Crime

Oldham police issue dispersal order following ‘repeat incidents’ of disorder in town centre

Section 60 'stop and search' powers have also been introduced.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 10th December 2025

A dispersal order has been issued in Oldham following ‘repeat incidents’ of disorder between groups of youths.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that it has implemented a Section 35 dispersal order and additional Section 60 ‘stop and search’ powers in Oldham following repeat incidents of disorder between groups of youths in the town centre.

The measures were introduced yesterday afternoon (9 December) after reports of disorder came into police, which also followed similar incidents seen earlier this and last week.

So far, five arrests have been made in connection with the incidents – two for violent disorder, and three for possession of offensive weapons.

A Section 35 dispersal order is in effect for 48 hours until 1:25pm this Thursday (11 December), and the Section 60 is in effect for an initial 24 hours until 1:25pm today.

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The dispersal order allows officers to exclude a person, or people, from an area for up to 48 hours through a written notice, while the Section 60 authority grants officers extended powers to stop and search individuals within the area.

Neighbourhood officers will maintain a high-visibility presence in the area and will use these powers where necessary to ‘keep the public safe’.

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“These measures are in place to prevent further disorder and ensure the safety of those living, working, and visiting Oldham town centre,” commented Inspector Amie Whitehead, who is the Neighbourhood Inspector for Oldham South & West.

“We will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and will take robust action against anyone involved.

“These powers are crucial to preventing any further offences from taking place. If you have any concerns or any information, then please speak to those officers who are there to help.”

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Anyone with any information is urged to contact police via 101 or using the LiveChat function on www.gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1619 of 09/12/25.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

Crime

Paedophile cousins jailed for combined 58 years after sexually exploiting teen girls in Bury

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A duo of paedophile cousins have been handed lengthy jail sentences for non-recent child sexual exploitation.

Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, from Bury and Radcliffe respectively, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court this week, where they were subsequently jailed for the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of teenage girls in Bury during the late 1990s.

Hussain and Ali particularly targeted ‘vulnerable’ girls, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained as the two men were sentenced.

They groomed the victims by offering them alcohol, drugs, money, and lifts in their cars before subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse in homes, vehicles, and other locations in Bury and parts of Wales in the 1990s.

The abuse was orchestrated and sustained, with victims often being made to feel indebted to the men. In some cases, they were threatened or coerced into sexual acts.

At the time, both men ran market stalls, which is how they first met some of the girls.

Following the trial, Hussain was jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of seven counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault, while Ali was jailed for 28 years after being found guilty of five counts of rape, five counts of indecent assault, and one count of an attempted indecent assault.

Chief Inspector Ian Partington, who was the senior investigating officer in this case, described Hussain and Ali as being ‘sexual predators’. 

Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), added: “These sentences reflect the severity of the appalling crimes committed by Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, who deliberately targeted, groomed and systematically abused five vulnerable children, treating them as objects for their own sexual gratification.

“The defendants showed no remorse for their actions, which have had a lasting and profound impact on the victims’ lives.

“These women have carried the trauma of this abuse for more than two decades. I would like to thank them again for coming forward, speaking so bravely about what happened to them, and seeing this case through to its conclusion.

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“I hope these sentences provide some sense of justice and closure for the victims and demonstrate that no matter how much time has passed, those who commit such heinous crimes against children will be held accountable.”

Featured Image – GMP

Crime

Joey Barton officially sentenced over offensive online posts

Danny Jones Danny Jones Joey Barton suspended prison sentence for online abuse social media posts

Retired footballer Joey Barton has officially been sentenced following a series of offensive posts on social media over the past year or so.

Six counts pertaining to three individuals, in particular, were highlighted when he appeared for his final hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 8 December: online abuse directed at fellow ex-pros Eni Aluko, Lucy Ward and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

Charged and now finally found guilty of ‘grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety’, Joey Barton has been given a six-month prison sentence – suspended for 18 months, however, meaning he won’t serve jail time unless he reoffends during this period.

Here he is queuing up outside the Crown Court earlier today:

For context, the social media posts in question refer to the ones made on X (previously known as Twitter) and directed at the aforementioned public figures.

The former Manchester City player and Liverpool youth product, who is originally from Merseyside but is now based around Widnes in Cheshire, was found guilty on Friday despite insisting his innocence throughout.

Barton – now 43 and having become a vocal far-right commentator – compared Aluko and Ward to two of the most infamous convicted serial killers in British history, writing that they were “the Fred and Rose West of football commentary” back in January 2024.

He also labelled radio host and TV presenter, Vine, a “bike nonce” in a post that he later went on to dismiss as nothing more than “crude banter” and an attempt at “dark and stupid humour”, stating that he has no intention of actually suggesting he was a paedophile.

Elsewhere in the court appearance, Barton claimed that he is a victim of “political prosecution”; nevertheless, the judge found that the one-time England international (who also played for Newcastle, QPR, Burnley, Rangers and Marseille) “crossed the line between free speech and a crime.”

You can see the moment Judge Andrew Menary handed down the verdict, which will see him avoid time in custody once more, in full down below.

As per an official update via the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Senior Prosecutor Callum Bryce of CPS Mersey-Cheshire said: “Between early January and mid-March 2024, Barton subjected three public figures to offences of malicious communications.

“Barton said in his evidence before the court that in some of his messages he was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way and that in others he was simply joking.

“The finding of the jury confirmed that his conduct had gone beyond any joke and his messages were grossly offensive with the purpose of causing anxiety and distress to his victims.”

It’s also worth noting that he has been charged, found guilty and sentenced before already this year.

Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
In this case, he was also given a suspended sentence spanning 12 weeks.

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Featured Images — James English (via YouTube)/Brian Minkoff-London Pixels (via WikiCommons)

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