The Hollywood star given a hero's welcome by a community 'ready to fight'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

An army of volunteers say they are outraged after being 'locked out' of a landmark they’ve been trying to restore for almost a decade.

The sudden decision from Rochdale Council to cut ties with Hollywood actor Hopwood DePree over the borough's historic Hopwood Hall sparked confusion and anger in Middleton.

Mr DePree had expressed interest in buying and restoring the hall, but earlier this month Rochdale Borough Council decided not to renew an exclusivity agreement.

The authority claimed he couldn’t develop a viable business plan to redevelop the hall. READ MORE: "My community are good people": High-profile TikTokers speak out after young Travellers turned away from Manchester Since then, volunteers from the community, who have been instrumental in sprucing up the Grade-II* listed building, say they have been blocked from entering the site.