A hero police dog who was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017 has died following three years of “happy retirement”.
The sad news of PD Mojo’s death was confirmed on social media this morning.
In a statement to Twitter, the British Transport Police said: “We’re so sad to say the incredible RPD Mojo has passed away, following three happy years of retirement.
“He was the first dog on scene at the Manchester Arena attack and later honoured by Crufts for his bravery.
“We’ll never forget your service, Mojo – a true BTP legend”.
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We’re so sad to say the incredible RPD Mojo has passed away, following three happy years of retirement 🌈
He was the first dog on scene at the Manchester Arena attack and later honoured by Crufts for his bravery.
PD Mojo – who worked as part of the British Transport Police – was the first to arrive at the scene of the atrocity on 22nd May 2017, and worked throughout the night alongside his handler PC Phil Healy.
PD Mojo and PC Healy had just arrived home after an early shift, but returned to work after news came through of an explosion at the Ariana Grande concert.
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Mojo immediately started searching the concourse at Manchester Victoria train station upon his arrival to make sure the area was safe, and searched around injured victims to make sure the area was safe and that there were no further explosives.
The pair then moved into the Arena itself and the site of the explosion to check for any secondary devices so that other emergency teams could work in safety.
PDSA Press
PD Mojo was awarded a PDSA Order of Merit in 2018 for his devotion on duty.
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Speaking on the awarding of the animal OBE in 2018, PC Healy said: “There is no doubt that what Mojo experienced that night had a lasting effect on him, as it has all of us [and] his receiving the PDSA Order of Merit is a fitting way to recognise his actions.
“I am extremely proud of him”.
Jan McLoughlin – Director General at PDSA – also added at the time: “PD Mojo worked tirelessly through unimaginable scenes of destruction and utter chaos [and] his role on the night was to make others safe.
“His dedication to duty, despite clearly being distressed by what he saw, makes him a deserving recipient of the PDSA Order of Merit”.
— British Transport Police Dog Section (@BTPDogs) March 11, 2018
Today I say goodnight to my work partner, my loyal companion, my sounding board. You stood tall when I needed you most, at times I put all my trust in you and you never failed me. RPD Mojo stand down you served your time, rainbow bridge is ahead. Come-by x pic.twitter.com/lfdCzBrvco
Having worked for the force since he was 12-months-old, PD Mojo retired from British Transport Police duties in 2018 at aged eight, and despite suffering from stress-related alopecia in the aftermath of the bombing, he was said to have had a “happy” three years of retirement living with PC Healy before he died.
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Tributes to PD Mojo have since been pouring in on social media, with many expressing their kind words and praising his service.
PC Healy took to Twitter this morning to say: “Today I say goodnight to my work partner, my loyal companion, my sounding board. You stood tall when I needed you most, at times I put all my trust in you and you never failed me.
“RPD Mojo stand down you served your time, rainbow bridge is ahead”.
Rest in Peace, PD Mojo.
Featured Image – PDSA Press
UK News
Manchester City win first Women’s Super League title in a decade
Danny Jones
After a decade of hope and hard work, Manchester City have finally won the Women’s Super League once again in a huge moment for the local club.
Lifting not just their first division title in 10 years, but only their second WSL trophy since the modern female football era began in 2010, it felt like only a matter of time to many supporters.
Ending a six-year Chelsea supremacy, this is also manager Andrée Jeglertz’s first at the helm of Man City’s women’s team, who arrived at the club with a strong silverware record at the start of this season.
These were the scenes at home base as one key result sealed their status as champions:
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) May 6, 2026
City Women secured the WSL title following third-placed Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton on Wednesday evening.
They even managed to do so with a game to spare and a six-point gap over the west London club, which has won so much over the past few years.
Speaking in an interview with club media after confirmation of the win, captain and Euro 2025-winning Lionesses defender, Alex Greenwood, said: “[It feels] absolutely incredible. “A moment – we as a team, me personally – us as a club has waited so long for”.
“An incredible moment, it’s an incredible feeling. I’m so glad we got to spend this moment together as a group. Just an absolutely incredible feeling.”
With fans watching both at home, along with the first team themselves, the celebrations have already begun as the team shared a look back at how they got here.
You can see the recap posted on social media in full below.
Commenting on his latest accolade, the Swedish head coach added in a full club statement: “There’s never been doubt about the talent in the group, but there is something else about talking about being winners and champions. We started that early, and we believed in that. That’s led us through this year.
“It hasn’t been easy; it’s been hard work every day, but we had a strong belief that we could be sitting here in May and be champions. That is the first thing, and we definitely deserve it.”
Congratulations to the Cityzens on a well-deserved and long-awaited WSL title; could this be the start of another sporting dynasty of dominance over in East Manchester? Only time will tell…
In other news around the Etihad Campus, the women’s, EDS and academy team stadium is also set to host the final of the FA Youth Cup later this month.
2027 Manchester Marathon sells out in record time after biggest event ever
Danny Jones
The 2027 adidas Manchester Marathon has already sold out in record time after the biggest event in the race’s history.
Incredible stuff.
Yes, after more than 42,000 runners took on this year’s 26.2-mile challenge – the highest number to date – public places for next year’s Manchester Marathon have gone in the blink of an eye.
To be specific, they were snapped up in just 10 days: even faster than the last time around, with 2026 having also broken the previous fastest (or PB, if you will) time before that.
Posting on social media, the organisers wrote: “We’re blown away by the response as a record-breaking number of public places were secured during our launch window, and we’re now officially at capacity.
“Thank you for the amazing support. We can’t wait to help you turn your 26.2 dreams into reality.”
They also went on to remind people that even if they missed out, potential participants can still secure a place through their official charity partners.
Manchester Marathon maintains annual partnerships with the likes of Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Mind, and The Christie Charity.
Teaming up with numerous non-profit organisations over the decades after it first began way back in 1908, before enjoying multiple stints during the 1980s and late 90s into the noughties, huge sums have been raised over the years.
It’s never anything less than a heartwarming and inspiring day.
The modern MCR Marathon, as we know it, returned in its present format nearly a decade and a half ago, beginning its current collaboration with sportswear giants adidas, therefore helping raise the profile even further, with the 2026 fundraising tally also reaching a record-breaking £5.2 million this past April.
At the moment, the Manchester Marathon maintains annual partnerships with the likes of Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Mind, and The Christie Charity.
Once again, these organisations, along with the likes of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and many more, will continue to offer charity places for the 2027 Manchester Marathon, provided you can hit the fundraising total.
We don’t know about you, but we’re loving this city and the surrounding boroughs being well and truly in their running era, and we also urge all of you who make up part of the local culture to immerse yourself in all aspects – especially when it comes to the post-race season party…
DJs, karaoke, quizzing, three full rooms, an entire beer garden to themselves, and MUCH more. 👀
Emily Sergeant -
19th May 2021 
