At least 32 women studying at the University of Manchester say they have been tormented by male peers during terrifying late-night calls

The first call came at 2am.

Unsolicited and anonymous, Charlotte answered, thinking it could be a fellow student, a friend or loved one in distress.

A male voice spoke. He said he was re-sitting his exams and needed help from Charlotte in her capacity as president of student educational society Manchester MedEd. But when she told him it was not an appropriate time to call, the voice is alleged to have said ‘no, Buttercase I need you now’.

Again, she stressed it was not appropriate and asked if the caller was OK, the voice allegedly continued: “I need you now. I’m going to kill myself”.

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An apparently flippant remark, it was particularly upsetting for Charlotte who, as a teenager, lost someone close to her to suicide. Shocked, she replied: “That’s not funny, that’s never funny, but if you genuinely need help, I’ll try and help you.”

Then came the laughter. From what appeared to be three other males in the background. The speaker said he needed to know what emotional and physical support Charlotte could offer him.

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When asked what he meant by this, he is said to have replied: “I can’t get it up.”

Charlotte told him ‘this constitutes sexual harassment – I suggest you hang up the phone’. The call ended.

But Charlotte wasn’t alone. A small band of ‘weak and cowardly’ young male medical students are said to be terrorising female counterparts at the University of Manchester’s renowned school of medicine.

Alleged abuse appears to have taken the form of anonymous late-night phone calls to the mobiles of unsuspecting young women who are forced to listen to upsetting sexual slurs and abuse often accompanied by the laughter of the tormentors, who seem to think it’s acceptable banter or even sport.

It’s all the more shocking as the male students believed to be responsible are well on the road to becoming doctors, trusted to treat patients. Half of these will be women seeking help during what may well be the most vulnerable time of their lives.

But, thanks to the bravery of one of the women who has stepped forward to lead a campaigning for justice, the university has launched a major investigation into these ‘deeply concerning’ allegations.

That woman is Charlotte Buttercase who has waived her right to anonymity to expose what’s happening and speak to the Manchester Evening News.

The 24-year-old is among a group of female medical students who alleged they have been sexually harassed by male colleagues, often in distressing late-night calls where the principal tormentor appears to be with a band of other young men who are sniggering in the background as the alleged abuse is delivered.

These upsetting calls are said to have started from at least 2023 and affected a number of year groups, revealing what appears to be a pattern of misogyny which the protagonists no doubt dismiss as banter.

Charlotte has bravely waived her right to anonymity and is now fronting a campaign on behalf of the female students affected, prompting the university to launch an investigation.

For Charlotte, she was at her digs in Hulme in April this year when she was woken by the 2am call. She answered, thinking it could be a fellow student, a friend or loved one in distress.

Phone numbers for Charlotte and other students are easily obtained as they are shared on a range of large medical school WhatsApp groups.

“It was very distressing, I think particularly in the context of being alone in a dark room with four men essentially taunting me with sexually explicit comments. It was incredibly demeaning,” Charlotte told the Manchester Evening News.

“When I woke up the next morning, I felt incredibly nervous to enter into my hospital. I felt genuinely frightened of who it was who would have done that to me, making a sport of sexual harassment even though they were my own colleagues. I found it all very distressing.”

Within hours, Charlotte had lodged formal complaints with university bosses and Greater Manchester Police and, through talking to others, soon realised she was far from the only young female medical school student at the university to have suffered unwanted late-night phone calls.

A week later, she had written and published an open letter to the vice chancellor of the university Professor Duncan Ivison, which referred to 15 young women who all said they have been targeted. That number, according to Charlotte, has now swelled to 32.

One of them, who we are not naming as they are entitled to anonymity, told the Manchester Evening News she was in her second year as a medic when she received and answered a call at 1am from an anonymous caller.

She said the male caller greeted her silence with a comment that she was ‘more talkative’ when they had met the previous day. She said he asked her to make ‘sexual noises’ and he claimed she had done so when they had met previously.

She received a number of ‘no caller ID’ calls in her second year but didn’t answer apart from one occasion when she said the caller said she was ‘pretty’.

The student told the M.E.N.: “Frustrated and upset, I responded by telling him to leave me alone. The caller then became aggressive, swearing at me, calling me a ‘bitch’ and telling me to kill myself before I ended the call.

“During both calls, I could hear what sounded like multiple voices or background mumbling, which led me to believe this may involve a group of individuals rather than a single caller.

“After speaking with other students, I discovered that many girls at the university have experienced similar calls, with some receiving at least one missed or unanswered call. Given that many do not answer unknown numbers, I believe the number of affected students is likely far higher than reported.”

She continued: “I am sharing my experience in the hope that it contributes to raising awareness and encourages further investigation into what appears to be a wider issue affecting female students.”

It is understood GMP considered this and Charlotte’s cases and decided no crimes were identified. They hope the force will reconsider as more cases become known.

In her open letter to Prof Ivison, now signed by more than a thousand people, Charlotte wrote: “Gathered evidence demonstrates that for several years, women have been receiving anonymous calls, during which where they are subjected to scare tactics and sexual harassment. These range from telling them they are being watched, to asking them to perform sexual favours or indeed screaming gender-based slurs, all targeted to moments of vulnerability, in the early hours of the morning.”

She continued: “This escalation is about collectively establishing a precedent that safety is the minimum expectation and the cornerstone of education at our university; it is about an unequivocal statement that behaviour such as this, a prerequisite to sexual violence, is unacceptable on every count and shall not be tolerated anywhere, let alone by those being elevated to a public position of trust. We must beg the question: what institutional failing, has led to these individuals so comfortably, gleefully and successfully continuing this behaviour for so long?

“I would rue the day that I allowed the actions of a few weak and cowardly men to tarnish the good name of this profession, and particularly skew the perceptions of male doctors, be that in training or as these men possibly enter practice, given the overwhelming volume of excellence I have observed from male clinicians. It is the career-long efforts of my male peers and mentors, that moves me to prevent these men, small in both character and number, from overshadowing the commitment of the majority, to the highest standard of care and genuine safety for their patients.”

The university has now agreed to her demand for an investigation.

In a statement, Professor Ashley Blom, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, said: “The issues raised are deeply concerning, and we are treating them with the utmost seriousness. No member of our community should ever experience behaviour that makes them feel unsafe, intimidated or harassed.

“Our immediate priority is supporting the students affected. We have launched a formal investigation into the specific allegations raised, and we are also undertaking a wider review of the cultural and systemic issues identified.

“We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to address the issues identified and deliver meaningful, lasting change. We know that our students and colleagues must have confidence that concerns will be listened to, taken seriously and acted upon.

“I want to thank everyone who has come forward and shown courage in speaking up. I would strongly encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed similar behaviour to report it so appropriate action can be taken.”

Twain, though, clearly was always was a different kind of precocious talent, a 10-year-old singer and guitarist with 100 covers in her repertoire. By way of introducing her version of ‘The Gambler, she tells us about the heartthrob on her teenage bedroom wall, “one of my gods”, beardy Kenny Rogers.

Travellers faced train disruption today (Sunday, June 7) with emergency services dealt with an incident between Bolton and Preston.

Services were delayed or cancelled due to the incident, Northern Rail said. Disruption continued until around 5pm. Travellers are being urged to check services beforehand.

A statement shared by National Rail read: “The emergency services are dealing with an incident between Bolton and Preston. Whilst they carry out their work, all lines between these stations are closed. Trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.”

Services between Manchester Victoria and Blackburn were not impacted. Other rail replacement services from Manchester Piccadilly are being scheduled.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

Verstappen has cut a very frustrated figure so far this season, with speculation swirling around his future at Red Bull and in the sport. However, he was in fine form yesterday and came so close to pole, only to be pipped by Antonelli by under half a tenth of a second.

“If you would have told me yesterday [Friday] to be on the front row, I would have definitely taken it,” Verstappen said. “This morning [Saturday] we had quite some difficulties with the car so heading into qualifying and being up there was extremely positive. So overall, of course, extremely happy with how qualifying went, how all the laps went even though you have to deal with all the traffic and also the walls. But I am happy to be on the front row and then, tomorrow [today], let’s see in the start. These cars are quite complicated to start. I have two cars behind me that start quite well but we will see. This was a good day and definitely enjoyed it in qualifying.”

Lewis Hamilton, who was won three times around the street of Monaco, will start from third today.

“It was tough for us,” Hamilton said. “We were looking so strong in practice, and we barely changed anything, but the car was drastically different once we got to qualifying for some reason, so we have to take a deep dive into that. I gave it absolutely everything. I was as close to the barriers as I could be, and what a privilege it is to be here, to be one of the 22 drivers in F1 getting to do this still. I love every second of it. I think it is definitely very close between us all. I thought we almost maybe nearly had it, and then Max put in a good time and then Kimi. I think it is great to see how close all the cars are. I think we lost something going into today, and that is what we need to try to figure out.”

Hometown boy Charles Leclerc, who hit the wall on his final flying lap in Q3, starts alongside his Ferrari teammate Hamilton on the second row. Isack Hadjar starts fifth whilst George Russell starts five places behind his Mercedes teammate Antonelli in sixth. It was a disappointing qualifying for McLaren, with Oscar Piastri and defending world champion Norris on the fourth row in the grid in seventh and eighth respectively. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson rounds out the top ten.

The race gets under way at 2pm.

Friends, family members and local residents lined the route from the early morning, cheering on athletes as they swam, cycled and ran their way through the demanding course.

Many supporters brought banners, cowbells and plenty of enthusiasm, helping to create a lively atmosphere throughout the day, while others gathered at key points along the route and at the finish line to encourage participants as they pushed towards the end of the race.

AS IT HAPPENED: All the action from IRONMAN 70.3 as it returns to Bolton

Thousands of athletes converged on Bolton for IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton, which saw Levin Veale and Katie Walker crowned champions.

The weekend also featured Night Run Bolton UK and IRONKIDS Bolton, with more than 10,000 athletes taking part across the events, making it the biggest event weekend on the calendar.

These pictures capture some of the supporters who helped make race day a memorable occasion for competitors and spectators alike.

Robbie Keane was strongly linked with the Celtic manager’s job

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After spending four decades in radio, there’s something special about those unexpected moments when a caller delivers a line that genuinely stops you in your tracks and makes you think deeply.

The discussion centred on whether Martin O’Neill or Robbie Keane ought to take the Celtic manager’s position for the upcoming season.

O’Neill’s track record speaks for itself – having rescued what appeared to be a crisis situation at Celtic Park and delivered a league-and-cup Double, his credentials are impeccable and permanently etched into the club’s history.

By contrast, Keane’s suitability was rejected with one stark remark from a Celtic fan.

Without any hint of exaggeration, the caller stated: “He chose the coin over humanity,” – a remarkably powerful observation, wouldn’t you say?, reports the Daily Record.

Whether or not you shared that view, it was impossible to dismiss such passionate sentiment, especially if it reflects the opinion of a substantial portion of the club’s support who regard Keane’s potential appointment as ethically unacceptable.

Principal shareholder Dermot Desmond is, let’s face it, viewed with disdain by certain supporters who take issue with what they perceive as his authoritarian approach to running the club.

The previous campaign at Celtic Park was consumed by dealing with various controversies and problems.

There was Brendan Rodgers’ bitter exit, accompanied by a damning public statement from Desmond criticising the departing boss. Then came the shareholders’ AGM, which descended into chaos after Desmond’s son, Ross, made incendiary comments about certain Celtic supporters.

So why, against such a backdrop, would you essentially throw petrol on the fire by appointing someone you knew would provoke serious anger amongst the fanbase?

Even Dermot isn’t quite that dismissive of supporters’ views.

He’s acknowledged their position that bringing in Keane would be morally unjustifiable.

That’s why the arrangement has been made to keep O’Neill at the helm for the upcoming campaign, with the additional responsibility of safeguarding the club’s identity.

In all honesty, Keane’s track record as a manager hardly warranted the level of backlash his potential appointment would have triggered in Glasgow.

I won’t trivialise dreadful events of worldwide significance merely to fit them into a football debate.

What I will say is that O’Neill’s continuation, the Third Coming, enables Celtic to focus on rebuilding the organisation, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, without further hysteria.

It’s not as if letting O’Neill carry on represents any form of risk. Martin brings with him a reliable partner in Shaun Maloney and coach Mark Fotheringham, who has earned recognition for his impressive contributions in the Bundesliga.

While Keane would have faced severe criticism, residents of Kilrea in Northern Ireland are presently debating whether O’Neill deserves to be commemorated with a commemorative plaque or awarded the Freedom of the Borough, the most prestigious civic accolade a council can grant to acknowledge his professional accomplishments.

There’s a broader debate, naturally, that regardless of whether it was O’Neill or Keane, Celtic have been too narrow-minded in their approach when selecting their next manager or head coach.

This lack of looking beyond the Celtic family frustrates some observers.

However, the previous occasion they ventured outside resulted in the catastrophic 33-day spell under Wilfried Nancy, who derailed the season’s momentum after arriving from the United States.

That’s not to suggest one should permanently dismiss the prospect of exploring what international football has to offer regarding managerial appointments.

Yet, in this particular case, the decision was straightforward: O’Neill or Keane.

Continuity or conflagration.

Dermot projects a powerful sense that he will consistently follow his own judgement without the slightest regard for Celtic supporters’ opinions.

On this occasion, he’s pursued the popular, most pragmatic path.

I’ve previously stated my view that Desmond has reached the end of his tenure following an extended spell of undeniable success.

Celtic would ultimately profit from a change in leadership. However, this would necessitate someone, or an entity, genuinely prepared to challenge the main shareholder’s determination by presenting a takeover bid for the club.

Yet there seems to be no such proposal emerging anywhere in sight at present.

Under these circumstances, Desmond faced a choice regarding the team’s management.

Particularly as Rangers and Hearts prepare to mount a fresh challenge while Celtic confronts a summer of substantial reorganisation.

Amidst the turbulence came success, manifesting as a league-and-cup Double last season – though this doesn’t mean Celtic ought to embrace disorder as their standard operating procedure.

The direction has now been established, moving ahead, by Desmond’s preference for continuity rather than going rogue in favour of a conflagration.

Martin will reach 75 during the upcoming season at the club he says gave him a “reason to live”.

A relieved support will have had years taken off them while being content the father of the club has steered them clear of unsavoury controversy.

Martin’s taken the coin and embraced humanity. That’s how the fans will see it.

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Cambridge Pride is returning for 2026 and will feature a parade through the city and performances all day.

June has finally arrived, which means it is Pride Month. Parades and events will be taking place across the UK throughout the month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, including in Cambridge.

Cambridge Pride will be returning to the city on Saturday, June 13, with “a full day of colour, community, and celebration” starting from midday. However, Now That’s What I Call Drag will be bringing their show to Jesus Green on Friday, June 12, to kick off the celebrations with tickets available to buy for the event.

Anglia Ruskin University will be the main sponsor of the event. Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Catherine Lee said: “We’re proud to be the headline sponsor of Cambridge Pride once again this year.

“Pride is more than a celebration, it’s a powerful act of solidarity. As ever, we stand together with our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and local communities, especially in these challenging times.

“Inclusion and belonging are at the heart of everything we do at Anglia Ruskin University. Through our excellent education and research, we continue to drive positive change and challenge inequality.”

The event will begin with a parade going through the city centre starting from Jesus Green. The parade will feature community groups, supporters, and performers filling the streets with music.

After the parade, there will be plenty of shows to see and things to do on Jesus Green. The Main Stage will have a schedule packed with performances form live singers, drag queens, and dance acts.

The Dance Tent will be making a come back with a range of DJs from Cambridge and further away with many different genres being played throughout the day. The event organisers have also teased that there will be a “very special guest DJ” that “you won’t want to miss”.

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If you need to take a break away from the music, you can visit the Traders Market where you will be able to shop for clothing, tote bags, jewellery, and Pride merchandise like flags, badges, and hats. There will also be a few different food vendors serving a range of cuisines from British to Italian and French to keep you going throughout the day.

The Community Hive will feature talks and a dedicated art area for younger festivalgoers alongside a funfair outside with attractions for all ages. For those needing a break from all of the excitement, the Calm Corner is available for people to enjoy some peace and quiet.

Cambridge Pride on Saturday is completely free to attend. If you want to make the day extra special, you can purchase a ticket for access to the Oasis, which offers a range of benefits including a private covered seated area and a chance to meet sponsors and artists.

Tickets for the Oasis cost between £19 and £35 and can be bought here.

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