Two police officers have been assaulted by a “suspected drug dealer” during targeted patrols in Piccadilly Gardens.
It comes after officers from ‘Operation Vulcan’ – which is Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) 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 – worked alongside local neighbourhood officers to conduct ‘high visibility patrols’ in the city centre greenspace yesterday afternoon (6 February).
During the targeted “crack down on criminality” in Piccadilly Gardens, GMP says a man – who was “suspected” to be a drug dealer – assaulted two officers as he attempted to flee the scene.
Despite his attempts to make off, the man was subsequently arrested by police on suspicion of possession with intent to supply, as well as on two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
He remains in police custody for questioning, GMP confirmed.
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In the midst of all of this, officers on the scene also managed to recover 31 wraps of cocaine, and three snap bags of heroin from the suspect.
Inspector Dan Cullum, from GMP’s Operation Vulcan team, called yesterday’s Piccadilly Gardens crackdown a “great result”, but said the aggression shown towards officers during the incident was “unacceptable”.
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“Drugs cause an untold amount of harm and disruption in our communities,” Inspector Cullum said, “and so removing this many wraps of cocaine and heroin from just one individual is a great result.
“Our staff work tirelessly day in day out to drive out the criminality from Piccadilly Gardens and work to safeguard those who are at risk of exploitation, but each day they are often faced with volatile individuals and put into difficult situations.
“This type of behaviour is unacceptable and we will continue to remove these type of people from our streets.”
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It happened during ‘high visibility patrols’ in the city centre greenspace yesterday afternoon / Credit: GMP
Inspector Cullum has reissued an appeal to the Greater Manchester public, and asked that anyone who has any information about drugs in the Piccadilly Gardens area, or the wider Manchester city centre, get in touch with police to report it.
“Through a combination of hotspot patrolling and community intelligence, we’re able to make a real difference in the area,” Inspector Cullum concluded.
Anyone with any information can contact police on 101, or via the reporting section of the GMP website at gmp.police.uk, or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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Entire tram line suspended due to overhead line damage at Old Trafford
Daisy Jackson
Metrolink trams along the Altrincham line have been suspended due to damage to an overhead line near Old Trafford.
The damage, caused by a third party, has caused significant disruption for commuters across the Greater Manchester region this afternoon.
No Metrolink tram services are operating between Altrincham and Piccadilly, in either direction.
Large queues are already forming for buses at Piccadilly Gardens as people attempt to get home.
Engineers have arrived on site to try and fix the issue, but ‘significant disruption’ is expected to continue into the evening.
TfGM and Metrolink have also deployed staff to assist people with their journeys at all stops in the city centre as well as at Old Trafford, Trafford Bar, and Cornbrook.
Trams between Bury and Deansgate-Castlefield are unaffected.
Ticket acceptance is in place on the 245, 255, 256, 263, 281 and 285 bus services and on Northern Rail services between Altrincham and the city centre. Simply show the driver your Metrolink ticket or pass when boarding.
You can plan the rest of your journey online using the TfGM journey planner here.
Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals
Emily Sergeant
Pubs are to be permitted to extend their opening hours if England make it through to the semi-finals of EURO 2024 this summer.
With the Premier League, and the English and Scottish football leagues, all drawing to a close over the next couple of weeks, our nations are already looking ahead to what is gearing up to be a massive summer of sport – with both the UEFA EURO 2024, and the 2024 Olympics coming up before August is out.
And now, it’s been revealed by Home Secretary James Cleverly that if either England or Scotland’s mens national football teams make it to the semi-final of European football’s flagship tournament, then pubs will be allowed to stay open for longer.
But, there’s a bit of a catch… because isn’t there always?
The Government has said that venues will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours on match days if either or both teams reach the last four or the final of the competition, but this only applies to pubs that already have a license to open until 11pm anyway.
Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals / Credit: Piqsels | Wikimedia Commons
The move to extend opening hours comes after a consultation at the end of last year, and is hoped to provide a boost to the hospitality industry – which has notably been hit hard during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Home Secretaries in England and Wales, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, but the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments have to set their own rules.
“We have listened to the public through our consultation,” explained Home Secretary James Cleverley, “and we will be extending pub licensing hours should England or Scotland reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2024.”
The EURO 2024 semi-finals are to be held on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July / Credit: UEFA
Mr Cleverley said the move will “allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their nation hopefully bring it home”.
This legislation is set to be laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 8 May) to ensure there is enough time for it to be debated and passed before the tournament begins on Friday 14 June, the Government has confirmed.