City news in 250 words

PARENTS will be sent a text if their child is absent from school. Manchester schools are trying to combat truants by contacting parents and asking them to text back the reason as to why their child is absent from school. One in 10 pupils were missing from the classroom at any one time in Manchester according to a recent national report.

SHOTS were fired at the Hog's Head in Didsbury on Saturday night following an argument. A 21-year-old man suffered cuts to his stomach while a 31-year-old was struck on the head at the pub on Wilmslow Road . Det Insp James Ellson, from West Didsbury CID, said: "There were a number of people in the pub when the incident happened and I am sure someone there will have known the people responsible."

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION have replaced the 'ladies' and 'gents' sign on their lavatories with 'toilets with urinals' and 'toilets' in order to include trans-gender students. The students union made the changes after receiving complaints from trans-gender students about the facilities which they now describe as gender-neutral.

THE PENALTY decision that resulted in Wigan's winning goal over Manchester City this weekend is causing still causing a stir. Speaking after the game, Blues’ boss mark Hughes told mcfc.co.uk: “We’ve looked at it again, even at the time it happened I did not think it was a valid claim because their lad dived theatrically and was patently looking for the decision.”