Greater Manchester Police make 67 arrests in area where people are scared to 'grass'
Two shootings were the catalyst for an operation to dismantle organised crime groups operating in the Little Hulton area. As well as firearms incidents, Ellesmere Shopping Centre has been a target for thefts, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour, Greater Manchester Police say.
Buses have been vandalised and yobs on off-road bikes and e-scooters - often wearing balaclavas - have caused disruption and fear among the community. Police believe 15 to 20 individuals are members of several organised crime groups (OCGs) in the area.
READ MORE: Police want to speak to these two men
READ MORE: Teenager disappears after boarding flight at Manchester Airport
Launched in January, after months of intelligence gathering in 2024, Operation Broadway also involves Salford council's Safeguarding Team and housing associations, working with police to tackle the 'exploitation of the vulnerable' by criminals and to steer young people away from being associated with OCGs.
Six months in it has resulted in 67 arrests and 121 stop-searches in the first quarter of this year. The arrests have been for suspected offences including drugs possession and dealing, firearms offences, theft, assault, burglary, anti-social behaviour. Many of these arrests have resulted in the charges and punishments.
In addition, more than 100 weapons have been recovered through a mixture of amnesties and proactive searches – recovering everything from imitation firearms to illegal blades. Cash has been seized, hundreds of cannabis plants recovered and destroyed, and police say "multiple children who were at threat of exploitation given the appropriate safeguards."
In an interview with the Manchester Evening News in February, Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Humphreys, said of the operation: "The December shooting was the tipping point for us. We decided we needed to do something to focus on Little Hulton. The difficulty in Salford is people sometimes feel they can't speak to the police - that culture of not grassing.
"We have got a Crimestoppers initiative running to really try and drive the community to tell us what is happening - whether that be anti-social behaviour all the way up to organised crime, to help build an intelligence picture so we can take action."
His colleague, Detective Inspector Rebecca McGuigan, from GMP's Challenger Team, said today: 'The work being done in Little Hulton has seen multiple arrests, resulting in charges for offences ranging from drugs to weapons.
'Working closely with our partners in the community, we have been able to ensure repeat offenders are closely monitored by everyone from housing to local PCSOs, meaning they can receive the appropriate warning, notice, or punishment.'
Sergeant Helen Matthews, from the local neighbourhood team, said: 'The local Little Hulton neighbourhood team have continued to support and provide numerous officers for the ongoing operation in the area, conducting patrols, warrants, and more as we work towards ridding the streets of violent crime and the nuisance anti social behaviour that can come from it.
'Neighbourhood officers are regularly on patrol and we will always keep an eye out for areas flagged with us by members of the community. If you have had any issues with somewhere in particular – whether that be an address, street, or area – please do get in touch with us.
'All of the community's intelligence and tip-offs greatly enhances our ability to know who is causing problems and where – and subsequently means we can crack down with the relevant punishments.'
DCI Humphreys added: "A housing organisation worked closely with us so we were able to get enough evidence for a closure order on a property that was causing us issues. They are also ensuring that if properties become empty the right kind of people who will help build a stable community move in."
The most recent shooting was in December. Police believe two suspects on two motorbikes carried out a gun attack on a home in Ellesmere Close off Queen Street. Three shots were fired, leaving two bullet holes in a window and one in the frame beneath.
The December 27 attack is still under investigation. The first shooting was in May last year. At Manchester Crown Court, three men were jailed for involvement in that incident
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Murder probe after teenager stabbed to death in ‘targeted attack'
A murder investigation is under way after a teenager was stabbed to death. The 19-year-old man was attacked just before 9pm on Friday in a car park on Market Street in Bury, Greater Manchester. He suffered several stab wounds and later died from his injuries. No arrests have been made. Detective Chief Inspector John Charlton, from Greater Manchester Police's major incident team, said the victim's family were being supported, adding: 'This incident will have shocked the community and distressed anyone who witnessed it, but we believe this was a targeted attack with no wider threat. 'We have several scenes in place with the investigation ongoing in order to identify and apprehend the offenders responsible. 'There will be officers in the area today and in the coming days as we are determined to bring the family the answers they deserve. Police have urged anyone with information to call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
The Mancunian Way: Facts, checked
In our frenetic online world, the need to stop and correct the spread of misinformation has never been as important. Manipulation to suit agendas in all genres of news can haunt social media platforms and reach reading eyes with ease. Inaccuracies are shared - and often widely believed - as fact, distorting the real picture and, sometimes, causing division and tension within our communities. READ MORE: England Euros star fined by Manchester court hours after trophy parade READ MORE: Storm Floris to batter UK with Greater Manchester hit by 24-hour Met Office weather warning The Manchester Evening News, in common with all media, has a responsibility to present to our readers factual information and, where misinformation is being shared, challenge it and report back to give our readers the true story. Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here Three articles we have published this week, on three totally different subjects, form the start of the M.E.N.'s new Fact Checked campaign. And we will continue to write articles like them, with the aim of calling out and correcting misinformation on social media. By doing this, we also aim to highlight the crucial importance of checking the sources of your information and the crucial importance of trusted, fact-checked media aligning with the high standards of accuracy we uphold at all times over all platforms. When a 15 year-old tragically lost his life in Middleton following a collision, social media posts exploded with information. Devon Simmonds-Caines died after he was hit by a car as he was riding an e-bike on Rowrah Crescent in Langley on July 22. A man has been charged with a single count of murder. A 15 year-old boy who can't be named for legal reasons, meanwhile, has also been charged with a single count of robbery. Greater Manchester Police confirmed the charge the teenager faces relates to an alleged incident before the alleged murder of Devon. Announcing the murder charge, police were forced to urge the public not to share videos of an alleged incident involving youths on bikes with a machete on social media, saying it was 'aware of footage online purporting to show preceding events leading up to the incident which are not currently connected to the investigation'. The footage showing a machete being shared, however, had been spliced with separate video footage which allegedly shows the car before Devon was hit - and the moment of the collision. One reader contacted us to 'express deep concern over the misinformation being spread online and inadvertently amplified'. We were urged to use our platform to 'help correct false narratives and prevent the further spread of harmful misinformation'. The Manchester Evening News was able to reveal the alleged machete incident hasn't even been reported to police, who went on to confirm to us the footage is 'categorically not linked' to the alleged murder of Devon. Fact-checked. We were also able to reveal the truth behind widespread claims that veterans living in Bolton were being 'turfed out of apartments for migrants'. Bolton Conservatives claimed that residents in Renaissance Apartments, a privately rented block in the town centre, were at risk of homelessness. This, it was claimed, was a result of a 'Labour policy to move migrants out of hotels and into apartments coming into force'. There was comment from the leader of Bolton's Tory group, with the announcement followed by further rumours circulating online that another accommodation block nearby was also subject to the same plans. Constellation House, in Farnworth, houses veterans and offers mental health support. The Conservatives claimed that Serco had 'allegedly' taken over management of Renaissance Apartments and that its residents had been handed a Section 21 notice telling them they were being moved out of the property. It was confirmed that residents at Constellation House, including several veterans, have been issued with section 21 notices - but in response to the Manchester Evening News, Serco described claims they would be replaced by migrants as 'categorically untrue'. The firm added there were no such plans in force for either of the apartment blocks. It is understood a Section 21 order was issued to tenants of Renaissance Apartments, which is managed by Aspire Rentals, in order for renovation work to take place. One of the directors of the company that owns the Renaissance said that prior to issuing the section 21s, they had unsuccessfully attempted to sell the property as a whole. Flats are now being refurbished to be sold off individually. Fact-checked. A job advert for a 'Sharia Law Administrator' in Manchester posted on a government website also caused a storm online. Didsbury Mosque, which posted the advert on the Department for Work and Pensions' website, hit back against 'misinformation' being spread on social media after Nigel Farage shared the advert in a post on X, claiming the country was 'being destroyed'. The Manchester Evening News was able to cut through the claims being made on social media and answer key questions which arose, including around funding, what the role involved and the law. Fact-checked. We are at the sharp end of misinformation. We see it first across all platforms - and receive the emails. Through our campaign, we will strive to work tirelessly to counter the spread of misinformation and tackle it wherever we see it.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Village road blocked this evening as emergency services called to incident
A village road was blocked off this evening by a huge emergency response. Police and ambulance were called to Barrow Bridge Road near to the car park of Moss Bank Park. Residents said they had earlier witnessed a police chase, before seeing blue lights on the road. There were also reports a police helicopter was in the area It has not been confirmed by police whether the incidents are linked. (Image: Phil Taylor) The incident unfolded at around 8pm with the village road shut for more than an hour. READ MORE: 'Best police force in country' - GMP recognised as most improved force Channel 4 docuseries behind the scenes, as GMP officers relentlessly pursue offenders (Image: Phil Taylor) The ambulance left the scene just after 9pm and police around 30 minutes later. A local resident said: " I saw a police chase before seeing the blue lights near the park. "There were a number of officers on scene, three marked police cars and an unmarked police car. "Later a tow truck came." (Image: Phil Taylor) Locals say they do not know what has happened and The Bolton News has contacted police for information on the incident. A bus was unable to get down the road while emergency services dealt with the incident We are waiting for details on the incident from Greater Manchester Police and will update as soon as we have the information.
