A Salford veterinary clinic has issued a warning to the Greater Manchester public following a rise in identified cases of a deadly and highly-contagious virus.
Irlam Animal Clinic has said it is seeing increasing numbers of puppies and young dogs suffering from Parvovirus, which is disease that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs, as well as reduced appetite and low energy.
Parvovirus is easily spread by animals touching surfaces, and can live in soil in parks and gardens for as long as a year.
The disease can be fatal if left untreated.
Due to the rise in cases, Caroline Taylor – a vet at Irlam Animal Clinic – has urged pet owners to keep up with vaccinations.
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With certain larger black and tan breeds of dog, such as Rottweilers and Dobermans, said to be more at risk of the virus, she has also urged owners to consider getting their four-legged friends a second dose earlier than usual, as most dogs are vaccinated when they are very young, but it can be difficult for vets to tell whether the treatment has been successful.
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Dr Taylor has suggested that pets go for a second injection in their first year.
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“There’s been an increase in the number of Parvovirus cases we see and the other worry for us is that some of the dogs have been vaccinated,” Dr Taylor explained.
“It’s probably because they were very young when they were vaccinated.”
She continued: “It’s not just us who are seeing an increase in Parvovirus cases, it’s happening in lots of places [and] it does dogs no harm to go back to the vets to get another vaccine at six months or nine months, so that’s what we would advise.
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“Usually vaccines for dogs are all done in one, but we have got a specific Parvovirus one which is just for that and it’s a bit cheaper”.
“It’s spread from infected dogs through anything they’ve touched, or by their faeces [and] it can live in the environment, such as the soil in a park or garden, for up to a year.
“Signs of Parvovirus include watery diarrhoea, which may have blood in, vomiting, reduced appetite and low energy [and] sadly it can often be fatal, with young puppies being particularly at risk, so call your vet immediately if you have any concerns.
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“It’s vitally important not to turn up at your vet practice unannounced [however as] many vets have made changes due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which will still be in place even now full lockdown has ended.
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“They will also need to take steps to prevent any potential spread to other pet patients.
“If your dog has missed their boosters or has never had vaccinations, we’d advise getting them up-to-date as soon as possible”.
You can find more information on Parvovirus via the PDSA website here.
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Pair jailed after filming themselves driving over 130mph before killing man in fatal Manchester collision
Emily Sergeant
Two men who filmed themselves driving at speeds of over 130mph before a fatal collision earlier this year have now been jailed.
20-year-old Uways Hussain, of Marley Road in Manchester, has been sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison, while 23-year-old Usmon Mahmood, of Buller Road in Manchester, has been sentenced to 12 years and nine months.
Their sentences follow a night of what Greater Manchester Police (GMP) called ‘dangerous driving’ around the South Manchester area, which started at around 11pm on the evening before the collision.
The vehicle – a Volkswagon Golf – belonged to Mahmood, but he allowed Hussain to drive the vehicle at high-speed throughout the night.
On the evening prior to the collision, beginning at around 11pm, Hussain and Mahmood were driving recklessly around the South Manchester area.
According to police, the pair filmed themselves consistently travelling at speeds of over 100mph on 30mph roads, and in several cases, theyvreached over 130mph and seconds before impact, were recorded at 139mph.
Recorded footage also showed them running red lights and weaving through traffic with no regard for the safety of other road users or pedestrians.
At one stage during the night, the pair stopped at a petrol station, where footage shows Mahmood inhaling from a balloon in the passenger seat, while later o Hussain can be seen doing over 100mph and also appearing to be inhaling from a balloon while driving.
The fatal collision happened at around 4:36am on Monday 9 March 2026 at the junction of Green End Road and Kingsway, where the victim – Sylvester Abayomi, 50 – was on his way to work and entered the junction on a green light, believing it was safe to proceed, but was then struck by the car being driven by Hussain, which had travelled through a red light at extremely high speed.
Sylvester Abayomi / Credit: GMP
Immediately following the collision, GMP received several emergency calls and an automatic alert from Hussain’s Apple Watch saying he had been involved in a collision.
During this alert, both men could be heard discussing plans to flee the scene and attempting to decide what evidence they needed to remove from the vehicle. They were also heard discussing reporting the vehicle as stolen, and shortly afterwards, they booked an Uber to escape.
Emergency services attended the scene, but sadly, despite their best efforts, Sylvester sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead.
GMP says it received its first report of the incident at 4:37am,, and within 12 minutes the pair had been located, caught, and arrested by officers.
DC Thomas Johnson, from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, described the incident as ‘one of the most extreme cases of dangerous driving we have encountered’.
It’s also believed that this is one of the first times in the country where a passenger has been convicted for aid and abetting causing death by dangerous driving.
Featured Image – GMP
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Stockport band Blossoms set for BIG return to Leeds Festival this year
Thomas Melia
Blossoms have just announced their big return to Leeds Festival, as the four-day music event continues to impress with its stacked lineup.
They might have a ‘Joke About Divorce’ from time to time, but when it comes to entertaining a Leeds Festival crowd, Blossoms take it very seriously, having played at Bramham Park three times in the past decade already.
The Stockport band have captivated audiences since the rise of standout track ‘Charlemagne’ and more recently with the addition of their fifth studio album, Gary, named after an eight-foot fiberglass gorilla.
Known for always putting on a stellar performance, Tom, Joe, Charlie, Myles, and Josh are bringing a brand-new set to Leeds when they visit this August bank holiday weekend.
As well as releasing new music, Blossoms are making a big return to Leeds Festival 2026 / Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Currently, Leeds Festival 2026 has seven headline acts spanning all genres from Dance and EDM to Pop and Rap with the likes of Charli XCX, Raye, Dave and more topping the bill.
The Stockport five-piece are featured alongside three other insane artists as ‘Special Guests’, appearing next to Skepta, Sombr and Role Model.
Also listed on the lineup are rising stars like R&B vocal powerhouse Skye Newman, pop princess Jade, Merseyside indie rockers The K’s and Wigan-formed The Lilacs with more to be announced.
Although nothing is confirmed yet, this upcoming Leeds Festival set from Blossoms will contain high energy and obviously all their biggest and best bangers from across their four chart topping albums as well as new music.
Whether you’re there for ‘Your Girlfriend’ or ‘What Can I Say After I’m Sorry’, one thing’s for sure, you’re guaranteed to have an absolutely spectacular night.
Blossoms are making their big return to Leeds Festival 2026 which is taking place from 27 to 30 August at Bramham Park with tickets live HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2021 
