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Police warn public they are issuing fines to help prevent ‘full lockdown’ in Manchester

Local police were forced to break up an alarming number of gatherings over the course of the past weekend, with officers being called to disperse crowds in Stockport, Wigan, Bolton, Trafford, Mottram and North Manchester.

The Manc The Manc - 14th September 2020

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have issued a warning to people in the region – saying that fixed penalty notices will be issued for anyone refusing to comply with the latest rules and regulations.

Local police were forced to break up an alarming number of gatherings over the course of the past weekend, with officers being called to disperse crowds in Stockport, Wigan, Bolton, Trafford, Mottram and North Manchester.

GMP officials are reminding the public they have the power to enforce fines and will continue to do so in any instance where people are caught flouting the rules.

Police have also said they are visiting people who have returned from a country that requires self-isolation upon arrival back in the UK.

Those who are found not quarantining are being told they will be handed a fixed penalty notice.

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Police have said that fines are being issued as a deterrent in a bid to prevent a “full lockdown” from taking place in Greater Manchester.

The number of positive tests returned in the region have continued to climb over the past week.

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Bolton – the worst-affected area in the UK – is now registering 192 cases per 100,000 people.

Tameside also has a high rate of 94.5, with Oldham rising again to 91.5.

Salford, Bury, Manchester and Rochdale remain in the ‘red alert’ zone following further increases.

Wigan and Stockport – two regions currently free of household mixing restrictions – have also suffered increases in September.

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11 people arrested during early-morning police raids across Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Police raids in Gorton

11 people have been arrested following a series of early morning police raids across Manchester this week.

In what formed part of Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) operation to disrupt, deter, and crack down on gang-related criminality across the region, officers from local neighbourhood teams, along with the Tactical Aid Unit, conducted warrants at seven addresses in Gorton and Openshaw, securing a total of 11 arrests along the way.

Nine males and two women, all between the ages of 16 and 28, were arrested.

They were each arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and assault, and with investigations currently ongoing, they remain in custody for questioning.

Not only that, but police also seized a quantity of class A and B drugs, weapons including knives, and other ‘suspicious items’ for further investigation too.

Police say this ‘renewed work’ in targeting urban street gangs in the Manchester area comes off the back of a number of violent incidents in recent months – particularly including the shooting of a teenager in October.

Further activity and ‘proactive action’ is planned in the coming months as part of the ongoing operation, which, according to GMP, will see more criminality targeted, more arrests and charges, and more work with local partners to reduce and prevent all manner of crimes.

Police raids in Gorton
Police raids in Gorton
11 people have been arrested during early-morning police raids across Manchester / Credit: GMP

“We simply will not tolerate incidents which see young people being left with devastating injuries, lifelong issues, and being trapped in a vicious cycle from which they struggle to break out of,” commented Inspector Dan Pickavance, from GMP’s North Manchester neighbourhood team, following the raids this week.

“Our work today is designed to stop exactly those things.

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“We want to get people who we suspect of crime off the streets, seize deadly weapons, and get drugs out of supply before they end up in the hands of vulnerable people.”

Featured Image – GMP

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Five Manchester bars have just been named in the UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Inside Stray, a new Manchester cocktail bar at Mackie Mayor in the Northern Quarter

Five bars in Manchester have just received one of the industry’s highest accolades – a place in the UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars.

In a glittering ceremony down in London today, the best in the cocktail industry were crowned, and our city has a lot to be proud of.

Manchester now has five cocktail bars in the Top 50, with two new entries this year.

And while Schofield’s has been toppled from the top spot this year, this award-winning bar on Quay Street is still heading home with a podium finish, now ranked the third-best bar in the entire UK.

One of the new faces on the prestigious list is Stray, a beautiful cocktail bar tucked into a corner of Mackie Mayor.

Famed for its tomato vine margaritas, as well as the pain-staking effort the team goes to to infuse their own spirits and make their own cordials, Stray has deservedly debuted at number 25. And we have a feeling they’re just getting started.

Red Light is another new name on the list, after taking home the coveted ‘One To Watch’ award in 2024.

Red Light in Manchester has been named in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars
Red Light
Stray in Manchester has been named in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars
Stray
Blinker in Manchester has been named in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars
Blinker

The gorgeous LGBTQ+ cocktail bar on Little David Street at Kampus has placed 40th.

Blinker has held on to a place in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list, dropping down to 22nd – still a phenomenal achievement for the Spring Gardens boozer.

Blinker has a dedicated martini menu, and also serves them alongside retro Breville toasties.

And finally, last but not least, Speak In Code on Jackson’s Row jumped up into 11th place.

This fantastic brick-lined bar opened properly (it was a pop-up before) just five years ago and it’s consistently topped national lists of the best bars ever since.

There were also amazing results for our sister cities in Sheffield and Leeds, with The Pearl at Parkhill at 44 and Public at 39 for the former, and Tabula Rasa at 27 and Below Stairs at 11 for the latter.

A huge congratulations to all these very worthy winners.

Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2025 – the full list

  1. Satan’s Whiskers, Bethnal Green, London
  2. Panda and Sons, Edinburgh, Midlothian
  3. SCHOFIELD’S BAR, Manchester, Greater Manchester
  4. Couch, Stirchley, West Midlands
  5. Tayēr + Elementary, Shoreditch, London
  6. Swift Soho, Soho, London
  7. Passing Fancies, Digbeth, Birmingham
  8. Dram, Soho, London
  9. The Hideout, Bath, Somerset
  10. Lyaness, South Bank, London
  11. Speak in Code, Manchester, Greater Manchester
  12. Nauticus, Edinburgh, Midlothian
  13. Three Sheets, Dalston, London
  14. AMARO BAR, Kensington, London
  15. Below Stairs, Leeds, West Yorkshire
  16. Hey Palu, Edinburgh, Midlothian
  17. Viajante87, Notting Hill, London
  18. Daddy Marmalades, Glasgow
  19. Silverleaf, Spitalfields, London
  20. The Connaught Bar, Mayfair, London
  21. Bar Termini, Soho, London
  22. BLINKER, Manchester, Greater Manchester
  23. Filthy XIII, Bristol, Somerset
  24. Murder Inc, Soho, London
  25. Stray, Manchester
  26. Lab 22, Cardiff, Glamorgan
  27. Tabula Rasa, Leeds, West Yorkshire
  28. SOMA, Soho, London
  29. Little Mercies, Crouch End, London
  30. Nipperkin at NIJŪ, Mayfair, London
  31. Kwãnt, Mayfair, London
  32. Scarfes Bar, Holborn, London
  33. The Absent Ear, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
  34. Side Hustle, Covent Garden, London
  35. 🔶🟥🔵, Hackney, London
  36. Bramble Bar & Lounge, Edinburgh, Midlothian
  37. The American Bar, Auchterarder, Kinross-shire
  38. Bar Glue, Liverpool
  39. Public, Sheffield, Yorkshire
  40. Red Light, Manchester
  41. TWICE SHY, Kensington, London
  42. Mother Mercy, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
  43. The Gate, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
  44. The Pearl at Park Hill, Sheffield
  45. Sister Ray, Liverpool
  46. Archive & Myth, London
  47. Happiness Forgets, Hoxton, London
  48. Callooh Callay, Shoreditch, London
  49. Kiki Lounge, Douglas, Isle of Man
  50. 69 Colebrooke Row, Islington, London

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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