Ethel Walsh, 85, passed away in hospital

The family of a ‘dearly loved’ grandmother have paid tribute after she died in a car crash.

Ethel Walsh, 85, was seriously injured following a collision on Atherleigh Way after 4pm on Monday, September 14. She died five days later.

Another occupant of the same car she was in remains in hospital in a serious condition. Greater Manchester Police previously said a man and a woman, both in their 80s, suffered serious injuries.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

They were inside a white Kia Soul, which is believed to have veered across the carriageway and into a silver Hyundai Tucson.

The force said in a statement released today (September 25): “Ethel Walsh, 85, died in hospital on Saturday 19 September 2026 following a collision on Atherleigh Way shortly after 4pm on Monday 14 September. Another occupant of the car who was injured remains in hospital in a serious condition.

“An investigation into the full circumstances remains ongoing by our Serious Collision Investigation Unit.”

Her family said: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved mother, Ethel Walsh, aged 85, following a road traffic collision on 14 September.

“Ethel was a dearly loved mother, nana, sister and friend, who brought immense warmth, joy, and kindness to everyone who knew her. “She was a gentle, strong, and independent woman who lived a full and contented life, and her sudden loss has left an immeasurable void in our family.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the emergency services, the medical team at the Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital, and the police family liaison officer for their care and support during this devastating time.

“As the police investigation into the circumstances of the collision remains ongoing, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and remember the wonderful woman she was.”

He was later asked by BBC East Midlands political editor Peter Saull if there would be a general election next May, alongside council elections in the area.

The PM replied “no” before adding: “Not having a general election.”

Burnham also said he wants to use the conference to say more about “the direction I want to take the country in”, adding: “The focus is on that, helping people with the cost of living, helping businesses with the cost of running a business.

“These have got to be the priorities right now, rather than throwing the country into a backward-looking process where we’re arguing again amongst ourselves.”

Burnham said he wanted to ensure people are “feeling a bit of hope in their lives again”, adding: “That’s what I’m trying to do, and I hope to take it further in the coming period, rather than putting people back into an election cycle.”

The prime minister was also asked about the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

It comes after 781 people were recorded arriving in 10 boats on Wednesday, the highest total for a single day so far this year.

Burnham said his goal was that he didn’t “want to see any crossings at all”.

He declined to put a timescale on the ambition, but said his government would “not stop” working until crossings went “right down”.

He argued that Brexit had hampered the UK’s ability to stop the arrivals, saying it had led to a “loss of collaboration with neighbours”.

Elsewhere in the series of interviews, he said:

The 66-year-old singer rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the new wave band, performing on a string of UK Top 10 hits, including True and Gold, as well as on the 1984 Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Tony Hadley arriving for the TV Choice Awards 2016 held at The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London. (Image: PA/Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire)

After the band split in 1990, he pursued a career as a solo artist and has since released several of his own studio albums.

Although Hadley rejoined the band in 2009, he announced his departure in 2017, saying at the time it was due to “circumstances beyond my control”.

Nearly a decade on, Hadley has now revealed he has not been in contact with many of his former bandmates – which included Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble.

He told the Press Association: “Unfortunately, the wheels came off, and we went through some pretty horrid times together. I saw Steve Norman at a festival in Germany recently, but I haven’t seen the rest of the guys in 11 years.

“Which is sad, but that’s life. You know, bands fall out with each other. It’s just the way it is sometimes.”

Despite the falling out, Hadley said he could still look back at his time in the band with fondness.

He added: “I think it’s important. I mean, it would be really sad if what happened in recent years muddied the water in terms of what it felt in times like when True went to number one for instance and was then in the Top 5 in America for four weeks.

“I can still sing those songs and not with any kind of angst or bad feeling. I just sing them because they’re great songs. They’re part of my life. They’re part of the audience’s life, and it’s important to realise that.”

After striking out on his own, Hadley admitted he found the experience “bloody terrifying at first”.

He said: “It’s the scariest thing because you’ve got to remember that we were a school band and then all of a sudden you find yourself as a solo artist. It was kind of daunting, but I got used to it.”

Years later, Hadley is now celebrating five decades in the music industry, which he said was a hard-fought achievement.

Hadley added: “When you sign your first record deal, you want it so much and desperately want it to last for as long as possible. But we all know the music business is pretty fickle and not everybody survives or lasts the course.

“But through sheer determination and hard work, I’ll always get back up no matter how many times you hit me down.

“I’ve managed to still be doing what I love 50 years on. It’s a pretty tough business, but you’ve got to roll with the punches, and I’m loving it at the moment. So, I am a lucky man to still do what I love.”

The singer, who has won a Brit Award and was made an MBE, is also marking his 50 years in the industry with The Christmas Big Band Tour 2026, which will see him perform 19 shows across the UK this winter.

The shows will see him perform timeless big band standards, swing favourites and 80s anthems including songs by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Elvis Presley, while being joined by the Fabulous TH Band and full brass section.

He also promised fans he would perform some of Spandau Ballet’s best-known songs.

“It’s musical suicide not to sing your hit songs,” He said.

“If you’re a new band that no-one’s ever heard of and you do a 40-minute set, then of course you’re playing new songs. But if you have all these fantastic songs like True, Gold and Through The Barricades and don’t perform them, the audience will just walk out.

“They want to hear those songs, and I think you’d be really selfish not to perform them.”

During his time back with Spandau Ballet, Hadley also took part in the 2015 season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! – in which he finished sixth.

Although he said it “served a great purpose” at the time, he has no desire to do another reality show.

Hadley explained: “There’s so many reality shows now, I enjoyed that one because it was in the jungle, and I’ve done various charity jungle treks.

“So I actually love being in the jungle, but to be honest they are trying to invent celebrity this and celebrity that all over the place, and I’m kind of bored with it.

“I think I did it at the right time, but I’m not interested in anything else now.”

But when asked if he had any other projects to tick off the bucket list, he revealed there was a contemporary album in the works that he was hoping to release next year, while another goal was to perform with a big band in Las Vegas.

Tickets to The Christmas Big Band Tour 2026 are available from myticket.co.uk/artists/tony-hadley.

Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch have “weaponised” violence against women and girls “for political point-scoring” but do not care about the real issue, Labour chair Bridget Phillipson has claimed.

In an interview with The Independent, Ms Phillipson, the cabinet minister for women and equalities, lambasted Britain’s two main right-wing parties for ignoring what she describes as “a national emergency” in women’s safety.

The former education secretary, who has been tasked by the prime minister, Andy Burnham, with leading the party’s campaign machine, spoke to The Independent ahead of opening the Labour Women’s Conference in Liverpool on Saturday, a day before the party’s main conference.

In a wide-ranging discussion, she also spoke about:

She said: “I think we are seeing a weaponisation of violence against women and girls by parts of the right that I don’t believe will challenge the attitudes that we’re seeing, or will lead to women feeling safer – and that is my focus. I want all women to be able to lead the lives that they want to live without fear of intimidation or abuse.”

She added: “The way that the Tories and Reform have approached this issue is all too often about political point-scoring. They’re not serious about taking the action that’s needed to protect women.

“I think the difference between the approach I take and this government takes, and then the Tories and Reform, is that they’re only interested in talking about women’s safety when it relates to immigration or asylum.”

Ms Phillipson’s decision to speak out on the way she sees violence against women and girls being manipulated by the right comes after the Oxfordshire village of Piddington voted in favour of independence because of plans to open a migrant camp there.

Women in the village wrote to Ms Phillipson expressing concerns over their safety over the plan to put more than 1,000 male migrants in the nearby former military base.

Ms Badenoch later visited, but Ms Phillipson remains dismissive of the Tory leader’s interest, as well as Mr Farage’s claims to be concerned for women in the village. He also weighed in on the Piddington debate, and the party’s education spokesperson, former Tory Suella Braverman, visited the village.

Both Tories and Reform were also critical of Labour when there were protests and disturbances outside a migrant hotel in Epping after an asylum seeker was arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

But in a furious attack, Ms Phillipson said: “When was the last time Kemi Badenoch visited a rape crisis centre or women’s refuge? Has Nigel Farage ever shown any interest in visiting a women’s refuge, or is he only interested in talking about violence against women when it allows them to make a political point?

“I mean, that does for me call into question whether they – whether Reform and the Tories – are actually serious about tackling this issue, or whether they just want to make it an issue that is used as a weapon.”

She expressed sympathy for the women in Piddington. “Of course all women across our country have the right to be safe, and that includes women in Piddington as well. And the concerns that they raise should be taken seriously too, because they, like every other woman in our country, should feel safe.”

For Ms Phillipson the issue of violence against women is personal because her mother set up a domestic abuse charity, Wearside Women in Need, when she was growing up.

She went on: “Women’s safety is a national emergency, but that has to mean all women, because you know we live in a country where a woman is killed by her partner or former partner every five days, and the safety of women is of the utmost importance.

“That’s why just this week I’ve launched a task force on tackling misogyny. So the attitudes that mean that women live smaller lives, that they don’t always feel safe on our streets or in their own homes.”

In December, Labour unveiled its strategy to halve violence against women in a decade with £550 million pledged for victims services, new rape trial courts, a £13 million national centre for VAWG, domestic abuse protection orders, covert online teams, a new offence on spiking and funding for teacher training on the issue.

But campaigners criticised the Starmer government over the delay in producing the strategy, along with a lack of funding. There have also been criticisms over protecting single women’s spaces and sport. Former minister for VAWG Jess Phillips resigned over a failure to tackle the problem online.

During Sir Keir’s premiership, Reform and the Tories also made a series of attacks over the grooming gangs issue where in many cases gangs of Asian men were sexually preying on under age white girls.

Labour was criticised for initially resisting holding a national inquiry into the scandal.

Ms Phillipson said it was “right that we now have a national inquiry underway to really tackle the roots of group based and child exploitation” but suggested that class issues had also come into play in this scandal.

“A lot of what happened in that period was that there was a total failure to to listen to women, to believe women, especially working class girls who were reporting unimaginable abuse but weren’t taken seriously, and that’s the kind of culture that we have to shift in our country.”

As a result she has said that class inequality is now “a major focus” of her work.

In a political landscape increasingly defined by so-called culture war issues, Ms Phillipson made it clear she is up for the fight, highlighting concerns about the rise in ethno-nationalism which were made by former Tory PM Rishi Sunak.

“I agreed with Rishi Sunak when he said that it’s a deeply worrying trend that we’re seeing that people’s national identity, their British identity, is being called into question because of their skin colour.”

Raising the way the issue has been linked to the migrant crisis leading to the abuse of RNLI volunteers, she blasted: “People who have no other role or commitment other than to stop people losing their lives on the sea. The online abuse they’ve received is just absolutely appalling.”

She is also furious that the new Reform council in her home constituency in Sunderland has cancelled support for Show Racism the Red Card’s work at schools after “30 years of brilliant work”.

The Labour women’s conference is set to be faced with a protest by trans activists but the party has also been accused of not doing enough to protect women’s only spaces.

Ms Phillipson insists she wants to remain “pragmatic” with the trans debate, siding with the Supreme Court ruling on protecting female only spaces. Women’s and men’s toilets at the Labour conference will be single sex spaces based on biology.

“I’ve always believed that women should have the right to single-sex spaces on the basis of their biology.

“But I also believe that trans people have the right to live their lives free from intimidation, harassment and should continue to enjoy protections under the law.”

Addressing the criticisms made about the Tories, a source close to Ms Badenoch said: “This is a spiteful and absurd attack from a woman in a party that struggles to recognise what a woman is. We won’t apologise for talking about the fear women feel from men being allowed into their changing rooms, or from male illegal immigrants who need to be told not to rape.

“Kemi has spent years standing up for women, protecting single-sex spaces, listening to grooming gang survivors and hearing from women failed because institutions were too weak to confront uncomfortable truths. The women she met in Piddington this week would find Phillipson dismissing their concerns as ‘political point-scoring’ insulting.

“It’s preposterous for Labour to lecture anyone about protecting women when they had to rewrite their own sentencing plans to stop rapists being released early. Phillipson was a useless education secretary who sent school standards backwards.”

The Independent has approached Reform UK for a response.

If you’re not successful bagging a ticket for a UK show, then you may be thinking of heading over to see Oasis in Europe. However, this means booking transport and accommodation.

Here’s a rundown of the costs of seeing Oasis in various cities. Prices are likely to rise closer to the time, especially as hotel rooms near the stadiums are likely to be snapped up.

Munich

Tickets: Seated tickets from €96.25 (£82.51) and standing from €165.25 (£141.68).

Flights: There are flights to Munich from London, Manchester, Glasgow, and several regional airports. To fly out on July 1 and come back July 4, and you’ll find flights on Lufthansa from London-Heathrow from £113 return.

Accommodation: As it’s close to a Metro, so look for accommodation elsewhere in Munich that’s close to public transport, such as the ibis Hotel München Garching, which has rooms on July 2 from £218 a night and is just one stop away.

Barcelona

Tickets: Seated tickets from €85 and €204 for standing (£72.89 and £174.93 respectively).

Flights: Barcelona is served by several regional airports, and weekend flights from London Luton start at £89 return with Wizz Air.

Accommodation: Stay at the Radisson Blu 1882 Hotel, Barcelona Sagrada Familia, available from £332 a night for two sharing, and you’ll be close to the major tourist attractions, so you can enjoy a city break too. If you’d rather stay closer, Mambo Tango is about a 20-minute walk away and has double rooms from £284.

Amsterdam

Tickets: Seated tickets from €84.15 and €201.96 for standing (£72.15 and £173.16 respectively).

Travel: Eurostar offers London to Amsterdam tickets from £39 one-way, although they tend not to run at weekends, so you would need to travel down Friday and come back Monday. There are also lots of flight options from multiple airports, and even the London to Amsterdam overnight FlixBus, which starts at £44 in July.

Accommodation: Just a short walk away is the Joy Hotel, which has budget double or twin rooms on the tour dates from £265. However, the cheapest rooms don’t have a window, so don’t expect lovely views of Amsterdam.

Paris

Tickets: Seated tickets from€84.00 (£72), while standing options start at €199.50 (£171).

Travel: Eurostar is an excellent way to get to Paris. It arrives at Paris Gare Du Nord, and tickets currently start at £49 each way. There are also lots of flights to the sprawling Aéroport de Paris-Charles de Gaulle, about 40-minutes from the stadium, from airports across the UK.

Accommodation: You can either opt to stay centrally, such as the boutique Chouchou Hotel, which has rooms from £325 a night and explore the city, or simply stay near the stadium. The Ibis Styles Paris Saint Denis La Plaine is about half a mile away, and has basic rooms from £350 a night for these July dates.

Rome

Tickets: Seated tickets from €92.29 (£79.21), while standing will start at a whopping €221.49 (£190.09)

Travel: There are some cheap flights available, such as Wizz Air, which offer a return from London Luton to Rome for around £131 for late July dates.

Accommodation: Sweet Home Parioli is just over a mile away and has rooms from £180 a night based on two sharing, and offers simple accommodation that’s perfect for post-gig sleeps.

Slane Castle

Tickets: General admission tickets will be priced at €181.25 (£155.58)

Travel: Ryanair flights from Newcastle to Dublin for those dates are showing for £70 return, although there are often sales where you can buy flights more cheaply.

Accommodation: Four-star Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin has rooms from £350 a night for two sharing, or, for £61 each per night, you can opt for a bunk at the Gardiner House Hostel for a budget-friendly stay.

Manchester City have been found in breach of 114 financial charges but an appeal process is expected to delay any final outcome

Advertisement

Manchester City are understood to be appealing the verdict that found them guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League financial charges they are accused of breaching. As the case has not reached a final outcome, the Premier League are yet to comment publicly but City have issued a response.

A club spokesperson said: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

In the wake of the unprecedented verdict, many have been discussing potential punishments but the club will not be sanctioned until the appeal process, which has now started, is complete.

With the majority wondering what happens now, the Manchester Evening News has taken a closer look at the situation, the potential punishments and how long the process could still take.

How would an appeal work and how long would it take?

City’s first step is lodging an official appeal against the independent panel’s verdict of their financial charges case against the Premier League.

Advertisement

The club has 14 days following the decision to lodge this appeal, according to Premier League regulations, which will subsequently see the verdict looked at by a three-person panel, currently presided over by former solicitor and High Court judge Sir Gary Hickinbottom. It is unknown whether that 14-day period has already started.

An appeal would postpone the implementation of any fines, points deductions or other penalties imposed, though as the Premier League considers the appeal panel’s decision to be final, Man City would be unable to lodge a further appeal or refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). An appeal does not necessarily mean all evidence will be reheard, nor is it equivalent to a retrial.

FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester City Facebook page

The appeal hearing would be conducted in private, while the final ruling would be published on the Premier League’s website.

Advertisement

Regarding the duration of the appeal process, there is no fixed timeframe within which a decision must be reached. Previous appeals brought by Nottingham Forest, Everton and Leicester City took anywhere between six weeks and three months to reach a verdict.

Given the sheer scale of Manchester City’s charges, it is conceivable that their appeal could prove lengthier than those three cases.

What are Man City accused of?

The 115 charges levelled at Man City — the majority of which they have been found guilty of — can be divided into three distinct areas. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire outlined these categories when speaking to BBC News.

He explained: “First of all, [there is] an accusation of not complying with the Premier League investigation in to the club’s finances. Secondly, disguising money from the owners which was effectively a gift from the owners as sponsorship income.

Advertisement

“The third accusation is that individuals were being paid off-book. Effectively, an employee – that could be a manager or player – would have a contract to play for Manchester City, but there has also been accusations that they were also being paid by Abu Dhabi organisations which are indirectly or directly connected to the club owner. Therefore, this would reduce the costs and reduce the losses incurred.”

It has not yet been confirmed which of the 115 charges Man City have been cleared of.

What are the potential punishments?

Should City’s guilty verdict be confirmed, the sanctions imposed could prove severe, with experts and insiders having previously suggested that a points deduction substantial enough to trigger relegation or even outright expulsion from the Premier League remain possibilities.

Advertisement

The Premier League has previously issued fines, transfer bans and points deductions for financial breaches.

Just in the last few years, Everton had six and subsequently two points deducted during the 24/25 campaign for PSR violations, while Nottingham Forest were also docked four points.

More drastically, Luton Town were penalised 30 points in 2008/09 for unlawful payments to agents and for emerging from administration without completing the mandatory insolvency procedure of a Company Voluntary Arrangement while the club competed in the English Football League, not the Premier League.

Advertisement

Naturally, Man City’s situation differs considerably from previous cases, both in the nature of the charges and the sheer volume of them, meaning any potential sanctions should the reported guilty verdict be upheld could look markedly different from earlier precedents.

What are Man City saying?

City’s official statement is above with it quickly released in the wake of the verdict coming out. The club have also remained active on social media this afternoon and are seemingly acting as though it is business as usual.

A gang of four men and one woman have been jailed for a total of 81 years after they were convicted of sexually exploiting three teenage girls in Rhyl, North Wales

A gang comprising four men and one woman who sexually exploited three teenage girls has been handed a combined sentence totalling 81 years in prison. The judge remarked that they viewed their victims as “easy prey”.

The victims were just 14, 15, and 16 years old when the gang targeted them, grooming them with drugs and alcohol before taking advantage of them. Ringleader Mustafa Iqbal has been jailed for 35 years following his conviction on 21 offences, including four counts of rape.

The judge described him as having an “apparently uncontrollable” and “voracious” sexual appetite. One accomplice, Sarah Gray, “sold her soul” to him in return for cocaine, permitting him to rape one of the victims at her residence. The other gang members were Mohamed Arshad, Jaswinder Singh and Ziaullah Badshah.

The four men caused severe psychological harm to the three victims. Following a trial, they were found guilty last month of offences connected to the exploitation and abuse of three teenage girls in Rhyl and surrounding areas between April 2022 and March 2024, reports Wales Online.

During the four-month trial at Caernarfon Crown Court, jurors heard how they supplied the children with alcohol and drugs before raping and assaulting them. Owen Edwards KC, prosecuting, explained that Iqbal had encountered two girls wandering Rhyl’s streets while under the influence of cannabis in March 2022.

He took them to his home and informed his two accomplices, Arshad and Badshah. While the girls initially said they were 17 and 16, one subsequently disclosed their actual ages as 15 and 14.

During a game of spin the bottle involving kissing, the girls were given cannabis. The abuse escalated rapidly. Additional contact occurred and an investigation was initiated by police in 2022, though no charges were brought against the defendants at that stage.

Following the sentencing of Iqbal and his co-accused, Judge Simon Mills stated he intended no criticism of North Wales Police, but suggested there ought to be “reflection”.

He said: “There should be some reflection – hindsight is a wonderful thing – on the failure to take action. There should be some consideration as to whether any more could have been done to protect these children. I’m not being critical because hindsight is a wonderful thing and there was more evidence that came to light subsequently.”

In November 2023, Iqbal met another girl who was 16. Iqbal “made his sexual interest in her obvious” and she called him a “nonce”.

However, within days she had become involved in a relationship where she traded sex for cocaine. Mr Edwards said: “She was in effect a sex slave.”

An adult who knew her contacted the authorities. Iqbal was arrested on 17 January 2024, with officers finding he had a sex toy and a weapon – a noxious gas canister, the court was told.

In February 2024, Iqbal was issued with a warning to end all communication with the 16-year-old girl. Undeterred, he changed his mobile phone, car and address, moving his later sexual liaisons with her to either Sarah Gray’s residence in Gronant or his own dwelling.

During one incident, Iqbal shackled the girl with handcuffs and raped her “forcefully”, the court heard from Mr Edwards. Afterwards, Sarah Gray washed the bed linen to eliminate forensic evidence.

Nevertheless, the girl contacted police and handed over underwear containing DNA which she had kept following Iqbal’s last rape of her. Officers arrested all the defendants on 7 August 2025 and uncovered that Iqbal had been communicating with another girl, aged 17.

Louisa Robertson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Iqbal, Arshad and Badshah sexually exploited these children using alcohol and drugs to coerce them.

“Singh and Gray were complicit in the exploitation of vulnerable girls. The victims of these shocking crimes showed great courage in speaking out against their abusers, and it is through their strength that we have brought all the offenders charged to justice.”

Iqbal and his accomplice Arshad, who wasn’t engaged in drug dealing, “revelled in the ease with which they could exploit” the first 15 year old girl.

One co-accused grumbled that Ziaullah Badshah was “getting more than his fair share of sexual activity (with her)”, Mr Edwards disclosed. Tim Naylor, representing Iqbal, told the court: “He is someone who wants to impress others. He wants to be liked – traits which have led him into poor decision making.”

The trained chef, who “descended into drug dealing”, has “some insight” into his offences, Mr Naylor explained. “He knows he will have to serve a considerable part of his life in prison. He will miss a large part of his children’s development.”

Graeme James, representing Arshad, informed the court his client wouldn’t have got involved with the 15 year old had he known her true age, insisting he thought she was 17. The judge, however, observed that the jury had dismissed Arshad’s version of events.

Simon Killeen, acting for Badshah, said a probation officer had characterised him as impressionable and having his own vulnerabilities.

Duncan Bould, defending Singh, stated his client recognises his relationship with the two girls was “inappropriate”, and that Singh admitted providing them with cannabis.

“He is a lonely and socially isolated person” who had a “devastating commitment to alcohol”, the court heard.

Bould also pointed out that Singh has a “significant disability”, asking the judge to take into account the challenges he would encounter behind bars.

Gareth Bellis, defending Gray, contended she belongs in a different category from her co-accused. The Manchester grandmother had previously battled crack cocaine addiction.

She had journeyed to North Wales in a bid to break free from both her drug addiction and abusive relationships, but had “slipped back” into drug use, where she came across Iqbal’s drug runner and subsequently Iqbal himself. Bellis described Gray as a “minion” of Iqbal.

His Honour Judge Simon Mills condemned the defendants in the harshest possible terms, stating that each male defendant had taken part in trips to Manchester or London, targeting the 15 and 14 year old girls as “easy prey”, while further offences were carried out in North Wales.

Addressing Iqbal directly, the judge declared: “I have no doubt you are a dangerous offender (and) you pose a serious risk to young girls.”

Mustafa Iqbal, 43, of Trellewelyn Road, Rhyl, was convicted of four counts of rape, three counts of conspiracy to require a person to perform compulsory labour, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, two counts of conspiracy to traffic, conspiracy to supply cannabis to another, conspiracy to supply cocaine to another, supplying cannabis to another, arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, and breaching a slavery/trafficking risk order.

He received a 30-year custodial sentence for each offence of rape and trafficking for sexual exploitation. He must complete two thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole, with concurrent sentences handed down for his remaining offences.

Mohamed Usman Arshad, 36, from Clifton Grove in Rhyl, was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to traffic, two counts of conspiracy to require a person to perform compulsory labour, and supplying cannabis to another.

He was handed a 19-year prison term for trafficking and 12 years each for three counts of rape, to run concurrently, alongside further concurrent sentences for his other crimes.

Ziaullah Badshah, 25, from Brighton Road in Rhyl, was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to traffic, two counts of conspiracy to require a person to perform compulsory labour and supplying cannabis to another.

He was given a 17-year jail sentence for trafficking, with additional concurrent sentences for the other offences.

Jaswinder Singh, 61, from River Street in Rhyl, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to traffic and one count of supplying cannabis to another.

Advertisement

He received an eight-year custodial sentence for trafficking, with concurrent terms imposed for the remaining crimes.

Sarah Gray, 53, from Llanasa Road in Gronant, also faced numerous charges connected to her role in the offending.

She was convicted of perverting the course of justice, assisting an offender, conspiracy to supply cocaine to another and conspiracy to supply cannabis to another.

She received a seven-year sentence for a drugs offence and an additional year for perverting the course of justice, with concurrent sentences given for the other charges. Speaking outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Richard Sidney, the senior investigating officer from North Wales Police, said: “The conclusion of this case marks an important moment for the three victims, who have had to live with the consequences of what happened to them for a considerable period of time and continue to do so.

“The sentences imposed today reflect the gravity of the group’s offending and the very serious nature of the crimes committed against these young women.

“These investigations were complex and involved extensive work to understand what had happened, gather evidence, and ensure those responsible were brought before the court.

“I recognise that the criminal justice process can be incredibly difficult for victims of sexual exploitation, particularly when they are required to revisit traumatic experiences. The courage shown by the victims throughout these investigations and the trial that followed has been remarkable.

“I hope that today’s outcome provides them with some sense of justice and allows them to look towards the future with greater confidence.

“Our message to those who target children for sexual exploitation is clear: we will investigate, we will pursue the evidence, and we will work with our partners to hold offenders to account.

“I would also like to thank everyone involved in this investigation, including our specialist officers and staff, partner agencies and the prosecution team, whose work has been instrumental in securing these convictions and sentences.”

Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Around 15 caravans and vehicles were reported on the car park off Spinning Jenny Way on today, September 25.

Pictures taken at the site show a number of caravans, vans and cars gathered together across part of the car park.

It is the latest group of Travellers to set up camp in the region, with a Travellers camp currently in Astley Bridge, where the council are working to evict them.

An eye witness at the car park said: “There are several, around 15 caravans and vans parked up.”

The group is understood to have arrived today although it is not yet known how long they intend to remain at the site.

The car park is in a busy part of Leigh, close to shops and other businesses and a short distance from the town centre.

It is not currently clear whether the group has been asked to leave or whether any action is being taken in relation to the encampment.

The arrival of travellers at temporary sites such as car parks is not uncommon, with groups sometimes staying for a short period before moving on.

More information to follow.

President Donald Trump appeared to be dissatisfied with the return of CNN and MS NOW to the White House press corps as reporters shouted questions to him in a flurry as he stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Reporters yelled questions as the two heads of state and their wives stood Friday in front of the South Lawn of the White House, the morning after Trump hosted Xi for a lavish state dinner.

The president’s facial expression gave away that he was annoyed to have the press back shouting questions during their exchange, as the bulk of this state visit has been undertaken without pool coverage as a result of the ban, which was overturned by a DC judge on Thursday.

“Mr. President, did you call on President Xi to stop buying oil from Iran?” one reporter shouted. Another yelled, “Why are you banning media outlets?” None of the parties responded.

Another reporter asked, “Should U.S. taxpayers pay for ads about you, Mr. President?” in response to a campaign-style ad that the U.S. government released that played on Fox News earlier this week, which promoted how his administration would “defeat communism, socialism and Marxism.”

Last week, Trump attempted to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.”

“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow,” he said at the time.

Trump would later verbally attack CNN White House reporter Kaitlan Collins when she tried to ask him a question when he visited the United Nations. The decision to ban journalists led to major television networks to halt their coverage of the White House.

The White House would respond by creating Trump TV, but the feed received low ratings. US District Judge Tim Kelly later ordered the White House to lift its ban on the outlets.

The Trump administration would later reluctantly reinstate the credentials for the three outlets. But reporters said they were blocked from covering Xi’s arrival at the state dinner.

Still, despite all of the criticism of media coverage, president would praise coverage from the press during a tea meeting with first lady Melania Trump, Xi and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan.

“We’ve made great strides very positive for both countries,” he said. “So thank you very much. And we appreciate the fair coverage. It’s been very fair. We appreciate it.”

The president had hosted Xi for a summit to discuss AI. The president has attempted to rebrand AI as “super intelligence,” saying that there need not be any major guardrails for it. On Friday, he posted on Truth Social that Xi agreed with him.

“Tremendous things will be happening. Like almost everyone else, he seemed to like calling the poorly and inaccurately named Artificial Intelligence to a far more accurate and important name, SUPER INTELLIGENCE. That would be ‘SUPER!’”

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER and WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 12:48 BST, 25 September 2026 | Updated: 17:30 BST, 25 September 2026