News

Police release CCTV after schoolgirls targeted in three attempted kidnappings

Three girls have been left 'extremely shaken'.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 28th November 2022

Greater Manchester Police have released CCTV of a vehicle as they seek to identify a man believed to be behind three attempted kidnappings.

Police responded to reports of a teenage girl being approached by a male at a bus stop in Salford on Monday 21 November at around 6.15pm – he then tried to physically get her to go in his car.

The vehicle in question is a black Vauxhall Astra hatchback, which notably has one silver wing mirror on the driver’s side.

The man made advances to the girl, 15, between the two roundabouts on Monton Green.

The car that police are looking for. Credit: GMP

The vehicle and its driver may be linked to two similar incidents in other parts of Salford, which involved two more girls aged 13 and 15.

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Detectives are now appealing for the public’s help in identifying the driver of the vehicle and urging the man to come forward.

You can watch the CCTV here:

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The first clip is from Rocky Lane, the second from Monton Road and third from Folly Lane/Birch Road junction.

Operation Wraith has been set up with dedicated detectives investigating the offences.

Detectives are now keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam footage matching the following locations and times:

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  • Rocky Lane/Monton Green/Monton High Street on Monday 21 November 2022 between 6-7pm.
  • Mossfield Road/Ackworth Road, Swinton on Monday 21 November 2022 between 8-9am.
  • Liverpool Street, Salford between Fitzwarren Street and Albion Way on Wednesday 16 November 2022 between 7:45-8:20pm.

They are requesting that you email [email protected] with your name and contact number and will email you back with instructions to upload your footage.

Detective Inspector Chris Horsfield from the Salford Division said: “The victims have been left extremely shaken up by this encounter and it’s very important that we get this man identified and off the streets as soon as possible.

Read more: Family pay tribute to Wigan dad as police confirm he was victim of acid attack and shooting

“We believe that the man we want to speak to may have been driving a dark-coloured hatchback car, but we need to review dashcam footage to identify the make, model and registration plate.

“We are appealing to drivers in the areas on the dates and times above to please submit their dashcam footage to us, so our specialised officers can go through and analyse it.

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“You can contact us on 0161 856 8361 (voicemail facility), by dialling 101 or using the LiveChat function on our website www.gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 2786 of 21/11/22.”

Featured image: GMP

News

Salford Red Devils supporters meet winding-up adjournment with a petition of their own

Danny Jones Danny Jones Salford Red Devils fans start petition to get rid of owners

Large numbers of Salford Red Devils supporters are currently rallying behind the push to remove their current ownership group, meeting yet another delay to the winding-up petition with a petition of their own: one that would see the owners kicked out of the club, full stop.

Shared online yesterday, the ‘Salford Red Devils Fans Against Jacobsen Venture Group’ (JVG) petition has amassed more than 1,000 signatures and is rapidly gaining traction.

This latest protest comes after a third adjournment of their wind-up process, giving the local rugby league side a little more time to find the funds they owe in unpaid debts and taxes – money that JVG have claimed is set to arrive imminently as of an update earlier this week.

But these supposed assurances all sound far too familiar and are clearly no longer enough for most fans. They no longer care about future investment from those currently behind the scenes: they just want them gone for good.

For context, in addition to more than £700,000 in outstanding fees owed to HMRC, the 152-year-old sporting organisation is also estimated to owe in excess of £5m to various other creditors.

While the consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta (who technically ‘completed’ a takeover of the already financially struggling club back in February) insisted that the bulk of that amount was already hanging over the club before they took control, they have yet to inject long-promised funds.

As a result, after a third stay of execution earlier this week – but one that has done little more than prolong this long-drawn-out uncertainty – most fans have simply had enough.

Following up with a lengthy open letter on Wednesday evening, 29 October, the increasingly militant fan group known as The 1873 said of the potential new funding, “Let us be absolutely clear, we have heard all of this before.”

Even poking holes in the board’s own statement, noting that it suggests that “funding has been formally secured” before noting that it has not yet officially arrived.

“This kind of vague language”, they say, “is exactly what supporters have been subjected to for months: a cycle of empty promises and missed deadlines.

Helping spearhead the ‘JVG Out’ petition, leading member Nick Holt went on to tell BBC Sport Manchester that the patience and blind faith have simply run out.

The 1873 went on to write: “Back in September, the same individuals told the courts that funding would arrive ‘within 10 days’. It never did. In August, at the meeting with The 1873, they claimed money would be in place by the end of that month. It wasn’t.

“Every single time, the same promise and every single time, the same failure to deliver. False hope and no real investment. It is vital [that] supporters understand what is actually being proposed. The owners are not clearing the club’s debts, including the millions they have personally run up.

“Instead, they intend to roll all debts into one high-interest loan, a move that only deepens the long-term financial hole. How do they plan to service such a loan? Next season, the club’s central distribution is set to drop from around £1.3 million to less than £100,000.”

Noting that the recent IMG grading drop and subsequent relegation from the Betfred Super League will mean a significant drop in revenues across the board, they have quite rightly asked where the higher-ups expect to find the funds to make their already heavily overdue repayments.

“Season ticket sales are expected to collapse under the current ownership”, they continue, “and major commercial sponsors will not associate with this regime.

“To claim that this ‘funding’ secures the future of a 152-year-old club is not just misleading, it is an insult to every supporter who has kept this club alive through generations.”

Salford Red Devils have been dropped from the Super League
A petition like this and further demonstrations were guaranteed from the moment Salford Red Devils were relegated.

The impassioned response from the group signs off by adding: “The ownership’s reference to a so-called ‘strategic plan’ for a return to Super League in 2027 is beyond belief. Where is this plan? Why has it not been shared with supporters?

“At this moment, there is no head coach for 2026, no contracted players, and no football department infrastructure. To talk about a Super League return within two years is pure fantasy […] The reality is simple: This ownership group has repeatedly failed to deliver on its promises.

“It has mismanaged and misled, time and again. Every new statement only confirms how detached they are from the damage they continue to cause.”

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Most drastically, they insist that supporters will no longer “be fooled” nor continue to recognise the current ‘stewards’ failing to live up to that title by giving their own time and money to the regime, urging fellow fans to refrain from renewing season tickets, purchasing any merchandise, or attending games.

It’s a bold stance, to be sure, but it’s clear that those most fiercely loyal of supporters are looking to wrestle back control however they can; if you’re one of them, you can sign the petition HERE.

Read more:

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Featured Images — The 1873 Group (supplied)

News

Women can now get the ‘morning after pill’ free on the NHS at high street pharmacies

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Women can now get the ‘morning after pill’ free of charge on the NHS in high street pharmacies across England.

As part of a major expansion of pharmacy services announced by the NHS in what is said to be the biggest change to sexual health services since the 1960s, the oral emergency contraception pill is now available for free to women from almost 10,000 pharmacies across the country without needing to see their GP or get an appointment at a sexual health clinic.

The initiative is part of a wider package of support for community pharmacies, helping people to get the care they need in ‘convenient’ and ‘familiar’ settings.

Dr Sue Mann, who is an NHS National Clinical Director in Women’s Health called this move a ‘game-changer’ in making reproductive healthcare more easily accessible for women.

“Instead of trying to search for women’s services or explain their needs, from today women can just pop into their local pharmacy and get the oral emergency contraceptive pill free of charge without needing to make an appointment,” she added.

Free morning after pills aren’t the only change to pharmacies’ services this week, as people who have been newly prescribed antidepressants will also be able to seek additional advice and support about their medication and healthy lifestyle changes from their local pharmacist too.

As well as over-the-counter support and treatment for minor health concerns, community pharmacy services can also supply medicines to treat common conditions.

All of these changes follow a record funding boost by the Government to pharmacies of £617 million over two years, which is supported by Community Pharmacy England.

“This is a major step forward that removes barriers of access to reproductive care that have let women down for too long,” commented Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock.

Read more:

“Pharmacies play a central role in communities, trusted by local people and easy to access [and] that’s why it’s vital there are a wide range of services and medications available.

“These changes will make it easier for people to get the advice and medications they need, while also reducing unnecessary pressure on GPs.”

Featured Image – Rawpixel

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