Our proud city's oasis has turned into dangerous crime den overrun by zombie druggies and thugs who rob pensioners

Scottish Sun

19 hours ago

Locals claim cops are worried about intervening and making things worse
'CRACKADILLY GARDENS' Our proud city's oasis has turned into dangerous crime den overrun by zombie druggies and thugs who rob pensioners
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A DRUG user lies slumped on a bench while hooded youths stare menacingly at passers-by and a masked teenager on a bike circles with suspicious intent.
Welcome to what locals have dubbed 'Crackadilly Gardens' - once a calm haven adorned with cherry trees and colourful flower beds in the heart of Manchester.
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The area has become overrun with people high on the zombie drug spice
Credit: STEVE ALLEN
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Homeless people and drug addicts can be seen sleeping in doorways
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The area serves as an interchange in the city for buses and trams
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Locals say they fear 'masked teenagers on bikes looking to steal'
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Eunice Manu says the gardens now feel scary and there's often trouble
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But over time various redesigns of Piccadilly Gardens meant much of the green space was replaced with concrete, and it now doubles as bus and tram interchange.
At one point the area became such an eyesore that one of its architectural features became known as Manchester's 'Berlin Wall'.
And it's since become overrun by beggars, drug dealers and 'zombie' addicts.
Frequent violence, robberies and anti-social behaviour have also blighted the area and turned it into a crime hot-spot.
Residents say it's now an 'intimidating' and 'unpleasant' place to be in the day, and a 'dangerous' no-go zone at night.
Various schemes have failed to clean up Piccadilly Gardens, and its image problem is an embarrassment for town hall chiefs keen to promote the northern city as a great place to live, work and visit.
In response, police have carried out regular patrols and launched frequent crackdowns.
On the day The Sun visited groups of officers swooped and detained three men outside a nearby supermarket. One was arrested and handcuffed and taken away in a police vehicle.
Another man became angry and started shouting while the third, who'd lost a shoe, cried out in pain and struggled to walk.
They left the area, only for one of them to return a short time later when police had gone.
Manchester Police Raids smash down doors in early morning raids on postal drug dealers
He staggered around, seemingly under the influence of drink, drugs or both, before sitting down on the pavement and swearing at passers-by, including children.
In a separate incident, which involved armed police, a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Despite the increased police presence and a zero-tolerance approach from officers, locals say the area still feels unsafe.
Eunice Manu, 40, who works nearby for a women's charity, admits Piccadilly Gardens can be a 'scary' place.
"I'm always very careful when I'm walking along because there's always stuff going on,' she said.
It's not a very friendly place and although they've tried to improve things, it doesn't feel safe because of what's going on – it's really scary
Eunice Manu
'I watch all the time to see what's going on around me.
'It's not a very friendly place and although they've tried to improve things, it doesn't feel safe because of what's going on – it's really scary.
'You just don't know what to expect when you get here. There's always trouble and a lot of police about.'
She added that the area's reputation is so bad even her children regularly warn her to 'be careful' when travelling to and from work.
'It's a s***-hole'
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Student Melis Ichan says she often feels intimidated when walking through the area
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The area has become overrun with drink and drugs, even during the day
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Police often make arrests in the area to try and tackle the crimes
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A man is given a talking to from police on the streets near Piccadilly Gardens
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David Penk, 76, said: 'I'm old enough to remember how Piccadilly Gardens used to be - lovely and quiet and a nice place to sit, but now it's a s***-hole.'
'There's drugs all around the place and fights all the time.
'It's just an unpleasant place to be and I try to avoid the whole area if I can - after midday it gets a bit 'iffy'."
Nick, 74, who only wanted to give his first name, said his brother had visited the city centre with him and was 'shocked' by what he saw.
'We came in one night to watch a gig and my brother was a bit taken aback,' he said.
'It was a bit of a shock for him to see all these drugged-up people hanging around.
'I live here so I'm used to it, but he lives in East Anglia so doesn't often encounter such scenes.'
You can get anything you want there: crack, smack (heroin), spice, weed, everything
Dave, 52
He added: 'Piccadilly Gardens used to be a nice place in the 70s, with flower beds and that sort of thing, but it's just been ruined over the years.'
Melis Ichan, 28, a Turkish student in London who regularly visits friends in Manchester, said she's noticed the area's 'drug issues' and the 'intimidating' atmosphere.
'It can feel a little threatening and uncomfortable, especially if you're a woman on your own," she admitted.
'I think the main issue is masked teenagers on bikes looking to steal phones and other things. So I'm always very careful with my belongings.'
She added that she 'loves' Manchester and hoped to live and work there, rather than London.
'Den of inequity'
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Dave, who is homeless, says it's not safe in the gardens any more
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This feature in Picadilly Garden has been dubbed Manchester's Berlin Wall
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The Sun saw a man being arrested by police when we visited this week
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Some residents say they're too afraid to go near the gardens at night
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Homeless pals Dave, 52, and Carl, 54, described Piccadilly Gardens as a 'den of inequity'.
Dave said: 'You can get anything you want there: crack, smack (heroin), spice, weed, everything.
'That's why there's a lot of trouble and stabbings – arguments over drugs.'
Carl added: 'I've been robbed twice there. That's why we both stay away – it's just not safe.
'If anything it's got worse and the police don't want to interfere too much because they're worried it will cause more trouble.
'It was bad when all the Oasis fans came to Manchester to watch them perform.
'They were coming to Piccadilly Gardens and putting their bags down and getting them robbed.
'A lot of them didn't even realise what was going until it was too late.'
Violent crime
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A man was stabbed in Piccadilly Gardens last month, leading cops to cordon off part of the area
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Police have been maintaining a presence in the area to try to improve the situation
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Recent serious incidents include a 23-year-old man who was stabbed last month during an alleged fight, with a 19-year-old later charged.
Also last month, two men - one in his 20s and another in his 30s - were victims of a double stabbing.
An air ambulance had to land in Piccadilly Gardens in May when another stabbing victim, 31, was rushed to hospital.
And a man died in December after he was found collapsed in a doorway two days before Christmas.
Simon Quest, 37, was jailed for four years and six months in December for stealing a mobile phone after cycling up behind his behind his victim in Piccadilly Gardens and throwing coffee over him.
Police said the 'deplorable' attack, in June 2024, resulted in the man falling to the ground 'completely disorientated and unable to defend himself'.
In another robbery in January last year, a 76-year-old was assaulted and robbed of a quantity of cash after he came to the city centre to withdraw his pension and disability benefits.
Class A crackdown
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GMP caught a drug gang that was dealing Class A drugs in Piccadilly Gardens
Credit: GMP
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Cops hoped to make a dent in the dealing taking place in the area
Credit: GMP
In November 2023, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) supported by specialist police from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, launched a major operation in Piccadilly Gardens targeting class A drug dealing.
Drugs were supplied to customers using various means: through flare messages, teenage couriers and directly to those in the area needing a fix.
In April, Manchester Crown Court heard how undercover cops had exposed one criminal gang headed by Martin Joyce, which supplied crack cocaine and heroin.
The investigation focused on an alleyway, known as Back Piccadilly, which was notorious for drug deals due to its private and secluded nature.
In total the operation led to 23 criminals being brought before the court and given sentences ranging from two to five years.
GMP acknowledge that Piccadilly Gardens presents a 'unique challenge' for officers and they have to worked with local partners and charities to try to tackle problems.
I've been robbed twice there. That's why we both stay away – it's just not safe
Carl
From March to May this year, 93 people were arrested for a variety of offences while 384 people were stop and searched.
Cops' Operation Vulcan led to a targeted 18-month long operation to root out drug dealers and tackle crime in the area, and a dedicated police team now patrol the area day and night.
Police tactics rely on a mix of regular visible patrols, community meetings and briefings, and 'targeted activity' - such as weapon or drug sweeps.
And they work with the council to secure criminal behaviour orders against repeat offenders to effectively ban them from returning to Piccadilly Gardens or the wider city area.
But Superintendent Nicola Williams, of GMP, says she doesn't underestimate the challenge faced by the force.
'I am realistic,' she told the Manchester Evening News in May.
'I have worked in neighbourhood policing all my career. Piccadilly Gardens is a particularly challenging space because of the footfall that passes through it every day. It's 24/7. And I recognise we can't be here 24/7 too.
'We are adopting a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour here, so if someone is here behaving in that manner, we will deal with it.
"If they're begging, they will get arrested. If they're smoking a joint, they will get arrested. If we see someone dealing, they will get arrested.
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The council and police have promised to take more action in the area
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The Sun saw armed police and normal police officers when we visited the city centre
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'I am committed to that because those are the things that really impact people coming to Piccadilly Gardens about their daily business.
"We don't want to smell cannabis, see someone who has perhaps been sleeping here all night and potentially under the influence, it doesn't help people feel safe.'
Inspector Kam Hare, of GMP's City Centre Piccadilly Gardens neighbourhood policing team, told The Sun: 'We have a team dedicated to tackling issues in Piccadilly Gardens as we are acutely aware of the complex challenges that this area does present.
'Through a strategy of working with partners including Manchester City Council, we are working together to tackle these problems with long-term solutions.
"The foundations of the problem-solving approach we have seen in Piccadilly Gardens had seen real progress being made in terms of safeguarding, enforcement, and our understanding of the issues and concerns communities are facing.
'Over the past six months alone we have seen 249 arrests resulting in 183 charges, 27 knives seized and large amounts of Class A and Class B drugs seized. We will continue to take action in this area ensuring criminals know they cannot operate here.
'We are determined to ensure the perception of Piccadilly Gardens, and the public's feeling of safety in the area, continues to improve.
"We cannot do this alone however and will work with our partners to achieve this alongside the backing of additional force resources whenever and wherever there is intelligence or demand to suggest we need extra officers in the area.
'We also rely on intelligence from members of our community – from the people that work in the area to those that live in the buildings surround the gardens.
Over the past six months alone we have seen 249 arrests resulting in 183 charges, 27 knives seized and large amounts of Class A and Class B drugs seized
Inspector Kam Hare
"Please continue to report incidents to ourselves as it helps us to build a targeted plan of activity that our neighbourhood officers can use.'
A City Council spokesperson said: 'We know that Piccadilly Gardens sometimes attracts negative headlines. We're bringing forward plans to improve its appearance and boost public confidence in its safety.
"There have been intensive police crackdowns with operations such as Operation Vulcan and ongoing days of action resulting in many arrests.
"We are working closely with Greater Manchester Police to build on the successes of this approach and strengthen its long term impact in tackling and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.'
The spokesperson added that plans would be announced next month for 'immediate and long term measures' to ensure it is a welcoming space for residents and visitors alike.