Over the past 6 months we have been alerted to a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour, robbery and assault on the Fallowfield Loop and adjoining routes. This is matter of great concern and Fotfl are, along with others, raising the matter with the police, Sustrans and other bodies. As a result of a Protest Cycle Ride organized by Helen Pidd and others on 17th October, and the following local and national news coverage, Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, promised that his officers would look again at the muggings. We understand that the incidents have now been linked as a “crime series” and are being investigated as part of GMP’s Operation Valiant, which targets personal robberies. If you have concern about anything you experience or witness on the Fallowfield Loop the action you should take is: in an emergency call 999, otherwise call the police on 101. Also notify Sustrans on 0161 923 6050 or by email.
Summary of the report of the protest ride on Wednesday 17th October.
Around 350 people turned out for a protest ride along the Fallowfield Loop and up the “Yellow Brick Road” towards Openshaw on 17 October.
It was organised by Helen Pidd, the Guardian’s North of England editor, after three members of her Manchester-based cycling club, Team Glow, were mugged on the route in the space of a week and she had subsequently become aware of other recent incidents on, or near, to the Fallowfield Loop to which it had been felt there had been an inadequate police response. The weather gods were kind for the protest ride, which set off from Levenshulme Quadrants in golden sunlight. The group split into two, to make it slightly more manageable — and so that Sian could go live on ITV Granada Reports at 6pm, and Helen could race ahead to a GMP building in Claytonbrook to go live on BBC NorthWest Tonight at 6.30pm. It also made the national ITV news the following night, in a report about the rising number of violent crimes going un-investigated by police.
Friends of the Fallowfield Loop 