City news in 250 words

EARTH CAFE could be forced to close. The vegetarian cafe in the Northern Quarter won the award for Healthy and Sustainable Eating at the Food and Drink Awards last year, but is now struggling to make a profit. As an ethical Buddhist-run restaurant, Earth Cafe sources its fresh, homemade produce at a high cost. Management for the cafe have said closure is likely.

'FREE MONEY'was the talk of the town yesterday in Stretford, as a cash machine dished out extra notes. People queued down the street for six hours as the Nationwide machine at the BP garage on Barton Road gave out £60 every time £30 was requested. It is now up to the bank to decide whether to reclaim any overpayment, although in previous cases of faulty cashpoints, losses have been written off.

BUS DRIVERS WHO TAKE SHORTCUTS are causing problems for residents in West Didsbury. Stagecoach buses have been using Cavendish Road and Oak Road as short-cuts to avoid the busy Wilmslow Road, Princess Road and Kingsway since 2007, according to residents who describe the use of their roads as 'a rat run'. Stagecoach say they will clamp down on any drivers cutting through.

THE M60 is to get an extra lane. The new motorway lane will run clockwise between junctions 12 and 15 and is due to be added in 2012. The additional lane is part of a £6bn government transport package which also includes a new high speed rail line. Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers has already described the new rail link as a 'huge wasted opportunity' because it will only run between London and the West Midlands.