“We’ve put robust plans in place with our partners to ensure everyone feels safe.”
15:24, 20 Dec 2025Updated 16:52, 20 Dec 2025
Police make an arrest in the city centre.
Dangerous e-bike riders were among nineteen people arrested in a bid to curb city centre crime in the run up to Christmas. Both uniformed and plain clothes officers have been deployed as Manchester is rammed with shoppers.
GMP aims to crackdown on shoplifters, anti-social behaviour, and violence against women. They are also actively providing protection and back up to pubs. clubs and bars.
Operation North Star has resulted in suspects being held for possession of drugs with intent to supply, dangerous driving, and breach of bail conditions., Seven e-bikes and scooters have been seized, and six traffic offence reports issued.
Uniformed and plain clothes officers have been deployed
Six of the arrests were as a direct result of the live-facial recognition van which was stationed in Piccadilly Gardens and allows officers to intervene before suspects can commit further offences, therefore reducing the risk to the public.
Seven e-bikes and scooters were seized during a dedicated operation around the Oxford Road corridor tackling illegally modified bikes and dangerous driving. During the operation two were also arrested for failing to stop and dangerous driving.
The operation will continue across the weekend as officers look to keep communities safe ahead of the festive period.
GMP lead for Local Policing Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle said: “This weekend we’re expecting high footfall across our town centres, including here in the City of Manchester.
Six of the arrests were as a direct result of the live-facial recognition van
“We’ve put robust plans in place with our partners to ensure everyone feels safe. Our communities will see high-visibility neighbourhood teams and response units across the weekend who will be on-hand to tackle criminality and support any concerns they may have.
“We are also supported by plain-clothes patrols and technology including our live facial recognitions vans and CCTV.
“Our message if you’re thinking of coming into our town centres to commit crime is to think twice. We have more than enough officers on duty, and we will take positive action.
“We want people to enjoy themselves during this weekend and we will be there to ensure this happens but also prevent criminality. We will be intervening if we see anything of concern and we are there if you need us.”
Compared to this time last year, the Home Office-led Winter of Action operation has already seen anti-social behaviour down by 14 percent, retail crime down by 12.5 percent and stop search up 75 percent. .
GMP says the results have been achieved by “a comprehensive policing operation” which will continue throughout December and January across all 10 force districts, which in one weekend (Friday 5 – Sunday 7 November) saw 497 arrests including 35 arrests for drink and drug driving.
Officers will also be out throughout the weekend continuing Operation Limit to tackle drink and drug driving as part of Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Vision Zero strategy that aims to eliminate road death and life-changing injury by 2040.