Manchester City Council has shut down the Burnage cafe at the centre of a police investigation following a scuffle between an officer and the venue owner.
A Closure Order for Kate & Luc was issued at Manchester Magistrates’ Court this week – with the cafe described as ‘the source of frequent complaints from the public to the Council and Greater Manchester Police over failures to follow COVID-19 restrictions.’
Owners have been told to close until May 9 and pay legal costs of £3,586.52.
The council said that breaches at the cafe date back to November 2020, with staff previously refusing to wear masks or put up protective screens; making ‘no effort’ to enforce social distancing.
Two separate Fixed Penalty Notices were issued in early February, along with a Premises Closure Warning.
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But the cafe continued to operate and has officially been closed down after the ‘disorder’ last weekend (February 6).
Police arrived at the venue on Burnage Lane on Sunday afternoon following reports of people gathering, and within hours videos surfaced on social media showing a man being escorted out of the cafe and a struggle breaking out on the street, with bystanders accusing the officer of swinging a punch.
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The incident has since been referred to GMP’s Professional Standards Branch.
A total of 14 fines were distributed at the scene for breaches of coronavirus regulations and one man was arrested.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods for Manchester City Council, said: “The behaviour of the owners of this café has gone so far beyond what is acceptable the closure of this premises was the only route left open for us to go down.”
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He added: “While hundreds of other businesses have adapted and put in place procedures to keep their customers safe, the same cannot be said for Kate and Luc’s.
“They have shown a disregard for methods proven to slow the rate of COVID transmission and have verbally abused our officers as well as the police when they have been challenged. We have a diverse and dedicated staff who do not deserve this when simply doing their jobs.
“This could not be allowed to continue and I am appreciative of the work done by our Compliance Officers, our legal team and our colleagues in Greater Manchester Police for their work in securing this closure.”
News
Seven in 10 NHS workers think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic
Emily Sergeant
A new survey has revealed that seven in 10 NHS workers believe the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic if one should arise.
After the recent meningitis B outbreak in Kent last month raised the conversation of mass contagion once again, of course following the COVID-19 pandemic, a new YouGov survey of more than 1,000 NHS workers has now uncovered how well prepared staff in the health service think it is for another global pandemic.
The results show that 69% of staff surveyed think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic, and to make matters worse, 26% of those even say it’s ‘very poorly’ prepared.
Only one in five (22%) think the NHS is could properly handle another pandemic, but statistically, YouGov claims none of those surveyed said it’s ‘very well’ prepared.
Seven in 10 NHS workers think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic / Credit: Pxhere | Rawpixel
When workers were asked how the NHS’s level of preparedness now compares to prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 41% did concede that they think it is better prepared now than 2020, however 37% admitted they think it’s no better prepared.
16% actively think it’s less well-prepared now than it was prior to 2020.
This marked a new era of ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ in the NHS, with the league tables delivering on the Government’s promise to drive up standards, tackle variation in care, and ensure people get the high-quality service they rightly expect.
Every trust in England – from urgent and emergency care, through to elective operations and mental health services – will now be ranked quarterly against ‘clear and consistent’ standards.
Featured Image – Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
News
Seven people arrested in Salford over plans to conduct coordinated mass shoplifting campaign
Emily Sergeant
Seven people have been arrested in Salford over plans to be part of a coordinated mass shoplifting campaign of ‘high end’ retailers and supermarkets across the country.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), it is believed the group had been training for ‘non‑violent direct action’ in Salford as part of a coordinated mass shoplifting campaign, where they were intending to steal goods from high‑value stores and major supermarkets across the country, and then redistribute them to places such as food banks.
Working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Service, officers arrested one male and six females in Salford yesterday afternoon (Sunday 19 April) on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.
They all remain in police custody for questioning.
It has been reported in multiple sources, such as the BBC and the MEN, that the individuals arrested are believed to be part of the Take Back Power Action Group.
Take Back Power Action Group describes itself on its website as a ‘nonviolent civil resistance group’ that is aiming to ‘put the 99% in charge’ through citizen’s assemblies.
“We are ordinary people from all walks of life who believe that in order to fix Britain, taxing the rich is an essential first step, and we want ordinary people to decide how,” a statement on the group’s website declares.
Speaking following the arrests over the weekend, Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said: “This joint operation with the Metropolitan Police has resulted in the arrests of seven individuals who we believe were planning to take part in coordinated national activity targeting high‑value retail stores.
“We are taking robust action to disrupt this type of organised criminality, and it will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.
The Manc -
12th February 2021 
