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UK landlady bans Putin from her pub, saying her punters would ‘wreck’ him
"It is all my customers are talking about at the moment,"
A landlady has decided to ban Russian leader Vladimir Putin from her pub, warning that her punters would ‘wreck’ him.
Even though it’s pretty unlikely that Putin would be pulling up for a pint, Sam Rice, the landlady of the Loaf and Cheese pub in Burton, has decided to take her own unique stand against the instigator of the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
The European nation has been at war with Russia for nearly two weeks now, after Putin’s forces made moves to invade the country on 24 February 2022. Sanctions from the west have been coming thick and fast ever since.
Read more: White chocolate Smarties are apparently ‘coming soon’ to UK supermarkets
Russia has already been banned from the international banking system SWIFT, the Eurovision Song Contest, sporting events like UEFA and FIFA, the World Cup, and the Europa League, but Putin is sure to feel the force of this latest rejection.
Speaking to Staffordshire Live, landlady Sam said that her customers were completely outraged at the situation in Ukraine.
“What he is doing is just wrong. It is all my customers are talking about at the moment,” she told the paper.
“They said if he came in they would wreck him. It is absolutely wrong what he is doing.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine, there’s been a huge exodus with many citizens scrambling to leave the country.
Read more: Wetherspoons is returning all of its Russian beers ‘in light of the current situation’
Poland has been praised for welcoming in 1 million Ukranians and has just announced a £1.3bn fund to help the refugees.
By comparison, the UK has been reported this week to have granted just 50 visas to refugees from the country so far despite promising to allow 200,000 to come to the country.
Feature image – Google
News
Two men charged with rape of teenage girl under 16 in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
Two men have been charged with the rape of a teenager girl under 16 years of age in Manchester city centre.
Mario-Alexandru Ratou and Mario-Vifor Ratou, who are both Romanian nationals of no fixed abode, have been charged with rape of a girl aged under 16, while the latter was also charged with false imprisonment.
They were arrested last Tuesday (7 April 2026), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed, after a report of rape at a flat in the Green Quarter area of the city earlier the same day.
A third man in his 20s was also arrested on suspicion of rape, but he has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
Speaking following the two men being charged this week, Chief Superintendent David Meeney, who is GMP’s City of Manchester District Commander, said: “Our priority is ensuring the girl, and her two friends who were with her at the time of the attack, continue to receive specialist support during this traumatic time, and as this case proceeds through the court.
“We know this will cause concern across our communities, however as criminal proceedings are now active, I urge the public not to speculate so the legal process can take its proper course for the girl and her family.
“We remain firmly committed to protecting young girls across Greater Manchester and to help people feel safe.
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“I ask that the public continue to support us, so if you have any information that could help the investigation, please come forward and report it.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police directly online or via 101, quoting incident 2436 of 07/04/2026 or details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
The Strokes announce first Manchester gig in two decades
Daisy Jackson
The Strokes are finally set to return to Manchester for the first time in years, announcing a huge arena show today.
The iconic indie rockers have shared details of a new European tour, which includes a night at the massive Co-op Live arena here in Manchester.
The news comes hot off the heels of their celebrated Coachella set over the weekend.
The Reality Awaits Tour, named after their upcoming seventh studio album, will take The Strokes to Manchester as well as London and Newcastle, plus several cities across Europe.
The Strokes broke into the industry back in 2001 with their seminal debut album Is This It, which spawned massive indie anthems like Last Nite, Hard To Explain, and Sometimes.
Since then, they’ve released six studio albums, all of which have climbed into the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
You can expect to hear all sorts of fan favourites, like Reptilia, Juicebox, and You Only Live Once, plus new music including their latest single The New Abnormal.
Co-op Live said: “This is set to be an unmissable show as they come to Co-op Live for the first time and we can’t wait!”
Last time The Strokes played in Manchester, it was at the O2 Apollo way back in 2006 – the same year they supported Foo Fighters at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
They played Lytham Festival more recently, but haven’t ventured back into Manchester itself since.
The Strokes will play at Co-op Live in Manchester on 26 October 2026.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 17 April HERE, with a number of pre-sales beginning from Wednesday 15 April.
The Strokes UK and Ireland tour dates in full
- The O2, London – 6 October
- Utilita Arena, Newcastle – 25 October
- Co-op Live, Manchester – 26 October
- 3Arena, Dublin – 28 October
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Featured image: Publicity picture
Georgina Pellant -
9th March 2022 
