An urgent appeal for information has been issued after an elderly woman was “seriously injured” during a hit and run in Bolton over the weekend.
The appeal comes after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called out to reports of an elderly woman lying on the road along Moss Bank Way, in the Astley Bridge area of Bolton, at around 10:10am this past Saturday (15 June 2024), and when officers rushed to attend the scene, they found that the 89-year-old had sustained “serious injuries”.
The woman was taken to hospital shortly after the distressing incident, GMP confirmed, and it’s believed she still remains there in a “stable condition” while being treated for wrist and knee fractures.
According to GMP, initial police investigations have suggested that the elderly woman was a pedestrian, and sustained her injuries as she was crossing Moss Bank Way at the junction with Hill View Road when a vehicle collided with her as it turned left out of Hill View Road onto Moss Bank Way.
During the collision, the woman was knocked to the floor.
The driver of the vehicle, which police say was a silver or grey-coloured SUV, failed to stop after colliding with the woman, and then proceeded to turn left, driving westbound on Moss Bank Way, in the direction of Moss Bank Park.
With the police investigation into the distressing incident now ongoing, GMP is appealing to the Greater Manchester public and is urging witnesses, or anyone with any information, CCTV, or dashcam footage, to come forward and assist with enquiries.
Officers are also appealing for the driver of the vehicle which failed to stop to come forward too.
Moss Bank Way in Bolton, near to where the incident occurred / Credit: Google Maps
Appealing to the public following the incident, Chief Inspector Michael Parker, from GMP’s Roads Policing Unit, commented: “We are investigating a road traffic collision, where a large vehicle struck an elderly woman, while she was crossing the road near the shops in Astley Bridge.
“The scene has now been stood down while officers review CCTV footage and continue to speak with people who were in the area at the time of this incident, aiming to identify the driver of the vehicle who failed to stop. We urge the driver to come forward and if you have any information, dashcam or mobile phone footage that could support our investigation, please [share].”
Anyone with any information or footage is asked to call 101 quoting log 1049 of 15/06/2024, or share it via the LiveChat function on GMP’s website – www.gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Def Leppard announce HUGE arena gig in Manchester next year
Thomas Melia
English Glam Rock band Def Leppard have announced a brand new UK tour which features a stop in one of Manchester’s big arenas next year.
Known for hits like ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’, ‘Animal’, ‘Love Bites’ and more, Def Leppard are back on the road and they’re heading out on a UK tour.
The band has achieved worldwide acclaim since entering the rock scene with their first-ever single, ‘Wasted’, back in 1979, and their success resulted in getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2023, Def Leppard teamed up with fellow metalheads Motley Crüe for the ultimate ‘Rock of Ages’, playing a spell-bounding gig at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people.
The rock legends are continuing their career-highlight streak as now they’re about to play one of Manchester’s largest arenas, Co-op Live, sending 23,500 fans into ‘Hysteria’.
This upcoming Def Leppard UK tour sees the band making their way to Glasgow, Sheffield, London and Birmingham before visiting the music capital of the North.
The love for these rockers isn’t slowing down either, as their latest album ‘Drastic Symphonies’, a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, scored Def Leppard their highest charting record in 32 years, debuting at number 4.
Fans will be over the moon to know that the five-piece visiting Co-op Live next year includes the same band lineup since 1992, with Joe Elliot, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Rick Savage and Vivian Campbell playing out on the night.
The Rock Brigade will always make sure to remember Steve Clark, founding member and adorned- ‘Riffmaster’, and although the guitarist won’t be playing this innovative live music venue, fans will still give it their all for the current ‘Gods of War’.
These Sheffield-formed musicians have sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, so there will be no ‘Foolin’ around when it comes to screaming their lyrics at the top of your lungs next summer.
Def Leppard are coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 5 July, with tickets going on sale from 10am on Friday 5 September
Bolton man jailed for life after killing ‘vulnerable’ woman and hiding her body in his shed
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed for life after murdering a vulnerable woman and then proceeding to hide her body in a shed at his house in Bolton.
Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz back in December 2024 after randomly meeting her at a shop and inviting her to his house, before killing her and then going on to dump her body in a locked shed in his garden.
55-year-old Mariann, who was originally from Hungary, was reported missing on Sunday 15 December having been last seen alive in the early hours of the previous day.
During the police search and investigation, CCTV showed Barlow following Mariann into a shop near his house and then back out again, and after Barlow was arrested on suspicion of assault on 23 December, officers found the keys to his shed – which is when they, sadly, discovered Mariann’s body.
Barlow was charged with murder, but the 63-year-old first denied this charge, and also denied any contact with Mariann.
The case was then handed over to Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten.
#JAILED | This is the moment Christopher Barlow was arrested for the murder of Mariann Borocz.
We made extensive efforts to locate Mariann, and our thoughts continue to be with her family.
A three-week trial then began at Manchester Crown Court, and when forensic evidence linked Barlow to Mariann’s body, he then when on to admit during the trial that he had invited her into his house, and found her not breathing in his kitchen about 40 minutes later.
Despite maintaining he did dot murder her, the jury returned its guilty verdict after less than a day of deliberation.
Last week, Barlow was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning described this as a ‘harrowing’ investigation and subsequent trial for Mariann’s family.
“Barlow befriended Mariann and she believed she could trust him,” DS Manning said, “That could not have been further from reality.”
DS Manning then assured that GMP remains ‘steadfast’ in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women in Greater Manchester‘s communities, and will continue to work ‘tirelessly’ to uphold justice.
She concluded: “Women should be able to go out freely and without fear that something may happen to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th June 2024 
