Alkrington Wood (NOT the photograph reference in the story)
A photograph allegedly appearing to show an active dognapping duo in Middleton and the surrounding areas has gone viral on social media.
The post – which was shared publicly to Facebook on Sunday which we have decided not to share – contained a photograph of two men at the popular Alkrington Woods in the Rochdale town of Middleton who were said to have allegedly followed a woman with the intention of taking her dog.
This allegation was also backed up by the original sharer of the viral post.
The sharer of the original post revealed that, whilst on a walk with their dog on Blacky/Archer Park the day prior, they were followed by the same men who were said to be filming on a mobile device, but instead claimed that they were on a video call to a family member.
The two men were said to have suspiciously followed the party constantly, which they now believe was because they were looking to take the dog.
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The sharer of the original post is thus urging the public to “be vigilant and always on the lookout”.
The post has since gone viral on Facebook in less than 24 hours after sharing.
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It has amassed over 800 interactions, a whopping 9K shares, and hundreds of comments by people expressing shock and concern at the nature of the sightings, as well by those making sure to warn friends and family members who are known to walk their dogs in the area, but this post appears to be just one of a number of alleged sightings of the dognapping duo across Middleton and the surrounding area in recent weeks.
Alleged sightings of the pair have also been named by members of the public at other Greater Manchester locations too.
Blacky Park, Archer Park and Heaton Park have all been named among the places of alleged sightings.
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The sharer the original post has confirmed that the matter has been reported to Greater Manchester Police – with a picture and description provided – and has encouraged others who have seen similar suspicious instances occur to also do the same, as it increases the chances “they’ll get caught faster”.
Given the rise in dognapping cases in the UK in recent months, and particularly during lockdown – with the notable instances reported here in Greater Manchester and the North West region including the theft of 14 Cockapoo and Cocker Spaniel puppies from Northwich back in November of 2020, and the similar theft of a litter of Bulldog puppies from a home in Wigan last month – industry experts have been speaking on the matter and warning the public to take extra caution when walking their dogs.
Discussing the matter with Lorraine, veterinarian and animal scientist, Sean McCormak stated that those looking to welcome dogs into their family at the moment should particularly “be wary of the online ads” when it comes to identifying potential dognapping cases.
He continued: “Think about why someone would be selling an adult family pet.
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“If there’s warning signs there, if you’re suspicious, if they won’t meet you and show you the dog in their home, or they’re trying to meet you somewhere to give you a dog, [then] that seems a bit suspicious”.
Sean then advised those that find themselves in that position to “walk away, do not give them money, contact the police and contact the RSPCA because people are being fooled by this, and [these stolen dogs] are people’s family members, so we need to be really careful”.
Commenting on the reported allegations, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “On Sunday 28th February, at around 5.30pm, police received a report of two men acting suspiciously and attempting to steal dogs who were being walked by their owners at Leisure Park, Middleton.
“Officers are aware of this and dog walkers are advised to remain vigilant while enquiries are ongoing”.
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting incident number 2470 of 28/02/21, or alternatively, details can be passed on anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can find more information about reporting a crime via the GMP website here.
News
Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently
Danny Jones
Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.
Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.
Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.
Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.
Good news – we are thrilled to announce the installation of our first public EV charge points in collaboration with @TraffordCouncil.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”
It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.
As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.
“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.
“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”
The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.
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Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.
“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.
“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”
As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.
“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)
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Further disruption expected as more bus strikes announced across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Further disruption is expected as even more bus strikes have been announced across Greater Manchester this autumn.
It comes after the strikes set to place this month from 19 to 22 September were announced a couple of weeks back, and now a second round will take place towards the end of this month and going into early October.
In case this is the first you’re hearing of the upcoming industrial action, 2,000 workers who are employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale – all of which are firms among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network – are due to walk out in a co-ordinated strike amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Unite the Union says all the firms are ‘highly profitable’ and it’s therefore ‘disappointing’ that workers are being denied a fair wage.
More strikes have been announced on the Bee Network this month / Credit: TfGM
At Stagecoach, around 1,000 drivers based across the Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton depots have rejected a pay offer of 3.5%, and 1,000 Metroline Manchester members will also do the same after turning down an ‘unsatisfactory’ below-inflation pay offer.
Workers at both Metroline and Stagecoach believe the offer doesn’t address years of low pay they’ve recieved, especially given the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Then, over at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members have rejected this year’s pay offer of 6%, as they feel this does not go far enough to address the fact they’ve had years of being paid less than their counterparts at other companies, and are still the lowest paid in the region.
Stagecoach, Metroline, and First Bus Rochdale, part of First Group PLC, are all firms which have seen a rise in profits in recent years.
2,000 drivers are set to stage strike action over two different periods / Credit: TfGM
The second round of strikes will now take place from from 30 September to 2 October.
Speaking ahead of both sets of upcoming strikes, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “These companies are very profitable but are putting greed over their hardworking members of staff.
“Further strike action will be extremely disruptive, however this is a dispute entirely of the bus companies’ making and they could solve it easily by coming back with a better deal.
“Our members involved in the dispute have Unite’s complete support.”
Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden, added: “The strikes this week as well as the further action we have called will cause travel chaos in Greater Manchester. However, it is entirely the fault of the employers involved, who have failed to address the issue of low pay and reward their staff accordingly.
The Manc -
1st March 2021 
