Police are appealing for information following reports of a spiking at a pub in Heywood over this past weekend.
The incident occurred in The Dressers Arms pub last Friday (4 August) at around 10pm.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained in its public appeal for witnesses and information that a female victim was approached by an unknown man at the bar of the popular pub in the Rochdale town, before starting to feel dizzy and ill later in the evening.
The next morning, she had an “unexplained mark on her thigh”, which she did not have the night before – with the mark resembling that of an injection mark from a needle.
Following what has described as a “horrible experience” for the female victim, GMP officers investigating the incident are now looking to identify and speak to a black male, who is approximately mid 20s, of slim build with short black hair, and who was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans on the night.
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Anyone who was in the pub at the time of the incident, and therefore may have witnessed the incident is urged to contact police.
“Spiking is a horrible experience for anyone and we encourage everyone on a night out to have fun, but remain alert and if anyone sees anything suspicious to report it to us right away,” Detective Inspector Sam Taylor, of GMP’s Rochdale Criminal Investigation Department, explained as the public appeal was issued.
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DI Taylor added that GMP’s ‘Operation Lioness’ is running throughout the summer to help “ensure those on a night out are protected and supported”, adding that there’ll also be extra dedicated patrols of uniformed and plain clothes officers deployed.
A CCTV image of the man police are looking to speak to / Credit: GMP
These officers will be sent to different hotspots across Greater Manchester in a bid to help detect and deter offences.
Anyone who was in The Dressers Arms in Heywood at the time and might have witnessed the incident is urged to contact police on 101 quoting log number 0169 of 060823, or alternatively, call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
But it’s swings and roundabouts, as with all those impressive titles comes a less-than-impressive one, as the city has also been named one of the top 10 most congested cities with the worst traffic in the UK.
According to a new study conducted by the RAC, using data from INRIX, it was found that Manchester ranked number four on the list, as motorists lost a total of 61 hours stuck in traffic over the course of 2024 – which was estimated to cost them around £570 extra.
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s most congested cities / Credit: Manchester City Council (via Facebook)
Manchester wasn’t the only northern city on the list either, as Leeds and Sheffield also feature in the top 10, alongside the surprising addition of the lively Greater Manchester town of Wigan.
Yes, that’s right – it may not technically be a city, but for some reason, Wigan has also found itself featured on the list of UK’s most congested cities, as the study found that motorists there wasted an average of 57 hours stuck in traffic in 2024, and sadly had to part with an extra £532 because of it.
The UK’s most congested cities
London
Bristol
Leeds
Manchester
Bath
Birmingham
Wigan
Chelmsford
Sheffield
When it comes to the top spot on the list, that of course goes to London.
London’s drivers lost 101 hours sitting in congestion in 2024, which was a 2% increase in delays from the previous 12 months, and this means that the capital also accounts for approximately 50% of all UK traffic delay.
Looking nationally as a whole, the data also revealed that the country lost approximately £7.7 billion in 2024, which is £200 million more than in 2023.
The average UK driver lost around 62 hours due to traffic congestion last year, according to the study, which is up only one hour from the previous 12-month period, and this works out to £581 per driver per year.
Council tax could be increased to help keep Greater Manchester Police ‘one of the best’ in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Council tax could be increased to help keep Greater Manchester Police ‘one of the best police forces in the country’.
Residents across Greater Manchester are being urged to have their say on proposals to increase the police precept that forms part of their council tax bill.
In case you weren’t familiar, three quarters of police funding comes from a central Government grant, but the remaining quarter comes from Greater Manchester Combined Authority‘s (GMCA) police precept, all of which helps enable Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements delivered over the last few years.
Funding helps GMP to further improve the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, reduce and prevent neighbourhood crimes and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), improve road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bring more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
Have your say on how we fund GMP’s vital services.
Your input helps us retain neighbourhood policing and keep Greater Manchester safe.
Together, we can ensure we are delivering the commitments that matter most to you.
— Greater Manchester Combined Authority (@greatermcr) January 7, 2025
According to GMCA, these are some of the things that people in the region said were “important to them” following “extensive engagement and consultation” with communities.
The proposed increase to the residents’ council tax bills would be £14 a year for a ‘Band D’ property (£1.17 a month), which equates to £10.89 per year (91 pence a month) for an average ‘Band B’ property – with the majority of properties in Greater Manchester falling within Bands A and B.
Addressing the potential increase, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: “We set out a number of commitments last year on what Greater Manchester Police would deliver with the precept, and they delivered on every one of them.
Council tax could be increased to help keep Greater Manchester Police ‘one of the best’ in the UK / Credit: gov.uk
GMP are now answering 999 calls in record time, attending incidents sooner and investing in neighbourhood policing and crime prevention teams [and] as a result, we’ve seen crime reduce across the board, with the most marked improvement in neighbourhood crime which has reduced by 17% in the past year.”
He continued: “I know that times are tough for our residents, but investment through the precept is vital to maintain this improvement.
Emily Sergeant -
7th August 2023 
