The undercover police operation dedicated to reducing robberies in Manchester
Operation Valiant sees police ditching their familiar uniforms for plain clothes - enabling officers to blend into the background as they perform brisk patrols in the area.
Footfall has increased considerably in Manchester city centre since lockdown was partially lifted / Image: Robert Wade via Flickr
You might get a tap on your shoulder whilst kicking back in a beer garden this weekend. More than likely, it’ll be a waiter letting you know your order is ready. But it could also be an officer issuing a warning.
Undercover cops have spent the past few weeks blending into the background as part of Greater Manchester Police’s rejuvenated mission to tackle criminals post-lockdown – with robbers and thieves targeting town with formidable persistence since shops and bars reopened.
“More people on the streets means more potential victims to choose from,” one plain-clothes officer tells us during an Operation Valiant patrol, slowly scanning Exchange Square with his eyes.
“They’re usually young lads from just outside the city who come in and target people who might not be aware of the risks, or people who may simply look vulnerable.”
The steady removal of COVID restrictions has brought an end to a whole winter’s worth of deafening silence in Manchester city centre – replacing the sight of locked shutters and deserted roads with a gaggle of masked-up waiters whisking drinks between packed tables.
ADVERTISEMENT
With food & drink service resuming alfresco since April 12, a burgeoning silver maze of outdoor furniture has swallowed up almost every last crumb of Northern Quarter’s tarmac.
It’s reached a point where you’ll struggle to find a street in NQ that isn’t at least partly being utilised as a makeshift beer garden – with chairs and tables squeezed into the tightest spots. No alley, nook or cranny is off-limits.
ADVERTISEMENT
Thieves and robbers target the city centre / Image: David Dixon via Geograph
The hospitality industry has reported a roaring trade as residents have piled back into the city to drink and dine come rain or shine. But the comeback of bars has meant summer has also come early for thieves out to nick phones, purses and wallets.
Operation Valiant is dedicated to tackling these criminals: With police ditching familiar uniforms for plain clothes as they perform brisk patrols in the area.
From time-to-time, undercover officers spot iPhones on the edges of tables and alert the owner to the risk of potential pickpockets, but the unit is primarily focused on finding those who are responsible for stealing in the first instance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sometimes incidents are far more sinister – with culprits known to wield large blades to intimidate people into handing over their possessions.
“Offenders have adapted their approaches during the pandemic in order to continue committing crime,” Detective Constable Bradley Gordon explains.
“We have seen offenders targeting pupils leaving schools, brandishing weapons, and using Facebook marketplace to arrange phone snatchings and robberies.”
As the patrol reaches Cathedral Gardens, officers slow their pace and peer through a seemingly innocuous steel fence with bins sat on the other side.
“They hide weapons here, sometimes,” one officer explains.
ADVERTISEMENT
“They put them in one place and then come back later so they aren’t caught with knives on them.”
Market Street is one of the areas in which undercover officers operate / Image: David Dixon via Geograph
Whilst teens are sometimes targeted for robberies, the textbook offenders are usually in the same age bracket.
Despite their young ages, they can be “cunning” – even utilising their own crude intel via social media channels such as Snapchat.
If one is collared by an officer, another takes the earliest opportunity to grab a photo/video and shares it online. Seconds later, the footage is out there for all to see – and the rest of the criminal group know which cops to look out for.
It presents another challenge, one officer admits, which means the emphasis of Op Valiant is always on staying one step ahead wherever possible.
ADVERTISEMENT
Whenever police spot a suspect, they quickly approach them for questioning – and images are circulated among fellow officers for future reference.
One policeman explains: “We want people to be able to relax and have a good time – everyone should be allowed to do that – we just want them to be aware.
“When you have a drink, you let your guard down. And there are people who will take advantage of that.”
DC Gordon added that it was “fantastic to see people out and about again enjoying themselves in the city”, but people needed to be aware of their surroundings as lockdown continues lifting.
“Unfortunately there are people out there who feel like they are entitled to take your belongings,” he stated.
“Most of all we would like people to get out and enjoy themselves in the knowledge that we are doing our best to keep them safe.”
Manchester
Lemn Sissay OBE pens powerful poem about Manchester City for Black History Month
Danny Jones
Lauded local poet Lemn Sissay MBE has penned a moving poem in collaboration with Manchester City, looking back on the club’s cultural past and key persons of colour for Black History Month.
Born in Orrell in the borough of Wigan, the published author, playwright, and BAFTA-nominated broadcaster has made a name as one of our region’s most notable wordsmiths, so it’s no wonder that he was selected by the Cityzens to touch on this particular topic.
Teaming up not only with Man City but the club’s first-ever Black footballer, Stan Horne, as well as other senior stars from the Maine Road days, all the way up to the modern Etihad era.
‘The Stadium Speaks’ by Lemn Sissay – a poem commissioned by Manchester City for Black History Month 2025
Entitled The Stadium Speaks, the public reading of the verses runs for just under two minutes, but even in the relatively short space of time, there is so much power in this poignant poem.
Roping in help from other past players like Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shaun Goater, as well as current stars like Ruben Dias, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Jeremy Doku, each line leaves just as much impact as the last.
Just as importantly, they were also joined by Jahmal Williams-Thomas, City Matters’ Black and Mixed Heritage representative, Bing Findlater – the Official Supporter Club’s Equality and Inclusion Lead, as well as several other City fans and staff who work throughout the Eithad Campus.
Each individual who lends themselves to the performance delivers their part perfectly and from the heart; after all, Black culture isn’t something strictly celebrated during the month of October, but throughout communities all year round – as it should be.
Sissay, 58, clearly relished the chance to dive into how Greater Manchester‘s history intersects with not only football, but racism, equality, progress and more.
One stands and we all stand One falls and we all fall We are Manchester City And we stand tall
To celebrate Black History Month Manchester City Football Club commissioned me to write this poem to reflect on the club's journey from Maine Road to today. I have called it…
Speaking via a statement on the club website: “Manchester felt like home to me, the moment I stepped foot across the boundary. I came here very early on, when I think I was 13, I came to see Manchester City play. The first time I came to this city was to see City.
“I want the poem to be owned by the person who’s in the stand watching the game. And I wanted the poem to be owned by the person on the pitch who’s playing it. And I want them to feel proud reading it.”
The post goes on to reiterate that just like all teams throughout the football pyramid, racism and discrimination in all its forms should not and WILL not be tolerated.
Asking supporters to step up and speak as and when needed, City fans can report abuse and/or inappropriate behaviour to 07700151894, which will make security aware of what has been witnessed.
Feedback can also be shared anonymously by texting the specific block, row, seat number and a short description of the incident to the number; if in doubt, talk to a steward or police officer at the game.
Elsewhere, the official MCFC Supporter Charter sets out their zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination, and fans can also report online discriminatory abuse they see targeted at Premier League players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families directly HERE.
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year
Emily Sergeant
Legendary musical CATS will be taking to the stage here in Manchester next year.
A brand-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation, CATS, will embark on a major UK tour from summer 2026 following an open-air residency at Regent Park in London – including dates at Manchester’s prestigious Palace Theatre in November.
Based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history.
The show originally premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.
Since its world premiere, the musical has been presented in more than 54 countries, translated into 23 languages, and has been seen by more than 77 million people worldwide – collecting a number of awards along the way.
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year / Credit: Feast Creative
This new production of CATS is produced by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, with Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, as part of Drew McOnie’s second season as Artistic Director, and it marks the third Andrew Lloyd Webber title produced by the venue in the last decade.
Unfamiliar with the show? CATS tells the story of the Jellicle cats.
From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one.
With a legendary score featuring well-known songs like Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, TheJellicle Ball, and, of course, the chart-topping hit Memory, this brand-new production of CATS is gearing up to be one of the best theatrical events of 2026.
“I am very excited to see a totally new production of CATS back on the stage where it belongs,” creator Andrew Lloyd Webber said on the show’s return. “I can think of no-one better than Drew McOnie to bring a new vision to the world of the Jellicles.”
Casting and the full creative team is set to be announced in due course, as is the on-sale date and link for tickets, so keep your eyes peeled.