Four men have been arrested as a counterfeit shop disguised as a fast food takeaway in Cheetham Hill has been shut down by police.
As part of Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) ongoing ‘Operation Vulcan’ – a targeted action plan designed to eradicate “criminal activity” from Cheetham Hill, Strangeways, and the surrounding Manchester areas – four men working in a takeaway on Bury New Road had their lunch break disturbed last week.
Except they weren’t actually working in a takeaway at all, as their business was, in fact, a store selling counterfeit goods masquerading as a fast food restaurant instead.
Apparently, the four men were enjoying a bite to eat when police raided the “extremely unhygienic” Cheetham Hill premises, but they’d bought the food from somewhere else to further play into the takeaway disguise.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 10, 2023
After gathering some intelligence that suggested the “innocuous takeaway” was linked to the counterfeit goods trade, as well as even more “serious criminality”, this is when GMP successfully executed a pre-planned warrant to raid and eventually shut down shop.
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During the raids, officers discovered a large counterfeit shop above the ‘takeaway’, and went on to seize numerous fake items.
Clothes, shoes, perfumes, jewellery, and a “large quantity of cash” was all seized.
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Following the raids, four men – who were 43, 42, and two aged 32 – were each arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit trademark offences, GMP confirmed, and they were subsequently taken into police custody for questioning.
Police shut down counterfeit shop disguised as a takeaway in Cheetham Hill / Credit: GMP
“I hope this warrant sends a clear message to the final few remaining counterfeit shops in Cheetham Hill that there will be no hiding in plain sight,” warned GMP’s Detective Sergeant Matthew Donnelly of Operation Vulcan after the raids.
“As we’ve said all along, counterfeit goods are only the tip of the iceberg and these shops are often involved in more serious criminality that blights surrounding communities.
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“The building was also totally unsafe and puts anyone entering it at risk.
“The criminals running these enterprises have no regard for your safety and I would urge you to spend your hard-earned money elsewhere with people who deserve it.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Emily Sergeant -
12th June 2023 
