A pub landlord, his partner and his pet dog have been attacked by armed raiders during a robbery in Manchester.

Four masked men, armed with machetes, an axe and a hammer, forced their way into the Vale Cottage Inn in Croft Bank, in Gorton, just after midnight.

The landlord's legs were cut and a robber grabbed his partner's hair and screamed at the pair to open the safe and hand over cash.

The couple's pet dog was attacked with a machete.

The thieves escaped with a quantity of cash.

'Nasty robbery'

Det Con Paul Bayliss said: "This was a nasty robbery which has left this landlord and his partner extremely shaken.

"Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured and the pet dog has been treated by pet medics.

"I would particularly like to speak to two people who left the pub just after 2300 GMT as they may have some vital information to help us catch these offenders."

All the offenders are described as white. One is thought to be in his early 20s and slightly built and another is about 5ft 10in (1.78m) tall and had a local accent.



[Link: news.bbc.co.uk]

Not content with stabbing you now Robbers want to stab your pet..our police are armed with a small baton while the robbers have axes and machetes and we wonder why the police turn up after the event has long happened.

Schoolboy Hacked With Meat Cleaver

Updated:14:23, Monday February 04, 2008
A teenage boy has been attacked with a meat cleaver after being ambushed on his way home from school.
Robber lunged with a cleaver

The 16-year-old victim suffered tendon damage in his hand after two youths pounced on him in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

One attacker hit the teenager on his right hand with the cleaver, causing him to throw his phone on the floor, in Park Lane at about 3.10pm on January 25.

One of the robbers is described as white, aged 17 to 18, 6ft to 6ft 2in, and of slim build.

He had a clear complexion with stubble, an Irish accent and was wearing a grey Le Coq Sportif hooded top with the hood up, and thin-rimmed glasses.

[Link: news.sky.com]


Another big knife attack in my area this is getting silly

Armed robbers raid primary school
Two men have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a school in Greater Manchester.

Police said a armed man forced his way into St Richard's Primary School in Atherton, Wigan, on Monday afternoon.

He stole cash from the reception area before grappling with the head teacher of the school and running off.

Two men, aged 18 and 22, were arrested on suspicion of robbery. The teenager has since been released on bail.

The 22-year-old is still being questioned by officers.

Det Con Elaine Dickinson said: "How anyone could target a school is beyond me.

"This was a frightening attack that has left some staff understandably shaken. Fortunately the staff cooperated with the offender's demands and no one was injured.

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk]

This is mad!... a school for under ten year olds robbed by an armed man?!

If anyone thinks us English sit around sipping tea and eating cakes all day is seriously is deluded we are too busy hiding inside from the thugs and chavs wanting to stab or harm us, our kids or our pets!

Man fatally stabbed in park fight
A man has been stabbed to death after intervening during a fight in a park in Lancashire.

Police said between 40 and 50 people were at the scene in Thompson Park, Burnley, Lancashire at about 1330 GMT.

Mohammed Shafiq, 50, from York Street, Nelson, Lancashire, who was described as a "family man", died on Tuesday night at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old man have been arrested. Police said their inquiry was in the "very early stages".

Det Supt Mick Gradwell: "This is a very serious incident in Thompson Park.

"I appeal for anyone with information, or who may have seen this incident to come forward.

"A 50-year-old man has died after it appears he intervened in an incident.

"He was a family man.

"We are actively seeking others in connection with the stabbing."

Even the OAP's in my area are scary

A 70-year-old man has been charged with murdering a young father in Manchester city centre.

Craig Douglas, 25, was stabbed in the neck with a small knife as he was walking along Canal Street on the night of 25 February.

He died in hospital a short time after he was attacked. David Brodie from Victoria Square, Manchester, has been charged with murdering Mr Douglas.

He is due to appear before magistrates in the city on Wednesday morning.

Another man, aged 66, was arrested on suspicion of murder earlier in the week and has been bailed until March.

A 49-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the incident has been released without charge.

Two arrested over machete robbery
Scene of security van raid
Cash destined for the Bank of Scotland was stolen
A man and woman have been arrested over a security van raid in which a guard was attacked with machete.

Tens of thousands of pounds was stolen by four robbers at Carlisle's Rosehill Industrial Estate on 10 January.

The guard, who was targeted while delivering cash to a bank, received only minor head injuries.

A 32-year-old man and a woman, 31, from Salford, Greater Manchester, were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of robbery and money laundering.

Knife crime is massive in Manchester England..we seriously need to do something about it

Start a gang?

The Controlers?

Problem is what and then where will it lead?

Banning handguns hasn't stopped gun crime. If anything allowing the criminal fraternity carte blanche, so to speak, it's actually increased, regardless of what the government's statisticians would like us to believe.

Man it makes me happy to live in Montreal. Manchester sounds like a scary place

It is Anthony. no one in the right mind goes out to tell kids (and were talking groups of as little as three of them and as young as 12-13 ) off for causing mischief , the abuse from them or there parents or the chance of being stabbed etc etc is too high in my area...There are some lovely safe parts of Manchester but not where i live or the neighbouring towns.



Because of the problems our local bus company decided to halt night time services after 8pm between October 5 and 8 for the 201 Manchester city centre to Hattersley service.(this would if it still ran go past my house)

"We've actually been working quite closely with the police and are putting the buses back on," a spokeswoman said.

"We do get these sort of things all over Manchester but because of the recent problems in the estate the drivers are now frightened of going to Hattersley."

She added that genuine passengers also suffer because of the thugs.

The first incident was when youths stole cash from a bus in John Kennedy Road at around 11.15pm.

The driver was forced to stop after youths opened the emergency exit on the top deck. While he was upstairs sorting it out, thieves grabbed the driver's takings and made off.

The following night in Mottram Road in Hyde at around 11.30pm, a 23-year-old driver was assaulted by a teenager and a brick was thrown through the window.

A gang of youths had tried to board the bus without paying but had been taken off when the driver flagged down a nearby police patrol.

On the driver's return route, one of the teenagers managed to board the bus and grabbed the driver. At the same time a brick was thrown through the window.

Then on another ocassion at 11.35pm two offenders tried to grab the driver's cash box whilst he was on Hattersley Road East before making off.

Stalybridge police's Chief Inspector Julie McCabe-Robinson said: "The area officers are going to be out in the area and because of some CCTV footage they have got some inquiries to follow up in that area.

"It was a bit of a shock for us when they pulled the service but we want to get it back on for the residents," she added.

This service has stopped since 2002 and the youth problem is much worse now.