Muggers paradise

PATH of fear . . . Councillor Battye on the footpath between Hamilton Street and Mumps station

SHOPPERS and commuters are walking a path of fear to get to and from their new Metrolink stop.

Safety concerns have been raised over a dimly-lit footpath near Oldham Mumps station which has seen a spate of robberies.

Councillor John Battye hit out: “It’s dark and overgrown and it shouldn’t have been opened up as a path to the station. There could be anybody lurking down there.”

He slammed Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) planners for not doing their homework on the crime hotspot.

He said: “They’re just engineers who draw things on maps that look good but aren’t practical. They do not know Oldham.”

Police have reassured residents that action is being taken to make the area safer.

The reassurance comes days after a 17 year old appeared in court on three counts of robbery, one of attempted robbery and two of firearm possession. The youth is alleged to have used a handgun to rob locals using the path, which leads from Hamilton Street to the stop.

Insp John Morris, of East Oldham police, is urging the public’s help in tracing two offenders believed to be responsible for two separate robberies there on Monday

A Sakura S200 scooter was stolen around 1.45pm at the Alexandra Retail Park end of the path. At the other end a robbery took place 35 minutes later.

Councillor Battye, chairman of the Oldham Council’s planning committee told the Chronicle: “They’ve spent £500 million on Metrolink across Greater Manchester but it’s totally inaccessible in Oldham. “There should be proper signage. That doesn’t cost very much, surely.”

A TfGM spokesperson said signs are being uodated to encourage use of a “more appropriate” route.


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