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Police appeal for witnesses after possible attempted kidnap of 11-year-old girl in Irlam

An investigation is currently ongoing.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th January 2025

An appeal for information and witnesses has been issued following the possible attempted kidnap of an 11-year-old girl in Irlam.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that at around 8:30am yesterday (14 January 2025), the young girl – who was walking to school at the time – reported being approached by a male and female on Silver Street in Irlam, close to the junction of Cutnook Lane.

It is believed the pair had been driving in the area in a car and a van, according to police.

The two then grabbed hold of the girl, before she was able to run away and later inform an adult of what had happened.

The male the police are hoping to gain information on is described as white, approximately 5ft 9 inches tall, with short dark hair and clean-shaven, and he was wearing blue jeans and a black hoodie at the time, while the female is described as white, and was wearing leggings and a black hoodie.

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The car is described as a black four-door vehicle, while the van was small, white, and new-looking and with a sliding door.

In the interest of public safety while police are currently investigating the incident, extra officers have been deployed to the local area for reassurance as their enquiries continue, GMP has confirmed.

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Appealing to the public, officers are also asking anyone who lives in the area to check for any relevant dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from around the time of the incident, and anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious is also asked to contact police.

“This is of course a concerning and distressing incident and I would like to reassure the community that we are doing all we can to investigate the circumstances,” explained Detective Inspector Justin Bryant, from GMP’s Salford district.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed something or has footage from around the time of the incident, and we would urge anyone with any information to please get in touch, as your assistance could be greatly beneficial to our work.

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“We are ensuring that the girl and the family are being kept-up-to date and supported at this time.”

Information can be passed on to 101 or via the GMP Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1205 of 14/01/25, or alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – Google Maps

News

How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant People on mobile phones

All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.

Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.

This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.

According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected. 

So, how will it work then?

Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.

This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.

Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.  

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“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.

Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)

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Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Manchester Central

Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.

It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.

But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.

Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.

Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.

Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)

G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.

17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.

The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.

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The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.

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