News

Tiny Manchester pub brilliantly condemns ‘alarming rise’ in hate speech

'You can let the door kick you on the way out'

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 4th August 2025

A micropub in Manchester city centre has spoken out about an ‘alarming rise’ in hate speech.

The Victoria Tap, a tiny little boozer at Manchester Victoria train station, strongly condemned any racist, homophobic or sexist conversations taking place in its venue.

The pub said ‘there is absolutely no room for it’ within its walls.

In a statement – which has been met with praise from customers and followers – they added that anyone bringing hate speech to the pub ‘can let the door kick you on the way out’.

The Victoria Tap wrote: “We’ve noticed an alarming rise in racist, homophobic and sexist slurs/comments/conversations lately and we just want to say that there is absolutely no room for it here.

“This is a safe space for everyone.

“If you, or someone in your group, want to disturb this philosophy, you can let the door kick you on the way out.”

It's opened in a former bin store at Victoria Station
The Victoria Tap has brilliantly condemned ‘alarming rise’ in hate speech

Praising their statement, one person wrote: “Great to read this. There is NO place for this. All public spaces should be welcoming.”

Another said: “Pubs should be welcoming environments for people of all walks of life. There’s no room for misogyny, racism or discrimination of any kind. Those who espouse those thoughts need a good hard look in the mirror.”

Someone else commented: “That’s how I see the Vic Tap. Great place for a safe quiet pint. Keep up the great work guys as it’s a fantastic venue.”

The Victoria Tap opened at Manchester Victoria back in 2023, completely transforming a space that was previously a bin store.

As well as its cosy interior, it has a small beer garden which overlooks the tram tracks in and out of the train station.

It’s operated by the same team behind the Piccadilly Tap and the even newer Oxford Tap.

We know exactly where we’ll be heading for our next pint now. Good work, Victoria Tap.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

News

New data reveals a third of Brits admit to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Surprising new data has revealed that a third of Brits admits to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday.

After a long and tiring week, most of us would love the chance to clock off work a little earlier than usual on a Friday, but for a lot of workers, this isn’t always a possibility – and for some, they even have to work longer at the end of the week to make sure everything has been finished off and tied up before the weekend arrives.

But since there has been a noticeable rise in remote working and working from home, a new survey has revealed that working attitudes have changed.

Virgin Media has released new broadband data that reveals a drop in traffic on Friday afternoons during the summer months – with as much as an 8% dip between 3-5pm compared to the winter, as remote workers clock off early.

People on mobile phones
A third of Brits admit to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday / Credit: Glenn Carstens-Peters | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)

The Friday traffic drop-off comes from Virgin Media’s broadband network analysis, which it says is a ‘reliable indicator’ of the connectivity habits of the British public.

Alongside the network data, Virgin Media also asked Brits about their work policies and working habits ij a bid to fully understand the trend.

Nearly a third (30%) of Brits say they have a formal early Friday finish in place during the summer, but despite almost half of UK adults (48%) saying they’re not authorised to finish early on a Friday, 32% have admitted to regularly logging off with or without official permission.

Surprising new data has revealed Brits’ working habits / Credit: Chuttersnap (via Unsplash)

Many Brits have also confessed to working ‘on the move’ on a Friday afternoon too.

15% admitted to having worked from the train station as the weekend creeps nearer, as well as 14% from the park, 10% from the pub, and many as 30% of 18-24-year-olds worked from the car while travelling for the weekend.

“Our network traffic analysis is revealing changing workplace habits in real time as the nation takes advantage of long summer Fridays,” commented Jeanie York, who is the Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2.

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“We’re continuing to boost our fixed and mobile networks so whether Brits are working from their local park, or finishing their work at home, we’re ready to keep them connected.”

Featured Image – Israel Andrade (via Unsplash)

News

Three 19-year-olds arrested after teen is killed in ‘targeted attack’ in Bury town centre

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Three men have been arrested after a teenager was stabbed to death in a ‘targeted attack’ in Bury town centre.

The arrests come after a 19-year-old male was attacked just before 9pm on Friday (1 August) in a car park on Market Street in Bury town centre – sustaining several stab wounds in the process and sadly later dying from his injuries.

All three of the suspects are male and aged 19, the same as the victim, and it is being treated as an isolated attack with ‘no wider threat’ to the public.

The three have each been arrested on suspicion of murder, with two of the arrests taking place in Bury and Bolton over the weekend, and the other in the early hours of the morning at Manchester Airport – with all remaining in police custody for questioning.

Following the incident, Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team has launched a murder investigation.

Despite the arrests, the investigation is still very much ongoing, and police have now appealed to the public for information.

Appealing to the public, Detective Chief Inspector John Charlton said: “This was a violent and tragic incident that was witnessed by a lot of people. This incident will have shocked the community and distressed anyone who witnessed it, but we believe this was a targeted attack with no wider threat.

“Our officers will be in the area today and over the next few days as we try to establish what happened in the lead-up to this awful incident.

“We also have specialist officers supporting the family at this difficult time.”

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Anyone who has any information or was in the area at the time is asked to contact police, quoting log 3354 of 01/08/25.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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