With an huge increase in firearm related incidents across Greater Manchester and in the case of Salford two incidents within as many weeks - GMP undertook dawn raids which saw three people arrested as part of an operation to tackle the growing scourge of gun crime and urban street gangs across the region.

This morning (Wednesday 15 January 2020) a team of officers executed warrants at three addresses in Moss side and Beswick.

The warrants were executed as part of Operation Pallas, an investigation which has been set up by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and supported by Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Challenger into an organised crime group believed to be operating in Rusholme and other areas of central Manchester.

As part of the operation police have seized four firearms; a Brocock Revolver, a Smith and Wesson Magnum, a Ruger 22 Revolver, a Walther P22 Self Loading Pistol and a large quantity of ammunition.

Four stolen vehicles, cloned registration plates, drugs and bladed weapons were also recovered last year between April and August 2019.

Three men were arrested for conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life, a further four are also in custody for related offences.

Superintendent Mark Dexter of the city of Manchester district said:

Quote

 

“I would like to thank staff from GMP and NWROCU who were involved in making these arrests today.

“We now have a total of seven people in custody due to the strenuous work of our officers and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

“I hope these arrests will reassure residents in Rusholme that we are fully committed to making the streets of Manchester a safer place by disrupting organised crime groups and any child criminal exploitation."

 

It is thought that at least 57 young girls are thought to have been targeted by a prolific 100 member paedophile grooming gang.

What makes things even worse is a damning report has now been revealed that police and social workers were aware of the gang which groomed, drugged and then raped emotionally vulnerable children, in one instance forcibly injecting one 15-year-old girl with heroin which led to her death two months later.

The victim known as Victoria was regularly abused along with other children from Manchester care homes whilst both police and social services turned a blind eye,  failing to act to stop it.

In a shocking example of the abuses suffered by these vulnerable girls, 15 year old Victoria Agoglia (Byrne) was targeted by a number of men who were said to have come and gone freely from a care home she was living in at the time. Despite repeated attempts to raise the alarm with social workers she was ignored, sadly she died as a result of being forcibly administered Heroin by a gang member.

Mohammed Yaqoob then aged 50-years old, was cleared of her manslaughter after forcibly injecting her, he was instead jailed for just three and a half years for the administration of a noxious substance.

During the inquest into her death the coroner concluded that her death was unforeseeable, sickeningly a verdict was recorded which made reference to her 'propensity to grant sexual favours.

The new report however concludes that social services failed to protect both her and others.

In the wake of her death the short lived Operation Augusta was set up to investigate if their was a wider problem with grooming gangs across the region, yet despite the identification of a network involving at least 100 male asian suspects and the possibility that they had targeted scores of vulnerable teenage girls via takeaways in the Rusholme area, the investigation was shut down due to a 'lack of resources'.

This latest inquiry was commissioned by Metro Mayor Andy Burnham in 2017 who ordered a report into the local authorities handing of cases involving the sexual exploitation of children.

Experts Malcom Newsam and Gary Ridgway who carried out the inquiry, found that grave errors had been made and that young victims were failed.

Unfortunatley Victoria was not the only victim as many more young girls reported sexual abuse to social services only for their desperate pleas to go unheard.

It was noted that eight of the men identified during Operation Augusta went on to commit extremely serious sexual offences ranging from sexual activity with a child to even child rape.

The report concludes that most of the children they had identified as early as 2004 had been failed by both police and social services.

GMP has now launched a full investigative review of its own inquiries, despite previously stating as recent as 2018 that there was no commitment to do so.

Speaking on the findings of the inquiry, Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain, Head of Specialist Crime for Greater Manchester Police, said:

Quote

 

“We accept that authorities fell short of doing all they could to protect and support the child victims of sexual exploitation identified under Operation Augusta in 2004.

“Children should be able to expect those responsible for their care will do all they can to keep them safe and I want to apologise to all those vulnerable children who were let down.  I can only imagine the pain and distress they must have gone through, which would have only been made worse by these failings. I am sorry they were let down and I am sorry they were not protected from harm.

“Many of the children were subject to the most profound abuse and, although the review team acknowledged there was much in Operation Augusta and the work carried out by the investigation team to be commended, we agree the overall operation was not to the standard rightfully expected from victims. We have made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct so that they can carry out an independent assessment to determine if there are any conduct matters that should be investigated.

“We and our partners at Manchester City Council have personally contacted all but one victim featured in the report to offer them any support we can ahead of it being published. Each contact was carefully planned with care professionals to ensure we were as sensitive as possible and further specialist support was offered.

“Of course back in early 2000s, the priorities for forces across the UK were very different.  This has completely changed and today safeguarding the vulnerable is our absolute priority.

“After taking learnings from the Operation Span investigation in Rochdale and the significant convictions secured in 2013, we have worked closely with partners across Greater Manchester to develop a consistent standard in addressing the exploitation of young people. This approach puts the victim at the centre of everything we do, which ensures that proper support is provided by the right agencies and any safeguarding concerns are addressed.

“With this support from partners, it provides a stronger footing for police to prevent, disrupt and investigate these crimes.  The work of these specialised teams under Project Phoenix has been recognised nationally as showing excellent working practice in tackling child sexual exploitation across Greater Manchester.

“Our work initially focused on child sexual exploitation. We have continued to learn and develop these principles with partners over the last six years. As a result we have made further improvements to our whole approach to tackling the abuse and exploitation of young people. 

“These improvements include the introduction of specialist co-located multi-agency ‘Complex Safeguarding Teams’ in every district across Greater Manchester. These focus on all aspects of exploitation including CSE, criminal exploitation and modern slavery. 

“A Major Incident Team has been established under Operation Green Jacket. This dedicated multi-agency team has already carried out a significant amount of disruption actions, as well as numerous safeguarding visits.

“We have been reviewing all the information available and now a full investigation has been launched. To date, this investigation has resulted in one man being arrested and another interviewed under caution in September 2019 in connection with the abuse of Victoria Agoglia. The men have been released under investigation and we have provided an update to Victoria’s grandmother on the progress of our enquiries.

“This remains an ongoing investigation and I would encourage anyone who was involved in the original operation as a victim, potential victim or witness to please come forward and contact us so that we and partner agencies can provide you with any support we can.

“We will continue to do all that we can to safeguard children within our communities. Greater Manchester Police will investigate any report of child exploitation that is made.”

 

As for Manchester Council, the review goes on to conclude that there were no doubts whatsoever that the council were unaware of what was going on within its own care homes and that failures were made. Social workers had been more than made aware yet had failed to act upon the information. The council now promises to act upon the information to ensure it never happens again.

Joanne Roney, chief executive, said:

Quote

 

“This report makes for painful reading. We recognise that some of the social work practice and management oversight around 15 years ago fell far below the high standards we now expect. We are deeply sorry that not enough was done to protect our children at the time.

“While we cannot change the past we have learned from it and will continue to do so to ensure that no stone is left unturned in tackling this abhorrent crime. 

“The report concerns a period when, as in many other towns and cities, child sexual exploitation was an emerging issue all too often viewed through a lens of misunderstanding wherever it occured. 

“The review itself acknowledges that how we tackle the sexual exploitation of children has improved considerably. Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police work together much more closely and effectively to identify young people at risk of exploitation, put safeguarding measures in place to protect them and pursue perpetrators.

“Recent scrutiny from independent expert bodies including Ofsted and the Local Government Association has also endorsed the positive impact of this co-ordinated work. Our most recent Ofsted visit was only last month and we understand their feedback, due to be published next week, will highlight partnership working, leadership and our complex safeguarding hub as particular strengths. 

“Work to build up trusted relationships with potential victims is also having success - both in prevention and in the prosecution of offenders.* 

“We want to reassure Manchester people that, more than a decade and a half of learning later, we are in a much better place and the approach to tackling child sexual exploitation has strengthened significantly.

“We are also working closely with other Greater Manchester local authorities to share best practice.

“We have not simply waited for the publication of this review. Since spring 2018, as soon as we became aware of concerns regarding cases in the early 2000s, we have been working with Greater Manchester Police to re-examine them and support reinvestigation wherever possible. Matters relating to the period covered by the review are subject to a live and ongoing police operation.

“As chief executive of the Council, I was a key member of the steering group that oversaw this review team’s work.  We have fully engaged with the review and not shirked from confronting past shortcomings to help inform continuing improvements. While bad people will always try to prey on the most vulnerable, keeping children safe is our absolute priority. We cannot and will not be complacent. 

“Our prime concern throughout this process has been the interests of the young people directly affected, ensuring that their identities were protected, they were kept informed and that effective actions were taken wherever possible in the interests of justice. 

“We would urge anyone affected by this report to come forward to us or the police. They will be believed. They will be supported.”

 

It would seem the issue of Asian grooming gangs is more widespread than first thought, it is imperative to ensure that this behaviour is stopped and those committing horrendous crimes against vulnerable children are brought to justice.

f you have been affected by this case and wish to speak to police, or if you believe you have information that can assist the investigation team, they can be contacted via opgreenjacket@gmp.police.uk

If you have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies but do not wish to speak to police, then Victim Support can be contacted on 08081689024

Designers have been appointed by Manchester Council to spearhead the transformation of Piccadilly Gardens.

Landscape architects have been appointed to produce concept designs for improvements to Piccadilly Gardens and its surrounds.

LDA Design (Manchester) will come up with a number of outline schemes which Manchester residents and businesses will then be consulted on in the spring.

They were the landscape architects behind a previous scheme, produced by LGIM Real Assets (Legal & General), which attracted broad public support but was discontinued when it became financially unviable.

The Council would like to keep many of the core elements of that original scheme including new planting, improved lighting and design to help deter anti-social behaviour, raising grassed areas and re-laying paths to repair the damage areas. Critical to the proposals will be the creation of  a more family-friendly area with an improved children's play area and removing and/or replacing existing street furniture.

There is also an aspiration to soften the appearance of the Pavilion’s concrete wall, transforming it into a green ‘living wall’ and by removing the free-standing part of the wall which, unlike the Pavilion itself, is owned by the Council.

The plans will also take in a wider area than the previous scheme, expanding the area under consideration to include the section of Piccadilly to the north of the gardens, Parker Street to the south and Mosley Street to the west. 

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:

Quote

 

“We know that Piccadilly Gardens is a major issue for a lot of people which they have strong views about. We are committed to funding and bringing forward a scheme which will both improve its appearance and help make it more of a welcoming, family-friendly space.

“We look forward to sharing further ideas and details with the public and having a conversation on how best to improve the gardens as soon as we are in a position to do so.”

 

Police are currently responding to a stabbing close to the Primark store on Market Street in Manchester City Centre.

Shortly before 6.20pm this evening (Sunday 12 January 2020), police say that they were called to reports that two people had been stabbed on Market Street.

Emergency services attended and police have arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of serious assault – a taser was deployed during the arrest.

Four people have been injured and one has been taken to hospital for treatment. 

A large police cordon is in place at the scene as officers conduct their investigations.

This is being treated as an isolated incident and there is not believed to be any wider threat to the public.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage or information is urged to contact police.

Metrolink and bus services are currently affected. Please follow @OfficialTfGM and @MCRMetrolink for travel updates.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting incident number 2353 of 12/01/2020, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

Photo: @manctraffic

Very strong winds and severe gales will impact the region through Monday building into Tuesday. Forecasters are saying that there could be delays to road and rail travel and localised damage.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for parts of the UK including the Northwest.

Gusts as high as 70mph can be expected in some exposed areas, especially on higher ground as the winds grow stronger into Tuesday before subsiding towards the evening.

Heavy rain is expected and it is possible that there could be localised flooding.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said:

Quote

 

“The UK and Ireland will turn increasingly windy on Monday, as Storm Brendan approaches, and there'll also be some heavy rain.  It’s going to be particularly windy across the western half of the UK, with gusts reaching 60-70 mph along Irish Sea coastlines, the west of Scotland and perhaps some English Channel coasts - maybe even 80 mph  in a few exposed places. This is likely to cause some disruption to sea, road and air travel.

“As Storm Brendan moves eastwards, strong winds will also develop across eastern parts of the UK, particularly northeast Scotland where there is also a wind warning in place.”

“As well as strong winds, there will be large coastal waves in western areas, so bear this in mind before heading out in these regions.”

 

Greater Manchester Police welcomes its latest brave recruit and what a cutie he is, we are talking about the absolutely gorgeous German Shepherd - Jake - who has sprung into action after passing his assessment with flying colours and is now deservedly a fully-fledged K9 Cop. Proving that no matter how Woof your life can be, it can always get better with a little love, faith and hard work.

Part of team GMP Dogs – Jake, a 19-month old Belgian Malinois, came to Greater Manchester Police from a rescue centre in Cumbria after staff thought he’d make an excellent police dog.

They were 100% correct as it was a match made in heaven when Jake was introduced to PC Andy Cale who had been looking for a new dog.

PC Andy Cale said:

Quote

 

“I’ve had three dogs before Jake, with one funnily enough also being called Jake, but he’s the first rescue I’ve had and he’s been an excellent dog to train. He’s very quick and extremely sharp – he’ll be well suited to the streets of Greater Manchester.

“I’m really proud of him today – he’s passed his assessment with flying colours and I can’t wait to get him out in the field.”

 

PD Jake’s assessment including tracking, open ground and building searching, obedience and agility work followed by a full round of criminal work.

I think it is plain to see that the smile on PC Andy's face say it all, who's a good boy?

The Met Office have warned of an unsettled period of weather heading our way with the potential to bring very strong winds and possible heavy rain which could cause damage and bring localised flooding to some areas.

A yellow warning has been issued from 3am till 6pm on Thursday, it states that there could be damage to buildings caused by very strong winds which will move in from the south west in the early hours.

There is a high risk of tiles being blown from roofs as well as flying debris with the possibility of fallen trees.

Some parts of the region could see gusts between 50 -70 mph throughout the day with winds expected to subside in the evening.

Motorists are being warned to be aware of the conditions and those driving high sided vehicles should avoid exposed areas and high bridges.

Friday will be a much brighter day with a spell of drier weather before the rain and wind return again on Saturday.

Police are appealing for family members of Ola Hughes, aged 68 to come forward after she sadly passed away at her home address - Anchor Court in Prestwich - on Wednesday 1 January 2020, New Years Day.

It is quite possible that she may have relatives living over the border in Salford.

Police say that there are believed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.

Anyone with information about Ola’s next of kin should contact the Police Coroner’s Office in Manchester on 0161 856 1376.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested that beleaguered train operator Northern Rail WILL see its franchise stripped away after huge failures in its performance.

Mr Shapps said that he had already announced the start of the process to find a new operator to Parliament last autumn.

Complaints over the summer of 2018 flooded in after changes to the time table left the service in complete chaos, with trains cancelled, a lack of trained drivers and thousands left stranded on platforms as trains failed to turn up on time. At one point up to 310 trains per day were cancelled leaving commuters to find alternative routes to and from work.

Speaking on BBC's This Morning program Mr Shapps said it was completely unacceptable to have a situation in which trains don't run on time or to a routine.

When asked if he thought it Northern Rail was unfit to run the franchise he replied saying that it was no where near acceptable, going on to say:

Quote

"It's completely unacceptable to have a situation where trains almost routinely don't run to a routine, don't run on time. I simply will not put up with that and I've already kicked off that process and I'll be saying more about it very soon."

Figures released by the Office of Rail and Road paint a dire picture as they show that just 56% of Northern's services were on time this quarter.

In response to Mr Shapps comments, David Brown, Managing Director at Northern, said:

Quote

 

“It’s on record that the Northern franchise has faced several material and unprecedented challenges in the past couple of years, outside the direct control of Northern. The most significant of these is the ongoing, late delivery of major infrastructure upgrades.

“The North West electrification was more than two years late, which meant we could not use electric trains on that route or cascade diesel trains from that route to run more services elsewhere on our network. More recently, new and longer platforms at Leeds stations are delayed, which means we have had to postpone our plans to run longer trains.

“These factors – alongside the damage caused by strike action and lower than expected economic growth – have had a significant effect on the revenue expected in our original franchise business plan agreed with government back in 2015.

“That’s why the Government has asked us to prepare a business plan for a shorter ‘Direct Award’ which will see the completion of our transformation programme.”

“Arriva and Northern remain fully committed to delivering the transformation of the North’s railways and improving customers’ experience. We are delivering the biggest transformation of local rail for a generation, with 52 of our 101 new trains in service and driver training taking place on dozens more trains right now. Alongside 2,000 extra services per week, this is part of a £600 million investment in improving customers’ experience; we are continuing to invest in better stations, better offers for customers and more recruitment.

“These discussions have no impact on rail services for customers. Our job is to continue to provide the best service possible for our customers whilst any discussions are taking place.”

 

Mr Shapps said the process to start the search for a replacement operator is underway and there will be a further announcement soon.

Speaking on Twitter, Greater Manchesters Mayor Andy Burnham gave his response by saying that it was too long coming but welcome news,

Quote

"Too long in coming but welcome news.

"It should be done quickly & just the first step in the radical reform of railways in the North.

"Today must be the last time people are asked to pay more for a poorer service."

Police investigating a series of sexual offences on trams in Manchester City Centre have released CCTV of a man they’d like to speak to.  

At 6.25pm on Thursday 31 October 2019, a 16-year-old girl reported that she’d been sexually assaulted on a tram between Piccadilly Gardens and Cornbrook.

At 3.20pm on Friday 15 November 2019, a 12-year-old girl reported that she’d been sexually assaulted on a tram between Piccadilly Gardens and Altrincham.

A few hours later, at 6.40pm, another young girl reported that she’d witnessed a man behaving inappropriately on a tram between Market Street and Old Trafford.

Sergeant Nick Bamber, of GMP’s Transport Unit, said:

Quote

 

“We are committed to making Greater Manchester’s transport network safe so we treat reports of this nature very seriously.

“These incidents happened more than a month ago and, although we are not aware of any further reports, our investigation is ongoing and we would like to speak with the man shown in the CCTV.

“Due to the locations and times of these offences, we believe there will be people who can assist us with our enquiries and we’d like to encourage them to contact us as soon as possible”

 

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 3155 quoting 1005 20/11/19.

Alternatively, the independent charity – Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The Met Office has issues a yellow weather warning for very strong winds which will push across the region from approximately 5am until 5pm on Tuesday (10th December).

The winds could cause traffic disruption and localised damage in some areas.

Tuesday will be wet and windy as locally heavy rain lingers across the region through the day.

Maximum temperature will be around 13 Celsius. 

Wednesday and Thursday will be cold and windy which could have an effect on the General Election if voters opt to stay in doors rather than face the cold rain showers forecast for Thursday (12th December).

Some delays to road, rail, air are likely, especially around Manchester Airport

Probably some bus and train services will affected, with some journeys taking longer, made worse by spray and surface water

Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes across high motorway bridges will be likely

Some short term loss of power and other services is possible

The orange suited controversial climate protesters have erected and sat atop a triangular frame at one end of Manchester's Great Ancoats Street opposite the local Aldi store, bringing traffic chaos on a busy route across the City.

Other members of the group are sitting on the tarmac holding banners whilst stopping traffic from moving, in a defiant attempt to highlight the dangers of traffic pollution in the City as well as against plans for a new car park to be built on an area of wasteland along the road.

They are being joined by other protest groups around the country who are staging similar events throughout the day as part of a wider UK action to highlight air pollution and climate change.

A recent report disclosed that levels of Nitrogen Dioxide have exceeded the legal limits for some time, something the group is hoping to raise awareness of with today's action.

Similar scenes have been witnessed in London, where protesters have glued themselves to blocks of concrete at Leicester Square and a truck was used to block the road.

Bus services across Manchester have been affected with most being rerouted to try and avoid the congestion which ironically has been caused.

Police have warned drivers to expect heavy congestion in the area throughout the day.

#UPDATE | Statement regarding demonstration on Great Ancoats Street. Follow @OfficalTfGM for latest travel. pic.twitter.com/4EmqgdYH8Z

— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) December 9, 2019

The protests have been met with a mixed reaction on social media, with many in support but also many who have questioned why the police have not removed them and are instead seemingly diverting traffic.

Photo Credit: Trees Not Cars MCR & Extinction Rebellion 

On Sunday 17 November 2019 at around 6.10pm, police were called to a report of a hate crime at a takeaway in the Northern Quarter, Manchester.

The two men entered the shop and started to verbally abuse an employee as they sat awaiting their order. Before they left the premises both men made a Nazi Salute towards the man.

Since the incident police have conducted several lines of enquiries and analysed CCTV footage of the incident which they have now released a still image from to the public in the hope they can aid in identifying the men.

Police are urging anyone with any information to come forward as a matter of urgency.

Antisemitism is a cancer in society and should be not be tolerated, this was a hard working man trying to earn a living, it is utterly disgusting that he should be treated in such a way.

Police Constable Lukman Intwala of the City of Manchester Division said:

Quote

 

“This was a despicable and vile offence that no one should ever be subjected to.

“Although no arrests have been made we are working hard to find those responsible and have a dedicated team committed to this investigation. I hope this goes to show that such abuse will not be tolerated within Greater Manchester and we will continue to do all that we can to put a stop to attacks of this abhorrent nature.

“We are appealing to members of the public to assist us in identifying the men in these images as we want to speak to them in connection to the incident. If you have any information, please come forward as a matter of urgency.”

 

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 3129  quoting incident number 2498 of 17/11/2019, or the independent charity Crime stoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

From the 2nd to the 5th of December, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) coordinated a week-long crackdown on knife crime with police officers from Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales.

During the week, 35 cease and desist letters were issued across Greater Manchester. These notices aim to educate potential buyers of illegal knives and discourage further offending.

Additionally, 74 individual weapons were also confiscated in Greater Manchester alone, comprising of 10 swords, 15 knuckle dusters, 25 knives and 24 batons.

This follows a month of activity where specialist officers intercepted parcels containing knives and weapons, which are illegal in the UK.

Officers from the ROCU’s Regional Disruption Team (DT), which specialise in disrupting organised crime networks, worked with the six North West Police Forces alongside Border Force, Royal Mail and other partner agencies to help reduce the number of illegal weapons being imported into the North West from overseas.

Detective Superintendent Ryan Davies from the North West ROCU said:

Quote

 

“Thanks to this intelligence-led, co-ordinated operation a significant number of knives and weapons have been seized and won’t make it to the streets of our region, where they can cause serious harm.
 
“This operation is a powerful example of how collaborative working is making a difference in the fight against serious and organised crime in the North West.”

“Be warned, anyone who is thinking about buying knives or weapons either online or by any other means from overseas. You are committing an offence by bringing them into the country.  You face the full force of the law if you do so.”  

 

Despite an additional award of a £15m grant just before Christmas, GM deputy Mayor Beverly Hughes has proposed an increase in council tax which would mean a rise of up to £24 per year for each household in Greater Manchester in order to pay for more police officers. It is said that the grant will only cover the pensions shortfall.

This comes after last year residents were forced to pay a mayoral precept on their council tax bills to pay for the GM Mayors office. A move which was widely criticised. 

The government has now allowed local areas the option of raising the police precept to £24 and it would seem that GM will be taking them up on the offer.

Residents across the area are now being asked to have their say on the proposals as part of an online consultation via the gmconsult.org website, they have until the 27th of Jan to do so.

It is hoped that if the proposal is adopted, an additional 320 officers will be recruited to bolster the force which has been criticised for failing to investigate some types of crimes.

It is also hoped that the money could be used to improve the 101 service which itself has come under criticism with some residents calling it "shambolic" and "not good enough" after some callers were left waiting for over 3 hours to get through.

At the time GMP said it was struggling to fill vacancies in its call centre as well as retain workers. Since then a new online chat service has been launched allowing people to contact GMP via the internet.

Baroness Beverly Hughes said:

Quote

 

"The Government's disappointing and shameful police grant announcement did very little to ease the pressure on stretched police budgets, and once again passed the financial burden on to local taxpayers.

"This means we are left with very little choice but to ask Greater Manchester residents to contribute more to help us ensure that our police service is properly resourced to protect them.

"This is not an easy proposal to put forward and we do so very reluctantly, but I want to be clear that all the money raised through council tax will be invested in improving your police service. This will include continuing to strengthen police officer numbers and investing in new ways to tackle the increasing demands on the service.

"We need to balance the books whilst balancing competing demands, which is why we want to hear your views on the proposals as we continue to mitigate years of cuts."

 

You can have your say on the proposals by visiting gmconsult.org by the 27th of January.

Eight people have been charged following the Extinction Rebellion Manchester climate change protest in the City Centre yesterday (Saturday 24 November).

The following protesters were charged with Wilful Obstruction of the Highway contrary to section 137(1) of the Highways Act 1980:

Stephanie Luckman (08/6/1998) of Brudenell Grove, Leeds.

Mina Jaff (29/04/1997) of Lumley Terrace, Leeds.

Pernina Jacobs (23/05/1997) of St Georges Quay, Lancaster.

Anna Oakes-Monger (13/09/1995) of St Georges Quay, Lancaster.

Ceri-Beth Miseroy (10/06/1998) of Oak House, Fallowfield, Manchester.

Jeremy Harrison (19/03/1963) of Henriette Street, Trafford, Manchester.

Elizabeth Haughton (09/09/1995) of Ducie Street, Manchester.

Adam Haigh (26/06/1999) of Richmond Grove, Manchester.

All eight have been bailed to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court on January 3 2019 at 9.30am.

Shortly after 3pm on Saturday 24 November 2018, police responded after a number of people were reported to be wilfully obstructing the highway on Oxford Street, Manchester.

ACC Hussain started his career at WYP in uniform in Bradford and, over the last few years, has progressed through the ranks working as a Detective, in strategic Force postings and a period as the temporary Commander for Leeds - the largest policing district outside of London at the time.

The MBE recipient has been the Force lead on local policing, crime and the head of Force performance, becoming the District Commander for Wakefield in 2016.  He was given the Queen’s honour during her birthday celebrations this year for his services to policing and charity.

ACC Hussain is a Gold firearms & public order commander, overseeing large events such as Chapeltown Carnival, Leeds United home games and, most recently, protests between the National Front and counter protestors in July this year.

ACC Hussain said:

Quote

 

“I’m thrilled to have been given this opportunity.  I have great admiration for the work GMP has done for some time, knowing they are a similar size to WYP and respecting the way they have responded to particularly challenging times over the years.  Their commitment to public service and the demands I can expect to face in my new role were all things which appealed to me to join the GMP family.

“I am immensely proud of my time at WYP but look forward to a new challenge at GMP.”

 

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said:

Quote

 

“I’m delighted to welcome Mabs to the GMP family. He is an extremely experienced officer and he will help us to continue to drive the Force forward.

 “His background in large events and serious crime will help us continue to protect the people of Greater Manchester and his work around local policing will help us work our communities to keep everyone safe. I look forward to welcoming him to the Force in the coming weeks.”

 

The Mayor spoke out as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service revealed the details of two shocking incidents where youths had deliberately started fires to lure crew into their communities and then pelt them with missiles and abuse.

The Service said that in the 12 months to March 2017, the number of attacks on firefighters had risen dramatically by more than 200 per cent and that the Emergency Services (obstruction) Act 2006 made clear provisions for people to be prosecuted for their behaviour.

Andy, who was elected the first Mayor of Greater Manchester on Friday, has powers over both Police and Fire as part of his new role said he was both saddened and appalled by the incidents.

He said:

Quote

“The people who work in our fire service are among the most dedicated I have ever met and to have a responsibility for them and support them is something I take very seriously. They give a lot to our communities and they deserve a lot back. I have a zero tolerance approach to attacks on firefighters, police officers or ambulance staff.”

The first incident happened just before 8.15pm on Tuesday when firefighters were called to a fire in Crawford Avenue, Tyldesley, but arrived to find a group of up to eight youths had set fire to rubbish and began throwing objects at them and the fire engine.

On Saturday night, just after 9.30pm in Lune Road, Platt Bridge, a fire was again deliberately started and crew arrived to find a group of youths who began throwing objects at them. At this incident the group threatened firefighters and threatened to burn down neighbouring properties.

In both incidents, Greater Manchester Police were called and attended to support crew whilst they extinguished both fires but no arrests were made.

Andy added:

Quote

 

“My heart sinks when I hear that Greater Manchester firefighters are being treated in this way. It is truly appalling. There is no excuse for it. I think most young people would also be appalled. They would say these young people don’t represent them in any way, shape or form. The idea of attacking people who are there to protect the public, to save lives, is beyond belief. These young people don’t fit in with Greater Manchester and have to change their ways.

“We have to send young people a message that we are going to help them get on in life. I understand some of them might feel the world is against them. I said young people will be at the heart of everything I do and I will deliver more support to get around and access opportunities to get on in life. But it’s not unconditional. It’s a deal. We will help you but you have to adhere to the standards we have here too.”

 

Baroness Beverley Hughes, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, added:

Quote

 

“This is senseless and dangerous not only in terms of the incident and danger to firefighters, but also to other people who might need that fire engine when it has been called out deliberately so that crew can be attacked.

“We operate zero tolerance to incidents against any public servant, but I want to know why young people are doing it? We need to connect them more closely to our services to develop the relationship and create opportunities. I want to work to bring young people into society.”