The Mancunian Way: 'Orchestrated criminality'

Greater Manchester’s most senior police officer has blasted those involved in violent scenes in Manchester and Bolton at the weekend. Chief Constable Stephen Watson said those taking part in what he described as 'orchestrated criminality' had nothing to do with lawful protest.

Disorder has hit towns and cities across the country following the fatal stabbings of three girls in Southport last week. Incorrect rumours – that the suspect in the stabbings was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat – spread on social media and appears to have fuelled the unrest.

In a frank interview with the Manchester Evening News, Chief Constable Watson admitted that Greater Manchester Police 'is stretched' and was bracing itself for more trouble in the coming days.

He said the force has cancelled rest days and leave as part of an effort to corral a squad of 1,000 officers, some of them riot cops, available to mobilise at any moment.

He revealed the violence in Manchester city centre on Saturday and in Bolton on Sunday was 'orchestrated' and that a dedicated 'arrest cell' led by a senior officer has been set up to comb through CCTV and police body-cam footage to bring trouble-makers to justice.

"The intent was to harm, to damage, to frighten and that cannot be tolerated," said Chief Constable Watson.

Some GMP officers suffered minor injuries but none was seriously hurt as cops tried to keep a lid on 'very grave tensions' between groups of protesters and 'very dangerous situation into which we put our officers', said the chief constable who promised more arrests on top of the 28 held so far, leading to nine people being charged.

There were fears that similarly ugly scenes could break out on the streets of Salford yesterday.