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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting Manchester today as part of UK return

They will visiting "several charities close to their hearts" during their European trip.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 5th September 2022

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making a return to the UK this month, and they’ll be paying a visit to Manchester today.

Marking the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been back in the UK since they attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations back in early June, the pair are to return to the country for a series of official charity events from this month, and that includes a stop-off right here in Manchester city centre.

A spokesperson for the couple said they are “delighted” to be visiting in early September.

They will visiting “several charities close to their hearts” during their European trip, and will most-notably be attending the One Young World Summit at The Bridgewater Hall today (5 September) – which is bringing together young leaders from more than 190 countries.

The Duke and Duchess will also meet with a group of delegates working on gender equality. 

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One Young World is a global charity that develops young leaders who are taking action to solve the world’s biggest challenges, and the annual Summit sees 2,000 people from every country and sector gather to “inspire and empower” them to build “a fairer and more sustainable world”. 

Following their One Young World Summit appearance, Prince Harry and Meghan will then be attending the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year to Go event in Germany.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting Manchester today as part of UK return / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Sussexes stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, and now live in California.

Read more: Prince Harry and Megan Markle step back as senior royals and leave for North America

The couple’s return to the UK this month comes after they kept a low-profile at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June – which was their first royal engagement together since stepping down – and opted to watch the Trooping the Colour parade in London from a window, and not take part in the carriage procession.

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Before that, they visited the Queen in April on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands.

Prince Harry was last reported to be in the UK in the previous July, according to BBC News, while Meghan was not thought to have been in the country since 2020.

Featured Image – Bruce Detorres (via Flickr)

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Police search for man who threw punch at Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith boxing match

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Police are searching for man who threw his own punch at the AO Arena after Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith boxing match.

The man in question is believed to have vaulted over a barrier inside the arena just as the match itself came to an end.

He then punched a man sat behind him in the face, before making off on foot.

He left two women and a man he was with behind.

Police are now appealing to witnesses of the assault on Saturday 21 January 2023 to come forward with any information.

CCTV images of the suspect have been released by GMP.

They said in a statement: “Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault at the AO Arena on Saturday 21 January 2023 after the Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith boxing match.

“It is reported that then man (pictured) vaulted over a barrier inside the arena just as the boxing match finished, and struck a man sat behind him in the face.

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“The offender then made off on foot, leaving two women and a man he was with, behind.

“Officers believe that the suspect is possibly from the Merseyside area. If you know the man or have any information relating to the crime, please contact GMP on 101, quoting reference number INC/0075491/23.

“Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the independent charity – Crimestoppers – on 0800 555 111.”

Featured image: GMP

News

Salford police officer sacked for ‘depraved’ relationship with vulnerable woman

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

A police officer has been sacked after carrying out an ‘improper relationship’ with a crime victim.

Paul Banks, who worked as a PC in Salford, has been dismissed and barred after a Gross Misconduct Hearing on 24 and 25 January 2023.

In the hearing, a panel heard how Banks had advised a vulnerable woman to create an email account – which he then accessed to view images and videos, some of which were explicit, that she had uploaded.

He viewed the content more than 200 times and never reported them to his manager or the force’s Professional Standards Branch.

In the end, his own colleagues sensed that something was amiss and raised the alarm.

GMP has now slammed Banks’s ‘depraved behaviour’ and stressed that ‘there will never be a place in GMP for anybody who behaves like him’.

A statement also said that he ‘abused his position of trust’.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Allen, head of GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, said: “Banks knew full well that his conduct was egregiously wrong.

“By cultivating an improper relationship with a vulnerable member of the public who he met in the course of his policing duties, the officer has been deservedly sacked from GMP.

“Not only has he disgraced himself, but his depraved behaviour dishonours policing and undermines the principled endeavours of his colleagues, who everyday do a valiant job catching criminals and protecting our communities.

“Indeed, it was Banks’ own colleagues who sensed something was amiss and triggered the first step in a process that rooted him out.

“The prudence of his colleagues is to be commended and I am grateful to the IOPC for conducting an investigation that left no stone unturned.

“No decent member of the police service wants to work with the likes of Banks and there will never be a place in GMP for anybody who behaves like him.

“He abused his position of trust and for that the Office of Constable has been rightly stripped from him.

“GMP is a better force without Banks and we will recruit a new officer into his post who will discharge their duties with honour and espouse the professional and compassionate values of the GMP workforce.”

Banks, who had been on restricted since the investigation began in December 2020, was dismissed without notice.

Featured image: Flickr

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