News
Thousands call on government to ‘close Blackpool’ as coronavirus cases in the area rise
Should Blackpool close?
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling on the government to ‘close Blackpool and protect the locals’.
The petition comes after a hot weekend, which saw the resort’s beaches and parks packed with families enjoying the sun in one of Britain’s most infectious towns.
The medical director of Victoria Hospital has said the number of coronavirus-related admissions continues to rise at the Blackpool hospital.
The surges in the town follow the lockdown easing measures put in place by the Government, which see groups of six people being allowed to meet outside and go on day trips from today.
The petition, launched by Brian Pery, has already received 4,773 petitions this morning. It states: “Blackpool has been invaded by people leaving our town filthy, not taking notice of spacing, [and] urinating in the streets.
“It only takes one to pass [the] virus to two more, then it escalates. Please consider, for the sake of our residents and future economy, to stop the so-called responsible people from not sticking to rules and close our town [to] them for at least four weeks to allow [the] virus here to stabilise.
“I ask [the] Government to seriously consider this ASAP.”
Official figures showed last week that Blackpool has one of the highest rates of infection in the country, with 445.8 people out of every 100,000 being diagnosed with the virus.
The national figure stands at 269.6.
Victoria Hospital has had 185 confirmed and verified COVID-19 related deaths, plus many more at local care homes.
A medic from the hospital, Dr Radhakrishna Shanbhag, who is also a British Medical Association North West council member, said: “Not only does this mean we’re suffering from a disproportionate amount of serious cases and deaths, but also that, as a consequence, gradual lockdown measures may be affected – prolonging the hurt caused to our local economy.”
Dr Jim Gardner, the hospital’s medical director, has said: “Looking at our numbers, what we are seeing is that, across the whole of the Fylde coast, we have had 1,117 positive diagnoses of COVID. And in our internal data – in our trust data – we are showing now 144 positive COVID patients.
“That is a higher number than last week so this is an important theme for us.”
Visit Blackpool, the tourism team for the town, rebranded as Don’t Visit Blackpool as the lockdown got underway. Due to the lockdown restrictions, it has now changed to ‘Visit Blackpool Safely’.
Many people visited the town over the weekend and left Blackpool beaches covered in litter, in response the tourism board tweeted: “If you plan to venture to the coast or any open spaces today, please don’t leave any litter behind, if a bin is full take your litter home, leave only footprints.”
The UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jenny Harries, told people to limit themselves to what is ‘sensible’ rather than what is ‘possible’ now that lockdown restrictions have been eased further.
She said now is a critical time and urged people to not contribute to a resurgence of the virus.
She said: “I think it’s really important that people just try to use these measures sensibly for their own benefit, but don’t risk transmission to other people.”
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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