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A COUPLE’S £157,000 BMW was allegedly wrecked by a reckless airport parking firm which took it on a joyride while they were abroad.

The pair claimed they landed back at Manchester Airport from a holiday only to find their “meet and greet” parking provider had crashed their luxury motor.

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After alerting police, they found their badly damaged brand new 2024-plate BMW XM crashed into a hedge near the airport.

The couple had landed on a flight from the Czech Republic on Saturday afternoon before discovering their smashed motor.

They alleged to Manchester Evening News that the parking firm crashed the hybrid petrol-electric car after they called to summon the vehicle.

The couple also said it didn’t apologise for crashing it and refused to reveal its location.

Their daughter was not with them at the time but told how they called to say they were ready for their car after landing at the busy airport.

However, 45 minutes passed and there was no sign of the motor so they called again.

When the company picked up, the couple claimed they said another car had crashed into theirs and that they would have to take a taxi home.

Their daughter also claims the parking provider refused to give the location of the accident, so her parents called the police who then revealed where the car was.

The couple, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, got into cab and later found their damaged car on Mill Lane near the junction with Castle Mill Lane in the Cheshire village of Ashley, close to the airport.

Their daughter explained how heart-broken the family were when they saw the destroyed motor and how frustrating it was that they only found out its location from the police.

She also said how the couple’s grandchildren would even take their shoes off when getting into the car.

The daughter added: “They were really upset. They really loved that car.

“The company just didn’t care and they didn’t even say sorry or that they would drive them home.”

Her father said: “That car means everything to me.”

NO REPORTS OF SECOND VEHICLE IN CRASH

Manchester Evening News says it called the company, which appeared to be called Secure Parking Manchester, using a mobile number the couple had provided to them.

Once revealed that it was reporting an incident where someone from the firm had appeared to have crashed the car, a man said that the message would be passed onto the office.

The man added that they deal with the complaints side and would give them a call back.

However, no return call was ever received, and an email the news site sent to the firm’s address that had been provided to the couple was also not responded to.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Constabulary told The Sun: “At 1.53pm on Saturday 22 February Cheshire Police were contacted by GMP in relation to a collision involving a BMW which had collided with a hedge on Mill Lane, Castle Hill Farm.

“There were no reports of any injuries, and the vehicle was recovered from the scene.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed this, saying it responded to a car being in a ditch on Saturday afternoon on Mill Lane.

They added that the driver provided a negative breath test and no arrests were made, while neither force mentioned a second car being involved in the incident.

A representative for Manchester Airport said Secure Parking Manchester was a private company unaffiliated with the airport, adding that it does not use any of the airport’s facilities.

Secure Parking Manchester was approached for comment by The Sun.

IRISH shoppers were left raging after New Look refused to honour vouchers – as Irish watchdog seeks clarification after ‘horrific’ closing down sales.

The fashion giant announced last week that it will exit the country, leaving hundreds facing redundancy.

COLLECT

As hundreds of shoppers flocked to the closing down sales on Sunday, many shoppers returned home empty handed.

Videos emerged on TikTok of New Look shops “destroyed” as people scrambled to grab a bargain.

While other shoppers blasted the retailer “disgraceful” for not honouring vouchers.

New Look shopper Jane Manning told The Irish Sun: “I’m actually fuming to be honest.

“My boyfriend got me a voucher for my birthday in January. It was only a few weeks ago as well. I was saving it.

“I said I’d wait for summer for their new stuff.”

A worker at the door of the shop informed her no vouchers were being accepted.

Jane said: “He said you can sign a form, there’s a form here, a claim form to claim it back.

“And you have to put your vouchers in with the claim form.”

Jane said that she was worried if she would ever get her money back and didn’t feel like the store wanted to hear from customers with vouchers like her. 

The Cork woman told how staff were abused by customers during the sale over the voucher scandal.

A former New Look worker told us: “We found out in the middle of the day through email.

“About half an hour later a member from KPMG entered our store and we had to ask everyone to leave and shut the shutters.

“The next two days were spent turning the stores into sale shops with no help.

“The next morning we had queues going all around the shopping centre, and that goes for every new look in Ireland as well.”

OVER-CROWDED SALES

She explained that “too many people” were let in at once, even though they told 10-15 people at a time.

The worker said the vouchers caused a “lot of problems with staff getting the back hand of it”.

She continued: “When I went out to tell people we weren’t letting anyone in and shutting the shop an hour early I had a woman scream in my face over how long she was waiting and how she’s supporting us by queuing up to get in.

“Another woman was screaming in my face over the fact she couldn’t use her vouchers no matter how many times I explained it wasn’t our staff’s fault it was New Look.

“Another manager told me their staff was shouted and spat at over the fact we can’t accept vouchers.”

INVESTIGATION

The Irish consumer watchdog, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, are looking for clarification on their gift vouchers.

A spokesperson for the CCPC said: “The Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Act 2019 covers the use of gift vouchers in Ireland.

“This legislation contains no exemption for sales of any kind, including closing-down sales. 

“Officers from the CCPC contacted the liquidators in this case late last week regarding a number of consumer protection concerns.

“In our correspondence, we sought clarification on arrangements for the use of gift vouchers by consumers. Engagement with the liquidators is ongoing.”

A spokesperson for New Look said: “Per last week’s statement the Provisional Liquidators have taken over the management of the New look ROI business including stock and voucher matters.”

The High Court approved that Shane McCarthy and Cormac O’Connor of KPMG Ireland be appointed as Provisional Liquidators over the business and its assets.

REDUNDENCIES

With 26 stores across the Republic of Ireland, some 347 staff members have been let go.

Irish shops closing include Northside Shopping Centre, Liffey Valley, Tallaght, Omni Park, Blanchardstown and Jervis Street in Dublin.

In Cork, the stores in Wilton, Ballincollig, Blackpool and Opera Lane will close.

Other stores impacted include locations at Carlow, Clonmel, Galway, Navan, Limerick, Dundalk, Newbridge, Killarney, Dungarvan, Wicklow, Wexford, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Castlebar.

The retailer said: “During the liquidation period, any unspent gift vouchers cannot be used.

“However, you may submit a claim for any amounts owed to you in relation to your gift voucher.

“To do this, you must obtain a claims form from in store, whilst our stores are open.

“You will need to email a copy of the gift voucher, along with the claim form, to the address listed on the form itself. Any claim submitted will rank as unsecured in the liquidation.”

STRUGGLING SHOPS

In a statement, the company shared the closure news to fans.

They said: “Regrettably, a collective redundancy process impacting all colleagues in the Republic of Ireland is also envisaged.

“The decision to seek the appointment of liquidators was not taken lightly.

“New Look’s Irish operation has struggled for some years, impacted by a range of factors including supply-chain and in-market costs, and squeezed consumer spending”.

They added that the New Look Group decided it was no longer viable to trade in Ireland.

They added: “The group will refocus investment on its UK business and its digital offering.”

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ACTRESS Victoria Smurfit has been named as this year’s St Patrick’s Day Festival grand marshal.

The Rivals star will be leading the iconic parade through the streets of Dublin City on Monday, March 17, 2025.

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Victoria said that she’s “absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured” to be chosen.

She added: “I still can’t believe it! I’m so grateful to be part of this incredible celebration.

“St Patrick’s Day has always been a special day for me, and to be asked to lead the parade is truly a dream come true. I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone at home and those joining us from around the globe!”

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain will be celebrating her first Paddy’s Day as Lord Mayor and said she’s “particularly looking forward to witnessing the vibrant pageantry and incredible talent that will bring Dublin’s streets to life this St Patrick’s Day”.

AN ICONIC car brand on the “brink of collapse” has faced another blow after shares plummet.

The Japanese carmaker pleaded for Elon Musk to come to the rescue after a failed merger, but the Tesla boss refused to step in.

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Shares of Nissan Motor dropped by as much as 10 per cent, according to Bloomberg, leaving the manufacturing giant in the lurch.

It started to struggle after “not keeping up with the times” in terms of the soaring popularity of hybrid electric vehicles.

Uchida said: “We weren’t able to foresee that hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids would be so popular.”

Nissan was part of an alliance with Mitsubishi and Renault, formed in 1999 but this partnership now appears to be at risk of falling apart.

If this happens, Nissan may need to seek out other forms of financial support within the next year.

The firm already cut 9,000 jobs globally and its CEO Makoto Uchida took a 50 per cent pay cut in a bid to keep the company afloat.

Its factories in Tennessee and Mississippi held around one million cars but these dropped to 525,000 vehicles last year.

The carmaker was given “12 or 14 months to survive” and was forced to discuss a multi-billion pound merger with their rival Honda.

Lengthy conversations were had between Uchida and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe but their relationship broke as merger talks developed.

Mibe reportedly asked Uchida to resign from his position before any further discussions, according to those close to the Nissan boss.

The Honda CEO was said to be frustrated by Nissan’s money problems and lack of speed, leading to the nearly £50billion merger being axed.

Uchida is claimed to have indicated he would like to remain in his position desire until 2026 but recent pressure from board members could lead to a change of plan.

Desperate for investors, Nissan turned to business mogul and Senior Advisor to the President of the United States Elon Musk for help.

It was hoped the Tesla leader would swoop in and snap up the Japanese company’s US factories, stablising Nissan’s position.

When a Financial Times article revealed that a high-level Japanese was hoping Tesla would invest, Nissan’s shares jumped by 9.5 per cent.

However, Musk made it clear he has no intention of stepping in as the firm’s saviour.

While he didn’t explicitly decline Nissan’s proposal, he responded to the Financial Times report on X and directed readers to his own designs instead.

On X, he shared: “The Tesla factory IS the product.

“The Cybercab production line is like nothing else in the automotive industry.”

Now that Musk has shown he’s not interested, Nissan’s stocks have plunged by 10 per cent – the most in three weeks.

Nissan remains one of the biggest car automotive firms in the world but industry insiders reveal it is now open to mergers with other car or tech manufacturers.

It’s speculated that Taiwanese electronic company Foxconn, also known for building iPhones for Apple, might be next in line to buy up shares.

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MANCHESTER United should give Paul Pogba a THIRD chance because he’s still better than any of their current midfielders, claims Old Trafford legend Dwight Yorke.

And Treble-winning hero Yorke reckons United are not safe yet from relegation and need all the help they can get.

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Pogba, 31, is available on a free transfer after serving a doping ban and Yorke believes United should take a punt on the former France international.

Yorke said: “I would give Paul Pogba a third chance, definitely, because of what United currently have and because of what we know he is capable of producing.

“United have struggled, and Pogba is a damn good player.

“Even though he’s 31, I think he’s far better than what we have now. And if you’re going to get a player for free, who’s far better than all our players in midfield, then you do it.

“With two months left, I would say, ‘Let’s have a look’. Give him a contract.

“You’ve got time here to prove yourself. You can come and play and help us out with the situation.

“I’m sure Pogba would be very keen. Maybe he might want a long-term deal because of the security.”

United’s penny-pinching bosses would balk at a mega-money deal for former Old Trafford star Pogba, who twice left Old Trafford on a free transfer to Juventus..

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But beleaguered boss Ruben Amorim is floundering after a comeback draw at Everton left his team deep in the bottom half of the table.

Yorke is refusing to rule out United being relegated and delivered a withering verdict on Amorim and his underperforming players in an interview with casinobeats.com.

And the former Trinidad and Tobago international contrasted Amorim’s struggles since arriving at Old Trafford in November with the immediate impact that former United boss David Moyes made on his return to Everton.

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Man Utd ratings vs Everton

MANCHESTER UNITED fought back from two goals down to draw against Everton at Goodison Park

The Red Devils were slammed as “embarrassing” by Rio Ferdinand after failing 2-0 down in the first half.

But they fought back late on thanks to a stunning Bruno Fernandes free-kick and volley from Manuel Ugarte, who bagged his first goal since his summer arrival from PSG.

Amorim’s men were then lucky to escape a penalty in the final moments after VAR overturned the decision.

SunSport’s Ken Lawrence has given his ratings of the Manchester United team…

Andre Onana – 7

United needed him with his game-head on, and his 93rd-minute stop saved a point.

Noussair Mazraoui 69′ – 4

Looked seriously uncomfortable on the right side of the back three – forced there because of a defensive injury crisis

Harry Maguire – 4

Out-jumped by Doucoure as the midfielder grabbed Everton’s second and was generally all over the place.

Matthijs de Ligt – 4

Nowhere for Beto’s opener, completely missing attempted clearance and got away with a 93rd-minute penalty call.

Diogo Dalot – 5

At least shows willing. Which is more than could be said for some of his team mates at Goodison.

Manuel Ugarte – 7

Spent most of the game stranded in United’s midfield morass but salvation came with a brilliant strike.

Casemiro 62′ – 2

The Brazilian is beginning to look like the world’s oldest 32-year-old —he’s become a genuine irrelevance.

Patrick Dorgu – 6

Made a determined start down the left flank but that enthusiasm was slowly but surely sucked out of him.

Bruno Fernandes – 8

His free kick was genuine class and once he was dropped deeper started controlling the game.

Joshua Zirkzee – 4

At £36.5M you would expect an element of ball control but the Dutchman used as a joint No 10 just looks lost.

Rasmus Hojlund 69′ – 3

Not so much a desperate Dane, more a despairing one although it would help if he had some support.

Subs:

Alejandro Garnacho 62′ – 7

Injected some desperately needed pace and passion. 

Leny Yoro 69′ – 6

Should have been on much earlier.

Chido Obi-Martin 69′ – 5

The 17-year-old has a presence for sure.

Yorke said: “We’re in 15th place. People still think that we are safe. I am not so sure.

“There’s still a long way. And the more games you are losing, the harder it gets.

“Amorim is in a difficult place right now. He needs to find a way out.

“I do believe that despite the challenges of where United are, as a manager, you’ve got to stabilize the club.

“How could David Moyes go to a team that was struggling more than United and suddenly turn that around?

“Moyes has done well at Everton but certainly we’ve got better players at United. Somehow, he’s managed to turn it around while we continue to struggle.”

“I’m not saying that Amorim’s not a good manager. We’re not asking you to beat Liverpool, we’re not asking you to beat Arsenal.

“All we’re saying is, just win some football matches against teams that you should be beating.

“And if you’re not going to win against the big boys, and you’re not going to start winning against the small boys, when are you going to start?”

To read the full Dwight Yorke interview, go to https://casinobeats.com/dwight-yorke-interview/

Throughout One Piece, Luffy isn’t exactly known for being careful and cautious. Ever since the Romance Dawn Arc, the young boy has always been reckless or involved in dangerous situations that could’ve cost him his life. If Shanks hadn’t saved him from the Sea King, Luffy would have died. One Piece fans and characters alike […]

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