Tameside community ‘stands together in face of hate’ after racist vandal continues to target Denton
Racist graffiti has appeared across Denton in recent weeks - being sprayed on a defibrillator in the town centre, a car, and signposts and benches in Hulmes Wood Nature Reserve.
A defibrillator in the town centre was one of several spots daubed in racist graffiti in Denton in recent weeks
The Tameside community has joined together as part of a united front against ‘the face of hate’as one town continues to be vandalised with toxic messages.
Over the past few weeks, racist graffiti has appeared in various spots across Denton – being sprayed on a defibrillator in the town centre, a car, and signposts and benches in Hulmes Wood Nature Reserve.
Images of the defacement have been posted to social media – prompting outrage across Tameside and instigating a police investigation.
It is not yet known who is behind the hate messages – which may have been scrawled by the same perpetrator.
Local officers have urged the culprit to turn themselves in.
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Chief Inspector Lee Broadstock stated: “I’m asking you, no requesting you, to hand yourself into the police, so we can understand why you did what you did and you can understand the disgust and outrage at what you have caused.
“If you do not hand yourself in, be rest assured that we will find you.”
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He added: “In Tameside we have no place for hate.
“I have a request to the residents of Denton and Tameside who have shown their outrage at these actions, please come forward if you have information about the perpetrator – let’s come together and unite against hate crime.”
No one should face hate, violence or abuse because of who they are, who they love, where they’re from, what they look like or what they believe.
A message to the individual responsible for the vile hate crimes in Denton @GMPTamesideS @GMPTamesideN No Place For Hate in Tameside @GwynneMPpic.twitter.com/BIJ84OcXdH
Members of the local community have also spoken up about the graffiti, sharing words of inclusivity and togetherness to spread the message: ‘Hate crime has no place in Tameside’.
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Steve Marsland, Headteacher at Russell Scott Primary School in Denton, lauded the spirit of the “strong and proud town” and urged others to “call hate out to isolate and vaccinate another virus”.
He added: “Racism is taught….it’s a grown-ups illness cured through education and on the lap of their parents.
“I’ve spent a lifetime teaching children to be brave and bold, to question, to learn and to show tolerance where achievement is not determined by colour.
“Whoever is spreading racist hate across our town has been poorly educated and has become sick.”
Revd Philip J Cooper, Minister of Fairfield Moravian Church & Ecumenical Officer for the Moravian Church in Great Britain & Ireland, stated: “Racism grows out of ignorance and fear.
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“It seeks to unfairly and unjustly blame certain sections of our society for problems that they are not responsible for at all.
He added: “The diversity of our culture in Tameside is to be celebrated and that diversity enriches us all.”
Support is available for victims of hate via www.letsendhatecrime.com.
Contact crime stoppers to give information anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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Manchester’s free summer picnic is coming back to Oxford Road
Danny Jones
Manchester’s free ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ is returning to the Oxford Road Corridor later this year, promising plenty of live music and entertainment, family-friendly fun, outdoor activities and lots more.
Coming back to Circle Square for the second time, the now annual and completely free city centre festival will set up for its sophomore edition right on Symphony Park.
Surrounded by numerous local businesses located within the thriving Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group neighbourhood, this mini-district is once again set to draw in crowds from all over Manchester.
With that in mind, get your coolers, picnic baskets and blankets ready: it’s time for some alfresco fanfare.
Kicking off next month for one day only, Circle Square‘s ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ 2.0 will get underway pretty much from the outset, with the organisers promising a full day of festivities.
Visitors can look forward to an even more jam-packed schedule than last year, with creative workshops and interactive experiences, DJs right through to the evening, alongside roaming steel drum performances and even silent disco adventures, just to name a few.
Other events include: sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf and basketball shoot-outs; ‘foot pool’, a seasonal bouquet bar, as well as a dedicated picnic space for dogs, complete with bespoke pup portraits. Adorable.
2025 saw plenty of furry friends steal the show and become local celebrities for the day, and we’re sure ’26 will be no different.
The long picnic tables will once again take centre stage, creating a relaxed space for families and friends to come together over great food from Circle Square’s wide mix of indie restaurants and cafes, such as Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, Half Dozen Other, Saffa Soul, North Bar, Monkey Trio and more.
Punters are, obviously, to bring along their own picnic bits, packed lunches and favourite scran, but it’s nice to have the option of treating yourself to stuff on-site.
Better still, Circle Square’s proximity not only to Oxford Road train station, but the St Peter’s Square tram stop and various bus routes (even Piccadilly isn’t really that far) means that this is super accessible for anyone interested – not to mention that it’s completely free and open to all members of the public.
Taking place on Saturday, 8 August, we hope to see you there and hopefully with the sun shining.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Jody Hartley (supplied via SH Comms)
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UK set for another ‘potential’ heatwave next week after warmest June on record
Emily Sergeant
England could be heading towards another potential heatwave early next week, the Met Office has revealed.
While it’s obviously true that temperatures this week have returned to average for the time of year, bringing largely settled conditions for many, once next week rolls around, some parts of the country could be heating up once again – with the Met Office revealing what Greater Manchester residents should prepare for.
For the early part of next week, temperatures will definitely rise and perhaps reach what are considered heatwave conditions for some.
But if this is the case, the forecast suggests that it’s ‘unlikely’ to reach the high temperatures and humidity of last month’s heat, and the North West won’t be getting the worst of it.
The potential of next week’s heatwave comes after last month was officially declared the UK’s warmest June on record.
After a week of respite from the heat, high pressure moves in this weekend, dominating many southern and central areas for the next 10 days.
A defining feature of the month’s heatwave was the ‘exceptionally warm’ overnight temperatures, with frequent ‘tropical nights’ helping to drive the highest average June minimum temperatures on record.
Giving an insight into what’s to come as we head into the weekend, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tony Wisson, explained: “Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.
“The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales.
“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”
The Manc -
23rd February 2021 
