Police cordon in place outside busy Greater Manchester shopping centre after Barclays bank smashed up

A police scene was put in place outside a Barclays bank in Bury this morning after it was left smashed up and covered in red paint.

Officers cordoned off the area outside the branch at The Rock shopping centre on Central Street on Monday (June 10). Pictures showed the front of the Barclays bank left covered in red paint with the front glass windows and doors also smashed through.

The images echoed similar scenes to those at a number of Barclays branches across Greater Manchester last week. The branch on Market Street in Bolton was targeted, as well as two branches on Market Street and Mosley Street in Manchester city centre.

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Campaign group Palestine Action claimed responsibility for these incidents, as well as for vandalising the BNY Mellon office in Piccadilly Gardens. The group has not yet claimed responsbility for the incident at Barclays in Bury this morning.

The high street bank has become a repeat target for pro-Palestine protesters, including store fronts in central London and Brighton. Previously, a spokesperson for Barclays said: "We provide vital financial services to US, UK and European public companies that supply defence products to NATO and its allies.

"Barclays does not directly invest in these companies. The defence sector is fundamental to our national security and the UK government has been clear that supporting defence companies is compatible with ESG considerations.

"Decisions on the implementation of arms embargos to other nations are the job of respective elected governments The safety of our customers, colleagues and local community is our priority and we would ask that those expressing their views stop short of criminal