Teen gangs on feral estate leave mums terrified to walk the streets and taxi and delivery drivers refuse to go despite crime blitz
TEEN gangs on a feral estate have left mums too terrified to walk the streets despite a blitz on crime.
Cops pledged to turn around parts of Manchester branded a “no-go zone” after disturbing dashcam footage showed a gang hurling bricks at a Deliveroo driver.
But six months on, it’s not clear how much has changed in the neglected districts of Moston and Harpurhey.
Delivery and taxi drivers still refuse to go to Cicero Street after 27 taxi drivers were robbed or attacked in just two weeks last November.
And kids as young as nine are still stealing eggs and tomatoes to hurl at unwitting passersby.
One postman says the thugs leave him alone – but finds that he can’t deliver letters as children urinate through letter boxes.
A shop owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said children recently tried to steal eggs from her to hurl at people.
What about the parents at home? What are they doing?
Shop owner
“What about the parents at home? What are they doing?” she asked Manchester Evening News.
“It shouldn’t be only the government – what about the parents?”
Others use harder weapons of rocks to chuck at houses and vehicles, leaving residents fearing for their lives.
Ismail Khan, 26, says one of his delivery drivers at Moston Grill takeaway was robbed at knife-point for food worth £26 three months ago, MEN reports.
He was also forced to hand over free drinks and kebabs to a group of girls who kicked in his window last month out of fear of retaliation.
Derek Brocklehurst, systems manager at Cresta Cars, says the number of taxi drivers being robbed in the districts has gone down since police stepped in.
But he told MEN how children still “constantly” throw stones at vehicles passing through the area.
‘I GET FRIGHTENED’
Grandma-of-three Tania Mann says gangs of lads hang around the street drinking at weekends, when it can get “a bit rowdy”.
“They go up and down with a motorbike,” she said. “They throw things about, someone threw a can or something at my window one day. I don’t see any improvement.”
Tania, who needs a crutch to walk, is also impacted by the loss of taxis in the area as a direct result of violence.
“I get frightened. I do get scared,” she said.
“I live by myself. Taxis don’t come here and it upsets me, especially if I need to go the doctors. They say ‘we aren’t coming to your area cos of what’s happened’.”
Mum Tracey McGrath, 34, told MEN there was a stabbing on her street, and that on one occasion she saw someone hacking away at her garden fence with a sledgehammer.
I’m terrified to walk around. It’s really bad round here, you get people shouting racial abuse. I think the government need to put more money into resources
Mum Tracey McGrath
She added: “A homeless man got battered yesterday in broad daylight.
“I’m terrified to walk around. It’s really bad round here, you get people shouting racial abuse. I think the government need to put more money into resources.”
The rundown areas have been seemingly neglected for many years.
In 2007 Harpurhey was named the most deprived neighbourhood in the UK and in the most recent Government stats it still ranked in the bottom 100. Moston was 15th worst in Manchester.
As part of the police crackdown a dedicated PCSO on Moston Lane and more CCTV camera have been installed.
These are in addition to four officers in Harpurhey and two PCSOs patrolling the area. Moston has two officers and three PCSOs.
‘MAYBE IT’S DOWN TO THE PARENTS’
Cops say they have identified another “15 targets” who they believe are causing the main issues in the area.
Operation Falstaff was launched in March to gather intelligence on known troublemakers, and has so far led to seven arrests and 50 charges, with 120 stop-searches conducted.
Speaking to MEN, Insp Macdiarmid said there remained an issue in crime being under-reported.
But he also said parents had a part to role in tackling the crime rates.
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“It’s society nowadays, it’s the youths that we are dealing (with),” he said.
“There’s only a certain amount police and public services courts can do. Maybe it’s the youth mentality in the area.
“Maybe it’s something the parents should be looking at. Maybe it’s down to the parents as well.”
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