Is There a Serial Pusher in Manchester? Don't Walk in the Tunnel of Doom. Death at the Devil's Urinal.

A Visit To the Devil’s Urinal. - The Manchester Murder Mystery

Is there a serial killer loose in Manchester, and if so how has he been allowed to kill constantly for years and remain hidden. Shockingly when checking figures only the men found deceased on the canal are counted in the ‘Pushers’ death toll. And they are only counted if they are found along a small stretch of the canal within the inner city. On the 11th of January, 2015, British tabloid The Daily Star made the connection after using the Freedom of Information Act to check the number of deaths along the canal system, the Star's report revealed that 61 bodies had been pulled from the waters of Manchester in the last six years.

The Manchester ship canal runs all the way to the coast, and has many tributaries, yet the cases on these stretches are neither counted or investigated. In 2020 Reynard Sinaga was convicted of a number of sexual assaults on young men he helped back to his flat where he would drug them, attack them and film the ordeal. His apartment was on the canal itself, yet he is not being linked to any of the Pusher cases. Several days after his arrest the Manchester evening news reported there is no Pusher, and there will be no enquiry into the death of the many missing males who go missing here every month. There are thought to be around 90 deaths attributed to the Manchester 'Pusher' in the last 15 yrs. No deaths before this date are counted, and no missing are included in this number. 90 is the number of recovered victims. 90 Males pulled from the waterway, yet the Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council and the Media will tell you there is no one responsible for these deaths. If the deaths were accidental, surely safety precautions put in place would have reduced the number greatly? If these cases are due to bad lighting or hazardous walkways, why has this not been rectified. The City has Millions of pounds spent within its centre every day. Yet CCTV footage is minimal and Police presence a rarity. 

And why no mention of the female victims, so many of them go missing on the Canal, in one case all that was found was a lower limb, the case was closed and reported as having “no suspicious circumstances’? Other victims' whereabouts were lost when vital CCTV evidence was 'missing' or 'unavailable' yet Manchester city centre has thousands of CCTV cameras in operation. One man phoned his parents, who stayed on the phone with him, and contacted the police. For 1 1/2 hrs the 999 call operator stayed on the line and tried to help. Yet the next day the police said although the 999 system records all calls automatically, unfortunately for this one call out of the many thousand received that day there is no record? This gentlemans phone was found many days later next to the canal in an area already searched by the police.

Man’s body was found in Greater Manchester waterway, taking the total number of deaths in the region in seven years to 85 - 3/2/16. The body of a man has been pulled from a canal in Greater Manchester. An astonishing 85 bodies - mostly men - have been pulled from the region's waterways in the last seven years. The cause behind the majority of the deaths are believed to have been established as not suspicious, but 28 are still classified as 'unexplained', resulting in open verdicts. Emergency services and a specialist diving unit were called after a body was spotted in Portland Basin at around 8.30am today. The man is white and believed to be in his 40s or 50s. A GMP spokesman said it was too early to establish how the man died or whether there are any suspicious circumstances.

Some recent deaths have caused speculation that loved ones were the victims of a serial killer they dubbed The Pusher - a psychopath who murders his targets by bundling them into the icy waters. Some families believe their claim has considerable substance not only because of the disproportionately high numbers of people to have died in the rivers, but due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of several men.

Man’s body found in water at Salford Quays 3/6/20 - Police are investigating after a man’s body was found in water at Salford Quays. Shortly before 1pm today the body of a man was discovered in the water near the Salford Watersports Centre. His body was recovered from the water by Greater Manchester Fire crews along with police.

A little like the Smiley faced killer in America the Pusher has a penchant for young men. Although as of yet no handy signature has been left at the scene. The men are often out in town, enjoying a meet up with mates, or spending their hard earned wages from the previous few days. The men, some of which are boys, are often separated from their friends for one reason or another. Many of them have phones and wallets intact when found. Which speaks of no robbery and the ability to get a cab home. So how do they vanish and appear in or next too Manchester's notorious water way? 

One local resident called the Canal the ‘Devils Urinal’ due to the number of crimes committed along it's stretch and the many hundreds of people it has killed in the history of its existence. My Grt, Grt grand parents on my Mothers side left Ireland to build the canal in the 1890’s. Tinkers and Navvies they were called. Hard working men who were paid pennies to work in the deadly conditions. The canal which is really a River system made it easier for goods to be transported between Manchester and the docks at Liverpool. It made Manchester an inland port and changed the fortunes for many, good and bad. 130 men were killed during its construction. And many perished later due to the harsh working conditions. The canal was bombed over and over during the war, it shaped the city of my birth. Gone are the original communities like Hanky park and Langworthy. Over 200 years and the deaths continue, many of the cases closed regardless of circumstances. Many petitions have been presented from families asking for an inquiry into the deaths.

The next case we look at I feel should be high on the list of investigations to be re-opened. The glaring incompetence of the Police in this case was so bad it almost smacks of a cover up. It is at the very least gross negligence. Like most of the cases there was very little investigation done. People even today have the 'they were drunk' attitude when it comes to these cases. Or even worse, 'they put themselves in danger by being where they were'. Yet millions of people visit the city centre night clubs and bars everyday, restaurants, cafes and shops and make it home just fine. These cases are different. And when you see them all together you begin to realise there could be something to the rumours that a killer or several killers are at large in the Manchester area. Times that by every waterway, in every city and the figures become staggering.

Find out who Killed our Son!' Parents hear "Howls and Screams" in their son's final call? - Tragic David Plunkett’s chilling screams, heard by a 999 call handler, were not taped because the recorder was not working, claimed GMP Police. The officer who dealt with the “distressing” call was so appalled by the blunder she later resigned. The phone call from David, 21, who came from Halifax, W Yorks, was the last anyone heard from him before he was found dead in the Manchester Ship Canal three weeks later. He vanished after leaving a nightclub at Trafford Park near Manchester in April 2004. His reason for being ejected? he pushed into a queue for the gents toilets. This sadly changed the course of his life and left his family and friends devastated.

At his inquest we heard that his anguished parents rang him to check if he was OK after hearing he had lost his pals. He started to scream and howl. They dialled 999 on another phone and held the two handsets together so the police operator could hear his distress. It was the last time they spoke to their son. The pair called their son's phone the night he died, only to hear terrified screams. Anne said: 'The screaming and howling was so unearthly that you just felt it had to be something.'

This message was Issued from a former GMP officer who handled the call. The woman, who we are not naming, said: “I took a very distressing 999 call.” She said David had been “in a distressed state” during the call with his parents “but they could not hear anything other than their son screaming”. She added: “I dealt with them for well over an hour, trying to sort out assistance for them and him. "The incident still haunts me to this date and with every death I see reported in the news I become more and more convinced that these are murders and not accidents.”

A pathologist said the likely cause of death was drowning and the inquest ruled it was accidental. But David’s mum Anne, 66, disagrees. And she hit out at the police probe into her son’s death. The retired head teacher said: “Someone is responsible for David’s death. The police investigation was unacceptable. "It was a case of ‘young man, too much to drink, falls into the canal, end of story’. "But so many important factors were ignored and there were versions of events that simply did not add up.”

David Plunkett had been at a concert at the Daytona Racetrack, also in Trafford Park, before he went missing in April 2004. Recalling the last time she spoke to her son, Anne said: “I could barely make out what he was saying. "He started screaming and howling. "It was extremely distressing. "I thought he was being attacked. “We rang the police and put the phone to them but it soon went dead. "It later turned out the call wasn’t recorded because the tape recorder wasn’t working. "It really does beggar belief.” Anne said her brother found David’s phone upstream from the body – despite an earlier police search. She added: “The whole case leaves more questions than answers. "He could have been attacked, he could have had his drink spiked. "Anything could have happened.”

"In the early hours of the morning, the phone went and it was David's friend Michael," his mother, Anne, stated. "He said he'd lost David and was trying to get in touch with him. He said he and David had lost each other in the club, and I just said to close the phone and I'd try to call David. It took about three attempts before David answered, but he didn't speak. The first thing that struck me was the quietness of where David was. It was virtually silent. All I could hear was the sound of him walking, that was evident from his breathing, and I said, 'Do you know where you are? Are you in Manchester? Do you recognise anything?' – but I got no response from him. And then, about seven or eight minutes into the call, there was suddenly this ghastly screaming. I started crying, handed the phone to my husband, Mike, and I made a 999 call"

"The screaming I heard," continues Mike, "made me feel like David had seen something that had terrified him." Then at 4:30 AM," says Anne, "the phone just went dead."

It took the police two weeks to find his body in the canal. They claimed to have searched the area and nothing was found. His uncle found his phone not too far from where his body was recovered after the supposed police search. What happened to David that night. The area of the nightclub is well lit, there are taxis outside and lots of numbers advertised in the foyer. walking towards the lights makes far more sense than wandering out of the bustle and towards the canal. Why did David not contact his friend? Were there any missed calls or texts between them? Why did the police not track David's phone and his movements that night. There is CCTV coverage in the area. Even though it was late people would have been around. It's a popular area even at night. Was anything missing from David when he was finally recovered. Were there any signs of injury? Sadly the case is now closed and there will be no further investigations or enquiries made.

A Man was Hurled into a Canal at night - Rumours of a possible serial attacker have been revived after a 34-year-old office worker was thrown into the city’s Bridgewater canal then kicked back in as he tried to save himself from drowning. The victim, who said he almost drowned after his legs became tangled in his bicycle while he was below the surface of the canal, said he had asked police about the “Manchester pusher” legend and that “they were well aware of the stories”. “I definitely feel like I’m lucky to be alive. I could easily have drowned because of what he did,” The Pusher was described as a white male aged between 20-40, he is of average height and was wearing a black jacket. 

Tom says he is "disappointed" with the police response and said the canals were the perfect place for crime. "It's pitch black down there," he said. "There's no lights. You look up, someone catches your eye and then in four seconds you're in dirty water."

Tom is right, it takes a split second to push someone into the murky waters of the canal. There are areas below the bridges and walkways where you do not walk at night or in the day for fear of your safety. Many drugs deals, robberies and hate crimes take place in these hidden spots. Out of the way from busy shoppers and party goers. Once you leave the bright lights of central Manchester you are confronted with an almost Victorian street mentality. Pickpockets, homeless folk and thieves are around every corner. Add to this the lack of officers to attend incidents and you have a perfect melting pot for committing crime and getting away with it. If you want to steal someone’s phone, money, sense of security or life, do it in the back streets of Manchester and you won't have to pay a price. 

8/6/18 Orlando Nyero was celebrating his 19th birthday in Manchester. Three days later his body was pulled from the Canal, which runs through the heart of the city. But he was not the first man to be found in that very spot, another victim had already died after a night out, and his body was discovered only 3 months earlier. Orlando was found in the same waterway as student Charlie Pope, also 19. Orlando and Charlie are among 90 people who have been recovered dead from Greater Manchester’s canals since 2007. There are many more who are reported missing never to be found.

Nick Pope spoke about his son Charlie and his mysterious death ""Look around here, it's just a bloody death trap," he says, as people drink outside at tables a few metres from the water's edge" The lighting is bad and there is no CCTV. Nobody knows what happened to Charlie that night. Three months later Orlando was found in almost the same spot. 19-year-old, Orlando Nyero, drowned a few hundred metres further down the same stretch of water. Orlando's brother, Sam Abui, was with him that night and said they had been celebrating a birthday in the city. "The police said it was an accident. It was a tragic accident," he said.

Manchester City Centre is a hot spot for tourists and party goers alike, there is also a huge student population close to the centre as Manchester has a number of colleges, universities and teaching hospitals. Thousands of people visit the city each day and the evenings are no exception. Yet step two streets away from the bright lights and you will find yourself in the city's seedy underbelly. The central gardens in Piccadilly are a very good example of this. Many years ago the gardens were a lovely place to be. I would often sit there and eat my lunch each day, as I worked in the city centre, but at night it was a place to be avoided. Drug pushers and drunks abound, and one street away you have the heart of the city's red light district. Now sadly you have to avoid the back streets and the gardens even in the daytime, the police are short handed and understaffed. There is no help out there on the streets other than your own. People are killed, raped and attacked on an almost daily basis. 

Yet the City Council, the local newspaper and media will deny there is a problem, numerous times it has been stated there is not a problem in Manchester when it comes to crime. The men and women pulled from the canal are in there by choice, or due to bad judgement of their own. The powers that be refuse to admit there is a problem with 'date rape' drugs, yet hundreds of cases are handled by Greater Manchester police each year. In the past year alone two men have been arrested and jailed for this very crime. 

Police have charged a man over the death of popular Northern Quarter chef Hiran Chauhan whose body was found wrapped in plastic in woodland close to Buile Hill Park in Salford shortly before 8.10am on Tuesday 9 July 2019. Police descended on a small patch of woodland close to Buile Hill Park at around 8:10 am 9/7/20 after they were alerted to a body having been found by school children which appeared to be wrapped in plastic. The children were heading to school for morning lessons at the nearby Buile Hill Academy when the grisly discovery was made.

Hiran had last been seen making his way home from work in Manchester on the 2nd of July, he later was seen exiting a tram at Langworthy at around 11:31pm but tragically he never made it to his room in a rented house he shared with others. Neil Cuckson (16/10/1987) of Eccles Old Road in Salford has been charged with Administering a Noxious Substance, Supplying class A and class C controlled drugs, Perverting the Course of Justice and Preventing Lawful Burial and will appear at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square on Thursday December 19 2019.

Reynhard Sinaga: 'Evil sexual predator' jailed for life for 159 attacks - Reynhard Sinaga was found guilty of luring 48 men from outside Manchester clubs to his flat, where he drugged and assaulted them - filming the attacks. Police say they have evidence Sinaga, 36, who is being named for the first time, targeted at least 190 victims. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Sinaga was "the most prolific rapist in British legal history". The judge ruled his life sentence must include a minimum of 30 years in jail. The postgraduate student was already serving life, with a minimum term of 20 years, for the offences he was convicted of in two earlier trials, which took place in summer 2018 and last spring.

Detectives say they have been unable to identify a further 70 victims and are now appealing for anyone who believes they may have been abused by Sinaga to come forward. At the hearing, Judge Suzanne Goddard QC said Sinaga was "an evil serial predator who has preyed upon young men" who wanted "nothing more than a good night out with their friends". "In my judgment you are a highly dangerous, cunning and deceitful individual who will never be safe to be released," she said - adding that the decision to release prisoners is made by the Parole Board.

Sinaga would wait for men leaving nightclubs and bars before leading them to his flat in Montana House, Princess Street, often with the offer of somewhere to have a drink or call a taxi. He drugged his victims before assaulting them while they were unconscious. When the victims woke up many of them had no memory of what had happened. The student, who denied the charges, had claimed all the activity was consensual and that each man had agreed to being filmed while pretending to be asleep - a defence described by the judge as "ludicrous".

At an earlier sentencing, the judge said she was sure that Sinaga had used a form of date rape drug such as GHB. The rapist was caught in June 2017 when one victim, who regained consciousness while being assaulted, fought Sinaga off and called the police. Assistant Chief Constable Mabbs Hussain said the true extent of Sinaga's offending would probably never be known. "We suspect he's offended over a period of 10 years," he said. "The information and evidence we are going from is largely from trophies that he's collected from the victims of his crimes." Investigators traced dozens of victims from the videos using clues found in Sinaga's Manchester flat, such as stolen phones, ID cards and watches.

The flat mentioned in the article was situated ideally for Sinaga, in fact it was on canal street itself, his balcony overlooked the canal. Was he responsible for any of the mystery deaths, it would be easy to quietly push somebody from your first floor level into the canal below. Or to slip out of the building with a rug or suitcase in the dead of night and rid yourself of a problem. Yet the police state there is no connection between Sinaga and any of the 'Pushers' suspected victims. It would have been very easy for him to pick up lone males and offer his help. Come back to mine, phone a taxi and we can have a drink while you wait, was probably said a hundred times by Sinaga. How many other Sinaga’s are out there, unknown? How many have there been before him, predatory males, who use Manchester centre as their dumping ground?

I grew up in Manchester in the 70’s and 80’s. I was a young lass when the Yorkshire ripper cases started to be reported. I remember another level of fear each time a new body was recovered. I remember curfews for women and men questioned by police because they had a Northern accent or drove for a living. I remember the tape of Wearside Jack being played in school assemblies and on the TV at home. I remember our neighbour being murdered around that time, she was coming home from the pub. She was so badly disfigured and abused by her murderer the police counted her as a Ripper victim until her killer was caught. And I remember the snide remarks of “well she put herself in that position” “if she had been home seeing to her husband this would not have happened” I was so shocked by these comments they still sit with me. And yet 40 yrs on it's still a popular public opinion.

I highly doubt the lady in question set out that night intending to be cruelly killed, disemboweled and left for dead on scrap land within feet of her own front door. Back then the ladies would work all week and on a saturday, with their best frock on and hair newly set and ready they would go to bingo or down to the local pub or club, for a few port and lemons and a natter with their friends. Pubs shut at 10.30pm then. Back home with a chippy supper and hopes of a lie in tomorrow morning were probably the last actions and thoughts she had. She was somebody's Mum, sister, daughter and wife, an aunt and a niece and probably someone's best friend. And because she joined her friends from the mill or factory for a drink she deserved what came her way. That's shocking, but what shocks me more is 40 years later we utter the same words. “If he was at home this wouldn't have happened” “why put yourself in that position” has been said about every one of the missing males found in the Canal. And they are someone’s son, father, brother, uncle and nephew, they had mates they went to the gym with, or played footy with as kids. Ordinary working class lads letting their hair down and having a good time, before it's back to work on Monday morning. We all did this and still do, in towns and cities across the UK. Getting spruced up and meeting your mates after working all week was the norm. I remember hundreds of times I rushed back home on payday to get ready to go out when I was young, free and single. I have attended 18th’s, 21st’s, Hen do’s, Birthdays in the pubs and clubs. And made it home safe and sound each time. I am one of the lucky ones.

Reporters are really good at giving killers nicknames. The Stockwell Strangler, The Yorkshire Ripper, Peckish Pete the Cannibal and of course the monica ‘The Manchester Pusher”. I think the first case where the name 'The Pusher' was used, was the case of Souvik Pal the headline screamed- Manchester student canal death 'a mystery.' Manchester Metropolitan University student Souvik Pal, 19, drowned after visiting the Warehouse Project nightclub in Trafford on 31 December. An inquest heard Mr Pal had taken ecstasy on the night. His body was discovered three weeks later. Trafford Coroner Joanne Kearsley recorded an open verdict.

Mr Pal was described as a "very popular young man". Friend Charlotte Wilson said she was "worried" about Mr Pal going to the nightclub with her and other friends as he had never been clubbing before he came to the UK from India. After he became separated from his friends, he was thrown out for "charging" at a member of the security staff in an attempt to get past the one way system. The last confirmed sighting of him was on the club's CCTV camera at about 23:00 GMT on 31 December. He was reported missing by a flatmate the following morning.

A short time later, another camera recorded footage of two people going down an embankment to the canal - and one, believed by police to be Souvik - appearing to try to climb over a fence to gain access to the water.

But no witnesses have been found to confirm it was Souvik trying to climb the fence, there is no progress on finding the identity of the second man the hearing was told. Despite extensive police searches, it was three weeks before Souvik Pal's body was found - just 50 ft from the club in the Canal. A post-mortem examination showed he had no injuries and the cause of his death was given as drowning. The inquest heard it was still a "mystery" how and where he went into the water. His family, who travelled from Bangalore for the inquest, now hope CCTV footage from the night will shed light on their son’s disappearance.

Officers investigating the case believe the images show  Souvik walking away from the club with a mystery man.  They are seen crossing the bridge over the canal before one tries to climb up a railing. The CCTV shows only one of the two men returning back towards the Warehouse Project. Souvik’s father Santanu Pal,  said: “I appeal to this man and anyone who has  any information about my son to come forward. The case is now closed.

Souvik was separated from his friends when he went into the canal. You will hear that repeated in most of the cases. Our next case is no exception. 

The tragic death of a Stone Roses fan remains a mystery - Chris Brahney, 22, was found in the Manchester Ship Canal 10 days after going missing and his parents have been told they will never know how he died. He had become separated from his friends following the Roses’ concert at Heaton Park last June – sparking a massive manhunt across the region. At an inquest into Chris’s death, deputy coroner Joanne Kearsley admitted she simply couldn’t say how he had ended up in the water several miles away. Addressing the youngster’s mum Jane and dad Stuart, she said: “I’m sorry – I can’t answer the one question you want me to answer.”

But she recorded an open verdict because, she said, she ‘did not have the answers’ about how he died. The inquest heard that Chris - who lived with his parents on Westwood Avenue, Timperley – became separated from his pals at the end of the concert because it was so busy. When he failed to return home on the Saturday, his family initially hoped he might have gone to stay with friends from Leeds University. They became alarmed on Sunday when he still hadn’t shown up and wasn’t answering his phone. The inquest heard a police search initially focused on the area around Heaton Park after a number of possible sightings. It was only after his body was found in the canal near MediaCity on July 9 that the force was able to piece together his final journey through the city centre from CCTV cameras.

Chris was seen arriving by tram at Victoria Station and going to retrieve a bag containing shoes he had left to change into after the concert from a car park in Shudehill. Cameras then captured him making his way through the city centre on to St Mary’s Parsonage, down the side of Century Buildings and on to a riverside walkway. A witness whose flat overlooked the walkway, which had a 4ft railing, later told police he saw a man matching Chris’s description sitting there the night he disappeared. Ms Kearsley said that while Chris suffered briefly from mild anxiety in 2010, she believed he was happy and had not taken his own life.

‘Did the Manchester Pusher get our Tony?’ - The family of a man found drowned in a Manchester canal under mysterious circumstances believe he could be a victim of a serial killer stalking the city’s waterways dubbed The Pusher. Anthony ‘Tony’ Scanlon, 48, was found dead in six inches of water at a lock on the city’s Ashton Canal on March 5, 2007. Passers-by discovered the father-of-three fully-clothed in the foetal position.

Police believe the former probation officer and garage mechanic had simply

fallen into the canal around midnight on his way home from a friend’s house, where he had drunk a couple of cans of beer. But his family still believe he may have been the victim of foul play. On his forehead was a ‘small laceration’ and there was a bruise on the side of his head.

He had been found at the end of a narrow, shallow channel of water beside the

Lock. Coroner Nigel Meadows initially wrote to the family, telling them: “Extensive

police enquiries have failed to reveal any suspicious circumstances or witnesses to the incident itself.” But following an inquest in which his family expressed their concerns he recorded an open rather than an accidental verdict, which means doubt remains as to how the death came about.

His family say Tony was terrified of the dark and believe he would never have taken the unlit short-cut to his home without a friend. Tony’s sister Sharon Smith, said “I think he was either chased or pushed. I think he could well have been the victim of The Pusher. I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.” “My brother knew the canal like the back of his hand. He used to go fishing there all the time. But he was frightened of the dark and frightened of his own shadow. There’s no way he would have taken that short cut at that time of night on his own. “As far as I’m concerned, somebody chased him or pushed him and no-one

will ever tell me any different. There was no money on him. He could have been mugged or robbed.”

Tony’s son Dave, 35, a former soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, questioned why no scrape marks were found on his father’s body if, as it appeared, the water had pushed the body about ten metres away from the obvious crossing point to where he was discovered. “I think there must have been some argument or altercation. And why was he in the foetal position if he wasn’t trying to protect himself”? The family says they want the police to re-investigate the case.

Caspar Blackburn died after Falling into the Canal - A young man was found dead in a canal six days after he went missing following a night out with friends. Police have no ‘definitive answer’ as to how Caspar Blackburn, 22, ended up in the Canal, an inquest into his death was told. Caspar went missing in the early hours of October 1 2017 after leaving The Slug and Lettuce bar in Sale with a friend. Caspar, who worked at Carpetright in Macclesfield, was last sighted on CCTV leaving the venue at 2.03am.

His father, Robert Blackburn, said the family contacted police the following Monday after he failed to arrive home or collect his car from a friend’s house. Mr Blackburn said it would be ‘unusual’ for him to walk home. His body was found in a stretch of the canal near The Slug and Lettuce pub on October 7. The inquest heard the body was spotted by a dog walker then recovered by police frogmen. Pathologist Dr Michael Scott gave a cause of death as drowning.

Det Insp Carl Gilbert said Caspar’s wallet, keys and mobile phone were all found on his person. “We are not able to give any definitive answer as to how Caspar came to be in the water. We were not able to identify any third-party involvement.”

There are some cases I feel should be added to the list of possible 'Victims. The first case is one that stood out for me. I remember the case in real time, I also remember thinking 'oh no' when I heard the missing boy's age and where he was last seen. I also remember the night he vanished was not extremely cold, and where they found him is also a puzzle. He was just metres from the canal in a gated area. 

Adam Pickup missing: Dad speaks of desperate search for teen who disappeared after night out. 29/12/13 - Adam Pickup, 17, from Stockport , was last seen after leaving a bar in the early hours of Saturday morning. And his dad said the family are 'devastated' as they continue to search for him in the city centre. His father Chris stated "This is not like him at all, which is why we are so worried. It is completely out of character. He had been out with three friends on Friday night and they had been to a few bars. They ended up at the Fab Cafe on Portland Street. At some point they have been separated and we know he has walked off. We know he was seen talking to a male and a female in their early twenties.

But at the moment we don't know who they are. Yesterday morning he hadn't come home - that wasn't particularly unusual but he would always text us by the next morning and let us know where he was. Then we found out all his friends had got home and that they had been separated. We got police involved and they have been looking at CCTV."

Detectives said this afternoon that Adam was last seen on CCTV at around 3.30am on December 28 walking along Oxford Street, towards Whitworth Street, and appears to be speaking to a man and a woman who are said to be white, both with dark hair and dark clothing. The man also appears to be wearing glasses and a blue scarf. 

Adam is described as white, 6ft 2 and slim with mousy brown hair. He was last seen wearing a maroon, long-sleeved collared shirt, black jeans and black leather Nike trainers with white soles.

Update 31/12/13 - Police find body of missing teenager Adam Pickup. Officers searching for the teenager found the body near Deansgate Train Station at 3.30pm this afternoon. Police earlier revealed CCTV footage of Adam just hours before he disappeared in Manchester city centre. A teenager found dead two days after going missing during a night out with friends may have died of exposure, it has been claimed. Adam Pickup, 17, was wearing only a shirt and jeans when his body was found under a railway arch near Manchester’s Deansgate station, close to the Canal. The police now fear the student may have fallen asleep and succumbed to cold weather. Earlier, detectives said they could not rule out foul play in Adam's disappearance but it was being treated as a missing persons inquiry. They now say there were no suspicious circumstances.

Update 2/1/14 - A medical test on Adam's body showed he had suffered a fall from an unspecified height. A GMP spokesman said: "A post mortem exam shows his injuries are consistent with a fall. A report on the case has been prepared and will be submitted to the coroner." The aea Adam was found is a problem, it is inaccessible to the public and away from the main walkways. It remains unclear how media studies and graphic design student Adam, whose father is a serving GMP detective, came to be in the fenced off canalside location, which is believed to be the property of Network Rail. The archway location is sealed off by an eight-foot gate. 

Disappearance of Jordan Ratcliffe - Jordan Ratcliffe disappeared from Manchester on 31 August 2008 when he was 16 years old. On 31 August 2008, at 4.45pm Ratcliffe was dropped off by his aunt, Kimberley Pierce, outside a hostel on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter, Manchester city centre. Ms Pierce instructed Ratcliffe to call her once he was settled, although he never did. This is the last confirmed sighting of Jordan. Young Mr Ratcliffe was due to visit the Men’s Direct Hostel in Longsight, a homeless shelter, but he never arrived. 

The police dragged the canal in 2017 after a tip off. A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokeswoman said: "There is a search currently ongoing in connection with a missing person investigation for Jordan Ratcliffe who was reported missing in 2008." A section of the canal, flanked by flats, has been drained.

In 2015 a £20,000 reward was offered for help in finding him, while GMP also produced a computer-generated image of what Mr Ratcliffe may have looked like as a 23-year-old. Officers also launched a fresh appeal for information on his 25th birthday last October. Mr  Ratcliffe was believed to be carrying a backpack containing a packet of crisps and five pounds cash.[citation needed] At the time of his disappearance Ratcliffe was wearing black trainers, black Nike tracksuit bottoms and a grey and black jacket.

This stretch of the canal is very close to Reynard Sinaga's flat and he was in Manchester in 2008. He would have fitted in easily with the city's student population. Like most serial offenders he appeared normal and friendly. There were no outward signs of his predatory nature. How often do we hear “oh he was such a friendly man, you would not think he was capable of something so shocking”? Your average serial killer or offender often does not stand out from the crowd. They blend in well with the general public, they need to in order to gain their victims trust. They are often erudite and well mannered. Profiling has come a long way since the start of these mysterious deaths and the person we are looking for will blend in also. He will be comfortable around the pubs and clubs, he seems a little fragile in build and harmless in character. Sadly this could be any man among millions who visit the centre often. He could be a taxi driver or masquerading as one, that would make it very easy to pick up unsuspecting victims. 

Geographical profiling would tell us he lives or works in Manchester city centre, he is well versed and blends in with the underlit areas. He knows his way around the canal system and may even work alongside the canal itself or have ties to it in the past.  What if he is one of the many thousands of river users, who own and moor boats all along the river stretch. It would be easy enough to moor in central Manchester and take your victim as far as you like to dump them, or does he moor his boat and walk back along the canal banks at dusk? 

Another possibility we have to look at is there are multiple killers at work, there could be a number of small clusters of related deaths, lumped together into one case. Due to the sheer number of men pulled from the canal, mathematical statistics tell us the multiple killer option is viable and most likely. Yet my thoughts are still pulled to a mystery man, who walks the banks and waits for his unsuspecting victims. Wherever his victims come from, Manchester is usually the last city they see.

Family plea to find West Bromwich man missing in Manchester - The family of a West Midlands man who has not been seen since he went out in Manchester to celebrate the new year are urging him to contact them. Gurdeep Hayer, 20, from West Bromwich, went to stay with friends in Egerton Road, Fallowfield, on New Year's Eve 2011. He went out that night and went out again with friends the following night to Sankey's in Manchester city centre. He was last seen leaving the Radium Street club on his own at 02:30 GMT on 2 January. His family are working with police to appeal to him to get in touch.

Mr Hayer was last seen wearing a navy blue polo shirt, black or blue jeans and trainers. He is Asian with a medium build, about 5ft 11in (1.8m) with spiky black hair with stubble, and speaks with a Midlands accent.

Update 11/1/12 - Nine days after Gurdeep Hayer went missing in Manchester, the police have found his body. Mr Hayer was last seen in the early hours of January 2. Mr Hayer was seen leaving the nightclub on his own and getting into a taxi, at about 2.30am the following morning, police said. The UK police spoke to the taxi driver who picked up Mr Hayer from outside the nightclub. The driver, who was identified through CCTV footage, told the police that a few minutes after boarding the taxi, Gurdeep asked him if he could stop. Missing Indian Gurdeep Hayer's body found in river: UK police 

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances in the death of the 20-year-old, whose body was found in a river near the city centre on Monday. According to the police, Mr Hayer had travelled to Manchester from West Bromwich on December 31, 2011 to celebrate New Year's Eve and stayed with friends in the Fallowfield area. He reportedly went out again with his friends on the night of January 1.

Mr Hayer was seen leaving the nightclub on his own and getting into a taxi, at about 2.30am the following morning, police said. The driver stopped the taxi and Mr Hayer then paid his fare. He got out of the taxi and that was the last time he was seen, police said.

Concern for a man missing since Christmas party 23/12/10 -  Fears are growing for the safety of a man who disappeared after a work Christmas party six days ago. Nathan Tomlinson, 21, left his friends in a bar and has not been seen since. Nathan is white, 5ft 7, slim, with fair hair that is shaved around the sides and longer on the top. He has distinctive tattoos on the back of his neck and forearms. When he went missing, Nathan was seen wearing a green jumper, dark jeans, a black jacket and black trainers.

His brother Paul Tomlinson, 26, from Reddish, a tattooist said:  "Nathan is just a normal 21-year-old lad, chirpy, liked to have a laugh and go out with his mates. He is a Manchester United fan and loves football, it is his life. We may not have seen each other every day but we spoke or texted. "This is so out of character. I got a text from him on Friday afternoon, he was talking about his works ‘do’ (party) and looking forward to it.

Adrian Ineson, Miss Tomlinson’s partner and a former police officer, said: "If I had to make a criticism of the force it was the unexplored assumptions officers came out with. "One said (to Miss Tomlinson) ‘don’t worry love, he’s probably snuggled up with a nice young woman’. It really hurts." Det Chief Inspector Sara Wallwork, who was later asked to review the case, apologised. The court heard the case should have been upgraded from ‘low risk’ quicker, which was done four days after Nathan disappeared, especially because it was ‘out of character’ and he vanished in heavy snow.

This last case is included as it fits the time period and witness characteristics, and our witness was last seen in Manchester city centre after a night out. Human remains found under M60 are identified as man who vanished after night out eight years ago - Human remains found under a motorway flyover have been identified as a man who has been missing for more than eight years. Police used dental records to identify the remains of Vinny Derrick, who vanished on a night out with colleagues in Manchester city centre in the early hours of August 30 2003. They were found in an area beneath the flyover near junction 3 of the M60 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, by workmen on Wednesday morning.

Police said today they are still not sure if Mr Derrick died in suspicious circumstances and are continuing to examine the scene. Detective Chief Inspector Sara Wallwork, of Stockport CID, said: 'Vinny's family have spent more than eight painful years wondering what happened to him. 'I am aware that they will have many more questions that need answering and we will work as quickly as we can to provide them. 'We are expecting to be at the scene throughout Friday and possibly beyond. 'These are difficult and complex inquiries and I want to stress that, while we will carry these out as quickly as possible, it could take some time.'

The married father-of-one from Sale in Greater Manchester was 28 when he disappeared. He left the Jabez Clegg nightclub in Dover Street, Manchester sometime after midnight but failed to arrive at his boss’s house in Heald Green, Stockport, where he was due to spend the night. It is thought he was dropped off by a taxi driver at a roundabout near the John Lewis store in Cheadle - about two miles from where the remains were unearthed. An inquest into the death of Vinny Derrick said he may have jumped from a motorway bridge after misjudging the drop below.

His heartbroken family made numerous appeals for information about his whereabouts. On Wednesday evening there was a large police presence at the scene of the discovery, near a railway embankment by junction three of the motorway. The area was cordoned off by officers and forensic work is expected to take several days. It is understood there was no clothing or documents by the remains.

Was this the same taxi driver that picked up Gurdeep Hayer? I suppose we will never know. I like to think the police would have already checked that for themselves. 

In one year alone from August 2010 to August 2011, there were 18 deaths on Manchester waterways, almost a third of the 59 recorded nationwide for the same time period. Local workmen said the Rochdale Canal’s Lock 85 was the site of six body finds in the past 18 months alone. Near the entrance to the lock, three bouquets of dying flowers are propped in tribute to the latest victim. The lock has been dubbed “the Tunnel of Doom” and locals warn people not to use it.

I lived beside the Irwell which is part of the canal system for many years as a child, we would experience floods and we would often sit and watch as they pulled bodies from the water. It happened that often people didn't really question it. In fact all you would see was the odd line, written in the Salford Reporter. That newspaper was closed decades ago, and we are still experiencing the same news block out today. The Manchester Evening Newspaper has run several articles denouncing the Pusher theory. Yet when another male is pulled from the canal after separating from his friends the story is usually a few lines long. If this is down to statistics, drink, drugs and debauchery, why is it not the same in every city. There are so many cities with waterways and canal systems running through them where there is the odd death, yet nothing to match the scale of the bodies pulled from the Manchester ship canal and the waterways that join it.

Females

If you think there is scant information on the Male deaths along the canal, you should see how little is known on the female victims of the deathly waterway. 9 times out of 10 these woman are never identified, they are given no name, and a short few lines in a newspaper report is all they left behind. Yet out there, somewhere are Mothers, Children, Friends or perhaps a partner or spouse waiting for information on their missing loved one. In the days when DNA can tell us the colour of an offender's hair or eyes it is impossible to believe these females can not be identified. Honestly that was my first thought when I was researching these cases, then I realised in some of the rescues there were only body parts to be retrieved, not full bodies which of course makes it far more difficult to identify, but not impossible. Once again I think budget is priority in these cases. One early case is a good example of this.

Post mortem identification of a body by use of dental evidence - In early 1988 the Dean of the University Dental Hospital of Manchester was approached by the Greater Manchester Police Force with a request for a member of staff to provide additional forensic services for them. They already had two dental practitioners who provided a service on the criminal side, but they required someone to deal with the many unidentified bodies they had that were not "apparently crime related'? Later in the same year a police officer telephoned with the request for an examination of a female body. It had been immersed in the Manchester Ship Canal for some considerable time and crime was not suspected. No further enquiries were made and the case remains cold. Sadly this case is just one of many. Manchester's waterways are a grave to thousands.

 

The Manchester Evening News Reported on the 28th Nov 2018 Police check missing persons list after 'human leg' found in River Irwell. Police are checking a list of missing people after human remains - believed to be a leg - were recovered from the River Irwell in Salford. The force says 'enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing'. The alarm was raised by a passer-by. Emergency services were scrambled to a stretch of the river near the red Jubilee Bridge, off Britannia Street. The North West Police Underwater Search and Marine Unit was also sent. A large cordon was erected as the investigation began. The bridge was closed off, with officers standing guard.

Police divers were seen entering the water, while officers were seen trawling the banks of the river. Witnesses said two black bags were later placed in a van by police after being pulled from the water.  58-year-old Marie Scott, has not been seen for almost a year. DNA testing then confirmed the leg belonged to Marie. The force said an investigation is ongoing, but at this stage there is no reason to believe there was any foul play or suspicious circumstances? Marie was last seen heading to a local shopping centre.

Update 24/1/20 - Body parts of Marie Scott found in Manchester Ship Canal more than two years after she went missing. - The heartbreaking discovery comes a year after a leg confirmed to be that of the missing woman was found. Body parts confirmed to be those of missing woman Marie Scott have been found on marshes near to the Manchester Ship Canal. The remains, found around one mile from Frodsham in Cheshire, were spotted on Sunday, December 15. Frodsham is around 30 miles away from the area Marie's leg was discovered and almost 40 miles away from where she was last seen. 

She was captured on CCTV walking along Rochdale Road, towards the Itsababy shop, and a new image was released showing her there at about 3.15pm. That was the last confirmed sighting of her. There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.

POLICE searching for a missing woman have found a body in the River Irwell - Officers were called to a stretch of the river close to Bury Grammar School after a passer-by spotted what he thought was a body. The discovery is reported to be connected to the disappearance of Valerie Weston, aged 58, of Chapel Terrace, Ramsbottom, who was last seen at home at 10.50pm by neighbours who had let her address after spending the evening with her.

Her best friend Janice Johnson, who had known the former Coney Green High School teacher for 25 years, said the ‘whole community is in shock’. A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "There are no suspicious circumstances and a file will be prepared for the coroner. " Inspector Andy Carter, of Lancashire Police, said: "We believe she went out for a wander in the back garden and ended up in the River.

Update 2/4/18 - The body of the 58-year-old was found in the River Irwell 10 miles downstream from her garden in Irwell Vale, Lancashire. Police believe the teacher was pushed into the river by a freak gust of wind when tidying her plant pots very late at night. "Valerie absolutely loved the river and it's ironic that is what has taken her in the end" said her closest friend. 

Lancashire Police confirmed Mrs Weston was last seen around 10.50pm on Monday in the garden of her Rossendale home in Chapel Terrace, Irwell Vale after a flood warning was issued in the area. A large number of officers searched the river and four police vehicles, a search helicopter and an underwater search unit were seen.

Woman’s body recovered from Manchester ship canal. 10/9/20 - A woman’s body was recovered from the Manchester Ship Canal earlier today after a member of the public reported seeing a body near the Chester Road swing bridge at Walton shortly before 11am. Police say the woman has been identified and specialist officers are supporting her family. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death. A Cheshire Police spokesperson said: “At 10.51am, police were alerted by a member of the public that there was a body in the canal near the swing bridge on Chester Road, Walton. “Emergency services removed the body of a woman from the canal. There are no suspicious circumstances and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Woman's body found in Canal. 4/3/20 - The body of a woman has been found in the canal in east Manchester. Greater Manchester Police have now confirmed the body of a 48-year-old woman was recovered. Her family have been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious. "There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding her death and enquiries are ongoing.

Woman's body found in canal near pub in Audenshaw. 22/1/16 - A woman's body has been found in a canal in Greater Manchester, police have said. They found the woman's body in the water close to the Boundary Pub and Restaurant. Police said a cordon was in place and inquiries surrounding the death were ongoing.

These cases are just a sample of the deaths along the waterways, they stretch back to the Victorian era. And each year the toll is added to. No doubt no pubs and clubs have reopened there may be a resurgence of men dying after being separated from their friends in Gtr Manchester. I hope I am wrong.

Sadly as of today there are no updates and all these cases remain closed. If you have any information about these cases no matter how small you have could end years of misery for a family. please contact Crime Stoppers 0800 555 111 or contact GMP on 101

My New Book 'The Killer at the Devil's Urinal' will be out in spring 2021. This is an excerpt of the book.

A FREE copy of the excerpt Novelette will be available on kindle or ebook soon.