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ON SUNDAY 11 January social media in Manchester exploded.
"There is no evidence at all to suggest these deaths are linked or were suspicious."
There was a killer on the loose in Manchester. A 'serial slayer' had been stalking the city's canals since 2008 picking off victims.
What's more... he'd already 'slayed' 61 victims - read here.
Twitter screamed, Mancunians ran for the hills and the national press including The Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Metro, even The Independent, pounced on the story.
The main problem with this knee-knocking headline, however, was that it came from The Daily Star, a newspaper that mostly trades in tits, arse, tits and giant killer rats.
So now we're believing this lot?
The Daily Star - which in the past has run front page headlines including 'Monster Rats The Size Of Cows' and 'Diana's Ghost Tells Kate: You're Too Thin' - dragged in a Birmingham City University Professor and 'spree killer' expert (after 30 other more reputable University Professors turned them away, presumably) to drum up fear.
The Professor's conjecture about a 'gay slayer' on the loose was followed by the heinous suggestion that Manchester could be facing its own Colin Ireland - a serial killer who tortured gay men to death in London in the 90s and has absolutely no connection to any of the deaths in Manchester (except that some, and only some, of the 61 Manchester dead were gay).
The article states that 'in the twelve months from August 2010 a third of the deaths in UK waterways were in the Manchester area', although they provide no evidence for this and don't reveal what exactly 'the Manchester area' refers to.
However, as Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have pointed out, what the Daily Star fails to mention is that the figures 'relate to the whole of the Greater Manchester area and not just the city centre'. In other words some 1,277 square kilometres and well over 100 miles of waterway.
That's one thing, but the main sticking point in this story, the one that's most difficult for any individual or publication to swerve (yes even The Daily Star) is that Greater Manchester Police (that lot we're supposed to trust to protect us and solve crimes'n'that) have stated in no uncertain terms that there is absolutely 'no evidence' to suggest that these deaths are linked.
In an official statement released on Wednesday 14 January, GMP stated:
"What is very important to bear in mind in all these cases is that they have been subject to separate investigations and there is no evidence at all to suggest these deaths are linked or were suspicious.
"On some occasions, people have been charged with offences relevant to that particular investigation. Whilst in other cases, it remains uncertain how people came to be in the water, in many other cases the circumstances have been established following thorough investigations.
"These cases have then been presented at inquests before Her Majesty’s Coroners, and it is for the coroner to determine the exact cause of death. Absolutely no evidence whatsoever of foul play has been established.
"It should also be stressed that coroners do have the power to refer any deaths back to police if they suspect foul play and that has not happened."
On the accusation by the newspaper that 'in an astonishing 27 cases, police have been unable to identify even the sex of the deceased', Greater Manchester Police had this to say:
"It is also misleading and inaccurate to say 27 bodies are unidentified. That figure refers to the number of bodies whose gender had not been established at the time the intial incident was closed by the GMP call handler.
"Subsequent inquiries have then been carried out and the gender of those bodies have been established, only one of these bodies remains unidentified."
That's not to say the police are infallible. Of course they're not, Hillsborough is fresh in the mind. But if we're given the choice between the word of the police (bound by an Act of Parliament to protect us), or a Professor out to make a few bob in a tabloid newspaper which currently has on its homepage an image of US popstar and wildchild Miley Cyrus topless with only shower foam to cover her modesty - shouldn't we go with the police?
Right - the editor says he wants to do one of his guided tours down the Rochdale Canal soon, anybody up for it? He says he's seen some aliens down there Morris dancing with zombies to the music of the devil. We reckon he should call The Daily Star, earn a few quid.
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The guy who made the claims is adamant something isn't right. Manchester is averaging one death per month, which is a higher figure than in London, Birmingham and Nottingham. It does seem a high figure to me, but then again we have waterways running through areas of the city were people get paralytic on drink and take all manner of drugs. I suppose one person a month falling in the canal isn't that high a figure if we have 100,000 people out at the weekend. I wouldn't rule out some wrongdoing in all the cases though. The young lad who died after getting thrown out of a New Years Eve party was seen walking along the canal with another man, and he has never been identified.
15 people died drowned in the Thames last year, without taking into account the deaths in canals and lakes. Thats more than one a month.
In fact there was only 39 in the whole of the north west, which includes coast line and the lake district, compared to 20 in the West Midlands which is landlocked. In England the highest figure was for the South West.
51 deaths in 3 years on Amsterdam's canals, only one was recorded as a result of crime.. www.dutchamsterdam.nl/2152-amsterdam-canals-drownings…
No evidence they say ! maybe they have just not found it yet.
The professor who has made these claims has such expertise in serial killers that he, er, isn't a criminologist, and doesn't list anything to do with profiling, serial killers and the like on his page at Birmingham City University. Out of his, admittedly wide, range of published material, he has never written about crime. He seems to have done a lot on the stresses of working from home. Perhaps The Pusher is a peripatetic worker who has got upset about never talking to people? www.bcu.ac.uk/…/craig-jackson…
But 'camp' is so last century Jon... and the coroner insisted on the glass and railing. It's a bit more risky to cross the canal just beyond Dale Street on the gates!
A good reason to get the city centre canals filled in and turned into something more useful.
Shall we get all of the roads grassed over as well, as people die driving?
I would suggest a cycle and pathway from Castlefield to New Islington linking Deansgate, Ox Rd and Picc stations. No Rink that would be silly.
Cycle path from the Quays to Piccadilly
As would be filling the canals in. Next!
Great response Rink I guess you can't come up with any reasons not to have them filled.
You haven't supplied a good reason for having them filled in yet. Fucking stupid conversation anyway cos it just ain't gonna happen and I believe only you and one or two other nutters on here ever suggest it anyway
The news that was released yesterday about Michael Turner who died in 2012 is definitely suspicious. He left his house fully dressed on a new bike and was found in ankle deep water. His bike was never found and he only had track suit bottoms and one trainer on. When the police searched his bedroom they didn't find anything, but when his mother was emptying his room she found a note saying if you find you find me dead look for these people. If that's not suspicious then I don't know what is! Maybe the police don't want unsolved cases stacking up?
Is this God's way of saying he doesn't approve of gay marriage? Just saying.
Possibly, no definitely the most idiotic thing I've seen in here this year
On
Nice attempt at trolling. www.theguardian.com/…/psychology-internet-trolls-pewdiepie-youtube-mary-beard…
Nope. Next question.
'the most idiotic thing I've seen in here this year'? I doubt it Rinkydink. It's Mancon after all.
It's God's way of saying he doesn't approve of conspiracy theories
If Pat Karney says there's no killer - there's no killer. Simples.
It wasn't the Daily Star it was the Daily Star Sunday. Ms the figures were quoted correctly - the blunder was on the part of GMPs information officers. I should know. I Broke the story.
Scott. Well done, if you did create the story then you created a stupid conspiracy theory that seems to have no bearing in any sort of truth. Conspiracy theories are 99.9% the domain of the powerless and the feckless. I won't report on them until there are more facts. The pusher story has worried visitors and investors to Manchester so if it turns out as the Police think to be rubbish then it was costly in other ways as well. Watch and think Scott, watch and think.
Scott - you are going to cause more hurt and heartache to the families you're interfering with. This is real people's live you're dealing with, not a TV whodunnit. It's obvious from the posts that you're out of your depth intellectually - so just leave it alone.
It's the families who have come to me gimboid. Their heartache stems from not knowing what happened. They Want answers from police. Out of depth intellectually? What a stupid comment to make. Come and see me and say that instead of hiding behind your keyboard warrior name.
Manchester confidential would have killed to break a story like this. Watch and learn lads. WAtch and learn.
...and ladies, of course. Also, use of 'killed'? Odd choice, given the circumstances.
I really don't think you understand this website Scott, you may be happier on this page www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/…
It was tongue in cheek don't worry
Another body. Another 'no suspicious' circumstances no doubt. Bad timing for GMP.