A family dog lost her eye when three men forced their way into a home in Altrincham and held a father at gunpoint.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Jack Golding, his fiancée and their six-month-old son, were at home at around 12.30am on Wednesday (August 25) when three masked men broke into their home.
One man was carrying a gun, one had a machete and a third man carried a ratchet into the flat on Lloyds Gardens.
In the flat, Jack, in an attempt to protect himself and his family, says he struck one of the burglars with a baseball bat before retreating to block the pathway to his partner and child – meanwhile, Cilla, the family dog, was attacked so badly by the gang she eventually lost her eye.
CCTV footage provided to Manchester Evening News by Jack Golding
However, despite her injuries, which consisted of deep wounds to her head and direct damage to her eye, Cilla retreated to the bathroom to sit in front of Jack’s baby in an attempt to protect him from the intruders.
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Speaking to the MEN, Jack said: “Last night at 12.30am we were at home on the first floor and we were burgled.
“They came in with a machete, a ratchet and a firearm.
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“I managed to strike one of them with a bat and then they basically chased me down the hallway.
“They cut my dog. She lost her left eye, but she managed to pull through somehow.
“He came towards the baby-gate where me and my fiance and baby had gone and put a gun to my head and said to give him jewellery and cash, I didn’t have anything there.
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“They took a fake Rolex and £30 off the side and then left. It was in and out, around eight minutes – but the amount of significant wounds it left Cilla with [was awful].
Cilla the dog in the aftermath of the attack // Jack Golding
“We’ve had to leave the area, we’ve got nowhere to live. We’re still in shock.
“It’s happened before and I was more scared then and was kind of prepared for this. It’s my fiance more, and my baby was traumatised.
“But Cilla, my dog, she’s never been aggressive, just a standard pet, always been a family pet.
“Even when she was cut she came back into the bedroom and sat with the baby to protect him.
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“I don’t know how she survived.”
Anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage from the area, should contact police on 0161 856 7587 or via LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk quoting incident 80-250821.
Alternatively, details can be passed on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
News
Police appeal after teenage girl reports being sexually assaulted in a Stretford park
Emily Sergeant
An urgent appeal for information has been issued after a teenage girl reported being sexually assaulted in a park in Stretford.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers attended Victoria Park, in the Stretford area, earlier this week on Tuesday night (21 July) following reports that a teenage girl had been sexually assaulted.
The incident is reported to have happened between 5:30pm and 5:44pm, and the offender is described to be an older white male of a large build who was wearing a black t-shirt.
No arrests have been made at this time, GMP confirmed, and enquiries are ongoing.
As police continue their investigation at pace, a public appeal for information has been issued in the hopes that someone can come forward and provide the details needed to track down the offender.
“Detectives are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry and the victim is being fully supported by specially trained officers,” explained Detective Superintendent Suzanne Keenaghan, from GMP’s Trafford district.
“There will be an increased police presence in and around Victoria Park while officers continue their investigation and provide reassurance to the local community.”
Police say they are ‘particularly keen’ to hear from anyone who was in the park at the time, or who may have CCTV, doorbell, mobile phone or dashcam footage from the area.
Anyone with information can speak to police officers at the scene, call 101, or contact GMP via LiveChat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 3029 of 21/07/26.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues to be slashed by 20% next year
Emily Sergeant
Business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues across England are set to be slashed by 20% next year.
Continuing on with his week of, seemingly, introducing a new measure a day amid the cost of living crisis, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has now announced that he has taken action to cut business rates for pubs, social clubs, and live music venues across England from April next year.
It’s expected that these new business rate cuts will benefit nearly 32,000 pubs, clubs and live music venues, saving the typical pub an estimated £1,100 in the next financial year.
“For too long, the pubs, social clubs, and live music venues that form the backbone of local high streets have been replaced by boarded up windows and for sale signs,” the Government said in a statement as the cuts were announced today.
Andy Burnham is slashing business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues by 20% next year / Credit: John Arano (via Unsplash) | Wikimedia Commons
These changes are set to be fully funded by the Government – including through reviewing reliefs for businesses that do not make a positive contribution to local communities, such as vape shops for example.
The Government says it also plans to crack down on businesses that sell through online marketplaces but do not comply with their tax obligations, which therefore puts them at an unfair advantage over businesses that do play by the rules.
I’m giving thousands of pubs, clubs and music venues a 20% cut in business rates.
I won’t stand by while these cherished local spaces disappear, replaced by boarded-up windows and ‘For Sale’ signs.
They’re the heart of our communities and it’s time we backed them.
“Pubs, clubs and live music venues are at the heart of communities across the UK,” explained Chancellor John Healey. “They help make a place what we love. They bring people together, support local jobs and help keep high streets, and town centres busy, which is why we will back them all the way.
“We are determined to bring hope back, give businesses the support they need and generate growth in every postcode.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham added: “For too long, Governments have stood by while cherished venues have disappeared from our local high streets. So today I am changing that.
“This Government will back the businesses that people want to see in their communities. I said I would protect pubs and local high streets, and that’s what we will do. What we’re announcing today is just the start as we work to bring back hope across the country.”
The Manc -
27th August 2021 
