News

All five members of The Wanted posted the same thing just days before Tom Parker’s death

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th March 2022

All five members of The Wanted made a joint public show of friendship just days before Tom Parker’s tragic death.

Max George, Jay McGuinness, Nathan Sykes, and Siva Kaneswaren, as well as Tom himself, all shared a photo of the group together on social media earlier this week.

And all of them used matching captions – ‘Dream team’.

The group has been together since 2009 and recently reunited after a hiatus for a greatest hits tour.

Tom’s own post, which was his last on Instagram, was a photo of him up on stage with The Wanted on that tour, for which he sat on a throne wearing dark sunglasses.

ADVERTISEMENT
Tom Parker of boyband The Wanted has tragically died.

His bandmate and best friend Max shared a similar photo.

Tom passed away peacefully earlier today, with his family and bandmates by his side.

ADVERTISEMENT

He leaves behind wife Kelsey, and two children – Aurelia, two, and Bodhi, one

The 33-year-old from Bolton had been receiving treatment for an inoperable brain tumour since 2020.

A touching tribute has now been shared by The Wanted, who wrote: “Max, Jay, Siva, Nathan and the whole Wanted family are devastated by the tragic and premature loss of our bandmate Tom Parker, who passed away peacefully at lunchtime today surrounded by his family and his band mates.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read more: Emotional scenes in Manchester as Tom Parker joins The Wanted on stage

“Tom was an amazing husband to Kelsey, and father to Aurelia and Bodhi. He was our brother, words can’t express the loss and sadness we feel. Always and forever in our hearts.”

Siva has also written a tribute, saying: “Hey Tom, hope you’re having a blast up there. I am so grateful that I had a chance to witness your true courage.It has been a pleasure of my life Tommy Boy.

“Thank you for letting us see you light up the world. Talk to you soon and see you later. Love you brother x”

Featured image: Instagram, @tomparkerofficial

News

Police arrest four men and shut down ‘incredibly dangerous’ cannabis farm in Salford

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Police have shut down a suspected cannabis farm in Salford today, arresting four men.

Officers swooped on the property on Arthur Street in Swinton after finding evidence that the house was being used to grow cannabis plants.

The farm has been described as ‘incredibly dangerous’ to other occupants in the area.

Three rooms in the house were full of plants growing, with a huge amount of wiring surrounding them that posed a fire hazard.

The four men detained by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Salford Neighbourhood Team were subsequently arrested on suspicion of involvement in the production and supply of cannabis and remain in police custody for questioning.

Sergeant Peter MacFarlane said: “Locating a cannabis farm is a great result for the team who are gathering intelligence and working hard to crackdown on drug-related crime across Salford.

“Farms of this nature are also incredibly dangerous to other occupants in the area. The building itself is still being made safe due to the amount of wiring around the plants. Criminals running these types of enterprises have no regard for public safety and in these conditions, an electrical fault from bad wiring could easily start a fire and endanger lives.

“The arrests and seizures then go someway towards disrupting the supply of illegal drugs and the criminality that comes with it, and will also make our communities safer.

Read more

“This operation was intelligence led and a huge part of our intelligence comes from members of the public sharing information with us. If you have suspicions about a crime taking place please report it so we can take positive action and bring those responsible to justice.”

You can make a report by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency. You can also report via the LiveChat function on GMP’s website: www.gmp.police.uk

Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Featured image: GMP

News

‘Groundbreaking’ new app to help get homeless people into work launches in Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Homeless families across Manchester are set to benefit from a “groundbreaking” new service that gives them access to employment support.

With the ultimate aim of helping homeless people move out of temporary accommodation and into their own homes, Manchester City Council has announced a new pilot partnership with Beam – a social enterprise that fundraises on behalf of homeless people and connects them with a supportive online community.

Through Beam’s “innovative” app-based platform, homeless people can raise money for items that often end up being financial obstacles to them moving into a permanent home, whether than be funding equipment or training to help them secure stable and financially-viable employment, or towards a rental deposit, moving van, or other homeware essentials, and everything in between.

Donations come from people in the local community, and are shared out equally between participants, so that everyone reaches their fundraising target within an average of 17 days.

Having helped more than 1,300 homeless people “achieve their goals” since being founded in 2017, Beam isn’t just about funding, as it also has a team of caseworkers who provide one-to-one help with employment to those in need.

The caseworkers also lend a hand with searching for properties online, communicating with landlords, and booking house viewings, while Beam also works with a network of vetted landlords to help people find a home

The initiative also provides further support for at least six months after moving.

‘Groundbreaking’ new app to help get homeless people into work launches in Manchester / Credit: Beam

Over the next year, Manchester City Council says its pilot partnership with Beam will initially support 25 families who are living in temporary accommodation in the region, and move them into their own private rental homes.

Residents can be referred to the scheme by the Council’s housing teams, as well as other local services, and each person is assigned a caseworker from Beam, who then supports them on their journey into stable housing.

“No one chooses homelessness voluntarily,” admitted Councillor Joanna Midgley, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.

“And when it happens, it can be devastating, which is why we are looking at a range of solutions to help people secure affordable and decent homes in Manchester.

Manchester City Council has announced a new pilot partnership with Beam / Credit: Beam

“Our new partnership with Beam is an innovative approach to improve people’s life chances, supporting them, where possible, into sustainable jobs allowing them to move out of temporary accommodation and into their own homes.

Read more:

“This is coupled with individual, tailored support which is critical to the success of sustaining an affordable home and which is available to everyone on this pilot scheme.”

Featured Image – Beam

More News

Who is United's new bidder from Finland?

Business

New bidder enters the race to buy Man United, but there’s a catch — he wants fans to pay for half of it

Boroughs

Amazon to donate surplus essential goods to Greater Manchester families in need

Qatar Jim Ratcliffe world record bit to buy Manchester United

Business

Qatar and Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to submit ‘world record’ offers to buy Manchester United as other bidders are expected to join the race

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches