The incident happened at the junction of Moor Lane and Spa Road.

A Bolton News reporter at the scene witnessed the aftermath of the collision, which appeared to involve a black Volvo displaying P-plates and a bus.

The junction of Moor Lane and Spa Road (Image: NQ)

The black Volvo had sustained damage to its front left side, while the bus had visible damage to the front left side near the passenger entrance.

It was not clear which bus service was involved, as the route number display had been switched off.

By around 3pm, all passengers appeared to have disembarked from the bus.

Three men were standing in the middle of the junction near the two damaged vehicles.

Black Volvo displaying P-plates and a bus (Image: NQ)

Traffic was manoeuvring around the scene, with queues forming as motorists navigated past the crashed vehicles.

Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.

It is unclear at this stage how the collision occurred or whether anyone was injured.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a plane was allowed to take off as President Donald Trump’s helicopter was approaching Reagan National Airport Tuesday afternoon in what appears to be a violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision near that busy Washington D.C. airport.

The incident occurred as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip. A commercial jet took off at the same time. The FAA decided after 67 people died on Jan. 29, 2025 when an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter that all takeoffs and landings at Reagan would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by the airport.

The airplane that took off Tuesday was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course.

The FAA said in a statement that “there was a momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another.”

“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation,” the FAA said.

The White House emphasized that President Trump was not in danger during the incident.

“Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the President in harm’s way,” said White House spokesman, Kush Desai.

And the Marine Corps defended the actions of their helicopter pilots.

“There were no ‘close calls’ with the routine Marine One movement,” Tuesday, said Marine Corps spokesman, Capt. Jacob Sugg in an email. “Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile. To the contrary, the ATC team approved the requested route and provided timely and appropriate traffic information.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident.

The airspace near the White House and Reagan is heavily congested with military and commercial aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration took steps to ensure that helicopters and airplanes would no longer share the same airspace around Reagan National Airport shortly after the investigation into last year’s midair collision began. The rules also prohibit air traffic controllers from relying on visual separation and require all military aircraft to broadcast their locations.

The feature allows holders of the Our Pass travel card to use their devices for travel across the region.

Our Pass gives 16 to 18-year-olds living in Greater Manchester free bus travel and selected half-price tram tickets.

Fran Wilkinson, customer and growth director at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “We are so excited to make Greater Manchester the first place in the UK to offer a dedicated travel card in Apple Wallet.

“This will make using Our Pass easier and more convenient for young people.

“The Bee Network continues to make it easier for people to get around our growing region.

“We are constantly looking for ways to embrace the latest technology to help with that and using Our Pass in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch is the latest example.”

With Express Mode enabled, users can simply tap their device on a reader without unlocking it or opening an app.

Our Pass is the first dedicated travel card of its kind to be integrated into Apple Wallet in the UK.

Launched in 2019, it supports school leavers and care leavers by offering free and discounted travel, and is currently used by more than 50,000 young people across Greater Manchester.

Users who do not have Our Pass in their Apple Wallet can still pay for travel using a debit or credit card through Apple Pay, with the Bee Network’s contactless system automatically capping daily fares.

To add Our Pass to Apple Wallet, eligible users should download the Bee Network app, select “Tickets,” tap “My Tickets,” and follow the prompts.

The digital card uses the privacy and security features built into iPhone and Apple Watch, with all card information encrypted and securely stored in the device’s Secure Element.

If a device is lost, users can use Find My to lock or locate it.

Apple does not have access to any Bee Network transaction or journey data.

According to an email sent out to university staff and seen by The Bolton News, as of Wednesday, August 5, Professor George E Holmes is no longer a University of Greater Manchester employee.

Professor Holmes was suspended by the Deane Road-based university, formerly the University of Bolton, in May 2025 alongside Provost Zubair Hanslot and another senior member of staff.

The suspension came in the wake of serious allegations being made about the university’s financial affairs.

The email said: “I am emailing today to inform you that Dr George Holmes’ contract as Vice Chancellor has been ended by the Governing Body of the University.

The university was previously known as the University of Bolton (Image: Phil Taylor)

“Dr Holmes is therefore no longer an employee of the University.

“Dr Greg Walker remains in post as the Acting Vice Chancellor and Interim Accountable Officer of the University.

“The Governing Body will meet in due course to consider the process and timelines for appointing a permanent head of the institution.”

Professor Holmes was suspended after an investigation by PriceWaterhouseCoopers into allegations made about the university that surfaced earlier in 2025.

In July this year, three people were arrested as part of a police investigation into “money laundering, fraud and bribery” centring around the university.

Two men, both in their 60s, and a woman in her 50s were arrested after police carried out a string of raids in Bolton, West Yorkshire, Humberside, and Lancashire.

Officers said on Wednesday they had been arrested as part of their investigation into “alleged financial irregularities” at the University of Greater Manchester, formerly Bolton, between 2014 and 2025.

All three had been arrested on suspicion of money laundering, while the two men were also arrested on suspicion of fraud, with one of them further arrested on suspicion of bribery.

They have all been released on bail and no one has yet been charged.

Bolton West MP Phil Brickell said: “Now that we know that George Holmes is no longer the vice chancellor of the university, it is now vital that the institution focuses on restoring confidence, ensuring strong governance, and maintaining its commitment to students, staff and the wider community.

“The university should seek to draw a line under this affair, learn any lessons arising from it, and move forward in a way that delivers the best outcomes for its staff, students and the people of Bolton.

“Stability, transparency and a clear focus on educational excellence will be essential in the period ahead.”

A University of Greater Manchester spokesperson confirmed that Professor Holmes is no longer employed by the institution.

They said: “Dr George Holmes’s contract as Vice Chancellor was ended by the Governing Body of the University earlier this week.

“The staff and students of the University have been informed of developments.

“Dr Greg Walker remains in post as Acting Vice Chancellor.

“The Governing Body of the University will meet in due course to consider the process and timelines for appointing a permanent head of the institution.”

By CHRISTIAN CALGIE, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE

Published: 17:00 BST, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 17:27 BST, 5 August 2026

The Cambridge University professor and diversity poster boy Jason Arday falsely claimed to have written a book, it has emerged.

Professor Arday repeatedly asserted that he authored a book entitled Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse.

However, in the latest CV boast to have unravelled, it was confirmed today that the supposed book never hit the shelves and was abandoned by Palgrave Macmillan several years ago.

The publishers accepted his proposal for the book, but it was never made public. Palgrave Macmillan failed to say why.

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The latest development, revealed by the Telegraph, comes after a gruelling few days for both Mr Arday and the University of Cambridge.

The row was sparked following allegations that the respected university’s youngest black professor had plagiarised chunks of his PhD thesis from research by another student.

This was followed by doubts about his claim to have run 600 miles in six days, and personally raised millions of pounds for charity.

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Jason Arday repeatedly said he had written a book, which it now emerges never made it to the shelves

An adviser to the Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was ‘thrilled’ to welcome Mr Arday as a patron of her charity last year

The University of Cambridge is so far standing by their top professor

His boast that he appeared in the TV series Seven Up was also questioned, given it was first broadcast two decades before his birth in 1985.

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And multiple universities have now distanced themselves from him after he claimed to have held academic positions there, including Ohio State University, the University of Glasgow, and Durham University.

Cambridge University has so far stood by its flagship professor, previously arguing he is the victim of a ‘vile campaign to undermine his credibility’.

Today the Department for Education said that the new Secretary of State, Lucy Powell, would not be intervening in the row.

But Ms Powell was left red-faced after it emerged that her own adviser handed Mr Arday a role at her charity last year.

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Special adviser Sarah Waite, appointed this week, said she was ‘thrilled’ to welcome him as a Patron of Get Further, a charity that gives extra tuition to disadvantaged pupils.

In a statement on their website, Ms Waite added: ‘We are delighted to have such an inspiring advocate join us in this important work.’

She founded the charity in 2018, after a period working in the Department for Education’s social mobility team, before returning as a special adviser two days ago. 

A Reform UK spokesman told the Mail: ‘Professor Arday’s credentials grow flimsier by the day. For the Education Secretary to appoint a senior advisor who was so easily taken in by his fantastical claims hardly inspires confidence.

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‘If senior government advisors can’t be trusted to demonstrate basic judgement, how can the British public trust them to manage our education system?’

Deputy Tory Chairman Matt Vickers said it ‘beggars belief that someone who appointed Jason Arday as a patron of their education charity only last year is now at the heart of the Department for Education’.

‘It seems this increasingly disgraced former Labour council candidate has friends in very high places. No wonder the University of Cambridge has been so hesitant to take action against him.’

The Labour Party became further entangled in the row today after it was revealed Mr Arday stood as a candidate for the party in Croydon.

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He won 953 votes in the Purley and Woodcote ward of the council in 2018, losing to the Conservatives.

Get Further was approached for comment.

Saltburn Folk Festival returns to the town from Friday (August 7) to Sunday.

It will see a range of events take place across Saltburn celebrating the folk arts.

Elinor Attwood, artistic director of Saltburn Folk Festival, said the event is “committed to folk being by everyone and for everyone”.

Read next:

“Saltburn Folk Festival is known for its ticketed concerts, but some of the most joyful and memorable parts of the weekend happen around the town and are completely free to enjoy,” Elinor said.

“We want local residents and visitors, including people who might never have been to a folk festival before, to come and discover how broad, exciting and welcoming folk arts can be. Our future-facing approach is about inspiring the next generation of folk musicians and artists, and we are committed to folk being by everyone and for everyone.

“Families will love the programme of activities, including dance, puppetry, crafts, storytelling, community singing, workshops, and performances from amazing folk artists. Our festival is a space to come together, and the free events offer a fantastic introduction to folk arts for people of all ages.”

For more information and tickets, visit www.saltburnfolkfestival.com

Eaton Socon homeowners said they were unaware they were responsible for clearing the bank until a letter from Cambridgeshire County Council – despite decades of living there

People living near a brook in part of Cambridgeshire have found themselves in a dispute with the council over a tree-clearing bill of thousands of pounds. Eaton Socon homeowners on Field Cottage Road – some of whom have lived in their properties for over 40 years – were shocked to receive a letter last year telling them they were responsible for clearing overgrowth behind their back fences.

Cambridgeshire County Council said they had “riparian responsibilities” to ensure vegetation leading down to Duloe Brook was cleared to prevent flooding. Riparian rights and responsibilities are legal obligations that come with land which borders a body of water, such as a river, lake or brook.

Graham Ottaway, who lives on Field Cottage Road said: “I didn’t believe it – they weren’t prepared to talk about it, they just said that’s the situation and you have to deal with it. They are destroying the value of the properties, setting up a dispute with the council and residents will know that if anyone wants to sell their property they have to disclose that.

“There are mature trees further down and if they fall down, you’re probably talking tens of thousands of pounds – not a couple of quid.”

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The 76-year-old said he had previously complained about overgrown foliage around five years ago – but nothing about riparian responsibilities was mentioned then.

He said: “The weeds were so bad they were climbing over our fence – there was no mention of riparian law.”

Roger Whitlock said that he’s lived on the street for 31 years and has never heard anything about riparian rights until the letter was put through his door.

The 76-year-old said: “I said to them it’s never flooded in all the years I’ve known and it’s never been any different. Last year we got a threatening letter in November telling us we had to get it cleared by December – only a few weeks. And if it did flood, it’s because they are going to build thousands of houses all the way up the brook.”

Ann Webb said a piece of land owned by Anglian Water prevents her house from having attached riparian responsibilities but she’s supported her neighbours in their campaign.

The 70-year-old said: “I’ve been here for 41 years and we’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Other residents said they were pleased that progress was being made after raising the issue with their ward councillor, Geoffrey Seeff, and that it was unlikely that the bank could be cleared until at least the end of bird nesting season at the end of August.

Cllr Seeff said that a grant would be sought from the county council to allow Huntingdonshire District Council to carry out the work and hopefully maintain the brook in the future.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “It would cost thousands of pounds, some of those residents have got massive trees behind their fences. It was clear the original developer put up the fences and didn’t tell them about the maintenance responsibility because they probably wouldn’t have been sold.

“It’s not an isolated case in Cambridgeshire. The most important thing is that it’s on the radar after we’ve been trying to do something about it.”

Cambridgeshire County Council said they offer grants of up to £10k to carry out watercourse maintenance but have not yet received an application relating to Dulow Brook. They said buyers are “unfortunately not always” told of their riparian responsibilities when purchasing property and have “pushed for the conveyancing process to be updated”.

A spokesperson said: “In general, the responsibility for maintaining watercourses rests with the owners of the adjacent land, however, specific responsibilities can vary, as laid out in leases and legal agreements, especially where occupiers are not the property owners.

“We have written to landowners along this stretch of Duloe Brook to remind them of their responsibilities to keep the channel and banks clear to ensure the risk of flooding is not increased for either themselves or their neighbours. Our officers also met with residents in November 2025 and March 2026 to answer their questions.

“We have recently published a new summary guidance document on riparian ownership which can be viewed here: Watercourse guidance | Cambridgeshire County Council and we are also in the process of producing a guide to buying and selling properties in relation to flood risk and riparian ownership.”

Huntingdonshire District Council was approached for comment.

Ronan King, from Lurgan, died in a two vehicle collision in Pettigo, Co Donegal, on Sunday afternoon

The grieving mum of a young man killed in a crash in Co Donegal at the weekend has asked mourners to wear her son’s favourite football tops to his funeral.

The funeral of Lurgan man Ronan King will take place on Friday and his mum Paula McCaffrey has asked those attending to wear tops of Armagh, Celtic and Liverpool.

Sharing the funeral notice, she wrote: “Anyone attending my Ronan’s funeral on Friday, feel free to wear his football tops Armagh Celtic and Liverpool.”

A funeral notice posted online describes Ronan as the beloved son of Gerard King and Paula McCaffrey, and much loved brother of Callum and Jamie, loving grandson of Sean and Sheila McCaffrey and late John and Mary King, and loving boyfriend of Lucy.

Ronan’s remains will be reposing at his grandparents home on Wednesday and Thursday from 12noon until 10pm where family and friends will be welcome to call and pay their respects.

His remains will leave the property on Friday at 9.30am and travel to St Paul’s Church for 10am Requiem Mass with burial afterwards in St Colman’s Cemetery.

In a tribute on social media, Ronan’s loving brother Callum shared: “My big brother, I love you so so much and I’m gonna miss you dearly for the rest of my life. Thank you for being here for me and the family. Rest In peace.”

His other brother penned: “Rest in peace to my eldest brother Ronan King he was one of the most gentle souls in this world and was taken away from it far far too soon we all will miss you dearly and love you so so much.”

Emergency services were called to the collision involving a car and 4×4 vehicle on the R232 at Fincashel, Pettigo, Co Donegal on Sunday, August 2, at around 2:45pm.

Ronan, the driver of the car, was pronounced deceased at the scene. His body has been taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Letterkenny.

A passenger in the car, a female in her 20s, was transported to hospital with serious injuries. The driver and sole occupant of the second vehicle, a male in his 60s, was also brought to hospital for assessment.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

A former far-right activist, who has a string of convictions including harassing a Jewish MP, has stood down as a Conservative candidate in upcoming local elections after backlash.

Joshua Bonehill-Paine said he acknowledged that “my previous actions continue to cause pain in the Jewish community”.

He said “if I stand as a council candidate, other political parties will spend all their time focusing on my past rather than the work I’m doing today, or even fighting antisemitism in their own midst.

“Rather than standing as a local council candidate, I believe that my experience is better used supporting Kemi Badenoch in her ongoing mission to combat the antisemitism and extremism that is dividing our nation.

“I have therefore informed the Party of my decision to withdraw from next year’s council election and Kemi has instead offered that I become an adviser to the Conservative Party’s Culture and Integration Commission, specifically focusing on how young men become radicalised.”

Earlier, he had said he was “tremendously proud” to have been selected by the party to stand as a candidate for Crewkerne South in next year’s Somerset Council elections.

Mr Bonehill-Paine, who now runs a political satire account on social media posting AI videos, is a former neo-Nazi activist who has several convictions, including posting anti-Semitic material ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally.

In 2016 he was found guilty of harassing former MP Luciana Berger in a string of anti-Jewish rants, posting articles online calling her a “dominatrix” and “an evil money-grabber” with a “deep-rooted hatred of men”.

He was previously jailed for producing an advert for a neo-Nazi rally illustrated with a picture of Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz which promised “an absolute gas”.

Since then he has apologised for his past offending, and says he is dedicated to “challenging the wave of hatred British Jews continue to face”.

Hours before he stood down, Jewish leaders rejected Ms Badenoch’s offer of a meeting with him from as she defended his selection as a council candidate.

This is a breaking news story, more follows …

An inquest into the sad death of 38-year-old Alex Hughes was opened and concluded at Cheshire Coroner’s Court in Warrington today, Wednesday.

The dad-of-two, originally from Wrexham and son of former United striker Mark Hughes, was discovered by his two sons on the floor of his bedroom unresponsive at their family home in Prestbury, Cheshire on June 19.

Cheshire coroner Victoria Davies opened an inquest into the death of Mr Hughes, who worked as Grimsby Town FC’s player recruitment lead, and previously held roles at clubs including Manchester City, Fulham, Blackburn and 1860 Munich.

It was heard that Mr Hughes was ‘found collapsed on the floor of his bedroom’ at around 4am in the morning by his two sons.

An ambulance was called and his children attempted to carry out CPR whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive at their home.

Paramedics arrived on the scene but sadly Mr Hughes was pronounced dead the same day, the coroners court heard.

Coroner Davies said: “An inquest is requested due to the death being unknown, instead of unnatural.”

Referring to notes made following the postmortem, Ms Davies said that the doctor stated there was ‘no significant results’ with no signs of alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of death.

She added: “It was noted this is a sudden cardiac death.

“The cause of death should best be explained as Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.”

Coroner Davies provided further background on the conclusion, noting that the syndrome occurs mainly in young men in England.

Concluding the inquest, she said: “Alex Hughes was found collapsed in his bedroom at home by his sons.

“His death was due to natural causes.”

Alex had a brief football career, on the books of Stockport County and Wrexham, before joining Blackburn in 2007, working as a performance analyst during his father’s time as manager.

He followed his father Mark to Manchester City in 2008 and worked with him again at Fulham before forging his own path abroad. He joined Grimsby Town Football Club in 2025.

Following the news of his death, a spokesman for the club said: “Everyone at Grimsby Town Football Club is devastated to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of our Player Recruitment Lead, Alex Hughes.

“Alex was a devoted husband, proud father, beloved son, brother and friend, and a highly valued member of the Grimsby Town family.

“Alex joined the Mariners in 2025 and quickly became a valued and highly respected member of the football club. Working closely with Head Coach David Artell and the football department, he played an important role in shaping the club’s recruitment strategy and supporting the continued development of the men’s first-team squad.

“Prior to joining Grimsby Town, Alex built an extensive career in football spanning performance analysis, recruitment and player representation. His experience included roles with Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, AFC Fylde and Morecambe, earning a reputation as a dedicated professional with an outstanding knowledge of the game.

“Beyond his professional achievements, Alex was deeply valued by those who knew him. His warmth, professionalism and positive personality made a lasting impression throughout the football club and the wider football community.

“The thoughts and heartfelt condolences of everyone at Grimsby Town Football Club are with Alex’s wife Jessica, his children Sebastian and Leonardo, his parents Mark and Jill, his brother Curtis, his sister Xenna, and all of his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

“The club respectfully asks that the privacy of Alex’s family is respected as they come to terms with their loss.

“Rest in peace, Alex. Once a Mariner, always a Mariner.”