A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a string of crimes that rocked Ancoats in an hour of terror.
The incidents, including the smashing of car windows and robbing a man at gunpoint,occurred from 12am to 1am on Friday August 8 between Oldham Road and Pollard Street in the Ancoats area of the city centre, leaving residents terrified.
A gang of ten youths committed the offences and two of them robbed a security guard while threatening him with a gun on Fairclough Street.
The man, who was sitting in a parked car at the side of the road, was approached by the pair who tapped a gun on the driver’s window.
They told the victim to get out the car before one searched the vehicle and the other held the man at gunpoint.
They then stole a Sony tablet and the man’s keys so he could not drive the vehicle away.
Before that a parked BMW had its windows smashed on Redhill Street before the gang launched a tirade of abuse against residents who watched from inside their homes.
The youths also smashed the windows of a canal boat tied up on Ashworth Canal, close to Old Mill Street, before assaulting and robbing a man and woman on Lampwick Lane after punching the man and taking their mobile phones.
The youths then moved onto Pollard Street, where they pointed what is believed to have been a firearm at a passing van at around 12.20am.
A boy has been charged with robbery and possession of a firearm and has been remanded in custody.
Detective Constable David Berry said: “This charge comes as a result of some excellent work from our officers in the Ancoats area.
“The initial crime spree attracted significant attention in the media and understandably caused concerns for residents.
“We will continue to try and bring the other perpetrators of these crimes to justice, but this charge is a step towards making the area a safer place for the people that live and work there.”
Image courtesy of Google Maps, with thanks
