News
Police launch murder investigation after man dies 15 years after being stabbed
A criminal investigation was launched after his death last May
A murder investigation was launched after a man died last year of complications of being stabbed 15 years ago – as police make fresh appeal.
Detectives in Bury are appealing for help to solve a murder which resulted from a knife attack back in October 2008.
Christopher Linton, 40, sadly died on May 30th 2023 from complications believed to be linked to when he was the victim of a stabbing.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched a murder investigation after his death.
Mr Linton, then 25, left the Derby Arms pub in Bury – which has since been demolished – and walked along Bolton Road, in the early hours of October 4th 2008, shortly before he was assaulted.
He was seen talking to two women near the Blockbuster video store and Raja’s Indian Takeaway when the pair got into a black car with two men.
Mr Linton continued to speak to them when one of the men stabbed him in the neck. He managed to make his way back to the pub to seek help and an ambulance was called.
Mr Linton suffered life-threatening injuries from the stabbing. He was taken to hospital where he was treated but never fully recovered from the attack.
Following the stabbing, two men were arrested but no one was charged in connection with the assault.
Last year, Mr Linton was admitted to Fairfield General Hospital where he tragically passed away on May 30th.
Officers launched a criminal investigation after his death and have since made a fresh appeal for anyone with details about the attack to come forward to help police finally solve the investigation.
Mr Linton’s mother, Tracey McLeod said her son ‘was kind-hearted and always put others before himself’.
She issued a plea to the public to assist police so they can ‘help a devastated family and help my son Chris to rest in peace’.
Ms McLeod said: “My son Christopher, who liked to go by the name of Chris, lost his life on May 30, 2023 at Fairfield Hospital when he was just 40 years old.
“Chris was kind-hearted and always put others before himself. He had a heart of gold, he was funny, loving, and most of all caring, and he had a fantastic personality.
“Chris touched the heart strings of everyone who met him: family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. Chris had a son he loved so very much but now his son has lost his father.”
She continued: “Chris was a son, grandson, nephew, brother, uncle, father and brother-in-law. His greatest achievement was becoming an RAC inspector, which he was very proud of and his family was incredibly proud of him.
“Words cannot describe the pain and trauma that Chris’ death has had on our family. The pain and sadness is with us all day and night and it doesn’t go away. I am pleading as a mother for help from the public. Please help us as a family get some closure from the grief we are going through.
“Chris was brutally stabbed in the neck 15 years ago, and the people involved left my son for dead. This happened at the back of Blockbusters on Bolton Road. Please come forward with any information to help a devastated family and help my son Chris to rest in peace.”
Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson, of GMP’s Major Incident Team said the investigation team ‘remains determined to identify the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice’.
He said: “Chris was an innocent victim of an unprovoked and terrible attack that tragically resulted in his death.
“Although Chris passed away years after the incident took place, this has not lessened the impact on his family who have had to watch the person they love pass away from an act of senseless violence.”
He continued: “Chris’ family remain at the forefront of this investigation, and we will continue supporting them with specialist officers. Despite the passage of time between Chris’ death and the attack on him, the investigation team remains determined to identify the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice.
“I would like to appeal to anyone with any information about the assault to do the right thing and contact police. The information you have could be the piece we need to solve this investigation and finally bring some closure to a grieving family.”
You can report information via GMP’s website (www.gp.police.uk) or by calling 101, quoting the 495 4/10/2008.
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.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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