Buckingham Palace has announced that the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, has died at aged 99.
In a statement released today, Buckingham Palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle”.
The Duke was married to Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years.
They had four children – Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward – and he was a much-loved grandfather and great-grandfather.
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He became the longest-serving consort in British history.
The Queen has described Prince Philip as her “constant strength and stay”.
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No official details have been released yet about the Duke’s funeral, but it is understood he will be given a royal ceremonial funeral rather than a state funeral, in line with his wishes.
The Queen will sign off the final plans in the coming days.
This is a BREAKING NEWS story – More to follow.
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Northern is hiring hundreds of new train drivers and conductors with ‘no previous experience’ needed
Emily Sergeant
Northern has just launched another massive recruitment drive, and is looking to hire hundreds of new train drivers and conductors.
The best bit? You don’t even need any previous rail experience to apply.
The train operator says it is looking to recruit as many as 300 drivers and conductors across right the north of England this year – with the new recruits all set to form part of the team that is responsible for running the over 2,500 services Northern provides to more that 500 stations throughout the region each day.
Northern says both its driver and conductor roles “require no previous rail industry experience”, as full paid-for training will be provided at its academies in Manchester and Leeds.
The company wants to welcome 108 new train drivers and 198 conductors in 2024.
Northern is hiring hundreds of new train drivers and conductors across the region / Credit: Northern
The train driver roles – which will be advertised in the coming months in Manchester, as well as other nearby locations like Blackburn, Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, and more – come with a starting salary of £23,000 a year, which eventually rises to £54,500 after completing a 64-week training course.
The conductor roles, on the other hand – many of which will also be advertised in Manchester too – come with starting salaries of £22,000 that rise to £29,000 on completion of 16-weeks of training.
Northern says its 2024 recruitment drive is part of a “normal and ongoing recruitment process” across the region, and comes as a handful of its other team members retire, earn promotion, or move on to the next stage of their career.
No previous rail experience is required for the roles / Credit: Northern
“We have a range of rewarding roles for anyone who wants to become part of a dedicated team,” commented Tricia Williams, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Northern, as the recruitment drive launched this week.
“We are looking for customer-focused people with excellent communication skills, who thrive in a dynamic environment and may not have considered a career in rail before. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve, and we’re proud to include people from all walks of life in our team, from military veterans and ex-police officers, to former office workers, and stay-at-home parents.”
Ms Williams said the rail operator will be recruiting all throughout 2024, and is encouraging hopeful candidates to register for job alerts on the Northern website so they don’t miss out.
You can find out more information and apply for roles here.
Featured Image – Northern
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Tribute paid to Beswick man who died while ‘trying to stop his car being stolen’
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man who was killed in Beswick on Saturday morning have paid an emotional tribute to a ‘loved and devoted family man’.
Christopher Hanley, 57, was killed in broad daylight while trying to ‘stop his car from being stolen’.
He was found unresponsive by members of the public on Olympic Street shortly before 11am on 16 March, and was tragically pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.
GMP has launched a murder investigation and two men have been arrested in connection with the tragic incident.
Paying tribute to him, Chris’s family said: “As a family we are heartbroken and shocked at the sudden loss of Chris.
“A loved and devoted family man who adored his grandchildren, tragically and unfairly, taken way too soon.
“At this time, we as a family ask for privacy to show respect for Chris and his memory.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Smith from GMP’s Major Incident Team said: “This has come as devastating news to Chris’s loved ones, and I would like to echo their request for privacy at this time.
“We have already made two arrests in connection with Chris’s death, but we continue to work diligently to ensure we apprehend all those responsible.
“I would urge anyone with information to come forward so that we can get justice for Chris and his family.”
Any details should be passed via the LiveChat function on gmp.police.uk or by calling 101 quoting incident number 1172 of 16/3/24.