A teenager is among four people who have been arrested after police in Bolton conducted patrols to “deter serious violence from streets” this past weekend.
As part of Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) ongoing ‘Operation Venture’ – which was set up back in 2022 to tackle violent crime and serious criminality across Greater Manchester – officers were deployed to Bolton this past Saturday (29 April), and spotted a “suspicious car” parked up on Chorley Road while they were doing their rounds.
According to GMP, the officers decided to act on their suspicions and initially approached to search the car and the occupants under the misuse of drugs act, before further searches led to the seizure of “a significant amount” of snap bags containing what is believed to be cocaine and around £1,000 in cash.
On top of this, another vehicle was stopped a short time later on Victory Street in a different area of Bolton, and following searches, three sealed packages were found in the boot.
The sealed packages were believed to be of class A drugs around 10 kilos in weight, according to GMP – with an estimated street value of £1 million pounds.
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After the day of targeted searches, in the end, four men Four men between the ages of 16 and 49 were arrested on suspicion of Possession with Intent to Supply, GMP has confirmed, and they were each taken into custody ahead of being questioned by officers.
Speaking on the success of Operation Venture in Bolton so far, Chief Inspector Justine Topping from GMP’s Bolton District said: “Having additional resources available to deploy through Operation Venture means that we can tackle serious crimes robustly to make Bolton a safer place to live and work.
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“The action highlights our endeavour to take illegal supply from our streets.
“Officers from Operation Venture are out and about every night working hard and patrolling hotspot areas to keep communities across Greater Manchester safe, so if you see our officers out and about, you can speak to them about any concerns you might have.
“We all have a part to play in fighting, preventing and reducing crime.”
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Victory Street in Bolton / Credit: Google Maps
Greater Manchester Police is also encouraging anyone with any information about crime in their area to report it, no matter how big or small.
This can be done through GMP’s LiveChat facility at gmp.police.uk, or alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, while 11-17 year olds can pass on information anonymously through the dedicated platform Fearless.org.
“In an emergency, always dial 999,” GMP concludes.
Featured Image – GMP
Bolton
Man jailed after violent machete attack in Bolton left victim ‘seriously injured’
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after carrying out a ‘violent’ machete attack in Bolton that left another man seriously injured.
Dale Dean appeared at Manchester Crown Court on last Friday (20 February 2026) after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a bladed article, and affray, and was subsequently sentenced to six years behind bars.
The 27-year-old from Manchester was found to be carrying a machete ‘without lawful reason’.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, back on Saturday 5 April 2025, it received reports of a man holding a machete in a shop on Kentmere Road, in the Breightmet area of Bolton, and when officers attended the scene at around 7:50pm, they were told Dean was seen attacking another man in front of staff and members of the public.
The machete was used to attack the victim in the shop, who suffered several serious injuries – including to his head and shoulder.
Dean also caused ‘extensive damage’ to the shop and fled the scene.
In the aftermath of the attack, the victim was said to have struggled ‘to walk out on the street’ and had difficulty sleeping due to the pain and location of his injuries, but he has since recovered well from the attack overall.
On top of the six years in prison, the court imposed an additional 20‑month extended licence period upon Dean’s release due to the seriousness of the offence and the danger he poses to the public.
“This was a shocking and violent incident that left the victim with serious injuries and caused fear within the community,” commented Detective Constable Jordan Brown, of Bolton’s Criminal Investigation Department, following the sentencing at the end of last week.
“Dean’s actions were deliberate, dangerous, and showed a blatant disregard for the safety of others.
“[He] used or threatened unlawful violence, causing significant fear to those nearby, and was found to be carrying a machete without lawful reason.
“We welcome today’s sentence, which reflects the gravity of the offences. Our officers will continue to take decisive action against those who carry weapons and commit violent offences on our streets.”
Featured Image – GMP
Bolton
Former Bolton Council employee jailed for stealing nearly £900k from client benefits accounts
Emily Sergeant
A former Bolton Council employee has been sentenced to jail this week after admitting to stealing from client benefits accounts.
Richard Shaw transferred £893,296 to himself from benefit claimants’ accounts held by Bolton Council between 2015 and 2023 – which he had been managing as part of the Council’s Financial Protection Team, before he was subsequently suspended when mismanagement of appointeeship cases was discovered.
He was then sacked for gross misconduct in March 2023, after the Council identified and reported the possible fraud to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
A lengthy investigation by GMP’s Economic and Cyber Crime Unit then began, with ‘full cooperation’ from Bolton Council, which went on to show that Shaw had been transferring the money to his own accounts for a number of years.
He also transferred money between clients’ accounts in an attempt to hide his fraud.
Investigations in 2023 showed several bank transfers to nine personal accounts held in Richard Shaw’s name – with just over £250,000 transferred to one account, and £215,000 to another.
During the investigation, it was established that Shaw spent £100,000 buying a holiday home in Lancashire, and almost £18,000 on garden improvements.
It is estimated to Shaw’s failure to act in the best interest of his clients meant he lost them a total of £129,749 in unclaimed benefits.
Two BMW cars and several high-value items – including computers and bikes – were seized during a warrant at Shaw’s home address of Harrier Close in Bolton on 27 April 2023, when he was initially arrested on suspicion of fraud by abuse of position and money laundering.
Shaw failed to attend his first court appearance on 23 September 2025 and was then arrested on the same day in Blackpool. He initially denied fraud by abuse of position, but then went on to change his plea to guilty at Bolton Crown Court in December 2025.
He was finally jailed for four years and eight months at Bolton Crown Court yesterday (18 February 2026).
Speaking following Shaw’s sentencing this week, Detective Sergeant Daniel Sanchez, from GMP’s Economic and Cyber Crime Unit, said: “In his role as an appointee officer, Shaw was responsible for managing 120 client cases. Shaw abused his position of trust within the council, transferring clients’ money to accounts he had set up in his own name.
“His systematic theft and haphazard spending was uncovered by our financial investigator.
“There will now be a Proceeds of Crime hearing to reclaim the rest of the money so the council can be reimbursed.”
Emily Sergeant -
3rd May 2023 
