Vets are issuing warnings about a “cruel” and “unnecessary” illegal dog trend that appears to be gaining popularity across the North West region.
Pet owners are being urged not to subject their dogs to the practice of having their ears cropped in light of shocking new statistics, reports Lancashire Live.
A survey carried out by the British Veterinary Association Voice of the Veterinary Profession has revealed that 77% of small animal vets in the North West have seen dogs with cropped ears in the last year.
The region’s figure is also well above the national average of 58%.
The practice of cropping dogs’ ears is illegal in the UK, but a loophole means that dogs with cropped ears can be imported if the procedure has been done outside the country. Many vets believe this may be a contributing factor as to why they’ve seen more dogs with cropped ears in the last twelve months than they have in previous years.
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Measures to close these loopholes were announced last month, with the government pledging to ban the import of dogs with cropped ears after a petition calling for action passed 100,000 signatures.
The issue was debated in Parliament this week (7 June 2021).
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Today we welcome a huge win for #AnimalWelfare as the Government introduces new legislation to crack down on: ➡️ puppy smuggling ➡️ import of dogs with cropped ears ➡️ keeping primates as pets …and other measures
Statistics reveal that nationally, the Doberman was the breed most commonly presented to vets with cropped ears.
American Bulldogs and Cane Corsos were the second and third most likely breeds to be seen.
Robin Hargreaves – a veterinarian from Stanley House Vets in Colne – has admitted that he has seen an increase in the “cruel” trend, and believes this may be a result of people lying about where the procedure took place, adding: “I have been in general practice seeing first opinion cases in the community for 35 years [but] until a very few years ago, I had never seen a dog with cropped ears, with the exception of photographs or foreign films.
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“Maybe three or four years ago, I began to see the odd dog with cropped ears that originated overseas [and] in a very short period of time, my practice began to see young animals with cropped ears.
“Their owners usually said they had acquired the dogs abroad, but we suspect they had done so purely to circumvent the law that prevents ear cropping at home.”
Mr Hargreaves says it’s “critical” that this activity is brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.
“Those involved here must be prosecuted and importation must be scrutinised and discouraged, [and] anyone claiming to be an animal lover should be exposed and shunned If they are propagating this cruel, unnecessary mutilation in the name of vanity,” he added.
77% of small animal vets in the North West have been presented with dogs with cropped ears in the last year / Credit: RSPCA
This sentiment is also echoed by James Russell – President of the British Veterinary Assossiation (BVA) – who added: “We are deeply concerned that vets have been seeing more dogs with cropped ears in their practices [as] ear cropping is illegal in the UK, so we have to question how it’s possible that so many vets have seen cropped dogs in the past year.
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“These shocking figures clearly show that urgent action is needed to curb this disturbing rise.
“We were delighted by the commitment made by Government last month to prohibit imports of dogs with cropped ears as well as rooting out illegal practice of this completely unnecessary and intensely painful mutilation in the UK.
“We are now urging them to bring these measures into play at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Featured Image – iStockphoto
UK News
Review | We need NBHD Weekender every year – and so does the North West
Danny Jones
Neighbourhood Weekender returned for 2026 this late May bank holiday, and after its second consecutive edition following an admittedly brief hiatus, we’re more confident than ever that we want this music festival on the calendar every single year.
Actually, we’d go so far as to say that lots of people around the North West and beyond NEED it.
We know plenty of people are understandably wary of potential hyperbolic declarations like that, but let us explain ourselves…
For starters, getting an opportunity to see the likes of criminally underappreciated Northern names like Richard Ashcroft playing the big slot on the main stage is a good place to start.
Many of you will have no doubt seen the Wigan legend on solo tours – not to mention serving as the pitch-perfect support act for Oasis’ reunion tour last summer – but topping the bill on Saturday night of NBHD Weekender 2026 served as yet more proof that he is, in fact, a headline act.
Maybe that changed a little for lots of people post-Live ’25, but his set was one of several over the course of the two-day festival in Victoria Park that served as a reminder of just how good lots of these long-standing acts both were and still are.
Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, The Fratellis, Mel C, Shed Seven, and so on: they’re not just nostalgic acts that those of a certain generation get to enjoy as a throwback – they’re all still incredible, seasoned performers in their own right.
They boast a wealth of experience and aptitude for playing to live crowds that you only get by being very good at what you do for a long time. You only have to look at the countless youths who quickly realised they knew more choruses than they realised, and got to sample hearing them in person for the first time.
Strong crowds from 12 noon until curfew. (Credit: Audio North)
And then speaking of the younger, more up-and-coming section of the lineup, the next generation absolutely smashed it as well. Let’s just say there were more than a few rising stars on show.
Westside Cowboy are clearly at the start of something very special and got a healthy dose of shout-outs from punters on the day; Keo were as frenetic as everyone knew they would be, Brooke Combe was on top form as she has been every time we’ve seen her, and Cassia were class.
More Mancs rose to the challenge in the form of The Guest List’s biggest show yet, too – they were also left super humbled when we spoke to them afterwards – and fellow regional band The Royston Club were nothing short of excellent, simple as.
Hearing thousands belt out ’52’ and ‘Cariad’ at the top of their lungs was one of our highlights of the entire weekend, to be honest.
Of course, then you’ve got the likes of the already established DMA’S, who were absolutely box office and made it plain how much affection they have for “their second home” up here in this part of the UK, and Sunday’s headliners, Blossoms, have proven time and time again that they’re the real deal now.
But aside from banger after banger, it was a conversation we overheard near us during the Stopfordians’ set that helped us come to this revelation.
Somewhere between their walk-out on stage and the second/third song, a bloke and his mate behind us shared an intimate moment we felt almost rude for having accidentally eavesdropped on, right up until the point it made us well up ourselves.
Without going into too much detail, this very stereotypical-sounding Northerner dropped all pretence and confessed to his friend that he’d had a tough couple of months, and that he’d been looking forward to this for weeks – not simply because Blossoms are his favourite artist, but because he needed it.
Call it a release, that hour or so of sheer abandon, or just sharing a special music memory with his best mate: whatever it was, this evening was much more than a gig to him. People throw the phrase ‘lifesaver’ around about music a lot, and it never feels like an exaggeration in moments like this.
It was also apparent that he was a working-class Warrington native who was lucky enough for his postcode to help him afford to go to Neighbourhood Weekender and have this embrace with his pal, who was in an ideal setting to have perhaps a long overdue heart-to-heart. THIS is what it means to people.
Music is therapy, and when done in its purest form – i.e. played live to people who live and breathe the stuff – it can do more good than you’ll ever know.
Neighbourhood Weekender guide – lineup, set times and stage splits, how to get there and more
Danny Jones
It’s that time again: Neighbourhood Weekender is BACK for 2026, and we cannot wait to descend back on Victoria Park for another two full days of singing till we’re hoarse and dancing our arses off.
We even love the walk from Warrington Central, down that long strip through the centre and over the gorgeous green space as the vibes start to pick up right from the off.
The years off without NBHD Weekender or just having to settle for the Manchester city centre version of the festival always remind us of how much we miss the big boy, so we intend to make the most of every single moment of the sixth edition.
And so should you – that’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive guide of all the key info, from ticketing and timings
Everything you need to know for NBHD Weekender festival 2026
Are there any tickets left?
For starters, if you’re looking pretty open plan-wise the long weekend and are looking for something fun last-minute, you’ll be glad to hear that there are plenty of ticket options still on offer for Neighbourhood Weekender festival 2026.
Whether it’s the full weekend wristband, just a single day pass, or even VIP packages, there’s a decent amount of allocation left on all fronts. For the first-time ever, there are also payment plans available.
More importantly, NBHD is also a wheelchair-friendly festival, with plenty of accessibility options available, too. Check out all ticket options and prices while you still can.
When does it start and end?
Taking place over this late May Bank Holiday Weekend (Saturday, 23 May – Sunday 24 May), the gates will open at 12 noon, and the festival curfew is 22:30pm.
Neighbourhood Weekender lineup, stage splits and set times for 2026
As we’re sure you’ll have already seen by now, we’ve got some big names topping the NBHD Weekender ’26 bill, not least of all Stopfordian indie headliners, Blossoms.
But they’re far from the only Northern name taking to the big stage at Victoria Park, either, as you’ll also be treated to the likes of the legendary Richard Ashcroft and fellow Oasis reunion tour supports Cast, as well as The K’s, Kaiser Chiefs, Jamie Webster, The Royston Club and lots more.
Sadly, Esme Emerson has dropped out due to unforeseen circumstances, but thankfully, local lad John Denton (one of our previous Artists of the Month) will be taking her place on the Viola Beach stage.
Apart from that, there are no other changes, so here’s your full breakdown of the lineup and stage times:
NBHD Victoria Park festival site map and facilities
Besides the stages, toilets, water stations and various food and drink traders located around the roughly 30-acre site, there are plenty of other fun and useful additions that are worth knowing about.
As well as a new cloakroom service run by partners GoHangers – you can see the full bag (basically no bigger than A4) and cloak policy HERE – there are also accessible viewing platforms as alluded to above, along with premium bars by the likes of Brothers Ciders and Tia Maria.
There’s even the ‘corner shop rave’ area taking place over in the southwest corner of the park. NBHD Weekender is also a completely cashless festival, so card machines will be available at all vendors.
You can see the full NBHD Weekender festival map down below.
*It’s worth reminding that there’s no re-entry – once you’re in for the day, you should have all you need.
Travel advice – how to get to NBHD Weekender in Warrington
Now, we would always encourage festival-goers to travel as sustainably as possible, and fortunately, there are plenty of public transport options to get you there and back across the weekend.
By train
Warrington has two train stations – Warrington Bank Quay (BQ)* and Warrington Central, making it easily accessible from most locations. Timetables are obviously always subject to change, but here are some example routes:
Manchester to Warrington Central – 20 minutes
Liverpool to Warrington Central – 22 minutes
Preston to Warrington Bank Quay – 22 minutes
Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay – 17 minutes
Chester to Warrington Bank Quay – 26 minutes
Lancaster to Warrington Bank Quay – 41 minutes
Stockport to Warrington Central – 31 minutes
St. Helens to Warrington Bank Quay – 16 minutes
Widnes to Warrington Central – 7 minutes
Leeds to Warrington Central – 1 hour 20 minutes
*Please note, however, there are some Northern Rail engineering works planned over the weekend of the festival. While operators should be running smoothly throughout both local stations on the Saturday, Sunday, 24 May will see some amended services to and from Warrington BQ:
No Northern trains are operating (this is the current timetable)
Transport for Wales services running as normal.
Avanti West Coast operating with rail replacement buses between Crewe and Wigan
By coach/bus
Big Green Coach are also returning as NBHD’s official travel partner – Parklife attendees will be more than familiar – providing hassle-free coach returns directly to the Neighbourhood Weekender’s official coach park to multiple locations; pick-up spots include:
Ashton Under Lyne | Birkenhead | Birmingham (Jenners Road) | Blackburn | Bolton | Bradford | Bury | Castleford | Chester | Crewe | Doncaster (Interchange) | Huddersfield | Hull | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Manchester (City Centre) | Manchester (Trafford Centre) | Manchester South (Sharston) | Preston | Sheffield | Stockport | Stoke-on-trent | Wakefield | York.
If you’re heading back to Manchester city centre or Liverpool, the company is offering one-way returns on both days to make getting home after the event as easy as possible. Secure your seat from £30 now.
Meanwhile, the Number 11 and 11a bus services stop at Knutsford Road just outside Victoria Park; it takes 5 minutes to walk there from Warrington Bus Interchange located at Warrington Central train station. Pro-tip: just follow the big queue of punters in their festival-wear finery…
By car – drop-off and parking guidance
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For those arriving by car, the designated pick-up and drop-off zone is located at Sir Thomas Boteler School. Please follow the festival signage to Sir Thomas Boteler School and note there are no residential or other roads or areas to wait, drop off or park.
As for parking, the official car park operated by the Neighbourhood festival organisers is also located at Sir Thomas Boteler (again, please follow festival signage), which is approximately a 15-minute walk to the festival site. However, spaces will be very limited – you can reserve from a limited number of spots HERE.
By foot
Finally, if you’re content getting your steps in, as mentioned, the park is a short walk from Warrington Town Centre, and just a 20-minute walk from Warrington BQ, Warrington Central train station or the Golden Square Shopping Centre. Easy does it.
That should just about do you for all the key details and important info you need to know ahead of a brilliant bank holiday weekender with NBHD taking up the bulk of the vibes.
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How nice that we’re getting pure sunshine and warm temperatures, too, eh? What a treat.
We hope you all have a wonderful time. Make sure to stay hydrated, drink responsibly, abide by the festival site rules and be mindful of the heat; there’s plenty of cover and shade in the large outdoor area to make the most of – oh, and bucket hats at the ready, of course.
Keep an eye out for our Audio North team both online and in person, and we’ll see you there for more sing-alongs!
Emily Sergeant -
9th June 2021 
