Manchester police set to enforce penalties if parties and breaches continue this weekend
Local parties have continued despite new regulations, and Greater Manchester Police have warned they will have to start prosecuting people if more gatherings occur this weekend.
“Unfortunately, if it happens again, we’re going to have to use enforcement.”
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling’s message today was a clear one.
If parties pop up this weekend, people will be punished.
Crowds are still flocking to illegal raves despite new local regulations, and Greater Manchester Police have pledged to prosecute culprits if the gatherings continue.
“… we’ve come to a point now where they [the parties] are tying up so much police resource,” DCC Pilling told The Manc.
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“We saw more gatherings again last weekend.
“We’re trying to strike a balance between not using prosecution because I don’t want to alienate our communities.
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“I don’t want to do that, I genuinely don’t, but that’s the position we’re in.”
Huge flat party just been broken up by the police in The Lighthouse building in Northern Quarter pic.twitter.com/8rjDNRmdOV
New legislation means police can now prosecute anyone found breaking coronavirus guidelines in Manchester – with a current ban imposed on indoor and garden meetings.
“We’re sending a plea really to the great people across Greater Manchester to abide by the new restrictions that have come into place,” said DCC Pilling.
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“We understand how difficult it is. But when policing big gatherings, I have to draw a lot of officers. I’d much rather we had police on foot patrol in Wigan, Bolton, Salford and Bury, rather than be in vans ready to respond to big raves and parties.
“I’m worried about the level of resourcing going into this thing.”
There would be “fixed penalties and prosecutions against people” if parties persisted, DCC Pilling warned.
Police are also collaborating with local authorities and licensing officers in order to ensure restaurants and bars adhere to the new regulations.
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Extra officers will be ‘out in the nighttime economy’ moving forwards, and any premises found to be ‘blatantly or repeatedly’ breaching the rules will have action taken against them.
“If we don’t get on top of it, this disruption will carry on right through the autumn,” said DCC Pilling.
“It’s been hard for a good few months now. I don’t want us to let ourselves down now.
“Most people are abiding by the rules, but a sizable minority has caused us a problem.
“My appeal to them is to stop it.
“Abide and we’ll beat this thing together.”
News
Man had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ before killing toddler in tram-van crash
Daisy Jackson
A man has pleaded guilty to killing toddler Louisa (Lulu) Palmisano by dangerous driving, following a horror crash between a tram and a van in February.
The court heard that Rawal Rehman, 36, had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ in a seven-hour window leading up to the crash.
On 22 February 2025, shortly before 10am, Rehman’s Mercedes sprinter van failed to stop at a Stop sign and collided with a tram.
His vehicle then mounted the pavement, striking three-year-old Lulu and both her parents who were walking hand-in-hand down Booth Street.
Tragically, Lulu – who her family described as the ‘sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl’ – suffered fatal injuries.
Several passersby rushed to assist the family, including a junior doctor.
She was taken to hospital but died soon after of her injuries, which included a major head trauma.
Rehman, meanwhile, abandoned his van and left the scene in a taxi, later identified by documents in his vehicle and arrested two days later. He claimed to have panicked when questioned as to why he fled the scene.
He pleaded guilty at Manchester crown court on Tuesday 22 April to causing the death of Lulu by dangerous driving.
The scene of the tram-van crash that killed Lulu. Credit: The Manc Group
Prosecutor Rachel Shenton told Manchester Crown Court that he had visited two massage parlours in the city hours before and that he had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ in seven hours.
Abbie Clarke, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “This was a devastating incident which shocked our community, and our thoughts go out to Lulu’s family who must bear this unimaginable loss.
“Rawal Rehman ignored the stop signs and tram warning signs when he drove straight into the path of an oncoming tram, and it is clear his driving fell far short of what is expected of a competent and careful driver.
“Rehman failed to take responsibility for his actions. He fled the scene in a taxi and denied that he drove dangerously in interview, only accepting responsibility on his third hearing before the court.
“He must now face the consequences for his role in this wholly avoidable tragedy.”
Social media beauty spots and selfies blamed for record rise in mountain rescue callouts
Daisy Jackson
There’s been a record rise in the number of young people needing help from mountain rescue teams – and social media has been blamed for luring unprepared people into potentially dangerous situations.
As well as these viral beauty spots – such as Mam Tor – the rise in call-outs has also been attributed to ‘poor-quality map apps’ which can stop functioning when in areas with poor phone service.
According to an exclusive report in The Guardian, it’s now tourists under the age of 24 who are most likely to need mountain rescue’s assistance while out walking.
The data provided by Ordnance Survey said that the number of call-outs from this age group has almost doubled between 2019 and 2024.
Overall rescues increased by 24% over a similar period.
A spokesman for Mountain Rescue said that young people are drawn to places like the Lake District after seeing images on social media, but are often not dressed or equipped properly for the conditions.
Nick Giles said people are often ‘too reliant on mobile phones’ and unprepared for the changes in weather and terrain that come with hiking.
Mike Park, chief executive of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, told The Guardian: “We know from incident reports that more and more people are tempted into risky locations by Instagram posts and the navigation apps being used aren’t always suitable for an outdoor environment.
“Add to that a tendency to follow popular routes online without knowing the hazards and context, and it’s not surprising that those likely to be relying most on their phones are the ones getting into difficulties.”
Before you head out on any hike or walk, you should make sure you’re prepared and equipped – see Mountain Rescue’s tips HERE.
The Manc -
6th August 2020 
