News

Manchester woman now cancer free after groundbreaking UK-first transplant

Such an incredible story.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th January 2025

A young woman from Manchester who was told she only had a short time to live is now cancer free after a UK-first transplant.

Bianca Perea, a 32-year-old trainee lawyer who lives in Wigan, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer – which is the most advanced kind – back in November 2021 when she was just 29, after only feeling a bit constipated and bloated, but otherwise having no other major symptoms.

After she was referred to her local hospital to have emergency bloods and a stool sample taken, followed by a colonoscopy and a biopsy, these investigations sadly revealed that she had bowel cancer, which had spread to all eight segments of her liver.

According to Cancer Research, only one in 10 people with advanced bowel cancer will survive for five years or more after their diagnosis.

But after becoming a patient at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist cancer centre in Manchester, Bianca is now miraculously cancer free thanks to becoming the first person in the UK to have a liver transplant for advanced bowel cancer, along with other previous treatments included targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.

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Bianca was referred to The Christie’s local treatment centre in Wigan in early December 2021 where she had 37 rounds of a targeted drug called panitumumab, and chemotherapy over two and a half years.

According to The Christie, she had an “excellent response” to the treatment, with the tumour shrinking enough so that she could have an operation to remove the part of the bowel where it was.

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A Manchester woman is now cancer free after a groundbreaking UK-first transplant / Credit: The Christie NHS

However scans showed she still had tumours in her liver which couldn’t be operated on, and so she was then referred to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as she was found to be a suitable candidate for a transplant.

Before being added to the transplant list, Bianca had to be doing well on treatment for two years, and she hit this milestone in December 2023.

She was subsequently added to the list in February 2024, and had her operation this past summer.

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Despite all the odds, the surgery was successful, meaning she is now cancer free and the teams at Leeds and The Christie are “hopeful” that the cancer won’t return too.

“Within four weeks of going under the knife, I was able to drive and walk the family dogs, it was really quite incredible,” Bianca said.

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“To go from being told I’d only have a short time to live to now being cancer free is the greatest gift. I’ve been given a second chance at life and I’m going to grab it with both hands. I am so grateful to the family who agreed to donate their loved one’s liver.”

Featured Image – The Christie NHS

News

Two teens arrested after stabbing of 14-year-old boy in Manchester city centre

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant GMP police car

Two teenagers have been arrested following the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in Manchester city centre over the weekend.

In case you need bringing up to speed first, at around 3:15pm this past Saturday afternoon (17 October 2026), officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a stabbing on the ninth floor of the Arndale carpark in Manchester city centre.

Emergency services attended the scene, and a 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a stab wound.

Thankfully, the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing, but an investigation and enquiries are ongoing.

Police conceded that this will ‘understandably’ cause concern in the community, but has assured the public that they believe this to be an ‘isolated incident.

And now, it has been confirmed that two teenage boys, also aged 14, were arrested on Sunday night (18 October) on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, and tat this time, they are currently in custody for questioning.

“We’d like to thank the local community for their support during our investigation as well as the passersby who helped the victim following this incident,” commented Detective Inspector Sean McFadden, of GMP’s City of Manchester district.

“Your quick-thinking undoubtedly saved the victim from potentially life-threatening injuries.

“We appreciate that incidents of this nature can cause concern and we’d like to reassure the public that we understand this was an isolated incident and there is no wider threat to the community.

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“Officers worked quickly and arrested two juveniles on Sunday, and they currently remain in custody for questioning.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 2050 of 17/10/2026, or via the LiveChat function. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – GMP

News

UK Government announces £100 fines for ‘antisocial behaviour’ on public transport

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The Government has today announced plans to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.

In a bid to crackdown on loud music, littering, vaping, and other threatening behaviour on buses and trains, guidance was issued by the Government today for local authorities to prosecute and even issue fines of up to £100.

For many, playing audio out loud on public transport – also known as ‘loudcasting’ – has become one of modern life’s most irritating parts of the daily commute, but now, a new national campaign is aiming to encourage rail passengers, in particular, to ‘share the carriage, not the noise’ to improve the journey experience for all.

This will include reminders of the rules in place on the rail network and, if a passenger refuses to stop when asked by authorised rail staff, they can be removed from the train at the next station or face fines up to £1,000.

On buses, however, the powers for authorities were already made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities in England are able to set and enforce their own rules.

Authorised officers – including transport safety officers and the police – will be responsible for enforcement, rather than bus drivers themselves, and they will be tasked with a three-step approach to deal with incidents. They will need to:

  • Engage with the person
  • Explain the rules and their impact on other passengers
  • Take enforcement action if they refuse to comply

“We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone,” commented Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

“It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey, so we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.

“It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”

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Ben Plowden, Chief Executive at the Campaign for Better Transport, added: “Antisocial behaviour is not just irritating, it can be a real deterrent to people using public transport – especially people with different accessibility requirements.

“If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.”

Featured Image – Northern

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