Follow Up: Breaking Story 1 - Arrest in Arthog Road

DIDSBURY RESIDENT and former councillor Geoff Bridson, 64, is said to be helping police with enquiries following a raid on his home in Arthog Road, Didsbury at 11:00 am this morning.

Police sources are briefing that they have sealed off the area and evacuated some broody livestock as a deep cover investigation finally seems to be paying off.

Inspector Bobby Dibble, 42, confirmed:

"Certain comestible items have been changing hands in bars, restaurants and social clubs throughout the City of Manchester for incredible prices. All the evidence leads to Mr Bridson.
"What appear to be ordinary free range eggs in a variety of shapes, sizes, colourways and textures have been changing hands for up to £11 apiece. This is 65 times the market rate for the best free range eggs in Tesco's at Baguley where myself and Mrs Dibble do our weekly food shop. Very good it is too. Lots of loss leaders and that. Shame about our local shops.
"But I digress. Mr Bridson is a retired engineer, renowned horticulturalist and almost certainly the best councillor Didsbury ever had (1984-1992). Why is he mixed up in such a shady business?
"These eggs are revered like gold dust by the crowds at these gatherings. Sometimes they are auctioned. Sometimes they are the star raffle prize ahead of magnums of Champagne and collectible Malt Whisky. They have even been given out as prizes for community champions and the like.
"To make matters worse for him Mr Bridson personally annotates every carton with messages in a code which police cryptologists are still trying to crack. We know where he bought the biro he uses, but the fiendish cipher is impenetrable. The eggs are unmarked and unstamped.
"We've more Bobbies on the Beat than ever before. But we're flummoxed."
"The winners joke about their special attributes. 'Salmonella Specials', 'Bridson Bombs', 'Geoff's Golfballs' and so on.
"We have recently seized half a dozen from the home of a local 'bloke who blogs' following frivolous mentions of these in his publication.
"We have observed Mr Bridson rushing forward to congratulate the winners, making sure they handle the eggs with care, and having what look to be conspiratorial chats with them."

LOL have learned that a series of pictures of Mr Bridson in The South Manchester Distorter are also being treated as clues. Bridson is in the paper so much and was such an excellent local councillor that many local people believe he still is their councillor and find he treats their case work with more urgency and dedication that what are widely known throughout South Manchester as "the Lib Dem duds".

Readers are urged to come forward with any information however trivial it may seem to you. Can you help your local police to decipher the following secret message which is typical:
"DIDSBURY FARM EGGS 23/3/07 Cook well."