The PSNI released the figures as it defended its approach to policing the violence that erupted after last week’s knife attack
Gráinne Ní Aodha Press Association
19:40, 15 Jun 2026
There have been 35 arrests made and 23 people charged to date after disorder broke out following the Belfast stabbing last Monday.
The PSNI released the figures as it defended its approach to policing the violence that erupted after a knife attack in North Belfast in which the victim lost an eye.
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Homes, a bus and cars were set on fire in Belfast and elsewhere as people were targeted based on their race.
A week on from the disorder, senior officers defended the PSNI’s approach to tackling the disorder and said its officers had “undoubtedly saved lives”.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson rejected claims its response was “anything other than appropriate” and praised the work of officers, 42 of whom were injured during violence that erupted last week.
“Within 24 hours of the attempted murder of the man in Kinnaird Avenue, police officers had arrested and charged a man in relation to this horrendous attack,” he said.
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“That day, we extensively appealed for calm and to allow justice to take its course. Sadly, what we saw following was inexcusable lawlessness and disorder across Belfast and beyond.
“Our officers worked under incredibly challenging conditions to calm disorder, protect lives and restore calm.
“During the peak of the disorder, people intent on chaos came out to burn homes and cars with people fleeing.
“Police officers were first to many of these scenes and helped people to safety, including a two-month-old baby.
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“Responsibility for the violence, criminal damage, intimidation and disorder lies squarely with those who came out on the streets.
“Throughout this time, our officers have worked around the clock to protect life, prevent further harm and facilitate lawful, peaceful protests.”
He paid tribute to the officers for their display of “unwavering professionalism, courage, and resolve”.
“Once again putting themselves in harm’s way to keep people safe resulting in unacceptable injuries to 42 of them – they are a credit to us all,” he said.
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“Throughout the disorder, there has been extreme, anti-immigration disinformation on social media, underscoring the reality that there are those in society who seek to use any incident in our communities to create misunderstanding, generate fear and provoke anti-migrant sentiment.
“We have been working night and day to ensure those who chose to bring violence to our streets are brought to justice.
“To date, there have been 35 arrests and 23 people charged to court by the Public Order Enquiry Team.
“The charges are for a number of offences including riotous behaviour, attempted criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of an article with intent to damage property, disorderly behaviour and assault on a police-designated person.
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“Those responsible will face the full force of the law.”
He added: “There can be no justification for the violence and disorder we have seen last week. The public can be reassured that they will continue to see a heightened police presence in towns and cities, and engagement will continue as we work to keep people safe.
“Our increased presence and engagement in local communities includes communicating through digital channels to ensure anyone caught up in potential disorder thinks again and walks away.
“We would also repeat our appeal to anyone who has been the victim of, or has any information on, any crime to contact police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. We can assure you that we will always act on concerns and information we receive.”
The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries which are none life-threatening
22:32, 15 Jun 2026Updated 22:38, 15 Jun 2026
Three men are being questioned tonight following an alleged attack on a man in his 20s.
The trio, aged 61, 31, and 33, were taken into custody by PSNI detectives after the report of a serious assault on the Lecky Road in Derry earlier on Monday, June 15.
The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries which are none life-threatening.
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Detective Inspector Hanbidge said: “Following a reported assault in the Leckey Road area at around 11am, a man aged in his 20s was taken to hospital.
“A short time later, three men were arrested in the Bishop Street area – two men aged 61 and 31 were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, while the third, aged 33, was arrested on suspicion of assisting offenders. All three men remain in custody at this time.
“We are aware of videos circulating on social media in relation to this incident, and would appeal to the public not to share further. This is causing distress to the victim, and could potentially impact on the criminal justice process.
“Anyone with information which could assist with our ongoing investigation should instead contact our team on 101, quoting reference 549 15/06/26.”
Neighbours described the family as being “discreet”
Carrington Walker Live News Journalist, Maria Ortega Foreign Content Specialist and Matt Davies Trendswatch Reporter
22:37, 15 Jun 2026
A starving four-year-old girl has been rescued after being found lying next to her mother’s dead body, having been trapped in their flat for days.
The 40‑year‑old mum, who reportedly had epilepsy, was discovered around noon on June 4 in Montagnac, near Pézenas in southern France. The terrified child was suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and shock, but doctors say she is now doing well in hospital and is being looked after by family, the Mirror US reports.
Authorities believe the mum may have suffocated following an epileptic seizure, though an autopsy is yet to be carried out. The girl was reportedly too young to unlock the door to get help, and the key was said to be left in the lock.
Officers were alerted to the situation when the child’s kindergarten teacher contacted police following her absence from school and having heard no response from the mother.
French news platform Actu.fr also reports that an alert was raised after the mother failed to reply to family and neighbours since May 31. Philippe Audoui, first deputy mayor of Montagnac, told Le Parisien: “She wouldn’t have lasted another day.”
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Only the pair lived in the home, described by locals as being “discreet”, and the mum wasn’t known to have a partner.
A psychological support unit was established to help those who attended and were left shaken by what 7sur7 described as an “indescribable scene of horror”. An investigation will be led by the Pézenas gendarmerie, alongside the public prosecutor’s office in Béziers.
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“It was a horrific scene that really upset me. We often see dead bodies, but this… As soon as the door was opened, we realised: there was a foul stench,” described an officer who attended the scene, speaking with Le Parisien.
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Speaking about the child, the officer added: “She screamed when she saw all those people around her.”
Four officers reportedly arrived at the home, situated in a small social housing estate in a town of about 4,880 residents. They later notified local gendarmes and fire crews to gain entry to the property after no one answered their knocks at the door.
Mexico’s World Cup-opening victory over South Africa saw goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, but it was an unexpected feathered friend who truly stole the show.
Merlin, a two-year-old duck, swiftly became an internet sensation and the tournament’s inaugural unofficial mascot.
Dressed in the national team’s colours, complete with a miniature jersey and socks, Merlin paraded through Mexico City amidst thousands of jubilant fans.
Images of the sartorially splendid duck quickly went viral, racking up millions of views across social media platforms. Overnight, and seemingly by the magic of the famous wizard who inspired his name, Merlin captivated the internet.
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“We want to see Merlin in the stadium,” one user wrote. “This duck is already a national treasure,” said another. “The best thing about the World Cup so far,” declared a third.
In Mexico City, however, Merlin was already something of a local celebrity.
Images of Merlin parading through Mexico City, wearing a Mexican national team jersey as thousands of fans celebrated, racked up millions of views across social media. (AP)
A familiar sight at fairs and events in the historic city center, the duck regularly accompanies his owner, Carla Gómez, who sells water and soft drinks from a little cart each weekend. Along the way, the animal attracts plenty of delighted squeals, affectionate greetings and eager requests from passersby for a photo together.
“We don’t like to leave him alone at home; we like him to be with us. He’s our baby,” Gómez said. “He’s the baby, the sole heir to all my possessions and now an idol.”
Rain or shine, Merlin follows Gómez and her young son Cristian through some of the capital’s best-known landmarks, including Alameda Central, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Zócalo square. The duck shares a particularly close bond with Cristian, for whom he was originally a gift, becoming what Gómez describes as the boy’s inseparable companion.
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“Merlin had already become famous for selling bottled water,” Gómez said, recalling her surprise at her pet’s sudden rise to fame.
“He is always with us; we never imagined he’d become such a sensation,” she added. “We weren’t expecting it.”
Now, the family hopes Mexico’s famous feathered supporter can continue bringing luck to the host nation, which is staging the World Cup for the third time after hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986 — this time a co-host alongside Canada and the United States.
“Mexico, we are with you,” Gómez said. “And Merlin is your No. 1 fan.”
Molly-Mae Hague has reflected on having a second child, saying that having already been a mum for two years, she understands that each day is a ‘phase’
Molly-Mae Hague has opened up about thinking her “life was over” after becoming a mum. The star, who found fame on Love Island with her now-fiancé, Tommy Fury, welcomed their first child, daughter Bambi, in January 2023.
Taking to Instagram in view of her 8.7 million followers, the influencer shared a snap of herself, with little Midas nestled into her neck as she lay in bed. Captioning her post, Molly-Mae penned: “The best part for me about doing this second time round is knowing wholeheartedly that every hard day, stage and chapter with your child is honestly just a phase. No difficult day with your baby lasts forever and no tricky chapter stays the same.
“The comfort I’ve taken in that this time around has made me feel so different.” She added: “With Bambi I used to sit staring out of the window while breastfeeding thinking my life was over (as dramatic as it sounds). I thought I’d never sleep again, never get a moment to myself and never really be able to cope. I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel because I hadn’t reached it yet.
“But this time I know it’s there. I know there will still be challenging moments but I also know how quickly it all goes. I’ll blink and I won’t have a tiny newborn anymore and if anything, that’s the part that makes me sad.
“The peace I’ve felt this second time round, simply from knowing it’s all going to be okay, has honestly changed everything.” Earlier this weekend, Molly made her first major public outing as Tommy battled against Eddie Hall at the AO Arena in Manchester, which he won.
“What a weekend,” she told her fans as she shared a snap of the professional boxer with her son’s name on the back of his jacket. However, despite her glamorous appearance on the night, Molly later shared the reality of her outing.
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Sharing a picture of herself breastfeeding Midas, she said: “Don’t get it twisted. I pulled myself together for a few hours to support Tommy but this is the reality of most my evenings currently.
“Taking deep breaths, covered in vomit, whilst being used as a human cow and trying to look after my other little sassy human too!” And while Molly is juggling the challenges of having two small children, she acknowledges that while she knows she will sleep again soon, her children won’t be little forever.
“This time, I really feel it when they say ‘You’ll sleep again, but they’ll never be this little again’,” she penned on social media. Speaking prior to his fight, Tommy joked that he had been asked about their son’s name more than anything.
He went on to say of family life: “I’ve had a smile on my on my face all week. Everything’s gone smoothly; Molly’s happy, everyone’s happy. So it’s just about getting on to fight night, getting that done, and enjoying the summer with the family.
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“That’s what’s on my calendar for the foreseeable. It’s been the best week that you could ever ask for. A beautiful baby boy.”
ATLANTA (AP) — So much for a supersized World Cup diluting the quality of soccer’s biggest tournament.
Tiny Cape Verde, making its debut at the World Cup, pulled off a stunning upset to shut out heavily favored Spain in a 0-0 draw on Monday.
“This means everything for our country,” said Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito. “We have always said that we wanted everybody to see our country, our team and we have shown organization and braveness and this is proof of what our country is about — resilience and to try to overcome hardships.”
European champion Spain is one of the favorites to win the tournament and was -1200 to beat Cape Verde in its opening game. But it could not find a way past a 40-year-old goalkeeper and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them.
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Not even sensational teenager Lamine Yamal, who came in off the bench in the second half, could turn a game that ended with wild and emotional celebrations inside the stadium.
“A dream” was how Cape Verde defender Steven Moreira described it.
Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha broke down in tears after the final whistle following his impressive performance to keep Spain at bay.
He was the player of the match, pulling off a string of saves at the end of the first half to deny Ferran Torres, Pedri and Aymeric Laporte.
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The closest Spain came to finding a breakthrough was when Torres struck the bar shortly before halftime.
“We should have won today’s match with everything that happened, with all the favorable situations we created, but we lacked freshness and a clinical edge,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who had warned before the match that Cape Verde could be one of the surprise teams of the World Cup.
Spain could have been the victim of an even bigger upset when Diney Borges had a late chance to win the game, but saw his header saved by Spain keeper Unai Simon.
Add Cape Verde to Cameroon, Senegal and Saudi Arabia on the list of teams that have pulled off shocking results against soccer’s giants in the World Cup.
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Cameroon beat defending champion Argentina in 1990 and Senegal beat defending champion France in 2002. Four years ago Saudi Arabia triumphed against Lionel Messi’s Argentina, which eventually went on to win the tournament in Qatar.
The group of islands have about 4,000 square meters (about 2.5 miles) of landmass and approximately half a million inhabitants, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup. And even against a Spain team that is filled with superstar players, Cape Verde proved its worth on soccer’s biggest stage.
Despite the majority of the 67,640 crowd inside Atlanta Stadium appearing to be Spain fans, it was the Cape Verde supporters that cheered loudest. They continued their celebrations after the final whistle, singing and dancing in the concourse.
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“All of us, we are happy because we work a lot to be here. We deserve to be here,” said Vozinha.
The 2010 champion Spain is aiming to win the World Cup for a second time and is coming into the tournament after winning the Euros in 2024. But a disappointing start echoes its performances in recent World Cups when it has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in each of the last three editions.
“What doubts do you think my team is going to have? Zero doubts,” said De la Fuente. “We know how difficult this competition is. The idea we need to follow is what took us here and what made us European champions.”
Spain plays Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Cape Verde faces Uruguay.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff Monday morning at a U.S. Air Force base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, officials said.
Emergency crews were responding after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base, the military said on the social platform X. There was no immediate information on whether anyone was hurt.
Video from the scene showed a plume of black smoke rising from the desert.
Shortly before 1 p.m., the airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. Meanwhile all non-commercial visitor passes for the base were suspended “to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” officials said in a statement.
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The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, typically crewed by five people, is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in conflicts ranging from the Vietnam War to recent operations in the Middle East.
Edwards Air Force Base is home to a large portion of the U.S. Air Force’s aircraft test and development efforts and is about 100 miles (161 km) north of Los Angeles. The 412th Test Wing, which runs the base, also conducts developmental testing of all U.S. Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service as well as throughout their lifespan.
The vast desert base is also where Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound in 1947.
The crash comes almost a year after the pilot of a regional airliner flying over North Dakota made an unexpected sharp turn to avoid a possible midair collision with a military B-52 bomber that was in its flight path last July.
The new markers have been installed along the River Tees, which has formed the border between County Durham and Yorkshire’s North Riding for more than a thousand years, but been unrecognised for five decades.
Representatives of Durham County Council, the Historic Counties Trust, and the Yorkshire Ridings Society attended a ceremonial unveiling at County Bridge in Barnard Castle on Monday, June 15.
Nigel Wilkin of the Yorkshire Ridings Society said: “The River Tees has marked the border between County Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire for over a thousand years.
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“Despite the indelible place of our two great counties in our history and our hearts, this border has not been properly marked for over 50 years.
“We are overjoyed to see this omission rectified.”
Councillor Robbie Rodiss, chairman of Durham County Council, formally unveiled the signs during the ceremony.
Durham County Council has erected six pairs of signs at bridges crossing the River Tees, including Winston Bridge, Worlton Suspension Bridge, Egglestone Abbey Bridge, County Bridge, Eggleston Bridge, and Middleton Bridge.
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Additional signs marking the boundary with historic Westmorland have also been installed at Ley Seat Edge.
Peter Boyce of the Historic Counties Trust said: “We are very grateful to Durham County Council for marking the ancient border between them and to Councillor Rodiss for unveiling the new signs at County Bridge.”
All signs were funded by the Historic Counties Trust, with support from funds raised by Councillor Ross Patterson during his term as Stockton Council’s ceremonial mayor.
Inside Kim Leadbeater’s office in Parliament, ‘five’ and ‘zero’ helium balloons are gently deflating. They are a reminder of the weekend the Labour MP for Spen Valley has just had in Harrogate celebrating her birthday, but also carry a more poignant memory.
Ten years ago, Kim’s sister Jo Cox was the star guest, arriving last minute from Parliament, throwing off her MP’s suit and embracing the party spirit in a neon tutu. “We had so much fun that weekend,” Kim says. “Jo wasn’t an MP, she was just Jo. We’d rented a big house in North Yorkshire, and we were in 80s fancy dress. Jo wore a tutu, and we sang ‘I Know Him So Well’, our karaoke song, together.”
Kim’s 40th birthday was on May 1, 2016. Six weeks later, arriving for a regular constituency surgery in a library in the community she and Kim had grown up in, Jo was was murdered by a Far Right extremist.
Her family went from sitting down together to watch the England-Wales Euros game, to being plunged into a nightmare from which they have never emerged. “I haven’t been able to grieve,” Kim tells me now, 10 years later. “We just had to keep going forward, through the pain of it, through the trial. I needed to be there for my parents and for Jo’s kids. Even now I think, if I stop to grieve I might just fall apart.”
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Ten years on, it is glaringly obvious that Jo’s murder has not been the watershed we all wished it could be. In June 2026, two acts of gross violence have been ruthlessly exploited by Far Right agitators. Belfast has seen families hunted down by race, there have been racist attacks in Glasgow, and families in Southampton remain frightened, after orchestrated violence.
“When Jo was killed, it should have been the end – and the start of something different,” Kim says, now. “And for a moment it felt like that might be the case. But at this moment things are worse than ever. Believe me, I really do understand anger. But we all have a choice as to what you do with that anger. It would be really easy for me to want to hate every individual who looked like the individual who took my sister’s life. I chose not to do that because that act was his and his alone.”
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I remember seeing Jo tearing through this same building in Parliament, after she had been elected in May 2015. Now, it’s Kim – who five years after her murder, stepped into her sister’s shoes – who has an office at Portcullis House. For a decade, Kim and the rest of her extraordinary family have done everything they can to live by Jo’s ‘More In Common’ optimism, spreading love through national campaigns like The Great Get Together. But this tenth year feels different.
“Every day is awful without Jo,” the former fitness instructor says, speaking frankly. “The tenth anniversary will be no different. But this year, I think we need to talk more about what is happening in the country. We’ve done such a powerful job as a family and as Jo’s friends to remember the good things, and to do good things – but what we haven’t done is talked about the fact she was killed by a right-wing fascist neo-Nazi.
“So I want to talk about that this year. I don’t mean talking about him – we have never talked about him or even named him. But we need to start talking about the context.” During her own time in Parliament, Kim has not lived in her big sister’s shadow. Today, she is widely known as the MP who fought for an Assisted Dying Bill. In the process, Kim has had to live every one of the values she and Jo tried to bring to politics – in trying to disagree well.
“I do try to find common ground with people,” Kim says. “Jo and I were brought up like that. And sometimes to agree to disagree.” The Bill means she is regularly stopped, she says, by people who want to talk to about dying. It must be hard to talk to people constantly about death when she had been unable to grieve? “It is hard,” she agrees, “but it is such a human issue – and we don’t talk about death enough. We are all going to die.”
Her passion on the issue is palpable, and I wondered if it had something to do with her sister’s death – that Jo had not died with dignity. “Well, it’s about choice,” she says, after a pause. “All the bill is asking is for a choice. Jo didn’t have a choice.”
The June sunshine and the approaching World Cup are echoes of that moment in June 2016 when the world seemed to turn on its head. “I can’t really remember that time,” Kim says. “It’s a blur. I was just on autopilot. I had to be there for my mum and dad, and for Jo’s kids.
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“So, we threw ourselves into the good stuff. Her government strategy on loneliness, supporting the White Helmets, More in Common, the Jo Cox Foundation, the Jo Cox run, the Jo Cox bike ride… It’s been the worst of humanity followed by the best of humanity.”
This week, has been full of privileges Kim says she wished she had never had. She gave a lecture at Jo’s old Cambridge college, Pembroke and spoke at Downing Street alongside the Prime Minister. In her speech she said that “perhaps the greatest tribute we can pay to Jo is not merely to repeat her words, but to live by them”.
Kim knows that people often find her and Jo very similar. “We were very similar, growing up,” she says. “We had the same values, and the same friendship group. We both loved school, we loved sport, and having a good time. We loved going out for drinks when were old enough.
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“But Jo was also very shy. I think people don’t always know that. She had to work very hard on public speaking. I was always much more confident when we were children.” Like her sister, Kim can never stay serious for long, and she sees me looking at the copy of Vogue on her desk, which carries an interview with her. We both know what Jo would have made of seeing her little sister in Vogue.
“Jo would have found it absolutely hilarious!” she says, with a big laugh. “As I do! It is bloody hilarious. I’ve never had the least interest in fashion and clothes. I’m not built for being a fashionista, all the clothes are for tall people. I’m literally wearing a charity shop shoes, dress and jacket!”
Perhaps it is Kim’s voice, so similar in warmth to her sister’s, but for a moment it is easy to imagine Jo is still here in the building – still sharing an office with her old friend Stephen Kinnock, who laughingly put up with her cycling gear, and babysat her young children while she voted.
Kim, it turns out, often has the the same thought. “Jo was killed on Thursday 16th June 2016,” Kim says. “That weekend I was due to go to an open day at Leeds Beckett University for a Master’s degree. And I suppose that in that future I never would have been an MP.”
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She smiles. “Or maybe… well, just maybe there would have been the boundary changes, and Jo might have persuaded me to stand for the other local seat – because she was always trying to get me to do something in politics, and she was very persuasive – to become the neighbouring MP.
“She’d have been the MP for Dewsbury and Batley and I would have represented Spen Valley. We’d have both been representing our home and the area we love.” The lost possibility of this parallel world seems unbearably sad, but Kim shakes her head. “It makes me happy to think about that,” she says. “Thinking of us both here.”
She looks out of the window, where tourists’ cameras flash from boats viewing Parliament from the River Thames. “But I have gone on my own journey, instead.”
The motorway is closed in both directions between J24 Denton Interchange (Manchester, A57; Sheffield, M67) and J23 Snipe Interchange (Ashton-under-Lyne, A635) due to a Greater Manchester Police-led incident.
North West Ambulance Service are also in attendance.
National Highways Traffic Officers are also on scene providing assistance with traffic management.
Map (Image: National Highways)
Diversion Route
Anti-clockwise traffic is advised to follow the hollow diamond diversion symbol:
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Exit the M60 anti-clockwise at J24 and at the roundabout take the third exit onto the M67 eastbound.
Leave the M67 at J1 and turn left onto the A6017 Ashton Road northbound.
Continue straight on to the A6017 Denton Road northbound.
Continue straight on to the A6017 Guide Lane northbound.
At the junction with the A6140, turn left onto the A6140 Audenshaw Road westbound.
At the junction with the A635, turn right onto the A635 Manchester Road eastbound.
Continue until the junction with the M60 at J23.
Turn left onto the slip road and re-join the M60 anti-clockwise.
If this closure impacts on your planned route, please allow extra journey time. Plan ahead, you may wish to re-route or even delay your journey.
Further information is available from National Highways by visiting our www.trafficengland.com website and travel apps, or via our regional X feed.
Our 24/7 contact centre team is also available to provide up to the minute information on 0300 123 5000.
The M60 has been closed in both directions this evening amid an ongoing police incident. Emergency crews are in attendance between J24 for Denton Interchange (Manchester, A57; Sheffield, M67) and J23 for the Snipe Interchange (Ashton-under-Lyne, A635).
All lanes are closed currently with a large police presence at the scene. The North West Ambulance Service are also in attendance.
National Highways Traffic Officers are also on scene providing assistance with traffic management, with diversion routes now being put in place.
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Motorists are being urged to find alternative routes and avoid the motorway amid the ongoing incident. No further details have been confirmed.
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