The family of Nathaniel Shani, stabbed to death at just 14 years old, have shared a heartbreaking tribute to him as his killers were jailed.
Nathaniel was brutally murdered in September 2023, passing away in hospital after being stabbed in the neck in Tavistock Square in Harpurhey.
On Wednesday this week, his killers – a 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy who both cannot be named for legal reasons – were sentenced to a total of 23 years in prison.
Nathaniel’s family have again cried out for an end to knife crime, urging other parents to take responsibility for ensuring their children aren’t carrying knives.
They have described the 14-year-old air cadet as a ‘courageous young boy’ who had a ‘great sense of humour’.
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The tribute shared through GMP added that he was ‘never angry or mad at anyone’.
They said: “When he is bored, he will just crack a joke and every one would just burst into instant laughter whether it’s at home or in school or playground. That painful memory is failing to go away.
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The family of Nathaniel Shani have paid tribute to him
“The scars you have left us with, Nattie, may heal but are very visible to anyone we meet today. That permanent change in our life is painful.
“I walked into a Manchester market street shop a week ago, the chap serving me noticed my pendant, and said to me, “I know who you are, my condolences”. That’s how people know me now Nathaniel, it’s life-changing.”
His sudden, tragic death has also left his family suffering with ‘sleepless nights, constant use of antidepressants, uncontrollable tears’, and they describe their day-to-day existence as being ‘like a dream and that when we wake up, Nathaniel will be in his room sleeping’.
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Speaking of knife crime, Nathaniel’s family said: “We want more to be done about knife crime with a total ban of carrying knives in our streets. There is no knife too small to cause harm or serious damage.
Nathaniel Shani was an air cadet
“We want parents to take part and responsibility in ensuring their kids don’t carry knives or held liable vicariously. Parents need to be given some control over their kids, if they suspect any unusual behaviours and challenge their children they must not be penalised.
“Schools must disclose and discuss with parents any information regarding their children, these can be picked up before someone loses their life.
“There is no safeguarding without involvement of the parents.
“Our wish is that more powers need to be given to police to pin down those carrying knives, prosecute and award longer sentences.
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“Our plea is for everyone to ‘Say No to Knives, No Knife is too Small’.”
Trainline and Virgin Atlantic among companies being investigated for ‘misleading’ pricing
Emily Sergeant
A number of companies are currently under investigation for ‘misleading’ pricing practices.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched three new consumer protection investigations into Trainline, Virgin Atlantic, and RED Driving School over concerns that customers were not shown the total price upfront when buying things like train and coach tickets, holidays, or even driving lessons.
The investigations are part of a wider CMA clampdown on misleading pricing practices – in this instance, where mandatory charges are separated from the headline price, or added later in the buying process, which is known as drip pricing.
These practices leave consumers facing ‘unexpected’ costs or having to calculate the so-called true cost themselves.
Such practices can also impact competition between businesses, as a firm using drip pricing may falsely appear to be cheaper than a competitor pricing correctly, and therefore attract more customers.
Trainline and Virgin Atlantic are among the companies being investigated for ‘misleading’ pricing / Credit: Northern | Aric Cheng (via Unsplash)
Trainline is being investigated over whether all mandatory fees have been included in the upfront prices displayed to consumers buying tickets in advance on its app and website, while Virgin Atlantic’s investigation will focus on whether mandatory resort fees and local taxes have been included in the upfront prices shown to customers buying package holidays.
RED Driving School is being investigated over how a mandatory booking fee and ‘digital’ fee have been displayed to people booking driving lessons – specifically whether these fees have been included in the total upfront price.
“At a time when many households are watching every pound they spend, it is important that people are not surprised by extra fees,” commented Emma Cochrane, who is the Executive Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA.
“Clear pricing helps people compare offers confidently and choose the option that works best for them.
“Unexpected mandatory charges make this much harder, which is why the CMA initially put these firms on notice over concerns about their pricing practices and is now opening formal investigations.”
The CMA says it’s at the beginning of its investigations and has reached no conclusions about whether these firms have broken the law.
If it finds there has been an infringement of the law, the CMA can order businesses to pay compensation to affected customers or be charged up to 10% of global turnover.
Featured Image – PNW Productions (via Pexels)
News
The ENTIRE Manchester Village Pride lineup cost £20k less to book than ONE headliner last year
Daisy Jackson
Bosses behind Manchester Village Pride have revealed that the entire lineup has cost significantly less than the amount spent on just one headliner last year.
In a statement promising transparency, organisers said that the entire weekend of artists has cost less than one single headliner from 2025.
And by some margin – £20,000.
The announcement comes less than a year after the previous Manchester Pride organisation entered voluntary liquidation amid rising costs, declining ticket sales and an ‘ambitious refresh’ of the festival format.
That refresh included moving the main music portion of the annual LGBTQ+ celebration away from the Gay Village itself, and over to Depot Mayfield.
The collapse of Manchester Pride followed reports that performers from the 2025 event were still waiting to be paid, with entertainment union Equity later saying its members were more than £70,000 out of pocket.
Manchester Village Pride was subsequently established as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, with organisers promising a more community-focused approach and greater transparency around finances.
The 2026 event is being delivered with unpaid directors, while organisers have also signed an Equity agreement guaranteeing fair pay and professional standards for performers – the first UK union agreement of its kind for a Pride event.
Performing at Manchester Village Pride this year are major artists like Nadine Coyle, Danny Beard, Gareth Gates, Kate Nash, Cascada, and Rowetta.
They’re joined by a lineup of fantastic home-grown talent, including artists, DJs, and drag queens, taking our city’s Pride celebrations back to their roots, and keeping things firmly in the Gay Village.
In their statement, Manchester Village Pride said: “Transparency time! Booking this entire weekend of fabulous artists cost us £20k UNDER what was spent on a single headliner last year. This is what community Pride looks like!”
Manchester Village Pride will once again take place over the August bank holiday weekend, with the party running for four days from Friday to Monday.
The celebrations will culminate in the moving candlelit vigil in Sackville Gardens.
Ticket prices this year, even with just over a week to go, are only £40 for the full three-day festival, or £25 for one day. Monday will be free to attend.
Daisy Jackson -
21st June 2024 
