City news in 250 words

A PAIR OF BENEFITS CHEATS have conned the system out of more than £130,000 according to reports. Allan Peters, 56 and his wife Deborah, 52, said they were too sick to work and claimed £72,000 in allowances. All the while they were working as cleaners for Stretford-based company Cleaning North West.

'SPEED CAMERAS ARE LEGALLY VALID' according to a panel at Manchester Crown Court. The devices have been the subject of a court row this week after Aitken Brotherston, of Lymm, argued that home secretaries had been approving the devices without proper parliamentary scrutiny under the 1991 Road Traffic Act. Brotherston, claimed a laser gun wrongly clocked him driving at 52mph in a 40mph zone on Princess Parkway, Manchester. The judge dismissed the case, which has been going on for three years.

MICAH RICHARDS, defender for Manchester City, is being questioned by police over an alleged assault outside a nightclub in Hale. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "A 20-year-old man has been arrested after an assault outside a nightclub in Hale. The man was arrested on suspicion of section 47 assault by appointment on February 4. He has been bailed until April 8."

FREE KEEP FIT PODCASTS have been organised by Stockport Council as part of their drive to tackle obesity. The three podcasts available feature an indoor workout, an outdoor workout and healthy eating tips. The Active Stockport Podcasts can be downloaded on to a MP3 player or played on a computer. Download them for free from stockport.gov.uk/active