UK News

Dog owner’s plea to help save beloved Staffy suffering unexplained seizures

"I genuinely think without Hugo, I would not be here."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 24th June 2021

A desperate dog owner from Manchester is appealing to the public to help fund research into the cause of her beloved pup’s unexplained seizures.

Morgan Dale and her blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Hugo have an incredible bond.

Not only is he her cherished pet, but she also credits him for saving her life by pulling her back from the brink following a suicide attempt. Now, Morgan is trying to return the favour and get her poorly pup the help he needs after he suffered some “terrifying” seizures – something vets are aiming to get to the bottom of.

Two-year-old Hugo’s seizures started a few weeks ago, and then more recently, he had two in the space of four hours.

He is currently being treated for possible epilepsy, but Morgan has been told that it could potentially be a brain tumour and this is something she won’t know until an investigative MRI has been carried out alongside an Ultrasound scan on his heart and other internal organs.

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But this costs money – and it’s a lot more than is currently covered by Morgan’s insurance.

“I genuinely think without Hugo, I would not be here [and] I say this all the time [but] this dog saved my life,” Morgan told Team Dogs.

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Hugo has suffered some “terrifying” seizures over the past few weeks / Credit: Morgan Dale

Fearing that she may have to give her pup up for adoption if she is unable to find the funds for the scans, Morgan has set up a GoFundMe page with the target of raising £2,000 and is asking anybody who can spare a few pounds to consider donating towards Hugo’s treatment.

“He’s just not the same dog,” Morgan added.

“He’s just really sad, he seems depressed [and] he just constantly wants to just chill.

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“Obviously after the seizures as well, he was absolutely terrified. He doesn’t know who I am, he wouldn’t let me near him. He was running away from me, hiding. He was just absolutely terrified and it was traumatic, traumatic for me and him.”

Having contacted various charities, Morgan now faces losing precious Hugo for good as if she cannot raise enough money to fund his MRI, she will have no choice but to sign him over to a charity that is able to pay for treatment.

Morgan Dale and her blue Staffy named Hugo share an incredible bond / Credit: Morgan Dale

Morgan continued: “Basically, once I sign that paperwork, I’ll never see him ever again [so] I just hope to god that I can get it so that he can stay with me, because I don’t want to stress him out.

“I just love him so much… and I just couldn’t imagine being without him.”

If you would like to contribute to Hugo’s treatment costs and help reach the £2,000 target, you can donate via Morgan’s GoFundMe page here.

Featured Image – Morgan Dale

UK News

The reason behind the ‘mini Manc tornado’ that blew through Ancoats this month

Danny Jones Danny Jones small manchester tornado ancoats

If you saw footage of a ‘mini tornado’ ripping through Manchester online this past weekend, no, your eyes weren’t deceiving you: it did happen and, turns out, it’s a pretty strange and rare phenomenon – at least in this part of the world.

They say 0161 has everything but a beach, and now we seemingly have little twisters of our own, they might just have a point.

In all seriousness, footage went viral on social media, being met with equal surprise and alarm as most were understandably confused at how this could even happen in the UK, given our climate isn’t typically used to these kinds of weather events.

For those of you who haven’t seen it already, here’s what it looked like…

We’ll admit that when first heard a so-called tornado had been spotted in Manchester, we pictured a little spiral of leaves and crisps packets in a supermarket car park, but as you can see, it really was much more significant than that.

Reported as having towered as high as 30 metres along Great Ancoats Street, various people saw the startling city centre sight and quickly began querying what the hell they were seeing online.

Despite many dubbing it a tornado, we can confirm it was something slightly different.

What caused the ‘Manchester tornado’?

What you’re looking at is what is colloquially known as a ‘dust devil’; put simply, these are small, rotating columns of air that pick up dust and debris from the ground and obviously resemble a tornado at times, especially when they manage to become as wide and tall as this one did.

As explained by the Met Office, “A dust devil forms due to irregularities caused by temperature contrasts on different surfaces, which then causes rotation of the air and, when there’s dust and debris, you can get these columns of air.”

Here’s another angle:

We don’t need to tell you that it’s been pretty warm of late (bloody gorgeous, in fact) and, as a result, the chances of creating a proper dust devil are much greater than usual.

The Met Office went on to add: “Unlike tornadoes, dust devils grow upwards from the ground, rather than down from clouds. In the stronger dust devils, a cumulus cloud can be seen at the top of the rising column of warm air.

“They only last a few minutes because cool air is sucked into the base of the rising vortex, cooling the ground and cutting off its heat supply.”

It’s not the only strange meteorological event seen around Greater Manchester recently, either. From the likes of ‘supercell thunderstorm’ and the eerily silent ‘heat lightning’ in late 2023, to the UFO-like swirl seen across various parts of the globe earlier this year.

Met Office explain ‘likely’ reason for ‘strange spiral’ seen in the sky over Greater Manchester
This was pretty mad in the moment.

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Featured Images — Supplied

UK News

Nine arrested in multiple coordinated raids after ‘celebrating Hitler’s birthday’ in Oldham pub

Danny Jones Danny Jones Hitler birthday party neo Nazis Oldham pub

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.

neo nazi party for hitlers bday in royton oldham
oldham neo nazi party swastika cake
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.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — British Movement Northern/GMP/Google Maps

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