News

Police urgently appeal after 90-year-old woman killed by reversing car in Failsworth

She died despite the best efforts of medical professionals.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th January 2026

Police are urgently appealing to the public for information and witnesses after an elderly woman was killed by a reversing car last week.

At around 3pm on Wednesday 7 January, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a collision between a car and pedestrian on Albert Street West in Failsworth, and when they arrived on the scene, they found that a woman, aged 90, had been struck by a reversing vehicle.

The woman was promptly taken to hospital in a ‘serious’ condition.

However, despite the best efforts of medical professionals, she sadly later died from her injuries earlier this week (13 January).

Following the incident, a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving offences, but he has since been released on bail.

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As officers progress their investigation at pace, GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are continuing to appeal for information and witnesses, urging the public to come forward if there’s any way they can help.

The appeal goes out to anyone who believes they saw the vehicle driving before the collision, witnessed the incident itself, or has dashcam footage or CCTV of the incident.

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Can you help? You can contact police via 101 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1936 of 07/01/26.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – GMP

News

England head coach Shaun Wane quits ahead of 2026 Rugby League World Cup

Danny Jones Danny Jones

England head coach Shaun Wane has stepped down from his role as the national team setup after more than half a decade in the post.

His resignation comes as the Rugby Football League (RFL) looks to pivot and set out a long-term vision ahead of the World Cup later this year.

The Wigan-born former Warriors manager’s replacement is expected to be merely a part-time appointment as future planning begins.

Announced on Wednesday, 14 January, Shaun Wane’s tenure has ended “effective immediately”.

Sharing an official update online, the RFL wrote: “Wane, who has led England since February 2020, has taken time to reflect on the programme and believes the timing is right for new leadership to guide the team into the next phase, including the upcoming World Cup. 

“During his tenure, Wane oversaw memorable series victories over Tonga in 2023 and a star-studded Samoa a year later, as well as a semi-final in the World Cup. He finishes with 14 wins from 19 matches.”

Crediting him as one of “a very small elite number of coaches to have won the full suite of domestic club honours and achieved World Club Championship success”, hailing his experience and longevity both as a player and as a coach.

As for Wane himself, he said: “It has been the honour of my life to coach England Rugby League over the last six years, but after careful reflection, I believe the time is right to step aside and allow the programme to move forward into its next chapter. 

The 61-year-old ex-pro goes on to add, “The privilege of leading my country in a World Cup, an Ashes Series on home soil and securing victories over Tonga and Samoa will live long in the memory.

“I’m incredibly grateful to all the players, coaches and staff I’ve worked alongside during that time; their commitment and professionalism made those moments possible. I wish everyone involved with England Rugby League the best going forward and for the World Cup later this year.” 

According to the latest reports online, St Helens boss Paul Rowley is now said to be the favourite to take over in the interim.

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is still months away (scheduled to take place in October and November), but the governing body will want to get the new setup and coaching in place as soon as possible to prepare for the tournament.

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Featured Images — Fleets (via WikiCommons)/England Rugby League (screenshot via YouTube)

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Greater Manchester town named as one of country’s worst at fixing potholes

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A town in Greater Manchester has been named one of the worst in the country at managing roads and fixing potholes.

For the first time ever, drivers across England can now see how well their local highway authority is tackling potholes on their roads thanks to a new traffic light rating system published by the Government this weekend.

The new ratings grade local highway authorities as red, amber, or green.

The ratings – which have presented on a new interactive map – are based on current road condition and how effectively local authorities are spending the Government’s record £7.3 billion funding to fix potholes and investing in long-term measures to maintain roads.

The Government funding is meant to allow local authorities to repair potholes ‘effectively’ and move away from short-term repairs that work out to be more expensive – with these fixes meaning more money in drivers’ pockets, as the average repair bill from hitting potholes is said to be around £320.

The condition of local roads, how much local authorities are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice in maintaining highways are all key areas taken into account when deciding on an area’s rating.

Those that scored ‘green’, like Manchester, were able to demonstrate they are following best practice, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads, and those that scored ‘amber’ – which the majority of Greater Manchester came under showed that there was room for improvement in individual areas.

However, one Greater Manchester town did not fare well at all, and ended up with an ‘red’ rating… and that town was Bolton.

The colour-coded map showing each local authority’s pothole rating / Credit: OS / Crown Copyright (via gov.uk)

Those local authorities that are rated ‘red’, like Bolton, are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured, according to the Government, such as the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes, or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely. 

“For too long, drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate,” commented Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.

“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.

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“Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time, we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.”

Featured Image – Picasa (via Unsplash)

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