Police play down school fight fear

POLICE and youth workers have averted a full scale battle involving youths from three Oldham secondary schools.

A row began between two pupils from Hathershaw School, which escalated to involve students at Kaskenmoor School, Hollinwood, and St Augustine’s, Werneth. The row featured on a series of social networking sites including Facebook and at one point, plans were in place for a fight between dozens of students at Bloom Street Car Park on October 1 and then Copster Hill Park on October 8.

Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Inspector Haydn Roberts, community safety services manager, said it was thanks to the work of police officers and youth officers from Oldham Council and Positive Steps Oldham, a service for young people, that the situation was calmed down.

He said: “Two boys were involved in nothing more than a schoolboy row which escalated. What once would blow over naturally is now made permanent because of the ability to post instant messages to a wide audience.

“A lot of work was done by youth workers to speak to the young people, take the heat out of the moment and make sure they understood the implications of their actions.”