In case you’re not familiar with Operation Vulcan, it was first launched back in 2022, and is GMP’s mission to crackdown on organised crime, the sale of counterfeit goods, and hit the finances of the gangs operating out of the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas of Manchester.
But now, the police force is looking to extend the operation to the heart of the city centre, the BBC reports, and Piccadilly Gardens is the first place on the agenda.
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens into a ‘welcoming public space’ and one that feels ‘uniquely Mancunian with a strong sense of identity’ are expected to be submitted to Manchester City Council next year – with architects LDA Design having been appointed to take on the task last month.
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GMP vows to clean up Piccadilly Gardens and tackle ‘anti-social behaviour’ / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Manchester City Council
Local residents, workers, and regular visitors to the city centre, however, will know that the social hub and greenspace is far from that at the moment.
Not only does the area have a long history of anti-social behaviour, drug use, and on occasion, violent crime, but in recent months, there has been a concerning rise in such activity, including a number of large-scale disturbances – which GMP has already committed to leaving “no stone unturned” as officers attempt to find out the masterminds of.
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But with GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson confirming that Operation Vulcan is to be brought to the area ‘within weeks’, this reputation could soon change, as he wants to launch a crack-down on people heading there to drink alcohol and smoking cannabis.
Mr Watson said Piccadilly Gardens looks ‘poor’ and ‘attracts too many of the wrong sort of people’.
‘Operation Vulcan’ will be introduced in the area “within weeks” / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Piccadilly Gardens is not the gateway to Manchester that any of us want,” Mr Watson said.
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“It looks poor. It attracts too many of the wrong sort of people. It creates a sense of lawlessness and a lack of safety. Too often there’s a smell of cannabis and it does need tidying up.”
He added confirmed that ‘Vulcan Piccadilly’ is “coming soon”.
“I’ve just appointed two additional Chief Inspectors, who will oversee the leadership responsibility, [and] we are absolutely determined to clear up Piccadilly Gardens and we are working really closely with Manchester City Council”.
Manchester City Council’s leader, Bev Craig, also confirmed that the Council will be working with police on the new operation.
Admitting that Piccadilly Gardens still has “some problems”, she went on to add that the aim of ‘Vulcan Piccadilly’ will be to ensure that “anyone that has any interest in committing a crime won’t be going anywhere near Piccadilly Gardens.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
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Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
31st August 2023 
