Greater Manchester Police have now concluded their searches of numerous locations across Salford and Manchester as they progress their investigation into Stuart Everett’s death.

Some of Stuart Everett’s remains were found at wetlands at Kersal Dale in Salford on April 4, which prompted a murder inquiry.

Detectives are still working hard to find the answers that Stuart’s family need to process his death.

Hundreds of people across Greater Manchester have been spoken to and CCTV enquiries have been made. Eighteen search locations were identified and a large number of recoveries made.

Detective superintendent Lewis Hughes said: “Speaking on behalf of everyone in Greater Manchester Police, our thoughts remain with Stuart’s family. We have always had them in the forefront of our minds and our actions have been focussed on finding answers for his family whilst the investigation progresses. Stuart’s family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

“It has been a challenging couple of months for everyone involved in this case, from uniformed officers who kept the scenes secure to enable our Tactical Aid Unit, Specialist Search and canine teams, Crime Scene Investigators and Underwater Search Unit to search in locations across Salford, Manchester and Bury. As a force we have used all resources available to us to find vital evidence and answers for Stuart’s family.

“Our officers have been out daily conducting thorough searches in demanding conditions and locations, with an unwavering showcase of professionalism which has shown the very best in our force.

“This is also extended to our detective resources who throughout the investigation have personally sacrificed much of their time to ensure that we could be in a position to charge two individuals – their focus has always been on getting justice for Stuart’s family and this hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“We understand that our presence over the last four months will have been disruptive to local residents as many of the locations we searched were public places and we were there over weekends and bank holidays. We have seen first-hand the emotion that has been felt in the communities across Salford and further afield, including social media posts extending condolences to Stuart’s loved ones. We know they have seen these comments and are grateful for the support they are receiving in Manchester.

“Although we have concluded our searches, there is still much work to do. We said right at the start that we would leave no stone unturned, and this continues to be the case as we move forward with our investigation.”

A Harpurhey man has been sentenced to 40 weeks in jail after CCTV caught him snatching mobile phones from victims in Manchester city centre.

David Platt (32) of Canons Grove, pleaded guilty to three offences of theft from a person and one offence of assaulting an emergency worker. He received his sentence on July 20, at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

The offender was caught on camera cycling past on his pushbike at speed before snatching phones from his victims on busy high streets.

He was responsible for three thefts across Manchester city centre and in each of the offences he targeted people who were on their phone in public.

Detectives worked meticulously to follow up on a number of CCTV enquiries and have also spoken to many witnesses which led them directly to the man.

On June 16, a woman was walking down Adair Street in the city centre at 3.30pm. She said someone came behind her on a bicycle whilst she was walking and snatched her phone. The victim started to chase the offender, but he was gone too quickly.

Three days later on June 19, a woman in her twenties was on a video call to her friend on her phone as she walked on Upper Brook Street in the city centre, the man cycled past her and swiped her mobile phone.

On June 20, a woman was stood on the corner of Swan Street on her phone, the man again, came from behind on his bicycle and snatched the phone out of her hands before quickly cycling away.

Detective inspector Natalie McDonald said: “The victims, left without their phones and on the street, were rightly shaken by the incidents as we can see just how quickly the offences happened. In the blink of an eye their phones were stolen.

“Throughout the trial, he showed little to no remorse for his victims –who were understandably affected by these incidents. There might not be any physical injuries as a result, but mobile phones hold a lot of precious memories and pictures which are irreplaceable.

“We want to ensure we are equipping the public with the right crime prevention advice to be able to reduce their chances of becoming a victim.

“Many people think it won’t happen to them, but it could happen to anyone, and thieves can steal things in the blink of an eye, they usually target individuals who are distracted, so we advise that you are aware of your surroundings.

“If you want to use your mobile phone whilst out and about, use it quickly whilst still being aware of what’s happening around you when on a street or in a public place.

“Keep your mobile phone and valuables out of sight and preferably in a hidden in a zipped bag.

“Know how to identify your phone. Keep a record of your mobile phone’s IMEI number by dialling *#06#, by pressing these numbers and symbols, your phone IMEI number will show on screen. If your phone is stolen, it will speed up the process of getting the phone blocked when reporting the number to your service provider.

“You can also register your mobile phone for free at immobilise.com, this will also help you if your phone is stolen helps the police to identify you as the owner if recovered.”