More than 80 fines have been issued after Greater Manchester Police officers were called to a number of reports of COVID-19 regulation breaches over the weekend.
Included in the breaches was a large gathering of more than 100 people – reported just before 10pm on Saturday night – where officers were informed that 10 people were in the yard of an industrial unit on Mary Street in Manchester city centre before arriving at the scene.
Upon arrival, they found a large number of people inside the unit after officers opened numerous locked doors.
It has been confirmed that a total of 17 people were handed fixed penalty notices at the gathering and officers are working alongside partners in licensing to close the premises.
Hours later though – just after 1am on Sunday – officers were also called to a report of a party on Butterton Drive in Manchester, where a number of people had sprawled out onto the street on police arrival, requiring the attendance of further patrols.
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An officer was also allegedly bitten on the arm whilst trying to break up the party, and one person has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker.
Greater Manchester Police also confirmed officers attended several other gatherings across the region – with breaches reported in Manchester city centre and Stockport over the weekend – which resulted in a number of fines being issued.
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Over 80 fines have been issued after officers were called to a number of reports of Covid-19 regulation breaches across this weekend. Officers discovered a large gathering with over 100 people in attendance just before 10pm last night. More here: https://t.co/ibfPnwadPDpic.twitter.com/h6pRz2b2BN
Speaking on the COVID breaches of this past weekend, Nick Bailey – Assistant Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police – said: “These parties are a blatant disregard of the rules and pose a significant health risk to all those involved and the rest of the communities in Greater Manchester.
“The world is currently facing a public health crisis and breaking such regulations is simply against the law and selfish. Though the lockdown has a huge effect on the people of Greater Manchester’s lives – the restrictions are there to save lives.
“We have no alternative but to issue fines for blatant disregard of the rules.
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“Large gatherings pose a monumental risk to people’s lives and I hope this serves as a reminder to those considering to flout the rules. We will take action. But I would also remind the public who choose to so obviously breach these rules, this is adding to the pressure on policing when we would much rather be responding to other calls from the public.
“This is a challenging time for everyone but we all need to make sure we work together to reduce the risk posed by the spread of COVID-19.”
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
The Manc -
23rd November 2020 
