Greater Manchester Police has recorded its busiest period for lockdown breaches since the pandemic began last weekend.
A spokesperson for the constabulary stated that 85 fines were handed out between last Friday and Sunday, with breaches ranging from wedding receptions to birthday parties.
This is confirmed to have brought the total number of fines issued in the region to 400.
Flouters of the rules included a birthday party in Bolton with 30 people in attendance – where eight fines were handed out – and officers also attended a wedding reception in Heaton Moor, Stockport where around 60 people were in attendance and one fine was issued.
One person in Bolton now also has four penalties, with an accompanying fine totalling £800.
It comes after officers were called to a large gathering at the same property on four separate occasions, and the latest being at 2am on Sunday.
Nick Bailey – Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police – said: “While the vast majority of people in Greater Manchester continue to abide by government legislation, there are some who continue to flout the law.
“I would appeal to this small minority to think of the safety of their nearest and dearest before making decisions that literally risk people’s lives. Should that not be reason enough, I would also remind people of the very stark financial penalties now in place for failing to follow lockdown guidance – with fines doubling for each further breach.
“I’d like to thank our officers for the dedication and patience during what was a very busy weekend,
“I’d also like to thank the majority of people in Greater Manchester for helping to keep themselves and others safe by continuing to follow government guidance.”
It only takes two seconds to put on a mask, and it helps save lives.
The busy weekend comes as the rate of infection across all parts of Greater Manchester continues to rise.
Manchester city region has now also been declared the country’s coronavirus (COVID-19) hotspot.
The latest data shows that it has the highest infection rate of any area in England and figures released by Public Health England show that the seven-day rate in Manchester has reached 495.6 cases per 100,000 population for the week ending on 1st October.
Bolton however recorded almost 240 cases per 100,000 people on 2nd October, which is down from 261 cases per 100,000 seven days earlier.
This makes it the only one of Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs to have seen a reduction in the past week.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
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.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
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.
“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.
The Manc -
6th October 2020 
