The family of 21-year-old Lewis Durham who was tragically killed in a traffic collision last week have paid tribute to the “fun-loving character” and young man who had “the world at his feet”.
Lewis Durham and two other people were involved in the crash on 13 April, which saw the young man and another male on the back of his bike collide with a car on Ormskirk Road in Wigan around 7:15pm.
Durham, from the town of Workington in West Cumbria, was sadly declared dead at the scene and his 56-year-old passenger, who was also thrown from the bike, unfortunately passed away from his injuries after being rushed to hospital.
The driver of the vehicle, a 41-year-old male, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury following the incident. He has since been released on bail.
#TRIBUTE | The family of Lewis Durham have paid tribute to their ‘loving son, grandson, and little brother’.
Lewis Durham, aged 21, sadly died after a road traffic collision on Ormskirk Road in Wigan.
Writing in their emotional tribute via Greater Manchester Police, the Durham family wrote: “It is with great sadness that Lewis has been so tragically taken away from us. He sadly passed away in a road traffic accident in Wigan on Saturday 13th April.
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“The youngest in our family with the world at his feet. He’s left a huge hole in our family, our hearts are absolutely broken. He was always a happy, fun-loving character, who had everything going for him in life, loved by everyone and had the best of friends. A loving son, grandson, and little brother.
“We’d like to thank the emergency services and people who assisted him at the scene who comforted him in maybe his last moments. We’ll cherish every memory we have of you, Lewis.
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“We’re all beyond proud of you and will miss and love you forever. You’re now the brightest star in the sky Lewis. Love you forever and always Mam, Dad, Grandma, Granda, Nana, and your two big sisters.”
Our thoughts are with Lewis’ loved ones during this difficult time. A GoFundMe has now been set up by his best mate Leo McMullen to help “raise some money to give to charity and mark his memory”. It has already surpassed its £3k target, with over £11,000 raised across 600+ donations.
It’s been an emotional couple of weeks for the Wigan community also, as locals and the rugby league world at large united in mourning the loss of 21-year-old Gabriel Holt earlier this month.
Featured Images — Greater Manchester Police/DPP Law (via Flickr)
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‘Groundbreaking’ new police team launches on Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world
Emily Sergeant
A ‘groundbreaking’ new policing model aimed at making the Bee Network one of the safest public transport networks in the world has launched.
Described as being ‘pioneering’, the first-of-its-kind approach – named the Transport Policing and Crime Command (TPACC) – will bring Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) even closer together to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour, and safety issues across the region’s transport network.
So, how will it work then? Well, according to TfGM, the command will ‘effectively establish’ the Bee Network as GMP’s eleventh policing district.
It will bring together up to 300 personnel, including new police officers, who are all involved in keeping the network safe and providing greater reassurance to passengers travelling across the region.
Efforts to keep passengers safe on buses, trams, active travel routes, and roads across Greater Manchester will be ‘strengthened’ through the new team – improving co-ordination in response to incidents, and helping to reassure communities.
A ‘groundbreaking’ new police team has launched on the Bee Network to make it one of the safest in the world / Credit: TfGM
The new team will also incorporate the existing Roads Policing Unit within GMP that includes specialist functions such as the Central Ticket Office, the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, the motorbike unit, the Commercial Vehicle Unit, the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and more.
Overall, the key focus of TPACC is to:
Increase public confidence on safety across the transport network
Reduce violence, antisocial behaviour and criminality across the transport network
Increase the number of users of the Bee Network across Greater Manchester
The launch of TPACC is said to represents ‘the next phase’ of Greater Manchester’s commitment to creating a ‘safer, more secure, and more welcoming’ transport network for everyone who lives, works, and travels across the region.
“I want a world-class Bee Network where everyone feels safe,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“Our new dedicated transport policing command will bring together more than 300 police and safety officers, with high-profile patrols across our roads and the Bee Network. It means a stronger presence in our communities and faster action when people need help.
“TPACC will also crack down on dangerous driving to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which have devastating consequences for families and communities.”
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Two arrested after assaulting and burgling 90-year-old woman in Stockport suburb
Emily Sergeant
Two people have been arrested following reports of an assault and burglary at a 90-year-old woman’s home in a Stockport suburb.
While en-route to the incident in Heald Green – which was reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at around 2:30am on 29 October – officers located the victim’s vehicle being driven by an unknown man.
The stolen vehicle made off from police before it lost control, went up a grass verge, and collided with a stationary vehicle.
Police confirmed that a white British man, aged 41, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of a burglary and serious assault, while a white British woman, aged 47, was also later arrested on suspicion of burglary and serious assault – with both remaining in custody for questioning.
The victim, a 90-year-old woman, was taken to hospital for treatment and is being supported by specialist officers, although luckily, her injuries are not life-threatening.
Enquiries are now ongoing, and officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the shocking incident.
“This was undoubtedly a traumatic experience for the victim, and we have specialist officers supporting her through this investigation,” explained Detective Inspector Craig Turner, from Stockport CID.
“This was a violent burglary and thanks to the brave victim reporting it, our officers made two swift arrests with the suspects taken into police custody to be interviewed.
“We believe this was a targeted attack and there is no wider risk to the community. Extra patrols of officers have been deployed to the area to offer reassurance to members of the community. Please let them know if you have any concerns.
“We are committed to tackling dangerous offenders and keeping our communities safe from harm.”
Danny Jones -
16th April 2024 
