Cheetham Hill was on hold whilst Operation Vulcan flooded the streets with its police presence

In the early hours of Wednesday (22 November 2022) officers from the Operation Vulcan team were out in full force in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways as part of GMP’s vehicle safety initiative, Operation Vortex, which aims to disrupt and deny criminal use of the road network, by all means possible.

For too long, criminals have blighted the area of Cheetham Hill and Strangeways, living lavish lifestyles from the proceeds of their crimes at the expense of vulnerable victims who are being taken advantage of. This operation links in closely with Operation Vulcan, which is dedicated to ridding Cheetham Hill and Strangeways of criminal activity and bringing about real, sustainable change, making it an environment people are proud to live and work in.

Also in attendance to offer intelligence and support were a number of GMP partners, including representatives from Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Waste Enforcement, Manchester City Council Enforcement, and HMP Manchester.

A multi-agency approach is crucial to this operations success, with support from partner organisations ensuring that GMP can target every level of criminal activity, whilst also ensuring vulnerable people in the community are supported.

The day delivered an array of fantastic results:

• 6 arrests made on suspicion of driving whilst under the influence of drugs, possession of a bladed article, driving whilst disqualified and possession of class A drugs
• 32 stop searches
• 67 traffic offences detected and prosecuted
• 33 speed offences prosecuted
• 26 vehicle seizures
• 31 parking fines issued
• 32 PG9 (prohibition for unroadworthy vehicles) offences prosecuted
• 5 care plan referrals for drug users encountered
• £1700 of fixed penalty notices

Operation Vulcan is dedicated to protecting and safeguarding the most vulnerable people in the community who are being exploited by those in criminal gangs. Throughout the day, specialist officers engaged with a variety of people, explaining that help is there for them, whether it be from GMP officers or partner agencies.

Inspector Andrew Torkington, one of GMP’s specialist officers involved in Operation Vulcan said, “There’s been a real buzz in the community throughout the day with lots of high visibility patrols and community engagement.

“The feedback from members of the community, local college students, and legitimate business owners has been overwhelmingly positive, with many sharing that they feel much safer with our presence.

“Best of all was the large-scale disruption and inconvenience our presence caused to the illegitimate businesses in Cheetham Hill who were unable to open their shutters. This day of action wasn’t a one off – Operation Vulcan is here to stay.”

Ian Bain, DVSA’s Head of Enforcement Delivery said: “Road users have a responsibility to make sure their vehicles are safe, roadworthy and comply with legislation.

“We’re really pleased to be working in partnership with Greater Manchester Police helping to keep the community safe.

“We will continue to target and engage with anyone who breaks the rules and puts the public and other drivers at risk.”