A bus driver was knocked down and beaten by around 15 to 20 youngsters during antisocial behavior in Cadishead on Saturday, October 31. The disorder also included fireworks being shot at cars and businesses, and it prompted Greater Manchester Police to attend and appeal for witnesses.
Kate Green, TfGM’s Head of Policing and Community Safety, said: "We are supporting the police in their investigations into several incidents of antisocial behaviour in Cadishead over the weekend, some of which involved buses." She also said: "Some bus routes were temporarily diverted on Sunday evening but are now running as usual. Both the local community and bus passengers can expect to see an increased police and safety staff presence over the next few days."
Cadishead route changes
The number 67 bus was temporarily rerouted away from the area. That left passengers on the affected service using a different route while the response was put in place, before normal service resumed on Sunday evening.
Many of the youngsters were between 12 and 16, and witnesses said the group pelted The Plough with eggs and shot fireworks at the building. Venue managers said they had to lock customers inside to keep them safe.
The Plough and CCTV
The managers believed the incident had been planned on social media, with groups of teens arriving at different times on the bus. They also said they had heard it might happen again on bonfire night, which is why the expected increase in police and safety staff presence over the next few days matters for nearby passengers, staff and businesses.
Another business owner said CCTV caught the confrontation with the bus driver, and that she later saw kids breaking down the door of a nearby property. She said police dealt with it quite well when they arrived, while Greater Manchester Police also asked witnesses to come forward.
Whether anyone has been identified or arrested for the Cadishead incidents is not answered, but the immediate response already changed how people moved through the area and how businesses protected customers that night.
