05 April 2012

Other News In Brief

Escaped Prisoner Arrested In Amsterdam

One of the UK's most wanted escaped prisoners has been arrested in Amsterdam, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has said. Kirk Bradley, who fled from a prison van in Manchester last summer, was arrested with his uncle on Wednesday night. Bradley was a member of a gang which carried out shootings in Merseyside and were involved in an incident where a hand grenade was found at the home of Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. It is belived that the gang carried out shootings and operated on behalf of others in the Liverpool underworld. Bradley is expected to face an extradition hearing before he can be returned to the UK.

Car Firm To Create 500 Jobs

A Japanese car parts company has set out plans to create a 500-strong workforce near Swansea. Toyoda Gosei was the most recent foreign-owned manufacturer to move to Wales when it bought the former Valeo factory in Gorseinon in 2011. Production of dashboards and other interior parts for supply to the UK's Honda and Nissan plants began fully at the start of 2012. The company has initially taken on 160 workers after investing more than £10m but it hopes to expand the workforce to 500 employees by 2017

Jim Marshall Dies, Aged 88

Musicians have been reacting to the death of 'the Father of Loud', Jim Marshall– the creator of the infamous Marshall amp – who has died at the age of 88. Marshall produced his first amp while working in a drum shop in Hanwell Broadway, Ealing, in 1962. It was designed to help create richer sound for guitarists who were unable to afford the expensive US Fender amplifiers. Over the next 50 years, his products have become synonymous with rock music in particular, used by almost every major guitarist, from Jimi Hendrix to Slash, our own Gary Moore to Eddie Van Halen. Pete Townsend to Joe Bonamassa. Hundreds of tributes have been published. Andrew Baxter of Stormzone led the Facebook tributes, saying "another legend leaves the stage". Jon Harrison, bassist and vocalist with Double-Wide, said: "RIP The Guv’nor. Sad news, where would we be without his innovation? He gave a voice to so many greats that otherwise would have gone unheard... Papa Marshall… turning it up to 11 in the sky...". While a statement posted on the company's website called him a "legendary man" who led a "truly remarkable life".

(LB)