This Sunday marks 10 years since Greater Manchester Police PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone tragically lost their lives whilst on duty.
On a day that will forever be devastatingly etched into the memory of the city – 18th September 2012 – PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes were on patrol and responding to hoax reports of a burglary at Abbey Gardens in the village of Mottram in Longdendale in Tameside when they were murdered in a gun and grenade ambush.
PC Bone was pronounced dead at the scene, and PC Hughes later died in hospital.
The horrific incident was the first on the island of Great Britain in which two female police officers were killed on duty.
Their tragic deaths were met with nationwide shock and anger – with Greater Manchester Police’s then Chief Constable Peter Fahy calling the attack “cold-blooded murder” and then Prime Minister David Cameron describing it as a “despicable act… of pure evil” – and the next day, a moments silence was held by Greater Manchester Police at 11am in remembrance.
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The Union Flag was lowered to half-mast at Greater Manchester Police’s headquarters as a mark of respect.
Their funerals were held on 3 and 4 October at Manchester Cathedral – with large parts of the city centre coming to a standstill and huge crowds attending to pay their respects to the brave officers.
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PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone tragically lost their lives whilst on duty / Credit: GMP
The pair will be remembered at a service at the Nicola and Fiona memorial garden at Hyde Police Station on Sunday 18 September, with family and friends, officers, colleagues, MPs and representatives from Tameside Council, and members of the local community all set to attend and remember the fallen PCs on the 10th anniversary.
At the service there will be a minute’s silence at 10:53am, wreaths will then be placed by the families and GMP’s Tameside District Commander, Chief Superintendent Phil Davies on behalf of GMP.
“Although 10 years has past, the emotion and grief is still felt on anniversaries such as this and reminds us of the dangerous situations officers face on a daily basis,” Chief Superintendent Phil Davies said ahead of the memorial service.
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“On Sunday, we will come together with Nicola and Fiona’s families and honoured guests to reflect on the passing of a decade since they made the ultimate sacrifice for the oath they took as police officers.
This Sunday marks 10 years since they were killed on 18 September 2012 / Credit: GMP & Family Handout
“Nicola and Fiona’s essence and presence remain with us and is tangibly felt by those who knew and worked with them,
“But also their colleagues who have joined the GMP family after their passing.”
The memorial service is also open to the public to attend, so those who are wishing to join in remembering PC Hughes and PC Bone can make their way to Hyde Police Station on Sunday 18 September at 10:40am.
Featured Image – GMP
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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.
Emily Sergeant -
16th September 2022 
