Dame Sarah Storey has put in another world record-breaking performance to claim her 15th Paralympic victory.
The Eccles cyclist has bagged Team GB’s first gold medal of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
After smashing her own world best record in the qualifying rounds leading up to the medal race, Storey beat teammate Crystal Lane-Wright in what was a rematch of the 2016 Rio Paralymics final to retain her C5 3,000m individual pursuit crown.
The defending champion shaved more than four seconds off her own world record in qualifying, powering over the line in 3:27.057 to clinch gold.
Storey – whose illustrious career began as a swimmer and has now spanned eight Paralympic Games – flew out of the blocks and mercilessly chased down her teammate to secure another spot at the top of the podium.
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She is now just one medal behind Mike Kenny’s British record of 16 Paralympic golds.
Despite already cementing her place in the history books, 43-year-old Storey will have a chance to surpass Kenny next week when she attempts to defend her C5 time trial and C4-5 road race crowns.
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Storey’s journey to becoming Britain’s most successful female Paralympian is a truly inspiring feat.
Born without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb, she began her Paralympic career in the pool at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and at just aged just 14, she won two gold medals, three silvers and a bronze.
She continued in the pool for three subsequent Paralympics, winning 15 medals – including five golds – before switching to cycling in 2005.
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She was made a Dame following her achievements at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Dame Sarah Storey is GB’s most successful female Paralympian of all-time with 14 gold medals!
“For me as an individual, I’ve won a medal at every single Games I’ve been to and this is my fourth time winning the individual pursuit in a row. I broke the world record in Beijing, in London, in Rio and this morning, so for me it’s been quite overwhelming to try and keep backing that up and keep pushing on the pedals to go faster and faster.
“I never expected to go as quick as I did this morning but I’m so glad that I did.”
Police are searching for a missing bride-to-be, with CCTV from the day she vanished released
Daisy Jackson
Police have ramped up their appeal to find missing bride-to-be Eren Wright, releasing CCTV of her on the day she vanished.
Eren has been missing since 27 October, when she left her home address in Lytham St Annes.
Since then, her desperate fiancé has shared that her phone was last detected in Birkdale Southport at around 5.30pm that same day, and her bank accounts are empty.
He said last week in a post on Facebook: “Myself and the pets are freaking out not knowing where she is and if she is ok, she has been missing for nearly 12 hours.”
Eren was last seen just after 10am leaving her home on St David’s Road South.
She is described as white, 5’7″, slim, and with blonde hair. She also has tattoos of vines and a tree on her hand and arms.
Police have ramped up their appeal to find missing bride-to-be Eren Wright. Credit: Fylde Police
Eren was last seen wearing a light olive green hoodie with a painting on the front, beige/cream wide leg pants, and worn white trainers.
Police have now shared the new CCTV image of Eren in the hopes that someone might know where she is, or have seen her.
Fylde Police also said they were ‘worried’ about her.
If you see Eren or know where she might be, call 999 quoting log 1309 of October 27th.
Leigh drug dealer jailed after being ‘caught red-handed’ by police
Emily Sergeant
A drug dealer known around the Leigh area has been jailed last week after police caught him ‘red-handed’.
Dawid Bialek, of no fixed abode, has been jailed after pleading guilty to four counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine), and handling stolen goods.
It comes after, on Monday 11 May 2026, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) who were patrolling on a canal towpath, near Quayside in Leigh, spotted 30-year-old Bialek attempting to discard a package in the water.
The package was subsequently recovered, and according to GMP, was found to contain multiple wraps of suspected Class A drugs.
Further enquiries then led police to an address in Leigh, where additional evidence linked to drug dealing was recovered – including suspected drugs, scales, empty wraps, and mobile phones.
Bialek was later bailed as police conducted further enquiries, but while that work was continuing, on Friday 19 June, officers carrying out plain-clothes patrols in the town centre saw Bialek in an alley just off the canal tow path, handing out wraps of heroin and crack cocaine to others.
He was once again stopped, searched, and found to be in possession of drugs and cash.
This time he was charged and able to be remanded. He appeared at court over the summer and plead not guilty to the charges brought against him, but as the investigation continued, examination of seized mobile phones uncovered further evidence of drug dealing activity – including messages, videos and notes consistent with the supply of Class A drugs.
Due to the quantity of evidence gathered and submitted to the CPS, Bialek changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court last week.
He has been jailed for a total of four years and nine months.
Following the sentencing, a spokesperson for GMP’s Leigh Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “The supply of Class A drugs causes significant harm within our communities and often exploits vulnerable people who are struggling with addiction.
“This result demonstrates our commitment to targeting those responsible for bringing drugs into Leigh and disrupting the criminality associated with them.”
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2021 
