Police are appealing for witnesses to a horror crash in Rochdale to come forward, after a man has been left fighting for his life.
The two vehicles collided in Milnrow on Sunday evening, on Wildhouse Lane.
It’s thought that a Nissan Micra travelling northbound collided with a BMW One Series that was heading in the opposite direction.
The BMW driver and passenger sustained minor injuries in the head-on crash, but the driver of the Nissan remains in a life-threatening condition in hospital.
Police are now investigating the horror smash and looking for dashcam footage and eye witnesses.
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Anyone who saw anything from the incident at around 7.45pm on Sunday 3 March, or anything from the moments leading up to the collision, should contact GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU).
If anyone has footage, like dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage, police would also like to speak to them.
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You can contact police on 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 2757 of 03/03/2024, or using the ‘tell us about’ tool or LiveChat function on GMP’s website.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity – Crimestoppers – anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Life-sized animal puppets to be paraded through Greater Manchester this summer
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of life-sized puppet animals are to embark on a journey through Greater Manchester this summer.
From the team behind The Walk with Little Amal – the Syrian refugee child puppet who made the journey across the world, and our borough, back in 2021 – comes a new life-sized spectacle called THE HERDS, which will visit Manchester as part of the opening of this summer’s Manchester International Festival (MIF).
The hugely-ambitious new public artwork is set to transform Greater Manchester into a ‘breathtaking untamed spectacle’ as a way of vividly dramatising the climate crisis.
Life-sized animal puppets travel will be travelling through the city centre, Heywood in Rochdale, and Pennington Flash in Wigan this July as part of their 20,000km journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle.
This is a public artwork on a scale never attempted before.
The animals are visiting Manchester as part of an epic journey – which began on 9 April from Kinshasa in the Congo – and as they cross different continents, the herd will grow in numbers and species including elephants, giraffes, antelope, lions, and others local to the area they are travelling through.
To help further highlight the scale of the climate crisis and the collective effort needed to fight it, the puppets are set to operated by local participants in each city – including in Manchester.
Because of this, Factory International and The Walk Productions are looking for amateur makers and DIY enthusiasts to join the puppet build, as well as 100 local people to help operate the puppets in Manchester, Heywood, and Wigan.
Life-sized animal puppets are being paraded through Greater Manchester this summer / Credit: Ant Strack
For the opening event of MIF25 on Thursday 3 July, THE HERDS first arrives in Manchester city centre and will scatter through the city’s main streets, so if you happen to find yourself between Cathedral Gardens and Market Street on the day, then you might just stumble upon them.
After opening MIF25, the animals are then abandoning the bustling city for the residential streets of Heywood in Rochdale on Friday (4 July).
For the final stop on their Greater Manchester journey, THE HERDS find a fleeting refuge in the wild beauty of Pennington Flash Country Park in Wigan on Saturday 5 July, and visitors are invited to explore the park’s winding trails and quietly observe as 70 life-sized puppets appear amid the trees and wetlands.
Amir Nizar Zuabi, who is the Artistic Director of THE HERDS, calls it a ‘a living breathing call to action that stampedes across continents’.
“THE HERDS is an urgent artistic response to the climate crisis,” he added. “Through the beauty and ferocity of these life-size creatures, we aim to spark dialogue, provoke thought, encourage engagement and inspire real change.”
You can see THE HERDS in Greater Manchester from Thursday 4 – Saturday 5 July.
Featured Image – Berclaire (for The Walk Productions)
Rochdale
Nine arrested in multiple coordinated raids after ‘celebrating Hitler’s birthday’ in Oldham pub
Danny Jones
Nine arrests were made earlier this week after a group of suspected neo-Nazis were discovered celebrating Adolf Hitler’s birthday at a pub in Oldham last month.
Alarming stuff, to say the least.
The individuals in question were arrested following a series of coordinated morning raids across multiple areas of Greater Manchester, including Rochdale, Bolton, Trafford and Stockport.
Another man was taken into custody from an address in Southport, with those involved belonging to the North West arm of a far-right group known simply as ‘British Movement’.
Craft Union Pubs, who operate the establishment, said they were “absolutely appalled”. (Credit: Google Maps)
The pub in question was the Duke of Edinburgh in Royton, a town of around 21,000 people located in north Oldham; the owners, who were said to have been ‘tricked’ into allowing the celebrations, were shocked to learn the group were observing Hitler’s birthday.
Upon realising the true nature of the festivities after images were shared on social media, staff immediately reported the party to the local authorities and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers based in and around the borough were then made aware of the situation.
As seen online – including on British Movement Northern’s (BMN) own website – the pub were seen holding Nazi flags, SS bolts and the Iron Cross, even posting pictures eating a cake with swastika icing alongside captions which included the line, “the 136th birthday of Uncle A.”
Taking place on Wednesday morning, 7 May, several morning raids saw those present detained on suspicion of Section 18 Public Order Act offences, which relate to displaying written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, intended to stir up racial hatred.
During the extensive operation, everything from imitation firearms to real weapons like swords and a crossbow, along with numerous other pieces of Nazi memorabilia were found. Police are still investigating the incident and searching the relevant premises in Oldham and beyond.
Beyond shocking. (Credit: BMN)
GMP have been quick to contact Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) to advise on the materials and assess further risk; for instance, following the recovery of a suspected grenade at a property in Bolton, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was deployed and the item declared safe.
Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said in an official statement: “Due to the nature of the materials we recovered at the warrants today, we have liaised with colleagues at CTPNW. This is a matter of course, and it very much remains a GMP-led investigation.
“It’s important that all avenues are explored to establish the extent of the criminal offences which have been committed, and whilst our investigation is still in its early stages, we do not believe there to be a risk to the wider public.
“This group clearly has a deep fascination with ideas that we know are unsettling for communities across Greater Manchester. We must take action when concerns are raised, and where weapons are suspected, to ensure people are free to live without fear of intimidation or harm.”
Naturally, GMP are encouraging people to stay vigilant and come forward with any further information or concerns they may have.
Daisy Jackson -
4th March 2024 
