Chilling moment random man tries to drag teen girl away in terrifying kidnap attempt at Liverpool Lime Street
This is the terrifying moment a young girl is nearly kidnapped by a remorseless creep at a train station.
Osman Moalem, 25, was seen grabbing the teenager in CCTV footage last October as she sat on the steps of Liverpool Lime Street while waiting for her friends.
As the 19-year-old struggles to pull herself free, the thug continues to tug on her arm and try to drag her away.
A concerned elderly couple intervened and said they would call the police, but the twisted man just smirked at them.
Once she wrestles away from his grasp, the creep then follows her around the corner into the station.
Her screams alerted passer-bys to the rogue and minutes later British Transport Police arrested him as he tried to board a train.
Moalem was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars for attempted kidnap.
Investigating officer DC Olivia Hill said: 'Despite crystal clear CCTV footage of the attempted kidnapping, Moalem had the audacity to deny it and has shown no remorse for his actions throughout the investigation.
'I know how terrifying this was for the victim and she's bravely supported the investigation throughout, I hope that now that Moalem is behind bars she can continue to make progress with her recovery.
'Thankfully we police a CCTV rich environment and the quality of the footage, along with the victim's testimony, was invaluable in securing Moalem's conviction.'
British Transport Police said: 'We will not tolerate any form of violence against women or girls.
'If you experience or witness anything, we urge you to report it to us by texting 61016.'
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Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Even the bouncers looked like they were falling asleep!': Has 'Britain's Magaluf' turned into a seaside paradise for booze-free Gen-Z?
A wave of momentary panic came over me as I looked around at the elderly couples and families sat at the boarding gate - had I misread the departures board? Surely this flight should be full of stags and hens who are about to torture me for an hour and a half as they screech Sweet Caroline on a loop all the way to Newquay? But no, instead we all sat quietly on the plane with the only interruptions being a gurgle from a bonny baby and a few wealthy sounding laughs from elegant ladies with fabulous blow dries and husbands who look like they've never told them no. I'd never even been to Cornwall before, let alone Newquay, and my only impression of it was how haggard my dad and brother had looked after they'd come home from stag dos there when I was young. But what I was met with when I stepped off the plane was a far cry from the mayhem my feral sibling and dad had indulged all those years ago. Because yes, it seems Newquay, the seaside town once dubbed 'Britain's Magaluf' has completely overhauled its image. Locals and business owners say Newquay is unrecognisable these days after the council put their foot down and introduced a strict no-nonsense 'mankini ban' in 2009. The new law, part of the award-winning Newquay Safe campaign, banned all 'inappropriate clothing' - mainly fancy dress - in public. It was a crackdown born from tragedy after two drunken teenagers plunged to their deaths from cliffs whilst on nights out in the town. Andrew Curwell, 18, was on holiday celebrating the end of his A-level exams with friends when he died on June 28, 2009. After drifting apart from his friends on a pub crawl, the teenager lost his wallet and horrifically fell 100ft from a cliff as he searched for it. Just nine days later, Paddy Higgins, 16, met the same tragic fate when he also plummeted from a cliff on Tolcarne Beach. Similarly to Andrew, Paddy had been blowing off steam with pals after finishing their GCSEs and was found to be three times over the legal drink-drive limit in post-mortem exams. The two youngsters deaths paired with the general chaos of the rowdy nightlife spurred on the council's plan to reform the area. And it worked, by 2012, Devon and Cornwall Police reported a 20 per cent drop in crime compared to 2009, with anti-social behaviour incidents dropping from 685 to just 286. Now, there I was 16 years on, tasked with figuring out if the good behaviour was being kept up - and perhaps, if it was actually worth it? I live in London and went to a school in deep Towie territory - AKA Brentwood. I got my hands on a fake ID at an age far younger than I'd like to admit, so I'm no stranger to boozing culture. But in the cab from the airport to the hotel I couldn't spot a single person who looked like they had gone near a pint in years. I put my window down to give my lungs a dose of sea air and was hit with the surprising smell of cannabis. The highstreet seemed stuck between two identities - a traditional seaside resort with budget souvenir shops and fast food joints and a quaint upmarket town with Dalston-esque coffee shops run by millennials backed by the bank of mum and dad Then I spotted the surfers - sandy hair, tanned skin, wet suits, bare feet and an air of superiority that makes your eye start twitching. Ah, it's THAT kind of town now. 'Yes, it's much calmer now,' my taxi driver told me, 'It's all surfers and families. We still get the stags and hens but not as many and they don't cause problems when they get in the car.' Hmm, perhaps I won't be needing that Berocca after all, I thought to myself. I dumped my bags in my hotel room and gawked at the breath-taking view of the beach from my window before heading out to explore Newquay in the daylight. The highstreet seemed stuck between two identities - a traditional seaside resort with budget souvenir shops and fast food joints and a quaint upmarket town with Dalston-esque coffee shops run by millennials backed by the bank of mum and dad. Why is there a rundown Original Factory Shop, a Bargain Booze and a Peacocks on the same stretch of road as a CBD shop and an independent cafe where they put an edible flower in my latte? It appeared to have become somewhat of a gentrified Clacton-on-Sea - where I spent every weekend and school holiday as a caravan kid. I whipped out my phone, pulled up TikTok and searched for 'Newquay lunch spots' and decided to head to a popular joint other Gen Z's were raving about in their videos. Blend, which dubs itself 'Bali on the bay', was brimming with trendy 20-somethings and a few families tucking into Instagram worthy smoothie bowls overflowing with fruit and bright green glasses of iced matcha. I ordered the sunset bowl and a white chocolate matcha, and whilst both were delicious, I couldn't help but feel a fry-up and full fat coke would be a better - and more respectable - hangover cure. But some locals argue that despite its respectable new look, Newquay isn't as calm as others say. Alan McCusker, 47, said: 'There is still a scene here and it does get way out of control sometimes. 'I saw a guy pick another man up by the gold chain around his neck outside a nightclub recently.' The father-of-five insisted it still gets 'very violent, very quickly' at night during the busy summer months. Now unsure of what to expect, I headed back to my room to get ready for my night out on the town. During the day it had been hard to walk down the main strip where hundreds of families were mooching around buying trinkets or begrudgingly letting their kids get airbrush tattoos. But now it was a complete ghost town, so quiet that it almost felt eerie as the sea fret lay like a salty blanket over our heads. Nearing the end of the highstreet, I started to see and hear some signs of life which we soon discovered were coming from the watering hole of choice for... well everyone. The Central Inn gave huge Wetherspoon vibes - an outdoor area where most people had plotted up attached to a dark pub with maroon carpets harbouring the smell of stale beer with a few red-nosed old men sat in the corner. It was just outside here that we finally found our first herd of slurring stags in matching t-shirts emblazoned with nicknames which I am sure were hilarious to them. Leading the pack was Vil, who was having a final blow out before his upcoming wedding in Birmingham. I tried to speak to them, but they were far to busy posing for my photographer and the only response I got from any of them was painfully loud 'Weheyyy!'. We set the young bucks free and watched them stumble into the night before heading into the The Central Inn. Outside sat around a table were a group of excitable hens wearing some questionable novelty shirts and downing drinks as if it were the end of a prohibition. Slurring her words, the bride-to-be Gemma Jones told me she had chosen the quiet town for the girl's trip purely for nostalgia. 'I just love Newquay. We've been coming here for years. Every girls' weekend we come here.' But they were not planning to go out drinking the next day and instead her thoughtful pals had arranged a relaxing spa day for the following morning. Around an hour later, we came across the next group of revellers dressed up to the nines as cowgirls and cowboys. Sky Hemphill was seeing in her 23rd birthday in a pink corset, tutu and cowgirl boots as she and her gang stumbled around the streets - with one tumbling over when her heel got caught on a cobble stone. I assumed they were out-of-towners but Sky told me she had moved to Newquay a year ago because 'I'm 23 and want to live by the beach, why not!' - fair enough. 'I love it here. It's not as lively as it was before but it will liven up more in a few weeks time,' she said before being dragged away by a friend desperate to carry on their boozy pilgrimage. One local, who asked to remain anonymous, gave me good insight into how the bars and pubs work together to ward off any trouble. He said: 'It used to be bad for the hen and stag dos but it's right calmed down now. 'They've introduced these rules and the pubs work together, so if there's a rowdy group of stags they get on the radio and warn the other pubs and then they're basically banned from them all. 'And if they try to go in some bars and clubs in those outfits they will turn them away. 'Newquay is aimed more at families now, which is good. There used to be loads of strip clubs and people on the roads like promoters handing out tokens but it's all gone now. It's shed that reputation and it's much nicer now.' I sat outside The Central Inn for another hour. It was very dull - even the bouncers looked like they were falling asleep. Off on another walk around, we trotted past Sailors pub and club which is supposedly very popular but there was barely anyone there and I wouldn't have been surprised if a tumble weed drifted past. The Dead Famous, another spot which is said to be favoured by young people, only lived up to the first part of its name. Even the Belushi's was basically dormant. It was all getting painfully boring until we walked back past The Central Inn and witnessed a jacked up man land a devastating right-hander on a much smaller and drunker guy in front of a bar with an arcade boxing machine outside. I rushed over to the now hysterical victim Callum who had blood pouring down his face to find out what happened. 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I sat and reflected on my Newquay trip whilst taking off my makeup in my hotel room and came to a conclusion. During the day, it's as good and as busy as any seaside town, even with the smug surfer dudes and social class confused high-street. But the only words I could think of to accurately describe Newquay nights were: dead, boring and rather sad. The ghosts of its heyday haunt the streets in the form of troubled underage drinkers, the occasional stag or hen do there for nostalgia rather than crowds and sporadic bust ups between men just desperate to feel something. If you deem that to be a success for the councils crackdown, then so be it, but I found myself pining for more people, more laughter and even just a little bit more chaos.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The crime-ridden estate so rough outsiders were BANNED: Locals in Rochdale 'living in fear' as drugs gangs take over their streets
After years of dealers exploiting its labyrinth of metal walkways and dark stairwells to peddle drugs, police decided enough was enough on Rochdale's Freehold Estate. Greater Manchester Police put the notorious estate on 'lockdown' in November last year. Outsiders were banned from entering the grounds of 19 blocks of flats for a three months, with the risk of arrest. Officers were pleased with the measure, and eventually lifted the lockdown, happy that crime had been reduced. But months later, terrified locals say it 'made no difference' to the daily torment they are forced to endure and that they still 'live in fear'. One resident told MailOnline: 'For about one week or two weeks there was a sign about the order, then nothing. Everyone came back again. 'Even now, I don't want them to see me speaking to you. I'm not scared of them but I have an expensive car and they will smash it if they know somebody is talking to you.' One of the stairwells where residents and outsiders were found to be buying and selling drugs. Since a police clampdown, many residents agreed the use of the stairwells has reduced The father, who has lived on the estate for 12 years, added: 'The police don't do anything. 'They don't care. 'Why can't they catch people? People are being housed here straight from prison, fresh from prison. 'Everyday you have new people coming here who are causing trouble. So they arrest people, but then new people come in and it's the same thing. 'And they are not scared of police. Police can't do anything. They take them to prison for one night like a holiday and then the next day they are back doing the same thing. 'I bought the house I live in a year ago and I need to wait four more years until I can rent it. Then I will leave because it's not safe with children. 'This is an old area so the council ignore it. There was no banning happened.' Speaking of how other neighbours also live in terror, he said: 'I have kids, my neighbours all have kids, and we don't feel safe. It's good because we look out for each other, but it is a problem. 'About a year or two ago it felt like it was getting better but it has gone very bad now. 'People put on loud music late at night and smoke outside. I've called the police and said they are drug users, and they say 'how do you know'. I told them 'I can smell.' 'They come here everyday for a 'smell patrol' and then go back to their station. 'It's become so dangerous for women and children. 'During winter when it gets dark earlier I go out most of the time, not my wife, because it's not safe. 'And my daughter is now 14 and she never goes out here alone. I go with her or my wife goes with her.' Meanwhile, a local who lives nearby suggested the only way to fix the issues was to demolish the entire blocks of flats. The local said: 'It's really sad. These gangs are bringing young children in and it's really sad. 'I've got kids of my own and I wouldn't want them surrounded by that sort of thing. 'It's 100 per cent gotten worse as well. 'Maybe if they knocked it down, they would get rid of the problem. Maybe that's the only way. 'Just bulldoze it. And then rehouse them.' In June 2022, a drugs gang known as the 'Portuguese mafia' were jailed for cuckooing vulnerable addicts and grooming children to sell drugs. Nine members of the gang - which goes by the name '706' - were convicted after being found to have taken over the homes of addicts and made them into drugs bases and exploited kids to deal on their behalf. But drugs crimes are not the only thing Freehold has come under scrutiny for. In 2020, two-year old Awaab Ishak died following prolonged exposure to mould in the one-bed flat he and his parents lived in on the estate. An inquest found his parents had pleaded with the housing association to solve the problem prior to his death. The tragedy led to widespread measures across the estate to remove damp and mould - which 80 per cent of residents were found to be living in - and even saw a law change in his name forcing landlords to fix dangerous homes. But while Rochdale Borough Housing (RBH) and Rochdale Council seem to have been able to put the mould scandal behind them, the issue of crime seems harder to shake off. Those living across the road from the estate told of how they feel unsafe and do not let their children walk through the estate. The estate has a shortcut through to a nearby school and to the town centre which was previously opted for by residents but is now largely avoided. One woman, who went by the name 'Margaret', said: 'It doesn't feel safe living here anymore. 'The druggies take the bus here to the bus stop right outside, go into the stairwells and do their thing, then get right back on the bus the other way. 'The dealing in the stairwells has cleared up but the thing is it will just have moved the problem on elsewhere.' A woman in her 20s who has lives by the estate said: 'It used to be quite a friendly environment, used to go in the park area in the flats they used to have and play. 'But as we've grown older new people have come and the dynamics have changed completely. 'Now you'll see teenage boys hanging around over the back doing balloons and smoking weed. On the weekend you'll just smell weed in the whole area. 'There is less of it after the police did the ban but it's not really changed anything, they do still sneak in there. And on the weekend they'll throw parties, you can hear arguments, people drinking smashing bottles stuff like that. 'You do see gangs mainly near the pitch and you'll see drill rappers there doing their YouTube videos. 'I don't think the police banning them has changed anything. 'I think they tried to do what they could do with RBH but the police aren't here 24/7 and when it's past midnight they will come back and do what they need to do. And by the time they see police cars or hear sirens they just go off. 'For me I'm used to it, but for outsiders, like when my cousins visit from further north they always call it 'Drugdale' and they feel uncomfortable. 'Before back in the days it used to be older people causing trouble but now you see 14 or 15 year olds getting groomed into it.' One mother-of-two who lives nearby the estate told MailOnline: 'There's a lot of drug dealing going on there, pick ups and drop offs. 'And I haven't seen any difference. 'Having younger kids around here is difficult. I'm very careful about letting my kids play out, I don't let them cut across through the estate. 'The only reason we are here is we have family here, but we are thinking of moving. 'My daughter told me the other day she's walking through Freehold, I said 'no you're not'. 'There is an air of anxiety, every sort of five to six weeks there'll be something happening at the estate. 'There's always blue lights there, there was a stabbing recently. 'It all becomes one thing after the other. The blue lights are a constant. 'It's been hard to live around here with young children, there's a lot of influence, drug dealing, that sort of thing. 'There's a lot of gang culture. A lot of youth with not a lot to do, hanging around drug dealing. 'The poverty here is unreal. You can see the kids have nowhere to go, are probably born into it, see no way of being involved in things in the community, and instead end up involved in drugs and crime.' Another local who lives on one of the roads surrounding the estate said: 'I tend to stay away but I've heard there's issues with drugs. I've grown up here and it's not the same. 'I've not seen the dealing but I've seen the consequences. Everyday there's a police car or van that's nearby, sirens on a daily. 'At a point a few weeks ago it really did feel like it was everyday. 'It's not safe around here at all at night. 'We on this side of the road are mainly second generation families so we're quite proud of our community but it's just ruined it for our kids that they're getting a very different view of it. 'It was not like this before. Before the estate was built in the 70s it was a street of terraced housing on both sides. 'It was probably one of the best areas in Rochdale with lots of families and quite an educated area. 'Now the field at the back the other day you see a lot of dealing as well. Luckily my son understands what's going on so he's careful. 'But they meet in the field and car park behind, drive up a bit, and sell their stuff. 'I remember being a young boy walking through the flats to town and it was fine. 'But I wouldn't go through there now. 'At the time the people who were moving in were hardworking people but they've been replaced over the years with riffraff.' While the closure order was announced in November last year and put in place for three months, many said they saw little to no difference. One resident who lives opposite the block said: 'It would be really good if something could be done about it because I've lived on the block opposite for over a decade now and it's really bad. 'They did the three-month ban but they didn't really implement it. 'It didn't really change anything, people are still walking through it all the time. 'I think the dealing in the stairways has stopped, they cracked down on it, but other than that it's still not great.' Hayley Stockham, RBH Director of Neighbourhoods, said: 'We want to make sure that Freehold is a safe and welcoming place to live. 'We are working with our customers, residents and our partners at Rochdale Borough Council and Greater Manchester Police, to make this happen. 'I'm proud of the work that has taken place over the last few years to improve the estate. We've received positive feedback from the community and our initiatives have been nationally recognised. 'However, at the same time we know there is still work to do and this is continuing on a daily basis. 'I also want to be clear – we have a zero tolerance approach to crime and anti-social behaviour across all our estates and urge anyone who has any concerns to contact us so we can support them. We will take action against RBH customers who carry out any crime or anti-social behaviour as this breaches their tenancy agreements. 'In the most serious cases, this could even result in a customer being evicted. 'We'd urge anyone who sees criminal activity to report it to the police so it can be dealt with appropriately. 'We have a long term vision for Freehold and as part of this work, we're investing around £5m in improvements to the blocks, including new security measures for the stairwells. We've had some great feedback from the community who have helped us to shape these plans.' A GMP spokesperson said: 'The open-space closure order zone was in place for three months and not extended beyond that. 'The feedback from residents and communities about its impact has been really positive, and we have strengthened relationships with the community and partners. 'For Operation Affect, we made 48 arrests, carried out 11 warrants, there were three Full Closure Orders on properties suspected of being used for drug dealing, numerous injunctions and CBOs. 'There was an overall reduction of 13.5 per cent across all crimes in April compared to a year ago. 'Arrests and seizure have been driven by intelligence from the community to allow us to bring offenders to justice, and we are grateful for that information as it makes a huge difference and might be the final piece of the jigsaw we need. 'Enforcement was just the starting point – we are now working closely with Rochdale Council and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to make Freehold a better place to live.'
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
Five Teesside stories you may have missed this week
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