Manchester Evening News : Residents' fear over raids

Residents' fear over raids

April 9, 2009

RESIDENTS in Cheetham Hill this morning spoke of their fear as armed officers carried out the raids.

Officers stood guard at the four addresses on Galsworthy Avenue, Greenhill Road, Abercarn Close and Esmond Road.

They were also guarding the entrance to the Cyber Net Caf? on Cheetham Hill Road. Two officers were outside the mid-terrace house on Galsworthy Avenue.

Forensic investigators wearing white suits could be seen entering the house as the search continued.

One woman told how police urged residents to remain indoors as they smashed down the front door and arrested two men.

She said: "They took two men out of the front door then led them away. They were in handcuffs. They were middle-aged, around 30. They were not saying anything. The police took them to the next street and then went away.

Scared

"They had only just moved in and it was a lodging house. I was so scared and I could not sleep last night. I have never seen anything like that before."

Residents on the street were going to work as normal today and parents were dropping children off at St Chad's RC Primary School, at the end of the street.

Neighbour Angela Ryan, 46, said: "I was coming back from the shop and there were police everywhere. There was lots of shouting and the police were telling everyone to get back into their houses for their own safety. The police were telling people to get off the road.

"I heard the door get smashed in and everything went quiet. We think that the two men were arrested and taken down an alleyway into the next street. It is quite worrying especially because there are lots of children around here but we do not know anything about who lived there."

Billy Mortimer, who lives on Galsworth Avenue, saw the raid near his home. He said: "I was watching the TV and I saw a police Range Rover drive up the street, past my house and stop. Then move on, then stop again.

Sensible

"I got up to have a look and the street was full of armed police with sub machine guns."

Cheetham Hill councillor Afzal Khan, the former Lord Mayor of Manchester who lives near Galsworthy Avenue, today appealed for people to be 'calm and sensible.'

He said: "People's minds run wild and it is important to make some sense out of all of this. I want to reassure the public that the police are doing their job and trying to get information out to the people. The problem is the confusion and the fear. I would appeal for people to be calm and sensible.

"There was confusion. People were frightened and the police were telling people not to move. You hear about arrests like this on the news, but it's worrying when it's so close to you. We don't know what will be the outcome of this, but the police have been reassuring people.

"I got a call from a neighbour who said that a large scale operation was going on. People had been told to stay indoors and not to go out.

"People just cannot make any sense of it. The people who have been arrested seem, to people, to be normal people who were going about their every day business."

Momentary lapse

Coun Khan also reacted to the resignation of senior Metropolitan Police terror chief Bob Quick, saying he had paid a "heavy price for a momentary lapse."

He said: "I think that in a way it is a blunder. He was a senior police officer who had sensitivity information. It was a momentary lapse and he has paid a heavy price."

Blackley MP Graham Stringer, who has been briefed by police about the arrests, said: "As far as I can see, Greater Manchester Police and the anti-terrorist unit have handled the situation that had to be brought forward very efficiently without destruction to local people."

Asked if he thought the blunder by counter terrorism officer Bob Quick had put people's lives in jeopardy, he added: "It is impossible to say, but potentially it could have put people in jeopardy.

"At this time nobody knows if anyone got away who was intent on carrying out an atrocity."