After receiving reports that about 40 people were in attendance at a demonstration in St Peter’s Square at around noon yesterday, police arrived at the scene to find that the demonstrators had gathered “in contravention of current lockdown legislation” as all public gatherings are banned under coronavirus (COVID-19) rules.
Greater Manchester Police said that most demonstrators dispersed after officers asked them to leave.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, GMP confirmed that the organiser of the protest – a 61-year-old NHS mental health worker and UNISON rep, who has now been named as Hulme resident, Karen Reissmann – had been issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of the maximum £10,000.
Ms Reissmann insisted that the demonstration was “socially-distanced and risk assessed”.
A number of cones laid out to ensure a two-metres distance between all participants, and each demonstrator in attendance wore a face covering, however Greater Manchester Police officers soon told Karen that the gathering was illegal and the event could not go ahead.
Speaking on a microphone at the demonstration – which is believed to have lasted around 10 minutes – Karen told those assembled that she disagreed with the decision, but had no choice but to comply.
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Karen told the MEN following the incident that she was “really shocked’ by the decision to give her a £10,000 fine and that she will be be contesting it.
“I’m contesting it partly because I think it’s unfair,” said Karen.
“I’ve had lots of offers of legal advice and I will speak to our Union reps and look at my options.”
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Police detain an NHS worker after breaking up a protest in Manchester, over the proposed 1% pay rise for NHS workers from the Government.
But today, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey stood by the decision and said that while all fines are subject to a review once submitted, he believes the £10,000 fine “appears to be appropriate in the circumstances”, adding: “The current lockdown situation is really difficult for everyone and we do understand how much of an impact the restrictions have on people’s ability to undertake any activity other than exercise.
“Since the current national restrictions were introduced this year, as with the second lockdown last year, protests are now no longer exempt as a reason to gather and are therefore unlawful, which is different to the position for much of last year, when a number of protests did occur in Greater Manchester.
“We try to balance our interventions and will always engage with the participants and organisers of a protest using the three Es of engagement, explaining and encouraging, before taking any enforcement activity.
“Our primary aim has always been to seek out and engage with the organisers to protest in an alternative and lawful manner, thereby negating the need for police action.
“Throughout the whole pandemic Greater Manchester Police has worked with colleagues in the NHS and across Greater Manchester to support the efforts to stop the spread of COVID, protect our communities and our health service.
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
News
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.”
The Manc -
8th March 2021 
