Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued a public appeal for information to help find a young woman and man whose welfare they are “concerned” for.
The release of the appeal and accompanying CCTV images come after a member of the public called police in Tameside shortly after 11pm on Monday night to report that they had seen a young woman forced into the back of a small silver car by a man close to the Dog and Partridge pub on Taunton Road in Ashton-under-Lyne.
GMP explains that officers’ enquiries so far have suggested that the pair may have had an argument in the moments prior to the incident occurring.
The car was then seen driving off towards the direction of Oldham.
Detectives from Ashton CID are now “working to establish the circumstances”, GMP confirms, but said they are keen to stress that their priority is to ensure the welfare of the woman and man involved in the incident.
ADVERTISEMENT
CCTV footage trawls have been ongoing throughout the day, and GMP says that this extensive work will continue.
By releasing images captured from CCTV, detectives say they are hopeful that someone may be able to recognise the two people involved, or recall if they witnessed anything in the area last night, to assist with ongoing investigations.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Our absolute priority here is the welfare of the young woman and man involved in this incident after we received a concerning call from a member of the public about what they had seen,” explained Detective Superintendent Richard Hunt, of GMP’s Tameside district.
“We’re moving as quickly as we can to establish who the pair are and where they could be now to ensure they are safe and well.
“We know the images we’ve been able to release so far are not of ideal quality, but we do hope that there will be someone who may recognise them – either personally or who may have witnessed them last night – and is able to get in touch with us to help progress our fast-moving enquiries.”
Detectives say they are hopeful someone may recognise the two people involved / Credit: GMP
Greater Manchester Police says it is also keen to hear from anyone who may have been driving on Taunton Road and Oldham Road around the Dog and Partridge pub too, as any possible sightings or dashcam footage involving the car “could be crucial”.
Anyone with any information can call police on 0161 856 9262 or use the LiveChat facility on the GMP website quoting incident 4013 of 15/08/2022.
Details can also be anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Government refuses to deny reports HS2 may not run from Manchester to central London
Emily Sergeant
The UK government is refusing to deny recent reports that HS2 may not run from Manchester directly through to central London.
The Sun reported this week that HS2 is currently in “shambles” and that rising inflation and construction costs could mean that trains may terminate in the suburbs of west London instead of London Euston, as has always been planned – with the paper saying transport bosses were considering pushing back the service’s Euston terminus to 2038, or even scrapping it all together.
The paper reported that trains would be instead stopping at a new hub at Old Oak Common in west London’s suburbs, which is about 8km (five miles) away from Euston.
Passengers would then have to finish their journeys into central London by using the Elizabeth Line.
On top of all of this, the paper also reported that anywhere between a two to five-year delay to the entire project is also being considered by the government, however ministers are refusing to confirm or deny any of the reports.
Government refuses to deny reports HS2 may not run from Manchester to central London / Credit: HS2
A statement provided by a Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson reads: “The Government remains committed to delivering HS2 to Manchester, as confirmed in the autumn statement, and as well as supporting tens of thousands of jobs, the project will connect regions across the UK, improve capacity on our railways and provide a greener option of travel.”
HS2, which has the full name High Speed 2, was originally intended to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.
The leg to Leeds has since been scrapped in November 2021, but work on the first phase of the project between London and Birmingham is now well under way, with a part of the line due to open by 2033, despite the fact the project has faced delays and mounting concerns over the exact route, and its potential environmental impact.
While a budget of £55.7 billion for the whole of HS2 was set in 2015, this was made before the Leeds leg was cancelled, and the estimated cost of HS2 was therefore set between £72 billion and £98 billion at 2019 prices.
Transport bosses are reportedly considering pushing back the service’s Euston terminus to 2038 / Credit: Network Rail
A report published last October found it was unlikely that the £40.3 billion target for the first section of the line would be met.
A senior figure at the DfT warned last week that ” tough decisions” could lie ahead for the scheme.
Featured Image – HS2 (via gov.uk)
News
This hidden Manchester pasta and dumplings restaurant has just made the Michelin Guide
Georgina Pellant
Michelin has just added some new additions to its guide, and one of our favourite Manchester restaurants has finally made the cut.
Loved by locals for its continental pasta and dumplings, gorgeous European wine list and sake collection, The Sparrows in the Green Quarter is something of a hidden gem – tucked in a disused railway arch on Red Bank.
It received rave reviews from local and national critics alike when it first opened in 2019 in a tiny space with room for just 12 covers. Since then, it’s relocated to a bigger home and its following has grown significantly.
After spending years wowing foodies in the know, the restaurant has made it onto the radar of Michelin’s inspectors at last – and we have to say, the accolade is well deserved indeed.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Front of house is headed up by Polish-born Kasia Hitchcock with her chef partner Franco Concli at the helm in the kitchen. Plates celebrate Franco’s Tyrolean heritage, with their signature dish spätzle, a rustic fresh egg pasta from which the restaurant takes its name, sitting front and centre.
Traditionally made by scraping dough from the wooden board straight into a pot of boiling water, these irregular-shaped delights translate from Swabian-German to mean “little sparrows.”
Served in multiples ways, they can be enjoyed either savoury or sweet – mixed with braised onions into a creamy gruyere and Emmental cheese sauce, as is traditional, or transformed into a pudding with a touch of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter.
Joining the now seventeen Manchester restaurants to be featured in the prestigious guide, its description reads as follows: “Nestled under the railway arches in Manchester’s Green Quarter is a restaurant whose name is (almost) the English translation of the word ‘spätzle’ – which gives some clue as to the style of food on offer here.
“The dumplings and assorted pasta dishes are all made in-house and include excellent pierogi. The focus on Eastern Europe carries through to the wine list, which has a leaning towards Polish wines.”
A welcome new addition, if you haven’t yet visited then we recommend you book in swiftly. No doubt the news of its conclusion in the Michelin Guide will send reservations filling up pretty sharpish.
Emily Sergeant -
17th August 2022 
