A firearm has been found inside a lavish new Manchester restaurant in the middle of an equally lavish launch party.
Habbibi has now released a statement after police were called to its star-studded opening on Saturday evening.
The beautiful restaurant opened this week in Spinningfields, serving a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food that’s made it a huge hit over in Leeds.
But during its launch party, a member of the Habbibi team discovered a firearm on site and GMP were called.
The weapon was removed from the premises and the venue has said all guests were ‘completely safe’.
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A police investigation has now been launched to determine how the firearm came to be on site.
GMP has said that ‘suspected drugs’ were also seized and sent off for testing.
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Habbibi said it has been ‘saddened and shocked’ by what they have stressed is an ‘isolated incident’.
Since the firearm was found in the middle of its launch night, the restaurant has said ‘this is not how we wanted to start our journey’.
Inside Habbibi, a new Middle-Eastern restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Their full statement reads: “We are saddened and shocked to confirm that on the evening of Saturday 8th June, during our Manchester launch event, a member of the Habbibi team discovered a firearm on site.
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“As a venue we immediately took all appropriate action, notifying the police and securing the weapon in our safe until officers arrived to safely remove the firearm from the premises. The police were able to confirm that the firearm was not loaded. All of our guests were completely safe and at no stage was there any wider danger.
“There is an ongoing police investigation as to how the firearm came to be on site, so we are limited with the information we can share at this time.
“This is of course not how we wanted to start our journey, to join the vibrant and buoyant hospitality scene in Manchester as a new venue.
“However we want to reassure all of our guests and the residents of this great city that this is an isolated incident. We will share further information as and when we are able to, and will continue to work closely with the police.
Cocktails at Habbibi ManchesterFood at Habbibi Manchester
“Whilst we are still in shock at the incident, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far and look forward to welcoming you all to join us at Habbibi and to show people how amazing the culinary scene in this great city is!”
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A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “At around 8.45pm on Saturday 8 June 2024, we were called to reports of a firearm being located at a business property on Hardman Boulevard in the city centre.
“Our officers attended and recovered the firearm in question. A quantity of suspected drugs were also seized and sent for testing. The firearm was made safe at the scene and no arrests have been made. Investigations are ongoing.”
As well as the restaurant space, Habbibi in Manchester also has an outdoor terrace with a shisha set-up.
Family festival Geronimo cancelled for good as parents slam ‘absolute farce’
Daisy Jackson
Geronimo Children’s Festival, a popular family event that was meant to take place in Cheshire this summer, is ‘no more’.
The festival, sometimes dubbed ‘Glastonbury for kids’ has announced that it’s cancelling its summer weekender for the second year running.
In a statement, organisers blamed poor ticket sales due to ‘the great British weather’ and said that all ticket-holders will be refunded.
Its 2023 festival was also cancelled.
Geronimo was set to take place this year at Arley Hall between 23 and 26 August, featuring children’s entertainment, interactive musical experiences, food and more.
Parents who were looking forward to taking their little ones to the event have now slammed the cancellation as an ‘absolute farce’.
One wrote: “Aww so sorry to hear this we had an amazing time there 2 years ago and we’re so looking forward to going again.”
Another said: “Sad to see something so amazing 6 years ago has now gone to this.”
In its statement, Geronimo said: “With a heavy heart, we announce that Geronimo Children’s Festival is no more and our scheduled event on 23rd-26th August 2024 has been cancelled. We thank all those involved in it, the directors, staff and artists who all put their hearts and soul into the event.
“The great British weather is not always kind and with a huge percentage of festival-goers holding off booking until the last week, the event has become an unsustainable financial risk.
“Ticketline will arrange the face value refund of all valid tickets (including those rolled over from previous years) Please note we have no access to ticketholder details and are unable to assist with refunds directly. All ticket enquiries should be addressed to [email protected] or call 0161 813 2222.
“Thank you to all the families, performers and suppliers who made Geronimo Festival a magical experience for so many children over the last decade. We hope you will cherish the memories of your time in our festival fields and wish everyone a wonderful summer.”
Parents of Dillon Duffy issue urgent appeal to help find missing Oldham teen last seen in London
Danny Jones
The parents of missing Oldham teenager Dillon Duffy have issued an urgent appeal to help find their son who disappeared last week.
Dillon Duffy, 18 from Chadderton, was reported missing on Tuesday, 18 June last week after he was thought to be on the way to work.
He was dropped off by his mother outside the local Asda supermarket on Milne Street, saying that he wanted to grab a bottle of water before his shift, but the teen decided instead to jump on a train to Stoke at around 3.35pm from Manchester Piccadilly before boarding another to London.
CCTV footage confirmed the last-known sighting of the youngster arriving at Euston station and the Metropolitan Police‘s missing person unit is now said to have taken charge.
Dillon, 18, is missing from Greater #Manchester. Dillon got a train to #Euston on the evening of 18 June.
He was wearing a black hooded jacket, grey cap, black tracksuit bottoms and black and grey trainers.
Dillon was last seen wearing the black North Face jacket pictured, as well as black and grey Nike trainers with white soles. Although his head is recently shaved, he is described as having ‘dirty blonde’ hair. It is also thought he could be carrying a large blue Simpsons blanket that is missing from his room.
Speaking to the Oldham Times, mum Donna Duffy said: “It’s obviously a big police area and they’re inundated with missing persons cases, so we’re not really getting anywhere with that at the moment in terms of footage.
“It’s vital that we get some CCTV footage of where he went after Euston station, my sister managed to get some footage for the police but that trail isn’t being chased.
Even more concerningly, Ms Duffy went on to detail that Dillon left a note for his family telling them he was feeling low and that they found internet searches relating to depression.
“We don’t know what frame of mind he’s in”, said Donna, “[but from his Google history it shows he was feeling really low and I’m feeling really sorry for him because I didn’t know he was feeling that way. I just want him to reach out so we can help and support him.”
She also told the MEN that the young man had been deemed “low risk” by police because he is 18 but they are unsure whether he even has money and are worried as there has been no social media activity.
Dillon Jamie Duffy went missing 7 days ago and his family need all the help they can get raising awareness, they are worried sick about him. His last sighting was at Euston station 18/6 17.48 #finddillonduffypic.twitter.com/cOvBRkfdQJ
With Dillon’s father having driven the 200 miles to London immediately and spent six days searching for his son non-stop along with some other friends and family, she admitted the search thus far has taken its toll, with the distressed dad having to come back home “due to his own health.”
He even drove up to Bridlington in Yorkshire due to a hunch based on Dillon’s search history but the pair have now come “come to a standstill”, with Donna adding in a post online that she had been “stood aimlessly in Manchester Picadilly train station” in hopes he might return from the capital.
Numerous accounts across various social media platforms are now trying to spread the word in an effort to locate him. More than 26,000 people have also joined the ‘Help Find Dillon Duffy’ Facebook group and police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
You can also call or text the UK’s official missing persons hotline on 116000 and cite the reference number: 24-096945.
The search for fellow missing teen Jay Slater also continues as efforts to find the 19-year-old from Lancashire have now been stepped up.
Daisy Jackson -
11th June 2024 
