The family of a man who was found dead at a house in Atherton last Friday evening have now paid a touching tribute to him.
It comes after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called reports of a man being unconscious at a property on Samuel Street in the Greater Manchester town of Atherton at around 6:08pm last Friday evening (17 November), and when they attended the scene, they found a 49-year-old who’d sustained an injury described as being “serious”.
Despite the best efforts of the all the emergency services who attended the scene, the man tragically passed away a short time later.
Officers say they believe the man had been stabbed.
With a murder investigation having been launched, and enquiries currently ongoing, the man has now been named as Paul Marsh, and his family have paid tribute to the “unconditionally loved” father.
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The family’s tribute reads: “Paul was our son, brother, partner and father, and he was loved unconditionally. Paul’s death is beyond comprehension, and we cannot believe that he has died in such a violent and tragic way.
“Paul will be remembered for many things not least, his laughter, loyalty, and sense of fun. He will not be forgotten, and our world is a sadder place without him in it.”
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Paul’s family have asked for privacy whilst they grieve for their loss.
Samuel Street in Atherton, where the man was sadly found dead / Credit: Google Maps
Police have also issued a public appeal for information.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson said he understands people “will be concerned when they hear of news of what has happened”, but the force would like to reassure the public that it has “a number of additional resources deployed to identifying the person responsible”.
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“We are treating this as a murder investigation, and it is believed that the man was stabbed, DCI Higginson added.
“We are carrying out multiple lines of enquiry and are also appealing to anyone with information about this incident to make a report to police. This includes anyone who may have relevant footage including CCTV, mobile, Ring doorbell or dashcam”.
Initially, a 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder, GMP confirmed, but he has since been released andc currently “faces no further action”.
Following this, GMP has now confirmed that a 16-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday evening (19 November), and he remains in police custody for questioning.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact GMP by calling 101 quoting 2727 of 17/11/2023, or alternatively, you can report anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Stockport man jailed for life after kidnapping and sexually assaulting teenage girl
Emily Sergeant
A Stockport man has been sentenced to life in prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl on her way home from the library.
Paul Sharpe has been sentenced to life imprisonment with an eight-year minimum term in prison after being convicted of a number of offences when subjected a teenage girl to what police called a ‘terrifying ordeal’ that lasted several hours back in May 2026.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the victim had been studying at Sale Library before beginning her journey home with friends at around 5:50pm and contacting her parents at 6:10pm to let them know she was on her way.
Twenty minutes later, she spoke to her boyfriend on the phone and said she was approximately five minutes away from home, but that her phone battery was about to die.
This was the last contact received from the victim that evening.
While walking along Bradgate Road in Altrincham, the victim noticed a grey Ford parked nearby and a man wearing a high-visibility jacket pressing doorbells in the area.
As she walked past, Sharpe approached her from behind, placed her in a headlock and threatened to stab her if she did not get into his vehicle.
Concerned that their daughter had not returned home, the victim’s family contacted police at 9:22pm to report her missing, and officers immediately launched an investigation to locate her.
Over the next several hours, the victim was subjected to and placed in a number of terrifying situations.
Sharpe drove the victim to several locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, before police located and arrested him at around 3:40am on 19 May 2026.
Following his arrested, 56-year-old Sharpe was convicted of kidnap, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, threats with a bladed article, and administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve.
“This was a terrifying ordeal for a young girl who was simply making her way home,” explained Detective Inspector Karl Perry, from GMP’s Criminal Investigation Department.
“Sharpe targeted a vulnerable victim, subjected her to hours of fear and intimidation, and went on to sexually assault her.
“The victim has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Through her bravery and actions, she no doubt made it harder for Sharpe to carry out whatever acts he had planned.”
Emily Sergeant -
20th November 2023 
