Hundreds of clothing items seized by police from counterfeit shops in Manchester have now been donated to a local charity that works to “combat poverty”.
The initiative is part of the ongoing ‘Operation Vulcan’.
In case you’re unfamiliar with ‘Operation Vulcan’, it’s Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) mission to crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods and hit the finances of the gangs operating out of the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas of Manchester.
It comes after hundreds of raids have been carried on counterfeit shops in the area over the last 14 months, with thousands of tonnes of counterfeit items removed from the streets from criminal’s pockets, who police say were “once making millions of pounds of profits from this lucrative trade”.
GMP says a “top priority” for ‘Operation Vulcan’ was to “minimise waste” and make sure the counterfeit items seized were “put to better use”.
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#NEWS| Operation Vulcan donate repurposed counterfeit clothing to local charity.
Over 900 tonnes of counterfeit items have been repurposed or recycled, turning them into useful, safe products which the people of Greater Manchester can benefit from.
And so, by working with a specialist company, almost 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit items have since been repurposed or recycled, and subsequently turned into useful products which the people of Greater Manchester and beyond can benefit from.
To give an example of this, police say some of the hats, t-shirts, and gloves made from safe materials were de-branded and then given to charities and local community organisations.
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Items that were deemed unsuitable or unsafe have been shredded to create completely new items, such as bedding or blankets, and even the packaging and boxes that the items are sold in are able to be recycled into insulation for houses.
None of the counterfeit items seized during ‘Operation Vulcan’ go to waste, GMP insists.
Police have donated hundreds of seized counterfeit clothes to Manchester charity / Credit: GMP
Just this week alone, GMP’s dedicated ‘Operation Vulcan’ team donated hundreds of items of clothes to a local charity called Mustard Tree – which works to combat poverty, inequality, and homelessness in Manchester.
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“The community and their needs are at the heart of Operation Vulcan,” explained Inspector Dan Cullum, who is one of Operation Vulcan’s specialist officers, “and the fact that we have been able to repurpose and recycle everything and give it back to those in need really makes a difference.”
Harry Dwan from the Mustard Tree added: “This donation is gratefully received and will now be provided to those who need it most such as those sleeping on the streets, low-income families and those who are most vulnerable in the community.
“We can’t thank Tim and the Operation Vulcan team enough.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Former care home worker who defrauded elderly woman out of £300k arrested after fleeing to Spain
Emily Sergeant
A fraudster former care home worker who’s been on the run for almost a year has finally been arrested in Spain.
Pamela Gwinnett has been arrested in Tenerife, where she fled to in 2025, and will be returned to the UK to face justice for her crimes.
The arrest comes after a meticulous investigation by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) where Gwinnett was found guilty of defrauding an elderly woman, named Joan Green from Chorley in Lancashire, out of almost £300,000 while she was employed as a caregiver at a nursing home.
Gwinnett fled the UK for Tenerife in 2025 in an effortto evade authorities, GMP said.
She was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in her absence back in October 2025 for a number of offences, including fraud by abuse of position and theft , and at a subsequent Proceeds of Crime hearing, an order for £300,000 was granted… but up until this week, Gwinnett has been on the run and police have been trying to track her down.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) worked alongside the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities to locate Gwinnett and begin the process of her return to the UK where she will serve her sentence.
Speaking in reaction to Gwinnett’s arrest this week, PC Georgia Loughton, who was the GMP officer in charge of the investigation, said: “I am pleased that Pamela Gwinnett will be returned to the UK where she will serve her sentence.
“Gwinnett knowingly defrauded a vulnerable woman out of almost £300,000, cutting off all contact with her family and controlling every aspect of her life.
“She was trusted by Joan, and she used this position of trust to her own financial gain. Joan was isolated from her family and denied from seeing her grandchildren and their children.
“Sadly, Joan passed away in 2022, however we hope that the return of Gwinnett to the UK to serve her sentence gives Joan’s family a sense of justice as they look to move on with their lives.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Micah Richards reveals dad ‘unexpectedly’ died shortly before going on air for England v Argentina last night
Emily Sergeant
Micah Richards has revealed that his dad died shortly before he went on air for the World Cup semi final last night.
The former right back – who most-notably played for Manchester City for a decade from 2005-2015, and for the England national team from 2006-2012 – was one of the BBC’s pundits providing on-air analysis last night as England faced Argentina in a highly anticipated semi final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup last night.
The two teams faced off in Atlanta, and while goals came from both sides, it was ultimately Argentina that reigned supreme – securing a 2-1 win over the Three Lions.
But while much of the country is grieving the fact that football won’t be ‘coming home’ (well, for another two years at least), Richards is grieving on a deeper level.
He took to Instagram after the loss last night to share with his 1.4m followers that shortly before he went on air, his father Lincoln passed away ‘unexpectedly’ – calling him the ‘proudest parent possible’ in a touching tribute.
“He has left us all too soon,” Richards began in his tribute.
“Hwas my greatest fan. He barely missed a game my entire life. He would take me wherever I needed to go when I was a kid and he was the proudest parent possible during my professional career. It was so rare for him to not be by my side.
“I know how much watching England World Cup games means to everyone at home, and how the experience bonds families together across the generations, like nothing else.
“I know, particularly as a proud old-school Yorkshireman, dad would’ve wanted the show to go on this evening. And so it did.”
Emily Sergeant -
12th December 2023 
