The Mayor of Greater Manchester has demanded answers from the Greater Manchester Police following the arrest of a protestor that left her exposed in her underwear.
Andy Burnham has asked the police for a “full explanation” in light of the incident.
The incident took place as 18 people were arrested during a ‘Kill the Bill’ demonstration in the city centre on Saturday evening, where police had allowed protesters to march in a large group and give speeches denouncing the government’s new legislation that critics say would restrict the right to protest.
But when a small group of protestors chose to sit down and block tram lines in St Peter’s Square, riot police moved in.
Following the demonstration – which has been widely-reported in local and national media – campaigners complained that officers used heavy-handed tactics by pushing and dragging people out of the area, and the images that have emerged of the arrest of a young woman have provoked particular outrage on social media.
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It appeared that as the woman was dragged away, her jeans were pulled down leaving her exposed in just her underwear, and while eyewitnesses said an officer made attempts to pull her jeans back up, the scene prior had already been captured by a number of photographers.
One image shared on Twitter accuses the GMP of having “stripped” the woman publicly.
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Andy Burnham was also tagged in the photo by another Twitter user – Mike / @TwobobTwobo2 – who stated: “I do hope you’ll be doing something about this Andy.” to which Mr Burnham responded yesterday evening: “I am Mike.
“I have started by asking Greater Manchester Police to provide a full explanation of what happened.”
Mr Burnham and Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes had previously backed the police’s response regarding their decision to break up the protesters, particularly in relation to those obstructing the tram lines, as the force stated the group refused to comply with instructions when asked to move away from the area.
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“GMP had to manage a challenging situation carefully and we did not see a repeat of scenes seen in other parts of the country recently,” they said in a statement.
This morning, following Mr Burnham’s confirmation that he has asked the force to provide a “full explanation of what happened”, Greater Manchester Police has taken to Twitter to issue a brief initial statement addressing the nature of the incident.
The statement reads: “We are aware of the images and videos of a woman partially exposed when being arrested following Saturday’s protest in the city centre, which make for uncomfortable viewing.
“An urgent review is underway to establish circumstances,”.
The force also confirmed that an update will follow this initial statement “in due course”.
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This brief statement comes after Greater Manchester Police had previously confirmed that Saturday’s demonstration had remained “largely peaceful” and “contained”, but then defended their decision to break up protestors obstructing tram lines when the group were repeatedly asked by officers and partners from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to move, but some failed to comply with this order.
Addressing the nature of the demonstration in an earlier statement, a spokesperson for the force said: “In all events, we have used the four Es approach, with a particular emphasis on engagement, to work our way through the challenges presented to us.
“Where this has been exhausted without success, we have moved to enforcement action where necessary.
“We continually prioritise the assessment of risk, the disruption caused, and importantly the safety of the wider public throughout.”
‘Please help me’ – Video shows domestic violence perpetrator screaming as police dog brings him down
Daisy Jackson
Greater Manchester Police has released a video of a police dog assisting in the arrest of a high-risk domestic violence perpetrator.
In the video, the 26-year-old suspect can be heard screaming and pleading for help as PD Kyp bites down on his thigh.
GMP says that the man had already been arrested for a serious assault on his partner yesterday morning (Thursday 7 November).
He had been handcuffed but managed to resist and escape officers, and the police dog and his handler were deployed to track him down in the nearby woodland.
The suspect had been kicking PD Kyp in the head and body, leading to the police dog biting his leg and taking him to the floor while officers caught up.
In the bodycam footage, the suspect screams ‘please help me’ and ‘he’s bitten my leg’.
District officers also discovered a large quantity of Class A drugs and weapons at the property in Hyde.
Watch a GMP police dog assist in the arrest of a domestic violence suspect (WARNING footage may be distressing)
#ARREST | Police Dog Kyp steps in to arrest dangerous offender wanted for domestic abuse, drugs and weapons offences.
PD Kyp immediately headed into the woodland and chased the man. The man was bitten around the thigh and taken to the floor.
The man was arrested on suspicion of serious assault, possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of offensive weapons (zombie knifes and machetes).
Following the chase with PD Kyp, the man was then further arrested on suspicion of escaping from lawful custody. He has been remanded into custody.
Superintendent Paul Walker, of GMP’s Specialist Operations Branch, said: “As he was wanted for serious offences and made off into the woodland area, PD Kyp was deployed to chase and detain the man.
“PD Kyp captured him within seconds and on doing so, the man kicked Kyp in the head and body several times.
“This resulted in PD Kyp biting the man around the thigh and taking him to the floor, waiting for his handler to arrive.
“This is a great example of the type of work our officers are doing every day – arresting a dangerous domestic abuse suspect quickly. One third of all GMP arrests are made in relation to domestic abuse related offences.
“We have also managed to take a number of dangerous weapons off the streets and away from .
“Sometimes we will have to use specialist resources to detain dangerous offenders, as was done in this instance. Using a Police Dog is just one of the many resources we have at our disposal.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault, don’t suffer in silence and report it to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.
You can also report information and crimes on the GMP website (www.gmp.police.uk).
Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
There are also lots of organisations and support agencies available across Greater Manchester and nationally that can help and provide support for you.
For more information and to find the support services available to you, visit the GMP support pages.
Featured image: GMP
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Girls Aloud to release ‘Sarah’s Version’ of ‘I’ll Stand By You’ for BBC Children In Need 2024
Danny Jones
Pop royalty Girls Aloud are set to release a special edition of their 2004 song ‘I’ll Stand By You’, simply dubbed ‘Sarah’s Version’, for this year’s Children In Need broadcast.
The iconic British girl group returned earlier this year with a huge comeback nationwide tour which obviously sold out and they also won over crowds with their touching on-stage tributes to late singer Sarah Harding during their live performances.
Harding, 39, sadly passed away back in 2021 following a battle with breast cancer and was mourned across the country, especially here in the North, with a commemorative plaque and large mural of the Stockport-born songstress thrown up in her hometown back in May.
And now, as a way to help raise money for the annual BBC telethon and honour her once again, Girls Aloud will be re-releasing the well-known ballad.
‘I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Version)’ features Sarah on lead vocal throughout using vocals we discovered in the vault from the original recording sessions. The track played a key part in our ‘The Girls Aloud Show’ arena tour this summer & was an emotional moment for us all 🎙
Originally a cover of the 1997 track by The Pretenders and given that they were still so early into their career, the Noughties hitmakers naturally did multiple takes before landing on their final edit.
That being said, a version that has been rediscovered in digging through the archived recording sessions features Sarah Harding on lead vocals and now the band are set to let her voice shine through.
Airing for the first time on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 6 November, ‘Sarah’s Version’ has already gone down an instant hit 20 years from its release, with the emotional punch of hearing Harding’s clearly hitting listeners hard.
‘I’ll Stand By You’ went straight to the top of the UK Singles Chart when it was first released and was their second-ever number one. We have a very strong feeling that the importance of this re-release will see it do exactly the same – just in time for Christmas, no less.
Fans were left spellbound during what was casually referred to as ‘Sarah’s moment’ on the Girls Aloud reunion tour, where they truly did allow her singing to become the star of the show:
As if the charity single wasn’t a tear-jerking enough prospect already, ‘I’ll Stand By You – Sarah’s Version’ is also set to be released on 15 November, just two days before what would have been Harding’s 43rd birthday. We’re not crying, you are.
In aid of The Christie and the Sarah Harding Legacy Project, more than £1 million has been raised in the Stopfordian’s memory and for breast cancer awareness through initiatives like the creation of the mural and members of the hospital doing charity runs, bike rides, swims and more.
Speaking on social media, the band added: “The track played a key part in our ‘The Girls Aloud Show’ arena tour this summer & was an emotional moment for us all.”
BBC Children in Need 2024 takes place next Friday (15 November) and highlights from their reunion tour, where ‘Sarah’s Version’ was first heard by the masses, will be shown on ITV at 8pm the following Sunday.