News
Devastation after huge fire at beautiful thatch-roofed pub The Smoker
It's thought it's been left with 'severe damage'.
A beautiful thatch-roofed pub has been devastated by a huge fire that tore through it last week.
The Smoker pub in the village of Plumley is more than 400 years old and has been owned by Robinsons family brewers since 1949.
The fire broke out at around 5.30pm last Wednesday with the building quickly evacuated.
Nine fire crews attended the blaze, which burned well into the night.
The pub has now released a statement thanking all the messages of support it’s received as well as praising the efforts of fire crews, who ‘braved the flames to rescue our beloved cats’.
No one was injured in the devastating fire at The Smoker pub, though the damage is ‘suspected to be severe’.
Soon the work will begin to restore The Smoker – one of the only thatched roof pubs in the Robinsons portfolio – to its former glory.
William Robinson, managing director of Pubs at Robinsons commented: “I’d like to extend my thanks to the nine fire crews of Cheshire Fire and Rescue and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue services who both attended the fire and worked throughout the night to extinguish the flames.
“Alongside the fire crews, The Salvation Army were on site, playing an incredible role in looking after the welfare of the fire crews and others onsite.
“It will take quite some time to fully understand the level of damage that has been done, but we suspect it to be quite severe.”
The Smoker pub shared on Facebook: “After the devastating events of Wednesday evening I would just like to say THANK YOU!!
“For the countless messages I have received asking after the welfare of myself and my family, for the support of Adam and Ashleigh we could not have got thru the nite without you, for Darren dropping everything to be there while all we could do was watch…
“But most of all to the firemen that braved the flames to rescue our beloved cats and bring them out safely….
“A massive heart felt THANK YOU.”
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Featured image: Supplied, Robinsons
News
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
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Featured image: The Manc Group
News
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
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BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Featured Image – BTP
Daisy Jackson -
28th October 2024 
