Hundreds of ‘out of control’ teenagers had to be dealt with by police at two separate Halloween house parties.
At one party on a new-build housing estate in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, between ‘300 and 500’ youths turned up. Six arrests were made.
Separately in Blackpool, Lancashire, 300 people turned up when a party was held at a small ‘two-up, two-down’ house on a council estate.
Both incidents happened late on Friday night.
Onlookers in Radcliffe reported witnessing hundreds of teenagers congregating in the area after what appeared to be a Halloween ‘house party’.
‘Apparently the homeowners were on holiday and they left the house to their son and around 300 to 500 people turned up,’ one eyewitness said.
Video footage shows a large number of young people leaving the area after police descended on the scene.
One witness was heard saying: “It looks like a concert’s just finished.”
Several police cars and vans – including Tactical Aid Unit vehicles – were seen arriving on the estate.
Six boys, aged 16 to 17, were arrested at the scene – and Greater Manchester Police said they have since been released on bail.
Six boys were arrested after chaos in Radcliffe, where up to 500 teenagers gathered at party
In a similar incident on the Normoss estate in Blackpool, police were called to deal with ‘disorder’ which spilled into the street outside a Halloween party.
While around 100 youths were believed to have been packed inside the ‘two-up, two-down’ address, up to 200 more had congregated outside.
Police estimated there were up to 300 young people in total – ‘many fuelled by alcohol and carrying glass bottles’. One arrest was made.
A local resident said: ‘The noise and aggression was frightening.’
Officers were initially called to reports that a pedestrian had been hit by a car – but ‘were faced with something far more serious’ as the scale of the crowd became apparent.
Lancashire Police special constables were called to the scene, on a housing estate in the Normoss area of Blackpool, and took nearly an hour of ‘sustained effort’ to bring the situation under control.
Recognising the scale of the disorder, on Friday evening, the officers immediately called for urgent backup.
In a statement, a Lancashire Constabulary Specials spokesperson said: ‘When we arrived, it quickly became clear that the numbers were no exaggeration. We attended to the casualty and then formed a line alongside our colleagues — seven officers standing shoulder to shoulder against hundreds of 16 and 17-year-olds, many fuelled by alcohol and carrying glass bottles.
Police confronted youths – many ‘fuelled by alcohol and carrying glass bottles’ – in Blackpool
‘Our public order training was tested to the limit. Despite the hostility, we held the line and took firm, lawful action to restore order. One individual was arrested for a public order offence.’
The spokesperson added: ‘What was left behind was a property in need of significant repair, and a street littered with broken glass and debris.
‘That night, the Specials demonstrated exactly what we bring to Lancashire Constabulary — professionalism, resilience, and a commitment to protecting our communities. I could not be prouder of my colleagues for their courage, teamwork, and composure in the face of serious disorder.’
Officers had to call for back up and took an hour to bring disorder under control
Special constables in Blackpool encountered the crowds when called to a traffic collision
Earlier in the evening, several of the same officers had ‘come under direct fire from fireworks’. They had been called to reports of fireworks being fired at people in Memorial Park, Fleetwood.
The Specials Task Force descended on the area to ‘disrupt the activity’ and carried out a number of stop searches. However, the situation quickly escalated when three officers came under direct fire from fireworks.
A spokesperson added: ‘These are explosives, and when used in this way, it becomes an extremely serious offence. Enquiries are ongoing, with CCTV being reviewed to identify those responsible.’