A man has been arrested in connection with an assault on a Sikh priest in the Northern Quarter this summer.
The 62-year-old victim was attacked while walking down Tib Street in broad daylight, and left lying in the road with what his family describes as ‘catastrophic permanent life-changing brain damage’.
In CCTV released by police in an appeal for information, the attacker is seen assaulting the man before calmly walking away from his motionless body.
GMP have now confirmed that a 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of a section 20 assault.
As of yesterday evening, he remained in custody for questioning.
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The assault took place on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter and left a Sikh priest with life-changing brain damage. Credit: GMP
The incident, which occurred just before 6.30pm on Thursday 23 June, has been described by officers as ‘severe and mindless’.
The victim – a Sikh priest who walked the same route home every day – is still in hospital.
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His family said in a statement released last week: “On the 23rd of June 2022, our loving and caring husband/father, a 62 year old Sikh priest, had his life tragically altered forever when a thug cowardly committed this heinous act, leaving him in a pool of blood with catastrophic permanent life-changing brain damage and walked away as if it was normal behaviour.
The Sikh priest’s family said that the attacker ‘walked away as if it was normal behaviour’. Credit: GMP
“A devoted husband and father who has lived, worked and supported a community in a city he has loved for thirty-seven years and now cannot even leave the hospital. He worked long hours every day to help his children live the life he never got to and make sure we were raised to help and inspire future generations, raising a teacher, a pharmacist and a soon-to-be doctor.
“A Sikh priest was left for dead on the bustling streets of Manchester, a route he has walked home every day, while people watched on. He was mindlessly and violently attacked and the sick, cowardly individuals are still out there.
“We read horrific things in the news but never expect it to happen to one of your own, a man who could not say a single hateful or negative comment, who taught those around him to practice kindness. We have lost the life of the party, the light in amongst any darkness in our lives and the laughter and joy he brought home every day, has disappeared and left our hearts vacant. We will sadly never get the man back who left for work that day and thought he would walk home to enjoy the nice weather.
“We appeal to anyone who knows anything or knows the offender to come forward, it is more than two months since the incident, and we are no closer to finding them and bringing them to justice for their actions. Our husband/father lives in a hospital bed with life changing injuries not knowing what the future holds.
“Please, please act today not out of hate but to stop this happening again to someone else and tearing another family apart, as we would not wish this anguish on anyone else.”
Featured image: GMP
News
England head coach Shaun Wane quits ahead of 2026 Rugby League World Cup
Danny Jones
England head coach Shaun Wane has stepped down from his role as the national team setup after more than half a decade in the post.
His resignation comes as the Rugby Football League (RFL) looks to pivot and set out a long-term vision ahead of the World Cup later this year.
The Wigan-born former Warriors manager’s replacement is expected to be merely a part-time appointment as future planning begins.
Announced on Wednesday, 14 January, Shaun Wane’s tenure has ended “effective immediately”.
Sharing an official update online, the RFL wrote: “Wane, who has led England since February 2020, has taken time to reflect on the programme and believes the timing is right for new leadership to guide the team into the next phase, including the upcoming World Cup.
“During his tenure, Wane oversaw memorable series victories over Tonga in 2023 and a star-studded Samoa a year later, as well as a semi-final in the World Cup. He finishes with 14 wins from 19 matches.”
Crediting him as one of “a very small elite number of coaches to have won the full suite of domestic club honours and achieved World Club Championship success”, hailing his experience and longevity both as a player and as a coach.
As for Wane himself, he said: “It has been the honour of my life to coach England Rugby League over the last six years, but after careful reflection, I believe the time is right to step aside and allow the programme to move forward into its next chapter.
England are on the lookout for a new coach heading into the World Cup after being swept in the Ashes.
Coach Shaun Wane has reportedly resigned from the post after a disappointing 3-0 whitewash against Australia last year.
The 61-year-old ex-pro goes on to add, “The privilege of leading my country in a World Cup, an Ashes Series on home soil and securing victories over Tonga and Samoa will live long in the memory.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the players, coaches and staff I’ve worked alongside during that time; their commitment and professionalism made those moments possible. I wish everyone involved with England Rugby League the best going forward and for the World Cup later this year.”
According to the latest reports online, St Helens boss Paul Rowley is now said to be the favourite to take over in the interim.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is still months away (scheduled to take place in October and November), but the governing body will want to get the new setup and coaching in place as soon as possible to prepare for the tournament.
Greater Manchester town named as one of country’s worst at fixing potholes
Emily Sergeant
A town in Greater Manchester has been named one of the worst in the country at managing roads and fixing potholes.
For the first time ever, drivers across England can now see how well their local highway authority is tackling potholes on their roads thanks to a new traffic light rating system published by the Government this weekend.
The new ratings grade local highway authorities as red, amber, or green.
The ratings – which have presented on a new interactive map – are based on current road condition and how effectively local authorities are spending the Government’s record £7.3 billion funding to fix potholes and investing in long-term measures to maintain roads.
The Government funding is meant to allow local authorities to repair potholes ‘effectively’ and move away from short-term repairs that work out to be more expensive – with these fixes meaning more money in drivers’ pockets, as the average repair bill from hitting potholes is said to be around £320.
We’ve launched a Red, Amber, Green rating system, so you can see how well your local highway authority (LHA) is fixing your local roads.
🟢 Green = best practice, long-term preventative plans 🟠 Amber = on the way, but room to improve 🔴 Red = support in place to raise… pic.twitter.com/gRwkEx5kdm
The condition of local roads, how much local authorities are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice in maintaining highways are all key areas taken into account when deciding on an area’s rating.
Those that scored ‘green’, like Manchester, were able to demonstrate they are following best practice, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads, and those that scored ‘amber’ – which the majority of Greater Manchester came under showed that there was room for improvement in individual areas.
However, one Greater Manchester town did not fare well at all, and ended up with an ‘red’ rating… and that town was Bolton.
The colour-coded map showing each local authority’s pothole rating / Credit: OS / Crown Copyright (via gov.uk)
Those local authorities that are rated ‘red’, like Bolton, are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured, according to the Government, such as the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes, or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely.
“For too long, drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate,” commented Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.
“Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time, we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.”
Daisy Jackson -
8th September 2022 
