News
Mr Bates actor Will Mellor criticises Post Office boss for ‘lack of humanity’
The actor plays one of the victims of the scandal in ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Will Mellor hit out at the former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells as well as other key figures involved who were ‘ruining other people’s lives that had done nothing wrong’.
The 47-year-old actor, who played one of the victims in the Mr Bates vs The Post Office ITV1 drama, called for Ms Vennells to finally tell the truth after the miscarriage of justice was thrust into the spotlight with the new programme.
He said in an interview with BBC Radio Manchester: “I don’t know how she slept at night.”
The actor, from Stockport, has also supported a petition calling for Ms Vennells to be stripped of her CBE.
Mellor plays sub-postmaster Lee Castleton in the four-part series, which tells the story of the long-running campaign to expose the Horizon IT system scandal, causing hundreds of Post Office staff to be wrongly accused of theft and fraud due to a faulty system.
Tragically, many were left bankrupt and some of the sub-postmasters have unfortunately since passed away.
Some of the victims of the scandal were sent to prison after being convicted of false accounting and theft. It is considered to be the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history.
“I just don’t understand where the humanity is and where people like that sleep at night,” said Mellor.
“So, yes, I 100% support that petition,” he added.
Mr Bates vs the Post Office has drawn a renewed interest in the scandal after airing on ITV last week, prompting the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reconsider ways to finally compensate the wrongly accused postmasters.
Mr Sunak said the government was ‘keen to do everything we can because this was absolutely appalling’ and should ‘never have happened’.
Mellor said he is glad to see the drama has attracted the interest of politicians and officials.
Leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer told ITV News that compensation for victims is ‘overdue’.
A public inquiry into the scandal began in 2021 and was due to be completed by August 2022 however, it is still ongoing and set to be complete some time this year.
It is unknown exactly how many people have been affected by the Post Office scandal as it is understood that many have still not come forward.
Ms Vennells made a public apology over the scandal in 2021. She said she is ‘truly sorry’ for the ‘suffering’ caused to the sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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