Parents are being urged to speak to their children – and to keep tabs on their whereabouts – after a spate of attacks on public transport in Greater Manchester.
The region’s TravelSafe Partnership (TSP) has asked parents to make sure they know where their children are, and what they are doing, over the Easter school holidays and beyond.
The request follows a string of incidents where rocks, bricks, stones and other objects have been thrown at public transport.
Recent attacks have targeted buses, trams and trains, leading to injury and serious delays.
One recent incident saw a train driver left with facial injuries when a brick broke through his cab window in the Clifton area.
Train driver Ian Birch was injured by a brick breaking through his cab window. Credit: Northern
Figures show that buses across Greater Manchester have reported more than 300 incidents of missiles being thrown over the past 12 months, while objects were thrown at Metrolink trams nearly 145 times.
TSP officers want young people to be made aware of the risks and consequences of throwing objects at public transport, both to drivers, passengers, and themselves.
Police and transport operators are also warning against people ‘surfing’ buses or trams after a child injured themselves falling off a bus.
Kate Green, TfGM’s TravelSafe partnership manager, said: “These types of incidents are absolutely unacceptable, and we will make every effort to track down and prosecute anyone foolish enough throw objects at public transport.
Buses on the Leigh Guided Busway have been targeted. Credit: TfGM
“The consequences of this type of unthinking behaviour can be extremely serious for transport staff and passengers.
“Parents and young people should also be aware that the consequences for offenders can also be very serious, and a moment of madness or showing off could result in them being banned from the network or potentially prosecuted.
“But offenders can also put themselves in danger, as we saw recently when a child was knocked unconscious while bus surfing. The outcome could have been a lot worse, so we really have to ask – is it worth it the risk?”
Incidents in the last month have included stones thrown at three vehicles along the Leigh Guided Busway (a 21-year-old man has been charged with criminal damage), a projectile thrown at a Stagecoach bus near the Etihad (two passengers were left with minor injuries), and a log thrown into the path of an oncoming train in Bolton (it caused a fire and 100 people were evacuated).
Ian Birch, the aforementioned train driver who was left with injuries from a brick thrown through his cab window, said: “I want the people who did this to see the impact of their actions. I could have been blinded or even killed.”
All of these incidents are currently being investigated by the TravelSafe Partnership (TSP) – which is made up of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), British Transport Police (BTP), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and transport operators.
A train outside Manchester Piccadilly. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Bev Hughes, Greater Manchester deputy mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, said: “This reckless behaviour is endangering the safety of passengers, drivers, and the offenders themselves, and it could also deter people from using our trains, trams and buses.
“Everyone using public transport is entitled to a safe and enjoyable journey – incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour on the network will not be tolerated.
“Through the proactive work of Greater Manchester Police’s Transport Unit and TravelSafe officers, we are cracking down on this aggressive, dangerous, and often illegal behaviour. This drive against antisocial behaviour has led to a 25% increase in arrests since August.”
Chief inspector Lorna McEwan, of BTP, added: “Targeting trains and their drivers is absolutely senseless and can have devastating results. We are conducting extra patrols across the network and those responsible can be assured they will face the consequences of their actions, whatever their age.
“This isn’t harmless fun – it is a criminal offence and drivers and passengers could be seriously injured. Parents, I urge you to know where your children are and what they are doing during the Easter holidays – and most importantly – convey to them the dangers of throwing items at trains.”
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons/TfGM
News
New ‘postboxes of the future’ are being rolled out across the UK
Danny Jones
The Royal Mail is starting to roll out its line of so-called “postboxes of the future” across the UK this year, including right here in Greater Manchester.
It has been dubbed the most important and noticeable transformation to the classic British postbox in its entire 175-year history.
The national postal service teased the modern-day upgrade earlier this year, but the revolutionary new upgrade was officially announced this week, with Royal Mail ushering in a new era of digitally-driven units that should make many lives a lot easier – at least in theory.
Although they might look pretty identical to the iconic red boxes since before the turn of the 19th century have used up and down the country, there are marked differences between the new and the old ones.
Credit: Royal Mail
The biggest change made to the Royal Mail’s soon-to-be standard design is a digitally activated drop-down drawer, which will be able to fit parcels as big as a shoebox, hopefully saving us Brits on a fair few trips to the post office.
You will be able to scan a barcode via the updated Royal Mail app to activate the drawer for larger items; meanwhile, there will be a separate slot for letters and smaller packages.
Additionally, the new range of high-tech postboxes will also be solar-powered, helping the public limited company chase its ‘green’ targets.
Now owned by parent firm International Distribution Services (IDS) – who also oversee Parcelforce Worldwide – following the UK government’s approval of its historic sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský at the end of 2024, the group as a whole is undergoing a significant overhaul.
Britain’s new solar postboxes were first trialled back in April in four towns located throughout the Hertfordshire region: Letchworth Garden City, Ware and Hertford. A fifth was later installed in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, too.
Despite being quickly considered a success on the whole, the initial design featured an entirely black top, with polls of civilians and Royal Mail themselves agreeing that keeping them red all over was more in keeping with the brand.
It’s like the old school phone box, isn’t it? We can’t picture it any other way.
📮Attention Postbox Lovers 📮
Royal Mail is upgrading postboxes to accept parcels. They'll gaining a new slot and a solar panel on top
Speaking in a statement, the Royal Mail‘s managing director of ‘out-of-home and commercial excellence’, Jack Clarkson, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.
“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces. There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.
“Our message is clear – if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
The new generation postboxes are now being made permanent in the same locations, with Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester next.
Keep your eyes peeled on the streets as they’ll soon be making a debut in your area.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 opening date announced – including Albert Square return
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Christmas Markets are merely months away, and the opening date and important details for 2025’s return have been announced.
It’s official… holidays are coming, and the countdown is on.
Just as we do every year, the Greater Manchester public has been eagerly awaiting news of when the city’s iconic Christmas Markets would be making a comeback for the 2025 festive season.
But now, Manchester City Council has announced that the famous wooden huts will be lining Manchester‘s streets once again from the first week in November, and for the first time in six years, Markets will also be returning to Albert Square.
The Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 return date has officially been confirmed / Credit: The Manc Group | Flickr
Now in their 27th year, Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for bring thousands of people into the city centre each year to fill up on the fantastic festive treats and to soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
While restoration work has been carried out on the city’s Grade I-listed Town Hall building, markets have been spread all across the city centre in recent years, instead of the central hub being in Albert Square – but this year, some of the festivities will return to where they belong.
More than 200 stalls will also be spread across nine other sites throughout the city centre.
Markets will take over 10 major locations across the city centre / Credit: Manchester City Council
Promising to be plenty on offer for seasonal shoppers of all ages, 2025 will see the iconic wooden ski chalet market stalls take over King Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, and Cathedral Gardens, as well as Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens as usual.
Dominating a twinkling seasonal skyline on Albert Square will be an enormous 50-metre-high ferris wheel, as well as an enchanting vintage carousel for children, and other Christmas fairground-style attractions.
The new ‘A Taste of Christmas’ event will be open on Albert Square until Sunday 4 January 2026, bringing the space back into the heart of the city’s countdown to Christmas festivities and staying open throughout the festive season for families to enjoy into the new year.
Councillors are going all out to make Manchester the world’s number one Christmas city / Credit: Manchester City Council
“We’re going all out this year to make sure that Manchester is the number one city for Christmas – not just in the UK, but in the world,” commented Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council.
Cllr Karney also teased that there are a few other ‘Santa surprises’ to come that we can expect to be announced in the coming weeks.
He concluded: “In the meantime, dust off your baubles, un-twirl your tinsel, and get ready – Albert’s back.”
Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 will officially open across the city on Friday 7 November and close on Monday 22 December.
That is except for A Taste of Christmas on Albert Square, and the stalls at Cathedral Gardens – which will remain open throughout the Christmas period until 4 January 2026.
Daisy Jackson -
18th April 2022 
