The blaze, involving scrap metal, broke out at a waste processing site on Tenax Road, Trafford Park with ten fire engines from across Greater Manchester sent to the scene.

The fire was reported at around 2am in the early hours of Saturday May 2 and at its height could be seen for miles around.

Firefighters worked through the night and by around 11.20am the area had been made safe with roads reopened.

Speaking from the scene, Station Manager Tony Morgan said: “I’m now pleased to say that this fire is under control, the crews have worked incredibly hard to get the incident under control so that the smoke is no longer causing any problems to the local community.

📢 Station Manager Tony Morgan shares an update on the fire at Tenax Road this morning.
🚒 The incident is now being scaled down. pic.twitter.com/55ApbfR117

— Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) May 2, 2026

“The roads around Trafford Park that were closed throughout the night are now open again and we’ve been supported by Trafford Council to achieve that, reducing the impact of this over the bank holiday weekend.

“And as you can see behind me, we are now working with the on-site team to ensure this incident is resolved as quickly as possible.

“So, thank you for your patience as we continue to deal with the incident to conclusion, take care.”

The fire broke out at Trafford Park (Image: Social Media)

Roads were closed throughout the night and into the morning as firefighters went about their work but by later on Saturday had all been reopened.

Fire crews were able to put out the fire using a Scorpion, a turntable ladder, two jets and six ground monitors .

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said that all members of staff at the waste processing site had been accounted for and there were no reported casualties.

This was only around a week after a huge fire broke out in the same area on Friday April 24 which, at its height, could be seen from Mount Snowdon in Wales.

Members of the public have been urged to always call 999 in the event of an emergency as soon as it is safe do to so.

Manchester City Under-18s clinched the Premier League North title on Sunday with victory over Derby County as nearest challengers Manchester United slipped to defeat

Manchester City secured back to back Under-18 Premier League North titles on Saturday after a dramatic eight goal thriller against Derby County.

The Blues emerged 5-3 victors and were then crowned champions around half an hour after the full time whistle when the final whistle blew in closest rivals Manchester United’s game with Newcastle with the Reds slipping to defeat.

It means City are crowned champions with two games to spare and will now go on to play in the national final against Chelsea later this month. The Blues also have an FA Youth Cup final against United to look forward to as they seek to finish the season in style.

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Saturday’s victory came in thrilling fashion in a dramatic second half. Kylan Midwood had City one up at the break and when half time substitute Teddie Lamb made it two and then cleverly set-up Xavier Parker for a third it seemed the points were safe.

Israel Green cut the deficit from the spot for Derby before Midwood struck twice to seal a hat-trick and open up a four-goal lead. Again Derby responded with Hodges and Corry hauling the visitors back into contention and the Rams threatened further in the closing stages but City held out. And, when news from United came through, the players were able to celebrate on the pitch.

Academy Director Thomas Kruecken said: “Winning the Under-18 Premier League North title for a second successive season is a fantastic achievement and a really proud moment for everyone connected to the Academy.

“Winning back-to-back titles is really difficult. It takes immense dedication and hard work from every single player, Oliver and member of staff – and that’s exactly what we’ve seen.

“The quality of football, the amazing results we’ve had and our ability to bounce back during difficult times in the season have combined to make this a special season once again.

“I am so pleased to see the hard work on and off the pitch rewarded. Everyone at Manchester City should be really proud of this group of players.”

City Under-21s booked their place in the play-off semi-finals after another comeback victory over Aston Villa on Friday night. They could also play United, who face Crystal Palace in their quarter-final on Monday.

The Millfield (Beefeater) in York and The Carousel (Brewers Fayre) in Scarborough have announced that they will be shutting down as their parent company undergoes a major restructuring programme.

Hospitality group Whitbread – which owns Premier Inn, beefeater, and Brewers Fayre – has announced plans to shut 197 restaurants and cut around 3,800 jobs across the UK and Ireland.

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Whitbread said it wanted to save money in light of cost pressures coming from business rates and national insurance contributions, with its new plan aiming to cut capital spending by more than £1 billion in five years.

This will see it sell off £1.5 billon worth of its freehold properties – meaning the hotels it owns outright – to “fund future growth and increasingly look to grow on a leasehold basis”.

Around 30,000 people work for Whitbread, with roughly 12 per cent of staff expected to be impacted by the closure – with the group adding that they “expect to retain a significant proportion of those affected through redeployment”.

It is still planning to increase the number of hotel rooms it has open to 96,000 by the 2031 financial year (from the current of approximately 86,600), with the group set to offer a new integrated food and drink model – something that it says is preferred by hotel guests.

The Milfield in York (Image: Google Maps)

Chief executive Dominic Paul said: “We always challenge ourselves to improve and, in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and national insurance, as well as the implied market discount to our inherent value, we’ve looked hard at the options open to us to maximise value creation over the medium and long-term.

“This has been a rigorous process and we’ve approached all options with an open mind.

“Our new five-year plan builds on our strengths and drives a significant acceleration of our strategy.”

He added: “This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.

The Carousel in Scarborough (Image: Google Maps)

“We’re going to go further and faster to deliver a great experience for our guests and high-quality growth and returns for our shareholders.”

The date of the closures are yet to be confirmed but once we know more, we will provide an update.

The four suspects have since been bailed

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Four teenagers have been arrested after a 34‑year‑old man was stabbed outside a McDonald’s in Leeds city centre, prompting a significant police response on one of the city’s busiest streets.

On Tuesday (April 28), officers were called to Briggate shortly after 9pm following reports of a dispute. The victim was found with a stab wound to the stomach and taken to hospital, where his injuries were described by West Yorkshire Police as not life‑threatening.

A large cordon was set up around the fast‑food restaurant and the surrounding pedestrianised area as detectives examined the scene and gathered evidence, including CCTV footage.

The four boys, aged between 13 and 16, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault. They have since been bailed while enquiries continue. No further details have been released by the police about the cause of the incident or what happened.

“At 9.08pm on 28 April officers were called to Briggate in Leeds to reports of an altercation,” a spokesperson for the force confirmed. “A 34-year-old man was taken to hospital with a stab injury to his stomach. He is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

“Four teenage boys aged between 13 and 16 were arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault. They are all currently in custody. Enquiries are ongoing by Leeds CID.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact detectives by calling 101 or via the 101LiveChat online, quoting reference 13260239777.

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The crash happened at the junction of East Lancashire Road and Old Clough Lane in Worsley, with police called to the scene at around 2pm on Friday May 1.

Officers have confirmed that a man in his 40s has died and that the Serious Collision Unit is investigating.

Speaking on Saturday, a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Officers were called to the junction of East Lancashire Road and Old Clough Lane, Worsley, at around 2pm yesterday when there was a collision involving a car and a motorbike

“A man in his 40s, who was riding the motorbike, has sadly died and our thoughts are with his family and friends.

“To help understand the full circumstances, officers are now appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

“They are keen to speak to anyone who may have CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage of the incident or of the moments leading up to the incident.”

Anyone with any further information or footage can call police on 0161 856 4741 quoting log 1826 of 01/05/2026.

Alternatively, members of the public can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Information can also be passed on via Greater Manchester Police’s website.

A shoplifter has been banned from every Tesco within 60 miles after inflicting ‘misery’ on shop owners.

Amy McCarthy, 32, has been handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order after she admitted two counts of theft from the supermarket chain at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

It bans her from even setting foot in Birkenhead Town Centre and bars her from entering any Tesco store in Wirral.

McCarthy, who also has previous for interfering with cars, is also prohibited from touching, entering or attempting to get into any vehicle without the owner’s permission.

Wirral Neighbourhood Inspector Nicola Hughes said: ‘Theft from business is not a victimless crime as it has a huge impact on the community in many ways such as the cost being passed on to the consumer.

‘This Order demonstrates that we will not accept this kind of behaviour as the norm, and this ban prohibits McCarthy from entering Birkenhead Town Centre and all Tesco stores in Wirral which prevents her causing further misery to businesses.

‘Criminal Behaviour Orders are an effective mechanism in tackling theft, and should she breach this order then she will be arrested and could be imprisoned.’

McCarthy, of Tranmere, was made subject of the order after repeatedly targeting the Tesco on Upton Road, stuffing her bag with cheese and fresh poultry items.

Under the conditions, she is also barred from entering Vue Cinema in Birkenhead and is bound to leave a shop or business premises when asked to leave by staff.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Naoya’s younger brother Takuma Inoue, meanwhile, successfully defended his WBC bantamweight title for the first time with a dominant 12-round display against veteran Kazuto Ioka, who was emphatically denied the chance to become Japan’s first-ever five-weight world champion and join the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford – who was at ringside on Saturday alongside Turki Alalshikh – in the history books.

People used to think the cathedral was floating above a city

It would be crazy to think that a landlocked county like Cambridgeshire once had places surrounded by water. This was the case for Ely, which was once known as the Isle of Ely.

When it had this name, the historic city was surrounded by undrained fens and water. As the city stood on a high point of around 85ft, it was only reachable by boat. It was surrounded by water until the 17th century, until the surrounding fens were drained and converted into farmland.

Ely is well-known for its cathedral, and with the city once being surrounded by water, the cathedral had a nickname inspired by this fact. It was known as the ‘Ship of the Fens’ because it stands so high over the city and is also 26m above sea level.

When Ely was surrounded by water, it looked like the cathedral was floating. The cathedral can still be seen from miles away across the fens, from the roads or the railway.

It dates back to AD 672, when it was founded by St Etheldreda. The earliest parts of the building date back to 1083, and it became a cathedral in 1109.

The cathedral is considered architecturally outstanding due to its scale and style. It was built with a Romanesque style, but the galilee porch, lady chapel, and choir were rebuilt in an exuberant Decorated Gothic style.

Today, the cathedral is popular with tourists, attracting around 250,000 visitors every year. As well as people wanting to look inside the cathedral, there is also a hidden museum inside.

The stained glass museum is tucked away on the first floor of the cathedral. The museum is the only one of its kind in the UK. For anyone who hasn’t yet been to this iconic cathedral, then it may be worth the trip.

Answer: Haxby, of course.

This bank holiday weekend is the Haxby and Wigginton Scarecrow Festival. More than 150 scarecrows can be found putting their feet up (no crows to scare) in front of shops, homes and businesses throughout the two villages.

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Many are clustered in and around The Village itself. Noah stands beside his ark on the lawn in front of St Mary’s Church. Shrek lounges on a chair in the sun in front of Reeds Rains.

A beautiful dryad decked with flowers sits in front of Thora’s, while a bit further along the street a cat-burglar with a ferocious feline head climbs out of the dormer window of a doll’s house beside the village café.

Perhaps most striking of all is a noble straw lion sitting propped against a low brick wall. “Please do not touch, thank you. He might fall over!” says a little note tacked up beside him.

Straw lion at the Haxby Scarecrow Festival (Image: Stephen Lewis)

This is the Scarecrow Festival’s 20th year – though, because of Covid, it is only the 18th festival.

But with the sun shining on the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend, Haxby  was filled with families and children, dashing excitedly from scarecrow to scarecow and filling in checklists so as to earn their Scarecrow Festival stickers.

“I love seeing the families with children going around,” said co-organiser Mike Brudenell.

Cat burglar at the Haxby Scarecrow Festival (Image: Stephen Lewis)

There are no fewer than five official scarecrow trails that you can follow. The shortest is just over a mile long – the longest more than six miles. You can buy the trail guides and checklists for £3 each – or the whole set of 5 for £12, with all the proceeds going to charity.

“Some people come back several times over the three days and do all five!” said co-organiser Janet Bowling.

The trails begin at the Haxby Methodist Church in The Village. You can also get refreshments here (including delicious bacon sarnies) and pick up your trail guides.

Haxby Scarecrow Festival organisers Janet Bowling, left, and Helena Rigby, right, at the Haxby Scarecrow Festival (Image: Stephen Lewis)

Lord Mayor Cllr Rowley was certainly having a ball. “This kind of thing is the reason you become Lord Mayor!” he said.

The Festival raises money for four charities each year -three local, one international.

The local charities this year are Candlelighters, Dementia Forward and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Lord Mayor of York Cllr Martin Rowley with Karen Skouras of Dementia Forward with the Dementia Forward scarecrow at the Haxby Scarecrow (Image: Stephen Lewis)

The international charity, meanwhile, is Outreach EMR – a medical charity which provides a life-saving medical records system for rural clinics in some of the poorest countries on the world.

It may be international – but it is also very much a local charity. It was set up in 2014 after recently-retired York GP Dr Peter Smith spent time working in remote clinics in rural Uganda.

He was horrified to discover that they weren’t keeping proper medical records – and even more horrified when he realised that the paper records he was keeping after seeing patients were being torn up for use as loo paper in the latrine.

Dr Peter Smith of Outreach EMR with the charity’s scarecrow at the Haxby Scarecrow Festival (Image: Stephen Lewis)

When he returned to York, he got together with a friend who ran a software development company. Together, they developed a simple, drop-down electronic records system that could be installed on laptops and operated even in remote areas without access to the internet.

Now the charity’s system is being used in 23 clinics in nine of the poorest countries in the world – saving lives and improving patient care by ensuring medics have access to their patients’ medical details at a few clicks of a button.

For Peter, who spent his working life as GP in Haxby, the Scarecrow Festival represented a chance to meet up with old friends and patients.

A flower-bedecked Dryad scarecrow at the Haxby Scarecrow Festival (Image: Stephen Lewis)

“It has been really heartwarming!” he said. “There have been so many families and children here, learning about us – and I have seen so many former patients!”

Last year, the Festival raised more than £5,000, which was split between the four charities it was supporting.

Fingers crossed it can do just as well this year…

Haxby Scarecrow Festival continues through to Bank Holiday Monday with full details available on their website.