News Beat
Bolton News Review of the Year 2025: September – December
The North Manchester terrorist attack dominated the national headlines, as two people were tragically killed in an antisemitic attack on a synagogue, with a house in Farnworth raided.
A Bolton radio presenter raised thousands for charity by undertaking an ultra-marathon, she said was the “hardest thing” she had ever done.
And two were tragically killed on a road in Bolton after a car collided with pedestrians.
September
An elderly widow was left without a car and her front windows smashed after vandals targeted her home in what her family believed was a case of mistaken identity.
Sheila Jefferson, 76, said that since her husband died she’s been scared to go out on her own and needs her car to get around.
She said: “It’s like living in a squatter’s place with the windows boarded up, it’s just so scary.”
There were reports of an “armed robbery” at Heron Foods in Farnworth with police called in the afternoon and the shop cordoned off for hours.
Witnesses said the man pulled out what appeared to be a gun before running off with a sum of money.
A Bolton dad with an incurable brain tumour donated his tears to help scientists explore whether the condition can be detected in tear fluid.
Alex Davies, 49, was given between 12 and 18 months to live when he was diagnosed, and he said: “Whether the delay in diagnosing my brain tumour would have made a difference to the outcome I don’t know, but if by helping with this research it could mean that someone like me can be diagnosed sooner, it offers real hope for the future.”
Alex, from Lostock, would sadly pass away on November 10, with friends and family paying tribute to “one of the best guys you could ever wish to meet”.
October
Manchester was shaken by a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Crumpsall, and a house in Farnworth was investigated by police.
The attack, carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie, tragically took the lives of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, and was committed on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
A house on Central Avenue was investigated, and one neighbour said: “It was a terrible incident from the beginning so to have this happening right next to our house is terrifying.”
A main road was shut after the wall of a former cycle shop came down, with two large holes from each of the former terraces visible.
Emergency services rushed to secure the area at the former Geoff Smith Cycles unit on St Helens Road in Daubhill.
A spokesperson for the fire service said that the building was in the process of being demolished and, contrary to earlier reports, it had not collapsed and the road was closed for safety.
Bolton’s reputation as the “Hollywood of the North” was bolstered with the launch of a new film bureau to help the town become the go-to destination for film and TV crews.
The Bolton Film Office was officially launched at the Bolton International Film Festival, celebrating 140 days of filming in Bolton over the last year.
Newly-appointed Film Office Manager, Fiona Fung, said: “I’m proud to be a Boltonian, and every day I see fantastic buildings and landscapes that deserve to be showcased.”
November
The Bolton News’ Tighten Up BBL Law Now campaign was shortlisted for the 2025 “Making a Difference Award”.
The campaign was prompted by the death of 28-year-old hairdresser Louise Moller who underwent a non-surgical BBL (Brazilian butt lift) after being influenced by posts on social media.
Four days after the procedure, she was rushed to hospital and told she had just minutes to live.
Louise’s mum, Janet Taylor, shared what she wanted changed in the law and the newspaper launched a campaign demanding the Government to take action.
Bolton DJ Sara Cox completed an incredible 135-mile run for Children in Need – raising a staggering total of £7,651,855.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter successfully ran 26 miles a day, every day, for five days in a row, and said it was the “hardest thing” she had “ever done”.
The family of a teenager who died from a rare complication of the contraceptive pill questioned why she was allowed to stay on it after concerns were raised.
Áine Rose Hurst died at 19 after being admitted to hospital with “severe brain swelling”.
The coroner found the pill to have directly contributed to her death, saying some medications have rare side effects, and “tragically, someone has to be that one in a thousand or one in ten thousand”.
December
A coroner concluded that it was not possible to find out why a teenager had entered a reservoir where he was found dead following a search.
Daniel Holden, 19, was found in the Lower Rivington Reservoir in August after he had gone out with friends and not returned home.
A group of Daniel’s friends organised a balloon release in his memory and raised more than £1,500 to be donated to the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
A £1billion “vision for health” at a site set for 9,000 new homes and thousands of square feet of office and industrial space was unveiled.
Health Innovation Bolton, HIB, is a new partnership that aims to improve health and wellbeing at the NorthFold growth corridor between Bolton and Wigan.
The scheme aims to create 16,500 new jobs, 9,000 new homes, 342,000 square metres of industrial space and 29,000 square metres of office space by 2035.
Two women, aged 57 and 59, were killed after a driver collided with them at the junctions of Scout Road, Smithills Dean Road, Colliers Row Road and Coal Pit Road.
Vicki Attenborough was one of the women who died, and her family said she “lived life to the full” and “was a loyal friend of many and will be deeply missed”.
A 19-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later bailed under investigation.
