Manchester 250: Thursday 12 July

SUPERCASINO plans for Manchester have been shelved by Gordon Brown. The Prime Minister has also suggested that plans for the Supercasino should be scrapped completely. He said: “I hope during these summer months we can look at whether regeneration may be a better way of meeting their economic and social needs.” Manchester politicians are furious as this means an expensive independent inquiry has been gratuitously ditched seemingly just to prove Gordon Brown is his own man.

A 23-YEAR-OLD MAN from Heywood has been charged with the attempted robbery of an off-license in which he ran into a fridge door. The robber knocked himself out with the door after spraying CS gas at the shopkeeper on Tower Street. Bradley Dixon has been charged with assault following the raid and is due to appear at Rochdale Magistrates' Court on Monday.

WEST HAM has rejected a written request by Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez to cancel his playing contract and registration so he can join Manchester United. This means that the dispute may have to be battled out through FIFA or the courts.

BAD WEATHER is affecting shopping habits in Greater Manchester. The Trafford Centre has reported that the number of shoppers is up by 18 per cent compared with this time last year. However, smaller traders are suffering. Charlotte Latham, manager of family-owned Bannisters in Bolton Market, said: “No-one has wanted to venture out of their houses. We would have been booming if the weather was like it was this time last year.”