GMP chief says police must 'get a grip' after armed bikers terrorise shoppers at busy market

Greater Manchester's chief constable says police must 'get a grip' in problem hotspots after shocking footage emerged of an armed group terrorising a market. Balaclava-wearing bikers were seen with what appeared to be a baseball bat and a pair of bolt cutters as they left shoppers at Hyde Market horrified last Friday afternoon (August 25).

A dispersal order was issued on Hyde Market over the weekend as police stepped up patrols following the incident. But at one stage in the video footage, after more than two minutes, a worried shopper can be heard saying: "Where's the police?"

Chief Constable Stephen Watson, of Greater Manchester Police, was challenged over the 'terrifying' incident on BBC Radio Manchester this morning (August 29). While admitting that the moment the incident unfolded would feel like 'a lifetime for people who are there', he insisted three or four minutes is 'not a long time' for police to respond.

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Chf Con Watson explained that the incident would have been dealt with as a 'grade one' call by GMP and the force is now getting to the 'vast majority' of such incidents in less than 10 minutes. However, he accepted there are 'occasions where we're just not quite where we want to be at the time when we need to be'.

And he called on the neighbourhood team in Tameside to make sure it can 'nip in the bud' any problems which could be plaguing Hyde town centre. Chf Con Watson said: "This is not fair words and jam tomorrow, this is the neighbourhood construct that is now back in place.

"It consists of 798 people, it's not an insignificant number of police officers and PCSOs who are dedicated to those neighbourhoods.