A local restaurant has expressed their gratitude for their neighbours after they were the victims of another ‘heartbreaking’ burglary.
Sweet Mandarin in the Northern Quarter was broken in to in the early hours of Friday morning by two burglars, who made off with the restaurant’s till.
But the restaurant’s neighbours and customers rallied around, and found the smashed-up till in a nearby flowerbed – along with evidence that will hopefully help police to trace down the criminals behind the break-in.
The Chinese restaurant, which has been operating in the city centre for almost two decades, said that the kindness of customers and fellow business has ‘spurred them on’ through a ‘helpless’ time.
They initially shared CCTV footage of the burglary itself, which shows two men deftly removing a window and climbing inside to steal the till.
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Sweet Mandarin’s till was found in a nearby flowerbed. Credit: Instagram, @sweet.mandarin
Sweet Mandarin wrote that the pair rode up on bicycles and appealed for people to share any information they may have to their identities.
They posted: “This is not a faceless crime. We are a family business serving the local community. We have huge bills to pay as its month end. They just took the till and its heart breaking. It is time to stand up to these perpetrators. Please share names with us privately.
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“Trying to keep our heads up. We remain open today come what may! Sorry about the door!”
Since sharing the footage, hair salon RCNQ (one of Sweet Mandarin’s neighbouring businesses) tracked down the till to a patch of flowers nearby.
The restaurant updated followers to say thank you, writing: “May we just pause from this crazy day to say a massive thanks for the love and kind messages which have spurred us on.
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“Seeing some of you tonight made me forget the pain of being broken into again and again. I feel so helpless and not quite hopeless but it’s harder every time to turn on the woks when something like this happens.”
They added that police had not found any prints on the till, but that officers did find a glove and footprints elsewhere, which are being examined.
Sweet Mandarin’s post continued: “I just wanted to say thank you very much to you all for your messages. It has given me heart to continue.
“We’ve been going for 20 years even before the @nqmanchester became a thing. Perhaps we may continue another 20 years more.
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“The verse which has struck me is John 10:10-15 ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep….. ‘ wow powerful words.
“Here’s to keeping positive, silver linings and knowing the voice which leads my heart.”
When does the UK’s fourth heatwave of the year hit Greater Manchester?
Danny Jones
Brace yourselves: ANOTHER heatwave is set to hit the UK – the fourth in 2026 so far – and, understandably, Greater Manchester residents are already preparing for the latest blast of hot weather and wondering when it gets here.
Yes, in case you missed the news, more high temperatures are set to spread across Great Britain and Ireland this month and heading into August.
The increase will gradually build throughout this week, with Wednesday tipped to be the hottest day according to various meteorological sources.
Fortunately for us here in the North West, parts of the Midlands and the usual suspects down south are set to hit the highest numbers, but the thermometers are still on course to reach around the mid-20s over the coming days.
Temperatures are set to rise this week across some areas, bringing a return to hotter conditions 🥵
The heat looks to be fairly short-lived, however, with temperatures expected to fall again towards the end of the week 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/IKsunEdwhU
Estimates of 26°C have been predicted for this coming Tuesday, with the levels floating in and around 24/25 on the following Wednesday.
The heat is then due to drop off slowly, with top scores of no higher than 21°C on the cards for Thursday and Friday. Although the weekend forecast is less certain at present, one thing that has been announced is reduced rainfall.
Aside from a few more trickles today (Mon, 27 July), the showers or lack thereof cease rather soon, with some of the driest parts of the country already having various effects; for instance, parched parts of Wales have even revealed lost archaeological sites last Friday (24/7/2026).
It would be remiss if we didn’t mention the obvious moorland fires across our region, which were sadly exacerbated by hot weather earlier this month.
Following on from the hottest June on record, the Dovestone and Tinwhistle areas of Oldham and parts of Derbyshire saw hundreds of hectares turn into a deeply dangerous blaze for several days.
As per the latest statistics, it’s said that the equivalent of 1,250 football pitches were scorched following the alarming wildfire, which also raised concerns for wildlife and surrounding air quality.
Former US President Barack Obama is coming to Manchester for a special ‘Evening With’ event
Danny Jones
No, not a prank: the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, is coming to Manchester on his upcoming UK tour.
Confirming just three domestic dates across Great Britain and Ireland, the 44th President turned successful global speaker has delivered talks all over the world, and now he’ll be coming to the Co-op Live arena.
We always knew the industry-leading events space was going to lead to some big names, but no one was expecting this one.
Set to deliver his first-ever ‘An Evening With’ here in Greater Manchester, Barack Obama will be coming to the Co-op later this year.
Officially announcing the live show in line with a key American date, Obama will be making his first-ever visit to our city.
The Co-op Live post reads: “As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, President Barack Obama joins us in Belfast, Glasgow and Manchester to discuss what comes next – for America, and for all of us.”
More than two and a half centuries on from the start of the nation becoming the United States, the series of intimate interviews comes alongside a significant anniversary for both countries.
Always praised for being a talented orator, the 64-year-old ex-Commander in Chief has found a fruitful second career on the so-called ‘keynote circuit’ following his time as POTUS.
Having served two consecutive terms in the post, it feels undeniably surreal to hear that he will be coming to visit, especially amid the obvious recent development of our very own Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, having now become the 59th British PM.
As for Obama, it’s no surprise that he booked the biggest venue possible for his debut talk in 0161.
Presented by SeatUnique, who specialise in affordable but premium hospitality seats/tickets for live entertainment, it goes without saying that this is an unprecedented moment for the venue, specifically.
Set to arrive on 15 October, tickets go live from 10am at the end of this month, with official Co-op members pre-sale passes available from the same time on Wednesday, 29 July.
You can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester is an international city and its popularity is growing rapidly. Barack Obama, former US President is reportedly coming to Manchester this October. pic.twitter.com/9twbfaIWbI
Daisy Jackson -
30th May 2022 
