Two Tameside police officers have been hailed as “absolute heroes” after saving the life of a seven-year-old little girl.
It comes after emergency services were called to an address in the Greater Manchester borough of Tameside earlier this week (29 November), and found a young girl who was struggling to breath and coughing up blood after choking on a sweet.
Police Constables Aaron Kincaid and James Blundell, from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Tameside division, were first on the scene.
To the huge relief of the girl’s parents, who were said to be “understandably distressed” and concerned for her welfare, PC Kincaid jumped straight into action and was able to utilise his first aid training to full effect by going on to successfully dislodge the sweet from the youngster’s throat, and then helping to calm her down before the paramedics arrived.
Whilst PC Kincaid looked after the little girl, PC Blundell did “everything he could” to help the parents remain calm.
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Paramedics then took over once they arrived, and the young girl was taken to hospital as a precaution.
#NEWS | Tameside officers praised for saving the life of a 7-year-old girl who was choking.
The officers used their first aid training to dislodge the sweet, whilst helping the young girl and parents remain calm until paramedics arrived.
Reflecting on the incident, and hailing his officers “absolute heroes”, Superintendent Mike Walsh, from GMP’s Tameside district, said: “PCs Aaron Kincaid and James Blundell acted without hesitation during the incident, and took control of the situation that they were faced with.
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“They deserve every credit for staying calm under extreme pressure and for working together as a team and utilising their training to lifesaving effect, and I’m sure the girl’s parents and family will consider them to be absolute heroes.”
“We’re both glad that we were in the right place at the right time,” PC Kincaid added.
“I have a daughter the same age as the little girl who needed our help, and I cannot tell you how much of a relief it was when she started breathing normally and said she was okay after I had managed to dislodge the sweet.
“The little girl gave me a thank you hug before she went to hospital, but I couldn’t have done what I did without PC Blundell’s assistance, so it was a real team effort.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK
Emily Sergeant
A handful of green spaces in Manchester have once again been handed coveted awards and named among the best in the UK.
It may be on your radar that for several years running now, parks and cemeteries in Greater Manchester have deservingly been recipients of the prestigious Green Flag Award – which is an internationally-recognised honour given annually to the parks and cemeteries that have ‘attained a high standard of green space’.
And 2026 seems to be absolutely no different, with the region coming out on top once again.
Green Flag Awards are granted by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy each year to recognise accessible green spaces that set ‘an international benchmark for management’.
Seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK / Credit: Donald Judge (via Flickr) | Wikimedia Commons
Every site recognised through the scheme is assessed by experienced judges who judge the parks using eight criteria.
The criteria includes environmental management, biodiversity, landscape and heritage, community involvement, marketing and communication, and management to make sure it’s a safe and secure place for visitors of all ages.
2026 has been one of Manchester’s most successful years, as Manchester City Council has revealed this week that Blackley, Gorton, Philips Park, Manchester General, and the Southern cemeteries have all been given the Green Flag Award, as well as both Alexandra Park and Heaton Park retaining the important title too.
The awards shed light on the range of groups, volunteers, and staff who devote themselves year-round to the maintenance and upkeep of these areas.
“Come rain or shine our colleagues are out in our parks and cemeteries every day of the year, putting their time and effort into making them the internationally recognised locations they are,” commented Councillor Basat Sheikh, who is the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.
“I’m deeply proud of their efforts and I want to dedicate the seven Green Flags we have been awarded to them.
“It’s no overstatement to say none of this would be possible without them.”
Featured Image – Stephen Taylor (via Geograph / Wikimedia Commons)
News
Government announces social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Default overnight curfews are set to be switched on for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media apps.
As the Government looks to take further action to back parents and ‘protect the next generation’ online, following the confirmation of the social media ban for under 16s earlier this year, it has now been announced that curfews will be introduced for 16 and 17-year-olds, as well as a crackdown on so-called ‘addictive features’.
This includes features that can keep users scrolling for longer – such as videos that automatically play one after another, and feeds that continually serve up personalised content.
Late-night curfews are set to run from midnight to 6am.
Late-night scrolling. Endless autoplay. Algorithms designed to keep you hooked.
We're changing that for 16 and 17-year-olds.
New protections will mean overnight social media curfews and addictive features will be switched off by default, helping young people get better sleep,… pic.twitter.com/ykWa9gjNRT
— Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) July 15, 2026
The new protections are said to be aiming to ‘strike a balance’ between giving older teens greater safeguards online, while still allowing them to change their own settings if they wish.
“These measures will help ensure there is no cliff edge in protections as young people move into their later teenage years,” the Government said in its announcement.
Today’s measures follow a first-of-its-kind Government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK, with families reporting that overnight curfews quickly became part of their routine and helped improve sleep and concentration.
The Government has announced social media curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)
“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life,” explained Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall.
“We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”
Alongside these protections, the Government says it will publish new guidance for children, parents, and guardians on how to use AI ‘safely and confidently’.
Media literacy skills will also be bolstered in schools to teach children how to navigate new types of technology.
Emily Sergeant -
1st December 2023 
