News

Tribute paid to ‘beloved’ man who died in a Wigan house fire

'He was a larger than life character and loved by many'

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 21st August 2024

The family of a man who died after becoming trapped in a burning building in Wigan have paid a moving tribute to him.

The 48-year-old has been named as Mark Vernal, who has been described by his loved ones as ‘a beloved father, brother, uncle, and friend’.

Mark was rushed to hospital with serious and life-threatening injuries following a house fire at a property on Dumbarton Green, Wigan, at around 6.40am on Wednesday 14 August.

He tragically died of his injuries while in hospital.

Shortly afterwards, Greater Manchester Police launched a murder investigation, believing the fatal blaze to be an arson attack.

Three men have so far been arrested – a 48-year-old on suspicion of murder and section 18 assault, who has been released pending further enquiries; a 45-year-old on suspicion of murder, also released on bail; and a 27-year-old man who remains in custody ahead of being questioned by detectives in GMP’s Major Incident Team.

The family of Mark Vernal have now released a tribute to him through the police and asked for privacy as they grieve.

They said: “He was a beloved father, brother, uncle, and friend. Mark was taken in such tragic circumstances .

“He was a larger than life character and loved by many.

“Our hearts are broken beyond belief at the saddest of times and how cruelly Mark has been taken from our lives.

“We thank all of Mark’s wider family and friends for their messages and condolences.

“Love from all the family.”

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola McCulloch, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “We are still appealing for information, and are working hard to get answers for Mark’s family.

“There will be people who know what happened that night, and we appeal to them to come forward as soon as possible. In cases like this even the smallest piece of information can prove vital to the progression of our investigation.

“To submit any information or CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage please submit it through the Major Incident Public Portal here: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk)

“If you have any information regarding this incident please contact us on 0161 856 0110 or 101 and quote log number 533 of 14/08/2024.

“Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

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Featured image: GMP

News

More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson 104 counterfeit Labubus have been seized

More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.

The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.

The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.

The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).

Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.

Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.

What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds

They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.

Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.

“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.

“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”

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Featured image: Oldham Council

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Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.

Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.

Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.

Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.

First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.

The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)

Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.

The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times. 

Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road. 

Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained. 

As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)

These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.

The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.

“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.

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“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”

You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.

Featured Image – Pix4Free

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