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Will Mellor says he was repeatedly targeted by fraudsters who stole his identity

The actor also revealed they took a "substantial" amount of money.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 10th January 2023

Will Mellor has revealed he was repeatedly targeted by fraudsters who stole his identity and a “substantial” amount of money.

The Stockport-born actor – who is best known for his role on the BBC sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, as well as in Hollyoaks, Line of Duty, No Offence, and Broadchurch, and as Harvey Gaskell on Manchester-based ITV soap Coronation Street – has spoken out about his trauma the victim of fraudsters.

The Strictly star told ITV Granada that the fraudsters used his identity to set up bank accounts in his name so they could launder money.

He said he only grew suspicious when he found someone rifling through his post.

The 46-year-old, who narrowly missed-out on securing a place in the Strictly Come Dancing final last month, says a “substantial” amount of money was taken from him and that the fraudulent activity had been going on for “some time”.

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He also claims that it’s not the first time he’s been a victim of fraud either, which is why he has decided to speak out about it and warn his fans to be vigilant at all times.

Will Mellor says he was repeatedly targeted by fraudsters who stole his identity / Credit: Will Mellor (via Facebook)

“My neighbour bumped into me and said that she saw someone hanging around my letterbox and thought she saw him take something out of it,” Mellor told ITV Granada.

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“I put my CCTV facing towards the letterbox to see if I could catch anything and low and behold I caught a guy with his hand in my letterbox taking mail out. I found out that he had been intercepting my mail and had opened several accounts in my name. He had stolen my identity and had been laundering money through these accounts. One of them had £20,000 in it.”

Mellor added that situations like the one he found himself in can happen to anyone, and has offered a few tips to help “combat the crooks”.

Telling people to be aware of their online presence, Mellor pointed to recent research carried out by Nationwide that he said “shows there’s a lot of people who give too much information online on social media platforms”.

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The Stockport-born actor says fraudsters took a “substantial” amount of money from him / Credit: Will Mellor (via Facebook)

The research showed that 70% of people share their personal details on social media, with Mellor advising people to “be careful what you are posting on your bios”.

He said checking bank statements regularly is one top tip to avoid fraud.

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Another tip he shared was getting a wallet that prevents people from using contactless mechanisms which can steal money off your card just by being close by, adding: “It’s great because now when I am on the train I am not worried about people being too close to me.”

Featured Image – ITV

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Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.

Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?

Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.

These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.

Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.

On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.

Tut-tut.

Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)

It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.

Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.

“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”

He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.

Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.

“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.

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Featured Images – AA

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Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’ not Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Paddy McGuinness has admitted that he believes “Bolton still falls under Lancashire” and not Greater Manchester.

The famous comedian and TV presenter – who was born and raised in Farnworth in 1973, back when it genuinely was still categorised as Lancashire – made the somewhat controversial declaration to his millions of followers on Instagram this week as he shared some pictures of himself that are currently featuring as part of a photography exhibition.

McGuinness is one of dozens of local famous faces forming part of the ‘Greater Mancunians’ project by The Manchester College.

150 students have participated in the landmark photography project – which is currently on display down at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall – and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.

Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Ricky Hatton, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Maxine Peake, Jonathan Warburton, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE are among the 100 contributors featured in the project, alongside McGuinness.

The 50-year-old, who is most well-known for his acting and presenting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Take Me Out, and Top Gear, says it was “a real honour” to be featured in the exhibition.

McGuinness wrote on Instagram: “It was a real honour to take part in the Greater Mancunians project with the students at The Manchester College. The exhibition is full of people from music, comedy, politics, poetry, television, medicine and beyond.”

He then said it’s “well worth popping in if you’re in town”, before dropping the final Bolton-related bombshell: “PS, I’m still saying Bolton falls under Lancashire.”

In case you’re unfamiliar with the borough’s history, Bolton was considered to be a part of Lancashire until Greater Manchester was formally established all the way back on 1 April 1974 – but still to this day, the town is located within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.

Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’, not Greater Manchester (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

After making the bold claim about Bolton’s geographical location, McGuinness has been met with praise and has received hundreds of comments from other Bolton and wider Greater Manchester residents agreeing with him and sharing their similar opinions under the post.

“I think they should redefine Lancashire back to its old borders, it would bring unity to the area and create a northern powerhouse,” one person commented.

Another fan wrote: “Bolton will always be in Lancashire for me”, while a third commented: “ALWAYS Lancashire. Can’t move land boundaries, they’re not pieces of paper,” a fourth shared a similar sentiment: “They can tell us we’re Greater Manchester, but I know Im a Lancashire lass,” and a fifth added: “Lancashire all the way lad.”

“BOLTON WILL ALWAYS BE LANCASHIRE,” another clearly strong-viewed comment reads.

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It’s always very ‘Stockport is Cheshire‘, isn’t it?

What’s your take then? Do you think Bolton is still in Lancashire, or is it part of Greater Manchester? What about the rest of the boroughs?

We know full well we may have opened a can of worms with this one but that’s all part of the fun.

Featured Images – BBC

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