Manchester 250: Thursday 20 September

GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE have been banned from patrolling on mountain bikes due to health and safety fears. This follows the death of Police Community Support Officer Christopher Maclure (pictured), who died after an accident involving a lorry in Wigan, last week. A spokesperson said: “We have decided to review the nature of assessing officers who patrol on bikes.”

A BUS DRIVER whose bus collided with a car in Trafford at 6.30pm yesterday, has been declared a hero after rescuing the car driver from the Fiat Punto moments before it burst into flames. Ambulance crews treated the driver for leg and chest injuries before taking him to hospital and the bus driver was treated for neck injuries. No passengers were on either vehicle.

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON’S Spring/Summer 2008 collection is making waves at London Fashion Week. It has been ten years since Chorlton native, Williamson, burst onto the fashion scene. He said: “I do go back to Manchester regularly to visit my sister and parents - I love it.” His latest work will be shown at Urbis in October.

ANDREW FLINTOFF has been ruled out of England's one-day series in Sri Lanka after failing to prove his fitness following an ankle operation. England will now be monitoring his progress over the coming weeks. Coach Peter Moores said: “He will go back to England for strengthening work and we will see where we go, make a decision on Flintoff's availability for the Test series in Sri Lanka, which starts in December, from there.”