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Police pursuing civil action after reports of women being filmed without consent on nights out in Manchester

GMP had to conclude its criminal investigation.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 22nd January 2026

Civil action is now being pursued after a police investigation into reports of women being filmed on nights out in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed in a statement that it is ‘exploring’ civil action in connection with ‘several’ reports of women being filmed without their consent on nights out in Manchester city centre, particularly around the Deansgate and Peter Street areas, following an investigation which began after social media videos of this nature were brought to its attention.

The police‘s subsequent public appeal lead to multiple women coming forward to report the impact finding themselves in these videos, and the commentary by the public, had on them.

GMP says it had to conclude its criminal investigation ‘due to limitations within the current legislation’, which is why it working with Manchester City Council to look at other routes of taking action.

“We took the reports from women who came forward, as well as the public feeling towards this behaviour, really seriously,” explained Superintendent Nicola Williams, from GMP’s City of Manchester district.

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“The arrest of an individual in November 2024 was the first in the country and was our commitment to acting on all the information we have received.

“Throughout our investigation, we explored all lines of enquiry thoroughly, including digital forensic examination of various devices. The investigation was also reviewed by an experienced, senior detective to ensure no stone was left unturned.

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Police are pursuing civil action after reports of women being filmed without their consent on nights out in Manchester / Credit: GMP

“Predatory behaviour is completely unacceptable, and tackling this has been a priority for our night time economy policing operation.”

GMP says it encourages anyone who experiences anything that ‘makes them feel unsettled or unsafe’ on a night out to report it, as all information received helps build a picture of the issues, allocate our resources effectively, and take action under our the dedicated nighttime policing operation, Op Safer Streets.

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Reports can be made to GMP via 101, or on the website or Live Chat service, but you should always call 999 in an emergency.

Featured Image – GMP

News

Entertainment union Equity makes £1 bid for Manchester Pride to protect workers from ‘further exploitation’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Manchester Pride Festival 2023

Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has made a £1 bid for Manchester Pride.

You may remember that, back in October last year, Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – entered into voluntary liquidation, and news emerged last week that the assets were being sold off to the highest bidder by liquidators.

By offering a ‘symbolic’ £1 for the assets – which include the Manchester Pride brand name and associated domain names – Equity says its bid has been made to give workers the opportunity to ‘decide the future’ of the event.

The bid is also said to have been made to prevent a repeat of 2025 – which apparently left Equity union members more than £70,000 out-of-pocket in unpaid fees. 

Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan, warned that selling the Manchester Pride brand to a commercial buyer risks ‘undermining the values’ of the event and the community that built it.

He worried it could also leave performers and workers ‘vulnerable to further exploitation’.

“Manchester Pride is not just a city-wide party,” Mr Keegan explained. “Its roots in protest are as important today as then.”

He added: “Manchester Pride was built by the LGBTQ+ workers of Canal St and beyond who provide a space and a community for LGBTQ+ people all year round. The event should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold off to the highest bidder. 

“The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.

“After what happened in 2025, with members left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, we don’t want to see history repeat itself.”

Equity says that if its bid is successful, the workers will have control over who the ‘asset’ goes to.

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“Our bid is about protecting Pride as a community asset, not a commercial one,” the union’s statement continued. 

“Allowing the people whose labour was used to build this ‘asset’ to decide how the trademark of Manchester Pride is used in the future will help protect them from further exploitation, as well as preserve the values and the longevity of the event itself.”

Featured Image – Manchester Pride (Supplied)

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New police hub to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A new police hub is set to be established in Piccadilly Gardens.

In case you missed it, it was announced last week that council tax in Greater Manchester could be increased to help fund improvements to policing, and that a consultation on it has been launched – with local residents urged to have their say.

Three quarters of police funding comes from a central Government grant, but the remaining quarter comes from Greater Manchester Combined Authority‘s (GMCA) police precept.

The police precept helps Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements, including the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bringing more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.

But on top of this, Mayor Andy Burnham has also pledged to deliver a new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens as part of a wider drive to improve policing.

GMCA says its ‘top priority’ is to build strong communities where people feel safe, and it is Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy Mayors’ responsibility to enable GMP to be an ‘effective and efficient’ police force.   

Local leaders say their ambition for 2026 is to maintain a ‘high-performing’ police service by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and protecting residents and businesses along the way – and part of this ambition is to increase police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens, which is a much-maligned part of the city centre,  by launching a new ‘prominent’ police hub.

The increase in the police precept is also being touted to help increase ‘hot spot policing tactics’ in town centres and other key locations to help drive down theft and other violent retail crimes.

Piccadilly Gardens
A new police hub is to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour / Credit: Gerald England (via Geograph) | Rawpixel

“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham. “The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year.

“So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources. 

“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”

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The Greater Manchester public can respond to the police precept consultation online at www.gmconsult.org until next Wednesday 21 January.

Featured Image – GMP

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