A heartbreaking tribute has been paid to Doris Bridgehouse, who was killed by a car travelling 88mph over the legal speed limit.
The 82-year-old grandmother died in a fatal collision after her Kia Venga was hit head-on by an Audi S3 travelling at speeds up to 118mph.
The accident occurred on Friday 13 May 2022 at around 10.55 on Halifax Road in Rochdale. The road has a 30mph speed limit.
On Tuesday 14 November 2023 the Audi driver, 24-year-old Trent Jason Simm, was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison and disqualified from driving for five years after his release.
As well as being charged for Causing Death by Dangerous Driving for the death of Doris Bridgehouse, Simm was also found guilty of Causing Serious Injury by Dangerous Driving to two passengers in Doris’s vehicle, one being Doris’s daughter Amanda.
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Minshull Street Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Doris had been out visiting her grandson’s university showcase and was driving home with them.
On the night of the fatal accident, Simm had been driving at excessive speed when he lost control on a nearside bend, crossing onto the opposing carriage way, where he collided with Doris’s car.
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Emergency services provided first aid to the three occupants of the Kia, but tragically Doris was pronounced dead at the scene. The passengers of both vehicles were taken to hospital with series injuries.
When police officers initially spoke to Simm, he claimed ‘the pedals got stuck, and I’ve come round the corner on the wrong side of the road’.
Trent Simm and Doris Bridgehouse’s cars after the collision. Credit: GMP
At court, Doris’s daughter Amanda read a statement to the court and defendant, highlighting the severe injuries for her and emotional trauma for the rest of her family.
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She detailed her grief, memory loss, and the physical and emotional toll of the accident, and said she hopes Simm will ‘bear the weight of the consequences for the rest of his life’.
Doris Bridgehouse was a beloved nurse and cherished family member who was described as a ‘vibrant and kind’ individual.
Addressing Simm, Amanda said: “It has changed my family and I forever, given my son Max the most dreadful, shocking, and incomprehensible memories and had a catastrophic impact on both my son’s lives.
“You have robbed me and my sons of ‘goodbye’ to Mum and Nan and me of the being the Mum that I want to be to my sons right now. This is very difficult, and you are going to have to live with your actions for the rest of your life.
“As much as you have destroyed the dynamics of our family, I think that you have also destroyed a part of your own and your family’s. I do not feel sorry for you at all; driving at those speeds you are liable to kill someone, and you did.
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“So, actions have consequences and here we are. Rest In Peace, Mum.”
Trent Simm has been jailed for causing the death of Doris Bridgehouse. Credit: GMP
Sergeant Louise Warhurst from GMP’S Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “What had started out as a special celebratory occasion for Doris and her family ended in tragedy when through no fault of her own, she encountered Trent Simm driving his Audi S3 at manifestly dangerous speeds.
“Trent Simm was treating the public highway as his personal racetrack, reaching astonishing speeds of 118mph in a 30mph residential area. He had no regard whatsoever for the safety of all other members of the public using the roads in Rochdale that evening.
“I would like to thank all the members of the public that tried to assist Doris and her family at the scene of this collision and everyone that came forward to assist the police with their investigation. I would like to thank the family, friends and loved ones of Doris, who have conducted themselves with dignity throughout this investigation.
“I would also like to remind those who think they can ignore the speed limit to think twice before using their car at high speeds. Your actions can devastate innocent members of the public in a split second and no one deserves to lose a loved one this way.Dangerous drivers will not be tolerated in our communities.
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“Greater Manchester Police will deal with them robustly to keep people safe from illegal and irresponsible drivers.”
Jewish leaders call for cancellation of huge Fontaines D.C. gigs in Heaton Park
Daisy Jackson
Jewish leaders have expressed ‘profound concerns’ regarding the two enormous Fontaines D.C. gigs taking place in Heaton Park next summer.
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region has called for the shows to cancelled.
They said that ‘the safety of our community must be paramount’.
Irish rockers Fontaines D.C. have been outspoken at their concerts in the past in their support for Palestine, displaying ‘Free Palestine’ messaging on huge screens across the globe.
Now, the JRC has publicly expressed concerns about ‘the potential consequences of inflammatory rhetoric from the band’.
They added: “At a time of heightened antisemitism, the comments and chants associated with the band risks importing tensions from the Middle East into the UK, with Jewish people here becoming the targets.”
Fontaines D.C. are set to play two massive shows at Heaton Park next summer, on 3 and 4 July.
Manchester City Council has stressed that they will be working closely with members of the Jewish Representative Council as event management plans are developed, and added that ‘partners from the Council, emergency services including Greater Manchester Police (GMP), and event organisers, will comprehensively review the plans in place ahead the concerts’.
In a statement, the JRC said: “The JRC has registered our profound concerns with Manchester Council regarding Fontaines D.C.’s forthcoming concert at Heaton Park and has called for it to be cancelled.
“Despite our representations, it appears the concert will be going ahead. We expect and will be working with the council to ensure robust and adequate safeguards are in place to protect the Jewish community.
“We have no objection to Heaton Park hosting concerts.
“Our concerns are not about legitimate political expression but the potential consequences of inflammatory rhetoric from the band.
“At a time of heightened antisemitism, the comments and chants associated with the band risks importing tensions from the Middle East into the UK, with Jewish people here becoming the targets. The safety of our community must be paramount.”
A Manchester council spokesperson said: “We understand the very real concerns that members of our Jewish community have in the wake of the horrific antisemitic terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue last year and a wider rise in antisemitism. Our thoughts remain not just with those who lost their lives and their loved ones but with the whole Jewish community.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with them in saying there is no place for antisemitism or discrimination of any form in Manchester and continue to work with the police, communities and other partners to provide reassurance and support.
“On the specific concerns expressed by some members of the Jewish community in relation to the two Heaton Park concerts in summer 2027, addressing these concerns will be front and centre in preparations for these events. We have met recently with members of the Jewish Representative Council and will continue to work closely with them as we develop event management plans.
“Partners from the Council, emergency services including Greater Manchester Police (GMP), and event organisers, will comprehensively review the plans in place ahead the concerts. This is standard practice for all major events in the city and is there to ensure events take place safely and successfully.
“In advance of the concerts, as with any other large-scale events, a thorough risk assessment of every aspect of the event will be carried out, focused on ensuring the safety and security of the event, its attendees and the wider community.
“The organisers, City Council and GMP will put in place suitable and proportionate mitigations and assurances to make sure that the concerts are delivered in full compliance with the licensing conditions. Organisers would also be happy to meet with concerned parties to help address any concerns. They are clear that discrimination or intimidation, including antisemitism, have no place at their events.”
Police shut down suspected brothel in Oldham following concerns raised by locals
Emily Sergeant
Police have shut down what they believe to have been a brothel in Oldham during the early hours of this morning.
Following concerns raised by the local community and years of gathering intelligence, officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Oldham Neighbourhood Team executed a warrant at a premises on Broadway in Oldham earlier this morning (14 October 2026), as they believed it to be operating as a brothel.
The warrant was executed as a result of the unrelated arrest of a man believed to be connected to the business.
When police seized a mobile phone from the man, examination of the device uncovered evidence which provided them with grounds to suspect the premises was being used for the control of prostitution.
During the operation this morning, a woman in her 40s was found and spoken to by officers. Once safeguarding measures were put in place by GMP, she was subsequently arrested on suspicion of immigration-related offences and possession of Class A drugs.
Police have shut down a suspected brothel in Oldham following concerns raised by locals / Credit: GMP
A man – who police believed to be the owner of the premises – was also arrested on suspicion of controlling prostitution for gain.
Officers seized a number of items from the address too, including cash and timesheets, as part of the ongoing investigation.
“The concerns surrounding this premises have been raised by local residents and businesses for a considerable period of time, and today’s action is the result of years of intelligence gathering and partnership working,” explained Police Sergeant Tom Layton.
“By securing a Closure Notice, we have been able to immediately disrupt the activities taking place at the premises and prevent further harm, nuisance and criminality while legal proceedings continue.
“Premises suspected of facilitating criminality can have a significant impact on those living and working nearby, causing nuisance and concern.
“We have listened to the concerns of the community and have taken robust action to address them.”
Neighbourhood Inspector Amie Whitehead added: “Our priority is always to identify and safeguard those who may be vulnerable while pursuing those suspected of criminal offences.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to target anyone who seeks to exploit others and to ensure Oldham remains a safe place for residents, businesses and visitors alike.”
Daisy Jackson -
15th November 2023 
