GMP officers and emergency services were first called to the Arndale at around 7.20pm on Friday 28 January, to a report of a stabbing.
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The teenager who had been stabbed in the disturbance was taken to hospital, but his injuries were ‘neither life-changing nor threatening’ and he has since been discharged.
The group behind the incident left the scene before the police arrived.
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No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
Inspector Glen Rees of GMP’s City of Manchester division said: “I fully understand and sympathise with the worry and concern that incidents such as this can cause for the wider public, especially in such a busy area on a Friday evening.
“I would like to stress that we are treating this as an isolated incident and we do not believe there to be any ongoing wider threat to the general public.
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Police on patrol outside the Arndale. Credit: Twitter, GMP
“Thankfully the young man who was stabbed has not suffered any life changing injuries but violence such as this will not be tolerated and a full investigation is currently underway to establish the full circumstances and identify those involved.
“Our enquiries are ongoing but I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the assault or has any information to come forward and assist us with our investigation. This was a busy part of the city centre so I am confident there will be people out there who can help us identify those responsible.”
The second incident near the busy shopping centre was shortly after 3pm on Sunday 30 January, when police were made aware of ‘a large group of people acting in an anti-social manner’.
In a statement, a GMP spokesperson said: “Shortly after 3pm on Sunday 30 January, we became aware of a large group of people acting in an anti-social manner around the Arndale centre, Manchester.
“Patrols and specialist resources responded to disperse those suspected of being involved away from the city centre.”
Councillor Pat Karney, who was inside Marks & Spencer at the time it was evacuated, said on Twitter: “The alarm went off in M and S. The staff evacuated us to New Cathedral St. We thought it was a fire.
“It was about 150 kids who looked as though they had arranged a face off. All the shops in that area closed.
“GMP did terrific job calming the situation and splitting these kids up. Moving them out of St Ann’s Sq now.
Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking
Emily Sergeant
A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.
That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.
The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.
Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group
A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?
Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.
The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.
“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.
The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.
Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.
Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.
You can read the full Altrincham feature here, and see where else The Sunday Times included in its list for 2026 here.
Featured Image – Geograph
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11 arrested and £70k cash seized during early-morning police drug raids across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
11 people have been arrested, as well as a large amount of cash and drugs seized, during early-morning raids across Greater Manchester.
The raids took place during the early hours of the morning yesterday (Thursday 19 March 2026), where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) successfully executed eight warrants simultaneously across Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale to tackle a ‘suspected criminal network’ involved in the distribution of class A drugs and firearms.
Officers from Tameside Programme Challenger team, the District Intelligence Unit (DIU), and GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) were deployed to each of the addresses.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering and preparation, a total of 11 people – each aged between 24 and 77 – were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences during the raids.
Eight men and three women were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, being part of an organised crime group, possession with intent to supply, money laundering, and possession of an offensive weapon.
They all remain in police custody for questioning at this time, GMP confirmed.
During searches of the addresses, various class A, B and C drugs – including crack cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and nitrous oxide – were seized, while further recoveries of £70,000 in cash, a zombie knife, a BB gun, and four vehicles were also made at the same time.
Speaking following the success of the raids yesterday, Chief Superintendent Shan Nasim, District Commander for Tameside, said: “[This] operation has been a powerful example of our continued, determined effort to dismantle organised crime in our district and Greater Manchester.
“We have 11 people in custody being questioned by our investigation teams in relation to an organised crime group (OCG) that have been causing widespread harm across our communities.
“This action caused significant disruption of an organised crime group (OCG) and has prevented drugs and weapons from reaching the streets, as well as the associated harms that come hand in hand with organised crime.
“Organised criminals exploit vulnerable people and blight our communities; we will take robust action to catch offenders, keep our communities safe, and protect vulnerable people across Greater Manchester.”
Daisy Jackson -
31st January 2022 
