Shooting incidents have plummeted by a staggering 92% in north Manchester in the past year, according to the latest figures.
Following what has been described as an “assault” on the city’s gangs and organised crime groups, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has now revealed that it has seen dozens of arrests made, and a number of significant seizures of drugs and firearms too.
It comes after specialist officers have “spearheaded the offensive”, according to GMP, with support from local detectives and neighbourhood teams continuing to take the fight to criminals operating in the north of Manchester.
GMP explains that targeted work led by the intelligence development team (IDT) to tackle a spike in shootings in early 2021 has led to reported firearms discharges dropping from 26 in 2020-21 to just two in the last 12 months, with none since last July, and during that same time period, 33 firearms have been taken from the streets of north Manchester – which is up from 29 the previous year.
“This demonstrates officers’ continued drive to use intelligence to tackle the possession of potentially lethal weapons,” GMP said.
#ACTION | Gun crime's down 92% in the last year & over £7.5mill of drugs have been seized as north #Manchester's anti-gang cops up the offensive on organised crime.
Nearly 200 arrests have been made in that time as our disruption activity has seen shootings drop from 26 to two. pic.twitter.com/nrzs6glkH3
Working alongside detectives from the Serious Organised Crime Group (SOCG) and firearms investigation team, the action taken by the IDT has seen an increase in “proactive disruption activity”, with the execution of 72 drugs warrants, 58 firearms raids, and over 200 stop-searches resulting in 191 arrests.
Some of the weapons recovered during these seizures include revolvers, shotguns, converted blank-firing guns, knuckle-dusters and air refiles, according to GMP.
GMP says that investigators have also been focused on dismantling the source of some of the city’s gang disputes.
This primarily involved the cultivation, use, and supply of class A and B drugs, especially after the force said there was a noticeable increase in aggravated burglaries last summer in places such as Cheetham Hill, Crumpsall and Blackley, where groups of men were seen targeting addresses armed with weapons and demanding drugs – particularly where they believed there were sophisticated cannabis farms.
GMP says that investigators have also been focused on dismantling the source of some of the city’s drug-related gang disputes / Credit: GMP
On some occasions, these gangs went to the wrong addresses which saw innocent people having their homes invaded and being threatened with weapons.
GMP says incidents like these are “completely intolerable” and enquiries into this are ongoing.
The force also says it is keen to continue to confront suspected organised criminals operating in north Manchester, and that it takes concerns about suspected criminal activity “very seriously”, and routinely takes action on the back of information the public give us.
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd March 2022 
