News

Local News

• New milestone hit on major energy project

  A huge energy storage project in Rochdale has hit a new milestone. An infrastructure agreement has been made between the National Grid and battery energy storage (BESS) operator Root-Power.

• Closures at Big Lamp Roundabout

  Closures at Big Lamp Roundabout

• Kingsway Park High School closed on Wednesday 7 January

  Kingsway Park High School will be closed to all students and staff on Wednesday 7 January 2026 due to issues with the heating and building management system.

• Animal welfare reforms welcomed in Rochdale as new government strategy unveiled

  Pets, farm animals and wildlife across Rochdale are set to benefit from sweeping new animal welfare reforms backed by the town’s MP, Paul Waugh.

• Market Street closure for five months begins

  A busy main road in Bury town centre will be shut for five months from today Monday, January 5, as part of a £6m active travel overhaul. Market Street will be closed to traffic until June 26 as the council carries out works to introduce new cycle lanes and crossing signals.

• 'There's a 14-year-old girl with a man in the hotel, and we need the police to come'

  Police in Greater Manchester say they are now acting faster and more effectively to protect vulnerable children following past failures, with one recent hotel incident showing how joined-up safeguarding is making a difference.

• Man in his 20s arrested after two seriously injured in Wardle bus stop crash

  Police have confirmed the arrest of a man following a serious crash at a bus stop in Wardle that left two people in hospital with fractured limbs.

• Police cordon in place at Norton Grange Hotel and Spa

  Police are dealing with an incident at the Norton Grange Hotel and Spa in Castleton this morning, with part of the site sealed off and a visible emergency presence on Manchester Road.

• LIVE: Snow updates, traffic and travel for the 'first day back' in 2026

  Greater Manchester is expecting disruption this morning as snowfall and freezing temperatures combine with the first major commuter and school run of 2026.

• M60 closed near Prestwich after multi-vehicle crash saw two rushed to hospital

  Traffic halted and delays expected following collision between junctions 16 and 17

• Multiple pedestrians seriously injured after car hits bus stop on Wardle Road

  Emergency services closed Wardle Road in Rochdale following an ongoing incident this afternoon. 4 January, causing disruption for drivers in the area.

• Woman injured after fall from M66 bridge in Bury

  A woman has been taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after falling from a bridge onto the M66 motorway in Bury. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Saturday 3 January.

• More from Local News
• Feed
• X

Greater Manchester

• 'There's a 14-year-old girl with a man in the hotel, and we need the police to come'

  Police in Greater Manchester say they are now acting faster and more effectively to protect vulnerable children following past failures, with one recent hotel incident showing how joined-up safeguarding is making a difference.

• M60 closed near Prestwich after multi-vehicle crash saw two rushed to hospital

  Traffic halted and delays expected following collision between junctions 16 and 17

• Teenager named as Alfie Moran after fatal Kingsway collision

  A 16-year-old boy who died following a collision on Kingsway in Burnage has been named as Alfie Moran, as his devastated family pay tribute to a “special boy with the biggest heart”.

• M66 traffic stopped southbound due to ongoing Police incident

  Traffic was stopped this evening on the M66 southbound between the A56 and Junction 1.

• Snow and ice warning extended across Greater Manchester

  A severe weather warning is now in place for all parts of Greater Manchester, as the Met Office updates its forecast to include the entire region in its snow and ice alert.

• Three custody officers hospitalised after Manchester Airport incident

  Three members of Greater Manchester Police staff, including two sergeants and a custody officer, were injured on New Year’s Day while processing a suspect at Manchester Airport.

• Hopwood Hall College Principal among North West recipients of OBE in King's Honours List

  The Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Hopwood Hall College has been named in the King’s New Year Honours List, recognising her long-standing contribution to education in Rochdale and across Greater Manchester.

• Bolton paedophile 'inappropriately' restrained before prison death report finds

  A paedophile from Bolton who died in custody was “wrongly” handcuffed despite being unable to walk unaided, a prison watchdog has found.

• More from Greater Manchester
• Feed

Local Entertainment

• 2025 was the year Roch Valley Radio became your newsroom

  When Rochdale Online closed its doors earlier this year, Roch Valley Radio stepped up to ensure the stories from the boroughs we serve didn’t go untold.

• Your Trust celebrates record 1.6 million engagements across Rochdale borough

  More than 1.6 million people took part in Your Trust’s community programmes last year, marking a record high for the Rochdale-based charity.

• Flying Scotsman to return to East Lancashire Railway in 2026

  One of Britain’s most iconic steam locomotives is making a highly anticipated return to the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) next summer, with the Flying Scotsman confirmed for a special run of events in June 2026.

• Teletubbies, traffic cones and blind mice take over Edgworth in charity race

  Teletubbies, blind mice, and Top Gun pilots brought festive chaos to the streets of Edgworth on Sunday as the village’s annual charity three-legged race returned, raising thousands for Cancer Research UK.

• Heywood AODS and Heykids secure 19 nominations at NODA District 7 awards

  Heywood Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society and its youth section Heykids have been recognised with a total of 19 nominations at the National Operatic and Dramatic Association District 7 awards.

• Peine Square transformed in £1m Heywood regeneration project

  A major upgrade to Peine Square in Heywood town centre has been completed, delivering new performance spaces, greenery and public seating as part of a £1 million investment.

• Rochdale to be transformed by immersive nighttime storytelling experience

  Rochdale will host a major public art installation this winter, as the town’s streets become the stage for a free, after-dark audio-visual experience led by local voices.

• OMD to headline major music event at Rochdale Town Hall Square in 2026

  Synth-pop pioneers to return to their roots with all-star line-up as part of Greater Manchester Town of Culture.

• More from Local Entertainment
• Feed

Local Sports

• Evans hits hat-trick as Shakers run riot with New Year six at Stalybridge

  Bury enjoyed a fantastic start to the new year hitting Stalybridge Celtic for six at Bower Fold on New Year’s Day. A Kai Evans hattrick and goals from Owen Robinson, Leo Graham and debutant Lewis Rawsthorn completed the rout.

• Radcliffe commentator Clive Tyldesley honoured with OBE in New Year list

  Veteran football broadcaster Clive Tyldesley, who grew up in Radcliffe, has been awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting and charity in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026.

• Stepans and Graham strike as Shakers seal Boxing Day victory

  Goals either side of halftime from Rustam Stepans and Leo Graham saw Bury run out 2-0 winners over Clitheroe on Boxing Day despite being reduced to ten men late on.

• From survival to belief as Rochdale AFC look ahead to 2026

  Just over 18 months ago, the future of Rochdale AFC looked bleak, with the club facing an uncertain existence after years of instability both on and off the pitch.

• Young sporting stars honoured in school Hall of Fame

  SPORTING superstars who are excelling in cricket and gymnastics have had their photographs added to their school’s Hall of Fame.

• More from Local Sports
• Feed

UK

• 'Dereliction of duty': Met Police relaxed vetting to meet recruitment targets

  Serial rapists David Carrick and Cliff Mitchell were among more than 130 Metropolitan Police officers and staff wrongly hired or allowed to keep working as vetting was relaxed in a recruitment drive, a review has found.

• Mounjaro and Wegovy may need to be continued for life, new research suggests

  The weight loss jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy may need to be continued for life to keep obesity under control, new research suggests.

• Great British Railways: How much of your cash has been spent on trains rebrand?

  More than £30,000 of taxpayer money has been spent on creating a new logo for nationalised rail services, Sky News can reveal.

• Cyber flashing just become a priority offence - here's what changes from today

  Cyber flashing became illegal in 2024. Now, the government is making it a priority offence, putting the pressure on tech companies to do something about it. 

• New app will allow pupils to view GCSE results digitally from summer 2026

  Year 11 pupils in England will soon be able to access their GCSE results on their phones, under government plans to modernise how exam records are stored and shared.

• Australia's cricketers secure 4-1 Ashes win against England with victory in final Test in Sydney

  Australia's cricketers have secured a 4-1 victory in the Ashes after beating England in the fifth Test in Sydney.

• Tribute paid to teenager who died in crash - after police told family he survived

  Tributes have been paid to a teenager who died in a car crash - after police told his family he survived.

• Starmer 'sets out his position on Greenland' in call with Donald Trump

  Sir Keir Starmer has set out his position on Greenland in a call with US President Donald Trump, Downing Street says.

• More from UK

Entertainment

• Funeral held for French movie and style icon Brigitte Bardot

  Brigitte Bardot's funeral has been held with a private service in Saint-Tropez.

• Lawyer for Rob Reiner's son withdraws from case

  The arraignment of Rob Reiner's son over the killing of his parents has been delayed after his high-profile defence lawyer withdrew from the case. 

• Mickey Rourke tells fans he is not behind 'humiliating' $100k eviction fundraiser

  Hollywood star Mickey Rourke has told fans he is not behind a "humiliating" fundraising website set up to support him - and urged well-wishers to try and get their money back as the total reached almost $100,000.

• Timothee Chalamet and Jessie Buckley big winners at Critics Choice Awards

  Timothee Chalamet and Jessie Buckley have picked up big acting prizes at the Critics Choice Awards, which have kicked off Hollywood's awards season.

• The Voice Of Hind Rajab: Brad Pitt-backed film about death of child in Gaza set for UK release

  A film based on the death of a five-year-old girl during Israel's war in Gaza is set to hit UK cinemas this month.

• More from Entertainment

Sport

• The Ashes: Australia win series 4-1 after earning nervy five-wicket win over England on final day in Sydney

  Australia squeaked home to a five-wicket victory over England in the fifth Ashes Test after a nervy final day in Sydney, the hosts' dominance over the series reflected in securing a 4-1 scoreline.

• England's Harry Brook apologises for 'embarrassing' altercation with bouncer in New Zealand ahead of November ODI

  England's Harry Brook has apologised for "embarrassing myself and the team" after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand last autumn.

• Cristian Romero: Tottenham captain appears to blast Spurs hierarchy in now-edited social media post

  Tottenham captain Cristian Romero appeared to blast the club's hierarchy for "lies" in a now-edited social media post.

• Dominik Szoboszlai: Arsenal aren't champions yet, you don't win the Premier League in January

  It is still too early to crown Arsenal Premier League champions, says Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai ahead of the two sides meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, live on Sky Sports.

• The Ashes: Brendon McCullum will not 'completely rip up script' if he is kept as England coach after defeat in Australia

  Under-pressure England head coach Brendon McCullum says he is willing to evolve his methods - but will not "rip up the script completely" if he is allowed to continue in the role following the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.

• More from Sport

Strange

• Stolen Fabergé pendant passed to police - quite literally

  A Fabergé pendant has been recovered - after police spent six days closely monitoring the man accused of swallowing it.

• 'Drop and cover' earthquake alert turns out to be false alarm

  An earthquake alert preparing people to "drop, cover, hold on" buzzed on phones in the US on Thursday - but turned out to be completely false.

• Spirit animal: Raccoon gets drunk as a skunk in a booze store - and sleeps off hangover in the toilet

  A raccoon has gotten as drunk as a skunk.

• Is Die Hard a Christmas film? The public have spoken - and you might not like the result

  It's a debate that's torn families apart for years - with selection boxes thrown in rage, and stony silences around the dinner table.

• Oxford Dictionary publisher reveals Word of the Year 2025 - do you know it?

  Don't get too upset, but 'rage bait' has been named by Oxford University Press as this year's Word of the Year, beating other online terms.

• More from Strange

Videos

• Musk must urgently deal with Grok AI's ability to generate sexualised images, government warns

  Elon Musk's X must urgently deal with its in-built artificial intelligence Grok being used to generate "absolutely appalling" fake sexualised images, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has said.

• Mayor swears and tells ICE to 'get out' after woman shot dead by immigration agent in Minneapolis

  A woman has been shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis.

• Starmer 'sets out his position on Greenland' in call with Donald Trump

  Sir Keir Starmer has set out his position on Greenland in a call with US President Donald Trump, Downing Street says.

• What we know about 'ghost fleet' oil tankers seized by US - as Russia responds

  America has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.

• Farage warns Trump invading Greenland 'would be the end of NATO'

  Nigel Farage said he doesn't think Donald Trump will invade Greenland as that "would be the end of NATO".

• ICE shooting: This could be a moment of reckoning for America - and battle lines are being drawn

  It was over in a second - three shots fired - but this fatal ICE shooting will have lengthy repercussions.

• Mounjaro and Wegovy may need to be continued for life, new research suggests

  The weight loss jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy may need to be continued for life to keep obesity under control, new research suggests.

• Mickey Rourke tells fans he is not behind 'humiliating' $100k eviction fundraiser

  Hollywood star Mickey Rourke has told fans he is not behind a "humiliating" fundraising website set up to support him - and urged well-wishers to try and get their money back as the total reached almost $100,000.

• More from Videos

Politics

• Great British Railways: How much of your cash has been spent on trains rebrand?

  More than £30,000 of taxpayer money has been spent on creating a new logo for nationalised rail services, Sky News can reveal.

• Starmer 'sets out his position on Greenland' in call with Donald Trump

  Sir Keir Starmer has set out his position on Greenland in a call with US President Donald Trump, Downing Street says.

• Farage warns Trump invading Greenland 'would be the end of NATO'

  Nigel Farage said he doesn't think Donald Trump will invade Greenland as that "would be the end of NATO".

• Number of written questions to government departments doubles in a year

  Key Whitehall departments had to answer almost twice as many questions from MPs and peers in 2025 as the year before - with AI blamed for the massive rise, Sky News can reveal.

• Illegal child abuse material generated by X's artificial intelligence Grok, says UK watchdog

  Criminals have used Grok, Elon Musk's AI, to create child sexual abuse imagery, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported.

• More from Politics

Technology

• Cyber flashing just become a priority offence - here's what changes from today

  Cyber flashing became illegal in 2024. Now, the government is making it a priority offence, putting the pressure on tech companies to do something about it. 

• New app will allow pupils to view GCSE results digitally from summer 2026

  Year 11 pupils in England will soon be able to access their GCSE results on their phones, under government plans to modernise how exam records are stored and shared.

• Time for your dog to go vegan? Canine food counts for 1% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, survey shows

  Dog food in the UK counts for around 1% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the findings of an environmental survey.

• Illegal child abuse material generated by X's artificial intelligence Grok, says UK watchdog

  Criminals have used Grok, Elon Musk's AI, to create child sexual abuse imagery, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported.

• Mounjaro and Wegovy may need to be continued for life, new research suggests

  The weight loss jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy may need to be continued for life to keep obesity under control, new research suggests.

• More from Technology

World

• Inside Iran's protests: Gunfire, hospital raids and growing anger

  In a place called Malekshahi, in western Iran, protesters converge on a base run by the revolutionary guards.

• US aims to control Venezuela oil sales 'indefinitely'

  The White House has said it aims to control sales of Venezuela's oil "indefinitely" as the Trump administration draws up plans for US oil companies to return to the nation.

• Tracking the sanctioned oil tanker's attempt to escape seizure by the US

  For more than two weeks, Sky News' Data and Forensics team has plotted the movements of the US-sanctioned oil tanker Marinera.

• What we know about 'ghost fleet' oil tankers seized by US - as Russia responds

  America has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.

• Who's in, who's out? The coalition of the willing that could secure peace in Ukraine

  The UK and France have pledged to deploy peacekeeping troops in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.

• Australia's cricketers secure 4-1 Ashes win against England with victory in final Test in Sydney

  Australia's cricketers have secured a 4-1 victory in the Ashes after beating England in the fifth Test in Sydney.

• Funeral held for French movie and style icon Brigitte Bardot

  Brigitte Bardot's funeral has been held with a private service in Saint-Tropez.

• Man jailed for supplying thousands of small boats and engines to Channel people smugglers

  A Turkish national has been jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of supplying thousands of small boats and engines used by people smugglers to transport asylum seekers across the English Channel.

• More from World

Business

• Warner Bros shareholders urged to reject amended Paramount bid

  The board of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has urged its shareholders to reject an amended hostile bid by Paramount Skydance while maintaining its unanimous support for a rival offer by Netflix.

• Great British Railways: How much of your cash has been spent on trains rebrand?

  More than £30,000 of taxpayer money has been spent on creating a new logo for nationalised rail services, Sky News can reveal.

• Illegal child abuse material generated by X's artificial intelligence Grok, says UK watchdog

  Criminals have used Grok, Elon Musk's AI, to create child sexual abuse imagery, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported.

• US aims to control Venezuela oil sales 'indefinitely'

  The White House has said it aims to control sales of Venezuela's oil "indefinitely" as the Trump administration draws up plans for US oil companies to return to the nation.

• Waterstones owner lines up Rothschild to book listing slot

  The owner of Waterstones is close to hiring bankers to work on a multibillion-pound listing of the transatlantic bookseller.

• Cheap Eats: Tommy Banks on his train station debate over a toastie, weight loss drugs and why you're using salt wrong

  Every month we interview top chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks, views on the industry and more. This week, we speak to Great British Menu winner, Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Tommy Banks.

• Bosses courted to join PM's China trip as embassy verdict looms

  Downing Street is courting business leaders to accompany Sir Keir Starmer on his first bilateral visit to Beijing even as a decision looms on whether to approve China's controversial new embassy in London.

• London Heathrow, Gatwick, City and Bristol airports have hiked their drop-off charges already this year

  Four major UK airports have increased their drop-off fees during the first week of 2026.

• More from Business

Rochdale Council Leaders Column

No stories to show.

• More from Rochdale Council Leaders Column
• Feed

Rochdale Council Mayors Column

• A year of listening, learning and lifting others up

  As 2025 draws to a close, I want to offer a few reflections on my first seven months as Mayor of Rochdale.

• More from Rochdale Council Mayors Column
• Feed