Residents in Manchester flats are once again being urged to take extra care when enjoying the warm weather on their balconies this summer.
It comes after instances of balcony fires occurred twice in a 24-hour period this week.
As the temperatures continue to soar as we power on into the summer months, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has issued a fresh safety warning after crews first attended a fire at a residential apartment block on Blackfriars Road in Salford last Friday evening (9 June), and were then called out to another similar incident just before 11am the day after (Saturday 10 June) at a three-storey townhouse on River Street in Manchester city centre.
The fire at the Salford apartment block happened when a wooden balcony on the 13th floor ignited after a cigarette was left in a dry plant pot, and subsequently caused the balcony’s safety glass to shatter and fall onto other balconies below.
Thankfully, firefighters were able to prevent the fires from spreading further and there were no injuries, but there was, however, “considerable damage” to balconies.
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📢 After two balcony fires in the space of 24 hours at the weekend, we want to remind people:
❌ Never barbecue on a balcony ❌ Never store flammable materials or gas on a balcony ❌ Never flick cigarettes off a balcony – always dispose of them safely
— Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) June 13, 2023
At the River Street townhouse, it was virtually the same scenario, as GMFRS confirmed the fire had also been caused by the unsafe disposal of a cigarette on a balcony, and although the blaze was extinguished before crews arrived, a damaged section of decking had to be removed to make sure the area was safe.
After these two fires within the 24-hour period, GMFRS is now warning residents in high-rise buildings to “take fire safety seriously”, never have a barbecue on a balcony, and also be more cautious when smoking.
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“The warm weather is welcome, but what we have seen in recent years is this often leads to residents deciding to barbecue on balconies,” explained Jenni Seex – Head of Protection and GMFRS.
“We want residents to be able to enjoy their balconies, but to also ensure they don’t put themselves or anyone else in danger.”
Fresh safety warning issued to Manchester residents after two balcony fires in 24 hours / Credit: GMFRS
GMFRS says it will also be working with housing providers, landlords, and managing companies to ensure residents are aware of fire safety advice and, where necessary, “support action being taken” against those who put their neighbours at risk this summer.
In extreme cases, GMFRS it will look at whether legal powers allow it to take action directly against residents to “place legal restrictions on how they use their balcony”.
Featured Image – GMFRS
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Criminals who skip court sentencing hearings will now be ‘forced’ to attend or face more prison time
Emily Sergeant
Judges will now be able to hand down prison punishments for ‘cowardly’ criminals who refuse to attend their sentencing hearing.
It’s been a long time coming… but for the first time ever, victims are set to be ‘better protected than ever before’ thanks to new measures across the UK justice system following the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill yesterday (7 May).
Not only will they be forced to attend court, but with the understanding that those facing long sentences or Whole Life Orders may not necessarily be deterred solely by additional time behind bars, the Government has decided to give judges extra power to impose a range of prison sanctions on top of additional years on their sentence.
Government ministers said this is to ensure that ‘heinous criminals’ who refuse to attend can be ‘appropriately’ punished.
The Victims and Courts Bill will better protect victims of crime by introducing:
✔️ New powers for judges to punish offenders refusing to attend sentencing
The new Bill also extends the eligibility to all cases in the Crown Court too, which means that all offenders who attempt to ‘evade justice’ could be subject to tough sanctions, as well as up to two more years behind bars.
On top of this, offenders who have been ordered to attend by a judge, but whose disruptive and disrespectful behaviour results in their removal from the courtroom, will also be punishable by the same means.
To ensure the Government and other agencies are ‘held to account’ in delivering justice for victims, the Bill also bolsters the role of the Victims’ Commissioner, so under the new legislation, the Commissioner will be able to play a bigger role in individual cases that raise systemic issues.
For too long, cowardly criminals have got away with not facing their victims in court.
In opposition, I promised victims and families I would change that. Now, I am.
Our new measures will force offenders to attend their sentencing hearing – or face tougher penalties.
The aim of this measure is to ensure that ‘lessons are learned’ to benefit other victims or witnesses in the future.
“This Bill will deliver long overdue reforms to ensure victims see justice done and are given the vital support they need as they rebuild their lives,” commented Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood.
“There is still more work to do as we fix a justice system that was left on the brink of collapse, but this Bill is a step towards rebuilding victims’ confidence through our Plan for Change.”
Featured Image – Merseyside Police | Cheshire Police
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Olly Murs at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more
Thomas Melia
The ‘Troublemaker’ himself Olly Murs is ready to cause some more chaos, and this time he’s returning to Manchester with throwback boyband, Blue.
X Factor and British star Olly Murs is embarking on his latest UK arena tour, which feels more like lads on tour with a helping hand from UK boyband, Blue.
Back in the late noughties, it was hard to escape the blazer-wearing, trilby-wearing popstar as he was dropping back-to-back bangers like ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ and doo-wop inspired ‘Dance With Me Tonight’.
Now, this cheeky chappy is embarking on the ’15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025′ tour, where he’ll be belting out all those classics as well as some more recent tunes too.
Olly Murs is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester this week.Credit: Marcos Moreno via Wikimedia Commons
Are there tickets left for Olly Murs’ Co-op Live gig?
There are just a few tickets left for Olly Murs at Co-op Live, so make sure you bag yours before your ‘Heart Skips a Beat’.
To see a range of tickets and prices in all sections of this impressive new entertainment venue, Co-op Live, tickets can be found HERE.
Plus, even if you miss out on the Co-op Live, we wouldn’t worry too much, because the British popstar is also coming to AO Arena later this month near the end of his tour with tickets HERE.
Olly Murs 2025 tour – ’15 Years Of Hits’ setlist
This Essex chap might have a solid setlist which he follows night in and night out, but he’s no stranger to being a bit ‘Unpredictable’ – I mean, he’s bringing a flamethrower on stage…
After being on our screens and airwaves for almost two decades, it’s no surprise that this setlist is lengthy, totalling at just over 20 songs, give or take the 80s medley weaved into the mix.
Who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ paired alongside Murs’ stacked setlist?
Troublemaker
Right Place Right Time
Please Don’t Let Me Go
Thinking of Me
Oh My Goodness
Heart Skips a Beat
Kiss Me
Army of Two
Hand on Heart
Up
Die of a Broken Heart / I Found Her / Dancing on Cars / I Hate You When You’re Drunk (Marry Me Medley)
Seasons
You Don’t Know Love
I’m Your Man / Never Gonna Give You Up / Livin’ On a Prayer / Beat It / Careless Whisper / I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) / I’m So Excited (80s Medley)
Dear Darlin’
Years & Years
Never Been Better
Wrapped Up
Save Me
Dance With Me Tonight
What are the stage times for Olly Murs in Manchester?
Olly Murs sporting his usual blazer and top-hat style back in 2013.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be ‘Wrapped Up’ in the Essex popstar’s hits without having to worry about getting home too late. It’s a school night after all!
Doors for Olly Murs’ ‘15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025’ are scheduled for 6:30pm, with a kick-off time of 7:30pm and support from 2000s UK boyband, Blue.
The BRIT Award winners, Eurovision-performing and one-time chart toppers, are back together once again and about to take us back to pop school as we re-learn the words to boyband textbook classics, including ‘All Rise’, Best in Me’, ‘Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word’ and more.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, fortunately, it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre; they run until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
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Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there are limited parking spaces available at the venue but these must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are also designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Emily Sergeant -
15th June 2023 
