Thousands of weapons have been seized and taken off the streets in Greater Manchester by police over the last year.
As part of Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) wider crackdown on knife crime and “serious violence”, it’s been revealed that a total of 3,265 weapons were seized by officers, and there were 168 fewer recorded knife crime offences in the 12 months to January 2023.
This is a reduction of 3.8%, when compared to the previous year.
On top of this, additional investment has also led to the creation of a dedicated team within GMP called ‘Operation Venture’ – which was launched to in December 2022, with the aim of reducing violent crime in neighbourhoods across the region.
Operation Venture has made 84 arrests, taken 33 weapons off the streets of Greater Manchester, and conducted 106 positive stop-searches that “resulted in the detection of an offence” in just the last four months alone.
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#NEWS | 3,265 weapons taken off the streets of Greater Manchester since April 2022 as GMP continues to come down hard on knife crime
3,400 weapons were surrendered via Amnesty bins in 3 months, each representing 1 more knife off the streets
GMP officers from have also carried out 32 targeted visits to known offenders, who they said may have “posed a risk to themselves and others”.
“Unfortunately, serious violence and knife crime is a problem we are seeing across the country and particularly in metropolitan areas – and it is not unique to Manchester,” explained Superintendent Caroline Hemingway, GMP’s lead for knife crime.
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“GMP is committed to doing everything in our power to reduce these incidences of knife crime and ensure our communities feel safe.
“Every life lost is a tragedy and behind each and every one of our figures is a family and a community deeply hurt by knife crime. I am pleased that progress is being made but there is still a long way to go to further prevent and reduce this type of crime.
“We owe it to our communities to make them feel safer and this is why Operation Venture has been launched alongside other proactive policing operations.”
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Police seize more than 3,200 weapons in Greater Manchester to help tackle ‘serious violence’ / Credit: GMP
Over the last three months, GMP also says communities across Greater Manchester have been coming together to rally against the rise in knife crime, and there have been 3,400 weapons surrendered via dedicated Amnesty Bins.
GMP continued to urge that it “cannot win this fight alone”.
“Whilst enforcement is a vital tactic in the fight against knife crime, communities need to come together and continue sharing their concerns and any intelligence so officers can act on it,” Superintendent Hemingway added.
Featured Image – GMP
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Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Emily Sergeant -
13th March 2023 
