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Bolton man, 18, becomes first person jailed following widespread UK protests

He pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage during the disorder.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th August 2024

A man from Bolton has become the first person to be jailed following widespread protests across the UK this past weekend.

James Nelson, from the Horwich area of Bolton, was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday 6 August 2024), and pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage during the disorder in the Greater Manchester town’s centre.

Following his appearance in court, the 18-year-old was sentenced to two months behind bars, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.

Another man has also received a community order for his role in the recent protests too.

29-year-old Liam Powell, from Buckshaw Village in Chorley, was given a 12-month community order, according to GMP, and this will be in place until August 2025.

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Powell also pleaded guilty to being in possession of cocaine during the disorder in Bolton this past Sunday (4 August).

As mentioned, Nelson and Powell received their sentences following a weekend which saw widespread far-right protests and counter demonstrations take place in towns and cities throughout the UK – predominantly here in the north – following the devastating killing of three young girls and the injuring of several others during a knife attack in the Merseyside seaside town of Southport at the end of last month.

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Hundreds of people have been detained and arrested by police nationwide over last few days following the riots – including 19 people in Manchester city centre, according to GMP, with this number having potential to rise.

The scenes of police on duty at far-right protests in Manchester this past weekend / Credit: GMP (via X)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an emergency COBRA meeting in response to the ongoing unrest, and said his Government “utterly condemns the far-right thuggery” displayed, adding that “those who participated in this violence will face the full force of the law.”

Manchester City Council leader, Cllr Bev Craig, also called for “compassion and solidarity” in her own statement on the matter, adding that “disorder will not be tolerated on our streets”.

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She insisted there is “no place for hate” in Manchester.

Featured Image – GMP

News

Work commences on multi-million-pound scheme to build affordable and energy-saving homes in Oldham

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Ground has finally been broken on a new multi-million-pound scheme to build a slate of new affordable and energy-saving homes in Oldham.

Headed up by First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), the current development in the Hathershaw area is part of a wider strategy to deliver a total of 1,100 high-quality, sustainable properties in the borough and surrounding areas which was greenlit in 2020 and is estimated to run until 2026.

With increasing demand across the region, not to mention housing and cost of living crises across the country, FCHO has commenced work on the properties, enlisting Arca Construct Ltd as the main contractor and the project is estimated to be completed by summer 2025.

Construction work on the first 19 energy-saving and affordable Oldham homes is now well underway for the scheme, which is to cost around £4.5 million.

Credit: First Choice Homes Oldham (via supplied)

The Hathershaw developments include 16 three-bedroom houses along Belgrave Road and a further trio of three-bedroom homes over on neighbouring Thatcher Street.

Utilising an injection of £1.07m in funding from Homes England and a £285,000 Brownfield Housing Fund grant via Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the scheme involves transforming a former garage site into homes for affordable rent.

As part of FCHO’s green focus and sustainability targets set in its ‘Big Plan and Sustainability Strategy’, all the homes being created are also going to be eco-friendly as a priority.

Each property is being built to ensure the performance of materials that make up the building is maximised – known in the industry as a ‘fabric first approach.’

Moreover, with energy bills so challenging these days and Greater Manchester weather being what it is, each home will be highly insulated to ensure they are as warm and economical for customers as possible.

The housing association also includes a dedicated Homes and Neighbourhoods team to support homeowners once they’re all moved in.

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Better still, with high energy efficiency specs in mind, all 19 of these affordable Oldham homes are set to achieve Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) B, not only saving customers money but also helping reduce their overall carbon footprint.

FCHO’s Development Director, Joel Owen, said of work kicking off: “It is fantastic to see these energy-efficient and affordable homes starting to take shape. Not only do they complement our commitment to provide high quality and affordable homes to people in the communities we are based in and serve but also our work to have sustainable and energy-efficient housing stock.”

 Arca Construct’s Head of Construction, Nigel Lonsdale, added: “We understand the critical role First Choice Homes Oldham plays in providing affordable housing and are delighted to be working with them on this scheme.

“We pride ourselves on being a trusted partner, delivering exceptional results at competitive rates. Our membership in the Considerate Constructors Scheme and CHAS Elite underscores our commitment to quality and responsible construction.”

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Featured Images — Supplied

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Tributes paid to ‘much-loved’ Manchester firefighter who died unexpectedly last week

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Tributes have been paid to a ‘much-loved’ Manchester firefighter who died unexpectedly at his home last week.

Francois Childs, who was better known as ‘Frankie’ to his friends and family, served on Green Watch at Broughton Community Fire Station in Salford, where he had been based since joining Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) in January 2018.

Frankie joined GMFRS following a career in banking, and serving with the machine gun platoon of the Bury Fusiliers.

But the 44-year-old sadly passed away “suddenly and unexpectedly” at his home in Prestwich last Tuesday (3 September).

The former Army reservist leaves behind wife Sarah, two children, his parents, and three brothers.

As well as being a dedicated GMFRS firefighter, Frankie was also one of 12 Fire Brigade Union (FBU) members who volunteered their time to travel to France to support the Care 4 Calais Charity back in November of 2023. 

Paying tribute to Frankie following his sad passing, Sarah Nattrass, who is the Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Service Delivery at GMFRS, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death of one of our colleagues and share our heartfelt condolences with Frankie’s family, friends, and colleagues.

“Frankie was part of our GMFRS family for more than six years as a much-loved member of Green Watch, Broughton, and he will be very sadly missed by all his friends and colleagues.”

The FBU has also paid a touching tribute.

“The charity could not provide this support without dedicated and caring people like Frankie,” an FBU spokesperson said.

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“His support will not be forgotten by the FBU or by the many people his efforts undoubtedly helped contributed to making refugees lives better.”

Featured Image – GMFRS

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