The Metropolitan Police will issue 20 fixed-penalty fines over the lockdown parties that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall.
The identities of those who are facing penalties in this first wave of fines has been kept confidential, but it’s understood they apply to more straight-forward cases and is unlikely to include the Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson is expected to be at the ‘bottom of the pile’, The Mirror has reported, due to the ‘politically explosive’ nature of his case.
The Met Police have been investigating 12 gatherings that took place during Covid lockdowns, in breach of the Government’s own regulations and guidance.
The police are issuing 20 fines over the Downing Street lockdown parties. Credit: Met Police
Officers say they are ‘making every effort to progress this investigation at speed’.
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This first wave of penalties from the Met confirms that the rules were broken by Downing Street staff members.
A statement issued this morning says: “We will today initially begin to refer 20 fixed penalty notices to be issued for breaches of Covid-19 regulations.
“We are making every effort to progress this investigation at speed and have completed a number of assessments. However due to the significant amount of investigative material that remains to be assessed, further referrals may be made to ACRO if the evidential threshold is made.”
Gray’s report looked into 2020 events on 15 May, 20 May, 18 June, 19 June, 13 November, 27 November, 10 December, 15 December, 17 December and 18 December, as well as events on 14 January 2021 and 16 April 2021.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
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New Mayor Bev Craig announces £20m fund to ‘revitalise’ Greater Manchester high streets
Emily Sergeant
The new Mayor of Greater Manchester has unveiled plans to ‘breathe new life’ into local high streets with a landmark £20 million fund.
Bev Craig says Greater Manchester has enjoyed a decade of rapid economic growth, ‘outstripping’ every other city region in the UK in the process, but now she wants to make sure that everyone can ‘see and feel’ the benefits of that growth where they live.
The new £20m Good Growth High Streets Fund will be made available to local businesses, business groups, and voluntary and community organisations across Greater Manchester to improve their high streets, and will primarily back ideas that can ‘make a real difference’ to good economic growth and restore local pride.
The new fund forms part of the Our High Streets campaign – which will run throughout her first mayoral term to ’empower’ local communities to revitalise where they live, shop, and socialise.
New Mayor Bev Craig has announced a £20m fund to ‘revitalise’ Greater Manchester high streets / Credit: GMCA | Jonny Gios (via Unsplash)
To drive forward this work, Bev is calling on local businesses and groups to join a new High Streets Taskforce, which will help design the ‘ambitious’ plans for the fund and put them into practice across the city region.
Bev launched her high street plans in Middleton yesterday, where she said the ‘passion and ambition’ of local people and the independent business community are already leading to a transformation of the town centre, and there’s potential of even more to come.
“Our high streets are the beating hearts of our communities, and people want to feel pride about where they live,” commented Mayor Bev Craig.
“They are rightly worried and frustrated when they see derelict pubs, boarded-up shops, and dodgy operators, and independent traders moving away. They want to see practical support for local businesses now and that’s why I’m taking action.
“Our new £20 million Good Growth High Streets Fund is all about restoring pride in a vibrant high street, backing our neighbourhoods, and spreading the rewards of good economic growth everywhere.”
The Good Growth High Streets Fund will open for applications later this year.
Featured Image – GMCA
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Student police officer charged with off-duty rape and kidnap of woman in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A student police officer has been charged with the rape and kidnap of a woman in Manchester while he was off duty.
Mohammad Hassan, 23-years-old and of Asian-Pakistani ethnicity, has been remanded in custody following the charges, and has been suspended Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The charges – which have been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following a police investigation – relate to reports made to authorities on the evening of Saturday 8 August 2026, which ended in a police pursuit on the M62 in West Yorkshire.
Following the police pursuit, a woman was safeguarded at the scene, and continues to be supported by specialist officers and support services.
Hassan has been charged with oral rape, kidnap, strangulation, sexual assault, theft of mobile phone, and dangerous driving.
He is set to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court today (11 August).
“GMP detectives and staff have been working on this investigation throughout the last 48 hours to ensure charges are brought in this case,” explained GMP Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Dexter.
“The victim is our priority, and we are ensuring she continues to receive specialist support. Criminal proceedings must now take its course without interference.
“I understand, and share, the feeling among the public and our thousands of hard-working, decent staff who will have seen this news. Proceedings are underway and necessary action will be decisively taken within the regulations.”
Daisy Jackson -
29th March 2022 
