North West - Crime in the News

• Signpost thieves face jail

  Thieves who steal signposts in Cumbria have been warned that they will face jail. [6 October 2008]

• Arsonist gets jail term

  An arsonist, aged 21, has been jailed indefinitely after he started fires at houses and then told fleeing residents he had called 999. [1 October 2008]

• Student raped in park

  A 20-year old student was raped in Manchester after getting lost on the way home from a friend's house. [23 September 2008]

• Man charged for murder

  A man has been charged with the murder of a 26-year old woman in Levenshulme. [15 September 2008]

• Two arrested for street murder

  Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of 17-year old Courtney Eaton in Manchester. [8 September 2008]

• Terror arrest in Blackburn

  A 25-year old man has been arrested under the Terrorism Act in Blackburn. [26 August 2008]

• Street attack victim arrests

  Three men have been arrested over an attack on a man who is critically ill in hospital. [21 August 2008]

• Knives sold to children in undercover investigation

  A girl, 14, and a boy, 15, were both sold knives illegally during an undercover Trading Standards investigation in Cumbria. [11 August 2008]

• Device to prevent spiked drinks

  Police are distributing devices designed to prevent drinks from being spiked. [5 August 2008]

• Bowling to beat crime

  Throughout the month of July, Crimestoppers teamed up with the Tenpin Bowling Proprietors Association (TBPA) to promote the charity through a ‘111' competition. [5 August 2008]

• Thanks a Million!

  Crimestoppers has received its one millionth actionable call at its 24:7 call centre. The call was about a knife crime. [29 July 2008]

• Fresh appeal for fatal shooting

  A fresh appeal has been launched over the murder of a teenager in a betting shop. [21 July 2008]

• Knife offenders are still not being prosecuted

  Figures suggest that in some areas, up to half of all adults caught carrying a knife receive a caution instead of being prosecuted. [21 July 2008]

• Shadow CS anti-gun and knife week continues

  Following the recent high profile reports of gun and knife crime among young people in the media, Crimestoppers' youth website www.shadowcs.co.uk for 11-16 year olds is running an anti-gun and knife week this week. [1 July 2008]

• Man charged over Saturday shooting

  Police have charged a man with the shooting of a 16-year-old girl in Manchester. [16 June 2008]

• Police officer shot during training exercise

  PC Ian Terry had been playing the role of a criminal fleeing in a car when he was shot by a colleague. [10 June 2008]

• DNA clue from 1971 murder uncovered

  Detectives have uncovered a new DNA clue dating back to a 1971 teenage murder. [2 June 2008]

• Food hygiene failures among a quarter of caterers

  A BBC investigation has uncovered that almost a quarter of caterers in Greater Manchester have not met food hygiene regulations. [28 May 2008]

• Premier league footballer jailed for six months

  Joey Barton, the Newcastle and England midfielder, has been jailed for assault and affray. [21 May 2008]

• Man charged with causing death of six-year-old

  The man who hit a young girl with his van has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. [19 May 2008]

• Door staff checked in Stockport

  On 9th May, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and officers from Stockport Police warned 5 door staff for failing to display a licence - a requirement by law. [19th May 2008]

• Crimestoppers scam

  There have been reports of a caller posing to be from the charity Crimestoppers, canvassing financial support for Crimestoppers diaries. This is not genuine, so please ignore any such callers. [14th May 2008]

• Remains of two babies found in a box

  The skeletons of two babies were found in a box at a Greater Manchester house. [12th May 2008]

• Reward for mistaken identity murder

  Police are offering a £20,000 reward to catch the killers of a 20-year old man who was murdered in Manchester in January. [22nd April 2008]

• Seventh man charged over Rhys murder

  A 20-year old man has been charged with assisting an offender in the Rhys Jones murder. [18th April 2008]

• Armed robbers strike Manchester's luxury department stores

  Selfridges and Harvey Nichols in Manchester were simultaneously targeted by armed robbers on 16th April. [17th April 2008]

• Rhys' murderer in court

  A 17-year old appeared in court today charged with the murder of11-year old Rhys Jones, who was shot dead last year while walking home from football practise. [17th April 2008]

• Four arrests over Rhys Jones murder

  Two men and two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Rhys Jones, who was killed in Liverpool in August 2007. [15th April 2008]

• YouTube appeal for fatal shooting

  The family of a 16-year old who was fatally shot in Manchester have launched an appeal on YouTube to help catch the killer. [10th April 2008]

• Social worker murderer to be questioned

  The man who stabbed social worker, Philip Ellison, to death will be questioned later, if doctors agree he is well enough. [8th April 2008]

• Man arrested for multi-million pound VAT fraud

  A 40-year old man from Preston is the 15th person to be held over allegations of a multi-million pound VAT fraud. [4th April 2008]