Merseyside drug dealers involved in the transportation of heroin and crack called themselves ‘Mancs’ in an apparent attempt to point police in the wrong direction.
Alan Hughes, 21, and John Kirk, 33 referred to their gang as ‘Manc Joy’ in phone conversations, despite the fact they were operating out of Liverpool, reports Devon Live.
The group’s name was seemingly part of a mission to encourage law enforcement to look away from their area – as the duo smuggled £100,000 worth of drugs down to Exeter during lockdown.
John Kirk (Image: Exeter Police)
Police discovered that ‘Manc Joy’ had arranged over a dozen trips between the North West and Devon in 2020 – carting drugs to the south and returning to Liverpool with hundreds of pounds each time.
Images found on Hughes’ phone showed him posing with banknotes, with bank activity showing there had been numerous large transfers associated with his account.
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He was arrested twice during lockdown for drug-related offences – once in March and again in July whilst on release under investigation.
Driver Kirk was arrested on July 14 en route to Exeter with 1,080 wraps of Class A drugs.
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Exeter Crown Court (Image: Neil Owen)
Hughes has now been jailed for four years and a month, and Kirk for three years.
During sentencing at Exeter Crown Court, Judge David Evans said: ”The national lockdown started on March 23, so you, Hughes, were out and about not for the purpose of permitted exercise in defiance of the proscription on all other activities.
“You both, deliberately and knowingly, acted in furtherance of a supply operation, transporting drugs, people and cash halfway across the country, sometimes in defiance of the lockdown at the height of the pandemic.”
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Workers at major Manchester city centre hotel to strike this bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
Workers at one of the most prominent hotels in Manchester city centre are set to strike this bank holiday weekend.
Workers at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel and its bar venue The Refuge, who are members of the union Unite, will take 24 hours of strike action on Saturday (29 August) in what is said to be a ‘long-running dispute’ over union busting.
The strike day chosen by the workers is the second day of this year’s Manchester Village Pride, and is historically the most lucrative day of the year for their employer.
This is because Kimpton Clocktower is located very close to the Pride Parade route, and for several years has been a very popular location for people attending the festival, and even runs a number of Pride events itself.
Unite says that for months now, workers at the Kimpton Clocktower – which is owned by InterContinental Hotels Group UK (IHG) – have been asking for formal union recognition to improve conditions after raising several issues with management, but IHG UK has refused this and instead ‘targeted’ the union for its actions.
Workers at a major Manchester city centre hotel are set to strike this bank holiday weekend / Credit: Rebecca Hope Photography (Supplied)
Previous strikes have already taken place this summer, apparently causing ‘financial hits’ to the business in the process – with the bar being forced to close early at several events as there were not enough staff to cover them.
“A strike on Kimpton’s most profitable day is entirely of its own making,” commented Unite regional officer, Alison Treacher. “Throughout this dispute, Kimpton Clocktower management have treated its loyal workforce with contempt and our members have shown they will not stand for it.
“There is still time to avoid this highly disruptive strike action, but that relies on IHG changing tack by listening to its members and giving them the union recognition they have long been calling for.”
This dispute is said to be the first ever hospitality strike in the North West.
Unite is currently running a petition demanding that IHG UK stop targeting union activists, recognise the Kimpton workers rights to have their grievance heard collectively, and support their union recognition campaign.
Featured Image – LJK Photography (Supplied)
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Remarkable Lake District rescue of dog missing for THREE WEEKS
Daisy Jackson
A dog who was missing for almost three WEEEKS in the Lake District has, miraculously, been rescued.
Little Teddy went missing on 2 August, disappearing from his owner on Helvellyn.
Volunteers from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team spent the following weeks searching for the scrappy dog, with one eventually hearing him barking from Dry Gill.
The poor dog had got stuck in the gill in a dangerous location that required a full team of seven to bring him to safety.
Remarkably, Teddy appeared to be uninjured, though he had lost quite a bit of weight after three weeks living wild on the fell.
His rescuers gave him a small amount of food before securing him in a rucksack and carrying him back to Swirls car park.
The whole rescue took around three and a half hours, when Teddy was reunited with his very relieved owner and taken to the vets.
Teddy making his way down from HelvellynTeddy the dog was part of a rescue mission in the Lake DistrictTeddy was rescued after three weeks missingCredit: Keswick Mountain Rescue
Keswick Mountain Rescue said: “The team are absolutely delighted to share this update, as the news of this missing dog had deeply affected so many people across our local community.
“A remarkable outcome after nearly three weeks on Helvellyn, and a huge well done to everyone who kept searching and never gave up on Teddy.”
The mountain rescue team is funded entirely through donations – you can use ‘Buy me a coffee’ to make a small donation HERE, or donate the normal way HERE.
The Manc -
2nd November 2020 
