City Centre

Man charged with rape of 17-year-old girl near Piccadilly Gardens

He is due to appear in court today (24 August).

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 25th August 2026

A man is due to appear in court today after being charged with the rape of a 17-year-old girl near Piccadilly Gardens last month.

A 24-year-old Afghan man, who has been formally named by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as Abdul Shinwari, of no fixed abode, has been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, non-fatal strangulation, and possession with intent to supply.

He was charged following reports of the rape of a 17-year-old girl on Hope Street, near Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre.

The shocking incident happened at around 1:30am on Tuesday 14 July 2026, and specialist safeguarding officers have been continuing to support the victim ever since.

Shinwari was remanded in custody following his arrest, and is now due to appear at Manchester Crown Court today (25 August 2026).

ADVERTISEMENT

There have been no further police statements on the matter at this time.

News of this incident comes after it was announced earlier this year that a new police hub was to set to be established in Piccadilly Gardens.

ADVERTISEMENT

Local leaders said at the start of 2026 that their ambition for the year was to maintain a ‘high-performing’ police service by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and protecting residents and businesses along the way.

Read more:

And part of this ambition was to increase police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens, which is a much-maligned part of the city centre, by launching a new ‘prominent’ police hub.

You can read more about that here.

Featured Image – GMP

City Centre

Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off.

Okay, so it’s not technically closing down per se, but the current LOFT premises off Hyde Road near Piccadilly will officially close doors on 30 September, as the business consolidates its operations and relocates to its newly completed headquarters over at Trafford Park.

Unlike a typical closing-down sale, the stock isn’t old or unwanted. Instead, it’s a live snapshot of LOFT’s day-to-day business, and everything must go.

LOFT is known for furnishing properties across the build-to-rent, student accommodation, co-living, private rented, and social housing sectors, and that constant turnover naturally generates surplus – whether it be project overstock, end-of-line pieces or discontinued items making way for new collections.

The move over to Trafford Park is said to be a moment to clear the warehouse ‘completely’ and start the new chapter with a clean slate.

Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off / Credit: Supplied

This means that everything, from sofas and beds, to dining sets, armchairs, and home accessories, must go before the move, with prices already reduced by 50 to 70% below RRP.

Benjamin Hall, who is the Founder and CEO of LOFT, says this is the ‘biggest and best value’ sale the company has ever offered.

He explained: “As we settle into our new home at Trafford Park, we want a completely clean slate. Whether you’re a homeowner after a one-off bargain, or a landlord, agent or developer furnishing multiple units on a budget, there has never been a better time to visit.”

Read more:

So homeowners, landlords, letting agents, property developers, interior designers, and home-staging businesses, this one’s for you.

LOFT Manchester is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays only, and no appointment is needed, so you can just turn up whenever and bag a bargain.

Featured Image – Supplied

City Centre

Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A spritz and a pizza sandwich

Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.

And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.

Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.

Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.

The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.

Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.

She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.

Sienna outside Amò
Sienna outside Amò
Fresh pasta dishes
Fresh pasta dishes
Inside Amò by Salvi's
Inside Amò by Salvi’s
Their viral frozen crema di caffe
Their viral frozen crema di caffe
Lemon granita
Lemon granita
Inside Amò by Salvi's
Inside Amò by Salvi’s
Tiramisu pots
Tiramisu pots

Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.

At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.

With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.

And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

More City Centre

Art & Culture

Manchester announces its first-ever Pride Fringe event with community celebrations all over the city

Manchester Storm USAsports NHL merch pop-up stand

Business

Manchester Storm announce partnership with USAsports including NHL pop-ups and more

Vanilli's dessert shop Manchester

Business

Vanilli’s – the Manchester bakery and dessert spot that has carried on the tradition of an old Italian favourite

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches