Stephen Spencer has been struck off for "crossing boundaries" with his female colleagues.

Lauren Hirst
BBC News

A woman who ran a gift shop and photography studio says she shut down the retail side of the business due to worries over shoplifting.

Leanne Jeffries ran Timeline Photography and Gift Shop in the Flixton area of Trafford in Greater Manchester.

She recalls how she was targeted by a group of shoplifters a couple of years ago who stole a children’s bike from the shop.

She said: "One of the adults in the group distracted me at the other side of the shop while a teenager came in and stole the bike from the window display.

"I saw red. I was really angry and upset that someone had invaded into the space and were trying to ruin small businesses that were just trying to make an honest living."

Jeffries tells the BBC that one reason she focused solely on photography was because she was left "on edge, worrying that people were going to come in and shoplift".

Lauren Hirst
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

A supermarket director says people are stealing items that are easy to resell.

Paul Gerrard, director of campaigns, public affairs and policy for the Co-op in Manchester, says: “What we have seen over the last few years, and which is why crime is at the level it is, people are not stealing to feed themselves, they are stealing to sell.

“It might be protein, steak, chicken; it might be household cleaning products, it might be alcohol.

“Confectionery is easy to sell, so it's things that have a relatively high value and are able to resell.”

He says the company has invested about £250m in prevention measures over the past eight years, including body-worn cameras for staff.

Gerrard says tackling retail crime is also about protecting employees.

He said: “They face abuse. They may face violence.

“The physical and mental scars don't leave them. They also don't leave their families, so I think the impact on my colleagues is huge.”

A recent report from the Retail Trust said that 45% of all retail workers are looking to move roles because of abuse and violence in the stores that they face.

Judges reject the Attorney General's bid to increase Morsal Mohammed Naim's sentence.

A husband, who cannot be named to protect his wife's anonymity, pleads guilty to more than 60 offences, including rape and administering a substance with intent.

Detectives are questioning a man on suspicion of murder after a disturbance at a house in Salford.

Michelle Adamson
BBC Radio Manchester reporter

Image source, Michelle Adamson

Two fans of virtuoso Japanese guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka are keeping their fingers crossed they can get to London in time for the 73-year-old’s gig late this afternoon.

Callum Kirk and his cousin Ben Esson are desperate to see the former Sadistic Mika Band lead guitarist.

"I’ve done nothing but check - I was up at five just to double check," says Callum.

He adds: "Hopefully, fingers crossed, we should be going to London. We’re not going direct, we are changing at Crewe.

"The concert is at four so we are hoping everything will be OK.

"He is in his 70s so it is probably our last chance to see him. As soon as we found out he was playing London we booked."

Stockport Cricket Clubs says repeated fires and other attacks are costing it money and volunteer time.

Work to improve Macclesfield Station was supposed to have been completed in the spring.

Residents complain there is an insufficient variety of businesses to attract people to their town centre.

Psychiatric evidence indicated Simon Carter had paranoid schizophrenia, prosecutors say.

Carns's said a leadership contest was "not the best use of Labour's time" and "we need to get on board" with Burnham.

Paul Bristow says the East region is currently underfunded and could benefit from a fresh start.

Shabir Ahmed is barred from deportation by the provisions in a 55-year-old piece of legislation.

News of Shabir Ahmed's release was not revealed to victims whose cases did not make it to court, an MP claims.

Former Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin says defence must be a priority for the next prime minister.

13 men are accused of helping a man abuse his wife over a period of years.

The Northern Care Alliance runs Salford Royal, Royal Oldham, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General.

The former Greater Manchester mayor is seen as favourite to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister.

The former Greater Manchester has begun outlining the policies he will pursue as prime minister.