The family of a missing woman and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has released a number of new images as part of an ongoing investigation into her whereabouts.
Alisha Apostoloff-Boyarin from Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside was last seen in County Durham in January 2022.
The ongoing investigation into the disappearance of the 24-year-old was declared a murder investigation by GMPs Major Incident Team earlier this month when a 59-year-old man, from Willington, County Durham, was arrested on suspicion of her murder after detectives established that although Alisha was still missing, evidence suggested that she had “come to serious harm”.
GMP says evidence has lead detectives to believe that Alisha has come to serious harm, and two arrests have since been made.
It is believed that Alisha travelled from Ashton to County Durham and back in January.
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With it now being over two months since she was last seen, officers are continuing to urge people both in the Manchester and Durham areas to think if they could have seen Alisha since January, and are also asking anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage showing Alisha to get in touch with officers.
Alisha is said to regularly wear a long Parka style jacket with a hood and may have been wearing this when she went missing, GMP says.
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Alisha’s family are currently being supported by family liaison officers.
Alisha Apostoloff-Boyrin from Ashton-under-Lyne who was last seen in Durham in January 2022 / Credit: Greater Manchester Police
Speaking on the ongoing investigation, senior Investigating Officer, DCI Andrew Naismith, said: “Our team of detectives are working around the clock to try and piece together what has happened to Alisha and we have followed a number of lines of enquiry so far which has resulted in two arrests and we feel that we are edging closer towards establishing the full circumstances.”
He continued: “I’d like to appeal again for anyone who may have seen Alisha since January, or anyone who has any information at all about her disappearance, to please get in touch with police as soon as possible.
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“You may be able to help us find Alisha and bring some closure for her family.”
You can send information to GMP through the online portal here, or by calling GMPs Major Incident team on 0161 856 6777, or you can even use the LiveChat service on the GMP website.
Alternatively, you contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Emily Sergeant -
31st March 2022 
