Manchester has long been famed for its legendary nightlife scene.
02.05.2023 - 13:25 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Drug seizures at a Greater Manchester prison have quadrupled in the last three years.
HMP Hindley in Bickershaw has seen a total of 675 drug seizures between 2020 and 2023, a freedom of information request revealed. But in 2022, there were a massive 329 reported incidents of drugs found in cells - a huge increase compared to just 81 in 2020.
The Freedom of Information request (FOI) submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service also revealed there were 265 reported drug finds in 2021.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
According to the Ministry of Justice, this spike in drug incidents reflects the investment made into prison security which have helped uncover more hidden drugs stashes. The MOJ also highlighted the independent Monitoring Board report for HMP Hindley, published in May 2022, which did not include concerns about high drug use.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our £100m investment in prison security means we are finding and stopping more drugs getting into our prisons.
“We have boosted security with airport-style scanners and sniffer dogs which have helped stop 28,000 illicit items – including drugs – entering our jails, showing our crackdown is working.”
According to the MOJ, their £100m investment into security included X-ray body scanners to detect contraband, which includes drugs. There are 97 X-ray body scanners, providing coverage across the entire country, they say.
As of April 2022, these X-ray scanners have produced 28,626 positive indications preventing drugs and mobile phones and other illicit items from entering prisons, the MOJ claim. Despite this, the number of mobile phones confiscated from prison cells at the Barracks Road site has not increased
Manchester has long been famed for its legendary nightlife scene.
It's an eerie relic of pre-pandemic life. The Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre in Rochdale was once a bustling mall with five floors of shops, including household names such as New Look, Wilko, and Ryman.
No trams are running across Greater Manchester for several hours this morning due to a network-wide 'shutdown'.
The boss of a bus company which suddenly stopped running services has confirmed the firm has gone into administration. Wesley Goodwin, owner of Little Gem Buses, blamed soaring costs and the rise in working from home for the firm's demise.
You may think it would be impossible to find a cheap home whilst house prices are still sky-high, but luckily there are some bargains up for grabs across Greater Manchester.
A warning is being issued as just over 15 per cent of Greater Manchester children are unprotected against one of the world's most contagious diseases - as the region is hit with confirmed cases.
More information has been revealed about when people will be able to see a Lancaster bomber flying over Greater Manchester in May.
A former Greater Manchester Police constable has been found guilty of five sexual assaults on young men and women.
Worrying new data has revealed the extent of climate change in Greater Manchester over the years, as experts warned urgent action is required to tackle the crisis.
A life-saving firefighter cancer monitoring programme is being launched today across Greater Manchester as part of a new UK-wide research project commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union.
A drunk one-punch killer who attacked a man after seeing him speak to his girlfriend is amongst those who was jailed this week. Jonathan Adamson ‘launched’ himself at David Aubert in Manchester city centre’s Gay Village, knocking him unconscious with a ‘heavy flying punch’.
In the early hours of Sunday morning a small town on the outskirts of Bolton was rocked by an hour of shocking violence. In the space of just 60 minutes several homes and cars were set ablaze in the Farnworth, Great Lever and Daubhill areas in a series of arson attacks.
An eye-catching property that you wouldn't expect to find near Greater Manchester is now on the market - and it is worth a whopping £2,495,000. The brand new five-bed residence resembles a home you would typically see in Hollywood, and it's got all the luxury features to go with it too.
Eid is right around the corner and will see Muslims all across Greater Manchester celebrate with friends and families.
If you're looking for an escape to the countryside there are several areas on the outskirts of Greater Manchester with properties that boast idyllic surroundings.
A stylish home has come on the market in one of Greater Manchester's most desirable areas, and it is likely to get snapped up quick. The three-bed terrace is up for sale in Whitefield - the former mill town in Bury which has fast become one of the region's most sought-after neighbourhoods.
Greater Manchester's police chief has revealed the force is actively pursuing child sexual exploitation suspects currently in Pakistan to face possible criminal charges here. Chief Constable Stephen Watson confirmed GMP was 'seeking to bring suspects in from Pakistan' but refused to elaborate further due to what he called 'judicial processes'.
Details of the first school buses to be part of Greater Manchester's new bus network have been revealed. The companies which will run bus services for 31 schools across Wigan, Bolton and parts of Salford and Bury have been chosen.
After last week’s rainy weather, Greater Manchester is set to bask in the sun over the next few days. The Met Office has forecasted wall to wall sunshine for Tuesday, with highs of 15C expected.
It's been almost 13 years since Britain's largest manhunt took place in Northumbria, in a bid to detain gunman Raoul Moat.