Dramatic eyewitness photos have emerged of a large sinkhole that has opened up on a residential street in Gorton yesterday evening.
The crater is confirmed to have appeared on Walmer Street in Abbey Hey.
Although no exact details explaining the cause of the collapse have yet been confirmed, the road surface appears to have buckled and left a large crater of about four square metres, with photos of the scene shared on social media earlier in the evening showing a car being partially swallowed up by the hole.
Part of the street was seen to have been cordoned off by barriers and the emergency services remained at the scene late on Wednesday night.
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Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance at the incident, while police officers were also at the scene speaking to residents, and surveyors were also understood to be at the site assessing for any structural damage to surrounding properties.
It comes after Greater Manchester has experienced weather on all ends of the spectrum over the past 24 hours.
The incident happened on an extraordinary and dramatic evening, which saw most areas of the wider region covered in a blanket of snow, following a day of torrential rain from Storm Christoph.
An amber weather warning issued by The Met Office – which has now been lifted – saw heavy rain and snow continue to fall across Greater Manchester throughout the night, which forced the residents of 2,000 homes in East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden to temporarily leave their properties as a means of protection.
Emergency services have been helping those affected across the region this morning, while Environment Agency teams have deployed temporary flood defences and close flood barriers.
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Severe flooding alerts – which mean ‘danger to life’ – remain in place in four local areas: Little Bollington, Heatley, East Didsbury, and West Didsbury and Northenden.
A further 18 flood warnings and 14 flood alerts are also still in place across the region.
The Environment Agency and the Met Office has warned that heavy rain and snow showers are expected to continue on Thursday 21st January and into the weekend.
Water levels on the River Mersey also remain high.
⚠️We have issued a severe #flood warning for #Heatley and #LittleBollington which means a threat to life and significant disruption. We are working with the emergency services to keep everyone safe. Call 999 if you are in immediate danger
NHS urgently needs 500,000 men to take part in ‘major’ cancer research programme
Emily Sergeant
Half a million men are needed to take part in a ‘major’ cancer research programme.
From this week, the NHS has announced that it will begin contacting 500,000 men to invite them to join a major research programme that will work to improve the vital early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.
Men who have had or are living with prostate cancer will receive letters and text messages explaining how they can register to take part.
It’s hoped that this will become one of the world’s largest prostate cancer studies.
Formally named ‘Prostate Progress’, the study is designed to speed up the development of better tests, treatments, and care – with the NHS aiming to recruit as many participants as possible to improve how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated, as well as understanding the side effects of treatment and the impact they have on quality of life.
The NHS urgently needs 500,000 men to take part in a ‘major’ cancer research programme / Credit: rawpixel
Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, with around 60,000 new cases diagnosed every year and over 12,000 deaths annually.
Men who join ‘Prostate Progress’ will be asked to complete questionnaires about their experiences of living with the disease every few months.
Verified researchers will then be able compare men’s experiences of living with prostate cancer against their NHS records – including their symptoms and quality of life.
The NHS says it is ‘particularly keen’ to hear from black men for the programme, as they are at approximately twice the risk of developing prostate cancer – with around one in four black men in the UK expected to be diagnosed during their lifetime.
“Better representation will help researchers understand and address differences in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes,” the NHS said in a statement.
“Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK,” explained Health Minister, James Frith. “Every piece of data we gather brings us closer to the tests and treatments that future patients will depend on to live well for longer.
“Prostate Progress has the potential to become a hugely important resource, but only if men come forward and share their experiences, so I encourage anyone who receives an invitation to sign up.
“This is the kind of innovation the government’s National Cancer Plan is designed to support, making the NHS a world-leading destination for cancer research and ensuring patients across the country can help shape the treatments of tomorrow.”
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Police charge and name man after broad daylight stabbing of 19-year-old in Northern Quarter
Emily Sergeant
A man has been charged and publicly named after the stabbing of a teenager in the Northern Quarter last week.
Bandar Alzahar has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place, and has been remanded in custody ahead of a scheduled appearance at Manchester & Salford Magistrates Court today (Monday 3 August 2026).
The charges come after a 19-year-old man was stabbed in the Northern Quarter, in Manchester city centre, last Friday (31 July).
The shocking incident took place in broad daylight at around 12:50pm on Church Street.
After police attended the scene, they ‘quickly located’ a suspect – initially described as just being a man in his early 20s – at Manchester Airport within three hours of the incident occurring, and he was subsequently arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault.
The victim sadly remains in hospital in a stable condition but with life-threatening injuries, police have confirmed.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are still appealing to the public for information. In a public plea, police wrote: “We are still asking for information from anyone that may have witnessed the incident on Church Street to get in touch with us.
“This includes any CCTV, mobile phone or Dashcam footage that may assist our enquiries.”
Any information can be submitted to GMP by calling 101, quoting log 1580 of 31/07/2026. Alternatively, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
21st January 2021 
