Oldham

Bungling burglar found hiding from police in a bin in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 16th February 2022

Police have jailed a man they found hiding in a bin after a burglary in Oldham.

Lee Ullah was wearing the coat of the woman he’d stolen from when officers found him.

The 47-year-old, of no fixed abode, had previously smashed his way into another property through the roof.

Ullah has now been jailed for three years and nine months.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and criminal damage on 15 February at Manchester Minshull Street Court.

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Lee Ullah. Credit: GMP

Police were first called to reports of a burglary at Robinson Street in Chadderton by a victim who woke up at 6am to find Ullah inside her house.

The victim noticed her TV was missing during the incident on Thursday 25 November and, after confronting the burglar, he fled the scene wearing her coat.

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Officers in Oldham later found the burglar hiding in the bin, still wearing the coat.

He had also tried to burgle a house on Whitstable Close, smashing a large hole in the roof of a building and climbing through, causing £10,000 worth of damage.

Read more: Manchester remembers Fifth Avenue as legendary nightclub closes for good

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Ullah has also been charged for a commercial burglary on Yorkshire Street on 7 July 2021.

In that incident, he caused £10,000 worth of damage and stole property worth £10,000.

He was found to have been trying to sell one of the items at a local shop.

The investigation and subsequent charges were carried out by GMP’s Oldham Divisional Crime Team.

Featured image: GMP / Unsplash

Oldham

Brand-new sandwich shop with Michelin credentials ALREADY forced to close

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Fjord is making homemade puffball focaccia for its sandwiches

A brand-new sandwich shop in Oldham founded by a Michelin-trained chef has had to close its doors already… because it’s simply too popular.

Fjord launched over the weekend, headed up by chef Kieran O’Reilly, with a fine-dining-inspired take on the humble butty. That means sandwiches with up to 20 elements inside.

But the sandwich bar above a barbershop has had to unexpectedly close after just a day of operations, telling followers ‘this isn’t sustainable’.

Fjord’s opening day on Saturday was so popular, they completely sold out within 90 minutes.

The new restaurant said it was having to turn people away from its Lees location, saying it ‘doesn’t sit right’ with them to do so.

And so Kieran and his team have decided to close the sandwich. bar and kitchen for the time being, so that they can reevaluate their operations.

“We’d rather pause briefly now than compromise on quality later,” they wrote in a statement.

“We need a little time to rework our production, increase our capacity, strengthen our supply chain and make sure we can deliver the quality and experience that Fjord stands for, without people queuing endlessly or missing out.”

Saddleworth's new sandwich bar and kitchen with Michelin credentials
Saddleworth’s new sandwich bar and kitchen with Michelin credentials
Kieran O’Reilly (right) has launched Fjord in Lees
Kieran O’Reilly (right) has launched Fjord in Lees

Over the next couple of days, Fjord will be meeting with their investors to stock up on more stand mixers, and more produce, so that they can scale the business to meet the incredible demand from locals.

In their full statement, they wrote: “Over the last few days, the support for Fjord has completely exceeded anything we could have imagined. From local customers to food bloggers, content creators and everyone who’s made the journey to see what we’re about, thank you.

“Today was our official launch, and the response has been overwhelming. We sold through what we expected to be a week’s worth of ingredients in a single day. The feedback on our sandwiches has been incredible, and seeing so many people enjoy what we’ve created has been a proud moment for the whole team.

“The only downside … We’ve had to turn people away. That doesn’t sit right with us. So we’re going to be closing for the next two days.

“Not because anything is wrong, but because everything has gone right.

“We need a little time to rework our production, increase our capacity, strengthen our supply chain and make sure we can deliver the quality and experience that Fjord stands for, without people queuing endlessly or missing out.

“This isn’t a step backwards; it’s a step towards building something sustainable, consistent and worthy of the support you’ve shown us.

“We’d rather pause briefly now than compromise on quality later.

“Thank you for your patience, your support and for believing in what we’re building. We’ll be back very soon, better prepared, fully stocked and ready to welcome even more of you through the door.

“This is only the beginning. All food options, booking and concepts reworked, all announced over the next days. Wednesday morning 9am.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Oldham

Saddleworth’s new sandwich bar and kitchen with Michelin credentials

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Saddleworth's new sandwich bar and kitchen with Michelin credentials

It’s not every day you come across a sandwich with *20* different elements inside – but that’s what’s on the table at Fjord, Saddleworth’s newest opening.

This new sandwich bar and kitchen is tucked above barbershop and hair salon Ruger, and is the first solo venture for chef Kieran O’Reilly.

Kieran’s trained in Michelin kitchens across the North West, including Mana and The Forest Side, and wants to apply that level of meticulous prep to the humble butty.

That means sandwich fillings of impressive complexity, like a shallot confit cooked for nine hours, homemade tomato vine oil, a moreish bacon jam, stracciatella laced with confit garlic and lemon zest, and in-house miso.

And Kieran thinks he and his right-hand man Charlie might have actually invented a new bread for Fjord sandwiches – a puffball, pan-fried focaccia that’s thinner, lighter, and more manageable than its big sister.

Fjord wants to bring Scandinavian simplicity with Italian flavours to Lees, taking over the former Kobe space on Yorkshire Street.

Fjord is making homemade puffball focaccia for its sandwiches
Fjord is making homemade puffball focaccia for its sandwiches
Michelin-trained chef Kieran O'Reilly
Michelin-trained chef Kieran O’Reilly

There’ll be refined brunches in the mornings with Ruger’s own coffee blend, before the offering pivots to Sandi-Italian focaccia sandwiches in the day.

And there’s a beautiful terrace aiming to bring a dose of Sorrento to Saddleworth, designed for long lunches, limoncello spritzes, and sunshine.

In the evenings, Ruger Fjord will shift into a spritz bar and small plates restaurant.

Kieran has credited his long-time friend and mentor Alan Beak for helping to bring the project to life, saying: “Alan has backed me for over a decade – from cutting my hair after school to supporting this opening. Ruger Fjord wouldn’t exist without him.”

The venue will officially open on 7 June.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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