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Paedophile cousins jailed for combined 58 years after sexually exploiting teen girls in Bury

Behind bars where they belong.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 9th December 2025

A duo of paedophile cousins have been handed lengthy jail sentences for non-recent child sexual exploitation.

Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, from Bury and Radcliffe respectively, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court this week, where they were subsequently jailed for the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of teenage girls in Bury during the late 1990s.

Hussain and Ali particularly targeted ‘vulnerable’ girls, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained as the two men were sentenced.

They groomed the victims by offering them alcohol, drugs, money, and lifts in their cars before subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse in homes, vehicles, and other locations in Bury and parts of Wales in the 1990s.

The abuse was orchestrated and sustained, with victims often being made to feel indebted to the men. In some cases, they were threatened or coerced into sexual acts.

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At the time, both men ran market stalls, which is how they first met some of the girls.

Following the trial, Hussain was jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of seven counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault, while Ali was jailed for 28 years after being found guilty of five counts of rape, five counts of indecent assault, and one count of an attempted indecent assault.

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Chief Inspector Ian Partington, who was the senior investigating officer in this case, described Hussain and Ali as being ‘sexual predators’. 

Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), added: “These sentences reflect the severity of the appalling crimes committed by Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, who deliberately targeted, groomed and systematically abused five vulnerable children, treating them as objects for their own sexual gratification.

“The defendants showed no remorse for their actions, which have had a lasting and profound impact on the victims’ lives.

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“These women have carried the trauma of this abuse for more than two decades. I would like to thank them again for coming forward, speaking so bravely about what happened to them, and seeing this case through to its conclusion.

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“I hope these sentences provide some sense of justice and closure for the victims and demonstrate that no matter how much time has passed, those who commit such heinous crimes against children will be held accountable.”

Featured Image – GMP

News

Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.

We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.

And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.

This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.

Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.

The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.

Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26

  • 18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
  • 20 December: 10am – 10pm
  • 21 December: 12pm – 6pm
  • 22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
  • Christmas: 9am – 5pm
  • Christmas Day: Closed
  • 26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
  • 27 December: 10am – 9pm
  • 28 December: 12pm – 6pm
  • 29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
  • New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
  • New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm

It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.

For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.

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When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).

Featured Image – Trafford Centre (Supplied)

News

Greater Manchester’s ‘clean taxi’ plans backed by government funding

Danny Jones Danny Jones Greater Manchester new clean green electric taxis from London

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) ‘clean taxi’ initiative has been officially backed by the UK government, with an extra boost coming from a leading electric vehicle brand.

Millions of pounds are set to be pumped into the scheme over the coming years as the North West at large strives to become greener.

The Mayor himself, Andy Burnham, has made environmentally conscious travel a core part of his plans for the city region ever since he took up the post back in 2017; now he and his team are helping link up with connections in the capital to secure further investment.

With the new £8 million Hackney Support Fund being put into action as we speak, a further £2m is now set to go towards Manchester city centre and its surrounding boroughs via LEVC.

LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) have done away with classic petrol and diesel engines in their particular corner of the automotive industry, setting a more eco-friendly example for metropolitan cities up and down Great Britain.

As a result, Manchester City Council and the GMCA as a whole are looking to take a leaf out of their book as part of their wider carbon reduction targets, with local authorities having recently reaffirmed their five-year ‘climate change action plan’.

For context, the Hackney Support Fund in question is a series of government-backed grants aimed at helping taxi drivers replace older black cabs with more modern, zero-emission capable vehicles.

Not only that, but LEVC will also be offering licensed carriage drivers extended warranties on new and used TX cabs – like their new ‘eCity powetrain’ pictured above – as well as taxi scrappage allowance on other models.

Like any part of the country, our region itself has its own clean air goals, and with the continued expansion of the Bee Network continuing to advance that progress, we’re heading in the right direction.

For instance, the vision for Greater Manchester to fold local rail into our native public transport services is starting to take real shape.

It goes without saying that adding a fully-fledged fleet of cleaner, more energy-efficient EV taxis into that mix could help benefit these greener pursuits.

Managing Director at LEVC, Chris Allen, noted that the company has “helped the capital achieve legal air quality targets for the first time” and strongly believes that they can do the same up North.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Our taxi trade is a vital part of Greater Manchester’s transport network and supports the local economy.

“That’s why we’re working hard to secure funding and practical support to help drivers upgrade to cleaner, greener vehicles – improving air quality for everyone, while protecting livelihoods. By backing our taxi trade, we’re building a fairer, healthier city-region for all.”

As it happens, two towns in Trafford are already at the forefront of the ‘EV generation’ – just one of many factors, no doubt, that have contributed to a particular area being named in the nation’s best places to live.

Greater Manchester town named one of Britain’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2026

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)

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