Police step up patrols at Greater Manchester beauty spots after spate of ‘appalling behaviour’

Two Greater Manchester beauty spots have been hit by a spate of arson and vandalism, a local councilor has warned.

This week, vandals destroyed Middleton Gardens in the city center and set fire to sections of King George’s Park in Moorclose. Councilor Dylan Williams said this behavior has plagued the area for years and is calling for police to get down to these vandals.

Town center gardens, planted by Rochdale Council>Rochdale Council workers, were uprooted and strewn across the central square and successive fires in the park led to firefighters being called to the area twice in the same day.

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“We’ve had a lot of this behavior,” Council Williams said. “This is not an isolated incident. The gardens look beautiful at this time of year. Now the flowers have been thrown everywhere.

“Every year I get the Britain in Bloom gold medal and this could spoil that.

“The police need to be tough on young people who do this. We had problems with vandalism, off-road bikes and even drug dealing.

“I think they are repeat offenders. They get these behavioral contracts, but when do they get tough on them?

“It is only a minority of young people who spoil the majority of the very good.”

The council leader’s assistant portfolio holder went on to say that the park has recently installed CCTV cameras that can have a full view of King George’s Park and that improved CCTV with better images is also coming to the city centre.

He said this problem has been going on for years and in Middleton town center there has to be constant security at McDonald’s because of the problems caused by local youths. Coun Williams added that Subway got in touch to say they had had a number of problems with vandals and children misbehaving.

“I run a youth club every Friday for children aged eight to 13,” continued Coun Williams. “So it’s not like we don’t have youth services in the ward.

“The problem is that starting fires takes firefighters away from proper emergencies and garden vandalism could lose the town center Britain in Bloom gives.”

Following the incidents, Rochdale Council posted on their social media pages appealing for witnesses.

In a bid to tackle problems of anti-social behaviour, Greater Manchester Police have stepped up patrols in Middleton Gardens and around local parks and businesses. This led to numerous arrests and charges for a variety of offences, including drug supply, weapons possession and theft, according to GMP.

A particular recurring issue raised was the use of dirt bikes. Police say the bikes have been used to drive illegally, putting others at risk on the roads, as well as providing a noise nuisance, destroying beauty spots and being involved in the supply of drugs.

Sergeant James Donnelly, from GMP’s Rochdale neighborhood team, said: “We are committed to fighting all types of crime in our community and will always target those who try to disrupt the lives of others, whether it’s drug trafficking drugs near people’s homes or to cause insanity. punitive damages.

“We have made numerous arrests in recent weeks and will continue to do so where necessary and proportionate. Where offenders are young, we work with partner agencies to establish why they might be offending: by putting the right measures in place, we can punish them and prevent them from committing further offences.

“We urge anyone with any information to contact us, as any information, big or small, greatly increases our picture of information about who is doing what and when. This can help us support prosecutions and ensure criminals are punished and off the streets.

“Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also speak directly to an officer – they are always welcome to hear more and are ready to offer advice and guidance.”