A Burnley plumber known for providing free services to the elderly and vulnerable in his community has been forced to put his help on hold.
James Anderson, the owner of DEPHER – a company providing emergency plumbing and heating services to the elderly, disabled, and vulnerable for free of charge – has this week been announced the company is to suspend its services for the time being.
James has spoken out about the reason he’s been forced into making this disappointing decision.
DEPHER was originally set up back in 2017 by the Burnley native after his son sadly died at just 16-weeks-old, and he made promise to him that he would “be a better man” – and while his original aim was to provide free heating and plumbing services to those in need, the company has since gone from strength to strength, and James and the team lend a hand with almost anything.
Staff get around 400 emails every day from people asking for help, and in almost six years since being set up, the company has been able to assist more than half a million people across Lancashire, the North West, and the rest of the country.
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Burnley plumber who helps elderly and vulnerable for free forced to suspend services over costs / Credit: The Manc Group
But while the services are provided for free to those in need, it of course comes at a cost for James and the DEPHER team.
And it’s the rising cost of living crisis that has proved to be the current roadblock for the company.
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James says that a “massive increase in demand” for their services as households nationwide grapple with finances has meant the company is running out of money each week.
Addressing the need to suspend services, James explained in a statement: “DEPHER will unfortunately have to postpone all requests for help with food, gas, and electricity. Due to a massive increase in demand, we are running out of funds very quickly every week.
“We will restart the initiative as soon as we find more support [but] we need to balance the outgoings for people who need our plumbing, heating boilers, and funeral support.
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“We cannot use everything on just food, gas, and electricity. We have a responsibility to a wide range of people around the UK.
As a community interest company, DEPHER relies largely on donations – with legendary actor Hugh Grant grabbing headlines for being a regular donor – which is why James is now appealing to the public for financial support as he “works hard to reinstall the initiative” as soon as possible.
Former GMP officer jailed after being found guilty of several online child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A former police officer from Salford has been sentenced after being found guilty of a string of online child sex offences.
Following a trial back in July, 35-year-old Michael Aspinall was sentenced at Preston Crown Court earlier this week (Monday 14 September) after being found guilty of three counts of attempting sexual communication with a child.
It comes after Aspinall – who was employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at the time of the offences – was arrested in October 2024 by detectives from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU), and was immediately suspended from duty following his arrest.
The investigation began after evidence was obtained that Aspinall had been communicating online with individuals that he believed to be children, but he was in fact communicating with a police officer.
Following this series of interactions, he was charged with various offences.
In addition to his eight-month sentence – which has been suspended for two years – Aspinall will also be placed on the sex offender’s register for 10 years, subject to a five-year serious crime prevention order, and have undertake 20 days of rehabilitation, GMP has confirmed.
He has additionally been added to the College of Policing’s barred list.
An application to request forfeiture of Aspinall’s police pension has also been made to the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.
“Aspinall’s offending was clearly unacceptable for any right-minded member of society and particularly inappropriate for a serving police officer,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Humphreys, from GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate.
“His actions put the whole police service under scrutiny, but thanks to the hard work and diligence of undercover officers, he was arrested, found guilty, and has now received his punishment.”
DCI Humphreys concluded: “[Aspinall’s] actions take away from the hard work of the men and women who work so hard for their communities every day, and it is only right that anyone committing these sort of offences are rooted out.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Council announces return of FREE firework displays in Manchester parks
Emily Sergeant
The skies over Manchester will light up once again, as free firework displays are set to return to several of the city’s parks.
You may remember that major fireworks events throughout the city had been paused following the COVID-19 pandemic, due to funding challenges, with Manchester City Council choosing to invest in a range of other community-focused events across throughout the autumn season instead, rather than one-off firework celebrations.
But now, once this November rolls around, all of that is set to change.
That’s because, on Saturday 7 November, free fireworks events will return to Heaton Park, Wythenshawe Park, and Platt Fields Park.
First up, there will be a reduced-noise, low-impact display at 5pm for families and SEND audiences, and a main fireworks display then to follow a little later at 8pm.
The Council has announced the return of free firework displays in Manchester parks / Credit: Unsplash
Each of the three parks will host lantern making workshops in the weeks leading up to the events too, with family-friendly lantern parades taking place ahead of the 8pm firework shows.
The Council says that the return of the free fireworks events reflects residents’ recent feedback about what they want to see in their community and how they want funding to be distributed.
“It’s a chance, at the start of the shorter days and beginning of the dark winter months, to come together and resume a much-loved annual tradition as well as enjoying an evening of safe entertainment and spectacular fireworks displays,” Manchester City Council said in a statement.
Councillor Basat Sheikh, who is the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, added: “We are delighted to announce and welcome the return of our much-loved fireworks celebrations.
It’s the first time they’ve returned since the COVID-19 pandemic / Credit: Elisha Terada (via Unsplash)
“Our parks should be shared spaces that create opportunities for Manchester people to gather, which is why bringing back the fireworks displays was top of our agenda. And we also recognise the importance of community which is why we will also continue to invest in a wide range of activities in our parks throughout the year.
“The return of these events is a wonderful opportunity for families and communities to create lasting memories and enjoy the long-standing tradition of fireworks in our parks in a safe way.”
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2023 
