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Firefighters in Greater Manchester are being given bullet proof vests

These newly-announced measures mean fire crews would be better able to deal with future attacks.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 11th March 2022

Firefighters across Greater Manchester are soon to be given bullet proof vests to wear while on duty as an extra safety precaution.

They will also be given first aid equipment and training on how to deal with terrorist attacks.

The move follows a successful ballot of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members, and comes in the wake of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) being criticised for its slow response to the 2017 Manchester Arena attack – in which 22 people tragically lost their lives – after fire crews were said to have taken two hours to attend the scene of the suicide bombing.

A report by HM Inspectorate of Fire and Rescue Services in December found that the service remained unprepared to respond effectively to another attack.

Which is why Greater Manchester’s chief fire officer, Dave Russel, said these newly-announced measures mean crews would be better able to deal with future attacks, with more lives potentially being saved in the process.

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Mr Russel said securing the ballistic protective equipment and training for any future terrorist attacks had been a “key priority” since he joined the service in 2020, adding that the result of the FBU ballot would “vastly increase the speed” at which the service can get qualified and trained members of staff to an incident and, most importantly, to be able to deploy firefighters.

Firefighters across Greater Manchester are soon to be given bullet proof vests to wear while on duty / Credit: GMFRS (via Facebook)

“Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) continues to reflect upon and learn from the evidence presented to the ongoing Manchester Arena Inquiry,” he said.

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He continued: “We believe this is an important step towards further improving our response, should a tragedy like the arena bombing ever occur again [and] this means we can now move forward to ensure all firefighters and officers have the correct training and equipment to respond to a marauding terrorist attack or other mass casualty incident.

“This will not only greatly improve GMFRS personnel’s own safety but, crucially, mean we can use all our available resources to save more lives as and when these incidents occur.”

Also speaking on the news of the FBU ballot and what it means for the future of firefighting in our region, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the deal would “ensure firefighters attending a marauding terror attack are trained for the situation they find themselves in.”

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He also pointed to them having “the correct personal protective equipment to keep them safe”.

Featured Image – GMFRS

News

Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Laura Stanley

The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.

Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.

The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport. 

After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.

Police release facial reconstruction image of mystery woman whose body was found in River Mersey

The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.

Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.

“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.

“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”

The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.

Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.

Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.

Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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It is currently believed that Laura was last seen around January 2024.

Featured Image – GMP

News

More than 70,000 home buyers set to pay thousands after missing stamp duty relief deadline

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant New build houses

More than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline.

This sadly means they’ll be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra.

In case you hadn’t heard, up until yesterday (31 March 2025), anyone who was moving and had bought a home in the past was not required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, better-known as just stamp duty, on the portion of the property price up to £250,000.

But from today (1 April), this threshold has now fallen back to £125,000, which unfortunately means that property purchasers are facing an extra £2,500 in moving costs, on average.

While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those Greater Manchester buyers who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt from the deadline changes too, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000 as of today.

Keys to a new house
Person holding the keys to a new house in their hand / Credit: Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)

Given that the average property price for a first time buyer-type home is currently around £227,965, according to Rightmove, the new £300,000 threshold may hit those purchasing properties in more expensive areas – particularly the South East.

A third of those estimated 70,000 home buyers who have missed the deadline are thought to be first time buyers.

Leading property platform Rightmove published an analysis in February into just how much of an impact the end of the stamp duty relief would have on home buyers, all while calling on the UK Government to announce a short extension to the deadline to help people in the middle of the property purchasing process avoid potentially thousands of pounds in extra moving costs.

But despite these calls from industry leaders, there was no extension to the deadline announced in the last week’s latest Spring Statement.

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“It’s extremely disappointing that the Government has not used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to extend the impending stamp duty deadline for those currently going through the home-moving process,” commented Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock.

“We estimate over 70,000 people are going to miss the deadline and complete in April instead, and a third of those are first time buyers.”

Featured Image – James Feaver (via Unsplash)

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