Mr Boylan led GMCA and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) from 2017, and TfGM from 2019, through the defining years of English devolution.

Under his leadership both GMCA and TfGM became trailblazers for devolution, unlocking new powers and responsibilities for Greater Manchester, and taking buses back under public control for the first time in 40 years.

He also steered the city region through the horror of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 and the response to the coronavirus pandemic, and oversaw the appointment of a new Chief Constable for Greater Manchester Police in 2021.

In 2023 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to local government.

He retired from GMCA in 2024, going on to serve as Interim Chief Executive of Manchester City Council and of Homes England.

Mr Boylan has been described as a dedicated public servant for more than 40 years, working across the country and taking on leading roles at local and national level.

Sue Johnson, Chief Executive of Bolton Council, said: “Eamonn Boylan was a tireless public servant who dedicated more than 40 years to improving communities and lives across Greater Manchester.

“Eamonn played a vital role in securing the devolution deals, economic growth and public transport improvements that so many in Bolton are benefiting from today.

“He was always a great champion of Bolton and will be much missed by his many friends in the town hall and across the borough.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This is a devastating loss, and my thoughts today are with Eamonn’s family, friends, and all those who knew him.

“Eamonn was the public servant’s public servant, and a giant of English devolution. He led from the front but was rarely in the spotlight, taking every opportunity to lift up and empower those around him.

“At the most crucial moment in Greater Manchester’s devolution journey, he took the foundations laid by past leaders and built it into an effective, efficient machine that continues to deliver. The fact that we are the UK’s fastest-growing city region is a testament to his leadership.

“For the seven years we worked together he was a source of great support, guidance, good humour, and friendship. I will always count myself fortunate to have worked alongside him.”

GMCA Group Chief Executive Caroline Simpson said: “I am so deeply sorry for Eamonn’s family and loved ones, and for all of us that had the privilege of working closely with him through our careers.

“He was such an influential leader, in Greater Manchester and English devolution, and his impact cannot be overstated. But he was also an inspiration to so many people personally; a friend and a mentor whose massive intellect, humility, humour and kindness shone through every day.

“His dedication and his determination to get things done will leave a lasting legacy here. He will remain an indelible part of the fabric of our city region’s growth and success.”

There is a Book of Condolence in Manchester Central Library.

The incident happened on Saturday, March 28, on Faulkner Road. Officers confirmed they stopped a vehicle in connection with the incident and, following the stop and further enquiries, two people were arrested and later charged.

A 56-year-old woman has been charged with three counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of a corrosive substance in a public place. She has been bailed to appear in court.

A 26-year-old man has been charged with three counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, possession of a corrosive substance in a public place and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place. He has been remanded in custody.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing and have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

An officer said: “The affray incident on Saturday March 28 on Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe we can confirm that the team have stopped a vehicle in relation to the incident.

“From the stop of the vehicle and other enquiries conducted we can confirm the following outcome:

“A 56 year old female has been charged with Possession of an offensive weapon x 3 in a public place and Possession of a corrosive substance in a public place. The female has been charged and bailed to court.

“A 26 year old male has been charged with Possession of an offensive weapon x 3 in a public place, possession of a corrosive substance in a public place and threaten a person with an offensive weapon in a public place. The male has been charged and remanded for the offence.

“This is very much an ongoing investigation also so we would ask the public if there is any further information in relation to this to please come forward and report to 101 quoting incident reference DHM-28032026-0282.

“We continue to take these offences very seriously and will deal robustly with any offenders who act with any form of violence or carry weapons in a public place.”

Tiger Woods expressed astonishment as he was handcuffed after crashing his SUV last week in Florida, according to body camera footage released Thursday that also shows deputies removing two pills from the golfer’s pocket.

“I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI,” Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar told Woods after conducting a sobriety test on him.

Woods said he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station when his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. No one was injured in the March 27 crash.

“I’m being arrested?” Woods responded as he stood alongside the road.

“Yes sir,” Levenar said.

After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.

“That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities would later confirm that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.

In the bodycam footage, Woods told Levenar that he had not drunk any alcohol and that he had taken “a few” medications earlier in the day, though Woods’ words are muted in the released video as he describes some of the drugs.

“I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden — boom,” Woods told deputies as he knelt on a lawn, prior to his arrest.

Woods, 50, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence. He posted a statement Tuesday night saying that he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health.”

During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking.

Woods, who was hiccuping during questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, an arrest report said.

“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” Levenar wrote.

Woods is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.

But his injuries have kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in a 2021 Los Angeles car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation. He has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion.

Following last week’s crash, Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later.

Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing an officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense.

Emergency services were called to Aldam Street just after 4.45pm today (Thursday, April 2).

Air ambulance, police and ambulance attended the scene and one patient was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough by road.

Air tracking data shows that the Great North Air Ambulance also made its way to the same hospital.

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called to a road traffic incident on Aldam Street, Darlington, at 4.47pm on 2 April.

“We dispatched two double crewed ambulances, a clinical team leader and were supported by Great North Air Ambulance Service.

“One patient was taken to James Cook Hospital by road with a doctor on board.”

A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said: “We were activated at 16:50 on Thursday, April 2nd, to reports of a road traffic collision in Darlington.

“We had a doctor and three paramedics on board our aircraft, who, when they arrived on scene, assessed and treated the patient before the patient was transported to hospital by road.”

The Bentley was parked outside of the David Lloyd centre on Castles Farm Road in Gosforth, Newcastle when it was reportedly set alight around 8.30am on Tuesday, March 31.

Northumbria Police believe the fire was started intentionally by masked individuals.

A force spokesperson said: “It was reported that unknown masked suspects have poured accelerant on a vehicle which was parked in the car park – then set it alight.

“Emergency services attended the scene, and the fire was extinguished.

“Thankfully, nobody was injured.

“Enquiries are ongoing however the fire is being treated as suspected arson.”

A spokesperson for David Lloyd Clubs said: “We’re aware of the incident that occurred at our Newcastle club.

“We are assisting police with their investigations and are unable to comment further.”

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that two fire engines were sent to the scene.

A fire service spokesperson said: “Crews used breathing apparatus and hose reels to extinguish the blaze before leaving the scene shortly after 9am.”

Read more:

Police have appealed for information and urged the public to get in touch if they saw anything suspicious.

The spokesperson added: “Anyone with information should send us a DM on social media or use the live chat or report forms on our Force website.

“For those unable to contact us through the above ways, call 101.”

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will face disciplinary proceedings over accusations of sexual misconduct, it has been reported.

Karim Khan KC, who investigates war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, has taken a leave of absence pending an inquiry into the allegations.

Mr Khan, accused of a non-consensual sexual interaction with a lawyer in his office, has denied any wrongdoing.

In a vote on Wednesday by a core group of member states, 15 voted in favour, two abstained and four voted against moving forward with the disciplinary process, two sources told Reuters.

The ICC, the world’s criminal court of last resort, has been rocked by the investigation into Mr Khan, its most prominent official, as well as US sanctions over the arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former defence minister, over alleged war crimes.

A report by United Nations (UN) ‌investigators found a “factual basis” for the allegations of sexual misconduct, and that witness accounts “lend support to her claims”, the sources said.

However, a second report by three judges who analysed the UN report found the evidence insufficient to establish the truth of the allegations “beyond a reasonable doubt”, they said.

Lawyers for Mr Khan claimed in late March that the judges unanimously concluded that the “factual findings do not establish misconduct or breach of duty”.

Read more from Sky News:
Eight ‌countries ‘strongly condemn’ Israel’s new death penalty law
Alleged Bondi gunman loses bid to suppress family’s identities

A group of African states said disciplinary proceedings should end, arguing that the judges had exonerated Mr Khan.

However, other nations, including the ICC’s biggest backers, voted to continue proceedings.

Officials from the prosecutor’s office also opposed Mr Khan’s continued service as chief prosecutor in a letter read out at Wednesday’s meeting.

The prosecutor’s office has declined to comment on the development as it was an ongoing process.

It’s one of the clearest things about me. I’m black and white … I think I cried for a month when we lost the FA Cup Final in 1974. I was only ten and it was near my birthday as well. I was absolutely gutted. [Jo, Newcastle fan since the 1970s]

Sexism in football, according to a recent BBC report is “a problem that isn’t going away”. When working on my book The Feminization of Sports Fandom, I discovered that the increasing opportunities for women to become football fans over the last three decades has not automatically led to equality.

Now a University of Durham exhibition based on my work will play a role in challenging negative attitudes and help reimagine a more positive future for women football fans.

My research draws on more than 200 interviews with women sports fans in the UK. These accounts demonstrate that sexism and misogyny have been, and continue to be, rife in football. This work has contributed to several UK parliament select committees, with findings providing evidence for the urgent need for safer, more welcoming and inclusive environments for women fans.

It shows how various strategies are used by men to undermine the status of women as “real” or “authentic” fans, and that women are routinely required to “prove” themselves as such. This is supported by statistics from football’s anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out, which received reports of more than double the number of sexist incidents at football matches this season (2025/26) compared with the same point last season.

Colleagues and I also undertook the first research on UK male football fans’ attitudes towards women, surveying 1,950 men. It revealed that openly misogynistic attitudes still dominate football fandom in the UK. Three-quarters of men held either overt or covert misogynistic attitudes towards women in football.

To address this, we wanted to stage an exhibition that would call out common misperceptions of female fans. Away From Home: The Untold Stories of Women Football Fans is in equal measure about celebration and challenges. Co-designed with David Wright from Durham University’s Museum’s Galleries and Exhibitions Team, it recognises women’s memories and experiences as football fans – past and present – preserving these stories for the future.

Raising the profile of female fans

The lack of visibility of female football fans in popular and academic accounts, combined with assumptions that women did not attend football matches in the past, has contributed to the widely held views that women fans are less “authentic”. Or they are perceived as newcomers to football with less knowledge and thus treated with less respect.

Our exhibition, currently on show at the Beacon of Light in Sunderland, shares personal accounts of women fans of Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC from the 1950s to the present day, and reveals such assumptions and prejudices to be completely false.

This pop-up show is also about opening up challenging conversations regarding the work that is still needed to create safer spaces for all girls and women. Giving a platform to the experiences of female fans – both positive and negative – can help lead to changes in attitudes and a new appreciation for these women.

Despite football playing such an important part of culture, exhibitions on football are rare. Exhibitions with a fan focus even more so, and those focusing on female fans almost non-existent until now. Designed in the style of matchday stalls, the exhibition is popping up at sports centres and supporter fanzones such as Sunderland’s Beacon of Light.

Each fan featured is represented by a homemade football scarf, produced by supporters in a reference to an age before mass-produced official merchandise. Visitors can wear these scarves as they browse the stories, creating connection and emphasising the universal elements of football fan experiences. This familiar space and accessibility is critical if we are to unlock some of the challenging issues of sexism and misogyny that lie at the heart of this research.

Many of the stories emphasise the lifelong connections between fans and clubs that will be relatable to all fans, irrespective of club or gender. Margaret, a regular at Sunderland since the 1950s, sums this up:

Your football team gets into your heart and that’s where it stays. You cannot change that. My heart is with Sunderland Football Club, has been since my dad took me, and that’s the only place I would ever go.

Many featured fans describe gender inequalities in their experiences. This includes the expectation of giving up attending matches after marriage or starting a family, despite male partners continuing to attend.

There are also examples of sexism and extreme hostility towards women’s presence in the football stadium across all generations – as Beryl, a fan since the 1950s, describes: “The men just assume that you’re an idiot. Because they’re a man and football’s their game.” Lynsey, a fan since the 1990s, agrees: “We hear comments like: ‘What would you know about football? You’re a woman.’”

Creating better spaces for women

Highlighting these experiences can help us to reconsider negative attitudes to women fans today and imagine what the future could look like for them.

For a long time, women fans have felt they needed to accept what Newcastle fan Tracey describes as “football’s terrible sexist culture”, but there is a sense that this is changing.

As the exhibition tours, our work in collaboration with police and other major groups and organisations is developing solutions based on evidence that will help create safer, more welcoming and inclusive spaces for women fans. This includes improvements in national mechanisms for reporting and responding to violence and abuse.

Football can be an important force for positive social change. This exhibition and the research that underpins it forms part of these wider collective efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of the challenges women fans face. But crucially, it also celebrates these women’s lifelong memories, and the powerful sense of identity being a football fan can provide.

“A post-mortem will take place in due course”

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The circumstances surrounding the death of a man at a home in Co Antrim are being investigated.

Officers were in attendance at a residential property in the Ballymena area in the early hours of Thursday, April 2. In a statement to Belfast Live, a police spokesperson said a woman, aged in her 20s, was arrested at the property on a suspicion of drug-related offences.

The statement read: “Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a man at a residential property in Ballymena in the early hours of this morning, Thursday, 2^nd April.

“A post-mortem will take place in due course, however the death is not being treated as suspicious at this time.

“A woman, aged in her 20s, was arrested at the property on suspicion of a number of drug-related offences and remains in custody.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

Bush, 48, has pleaded guilty to 67 offences spanning 12 years at his firm, Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

Hull Crown Court heard that about 240 victim impact statements from affected people will be submitted before he is sentenced in July.

Funeral director Robert Bush leaves Hull Crown Court on Thursday (April 2) (Image: Scott Heppell/PA Wire)

Robert Bush (Image: Humberside Police)

These include families of the 31 bodies that were kept at his site for months after they should have been cremated, ashes found there that could not be identified, and about 150 people who were sold fraudulent funeral plans.

Speaking outside court after Bush pleaded guilty to all charges, campaigner Karen Dry, whose parents were both cremated at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, said: “There is an enduring sense of deep betrayal, emotional stress, and damage caused by this individual, to many families right across this city.

“From the torment of not knowing whether we have the ashes of our loved ones, to families having the trauma of DNA profiling to establish the identity of their deceased loved ones and having the distress of a second funeral, not to mention the anguish and hardship caused by fraudulent, and now worthless, funeral plans.”

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Alan Curtis, of Humberside Police, said: “The utter devastation and emotional harm Robert Bush has caused to hundreds of victims and families cannot be underestimated.

“Thirty-one families believed that their loved one had been cremated, when in fact they remained on site within the Legacy premises on Hessle Road. Most had been given ashes and had been advised that their loved ones’ cremation had taken place.

“Other families, who had chosen cremations through Legacy, were left waiting for ashes that have never been provided, or were deceived by Bush and given ashes that we now know were not their loved ones.

“The distress and devastation that this has caused for those families is simply unimaginable.

“People paid Bush for funeral plans, so in the future their families didn’t have to worry about costs and arrangements for their own funerals.

“He betrayed this trust, leaving some victims with the uncertainty around their own funeral arrangements and without the means to pay for them.

“The damage he has caused to families across our communities is quite possibly irreparable, with so many victims who have suffered and continue to do so.”

Victims of Robert Bush

Thirty people whose bodies were found at the funeral home:

• Norman Bridger
• Jonathan Butler
• Muriel Winning
• Raymond Dagnall
• Colin Wainman
• Maureen Graham
• Susan Gorbutt
• Shirley Wright
• Mark Hotham
• John Carlill
• Joyce Moulton
• Terence Buck
• David Burton
• Audrey Leach
• Danny Middleton
• Tony Munro
• Jessie Stockdale
• Peter Moody
• Jean Collinson
• Alan Gray
• Hilda Mary Rhodes
• Stephen Perrins
• Joan Stark
• Brian Johnson
• Graham Finn
• Terence White
• Susan Stone
• Herbert James Porter
• Peter Brown
• Julie Web

Four “foetus allegations” where Bush falsely told mothers the ashes he gave them were the remains of their unborn children:

• Jasmine Beverley
• Katie Woolston
• Stacey Foster
• Lucy James-Guest Ness

Fifty-seven victims of fraud over ashes:

• Michelle Drewry
• Shelly Chearman
• Richard Collins
• Brooke Atkinson
• Linda Hall
• Billie-Jo Chapman
• Petrina Featherstone
• Carl Osler
• Dianne Scandole
• Carol Brown
• David Greensides
• Norma Ellam
• Maxine Penrose
• Sharon Shimmells
• Claire Wilkinson
• Mark Anderson
• Kadie Laws
• Tracy Hudson
• Paul Whitehead
• Harry Welsh
• Tracey Hartley
• Jackie Delaney
• Jillian Townhill
• Christine Colville
• Kirstie Hobden
• Michelle Martin
• Donald Leslie Brigham
• Lee Clark
• Curtis Neylon
• Susan Brown
• Gillian Owst
• Sheila Robinson
• Brett Moses
• Richard Shaw
• Mandy Bailey
• Valerie Coates
• James Meikleham
• Yvonne Robinson
• Heather Welford
• Michael Endall
• Debra Lawson
• Joyce Rispin
• Peter Welburn
• Samantha Rosenquest
• Lisa Thompson-Frazer
• Sylvia Rawson
• Mark Hague
• Lynn Farmery
• Macey Urry
• Kirsty Young
• Tracey Brigham
• Bille-Jo Suffill
• Jill Hall
• Brendon Brown
• Rebecca Windas
• Sophie Tibbles-Carrott
• Rebecca Thompson

Twelve charities that Bush stole from by failing to pass on donations collected at funerals

• Salvation Army
• MacMillan Cancer Support
• CHIEF
• Dogs Trust
• Dove House
• Help for Heroes
• Maister Lodge
• Oakwood Dog Rescue
• RNLI
• Sailors Children Society
• WISHH
• Hull Fishing Heritage Charity

‘When he spoke, you listened’

An architect of change, his achievements touched every corner of Greater Manchester. His wisdom, leadership and ability to bring people together inspired many. He was a man who got things done.

Eamonn Boylan OBE, one of the region’s most influential and powerful political figures, has died aged 66. He leaves behind wife Maria and two children.

In a career spanning more than four decades, he worked roles in local government in Greater Manchester, Sheffield and London. He dedicated his life to public service and left his mark wherever he went.

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“When he spoke, you listened,” one former colleague said. He made Greater Manchester an ‘effective, efficient machine’.

He was deputy chief executive in Manchester from 2001 to 2008 and served as Stockport’s top boss from 2010 for seven years, laying the foundations for the town’s future success.

Mr Boylan led the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) as chief executive from 2017 to 2024, with responsibility over Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS).

In 2019, he also took over Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), overseeing the return of buses under public control.

Mr Boylan steered the GMCA and TfGM through a period in which the government gave the organisations more responsibilities to make decisions and run services locally. He spearheaded the ‘trailblazer’ devolution deal, giving politicians and public officials in more influence over transport, education and housing.

He guided the GMCA through difficult times – from the Manchester Arena terrorist attack that led to big changes at GMFRS, to the Covid crisis and the appointment of a new chief constable of GMP after the force’s failings were exposed in 2020.

Mr Boylan stepped down from the GMCA in 2023, saying: “I am immensely proud of what we have created together in Greater Manchester, and I hope that we continue to grow and prosper and make this city-region the best place to get on, grow up and get old.”

A return to Stockport soon beckoned as interim chair of Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC). And in 2024 when Manchester needed an interim chief executive while a permanent replacement was found for Joanne Roney – there was only one name in contention. He also served as Homes England interim chief executive in 2025.

When he was needed, he stepped up. He was trusted. In the world of local government, where change is slow and difficult, Mr Boylan had a knack for getting things done.

Like the man he deputised for in Manchester, he was a fixer who talked big and delivered. Like the late, great Sir Howard Bernstein, Mr Boylan led with steely determination and dedication. His leadership inspired those around him.

Following Mr Boylan’s death, less than two years after Sir Howard, former colleagues sense the end of an era in drawing is near. His fingerprints are all over Greater Manchester’s finest achievements, But Mr Boylan wasn’t one to hog the limelight.

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“Eamonn was the public servant’s public servant and a giant of English devolution,” Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said.

“He led from the front but was rarely in the spotlight, taking every opportunity to lift up and empower those around him.”

“At the most crucial moment in Greater Manchester’s devolution journey, he took the foundations laid by past leaders and built it into an effective, efficient machine that continues to deliver.”

As tributes poured in, one word continued to appear in former colleague’s statements – ‘humour’. Mr Burnham spoke of his ‘great support, guidance, good humour and friendship’.

Tom Stannard, current Manchester chief executive said: “He has been a mentor, confidante and adviser to me and many colleagues – always a source of great wisdom, advice and humour in the face of challenges, generous with his time and attention, and someone with an unswerving commitment to improving the whole of Greater Manchester for the benefit of its residents.”

GMCA group chief executive Caroline Simpson said Mr Boylan was a ‘a friend and a mentor whose massive intellect, humility, humour and kindness shone through every day’.

‘Stockport is the place it is today because of him’

It was while working at Stockport MDC that Mr Boylan planted the seeds of much of the town’s staggering transformation, which has seen it win national accolades as a place to live and work.

A massive £1bn of investment has flooded into the borough, creating a new transport interchange, apartments and business hub. The changes are not stopping anytime soon, with the regeneration area recently expanding to cover the entirety of Stockport town centre.

Councillor Mark Hunter, a former Stockport council leader, said of Mr Boylan: “He was a public service man through and through and helped shape the vision for the town centre transformation.

“He was there at the very beginning, he was one of the architects of the whole thing. He played a key role, there is no doubt about that, both in Stockport and across the wider Greater Manchester region.”

Councillor David Meller, former leader of the opposition at Stockport council, said Mr Boylan’s ‘fingerprints are all over the borough’.

He added: “He was plain-talking, really pleasant and focused on wanting to get stuff done. He wanted to cut through the blockers and find ways to get things done, bringing people together.

“He just had that gravitas and expertise in what he had done. He was a person who when he spoke, you would listen.”

Mark Roberts, current leader of Stockport council, said: “Stockport is the place it is today because of the strong foundations Eamonn helped to build. His leadership gave our borough confidence, and his legacy can be seen in our town’s physical investment and ambition that carries through to today and the future.

“Eamonn dedicated his life to public service and was held in high regard not just for his professionalism, but for the way he worked with people across the council and across political lines with a focus on always doing the right thing for local communities.”

Mr Boylan was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to local government in 2023. It marked the pinnacle of an extraordinary career.

GMCA group chief executive Ms Simpson said: “His dedication and his determination to get things done will leave a lasting legacy here. He will remain an indelible part of the fabric of our city region’s growth and success.”