News Beat
One arrested after attack at Royal Bolton Hospital
Michael Anderson said he saw the patient escorted into hospital by two police officers, as he was waiting at reception at around 4.30pm.
He said the patient seemed agitated from the start.
Michael, originally from Westhoughton, said: “He was getting louder and saying he did not want to be here. I did not see any security, which I thought was weird because I have always seen security in the hospital at Bolton and at Wigan.”
Michael said he saw the man walk into the reception area near the exit.
Another man who intervened to stop the attack was assaulted.
Michael said”I saw him punch a man, who must have been in 60s, who was walking down the corridor.
“He then stuck a lad and bit his ear as he took him to the floor.”
Michael said he ran over immediately, saying he could only think about the horrific incident in the community hospital in Newton-le-Willows earlier this week.
He told The Bolton News: “I managed to pin him down and another nurse came over to help. I was sat on top of the guy.”
“I just said get security now. It was chaos, people were helping the elderly man, another patient was crying, others were shaking.
“I was also trying to stop others from attacking him, saying there is CCTV and it is not worth it.
“I was sat there and I was worried, I was thinking of the worst case scenarios, I didn’t know if he had anything on him and if he was to get up.
” I was on floor level with him, he had just bitten off part of someone’s ear.”
Michael said it looked like part of the ear was on the man’s chest.
He said: “When I saw the attack I had to do something, it was only when I was sat on top of him did I feel worried.
“It took about five minutes to get security and then the 15 seconds when they came seemed forever.
“I looked down and my trousers had blood on them, I have no idea whose blood it is.”
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Officers were called to the incident at around 4:15pm today, one man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of s18 and s47 assault, police assault and racially aggravated public order.”
Michael said: “Why did the police leave him, I saw a police officer in A&E later and said quite loudly will you be leaving any more dangerous people with us.
“After it happened I did see security patrolling. Everyone in A&E is vulnerable and I am still shaken-up by what happened, but I had to do something, it is what I do.”
He added: “I spoke to a site manager and he said there would be an investigation.”
Michael is now calling for patients to be assessed properly by emergency services before being left.
Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi said: “Thank you to Bolton GMP Police for their swift response to this incident and I hope that those injured make a swift recovery.”
