Manchester 250: Tuesday 17 July 2007

THE WILMSLOW HOME of former pop star, Kerry Katona was ransacked by armed robbers who held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. The three masked men struck at around midnight, forcing their way into the property armed with a crowbar, sledgehammer and blade. They forced the singer to stay downstairs with her five-month old baby, Heidi, whilst her husband, Mark Croft was ordered to show them valuable items.

A DRAWING of a Cheshire church by LS Lowry, has been sold for £43,200.The pastel drawing of St Mary's Church, Astbury, near Congleton, was bought by a dealer. The picture dates back to 1920 when the artist worked as a rent collector in Manchester at the same time as attending art classes at Salford School of Art.

MANCHESTER UNITED has donated floodlights from its world famous Old Trafford Stadium, to a non-league football club which helped them out following the Munich air disaster. Bishop Auckland FC loaned United three players after the 1958 crash which killed eight members of the team.

SVEN GORAN ERIKKSON’S arrival at Sportcity has reportedly taken the pressure of players. The media frenzy which surrounds the manager has plunged him into the spotlight at his new job although he insists he could never be bigger than the team he manages. Skipper Richard Dunne said: “There are no superstars in our team and we're quite happy to get along with what we do and leave the manager to take all the pressure off us.”