How police prevented spread of riot violence

GREATER Manchester chief constable Peter Fahy said potential violence in Oldham was prevented during this summer’s riots.

He said good local policing had nipped in the bud potential trouble in areas including Oldham and Wythenshawe. The comments came after GMP was criticised for its riot tactics by Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz, who said riot policing across England was flawed, with insufficient officers initially deployed and police not having adequate public disorder training.

Mr Fahy said he found Mr Vaz’s criticism “bizarre”, adding that there was a “very, very sudden escalation of violence’ in Salford while police were trying to keep a watch across the region.

Referring to Oldham and Wythenshawe, he said: “What we do know is that we prevented violence in a lot of places through good local policing.”