The RSPCA is appealing for information after a woman found two abandoned ducklings who had been “left to suffer” after being dumped in a wheelie bin in Bolton.
The birds were discovered earlier this week when a resident of Moorfield Grove heard noises coming from her bin.
She looked inside and found two ducklings had been wrapped in blue plastic carrier bags.
The woman reported the find and the animals have since been taken to Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire to recover.
They will remain there until they are ready to be rehomed.
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The RSPCA said the two ducklings had been “clearly abandoned as unwanted pets” / Image: RSPCA
Inspector Catherine Byrnes said the ducks had been discarded as unwanted pets and were “lucky to be alive”.
She said: “It’s so important people know it is never okay to abandon an animal – and to callously dump them in a bin to suffer a lingering death is just terrible.
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“These were domestic ducks, not wild birds. If people are struggling to care for an animal, there is so much they can do to look for help – but abandonments are never the answer.
“Treating an animal like that can also constitute an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.”
The RSPCA is now appealing for information about the incident.
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The charity stated: “Anyone with information about who is responsible for dumping the ducklings on Monday July 20 at around 6.30am should contact the appeal line on 0300 123 8018.”
The adorable open farm in Bolton where you can hold baby lambs, bunnies, and chicks this spring
Emily Sergeant
Just outside of Manchester, nestled within 70-acres of rolling countryside, you’ll find Smithills Open Farm – the perfect place for a spring day out.
Smithills Open Farm – tucked away in the picturesque Bolton countryside, beside the historic Smithills Hall and former Coaching House – is, to this day, still owned and operated by the Grimshaw family who have farmed in the area for more than 100 years, and is, by its own admission, a family-run business where children ‘have the time of their lives’ and ‘nothing sits still’.
Anthony Grimshaw moved to Smithills in 1986 with his own young family to start a dairy farm, and ever since then, was encouraged by Bolton Council open a visitor attraction.
The farm went from solely being a working farm to officially ‘opening’ to the public all the way back in 2001, and it’s fair to say it’s gone from strength to strength ever since.
From a huge expansion in 2015, to installing its own dairy and pasteurising plant in 2018, weathering a COVID lockdown where Bolton was one of the worst-hit areas nationally, and going viral on social media, Smithills is showing no signs of slowing down.
At Smithills Open Farm, you’ll find dozens of animals all cohabiting peacefully.
We’re talking everything from the ‘typical’ animals you’d expect to see on a farm like cows, pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, ducks, rabbits, and horses, to the more exotic kind of residents like alpacas, llamas, emus, and wallabies, as well as meerkats, porcupines, snakes, tortoises and turtles, and so many more.
And thanks to the popular ‘Pets Corner’ and regular tractor rides taking place throughout the day, visitors are able to see, feed, and even hold the animals for themselves.
Smithills Open Farm in Bolton is the perfect spring day out / Credit: The Manc Group
Animal care and education is truly at the heart of everything they do at Smithills Open Farm.
Owners and staff alike pride themselves on giving the animals the ‘best life possible’, while allowing the public to enjoy them too and learn about all the incredible species along the way.
Not only does the farm hold a number of hugely important licenses to operate in the way it does – including a registered Zoo Licence – but it’s also doing a lot to help with the conservation of some rare breeds of animals too, by both allowing customers to see and learn about them, and even overseeing its own breeding to increase numbers.
The animals may be the stars of the show, but it’s only one half of what makes Smithills so special, as it’s remained a working dairy farm all along and supplies milk and a wide range of other products to thousands of households across Bolton.
The farm is also known and loved for its ice creamery and dairy products / Credit: The Manc Group
On site, you’ll also find a shop selling all the products the farm produces, as well as goods from other local sellers, and adorable gifts to take home with you too.
And, of course, how could we forget to give a shoutout to the ice creamery?
People travel from far and wide just to get their fix of these adventurous flavours – and it’s honestly not hard to see why.
Smithills Open Farm is open from 10am-5pm all year round, but as you’d expect, it’s at its cutest (and busiest) around the spring time and school holidays. Whether you want to visit as a family, or organise a school trip, the farm aims to cater for your every need.
Man charged and police appeal after multiple stabbing in broad daylight in Bolton
Emily Sergeant
A man has been charged after multiple people were stabbed during broad daylight in Bolton earlier this week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 10:30am on Tuesday morning (21 April), officers were called to reports of a stabbing on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton, and once emergency services arrived on the scene, they found two injured men – who were treated by medical professionals for stab wounds.
Police immediately responded to the incident, and a man in his 50s was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault.
He remains in custody for questioning at this time, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
A man has been charged and police are appealing after a multiple stabbing in broad daylight in Bolton / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Following the initial statement provided by police, the man has now been publicly named as Stephen Nolan, a resident of Tonge Moor Road in Bolton – where the incident occurred – and he has been charged with grievous bodily harm, and an attempted section 18 assault.
He appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates yesterday (Thursday 23 April).
With the investigation now ongoing and progressing at speed, GMP are continuing to appeal to the public for information, witnesses, or any CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage from around the time of the incident (10:30am).
The Manc -
29th July 2021 
