Stories that hit the headlines in 2019

January

AROUND 300 people flocked to the funeral of popular Leigh Centurions commentator Phil Todoric.

A packed out service at Howe Bridge Crematorium for Phil, who was the face of LCTV's Centurion Cam and a commentator for his beloved club, saw people queueing outside to listen to celebrant Stuart Preston.

Some wore Centurions shirts in tribute to Phil's passion for his side.

A DRAFT revision for the long-term plans for homes, jobs and green belt land was unveiled at the start of the year

The local authority's proposals, as part of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF), would see a number of sites taken off the borough's green belt.

In the new plan, the amount of green belt land reduced from 4.6 per cent to 1.8 per cent. This went down from the original plan of 490 hectares in 2016 to 192 hectares in 2019.

IT was announced that Leigh would host three Rugby League World Cup games in 2021.

The trio of fixtures will take place at Leigh Sports Village.

Wigan Council leader Cllr David Molyneux outside Leigh Sports Village

February

A SECURITY guard who acted as the "inside man" was jailed along with five other men after a series of cash-in-transit heists.

Thomas Keane, 53, of Green Lane, Leigh has been sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 20 years for conspiracy to commit robbery.

March

HUNDREDS turned out in memory of the Golborne Colliery mining disaster 40 years on.

Residents walked in a commemorative march in tribute to the incident in which an underground explosion on March 18, 1979 took place and led to the deaths of 10 miners.

One miner, Brian Rawsthorne, who lived in Garswood, survived the blast.

Residents join in with the march

GREATER Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he was determined to do what he could not achieve as Leigh's MP- deliver a railway station.

Speaking at his Mayor’s Question Time at The Turnpike in Leigh on, Mr Burnham believes opening a station at Kenyon Junction is the best possible short term option for the town.

April

A MUM who had three funerals for her baby spoke of her "upset and frustration" in her search for the truth in her case.

Janine Aldridge, from Atherton, lost her baby Leah who died at five weeks on Christmas Day in 2002, after being shaken to death by her dad.

Andrew Ashurst was trying to settle Leah, who was suffering from a cold. He was later jailed for manslaughter.

After Leah’s death, human tissue samples were retained by Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Despite being assured all tissue samples had been returned, due to later discussions, her mum Janine Aldridge had to have two further funerals.

In 2017, months after Janine held a second funeral for her daughter after GMP’s reassured her that no further organs had been found.

But after Janine requested Leah’s post-mortem examination results, Ms Aldridge discovered more samples of her daughter’s organs had been retained.

Ms Aldridge then held a third burial for her daughter but a full investigation had not been launched into her case despite the problems she faced.

A Greater Manchester Combined Authority authority said there has been ongoing communication with the family including a meeting with mayor Andy Burnham.

The spokesman added that "as soon as terms of reference are agreed an investigation will follow".

MUM-OF-FIVE Joanne Bailey-Collinge died after a crash on Bickershaw Lane in Abram.

The 34-year-old former Bedford High School pupil was taken to hospital but passed away some time later.

In October two men were jailed and another man was handed a suspended sentence in connection with her death.

May

AROUND 250 residents paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena bomb attack at the bandstand in Pennington Hall Park.

The event, Leigh Remembers Manchester, returned to the St Helens Road park where there were a host of performances to mark the second anniversary of the atrocity, in which 22 people died at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.

Leigh Community Choir at the Leigh Remembers Manchester event

June

LEIGH was booming as carnival fever gripped the town centre.

People lined the streets to watch the Leigh Carnival 2019- Carnival in Motion parade make its way from Spinning Gate car park towards Bradshawgate where smiling residents watched the hive the activity that was coming their way.

The Leigh Carnival parade heads down Bradshawgate

A PETITION was launched calling for a mini roundabout to increase the safety of a busy road plagued by car crashes.

MP Chris Green teamed up with councillors to urge Wigan Council to develop a roundabout on the junction of Tyldesley Road and Tyldesley Old Road in Atherton.

The scene of an eight-car crash on Tyldesley Road in Atherton on May 28

CROWDS flocked to see the community come together for this year's Atherton Carnival.

Residents lined the streets as a parade involving vehicles of all sizes followed by bands, community groups and companies based in the town set off from Meadowbank Playing Fields at noon.

A booming atmosphere marched through Atherton.

Atherton Carnival

July

THE man convicted of murdering a young dad-to-be after hitting him over the head with a crowbar was jailed.

At Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, David Connors, 26, of Bickershaw Lane, Wigan was sent to prison for the murder of 21-year-old Billy Livesley, from Platt Bridge.

Connors was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years.

August

A STREET plagued by anti-social behaviour was described as a "living nightmare" by a resident who has lived in the area for more than 50 years.

Police stepped up patrols on Glebe Street in Leigh after receiving reports including drug-dealing and carrying weapons such as metal bars and baseball bats.

Doors being smashed in, threats being made and graffiti were other concerns brought to officers' attentions.

September

A CYCLIST who fell into the canal near Leigh Bridge praised three teenagers who rescued him.

Connor Bracken, from Leigh, was on his bike when he lost control and veered into the water.

The 24-year-old fought for his life as he struggled to stay afloat.

Luckily for Connor, three Wigan and Leigh College students witnessed the incident and raced over before managing to pull him out of the canal.

TYLDESLEY residents Ian Tomlinson and Paul Kinsella jumped at getting the chance to transform their town centre.

Ian’s community transport charity Driven was awarded £1.7m in principle from Heritage England to make improvements to Elliott Street over the next four years.

The friends will be in charge of creating a Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) in which they will set out to bring around six buildings back into use and boost the town’s shopping and social experience.

Paul Kinsella and Ian Tomlinson on Elliott Street in Tyldesley

LEIGH rugby league great Stan Owen, who made the second highest number of appearances in the club's history, died at the age of 90.

Stan came from South Wales to play for Leigh in 1951 and went on to make 415 appearances for the club, forming arguably the club's greatest front row partnership alongside fellow prop Bill Robinson and hooker Walt Tabern.

Stan Owen

October

A MAN who stabbed a friend he was staying with to death in Leigh was jailed.

Stephen Brocklehurst, 49, of Billinge Road, Wigan, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square on Friday to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the murder of 32-year-old Phil Rooney.

He will serve a minimum of 12 years before being considered for early release.

November

YOUNG and old marched together on Remembrance Sunday, in tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for their country.

Veterans, cadets, scouts, brownies and school pupils were among those who joined in with the booming parade in Leigh.

Cadets during the Remembrance Day parade in Leigh

December

THE Conservative Party's James Grundy pulled off a huge general election shock win in Leigh.

He polled 21,266 votes, 1,965 more than Labour candidate Jo Platt (19,301 votes), who was Leigh's MP since being elected in 2017 after a 9,554 majority win over Mr Grundy.