A family had a rude awakening this morning as the police on an organised crime operation pounced on the wrong house at 5am.
As part of a series of raids across North Manchester, police officers turned up at the property in Oldham allegedly looking for a previous occupant who had left the address nearly four years ago.
According to the current resident, Chantelle White, and her partner Craig Bickerstaffe who was staying there when the raid happened, the police were violently banging on the door just after 5am demanding entry.
After the police gained access to the house Craig says they went upstairs where five children, aged three to 13, were asleep and began going through their belongings.
"We had five kids upstairs," Craig said, "and they [the police] were just going into all the rooms and rifling through everything.
"I said, 'what the f*** are you doing here? F***ing explain yourselves.' It was bloody frightening for the kids."
Making things worse, the youngest child, Chantelle and Craig's three-year-old-son recently had a nightmare that "the police were chasing Daddy."
"So when this happened," explained Craig, "my son thought they were here for me.
"He asked: 'Have the police come for Daddy?' He said to me after that he thought they had taken me to jail."
According to Craig the police were looking for a previous occupant, who had left the house years ago.
He said: "It's not like this guy has just moved out or something; Chantelle's been living here for three and a half years now!"
Craig says that the officers did not apologise.
"There was no apology or nothing.
"When they realised they had got the wrong house, they just said 'Right.'
"They said: 'Oh, we'll update our records - but we can't promise we won't be back,' which is just ridiculous.
"They shouldn't be allowed to get away with that. They shouldn't be allowed to frighten people like that."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed that officers went to the home of Chantelle White, but said that the address was not raided and the police were let into the property.
She said: "The address was not raided by officers. As part of the operation, officers attended to make enquiries about a wanted person.
"They entered with permission from an occupier of the house who opened the door to the officers' knocking.
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"They used their powers under section 17 of PACE - they were not dressed in full riot gear, and were dressed in plain clothes. One officer was dressed in uniform.
"Officers checked each room of the house to see if the wanted person was present. The children stayed in bed all the time and were not disturbed or awoken.
"A full explanation was given and the woman present seemed satisfied, albeit the man who was present did not."
The warrants to raid the other properties this morning were issued as part of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Hansford, which is focused on targeting an organised crime group working across the region.
Five men, aged between 22 and 30, were arrested and are currently being questioned.
They have been linked to a gang believed to be responsible for 120 offences, including robbery, car theft, assault, aggravated burglary, and violent disorder.
