The father of a police officer tragically murdered while on duty nearly 11 years ago has collected an MBE for his ongoing charity work.
On a day that will forever be devastatingly etched into the memory of Greater Manchester – 18 September 2012 – Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone were on patrol and responding to hoax reports of a burglary at Abbey Gardens in the village of Mottram in Longdendale in Tameside when they were murdered in a gun and grenade ambush.
The hoax reports were a result of a 999 emergency telephone call from a member of the public – which was later found to be the work of wanted man Dale Cregan, who had led the officers into a trap.
PC Bone was pronounced dead at the scene, and PC Hughes later died in hospital.
The horrific incident was the first in Great Britain where two female police officers were killed on duty, and their tragic deaths were met with nationwide shock and anger.
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PC Nicola Hughes / Credit: GMP
GMP’s then Chief Constable Peter Fahy called the attack “cold-blooded murder”, and then Prime Minister David Cameron described it as a “despicable act… of pure evil”, while several memorial services and moments of silence have also been held in the pair’s honour too over the years.
While the two PCs will always be remembered by the GMP community, PC Nicola Hughes’ father was determined to make sure her legacy lived on and benefitted others on a much bigger scale, and so he decided to found the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund – which works to give young people education and employment opportunities following the death of a family member through violent crime.
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For his ongoing efforts to support young people who have suffered loss due to violent crime, Bryn Hughes was recognised for his “outstanding work” and made an MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours list alongside hundred of other inspirational volunteers.
And yesterday, he finally collected the prestigious honour.
Mr Hughes, from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, was presented with his MBE by the Princess Royal during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday, the BBC reports, and told Anne that it was a day of “mixed emotion”.
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Speaking back when he was awarded the honour at the beginning of the year, Mr Hughes said he initially thought it was a “wind up” that he’d been recognised, but once it’d sunk in that it was real, he knew his daughter would be “very proud” of him.
“I also think she’d be laughing,” he admitted though.
Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th June 2023 
