A drug dealer who nicknamed himself ‘Manc Mark’ has been jailed after being caught with £2000-worth of substances hidden up his bum.
Liam Smith, of Brynorme Road in Manchester was found in possession of heroin and crack cocaine which he’d ‘concealed in his buttocks’.
Police made the discovery on a raid of a property in Northwich in Cheshire on Friday 26 January.
Smith, aka Manc Mark, has now been sentenced to four years in jail after admitting to dealing drugs.
The 36-year-old appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 3 May.
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He’d previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The court heard that the Northwich Proactive Policing Team had forced entry into an address on Brackley Lane after a suspected drug dealer was seen entering the property.
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There they found Smith, searched him, and found the drugs he’d attempted to hide.
He was arrested, then a warrant was conducted at his home in Manchester where ‘a large quantity of designer clothing’ was seized.
Following the sentencing, Police Constable Matt Uren, of Northwich Proactive Policing Unit, said: “Northwich Proactive Policing Team are dedicated to disrupting the drug supply network and this is another example of how we are continually pursuing those intent on making money out of other people’s misery.
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“Smith’s conviction is the result of a long-running investigation involving detectives here at Northwich, with the support of colleagues from the Op Impact and Op Apollo teams.
“Intel has suggested that ‘Manc Mark’ had been an active county lines dealer in the Northwich area for a significant period of time, and I have no doubt that his conviction will have a really positive impact on the community.
“While Smith is now behind bars, our campaign against drug dealers is ongoing and we’re committed to doing all we can to can to stop drug activity on the streets of Northwich and make Cheshire a hostile place for criminals.
“You too can help us by reporting drug dealing in your area to police, every bit of information helps us to gather intelligence and close in on those dealing in illegal drugs.”
Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Daisy Jackson -
8th May 2024 
