News

‘Devastated’ family pay tribute to boy, 12, killed in a hit-and-run on M62

Callum Rycroft has been described as a "beautiful happy soul".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 8th August 2023

The family of 12-year-old boy who was sadly killed in a hit-and-run while trying to cross the M62 motorway over the weekend have paid tribute to him.

The boy has been named as Callum Rycroft from Leeds.

Paying tribute to her son, Callum’s mother described him as “a beautiful happy soul” who was “unique, great fun, and larger than life”.

She explained that he always brought “light, laughter, and noise into any room”, which led him to having a “massive impact on everyone who met him” – adding that “the house is so quiet without him here”.

“We are devastated at what has happened,” she continued in her tribute.

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“We are very grateful for the support and kind comments we have received… [but we] request that people respect our wish for privacy at this difficult time”.

The family tributes paid to Callum come as officers are continuing enquiries into the collision in which a Toyota C-HR car struck the 12-year-old on the eastbound carriageway of the M62, between junctions 25 and 26 near Cleckheaton, at around 9:50pm this past Saturday (5 August).

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As previously disclosed by West Yorkshire Police, it’s believed Callum had been walking on the motorway with a man after an earlier collision involving an Audi Q5 on the slip road to Hartshead Moor services.

No other vehicles are believed to have been involved in that collision. 

A 47-year-old male from Bolton – who was the driver of the Toyota – was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving earlier yesterday, but he has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

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Meanwhile, 36-year-old Matthew Rycroft, of Nowell View in Leeds, will also appear before Leeds Magistrates Court after previously being arrested, and then subsequently charged, with causing/allowing the death of a child in an incident.

He was also charged with failing to provide a specimen.

Police are continuing to appeal, and asking anyone who was driving along the M62 between Hartshead Moor and the M606 on Saturday night between 9:30pm and 9:50pm, to check any dashcam footage they may have of this incident.

Read more:

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Collision Enquiry Team by using 101 Live Chat or by calling 101, quoting log 1786 of 5 August.

Featured Image – West Yorkshire Police

News

Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of £2.5bn investment package

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

It’s official… Stockport is finally getting trams.

It’s been a long time coming, so long, in fact, that rumours first began swirling all the way back in July 2022 when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted at in PMQs, all before Mayor Andy Burnham insisted in October 2023 that he had ‘big ambitions’ to deliver the project once and for all, but now it’s finally been confirmed.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has today revealed that Stockport will be connected to the Metrolink tram network thanks to a £2.5 billion funding boost from the Government.

At this moment in time, Stockport is one of only a few boroughs in the region that’s not currently connected up to the expansive Metrolink network, but all of that is set to change very soon, as Greater Manchester is beginning the construction of the town’s very-first tram line.

While the intention for trams to eventually travel to and from the town has been known for quite some time now, there hasn’t been much talk of timelines or when this would actually become a reality.

For now, it seems there’s still no timelines as such, but at least there’s confirmation.

The confirmation that trams will be coming to Stockport forms part of a lineup of exciting transport announcements this week, all of which Andy Burnham has called a ‘game-changing moment’ that will ‘underpin Greater Manchester’s green growth’ for years to come.

A man has been arrested after reports of someone letting off gas on board Metrolink trams
Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of a £2.5 billion investment package / Credit: TfGM

Other announcements include the fact that Greater Manchester‘s Bee Network is to become a fully-electric, zero-emission public transport system by 2030, local rail lines will be brought into the Bee Network before the end of the decade, fully joining up bike, bus, tram, and train travel for the first time outside London, and the introduction of new electric buses, tram lines, tram stops, and transport interchanges.

North Manchester, Bury, and Oldham are the areas set to receive new Metrolink stops to support delivery of thousands of new homes, and Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury will all be connected to each other via the Bee Network.

“Building on our strong track record, we can now move at pace to deliver the next phase of the Bee Network – creating the UK’s first fully electric, zero emission integrated public transport system by 2030,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham as the funding package was announced this week.

The Bee Network become a fully-electric, zero-emission public transport system by 2030 / Credit: TfGM

“With a pipeline of major transport projects better connecting our towns and cities, and local rail lines brought into the Bee Network, our communities will be the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up bike, bus, tram, and train travel.

“Greater Manchester has had a decade of growth faster than the UK average, and this funding can be the key to unlocking even more growth in the decade to come.

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“It’s a major boost for our own plans to deliver £10bn of investment over the next 10 years, build thousands of new homes, create skilled jobs, and open up new opportunities right across our city-region.”

Featured Image – TfGM

News

Police still searching for answers six months after remains of baby girl found in Little Hulton park

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Floral tributes laid for Baby A after remains found in Salford

Six months on after the remains of a baby girl were found in a park in Little Hulton, police are still searching for answers.

It was on 20 November 2024 that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) received a call from a member of the public reporting the discovery of what appeared to be human remains in a park in the Little Hulton area of Salford – but it was only when officers and detectives attended the scene that they determinted the remains to be that of a baby girl.

At the time, police referred to the baby simply as ‘Baby A’, but it’s now be confirmed that they chose to name her Ava.

Since that day, a dedicated team from GMP’s Major Incident Team has worked ‘tirelessly’ to uncover the truth about who Baby Ava was and what led to her being left alone.

Detectives have followed up on hundreds of public tips, conducted thousands of hours of house-to-house enquiries, reviewed extensive CCTV footage, and collaborated with police forces and agencies across the country in pursuit of identifying who baby Ava was and securing justice for her… but as of yet, there are no answers.

Police issue statement after remains of young baby found in Salford field
Police are still searching for answers six months after the remains of a baby girl found in a Little Hulton park / Credit: Google Maps

Information from the public also led police to speak with potential witnesses nationwide, and time was also spent trawling the national missing person database, focusing on cases involving females who were potentially pregnant and reported missing, yet these were unsuccessful.

To this day, police continue to work closely with a range of experts.

Currently, a botanist is helping detectives determine how long Ava may have been at the discovery site, and work is continuing with an anthropologist, archaeologist, and specialists in dental and bone analysis to establish Ava’s age and ethnicity.

As investigations continue at a rapid pace, police have reissued their appeal to the public for information.

Floral tributes laid for Baby A after remains found in Salford
Floral tributes laid for Baby A after remains found in Salford
Police have since named the baby Ava as their search for answers continues / Credit: GMP

“We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we’re committed to uncovering the truth,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley, from GMP’s Major Incident Team. “We are more determined than ever to find who Ava is, who her parents are, and all of the possible scenarios and circumstances which have led Ava to being separated from them. 

“I know how heartbreaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. The support and compassion we’ve received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest.

“If you are baby Ava’s mum, please know that you are not alone. You can contact us directly or ask someone you trust to reach out on your behalf. We want to help you.”

Read more:

Anyone with any information that may be of assistance is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24, or by heading to the Major Incident Public Portal here.

Featured Image – GMP

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