Manchester 250: 02 July 2007

POLICE in Greater Manchester are on high alert following the arrest of three terror suspects in the North West. The men are being held in Scotland in connection with attacks in London and Glasgow. Police believe at least one suspect is still at large. Inspector Matthew Oxley of GMP said: "We have extra officers on the streets. They are there for vigilance and partly for reassurance.”

THE SMOKING BAN is in full force in Manchester with hundreds of smokers forced to stand outside bars and restaurants in the city. Enforcement officers will be sent out onto the streets in a week’s time for the first phase of the crackdown, giving landlords a chance to get to grips with the new laws. Anyone caught smoking in a public place will be issued with a £50 spot fine.

UNITED have finally signed England midfielder Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich.The 26-year-old has signed a lucrative £17m four-year contract and will make his debut during the Asian Tour later this month. Hargreaves, rather confusingly, told the club's official website: ‘A new era is starting for me. I don’t have any concrete aims but you have got to win everything at Manchester.’

MANCHESTER’S TRAM NETWORK has been disrupted due to work being carried out on worn-out tracks between Altrincham and Old Trafford. Twenty miles of 50 year old track is to be replaced in the £100m upgrade. Replacement bus services will run and extra train carriages will run in rush-hour between Altrincham and Manchester.