Surge in mill incidents prompts police warning

POLICE warn someone could die if crime persists at the historic Hartford Mill

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A HIGH level of crime continues to be reported at an abandoned mill in Oldham according to police.

Concerned officers said young people are trespassing at sites such as Hartford Mill, in Werneth, which has laid derelict for more than 20 years.

Police have logged 14 incidents at the Grade II listed mill in the last month, eight of which were criminal offences.

In September, a combined approach by emergency services resulted in a 90 per cent decrease in criminal activity at the mill but problems still persist.

Sergeant Clem Jones said: "It has been constant over a long period of time.

"Young people are damaging the fence to get into the mill.

"We've had the equivalent of one call every two days and offences including burglary and criminal damage.

"If you are committing a criminal offence you will be liable to prosecution.

"It is in a state of disrepair so you will be liable to serious injuries, or worse, someone could die.

"It is not just Hartford Mill; it is Maple Mill where there have been several fires and others too."

A perimeter fence has been ripped down on numerous occasions by trespassers at Hartford Mill, which was last used as a mail-order warehouse in 1992.

Owners have hired a private security firm to try and reduce anti-social behaviour and discourage people from going into the premises.

Trespassing youths carrying out urban exploring photography were found to "egg each other on" in an online blog, 28 Days Later.

One user warned the floors were "extremely unstable" and referred to a suicide at the site in 2015.

However, police are concerned that amateur photographers will climb as high as the beams and even out onto the roof.

One user wrote: "Did you not venture up onto the roof?"

Another said: "We went on the flat roof but couldn't get right up as the beams were all burnt out."

Yet another said: "You climbed the tower? We weren't even going to attempt it."

Sergeant Clem added: "We must educate parents.

"If children smell of smoke we need parents to ask where they have been."

Oldham Council officers attended a meeting with the mill owner and Greater Manchester Police two weeks ago to tackle the issue.