A normally quiet Rochdale neighbourhood was thrown into chaos this morning after an outburst of violence left a young man in hospital and three others in police custody.
Anyone awake at around 4.30am this morning, September 28, would have been able to hear officers descend on Whalley Avenue in Littleborough, with the commotion waking up others and alerting them to the shocking scenes outside their windows.
“I heard someone shouting ‘armed police’ two or three times and then a couple of bangs that sounded almost like a window going through,” said Lesley Wood, who’s lived along the street for more than 20 years.
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“I thought I was dreaming at first, and then I heard more sirens.
“As I lay there I was a little bit frightened to be honest, it was quite close.
“This is the first time in a long time we’ve had any problems, it’s been quiet for about 13 or 14 years - that was the last time I really noticed any issues, but that’s not to say there haven’t been any.
“It’s so quiet here, it’s one of the reasons I bought this house, but that’s what alarmed me.
“I came up from Manchester where I had two burglaries but it’s not like that here, it’s a lovely place to live, so it surprised me.
“I’d like to know whether I can go to bed in peace tonight.”
Lesley, and several other neighbours, were woken as police rushed to Whalley Avenue at around 4.30am this morning after a man in his 20s was stabbed in the street.
Some residents reported hearing shouting, followed by loud thumps and bangs.
Four men were arrested after the incident, which left two people needing treatment in hospital.
The stabbing victim, in his 20s, was arrested on suspicion of affray along with a 22-year-old man, whilst two men aged 26 and 30 were arrested on suspicion of assault.
Another resident was woken up by the police siren, getting out of bed after worrying the emergency lights meant one of her neighbours needed an ambulance.
She said: “I was woken up by this siren that went on for just one round, and I saw the lights and thought it was an ambulance.
“I have quite a lot of elderly neighbours and I was worried something had happened to one of them and that was it, I was up then.
“When I came down for a brew I saw a few people in the back of the police cars, there were loads of them out here then, about five or six cars.
“You don’t usually get stuff like that around here, it’s a nice place.”
A portion of the street was cordoned off for several hours and a small section of Laneside Close also blocked.
Several plastic markers could be seen on the floor, with a crime scene investigator working to collect evidence and take photographs.
The cordon was moved to cover a smaller area shortly before 10am, before being lifted completely around thirty minutes later.
In a statement, GMP said: “Police were called at around 4.30am this morning (28 September) to a report of a stabbing on Whalley Avenue in Littleborough, Rochdale.
“Emergency services attended and a man in his 20s was taken to hospital with minor injuries. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of affray and remains in hospital receiving treatment.
“Two men, aged 26 and 30 years, were later arrested by police on suspicion of assault. One man is in hospital, while the other remains in custody for questioning.
“A further male, aged 22 years, was arrested on suspicion of affray. He is in police custody.
“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Anyone with any information - including dashcam or CCTV footage - is advised to contact police via the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk quoting incident 356-280921 or by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
