A UK town known for DIY meth labs and live-streamed shooting has been dubbed a “dumping ground for the lost”
On the outskirts of Greater Manchester, Oldham’s Clarksfield area has been at the centre of a series of recent undesirable events and none stand out more so than a clip shared on Snapchat. It showed a man appearing to fire a gun at least six times through the window of a family home.
The incident, on May 7, is not thought to have injured anyone, police said. Officers added that it was a “targeted attack with no wider threat to the public”.
But although no one was hurt the incident will have no doubt spooked many, sparking fears that things in the area are not heading in the right direction, the Mirror reports.
Father-of-four Nadeem Iqbal, 45, lives nearby and after the shooting rushed over to check on the family who lived there. Speaking to the Sun, he said the police were excellent with their response time.
“The only saving grace from this is that it was a targeted and isolated incident,” he said. “This is not normal for this street. But the police did their job and responded quickly. There were families and children out on the street, with a lot of people upset and scared.”
Detective Inspector Clare Harrison, from GMP’s Oldham district, said: “We’ve continued to tackle gun crime to keep streets safer across Greater Manchester, with 78 firearms recovered in the last year alone. The number of shootings has continued to reduce and our specialist teams continue to remove these weapons from the hands of criminals. However, when incidents do occur, we act quickly and thoroughly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
A woman and two men in their 30s were later arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with an intent to cause fear and all remained in custody. Residents have also complained of a drug problem in the area, leading one pensioner to describe the area as a “dumping ground for the lost”. They said that dealers operate fearlessly.
Crime in the area has reached a point where cops have worked hard to crack down on it. Police busted a crime organisation that had risen to prominence through its distribution of drugs around the city including heroin and “hundreds of kilos of amphetamine a month”.
Father and son Brian Mulligan Senior and Brian Mulligan Junior set up a DIY meth lab in their home, the investigation found. Some 11 men were jailed for their involvement.
Click for more of the latest news from across the world from the Daily Star.