ManchesterOnline

Coughing fit blamed for tragedy

A BUS driver, who knocked down and killed a lollipop lady outside a Salford school, was distracted by a coughing fit.

Babies' bodies 'mum' named

THE identity of the woman suspected of being the mother of two babies whose remains were discovered in toy boxes can be revealed today.

Battle hits community relations

THE Independent Police Complaints Commission boss said violence between officers and a talent show audience has `impacted on community relations'.

Man attacked after row

POLICE have released CCTV images after a man was assaulted.

Blaze closes roads in Radcliffe

AROUND 30 fire fighters were today tackling a blaze at an industrial estate.

Boy injured after cab smash

A BOY of 16 suffered head injuries after being hit by a black cab.

MPs eye cash spent on BBC iPlayer

MPs have criticised the cost of the BBC's iPlayer which allows viewers and listeners with computers to catch up on programmes they missed.

Bang cost an extra £300,000

TAXPAYERS have paid out nearly £300,000 to fix Manchester's beleaguered B Of The Bang sculpture since it was built.

Lending at lowest level for 30 years

MORTGAGE lending for house purchases fell to its lowest level for more than three decades in the first three months of the year.

Shamed actor new offence

A TV actor, on bail for assaulting his girlfriend, admitted going equipped to steal after he was seen with socks on his hands.

China quake Britons safe

ALL100 Britons on tour operator trips to the earthquake-hit region of China are safe, UK travel organisation Abta said today.

eBay booze ad banned

INTERNET auction site eBay has removed a post offering to courier alcohol to Rangers fans across Manchester city centre.

Hunt for London killer

DETECTIVES are working through scores of eyewitness accounts of a fatal stabbing in broad daylight on Britain's most famous shopping street.

Pensioner sexually assaulted

AN elderly woman was sexually assaulted as she walked her dog in a park during broad daylight, in Cheadle, Stockport.

Hamza fights extradition

RADICAL Muslim cleric Abu Hamza has launched a High Court battle against extradition to the US to face terror charges.

Time for a rail strike

RAIL travel this Spring Bank Holiday could be thrown into chaos by a national strike.

Katherine set for Arena

MANCHESTER Opera fans have a treat in store as Katherine Jenkins is on song for a pre-Christmas date at the M.E.N. Arena.

Great booze debate launched

A PROJECT to find out why the north west has the country's biggest booze problem has had a celebrity launch.

Star angry at 'yob' culture

FORMER Coronation Street star Ken Morley has criticised inadequate deterrents for criminals after a car was vandalised on his driveway.

Armed robbery at bookmakers

STAFF were threatened when four men armed with a metal bar broke into a Sale bookmakers.

Security checks fast lane

HASSLE-free screening has come to Manchester Airport's Terminal 1 with the opening of a £10m security area.

Assasin's arsenal UK largest

A MANCHESTER man was part of the `largest connected network of illegally held weapons ever seen in this country', a court heard.

Distraction thieves steal cash

TWO thieves stole £130 in cash from an elderly couple in a distraction burglary.

Shopkeeper stabbed in hand

A SHOPKEEPER was stabbed during a raid on a store. The victim was confronted by a masked man, armed with a large knife.

Attacked man's skull fractured

A MAN beaten for supposedly chatting up someone's girlfriend found that he had a fractured skull when he went to hospital the next morning.

Sledgehammer gang raid

THREE masked men armed with a machete and sledgehammer stole thousands of pounds from a cash van at a BP petrol station.

Brown backs kids' appeal

GORDON Brown has given Manchester's biggest charity appeal a massive boost with a reception at 10 Downing Street.

Player knocks out ref, 18

AN 18-year-old football referee was knocked unconscious by a player he sent off - and he needed 14 stitches and plastic surgery.

Brand new look for urban foxes

A NEW logo has been designed for Manchester's iconic Affleck's indoor market.

Climate changed for business

THE emerging green agenda represents the biggest change to business since the industrial revolution.

The green wonderwall

A GARDNER with a head for heights is going to be needed for an amazing vertical garden of tropical plants planned for the side of a building.

Fans flood into the city

MANCHESTER today declared itself ready as more than 100,000 Scottish and Russian football fans began flooding into the city.

Lightning zapped our TV!

A FAMILY are counting the cost after lightning struck their home.

Bones hidden for 50 years

THE skeletal remains of two babies found in a box discovered at a house in Greater Manchester may have been stored for more than 50 years.

Dangerous driver walks free

A CARE assistant who knocked down and killed a war veteran while speeding to an appointment with a patient walked free from court today.

Peter blows away his rivals...

A SCHOOLBOY trombonist has become the youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year award.

Arson attack at probation office

ARSONISTS used two barrels of petrol to set fire to a probation office.

Phantom burglar fined

A MAN who broke into his own home when he locked himself out has been fined for claiming he had been burgled.

Rangers' invasion under way

AN invasion of up to 100,000 Glasgow Rangers fans was starting to hit Manchester today.

Betty shows some bulldog spirit

THE woman who trains Coronation Street's favourite canine characters has been reunited with a puppy she thought she would never see again.

Jimmy: Key witness found

A `SIGNIFICANT witness' to the murder of a 16-year-old boy in a bakery has come forward.

Princess at new heart centre

A £22M heart unit will today get the royal seal of approval.

Embattled Brown's 'fairer Britain'

GORDON Brown launched his political fightback with a consultation on how to fund future social care.

China earthquake heard in Thailand

PEOPLE are reported dead after an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck western China today.

On a high, as an RAF foot soldier

WORKING as a Manchester Evening News reporter often takes you to new heights.

House price fall welcome?

MORE people are hoping for house prices to fall than to rise, according to the results of a new poll.

Tiny home is big attraction

ONE of Britain's smallest tourist attractions opened its doors as members of the Romany Society gathered in Wilmslow for their annual meeting.

Hospital protestors want a say

CAMPAIGNERS are demanding a public consultation on the fate of Altrincham Hospital.

Sunny days ahead

THE sizzling sunshine is set to stay with us for the next couple of days.

Bottled water given the chop

GASTROPUB Sam's Chop House is backing the Tap Into Water campaign. The Chapel Walks eaterie is encouraging diners to drink tap water.

Pitched battle at street party

REVELLERS clashed with police after a street party turned sour.

Ten arrested in Yang Sing swoop

TEN suspected illegal workers have been arrested at a restaurant owned by Manchester's famous Yang Sing chain.

CCTV of attempted robbers

A SHOP worker was threatened at knifepoint during an attempted robbery in Stockport.

Random drug tests for police

POLICE in Greater Manchester will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing from today.

Midwife Val's a breast-seller

A MIDWIFE credited with improving the health of a generation of children is launching a cartoon book to combat unfounded fears about breast feeding.

Car smash woman 'critical'

A WOMAN was fighting for her life in hospital after she was hit by a car.

Family home hit by lightning

LIGHTNING struck a house as thunderstorms hit the town.

Pocket-money prices at festival

A SUMMER festival is set to rock Manchester with a feast of top local bands - and just a £5 admission price.

Congestion charge bid 'bonkers'

A SENIOR Labour backbencher has said it would be 'bonkers' to have a congestion charge in Greater Manchester.