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Co-op Live and TfGM extends FREE tram travel scheme for event ticket-holders

The groundbreaking initiative is sticking around a little longer.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 4th July 2024

A groundbreaking scheme offering free tram travel to all Co-op Live event ticket-holders has now been extended.

The Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) initiative – which was announced back in March ahead of the massive new arena’s long-awaited opening, and is the first of its kind in the UK – has already seen thousands of ticket holders get to make the most of integrated travel across a Manchester‘s Metrolink tram network over the last couple of months.

When announced, the popular scheme initially applied to anyone who had tickets to events at Co-op Live between 20 April and 30 June.

But now, TfGM has announced that the scheme will continue until the end of this month (July 2024). 

Co-op Live and TfGM has extended its free tram travel scheme for event ticket-holders / Credit: Bee Network / TfGM

As part of Co-op Live’s “ongoing commitment to sustainable travel” – which is funded by the venue – the continuation of the initiative means that fans with a valid arena event ticket can use the Metrolink from four hours before, and up to four hours after (depending on the timing of each show), to allow people to travel at a time that’s most convenient to them.

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The initiative will remain active across all four Metrolink zones.

The two organisations say the scheme has been been extended because integrated tram travel with all event tickets offers a sustainable alternative to driving, and ensures that fans can make a quick and easy getaway at the end of the night, whether they’re heading back home or into the city centre.

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“We’re over the moon to see the positive results of our collaborative sustainable travel initiative with TfGM, and very pleased to be able to extend the offer of integrated tram travel until the end of July,” commented Rebecca Kane Burton, who is Co-op Live’s Interim General Manager, on the scheme extension announcement.

“Alongside recent partnership announcements, it further cements our dedication to give back to the planet, to our local community, and to our fans.”

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Fans will be able to access relevant event travel information for their event on the dedicated page on TfGM’s website here.

Featured Image – Bee Network / TfGM

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Former GMP and prison officer jailed after secret relationship with murderer uncovered

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A former police and prison officer who was in an undisclosed relationship with a man serving a life sentence for murder has been jailed.

Stephanie Heaps, now known as Stephanie Ramsden, who was formerly a from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer based in Bolton, did not declare that she was in an intimate relationship with Leon ‘Layton’ Ramsden – who is on a life sentence for murder – while she worked in her previous role at HMP Wymott in Leyland.

The 32-year-old Heaps had worked as a prison officer since March 2018, before pursuing a career in the police and joining GMP as a PC based in Bolton in July 2019.

During this time, she did not declare any links to criminals or criminal activity.

An investigation carried out by GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) – which began in September 2019, under supervision of the Independent Office of Police Conduct – not only revealed Heaps’ levels of deceit in getting a job in the police service, but also found her links to an organised crime group associated to Ramsden, which was involved in money laundering, drug dealing, and a conspiracy to burgle an address in St Helens in November 2019.

After four months of what GMP called “tireless investigative work”, sufficient evidence to prove Heaps often visited Leon Ramsden in prison was uncovered, as it was found that she had been contacting him via illicit phones he had in his cell, and even shared sensitive police information with him.

Heaps was arrested in January 2020, and detectives then probed her with the mount of evidence that they had compiled, but according to GMP, she gave a ‘no comment’ interview.

Only weeks later, she resigned from the force.

GMP worked with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the prison service to produce a “compelling case” that led to Heaps pleading guilty in October 2022 to offences such as misconduct in a public office, as both a police officer and a prison officer, intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence after conducting telephone conversations with Ramsden through illegal mobile phones, and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Close to the entrance of H.M.P Wymott, where Heaps worked as a prison officer / Credit: Google Maps

She also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer, conceal, and convert criminal property regarding the money laundering of Ramsden’s drugs money.

At an accelerated misconduct hearing in October 2023, Heaps was barred from policing, and then, at Bolton Crown Court today last Thursday (4 July), she was sentenced to serve four years and three months behind bars.

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Ramsden, now of HMP Berwyn, was sentenced to five years and seven months, to run concurrently with his current sentence.

Featured Image – GMP

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Jude Bellingham given suspended one-match ban and fine for ‘inappropriate’ gesture

Danny Jones Danny Jones Jude Bellingham given one match ban for inappropriate gesture during Slovakia celebration

England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has been handed a suspended one-match ban after making a gesture towards the Slovakia fans following the Three Lions’ last-gasp win in the round of 16 of Euro 2024.

Bellingham scored what has already gone down as one of the greatest England goals of all time to equalise against their first knockout opponents of the tournament to put them through to the quarter-final stage.

However, it was his celebrations in the immediate aftermath following the goal that got him into a little bit of trouble, as a small gesture towards his genitals has seen the Madrid midfielder pick up a fine and a one-match ban that he will thankfully he doesn’t have to serve any suspension immediately.

ln case you missed it, this is the moment in question, as reshared by the player himself:

As you can see, Bellingham shrugged off the gesture as nothing more than an “inside joke towards some friends” who were in attendance inside Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins-Arena and clearly wasn’t willing to indulge any suggestion that he meant any offence despite the crude gesture.

Regardless, UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary body, unfortunately, hasn’t seen it that way; they stated that he violated “the basic rules of decent conduct” with the celebration, being slapped with a €30,000 fine (approximately £25k) and the match ban.

They did go on to explain that the ban is “subject to a probationary period of one year, starting from the date of the present decision”, meaning that it will only have to be served if the 21-year-old re-offends in the next 12 months.

A big relief for England supporters after he helped keep them in the game with his second goal in a competition where Gareth Southgate‘s side has still struggled to really get going.

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While Bellingham will be available for Saturday’s match against Switzerland, another player received a harsher punishment for his reaction following a goal at this year’s Euros.

Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been handed a straight two-match ban for a politically associated gesture he made during his side’s previous win, doing the wolf salute celebration after the second goal of his brace against Austria.

The gesture is linked to the far-right Grey Wolves extremist group, who are also closely linked with Turkey’s ruling coalition National Movement Party. Bellingham’s behaviour pales in comparison when sized up against potentially inflammatory instances like this.

Meanwhile, back in the England camp, there is another member of the squad who Three Lions fans will be hoping can make an impact in upcoming games – we can only hope.

England fans are calling for Southgate to finally start Luke Shaw following Trippier’s injury doubts

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Featured Images — @343_digital (via X)/England (via Instagram)

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