Two cordons were put in place across the Oldham park on Saturday
Police have issued a major update on an investigation in an Oldham country park over the weekend after a 17-year-old girl ‘came to harm’.
Two large cordons were put in place in Tandle Hill Country Park on Saturday (March 23). Residents said they had ‘never seen anything like it’ as officers scoured the area for evidence and carried out an extensive search.
Greater Manchester Police said initially that an investigation had been launched into the suspected assault of a teenage girl in the Oldham area. In a significant update issued today (Thursday), the force said that officers ‘still don’t know the nature of the incident’ but are working with forensic specialists to work out what happened.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
A police spokesperson confirmed the probe was first launched on Saturday after receiving a report from the hospital that a ‘girl was in pain and may have come to harm’. Hospital staff confirmed they found scratches on the girl’s back.
A member of the public then found the teenager’s phone in Tandle Hill Country Park, which led to the extensive searches. The searches have since ended with forensic work now being carried out.
Police said the girl is ‘experiencing distress’ with officers ‘working at her pace to establish exactly what, if anything, she can recall’. There is not believed to any wider risk to the public, the force added.
“We still don’t know the nature of the incident but are working with forensic specialists to try and establish further information as soon as we can,” a spokesperson for GMP said. “The girl is being fully supported by officers.
“We continue to work closely at her pace, as we progress our ongoing enquiries. We appreciate that information is currently limited, however we have taken the report seriously and have carried out a comprehensive search of the park as part of an investigation to determine whether or not a crime had occurred.
“All lines of enquiry at the park have been explored and our scenes have now been closed. We thank the public for their patience and co-operation during this time.”
“It is important to understand that the girl is experiencing distress”
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Johnston, of GMP’s Oldham CID said: “I appreciate our searches this week will have brought concern and disruption as a result of our work since the weekend. At the centre of this is a 17-year-old girl who we are working with to try and understand what may have occurred to her.
“Given the report we received was that the girl may have come to harm, we have absolutely taken this seriously to explore all available forensic and evidential opportunities. This is particularly the case while we have little detail on what exactly may have happened.
“It is important to understand that the girl is experiencing distress, and we are working at her pace to establish exactly what, if anything, she can recall. We also have forensic specialists supporting our investigation and we await the results of their testing.
“While the circumstances around this are unclear, we are doing all we can to identify what has happened here as soon as we can so we can reassure the public there is no wider risk. We have had no reports since this incident in the nearby area to suggest there is an ongoing risk to the public.
“I ask anyone with information to contact us, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to help our enquiries. Anyone with information which may assist the police investigation, should contact us on 101 and LiveChat quoting Log 2161 21/03/26.”
On Saturday, residents told of their shock and concern after police taped off two areas of the park. One resident on Tandle Hill Road said that he has never seen anything like it happen at the park before, which is usually a very safe and quiet place.
He said: “I’ve never ever seen anything like this before – never heard of it. It seems like quite a unique scenario, like an isolated incident. I have a child myself, so I don’t feel it’s unsafe. I’d happily take my son into the park.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login