Bonfire Night chaos erupted into a ‘warzone’ with a car torched and cops bombarded with fireworks. Vine Street, straddling Gorton and Abbey Hey in Manchester, was the scene of pandemonium as a horde of youths erected barricades from mattresses and pallets.
The gang, estimated at 20 to 30 strong, ignited an unlawful bonfire using rubbish and a motorbike, set a vehicle ablaze, and launched fireworks at TAU police officers and their cars, narrowly missing other motorists on Tuesday night (November 5).
An onlooker compared the scene to a ‘warzone’, with smoke billowing and debris of charred wood and spent firework shells strewn across the residential road.
Dramatic images captured a car consumed by fire as tensions soared between Tactical Aid Unit officers, firefighters, and the group of young troublemakers. Social media buzzed with comments like “Looks like a full scale war zone down there,” while another person posted: “They were at it from four o’clock. They barricaded the street off. I had to climb over pallets and boards to get home and wouldn’t let cars through, hurling fireworks and wood and bricks at cars.”
(Image: Greater Manchester Police)
Another local reported that ‘kids were throwing them at each other’ amidst families with little ones trying to navigate the chaos.
Images from the scene depict several police vans attempting to control the situation, disperse the crowds and extinguish the illegal bonfire. A number of arrests were made for public order offences, reports the Manchester Evening News.
It is believed that innocent motorists were caught in the crossfire as flares were ignited and hurled towards police vans on Tuesday night. The situation escalated throughout the evening after crews were first called out shortly after 4.30pm before crowds were dispersed.
The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service stated: “Shortly after 4:35pm this evening (Tuesday 5 November) two fire engines from Blackley and Gorton fire stations were called to reports of a dangerous bonfire on Vine Street, Manchester.”
“With the support of Greater Manchester Police crews were able to bring the area under control and extinguish the fire. Firefighters were in attendance for around an hour.”
This comes as emergency services were put on high alert across Halloween and Bonfire Night, with police and fire crews ready to tackle incidents of anti-social behaviour erupting across the region. Officers were reportedly patrolling ‘hotspot areas’ to address issues including nuisance fireworks, fires and crowds.