News

Police appeal for information after body of woman is found on Rochdale footpath

Investigations are ongoing.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 18th July 2023

Police are appealing for information after the body of a woman was discovered on a footpath near a popular Rochdale retail park.

Officers were first called by the ambulance service responding to “a report of concern for the welfare of a person” on Ashfield Road near to both Sandbrook retail park, and Ashfield Valley Primary School, in Rochdale at around 4:30am yesterday (17 July).

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed officers attended the scene, and the area was subsequently cordoned off for investigations.

The public was also advised to “avoid the area” while emergency services remained at the scene.

GMP later revealed that emergency services had discovered the body of “a woman believed to be in her 40s” at the scene, and confirmed that investigations are now being lead by the force’s Major Incident Team – with detectives following several lines of enquiry.

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A GMP spokesperson said investigations are “in the early stages”, and that work is ongoing to “inform the individual’s next of kin”.

In the meantime, GMP has now issued a public appeal for information.

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In a recorded video message shared to GMP Rochdale’s official Facebook page, Rochdale chief superintendent Nicky Porter appealed to anyone with information to get in touch with police and “support us with this investigation”.

She also appealed for members of the public to submit any dashcam or CCTV footage they may have.

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Anyone with information or relevant footage is asked contact Greater Manchester Police quoting incident 390 of 17/07/23.

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Alternatively, information can be submitted anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – Google Maps

News

Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.

As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.

Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.

The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.

Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.  

Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.

The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.

Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.

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“Help us be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline,” Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity urged in it’s public appeal for donations.

You can help make sure ‘A Bed Every Night’ is a reality for all by donating here.

Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)

News

Former Manchester police officer jailed after sexually assaulting a child while on duty

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A former Manchester police officer has been jailed after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a child while he was on duty.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, on 29 December 2023, Dean Dempster was one of three officers responding to a domestic incident involving an adult and children, and it was while he was taking an account from a six-year-old girl, away from his colleagues, that he sexually abused her when he should have been there to protect her.

After GMP investigated a complaint received later that evening in relation to the incident, Dempster was immediately confronted by his supervisor when he returned to duty the next morning. 

The 35-year-old was arrested that day by officers in Oldham, and then “relentlessly pursued” by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate to “explore any further evidence of offending” in an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

A review of Dempster’s electronic devices revealed “further serious offending”, GMP revealed, including the making of indecent images of children.

Sadly, the police investigation also found images on Dempster’s mobile phone taken from his body-worn video camera at the incident in December 2023 of a second clothed child, and of another clothed child at a separate incident dating back to 2022 – with the victims of both families having been made aware, and kept updated throughout the investigation

Dempster was convicted and sacked “at the earliest legal opportunity” by the Chief Constable at an accelerated misconduct hearing in May this year, and he has since admitted six counts of making indecent images, and two counts of Misconduct in Public Office.

After pleading guilty, the former officer has now been jailed for nine years, and has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

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Deputy Chief Constable, Terry Woods, said Dempster “represents the very worst of society”.

“He is not a police officer, he is a child sex offender, a criminal, and he has no right to be near police uniform or serve the public,” DCC added. “Dempster was rightfully arrested and charged before he could ever work in our communities again.”

Featured Image – GMP

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