A man has been arrested after being spotted ‘driving erratically’ in a bin lorry in Greater Manchester.
The driver was wearing a Halloween mask while behind the wheel.
He later failed tests for both drugs and alcohol.
A member of the public first reported the driver to police after noticing them driving erratically.
Officers then found the bin waggon in Walkden and arrested the man.
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Thanks to a concerned member of the public who saw the vehicle being driven erratically whilst the driver wore a Halloween mask, the bin waggon was located in Walkden + the driver detained. He would provide a positive breath sample of 91!! Also failed drugs test #arrested#fatal4pic.twitter.com/jezhy9EYHi
When he was tested for alcohol, he provided a positive breath sample of 91 – almost three times the legal limit.
A statement from GMP said: “Thanks to a concerned member of the public who saw the vehicle being driven erratically whilst the driver wore a Halloween mask, the bin waggon was located in Walkden + the driver detained.
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“He would provide a positive breath sample of 91!! Also failed drugs test #arrested #fatal4.”
The unusual incident has attracted a lot of attention since GMP shared the update on Twitter.
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One person said: “I can’t believe this isn’t satire!”
Another commented: “Drunk & drug driving. A bin wagon. In a Halloween mask. I can’t even.”
Featured image: GMP
Salford
Salford named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in
Emily Sergeant
One of Greater Manchester’s major cities has been named among the most expensive UK cities to rent a property in.
It was just last week that the Greater Manchester town of Swinton was named a ‘property hotspot’ for 2025 by Rightmove, after house prices there increased by nearly 10% on average last year, and now, the city of Salford itself is also being put under the property spotlight.
That’s because the leading property listing platform has highlighted the city as being one of the most expensive for renters in the whole of the UK.
With 2025 set to be a year of relocation for many, Rightmove has looked at rental costs across more than 50 cities in Great Britain in a bid to find the cheapest – and by contrast, the most expensive – places to rent right now.
Salford has been named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in / Credit: Benjamin Elliott | Pexels
When it comes to the most expensive UK city to rent in, we doubt it’ll come as a shock to you that the English capital of London takes the top spot.
Some of the other expected cities featuring in the top 10 list, according to Rightmove’s research, include Oxford, Brighton, Cambridge, and the Scottish capital on Edinburgh, but a more surprising entry for Greater Manchester residents is the fact that Salford takes up the eighth spot – with an average monthly rental price of £1,739.
Top 10 most expensive UK cities to rent in
London (£2,695)
St. Albans (£2,330)
Oxford (£2,041)
Winchester (£1,985)
Brighton (£1,880)
Cambridge (£1,870)
Chelmsford (£1,857)
Salford (£1,739)
Milton Keynes (£1,641)
Edinburgh (£1,620)
What's happening in the rental market? 🏡
👉 The average advertised rent of properties coming to market outside of London has fallen for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019, dropping by 0.2% to £1,341 per calendar month.
On the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest UK city to rent a property in is Hull, with the average monthly rental price there being £799, while some of the other North West cities featuring in the top 10 include Preston, Lancaster, and Carlisle.
When taking a look nationally, the average advertised rent per calendar month stands at £1,526, as of January 2025 – which is up 4.3% compared with this time year last year.
But Rightmove says that price changes, as well as average rental prices, vary significantly depending on the location.
Take Salford for example, which is one of the most expensive cities for renting, the monthly cost of renting has jumped by 30.5% in the last year, whereas in Dundee, prices have dropped by 3.7% during the same period.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Salford
The best afternoon teas in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Afternoon tea has been a British staple since 1840, luckily for us, Manchester has a great selection of places serving this midday tradition.
If there’s one thing Manchester does best after music, sport, style and, you know, everything else it’s definitely food and drink, especially British classics.
There’s nothing better than a good sandwich followed by a sumptuously sweet scone, and a dazzling selection of cakes.
However, if you put all of those things together and bring it out on a meticulously-organised, multi-tiered serving platter, you’ve got the key to the nation’s heart.
When it comes down to afternoon tea we certainly don’t mess around and that’s why here at The Mancwe’ve put together a list of all the best dining experiences that are worth every single penny.
The top 10 afternoon teas in Manchester
1. Kimpton Clocktower, The Refuge
Credit: Supplied
This historic building is serving up elevated classics that you would expect on your typical afternoon tea platter including sandwiches with fillings like truffled egg mayonnaise as well as smoked salmon and pickled cucumber.
Pair these nibbles with all your go-to cuppa choices such as an earl grey and peppermint black, or sample ‘The Refuge blend’ – a fruity and herbal infusion with rosehip, hibiscus, peppermint, blackcurrant, and strawberry leaves.
Once your sweet tooth kicks in, there’s a variety of sweet delicacies with their glazed lemon meringue pie and obvious breadwinner, the treasured scones.
Nothing says grandeur like dining in The Midland and their afternoon tea options are certainly not subtle in any way, shape or form either.
Sandwich fillings are not limited, there’s avocado and chive, chicken, tomato and basil, with many vegan alternatives like the coronation tofu and watercress.
All their scones are served plain however they do offer you Devon cream and a helping of Mrs Darlington’s jam, yum.
Where to find: 16 Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS
Price: £45 – £55 per person
3. Grandpa Greene’s, Diggle
Credit: The Manc Group
Ever fancied eating an afternoon tea in an igloo without the below-minus temperature? Well after this you definitely will.
Known and loved for their unreal ice creams, Grandpa Greene‘s are also all-around food caterers and their Afternoon Tea isn’t one you should be missing out on.
Enjoy treats, canapés, and of course, milkshakes made with that ridiculously moreish GG’s ice cream.
Where to find: Ward Ln, Diggle, Oldham OL3 5JT
Price: £24.95 – £29.95 per person
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4. King Street Townhouse
Credit: The Manc Group
Quoted on their website as a ‘memorable Manchester experience’, there are two afternoon tea options to choose from.
Indulge in all the sweet treats you can possibly imagine with the ‘Traditional’ serving or if you’re someone who prefers savoury, delight in the ‘High Afternoon Tea’.
The first brings generously sized portions centred around the flavours of the season but always features a scone or two, while the latter sees orzo fritters and cheddar croquettes with cheese and chutney replacing the beloved scone.
This is another city centre hotel that’s putting on a dazzling display of tiered food and definitely not skimping on jam and cream with two pots placed perfectly next to those delicious scones.
There are finger-shaped sandwiches as well as a handful of mini cakes, and the multi-tiered platter exudes the Gotham style with its rose gold-tinged plates and matching teapot.
So why not take your pick at some bite-sized delights while perched high among the Manchester city centre skyline?
Where to find:100 King St, Manchester M2 4WU
Price: From £35 per person
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6. The Martlet
Credit: Supplied
Where better to enjoy an afternoon tea than in a historic Greater Manchester building that radiates notoriety and doubles as Rochdale’s newest fine-dining location?
The Martlet is preserving this British cuisine while bringing a modern touch with sandwich fillings like vegetable samosa and raspberry macarons to follow.
Of course, scones paired with the usual egg and cress sandwiches will still be present, but it’s always lovely to see some innovation where possible.
We’re pretty stunned by the whole thing, to be honest.
Where to find: Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ
Price: £21 per person
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7. 20 Stories
Credit: Supplied
This Afternoon Tea reaches new heights, literally. 19 floors above the city centre is 20 Stories, which are branding itself as ‘The highest Afternoon Tea in Manchester’
20 Stories also has an exclusive mini cocktail pairing option where the drinks are hand-selected to go with your Afternoon Tea, because what fun day ever started with water?
Now all that’s left to do is choose between the Traditional, Piper-Heidsieck or Miniature cocktail Afternoon Tea, we’re really spoilt for choice!
Where to find:No. 1 Spinningfields, 1 Hardman St, Manchester M3 3EB
Price: £37.50 – £62.50 per person
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8. The Lowry Hotel, The River Restaurant
Credit: Supplied
Enjoy an Afternoon Tea before heading off to your next theatre show – how could your day get any better?
Sample a turkey and lettuce wrap, smoked salmon, crème cheese and white balsamic ‘on a slider’ and a cheese and ham tart.
Vegans are well catered for too with hummus, red roasted pepper and rocket wrap with vegan cream and jam for the scones!
Price: £30 – £40 per person
9. The East Lancashire Railway
Finger sandwiches, homemade scones and patisserie all onboard a vintage steam train, yes please!
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And to top things off, you’ll have a personal waiter on hand for your whole journey ready to attend to however much unlimited tea and coffee you can manage in 90 minutes.
This experience will be nothing but exceptional and all catering is to very high standards, so sit back, relax and watch the views of Manchester go by.
Their afternoon tea is just one of many luxury packages you can enjoy – here’s another one:
Where to find: Bolton Street Station, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0EY
Price: £55 per person
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10. Malmaison Manchester, Deansgate
This hotel really takes the concept of afternoon tea and combines it with a polar opposite: street food.
B&G slider, beef brisket bite, tuna taco and buttermilk fried chicken all for savouries with an unreal lineup of sweet tarts.
‘Fab Lollies’, carrot opera cake, choc chip cookie dough sundae, vanilla crème brûlée and to dust it off, a sticky toffee scone.