Mum threatened by unknown men

Reporter: Rosalyn Roden
Date published: 07 March 2017


A SHAW mum was terrified after four men "threatened to burn her house down" in the middle of the night.

Carly Butterworth (28) was fast asleep at home with her five-month-old son when the trespassers turned up unannounced at 12.15am.

The men "knocked aggressively on the doors and windows" and demanded money according to Carly, who phoned 999 in the early hours of last Thursday morning.

But she was "disgusted and appalled" that she did not meet with officers for almost 24 hours despite the emergency call.

Officers said they were in contact with Carly in the early hours of Thursday morning and attended the property but there was no answer.

Greater Manchester Police said all incidents are assessed based on threat, harm and risk and at the time they received the call the incident was no longer ongoing.

They have since spoken with Carly and visited her Moor Street home on Thursday.

Carly said: "I was woken up by someone knocking aggressively. I was absolutely terrified.

"They began demanding money but I didn't owe them any. I didn't have a clue who they were.

"They asked my name and what street we were on. I told them but they kept saying I was lying and then threatened to burn my house down."

As soon as Carly told the men she was calling the police they began walking away from her front door. Her son Logan Canterbury was asleep at the time.

Carly said: "I was absolutely hysterical. The police said they would get someone out to me as soon as possible. Apparently they came at 5am but I was asleep."

Carly contacted officers again early on Thursday morning but said she waited until 11pm for them to visit.

She added: "It was almost 24 hours before I saw them. I thought the police would have treated it as an emergency; I was on my own with a five-month-old son and incredibly vulnerable.

"I had no-one else. You go to the police in an emergency and when you really need them they don't show up."

A GMP spokesperson said: "All incidents and police resources are prioritised against an assessment based on threat, harm and risk.

"Where there is an immediate threat to life, this will be prioritised and treated with the utmost urgency.

"At the time we received this call the incident was no longer ongoing and it was graded accordingly.

"We had contact with the victim and her partner during that morning and we did later attend the property but there was no answer.

"Officers have spoken to the victim and have revisited the address."