Latest news with #Salford
The Sun
8 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Major update into tragic case of Baby Ava who was found dead in snowy field as vital clue could help find tot's parents
A MAJOR update has been unveiled in the tragic case of a baby who was found dead in the middle of a snowy field more than six months ago. Police have discovered a vital clue which could point to the identify of the mystery baby girl, named Ava by police, who was found in a park in Little Hulton, Manchester, in November. 5 5 5 Following her discovery just over sixth months ago, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has now said it had secured a DNA profile from a piece of fabric recovered from the scene. Cops believe this could help identify someone connected to Ava, potentially including her parents, helping to "move the investigation forward." In an update today, police said: "A significant development in the investigation is the recovery of a piece of fabric from the scene, from which we have secured a DNA profile. "In the coming months, we hope this will help us identify someone connected to Ava and move the investigation forward." Cops have drafted in a range of experts to help uncover the story behind the baby girl's mysterious death. GMP explained it had called on a botanist to "determine how long Ava may have been at the discovery site", alongside an anthropologist, archaeologist, and specialists in dental and bone analysis to "establish Ava's age and ethnicity". Baby Ava was discovered by a dog walker in a snowy field near the M61 in Salford on November 20 last year. Since this discovery, cops have continually appealed for Ava's mum to come forward, adding that they were concerned about her welfare. Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley from GMP's Major Incident Team said: "We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we're committed to uncovering the truth. "We are more determined than ever to find who Ava is, who her parents are, and all of the possible scenarios and circumstances which have led Ava to being separated from them. Cops still hunting for mum of baby boy found dead in M&S bag by binman "I know how heartbreaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. The support and compassion we've received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest. "If you are baby Ava's mum, please know that you are not alone. You can contact us directly or ask someone you trust to reach out on your behalf. We want to help you.' Police have been undergoing extensive investigations over the past six months, since the tragic discovery of Baby Ava. This has included following up on "hundreds" of public tips, conducting "thousands of hours" of door-to-door enquiries, and "extensively" reviewing CCTV footage. Police said they had also collaborated with forces and agencies across the UK to try and identify Ava, in the hope of "securing justice" for her. 5 5 GMP added: "Information from the public has led us to speak with potential witnesses nationwide. "While these leads have not yet helped us identify Ava or understand her circumstances, they have allowed us to safeguard several vulnerable individuals and ensure they receive the care and support they need. "We have also trawled the national missing person database, focusing on cases involving females who were potentially pregnant and reported missing, which has helped us negate a number of individuals." If you have any information which could help police in their investigation, contact the force by dialling 101, quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
‘Significant' DNA breakthrough in bid to identify baby found in field
Detectives hope they can uncover 'in the coming months' the identity of a baby girl found in a field. The remains of the infant, named by police as Ava, was discovered by a dog walker near Ashtons Field in Salford, Greater Manchester, on November 20 last year. Police have yet to establish who Ava's mother is and the circumstances that led to them being separated. However, detectives announced on Monday a 'significant development' in their investigation as they have secured a DNA profile from a piece of fabric recovered from the scene. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: 'In the coming months, we hope this will help us identify someone connected to Ava and move the investigation forward.' A botanist is working with the force to determine how long Ava may have been at the field, GMP added, while specialists in dental and bone analysis, an anthropologist and an archaeologist are trying to establish her age and ethnicity. Det Ch Insp Charlotte Whalley, of GMP's major incident team, said: 'We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we're committed to uncovering the truth. 'We are more determined than ever to find who Ava is, who her parents are, and all of the possible scenarios and circumstances which have led Ava to being separated from them. 'I know how heart-breaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. The support and compassion we've received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest. 'If you are baby Ava's mum, please know that you are not alone. You can contact us directly or ask someone you trust to reach out on your behalf. We want to help you.' The field is close to a lay-by near warehouses and not far from two junctions of the M61 motorway, north-west of Manchester. Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24.
BBC News
16 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Salford: New DNA evidence discovered in Baby Ava investigation
New DNA evidence has been found in the investigation to identify the remains of a baby girl that were found in a field near a Manchester Police (GMP) said a profile had been secured from testing a piece of fabric recovered from near Ashtons Field in the Little Hulton area of of the infant, who was given the name "Ava" by GMP, were found by a dog walker on 20 November 2024. The discovery caused an outpouring of grief in the community, with residents describing it as a "desperate situation".Det Ch Insp Charlotte Whalley said police were more determined than ever to find out about Ava's parents, and appealed to the little girl's mother: "You are not alone." Police said they were continuing to work closely with a range of experts to find out how baby Ava came to be left alone in the field, close to a bridge over the M61. Detectives said a botanist was helping to determine how long Ava may have been at the discovery an anthropologist, archaeologist, and specialists in dental and bone analysis are continuing to try to establish Ava's age and ethnicity. Det Ch Insp Whalley said: "I know how heart-breaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. "The support and compassion we've received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest."We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we're committed to uncovering the truth."GMP said it had received "hundreds of public tips" in the investigation, with information leading officers to speak with potential witnesses across the UK. While those leads have not yet helped identify Ava or better understand the circumstances of her death, GMP said they had "allowed us to safeguard several vulnerable individuals and ensure they receive the care and support they need".Anyone with any information about the case is urged to contact the force. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Review: Dear England at the Lowry is a witty masterclass in the good, bad, and the ugly of English football
I distinctly remember where I was when England lost to Italy in the final of the 2021 Euros, breaking hearts across the country. Covering the game for the Manchester Evening News from the big screen in Crown Square, I watched as the anticipation turned to jubilation, then turned bitter. Within minutes, the 11 men on the pitch had gone from national heroes to masters of misery, and the nastiest side of football was laid bare. Because let's face it, sometimes the beautiful game isn't so beautiful. It's something Dear England confronts audiences with right from the start, when you are forced to relive Gareth Southgate's agonising 1996 penalty miss as Southgate, played by Gwilym Lee, watches on. The pain is palpable. READ MORE: 'I rewatch the Twilight films every year and one character gets creepier each time' READ MORE: The pretty village an hour from Manchester with a lakeside café, cobbled streets and three pubs The Olivier Award-winning play by James Graham is beginning a four-week long stint at The Lowry in Salford, bringing the England camp outside of London for the first time. Set over Gareth Southgate's managerial stint of the Three Lions, the play addresses so much more than football, telling the story of an occasionally united, often divided England that feels entitled to glory and stuck on the questions - what does it mean to play for England? And what is it to be English? These are questions with no right answer, but it's a conversation Dear England is willing to have. The play is in many ways the behind the scenes story of how Southgate, with the help of psychologist Dr Pippa Grange (played by Liz White), managed to take a group of unruly, directionless, scared players and help them become one of the most successful England teams of all time. But that story is only partly one of football. It is one of identity, fear, and belonging. The cast play a collection of familiar faces - Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford - all represented through genuinely funny (and largely very accurate) caricatures of themselves. Harry Kane is kind but monotonous, Bukayo Saka has his familiar boyish charm, Raheem Sterling his swaggering confidence, and Josh Barrow masters Jordan Pickford's 'absolute insanity', as my partner put it. Graham isn't afraid to poke fun at senior FA figures such as Greg Dyke and Greg Clarke as archaic, results-driven dinosaurs; "You don't have to be called Greg to work at the FA, but it does help," one chortles to the other as they hand over the top job. Similarly Theresa May and Boris Johnson make short and exaggerated appearances as hilariously recognisable caricatures. This is a production that plays on the humour of real people, and my god does it work. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE It's a simply but stunningly staged show, making use of a simple black backdrop, stadium-style lighting, and atmospheric football soundbites to brilliant effect. Unbelievable effort has been put in to mastering each person's likeness - even their celebration poses are instantly recognisable from newspaper front pages. And while much of the humour of the play does come from these exaggerated versions of real and recognisable people, I don't think you need to be a football expert to find Dear England a brilliant watch. You just need to be interested in the big question - what does it mean to be English? As the team navigate the highs and lows of international tournaments, they are guided by their backroom staff, who represent both the good and bad of the old-school football Southgate is trying to leave behind. In one amusing, but equally poignant moment, the team embrace Southgate in a group hug as the backroom staff watch on, eventually accepting to each other's hands. It starkly lays out much of the outdated, toxic masculinity that is pervasive in football, gently poking fun while addressing a culture that has put so many off a game that should be for everyone. Because it is this toxicity that, as a country, we can't seem to separate from the game we all love. It's the sad reality pointed out in the letter Southgate penned to England fans before those painful 2021 Euros, which is the namesake of the play. Dear England, he wrote. Of course, my players and I will be judged on winning matches. Only one team can win the Euros. We have never done it before and we are desperate to do it for the first time. But, the reality is that the result is just a small part of it. When England play, there's much more at stake than that. It's about how we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch, how we bring people together, how we inspire and unite, how we create memories that last beyond the 90 minutes. That last beyond the summer. That last forever. In that letter, Gareth Southgate asked England fans what was at stake for them when England play. Dear England is a compelling imagination of what that same journey looks like for the players who bear the burden - and enjoy the honour - of a nation's hopes on their shoulders.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Rio Ferdinand names established Man United star who will 'lose his shirt number to Matheus Cunha' after £62.5m transfer was confirmed
Rio Ferdinand admitted he fears for the future of one Manchester United player set to lose his shirt number to new signing Matheus Cunha. United confirmed the £62.5million arrival of Cunha after striking a deal with Wolves and the forward is set to complete his move once he returns from international duty. The 26-year-old will become Ruben Amorim 's first arrival of the summer after United triggered his release clause, and he will sign an initial five-year contract. Cunha was spotted leaving the Lowry Hotel in Salford with his pregnant partner on Sunday afternoon before joining up with his Brazil team-mates. Desperate to address his side's lack of goals, Amorim moved quickly to swoop for Cunha, but his arrival could all but guarantee a current United ace makes way. The man in question, of course, is Marcus Rashford, who joined Aston Villa on loan in January after a breakdown in his relationship with the United head coach. Delivering his verdict on Cunha's signing, Ferdinand told his TikTok followers: 'One of the few players I mentioned a few weeks ago, if I had a shopping list, he would be on there. He knows the Premier League, so he doesn't need any adaptation time. 'This is a huge factor. I think if you're going to go and buy players from foreign leagues, players that don't have the experience in the Premier League, there is always a risk. He has the experience here. We've seen him here. 'He grew up a Man United fan. 'I'm hearing he's taking the No 10 shirt, which was Rashford's shirt. What does that mean for Marcus Rashford? I don't know. 'There are a lot of questions that will be asked about that as well. '17 goals, six assists in 36 games for a Wolves team, I think it's impressive. I think the recruitment team for Manchester United would have seen, and the coaches here would have seen, what he did to Man United at Old Trafford. 'He was slicing through Man United like a hot knife through butter.' According to recent reports, Rashford's hopes of securing a permanent departure from United have been dashed with Barcelona unwilling to meet his £40m price tag. Barcelona sporting director Deco admitted he 'likes' Rashford last month and the forward is up for sale, with the Catalan giants seemingly his dream destination. The 27-year-old impressed during his brief loan spell with Villa, scoring four goals and registering six assists in his 17 appearances under Unai Emery. His promising displays were curtailed by a hamstring injury, though.
