Salford
The Greater Manchester Riots: 10 years on
This week marks a decade since hundreds were arrested in Greater Manchester after "unprecedented levels of violence and criminality" swept the region in summer 2011.
On the morning of 10 August 2011 – when the sirens had switched off, the flames had fizzled out, and the roars had been silenced – hundreds of Mancunians quietly got to work on repairing their shattered city.
Families, students and businesspeople arrived en masse to strap on gloves, grasp brooms and pick up paintbrushes, working together to shovel broken glass out of streets and reattach the frames to shop doorways.
The day before, Manchester and Salford had been swept up in the violence consuming England following the death of Mark Duggan – a 29-year-old who had been shot dead by police earlier in the summer of 2011.
A protest in Tottenham Hale had led to clashes with law enforcement, and the next few days saw trouble spread from the capital into other cities across the country.
The first pockets of local violence erupted in Salford Shopping Centre on the afternoon of August 9. Supermarket Lidl was the first target, before looters proceeded to break into a Bargain Booze and The Money Shop.
Police were pelted with missiles and journalists covering the story were even caught up in the melee; a BBC radio car battered with bricks before being set alight.
Within hours, Manchester city centre’s shops were also under attack – with officers overwhelmed by “unprecedented levels of violence and criminality”.
Mobs broke into Manchester’s Arndale Centre and groups stormed shops like Footasylum, Bang & Olufsen and Swarovski in St Ann’s Square.
Miss Selfridge on Market Street was also engulfed in flames as the outnumbered police desperately battled the masked-up mobs rampaging through the city streets.
The Guardian said it turned into “a tale of two riots” – with Greater Manchester Police’s then-chief constable Peter Fahy suggesting the respective culprits in Salford and Manchester had responded in different ways.
“Certainly most of [the rioting] in Manchester was about getting goods, breaking into places and stealing things,” Fahy told The Guardian.
“Salford I think was slightly different. It was more about attacking us and the fire services.”
The trouble in Greater Manchester dissipated the next day – but the region remained severely shaken.
More than 370 people were arrested, 60 officers were injured, and the total police cost was reportedly more than £3 million.
After the rioting ended elsewhere in England on August 11, it was revealed that more than 200 people had been injured and over 3,000 arrested nationwide. Five people were also killed during the six days of violence.
But according to local Councillor Pat Karney, Greater Manchester’s role in the riots was not reflective of what the region was about. He says it was those next few days – where adults and children were seen flocking to fix the damage – that showed the real GM.
“The true Mancunian spirit has been shown in Manchester today,” the councillor stated, as locals swept away debris and stuffed rubbish into sacks.
“The community has come out to say enough is enough, and that they will not stand by and let thugs try to destroy our city.
“This was pure criminal behaviour from a minority of people who were intent on looting and rioting and these criminals are not fit to be called Mancunians.”
Featured image: Richard Hopkins / Flickr
Salford
Stuart Everett – family of man whose torso was found in Kersal Dale pay tribute to ‘endearing character’
Daisy Jackson
The family of the man whose torso was found in Kersal Dale in Salford have paid tribute to him after his ‘untimely death’.
After the torso of Stuart Everett was discovered on 4 April, further parts of his body were found in four different areas of the city.
GMP launched an extensive murder inquiry and a huge search effort to correctly identify Stuart and notify his family of his death.
It’s thought the 67-year-old died at an address in Winton at the end of March.
His family have now issued a tribute to his ‘endearing character’ and thanked the public for their messages of support.
In a statement issued through GMP, they said: “We as a family are united in our grief over the devastating news of Stuart’s untimely death and the manner in which he died.
“He was a unique and endearing character who always put his family and many friends first.
“He loved his food his garden his music and a flutter on the horses, we have been overwhelmed with the messages of support and are thankful that so many people thought so much of him.
“He did not deserve to die the way he did and will be eternally missed. R.I.P.”
Two men have been charged with the murder of Stuart Everett.
The searches across Salford at sites at Blackleach Reservoir, Linneyshaw Colliery Wood, Bridgewater Canal, and a house in the Winton area of the city, as well as a warehouse in Bury, are continuing.
GMP is continuing to receive details from the public that may assist these searches. Any further information should be given by calling 101 and quoting log number 2695 of 4 April 2024.
If you would like to remain anonymous, details can be shared via the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.
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Salford
Salford murder victim named and pictured after human remains found
Daisy Jackson
The victim of a major murder investigation in Salford has been named and pictured by police.
Detectives are ‘confident’ that the victim is Stuart Everett, 67, though formal identification is yet to take place.
A major investigation was launched on 4 April after body parts wrapped in plastic were found in Kersal Dale.
Further human remains were then discovered at Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood over last weekend.
DNA samples have been sent away for urgent forensic analysis, after which the victim’s identity will be formally confirmed.
Stuart’s family are being supported by specially-trained GMP officers.
GMP said: “In the last 48 hours they have heard the most devastating news that anyone could hear, and our thoughts remain with them as they begin to process this.”
Two men have been charged with murder and will appear at Manchester Crown Court this morning.
A large police presence will continue to be deployed around Salford as GMP looks to recover more evidence.
The remains found at the other three locations in Salford are still to be tested, but GMP says it is ‘confident’ that they belong to the same victim.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “My thoughts and the thoughts of officers and staff across Greater Manchester Police are with Stuart’s family at this traumatic time. Family Liaison Officers are supporting them through each update in our investigation.
“On behalf of Stuart’s loved ones, I ask the public and the press to please respect their wishes for peace and privacy while they process this most devastating news.
“My officers and detectives, alongside additional resources from across the force, have worked tirelessly over the last three days to secure charges.
“We are grateful for the public’s continued help and support throughout this case. We understand the shockwaves this has caused throughout the community and beyond, and we hope you are reassured by the pace of our investigation and also our large police presence in the areas as we continue to make enquiries.
“We have officers drawn from different teams and units in GMP who have helped us search and their efforts do not go unnoticed, and they have all played an important role to help us get to this stage in our investigation.
“We said right at the start that our investigation will not stop until we have every stone unturned, and this continues to be the case. Our investigation has been a huge process so far, and we will continue to push forward in our enquiries to find answers for Stuart’s family.”
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder. They are due to appear at Manchester Crown Court this morning (30 April 2024).
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Featured image: GMP