Vulcan Piccadilly take down another suspected thief in bid to clear Piccadilly Gardens of criminality

Shortly before 4pm on Wednesday 24 January a woman was commuting through Piccadilly Gardens when she was targeted for her mobile phone. Despite initially trying to resist, the victim was pushed to the ground and the suspect ran off with her phone.

An investigation was immediately launched and detectives from Operation Vulcan began to trawl through hours of CCTV enquiries to identify a suspect. Working closely with local officers who have expert knowledge of prolific offenders in the area, police were able to arrest a 30-year-old woman this morning (Tuesday 30 January). She remains in police custody for questioning.

This is the latest arrest which forms part of Vulcan Piccadilly’s commitment to investigating every robbery that occurs in Piccadilly Gardens to drive down crime, helping to create a safer community.

Detective Constable Pete Williams from GMP Operation Vulcan said: “This was a brazen assault in broad daylight whereby the victim was dragged to the floor over a mobile phone.

“For years, Piccadilly Gardens has created constant demand for the Force as a hotspot for robbery and theft from person in Greater Manchester. Since Vulcan Piccadilly launched in September 2022, our specialist team of officers continue to provide a visible presence for communities as part of our commitment to driving down these offences.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to warn the public to be wary of this type of offence.

“Mobile phones or valuable items can be easily spotted by criminals as you go about your daily business.

“Please be aware of your surroundings, these types of thefts happen so quickly with some instances only taking around 20 seconds for the offender to approach the victim and steal the phone away.”

For more neighbourhood crime prevention advice from GMP, please visit: Crime prevention advice | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)