Teen ambushed and attacked with machete in horror robbery at nature reserve

Yahoo

11-04-2025

A 19-year-old teen was left in a "state of shock" after he was struck with a machete during a robbery in a popular nature reserve. Finley Leech was about to leave Healey Dell, in Rochdale, when he was attacked by "seven lads" who stole his electric bike from him.
According to Finley's dad, Ben, the teen was struck on his arm with a machete after he refused to hand over his bike and attempted to evade the assailants. The attack took place last week on Friday evening (April 4).
Finley had spent most of the day with his friends at the pump track, which is on the Whitworth end of the Dell. But that evening, a large group arrived at the track and soon began threatening riders by shouting things like "give us your f***ing bike", according to Ben.
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Their attention turned to Finley, who was riding a £4k electric bicycle which he had bought as a treat for himself with the help of family members.
Finley, from Whitworth, was attacked as he walked away from the gang, first with fists and then with a machete that was brandished by a member of the gang.
"They said, 'give us your bike' and Fin has used some expletives and set off walking away from them back home," said Ben.
"He says that as he walked kind of 10 yards, they started attacking him, just punching him. Initially trying to get him off the bike.
"He then gets to a gate and he realised that his escape was stopped and that's when they pounced on him. He says there were at least seven lads around him at that point.
"He presumed that the lad who produced the machete was never going to use it, he thought it was just a threat, just some lad posturing assuming that he would give away his bike.
"Once he got to the gate he was hit with a fist, that made him turn around but he then saw the lad swinging the machete at him and it struck his arm, just above his elbow.
"Obviously that caused him to panic. He said that one of the lads who was in the group that was attacking him, looked scared himself, and said something to Finley like 'run please, just run.' So then Finley left his bike and tried to run away."
Ben says that Finley soon called him in "a state of panic" and he reported the incident to the police, who swiftly arrived at the scene. Finley was taken to the A&E at Rochdale Infirmary where he was treated for his wound.
Speaking to the M.E.N. about the incident, Ben added: "Fin phoned me in a state of panic, he was shouting that his bike had been taken and told me that he had been hit with a machete. He was just really screaming, get the police! Get the police!
"I eventually met up with him at the Whitworth end of Healey Dell, there's a bike track there that I'm sure attracts a lot of kids when the weather's nice. I got down there still on the phone to the police, I met with Finley who was still in a state of shock, completely white with blood pouring onto his right sleeve.
Fin has since recovered and is back at work. Having previously worked in the criminal justice system for 20 years, Ben says he is speaking to the M.E.N with the hopes of raising awareness and to push for more work to be done by the police.
"They need to investigate it now, do something now and stop this kid who's clearly prepared to brandish and use a machete," he said.
"I'm wise enough to know the criminal justice system isn't gonna do a great deal by way of getting off the streets and throw away the key.
"But get him some help, get him in, get him punished, but then get him rehabilitated or educated enough to the extent that he knows the impact that this can have and he doesn't do it again."
A spokesperson for Lancashire Constabulary said: "It has been reported and is under investigation. We have made a number of arrests and enquiries are ongoing."