Officials have confirmed that a number of businesses in Bolton have been handed fines after breaching the town’s new operational local lockdown restrictions.
A hairdressers in the suburb of Horwich and four takeaways spread across Bolton were identified as flouting the new set of rules, which came into force in the borough last Tuesday, and were thus each handed fines of £100.
According to a statement issued with Greater Manchester Police, Bolton Council said that workers at the hair salon were not wearing face coverings and correct social distancing was not in place.
It will now “remain closed indefinitely until Bolton Council is satisfied improvements have been made”.
The local authority added that it had also fined the takeaways – LA Pizza on Crompton Way, Grillicious on Tonge Moor Road, Allens Fried Chicken on Chorley Old Road, and Pizza Corner on Higher Market Street – £100 for operating after 10pm.
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HSE inspectors are contacting businesses in #Bolton to make sure they are COVID-secure.
Enforcement is an option if workplaces are failing to follow government guidance.
On Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there were 120 cases per 100,000 in Bolton, which made it the highest infection rate of any borough in the country.
He said that the rise in cases in the town was partly due to “socialising by people in their 20s and 30s” and that through the contact tracing system, they “identified a number of pubs at which the virus has spread significantly.”
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Bolton Lockdown Restrictions
All hospitality venues (restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs) are restricted to takeaway only.
Restriction of operating hours meaning all venues, including takeaways, are required to close between 10pm to 5am.
A ban on mixing outside households/support bubbles in homes, gardens and public settings.
Additional restrictions on visitors at care homes and hospitals in the borough.
The council has previously closed a vape shop and a restaurant.
Councillor Hilary Fairclough said officials would continue to do spot checks, adding they would have “a zero-tolerance approach to those who flout the restrictions”.
Steph Parker – Deputy Chief Inspector at Greater Manchester Police – added: “While I thank the majority of the public and business owners for the sacrifices they have to make, there are a minority who are still not heeding the message”.
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Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.