The parents of missing student Charley Gadd have issued an urgent plea to the public to help find their son.
20-year-old Charley has not been seen since the early hours of Saturday morning.
Charley had initially been to Warehouse Project, but was reported missing afterwards, and a CCTV image of his last known movements was then released on Monday (13 December) after Greater Manchester Police said it had discovered he was last seen just before 1.15am on Saturday outside the Royal Exchange Theatre, and was heading towards St Annes Street in the city centre.
He is described as a white male of skinny build, 5ft 9 inches, with mousy brown hair, wearing a red jacket and blue jeans.
Now, his parents have spoken out and issued an appeal.
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Charley’s father, Jolyon Gadd, said in his appeal: “We were out with Charley on Friday night and Saturday morning on the 11 December and had a lovely time together.
“We were near the Spar Store in St Mary’s Gate at around 1.10am when Charley ran off [and] we spent many hours then and later in the early hours looking for him before reporting him missing to the police around 11am.
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“Charley is not familiar with Manchester and may have got lost and not been able to find his way back to his hotel.”
Mr Gadd continued: “Charley is a very bright, warm, funny and loving man who everybody hugely enjoys being around.
“He is in the second year of a film and media degree course at the University of Essex in Colchester where he is well liked and flat shares with friends. We have heard nothing from him since he ran off and my wife and I and his brothers Bruno and Rufus are desperate for any news of him.
“As we do not live in the area, we would ask local people and businesses to help us by looking in outbuilding, vehicles, bins, and anywhere else that Charley may have taken shelter to keep warm on Saturday morning.
“We really appreciate all the support and kind comments given by local people on social media, and ask that you please keep this in the public eye locally until we find Charley.
“However, we would ask that our privacy also please be respected at this time.”
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20-year-old Charley Gadd has not been seen since the early hours of Saturday morning / Credit: Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that enquiries into Charley’s disappearance are ongoing and searches are being carried out, but say that officers are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen Charley or has any information.
Anyone with information about Charley’s whereabouts should contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency and quote log 149 of 12/12/2021.
Featured Image – Greater Manchester Police
News
Man jailed for 10 years after raping ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after being found guilty of raping an ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman multiple times in Manchester city centre.
Benjamin Wilson, of Norwood Avenue in Chesterfield, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after being found guilty of offences committed in Manchester city centre back in June 2022, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
The victim – who was described as being ‘extremely vulnerable and intoxicated’ – plucked up the courage to go on a night out with friends in Manchester, however she became separated from them and was later subjected to a serious sexual assault, which was linked to a suspected drink spiking.
During the evening, the victim – whose identity has been withheld – and her friend believed their drinks had been tampered with, and she later found herself alone, heavily intoxicated, and extremely vulnerable, before she came into contact with Wilson near a takeaway.
Wilson took advantage of the situation, guiding her into a taxi before repeatedly raping her at a flat in Manchester.
The following morning, he dropped her near the hotel where she had been due to stay with her friend, and she proceeded to report the incident to police shortly afterwards.
A man has been jailed for 10 years after raping an ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman in Manchester city centre / Credit: GMP
From the outset, investigators said they faced ‘significant challenges’ – including limited early forensic opportunities and issues securing CCTV footage, all while needing to prioritise the victim’s wellbeing.
Hundreds of hours of work went into analysing witness accounts, financial and phone data, intelligence checks, and overcoming cross-force barriers leading to Wilson’s arrest in Derbyshire.
“The case was ultimately built through meticulous investigation, persistence, and, crucially, the strength and courage of the victim’s testimony,” GMP said.
Speaking following Wilson’s sentencing this week, DC Phillip Sargeant, of GMP’s Longsight CID, commented: “I am awestruck not only by the courage of the victim in coming forward, but also by her patience and resilience in waiting for justice.
“The impact on her, her family and her support network has been profound.
“I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of closure and enables them to move on from this traumatic experience.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Council sets out plans to rework busy Manchester junction after ‘serious safety concerns’
Emily Sergeant
Bold new plans to transform one of Manchester’s busiest junctions following ‘serious’ safety concerns have been unveiled.
All the way back in 2022, Manchester City Council identified the junction of Wilmslow Road with Ladybarn Road and Sherwood Street as an area that would ‘greatly benefit’ from upgraded infrastructure.
As a major route into Manchester, and an important route cutting through the city’s southern neighbourhoods, this junction sees a vast amount of road, cyclist, and foot traffic every day… and because of this, there are also said to be ‘serious concerns’ around safety when it comes to this particular stretch of road.
In a five year period between 2018 and 2023 alone, there were 15 collisions at this junction, the Council explained – with two of these classified as ‘serious’.
Under the plans – which have been announced by the Council this week – the junction is to be partially redesigned, creating several new and safer crossing points for cyclists and pedestrians, a more ‘seamless’ route along the current cycling lanes, and overall, just general improvements to the layout.
🚧 Wilmslow Rd Junction Improvements 🚲 Works start 18 May 2026 at Wilmslow Rd / Ladybarn Rd / Sherwood St to make the junction safer for pedestrians & cyclists. ✅ New cycle lanes ✅ Safer crossings ✅ Better links to the Fallowfield Loop 🔗 https://t.co/Y26mH7cc8Epic.twitter.com/IiOih5ehqp
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 11, 2026
Some of the safety features set to be included are three dedicated crossing points for pedestrians at the junction, rumble strips for cyclists at pedestrian crossing points, and improved signage and road markings.
Work is due to begin as early as next Monday (18 May), and will run until January 2027.
The work is set to be carried out in four phases, the Council has confirmed – with the first phase of these works comprising of the removal of street furniture, kerbs and tarmac, as well as upgrades to the drainage and road markings.
“This junction in particular sees a high volume of traffic – from cars, cyclists and pedestrians, commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“So it was clear that improvements were required following our engagement with local residents.
“As has been the case with other schemes like this in Manchester, safety remains our number one priority.
“We have long said that we want Manchester to be a city where people can walk and cycle around in safety, and by upgrading this junction and improving its crossing points, we are taking another step towards that goal.”
Emily Sergeant -
15th December 2021 
