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Celebrated author Dame Hilary Mantel has died ‘suddenly yet peacefully’ aged 70

She has been called "one of the greatest English novelists of this century".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 23rd September 2022

Dame Hilary Mantel has died aged 70.

The unexpected passing of the critically-acclaimed author whose celebrated career spans nearly five decades has just been announced by her agents 4th Estate Books and her publishing team at HarperCollins in two separate statements released this morning – who confirmed that she died “suddenly yet peacefully”.

The Glossop-born writer was famed for historical fiction work, and was most-known for being the author of the beloved Wolf Hall trilogy.

The statement by her agents confirming her passing reads: “We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel, and our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald.

“This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work.”

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Mantel’s publishers HarperCollins called her “one of the greatest English novelists of this century”.

The company’s statement reads: “It is with great sadness that AM Heath and HarperCollins announce that bestselling author Dame Hilary Mantel DBE died suddenly yet peacefully yesterday, surrounded by close family and friends, aged 70. 

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“Hilary Mantel was one of the greatest English novelists of this century and her beloved works are considered modern classics.

“She will be greatly missed.”

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Mantel has twice been awarded the Booker Prize, the first time for the 2009 novel Wolf Hall, a fictional account of Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power in the court of Henry VIII, and secondly for the 2012 novel Bring Up the Bodies, the second instalment of the Cromwell trilogy.

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She was the first woman, and fourth person, to receive the award twice.

Featured Image – 4th Estate Books

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Eight arrested and £20k cash seized during early-morning police drug raids in Rochdale

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Police have seized £20,000 cash and a large quantity of drugs during early-morning drug raids in Rochdale this week.

Eight people have also been arrested, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.

The significant seizes and arrests come after detectives from GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group executed 11 warrants at addresses across Rochdale and Lancashire yesterday morning (17 April), that were believed to be connected to a large-scale drugs conspiracy.

As well as raiding a number of residential properties, several warrants were also executed at premises that police believed to be ‘stash houses’.

A search of all premises raided lead to several mobile phones, quantities of cocaine, and cannabis plants all being seized, as well as an estimated £20,000 in cash.

Eight people have been arrested and £20k cash has been seized during early-morning police raids in Rochdale / Credit: GMP

Following the raids, a total of eight people, who are between the ages of 27 and 56, have all been arrested on conspiracy to supply drugs, it has been confirmed, and they currently remain in police custody for questioning.

These are the latest arrests in what is part of GMP’s ongoing investigations into the criminal use of encrypted mobile phones.

Back in 2020, as a result of the NCA take down of Encrochat – which is the encrypted messaging platform once used by criminals across the globe – GMP was handed hundreds and thousands of messages from the once-secure platform, and it gave detectives “insight into the criminal underworld which had never been seen before”.

Over the last few years, GMP says it has been “systematically” working its way through these messages to attribute them to criminals across Greater Manchester and the North West.

“We have seen great huge successes to date,” GMP has admitted.

Speaking following the early-morning raids in Rochdale and Lancashire yesterday, Detective Sergeant Rich McCorry, from GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group, said in a statement: “The ability for criminals to benefit from the proceeds of drugs is a key driver for organised crime, and we have specialist detectives working tirelessly to eliminate the key players from criminal networks across the region.

“[Yesterday’s] action is a result of months of hard work by detectives, whose proactive investigations into the drugs trade in Manchester has led them through these doors today.

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“We will continue to employ every possible tactic to target and disrupt organised crime groups, and ensure they are brought to justice.”

Featured Image – GMP

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Mother of Manchester Arena attack victim to walk to Downing Street to demand new security law

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The mother of a Manchester Arena attack victim is to walk from Manchester to Downing Street to demand a new security law.

Figen Murray OBE, whose son, Martyn Hett, was one of the 22 victims that sadly lost their life during the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, has been tirelessly campaigning for the introduction of new legislation that tightens security protocols at public venues across the UK for several years now – but this will be her biggest challenge yet.

On 7 May, she plans to set off from the place where Martyn died in Manchester city centre, and walk all the way to Downing Street.

Her expected arrival in London on 22 May will be both the seventh anniversary of the horrific attack, and of her son’s death.

The legislation Ms Murray is campaigning for the introduction of is known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, and it will require premises to fulfil what the Government has called “necessary but proportionate” steps, according to their capacity, to help keep the general public safe.

The law was approved in September 2022, but is still yet to be formally introduced.

A consultation was launched back in February to help work out the best way to introduce the law nationwide, and the public was invited to have their say on the proposals which sought to “scale-up preparedness for terrorist attacks” and make sure the public is protected – but this consultation closed on 18 March, and the results are said to be being considered by the Government, according to BBC reports.

Ms Murray is expected to be joined by Brendan Cox – the widower of MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in 2016 – and Nick Aldworth, who is a former national counter-terrorism coordinator, on her march to Downing Street.

Figen Murray’s son, Martyn Hett, who lost his life during the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 / Credit: gov.uk

She will also pay her respects at the sites of a number of terror attacks along the way on her 200-mile journey.

Reflecting on it being almost five years on from the Government’s original commitment to ‘Martyn’s Law’ ahead of her walk to London, Ms Murray says she believes the fact that the draft legislation still hasn’t been tabled is “putting our country at risk”.

“No parent should have to experience the pain and loss I’ve felt,” Ms Murray told the BBC.

“I truly believe we have an opportunity to make public spaces safer and more secure by introducing Martyn’s Law.”

Following the closing of the public consultation on ‘Martyn’s Law’ last month, a Home Office spokesperson thanked Ms Murray for her “tireless support in the development of this vital reform”.

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The spokesperson’s statement continues: “We are reviewing the findings [of the public consultation] to ensure all feedback is fully considered, and working to finalise the legislation with a view to introducing it as soon as parliamentary time allows.”

Featured Image – Figen Murray / BBC

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