News

Greater Manchester Police invests £15m seized criminal money ‘back into communities’

Non-profit organisations across the region have been the biggest beneficiaries.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 4th May 2023

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has revealed it’s invested millions of pounds seized from criminals back into communities across the region.

Over the past year, specialist investigators from GMP’s Economic Crime Unit have been recovering, confiscating, and forfeiting money from criminal operations to the nationwide Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS).

And it’s now been revealed that a total of £15,751,210 in criminal finances has been invested back into communities across Greater Manchester through the scheme.

Non-profit organisations have been the biggest beneficiaries.

These local organisations – which are known to benefit a large number of people across the region – have been able to apply for a maximum of £20,000 to fund 12 months’ worth of activities that GMP says “pledges to support our objectives to fight, prevent, and reduce crime”, as well as keep people in the community safe and care for victims.

Just some examples of where the ARIS funding has gone over the past few years within Greater Manchester include organisations such as WeMove, Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, Get Away and Get Safe, and Deaf Ex-Offenders Network.

Breaking Barriers in Bolton, Rochdale-based organisation Tackling Minds, Tameside Arts, and Wigan Youth Zone are just a handful of other benefiting charities.

Greater Manchester Police invests £15m seized criminal money ‘back into communities’ / Credit: GMP

“This is an excellent opportunity for the many projects which benefit Greater Manchester’s communities,” explained Detective Superintendent Joseph Harrop from GMP.

“The offenders who commit economic crimes often do so for their own financial gain.

“It is fitting that this money is now put to good use to benefit communities across Greater Manchester, as the money we recover is being used to help fight, prevent and reduce crime, keep people safe, and care for victims – which ultimately makes Greater Manchester a better place to live, work, and visit.”

Non-profit organisations have been the biggest beneficiaries / Credit: GMP

Not only that, but also as part of ARIS – which is operated by the Home Office – some of the funds recovered will be returned to GMP to be “utilised in furthering asset recovery work”, as well as funding community initiatives and on policing operations. 

Read more:

It’s expected that before the end of 2023, a total of over £5.1 million will have been returned to GMP under the scheme.

Featured Image – GMP

News

Smoke billows across Manchester city centre as historic mill goes up in flames

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Smoke billows across Manchester city centre as historic mill goes up in flames

Smoke is billowing across the Manchester skyline this evening after a huge fire has struck the historic Hotspur Press building.

The former mill just off Whitworth Street West has gone up in flames, with smoke seen for miles.

People have been sharing pictures and videos of the blaze from all over the city centre.

The Hotspur Press stands just below the train lines between Manchester Oxford Road and Deansgate train station, meaning that the fire has caused significant travel disruption.

Trains out of Manchester Oxford Road are currently all showing as delayed.

The building was set to be redeveloped into a student accommodation tower block, with a recent planning application requesting to change the original consented brick cladding to an aluminium façade. A large emergency services response is on the scene.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) told The Manc: “Firefighters are currently tackling a large fire at the derelict Hotspur Press building on Cambridge Street in Manchester. An evacuation of the neighbouring apartment buildings is taking place.

“The public are advised to stay away from the area while crews continue to tackle the fire.”

A further update from the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service at around 7pm said: “Crews are working hard to tackle the fire at the Hotspur Press building. 20 fire engines from stations across Greater Manchester are at the scene, where three floors of the building are alight. Multiple jets and the air unit are in use to prevent the spread of the fire.

“All floors of the two apartment blocks at 1 Cambridge Street have been evacuated.”

National Rail has said: “There is a fire next to the track at Manchester Oxford Road, closing all lines at this station. As a result, trains may be cancelled, severely delayed by up to 100 minutes or revised.

“If you are travelling this evening, your train may not run its full route and may terminate / start from a different station.

“Please check before you travel as major disruption is expected to continue until the end of the day.”

As the police cordon has expanded, local businesses have been impacted – Bunny Jackson’s on First Street has been evacuated and is closed.

They shared: “We have had to evacuate due to a fire near by! We’re unsure of when we will be able to reopen. Safety first, folks!”

Plumes can be seen for miles, with residents in Salford, Hyde, Bolton, and further afield reporting sightings, including some even in Cheshire – fair to say it’s one of, if not the largest, fire in Manchester city centre for some time.

Witnesses have said that crowds are now being cleared from the area due to a risk of asbestos.

A witness at the scene told The Manc that a police officer wearing a mask was urging bystanders to exit the vicinity immediately, stating that “smoke is asbestos-contaminated because of the roof.”

If nearby, please keep away and urge others to stay safe.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

News

Government launches ‘urgent’ review into NHS maternity and neonatal care services

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services has been ordered by the Government.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting says this Government inherited a situation from the previous government where issues in maternity and neonatal care had been ‘ongoing for some time’, and now he wants to ‘provide truth and accountability’ to address systemic problems that date back more than 15 years.

Although a series of independent reviews into local trusts in the past had found some similar ‘failings’, including the failure to listen to women, concerns over safety, and issues with leadership and culture, this new national investigation will be going further than ever before.

The investigation will urgently look at the worst-performing maternity and neonatal services in the country, and bring together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of actions.

The aim is to ensure every woman and baby receives high-quality and compassionate care, with the investigation consisting of two parts.

The first part will urgently investigate up to 10 of the ‘most concerning’ maternity and neonatal units across the country to give affected families the answers they deserve as quickly as possible. 

The second will then undertake a system-wide look at maternity and neonatal care to bring together lessons from past inquiries to create one clear national set of actions to improve care across every NHS maternity service.

Alongside the launch of the national investigation today, the Government has also announced that it will be establishing a ‘National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce’ that’s set to be chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and made up of a panel of esteemed experts and bereaved families.

The taskforce will mainly address several issues facing maternity care in England.

One area of focus will be addressing the devastating inequalities that women from Black, Asian and deprived backgrounds face, while another area will be a look at a lack of compassionate care and concerns over safety.

The Government has launched an ‘urgent’ review into NHS maternity and neonatal care services / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)

“I know nobody wants better for women and babies than the thousands of NHS midwives, obstetricians, maternity and neonatal staff,” commented Health Secretary Wes Streeting, as the urgent review was launched today. “And that the vast majority of births are safe and without incident, but it’s clear something is going wrong.

“That’s why I’ve ordered a rapid national investigation to make sure families get the truth and the accountability they deserve, and ensure no parent or baby is ever let down again. 

“I want staff to come with us on this, to improve things for everyone.

“We‘re also taking immediate steps to hold failing services to account and give staff the tools they need to deliver the kind, safe, respectful care every family deserves. 

Read more:

“Maternity care should be the litmus test by which this Government is judged on patient safety, and I will do everything in my power to ensure no family has to suffer like this again.”

Featured Image – Visulass (via Unsplash)

More News

Fundraiser launched to find missing 'beautiful soul' Adeo Alston

Crime

‘No suspicious circumstances’ ruled as body found in search for missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei

Cheshire

Four rare African ducklings have been hatched at Chester Zoo for the very first time

Art & Culture

Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show is coming to Manchester

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches