Cheshire′s top cop Simon Byrne tested an electric BMW I3 on 30 June which if it passes the rigorous testing by the Force, could become part of the fleet.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “The Force is often at the forefront of innovation. Adding electric cars to our fleet may provide more flexibility for use in routine enquiries as well as doing our bit to make the County ′greener′.”

When charged fully the car can do between 80 to 90 miles and is remarkably quick off the mark. Fleet services and the driving school will be among the departments who will be scrutinising the demonstrator car to work out whether it could be a contender for part of the fleet.

Head of fleet services John Heussi said: “For some years electric car production has been far below that of mainstream vehicles. Range availability and initial purchase costs have been prohibitive.

“The motor industry has now increased its focus on zero emission and low emission cars so it is time to look again as to whether we can benefit from the use of an electric car.

“A measured trial will now take place and who knows, it may become a familiar sight.”

A woman pulled a knife from her chest after being stabbed in Heywood.

Sometime between 11pm on Monday 30 June 2014 and 2am the following morning, a 49-year-old woman was assaulted and stabbed on her legs and chest during an incident in farmland off Norden Road.

During the attack she pulled the knife from her chest before raising the alarm.

She was taken to hospital for treatment to stab wounds to her leg and chest and facial injuries, including a broken nose.

She remains in a stable condition.

John Swallow 14/11/1968, of Norden Road has been charged with Section 18 Assault (causing grievous bodily harm with intent) and possessing cannabis.

He was due to appear at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates’ Court this morning, Thursday 3 July 2014.

Four people have been arrested after an operation to tackle the violent theft of jewellery.

Operation Resemble was set up by Greater Manchester Police to target those suspected of being involved in a series of violent burglaries in the north Manchester area and Salford areas.

The break-ins have been committed at the homes of predominantly Asian and also Jewish families with the specific intent of stealing gold jewellery. During a number of these burglaries the families themselves have been subjected to threats and violence, with innocent homeowners not only deprived of their jewellery but also attacked with weapons.

Today, 3 July 2014, Greater Manchester Police carried out three warrants in the north Manchester area and one in Altrincham following an investigation to unmask those responsible for these violent intrusions.

As a result, four people – three men and one teenager – have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remain in police custody for questioning.

Suspected stolen property has also been recovered.

Local councillors and community leaders were invited on the warrants to see first-hand what Greater Manchester Police is doing to tackle this problem.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: “We are aware that there has been a recent spike in incidents where predominantly Asian and also Jewish families have been violently targeted in their own homes and gold jewellery stolen. Understandably there may be families in our communities who are anxious that they too might be targeted by these violent thieves.

“What today is all about is taking a stand against these criminals and sending out a message that we will not allow innocent members of our community to be terrorised and have their family jewellery stolen.

“That is why we have invited local councillors and members of the community along so they can see just how seriously Greater Manchester Police takes this problem and everything we are doing to not only prevent these sorts of robberies but also unmask those involved and bring them to justice.

“We have to remember that behind every single one of these robberies are families who have suffered a great deal of trauma having been threatening, often violently attacked, in the sanctity of their own homes. So my message is clear: If you’re involved in burgling people’s home to steal jewellery, you can expect a call from Greater Manchester Police and we will do everything in our power to protect the people living in our communities.

“There are a number of steps we would advise people take to protect themselves against this type of crime. For instance, keeping your jewellery in a safety deposit box at your local bank rather than in your home, or if you would prefer to keep the jewellery at home invest in a good quality safe which complies with official insurance rating standards and is secured to a wall or to the floor.

“Other more simple steps include double-locking your doors and windows, use timer switches on lamps to give the impression somebody is at home or keep a light on in the evening when you leave, consider installing alarms and ‘dusk to dawn’ security lighting or installing CCTV cameras outside your home.”

Officers from the Winsford Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) have discovered tens of thousands of pounds worth of cannabis after they executed a drugs warrant in the town.

The warrant was executed by officers from the local NPT on Wednesday 2^nd July at an address on Dierden Street. On entering the address officers found over 56 Cannabis plants, along with 56 stolen beer kegs.

51-year-old Mark Ullyott was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with production of a controlled class B drug, illegally abstracting electricity and theft of the beer kegs. Ullyott is due to appear at Crewe Magistrates Court Today, Thursday 3^rd July.

Winsford Neighbourhood Inspector Dave Snasdell said: “We are sending out a clear message to criminals in Winsford that crime doesn’t pay.

“We understand the corrosive effect that drug abuse and associated criminality has on our communities, and we are committed to tackling the problem and targeting those involved.

“Information from members of the public is vital in the fight against drug related crime. We would urge anyone with any information in relation to drug use and supply in the Winsford to get in touch on 101.”

Detectives investigating the rape of a woman in Manchester have made an arrest.

At 3am on Saturday 28 June 2014, a distressed woman reported being raped to the concierge at the Great Northern Tower.

Officers attended and established the woman, 23, had been attacked nearby as she made her way home following a night out.

Following a media appeal to trace a man caught on CCTV, police received information that led them to arrest a 29-year-old man in Folkestone, Kent on Wednesday 2 July 2014.

He was arrested on suspicion of rape and remains in police custody for questioning.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Serious Sexual Offences Unit on 0161 856 1911/2278, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A disabled woman in a wheelchair was punched in the face by a man who tried to steal her handbag.

At 5.25pm on Wednesday 2 July 2014, the 55-year-old woman was on Long Street, Middleton, having been shopping in the town, when the thief approached her and grabbed hold of her handbag.

She refused to let go and was punched twice to the side of her head.

The offender is described as having olive skin, aged in his early 40s, about 5ft 7in tall, of muscular build and who had an Eastern European accent and was wearing a black hooded top and blue jeans.

He ran off towards the town centre after someone who was standing outside the nearby Olde Boar’s Head pub shouted at him. This person left the area in a taxi prior to police attendance and officers are trying to locate them.

Detective Constable Mark Green, said: “This individual really is the lowest of the low. He is a coward and a scoundrel.

“To deliberately target and strike a person in a wheelchair is beyond comprehension for anyone with a moral compass.

“Were you in the area and do you have information about the offender? If so please call us.

“I am also eager to trace the person or persons who shouted at the offender but who left the area straight away. It is really important we speak to you so please come forward if you see or hear this appeal.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 8701, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, no 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for witnesses after an arson attack on a family home in Oldham.

At around 1am on Thursday 3 July 2014, a man returned to his home on Cranbrook Street to find his house on fire. A mattress had been placed in front of the victim’s garage, which is attached to the house, and then set on fire.

Detective Constable Gareth Gwilliam of Oldham Division said:

“This was a deliberate attack and police take arson attacks very seriously. Luckily, nobody was hurt, but the families who were in the house and the adjoining house at the time could have been seriously injured or worse.

“They are understandably very shaken by what has happened and we are committed to catching whoever did this as soon as possible.

“We’re asking anyone who may know who is responsible for this arson attack or who may have seen people acting suspiciously in the area to contact police immediately.”

Anyone with information should call 0161 856 9063 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police who were hunting a man in connection with a robbery in Oldham have made an arrest.

Thousands of pounds were stolen from a travel agent on Sisson Street, Failsworth on Saturday 31 May 2014.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody for questioning.

Seven people have been arrested in raids as part of Operation Suffield, which was launched to crackdown on drug dealing in Tameside.

They were arrested when officers from Greater Manchester Police raided eight addresses, just after 7am today, Thursday 3 July 2014.

These arrests came after months of investigations by officers from Tameside’s Organised Crime Team and Serious Crime Division into the distribution of heroin and crack cocaine and the cultivation of cannabis.

In the raids this morning, five men and two women were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs, after officers executed warrants across Denton and also Gorton, in South Manchester.

More than £1000 in cash has been seized, as well as cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of £15,000.

Detective Sergeant Lisa Ogden of Tameside Division, said: “This sends out a message to the Organised Crime Members from Tameside that we will never give up on our fight against this type of crime. Drugs cause widespread destruction to users and have a wider impact on the community.

“Communities have told us that they want drugs and drug dealing tackled across the borough and I hope that this continuous action highlights how seriously we take these crimes.

“This operation has taken months of intricate planning and dedication by a large team of officers from across the Force.”

Today’s raids come after three brothers were charged with supplying class A drugs, following warrants executed yesterday.

Babul Hussain (18/09/88) and Jamal Hussain (17/06/89) of Oldham Road, Ashton and Alal Hussain (01/10/87) of Newstead Avenue, Ashton, have all been charged with the supply of class A drugs. They have been remanded to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court today, Thursday 3 July 2014.

If you have information on anyone who may be committing crime in your area, please call police on 101 or 0161 872 5050 or for more information visit gmp.police.uk.

People with any concerns can contact Tameside Neighbourhood Policing Team directly about any issues related to crime or anti-social behaviour on 0161 856 9350.

At 3pm on Wednesday 2 July 2014, police found the body of a man in a secluded area of shrub land just behind the golf course at Pennington Flash.

The man has now been identified.

There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

The matter has been passed to the coroner.

Seven people have been charged following an investigation into a £300m conspiracy to supply drugs across the North West.

Paul Doyle (born 10/08/1958), of HMP Manchester but formerly of Altrincham, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to import Class A drugs, two counts of conspiracy to import Class B drugs and conspiracy to import Class C drugs.

Michael Manning (born 01/06/1962), of Langsett Avenue, Salford, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Amanda Manning, 24 (date of birth not confirmed), of Langsett Avenue, Salford, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Nadim Ahmad (born 09/05/1973), of Montague Road, Trafford, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Gareth Forbes (born 16/01/1977), of Chaddock Lane, Worsley, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Emma Williams (born 27/08/1984), of Chaddock Lane, Worsley, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Delroy Bailey (born 23/11/1968), of Thomas More Close, Bolton, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.

On 2 July 2014 a number of early morning raids took place throughout the Greater Manchester area following a 12-month protracted and complex operation carried out by Titan.

These charges follow a major drugs seizure in February of this year when a van containing ketamine and cannabis worth £7.75m was stopped in Cheshire and seized.

All those charged have been remanded into police custody to appear at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court on 4 July 2014.

Police have charged a 51-year-old man following an investigation into an armed robbery in Poynton.

It was reported that the robbery took place at 7.31am on Sunday 14 April 2013, at Asda supermarket on Park lane. The offenders fled with a significant amount of cash.

Graham Chilton from Hazel Grove in Stockport has been charged with burglary, committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice, theft by an employee and theft from a shop.

He will appear at Crewe Magistrates on 4 July 2014.

A man has been arrested as part of an investigation into a double shooting in Oldham.

At about 10.20pm on Sunday 29 June 2014, two men were sitting in a car – a Seat Leon – on Radcliffe Road, Oldham, when the gunman approached.

He spoke to the occupants briefly before shooting them both.

One man, 19, was taken to hospital for injuries to his abdomen and the other, 20, for treatment to injuries to his buttocks.

On Friday 4 July 2014, a 35-year-old man was arrested in an apartment block off Holland Road, Crumpsall, on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm.

Officers also recovered a firearm near to the address.

He remains in police custody for questioning.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Crewe, said: “The investigation has moved on apace since Sunday night and this morning we have acted to make an arrest.

“The community has reacted positively since this incident and I want to thank them for their ongoing support.

“Firearms have no place on our streets so we are delighted to have recovered one today. We will of course now conduct scientific tests on the weapon as part of our ongoing investigation.

“If anyone has information about the shootings of the two men and is yet to talk to us I would urge you now to do so.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 2472.

A man has been charged in connection with a sexual attack on a woman

At 3am on Saturday 28 June 2014, a distressed woman reported being raped to the concierge at the Great Northern Tower.

Officers attended and established the woman, 23, had been attacked nearby as she made her way home following a night out.

Majid Kuraem (31/08/1985), of no fixed address, has been charged with kidnap, two counts of sexual assault and causing actual bodily harm.

He was due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 4 July 2014.

At shortly before 10.30pm on Saturday, June 21st police were called by the ambulance service to a report that a teenage girl had received injuries at a house on Duke Street in Chorley.

It appears that an accelerant was used to try to light a chimenea which caused a flashback and the teenager suffered serious burns.

She was taken by ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital and then transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester where she sadly passed away on the morning of Wednesday, July 2.

She can be named as Lisa Jones, 19 from Llanfairfechan in North Wales.

A 19 year old man from Chorley has been interviewed under caution but not arrested and was released whilst police conduct further enquiries, although at this stage the incident is being treated as a tragic accident and there are no suspicious circumstances.

A file has been passed to HM Coroner.

Five people have now been charged following warrants executed in Tameside yesterday, as part of Operation Suffield.

Callum Souter (31/03/96) of Bentley Road, Denton has been charged with five counts of supplying heroin and five counts of supplying crack cocaine.

Kyle Souter (17/03/88) of George Street, Denton has been charged with seven counts of supplying heroin and five counts of supplying crack cocaine.

Anthony Shaw (14/08/84) of Levenshulme Road, Gorton has been charged with one count of supplying heroin, crack cocaine and cultivating cannabis.

Philip Cavanagh (21/12/75) of Grange Avenue, Denton has been charged with five counts of supplying heroin and five counts of supplying crack cocaine.

Wayne Wilson (02/08/75) of Circular Road, Denton has been charged with two counts of supplying and crack cocaine.

All five have been remanded to appear at Tameside Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 4 July 2014.

Since the first warrants were executed in Tameside as part of Operation Suffield, an excess of £21,000 in cash, a large quantity of cocaine, over £15,000 worth of cannabis, and a firearm has been recovered

Detective Sergeant Lisa Ogden from the Organised Crime Team at Ashton said: “I hope these latest results show how committed we are in our fight against organised crime across Tameside.”

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said “Much has been written and said this week about Manchester City Centre and the safety of those that visit the City particularly at night and into the early hours of the morning. Ian Hanson the Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation is right to question the demands made on the police in dealing with a vibrant and expanding City centre. Greater Manchester Police has reduced by 1000 officers and will reduce by a further 1000 to meet the budget challenges we face, yet at the same time demands on the service are increasing. The City centre is growing rapidly, which is fantastic, but with this comes greater challenges for those of us responsible for ensuring public safety (GMP, Manchester City Council and its leading Councillors Manchester’s Pub and Club network) at a time when all public services are facing significantly reduced budgets.

“Manchester City Centre attracts large numbers of people to visit its many pubs, clubs, bars and entertainment venues and at the weekend this can mean in excess of 100,000 people in the City Centre. Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council are concerned about the levels of alcohol consumption and the challenges this then presents with people leaving themselves very vulnerable. Greater Manchester Police and the City Council both agree that more funding is required to manage the City Centre and that the alcohol industry is making a significant profit from the sale of alcohol, some of that has to be channelled into frontline services.

“There is a very strong partnership approach between Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council to tackling these problems. I have met with the Deputy Leader of the Council Bernard Priest and Councillor Pat Karney and there is a real commitment to accelerating proposals already being considered in relation to alcohol treatment centres, improved transport away from the City Centre in the early hours of the morning, restricting the opening hours of any problematic licensed premises and raising additional funds for frontline services.

“Manchester City centre has significantly more visitors than other cities up and down the country, but the challenges we all face with managing the night time economy are no different in Manchester to Liverpool, Sheffield or Leeds. Although we disagree with Ian Hanson is that Manchester is a dangerous place, we all agree that Manchester is a fantastic City and that we all want to continue to make it a safe and vibrant environment place despite the challenges we face.”

A man from Ulverston has been jailed for a year after being convicted of six separate counts of shoplifting.

Stephen Coates, aged 38 of County Square, Ulverston was jailed following shoplifting from stores in both Barrow and Ulverston.

Coates was arrested on the 6^th May  and following a search of his home address Police found further stolen goods which they could link to thefts in Ulverston.

On Saturday 29^th March he entered the Boots store in Ulverston and stole twelve cans of deodorant worth £58.50 as well as six packets of Pampers wipes worth £15.

The search of his home address led officers to the discovery of a box of glacier mints,  six boxes of tea bags and twelve cans of deodorant which had a collective value of over £50. These items were found to be property of Bargain Brands in Ulverston.

Detective Constable Sylvester McNally said: “This sends out a clear message that the police will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of detecting and preventing crime. The support shown here by the court demonstrates we will work together to keep prolific offenders off the street.”

Coates pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment.

A teenager who stockpiled Molotov cocktails in his bedroom has today, 4 July 2014, been sentenced.

Michael Piggin, (born 05/01/1996), of Beaumont Road, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to three offences of possessing explosives under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883 and possessing an offensive weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, contrary to section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.

Piggin was today sentenced at the Old Bailey to a hospital order.

Two other boys, both also aged 17, had earlier pleaded guilty to offences under Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

They were both sentenced at the Old Bailey in December 2013 to a 12 month youth rehabilitation order.

Piggin first came to the police’s attention in February 2013. By this time, his worsening behaviour at college, and his tendency to carry a knife, started to worry fellow students.

On 19 February 2013, Piggin was arrested by police for possession of a knife and it was during the subsequent search of his home that officers found a range of explosives.

His bedroom was adorned with a giant Nazi swastika and countless photographs and articles about previous massacres, including Columbine, Anders Breivik’s Norwegian killings and Raol Moat.

Officers found 10 Molotov cocktail bottles neatly placed in a row secreted behind his bed, bomb-making paraphernalia, a gas-mask, a machete, a number of air weapons and a sophisticated crossbow.

Officers also discovered pipe bombs, petrol bombs and components for other improvised explosive devices (IEDs). During the course of the search officers also found a dictaphone on which Piggin had recorded his own thoughts.

Detective Chief Inspector Will Chatterton, of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “I want this case to highlight the need for everyone in society, particularly those in a position of trust, to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious.

“This is not about demonising youngsters with vivid imaginations – this is about taking appropriate action in response to violent behaviour and the recovery of materials that could have caused significant damage and injury.”