More than 30 Christmas shoppers rescued from counterfeit shop in Manchester
Officers came to their rescue after the group was heard shouting for help
Police have rescued a group of 30 Christmas shoppers who had been left trapped inside a building full of counterfeit clothing and electrical goods in Manchester.
On Tuesday last week, officers were patrolling the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways area when they heard people shouting for help.
They then forced entry and rescued the group who were found huddled inside.
It has emerged that one of the workers in the shop had been alerted that police were in the area. This person had then locked the business and made his escape, leaving members of the public trapped inside.
On rescuing the startled group, officers found an elderly lady among them who had a broken arm and needed assistance getting down the steep and narrow flight of stairs towards the exit.
Officers then searched the building and found a series of shops selling counterfeit designer clothes, watches, electronics and various other items.
They set about bagging, tagging and seizing all the items within the building - a process that took over 5 days to complete owing to the sheer amount of counterfeit.
The action by Greater Manchester Police forms part of the force's Operation Vulcan, which aims to crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways area.
Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood said: “Our officers had a duty of care to force their way in and safeguard the individuals who had been trapped inside a building that was structurally unsound, utterly unsafe and from which they had absolutely no means of escape.
“I appreciate that at Christmas time everyone wants to find a bargain, but by going to these illegal shops in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways area, consumers are not only funding criminality, they are also putting themselves in very real danger.
“This isn’t the first report we’ve heard of members of the public being locked in – sometimes for hours – and we’ve even received reports of customers being assaulted by staff.
“This latest seizure will make a dent in the finances of criminals but where Operation Vulcan will make the most impact is if members of the public start to shun these illegal businesses.
“They are bringing devastating harm to our communities and those running them have no regard for your safety or welfare.”
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