A former Lancashire Police officer has been handed a lengthy jail sentence for an attempted murder in Manchester city centre.
James Riley, from Preston in Lancashire, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars at Manchester Crown Court last Friday (12 January) after pleading guilty to the offence.
The sentencing comes after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) initially responded to a call of concern for the welfare of a woman in her 20s, who was found unresponsive at a hotel on Brook Street in Manchester city centre on the night of Thursday 10 November 2022.
She was found by emergency services in a life-threatening condition, and was later transferred to hospital in an induced coma, but thankfully, she regained consciousness the following day – although she has suffered some long-lasting injuries as a result.
28 year-old Riley – who was not on duty at the time of the incident – made a roughly 10-minute call to his family, before anonymously calling for an ambulance and then proceeding to flee the scene, leaving the victim behind.
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He tried to evade capture using several different types of transport to hide his tracks and direction of travel, according to GMP.
#JAILED | These are the movements of James Riley, a former Lancashire Police officer, who has been sentenced to 16 years for an attempt murder.
He was off duty at the time of the incident which took place in the city centre in November 2022.
This was initially done by Riley exiting the hotel in his car, before crashing it nearby, and then running from the scene and attempting to get on a bus, taxi, and hitchhike back home to Lancashire – but a CCTV trawl, which was described as “painstaking”, saw police manage to track Riley’s movements in the aftermath of the incident.
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It also went on to further highlight Riley’s instincts and intention on evading capture by retrieving two £250 cash transactions from different ATMs, and then discarding his mobile phone to make sure he couldn’t be digitally tracked.
A “wide-ranging search” for Riley using a number of resources – including specialist operations across three police forces in the North West – followed this, all before he was found and arrested in the early hours of the morning in West Yorkshire.
Lancashire Police then immediately suspended Riley, and launched an internal investigation into his conduct, alongside the criminal enquiries by GMP – which led to an accelerated misconduct hearing, where he was dismissed from the force without notice.
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Riley has also been added to the College of Policing barred list, GMP has confirmed.
Featured Image – GMP
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Exciting new CGIs released of £500m Therme Manchester wellness resort as construction continues
Emily Sergeant
As construction continues on Manchester’s massive wellness resort, some new CGIs have now been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed, construction of the £500 million Therme Manchester wellness resort officially began last September after several years of planning, and now developers have released some exciting new CGIs – with an update on how construction is going, as a new milestone has been reached this week.
Set to open to the public in 2029, Therme Manchester will become one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world.
Visitors can expect to make the most of a 10 pools – both lagoon and wave pools included – thermal bathing, multi-sensory sauna rituals, steam rooms, 18 water slides, affordably-priced luxury spa therapies, and health and fitness experiences.
Exciting new CGIs released of Therme Manchester have been released / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of Therme Manchester will be three distinct zones, each offering a different way to spend time at the resort.
Play will bring together water-based fun and attractions for families and visitors of all ages, and Restore will focus on thermal bathing and restorative experiences designed to help visitors unwind, while Relax will offer spaces for relaxation and wellbeing.
The latest CGIs showcase the design as it develops – including the resort’s extensive indoor and outdoor spaces, and its 53,000sq ft wellbeing garden.
Construction is still underway on the £500m wellness resort / Credit: Supplied
The plans also feature a new public plaza designed to strengthen connections between the resort and the Bridgewater Canal.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, said: “We have taken the opportunity to refine the design, improve how traffic and parking are managed and create a more welcoming environment for everyone arriving at the resort.
“We are creating an even better experience for visitors while supporting more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025, but it’s now up to £500m and is scheduled to complete it 2029.
It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.
Featured Image – Supplied
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All students in England to be offered the chance to do a new Ukrainian GCSE
Emily Sergeant
All students in England are soon to be offered the chance to do a new Ukrainian GCSE.
Said to be part of the UK’s ‘enduring support’ for the Ukrainian community and continued commitment to stand with Ukraine and its people, young people in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will now have the opportunity to study for a new Ukrainian GCSE, the Government has announced.
While the qualification will be open to all students, it marks a ‘particularly significant’ milestone for Ukrainian children and young people living in the UK.
It’s hoped that the introduction of the new GCSE will help Ukrainians to preserve a vital connection to their language, culture, and identity.
It’s also hoped that it’ll open pathways to future education and employment for all pupils.
In line with the other modern foreign language GCSEs that are currently on offer, the qualification will assess listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, while also recognising the cultural and historical contexts that shape the Ukrainian language.
Examination board AQA will now begin the next phase of development, bringing together language and subject experts to design what will be a ‘high-quality’ qualification reflecting the richness of Ukrainian language and culture.
Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, commented: “As they build their lives here in the UK, it is right that Ukrainians and their children should have every opportunity to maintain that connection to their heritage and to be proud of who they are.
“This new qualification is available to all pupils and will give them the chance to develop their language skills and celebrate Ukraine’s rich culture and history, while also opening pathways to future study and employment and strengthening our partnership with Ukraine.
“Through that enduring partnership, we are building the lasting ties between our countries that will see the young minds of the future move forward together, and foster connections that transcend borders.”
The Ukrainian GCSE is expected to be available for first teaching from September 2028 – with first assessments taking place in 2029.
Emily Sergeant -
15th January 2024 
