale to tackle a ‘suspected criminal network’ involved in the distribution of class A drugs and firearms.

Officers from Tameside Programme Challenger team, the District Intelligence Unit (DIU), and GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) were deployed to each of the addresses.

Following weeks of intelligence gathering and preparation, a total of 11 people – each aged between 24 and 77 – were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences during the raids.

Eight men and three women were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, being part of an organised crime group, possession with intent to supply, money laundering, and possession of an offensive weapon.

They all remain in police custody for questioning at this time, GMP confirmed.

During searches of the addresses, various class A, B and C drugs – including crack cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and nitrous oxide – were seized, while further recoveries of £70,000 in cash, a zombie knife, a BB gun, and four vehicles were also made at the same time.

Speaking following the success of the raids yesterday, Chief Superintendent Shan Nasim, District Commander for Tameside, said: “[This] operation has been a powerful example of our continued, determined effort to dismantle organised crime in our district and Greater Manchester. 

“We have 11 people in custody being questioned by our investigation teams in relation to an organised crime group (OCG) that have been causing widespread harm across our communities.   

“This action caused significant disruption of an organised crime group (OCG) and has prevented drugs and weapons from reaching the streets, as well as the associated harms that come hand in hand with organised crime. 

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“Organised criminals exploit vulnerable people and blight our communities; we will take robust action to catch offenders, keep our communities safe, and protect vulnerable people across Greater Manchester.” 

Featured Image – GMP

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