Demonstrators will act as dead and blood-stained bodies, at the Baby Show in Manchester this morning. The action is a protest against the recent purchase of arms fairs by the Baby Show's owners, Clarion Events.

Manchester-based charity Church Action on Poverty has expressed delight at reports that the Government is shortly to confirm it is scrapping its Manchester super-casino plan. The group said it would be “a victory for common sense which will be welcomed by many people within the city”.

Church leaders in Manchester are calling a meeting with community leaders and other agencies to discuss what many see as a worrying growth of gun crime in the region. But the issue remains one of credibility and practical alternatives

The Christian Socialist Movement (CSM) has joined Methodists, the Anglican Bishop of Hume, the Archbishop of Canterbury and numerous other church and civic leaders in expressing disappointment at the granting of a licence for a regional super-casino in Manchester.

In a statement that will prove extremely controversial, a senior Church of England Bishop has said that Blackpool should have been chosen to host Britain's first Las Vegas-style super-casino.