‘More visible policing needed’ after shocking attack
Reporter: Charlotte Green, Local Democracy Reporter
Date published: 05 July 2022
Residents were concerned about the violent video circulating online
An Oldham councillor says they ‘need more visible policing’ in the town after footage of a brutal attack was shared which showed the victim screaming as he was kicked and stamped on.
Community leaders, the police and councillors all gathered in public on Sunday to update hundreds of concerned residents about a shocking assault that was filmed and shared on social media.
In the disturbing video, which was filmed on June 21 but went viral over the weekend, a young man is seen being beaten by an number of people in an alleyway off Featherstall Road North in the town.
Blood can be seen pouring from the victim’s face as he is pinned down and repeatedly hit and kicked whilst screaming on the floor.
One of the attackers shouts ‘strip him’ and his clothes are then ripped off during the vicious attack before he is left naked and in a bloodied heap on the floor.
Three people have now been arrested in connection with the savage assault on the male victim.
Police say the attack was followed by related attacks on Saturday night at three properties in the Westwood and Werneth areas of Oldham, believed to be ‘in retaliation to the video of the assault being circulated online’.
Social media videos, understood to be from the early hours of Sunday morning, show dozens of people on a street, throwing projectiles at a house and smashing windows.
Coldhurst ward member Abdul Jabbar was part of the public meeting in Anchor Business Park car park, off Featherstall Road on Sunday.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he does not believe that there will be future acts of retribution now arrests have been made.
Inspector Alan Sanders, of GMP’s Oldham District apologised to residents on Sunday for the perception that ‘police have been slow on the uptake with this’.
However, he said they ‘know things’ more now than they did on June 21, and have ‘quite rightly stepped up our investigation’.
Coun Jabbar said: “People felt like nothing was being done about it and there was a sense of anger.
“My understanding of all this is when the video became available, that’s when everybody became aware of what was happening.
“Everybody is outraged by what we saw on the footage of that video and we need to now work with the police to get the perpetrators brought to justice.
"Three individuals were arrested and they have got more leads and I hope further arrests will be made.”
He added they have asked GMP for more ‘visual policing’ in the area, ‘especially now’.
“We need more police definitely, but you cannot cover every area with police officers,” Coun Jabbar said.
“I don’t know if you can stop something like this if people are determined to do something like that.
"We are concerned and outraged by it, but I hope this is just a very, very rare one off incident that’s happened.
“I don’t think anyone should be afraid, this is a terrible incident that’s happened but police are dealing with it.
“We are doing everything we can to manage the situation and we have asked for more visible policing and for more police to be deployed so that people have got that reassurance.
“We will be watching things very closely.
"I am not seeing any retribution being planned or anything like that, I think it happened on Saturday night because people felt two weeks had elapsed and nothing had happened.
“The reassurance the community is looking for is for the perpetrators to be caught and brought to justice for this horrendous act.
“The focus now is to catch them and support this young man who has had the most horrific experience.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 1708 of the July 3 2022.
Alternatively, information can be passed on, anonymously, via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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