Councillors have written to Greater Manchester Police over the presence of the Heywood Community Guard group
A group of councillors have spoken out against a neighbourhood patrol group which had been ‘standing guard’ outside schools in a Greater Manchester town, saying women are ‘fearful’ of them returning to the gates.
It is in response to the Heywood Community Guard, a group who say it was set up to ‘keep women and children safe’ in response to concerns about asylum seekers being housed in the town in Rochdale.
But numerous members of the public raised concerns about the group’s activities, which included ‘standing guard’ outside school gates and patrolling the streets at night while wearing high-vis vests with the name of the group on the back.
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The M.E.N previously revealed that in 2022 one of its founder members, Adam Farrell, was jailed after he left an innocent man with life-changing brain injuries in an unprovoked racist attack outside a nightclub.
Leaked messages from the HCG WhatsApp group, first reported by Roch Valley Radio, showed members using slurs against black and Jewish people and discussing fears ‘millions of Muslims’ were ‘ready to fight’.
Councillor Angela Brown, for West Heywood, has since shared a letter she penned alongside other local councillors to Greater Manchester Police to raise ‘community concerns’ about the group and ask how they are being monitored by the force ‘to ensure nobody is being harassed or intimidated’.
“In the past months, we have been contacted by a substantial number of residents -predominantly women-who have expressed significant anxiety regarding the presence of this group on our streets and on local social media.
“More distressing are the reports from parents whose children are fearful that these unofficial patrols may return to school gates.”
A joint letter sent by all schools in Heywood on October 6 last year, raised concerns about HCG and ‘strongly encouraged’ parents ‘not to engage’ with the patrol.
At the time, Greater Manchester Police said the force was working to ensure the group ‘follow the appropriate laws and guidance during any activities they carry out’ and were ‘addressing concerns raised by members of the public’.
The letter continued: “We have informally discussed this issue with GMP over several months, and while we understand the police position that ‘walking the streets’ is not in itself unlawful, the impact of these activities is creating a climate of intimidation.
“Many residents have told us they no longer feel the “quiet peace” that should define our town. Many are afraid to speak out for fear of the backlash, intimidation, and threats they have seen others receive for doing so.
“Our community wants professional policing, not vigilantism. As the elected representatives for this town, we are asking for increased visible policing, a clear public statement from GMP reiterating that policing is the sole responsibility of professional officers and an update on how the police are monitoring these groups, to ensure no resident is being harassed or intimidated in their own street or online.”
In a statement on Facebook, Coun Brown added: “It’s not the kind of “safety” any of us asked for. We pay our taxes for professional, trained, and accountable police officers—not for self-appointed groups, with at-best-sketchy behaviours, that cause more worries than they solve.”
